Modelling joints from prefab elements

[PVBergkrantz]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had a good method of modelling joints from prefab elements for walls and such. We are doing a project with prefabricated wall elements and would like these joints to be visible both in sections and 3d, but for all other intents and purposes the wall elements act as a single element. So far we've tried doing it with niche/alcove window objects (not sure of the English terminology) but this seems overly complicated and creates many many extra objects. Maybe there is a method with custom profiles, but I haven't been able to do it along the length of a wall, only change it vertically.

Another idea was to create a render material but the joints are not always perfectly repetitive, and corners create a tricky situation.

As an example look at Tadao Ando's building at the Vitra Centre, how would you go about modelling that in ArchiCAD?

[Barry Kelly]

Try creating a curtain wall with no panels.
You can use Solid Element Operations to subtract it from the wall and then hide the curtain wall in a layer you can turn off.
Any amendments required will just need a edit of the curtain wall.

your curtain wall can follow a set scheme or you can modify the position of the individual frames to suit the elevation.

Barry.