Offset: a simple line extra addition

[Anonymous]

I could use an "Offset" feature so many times. It simply allows a person to pick any amount of lines, walls, beams etc. and offsets a copy at a distance desired. The key to this feature is that it the offset amount is the same along the entire path. Please add this feature. It is a small thing but a HUGE need.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Ronald wrote:
The only shortcoming I found was that the offset created does not extend beyond the end of the walls.

One option for a footing as you describe is a very short wide wall for which you set the reference line offset in the wall setings dialog (or info box) to be non-zero. Save this as a Favorite perhaps.

Just magic wand the reference line of your stem walls and voila.

Downside is you have to do some math to get the proper ref line offset.

HTH,
Karl

[Djordje]

Karl wrote:

Ronald wrote:
The only shortcoming I found was that the offset created does not extend beyond the end of the walls.

One option for a footing as you describe is a very short wide wall for which you set the reference line offset in the wall setings dialog (or info box) to be non-zero. Save this as a Favorite perhaps.

Just magic wand the reference line of your stem walls and voila.

Downside is you have to do some math to get the proper ref line offset.

If the centerline is the ref line, not even that.

[Anonymous]

Ronald wrote:
Even a simple offset of an L-shaped wall is absurd. Rather than keep an even offset that surrounds the L-shaped wall (front and back), the application wants to create a triangle-shaped offset. My scenario is a concrete block retaining wall of various shapes. I want to use Offset to place a footing under this wall; seems a simple request but almost impossible to accomplish

I have to agree that if you magic wand the wall with the slab tool it should trace the wall; that's how one would reasonably expect it to behave. I really don't know whether this should be classified as a wish or a bug.

Woody

[Djordje]

woodster wrote:

Ronald wrote:
Even a simple offset of an L-shaped wall is absurd. Rather than keep an even offset that surrounds the L-shaped wall (front and back), the application wants to create a triangle-shaped offset. My scenario is a concrete block retaining wall of various shapes. I want to use Offset to place a footing under this wall; seems a simple request but almost impossible to accomplish

I have to agree that if you magic wand the wall with the slab tool it should trace the wall; that's how one would reasonably expect it to behave. I really don't know whether this should be classified as a wish or a bug.

Woody

Don't agree.

If a non polygonal wall shape is traced by a polygonal tool, it is to be expected that ArchiCAD closes the polygon. The walls are defined with their reference line, not with their footprint, right?

Now, if you EXPLODE the walls, you do get the fills ... that can be correctly offset to a slab - polygon to polygon.

I would still use a wall for the footing, because it is IMHO by its building element nature more a wall than a slab, anyway.