Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

Project origin, User Origin & Survey point

LFBIMMAN
Booster

Hi All, I am getting a bit confused with the co-ordinate system in Archicad

 

Could anyone please explain the difference between Project origin & user origin for me please & why I can move the user origin & an example of why I would possibly need to move it please? I have already read the graphisoft help pages but didn't really understand. 

 

they both seem to read 0,0 even though they are away from each other. 

 

Alot of our projects have no requirement for real world co-ordinates so our process for generic projects is to start modelling as close to 0,0 as possible, most of the time the corner of our building is placed directly on 0,0.      The project origin & user origin is placed on the same spot from default, we don't really move these.

 

Another thing I don't really understand is the difference between these 2 co-ordinate objects..... any clarification would be welcomed. 

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1 REPLY 1
Barry Kelly
Moderator

The Project Origin is the true origin and it can not move.

It will always be 0,0,0.

It really does not mean a lot, it is just that every model must have a Project Origin.

 

The User Origin can be moved and is simply for your convenience to to set any point you wish as the origin 0,0,0.

As you mentioned you always place the corner of your building on the Project Origin (excellent - always model close to the Project Origin).

You can set the User Origin to a different corner of the building or maybe the corner of a room, so you can get distances from that point.

 

As you place elements, a temporary User Origin is placed at the starting point of that element and then you can specify the length of a wall or slab or beam, etc.

 

A survey point just allows you to set a World Coordinate at a given point.

This saves you having to model very far from the Project Origin if you are trying to use real world coordinates.

Modelling far from the Project Origin will cause problems due to the large numbers for the co-ordinates.

So you set a Survey Point close to the model (or even on the Project Origin) and give it the real world co-ordinate of that position.

Positions on your building can then be related to that survey point giving you real world co-ordinates for the building.

 

Barry.

 

One of the forum moderators.
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