Sections - what's your approach?

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to determine the best approach to adding detail to sections for a residential project. Specifically, where the foundation, floor sandwich, and wall base all come together: do you model everything with custom profiles, or do you keep things simple and fill in detail in 2D?

[Anonymous]

This "dichotomy" is actually built in to ArchiCAD. When you get to the detailing level, the drawings are all linework & fills converted out of the 3d source. The workflow seems to assume that you'll be doing lots of tweaking by "hand" when it comes to detailing. Doing the prepwork in 3D for sections & elevations makes for much less work in the details, and makes all your drawings match at all levels.

[Anonymous]

We put all that in at the building section level, then when we blow off a detail, it's all there and we don't have to add anything. When you add a detail, it's finished, just add notes. This way, if something changes, we just change it at the building section, then update the wall section, and the appropriate linked details. You don't have to change the details at all, just update them.

I think "showing just the appropriate level of detail" is old school because you were working with pencil back then and could not zoom in and draw something really detailed like you can now. Draw the building section once, then shoot off all the details you want, you don't have to alter them at all. It makes the updating process much faster.

[Anonymous]

Steven wrote:
So, do you do your drawings 3D or 2D??

I've been using separate 2D software (powercadd) for drafting, and 3D software (FormZ) for visualization. PowerCadd is very traditional, in that it closely mimics hand drafting. On the last complex residential project I did, we had many revisions & re-designs (gotta love arch. review committees) it was a coordination nightmare to say the least.

My current project is my first one done in BIM, so it's uncharted territory. So far I've modeled the whole thing through SD & DD. Now I'm getting into CDs and realizing the lines between the traditional phases are more blurred, and you spend a lot more time in SD/DD vs. CDs than you would drafting conventionally. The CDs sort of "happen" to some extent as you are designing. The sections may not look as tight, but it was REALLY cool being able to generate 6 sections quickly for the engineer on a small residential addition.

[Arcadia]

Figuring out how best to model in Archicad is about finding the 'sweet spot' between too much time spent on modelling elements and too little time. My approch it this:

1) Accurately model all major elements (slabs walls, beams, cabinets etc). I use complex wall profiles a lot.

2) Accurately model all major elements of the model that are visible in a VBE file - ie plasterboard ceilings, external claddings, gutters etc. (not necessarily drip moulds to balconies, or skirtings and smaller items). External claddings and roof covers are easily and quickly applied using the Cadimage accessory tools and really enhance the sections as well.

3) I use the Cadimage Detailing tool to apply 2D elements and fills over the live section along with notation. I just use 2D lines to represent un-modelled structural elements that are concealed in all views except sections (like ceiling framing, battens etc).

This gives me really great sections that are equal to or better than anything I ever produced in my old 2D software - and I am really pedantic about the amount of detail that I show and the accuracy of the sections.

[James Murray]

siteline wrote:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609092055.htm

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast has an interview this week with Yale ornithologist Richard Prum, and they discuss in detail why that paper isn't worth the bits in your browser's cache. iTunes podcast link. The interview begins at about 30:40. </OT>