Slabs unusable, Z height is Distance origin?

[Jeff Kogut]

I must have inadvertently hit some key that disrupted input settings. I spent all yesterday afternoon trying to figure this out. This is in ArchiCAD 20.

Ok, so drawing any slab I click and the start point (Distance) is the Z coordinate instead of zero. I drag in a direction and input a dimension. Then measure, it is some random distance (does not even seem to be the hypotenuse). The example I show was a countertop slab where I had input 3' as the slab offset from home story.

I had another drafter here try my file on his system but it's fine. Every drawing I open now has this issue. I tried reloading favorites. Tried applying the 'Standard Profile 20' work environment, no luck.


In the past I've had issues with hitting the backslash \ key and toggling the 'Prefer polar coordinates' checkbox. That one I disable the key now. But there seems to be a "Rotate XYZ axis, and randomize input" key that I hit the hotkey for . WHY-O-WHY do these hotkeys even exist Graphisoft?!?!

[Jeff Kogut]

I just did a repair reinstall of 20 and tried the slab. It was set to Geometry Method: Rectangular by default and that worked perfectly with a Distance input of zero.

I then clicked on Geometry Method: Polygonal and I'm back to Distance equals the Offset to Home Story.

[Jeff Kogut]

Did an uninstall of 20, reboot, install. The project I've been having issues with still has the problem on Geometry Method: Polygonal. Again, this is only my computer with this particular file. If another user opens it it works fine.

I opened our template file and for slab the Geometry Method: Polygonal works fine with Distance of zero as a start point.

So, I'm still stuck on my current project being unable to draw a polygonal shaped slab. As an interim fix I can draw a rectangular slab and add points manually to make a polygonal shape. Ugh.

[sinceV6]

Hi.
Looks like as soon as you click AC is moving to another Z elevation, so it may be a bug, but check that default setting for slab is home story = current. It could be that you are actually drawing the element in story 1 while starting in story 0. Still... if that's the case, it is wrong.
Hope it helps.

[sinceV6]

Looks like changing home offset for default setting (not only home story) might also be the culprit. Check if drawing with a home offset of 0.00 will fix the issue.

[Jeff Kogut]

Thanks for looking at this.

The settings are, and have been:

Show on Stories = Home Story Only

Home Story = Main Floor(Current)

The culprit seems to be the Geometry Method: Polygonal, selected in the attached pic. The Rectangular and Rotated Rectangular work fine. I'm unaware of any setting that would change anything with slabs just fro the Polygonal type.

[sinceV6]

Have you checked both home offset (not only the home story where it is going to be drawn) AND Z setting?

It may be that you changed the Z value. Try this:
If you are drawing in your 0. story and Z displays 0.00 (to project Zero) but when you start to draw Z is changed, then before canceling the drawing operation move your cursor over the coordinates palette (open it in case you don't have it in your WE) and THEN cancel. It'll leave you with the current Z value (otherwise it'll change back to 0.00 if you are on the floor plan window). Change the default Z value to 0 and start again.

[Jeff Kogut]

It took me a few minutes to work out what you were suggesting but I got it. Unfortunately it didn't resolve the problem, but it sort of seems like it should have.


Ok, I was wondering if it was our template brought forward from 19. So I loaded up the 20 template and W/E and got the same issue.

If you want to replicate the issue:

1. Fire up AC20
2. Create a New Project, use Archicad 20 residential.tpl, W/E Standard Profile 20
3. Click on Slab tool, it will be on a 6" thick slab with Offset to Home Story as 0", and on Polygonal method. Go ahead and draw a slab.
4. Now change the Offset to Home Story from 0" to 5'. Click once to start drawing a slab and note that Distance is now 5'. Draw a leg of the slab as 10', and then another random point, and close the slab as a triangle. Measure the 10' side, it won't be 10'.
5. Now click on Geometry Method: Rectangular and draw a 10' x 2' slab. It'll be 5' off the Home Story and correctly sized.

[sinceV6]

Like this (GIF, so wait to see the complete loop)



This is because AC is calculating based on the first click Z value to the next click with another Z value.
The GIF uses the standard 3-4-5 triangle. That's why distance shows 5, X coordinate shows 4 and Z shows 3.

This is also true if home offset is not 0.00 or home story is not the current one when drawing: AC is basically giving the hypotenuse projection in floor plan, at least for the first segment.

[Jeff Kogut]

Ok, I see what you are doing. But the issue still remains, probably a bug.