Twelve Tricks of ArchiCAD
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2004-03-03
10:41 PM
- last edited
a month ago
by
Molinda Prey
Karl wrote:Making the move from drafting to three dee means being mindful of the "bridging" techniques that reduce drudgery and repetitiveness. Using the magic wand for all of its capacity is the main one becuse it can unify and transform complex resultant shapes that take a long time to draw one node at a time.
A quick P.S.
Karl
Perhaps it is time for us to make the Twelve Tricks of ArchiCAD Anonymous. Nominations???
Foe example:
1: Magic Wand the heck out of things.
2: Place first, then edit.
3: "Mirror, Mirror on the Menu, who's the flip-a-copiest in the coordinate system?" [which sister said that?]
4: ???????
Your turn.
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2004-03-04 05:00 AM
Dwight wrote:4. CONSTRAIN with shift, alt/option X/Y/R/A etc... PLUMB, LEVEL & SQUARE.Karl wrote:Making the move from drafting to three dee means being mindful of the "bridging" techniques that reduce drudgery and repetitiveness. Using the magic wand for all of its capacity is the main one becuse it can unify and transform complex resultant shapes that take a long time to draw one node at a time.
A quick P.S.
Karl
Perhaps it is time for us to make the Twelve Tricks of ArchiCAD Anonymous. Nominations???
Foe example:
1: Magic Wand the heck out of things.
2: Place first, then edit.
3: "Mirror, Mirror on the Menu, who's the flip-a-copiest in the coordinate system?" [which sister said that?]
4: ???????
Your turn.
5. PRECISE Numeric entry. Type the dimensions you want. If you don't know, type something reasonable (like typing 8' instead of stretching something to 7'-11 37/64"). ACCURACY, ACCURACY, ACCURACY.
6. STANDARDIZE!!!!! Name and number everything sensibly (and consistently); stories, sections, details, files, folders, layers, fills, materials. Layers, pens & library parts; pick what you want and stick with it.
7. It's not real, you don't have to save it. I.E. It is often faster to throw things out and redraw them than to adjust stuff that's almost right.
8. Work within your limits but keep pushing the envelope. There is always more to do than time to do it and the model can always be more detailed. Completely detailed models are the ideal ("Model the building and annotate the views." - Matthew Lohden circa 1997) but there always comes a time when you have to stop and get the drawings out. (Schedule backwards from the deadline to avoid sleepless nights and big Maalox bills.)
9. Block out the drawings early; no matter how crude. Set up the layout book and all the links. This allows instant snapshots of the progress of the work (for when the boss says "Print everything you've got so we can go over it this afternoon.") as well as greatly relieving stress as deadline approaches. You can feel comfortable that printing is a push button process without worries of missing layers, improper pens and other embarrassing mistakes. This also provides the best sense of the scope of work and what remains to be done.
Next?....
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2004-03-04 06:03 PM
your advice is worth posting on the wall, which is what I just did!
Organize, organize, organize...
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arkhos-tekton, architects
carmichael, ca
Mac OS X 10.15.5
IMac Retina 5K, Intel Core I7
32 GIG Memory, AMD Radeon R9
ArchiCAD 24
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2004-03-04 06:54 PM
Dwight wrote:10. Think building, not drawing, and always around the corner or laterally
Perhaps it is time for us to make the Twelve Tricks of ArchiCAD Anonymous. Nominations???
11. Use Special snap points
12. Use the tools as building blocks for not so obvious
13. Hang out with older guys/girls
ArchiCAD since 4.55 ... 1995
HP Omen
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2004-03-04 07:12 PM
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2004-03-04 07:40 PM
Dave wrote:Not really ... it belongs here. The newbies should be exposed to some evangelism; the virtual building concept (FYI - Geoffrey Moore Langdon denounces BIM as a term and states that Virtual Building is the right name for what we are doing, the "only" problem being it is a TM of Graphisoft) has to be grasped. ArchiCAD as a representation of the Virtual Building thinking is much more than a software.
This is all GREAT stuff, but would be much more accessible in the Tips & Tricks dept., wouldn't it Djordje?
Tips&Tricks are showcasing techniques and solutions, like Messrs Ottenstein and Ellis for example (winners of Tip of the year contests) repeatedly do (not to forget other contributors, one of which is seriously breathing down my neck re the number of posts
Therefore, let's keep this thread here, so that new users may read it and I sincerely hope not take it for a hype, that they epeienced once too often otherwise.
ArchiCAD since 4.55 ... 1995
HP Omen
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2004-03-04 07:56 PM
15. Keep track of your stuff. Use pens to differentiate parts of the model. (Eg, counters are always purple. Roofs are always blue.) Use favorites. Option-click. Watch the info box as you select from a pile. Stay organized, and you can handle a model of great complexity.
16. Marquee, marquee, marquee. For limiting the 3D window, for find & selecting, for stretching.
17. Use the QuickLayers palette. I keep mine in the middle of the screen.
And:
1a. Use the magic wand in conjunction with the pet palette Add & Subtract.
8a. Seek out the limits of the program. Try everything. Wish.
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2004-03-04 08:18 PM
Djordje wrote:That's a good point--what prompted my comment was really the subject line which has nothing to do with these concepts. Maybe a new subject post, "12 Tricks of ArchiCad Anonymous" pointing to this thread? Many times a question will come up that I know has been discussed, but is often part of a thread that evolved far from the original topic. Being able to visibly search the subject lines directly is often more efficient than using the search form. It also allows one to peruse the forums, be intrigued by a topic, and learn things they didn't know they didn't know.Dave wrote:Not really ... it belongs here. The newbies should be exposed to some evangelism
This is all GREAT stuff, but would be much more accessible in the Tips & Tricks dept., wouldn't it Djordje?
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2004-03-04 10:05 PM
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2004-03-05 07:33 AM
Dave wrote:Granted
Maybe a new subject post, "12 Tricks of ArchiCad Anonymous" pointing to this thread? Many times a question will come up that I know has been discussed, but is often part of a thread that evolved far from the original topic. Being able to visibly search the subject lines directly is often more efficient than using the search form. It also allows one to peruse the forums, be intrigued by a topic, and learn things they didn't know they didn't know.
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ArchiCAD since 4.55 ... 1995
HP Omen