Where is Automated Wall Framing?

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I remember Archicad being able to put studs in walls @ 16" o.c. and do the wall framing. Where is that capability? Can not find it.
Thanks,
Joseph

[Anonymous]

If this has not changed in AC 14,
Design->Design Extras->Accessories->Wall Accessories.
Peter Devlin

[Karl Ottenstein]

Joseph wrote:
I remember Archicad being able to put studs in walls @ 16" o.c. and do the wall framing. Where is that capability? Can not find it.

Hi Joseph,

This is part of the Accessories "goodie". Download the Accessories package from the Help menu, ArchiCAD Downloads. After installation, it will appear where Peter indicated. Be sure to load the Accessories library folder in any project that uses the accessories add-on. By default, this library is placed in the ArchiCAD program folder.

Select all walls to be framed first. Then, select the Wall Accessory menu item and finally select the Wall Framing accessory object from the settings dialog that appears.

There is limited control over the framing, so it may or may not suit your needs, but there is much better interaction with editable hotspots and optional plan-view than years ago. (I believe that the CadImage framing accessory has been reported to be more flexible, but I haven't seen it in action.)

Put the framing in a different layer than your wall so that you can turn the walls off to view just the framing.

Cheers,
Karl

PS A few bugs I noticed in the current (13/14) version - the top plates extend past corners - easily edited with an editable hotspot. Firestops do not extend the entire length of a wall, for some reason, and also run right through window openings (!). There is a bug in the Mac UI (13 and worse in 14) related to the Connection Settings UI in the Wall Framing Settings panel: the scrollbox for the various connection types does not show up, so that only a single type is visible. You have to use the actual parameter list to switch between Types 1, 2, 3 and 4 (and also trial and error to see what each one looks like).

As in the earliest versions, there is no individual control over header sizes - you get one size for every opening in a particular wall. You cannot extend a header (beam) over multiple openings. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like it is better to create the individual studs and copy them along the wall, of course using Objective add-on. Or may be Ralph's Frame Works does the automation?
Thanks,
Joseph

[Karl Ottenstein]

I think the only automation is via Accessories or the Cadimage thing. You'd have to model the elements individually with the Encina add-ons. It would go fairly quickly with muliplying and using the Objective 'split' command around window/door openings/etc. But, the result would be static - and you'd have to remember to re-adjust the framing if a door/window moved, wall changed height, whatever. The accessories are associative and dynamically update themselves.

So, quite the tradeoff between "sort of OK" and dynamic updates and "just like you want it", but totally manual coordination.

Cheers,
Karl

[Ralph Wessel]

Joseph wrote:
Sounds like it is better to create the individual studs and copy them along the wall, of course using Objective add-on. Or may be Ralph's Frame Works does the automation?

OBJECTiVE is about design freedom/flexibility, not automation. For many of our customers, it is far faster to simply draw the framing than it is to run an automated tool and then edit the results.

We have an automated steel-frame modelling package, but that's a very different process.

[Karl Ottenstein]

I should add that if you want to schedule the lumber required for framing, that you will get precise quantities from the Encina add-ons.

[Anonymous]

Ralph wrote:
OBJECTiVE is about design freedom/flexibility.

This is why I use OBJECTiVE all the time yet on this case the issue I am having is really the lack of ability of OBJECTIVE to put a "X" in middle of studs on PLAN window (I know it is not easy to code it otherwise would be done by now). So I need to use the Column Tool of archicad which has this symbol and do the SEO with the windows to cut the studs (columns).
Thanks,
Joseph

[Ralph Wessel]

Joseph wrote:
the issue I am having is really the lack of ability of OBJECTIVE to put a "X" in middle of studs on PLAN window

Should be in the next update...

[Anonymous]

Ralph wrote:
Should be in the next update...

Good Good GREATE, and that update may be about & approximately when if I can be bold and go where no one has ever gone before??!!