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

Windows and doors on layers ?

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi all,

I am new to ArchiCAD, currently experimenting with an associates license, but looking at purchasing soon..

Is it possible to show windows and doors in some layer combinations only?

eg. I want to show windows and doors in plan view on my FLOOR PLAN Layer Combination, but have the windows and doors not shown in my plan view STRUCTURAL layer combination (I will just show dashed lines representing structural beams over openings on this layer set)

I can't seem to find anywhere that windows and doors are visible by a layer system...

Thanks for any assistance.
10 REPLIES 10
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
This is controled by "Set Model View" under Documents Menu.
In AC some items are controled by layers others by settings
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks, I just tried that, and see how that works, I see I can also control the labels this way.

I does look as though I will have to create more model views than are loaded into this file.

Thanks for your help.
DGSketcher
Legend
A little part of me thinks that doors/windows and skylight on/off visibility should logically be controlled through layers whilst still maintaining the association to walls etc and model view options. Have a feeling it's not high on GS's agenda though...
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
You could think of MVOs as a "super layer" were you can control different settings for all objects. If GS moved doors and windows to layers then we would need to have another set of layers to control their ID representation, another setting to control how to display them when doing reflected ceilings.
Just thinking out loud the excuse.
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

DGSketcher
Legend
It would be easy to implement just by omitting the "show on plan" button and AC reading the status of the objects layer for visibility, everything else could remain the same.

From my perspective it would give a little more flexibility in controlling general visibility and also allow labels and schedules to use the layer as a data reference.

As examples:
On separate layers I could quickly display and identify the doors I need to work on e.g. proposed acoustic rated.

I am currently using the layer name as a link to my specifications in custom labels which works for everything except these opening elements. If I change an elements layer or layer name the affected label(s) automatically update with the change.

For Schedules you could just include the doors on layer "Doors - External" without having to rely on complex filtering or limited IDs.

Still there are plenty of work arounds available in AC
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi,
I created some new Model Views no problems,

but when I set windows and doors to "show opening only" with nothing else selected,

the doors on both floors show only an opening, the windows on the first floor (two storey building) show only an opening,

but the windows on the ground floor are showing a line at the interior and the exterior of the window (in line with the core of the wall),

I have the partial structural display set to Core Only.

is there any of not showing these lines, I'm thinking it must be something to do with the floor over, but odd that it doesn't show on the ground floor doors...

See attached partial floor ground floor plan, you can see the orange coloured lines at the windows but not doors

Thanks for any help
DGSketcher
Legend
If the lines are showing on the windows and not doors then I think you need to look at the floor plan display settings for the individual windows. I don't have access to AC just now so can't be more specific.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks, I did look at the floor plan display settings for the individual windows, also the floor plan cut plane,

if I set the partial structure display to "entire model" the lines disappear,

also , its only the windows on the ground floor, not the first floor.

I'm thinking maybe its something that I can't change ?
DGSketcher
Legend
Everything seems to be working as expected here. Running out of options now...

Have you got different MVOs for each floor one with show contours and one without for the window setting?

Have you got different wall constructions on each floor although I can't think why that would affect the contours? See if changing the wall construction has any effect.

Is the window a standard AC object and used on both floors? The library part name could help with bug checking.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)