marquee tool bug

[Anonymous]

Working in 8.1, I've noticed that using the marquee tool to isolate an area of the model to view in 3D causes some library objects to not display correctly in 3D, or sometimes spins the beach ball infinitely until I force-quit the program. Without the marquee, or by setting the marquee to not trim elements, the object appear correctly. One object that does spins the beach ball and refuses to generate is a rather complex chair converted from multiple dxf files--I had no problems with the same object in AC 7. I also have a simple light fixture object which has an element using the "tube" command in GDL which fails to show correctly--everything but the tube element of the object shows up.

I never had any problems in AC 7, so I'm assuming it is a bug. I would like to know why it is just certain parts that are affected. Is there anything in the GDL script of the object that adversely affects the display of the object? Has anyone else had this problem. It's a real pain to have objects I've been using for years in AC 7 not working in 8.

[Rob]

Scott,

I think somebody from GS has mentioned somewhere on this forum that the problem is when the geometry of a solid is degenerated which is pretty much common after converting from DXF (DXF is NOT really reliable format for 3D handling and description). I think, that sort of error causes excluding the solid body from internal database on AC8+ to prevent further complications in 3D.
Secondly, when you use the marquee tool, remember it does not work with non-solid geometry or so-called facellets. Actually these are very typical after 'bad' conversion (and you can produce them by using RULED command in GDL script) - a good example are landings from Stairmaker which keep on disappearing after using the marquee tool on them.
Talking about TUBE element it should not be a problem - could you post more info?

[Anonymous]

"it does not work with non-solid geometry or so-called facellets"... Is this always true? I can take a chair converted from dxf files and cut it with the marquee tool with no problem (see the attached). I have converted many chairs etc from dwg/dxf files provided by manufacturers with no problems in the past. Does it have anything to do with the total polygon count?

The issue that upsets me is that something which worked in ArchiCAD 7 does not work in 8. I will post more info soon. Thanks.

[Tom Krowka]

OK, I give up. How do you convert a .dxf file to something I can insert into AC.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Tom wrote:
OK, I give up. How do you convert a .dxf file to something I can insert into AC.

File | GDL Objects | Open Object ... and select DXF as the type. Set the translator options as required.

Karl

[Tom Krowka]

Thanks. Learn something new every day. Now where do you get objects you can import? Any websites in particular?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Tom wrote:
Thanks. Learn something new every day. Now where do you get objects you can import? Any websites in particular?

There are lots of free 3D element web sites ... and of course, manufacturers. One example:
http://www.3dcafe.com/asp/freestuff.asp

Like many manufacturers, Kohler has 2D and 3D elements for their entire product line on their web site.
http://www.us.kohler.com/tech/cadsymbol/cadsymbol.jsp

If you open/convert a 3D dwg/dxf, a tip posted this weekend by Daniel Lindahl now lets you assign different materials to the different components of the object! See:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=18555#18555

Karl

[Tom Krowka]

Thanks for the tip. As a relative newbie, I'm not even sure what binaries are, but I'll give it a try when the need arises........probably this afternoon.