wall accessories -> wall framing usage

[__archiben]

well. first forays into the use of the wall framing accessory today...

hoping somebody who uses it a lot (or does a lot of timber frame projects ) can help me out:

firstly a wish: it seems that all the timber is in imperial sizes. no metric sizes to work with so all has to be "custom". can this change GS.

second: the position relative to the wall itself. i already have the walls in my file consisting of an 89mm cavity (for the studs) and plasterboard skins each side. the cavity has a fill type "cavity" and is checked as "Core" in composite wall settings: my question is how do i get the wall framing accessory to sit in the cavity/core and stay there after having moved it from where archiCAD puts it!?. my wall reference line is centred yet archiCAD insists on putting the framing on one side or the other. have i missed something? i can't find an offset anywhere . . .

the wall design comes before the frame design (typically), so i can see how useful an add-on of this type can be. is this just another half implemented 'feature' or am i doing something very wrong in the logic of its use? or is there a better product/object available to do this?


thanks in advance.
~/archiben

[Anonymous]

I think if you look in the "Advertisements" part of this forum there is a new addon espically suited for timber framing. I downloaded the users guide and scanned through it, looks pretty useful for that sort of work. If you find out more let us know how it is.
I did some experimenting with the wall frame accessory awhile back and don't have any answers. I was wondering if it was able to do raked (pitched) top or bottom plates. I don't think it can, if this is so it is almost worthless in my mind. If I am wrong about this let me know.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Mark wrote:
I was wondering if it was able to do raked (pitched) top or bottom plates. I don't think it can, if this is so it is almost worthless in my mind. If I am wrong about this let me know.

No problem with raked plates - see attached screenshot. You have to check the parameter that says "Use wall top (or bottom) edge". There are actually a huge number of parameters to customize the framing accessory.

I hadn't tried using this particular wall accessory since SEOs appeared and so was pleased to see in the attached screenshot that the accessory finds and follows the top edge whether it was cut by 'trim to roof' or a SEO subtract. (The host wall for the left framing was TTR and that on the right was SEO.)

Note too that the studs and blocking now use editable 3D hotspots ... and you'll notice that as I'm dragging a stud beyond the wall end, that the accessory maintains the slope of the top plate.

Personally, I've never had a need/use for this accessory...and suspect that it was added just so that AC could generate framing skeletons like some of the competing software.

It is interesting, Ben, that it only offers Imperial sizings for members. I suppose make a metric version a wishlist item? As far as the cavity placement ... as far as I can tell, it the framing 'sticks' to the reference line...so you could draw your wall with an offset reference line to force the framing where you want it, I suppose ...but that opens up a different can of worms.

Karl

[Vitruvius]

Ben,

The actual sizes are in imperial due to most wood products be milled on an "imperial" basis and then soft converted to metric. An typical 2"x4" framing member is actually about 1 5/8" x 3 1/2" once its been "dressed" and that converts to 38 x 89mm.

When I was working in Canada, all the projects were metric yet all the lumber products were soft converted from imperial dimensions. Our convention was to simply round off - thus a 89mm is referred to as 90mm. Let's face it, a carpenter won't be any more accurate than plus or minus 10mm during the rough framing stage so it really doesn't matter.

Cheers, Cameron

[TomWaltz]

second: the position relative to the wall itself. i already have the walls in my file consisting of an 89mm cavity (for the studs) and plasterboard skins each side. the cavity has a fill type "cavity" and is checked as "Core" in composite wall settings: my question is how do i get the wall framing accessory to sit in the cavity/core and stay there after having moved it from where archiCAD puts it!?. my wall reference line is centred yet archiCAD insists on putting the framing on one side or the other. have i missed something? i can't find an offset anywhere . . .

Did an answer for this ever appear? I'm fighting the same issue now, and Archicad always seems to place the studs at the face of the wall, not inside the proper skin.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
Archicad always seems to place the studs at the face of the wall, not inside the proper skin.

Tom,

I noticed in the Other Products area you were working with the Cadimage tools. I saw a demo the other day and their Framing package (which I think is still in beta), if I recall, overcomes this problem

Woody

[TomWaltz]

I was hoping to use what we've already paid for, not buy yet another add-on 🙂

With 30 users on individual keys, it's a SERIOUS pain to deal with licensing.

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to use this accessory to frame a whole 6000sqft condominium unit. It seems to have potential but the lack of documentation and "buggy" tendencies are leading me to frustration. Does any one have any solid experience in using this tool?