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

wavy roof

Anonymous
Not applicable
I'm a beginner with Archicad. Been using it for like 2 months now and I know the basics..but when it comes to something difficult I'm having some problems.. I'm doing a project in school and we have to design an art gallery. The most special thing we want on the building is a roof and now I have problems how to design something like that in archicad.

Our building is build near a hill..like just a little part of it is in the hill, but most of all is outside..and the front part is near a river. What we want to do is that the roof would be like a bit wavy..that it would look like it is
- afflux of the river or
- continuation of the hill
Something between those two. It would be build from like 3 waves.

So my question is how to make that kind of roof in archicad? If it's even possible.

p.s.: sorry for opening a new subject but I didn't know where to write this and I hope I decribed my problem as clear as possible.
16 REPLIES 16
Anonymous
Not applicable
There several ways to make a wavy roof in Archicad.
If you are working in a version before AC 8.0 then there
are only two ways, the roof tool and the "Profiler" add-on
(it would be good to know your AC version and platform).
If you are working in AC 8 or AC 9 then you could use
the mesh tool and SEO as well as the two methods mentioned above.
If you are using AC 10 or AC 11 then you could use a complex profile
wall or beam. If the surface is complex in all three axes then you
could use the mesh tool and SEO or perhaps the object described here

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=105367&highlight=mesh#105367

Peter Devlin
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks a lot for the answer.
I'm using Archicad 11 (educational version) and WinXP SP2.
Can you please describe a bit more how I could use a wall or beam for the roof?

Yeah and I read that I could use a mesh tool for the roof too but I don't really know how to make it look like a roof then. What does SEO stand for though?
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
page 198
of the
ArchiCAD 11 Reference Guide
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

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

Anonymous
Not applicable
Wow..this is really very useful and nicely described. I've never looked in this guide before.

Thanks!
Anonymous
Not applicable
Please see this thread for a discussion of how to make a roof from a mesh.
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=43194&highlight=mesh+roof#43194
Please look in the help files for the term "complex profile".
You can draw a cross section of your roof using the fill tool in
the complex profile editor, save it as a custom profile, and then
use this shape as an extrusion with the wall tool or the beam tool.
If you do a search using the key word "vault" or "barrel vault"
or "groin vault" you will find discussions about how to use
complex profiles to model roofs.
Peter Devlin
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thank you so very much...you're a lifesaver Need to have the project done till tomorrow and that was the only thing left to do.

I read some forums and took your suggestion and now I tried and made a roof in two different ways, with beams and with mesh. And it worked both way. I just don't know where to convert a mesh or that beam into a roof. So I could trim walls then to the level of roof.
Thomas Holm
Booster
Maiya wrote:
So I could trim walls then to the level of roof.
Use Solid Element Operations. The you can skip the convert to roof step.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Anonymous
Not applicable
I was able to convert mash into roof, but I couldn't even trim walls even if I wanted, cause it isn't working ok with that kind of roof, cause it only trims walls that can stay straight on the top.

How can I use solid element operation in that way? I read it in archicad help and try it but nothing happens. Guess I don't know how to set it up right.
Thomas Holm
Booster
Maiya wrote:
I was able to convert mash into roof, but I couldn't even trim walls even if I wanted, cause it isn't working ok with that kind of roof, cause it only trims walls that can stay straight on the top.

How can I use solid element operation in that way? I read it in archicad help and try it but nothing happens. Guess I don't know how to set it up right.
I guess your mesh is either not solid (just a wavy surface) or has a flat bottom/underside).

use the beam roof instead, as operator, and select all the walls as target, then subtract with upwards extrusion.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1