Hotlink mod causes story derangement

[Anonymous]

I have created an as-built plan of a two-story-plus-basement residence. I have created a hotlink module from that plan and placed it on a new AC plan, on which I intend to model an addtion/remodel. On the new plan, however, the the 1st floor is horizontally offset from the basement and 2nd floor (the latter two are correctly aligned). I've retraced my steps several times to see that I'm following the directions given by Eric Bobrow as well as by AC Help for placing HLMs, but the the offset remains. Does anyone know why this is happening?

In case you hadn't guessed, I'm a novice. I'd be awfully grateful for your help, as I'm nearing my patience threshold.

Best,
Ray

[Erika Epstein]

Was each story saved as separately as a module or the entire as-built saved as a multi-story module?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by horizontally offset. Is the story height of the first floor different in each floor?

[Anonymous]

I saved the entire as-built as a multi-story module. The story heights in the new plan are fine but the 2nd floor and the basement each moved west about 30 feet.

Also, it appears that the Solid Element Operations performed on the 2nd floor of the as-built are not in effect in the new plan. The SEOs on the 1st floor remain in effect, however. I don't know if this is related to the offset problem.

[Erika Epstein]

Ray wrote:
I saved the entire as-built as a multi-story module. The story heights in the new plan are fine but the 2nd floor and the basement each moved west about 30 feet.

We need more information, are the floors that moved module files of their own? Or are they mirrored?

Ray wrote:
Also, it appears that the Solid Element Operations performed on the 2nd floor of the as-built are not in effect in the new plan. The SEOs on the 1st floor remain in effect, however. I don't know if this is related to the offset problem.

This is probably because the whatever you used to trim the 2nd floor elements using SEO were not included in the mod.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for your reply, Erika.

Here are the steps I took to create and place the HLM:

In the As-built plan:

Placed heavy marquee around building.
File>External Content>Save Selection As Module
Format: As"Module File"
Options: "Compress"
Unchecked "Replace selection with this HLM"
"Save"

In the Addition plan:

Matched Story Setting heights to those in the As-built
File>External Content>Place HLM
Selected master layer for HLM
Choose Hotlink: selected the module file created from the As-built
Enable: "Module File"
Choose story: "All Stories" (as opposed to Individually Linked Stories)
"Place Module"
Match Stories: selected First Floor to match First Floor
"Okay"

I'm not aware of having separated the floors in any way.

What do you mean by "mirroring?' I haven't deliberately mirrored anything, but then anything is possible.

As for the SEOs, they were done on the walls of a shed dormer. The dormer roof appears in the HLM and so do the walls, but the walls are anchored to the second floor, which has moved 30 feet away from its roof; I'm guessing that that dislocation was enough to suspend the operation of the roof on its target walls?

(The gable walls are anchored to the first floor, as I opted to accurately model the balloon framing of this house from 1911. Don't know if that's generally a good idea...)

See attached JPEG of placed HLM. (As you can see, I've got a ways to go to complete the as-built model)

Thanks again.

Ray



[/img]

[Erika Epstein]

Ray wrote:
As for the SEOs, they were done on the walls of a shed dormer. The dormer roof appears in the HLM and so do the walls, but the walls are anchored to the second floor, which has moved 30 feet away from its roof; I'm guessing that that dislocation was enough to suspend the operation of the roof on its target walls? [/img]

Correct. Once the building is correctly stacked the roofs will again trim the walls as the relationship is still there.

Ray wrote:
What do you mean by "mirroring?' I haven't deliberately mirrored anything, but then anything is possible.
[/img]

There have been some anomalies with mirrored elements in module files that is why I wondered if at any time you mirrored the basement and 2nd floor (the elements that moved 30 feet). Did you?

If not, try copying the file (do a save as) and then creating a new module from this new file.

All the steps you describe are correct.
If you want PM me and you can send the file for me to look at if no one else has a suggestion of what is off here?

[Erika Epstein]

I just thought of what it might be.

When you placed it on the site did you rotate the module but only use the single story light marquee and not the heavy multi-story marquee?

[Anonymous]

Well, the derangement is entirely mine. Here's what happened. I began modeling the As-built with southwest corner of the house at the Project Origin. Just before creating the hotlink module and opening the new Addition file, I decided that I wanted to move the house east from the Project Origin by 30 feet so that the addition on the west side of the house would have entirely positive x axis coordinates. Evidently I used the light marquee rather than the heavy marquee, so only the first floor was moved.

I never looked at anything other than the 1st floor plan view of the As-built, nor, until a few minutes ago, did it register that the HLM was showing an offset corresponding exactly to my earlier move. I was obsessed with the new thing I just done, the HLM, and assumed that it was the problem. This is so stupid it practically drools, but there it is.

Thank you for trying to help. In the course of reading this forum while trying to educate myself in AC, I've read and benefited from many of your posts, which are invariably intelligent and to the point.

Best regards,
Ray

[Erika Epstein]

Thank you Ray
I enjoyed the challenge.

[Steve Jepson]

Welcome to the forum Ray,
Glad to see another ArchiCAD user in this part of the world.

I see that you consider yourself to be a novice. You must be a quick learner to be using hot linked modules already.
Good for you!