Zones not calculating Window niche if offset from Wall bottom

[Thomas Nymann]

Hi Fellow Archicad users.

I´ve stumbled upon an unfortunate calculation challenge...

If a the bootom of a window is offset "0" from Wallbase, then a Zone wil autmatically detect and calculate the area of the window niche.

But I f I need to construct my walls at level -50mm from Home Story, then my Windows might be offset 50mm from Wall Base, and Now the Zone will not detect the niches!...  😞

Any Simple workaround to this, or am I missing something here?

Cheers

Thomas

[Marc H]

The exclusion is due to the spatial convention of excluding the window opening where the wall is dominant at the floor (0’ sill notwithstanding).  It’s not useable floor area (e.g., would you put furniture or equipment loads on the sill?)  If you do want to load the niche, you would structure the floor to be dominant to the window or curtain wall (as on your ‘inclusive example).  Assuming you have appropriate headroom, the niche will be counted.

[Thomas Nymann]

Hi Marc.

Thanks for the input. I´m not quite sure I understand though...  if the Wall Bottom is below level of Home story, then the Window Niche cannot be calculated ?  (The niche from a Door can.)

However...

If I add a Wall "Inset" (With bottom at Home Story) to the Window element the Niche/inset/recess will be caculated, even though it doesn´t change the 3d model!

[Marc H]

Hi Thomas,

The zone auto-calc normally finds the inside face of the wall (based on the zone top), so it typically excludes door and window openings, even with zero (or negative to story) height.  I set up a test room to see if I could replicate the included niche and was unable to.  The zone consistently excluded the openings.  The two ways I was able to create an inclusive niche was to use a thinner wall around the window (creating a wall niche) or go to a manual zone configuration and snap inside the opening.  

If consistency is the problem, you might try creating a simple solid wall with a basic window in your PLN and also do the same test in a new PLN and see if you get the same results.  The new zone tool and calculation settings are more sophisticated than prior versions, so there may be a difference in a setting which is not apparent.

BTW, its a good idea to include your AC version in your signature along with your hardware specs.

[Thomas Nymann]

Hi Marc.

Thanks for your reply.

All my tests where done in AC 26, and I´m able to have Zone autodetect the Window niche, if only the Window base level is "0" from wall base.  This works even if the wall is elevated above it´s home story, thus also elevated in relation to the Zone!   (Weird!) 

However, as mentioned before, if I apply a "Wall inset" to the Window, I ´m able to achieve my goal 😉 - Even though it is a workaroaund....