Mental Calculation Slow Downs

[Anonymous]

Fellow AC users before I make a request, I would like to ask how do you minimise the number of mental calculations when moving elements into position without an interactive temporary pop up dimension marker showing up when you click an element?

In simple terms most CAD programs have this method but we don't have it yet or will probably never get it either?

for example I have a room dividing wall with an AC interactive dimension showing 2735 and I want to move it to lets say 3020, In my head I go 3020 minus 2735 is 285 after my brain ticks over I drag the wall 285mm into place. There must be a better way to do this as it wastes allot of time for me when you can just click a temporary dimension and feed the 3020 value in???

What do you do?

[Barry Kelly]

Start to drag your wall but drag it back to where you want to measure the 3020 from (don't click here).
Now type 'x' (horizontal) or 'y' (vertical) then 3020 and then '+' (for right if x or up if y) or '-' (for left if x or down if y) then 'Enter'.

So to move to the right type 'x3020+' Enter.
To move the wall down type 'y3020-' Enter.

This will add or subtract the distance from your current cursor location.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Barry, that takes the strain off the brain? I do something like that for locating doors.

I still think it is much faster to click the wall then click the temp dim and punch in 3020.

No drag back, no x and y or + & - coordinates. We are still in the dark ages with this input method.

What do you think?

[Barry Kelly]

mthd wrote:
What do you think?

I don't really know any other way - been about 14 years since I used any other CAD software.

What happens if your temp dimension is not from where you want to measure the distance?
Or would you have to click to establish the temp dimension?

Sometimes it is easier to just drag the wall to where you want to measure from and drop it there.
Then while it is still selected just drag it again in the direction you want to go and type the distance (3020).
No 'x' or 'y' or '+' or '-'.
You just have to drag it twice.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Barry, temp dim should show up on clicking an element as you said. In rare cases when it does not show a temp dim you can add a dimension yourself and click on that to move the element.

In AC your method would be faster than what I do for editing walls and I will practice it and use it till I can find a better way.

I am still gaining experience in using AC and have seen some users who use the marque tool to edit walls and it seems to put the selected walls in a sticky mode so they remain joined and then move them to the desired dimension.

Or some use the point of origin to move it from the corner of the wall to the desired spot then drag the wall to that spot a bit long winded as well maybe?

Their must be a way to use the tracker pallet along with the measuring tool to avoid mental calculations? Either way it is still long winded.

If the tracker pallet can be improved so that we can click any element and have a reference distance show up, lets say from the nearest element corner for example, we should be able to enter the new distance into the pallet then press enter and wham it is in place pure an simple.

SO PLEASE ARCHICAD PROGRAMERS LISTEN AND HELP US SAVE TIME THANKS!

[Anonymous]

mthd wrote:
Barry, temp dim should show up on clicking an element as you said. In rare cases when it does not show a temp dim you can add a dimension yourself and click on that to move the element.

In AC your method would be faster than what I do for editing walls and I will practice it and use it till I can find a better way.

Manuel

I use the same procedure Barry explained all the time. You can also use R (for Radial dimension, or D for Distance) with the plus or minus after your number. It does get easy, and you will use it a lot.

mthd wrote:
I am still gaining experience in using AC and have seen some users who use the marque tool to edit walls and it seems to put the selected walls in a sticky mode so they remain joined and then move them to the desired dimension.

You can use this method with the marquee too.

You can also select multiple walls and use the pet palette to stretch them similar to stretching the side of a slab, and they remain linked at the corners. For example, if you have a rectangular shape you want to alter, select 3 adjoining walls, click and drag on the reference line, use the "Offset edge" option from the pet palette, drag and hover (don't click) over the opposite wall, hit "R 1000 - ENTER" (ignoring spaces) and your room will now be 1000 wide. The slight advantage of using R (or D) is that it works in any direction, not only orthogonal as X and Y do.

Hope this helps

[Anonymous]

Thanks Stuart, I use that last method you quoted allot and will try using what you and Barry suggest to avoid mental calculations for those wall moves that are not simple to work out.

I have been trying to use the slide rule and grid snaps at 5mm and 10mm intervals but it is still too slow for me.

What do you think about what I am suggesting for moving all elements and objects with a tracker pallet?

[Anonymous]

mthd wrote:
Thanks Stuart, I use that last method you quoted allot and will try using what you and Barry suggest to avoid mental calculations for those wall moves that are not simple to work out.

I have been trying to use the slide rule and grid snaps at 5mm and 10mm intervals but it is still too slow for me.

What do you think about what I am suggesting for moving all elements and objects with a tracker pallet?

Not sure how other systems work, or how it would be advantageous over what we have. How do you set what point your tracker should start from?

[Anonymous]

If the tracker pallet could be upgraded so it automatically provides a reference point from the next wall or object that needs to be moved into an exact location and feed that value in.
So you could have another tab called moved from reference point "r" and feed in the distance or from the "x" origin point would be another method if the tracker could reference that point.

[Anonymous]

Another way I have seen some user do this is to create a temporary user origin (Alt Shift) and then move element to desired coordinate using the tracker.

Regards,
Scott

[Anonymous]

sboydturner wrote:
Another way I have seen some user do this is to create a temporary user origin (Alt Shift) and then move element to desired coordinate using the tracker.

Regards,
Scott

Hi Scott, Thanks for the tip, Port or Crows or none? BTW I am from the Riverland originally.

Where abouts are they placing the temp UO in relation to the element they want to move mate?

[Anonymous]

Manuel,

Port supporter, grew up in the western suburbs.

Have attached a screen shot of using this method for inserting a door with a 100mm nib, temp origin placed at stud intersection.

Scott

[Anonymous]

Cool, that is a good tip for placing doors as well.

Crows first for me then Port but I think Port have the better players.

Thanks for the screen shot.

[Barry Kelly]

For placing doors and windows (and walls, objects, etc.) you can also use the special snaps.
Just set the distance you want and set it to 'between intersections'.

Not so good for moving walls because the interections will throw the snap markers off but great for placing new elements.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Barry, for openings this would be a faster method than having to place a point of origin as we go about the project and I have used this method before so thanks for reminding me of it.

In the past I started using a snap grid method for placing openings but again you still need to drag a point of origin around with you.

We need faster methods for walls as these old school methods are now out of date and technology is heading towards faster touch screen input methods.

Eagles, Freo or another sport?

[Barry Kelly]

mthd wrote:
Eagles, Freo or another sport?

No particular favourite but I'll barrack for any team playing a Melbourne based team.
They have it too easy with travel.
Barry.

[Anonymous]

Yes so true and SA has it better than WA as well.

I was hoping Fremantle would have beaten Hawthorn.

I wont be surprized if Freo get their first cup very soon.

[J S Shelton]

Hi all

I am looking for a simple calculator for mathematical conversions within ArchiCAD.

I have to admit I haven't explored ArchiCAD Calculator functionality. . . (List/Schedules/etc) and probably should. . .

I'm looking for specific measurements for elements given in feet and inches to convert to metric (not graphically) for example, a construction drawing (prior to metric conversion mid sixties here in AUS) that may be dimensioned 8'4" ceiling level (my crappy house by the way) . . .

Finding this post also reminds me to ask has someone in WA set out entire houses using our brick co-ordinates? Cavity wall construction no less? Coursing, openings, piers, the lot? Or does everyone pay for the 4D Edge extra libraries (as no doubt this functionality is built into every 4D Edge object produced)

By the way, thinking of 4D Edge, what's happened to the User Groups in Perth?

[Anonymous]

Beta testers of AC19, do you think my original problem has been solved with the introduction of the Blue Ring Tick Box tempoary node point marker? I can't test it yet as I do not have AC19.

[Laszlo Nagy]

You original issue was not solved by this. The tips others have provided in this thread are the way to go when modifying element locations relative to a given point.

However, when placing certain elements (e.g Doors/Windows in Walls), there is something new.
In ARCHICAD 19 it will be possible to place a Snap Reference at the corner of a Wall. Then when you place your cursor along the edge of the Wall, the Tracker will display the distance from the Snap Reference. You can then simply type the value you want the element to be placed from the Snap Reference along the edge and press ENTER, done.

So, to place a Window 1000 millimeters from a Wall corner:
1. Hover the cursor over the corner, press Q, the corner is immediately marked as Snap Reference.
2. Hover your cursor along the Wall edge, type "1000", then ENTER on your keyboard (no TAB needed to enter the Tracker, no repositioning of the User Origin is needed).
3. Click to define Window direction.