Wishes
Post your wishes about Graphisoft products: Archicad, BIMx, BIMcloud, and DDScad.

Reflected Ceiling Mode for Plan Window

This would be more than a display option, less than a new window.

AC has practically no reflected ceiling plan functionality. This common, critical drawing puts us right back in drafting mode, drawing over what we've modeled.

To show beams, we have to trace them with a solid line. We can't show the beams themselves- they're drawn with a dashed line to display correctly in plan.

In our office we show elements below 'above' in the RCP- dashed lines for counters, stair treads etc. Again, we trace.

Fortunately, we can script crown moulding objects that display properly for RCP. For everything else, we're in flatland.

I suggest:

1. A display option switch to put the floor plan window in reflected ceiling mode.

2. Added element settings for RCP pen and line type. When the switch is on, draw the element with these settings instead of the floor plan settings. (Once we can put a fill on a slab, etc, there would be a fill for RCP as well.)

3. Elements above showing 'One story down' would display their RCP attributes.

4. The switch would absorb with 'Reflected Ceiling' display option for doors and windows.

5. A global variable (GLOB_REFL_PLAN?), which would enable you to script your classical column to draw the capital instead of the base in RCP mode, for example.

This problem can't be solved with layers, display options, and globals as currently deployed. We need the tools to draw a proper RCP without abandoning the virtual building. It could be possible with just one new display option and a few new element attributes. I can easily see this as an 8.5 feature, feasible within the existing structure of the program, not a radical interface or database change. No need to make the plan window a model view.
James Murray

Archicad 25 • Rill Architects • macOS • OnLand.info
21 REPLIES 21
Aussie John
Newcomer
Any RCP view shouldn't require any extra layers over a floor plan.

One way would be to have RCP as a sub storey of the main floor plan.
You can then flip through the stories seeing just the floor plan or go up the part storey to see the RCP (or mezzanine or electrical or whatever).

Since you are using a substorey it would be easy to select an element in the floor plan ( main storey) to show in the sub storey. Combine with display options to take out door refs, hatching etc and you have a powerful option.
Cheers John
John Hyland : ARINA : www.arina.biz
User ver 4 to 12 - Jumped to v22 - so many options and settings!!!
OSX 10.15.6 [Catalina] : Archicad 22 : 15" MacBook Pro 2019
[/size]
__archiben
Booster
Aussie wrote:
One way would be to have RCP as a sub storey of the main floor plan.
or an upside-down plan view window . . . see mr lohden's "new working environment"

the ability to attribute fills to the bottom as well as the top of slabs/roofs/etc.. should would help this . . . ?

~/archiben
b e n f r o s t
b f [a t ] p l a n b a r c h i t e c t u r e [d o t] n z
archicad | sketchup! | coffeecup
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi All
We have implemented a method via api but should really be part of the GDL dataset. Using an identifier at the end of the MVO name eg CGA (construction general arrangement) etc, library parts interrogate the name and display accordingly. Sure the floor plan option can access a boolean but we have ie a zone that needs its label to be in different positions depending on the viewset/mvo. I set aside a dynamic array of hotspots so, depending on which viewset is chosen (and mvo name), it selects the correct position. This extends to display of zone info, rcp display of object s etc. Even linetype and fills can be programmed this way so that fills become scale sensitive in such a way that not only size but also complexities are scale sensitive. So via the floor plan option one creates a master gdl that defines the different required attributes and presto, dynamically reactive elements and objects that not only fulfill RCP but also any other required model based snapshots. Come on GS, please put these features at a standard user level; the more we move into BIM, the more the need for flexible user controlled display of the info. Please check my other posts ie user definable floor plan options
Cheers
Mark
Anonymous
Not applicable
this topic was started in 2004. i wonder if something has been done about archicad's lack of RCP view. i use AC 11 & 12 and neither has this functionality or at least it eludes me. since revit has it i took it for granted that archicad has it, too. i only just noticed now that it doesn't. could someone tell me the least runabout way to do RCP in archicad?
Anonymous
Not applicable
Can I vote five times? Essential, of course!
I spent the last two months redrawing windows and everything else. It was "fun"!
We need a new Display Options mode for RCP and clewver elements which can look "up"!
Aussie John
Newcomer
My worst gripe is if you use the roof tool to create a raked ceiling the top and bottom lines are in the wrong Place!!! This is because the 2d view of a roof is from the top and doesn't take into account the edge detail. If the roof/ceiling has any thickness then the 2d view of a ceiling element is just plain in the wrong position.

So if we dont get full RCP mode them at least give us underside view of roofs.
Cheers John
John Hyland : ARINA : www.arina.biz
User ver 4 to 12 - Jumped to v22 - so many options and settings!!!
OSX 10.15.6 [Catalina] : Archicad 22 : 15" MacBook Pro 2019
[/size]
Anonymous
Not applicable
Aussie wrote:
So if we dont get full RCP mode them at least give us underside view of roofs.
I started with ArchiCAD a few weeks ago, and just discovered (to my disappointment) that AC doesn't do "real" RC plans. It seems that it just manages layers on and off, rather than looking upward from the cutting plane. That is a big opportunity lost in BIM! If i don't want my toilet to show up on the RC plan, i have to change it's layer? I could do that in AutoCAD LT.

Sorry for adding this so late in the thread, but I really think this should be a high priority item for GS to figure out.
Anonymous
Not applicable
If i don't want my toilet to show up on the RC plan
Objects are subject to model view options; stored with rcp requirement

Mvo.jpg
Erich
Contributor
image_engine wrote:
Objects are subject to model view options; stored with rcp requirement
This is true provided that the objects are programed to respond to this option. Not all are (actually, very few are as of AC 12).
Erich

AC 19 6006 & AC 20
Mac OS 10.11.5
15" Retina MacBook Pro 2.6
27" iMac Retina 5K
Anonymous
Not applicable
jfanjoy wrote:
Aussie wrote:
So if we dont get full RCP mode them at least give us underside view of roofs.
I started with ArchiCAD a few weeks ago, and just discovered (to my disappointment) that AC doesn't do "real" RC plans. It seems that it just manages layers on and off, rather than looking upward from the cutting plane. That is a big opportunity lost in BIM! If i don't want my toilet to show up on the RC plan, i have to change it's layer? I could do that in AutoCAD LT.

Sorry for adding this so late in the thread, but I really think this should be a high priority item for GS to figure out.
There are many types of plan where I don't want to show the toilets - Floor framing, roof framing, roof plans for example. What's the big deal about having them (and other associated sanitary fittings) on a specific layer?

And I don't know what I've been producing for the last 7 years, but I call them Reflected Ceiling Plans.