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Stair & Rail Tool - Ability to globally change pen and surface attributes

There is a great need to be able to globally change pen and surface attributes to a single pen or surface for Stair and Rail objects. Currently one has to go through several settings and sub-settings for each tool to do this. The GUI for these tool settings should be like a standard object tool where there is a global override button in the "Floor Plan and Section" tab and "Model" tab.
Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System
9 REPLIES 9
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Rex,
I assume you are aware of the Override Object's Linetype/Pens checkboxes in the Floor Plan Display page and Reflected Ceiling Plan display page of the Stair Settings Dialog, and also the Floor Plan Symbol Overrides panel in the Railing page of the Railing Settings Dialog.
Is this (or something similar) what you want or something different?
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27
LaszloNagy wrote:
Rex,
I assume you are aware of the Override Object's Linetype/Pens checkboxes in the Floor Plan Display page and Reflected Ceiling Plan display page of the Stair Settings Dialog, and also the Floor Plan Symbol Overrides panel in the Railing page of the Railing Settings Dialog.
Is this (or something similar) what you want or something different?
.
Thanks for your reply Laszlo. There are a few components to this wish. The stair setting for the override of the plan symbol doesn't seem to change the arrow fills on the up/down arrow, but that's probably a bug. I wasn't aware that this "plan" override affected the 3D/elevs/sects--that makes me happy. Or maybe I was aware, but was always more focused on the rail tool when applied to the stair. It doesn't inherit the 3D overrides that the stair does. This is where most of my issues arise.

So I guess it is basically a rail tool issue regarding overrides that I have, and mostly to do in 3D as my elevations, sections and 3D views have nearly white lines (since my template has these default pens assigned to the rail as very light gray). Changing the overrides for the rail tool fixes it in 2D, but not in plan/elevs/sects.

So, in short, there needs to be a 3D override for the rail tool (even if it works like the stairs where changing the 2D override changes the 3D. I'll keep tooling around with it.

Again, thanks for your detailed response... and I reserve the right to edit this
Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Rex wrote:
The stair setting for the override of the plan symbol doesn't seem to change the arrow fills on the up/down arrow, but that's probably a bug.


You would have to check the "Override Object's Attributes" checkbox and then the Arrow Fill will also be overridden.
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27
LaszloNagy wrote:
Rex wrote:
The stair setting for the override of the plan symbol doesn't seem to change the arrow fills on the up/down arrow, but that's probably a bug.

You would have to check the "Override Object's Attributes" checkbox and then the Arrow Fill will also be overridden.
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I tried that before but it makes the fill go white. I really think it is a bug.



If I continue set the fill color below that check box, it fills in the entire stair. The color "inside" the arrowhead should change to the global pen from the pen override.
.
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Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System
Follow up:

Setting the pens for the global attribute overrides does not have the desired effect.
(and I tried every combination of those three settings below the check box)


The only way to change it is to go deep into the settings and substrings, which defeats the purpose of a global override.

Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Hi Rex,

I cannot reproduce this case where the whole background fill of your whole Stair becomes red.
Could you save a PLA file which contains only this single Stair element, put it on Dropbox or similar, so I can take a look at the settings?
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27
LaszloNagy wrote:
Hi Rex,

I cannot reproduce this case where the whole background fill of your whole Stair becomes red.
Could you save a PLA file which contains only this single Stair element, put it on Dropbox or similar, so I can take a look at the settings?
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Sure Laszlo. I'll even do a screen cap movie so you can see my process. I actually used a default GS template so it's default settings... stay tuned.
Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System
DGSketcher
Legend
I used to get completely frustrated chasing down pen settings in all the GS elements, now I just apply Graphic Overrides which seems to work well for most things if you manage them correctly. It may be an easy solution if you can apply them as required to the various stair parts.

I am actually hoping that at some point GS will drop all the scripted pen settings in favour of GOs or as you have suggested simplify objects with global settings.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
DGSketcher wrote:
I used to get completely frustrated chasing down pen settings in all the GS elements, now I just apply Graphic Overrides which seems to work well for most things if you manage them correctly. It may be an easy solution if you can apply them as required to the various stair parts.

I am actually hoping that at some point GS will drop all the scripted pen settings in favour of GOs or as you have suggested simplify objects with global settings.
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Theoretically, yes. But this gist of this topic is that there are some areas in this regard needing attention.

@LaszloNagy Sample file coming in a day or so... slammed at the moment. Thanks for your patience and willingness to look at the file.
Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System