Element Associative Temporary Dimensions

[Anonymous]

UI with elements associative temporary dimensions for locating elements
would speed ArchiCAD up well past Revit & Chief Architect when it comes to building a model. Yes I know dimensions move with object if we set them to.

I would like to see Associative reference temp dim to show up when we select an element not just guide lines. Then I would like to be able to click on the dimension to set the element into exact position. This would be great for editing floor plans. Walls and other basic elements are way too slow for me to move & locate into position in the ArchiCAD work environment. Yes the tracker pallet helps but we need more speed and need to give revit a bigger scare.

What do others think?

[NCornia · Accepted solution]

I voted essential. It is one of the features the other software titles have that make people smirk at ArchiCAD. It is one of those simple tools that has captured people's imaginations and does make designing less tedious.

I only see 6 votes right now. So if you made it to this post, vote your mind and get those around you to do so too!

Edit: One clarification. If Graphisoft does implement such a thing, please keep it as graphically unintrusive as possible. One peve I have about revit is that the screen is too cluttered with guides as you draw. ArchiCAD stands out with its sleek interface.

[Brett Brown]

Hi Nicholas, assume you posted this before you were an employee of Graphisoft. Pity you don't have any influence in this regard now, as you say it is essential. Until fellow users of Archicad that have also used Cheif and Revit, they don't know what they are missing and hence not very many votes.

This is more than essential, it's unbelievable it still hasn't been implemented. It certainly would be a big time saver with fat better usability.

Another big time saver is the "press tab" to rotate object when placing, another big usability advantage in Revit.

[INTEXHOMES]

I guess for 10 years this issue was never made the priority? It's a bugger to move windows or doors on the wall even with an option to enter dimensions at the pop-up as you have to calculate what dimension to add. It would be nice to see your relative dimensions as you move objects around so you understand where you are at. Yes, you can use guidelines, but that requires extra steps and more of a way around than an actual tool to speed up. 

[Barry Kelly]

But this associated dimension can only be relative to one point?

I don't know how Revit works, but I am assuming you nominate an anchor point.

Archicad already has the ability to be relative to any point you want.

It is not quite what you think but it works well.

You have the tracker that shows you how far you are moving and as you say you can just type in a figure but you have to calculate what that is.

Well, no you don't.

Drag the door (window, object, wall, this works with any element) from the point you want the measurement to be to, and drag it to the point you want the measurement to be from.

Now don't click because that will simply move the door.

Instead type the relative distance you now want into the tracker, followed by a plus + or minus -.

This will add or subtract the distance you type from what the tracker was showing.

Minus to go back in the direction you came from, plus to continue on in the same direction.

Have a watch of this shot movie to see it in action.

Because I am moving a window it is constrained within that wall.

But it works for any element and you can use distance, angle, x, or y and any combination of them to move you element from the point you want to the point you want.

It is not until you press ENTER that the command will be completed.

Barry.

[INTEXHOMES]

Thank you, Barry. This is a great tip. Will try this.