Offset Tool like Autocad

[archislave]

This is the one command I miss most about Autocad. If you don't know what I am talking about then next time you are able to access autocad the select a line, polyline, or polygon and press offset. See how simple it is and can be repeated over and over!

[Eduardo Rolon]

St2art,

"Strong in the ways of the force is he…"

__

I was using a less advanced version of Archicad-Fu.

[Anonymous]

Many ways to skin a cat, there are.

[Anonymous]

I noted a lot of people voted for not needed. I would think that all of the drafting (ugh as much as I hate it now) still needs to be the easiest thing to use.

If you only knew how much it pains me to say this, but AutoCAD method of clicking an icon to get the command or a hot key is much more user friendly than the AC way. Seems there could be an easier way to offset a line.

Cause sometimes you just gotta

[Anonymous]

Ok, I have now been schooled. Thank you for the phone call and the tips Dwight. the only thing that didn't work was the alt+O, needs to be shift+O because the ALT is taken. Other than that, the way you showed me works fine.

No its not a click of a button as in AutoCAD but the way you showed me is just as effective and after a few practice runs I had the hang of it and consider my, what was it? Oh yeah, Dinosaur ways are put to bed.

Again thanks, I love this board. Very informative.

[matthewjj]

ejrolon wrote:
On another note, I have not seen among the students that I teach AC and know AutoCAD any problems "missing" with the other AutoCAD tools like fillet, trim and extend but I do have to devote a whole class as to why they don't need to use offset as much as they used to.

I too have this problem with my students at Arizona State University. However, fortunately the 'AutoCAD mentality' is starting to diminish here now that so much of what the students are doing is in SketchUp and not Autocad (I really try to push Archicad as the 'Big Brother' to SketchUp). I really wish GS would just activate the Option+ and Option++ functionality to the offset tool. It would be very straight forward, consistent with the other tools and merely eliminate the need to make a copy of the thing you are trying to offset.

[Djordje]

ejrolon wrote:
It is easier in AC to place an object and then move it into place than trying to place it correctly the first time.

I respectfully disagree.

Switching the Coordinates on and teaching users how to do it is essential. No eyeballing - everything in its correct place, the first time.

Otherwise, problems arise down the line.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Reviving old topics?
Djorde I agree if you can place it correctly on the first try you should do that but I was referring to new users that are still surprised as to the 3D capabilities of AC. The concept is that it is ok to place the object and then move it to its correct position I never said anything about eyeballing it if I remember correctly.

[Anonymous]

I realize that this topic is nearly 9 years old, but it still applies. I love ArchiCAD and hope to never have to switch back to AutoCAD. However, the offset-type feature in ArchiCAD is extremely and unnecessarily cumbersome. In defense of anyone coming from AutoCAD, the offset command in AutoCAD really works well and it would be really, really great if the software writers for ArchiCAD would reproduce this command in ArchiCAD.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't agree more.

I've been trying to generate a road layout, offsetting kerbs from centre lines, and footpaths from kerbs etc.

I really struggle with this command, which was a breeze in Autocad, where you could offset individual elements, or join them up as a polyline and then offset the whole lot.

In Archicad, however, I find that if I use the magic wand to select the element I wished to be offset, the actual number of elements that are offset appears to be random. For example, if I want to offset 2 straight lines that are connected by an arc, selecting the straight line, may, or may not, offset only the line, or it may offset the line and the adjacent arc, or all three elements. If it consistently offset all connected elements, this would be ideal - however if it only offsets one element on some occasions and more on other occasions, then inevitably you end up a series of multiple, overlapping lines and arcs. In short, a mess.

It appears to make no difference whether or not the lines and arcs are grouped.

[Barry Kelly]

So long as the end points of the lines and arcs meet each other exactly then they should all copy as part of the magic wand and offset tool.
The attached image is two separate lines and an arc that all share endpoints.

This could be good or bad depending on if there are gaps you weren't expecting of if you only want part of the lines and arcs to offset.

The other thing that will throw off the magic wand is if there are 2 or mores lines and arcs that share the same endpoint (i.e. one line branches into two).
Then the magic wand will not know which line to follow so it will simply stop at that point.

If either of these is the case then use the Polyline tool together with the offset tool.
Draw just the portion of the lines/arcs you want with a polyline (alternating between the straight line and arc drawing mode with the pet palette).
Then with the offset tool active finalise the last point of your polyline (i.e. double click on the last point) and you will get an offset polyline of exactly what you want.

Barry.