Link objects to walls - Toilets, Beds, etc...

Ahmed_K · ‎2022-10-05

Hi,

I have an idea, out of the box,

What if some objects from the library behave like a window, they can be anchored to a wall, when the wall moves, they follow on,

here i changed the type of a bed inside the GDL editor t oGS-Window, so it appears in the window menu,

Now it can be placed on a wall like a window, but it's turned and it has a Wallhole,

the object keeps all it's parameters it's fully parametric like the original bed

Does someone know how to fix this ?

it can be used for toilets, washbassin, electrical equipments, all kind of objects that can be acnchored on a wall

Miha_M · ‎2022-10-05

I couldn't get a good rest on such a bed. 🙂

I don't think this is necessary with independent furniture pieces, but this could be an option with objects, who have a physical connection to a wall, like some hvac and sanitary equipment.

Until then you can just group such two elements together.

DGSketcher · ‎2022-10-05

Interesting that such an association can be so easily achieved. Perhaps one day we might see an "Associate with Wall" option for objects that might benefit...

Lee Hankins · ‎2022-10-05

I think this is a great idea. So many occasions we have to furnish rooms in medical facilities at an early stage before wall build ups are known and then change the wall build up which inevitably affects its position and then have to reposition all of the furniture and fittings objects. If these could be associated to a wall it would make things so much easier. It may be worth posting this in to the Wishes forum so that Graphisoft will be aware of it.

runxel · ‎2022-10-05

Like the "outside-the-box-thinking" approach, but am not really convinced 😉

Anyway: Every door is scripted lying down. Meaning what you think of the Z-axis is actually Y.

You should rotate everything back by using a "rotx 90".

I have found this code in one of the GS objects:

wallniche 3, 1, 2,	! Fake wall cutting body far away from the wall body
0,0,1,	0.01,	        ! to disable cutting wallhole by the Archicad.
0,	  WALL_THICKNESS + 1.01,31,
-0.01,WALL_THICKNESS + 1.00,31,
0.01,WALL_THICKNESS + 1.00,31

Bricklyne Clarence · ‎2022-10-17

This has actually been requested (many times) before in the past, for other objects that would normally be "hosted" by a wall or a slab (like ceiling lamps or embedded wall lamps, Vents, ceiling fans,)....for Graphisoft to add a command to allow the object to be hosted to the wall like a window or a door - with or without the "wallhole" (or slabhole) for objects that need to have to cut into the wall or slab hole (like a recessed ceiling lamp).

Obviously it's been ignored, but imagine my surprise in realizing that it's basically just a GDL line of code (or a couple) that they would need to add either to the library objects or the wall/slab/column/beam elements themselves to make this a reality but have chosen not to, and instead leave it to the user to have to learn GDL to make it happen.

(shaking my head).

it's great you discovered this way of achieving (which is not at all "out-of-the-box" thinking since these are things that we naturally treat as hosted by walls in real life. A recessed ceiling lamp can't just exist in empty space on its own. It literally has to associate with a slab or a ceiling).

But it shouldn't be up to the user to have to figure out what Graphisoft themselves can sort out in less than a couple of lines of codes to their library objects.

It's ridiculous.

It would be like your car seller giving you the manufacturers manual to let you figure out how to re-wire the internal A/C unit just to get to change the temperature instead of just having one that works without much fussing.

And to add insult to injury this is how it's ALWAYS worked with Revit and even Vectorworks (the BIM component).

I'm telling you, it's like constantly pulling teeth with this company these days.

Pablo on · ‎2023-05-07

I got this code to work perfectly in the 3D script. In my case, I tested it with a sanitary artifact converted into a window, but I had to set the rotation factor of the master script to ROTX 270. And to complement the 2D script, I added the same code but changed "wallniche" to "WALLHOLE2". Regards!

Script 2D:

WALLHOLE2 3, 1, 2, ! Fake wall cutting body far away from the wall body
0,0,1, 0.01, ! to disable cutting wallhole by the Archicad.
0, WALL_THICKNESS + 1.01,31,
-0.01,WALL_THICKNESS + 1.00,31,
0.01,WALL_THICKNESS + 1.00,31

Ahmed_K · ‎2023-11-10

Hello,

thank you guys !

it works perfectly,

is there a way to hide that black box points and replace them by a centrer point in the buttom middle ?

By the way, does this affect any thing when excenging model in IFC ? with revit or other softwares ?

it looks very easy so why graphisoft didn't make it possible , just thinking ...

Barry Kelly · ‎2023-11-11

I guess this has its plusses and minuses.

But is it really necessary to have them associated to the wall?

You can just group them if you really want, move the wall and they all move.

Delete the wall and you still have your objects (not like doors and windows, they will be gone too).

The hotspots in the wall would be the extents of what would be the opening based on the 'A' & 'B' sizes (width and height of the window/door).

The WALLHOLE you can hide by scripting a very tiny WALLHOLE (not sure if you can have one that is zero in size) or a WALLNICHE that does not cut the wall.

If you script nothing, you will get an automatic WALLHOLE based on the A & B sizes (I think this applies to both the 2D & 3D scripts).

The thing is you can no longer place these as objects, you must use the window or door tool.

So as far as Archicad is concerned, they are doors or windows.

I know this is a wish and the idea would be to have objects associate to walls without the need of rotating in 3D or re-writing the wallholes.

But I am just commenting on the method described here.

I am sure you can override the classification to say it is a plumbing fixture or whatever you want, and this might translate properly to IFC (I don't use IFC so can't say for sure).

Also now you can't just delete the wall and leave the objects - they will delete as well.

I am sure it will also play havoc with renovation filters and design options as well.

And if you want to re-arrange the room, you have to drag and rotate the whole wall.

You can't just drag and rotate the objects or re-associate them to a new wall (best option is copy setting and place a new object).

So as I say, plusses and minuses.

Barry.

Pablo on · ‎2023-11-11

What happens if I'm in an early stage of the project, and later I have to modify the thickness of the wall compounds due to changes in the project? It turns out to be much faster and more productive if the objects are associated with the wall, especially in large-scale projects, as they automatically adjust to the face where they are placed, without the need to rearrange them individually. It's a good option for automating processes without resorting to third-party programs like the Rhino-Grasshopper-Archicad interaction. Finally, to differentiate them from windows, another classification can be assigned that fits the needs of each element. If Graphisoft does not offer the option to add constraints like in Revit, then there's no choice but to find ways to achieve better results...

Ahmed_K · ‎2023-11-11

You listed a good exemple of changing wall thickness,

I guess, we can start modelling in early stage using an object linken to the wall by changing it's gdl type,

Then, when design is finished and for documentation purposes , we select concerned elements, and convert them back to the original gdl type,

I should try this,

I tried it, it doesn't work unfortunately