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Level dimension for roof tool to current storey

Anonymous
Not applicable
Morning,

See attached pic.

I'm working on a reflected ceiling plan. I've used the roof tool to create my plasterboard ceiling lining. The ceiling is raked, and I'd like to dimension the pitch levels in plan view with reference to the current storey (marked in red). Any ideas?

Thanks in advanced.
12 REPLIES 12
Barry Kelly
Moderator
So long as your ceiling (roof) has a cover fill active, you can use the Level Dimension Tool to place spot levels.
Beware though that this tool will dimension the upper level of your ceiling (roof thickness).

The text can be selected and moved and can be changed to measure from any of your reference levels.
The measurement will be (by default) from Project Zero.
If you need anything else (such as a second floor level) then you will need to set up a reference level for each storey - which won't help if you have more than 3 floors as you can't add more reference levels that what is already there.


If this is not acceptable then you will need to look into labels, but I am not sure there are any out of the box labels for roof heights.
I know there is a label for flat ceiling slabs, but I don't recall anything about a label for roof heights at any given point.


Barry.
One of the forum moderators.
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emwatson
Participant
Hi,

I was curious if anyone knows of an update on this? I understand it wasn't that long ago that Barry responded. I am working on a project also with multiple raked ceilings modelled with the roof tool so using reference levels is not suitable. I wondered if anyone knows about the autotext labels ie. 'Offset by rules' or 'roof level' whether that could be utilised? I think it would be really handy to have the ability to level dimension roof undersides so keen to hear any input from others.

Thanks very much.
AC24 Australia • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro 2.8GHz | 16 gb ram • OSX10.14.3
JaseBee
Advocate
Any label attached to the roof doesn't know its position, so can only ever give you heights at the reference line.

I haven't implemented any real workarounds yet but I can only think of two in addition to Barry's suggestion.

An extra zero thickness roof to dimension spot levels to (bit crude, need to remember to move this plane as well as ceiling or errors ensue), or making your own label with the skylight tool (bit more advanced, need to know a. little GDL).

Good Luck.
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emwatson
Participant
Hi JaseBee,

Thanks for your comment.

Yes we have occasionally done the 0 thickness roof on a separate layer so we can tag them in the RCP and then had the actual roof 'ceiling' which is a composite so it shows properly in section etc. I will look into the skylight tool label. I didn't know about that.

Cheers,
AC24 Australia • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro 2.8GHz | 16 gb ram • OSX10.14.3
Podolsky
Ace
Theoretically it is possible to create GDL object (not label) that would receive geometrical data from roof and calculates then needed height or slope. The only way how roof can pass its geometrical data - via roof accessory. So it needs to be roof accessories tool. I used roof accessories tool to place falling indicator. I've got very handy tool.

Label doesn't work in this case, because it doesn't know nothing about roof position and roof shape.
JaseBee
Advocate
The skylight tool is not an accessory, it's standard in the AC kit.

Make a new GDL part, set it's subtype to "Roof Opening"

Then the "GLOB_ELEVATION" global variable is the elevation at the origin of a placed skylight. (You can get the top elevation with some maths and "ROOF_ANGLE" & "ROOF_THICKNESS" if you need)

Then its just a case of using some GDL to make the skylight not a skylight and just a 2d note with whatever leader or marker or whatever you need it to be.

Good luck.
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kmitotk
Advocate
Not perfect but there is another workaround (without GDL knowledge).

Use the 3D view based 3D Document (not the plan based) and the dimension tool:
In 3d view, use 3D Cutaway and cut the model horizontally, setup a bottom view parallel projection and generate a 3D document. By using the Elevation Dimension in the dimension tool you can get the underside spot elevations of the roof element.

Limitations:
- Dimension tool can only read the height of the nodes (but you can add a node anywhere along the roof edge and get the height of that spot).
- The height dimension origin is limited to GL and other reference levels.
- The dimension marker won't update automatically when the roof moved.
Kei Mito

Architect | Graphisoft Certified BIM Manager
ArchiCAD 26 & 27 JPN USA & INT | Windows 10

runxel
Legend
JaseBee wrote:
The skylight tool ...
Make a new GDL part, set it's subtype to "Roof Opening"
Then its just a case of using some GDL to make the skylight not a skylight and just a 2d note with whatever leader or marker or whatever you need it to be.
Except that "text2" and others don't work in skylights? ...
Or what am I missing here
Lucas Becker | AC 27 on Mac | Author of Runxel's Archicad Wiki | Editor at SelfGDL | Developer of the GDL plugin for Sublime Text |
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JaseBee
Advocate
Really? Damn. that sucks.

Accessories it is then.

Or label the skylight
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