a few questions prior to upgrading

[Anonymous]

howdy

we are looking to upgrade from v9 to v11 (all clients running either G5 PPC or Intel macs)

we have been testing on 1 station thus far and have the following questions/ issues.. we are hoping to roll it out to all 15 clients sometime this week

so any help/ insight would be greatly appreciated

we are creating a series of master archicad files, specific to each client, which will include partitions, general details, layout sheets, modified work environment, etc. Can this master file then be incorporated into the custom installer/ template?

Is there a limit on how many new instances of archicad can be launched?

Is there a way in 11 to easily copy view set details from one archicad file to another? Or is merge still the best way to go about this?

Some of the projects in our office are still executed with separate archicad files for each drawing (not to mention PMKs!). Do you recommend combining all these into one big archicad file? Or keeping the archicad files separate and just using the "place external drawing" command when it comes to layouting. If combining all the separate files, what is the fastest way to go about this? Launching a new instance of archicad each time and just copying and pasting?

dwg in/out:
When opening DWG files, is it ok to just use "02 For editable import"? When saving DWG files, is it ok to just use "03 For as is output"? Or do you recommend creating new translators altogether (or just using current ones)?

worksheets:
From reading the ref guide it seems that worksheets are 2D environments. Is this more for non-drawing elements? Not sure how worksheets are supposed to be used. We should still use the detail / section / interior elevation markers for drawings, right?

Schedules:
Have you tried these out? Are they worth using or should we stick with excel files? I noticed default door/frame and window schedules. Assuming these are customisable (I know when you add a door it automatically shows up on the schedule)? Can schedules be added into archicad from excel? Eg. Finish and responsibility schedules? (I know there was an issue in the past with excel/ word docs not being “hotlinked” on the mac side)... or is it just best to leave it outside of archiCAD and just save the files from the external app as PDF and link them in?

specifications:
we currently include specification sheets (sheet size usually 30” x 24”) which often run over 2 or 3 pages.. With each page having 3 or so columns.... What is the best way to deal with this..... A tool like inDesign/ quark allows you to link text boxes over multiple pages so that if something is added at the front of page 2.... Text auto repositions itself to flow correctly.... I assume that this is not really possible with the layout feature / text tools available in archiCAD.... So what is the best method for executing the above.. keep it in inDesign, save as PDF and hotlink?

trace reference:
Once I set a drawing up as a trace reference, archicad remembers it, even if Trace is turned off. Is there a way to remove a trace reference or reset it?

layout book:
placing drawings using drag and drop method, does it matter if you drag from the PROJECT map or VIEW map? It was my impression that the view map has the correct saved scale and layers and should be the one to use, but it seems that the project map is the same thing (the files in VIEW map are cloned, could that be the reason the project map has the same settings as the view map?).

I would LOVE to use the master layout grid setup so that numbering of drawings is automatic, but archicad isn’t smart enough to count the drawings in order. Drawings occupying multiple cells can be set to use the drawing ID at a specified corner, but if you have drawings larger than 1 cell, it doesn’t know to assign consecutive numbers 1, 2, 3... Is there a way around this?

palette schemes:
I’ve saved the palette scheme/ work environment to how I like it, but every time I open archicad from scratch, or launch a new instance, the QUICK LAYERS palette never shows up. I’ve tried re-saving the palette scheme, still didn’t work. Is there a bug?

project indexes:
Is it possible to format the SHEET INDEX so we can use it on the cover sheet? Eg. Add spaces between lines, type in additional MEP sheets, etc.

grids and background:
In order to have no gridlines show up as the default setting, is View > Grid Options > Grids & Background the only place to modify this?
When I brought in a 9.0 project into 11, all the detail windows had the grid and I to turn it off for each detail...

details markers:
I would like to set up detail markers such that the drawing and layout ID are automatically linked to the referred drawings, Can you modify Detail Part Marker_NCS 11 (The tail should be longer, there should be a line between the text and a break in the middle). The current marker also is a little awkward to use as you can’t rotate or mirror it easily. I think you have to open the dialogue box to do it and the text doesn’t automatically rotate.

multiple elements (TAB):
I HATE the new way of selecting and modifying elements when there are multiple things at one location!!!! Seems dumb to have to hit TAB and wait for the right element/info tag to show up, as opposed to how it was in past, where you just clicked the mouse and it would cycle thru the elements AND if something was already selected, the pet palette would show up.
Now, clicking the mouse at a node just cycles between all the different elements and I can’t get to the pet palette. Am I doing something wrong?

fills:
The Gypsum Board, Gypsum Board+Vapor Barrier, Gypsum Firecode, %25, %50, %75, etc. fills are showing up as solid, even though they have the same settings as in 9.0 (they were dots in 9.0), any clue on what the problem is?

sound effects:
is there anyway of turning these OFF.... drives me nuts... i know there was a "hack" for doing this in v9... is there someway of doing either within archiCAD itself now... or is there a hack for doing it?

operating system:
most of our machines are currently running 10.4... a couple have 10.3.9 installed.... will archiCAD run on the 10.3.9 machines GUARANTEED or do we need to upgrade the OS (which we should probably do anyway)

again.... huge thanks for any help/ insight you can provide

yukioMishima

[__archiben]

yukioMishima wrote:
so any help/ insight would be greatly appreciated

to answer some of them . . .

Is there a limit on how many new instances of archicad can be launched?

not that i've experienced - it will really be determined by the power of your machines.

Is there a way in 11 to easily copy view set details from one archicad file to another? Or is merge still the best way to go about this?

view handling is still very much file-specific, so no, you can't easily copy view definitions between files.

dwg in/out:
When opening DWG files, is it ok to just use "02 For editable import"? When saving DWG files, is it ok to just use "03 For as is output"? Or do you recommend creating new translators altogether (or just using current ones)?

it's always advisable to tweak them to meet your specific needs - dialogue with the consultants you are import/exporting them to/from is essential. and the creation of a template file for each consultant. but that is somewhat of a black-art and could probably be better answered by someone else,

worksheets:
From reading the ref guide it seems that worksheets are 2D environments. Is this more for non-drawing elements? Not sure how worksheets are supposed to be used. We should still use the detail / section / interior elevation markers for drawings, right?

you would not be alone in your confusion! worksheets are currently 2D drafting environments. you may find various uses for them, you may not. one that comes to mind is using them as a place to xref your consultant DWGs - then combined with the trace/reference functionality you can underlay them anywhere in the model for reference.

trace reference:
Once I set a drawing up as a trace reference, archicad remembers it, even if Trace is turned off. Is there a way to remove a trace reference or reset it?

you can't actually 'clear' a reference, but you can change it to from 'off' to any viewpoint/view/layout by right-clicking it in your navigator and choosing 'Show as Trace Reference'...

layout book:
placing drawings using drag and drop method, does it matter if you drag from the PROJECT map or VIEW map? It was my impression that the view map has the correct saved scale and layers and should be the one to use, but it seems that the project map is the same thing (the files in VIEW map are cloned, could that be the reason the project map has the same settings as the view map?).

you are correct - from the VIEW map only! you can drag and drop from anywhere but as you correctly surmised the view holds the various definitions of layers, options, pens, etc... if you make a change to a layer combination it will automatically be reflected in the view and thus the layout too. but if you have created the drawing directly from the project map archicad will have created a new - static - custom view definition. this is Bad Practice.

I Drawings occupying multiple cells can be set to use the drawing ID at a specified corner, but if you have drawings larger than 1 cell, it doesn’t know to assign consecutive numbers 1, 2, 3... Is there a way around this?

kind of. rather than use the grid, you can set them so that the order in which they appear in the layout defines their 'drawing number'. click the little disclosure triangle adjacent to the layout in the layout map and drag the drawings into the order you want. you will need a master that doesn't have a grid.

palette schemes:
I’ve saved the palette scheme/ work environment to how I like it, but every time I open archicad from scratch, or launch a new instance, the QUICK LAYERS palette never shows up. I’ve tried re-saving the palette scheme, still didn’t work. Is there a bug?

no! haha! quicklayers is a shocker: it's never been a part of the WE set up. you wouldn't be the first to complain about this either - search the forum here and you will see others. i have actually abandoned the quicklayers palette and made myself a custom quicklayers toolbar. toolbars are remembered in the work environment.

<cont...>

[__archiben]

<cont...>

project indexes:
Is it possible to format the SHEET INDEX so we can use it on the cover sheet? Eg. Add spaces between lines, type in additional MEP sheets, etc.

not to the extent that you (and everybody else!) would like. . .

Can you modify Detail Part Marker_NCS 11 (The tail should be longer, there should be a line between the text and a break in the middle).

you can. again, someone else with some GDL knowledge will be better placed to answer this one.

multiple elements (TAB):
I HATE the new way of selecting and modifying elements when there are multiple things at one location!!!!
...
Am I doing something wrong?

no. it's nasty. something GS have broken rather than fixed up . . .

fills:
The Gypsum Board, Gypsum Board+Vapor Barrier, Gypsum Firecode, %25, %50, %75, etc. fills are showing up as solid, even though they have the same settings as in 9.0 (they were dots in 9.0), any clue on what the problem is?

sound effects:
is there anyway of turning these OFF.... drives me nuts... i know there was a "hack" for doing this in v9... is there someway of doing either within archiCAD itself now... or is there a hack for doing it

in your work environment>user preferences>more options there is an option to enable/disable the sounds.

~/archiben

[Anonymous]

ben

wow

huge thanks for tackling this..... when i finally posted it i realised it looked all a bit overwhelming

if anyone has anything else to add i would appreciate it

HUGE thanks again

yukioMihsima

[Thomas Holm]

yukioMishima wrote:
dwg in/out:
When opening DWG files, is it ok to just use "02 For editable import"? When saving DWG files, is it ok to just use "03 For as is output"? Or do you recommend creating new translators altogether (or just using current ones)?

I find I tend to humbly agree with Ben on almost everything...

Just one tip though:

Sincce we very often, and sometimes without forewarning, are forced to communicate and exchange DWGs with Autocad-using consultants, we've since some years standardized on using

1) a pen set where the first 10 pens are width-compatible with Autocad's standard pen set, and then

2) the Keep Pen Index No. translator, both ways. (we may create variations if Paper Space or various scales are needed etc - but pens stay)

We use this everywhere, models, views, layouts, if possible. This standard has solved 99% of our dwg exchange issues. Autocad users in this country seldom differ in their pen selection, even if that is possible nowadays. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

thomas

thanks for the additional info

a couple of quick questions if you would:

- how do i ascertain what the settings are for the Ist 10 pens in autoCAD (as we don't own a copy)

- do you know where/ how to get a hold of the standard .shx fonts to help with the translation

thanks again for all

yukioMishima

[Djordje]

yukioMishima wrote:
- do you know where/ how to get a hold of the standard .shx fonts to help with the translation

Download the free DWG True View from the Autodesk web site.

[Anonymous]

djordje

thanks for the suggestion

PC only i am afraid...... all apple macs here

also.... doesn't seem to answer the specific issue of the shx fonts... or are they embedded in the download and we can extract them and use them on a mac?

thanks again

yukioMishima

[Thomas Holm]

With Archicad's standard installation, an Autocad pen set is included. I haven't used it though - it seems to be color correct, but for some reason it doesn't include the correct pen width mapping.

Below is the beginning of the pen mapping table we use. The first 7 pens are identical to the ancient Autocad standard (at least in this country). The rest are added later but I think they adhere to a reasonably widespread standard. Please note that normally use white background and all these pens mapped to black in Archicad. This gives a fairly good WYSIWYG experince, and good PDFs. And exported to dwg using KeepIndexNo translator it gives the right line widths there.

Note:
- Pen width 0 prints with your printer's thinnest line, depending on its resolution. With a good printer it is VERY thin.
- Pen # 7 usually alternates between black and white depending on your background.

We also have an alternate pen table where the colors are shown. Used with a black background it gives the exact look of Autocad.

I'm also attaching a zipped Excel file with this table content, because I don't know how to make this table look correct in this post. Also, please note that it also includes the standard mapping we used for the same purpose in Microstation (which we've since stopped using).

Edited:
As for the .shx fonts, I recently posted in this forum a way to make them look correct in Archicad, Mac or PC: http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=100533#100533
You will need a friend with a Windows installation to extract the fonts. (or use one of your kids' gaming stations). Do a search in the forum! And if Djordje's tip doesn't work, and you can't find a friend with Autocad or -LT installed, remember that Google is your friend!

Pen mapping table	Autocad	  Archicad		
Pen #	width mm	   color         color	Ustn#	Ustn weight #
acad1	0.25			red	       black	ustn3	W1
acad2	1.0			yellow	      black	ustn4	W5
acad3	0.35			green	     black	ustn2	W2
acad4	0.18			cyan	     black	ustn7	W0
acad5	1.4			blue	       black	ustn1	W6
acad6	0.7			magenta	   black	ustn5	W4
acad7	0.5			wh/bl	      black	ustn0	W3
acad8	0.13		dark gr	       black		
acad9	0.06			grey		black		
acad10	0.0			light gr	black			

[Djordje]

yukioMishima wrote:
doesn't seem to answer the specific issue of the shx fonts... or are they embedded in the download and we can extract them and use them on a mac?

Yes they are. You probably have at least one Intel Mac that can run Windows?