Offset: a simple line extra addition

[Anonymous]

I could use an "Offset" feature so many times. It simply allows a person to pick any amount of lines, walls, beams etc. and offsets a copy at a distance desired. The key to this feature is that it the offset amount is the same along the entire path. Please add this feature. It is a small thing but a HUGE need.

[Paul King]

You can , sort of....
Not as elegant or ergonomic in terms of key presses, but you can just drag a copy or multiple copies with perpendicular lock on, (perp with reference to original element)
I do this all the time.

Does not address single arcs or ellipses annoyingly as radii do not change to suit offset.

[Djordje]

Donald wrote:
I repeat, in my opinion the offset command is, in practice, not simple and, i find, unreliable. And why can't you offset a single line?

It depends on how you understand the offset and whether you expect to use it in the same way as you did in let's say AutoCAD or anything else, OR you realize that not all software works the same way and try to first see the way the particular one does.

About the single line? Yes, you can. Select the line (arc, wall, beam) that you want to offset first. Then click on Offset, click on Magic Wand, with the tool of the element that you want to create active, on the selected element.

One should discern between offsetting the polygonal elements and linear elements; with the linear elements, whether they are grouped or not.

I am now copying this thread to Working in ArchiCAD, as the topic really belongs there.

[Paul King]

Hi- I certianly accept that ArchiCAD will never be the same as AutoCAD (thank God!) - but even after years of using it, I find certian things such as this less elegant than they should be - because too many prerequisites are required be to set up for what should be a trivial one or two click operation in any context:

You have to have already selected arcs or lines to trace with, you have to stop and select select a different tool every time for lines, arcs, polylines, fills etc (rather than just offsetting whatever element type is selected by default) , in fiddly areas you have to ensure there are no intersecting objects to curtail areas or select really really precisely , you have to retype the offset every time if doing the same offset for a range of different elements, or if want to multiply offset arcs etc,

Space click can't deal properly with ellipses or splines at all , because these are not arcs or straight lines

These are not things that being "different" justifies in my opinion, especially when offset is one of the most commonly required operations.