Archicad Training Series Vol.3

ArchiCAD Training Series
Vol. 3
Intermediate ArchiCAD
Credits
Visit the GRAPHISOFT website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and

product availability information.
ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

(International English Metric Version)
Copyright 2014 by GRAPHISOFT, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or
translation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Trademarks
ArchiCAD is a registered trademark of GRAPHISOFT. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective holders.
Credits
Courtesy of GRAPHISOFT
Contents
CONTENTS
Introduction __________________________________________10
Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope ________________14
Creating the Site __________________________________________ 17
Importing Surveyor Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Creating a New Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Modeling the Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Creating Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Modeling Basic Building Structures __________________________ 29
Creating Exterior Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Creating a Floor Slab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Creating Pavement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Creating a Curved Wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Adding More External Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Creating New Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Creating a Single Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Trimming to a Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Creating a Veranda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Creating Timber Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Placing Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Creating Rafters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Creating Collar Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding Terrace Slab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Contents
Chapter 2 - Openings, Stairs and Foundations _____________93

Doors ____________________________________________________ 93
Adding an Entrance Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Adding Sliding Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Multiplying Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Adding Internal Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Creating a New Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Creating the Floor Slab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Creating Partition Walls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Creating Internal doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Adding a Gallery Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Windows ________________________________________________ 118
Adding Windows on the Ground Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Adding Windows on the Gallery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Rectangular Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Modifying Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Changing Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Modifying Size in the 3D View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Resizing a Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Adding Skylights _________________________________________ 125
Creating a Stair___________________________________________ 127
Using Library Stairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Creating a Stair with StairMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Contents
Foundation Structures ____________________________________ 137

Creating Foundations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Creating Pad Foundations under the Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Chapter 3 - Creating Zones _____________________________144

Zones ___________________________________________________ 144
Zone Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Adding Automatic Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Adding a Manual Zone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Refining Zones in 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Changing Zone Appearance on Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Adding Zone Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Color Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Using Image Fills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Creating Image Fills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Changing Zone Stamp Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Chapter 4 - Adding Dimensions _________________________168

Placing Dimensions on Floor Plan ___________________________ 168
Automatic Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Editing Dimensions _______________________________________ 173
Dimension Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Dragging Chains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Deleting a Full Chain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Adding Full Chains Manually. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Adding Points Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Deleting Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Contents
Adding Radial Dimension__________________________________ 178

Adding Level Dimensions __________________________________ 179
On Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
On Section/Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Adding Dimension Points to a Level Dimension Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Changing Markers In a Dimension Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Changing Dimension Text _________________________________ 187
Chapter 5 - Adding Accessory Elements __________________192

Accessing Objects ________________________________________ 192
Loading Objects and Libraries ______________________________ 193
Adding a New Library to the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Adding Handrails _________________________________________ 194
Placing External Handrails as Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Placing Internal Handrails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Creating Railing with Profiled Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Adding Furniture and Equipment ___________________________ 205
Interior Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Exterior Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Chapter 6 - Details and Schedules _______________________214

Cleaning Up Sections and Elevations ________________________ 214
Solid Element Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Contents
Adding Details ___________________________________________ 220

Creating Linked Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Creating Unlinked Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Creating Schedules _______________________________________ 227
Modifying an Existing Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Adding/Removing Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Changing an Element's Parameters from the List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Creating a New Element List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Creating a New Component List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Chapter 7 - Documentation ____________________________241

Creating Views ___________________________________________ 242
Creating a Folder in the View Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Deleting a Folder in the View Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
View Settings ____________________________________________ 244
Modify View Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Element-level Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
View Dependent Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
3D Documents from Floor Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Chapter 8 - Visualization _______________________________261

Saving a View Directly in 3D________________________________ 261
Creating Rendered Views __________________________________ 264
CineRender Engine & White Model Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Sketch Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Contents
Internal Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

CineRender Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Refining Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Adding Lights ___________________________________________ 287
Chapter 9 - Sharing Your Design ________________________294

Traditional (2D) Formats ___________________________________ 294
Creating a Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Changing Section/Elevation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Changing Drawing Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Changing Master Layout of Existing Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Creating New Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Layout Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Creating and Using a Custom Master Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Publishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Publisher Set Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Creating New Publisher Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
BIM-Based Documentation ________________________________ 331
IFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Contents
Chapter 10 - Revision Management _____________________339

First Issue _______________________________________________ 339
Creating Changes_________________________________________ 342
Issuing __________________________________________________ 347
Revision History __________________________________________ 353
New Issues_______________________________________________ 356
Introduction
Introduction
Welcome to the ArchiCAD Training Series!
This Guide is part of the ArchiCAD Training Series, which currently includes the following
materials:
Vol. 1, The ArchiCAD BIM Concept
Vol. 2, Basic ArchiCAD
Vol. 3, Intermediate ArchiCAD
Vol. 4, Advanced ArchiCAD
Vol. 5, Using Teamwork
You are now reading Vol. 3, Intermediate ArchiCAD a comprehensive hands-on training to
familiarize you with the advanced modeling and documentation tools of ArchiCAD. This guide is
meant for basic ArchiCAD users. We strongly recommend that you complete Training Series Vol. 1
and 2 before starting this one.
Contents of this guide:
Training guide e-book: The PDF guide includes detailed explanation of every step, with several
screen shots.
ArchiCAD project file: The preset training file will help your learning process. Preset project views
help you to navigate between different steps thus you can focus on the core knowledge.
Movie clips: Narrated movie clips are available on the YouTube channel for GRAPHISOFT
ArchiCAD (www.youtube.com/user/Archicad) providing step-by-step instructions for each step
of the training guide. The ArchiCAD YouTube Channel can also be accessed from the Help menu
of ArchiCAD. Enter the name of this Training Guide in the search field to locate the related videos.
You must have ArchiCAD 18 installed on your computer to use this guide. This e-book and the
movie clips were made with the English language version of ArchiCAD. For your convenience we
recommend you to download and use the same version for practicing.
10
Introduction
If you do not have ArchiCAD yet, please visit myarchicad.com to obtain a free ArchiCAD installer:
If you are a student, a teacher or a representative of a school, register and download a fully
functional Education Version of ArchiCAD for Students and Teachers.
If you are a professional architect, register and download a fully functional 30-day trial version
of ArchiCAD. Projects saved with this TRIAL version can be automatically upgraded to FULL
versions upon purchase of a commercial license.
Please contact your local distributor for purchasing commercial ArchiCAD licenses:
www.graphisoft.com/info/where_to_buy
How to use this training material?
Install the required ArchiCAD version.
Open the PDF Guide.
Open the related movie clips from the GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD Youtube Channel.
Follow the instructions given in the PDF guide and the videos.
We hope you will find this training useful and wish you success with your future ArchiCAD
projects!
Good Luck!
The GRAPHISOFT Team
11
Introduction
Now, lets see the project we are going to create.
1 Double click the ArchiCAD application icon on your desktop to start ArchiCAD. The
ArchiCAD splash screen and shortly after the Start ArchiCAD 18 dialog box will appear,
providing various options.
12
Introduction
2 In the Set up Work Environment pop-up list, select Standard Profile 18.
3 Select the Open a Project and Browse for a Solo Project options and then select the Browse
button to open an ArchiCAD project file.
4 Select the TS03_complete.pla project file in the training project folder and click the Open
button to open the file of the final project. When the Open Archive Project message prompts,
choose Read elements directly from archive and click Open.
In the Navigator, use the View Map to open some floor plans, sections and 3D views.
If you feel ready for the task ahead of us, move on to Chapter 1 to create the project from zero.
13
Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope
Chapter 1 - Creating the Building

Envelope
In this chapter we will start the project using 2D site information and then model the basic
building envelope: e.g. creating a floor slab and adding some walls and columns to our project.
While these are all really simple operations, they will underscore some important core design
concepts:
All ArchiCAD building elements are real 3D objects: you might create a wall or slab in the
floor plan view, but their 3D view is also at hand immediately and at any time. This enables
users to view the project in its own 3D environment (instant, real-time 3D feedback) and to
make better, more informed design decisions.
ArchiCAD enables the creation of a fully integrated project information database: design
development can be done in any view - plan, 3D views, etc. - all other views will be
automatically and immediately updated. No tedious, iterative process is required from the
designer. This is the true power of the Virtual BuildingTM design concept.
14

Create a new project by selecting the File > New > New command. In the appearing dialog,
select Use a Template: ArchiCAD 18 Template, select the Standard Profile 18 and click the
New button. Choose Don't save if the Save Changes dialog appears.
A new project is created based on the standard template of ArchiCAD. This template already
contains layers, fills, materials, and composites to help you from the very beginning. Later on, you
may also create your own template to fit your own design and office standards.
Save the project to a location where you will easily find it later.
Lets change the default working units from millimeters to meters. This will not scale the model,
but affects data input.
15

1 Open Options > Project Preferences > Working Units
16

2 Set the Model Unit to meter and its Decimals to 2. Click OK.
Creating the Site

Importing Surveyor Data
Usually, buildings are designed to physical locations, therefore orientation and geographical
parameters provide the initial context of the design. ArchiCAD is capable of importing various
data formats to enable the architects to use it as native building environment. For example point
clouds, Google Earth terrain or simple DWG/DWF files.
In the exercise, we will follow the most typical workflow for how architects and surveyors work
together - we will import a DWG file to model the site.
17

Creating a New Worksheet
In ArchiCAD a dedicated workspace called Worksheet is available to manage all external 2D data.
1 Open Navigator - Project Map
and right-click on the Worksheets item. Select New Independent Worksheet...
and set ID as W-01 and name as Site. Click Create.
18

The worksheet opens automatically. Now you can import the DWG data and place it into the
project. There are two ways of using 2D data in the project depending on whether the data may
change or not. If you expect that the data may change during the project, use the Xref method.
This way, there is a living connection between the original external file and the ArchiCAD project,
which ensures that in case the external file changes, you can simply update the content. If the
data does not change during the full project lifecycle, you can also merge the content into the
ArchiCAD project. In this case all elements will be converted into native ArchiCAD elements, and
can be edited in the future.
2 Now select File > External Content > Attach Xref
19

3 In the appearing dialog, click Browse... on top to locate the W 01 Site.dwg file. Set the
options as below:
4 Click Attach and click Skip to select font files if prompted.
20

5 Now place the drawing inside the project. Choose default origin point of ArchiCAD marked
with an x sign as the deployment point of the Xref-ed dwg. In the upcoming DWG/DXF
Partial Open dialog leave all layers checked and click OK.
Click any elements. The linework is selected with faded nodes. This means that it is not editable,
because it is part of another file.
The status of the attached Xrefs can be monitored below File > External Content > Xref
Manager.... If the original Xref changes you can update it by reloading it from this dialog.
21
Modeling the Terrain

We will use the lines as base geometry for our terrain mesh.
Switch to Navigator - Project Map > 0. Ground Floor.
1 Right-click the W-01 Site worksheet in the Navigator and choose Show as Trace Reference to
select it as a traced view.
2 Click the arrow next to the Trace and Reference button in the toolbar and choose Trace &
Reference from the bottom of the list to open the Trace & Reference palette.
22

3 Open the settings of the Reference, check the All Types checkbox and click Apply Settings to
all References to ensure that the trace will always behave the same way.
4 Close the palette.

Note: If you still cannot see the lines, their layers may be hidden. Open the Layer
Settings dialog by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+L, scroll down in the list of layers. The layers
of the Xref are separated from the native ArchiCAD layers. Click the eye icons to
make them visible. Click OK.
23

Creating Mesh
1 Activate the Mesh tool (click the Mesh tool icon in the Toolbox so that it will be active) and
double-click on its icon.
2 The Mesh Settings dialog opens. Set the mesh properties as follows:
Mesh Height: 2,00 meters
Home Story to 0. Ground Floor and Elevation to Project Zero to -0,10
Select Solid Body as Structure
Set Soil as Building Material
Uncheck Cover Fills in the Floor Plan and Section panel
Override Top Surface with Grass - Green
Select All Ridges Sharp.
Tags and Categories: if you are going to communicate your design to any engineers who
work with 3D applications, you have to fill in these fields, so the external application can
recognize them properly. Set Structural Function as Non-Load-Bearing Element and Position
as Exterior.
24
Click OK.
25

3 Select the Rectangular geometry method in the Info Box, and click the two opposite points
of the site rectangle to create a mesh.
4 Select the mesh with Shift + click (activate the Mesh tool if deactivated).
5 Space + click (hold down the space bar on your keyboard and click with the mouse cursor) on
the curved level lines one by one to add them to the mesh. Select Fit to User Ridges in the
New Mesh Points dialog.
26

6 To set the height of the points of the mesh that are on the same height level select the mesh
and click on a node of the second line from the right (line in the middle):
When the Pet palette appears, click Elevate Mesh Point. Set Height to 0,50 and check the
Apply to All checkbox, so that all nodes on this line will be elevated to the same height. Click
OK.
Repeat this action with the line on the right and set the Elevate Mesh Point to 1,00.
27

Now elevate the two corners on the right one by one. Click on the upper corner. Select Elevate
Mesh Point again and set 1,00 as the Height but leave the Apply to All checkbox unchecked,
otherwise all points of the rectangle would rise. Repeat this with the corner below. The result
should look like this:
With the mesh selected right-click, and select Show Selection/Marquee in 3D to check its shape.
Click on the Fit in window button in the bottom of the screen if it is not fully visible.
28

Go to View and click Editing Plane Display to turn off the editing plane if it is displayed.
Modeling Basic Building Structures

Creating Exterior Walls
Walls can have multiple skins representing the real structure, including the load bearing
structures, insulation, and finishing. Out of the box, ArchiCAD contains a set of fills and
composites, but now we will create our own composite structure representing the exterior wall of
the building. The needed skin order from outside to inside is:
10 cm white brick finish
10 cm rigid insulation
25 cm masonry block
2 cm plaster
29

The white brick material does not exist by default, so we will have to create it ourselves.
1 Go to Options > Element Attributes > Building Materials....
In the upcoming dialog on the left you can see the list of the building materials used in the
project. Each material is simulating a real material has a so-called intersection priority setting.
These priority settings will control how our junctions will appear later when two constructions
collide.
The higher priority a material has, the more important it will be in a junction. On the right you can
assign cut fills to the materials for 2D representation and surfaces for 3D. You can see a preview of
these settings in front of the building material name in the list as well.
Select an existing material - Brick - Finish - and click New... in the bottom and duplicate the
existing material.
In the upcoming dialog choose Duplicate and set a name - Brick - Finish (white) and click
OK.
Change the Cut Fill Foreground Pen color to 161 and surface to Brick - White Natural.
Click OK to close the dialog.
30

2 Open Options > Element Attributes > Composites....
Select the composite, which fits the best to the needed skin structure: 215 Block Insulated
Cavity Plastered.
Click Duplicate... and set a new descriptive name: Exterior Wall.
Select the Brick skin and change its building material to Brick - Finish (white), by pressing
the arrow button next to the skin name and selecting it.
Delete the Air Space skin by selecting it and clicking on the Remove Skin button.
Change Insulation - Plastic Hard to Insulation - Mineral Hard and thickness to 0,10.
Change the Concrete Block - Structural skin to Masonry Block - Structural and its thickness
to 0,25.
Change the thickness of the Plaster - Gypsum to 0,02.
31
Composite skins may represent different structural functions, like load-bearing, finishing or
others. You can set this up skin-by-skin in the Edit Skin and Line Structure panel.
Click OK.
Note: Composites can be also assigned to other structures, like slabs and shells. This
particular structure is typical for walls, but by clicking on the Use With icons you can
assign the composites to other building structures too. Later on, the composite
structure will appear in the settings dialog of the assigned element types only.
32

Now, lets define the walls settings.
1 Switch to Navigator - Project Map > 0. Ground Floor and deselect the mesh if still selected.
2 Activate the Wall tool and open its Settings dialog.
3 Set the Wall settings as follows:
Set the Wall Top linked to 2. Story and 1,00 as Top offset to Top Linked Story. This function
will make sure that the wall height will automatically follow story height changes. The wall will
model both the ground floor and the 1st floor walls.
Set the Bottom offset to Home Story to -0,10, because it will start on top of the foundation
structure that we will model later.
With the Composite structure selected, choose the Exterior Wall composite.
Set the Reference Line to Core Inside.
In the Floor Plan and Section panel set Floor Plan Display as: All Relevant Stories, Projected
with Overhead, Entire Element. This way the whole wall will be visible (even parts above
floor plan cut plane) on all relevant stories.
33
Open the Tags and Categories panel. Set the tags as Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Wall:
34

We would like to add custom data and comply with standards when classifying our elements
and use standard compliant terminology. There are many properties, but only a few visible in
the Tags and Categories panel by default. The availability of these can be set by clicking
Manage IFC Properties....
Note: If we would like to know which properties are necessary to be filled out for a
specific standard, click Cancel and close the Wall Default Settings dialog by clicking
OK for now. Open File > File Special > IFC 2x3 > IFC Scheme Setup... to import a
scheme that will contain the necessary properties. Click Import... and browse for
the Concept Design BIM 2010.xml file. Click Open and Continue in the upcoming
dialog. The properties visible in the element settings are all that need to be filled
out for standard compliance.
Now we have to define the properties. Click Manage IFC Properties... in the Tags and Categories
panel.
Click Apply Predefined Rule....
35

Select OmniClass, Table 21 - Elements and type exterior wall in the search field and click the
Search button. Select Exterior Walls in the result list and click Apply.
36

The predefined values will appear in the Classification References and will contain several values
that are necessary for compliance. You can check these by clicking the button next to the value
field.
Click OK twice to close the dialogs.
37

4 Select the Rectangular geometry method in the Info Box and click the two marked points to
create the walls. For this action it is highly recommended to turn off the grid display by View >
Grid Display, because the grid line and the dashed lines we need cover each other. Later we
can turn the grid on again.
38

5 Press Fn+F4 on MAC or Ctrl+F5 on Windows to show all in 3D.
Note: When drawing the line of a wall, after the first click a heavy black line follows
the cursor like a rubber band. This line is the reference line of the wall and the width
of the wall is measured from this reference line. The reference line connects walls
smoothly and helps locating the walls with the cursor.
39
Creating a Floor Slab

First let's create a composite again, open Options > Element Attributes > Composites....
Select Concrete Floor Insulated with 10mm Tile and click Duplicate.
Add a name: Concrete Floor Insulated with 10mm Tile on Ground and click OK.
Change the thickness of the Concrete skin to 0,06, remove the bottom Plaster - Gypsum skin
and click OK to close the dialog.
40

Now we can create our slab, the walls define the size and shape of the slab.
1 Activate the Slab tool and open its settings.
2 Set its properties as follows:
Select Concrete Floor Insulated with 10mm Tile on Ground as composite structure cut fill.
Set Reference Plane to Top.
On the Model panel activate Top Override Surface with Wood - Pine Grained Horizontal.
Overriding surfaces is advantageous if we have the same structure with different appearance,
for example walls with different paints. In this case it is not necessary to recreate the
composite with different building materials, we can override the default surface.
Set the tags as Load-Bearing Element, Exterior and Slab. By default, slabs have FLOOR as
PredefinedType (Attribute), which is good for us now. Click OK.
41
3 Select the Rectangular geometry method in the Info Box.
42

4 Hold the Space bar and move the cursor towards the bottom on the exterior side of the walls.
This activates the Magic Wand feature that can recognize closed contours. Click when the
plane indicator turns into a darker gray close to the bottom of the wall and the slab will
immediately appear in the middle and at a correct elevation. Naturally, slabs can always be
placed on the floor plan view.
43

Creating Pavement
We model the sidewalk area on the Floor plan with the Slab tool as well. Lets assume that the
correct skin settings are not available in the current project, but we used the right composite in
another project before. In this case, we can import existing composites from other files. Lets see
an example.
Adding a composite from an existing project

1 Open Options > Element Attributes > Attribute Manager....
44

In this dialog, on the left side you can review all attribute-like properties in one place, like
layers, materials, composites, etc. The check mark next an attribute indicates if it is currently in
use in the project. On the right side, you can open the attribute set of another project, browse,
and add additional attributes to the current project. Open the Composites tab page of the
dialog.
2 Click the Open button and browse Existing Project.pln. Click Open: the composites
appear on the right side.
45

3 Select Exterior Pavement and uncheck All Associated Attributes checkbox - so only the
composite will be created, but fills and surfaces linked to it will not be duplicated - and click
<< Append. The composite appears in the list of the current project.
4 Click OK, then Create to confirm the changes.
Creating the pavement slab

1 Switch to Navigator - Project Map > 0. Ground Floor.
2 Activate the Slab tool and set the settings as follows:
Set 0. Ground Floor as Home Story and Offset to Home Story (as well Reference Plane
Elevation to Project Zero) to -0,05.
46
Choose the Exterior Pavement as cut composite fill.
Override the top and side materials and choose Pavement - Brick Moss and no override for
the bottom surface.
Set the tags to Non-Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Site Geometry.
Choose Site & Landscape - Terrain as layer.
47

3 Click OK.
4 Select the Polygonal geometry method.
5 Click the marked linework intersection points to define the exterior pavement.
6 Open the 3D window to see the result. Now we need a hole in the area of the building.
7 Select the pavement slab, and activate the Slab tool. Click on any edge to display the Pet
palette. This palette contains all editing commands available for the selected element. Select
the Subtract from Polygon command and the Rectangular geometry method in the Info
Box.
8 Click on the outer corners on the top of the exterior walls.
48

Note that even though you pick a point on the top of the wall, it is projected to the
level of the slab automatically. Once you click the second point, a hole is created in
the pavement slab.
Creating a Curved Wall

Now, we will create some more walls.
Using Favorites
Instead of setting all the parameters for the newly created elements all the time, you can also save
and re-use parameters by defining Favorites. Similar to attributes, later on you can export and
import the favorite settings between projects.
You can apply the favorite settings to existing elements, as well as using them as a basis for new
elements.
49

You can access the favorites using the Favorites palette.
1 Deselect all and choose Window > Palettes > Favorites.
2 By default you can see some predefined favorites available. If a tool is activated, the list will
show the relevant favorites only.
Lets assume that we want to use a Favorite we created in a former project. Next to the Name
header, click the arrow icon to display the available options. Click the Load Favorites... item.
Search and select the Existing Favorites.prf file.
3 Click Open. In the upcoming dialog click Merge to append the additional favorites to the
current project. Select the Wall tool: the Exterior Wall (Slanted) will appear in the Favorites
list. Close the Favorites palette.
50

Creating a curved wall
1 Open the 0. Ground Floor plan.
2 Open the Wall Settings dialog. Click on the Favorites button at the top.
Select Exterior Wall (Slanted) and click Apply. Note that the parameter settings changed in the
Settings dialog. This will be solid stone wall with one side slanted.
Set the Building Material to Stone - Structural and Show Projection to Entire Element on the
Floor Plan and Section panel. Click OK.
51

3 Select the Single geometry method and the reference line on the Outside Face in the Info
Box. First, we create a straight segment 2 meters from the existing wall, then we will modify it.
To find the precise locations, we will use guide lines.
4 Hover your cursor over the edge of the longer wall segment until an orange spot appears.
Click on the spot and drag the line by the dot towards the pavement. Type 2, the value will
appear in the Tracker. Press Enter. If not visible, the Tracker can be activated from the
Standard Toolbar by pressing the Show/Hide Tracker button.
52

5 Draw the wall between the intersection points of the guide line and the traced dashed lines
starting from the left side.
6 Select the slanted wall. Click on the right side endpoint.

7 Select the Stretch command in the Pet palette and move the endpoint downwards.
Hold down the Shift key while moving the cursor downwards and type d1 (release Shift when
typing the numbers), to define the endpoint a meter below its original position. Press Enter.
53

8 Now click on the reference line and select the Curve edge icon on the Pet palette. Move the
cursor upwards, and type 30 in the Tracker as radius. Hit Enter.
Adding More External Walls

1 To pick up the parameters of elements and set them as default, activate the eyedropper
button in the Standard Toolbar. The cursor will change to an eyedropper (you can also use the
shortcut Alt + click to activate this option). Now pick up the settings of the closed external
wall.
2 Move the eyedropper above the external wall, so that it will be highlighted and the Tracker
will provide you with some brief details about the wall. Click on the wall. Note that the Wall
tool will be activated in the Toolbox and the Info Box will also refer to the wall.
Note: In the case of multiple elements placed above each other, you can always
switch between them with the Tab key. Make sure that you found the external wall
with the eyedropper cursor.
54

3 Open the wall settings and set:
Wall Top to 1. Story (Home + 1)
Top offset to Top Linked Story to 0,00.
Click OK.
4 Draw the front and the back walls of the entrance enclosure with the help of guide lines
created 1,8 meters from the outside edge of the wall. Use Core Inside reference line and draw
the wall downwards on the left side and upwards on the right side. Make sure the new walls
connect the existing reference lines.
Note: You can also create these walls at a specific distance from the corner without
the guide lines. Move the cursor over the corner until it changes to a checkmark,
then type x 1,8+. The tracker will appear and the cursor will jump on the X axis by
1,8 meters. Hit enter to place the first endpoint of the wall. Type x 1,8- for the other
wall.
55

Adjusting Skin Priorities
You can see that some skins of the multi-layer wall intersect the stone wall and some layers of the
external wall do not intersect correctly. This is because the skin priorities are not set correctly. The
bigger the priority number, the stronger the wall or wall skin will be when it comes to intersection
with other walls. You can set the priority between 0 and 999.
You can set skin priorities by building materials.
1 Select the brick wall and open Options > Element Attributes > Building Materials. The
materials the composite uses will be highlighted in the list.
Select the Masonry block - Structural skin, and check its priority. It is 730, which means that
the stone wall must have an equal or higher priority number to avoid unneeded intersections.
Set the priority of the Stone - Structural material up to at least 730.
Click OK.
Now the walls appear correctly.
56
Creating New Stories

Our training project will have three stories: the existing Ground Floor on which weve already
worked, a Gallery and a Foundation that we will create now and the Roof.
1 Open Design > Story Settings... dialog box.
By default ArchiCAD creates the project with 3 stories. Select the third story (No. 2.) and name
it Roof.
Lets rename the 1st to Gallery and enter 3,00 m as the Elevation Height and leave Height to
Next to 3,20.
With the Ground Floor item selected, click the Insert Below button to insert a new story
below the existing Ground Floor, type Foundation and enter -1,00 as Elevation.
Click OK.
Note: You can also access the Story Settings dialog box by right-clicking any of the
stories in the Navigator - Project Map and selecting Story Settings from the context
menu.
57
Creating a Single Roof

Lets add now a semi-pitched roof to the building with wide overhangs supported by columns to
create a veranda.
1 Open the 1. Gallery story.
2 Activate the Roof tool and adjust its settings as follows:
Pivot Height (Pivot Line Offset to Home Story): 1,00 m
Composite fill: Roof Aluminium
Select the Single-plane geometry method and set an angle of 18 degrees
Edge angle: Perpendicular
Floor Plan and Section: All Relevant Stories, Projected with Overhead and Entire Element
Top surface: Roof - Corrugated Sheet Matte, side and bottom: Wood - Pine Grained
Horizontal
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Roof
Layer: Shell - Roof
58
59

3 Click OK.
4 First construct a pitched roof by defining its pivot line by clicking on the internal corners of
the masonry skin on the lower x directional exterior wall.
5 Define the direction of the slope by clicking above the previously defined pivot line with the
eye-shaped cursor.
60

6 Draw the perimeter of the roof (which is its projection to the horizontal plane) using the
external corners of the exterior wall.
61

7 Click a corner hotspot of the selected roof and offset all edges, so that the corners hit the
intersection point of the traced dashed lines.
62
Trimming to a Roof
Activate the 3D window view on the Navigator. You can see that the tops of the walls are not
aligned to the roof. Now we will trim them to the right height.
63

1 Select the walls by Shift + clicking on one of them. The walls are grouped, so if you have
Suspend Groups off, which is a default setting (from the Standard Toolbar), one selection will
select all four exterior walls.
2 Right-click and select Connect > Trim Elements to Roof/Shell.
3 Click anywhere on the roof. The empty roof icon turns black if the program finds a selectable
element.
64

4 Click the side of the walls you want to keep.
The walls are now associatively trimmed to the roof. If you change the roof geometry or sloping
angle, the walls will be updated automatically.
65

Note: Later on you can review and manage the connections between the elements
very easily. If you select an element which has connections, an icon appears on its
surface. Click on the icon to get a list of current connections. You can highlight the
intended elements as well as delete the connections together or one by one.
Creating a Veranda
We would like to create a veranda at the back part of our building. To do so, we will have to offset
the roof and the bottom slab as well.
We could perform these actions one-by-one, but instead we will exploit a smart ArchiCAD
feature, the Multi-Element Editing.
66

Simply select the roof and the external slab and click on an edge of the slab. Use the Offset Edge
action on the Pet palette and simply modify both elements at the same step. Offset the edges,
type 2,5 in the Tracker and hit Enter.
Note: Multi-Element Editing works with all polygon-based elements except Morph
and Shell. This way you can easily cut holes through multiple slabs, roofs or even
meshes, move adjacent edges of elements, resize windows, etc. in a single step. The
elements can be of different types during editing.
67
Creating Timber Structures

Placing Columns
Next we place four columns to create a veranda on the south side of the building. The first and
the last column will align with the axis of the two walls and they will be equally distributed and
parallel to the front wall.
1 Switch to the 0. Ground Floor in the Navigator - Project Map.
2 Activate the Column tool.
3 Open the settings dialog and set parameters as follows:
Column Top: Not linked
Column Height: 3,15
Bottom Elevation to Project Zero: -0,05
Structure: Rectangular
Size 0,20x0,20
Building Material: Timber - Structural
Anchor Point of Core: Middle
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Column
Layer: Structural - Bearing
68

Click OK.
69

4 Place the column on the intersection point of the dashed lines.
5 Select the column and multiply it by activating the Multiply command from the context
menu: right-click and choose the Move > Multiply... command. Alternatively you can use the
Edit > Move > Multiply... menu command.
70

6 Choose Drag as the multiply action, and enter 3 for the number of copies. Now select the
Distribute multiply method.
Click OK.
71

7 Click the center point of the column, and with the Shift key pressed move the cursor to the
intersection point on the opposite side. Click to place the 3 new columns.
8 Hit Esc to deselect the columns. Check the result in 3D.
72

Creating Rafters
Now lets continue with the rafters.
1 Switch back to the 0. Ground Floor.
2 Activate the Section tool in the Toolbox and draw a section line vertically, approximately in
the middle of the building. Click with the eye cursor to the left of the section line. The section
automatically appears in the Section list of the Navigator.
73

3 Double click on the section in the Navigator to open it. There is a problem now: the walls
intersect with the roof. To solve this we have to change the priority of a roof skin. Select the
roof and open Options > Element attributes > Building Materials... and set the priority of
Air Space - Frame to 735 to make it higher than the building materials of the wall. This
building material is the bottom layer of the roof composite.
4 We will take advantage of the automatic surface recognition when placing the first rafter.
Switch to the 3D window and select the roof and open its settings. Turn off surface override
for the edge surfaces. Click OK. The skins of the roof are now visible.
5 Activate the Beam tool. Set its settings as follows:
Beam Height/Width: 0,20
Reference Axis Offset: 0,10
Inclined method, 18 degrees
Building Material: Timber - Structural
Floor Plan Display: Home Story Only, Projected with Overhead and Entire Element
Uncheck Show Reference Axis
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Beam
We have not set the elevation of the beam since we will leave automatic surface recognition do
the job instead.
74
Click OK.
75

6 Select the Single geometry method in the Info Box, and place the beam along the top plane
of the Air Space - Frame skin by clicking the bottom and top corners.
76
77
7 Turn on surface override again for the roof when done.

8 Open the Gallery plan. Select the already drawn rafter, right-click on it and select
Move > Multiply.
9 In the Multiply dialog, enter 12 for Number of copies, choose the Distribute method and
click OK.
10 Click the top-left corner of the rafter. Then hold down the Shift key to constrain mouse
movement horizontally and click the top-left corner of the roof.
78

11 Click anywhere on the empty screen or press Esc to remove selection of newly created elements.
12 Open the 3D window to see the result. Use the Orbit and Explore commands to navigate and
check the section as well.
79

Creating Collar Beams
We also need some horizontal beams.
1 Switch to the Gallery plan and activate the Beam tool.
2 The collar beams have similar parameters like the rafter, the only main difference is that these
are horizontal. Lets pick up the properties of the existing beams with the Pipette .
3 Now open the settings dialog and change the parameters as follows:
Horizontal
Reference Axis Offset: 0
Leave Height to Project Zero as for the rafters
Click OK.
4 Draw the beam on the floor plan from one side of the roof to the other on the dashed line this is also the axis of the columns below.
80

5 Open the section to check the result.
The position of the beam and the rafters is OK now, so lets simply drag a copy of this beam in
the section by using the context menu Move > Drag a Copy command. Drag the beam by its
upper right corner and move it to the position as marked below.
81

6 Drag another copy for the last beam as well. For precise placement create a Guide Line by
hovering the cursor over the bottom edge of the rafters and click the orange dot. Move the
copy of the beam to the following position.
82

7 Switch back to 3D and check the result. The columns are still too high compared to the collar
beam, so lets select them all and shorten them at the same time by using the Stretch height
command of the Pet palette. Set the height to the bottom corner of the beam.
Note: If you turn off the display of Beams in the View > Elements in 3D view > Filter
and Cut Elements in 3D dialog, you will see that the beams and walls are connected
automatically and there are holes in the place of beams as the Timber - Structural
building material has higher priority than the wall materials. These connections will
be considered when creating bill of materials as well.
83
Adding Terrace Slab

Navigate to the terrace side of the building. There is a missing slab.
1 Open the 1. Gallery level in the Navigator - Project Map and activate the Slab tool. Set the
settings as follows:
Offset to Home Story: 0,00
Home Story: 1. Gallery
Composite: Flat Roof
Reference Plane: Top
Surfaces: Tiles - White Matte 1515, Brick - White Natural, Paint - Glossy White
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Slab
84
Click OK.
85

2 Select the Polygonal geometry method at the Info Box.
3 Activate 3D Cutaway on the Standard Toolbar.
Open the section and drag a horizontal 3D cutting plane from top and position it on the toplevel of the short walls (+3,00).
86

4 Change to 3D Window again and start to draw the terrace slab by clicking the exterior
corners of the short wall segments. Click only the four corners of the slab, we will add the
curve later. Make sure that the straight, longer side goes along the internal side of the core
skin of the exterior wall (the reference line).
87

5 After clicking the fourth corner, select the slab and click the edge that needs to be curved.The
pet palette appears, choose the Curve Edge button and click on the inner side of the curved
stone wall.
88

6 Further offset the curved edge of the slab towards to the Stone wall by 0,15.
7 Switch off the 3D Cutting Plane by toggling on the Toolbar.

The result is almost OK, but the texture on the slab is rotated, lets make it aligned with the
wall.
89

8 Select the slab and open Design > Align 3D Texture > Reset.
Note that there are further options to position the texture in 3D.
90

9 As a last step, select the slab, right-click and choose Edit Selected Composite.... In the
Composite Structures dialog change the thickness of the Insulation - Fiber Hard to 0,20. Click
OK to close the dialog.
91

In This Chapter
You created the basic envelope of the building using:
External DWG data for the terrain.
Exterior walls with different construction methods.
Slab with Magic Wand.
Roof with associative connection to the exterior walls.
Wood structures with the use of guide lines to get special intersection points.
Slab tool for pavement and floor slabs.
92
Chapter 2 - Openings, Stairs and Foundations
Chapter 2 - Openings, Stairs and

Foundations
Its now time to further develop the design by adding openings to the building. Lets first add an
external door to the project.
ArchiCADs door, window and skylight objects are intelligent library parts; with a tremendous
range of configuration and setting options due to their parametric behavior. This accelerates your
work, makes the management of the project easier and allows you to design instead of drafting.
This means in practice for example that you do not need to delete and look for another window
object if you want to change its size, sill height, adjust its frame, sash, oversize, board or casing
properties. You can even specify shutter options using various shutters and glazing types, and
choose from a variety of handles. All these are available and valid for the very same window
object.
Doors
Adding an Entrance Door
1 In the 3D view navigate to see the entrance area of the building.
2 Activate the Door tool, and open its Settings dialog by double-clicking on its icon on the
Toolbox or Info box.
Doors are GDL objects and have parameters to control their appearance and behavior in the
project. Open the Hinged Door Settings panel and use the arrow buttons to display the
settings in thematically grouped format. These settings affect the 3D and 2D properties of the
door.
93

3 Type asymmetric in the search field at the top left of the dialog, to find all available
asymmetric doors.
4 Select the Double Door Asymmetric 18 door object in the result list.
5 Set parameters as follows:
Width: 1,50
Height: 2,40
Anchor: Sill to Story 0 to 0,00 (Select Relink Anchor Story from the roll down list and select
0. Ground Floor)
Anchor Point: Center
94
Reveal to Wall Core: -0,10 (the thickness of the insulation). To change from Wall Face press the
little arrow button on the right.
On the Hinged Door Settings > General Settings page uncheck Casing Out and Casing In
and choose Normal threshold.
95
Set a value of 1,00 on the Shape page of the Hinged Door Settings panel.
96
On the Door Leaf Type and Handle page select a leaf (Style 20).
97
Select No mullions on the Side Panel page.
Tags and Categories: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Door.
Click OK.
6 With Special Snap Points > Half option selected, move the cursor over the wall segment.
98

7
Click the appearing snap point at the bottom to place the door. The outline of the door
appears in the wall. Now move the cursor to pick the external side and the right side
(indicated with a dashed line).
99

The final door in the wall:
You can also check the result on the floor plan. Select the door and click Flip on the Info Box, so
that the door will open inwards.
100
Adding Sliding Doors

We need some additional doors facing the veranda.
1 Switch to the 0. Ground floor.
2 Open the Door settings and type sliding in the search field to find the sliding doors in the
library.
3 Select the Sliding Door 18 and set its settings:
Size: 3,00/2,40
Anchor: Side 2
Sill to Story 0: 0,00
Reveal to Wall Core: -0,10
No casing in the Sliding Door Settings > General Settings
101
Click OK.
102

4 Place doors on the left and right vertical walls starting right in the corner and one in the
horizontal wall.
Place the sliding door into the vertical wall by clicking on the intersection point of the traced
dashed line and the external surface of the wall. This defines the external side, now click on
the upper left side of the door to define the opening direction.
103

Before placing the door into the horizontal wall, change the anchor to Side 1. Define the
external side by clicking the intersection point of the dashed line and the wall face and click to
the lower right side to define the opening direction.
104

Use this anchor to place the other vertical door, click the upper right corner for the correct
opening direction.
Multiplying Doors
1 Select the sliding door in the horizontal wall segment.
2 Click on its upper right corner to bring up the Pet palette.
3 Click the Multiply icon to bring up the dialog.
105

4 Set 2 as number of copies and Distribute as method. Click OK.
5 Click the same corner point of the door, then click the intersection of the traced dashed line
and the wall face to distribute the sliding doors evenly.
6 Hit Esc to remove selection.
106

Note: You can change the 3D opening angle independently to the 2D
representation. This way you can use the same element for visualization purposes.
Select a sliding door and grab the opening hotspot to define an opening width.
Check that there are no changes on floor plan.
107
Adding Internal Doors

To place internal doors, first we have to model some internal structures like the floor slab and
partition walls.
Now we have too many structures visible, which results in overlapping on the Gallery level.
Creating a New Layer

1 Change to the 1. Gallery floor plan.
2 The roof and rafters hide a big part out of the walls. Lets open Document > Floor Plan Cut
Plane and modify Cut Plane height to Current Story to 0,80 from 1,10.
108
3 The terrace slab is visible above the stone wall. Select the wall, right-click and choose Display
Order > Bring Forward.
Creating the Floor Slab

1 Activate the Slab tool and set the followings:
Offset to Home Story: 0,00
Home Story: 1. Gallery
Composite: Concrete Floor with Parquet
Reference Plane: Top
Surfaces: Floorboards - 03, Paint - Glossy White, Paint - Glossy White
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Interior, Slab
Click OK.
109

2 We will place a slab which covers half of the space. Use the Rectangular geometry method
and click the following points:
the external top left corner of the core skin in the exterior wall
the external halving point of the core on the right vertical wall
When finished select the new slab, right-click and select Display Order > Send to Back to
hide the edges of the slab behind the wall structure.
3 Check the section to see the results.
4 Change the priority value of Insulation - Fiber Hard (insulation of the flat roof ) to 645 from
420 so it would go below the brick skin.
110

Creating Partition Walls
We need some partition walls.
1 Open the 0. Ground floor.
2 Activate the Wall tool and set the settings as follows:
Wall Top linked to 1. Gallery (Home + 1)
Top offset to Top Linked Story: -0,46 - so the wall will end below the story level by the
thickness of the slab.
Bottom Elevation (to Project Zero): -0,05
Reference Line Offset: 0,00
Home Story: 0. Ground Floor
Composite fill: Stud Partition
Floor Plan and Section: All Relevant Stories, Projected with Overhead, Entire Element
Override Outside and Inside Face Surfaces: Paint - Glossy White
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing, Interior, Wall, IFC property: Interior Partitions (Manage IFC
Properties > Apply Predefined Rules > OmniClass > search Interior Partitions)
Layer: Interior - Partition
Click OK.
111

3 Select the Single geometry method and Core Center reference line method and draw a Ydirectional segment from the mid point of the stone wall. The wall will intersect with the stone
wall as well, which is not correct so open the Composite Structures dialog again and replace
the Air Space - Frame skin to Air Space.
112

4 Select the wall, right-click and choose Move > Drag a Copy and move the wall 1,2 meters to
the right. When finished, adjust the endpoint of the wall so that it touches the curved wall.
Creating Internal doors

First, we add a sliding door.
1 To have the right wall thickness for the door settings dialog, pick up the parameters of the
load bearing wall with the Pick up tool (pipette).
2 Activate the Door tool and type pocket in the search field. Select Pocket Door 18. Set the
door settings as follows:
Anchor Sill to Story 0 to 0,00.
Anchor: Side 2
General Settings tab page:
Pocket frame - on
Frame and Leaf tab page:
Centered Leaf off
Leaf Offset: 0,13
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Interior, Door, IFC Interior Doors (Manage IFC
Properties > Apply Predefined Rules > OmniClass >Interior Doors)
Click OK.
113

3 Place the first door to the lower left corner of the entrance room. There are two walls meeting
at that point: click into the corner.
4 Click the upper-right arrow for opening direction so that the leaf will open in the right
direction and the pocket will be placed between the two walls (in the insulation skin).
5 You can see that the door is not in a convenient position to enter the interior space. Select it,
press Ctrl/Cmd +D and drag it to the right. Type d0,6 into the Tracker to move the door by
60cms. Deselect the door.
Now, lets add some more doors to the future WC area.
1 Activate the Door tool and set the door as follows:
Type: Door 18 (Hinged Doors 18 folder)
Size: 0,75/2,10
Anchor: Sill to Story 0 to 0,00
Reveal to Wall Core: 0,00
Anchor: Side 1
114

Hinged Door Settings panel > Door Leaf Type and Handle tab:
Door Leaf Type: Style 56
Click OK.
2 Place doors so you can enter all rooms:
115
Adding a Gallery Door

We place a door into the external wall of the gallery, which is identical to the one at the entrance.
1 Open the 1. Gallery floor plan and choose the Ground Floor to be shown traced. Activate
Transparent Fills and Zones from the Trace settings.
2 We want to have exactly the same door as the entrance door. To have all settings and
parameters, we use the pipette (Pick Up tool) again from the Standard toolbar.
3 Activate the Pick Up tool and move the cursor over the door on the trace reference until the
info tag appears with basic information about the door. Click once. Notice that the Door tool is
activated at the same time.
Note: If you have overlapping elements on the floor plan, you can hit the Tab key to
switch between the elements.
4 Set the door anchor to Side 1.
116

5 Place a door at the intersection point of the short vertical wall segment on the right and the
horizontal wall. Click to the bottom right quarter to define the opening direction. Use a guide
line if necessary.
Note: The outer wall side you pick when you place a door or window sets the
direction of sill and board. If you want to change the opening direction use the Flip
command, which has no effect on the wall side settings.
117
Windows
Now well insert new windows in the building.
Adding Windows on the Ground Floor

1 Open the 0. Ground Floor.
2 Activate Window tool and open its settings. Choose Window 18 from the Basic Windows 18
folder.
Similar to doors, windows have endless variations of appearance thanks to the wide list of
parameters. Use the tabs of the Basic Window Settings panel to check the available parameters
in logical groups.
118

Note that not only Custom Settings are available by default, but by clicking the corresponding
button you can display all available parameters.
3 Set the settings as follows:
Size: 0,60/0,60, Sill to Story 0: 1,80
Anchor Point: Center
Reveal to Wall Core: 0,15
Board on, Sill on
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Window, IFC: Exterior Windows

Click OK.
4 We insert the first window with automatic snap points in the middle of the slanted wall in the
entrance room.
Click the Special Snap Points options arrow and select Half and Between Intersection
Points options. This way the program shows the snap points between point of intersections
instead of the entire element.
119

5 Place three windows randomly in the Stone wall, one for each room. We will organize the
windows in the second step. Click the lower right arrows when defining the opening direction
and choose external sides with the Sun cursor. When done, select the windows one-by-one
and arrange them with the help of the special snap points. Select the middle hotspots on the
external sides and move the windows until the snap points appear on the internal side of the
wall.
Adding Windows on the Gallery

Now we add some windows on the gallery as well.
Rectangular Windows
1 Open the 1. Gallery floor plan.
2 Activate the Window tool and change the current settings:
Set the Anchor Point to Center.
120

3 The new window goes right above the pocket door from the ground floor. Use the trace to
place the window above the pocket door.
4 Turn Trace and Reference off using the icon in the Standard Toolbar.
5 Select the window and click on any hotspots to display the Pet palette.
6 Select Multiply. Set 3 as the number of copies and the Distribute-1 method. Click OK.
7 Click on the top-left hotspot of the window as reference and click the top-left corner of the
door as endpoint.
121

8 Place two more windows at the midpoint of the gallery slab on both sides (use a guideline).
Modifying Windows
Changing Type
Although window types are represented as objects, you can change the type of an already placed
window any time.
1 Select the two windows placed on the side walls.
2 Open the settings dialog and select the Round Window 18 in the Special Windows 18 folder.
Change some parameters:
Click OK.
3 The two windows change their type and size.
122

4 Go to the 3D window to check the result.
Modifying Size in the 3D View

As you develop the building model, sometimes certain views are more helpful than others, as
when changing the height or position of a window.
123

Resizing a Window
First, we resize a window in the 3D view.
1 Select the right window in the curved wall in the 3D view. This is going to be the window of
the entrance, so we have to make it bigger.
2 Click on the lower left or right corner to display the Pet palette and activate the Stretch
vertically command.
3 Drag the cursor downwards.
4 Turn the Tracker on if needed and type 1,5.
5 Hit Enter.
124
Adding Skylights
Skylights are an integrated part of the BIM model. They are capable of recognizing the roof
underneath and using important information from it, such as thickness or sloping angle.
2 Use the Measure tool to check the distance between same points of two rafters. This will be
the width of the Skylight.
3 Activate the Skylight tool and open its Settings dialog by double-clicking on its icon in the
Toolbox or Info box. At the bottom left of the dialog you can see various skylight types
available out of the box.
4 Choose Skylight Flat Panel 18 and set the settings as follows:
Width: 1,97 (as measured), Height: 3,00
Vertical Anchor: Story 1
Set the anchor point to the top right corner in the preview picture
125

No. of Horizontal Frames: 2
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Window
IFC: Roof Windows and Skylights
Click OK.
5 Click the intersection point of the gallery slab and the rafter midpoint to place three skylights
to the roof. Please note that the skylights will automatically be placed into the roof.
126

Go to the 3D window to check the result:
Creating a Stair
Using Library Stairs
Let's place a stair into the interior. As for other generic elements and objects, various parametric
library types of stairs exist.
Activate the Stair tool and open its settings to see them.
On the left side, predefined GDL library stairs appear. These are highly customizable prototypes
and can be set by modifying the default parameters. Instead of choosing a default type, let's build
completely new, custom stairs.
127
Creating a Stair with StairMaker

1 Click on the Create Stair button above the preview area to open StairMaker.
2 Select Single Winder at Lower End type and click OK.
3 Set the stair settings tab by tab:
128

Geometry and Flight Settings
Set the values in the order as shown in the picture below and dont forget to lock the Total
height, Upper part length and Number of risers of the lower side values:
Click the Check Stair button to check the geometry.
129

Structure and Landing Settings
130

Tread Settings
131

Railing Settings
132

4 Click OK and save the Stair 1 to the embedded library. Click Save. The new stair is now saved
in the embedded library. Later on you can use Stair Maker to edit this stair and save it by
overwriting or with another name.
6 Open the Stair Settings dialog again. Choose Stair 1 from the Embedded Library.
Choose the top left anchor point in the preview picture.
Set the Home Story to 0. Ground Floor.
Floor Plan and Section:
Show on Stories: Home & One Story Up - this will ensure that the stair will automatically
appear on the Gallery level too.
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Interior, Stair, IFC Stairs
Layer: Structural - Combined
133
Click OK.
134

7 Place the stair 0,15 meters to the right from the door adjacent with the core skin of the wall,
so that plastering and the edge of the stairs overlap.
Now we will cut a hole in the gallery slab. Open the 1. Gallery floor plan and select the slab.
8 Click on any edge of the slab to display the Pet palette and select Subtract from Polygon.
135

9 Select the Polygonal geometry method and click on the corners of the stairs. Make sure you
cut the slab not only around the stairs, but below the plaster skin of the exterior wall as well:
10 Go to the 3D Perspective to check the result.
We will finalize the surfaces later.
136
Foundation Structures
This building has some simple underground structures only. We will use the already created
exterior walls as trace references to place the necessary foundations.
Creating Foundations
1 Open the -1. Foundation floor plan view. The existing walls can be seen with dashed outlines
according to their Floor Plan and Section settings. Turn on Trace & Reference on the Toolbar
to see the skins of wall composites, especially the load-bearing core structure.
Wall Top: 0. Ground Floor (Home + 1)
Top offset to Top Linked Story: -0,10
Bottom offset to Current Story: 0,0 (so that wall height is 0,90)
Home Story: -1. Foundation
Structure: Basic
Building Material: Reinforced Concrete - Structural
Thickness: 0,60
Reference Line: Inside Face
Reference Line Offset: 0,05
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Wall
Click OK.
137
3 Draw the wall segments, so the reference line of the foundation meets the reference line of
the walls above. You can turn on the View > On-Screen View Options > Walls & Beams
Reference Lines option to better see the reference line of the placed walls and use Chained
geometry method for faster placement. Follow the reference line direction of the existing
walls when placing the foundations.
138

4 Space + click the curved stone wall to place the foundations.
5 The thickness of the foundation under the stone wall is not wide enough. Select that segment
and change its thickness to 0,80.
6 When finished stretch this foundation in both directions using Angular stretch. Raise the
Chord value with 0,10 m in both directions.
7 Zoom in to check the foundation intersections.
139
Creating Pad Foundations under the Columns

We also need foundations under the wooden columns.
1 Activate the Column tool and use the following settings:
Column Top: 0. Ground Floor (Home + 1)
Size: 0,50/0,50
Top offset to Top Linked Story: -0,17
Bottom Offset to Home Story: 0,00
Building Material: Reinforced Concrete - Structural
Tags: Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Column
Click OK.
140
2 Click the midpoints of the wooden columns to place the foundations.
141

3 Turn off Walls & Beams Reference Lines and Trace & Reference (disable Transparent Fills
& Zones as well) when done.
142

In This Chapter
You set and placed entrance doors, internal doors, windows, and skylights into the building
model with different snap options. Then, you modified the openings in 3D view.
You also added a stair, and discovered the wide range of options for both GDL and StairMaker
stairs.
Finally, you created the foundations to complete the load bearing structure of the building.
143
Chapter 3 - Creating Zones

In this chapter you will place zones in the rooms and create dimensioned model views, which can
be part of the documentation.
ArchiCAD incorporates a wide range of design documentation tools and techniques. Some of
these tools will be briefly presented in this chapter.
ArchiCADs Zone tool helps to identify 3D spaces and stores multiple attributes and
properties associated with them. Rooms and groups of spaces (for instance, departments or
areas with similar functions) can be easily identified with the help of colored fills Zone
identifiers - or space stamps - can be assigned to them with a single click.
ArchiCADs automatic and associative dimensions refer to project-specific locations. This

means that you are free to develop and edit all the elements in your design project - the
previously created associative dimension chain will always be automatically updated without spending any extra time on dimensioning.
ArchiCADs detail drawing views are extremely helpful at the project documentation stage,
since they allow you to reuse and further enhance your existing 2D details. These can be
stored in various file formats, such as DWG, DXF or DGN, or you can create new details based
on the model geometry.
Zones
Zones represent rooms in the building. They are defined by categories in the Attributes section of
ArchiCAD.
ArchiCADs zones are real 3D spaces. You can use them to create conceptual space studies as well
as to create detailed space lists and area calculations (see below). You can trim the 3D zone
spaces to slabs, roofs or beams to create more accurate volume calculations. You can fine-tune
the zone-related calculations and element subtractions to meet local standards below Options >
Project Preferences > Zones. We will use the defaults now. Zones can gather information from
the surrounding building elements, like door and window holes or roof trims.
144
Zone Properties
Zones can identify existing geometry as boundaries - walls, lines, polylines, columns, etc. Later on
you can update zones so they follow the changes of the boundary geometry.
Based on how you want to use zones, the automatic boundaries can detect either the reference
lines or the contour lines of the walls.
Later on, you can edit the edges of the zone with polyline editing methods or edit the zone body
with Solid Element Operations.
If there are no defined boundary lines or if you use zones before modeling the building itself, like
in an early design phase, you can set the boundary lines manually with polyline editing methods.
Adding Automatic Zones

1 Open the 0. Ground floor in the Navigator.
2 Activate the Zone tool and open its Settings dialog.
Set the parameters as follows:
Zone Category: Education & Culture
Zone Name: Exhibition space
Zone Top: 1. Gallery (Home + 1)
Top offset to Top Linked Story: -0,24 (thickness of the slab)
Bottom Elevation to Project Zero: 0,00
Geometry method: Inner edge
145
Zone Stamp panel
Scale Sensitive: Off
Representation section:
Show Floor Finish: On
Show Measured Area: On
Show Ceiling Height: On
Frame Style: None
Finishes section:
Floor Finish: Parquet
Layer: Model Unit - Zone

3 Click OK to close the dialog.
146

4 The zone is set to automatic boundary detection using the inner edge geometry method.
This means that the zone boundaries will be found automatically along the inner edges of the
elements. Click inside the large room area to detect the boundary. The cursor changes to a
hammer.
5 Click again to place the zone stamp.
Note: The point you click is marked with a small blue + sign. This represents the
point around which the zone boundary detection recognizes the zone area. This
means that if you draw a new boundary element between the stamp and the + sign,
the zone will be updated based on the + sign.
147

6 Repeat to create the additional smaller zones:
Entrance: Communication & Access category, Top offset to Top Linked Story: -0,46
(thickness of flat roof slab), Floor Finish: Tiles.
WC and Washroom: Technical Equipment.
Note: You can change the boundary of the automatic zones with polyline editing
methods, but they keep the automatic behavior. This means that if you run the
Design > Update Zones command, these automatic zones will re-calculate their
area based on the boundary geometry around their + signs.
Adding a Manual Zone

Now we go to the Gallery level to add one more zone.
1 Open the 1. Gallery floor plan in the Navigator.
2 Set Education & Culture category and type Gallery as name. Set Top offset to Top Linked
Story to 0 and Parquet as Floor Finish.
3 Place the zone as before by clicking into the gallery area. We can see that the zone extends
beyond the gallery slab and fills the hole of the stairs as well.
148

4 Fix the zone by selecting it and clicking on the bottom edge. Use the Offset edge command
from the Pet palette and move the edge to the slab edge.
149

5 Now with the zone still selected use the Subtract from Polygon command from the Pet
palette and Space + click on the edge of the stairs to remove that area from the zone.
Refining Zones in 3D
Now we will further modify the zone geometry based on the surrounding building structures.
1 Open the 3D Perspective view in the Navigator. By default zones are turned off.
Lets create a view where all building components appear as wireframe, while zones appear as
solid elements.
2 To create such a view we will use layers. Open the Layer settings dialog (Ctrl/Cmd+L). Now set
all visible layers to wireframe, except the Zones layer. To do that, select all layers by pressing
the corresponding button and click the third figure from the left for any of the layers: all layers
will be set to wireframe except the very first ArchiCAD Layer. Deselect all layers and click on
the figure again for the Model Unit - Zone. Click OK. The 3D view changes automatically, but
without the zones for now.
150
3 Now, lets show the zones. Go to View > Elements in 3D View > Filter and Cut Elements in
3D....
151

4 Mark the Zone checkbox and click OK. Zones appear with their default material - Glass.
5 Use the Orbit command to turn the Gallery zone and the roof to a comfortable position for
selection.
6 Select the Gallery zone, right-click and select Connect > Trim Elements to Roof/Shell.
152

7 Pick the roof and then the zone side you want to keep.
8 Change the layer and element visibility settings back to original (uncheck the Zone box in
Filter Elements in 3D and set the layers back to Solid in the Layer Settings dialog).
Changing Zone Appearance on Floor Plan

Based on the standards and your own taste you can widely customize the appearance of zones in
floor plan views.
Adding Zone Fill

You can set the fill origin and scale to display a more realistic pattern.
2 Select the three small zones and open the settings dialog.
3 Open the Floor plan panel and activate the fill by clicking on the Add/Remove Cover Fill
button. Select Grid 30x30 in the list.
153

4 For better visibility change all Zone Name Font Size to 2mm and Data Font Size to 1,5mm in
the Representation section of the Zone Stamp panel.
Click OK.
154

5 Repeat the fill modifications with the Exhibition space and set Plank Floor.
155

Color Coding
You can color-code the appearance in two ways, by Zone category or by Fill Background Color.
By Fill Background
Select any zone and change the background color on the Info Box:
Try different colors for the different zones.

Note: If you can not see any background colors, check the Trace Reference settings. If
the Transparent Fills and Zones option is selected and the Trace Reference is active, the
background colors are off.
By Zone Category
The other color-coding is to use Zone Category Colors. The advantage of this method is that if
you change category color, all zones of the same category will change their colors automatically.
1 Go to Document > Set Model View > Model View Options....
Here you find stored override options for saved views. This ensures that you do not have to remodel the building because of the drawing standards and requirements.
2 Open the Override Fill Display panel to show the fill display options.
156

3 Check Override Zone Fills.
This way the appearance will be dependent on the original zone parameters.
Before going back to the floor plan, lets change the detail level of the openings as well. Open the
Detail Level of Door, Window and Skylight Symbols (ArchiCAD Library 18) panel. Here we
can control the appearance of all openings together. Change to Middle 2 for both doors and
windows.
This way all views that will use the Model View Option Combination we are about to save now will
have the same level of detail.
157

4 Click the Store as button to save the current settings with a unique name. Enter 05
Building Plans - Zone fills as name. Click Store.
5 Click OK. The zones will appear by their category colors and the custom fills you set. Openings
will be much better represented as well.
158

6 Select all zones and turn Cover fill off in the Zone Settings Dialog Floor Plan panel. The
zones will appear with their category color only, custom fills are turned off.
159

Using Image Fills
You can change the zone fill to represent the flooring material. This way the resulting floor plan
can have a visual appearance. Select the Exhibition Space, click the Cover Fill: Add/Remove
button and change its cover fill to Wood Parquet in the Info Box.
Creating Image Fills

There is no predefined tiling image fill in the file, so we will create our own for the small zones.
1 Open Options > Elements Attributes > Fill Types... and select Wood Parquet from the list.
2 Click the New... button and set Ceramic Tiling as name. Set Image fill as type. Click OK.
160

3 Click the Load Image button and find the White Tiles 01 GS.jpg image in the ArchiCAD
Library 18 > Surface Catalog 18.lcf > Surface Catalog 18 > [TImg] Textures 18 > Flooring
18 > Tiles 18 folder. Click OK.
161

4 Set the Image Size to 0,60 (assuming that one tile is 0,3x0,3 m). Check both Drafting and
Cover fills in the Availability and Screen-only Pattern panel. Change the screen-only pattern
to a square by erasing the unnecessary pixels in the preview using left clicks. Click OK.
5 Change the cover fill of the small zones to the newly created texture fill.
162
Image fills provide an easy and quick way to make the representation more alive.
6 Go to the Gallery level and set the same image fill as for the Exhibition space and change the
font formatting of the zone stamp as well.
Changing Zone Stamp Appearance

Zone stamps are library parts attached to zones. You can customize their appearance by
setting the appropriate stamp type for each zone category,

turning on/off information,
defining pens and colors.
163

Lets customize the stamps. Go back to the 0. Ground Floor.
1 Select all zones and open the settings.
Open the Settings panel and define the order: Zone Name, Zone Areas, Finishes,
Additional Tags.
Delete all other rows by pressing the - buttons next to the actual rows.
Click OK.
2 The Zone representation will change immediately, but there are things missing. We set the
Additional Tags row, yet it can not be seen.
3 Open the settings of the Exhibition space.
Go to the Tags and Categories panel and add Display Spaces as IFC Property.
164
In the Settings panel, go to the Additional Tags page and check Show Additional Tags.
Choose Create Sorting for the parameters, display data by Parameter Value and select OCCS
- Space by Function as the first row.
Click OK.
165
Now the Exhibition space zone is displayed correctly showing additional data in a standard
compliant format. The same way we could add renovation status, fire ratings, space owners,
descriptions occupancy, ventilation type and so on.
Note: Additional custom data, even IFC related parameters can be displayed for
zones which is extremely useful if there is a necessity to report using a standard, for
example OmniClass or COBie.
4 Repeat the same Content Order settings on the Gallery level without defining the additional
tags.
Note: You can either do the same process after selecting the gallery zone or especially in case of high-rise buildings with many stories and zones to modify - it is
useful to select all zones from all levels using the 3D view. Turn on the visibility of
zones again in the Filter elements in 3D dialog, select the Zone tool from the
Toolbox and press Ctrl/Cmd + A.
166

In This Chapter
You modeled the spaces inside the building structures using the Zone tool. These elements
display information about the zones on floor plan, and also can appear in 3D as real 3D
elements.
You changed the appearance on floor plan by displaying fills and category colors.
Later on, you will learn how to retrieve this information in schedules.
167
Chapter 4 - Adding Dimensions

Dimensions are an important part of the documentation. You can place dimensions to any
projected model view (floor plan, section, elevation, etc.) and into 3D Documents.
Now we add dimension chains to the design. ArchiCAD features associative dimensions, so that
the created dimension points and chains will remember their original reference points. If you
change the position or geometry of the dimensioned element, the dimension points and chains
will update automatically and immediately saving you a lot of coordination time.
It is possible to create dimensions manually or by using the automatic dimension feature. Later
on you can add and remove dimension points to the chain.
Placing Dimensions on Floor Plan

Automatic Dimensions
2 Activate the Wall tool and press Ctrl/Cmd+A to select all walls.
3 Activate the Dimension tool.
4 Open the Dimension Settings dialog to see the available dimension parameters grouped on
tab pages. These settings drive the behavior and appearance of the placed dimension chains.
Set the parameters as follows:
Type and Font panel:
Dimension Type: Linear Method
Witness Line: Sized Height
Font Size: 2,00 mm
Marker and Witness Line Options panel:
Marker Size: 1,00 mm
Dimension Details panel:
Dimension only the Core of Walls and Slabs - On
Layer: Dimensioning - Structure
168
Click OK.
169

5 Go to Document > Document Extras > Automatic Dimensioning > Exterior
Dimensioning....
6 Take a look at the available dimensioning settings, check Place Dimensions on Four Sides
checkbox and click OK.
7 Click on an element edge to define a direction for the dimension lines. This can be any
horizontal or vertical edge (e.g. a side of a wall). Once you click the cursor changes to a hammer.
8 Click to set the position of the first inner dimension line on the same side where you set the
direction before.
170

The dimension lines will be placed on all 4 sides automatically, based on the center of the
selected geometry.
Repeat the same workflow on the Gallery story.
171

9 Go to 1. Gallery level and turn on the Trace & Reference. We will use the existing dimensions
to place the new ones so the documentation will be more consistent.
10 Select all walls, activate the Dimension tool and run the Automatic Dimension.
11 Use the same reference points to place the dimension lines you used on the ground floor. Turn
off Trace and Reference.
172
Editing Dimensions
After placed, you may change dimensions, e.g. add/remove dimension points, change dimension
text.
Dimension Chain
Now we will modify the whole dimension chain, while the chain remains associative to the
dimensioned points.
Dragging Chains
Some dimension lines overlap with the section marker, so we have to reposition them.
1 Select the overlapping dimension lines.

2 Activate the Drag command on the Pet palette.
3 Move the cursor downwards, and type d0,5 into the Tracker.
173

4 Hit Enter. If necessary, modify the position of the dimension text and/or the section marker
too by clicking on it and dragging/moving its endnode.
Deleting a Full Chain

Take a look at the dimension chains. You can see that there are some identical dimensions on the
same side.
1 Select the last row by clicking on the dimension line and hit Backspace or Delete.
2 Open the 0. Ground Floor plan and delete the duplicated dimension line at the bottom.
Modify the dimension line/texts according to the section marker as before.
174

Adding Full Chains Manually
Now add a new straight dimension line to the interior.
1 Activate the Dimension tool, and dimension the wooden columns of the veranda.
Note: Before you click to place the dimension point, ArchiCAD highlights the
element it will be associative to. In case of overlapping elements it may not be the
one that we need. In this case hit Tab until the needed element is highlighted. This
ensures that if the model changes the dimensions follow the right element.
2 When you are finished with the points, double click on an empty area. The cursor turns to a
hammer.
3 Drag the cursor. A preview shows where the new dimension line will be created. Click to place
the dimension line.
Note: If you mis-clicked on a point accidentally, but you do not want to include that
point into the dimension chain, simply click on the point again, so the marker
disappears.
Now add a new curved dimension line to the project.
1 Activate the Dimension tool and change the geometry method to Arc
Length in the Info Box.
2 Click on one of the corners of the curved wall. The wall is highlighted and small nodes appear
at the endpoints.
3 Click the window corners to add points to the chain.
4 Double click to finish and drag to place the dimension line to a position above the wall.
175

5 Click to place the dimensions.
Adding Points Manually

Now we add some new points to an existing dimension chain: the veranda columns.
1 Select the third dimension line.
2 Click on the line to display the Pet palette and select the Insert/Merge Dimension Point
command.
176

3 Click a corner point of the column. A new segment is added to the dimension line. Now add
the other corner to the dimensions as well. Instead of using the Pet palette command again,
just press Ctrl/Cmd and click the point you want to include in the dimensions.
4 Now repeat the same process with the lower corner on the fourth dimension line.
Deleting Points
If the dimensioned element is deleted, the points automatically disappear from the dimension
chain. But sometimes you may also want to delete individual points from the chain.
Now we will get the full size of the building by deleting a point from the fourth chain.
177

Select the intermediate witness line above the newly added dimension line segment by clicking
on it and press Del.
Adding Radial Dimension

Now, lets dimension the curved walls radius.
1 Activate the Radial Dimension tool and set the settings as follows:
Dimension Type: Without Centerpoint
Font Size: 2,00 mm
Click OK.
2 Click the internal perimeter line of the curved stone wall with the thick Three-pointed star
cursor to set the place of the arrowhead.
178

3 Click inside the entrance area to place the dimension line.
Adding Level Dimensions

On Floor Plan
Now we add some level dimensions to the floor plan. Level dimensions can associatively link to a
position of an element or be independent.
1 To place some associative level dimensions, activate the Level Dimension tool.
2 Open the Level Dimension Settings dialog to see the available dimension parameters
grouped on tab pages. These settings define the behavior and appearance of the placed
dimensions. Set the parameters as follows:
Font Size: 2,00 mm
Click OK.
179

3 To make a level dimension associative, you have to specify the element you want to anchor
the dimension to. This is necessary, because several overlapping elements may appear on the
floor plan at the point you want to place the dimension. Select the Gravity tool on the
Standard toolbar and set Gravitate to Slab.
4 Click on the exterior pavement slab and the interior floor slab to place level dimensions. These
dimensions are associative to the element, so their value will be updated if the parent
element changes.
5 Change gravity to Mesh and place some level dimensions on the site mesh, typically around
the building and on the level lines.
180

Note: Repeat the steps above to place level dimensions on the Gallery level. If the
roof is visible, you can also set Gravity to Roof, so you can place level dimensions
on the roof eaves as well. To change the marker type, open the Level Dimension
Default Settings and use the Select Marker Type icon in the Type and Font panel.
For the markers at the bottom eave, set the Marker Rotation Angle to 180 degrees
in the Type and Font panel.
Note that when the level dimension is moved around the roof its value is updated.
Turn off Gravity when you are done placing the level dimensions.
181
On Section/Elevation
1 Activate the S-01 Building Section view.
2 Open the Dimension Default Settings dialog and set:
Set Elevation Dimension dimension type
182
Upper elevation marker direction
Solid Marker marker type
Text size: 2,00 mm
Marker size: 1,00 mm
Click OK.
3 Lets dimension the right side of the building, by clicking on points of the roof, slanted wall,
slab, ground slab and foundation. Only click on points that will be highlighted with the
circular marks. Double click to finish point selection and place the dimension.
Now lets see how the dimension is updated if the parent element changes.
183

4 Select the slanted wall.
5 Click on its upper node to display the Pet palette and select the Stretch height command.
6 Move the cursor upwards and type 4.

The level dimension will automatically jump to the right position.
184
Adding Dimension Points to a Level Dimension Chain

Later on you may need to add points to an existing dimension chain.
1 With the Dimension tool active, move the cursor over the dimension chain (somewhere
between the dimension units) until it turns to a Three-pointed star cursor.
2 Shift + click to select the chain and press and hold Ctrl/Cmd. Click the points you want to add
one by one.
185
Changing Markers In a Dimension Chain

Depending on the dimensioned point, you may want to indicate whether the point is measured
from top or bottom. In our dimension chain all markers show top dimensions. Now we change
some of the markers to a bottom dimension.
1 With the Dimension tool active, hold down the Shift button and select the dimension
markers you want to change.
2 Select the Bottom dimension direction on the Info Box.
The selected dimensions change like this:
186

Note: In case that some text and markers overlap, you can drag the text to a more
convenient position. With the Dimension tool active, select the text itself by
hovering the cursor around the text and Shift + click when it is highlighted. Click
on the black snap point and drag it to a new position.
Changing Dimension Text

In some cases, you may put a prefix or suffix to the dimension text or simply override it. The
reason for this may be that:
You want to add additional information to the automatically calculated value using custom or
automatic text.
You want to completely replace the automatic value with different information.

2 Select the text of the topmost dimension (10,500) by clicking on it.
3 Open its Settings dialog.

4 On the Content panel of the settings dialog, you can see the measured value, which is the
default. Click the Custom Text radio button.
An automatic text instantly appears in the line showing <MeasuredValue>. If you keep this
text, the value will follow the model changes. You can also delete the value and replace it with
something else.
First lets add a note to the dimension: type Overall dimension: before the automatic value
and change its pen color to 20 (red).
The Displayed Value area shows the result which will appear on the screen.
187

Note 1: If you completely override the automatic dimension value, it is
recommended to change its Text Pen color, so later on you can easily check the
manual values. If you want to restore the original measured value, simply select
Measured Value radio button in the Text Settings dialog. Open all floor plans,
elevations and/or create new sections and place the necessary dimensions.
Note 2: Dimensions are fully associative. However, we recommend placing them

before putting the documentation together. This way you can avoid losing
dimension points (because of deleted and re-modeled elements) or undimensioned
structures.
188

In This Chapter
You added automatic and manual dimensions to the project using ArchiCADs dimension
tools.
This way floor plans, sections and elevations are almost ready to be published.
189
190
191
Chapter 5 - Adding Accessory Elements

To simulate and visualize how a space can be used, we will place some handrails, furniture, fixtures and
site elements. These elements are stored under the Object tool in ArchiCAD.
Accessing Objects
The ArchiCAD Library has a wide range of objects including furniture, sanitary fixtures, special
building structures, site elements and so on. To open the set of available library parts, click the icon
in the Info Box and review the Object Default Settings dialog. On the left side, you can see a folder
structure by default. The self-explanatory folder names help you find the needed part by type.
192

However, you can also use the Search field, where you can find library parts by their names and tags.
On the right side, you can see the parameters of the currently selected library parts. Objects are
GDL elements, their settings are very similar to what you have already seen for doors and
windows.
Loading Objects and Libraries

If you open a new project, the Standard ArchiCAD Library is loaded. You can check and manage
loaded libraries in the Library Manager dialog. You can open the dialog using File > Libraries
and Objects > Library Manager...
193

This dialog contains all information about the loaded libraries and elements and their status. For
example if it lists a missing object that does not exist in the default ArchiCAD library, then we
have to load it.
Adding a New Library to the Project

1 Click on the Add button and browse the Training Textures folder in the extracted folder of
this training guide.
2 Click Choose.
3 Click the Reload Libraries and Apply all the Changes item.
4 Click OK.
The folder and its content is now added to the project. Objects created in the project are stored as
Embedded library parts automatically. For example the StairMaker Stair is now visible in the list as
a result of our work earlier.
Adding Handrails
Lets start the work by adding railings.
The first objects we place are the missing railings on the Gallery level terrace and stair hole.
Placing External Handrails as Objects

2 Open the Object Settings dialog and type railing in the search field.
194

3 Select Rail Wired 18 in the list of found elements and set its settings as follows:
Bottom Offset to Home Story (to Current Story): -0,15
Rotation Angle: 90
Insertion point: bottom-right
Home story: 1. Gallery
Rail Settings panel > Dimensions section:
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, Railing
Layer: Structural Combined
Click OK.
195

4 Click the meeting point of the terrace slab and the exterior wall.
5 Change the insertion point to bottom-left and place another railing on the other open side of
the terrace.
196

6 Now the first railing is too short, select it and click the mid-top hotspot. Select the Move node
command in the Pet palette to modify the horizontal length of the railing and drag it to the
intersection point with the stone wall.
7 Go to the 3D view to check the result. The posts of the shorter railing are too dense. Lets
remove one.
8 Select the railing and open its settings.
9 Set the number of posts to 2 in the Rail Settings > Handrail and Post section.
Click OK.
197
Placing Internal Handrails

Now we will create a railing for the stair hole inside. It takes quite a complex path, so instead of
using library parts, we will create a profiled wall. Custom profiles allow us to create any kind of
extruded geometry. You can also create profiled beams and columns.
Creating Railing with Profiled Wall

Profiled elements consist of a profile and an extrusion part. To define the profile, we have a
special environment called Profile Manager.
1 Open the Profile Manager by the Options > Element Attributes > Profile Manager....
By default the project contains some predefined profiles.
198

2 Click the New button to create the railing profile.
3 Add a name, Gallery railing and click OK. A profile editor window opens. Here you can define
the profile with fills, but you can use any lines as well as construction geometry. The little x
icon indicates the baseline position.
4 We want to create a wood/glass railing. First, we draw the bottom wooden part. Activate the
Fill tool and set Timber - Floor Fill Pattern in the Info Box.
Click OK.
5 Select the Rectangular geometry method and draw a rectangle starting at the x sign, with a
size of 0,05 by 0,20. Click on the x origin point and type x0,05 and y0,2. Press Enter.
199

6 Change the fill pattern to Glass and draw another rectangle on top of the wooden one, 0,01
by 0,15. Draw the fill, then move it to the middle. Set the Special Snap Options back to Along
Entire Element if necessary.
7 Select the fills and drag copies upwards, so the railing is 0,90 meters high.
8 In the Design Layers panel, check the Horizontal and Vertical Stretch checkboxes.
Additional lines appear. These lines control what happens if you resize the wall height. If these
are on, the part between the lines will be stretched. If turned off, the stretch height command
is not available.
200

9 Drag the horizontal lines to the middle of the glass parts fills. This way, if you stretch the wall,
the footing and the handrail parts will keep their size.
10 Click the Store Profile button.

11 Close both Profile Editor and Profile Manager.
12 Open the 1. Gallery floor plan and zoom in to the stairs.
Wall Top: Not Linked
Reference line offset: 0,0
Structure: Complex
Complex Structure profile: Gallery railing
Home story: 1. Gallery
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Interior, Railing
Layer: Interior - Partition
Click OK.
201

14 Select the Chained geometry method and click the corners of the hole. Double-click at the
last node to finish placing the railing.
15 Draw another railing on the edge of the slab as well, starting from the right side.
16 Lets check the result. Activate the 3D Cutting Plane from the toolbar, the
cutaway cursors appear on all four sides of the plan.
202

17 Right-click on any of the scissors symbols appearing on the four sides of the floor plan
window. Activate Delete All Cutting Planes command to remove previous instances of
cutting planes. Then simply drag the bottom scissors cursor upwards and release it just before
the edge of the gallery.
203

18 Open 3D and navigate to the slab.
19 To show the full model content again, click the 3D Cutting Plane toggle on the toolbar.
Note: On floor plans you can also activate the Marquee tool to achieve a similar
result. Use the bold marquee to mark an area on all floors. Right-click and choose
Show Selection/Marquee in 3D from the context menu. To show full 3D again
right-click Show All in 3D from the context menu. Hit Esc to remove the marquee.
204
Adding Furniture and Equipment

Interior Elements
To make the building alive, lets place some furniture and equipment objects. We will use the
Object tool again for this task.
2 Select and activate the Object tool and type WC in the search field.
3 Select the WC 18 object of the current library.
4 Set it as follows:
Bottom Offset to Home Story: 0,0
Home Story: 0. Ground Floor
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Interior, Furniture
IFC: Toilet, Bath and Laundry Accessories
Layer: Interior - Equipment
Click OK.
5 Set the Special Snap Points to Between intersection points and place the toilet into the
middle of the brick-cladded wall.
205

6 Now we only have to rotate the toilet around its anchor point. With the Object tool active,
Shift + click to select the toilet. Right-click and choose Move > Rotate. Click the anchor point
first then the point opposite and move the cursor upwards. Hold down the Shift key to snap
to 90 degrees and click to rotate the toilet. Deselect it when done.
7 Open the Object settings again and find Basin 18. Change Bottom Offset to 0,80 and leave
all other settings unchanged and click OK.
8 Place it in between the partition wall and the door and rotate it in a similar manner as the
toilet.
206

9 Open Object settings again, select Piano 18 and set its settings.
Bottom Offset: 0,00
Layer: Interior - Furniture
IFC: Musical Equipment
Click OK.
10 Place it into the right side of the Exhibition space.
11 Repeat the same with a Piano Bench 18, and place it next to the piano. Rotate both.
Now, we will add several chairs as a single object. The ArchiCAD library contains such layout-like
elements, which can represent multiple objects.
12 Type chair in the search field and select the Chair Layout 18 object.
Set rotation angle to 90 and insertion point to lower-left.
Click OK.
207

13 Click somewhere close to the left side of the middle sliding door.
208

14 Select the chairs and drag the top-left hotspot with the Move node command from the Pet
palette. The intelligent layout automatically changes the number of chairs according to the
size.
As a result, you have a nicely furnished interior. Go to the 3D window to take a look and make
changes if needed.
209
Exterior Elements
There are many options to make the exterior of our building more realistic, such as:
Tree objects. These GDL objects have the similar parameter settings as other objects. The
advantage is that their visibility on the different views works just like any other elements,
however the 3D representation might generate too many polygons if detailed leafs and
branches are set. Nevertheless, the energy performance of the model is to be evaluated with
EcoDesigner STAR, the shading effect of these modeled environmental elements can be
taken into consideration, for example when calculating solar irradiation.
2D Bitmaps. These are image-like elements, mostly used for renderings and the most realistic
2D representations.
2D Graphical Symbols. These are simplified representations of elements, used for 2D

documentation only.
210

Considering the aspects above, we will now place 2D Graphical Symbols only on the Floor plan.
Later on, when rendering in 3D, these will not be visible so we can place 2D Bitmap images for
better visualization into the 3D view directly. The same way, these bitmaps will not be visible on
the floor plans.
1 Open 0. Ground Floor.
2 Activate the Object tool and open its settings and search for tree.
3 Choose Tree Plan 18.
Tags: Non-Load-Bearing Element, Exterior, ArchiCAD Type
Layer: Site and Landscape - Terrain
Click OK.
4 Place some trees around the building. Feel free to change the style and size of the trees.
211

Note 1: Trees and other complex-shaped elements may contain large number of
polygons, which can increase the processing time of the building model. If this
problem occurs, it is recommended to set a simplified 3D appearance and hide the
elements layer in all model views where not needed.
Note 2: Surface recognition works for all elements, this way 3D trees can be
automatically placed at the correct elevation on the mesh.
212

In This Chapter
You furnished the building with GDL objects.
You made custom profiles and created special railings.
Added an external library to the project.
Learned the options of the representation of the external environment.
213
Chapter 6 - Details and Schedules

The documentation of a building consists not only of the model and its projected views, but also
detail drawings and schedules. The good news is that by having a detailed model we can
automatically retrieve the necessary information.
Cleaning Up Sections and Elevations

Before we place details, lets clean up the content of sections and elevations.
1 Open the 0. Ground floor and take a look at the section and elevation lines. You can see that
they are not entirely in the right position.
2 Use the hotspots of the section and elevation lines and the Drag/Stretch commands to align
them, so
the elevations show the whole building
the sections cut the building at openings
Feel free to also move the dimensions, if they overlap with the section and elevation lines.
214

3 Break the S-01 section line to make it more informative. Select the section line and click on
the midpoint to activate the pet palette. Choose the Break Section/Elevation line option to
move the bottom part and click so that it would go through the veranda door and the pocket
door between the entrance and the exhibition space. Now move the horizontal part of the
section marker by clicking on the midpoint and choose Move Section/Elevation line
segment. Move it to the entrance area.
215
Solid Element Operations

The mesh was not affected when the priority-based junctions were created, therefore we will
have to use Solid Element Operations to solve its connections to the structures.
Lets subtract foundations, pavement and ground floor slab from the terrain. In order to easily
select the elements, lets go to the 3D window and filter the display.
1 Open the Find & Select palette (Ctrl/Cmd + F) and set the criteria: Element Type: Wall, and
add Building Material as a Criteria and choose Reinforced Concrete - Structural.
2 Click the + button to select the concrete foundations. This will mean 7 selected elements.
Modify the Element Type to Column and press + again. Now 11 elements are selected.
216

3 Lets add the slabs to the selection by modifying the Element Type to Slab and change the
other criteria to Home Story with a value of be 0. Ground Floor. Press + button to add
pavement and ground floor slab to the selected elements.
4 Shift + click the mesh to add it to the current selection.

5 Right-click and select Show Selection/Marquee in the context menu. Now, the view is
filtered to the selected elements.
217

6 Shift + click the mesh again to remove it from the selection.
7 Right-click and choose Connect > Solid Element Operations.... A dialog appears where we
can define the connections among selected elements.
8 Click Get Operator Elements to add the current selection of 13 elements as operators.
9 Now select the mesh only - the foundations and slabs will be deselected - and click Get
Target Elements. Now you have 1 target element and 13 operator elements stored.
10 Select Subtraction with upwards extrusion from the list of operations and click Execute.
The foundation and the parts above it are subtracted from the terrain mesh.
218

11 To check the result, select the mesh only and choose Show Selection/Marquee in 3D.
12 Close the SEO and Find & Select palettes and show all in 3D.
219
Adding Details
Details are part of the documentation, since they add valuable information on how the structures
will be constructed structure-by-structure, part-by-part.
In ArchiCAD, there is a dedicated place for these detail drawings.
You can create both linked details that can be updated by the model content, as well as
independent details that may contain typical details not marked in the model.
Creating Linked Detail

1 In the S-01 Section activate the Detail tool.
2 Select the Rectangular geometry method and draw a rectangle around the roof-wallskylight connection. Click above the top-left corner to place the marker.
220

3 In the Navigator - Project Map, a new detail is created under the Details node. Open the detail.
4 The detail contains a snapshot of the model content represented by lines and fills. These lines
will be updated if the model changes. Some lines are unnecessary; some need more detailed
geometry. You can use the available 2D tools (lines, fills, dimensions) to finalize the detail as in
the example below. Change the Scale to 1:10 on the bottom of the detail window.
221

5 To be more consistent, use building material-based fills. Open the Fill Default Settings
Dialog. By clicking on the arrow on the Fill Type button at the top, we can see the types of
fills. Choose Cut Fill - Building Material, so we can use the same fills that we can see in the
sections. Close the dialog.
Note that the white areas are empty cut fills which have to be deleted otherwise the newly
placed fills will not be visible.
6 Use the Suspend Groups button to be able to modify the loaded fills.
7 In our example we started to make the first steps towards a final detail design drawing,
however leaving a lot of parts unsolved for now.
222
Creating Unlinked Detail

If you merge external content (DWG or PDF) as details which are not represented in any of the
sections or floor plans, you can create independent details.
1 Right-click on the Details item in the Navigator and select New Independent Detail
2 Click Create and open the new detail. It is currently empty.

3 We can use the Drawing tool to place a PDF. After activating the Drawing tool, click into the
work area, so that the Place Drawing dialog appears, where you can select the PDF.
Note: The Drawing tool allows you to place not only individual files, but also views from
other ArchiCAD projects. This may be helpful if the layout book is in a separate file from
the model, which is a typical workflow in large practices. Alternatively you can load
external content through File > External Content > Place External Drawing.
4 Browse to the folder of this training for Frame Detail.pdf and click Open.
223

If you wish to work on imported vector-based PDF details, select the placed PDF, right-click and
choose Explode into Current View.
224

In the upcoming dialog uncheck Keep Original Elements After Exploding and check Use
Uniform Pen, assign pen 20. This way all lines will have the same color.
Click OK.
225

The PDF is now exploded into native ArchiCAD 2D elements and can be edited freely the same
way as the details derived from the BIM model.
226
Creating Schedules
This section will provide a conceptual overview of the various element schedules and component
lists. ArchiCADs enhanced Interactive Element Schedule provides intelligent, two-way
communication between the schedules and the design project, ensuring that even last-minute
changes will be accurately and consistently reflected in the model and documentation. You can
also export the created schedules in various file formats.
By default, ArchiCAD contains some predefined schedules you can start with. These are located in
the Navigator - Project Map, under Schedules. Element Lists can contain any BIM elements
and all related properties, like volume of an entire wall. Component Lists can provide detailed
information about sub-elements, like volume of certain skins of a composite wall.
Later on, you can add these lists to the project documentation or save them as individual files like
.xls format.
Modifying an Existing Schedule

First lets use an existing schedule as an example.
2 Activate the Door List in the Navigator.
227

3 The Schedule window opens. On the left side, formatting options are available to set up the
arrangement of the fields. On the right side, you can see the schedule itself. Use the available
zoom factors arrow to change the zoom to 150%.
The list items here are exactly the same ones you created before. Thanks to the BIM concept,
these lists are not only automatically updated, but you also have access to the parameters, and
can change them directly from the schedule as well. Beside the numerical values, you can also see
graphical representation of the doors.
Lets see how we can customize the schedule.
Adding/Removing Parameters
1 Click the Scheme Settings button at the top right corner of the schedules window to open
the Scheme Settings dialog. Here you can modify the existing schedules, as well as create new
ones. The existing schedules are listed on the Schemes tab of the dialog. The Door List is
selected, because this is what we are going to modify.
228
On the Criteria panel you can see the primary filter of the list. These are the elements that are
filtered out of the model and displayed in the schedule with certain parameters. In our case it is
Door, but you can change the criteria to any or even multiple elements.
On the Fields panel, you can select any available parameters and add to the Schedule Fields. You
can even change the order of the fields or set summary fields as well.
229

2 Select the Home Story and Zone Name parameters in the list of General parameters with the
Ctrl/Cmd key pressed and click the Add button to add them to the fields list. These are
general parameters available for all BIM elements in the model.
3 Select the Height and Width parameters in the Window/Door list with the Ctrl/Cmd key
pressed and click Add to add them to the fields list. These are element-specific parameters,
which may vary depending on the Criteria you specify.
4 Select the Zone Number parameter in the Schedule Fields list on the right and click Remove
to remove it from the list. Remove the Nominal WxH Size parameter as well.
5 Select the Width parameter and drag it to the third place using the arrow icons next to its
name. Drag the Height below the Width parameter. Drag the Orientation parameter to the
end of the list.
230

6 Click OK. The list is automatically updated.
Changing an Element's Parameters from the List

Since the BIM elements themselves are listed in the schedule, you can change their parameters
from here. For example, lets change the size of the pocket door.
1 Select the pocket door in the schedule.
2 Click in the Width field and type 1.
3 Click the Select on Floor Plan button.
231

The program opens the floor plan, and displays the door selected. If you look at the Info box, you
can see that the size already reflects the changes.
4 Switch back to the schedule window.

Note: Sometimes, door and window schedules also contain dimensions or additional
graphical elements. In ArchiCAD you can edit the previews easily. Click the 2D Symbol
field of the pocket door and click the Annotate button. A separate Element Preview
window opens with the 2D tools available. This way you can add any annotations,
dimensions, or lines and fills.
232
Creating a New Element List

Lets create a schedule for the foundations. This way we can calculate the necessary amount of
concrete.
1 Right-click the Element node in the Navigator and select New Schedule....
2 Set Foundation as Name. Click OK.
The new scheme is created in the list.
233

3 Now lets add the criteria in the Criteria/Foundation panel. Wall is automatically in the list.
Click the Add button, set Element type as Criteria and Column as Value. Set or in the and/or
field of the wall criteria. Click the Add button again, and set Home Story as Criteria. Choose
-1. Foundation in the Value field.
This way both the strip foundations below the wall and the pad foundations will be part of the
schedule.
4 Now lets set the fields. Add the Net volume and Type fields from the General parameters to
the Schedule fields list. Move Type to the top and click OK.
234

5 Opening the Foundation list from the Navigator we can see that it contains all elements, but
we still do not know the final amount.
6 Lets get back to the settings dialog. Click the rightmost icon at the Type field in the list to
activate a little flag icon. This will result in a summary by type. Click on the middle icon at the
Net volume field to display a sum icon. This will result an overall sum at the end of the list.
Click OK.
235
Now the schedule shows the necessary information, but still needs some formatting.
7 You can use the formatting tools on the left panel of the schedule window. Simply select any
fields and set the font size, type, etc.
Check Merge Uniform Items to display identical items as one list row.
Check the Show headline box to insert an additional row for the Element type. This will help
to understand the schedule more easily.
236
Click into the grand total cell and highlight its value by setting its font size to 7 mm and its
font pen to red.
Hide the vertical borders for the entire table by selecting Entire Schedule from the Apply
Format Options to list and Separators only at the Cell Border settings.
237
Creating a New Component List

Now we will list some sub-elements, like the amount of insulation in the exterior walls. The logic
is similar to the element schedules we created before.
As an example lets calculate the necessary materials for the load bearing walls.
1 Click Scheme Settings and click the Create New button.
2 In the Add Schedule Scheme dialog, select Components as items and type Walls as Name.
Click OK.
3 In the Criteria panel, set Wall as Element Type, Load-Bearing Element as Structural Function
and 0. Ground Floor as Home Story.
4 Add the following fields to the Schedule on the Fields panel:
General: Building Material / Composite / Profile / Fill
Building Material: Cut Fill
Components: Composite Skin/Component Volume
238

5 Click OK and check the Merge Uniform Items checkbox. Use the formatting options on the
left and the top rulers to set the right appearance.
The program contains some predefined component lists as well. Review those to get more ideas
on how to use the schedules.
239

In This Chapter
You created details directly based on the model and using preset manufacturer drawings.
You learned how to create dimensioned element schedules and component lists. You also
practiced how to change element parameters directly from the schedule window, and how to
modify an existing schedule to meet your needs.
240
Chapter 7 - Documentation
Now, that we have finished modeling, we can focus on presentation and documentation. We will
create saved views in the Navigator - View Map. Besides the model content, these views will also
store important settings about the representation of the elements, layer combinations, scale and
so on.
So far we were working in the Project Map of the Navigator. In the Project Map you work with the
model, while in the View Map you filter the content of your model according to your needs. This
way you can create different types of plans (conceptual, structural, ceiling, fire, MEP plans, etc.)
from one single model.
It is very important to emphasize: when opening a View, the settings that were previously made
in the Project Map will be overwritten. In other words, the Project Map inherits the settings stored
in the Views. ArchiCAD has some default Views, clicking and opening these would override our
current settings, for example the previously set Floor Plan Cut Plane height or the Zone view
options. This action is undoable, but of course would not mean data loss in the model.
In the first part of this chapter you will learn how to create the saved views for documentation
purposes. In the second part of the chapter, you will use the 3D visualization tools in ArchiCAD.
And finally, we will create and publish the layout book of the project.
241
Creating Views
The second tab of the Navigator is the View Map. By default this contains a predefined folder
structure for architectural and structural plans filled with the existing stories, sections and
elevations.
Creating a Folder in the View Map

We will need a special folder for the 3D visualization, so lets create it.
1 Open the Navigator - View Map by clicking on the third icon from the right in the Navigator.
2 Select the topmost item in the list - this shows the name of the project.
3 Right-click on it and select New Folder in the context menu.
4 Add 3D Renderings as name and click OK.
The new folder is created at the bottom of the list.
242
5 Select the new folder, and drag it under the Details node. Be careful not to move it to any of
the existing folders.
Deleting a Folder in the View Map

Lets say we are creating the approval documentation of the project and we do not need any
specific structural documentation.
6 Select the Structural Plans folder in the list, and click the Delete button. Click Delete
anyway in the upcoming dialog to confirm deletion.
Note: The full view content (no actual model elements) of the folder is also deleted.
243
View Settings
Let's modify the default views and save our current settings by overwriting them.
Select the Floor Plans folder in the View Map. The bottom of the Navigator shows the Properties
panel, here we can see some of the settings of this view folder. We can already see that it uses the
03 Building Plans Model View Option.
Earlier we chose to change the Model View Options and created a new one: 05 Building Plans Zones. This latter one is active in the Project Map, so opening a floor plan in the Floor Plans folder
of the View Map would override our settings from before. In order to avoid this we can override
the Floor Plans folder easily.
Right-click the Floor Plans folder and choose Redefine with current window settings.
The Model View Options and all other View settings will change immediately to the ones we used
until now in the Project Map.
244
Modify View Settings

Lets use the automatically created views to explore the available settings.
Activate and open the Site view. Our tasks are:
change the pavement representation
hide section and elevation markers
add dimensions (linear and level)
Element-level Settings
We have to change the current texture and hide the automatic slope lines of the mesh. These are
element-level settings only.
1 Select the terrain mesh and open its settings.
Open the Floor Plan and Section panel.
For the Ridge Selection item, select Show User Defined ridges. This way only the level lines
will be visible.
Click OK.
245
Now the appearance of the terrain is much clearer. We have to define a new cover fill for the
pavement slab.
2 Select the pavement slab and open its settings.
Open the Floor Plan and Section panel, check the Cover Fills box and check Use Fill from
Surface to retrieve the fill automatically from the material you assigned to the surfaces.
Set the Cover Fill background Pen to 0 (Transparent) and click OK.
Since these are element level settings, they affect all other views automatically where the
elements are visible.
View Dependent Settings

Now we will set how the view itself will look like. These settings control the appearance of the
elements depending on scale and drawing content. This way the BIM model can be represented
in several ways. Before we start adjusting the settings, lets review these.
246
1 Select the Site view in the Navigator and click the Settings button on the Properties panel.
The View settings dialog appears, where you can define:
Identification: This will identify the view in the view map and later on on the layouts.
Automatically the name of the viewpoint is applied, but you can rename it any time.
General: elements under this area contain how you filter your BIM model to display only the
information needed in the particular view. Later on you can change these any time.
2D/3D Documents: you can set the projection settings by adding a custom floor plan cut
plane and the style of dimensioning.
3D Only: settings specific to 3D views.
2 Leave the settings as is, and click OK.

Now lets hide the markers.
3 Select a section marker, right-click and select Layers > Hide Layer. This is okay for now, but if
you leave this view and return, they will be shown again, because in terms of the view settings
this layer is not turned off. To make it permanently off we have two options:
You save the view with a custom layer combination (just like before): this seems to be a quick
solution but later on if you have different custom layer combinations you cannot follow which
is applicable for what view.
You update the layer combination. This is the suggested way, so lets do it.
247
4 Open the Layer Settings dialog (Ctrl/Cmd+L) and select the Site layer combination on the
left.
5 In the list of layers, find the layers of section and elevation markers. As you can see, hiding a
layer will not make it turned off, so turn them off now.
6 Click the Update button to update the layer combination settings and click OK.
248
From now on all views using this layer combination will automatically hide all elements on these
layers.
As a quick exercise, lets set the other views too.
249
7 The views under the Floor Plans folder have Custom layer combination while the Sections
folder has 04 Plans - Approval. Opening the default section views we can see that there is no
terrain displayed. First let's change the layer combination of the Floor Plans folder. Select the
containing folder and click the View Settings... button.
250
8 Set 04 Plans - Approval as a layer combination for all floor plans and click OK.
251
9 Open 0. Ground Floor view and check the result. The site and the trees have disappeared.
Let's update the layer combination with the layers that contain these elements. Open Layer
Settings, make sure that 04 Plans - Approval is selected and switch on the visibility for Site &
Landscape - General and Site & Landscape - Terrain layers. Update the selected layer
combination with the new settings and press OK.
Remember, this will also fix the visibility of the terrain on the section views as well since they
use the same layer combination.
252
The ground floor is almost OK now, but we can see the cover fills of the pavement in the entrance
area.
Select the pavement slab and select Display Order > Send to Back from the context menu. The
appearance is better, but we can still see the pavement fill through the interior partition walls.
253
Select one of the walls and open the Building Materials settings. The wall contains the Air Space
material. For a better visual representation this material is transparent in both 2D and 3D by
default. Select the Air Space material and change its Cut Fill Background Color to white.
254
This way 2D representation will the same as for Air Space - Frame, while in 3D air gaps will still be
represented as transparent skins.
As a final step, change the Plan Symbol Fill Background Pen color to 19 (white) on the Hinged
Door panel of the Door Settings dialog of the door between the WC and the Washroom.
3D Documents from Floor Plans

Lets create now an exciting view for our documentation. With a few clicks we will be able to
transform our 2D floor plan into a 3D documentation which is a great tool for making our design
intents clearer for the client.
1 Open the 0. Ground Floor floor plan view in the Navigator - View Map.
2 Activate the Marquee tool and select an area around the building.
255
3 Right-click and choose New 3D Document from Floor Plan... in the context menu.
Click Create in the upcoming dialog. The 3D floor plan will open automatically and it has also
been created in the 3D Documents folder of the Navigator. Lets refine this 3D Document. The
floor plan fills are not visible, only in the Exhibition area.
256
4 Right-click the 3D Document navigator item and choose 3D Document Settings....
5 On the Floor Plan Projection panel set Show down to 1 Story(s) Below, this way the terrain
and pavement slab will be visible as well.
257
6 On the Model Display panel:
Change the display of cut elements. Choose Uniform Surface for Fill Cut Surfaces with option
and set Paint - Sand Beige surface as Cut Surface Material.
Set Uniform Pen Color for uncut elements.
Check Uniform Pen for Uncut Contours, pen 81, Uncut Surfaces Pen to 19.
Check Vectorial 3D Hatching
Turn on Sun Shadows
Choose Override Contours with Dashed lines in the Boundary Contours section
Click OK.
258
Now we have a very distinctive looking and informative 3D Document that is already part of our
documentation.
259
In this Chapter...
You learned the major difference between the Project Map and the View Map.
You created new views and changed existing layer combinations.
You learned the differences between element-level settings and view dependent settings.
You created a unique 3D Document of your project from a 2D view.
260
Chapter 8 - Visualization
ArchiCAD delivers state-of-the-art visualization and presentation tools: no expert knowledge is
required to produce stunning renderings or fly-through movies.
You can create 3D model views by navigating in the 3D window or placing cameras in the model.
In both cases, you can return to the saved view any time and modify it if needed.
Saving a View Directly in 3D

1 Open the 3D window from the Navigator - Project Map and use the already known
navigation techniques (zoom, orbit, walk) to set an exterior view of the entrance, like this:
2 Open the View Map in the Navigator and select the 3D Renderings folder.
261
3 Click the Save Current View button at the bottom of the Navigator.
4 Change Name to Custom using the rolldown list and name it Entrance OpenGL. This is because the view uses the Open GL engine.
262
5 Leave everything as is and click Create.
6 Lets add some sun shadows. Open the 3D Windows Settings from View > 3D View Options
> 3D Window Settings...
7 Turn Sun Shadows On and click OK.

8 To save this to the view, right-click the view in the View Map and click Redefine with current
window settings.
263
From now on you can return to this view any time.
Note: Open the View > 3D View Options > 3D Window Settings dialog box to switch
between the OpenGL and Internal 3D Engines. If you choose the Internal Engine you
can select Wireframe, Hidden line, or Shaded modes, switch on Vectorial 3D Hatches,
Transparency in Shading and Sun Shadows. If your computer supports OpenGL you can
use the OpenGL engine for faster 3D navigation and representation. In this case you
can choose between Wireframe and Shading mode and display Transparency in
Shading. Here you can also select various 3D display methods (e.g. Contours) and
effects (e.g. Vectorial 3D Hatching), adjust display and background properties and so
on.
Creating Rendered Views

There are three different, easy-to-use rendering engines shipped with ArchiCAD, giving you the
opportunity to create state-of-the-art renderings in different styles at any stage of the design
development.
264
CineRender Engine & White Model Effect

This rendering method is very handy in the early design phases providing quick white model
images.
1 Activate the Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRendering Settings command to set all
the parameters and characteristics of the selected rendering engine. The PhotoRendering
Settings palette opens.
265
2 Rolldown the list for Scene and choose Select and Manage Scenes....
266
3 Choose Outdoor White Model Fast from the end of the list and click OK.
267
4 Go to the Environment panel and check Use ArchiCAD Sun Position checkbox, so that the
shadows of the 3D window will be used instead of the settings defined by location and time.
5 Hit the PhotoRender Projection button at the bottom of the rendering settings palette.
The result appears in seconds.
268
6 Now, you can save it as still image directly from the 3D window to several image formats (.png,
.jpg etc.) or you can save it as a view to be integrated into the documentation.
Click the Save current view... button in the Navigator, with the 3D Renderings folder
selected and save the current 3D window. Set Entrance - White as name.
7 Click Create. This view will be automatically updated if the model changes.
Sketch Engine
This rendering method gives you quick, hand sketch-like images.
1 Choose a new scene on the PhotoRendering Settings Palette: Koh-I-Noor.
2 Render the image.
The result appears quickly.
269
3 Click the Save Current View button in the Navigator with the 3D Renderings folder selected
and save the current 3D window.
4 Set Entrance - Sketch as name.
Internal Engine
This method gives you a more realistic appearance using material and texture settings.
1 Create a back view of the building by using the already known navigation techniques (orbit,
walk, zoom), similar to this.
270
2 Adjust the sun by selecting View > 3D View options > 3D Projection Settings.
271
3 Drag the sun to the same side as the camera and set 45 degrees as Sun Altitude. Click OK.
4 Set the engine on the Photo Rendering Settings panel to Internal and select the settings as
follows:
Method: Best
Shadow Casting: Sun, High Accuracy, Use Transparency
Check Texture antialiasing
272
5 Hit Render.
273
6 Save this view as Back - Internal.
CineRender Engine
Now lets try the high-quality, industry standard CineRender rendering engine which can
dramatically boost your presentation capabilities and is available out of the box with ArchiCAD.
The CineRender engine by Maxon is fully integrated into ArchiCAD and is capable of all those still
image rendering features as the full version of Cinema 4D.
274
1 Change the scene to Outdoor Daylight Fast on the PhotoRendering Palette and choose
Partly Cloudy as a Weather preset (scene will change to Custom). Click on the Preview area
to see it.
2 Lets add some environmental enhancements, like trees and grass.
275
3 Activate the Object tool and open its settings. Set Home Story to 0. Ground floor and choose
Deciduous Trees 18, Maple. Click OK and place it next to the building. This is a 2D bitmap
image which will add more reality to the final result.
4 Lets create a new layer for these bitmaps, open the Layer Settings and click New. Define
the layer as Rendering and click OK twice to close the dialogs.
276
Change the layer of the bitmap to this layer. Place another bitmap on the other side of the
building and some shrubs as well, all on the same new layer.
277
5 Now add the grass. ArchiCAD comes with many surfaces by default, but now lets add a new
one that is part of the extensive Surface Catalog of the ArchiCAD library. Open Options >
Element Attributes > Surfaces and click New.
278
6 Check New from Catalog and browse for the Grass 3D middle 18 material. Click OK twice
to close the dialogs.
279
7 Select the mesh, open its settings and change the top surface override to Grass 3D middle
18. Close the settings.
8 Go back to the PhotoRendering Settings palette and check Detailed Settings. Resize the
palette and find Options > Grass, check it.
280
9 Render the image.
Save the view as Back CineRender. The PhotoRendering palette settings will be stored with this
view.
281
Refining Surfaces
Now create an interior view of the building using the already known navigation techniques (orbit,
walk, zoom), similar to this.
We will modify some surfaces, replace the concrete surface and add a new one to the walls. To
make the interior more unique, first we create the new surface for the walls.
1 Go to Options > Element Attributes > Surfaces.... Select Paint Ivory Black from the
surfaces and click New. Choose Duplicate and name it Interior Covering. Click OK.
2 Change the engine to Internal Engine next to the preview image.
CineRender surfaces have many parameters that should be set properly, so instead of this we will
create the surface with the internal engine parameters which do not need that expertise. When
done, we will match the internal engine settings with the CineRender settings. This way we can
transfer the settings in between engines.
Set the Surface Color to some dark gray in the Exposure to Light panel.
282
Set Brick - Stack Bond vectorial hatching.
Click the Search button on the Texture panel, and locate and select the metal-8_inverse.jpg
file in the recently uploaded Training Textures folder. Click OK.
Set texture size to 1,50 by 1,03 (Keep Original Proportions checked), and Alpha Channel
Effects to Surface and Bump Mapping.
283
3 Now, select the CineRender by MAXON rendering engine on the top of the Surface Settings
dialog. The settings for the newly created material appear.
4 Click the Match Settings button and choose CineRender to match from Internal. Settings
will change according to the settings of the Internal engine. Click OK to close the dialog.
284
5 With Suspend Groups off select the load-bearing walls and override the inner surface to
Interior Covering in the Wall Settings dialog. Close the settings when done.
Now replace the concrete surface to a better looking one.
285
6 Open the Surface settings dialog and look for Concrete 02. Click New. Choose Replace
from Catalog and look for Concrete - 03 18. Click OK, the catalog settings will overwrite the
defaults.
286
Adding Lights
To make our interior more realistic, we add some lights. ArchiCADs default library contains a lot of
different parametric light sources.
1 Activate the Lamp tool in the More tab of the Toolbox and open its settings.
Choose Ceiling Lamp 18 from the Interior Lamps 18 folder. Choose Type 10 on the Lamp
Style page of the Light Settings panel.
287
Change to Light Parameters and Lamp Geometry and set a Main Intensity of 100 and a
light yellow color.
Click OK.
2 Place some lamps on the gallery slab. Click Show Layer when prompted. The gray rectangle
helps you to position the lamps on the bottom surface of it. Arrange the lamps precisely on
the 0. Ground Floor view in the Project Map, so that it inherits the view settings of the 3D
window. Change back to 3D in the Project Map when done.
Now lets add a pendant lamp over the piano.
3 Open the Lamp settings again and select Pendant Lamp 18.
Select your favored Shade and Mounting style.
288
289
Set intensity to 90 and set red color. It will give a more dramatic feeling to the piano area.
Click OK.
4 Place the lamp anywhere hanging from the roof over the piano. ArchiCAD will connect the
lamp to the roof if you move it after placing it.
Select it and click the center-bottom hotspot to drag the lamp lower hanging on a longer
pendant.
290
Now we change the materials of some elements to fit better to the interior.
5 Change the Piano, uncheck Use Objects Surfaces and set surface to Paint Ivory Black.
6 Select the chairs and set the surface to Wood Walnut Vertical the same way.
7 Choose the Indoor Daylight Fast scene in the PhotoRendering Settings palette. Uncheck
Detailed Settings and move the Sun intensity slider to 30% and the Lamps intensity slider to
100%. These sliders are always set to a default value for the scenes, but with the slider we can
easily modify the values globally. Choose Bluenight weather preset and render the image.
291
8 Save the view as before as Interior CineRender.
292
In This Chapter...
You learned how to set up the appearance of individual elements in views using the cover fills.
You updated layer combinations to meet the requirements of the views.
You created and set saved views for the final documentation.
You explored the rendering capabilities and created different views of the building with
different styles, including lights.
293
Chapter 9 - Sharing Your Design

In the design process, you have to communicate your ideas with the other stakeholders in the
project, like the owner, engineers and constructors. All of these usually need different formats
that are suited to their applications. ArchiCAD provides users with efficient and fine-tuned
publishing procedures.
ArchiCAD also gives the option to publish fine-tuned and target-specific, tailored project
documents: you can use specific layer sets and freely turn off all the fills and hatches, for instance,
when you share your project data with your structural engineer. Conversely you can turn on all
the necessary fills and related layers when assembling project documentation set for your
landscape designer.
And the best part is that you can remotely share your design-development project data with
clients and colleagues for review and mark-up regardless of whether they have ArchiCAD
installed or not.
Traditional (2D) Formats

The traditional way of documentation is to publish sets of projected views, like floor plans,
sections, elevations, details, and some renderings.
The live model projections ensure that all the published project views and documents will be
fully updated and present the current - latest - design stage. You can be sure that last-minute
change to the gallery railing will be updated in a consistent manner in all the other
corresponding views (plans, sections, elevations, schedules, renderings, etc.).
Creating a Layout Book

ArchiCAD provides you a hassle-free and comprehensive layouting function right out of the box:
the Layout Book lets you layout various project views, as well as other materials from different
sources, with all the tools you need to produce high-quality working drawings and paper-based
presentations that will be easily understood by engineers, construction partners and clients.
294

With ArchiCAD you will spend less time on documentation! The BIM project model is at the
cutting edge in effective documentation and management. Construction documents and files
can be derived without any additional software and practically no repetitive work. Automatic
page numbering, multiple master pages and intelligent title blocks reduce tedious work and
makes compliance with office standards easier, thus saving you time.
Once all the views are set, you can easily create virtual sheets in the Layout Book area of the
Navigator.
The standard template contains a predefined set of layouts based on the local standards. If you
use a localized version of the program, you may find different layout and numbering structure
here. We are using the international version during this training.
Lets explore the content of the layout book first.
Changing Section/Elevation Settings

1 Click the Layout Book icon of the Navigator.
2 Click on some floor plans and sections/elevations to see the content. The placed drawings
automatically show the model.
295

3 Open the A.02.4 E-04 West Elevation layout. This appearance is nice, but it is does not meet
our standards. We need more graphical details, like textures and shadows.
We can set this for all our sections and elevations together. Lets start with elevations.
4 Go to the Project Map page of the Navigator and select all elevations. Click the Settings
button on the Properties area.
296

5 On the Model Display panel of the Elevation Selection Settings dialog, check the following
and leave the pen settings as they are and click OK.
297

6 Open the West Elevation view in the Layout Book area of the Navigator. The graphical
appearance will be updated. It is almost perfect, but some parts might be faded. This happens
if the elevation distance area is too close.
Lets fix this problem in Floor plan view.
298

7 Open the Ground floor in the Navigator - View Map and select the West Elevation marker.
A secondary line appears indicating where the faded parts starts. This is a screen-only line and
will not appear on any of the printed documents.
299

8 Click the hotspot in the middle, and drag it so the building is between the two lines of the
elevation marker.
300

9 Repeat with the other elevation lines and adjust the section settings with the same options.
Start by selecting the sections in the Project Map.
301

10 Now lets go back to the layouts and see the result. Open the A.02.4 West Elevation layout.
The view is automatically updated and reflects the latest changes.
302

11 Lets open the West Elevation in the View Map as well and place some 2D trees. Set it as
follows and place an instance on the elevation.
303

12 Change the tree type and add another one. Change the Display Orders of the trees and mesh
if necessary. Open the A.02.4 West Elevation layout to check the results.
Changing Drawing Settings

Lets see what we can set at the drawing level.
1 Select the drawing on the layout and open its settings.
304

Identification
Here you can change the automatic naming and numbering if necessary. You can also change the
update type to manual if you do not want the drawing to be updated. This way you can freeze a
certain state of the drawings content while you can work on the model.
Properties
Here you can set the scale and aspect ratio, as well as the anchor point. You can also choose a pen
set and colors that will set the printing/plotting style. Change to Black and White in the Colors
list to overwrite color settings. This way, all lines will be printed in black, keeping the pen weight
of the original pen set.
Frame
The drawing has a boundary that can have any shape. By default it is rectangular, adjusted to the
drawings content. By default it is screen-only, but you can make it printable too. Leave the
settings as they are.
305

Title
You can assign different title blocks to display information about the drawing automatically, like
scale, name, ID, etc. Select Built-in Drawing Title in the list. The parameters appear in the list, so
you can customize them if needed. Leave the default settings unchanged for now.
306

Click OK. Please note that the appearance of the drawing has changed to black and white and the
title appears at the bottom.
Changing Master Layout of Existing Layouts

If you zoom out you can see that the sheet is a lot bigger than needed. We have two ways to solve
this problem. We can put more drawings on the same sheet or we can change the sheet or use
another one. These are called Master Layouts and stored in the Masters folder of the Navigator Layout Book.
307

You can create or modify any of these masters and use them as bases for the layout book. You can
also place information on them (title blocks) that will be visible on all layouts that use the same
master as base.
You can change the master layout of single and multiple selected layouts and folders too. All you
have to do is to select the layout and select the right master in the list under the Properties area of
the Navigator.
2 Change the master of the West Elevation to A4 Portrait.
308

3 Select and drag the drawing to the right position. Modify the drawing frames on the sides to
fit it onto the layout if necessary.
4 To set the same master for all layouts in the A.02 Elevations folder, drag the A4 Portrait master
on the folder in the Navigator. To adjust the drawings on all elevation layouts you can use the
Trace reference.
5 Open the A.02.1 E-01 North Elevation layout.
6 Right-click on the A.02.4 E-04 West Elevation layout and select Show as Trace Reference.
309

7 Position the drawing using the traced layout. You can use any snap points on both current and
referenced layouts.
8 Repeat these steps with the other elevation layouts. This way you can have a consistent, wellorganized layout book.
310

Creating New Layouts
Now we create the section layouts in a separate folder in one run.
1 We will use the Sections folder in the View Map, and simply drag it to the Layout Book. To
see both tree structures, we can use the Organizer. You can open it using the top-left button
of the Navigator.
The Organizers interface seems like a double Navigator. You can open different tree views on
both sides and drag and drop content between them.
2 Open the View Map on the left side and the Layout Book on the right side.
311

3 Select the Sections folder in the View Map and drag it above the Elevations subset in the
Layout Book.
A blue line indicates where the subset will be created.
312

Thanks to the automatic numbering, the ID automatically appears at the Sections subset and the
elevation subsets below are re-numbered.
4 Drag the A4 Portrait master layout on the Sections subset. Close the Organizer.
313

5 Use the Trace & Reference to align the drawings to the right position as before.
314

Layout Titles
By default there are preset titles on the layout masters, but you can change or create new ones
any time.
1 Double-click the A4 Portrait layout to open it.
In this view, you have access to its content. You can place any 2D content here, including text, fills,
lines, images, etc. You can also copy and paste these elements from one master layout to another.
2 You can see normal texts and texts with # sign at the beginning. These texts are so called
Autotext elements. The advantage of using these is to retrieve information from BIM instead
of typing the text manually. Lets see what information we can use as Autotext. First delete all
texts from the first two cells of the top row. Activate the Text tool and double-click in the
empty cell on the left. The Text Editor palette appears.
3 Click the A (Insert Autotext) button.
315

An organized list of available information appears. You can sort them by category. Lets fill in the
client data in the empty field of the title block.
4 Select Client Details in the Category list.
5 Place and format the text lines to include the following. Use the formatting tools like pen and
text alignment. Hit Enter to start a new row.
316

6 Click outside the text editor box to place the text. Later on you can change it at any time.
7 The information displayed here comes from the Project Info dialog box. To define the
information, open File > Info > Project Info
317

8 Fill some fields and see how those are updated.
Click OK. There are some other fields related to layout properties. These will be filled only when
you create a layout based on the master.
9 Delete the middle part of the line in the middle between the empty cells.
318

Creating and Using a Custom Master Layout
Now we will create a new master layout for the details and visualization. On these layouts we will
place multiple drawings and we want them to adjust automatically.
1 Click the New Master Layout button in the Navigator > Layout Book.
Type A4 Landscape as name.
Select A4 (ISO) - Metric size from the Size list.
Pick the Landscape radio button.
Select Align and assign Drawings to a Grid radio button.
Click the Grid Setup button.
319
320

2 In the Grid Setup dialog, set the settings as below:
Click OK.
3 Check the Set as Default for New Layouts box and click Create.
321

4 Create a new layout subset and type Renderings as name.
5 Open the Organizer.

6 Create a new layout in the subset and name it Renderings too.
322

7 Drag 4 rendered views on the layout (A.04.1. Renderings) in the Organizer. Close the
Organizer.
The views are positioned according to the grid, but currently they are too big.
8
Select the drawings on the layout and open the settings.
9 On the Properties panel set the magnification to 30. Turn off the title and click OK.
323

10 As you can see, the drawings on the layout are not the rendered images. Select the four
rendering views in the View Map and open View Settings....
11 In the 3D Only panel change Generate in to PhotoRendering Window. Click OK.
This way opening the views will be generated as renderings instead of the 3D Window view.
324

12 Go back to the Layout Book, select the Renderings folder, right-click and select Update. The
renders are going to be generated again.
The Project layout book will always be automatically updated as the project develops, since all
the drawings and sheets are linked to their source master content, so if any of the source
information changes, ArchiCAD will instantly regenerate and update all the layouts automatically.
325
Publishing
ArchiCADs publisher functionality is a powerful tool for sharing custom tailored project
documents using various file formats, including DWG, DGN, DWF, PDF and many more, ensuring
that anyone will be able to view the results of your work on both the Windows and MacOS
platforms.
All the publishing parameters need to be defined and set only once as your project design
progresses.
The Publisher contains two sets by default: Views and Layouts. The default file format is PDF.
The Publisher sets page of the Navigator has two levels: you can display the list of available sets,
or the content of a selected set. Use the arrow next to the set name to go a level up to display the
list of available sets. Double-click one of the items to see the content of it.
The easiest way to create new Publisher sets is by using the Organizer. Once you create a new
set, you can easily drag and drop any view map or layout content. You can set a generic file
format for the whole set or by items and subfolders.
326

Publisher Set Settings
1 Go one level up and select the 2 - Layouts set from the publisher sets.
2 Click the Publishing Properties button on the Publishing Properties area.
For Publishing method, choose Save files from the list. Set a location to which to save the files
by clicking the Browse button.
If you choose Create single file option, the different drawings will be binded to one single
document. With Create a real folder structure selected the files and folders are saved exactly
with the same hierarchy set in the publisher set, while Create flat file structure option saves
all files on the same level without hierarchy. For now let's choose the second option. Click OK.
3 Double-click the 2 - Layouts publisher set to open its content. In the Properties area you can
see the name and page size of each page that is selected. In the Format area you can the file
type and additional options depending on the file type chosen.
327

4 Select the topmost item in the Publisher Set. It is the default main folder of layout hierarchy
that contains all documents for publishing. It is named after the title of the project, in our
example 'Training Series 3'. Click Document Options... in the Format panel.
5 Click PDF Options... in the upcoming dialog. Mark the PDF/A archive checkbox in the PDF
Options dialog. Click OK for both dialogs. Now all layouts will be saved as PDF/A documents
which is usually a must for authority submittals.
6 Unmark Merge to one PDF file checkbox to keep the published set in separated pdf files.
Leave all other settings as they are and Publish the set.
7 The publishing process starts and saves your pdfs one after the other. When it is finished, close
the Publishing... dialog and check the result at the location you specified before.
328

Creating New Publisher Set
Lets duplicate the Layout publisher set and create a set in DWG format.
1 Go one level up and select the 2 - Layouts set and click the Duplicate Publisher Set...
button.
2 Select the newly created set and rename it 3 - DWG.

3 Double-click on the set to see its content.
4 Select the topmost level (Training Series 3).
329

5 Change the file format to DWG in the Format area. All layouts in the set change their icons
automatically to DWG.
6 When it comes to publishing, you can choose whether you want to publish the whole set or
just a part of it. Next to the Publish button you find a drop down list with three options:
selected items, layouts in current issue, entire set. This way, you can even batch-publish
the documentation with one click. Pick some elements in the set and publish them using the
selected items option.
7 The program updates all affected views and saves the files.
330
BIM-Based Documentation
We have covered a lot of topics in this training session, but we are confident you will see how easy
it is to use the ArchiCAD Virtual Building. You may have found the process different from
traditional 2D CAD methods - which have clearly reached their limits and are increasingly being
replaced by the next generation Building Modeling and simulation solutions.
The creation of a new building however demands joint effort, streamlined teamwork and close
collaboration with other disciplines. GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD, through its multi-user environment,
open architecture and seamless collaboration, puts you - the architect - fully in command when
taking on this challenge.
IFC
Today, 3D-based data exchange plays an ever-greater role in the design process. When you reach
the phase of having to share the design with engineers and others who use their own 3D design
software, the best way is to create an IFC format file. In our example we will communicate with a
structural engineer. Structural engineers are not interested in the finishes and furniture, only the
load-bearing structures of the building. So first we will filter the display, then we will save an IFC
file that best fits their requirements. This way our workflow will be smooth and easy.
1 Open the Entrance - OpenGL view in the View Map of the Navigator.
2 Open the Layer Settings dialog.
3 Having the 04 Plans - Approval layer combination selected, click the New... button at the
bottom left to create a new layer combination that you can rename any time. Name it 11 IFC.
4 Hide all unnecessary elements of 11 IFC by turning off the layers:
Interior - Furniture
Site & Landscape General
Site & Landscape - Terrain
Click the Update button to update the layer combination. Click OK.
Note: The opened 3D view will use this layer combination temporarily only, which
means that if you reopen the view it will use the layer combination that is set and
can be seen in the Properties area below the View Map. To change the layer
combinations, open the Settings and select another layer combination.
331

5 Select Document > Partial Structure Display....
6 Select the Core of Load-Bearing Elements Only option to hide all unnecessary composite
layers and click OK.
332

7 Select View > Elements in 3D View > Filter and Cut Elements in 3D....
8 Uncheck the box of Window, Door, Roof and Skylights to hide them.
333

9 Now we have the skeleton of the building. Use the Orbit and Zoom commands to see the
result.
334

10 Save this view in a new View Map folder, called IFC. All settings, including filtering and partial
structure display are saved with the view. Create the new folder with the New Folder
button below the View Map. Select the folder and click the Save current view button.
Note: Opening the Entrance - OpenGL view will again show all those layers that you
turned off when creating the IFC view. Opening the IFC view again will only show
the layers that were turned on when the view was saved.
11 Now select File > Save as Select the IFC 2x3 file format. Select Visible elements (on all
stories) to export the content of the current 3D window only. Use the General Translator.
ArchiCAD contains a series of predefined translators to ensure smooth work with different
programs. If you know which application your engineer is using, you can choose an optimized
one.
12 Click Save.
335

Alternatively you can publish all views of the View Map as IFC files via the Publisher. Open the
Organizer, create a new publisher set and drag the IFC folder from the View Map into it. Now you
can select IFC 2x3 as a file format to publish to and publish with a click just like earlier. This way
you can predefine specific sets for structural or MEP engineers and share the continuously
updated IFC models of the design process with them easily.
336

Note: you can check the content of the IFC file by using various IFC viewers. These
applications are usually free. If you open the file, you can see that all geometry is
kept exactly, as well as materials, layers and other information. If we select any
elements, all available parameters appear. Beams remain beams, walls are walls and
so on. There is no data loss.
337

In this Chapter...
You learned how to create a Layout Book and set drawing settings.
You learned how to handle Master Layouts, use Project Info and insert its content as
Autotexts.
You also got familiar with the functionality of the Publisher, created Publisher Sets with
different file format publishing options.
You further filtered the model and made it ready for IFC publishing and collaborative work
with other disciplines.
338
Chapter 10 - Revision Management

Due to the iterative nature of the design process, there are many versions of the actual project,
which have to be continuously managed. Several versions of the project are published due to the
number of revisions. These changes have to be documented, the affected layouts have to be
selected and marked, the published documentation has to be updated. ArchiCAD has a smart
and intelligent revision management solution to make this rather time-consuming and errorprone task automatic, letting architects focus on their core business the design process.
ArchiCAD supports the traditional, drawing and layout based revisioning which includes visual
highlights (revision clouds) and also introduces a new, BIM-based revisioning where the focus is
on being able to find the layouts that were affected by the changes of the project therefore
making the whole documentation process easier.
Lets see how revisioning works.
First Issue
Before we could start marking the changed elements and highlight the changes we have to
create our very first issue which will contain the whole documentation set at its current state. The
revised versions will be collected from this point.
We will use a special palette for most of the revision management-related task, the Change
Manager.
339

1 Open the Change Manager using the Project Chooser button at the top left of the
Navigator. The top part of the palette will show the changes, while the bottom will collect the
elements that are related to those specific changes.
2 Click Issue History....

3 The Book Settings dialog opens, click New Issue.
4 Add the name Schematic Design to the issue and click OK.
340

5 The first issue is created containing all the layouts of the Layout Book, marked with blue color.
Later all the changed layouts will be marked like this for easier identification.
6 Click Close Issue and OK to close the dialog.

Now we can start highlighting the noteworthy changes of the project.
341
Creating Changes
The entrance area currently has the pavement from outside as a floor slab. This will change now
and we will highlight the change. Open the 0. Ground Floor view in the View Map.
1 Select the pavement slab and cut the entrance area part of it by using the Subtract from
Polygon and Curve Edge commands of the Pet palette.
342

2 Now extend the interior slab with the Add to Polygon command.
343

3 We are now ready to mark the changes. This change needs a visual highlight as well, so lets
add a revision cloud as well. Activate the Change tool and open its settings. Set the following:
Click OK.
344

4 Draw the revision cloud around the changed area. The Change will automatically appear in
the Change Manager. Selecting the Change we can see that currently there is only one
element linked to it: the cloud object we have just placed.
345

5 With the change selected in the Change Manager, lets select the modified slab and click the
Add to Selection button of the Change Manager.
346
Issuing
Lets find out which layouts were affected by this change, probably the floor plan and the section
will have to be re-published.
1 Open the Layout Book and right-click on the topmost item (the Layout Book of the project)
and choose Update. This will update all drawings placed on layouts (the renderings as well!)
and find where the marked elements appear.
347

2 The update is carried out and the affected layouts will be highlighted in the Navigator.
348

Apparently there are more layouts affected than we expected. Remember, the modified slab
element appears on these layouts in some way, that is why the layouts are highlighted. We will
sort out these later. For now, lets open the S-01 Building Section in the View Map and highlight
the slab change visually here as well.
3 Open the Change tool settings. Instead of creating a new change again, change the marker
type to Place linked Marker and choose the Ch-01 Slab change.
A Change can have many revision clouds linked, but revision clouds can belong to one
Change only.
349

4 Click OK and draw the cloud around the slab part in the entrance area. The marker will also
become part of the Element list of the Change Manager.
5 Lets create the revised issue now. Open Issue History in the Change Manager. Click New
Issue and Continue Anyway in the upcoming dialog. Add the name Construction Revision
and click OK.
350

6 The previously highlighted elements of the Layout Book appear in the issue. As mentioned
earlier, some of these layouts might be irrelevant in this case, so lets remove them by clicking
the X mark besides the following:
The same way it is always possible to add layouts manually to an issue if you believe that for
some reason it is relevant by clicking the Add Layout button.
351

7 For now click Close Issue, Continue Anyway and OK to close the dialog. Some of the blue
highlights will disappear from the Navigator - Layout Book.
Those layouts that were marked as changed but were removed manually from the issue are still
highlighted with blue color in the Navigator. These can be used further in a next issue or can be
ignored completely. We will see how to handle these layouts later.
If you want to publish the revised layouts you can do so in the Publisher. The changed items
(both Publisher sets and individual Publisher items) are marked green.
352
Revision History
Now that we have a first round of revisions, we would like to make them appear on the layouts as
a form of documentation as a revision history table, so we can see the revision history of each
published layout. ArchiCAD provides a flexible GDL-object for this purpose.
1 Lets open the A4 Portrait Master Layout from the Layout Book.
2 Activate and open the Object tool settings. Search for Revision History 18 object:
Set rotation angle to 0
In Revision History Settings panel select Additional Display Options and check Show
Watermark on Work in Progress Layouts checkbox.
Layer to Marker - Change
353
354

Click OK and place the Revision History Table into the empty cell of the master layout. Change its
size to fill the cell completely.
3 Pick up the parameters of the Revision History Table with the Pipette and inject them to the
Revision History Table on the A2 Landscape layout.
Open various layouts, the highlighted ones will have a 'Work in Progress' text appearing
above the revision history table meaning that the layouts contain changes that have not been
issued yet.
355
New Issues
Lets change some windows and document the changes in an upcoming issue. We still have some
layouts highlighted and we know that we would not want to use them from now on.
1 Right-click one of the highlighted layouts and choose Layout Settings
2 On the Revision History panel click the X mark besides the Change so it will not be
associated with the layout anymore.
Click OK to close the dialog and repeat the same steps with all remaining highlighted layouts.
Once done, you can continue marking the new noteworthy changes.
356

In This Chapter...
You shared the design with other project participants using 2D and 3D documentation
methods.
You learned the process of creating automatically updated layouts, the concept of publisher
sets and IFC data exchange.
357

Congratulations!
You have completed this Training Guide! We hope that you have learned many new skills while
exploring the modeling and documentation capabilities of ArchiCAD. By now, you should have all
the necessary knowledge to start your own projects with ArchiCAD and complete them
successfully.
If you are interested in the advanced modeling capabilities of ArchiCAD, we suggest that you
complete the ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 4, Advanced ArchiCAD. The following web page
provides additional free training guides in other areas of ArchiCAD, including Building Object
Creation, Collaboration and Modeling:
http://www.graphisoft.com/learning/training_materials
Should you have any questions regarding ArchiCAD or other GRAPHISOFT products, please visit
Graphisoft Help Center, our online knowledge base: helpcenter.graphisoft.com.
Please feel free to contact GRAPHISOFT and its worldwide partners with further questions at
www.graphisoft.com.
The GRAPHISOFT Team
358

Archicad Training Series Vol.3

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Archicad Training Series Vol.3

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ArchiCAD Training Series

Visit the GRAPHISOFT website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 2 - Openings, Stairs and Foundations _____________93

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Foundation Structures ____________________________________ 137

Chapter 3 - Creating Zones _____________________________144

Chapter 4 - Adding Dimensions _________________________168

Adding Radial Dimension__________________________________ 178

Chapter 5 - Adding Accessory Elements __________________192

Chapter 6 - Details and Schedules _______________________214

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Adding Details ___________________________________________ 220

Chapter 7 - Documentation ____________________________241

Chapter 8 - Visualization _______________________________261

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Internal Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

Chapter 9 - Sharing Your Design ________________________294

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 10 - Revision Management _____________________339

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Vol. 1, The ArchiCAD BIM Concept

Vol. 2, Basic ArchiCAD

Vol. 3, Intermediate ArchiCAD

Vol. 4, Advanced ArchiCAD

Vol. 5, Using Teamwork

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Install the required ArchiCAD version.

Open the PDF Guide.

The GRAPHISOFT Team

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

Creating the Site

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

and right-click on the Worksheets item. Select New Independent Worksheet...

and set ID as W-01 and name as Site. Click Create.

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

4 Click Attach and click Skip to select font files if prompted.

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

Modeling the Terrain

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

4 Close the palette.

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 3

Chapter 1 - Creating the Building Envelope

Mesh Height: 2,00 meters