Anyone put together a decent Reflected Ceiling plan using ArchiCad....without drawing every ceiling-related element 4 times.
In other words, is there a way to have soffits show up as dotted lines on and Arch Plan, yet have those same lines become solid when in the Reflected ceiling state? Why should these things be drawn twice - the redundancy and management of these multiple elements is KILLING me!
Thanks in Advance!
I dont know that there is a way to do that with one line. I know the redundany sucks, but it isn't that hard to select everything, copy, past in original position and change the line type and layer. I dont mean to sound, like all, "quit whining" but, at my office we do a lot of tracing over archicad elements...and i havent used any sort of ceiling elements so i might be completely off, and there really might be some easier way to do these things.er...sorry.
The software sucks....bad - in AutoCad you can just change the layer linetype of an xRef and be done. Soffits dotted in Plan, and solid when you make your RCP Sheet. Why not that capability in this complicated software.
Another question - How do you include a Ghost Story in a .PMK ?
i dont think you can...
i dont know though...i have only been using ArchiCAD for about 5 months.
personally, i prefer ArchiCAD to AutoCAD but...yeah, i know not everyone shares my sentiment.
you should contact your ArchiCAD support person on the ghost story question. because i think that would be pretty slick.
in my experience with them they have either had an answer, or told me that it was a feature that would be available in the next release.
Steph - P.S....
It's not whining, it's optimizing an office of fifty people...this redundancy costs us alot per annum.
But thanks for the reminder of what we are currently doing, while looking for a solution...
Cheers.
Yeah, the ghost story is helpful when doing a lighting or electrical design, etc.
It will show up (i'm sure you know) when printing straight from ArchiCad (by selecting "print ghost story"). But something gets lost in the .pln > .pmk translation...Why oh why soooo many files? Our server if filling up fast with all these files!!! (I'm not whining)
i know you're not whining! :)
i dont know how you import stuff into plotmaker, but in plotmaker you can import a plp and then select a view, which i think is much more time efficent than making pmk's because plotmaker automatically updates the views. and you dont have to deal with the publishing aspect in archicad.
i dont know if the ghost story shows up that way, but it's a solution i just thought of...
We're using the ArchaiCAD method:
ArchiCAD 7.0 with the 3.1 Plotmaker we got with ArchiCAD 8.1.....
Haven't switched over completely yet....it'll be nice to drop the .pmk's, but I also heard Using ArchieCAD 8.1 + Plotmaker 3.1 as they are packaged is Terribly slow due to the demand loading..I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime....
hmmm....yeah i am working with 8.1 and 3.1
when you are working with the views and not the pmk's it does take a while for plotmaker to update. but it does it in the background. so you can still do work while it is updating. personally, i think it saves time given you only have to wait for it to update when you open plotmaker, as opposed to waiting for ArchiCAD to publish and then waiting while you open plotmaker, and if you forgot something then flipping between the two...
Raj - It's a nightmare. There are so many exchange anomalies, that the engineers think we don't know how to draw. Non-intersecting walls, text substitution, exploded fills. The software and correspondence is a disaster.
i agree with bloodclot. autocad is so much easier. it's called "layer manager". one file, two drawings, no headaches, and the day ends so much sooner. not familiar with archicad, but it should have 'something' similar?...yes, no?
i am a convert. i really enjoy working in 3d...it is like being able to work in both autocad and 3d studio at the same time.
most importantly i have been able to convince clients on the fence by showing them 3d images...WITHOUT them having to pay for them.
yeah there are issues...mainly with trying to distribute drawings to people still stuck in the world of 2d! but i will take an engineer thinking i can't draw...but have a beautiful project ANY DAY!
archifreak, as for the conversion there is a converter...but i am finding that it is a little more complex (or stupider not sure which) than i thought.
The issue with ArchiCAD is that it is "Object Based"
Working drawings are two-dimensional.
3D Models are not working drawings.
While I can appreciate a good rendering or mass model, you cannot build from them. Until ArchiCAD employs layer-based lineweight associations, it's a real loser. AutoDesk Architectural Desktop does everything ArchiCAD does with the exception of 'Stories'.
Maybe they <Autodesk> can update with multiple Model space tabs for stories like they do Layout tabs, and ArchiCAD will be further removed.
You can organise your drawings in layer combinations just like in autoCad. ArchiCad is excellent in this, have used its various versions fro five yeas now.
There is a facility inbuilt in the software to convert drawings to AotoCad for Engineers and back to ArchiCad. But when you convert from AutoCad to Archicad you do not get the 3D aspects.
ArchiCAD employs layer-based lineweight associations, but you create them yourself from the layer tool.
Most of the people bagging ArchiCAD seem to be doing so out of ignorence.
ArchiCAD is not perfect ofcourse... But the moment you have finished your floor plan, you can get your elevations, sections, 3D perspective views, 3D Parallel views, sun studies, sun diagrams, windows and doors schedules etc etc out at a glance..
With Autocad, at the end, all you have is lines....
Nefarious,
Thanks for your input. We do high rises, so each "roof" would be the story above...I will try the slab thing, but we like doing working drawings "flat" so the 3d info is a bit extranneous at this point....I will try it, it sounds like a feasible way to do it if the objects are isolated on a layer (manageable)
Thanks Again!
Sep 7, 04 10:07 am ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
ArchiCAD Woes - Reflected Ceiling Plans
Anyone put together a decent Reflected Ceiling plan using ArchiCad....without drawing every ceiling-related element 4 times.
In other words, is there a way to have soffits show up as dotted lines on and Arch Plan, yet have those same lines become solid when in the Reflected ceiling state? Why should these things be drawn twice - the redundancy and management of these multiple elements is KILLING me!
Thanks in Advance!
I dont know that there is a way to do that with one line. I know the redundany sucks, but it isn't that hard to select everything, copy, past in original position and change the line type and layer. I dont mean to sound, like all, "quit whining" but, at my office we do a lot of tracing over archicad elements...and i havent used any sort of ceiling elements so i might be completely off, and there really might be some easier way to do these things.er...sorry.
The software sucks....bad - in AutoCad you can just change the layer linetype of an xRef and be done. Soffits dotted in Plan, and solid when you make your RCP Sheet. Why not that capability in this complicated software.
Another question - How do you include a Ghost Story in a .PMK ?
i dont think you can...
i dont know though...i have only been using ArchiCAD for about 5 months.
personally, i prefer ArchiCAD to AutoCAD but...yeah, i know not everyone shares my sentiment.
you should contact your ArchiCAD support person on the ghost story question. because i think that would be pretty slick.
in my experience with them they have either had an answer, or told me that it was a feature that would be available in the next release.
Steph - P.S....
It's not whining, it's optimizing an office of fifty people...this redundancy costs us alot per annum.
But thanks for the reminder of what we are currently doing, while looking for a solution...
Cheers.
Yeah, the ghost story is helpful when doing a lighting or electrical design, etc.
It will show up (i'm sure you know) when printing straight from ArchiCad (by selecting "print ghost story"). But something gets lost in the .pln > .pmk translation...Why oh why soooo many files? Our server if filling up fast with all these files!!! (I'm not whining)
i know you're not whining! :)
i dont know how you import stuff into plotmaker, but in plotmaker you can import a plp and then select a view, which i think is much more time efficent than making pmk's because plotmaker automatically updates the views. and you dont have to deal with the publishing aspect in archicad.
i dont know if the ghost story shows up that way, but it's a solution i just thought of...
Which version of Plotmaker are you using - we're weaning off 7.0 into 8.1 now - but not completely.....
sorry Plotmaker 3.0 with Archicad 7.0 > ArchiCad 8.1
you should have 3.1 w/ 8.1
i started off with 8.0, and then went to 8.1. maybe the plp thing isn't in 3.0? i don't know.
but i haven't run into any problems with it yet.
We're using the ArchaiCAD method:
ArchiCAD 7.0 with the 3.1 Plotmaker we got with ArchiCAD 8.1.....
Haven't switched over completely yet....it'll be nice to drop the .pmk's, but I also heard Using ArchieCAD 8.1 + Plotmaker 3.1 as they are packaged is Terribly slow due to the demand loading..I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime....
hmmm....yeah i am working with 8.1 and 3.1
when you are working with the views and not the pmk's it does take a while for plotmaker to update. but it does it in the background. so you can still do work while it is updating. personally, i think it saves time given you only have to wait for it to update when you open plotmaker, as opposed to waiting for ArchiCAD to publish and then waiting while you open plotmaker, and if you forgot something then flipping between the two...
plotmaker is still a rather obtuse program...but in my opinion 100x better than 7.0s pmk thing...
i would say it takes the same time to save all of the pmk's as it does to load in the background...but it is like an xref.
hey how do you handle the ACAD transfer?
when ever i do it the files are HUGE and the engineers have trouble openning and working with them. (esp elevations with patterns)
i know a way....
STOP USING ARCHICAD
:P
Raj - It's a nightmare. There are so many exchange anomalies, that the engineers think we don't know how to draw. Non-intersecting walls, text substitution, exploded fills. The software and correspondence is a disaster.
i agree with bloodclot. autocad is so much easier. it's called "layer manager". one file, two drawings, no headaches, and the day ends so much sooner. not familiar with archicad, but it should have 'something' similar?...yes, no?
i am a convert. i really enjoy working in 3d...it is like being able to work in both autocad and 3d studio at the same time.
most importantly i have been able to convince clients on the fence by showing them 3d images...WITHOUT them having to pay for them.
yeah there are issues...mainly with trying to distribute drawings to people still stuck in the world of 2d! but i will take an engineer thinking i can't draw...but have a beautiful project ANY DAY!
archifreak, as for the conversion there is a converter...but i am finding that it is a little more complex (or stupider not sure which) than i thought.
The issue with ArchiCAD is that it is "Object Based"
Working drawings are two-dimensional.
3D Models are not working drawings.
While I can appreciate a good rendering or mass model, you cannot build from them. Until ArchiCAD employs layer-based lineweight associations, it's a real loser. AutoDesk Architectural Desktop does everything ArchiCAD does with the exception of 'Stories'.
Maybe they <Autodesk> can update with multiple Model space tabs for stories like they do Layout tabs, and ArchiCAD will be further removed.
You can organise your drawings in layer combinations just like in autoCad. ArchiCad is excellent in this, have used its various versions fro five yeas now.
There is a facility inbuilt in the software to convert drawings to AotoCad for Engineers and back to ArchiCad. But when you convert from AutoCad to Archicad you do not get the 3D aspects.
ArchiCAD employs layer-based lineweight associations, but you create them yourself from the layer tool.
oh wow. i loved this little discourse. the various attributes of autocad vs. archicad...intriguing. thanks.
i think we need to have a thread just for that. a discussion on the advantages, differences, similarities, compatabilities...
Most of the people bagging ArchiCAD seem to be doing so out of ignorence.
ArchiCAD is not perfect ofcourse... But the moment you have finished your floor plan, you can get your elevations, sections, 3D perspective views, 3D Parallel views, sun studies, sun diagrams, windows and doors schedules etc etc out at a glance..
With Autocad, at the end, all you have is lines....
ArchAngel
I assume you are putting your roof on a seperate story...
Put the sofits on the roof story and make them out of slab, make sure that the soffits have "Show on story below" chosen.
They will now show as dotted lines on the story below when you do your relected ceiling plan.
Unless I misunderstood your question that should solve your problem.
Nefarious,
Thanks for your input. We do high rises, so each "roof" would be the story above...I will try the slab thing, but we like doing working drawings "flat" so the 3d info is a bit extranneous at this point....I will try it, it sounds like a feasible way to do it if the objects are isolated on a layer (manageable)
Thanks Again!
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.