ArchiCAD in 30 Minutes

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Discover ArchiCAD ArchiCAD in 30 Minutes Training Guide U.S. Version

Transcript of ArchiCAD in 30 Minutes

Discover ArchiCADArchiCAD in 30 Minutes

Training Guide

U.S. Version

Graphisoft

Visit the Graphisoft website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor andproduct availability information.

Discover ArchiCAD Training Guide (U.S. Version)

Copyright ©2003 by Graphisoft, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing ortranslation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited.First printing.

Trademarks

ArchiCAD and ArchiFM are registered trademarks and PlotMaker, Virtual Building,StairMaker and GDL are trademarks of Graphisoft.All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

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Contents

ContentsDiscover ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Step 02. Working with Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Step 03. Completing the Building Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Step 04. Developing the Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Step 06. Adding Internal Circulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Step 07. Defining Room Usage and Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Step 08. Adding Final Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Step 09. Measuring and Costing the Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clients and Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55The Next Step – Empowering Your Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

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Contents

Discover ArchiCAD Training Guide

Discover ArchiCAD: The Virtual Building Made Easy

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Discover ArchiCAD

The Virtual Building Made EasyThis booklet is designed to show you how easy it is to use an objectmodel: in just half an hour your building will be complete. The ArchiCADsystem delivers high quality designs and documentation for your clientsand project partners. The ArchiCAD Virtual Building uses concepts youwork with daily, such as walls, doors, slabs, and roofs. The followingdemonstration reflects the way you design traditionally, but instead ofdrafting in 2D, the program uses intelligent objects with three-dimensionalgeometry and other attributes.

The ArchiCAD in 30 Minutes CD-ROM contains a demo version of thesoftware offering full functionality, excluding only the Save and Printfunctions. After installing the software on your computer you are ready tostart the 10 steps contained within this guide. Should you choose tocomplete the steps in more than one session, an ArchiCAD project file foreach step is available in the ArchiCAD 8 Demo/ArchiCAD in 30 Minutesfolder, as you cannot save your work. Simply open the file correspondingto the step you are about to begin: the plan will reflect all the steps up tothe end of the previous step.

The building you will create is a small showroom with exhibition space onthe ground floor, an upper gallery, and the usual amenities for staff andvisitors.

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Discover ArchiCAD: The Virtual Building Made Easy

The ground floor plan will look like this. The different user interfaceelements will help you during the construction of the building.

The Coordinate Box displays information about the current position ofthe cursor related to the global or the local origin, and allows control overthe status of the grid system and the Gravity tool.

The Toolbox on the left edge of the screen shows a variety of Tools forselection, 3D construction, 2D drawing and visualization.

The Info Box gives you instant feedback on construction elements. Itallows you to reach the settings of any element and directly modify theirparameters while displaying the icon of the active Tool together with itscurrent Construction and Geometry Methods.

The Control Box contains a number of drawing aids in the form of icons.Options include Relative Construction Methods, Cursor Snap and SpecialSnap Points, the Suspend Groups switch and the Magic Wand Tool forconversion between element types. When maximized, the Control Boxalso includes a Prompt Box displaying messages on the next actionexpected from you.

The Navigator palette gives you instant access to all documents stored ina project file including stories, sections, elevations, details, 3D views and

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Discover ArchiCAD: The Virtual Building Made Easy

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element schedules. It also provides an easy-to-use interface to arrange theproject into typical documentation sets, like planning submissions, tendersor construction drawing issues. You can also use the Navigator palette forpublishing these documentation sets.

The Navigation Buttons, available next to the horizontal Scroll Bar, areshortcuts to the Display Menu’s commands. Use these buttons to quicklychange the display, and to access the Scale Level and Navigator palette.

Using all the above described interface items, you will start constructingthe building in the Floor Plan Window. With the help of this guide’s easy-to-follow instructions, you will complete the design in less time than youthink. The primary dimensions are in feet and inches; however, you caneasily change them to other dimension formats or to metric units in thePreferences menu.

We hope you will enjoy our quick tour into the world of the VirtualBuilding and that, by the end of the session, you will discover the benefitsof a true model-based CAD system!

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

Step 01. Establishing the Base Building LayoutOpen the file 01.pln from the ArchiCAD 8 Demo/ArchiCAD in 30 Minutesfolder. The floor plan appears in the active window.

The first step is to draw the ground floor slab of the building, which willbe 30’ by 18’ in plan. Use the preset 3’ square planning grid to help youconstruct the slab, by easily snapping to its intersection points.

Hint: The different grid snap options can be switched on and off usingthe control button on the Coordinate Box or the menu items from theOptions menu. When any of the snap options is switched on, thecursor moves (“snaps”) from one grid intersection to another.

To draw the slab, do the following:

- Switch on the grid snap (select the third icon in the popup palettefrom the grid snap options in the Coordinate Box).

- Select the Slab tool in the Toolbox.- Select the rectangular geometry method from the

Info Box.- Click on the origin indicated by a black X on the Floor Plan.- Click for the second time to finish the slab covering 10 grid squares

horizontally and 6 vertically.

Hint: To change the view of the plan, choose the Zoom in, Zoom out,Pan, or Fit in Window commands from the Display menu, and eitherdouble-click on the plan or draw a marquee to define the extent of themagnification. Alternatively, use the magnifying glass/palm iconsfrom the bottom of the window or the mouse scroll button for real-timepan and zoom functions.

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At any time, a three-dimensional view of what is on the Floor Plan can beeasily seen by opening the 3D window. To switch to the 3D Window,double-click on Generic Axonometry under the 3D folder in Navigator, orgo to the Window menu/3D Window command.

Hint: If you made a mistake, choose Undo from Edit menu. To deletean element, select it with the arrow tool and hit the backspace buttonon the keyboard.

To select something on the floor plan, use the mouse cursor. If theArrow tool is active, simply click on one of the element’s points. (Toadd/remove more elements to the selection, hold down the Shiftbutton while selecting them). When another tool is active, press theShift button to activate the selection method.

Now place walls around the sides of the slab here in the 3D Window. Usethe magic wand feature to trace the perimeter of the slab andautomatically place walls on it.

To place walls on the sides of the slab:

- Select the Wall tool in the Toolbox.

- Select the Magic Wand icon in the Control Box.

- Click on the front edge of the slab with the cursor (the Magic Wandicon will change to a wand with a loop indicating that you aresnapping to a line).

- Click on one of the top corner points of the slab to finish placingthe walls.

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

Hint: The 3D Navigation Palette helps you navigate in the 3Dwindow. The Editing-Motion buttons are available depending on thetype of the view (perspective/axonometric); the Motion Mode buttonsallow for changing between view types. To navigate in an axonometricview, select the fourth button under Editing-Motion (as shown) andclick outside the rectangle in the 3D Window.

Go back to the Floor Plan (Window menu/Floor Plan or double-click on0. Story from the Stories folder in Navigator). Notice that the walls haveappeared on the plan.

Now construct a curved block wall to the north of the building for theentrance enclosure.

To do this, first change the wall type to a block wall:

- Double-click on the Wall tool in the Toolbox to bring up the WallSettings dialog box.

- Change the thickness of the wall from 1’ to 1’ 2”.

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

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- Change the “Face Brick” hatching type to “Masonry Block” under“Floor Plan and Section” (the hatches are listed in alphabetical order).

- Change the “White-Brick” material to “Stone Block” for the internaland external sides and to “Stone Block Coping” for the edges of thewall under “Model”.

- Click OK.Place the curved wall shown in the picture below. The curvature will bedefined by 3 points, all of which will be grid intersection points.

Hint: When drawing the line of the wall, after a first click a heavyblack line follows the cursor like a rubberband. This ‘rubberband’ lineis the reference line for the wall, and the position of the wall is in apredefined respect to it. The reference line is used to connect wallssmoothly and helps locate the walls with the cursor.

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

To draw the curved wall:

- Choose the relevant curved wall icon (2nd icon inthe 2nd row) from the geometry methods in the Info Box.

- Change the construction method as shown in thepicture.

- Click on the grid intersection points in the order shown in thepicture (the third and the fourth clicks are on the same point).Hint: You can get instant step-by-step instructions of the drafting andediting procedures in the maximized state of the Control Box.Following these instructions eases the drawing procedure and reducesthe number of errors.

It is easy to modify the length of this curved wall by stretching both ends:

- Switch off grid snap. (Select the first icon from the gridsnap options in the Coordinate Box as shown in the picture).

- Select the wall (Select the Arrow tool and click on a side or acorner of the wall to highlight it. The appearing black dots around thewall confirm it has been selected).

- Choose Edit menu and Stretch.- Click on the hotspot (on the side of the wall’s reference line) on the

right end of the curved wall and make it approximately half a gridlonger as shown in the picture (the cursor will change from an emptypencil symbol to a black one when snapping to a hotspot).

- Repeat for the other end of the wall.Next, place four columns to create a veranda on the south side of thebuilding. The first and the last column will align with the two side walls (placethem on a grid intersection); they will be equally placed and run parallel tothe front wall. Place the first column and then replicate it for the rest.

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To place the first column

- Switch on the grid snap.- Select the Column tool in the Toolbox.- Click on the grid intersection point two grid spaces below the

bottom left corner of the house (point no. 1).

Notice that the column has been placed on the grid intersection point onthe Floor Plan.

The next step is to replicate it parallel to the front wall:

- Switch off the grid snap.- Select the column.- Select the Multiply command from Edit/Multiply.

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

- Enter 3 as the number of copies, choose the Distribute method andhit OK.

- Click on one of the selection dots on the right side of the column anddrag the rubber line horizontally, toward the right end of the building.

- Hold down the Shift key. You can see you are now constraining thehorizontal direction and the columns will be placed parallel to the sideof the building.

- Position the cursor over the bottom right corner of the building (yourcursor will change to a check mark indicating that it will snap to ahotspot) so that the last copy will be aligned with the end of the building.

- Click to finish the Multiply command.Hint: The mouse constraints help draw elements in a specificrelationship to existing elements and preset directions. They aresimilar to traditional rulers and triangles. Two Mouse Constraintmechanisms are available: Coordinate Constraints are used to lockany of the Coordinate Box parameters, and Angle Pairs are used to

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

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lock the cursor at a particular drawing angle. These techniquesfacilitate the use of all the 2D/3D drafting tools.

Click outside the building to deselect the column. Go to the 3D Windowto see the result in axonometry.

Hint: The Intelligent Cursor helps you identify special points (end,corner points, edges, etc.) and points of geometric relationships ofelements (perpendicular, tangential, crossings) within the buildingand to show that special tools (magic wand, eyedropper, etc.) areeffective at the moment.

Now return to the Floor Plan to design the external paving around thehouse. It will be of a timber decking construction so the next step is tochange the slab height, hatching type and materials. After that place arectangular slab around the building; lastly cut a hole into the slab for thefootprint of the building.

To change the slab settings:

- Double-click on the Slab tool in the Toolbox.- Enter 6” as the thickness of the slab.

- Change the hatching type in the “Section Attributes” to “Dot andDashed.”

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Step 01. Establishing the Base Building Layout

- Change the top and the side materials in the “Model Attributes” to“Timber Boarding External” and the bottom to “Surface Concrete”.

- Click OK.

To place the slab:

- Switch on the grid snap.- Click to the grid intersection at point no. 1 to start drawing the

rectangular slab.- Click to the grid intersection at point no. 2 to finish drawing the slab.

To cut a hole in the slab:

- Select the slab.- Make sure the Slab tool is active in the Toolbox.- Click to the grid intersection at point no. 3 to start drawing the

rectangular hole of the slab.- Click to the grid intersection at point no. 4 to finish drawing the hole

of the slab.- Click outside the slab to deselect it.

Check the result in the 3D Window.

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Step 02. Working with Stories

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Step 02. Working with StoriesStories provide a “physical” separation of elements according to theirvertical level. Each story has a unique Floor Plan window in which youplace elements, just as architects use separate plans for the different storiesof a building.

In this step you will define the story structure for the Showroom building.

Two stories are required: the ground floor we have worked on so far, andan upper Gallery. Open the Story Settings dialog box to create the stories,define their heights, and copy and paste elements among them.

To create the stories:

- Go back to the Floor Plan.- Click on the Stories folder in Navigator with the right mouse button

(Ctrl+Click on the Mac) and select the Story Settings menu. Or selectOptions/Stories/Story Settings from the pull-down menus.

- Enter “Ground Floor” as the name for story no. 0.- Click Insert above to create a new story above it.- Enter “Gallery” as the name for story no. 1 and change its “Height to

Next” value to 9’-6”.The next step is to copy all the walls from the ground floor and pastethem into the gallery:

- Highlight the Ground Floor story.- Click on the Copy All button.- Highlight the Gallery story.- Make sure only the wall types are selected above the Paste Selected

Types button.- Click on Paste Selected Types.- Click OK to close the dialog.

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Step 02. Working with Stories

You are now on the Gallery story and as you can see the walls have beencopied from the ground floor. (The name of the story is written in thewindow’s title bar after the file name). To easily navigate between stories,just double-click the relevant story under the Stories folder in Navigator.

Open the 3D Window again to check the progress:

The texture of the construction elements can be made visible in the3D window. To see how the building looks with the mortar joints and thefloor boarding shown:

- Select Image menu/3D Window Settings.- Switch Vectorial 3D Hatching to On in the Effects section of the

dialog box.

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Step 02. Working with Stories

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To construct the slab of the gallery, return to the Gallery story. It will beof a light timber joist construction, different from that used for the groundfloor slab, so first the settings for the Slab tool need to be changed.

To change the slab settings:

- Double-click on the Slab tool in the Toolbox.- Change the thickness of the slab to 8”.- Change the hatching type to “Empty fill” under “Section”.- Change the bottom and the side materials under “Model” to

“Surface White” and the top material to “Timber BoardingInternal”.

- Click OK.Now everything is set for placing the gallery slab. The slab will only spanto half the depth of the building, leaving a void so that one can look downfrom the gallery to the exhibition space of the ground floor.

To place the slab:

- Switch off the grid snap.- Select the Slab tool in the Toolbox.- Click on the inside corner point of the top left wall corner to start

drawing the slab (point no. 1 in the picture).- Move the cursor over the inside line of the east side wall to bring up a

snap point in the middle of the wall (above point no. 2 the cursor willchange from an empty pencil sign to a pencil with a line inside it,indicating that it is snapping to a line).

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Step 02. Working with Stories

- Click on the snap point in the middle of the wall to finish the slab(point no. 2 the cursor will change from a pencil with a line inside itto a black pencil sign to indicate it is snapping to a point).

Hint: Special snap points help you to find special points on thedrawings. These snap points can be pre-defined divisions/distances oflines/arcs, center point of arcs, and parallel and perpendicularlocations from elements.

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Step 03. Completing the Building Envelope

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Step 03. Completing the Building EnvelopeThis section explains the steps to put a roof over the building. It will be asemi-pitched roof giving enough headroom over the floor of the galleryand will have a wide overhang supported by columns to create a south-facing veranda at the front.

To construct the roof on the gallery level, it is necessary to see thecolumns below on the ground floor. Contents of remote stories can bemade visible on the active story by using the “Ghost story” feature. Toswitch on the “Ghost Story,” click on the Stories folder with the mouseright button in Navigator to bring up the context menu (Ctrl Click on theMac) and select the Show Ghost Story menu (or select Options/Stories/Show Ghost Story). Now the content of the Ground Floor is visible by alight yellow color on the plan of the Gallery. The elements of the Ghoststory cannot be edited, but they can be used as snap points in constructingnew elements.

Before starting, open the Roof Settings dialog box to select the type of

roof. To open the dialog box, double-click on the Roof tool in the

Toolbox.

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Step 03. Completing the Building Envelope

The angle of the roof will be 18 degrees, its thickness 8” and its pivotline will be at 13’ above the project Zero level (3’-6” from the Gallerylevel), as shown in the picture. Click OK.

To construct a roof, first define its pivot line (which is the intersection lineof the roof plane and the horizontal plane at the height defined in thedialog). Then define from which side of the pivot line the roof will slopeupward (at the angle defined in the dialog box), and lastly draw theoutline of the roof (which is its projection to the horizontal plane).

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Step 03. Completing the Building Envelope

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To start constructing the roof:

- Switch on the grid snap.

- Select the rectangular geometry method in the

Info Box.- Click on the external corner point of the bottom left wall corner

(point no. 1) to start the pivot line.- Click on the external corner point of the bottom right wall corner

(point no. 2) to finish drawing the pivot line.- Click above the pivot line with the eye icon (point no. 3) to define

the uphill slope direction of the roof.- Click on the grid intersection point at point no. 4 to start drawing the

outline of the roof.- Click on the grid intersection point at point no. 5 to finish drawing

the outline of the roof.Open the 3D Window to see how the roof looks.

Now you can trim the walls and the columns to the roof:

- Select the roof in the 3D Window (click on it with the Arrow tool).- Select the Edit/Trim to Roof menu point.

- Click Trim in the dialog box.The columns and walls have now been trimmed to the underside of theroof.

Finally return to the Floor Plan.

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Step 04. Developing the Design

Step 04. Developing the DesignCut a cross section through the building to see how the design looks.Simply place the section/elevation line on the Floor Plan: ArchiCAD willgenerate the sectional/elevational view of the building. Any modificationsto the model in the Section/Elevation Window will be updatedautomatically in all other views of the building.

To place a section through the building:

- Switch on the grid snap (to help you quickly define the section linelocation).

- Go down to the Ground Floor Plan.- Select the Section tool in the Toolbox.- Click on point no. 1 as shown to start drawing the section line on the

Floor Plan.- Double-click on point no. 2-3 as shown to finish drawing the

section line.- Click to the right of the section line (point no. 4 as shown) with the

eye icon to determine which direction the section will face.

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Step 04. Developing the Design

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After placing the section, open the section window by double-clicking theA/1 Model section under Sections/Elevations folder in Navigator (orWindow/ Sections/Elevations/’A/1 Section’/Model), and ArchiCAD willgenerate the section of the model automatically.

The next step is to create the north and the west elevation of the building.The elements can be shown with or without textures. Sun shadows can becast on them in the elevation windows.

To place the elevations:

- Double-click on the Section/Elevation tool in the Toolbox to bringup the Section/Elevation Settings dialog box.

- Enter “Elevation” to the Name field.- Enter E/1 as the Reference ID.

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Step 04. Developing the Design

- Check the Vectorial 3D Hatching and the Vectorial Sun Shadowsoptions under the Model Effects.

- Place the elevations as shown (ArchiCAD will automatically numberthem).

- Switch off the grid snap.

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Next, open the west elevation and place some level dimensions on it.

- Open up E1 Elevation.

- Select the Dimension tool in the Toolbox.

- Select the height dimensioning icon from the

construction methods in the Info Box.

- Select the multiple height dimensioning icon

from the geometry methods.- Click to the points (1-2-3) as shown in the picture to dimension .- Double-click anywhere (e.g. to points no. 4-5). The Hammer cursor

will come up.- Click with the Hammer cursor to place the chain of dimensions on

the section (point no. 6).Open up the “north” elevation for another view of the building. As youdesign the building, the project documentation is being createdsimultaneously.

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Step 04. Developing the Design

Draw the same type of wall as the external walls of the building for theentrance. In ArchiCAD you can easily pick up an element’s characteristicsand transfer them into the Toolbox (to start drawing a new element withthe same settings) or to other elements in the project (to change them tothe settings acquired from another element).

Let’s pick up the settings of the external walls:

- Select the Wall tool in the Toolbox.- Hold down the Alt key (the cursor will change to a pipette tool) while

clicking on a side of one of the straight walls (a beep will sound asthe action is carried out).

Now the settings are correct for the brick wall, and only the height valueneeds to be changed. Double-click on the Wall tool in the Toolbox andchange the height value to 8’-6”.

Draw the front and the back wall of the entrance enclosure with thehelp of the grid snap.

- Switch on the grid snap.

- Select the straight wall geometry method.

- Select the following construction method.

- Click to the grid intersection point no. 1 to start drawing the wall.- Click to the grid intersection point no. 2 to finish the wall.

In the same way, draw the back wall starting from point no. 3 andfinishing at point no. 4. Just make sure the correct construction method ischosen in order to place the wall with its reference line on the outside.

Rebuild the floor plan view (Choose Window/ Rebuild) to get a neat wallcross-section (optional).

Hint: The Redraw command (Display/Redraw) will remove alltemporary screen display graphics remaining from transformations

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and deletions during construction. The Rebuild command (Display/Rebuild) starts a more thorough screen update - it will also refresh thewall intersections and draw them correctly.

The next step is to draw some partitions. Open up the Wall Settingsdialog box and change the thickness of the wall settings to 4” and thelayer from “Exterior walls” to “Interior walls”. Draw the partition in themiddle of the space as shown.

Hint: ArchiCAD layers are used to organize the elements in yourproject for selective displays and quantity calculations. You can easilychange the layer settings (show/hide, lock/unlock layers and createdifferent layer combinations) from the Options/Layers/Layer Settingspull-down menu.

Now draw the partition of the future toilet at 3’-0” wide; enter thecoordinate values manually:

- Switch off the grid snap.- Position the cursor over the right corner point of the wall junction as

shown (point no. 1).- Type in x from the keyboard (Note that the x coordinate is

highlighted).

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Step 04. Developing the Design

- Type in 3’-0” + (i.e. plus sign) from the keyboard and hit the Enterkey. Note that you are now drawing a wall from point no. 2 (3’-0” tothe right of point no. 1).

- Use the shift key to draw a vertical wall and click on the internal sideof the curved wall to finish the wall (point no. 3).

Go up to the floor plan of the Gallery and place a flat roof over theentrance to finish the building envelope.

Open the Slab Settings dialog box and set the thickness of the slab to1’, the top material to “Timber boarding External,” the side materialto “White Brick” and the bottom material to “Surface-White”.

To draw the slab over the entrance:

- Select the polygonal geometry method.

- Click on the external corner points of the front and back walls(points 1, 2, 3) to place straight segments of the slab polygon asshown in the picture.

- For the curved segment, choose the fourth icon from the left fromthe pet palette after clicking on point no. 3.

- Click on point no. 4 to determine the second point of the arc.- Click on the internal edge of the curved wall to determine the

radius of the arc.- Click again on point no. 4 to finish the arc.- Click on point no. 5 to finish drawing the polygon of the slab.

Now check the progress in the cross section. Open the Section A/1window. The curved wall will serve as a parapet wall to the balcony;lower it to a height of 4’:

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- Switch off the grid snap.- Select the top part of the curved wall.

- Enter 4’ as the top height value:

Open the elevations to check how the modification affects the facades.Notice how the elevations have been updated with the dimensions.

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

Step 05. Working with Doors and WindowsIt is time now to develop the design further by adding openings to thebuilding. ArchiCAD’s door and window objects are parametric library parts;by changing their parameters, their properties change. The parameters canbe modified in the Door/Window/Object Settings dialog box.

Now return to the Ground floor plan and start placing doors to achievethe layout as shown below.

Double-click the Door tool in the Toolbox to bring up itssettings dialog (select the Door/Window tool in the Toolbox and holddown the mouse button to shift between the tools). Choose ExternalDoor from the library, browse through the parameters and see what effectthey will have on the 2D and 3D representations. Click Cancel (to makesure the settings remain as they were when you opened the dialog box).

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Place the entrance door in the middle of the front wall of the entranceenclosure:

- Select the center point geometry method.

- Hold the cursor over the external side of the front wall to bring up aspecial snap point in the middle of it.

- Click on the snap point (point no. 1).- Click above and to the right from the center point of the door to

define the opening direction (point no. 2).Select the Internal Door from the door dialog box for the door openinginto the Exhibition space:

- Select the corner point geometry method.

- Click to place the door on the internal corner point of the walljunction as shown (point no. 1).

- Click to the right of it to define the door position (point no. 2).- Click below and to the left of its center to define the opening direction

(point no. 3).

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

Use the same door type for the entrance to the washroom (on the far sideof the entrance enclosure). For the door to the toilet, change the width to3’ and the reveal value to 0 (shown on the left of the preview picture inthe dialog) and optionally choose another panel style.

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Place it by eye as shown in the picture above.

Now place windows into the curved wall of the entrance enclosure.

- Choose the Window tool in the Toolbox.

- Select “Window Square” in the dialog box.- Select the center point geometry method.- Click to point no. 1 by eye to start placing the window.- Click above the wall (point no. 2) to define the window opening

direction.In similar fashion, place additional windows by eye into the other tworooms of the entrance enclosure.

For the glazed walls of the exhibition space, we’ll use sliding doors:

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

Choose the Sliding Door in the door dialog, set the reveal value to 4”and select the corner point geometry method to place a door on bothsides of the bottom left corner of the exhibition space:

- Click to the inside corner point of the bottom left wall junction (pointno. 1 in the picture).

- Click with the cursor (double eye shape) above the corner (point no.2 in the picture) to define into which wall the door will be placed.

- Click with the cursor (eye shape) outside the wall (point no. 3 in thepicture) to define its opening direction.

- To place the second sliding door, repeat the steps above, only thistime click to the right at step no. 2 with the double eye cursor.

Next, replicate the sliding door in the southern wall:

- Select the door (click one of the corner points of the door with thearrow tool; point no. 1).

- Hold down the mouse key over point no. 2 to bring up the petpalette.

- Select the second icon from the right in the pet palette to activate theMultiply command.

- Type in ’2’ as the number of copies, select the Distribute methodand Click OK.

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

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- Click on one of the selection dots on its right side (point no. 2).- Move the cursor to the inside corner point of the bottom right wall

junction (the cursor is in the shape of a checkmark (point no. 3).- Click to finish the Multiply command.

Place the last sliding door at the corner of the eastern wall.

Deselect the door and switch to the 3D Window to check the progress ofthe building.

The next step is to check the dimensions of the walls and the openings.With the automatic dimensioning feature all the walls and the openings ofyour building can be dimensioned with just a few clicks. Simply select theitems/points to be dimensioned and ArchiCAD will do the rest:

- Go back to the Ground Floor Plan.- Select the Dimension tool in the Toolbox and make sure the first

length dimensioning icon is selected in the InfoBox.

- Select all the walls (select the Wall tool in the Toolbox and chooseEdit/Select All Walls).

- Select Tools/Automatic Dimensioning/Exterior Dimensioningand enter the following values:

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

- Click OK.- Click on the external side of the southern wall to define the direction

of the dimensions (point no. 1).- Click below the wall with the hammer icon to define the distance of

the first row of dimensions (point no. 2).

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

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Note that the rows of dimensions have been placed around the four sidesof the building. In ArchiCAD all dimensions are associative, meaning thatif you change an element that was dimensioned previously, thedimenstions will also change to reflect the modifications.

How does this layout look in cross section? Check it on Section A/1.

Note that the door is a bit too wide; it’s better to align it with the edge ofthe gallery slab.

- Select the sliding door.- Select Edit menu/Stretch.- Click on the top left corner of the door to start stretching it.- Move the cursor out in the horizontal direction and hold down the

shift key to constrain the horizontal movement.- Click on either corner point of the edge of the slab (cursor is in the

shape of a checkmark as shown above).Go back to the Floor Plan: Note that the dimensions have beenautomatically updated on the plan following the modification in thesection window.

Select the sliding door on the other side and stretch it similarly; thistime, do it on the plan to align it with the dashed line of the gallery slab.

The next step is to design the openings of the gallery.

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Step 05. Working with Doors and Windows

Switch off the Show Ghost Story option (deselect Options/Stories/Show Ghost Story) and the grid display (deselect Options/ Grid Display),because from now on this won’t be used.

Place the same door as the entrance door (External Door) for the door tothe balcony, square windows in the northern wall, and the “WindowRound” in both sidewalls of the gallery (enter 2’ as the parapet heightfor the round window).

Open the north elevation and modify some of the windows:

- Stretch the square window of the entrance room on the NorthElevation.

- Replicate the window above the balcony.

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Step 06. Adding Internal Circulation

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Step 06. Adding Internal CirculationTo add a staircase to reach the gallery, select one from ArchiCAD’s library:

- Return to the Ground Floor.- Double-click on the Stair tool in the Toolbox to bring up the

Stair Settings dialog box.- From the parameter list on the left, switch on Brakeline, and set Line

Type above Breakline to Full from the 2D Representation parametergroup to adjust the desired 2D representation parameters of the stair.

- Check in the Show on: One Story Up option under “Preview andPositioning” to see the staircase one story above.

- Select “Stairs” from the layers pop-up menu.- Check how the staircase looks in 3D in the preview window.- Enter “0” degrees as the rotation angle and click OK to confirm the

settings.

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Step 06. Adding Internal Circulation

After that, position the stair alongside the northern wall in the exhibitionspace:

- Position the cursor over the bottom right corner point of the dooropening into the exhibition space (point no. 1).

- Type in x 2’ + (i.e. plus sign) from the keyboard and see how thecursor moves 2’ to the right.

- Hit the “Enter” key.The stair has been placed on the plan by its insertion point 2’ to the rightof the corner of the door. Check to see how the room looks with thestaircase. In ArchiCAD the Camera tool is used to define perspectiveviews. Place a camera in the room to see how the room looks from thatview:

- Select the Camera tool in the Toolbox. - Click inside the room near the bottom right corner to place the

camera location.- Click near the middle of the stair to locate its projection target.

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Step 06. Adding Internal Circulation

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- Double-click on Camera 1 from the 00Untitled Path/3D folder inNavigator to open the 3D window from that position.

From the model it is clear that there is no opening in the slab for the stairway;the outline of the slab must be modified to circumvent the staircase:

- Go up one story to the Gallery level.- Select the slab.- Make sure the Slab tool is active in the Toolbox.

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Step 06. Adding Internal Circulation

- Hold down the mouse button over the top edge of the slab to bring upthe pet palette and choose the first icon to add a new node to it, andpull it over the bottom right corner point of the staircase (point no. 2)

- Using the same method, create a new node (point no. 3) on the slabedge between point no. 1 and 2, and pull it over the top rightcorner point of the staircase (point no. 4).

- In similar fashion, create two more nodes and place them on the leftcornerpoints of the staircase.

- Deselect the slab (click outside it) and open the 3D Window to checkthe result.

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Step 07. Defining Room Usage and Spaces

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Step 07. Defining Room Usage and SpacesNext, define the names of the rooms in the building. Use ArchiCAD’s Zonetool, which identifies spaces and stores many other attributes. With theZone tool, spatial units such as rooms or groups of rooms (for exampleDepartments) can be easily defined. Zones appear on the Floor Plan asfills with the zone identifiers (stamps) linked to them.

Place a zone in each room of the ground floor as shown below.

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Step 07. Defining Room Usage and Spaces

To place the zones:

- Double click the Zone tool in the Toolbox.- Select “5 Education and Culture” from the zone categories pop-up

menu.- Enter “Exhibition Space” as the zone name.- Click OK.

- Select the icon in the middle from the constructionmethods in the Info Box to automatically place the zone object intorooms.

- Click inside the room to place the zone. ArchiCAD automatically fillsthe space to the face of walls bounding the space.

- Click again to place the zone identifier.Use this procedure to place zones for the remaining rooms. For the zonecategory, choose “9 Communication and Access” for the Entrance and “7Other Usage” for the Washroom and Toilet.

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Step 07. Defining Room Usage and Spaces

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Now go up to the Gallery level and place a zone as shown:

For this you will manually draw the outline of the zone, as one side has nowall. For the Gallery use the same zone settings as for the Exhibitionspace.

To draw the zone manually:

- Select the first icon in the Info Box.

- Click on the corner points of the slab one by one to place thezones (or use the Magic Wand on the perimeter of the slab to trace it).

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Step 08. Adding Final Details

Step 08. Adding Final DetailsWe now need some furniture and fittings, such as handrails in the Galleryand fixtures in the Restroom.

Hint: ArchiCAD libraries contain many types of prefabricatedelements. Specialized libraries can be used for different applicationsand national standards. The objects in the libraries are alsoparametric items, just like the door/window objects. For this project wehave provided only an extract of the standard ArchiCAD library. Tosee all the standard objects of ArchiCAD 8, load the ArchiCAD Library8 folder in File/Library Manager or browse the Library Preview in theArchiCAD 8/Help/ArchiCAD_Help.chm on your computer.

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Step 08. Adding Final Details

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To place a handrail on the left side of the balcony:

- Double-click on the Object tool in the Toolbox to bring up itssettings dialog.

- Select the “Horizontal Railing” object from the library.

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Step 08. Adding Final Details

- Enter “90” degrees as its rotation value.- Click OK.

- Select the diagonal geometry method in the

Info Box.- Click inside the bottom left corner of the balcony slab (point. no. 1)

to start placing the object.- Click to define its length inside the top left corner of the balcony slab

(point no. 2).Now place the railing object in all the necessary places inside the building.When the orientation of the railing changes to horizontal, open thesettings dialog and modify the rotation angle.

Check it in the 3D Window and note that there are only three verticalcolumns in the long railing on the edge of the gallery slab; this is clearlynot strong enough. Go back to the Floor Plan, select the railing and openits settings dialog. Modify the number of posts to 10 in Post Parametersand confirm the settings.

Before adding the restroom fixtures as shown in the picture, go down tothe ground floor plan and select the orthogonal geometry method

for the Object tool.

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Step 08. Adding Final Details

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Zoom in to the Washroom and open the Object Settings dialog box.Select the ‘WC’ object, change its rotation angle to 180 degrees andplace it in the Toilet. In the same way you can place the ‘Round Basin’object next to the entrance door of the Washroom.

To furnish the Exhibition Space place a Piano in the room. In the ObjectSettings dialog select the ‘Piano’ object, modify its rotation angle to90 degrees and put it in the center of the room. To finish it off, place aStool object in front of the Piano and check the result in 3D.

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Step 09. Measuring and Costing the Building

Step 09. Measuring and Costing the BuildingArchiCAD’s Interactive Element Schedule provides intelligent, two-waycommunication between the schedules and your design project, ensuringthat even last-minute changes will be accurately and consistently reflectedin the model and documentation.

Choose the predefined Door-Window Schedule from the schedule listunder Calculate/Interactive Schedule/Preview menu.

You can control and edit all the major characteristics of any type ofArchiCAD element from the schedule sheet. Change the width of the“Window Square” to 2’ and click Apply Changes. You can generate thelist in the ArchiCAD List Window or can directly export it in spreadsheetformat to MS Excel or Word using the “output to” menu command. Closethe dialog and see how the modifications affect the model in the 3Dwindow.

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Step 09. Measuring and Costing the Building

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You can also perform quantity calculations by using ArchiCAD’spredefined schedule templates that can be further customized to meetyour own needs.

The building component quantities are calculated by the Calculate/ListComponents/Basic menu. This list is created by assigning cost andconstruction element properties to ArchiCAD objects.

To create a graphical door and window schedule for the project, selectCalculate/List Elements/Window Schedule Type 1 (AC_8_US) andsee the result. Drawings of the elements can also be included.

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Step 09. Measuring and Costing the Building

Information about the building’s activity spaces is stored in the Zoneobjects report. This schedule and area report can be found underCalculate/List Zones/Rooms-Stories (AC_8_US).

By adding cost information for objects, an estimate or budget can also becreated for these components.

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Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clients and Users

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Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clientsand UsersOur final task is to explain the design which we have just completed to theclient.

Before starting to create the visualization images we’ll add a simple siteusing the Slab tool.

Adjust the slab settings as follows:

- Change its thickness to 3’.- Change its “to story 0 level” to -2”.- Change its hatching type to ‘Earth” under “Section”.- Change its top material to “Misc-Grass” and its side and bottom

material to “Misc-Earth” under “Model”.- Change its layer to “Site and Landscaping”.

Zoom out to see more of the project and place a rectangular slab as shownin the picture. Now cut a hole in it around the paving slab:

- Select the slab.- Make sure the slab tool is active in the Toolbox.- Click on a corner point of the paving slab to start cutting a rectangular

hole.- Click on the diagonally opposite corner point of the paving slab to

finish the rectangular hole.

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Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clients and Users

Now open the Camera tool and adjust its view cone angle to 40degrees and its target Z height value to 12’, and click on Apply toconfirm the settings.

Place the camera, facing the building, near the top left corner of the site,select it and open the 3D Window.

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Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clients and Users

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The PhotoRendering settings are controlled from the Image/PhotoRendering Settings/Effects menu command. Use the ArchiCADRendering Engine and make sure the options are set as displayed.

Open the Size and Background tab page and check Picture at the top toimport a background picture. Select from your ArchiCAD in 30 minutesLibrary/Background images/Cloudy_Sky_photo.jpg (select “JPEGImage type” from the “Files of type” pop-up menu in the dialog to be ableto choose the background picture).

Check Show Picture at the bottom of the preview to adjust the frame ofthe rendering against the background image. Position the frame asdesired and click OK.

*

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Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clients and Users

Execute the Image/PhotoRender Projection command and wait for theresult.

When the picture is complete it can be saved in different formats using theFile/Save as… command.

Switch to Open GL in the Image/3D Engine and Mode menu commandto navigate in the 3D window in real time with the help of the 3DNavigation Palette. When you get to a door, you can open it with thearrow tool by clicking on the handle and choosing the second icon fromthe right of the pet palette.

For expert use of the 3D Navigation, refer to ArchiCAD Help.

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Step 10. Presenting the Design to Clients and Users

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The Next Step – Empowering Your PracticeWe have covered a lot of ground in this short presentation, but we areconfident you will see how easy it is to use the ArchiCAD VirtualBuilding. Of course there are many other important features – forexample, IFC data exchange standards, DWG support, documentationpublishing and object libraries – which will increase your productivity andimprove the accuracy and quality of your work.

You may have found the process different from traditional 2D CADmethods. However, the 3D paradigm is the most effective technology forthe life-cycle support of buildings. The 3D paradigm is rapidly becomingthe preferred technology for contractors demanding better estimating andprocurement, and for clients seeking to lower costs, reduce energyconsumption, improve user environments and manage their facilities moreeffectively. The integrated object model concept, pioneered by Graphisoftin 1984 and used by over 120,000 architects worldwide, offers manyadvantages for architects and designers: accurate 3D representation of thebuilding to support true coordination and estimating; superiorvisualization and animation for design development and presentation;automated documentation, calculation and simulation.

Graphisoft’s GDL Technology – an intelligent parametric digitalrepresentation of building products – ensures that components andproducts used in the virtual building model truly represent the geometricdefinition of the supplier’s item and include all the life-cycle parametersneeded for design performance, installation and facility management.

While Graphisoft provides you with the most advanced modelling tools,we also ensure you can access traditional CAD formats – ArchiCADsupports all levels of interoperability, DWG, DGN, etc. – so you cancontinue to exploit your investment in existing CAD data and shareinformation with your engineering and specialist consultants, contractorsand clients.

Only Graphisoft offers this suite of high-performance building life-cycletools. As the leader in these technologies, we invite you to acquireArchiCAD today and share the competitive and strategic advantages thatonly Graphisoft can provide!

To find your nearest ArchiCAD reseller or distributor, contact anyGraphisoft office or visit www.graphisoft.com/distributors.