January – June 2012
ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – April 12, 2012
Thank you for visiting the Best Practices Course website. The video lessons are available for members only. If you are an active member and would like to watch the ArchiCAD training video on this page, please login to the website. If you are not currently a member, please visit the following pages for more information and to sign up for the Best Practices Course, the QuickStart Course or for the Best Practices ArchiCAD Coaching Program. Eric Bobrow, Creator of the Best Practices Course
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 ArchiCAD Training Session Notes

QUESTION ANSWER SUMMARY AND NOTES START TIME
Introductions    
  A member on the coaching call states that his company is using mac os lion with ArchiCAD (including Cigraph ArchiCAD plugins) and it is working flawlessly 0:01:25
Window casing not displaying properly Problem with window casings being inset (i.e. they are overlapping the window frame and glass) when they need to be outset 0:04:06
  Note: The window casing (if selected) will change its position according to the wall closure setting. Therefore if the window casing is in the wrong position; try changing the wall closure setting. 0:09:35
  There is also a setting that allows the window casing to be moved or offset from its original position 0:32:27
Missing niche tool Questioner couldn’t find the niche tool in the library. The reason behind this was the questioner was looking in objects and should have been looking under windows in the toolbox. 0:11:50
  Note: Because niche is classed as a window it will show up in the window schedule. But there is a way to stop niche’s being shown in the window schedule and you would do this by putting an X in the window ID 0:13:42
Niche with rounded top and niches of elaborate shape Eric goes through the niche settings. 0:15:28
  Solid element operations for creating a niche in a wall (this would be used when the niche tool can’t give you the shape that you want) 0:19:05
  Note: When you have made a profile for the niche shape and you are ready to insert the profile into the wall. It is important to remember that auto intersection has to to be turned off. Otherwise the profile shape will be automatically intersected and will refuse to finish inside the wall. 0:25:32
  Cutting the hole in the wall using solid element operations 0:26:44
  Archicad tip: Think about putting all your solid element operations together on their own named layer.  
  Note: When using solid element operations to make a niche, the niche will not show on the floor plan. If it is important to have the niche showing a patch will have to be made 0:27:47
Transparent library parts An issue with some library parts appearing in plan as transparent. The problem was when a fill (for example as a floor) was put below the library part it could be seen 0:35:57
  Eric demonstrates a work around for the above issue. It involves doing a boolean operation in the fill using the shape of the transparent object as a template. An alternative work around would be to make a cover-up fill by drawing a fill in the shape of the transparent object and then turning it into a background fill. 0:38:12
  Library parts are moved around in a drawing, so it would be prudent to group the cover-up fill and transparent object together 0:40:30
  A questioner asks is it possible to make opaque library parts transparent so that they can show the background colour (color) of the floor. Eric goes through the various options from transparency to tinting 0:41:58
  Eric demonstrates an alternative method of creating a wash, rather than putting a tone behind everything. This can be useful because it cuts out the need for altering the library parts to transparent and then changing them back to opaque. 0:44:50
How to create an inclined ring Eric uses both a tube and an elbow in object>basic shapes to create an inclined ring. He illustrates how the parameter settings can be manipulated to alter the rings size, shape and inclination 0:47:05
Creating an alter shape with the profile manager Start 0:53:13
  The shape has two straight sides, a curved back wall and curved top. The front of the alter is open and the edges of the straight sides have a curved profile to them 0:55:54
  Eric first demonstrates how to draw the two straight side walls and rounded top piece as one connected piece in the profile manager. He then demonstrates how to tighten up your measurements from the original rough sketch. 0:56:08
  Eric makes the front curved edge profile and then uses the wall tool to draw the curved profile into the shape of the alter opening 1:04:07
  The curved profile was drawn in plan view and it now needs to be tilted up 1:11:17
  Eric demonstrates how the navigator preview can set up your view (i.e. tilt up the curved profile), enabling  the ability to save the curved profile as a 3d object 1:12:01
  Archicad tip: If you need to find the centre between two points – go to create guideline segment draw a line between the two points and you will find that the centre point will now highlight  
  Eric demonstrates how to draw the curved back part of the alter 1:19:38

ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – April 12, 2012

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