Week #13 – Aligning and Placing Elements
13-1. Guide Lines

ArchiCAD Training (Best Practices Lesson 13-1)

This 15 minute lesson explains some of the most important methods for using Guide Lines to align and place elements in your project.

The behavior and options for Guide Lines were reworked by Graphisoft in ArchiCAD 15, so two separate demonstrations are made: one applies to ArchiCAD 10 through 14, the other shows some of the changes to these approaches in version 15.

For a more detailed demonstration of changes in ArchiCAD 15, please watch my YouTube video Guide Lines in ArchiCAD 15, which is embedded onto this page for easy access.

Please post your comments and questions below.

Eric

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ArchiCAD Training: Guide Lines

Let us know how you feel... (7 comments so far)

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  1. EltonAnderson
    12 years ago

    Good lesson


  2. Alan Carlson
    12 years ago

    Eric,
    When I tried to dimension, I could not get it to be aligned. It would stay orthogonal, even after selecting the aligned button as you described in this video. More of an explanation on dimensioning is needed.

    Also earlier in this video, when you were explaining the “create guideline segment, the button method above worked fine but the keyboard short cut had no effect “ctrl accent”.


    • Eric Bobrow
      11 years ago

      Alan –

      I just noticed your comment here – over one year later…sorry! I’ll answer it now, for the record, and for the benefit of others who come along to this lesson with a similar question.

      Re the dimension alignment, there is an option for constraining dimensions to orthogonal placement (along the axes only) in the dimension geometry settings which you can adjust in the Info Box before you place your dimension points. You can switch it from orthogonal to the unconstrained angle, which will allow you to choose on the fly which you prefer for each instance.

      The keyboard shortcut for creating a guide line segment may conflict with a built in shortcut on your system, or it may be different in your version of ArchiCAD. To review and possibly change or add to the keyboard shortcuts, go to the Options menu > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog. For more info on how to work with this dialog, see the lesson on this topic in Week 14 Part 7.

      Eric

  3. Avatar photo
    DavidBitter
    12 years ago

    Could not see your cursor….


    • Eric Bobrow
      12 years ago

      You’re right David. I had noticed a problem that day with the recording of one of the lessons I was working on – the cursor wasn’t showing. I recorded that lesson again. But apparently this one had the same problem.

      I may record it again, when I get a chance. I think it’s still possible to follow along, but of course it would be better if the cursor was visible.
      Eric


  4. David Parsons
    12 years ago

    Eric,

    This is a very informative lesson.

    Thanks for the information.

    Best regards,

    David Parsons

  5. Avatar photo
    ChrisSinkinson
    12 years ago

    Eric
    As usual a very useful and succinct lesson to explain the differences between the archicad versions
    Many thanks
    Chris