Architectural Tools

The Wall tool

Architecture | Walls | Wall

This tool draws interior and exterior walls of a floor plan by creating a double line drawn from either a left, center or right reference point.

Wall parameters such as width, height and a predefined hatch pattern can be input prior to drawing by right-clicking onto the Wall tool. Modifications to these parameters can be done using the Selection Info palette or the Properties Sheet.

Walls can be modified by using the accompanying Wall Split, Wall Join and Wall Modifier tools.

Polylines can be converted to a wall using the Convert to Wall tool.

To add the Architecture menu to the Tools palette, go to the Tools palette and select Palette Options. Select Panels Setup, then double click onto the Architecture menu.

Inserting a Wall

In the example below, an exterior wall with a width of 220 and a height of 2700 is shown.

Right click onto the Wall tool and apply the settings in the Wall page, shown below. Click OK when finished.

Setting the parameters to draw an exterior wall

Wall reference

The wall will be started from the point shown by the pointer below and drawn in a clockwise direction. By setting the reference to left, the outside of the wall will always be on the left, following the direction of the wall as it is drawn.

Wall width 220, height 2700

Wall Direction

To illustrate the reference orientation of the walls, a Directional Guide can be used. This is a temporary dotted-line guide which shows the left, right or center reference of the wall, shown below.

To use the Directional guide, right click onto the Wall tool and check the Direction option. The result is shown below.

Wall with Left reference drawn from upper left corner. Directional guideline always shows left reference.

Take Note

The Selection Info palette or Properties page can also be used to apply the Directional guide to an existing Wall.

Moving a Wall

Although the Wall tool draws the wall sections as separate objects, they remain associated when they are connected. For example, in the example below, the small wall shown by the arrow will be moved to the left.

Wall section will be moved to the left

This is done by selecting the wall, then dragging it to its new position shown below.

The result is shown below.

Wall moved to new position, associated wall still connected.

Wall Split

Ribbon : Architecture | Walls | Split

Default Menu : Architecture | Walls | Split

Palette : Panels Setup | Architecture | Split

This tool is used to Split a wall at a given point. Coordinate entry is useful for specifying the exact positions of breaks in a wall.

In the example below, the Origin point the point defined as X=0; Y=0; Z=0  is located in the position shown in the illustration below. This origin is defined using Modes | Coord System |Relocate Origin. Additionally, by creating a Fixed Relative Origin Options | Advanced Preferences | Fixed Relative Origin, the origin point remains fixed until changed by the user. To fix the origin to a user-defined position, check the Fixed Relative Origin option in the Options | Advanced Preferences dialog box.

The wall split position can then be accurately defined by using SHIFT TAB to access the coordinate fields and inputting the relevant distances based on the fixed origin point.

Fixed origin point shown by arrow. Wall will be split in the positions shown by marker

To create the first wall split at 2000 from the edge shown by the arrow above, select the Split tool, then select the wall. Use SHIFT TAB to access the coordinate fields and input 2000 into the X field and 0 into the Y field.

Repeat this, inputting 4000 into the X field and 0 into the Y field. The wall will be split in 2 positions, shown in the illustration below.

First split position of X=2000 shown above left; second split position shown at X=4000 shown above right

The divided portion of the wall can be deleted. The ends of the adjacent edges of the wall will automatically close after the split portion has been deleted, shown below.

Ends of walls automatically closed when split portion of wall is deleted

Wall Join

Ribbon : Architecture | Walls | Join

Default Menu : Architecture | Walls | Join

Palette : Panels Setup | Architecture | Join

A portion of wall which has been split and the split portion removed can be restored using the Wall Join tool. This seamlessly reconnects the wall from which the split portion was removed, providing the edges to join are in the same plane.

In the example below, the wall has been joined by selecting points 1 and 2 where the split portion was removed.

Wall Join tool used to reconnect walls after split portion removed

Convert to Wall

Ribbon : Architecture | Walls | Convert to Wall

Default Menu : Architecture | Walls | Convert to Wall

Palette : Panels Setup | Architecture | Convert to Wall

A straight or curved polyline can be converted to a wall using the Convert to Wall tool. This is useful when creating a sketch outline of a layout using the Polyline tool, then converting the contour to a wall.

In the example below, a Polyline has been drawn to represent the position of a new outside wall.

Proposed new wall shown by the arrow drawn using the Polyline tool

The Convert to Wall tool was used to create the new wall, shown below.

Polyline converted to Wall using Convert to Wall tool

Wall Side

This option is available so that different materials can be added to either side of the wall surface. In the example below, a wall which would possibly be used in an exhibition hall is shown with different textures on either side.

Different textures on either side of the wall using the ‘Side’ option

To create a texture on one or both sides of a wall, double click onto the wall and apply a different texture for the Left and Right side of the wall in the Wall Sides page of the Properties dialog box.

The properties to create texture on a wall side can be preset prior to drawing the wall by right clicking onto the Wall tool and applying the required settings.

Take Note

This Wall Side tool can only be applied to a wall that has been given a height. To view the walls from an isometric angle, right click in the editor and select one of the isometric views from the local menu, shown below.

View the walls from an isometric angle

To return the view to the plan view, select the World Plan option from the local menu shown above.

EXAMPLES

These examples are demonstrated in detail in Tutorial Session 7.

Door Tools

Ribbon : Architecture | Openings | Door

Default : Architecture | Doors, Windows & Openings | Door

The Door tool allows exact placement of doors into pre-drawn walls, breaking the wall on insertion. The door will automatically align itself to the wall into which it is being inserted.

The Door type can be specified prior to insertion by right clicking onto the Door tool and applying the appropriate settings.

Doors are predefined as a ‘Style’ and can be modified in the Styles palette, cascading all changes made to the style to all doors inserted in the drawing. The Selection Info palette can also be used to update a door style, cascading all updates to the doors inserted in the drawing.

Measurement and positional information of individual doors can be adjusted using the Properties Sheet.

Doors can be inserted with the option to create an inside/outside or a left/right flip.

Inserting a Door

Ribbon : Architecture | Openings | Door

Default : Architecture | Doors, Windows & Openings | Door

In the example below, a door will be inserted into the wall as shown. The width of the door will be set to 900 and the height to 2100. The Style of the door has been set to Single in the Style Manager palette. When the style is defined in the Styles palette, all inserted doors will conform to this style until changed by the user.

Door Styles

Open the Style Manager Toos | Palettes | Style Manager palette and set the Door Style to Standard. Right click onto the Door tool and from the General page, set the Door Style to Single, shown below.

Setting the Door Style to Single in the General page of the Properties sheet

Select the Door Main page in the Properties sheet and input a width of 900 and a height of 2000. Click OK when finished.

Insert the door in random positions, similar to the illustration below.

Single doors inserted into walls

To insert a door of a different type, right click onto the Door tool and select Double from the Door Style option in the General page, similar to the previous illustration. From the Door Main page, set the width to 1800.

Insert the new doors in random positions, similar to the illustration below.

Double doors inserted into walls

Take Note

Measurement and positional information of individual doors can be adjusted using the Properties Sheet. If the door is selected and the properties changed in the Selection Info palette, all doors of the same style in the drawing will be updated.

Precise Positioning of a Door

A door can be inserted into an exact dimensional position within a wall using the dimensional reference associated to the door.

In the example below, the door will be positioned exactly 500 from the left edge shown by the arrow in the illustration below.

Door will be positioned exactly 500 to the left of the arrow

Right click onto the Door tool, making sure the Style is set to Single and the width is set to 900.

Drag the door to the approximate position, shown below, then TAB to the data fields and input 500 into the Offset 1 field only. Press enter.

The dimensional reference is shown below, with the door placement showing 500 from the right edge, shown by the arrow.

The result is shown below.

Door inserted to precise dimensions. Door width is 900.

Repositioning and Removing Doors

Doors can be repositioned in the walls by selecting the door and using the reference point of the selector shell to move the door to a new position. The wall will automatically heal when a door is removed, and reopen when inserted elsewhere, provided it remains in the same plane.

In the example below, the door will be moved to a position to the right, shown by the arrow.

Select the door and use the yellow reference point to drag the door to a new position. The result is shown below.

Door dragged to new position, wall heals from previous position and opens in new position

Likewise, doors can be removed from the wall using the Delete tool. The wall will automatically heal when a door is removed.

Adjusting the Parameters of Doors

The Style Manager palette is used to adjust any feature of a door. Select Tools > Palettes > Style Manager and select the Door styles. Adjust any feature necessary, understanding that the new setting will apply to all doors of that style which are inserted into walls.

Using the Style Manager palette to update a door style.

Architectural metric template selected at drawing setup > New From Template

examples

These examples are demonstrated in detail in Tutorial Session 7.

Windows Tools

Ribbon : Architecture | Openings | Window

Default : Architecture | Doors, Windows & Openings | Window

The Window tool allow exact placement of windows into pre drawn walls, breaking the wall on insertion. The window will automatically align itself to the wall into which it is being inserted.

The Window type can be specified prior to insertion by right clicking onto the Window tool and applying the appropriate settings.

Windows are predefined as a ‘Style’ and can be modified in the Styles palette, cascading all changes made to the style to all windows inserted in the drawing. The Selection Info palette can also be used to update a window style, cascading all updates to the windows inserted in the drawing.

Measurement and positional information of individual windows can be adjusted using the Properties Sheet.

Inserting a Window

Ribbon : Architecture | Openings | Window

Default : Architecture | Doors, Windows & Openings | Window

In the example below, a window will be inserted into the wall as shown by the arrow below. The width of the window will be set to 1200 and the height to 1500. The Style of the window has been set to Standard in the General page of the Properties sheet.

This is done by right clicking onto the Window tool and selecting Standard from the Window Styles option in the General page. The sizes are input into the Window Main page.

Window to be inserted here

Right click onto the Window tool and apply the settings above. This information is input into the General and the Window Main pages. Click OK when finished.

Drag the window to the position shown by the arrow above. The dimensional reference can be used as a guide, although exact placement is not required at this stage. The result is shown below.

Window inserted into wall. Wall opens to accommodate width of window.

Windows and doors which are inserted into walls can be viewed from an isometric angle, shown below. To do this, right click in the editor and select the Isometric North West view from the local menu. To return to the Plan view, select the World Plan view from the same menu.

Local menu

Windows and Doors shown from isometric North West viewpoint.

Precise Positioning of a Window

This method works identically to that described in detail in a previous task. Please refer to c.

Repositioning and Removing Windows

This method works identically to that described in detail in a previous task. Please refer to Precise Positioning of a Door.

Adjusting the Parameters of Windows

This method works identically to that described in detail in a previous task. Please refer to Precise Positioning of a Door.

examples

These examples are demonstrated in detail in Tutorial Session 7.

The Roof Tool

Architecture | Roofs | Add Roof

This tool creates a roof by defining each vertex of the walls. Specific walls can be selected using the Roof by Wall option.

The parameters of the roof are input prior to creation by right clicking onto the Roof tool shown above.

Roof Slope functionality allows input of Rise/Run amount and/or Degrees.

Roof edge cut orientation (plumb or square). New ‘Edge Cut’ roof property allow the selection of different methods of roof building (plumb or square)

Adding a Roof by wall

Architecture | Roofs | Add Roof

In the example below, a roof will be added by defining each walls in the illustration below. The roof thickness will be 30; the Slope will be 30° and the overhang will be set to 300.

Roof to be added by defining each outside corner vertex

Right click onto the Roof by Wall tool and apply the roof settings shown above. Left click onto the Roof by Wall tool, then select the walls in sequence, using the SHIFT key to select all the walls.

The result is shown below, with the Walls, Doors and Windows temporarily shaded for illustrative clarity.

Roof added. Walls, Doors & Windows temporarily faded out.

The roof can be viewed from an isometric viewpoint by right clicking in the editor and selecting an isometric viewpoint from the local menu. To return to the Plan view, select World Plan from the local menu.

In the illustration below, the drawing is viewed from an Isometric South-East viewpoint. The Suppress Hidden Line option from the local menu was selected. To return to the main view, select both the Wireframe render mode and the World Plan view.

Click to view the drawing from different angles

Front Elevation

Iso South West

Right Elevation

Left Elevation

Plan

Roof Modifier

Architecture | Roofs | Add Roof Modifier

This tool allows a facet of the roof to be changed by adjusting the degree of the slope. In the illustration below, the roof facet shown by the arrow is selected and the roof slope is changed from 30° to 45°

Roof facet selected. Will be changed from 30° to 45°

Input 45 into the Slope Angle field. The result is shown below.

Roof facet changed to 45°

Cut Edge: Horizontal

New roof cut edge type, Horizontal, has been added to the roof properties page.

Multi-Level Roof (Gambrel Roof)

A Gambrel roof with roof has multi-levels. Roof level has two properties, Angle and Height. User can edit levels, angle, and height. Gambrel roof properties can be accessed from properties page and selection Information palette.

Architectural Grid

Architecture | Architectural Grid

The Architectural Grid is a tool that makes it easy to align other architectural objects in the drawing, such as walls and columns. Users can also import rectangular grids from DWG drawings and can change the properties of the grid and bubble representation, via the Selection Info palette.