Wednesday, February 11, 2009

ACA v2010 and roof shapes

Are you searching for blog announcements on the latest version of AutoCAD and ACA?
I have been and there appears to be some exciting things happening in AutoCAD. How they translate across to ACA and how (and if) they are incorporated in the aec tools is to be seen. 'Mesh to solid' could be exciting! Could bring some serious tools to create site development work in 3D which has been sadly lacking. I shouldn't imagine I will do much organic modelling in affordable housing but when that housing is on the side of a hill then it could be useful.
One blog to watch is Shaan Hurley's Between the lines (the inside story).
Shaan mentions improvements to walls (good), stairs(gooder) and structural members (which have lots of other uses). The PN & interface have been touched, the interface probably just phase II of the ribbon (eugh!). The PN - not that I use it but for larger projects it's a great organiser so it will be good to see upgrades to it's shortcomings (phasing, options, timing, multiple buildings). No mention of roof's (sigh!!).

Gambril or Gambrel? Googling it I can see that the name is probably incorrect according to world usage. Americans don't use them (the aussie version) and I don't see examples elsewhere but we use them alot here. So if anyone has a correct name for this type of roof please let me know so I don't continue to show my ignorance online to the world. Or should I just call it a floating gable. That one kinda sounds like it should not touch the main ridge though.

UPDATE:
ok I should have googled it. Wikipedia confirms that my roof shape is known as a 'Dutch Gable' in Aus and a 'Gablet' in the UK. Americans call something else a dutch gable (one of those elaborate rendered gables you see on the hacienda in the old wild west movies). The Gambril or Gambrel roof also known as a Mansard roof is essentially a dual pitched roof. My friend Stuart comments "The roof you illustrate I know as a gablet roof which had its origins over here in roofs prior to around 1500 when chimneys started to appear. Earlier houses would be open to the roof with no upper floor and the fire would be on the ground probably in a central position with the smoke rising up to the exposed rafters and they would form a small gable at the top of the hip which would be left open (no gable wall) to allow the smoke to escape." Well we use them alot here in Oz.

Well now I'm better edjamakated!

Cheers.

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