tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32894393458018040552024-03-10T10:46:32.668+08:00Aussie ACA (ADT)To promote the use of Autodesk AutoCAD for Architecture (Architectural Desktop) in Australia and abroad with localised tips and ideas for local building methods with an emphasis on residential and small commercial work.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-61330312933347252772021-03-21T16:31:00.005+08:002021-03-21T16:33:56.284+08:00Simple Productivity Improvement.<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I cannot believe I have only just thought of this.<br />I'm embarrassed. <br />It's so simple. DOH!<br /><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Open a second separate instance of ACA.!!</span></h1><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't know about you but I often have more than one project to work on or maybe you have the one project but more than one drawing file to work on.<br /><br />Do you sit and wait for the computer to catch up, for regeneration to finish, sheet sets to open or worse when the drawing locks up and you know you will be waiting minutes for it to resolve where you can continue working. Sometimes it might be a bug (feature!) that locks up.<br /><br />Often I am working on a base drawing and then a second drawing where the base is referenced in. If they are both opened with the same instance of ACA, then if one drawing is busy, you cannot swap to the other drawing and work while you wait. Coffee time.<br /><br />HOWEVER, if you are smarter than me, you have opened a second instance of ACA and then opened the second drawing which means it's a completely different thread and you can jump over and work on the other file until the first instance has resolved.<br /><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">DOH!<br /><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I've had 4 open at once this week. Options! <br />On a reasonably fast computer (mine is from 2011) it's not that hard.</span></p></h2><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In other news, I finally bought a new PC!</span></h4><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-64759971276085063092018-12-20T13:33:00.000+08:002018-12-20T13:44:59.452+08:00ACA resurrection?<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Well that might be overstating it but I do wonder whether Autodesk's latest move of giving away<a href="https://www.autodesk.com.au/products/autocad/included-toolsets" target="_blank"> Architecture along with Mechanical and Electrical packages plus more</a> will mean a revival of sorts of interest in using Autocad Architecture.<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubX-nYvuHCS1O25FdzyMeNXGEX2WOHTg4eYvXwSEWYdRLtjIHFStwige9VRW0-2waiH0ldP868fFsB8pzsM9kNqei5-5aEHsIQuroPczQJToLRFXPIRgs5WHGqZb28ITMnEXBvbGoVwc/s1600/8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubX-nYvuHCS1O25FdzyMeNXGEX2WOHTg4eYvXwSEWYdRLtjIHFStwige9VRW0-2waiH0ldP868fFsB8pzsM9kNqei5-5aEHsIQuroPczQJToLRFXPIRgs5WHGqZb28ITMnEXBvbGoVwc/s400/8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A project designed, modelled and rendered within ACA.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For years Adesk has played down ACA's abilities (sometimes almost in a comical manner) in favour of the adopted child Revit which came from a modelling beginning rather than ACA's 2d Autocad lineage but of course users know that ACA is a </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">powerful modelling, BIM and rendering package.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />So here is my theory. Many have moved to Revit and many of those retain Autocad to create 2d details because of it's mature and powerful drafting set. Very experienced users say that Revit now has very robust drafting tools but I would assume there is a typical learning curve hill to climb and one often stops at the 'I can do most of what I want so I am over learning any more' fatigue mark.<br /><br />Many stayed with Autocad, perhaps the company bean counters said no to extending the budget, or the wife did. Many have dropped off the wagon (or is that train) and no longer subscribe and they stayed with their current release. Many may have switched to the subscription model seduced by the goodies on offer. Some have even switched over to a package deal that has probably now gone by the wayside, getting Autocad and ACA and Revit and the Rendering package and......<br />But for those who have moved to the subscription (new version) model (pun?) for their latest version of Autocad, they would now have access to Autocad Architecture by default. And Electrical and Mechanical.<br /><br />So.... my theory is, that curiosity will eat at the more.. er.... curious and they will install that extra free bit and start exploring - ACA. And more power to them I say. This may indeed increase the ACA users world wide, and create just a little ripple in the time/space continuum and ... ok I am stepping out here in great faith and hope I know. But. It just may happen.<br /><br />And that may create a little smaller proportional ripple of activity and attention to ACA from Autodesk. For a little more tweaking it needs. It's not quite perfect yet.<br /><br />What prompted this post? Well Autodesk have apparently created a white paper and I quote</span><br />
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<span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "wfont_5c25a1_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049a7b059b" , "wf_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049" , "orig_franklin_gothic_book"; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"In this report, we look at the benefits of using the architecture toolset in AutoCad. The Architecture toolset is built specifically to create and modify software-based design and </span><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "wfont_5c25a1_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049a7b059b" , "wf_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049" , "orig_franklin_gothic_book"; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">documentation</span><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "wfont_5c25a1_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049a7b059b" , "wf_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049" , "orig_franklin_gothic_book"; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> productivity for architectures. </span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "wfont_5c25a1_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049a7b059b" , "wf_aff531fc3afd449e8fadd8049" , "orig_franklin_gothic_book"; font-size: 19px;">The recent study completed by Autodesk explores the nine common design challenges and shows direct comparisons of the time and effort required to accomplish each specific task in basic AutoCAD versus with the Architecture toolset. "</span><br /><span style="font-size: 19px;"><a href="https://www.autodesk.com.au/products/autocad/included-toolsets">https://www.autodesk.com.au/products/autocad/included-toolsets</a></span><br /><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">Hunting for it now.<br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And so, 20th of December we are at that time of year again where many are crazily shopping and preparing wrapping and menu reciting. So I want to wish you all the blessings of the Christmas season. Yes you, the 3 people who read this over the next 2 years :-) And a safe, prosperous and productive new year.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-17752237665284569122018-04-04T23:35:00.002+08:002018-04-04T23:35:52.218+08:00Autocad Master of the Universe.<b>The latest update to the Autocad family</b> is a homogenisation of the lot with the exception of the Autocad Civil 3D package. Previously you would buy Autocad for a fantastic general purpose tool but for industry specific tools you would 'upgrade' to a specific Autocad + Industry specific add on which in this bloggers case is the Autocad Architecture (once Autocad Architectural Desktop). There was also Autocad Electrical, Autocad Mechanical which are all the Autocad software plus specific tools.<br /><br /><b>BUT there's a catch !</b><br /><br />You need to move to Subscription. But Wait There's More! Well that is to say, what was once subscription is now referred to as Maintenance. To move from Maintenance to Subscription (new version) you need to surrender your perpetual license which means that once you stop paying you lose access to Autocad xxx. Previously, if you stopped paying, you kept whatever release you were on. Which is why I'm very mad with the sellor who signed me up one week before the new release comes out. It means if I ever quit, it will be one week before the new release!<br /><br />Further, you can no longer 'buy' the software. You can only buy a subscription which gives you access for a year to the software. <br /><br />So.... if you subscribe, you will get access to all the Autocad Family except Civil. <br />Just another cherry.<br /><br />But for me I will stay with subsc.... er my maintenance plan. It's still upgraded to the latest version of Autocad Architecture each year, actually now known as just Architecture.<br /><br />But for you? You might like the additional offerings. I know there are those who work across several fields of Architecture, Mechanical, pipe design etc .<br />
<br />You can read more of the details here.<br /><br /><a href="https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Only-One-AutoCAD-Frequently-Asked-Questions.html">https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Only-One-AutoCAD-Frequently-Asked-Questions.html</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.autodesk.com.au/products/autocad/included-toolsets">https://www.autodesk.com.au/products/autocad/included-toolsets</a><br /><br />Cheers<br />NathanUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-26127544599948493452016-07-03T11:25:00.000+08:002016-07-03T11:25:13.181+08:00ACA & Windows 10 FREE ??<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would guess I am not the only one who is starting a mild panic as they feel pressured to upgrade their machine to Windows 10 (from W7 and above) because the FREE upgrade is ending soon (July 25?) Upgrading Autocad versions is enough stress for me wondering what is going to go wrong this time. (2017 version is no longer usable for rendering at this point with numerous bugs). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when it comes to less important issues such as the operating system upgrade when you have Windows 7 and it just works and blue screens of death are a distant memory. I am largely self taught and something of a Systems Manager in my office and home and have taken care of systems over many years including building systems from scratch and overclocking them to get the best performance. But I am not a natural and I have just accepted Windows 7 as it is and my current machine is not overclocked, despite a boost I would get in performance, particularly in rendering. BUT a deadline is a deadline and Microsoft is threatening to withdraw their very kind offer to upgrade me to the latest and greatest Windows 10 for FREE and who can ignore Free Stuff? Not any electorate I know.<br /><br />So I am now staring at <a href="https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Windows-10-support-for-Autodesk-products.html" target="_blank">Autodesk's page for Windows 10</a> and in that style that only Autodesk can do I read. Under the heading "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: FrutigerNext, Arial, メイリオ, Meiryo, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.4;">Solution:" </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: FrutigerNext, Arial, メイリオ, Meiryo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><b><span style="color: red;">"Windows 10 is not yet an officially supported operating system across the Autodesk product line."</span></b></span><div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The issues seems to revolve around the workings and version of NET framework.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now since Windows 10 has been out for almost a year (since July 29 2015) I would have expected Autodesk, who would have had pre-release versions to work with for some time, to be on the ball. Ah, perhaps it is just my ignorance of the deep dark issues of programming and software architecture. Anyway, perhaps I might update this post as I go but I am intending to wade the waters and progress to having Windows 10 installed on my machine. From what I understand (little) I can download an ISO file, place it on a DVD or bootable thumb drive and make a clean install from there or you could just allow your machine to download and upgrade itself as my sister's did without really asking (happens if you have auto updates turned on).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?filter=location&location=category%3A56&q=windows+10" target="_blank">This link with take you to a search of the Autodesk Forums for installing W10 or AC on W10.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for now we are between the rock and the place that's hard. If you do upgrade, you are without Autocad's recommended OS and if you don't upgrade you will miss out on the free upgrade. Windows 7 is a very stable platform and W10 has a new interface designed for touch screens on phones and tablets. I believe you can restore a more sensible desktop but that is learning and time/effort I will have to traverse. <br /><br />If you have upgraded or already using Acad on W10 I'd love to hear from you.<br />If I never post again on this, you could probably presume I died in the process. My heart could just not take the strain.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-22837833967792322192016-05-26T01:47:00.000+08:002016-05-26T01:47:29.922+08:00ACA Roof Object finally gets an update!!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing that I have been too busy (or too lazy and distracted) to make a big noise about this fantastic update I will have to direct you to David Koch's great article on the New and Improved Roof Object.<br /><br />Not mentioned there, because it occurred in an earlier release (2016 I think) is the ability to add one (yes only one) schedulable property for the roof object. It's the area of the Roof Object or surface area. I would prefer plan view area or footprint since that is how the local industry measures and documents it but at least it's something. If it's useful to you, you will find it in the normal place of adding properties to any aec object. If you have yet to explore scheduling, well David Koch also has <a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/2006/08/adt-schedule-feature-resources.html" target="_blank">THE collection of information on the Scheduling Features of ACA (ADT). </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have missed it (the unveiling of the century) my expose on the Roof Object and everything you didn't know about it, it is <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/roof-object-tips-secrets-video-series.html" target="_blank">blogged here</a> and on<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD9BF5D8FF70CD3DF&feature=view_all" target="_blank"> my youtube channel here</a>.<br />Can't watch youtube? They are <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/p/roof-object-video-links.html" target="_blank">imbedded in a blog page here</a>.<br /><br />A couple of points on what David shows you. You can still create more complex roofs than this method will allow. Sometimes you still have to trim a corner to create an extra vertex. At times when the Roof Object (RO) <u><b>becomes complex, it refuses to be adjusted. </b></u> If this new method fails, you can still TRIM CORNERS for another vertex and you can also <b>use the stretch command</b> over a vertex to get it to move. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My method now for trimming a corner is using a circle as the trimming device over using a line because it also retains the oiginal point (centre point of the circle using your osnaps). You will see this demonstrated in my video's above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, onto <a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/aca-2017-grip-editing-of-roof-object.html" target="_blank">David's great blog on my favourite aecObject.</a></span><br />
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Enjoy,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-17581120948322116002015-02-13T16:17:00.000+08:002015-02-13T16:23:15.255+08:00In memorySo much of this blog and my youtube channel have been focused on the Autocad Architecture Roof Object that it seems appropriate to share my sadness and pay my respects here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnpFBMcekBjKN3QAjMXqvb2_oglcT33TWPV9TWhc0x_j0VhNiEMnH6aqEd3ZwCjBhKX54WUKbKIPsDfQHJfvMPbz9K2gh-m782k23O-vjJR1lDTpeXk0N6Xz0BeIWyZd8rBxZMgjna04/s1600/SergejEpitaph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnpFBMcekBjKN3QAjMXqvb2_oglcT33TWPV9TWhc0x_j0VhNiEMnH6aqEd3ZwCjBhKX54WUKbKIPsDfQHJfvMPbz9K2gh-m782k23O-vjJR1lDTpeXk0N6Xz0BeIWyZd8rBxZMgjna04/s1600/SergejEpitaph.jpg" height="304" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Obituary placed in the German newspaper</span></i></td></tr>
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Sergej Alexandrow, the clever programmer & mathematician who created the ADT/ACA roof object has passed away. My friendship with Sergej was only online, having <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/up-on-roof.html" target="_blank">hatched a plot</a> to discover who he was and possibly get in touch with him (after a tip off) with the intention of discovering more about the roof object. I'm in Australia! Far away from where all things happen. Sergej was Russian born and moved to Germany as a programmer and was then contracted to Autodesk in the U.S. where he worked on the very first version of Autocad Architecture, then known as Architectural Desktop, specifically engaged to create the Roof Object tool. He may have even worked on it's predecessor which was some basic tools for Architectural work within Autocad.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrLk2D5R32JKAeqAXFtQsELpNTVrItzAU749A-gO7xEwsKu3UIMEQ944jqh0iJ3ZjWu1gp3_nkHNIkCEWteotEuYbYL__bvzdyJZ-80_m2mv32jIb0bSG7oOny6hyphenhyphenlCrZYhFVBAXmyS8/s1600/Roofxx_0008.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrLk2D5R32JKAeqAXFtQsELpNTVrItzAU749A-gO7xEwsKu3UIMEQ944jqh0iJ3ZjWu1gp3_nkHNIkCEWteotEuYbYL__bvzdyJZ-80_m2mv32jIb0bSG7oOny6hyphenhyphenlCrZYhFVBAXmyS8/s1600/Roofxx_0008.png" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flexibility of Spirit's Roof Object tool</td></tr>
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After working on the initial release of ADT1, creating the Roof Object, he seems to have been released and returned back to Germany where he worked for <a href="http://www.softtech.de/software/spirit-2d-3d-bim-cad" target="_blank">Softtech on Spirit</a>, another architectural package where he repeated his creation anew and improved it's versatility. Indeed he revealed to me that there is extra code (in his ACA version) that is turned off (at the last minute due to concerns about stability) that allows dormer windows and 2 roof objects to interact. Autodesk had turned it's back on the idea of improving the tool after ADT1 and instead created Roof Slabs which are singular objects for each plane of a roof and no relationship to other Roof Slabs. Such a pity that such a poor decision was taken. The RO is a very clever tool and invaluable for architectural work automatically solving hips and valleys. Roof Slabs on the other hand are awkward and without any inter-relational ability but they do have some flexibility. The RO has never been developed further since ADT1.<br />
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Sergej was a proud father of the roof object. I had unknowingly conversed with him earlier on news groups about the RO where he anonymously posted on comments about the tool. He was only too glad to add to my knowledge of the tool and excited about the prospect of updating and improving it for a future release. I'd given him my long list of what it would look like. He was very appreciative of my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD9BF5D8FF70CD3DF&feature=view_all" target="_blank">video series on youtube</a> that allowed people to see it was actually much more capable that is at first evident. I even discovered several tricks that he did not know of. He even then created <a href="http://sergeja.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">his own blog</a> to demonstrate his new tool's flexibility.<br />
<br />
We were on polar ends of faith and had some vigorous, robust discussions about the existence of God and the meaning of life.<br />
<br />
Around 6 months after my last email conversation with Sergej, a programmer from Autodesk emailed me to say he had heard some news. Sergej seemed to have suffered a heart attack alone in his home after having gone out dancing. I know he enjoyed dancing and travel, having sent me many photo's on cruise ships and European cityscapes. No family were known so his employer, <a href="http://www.softtech.de/" target="_blank">Softtech</a> Gmbh were kind enough to take care of his funeral. "<i>The burial was held on September 15, 2014 in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. He was
placed to rest underneath a beautiful tree in the cemetery, and a headstone has
been placed to honor him as an individual. Following his death, an obituary was
placed in the newspaper</i>" (picture above).<br />
<br />
RIP my friend.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-60950203920650768982014-09-17T09:35:00.001+08:002021-03-08T20:22:07.658+08:00Vectorworks 2015 announcement and sigh! ACA<a href="http://www.vectorworks2015.net/" target="_blank">Here's an impressive presentation for Vectorworks 2015</a> showing some great features. Some like Curtain Walls ACA has had for years but others like walk-throughs look much more impressive. It's named 2015 because it's being released just prior to the year 2015 unlike Autodesk which pretends to release next years software a year earlier and instead gives you software at least 5 years behind, some parts are back in the 90's.<br />
<br />
Interesting that at 23 seconds in it shows you an intelligent graphic way of using the numbered keypad to quickly select views and animates the changes in view on screen called transition animation. I showed how to use lisp to do this when I started this blog. <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com.au/2008/05/my-best-tips-in-aca-1.html" target="_blank">See it again here</a> under the sub heading View Direction. (I could never figure a way to graphically illustrate this cool tip). Of course we now have the view cube in ACA but I still use the numeric keypad, just like I mostly ignore the ribbon.<br />
<br />
ACA has had it's strengths and still competes well but without continued improvement especially in the weak spots like walkthroughs but without continued real improvement it's just getting old. I for one doubt I will ever trust Autodesk again with my time. Personally I am much done with learning something unless it's going to be productive (make me money!) and I have spent considerable time on each upgrade not spending time learning great new tools and tricks (because there are none) but trying to learn workarounds for new major bugs that have been introduced. It's sad when the biggest items introduced into new releases are faults in the software!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcl2WRe-4iqd1z61FZ_Kkp_6jOeQ2Z4NwCifOpZqPEeN8Qvp3hA-kvObLag_Vo8DKOGRf-B0Juw42tqvcbS4T6MuGX60DMTXADprHBWbj6kxjyj1XtrpnmcE3LsnMoRUFgqtQGy2ovNPk/s1600/DesignReviewScreenGrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcl2WRe-4iqd1z61FZ_Kkp_6jOeQ2Z4NwCifOpZqPEeN8Qvp3hA-kvObLag_Vo8DKOGRf-B0Juw42tqvcbS4T6MuGX60DMTXADprHBWbj6kxjyj1XtrpnmcE3LsnMoRUFgqtQGy2ovNPk/s1600/DesignReviewScreenGrab.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's a screen grab from my walkthrough using Autodesk Designreview tool. I can simply export it from ACA as a .dwf, open in Designreview and take a rehearsed walkthrough and capture the screen as a movie, post on youtube for clients to review. Problem is, half the time the export fails for no given reason and the result quality is about level with the games I was playing in the 90s and the controls are terrible, requiring extra limbs and the dexterity of an octopus. Have you seen flowing water rendered live in the latest games??<br />
<br />
Now I do know that Autodesk released a new product that can do quality renders, swap materials and walkthroughs. But 2 things were evident. The quality still looked out of date and there didn't seem to be ANY entourage componants to the package. ie. no trees, plants, cars, people. <br />
<br />
Back to Vectorworks (now under the same ownership banner as ArchiCAD), at 1:28 they show a level constraint system that automates heights. VisionRez accomplished some of this with their add-on package to ACA with cabinets etc. This is really a must in 2014 software. I have been mulling over in my mind how I can do with with software (lisp?) but a hard coded solution would be great.<br />
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Smoothing mesh objects display. ACA still renders with tessellations visible. Max has tools to smooth angles of a certain number (ie, smoothing a curve approximating mesh) but with Autodesk we are caught in their protection of each product niche and so tools are held back from Autocad rendering so you will still buy Max. Understandable but it's not serving the customer - we are way down the list of importance for Autodesk. I recently started trading and saw their stock price had fallen to the low 30's and was tempted to buy. I would like to get some joy from Autodesk and I knew they certainly look after their share holders.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vectorworks2015.net/features" target="_blank">Vectorworks seems to have some new site working tools</a>, something which is actually present in ACA but are like a pick and shovel, not a drill and bandsaw. ie. they can do the job but you don't get the idea that they are specifically designed for the task. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ93Qp9U_nhvYm7fgkuvNZjdDRH1YnWWkOpCBJR2gB7Sznn0Ag1OAm6kbsBVHKP-J-QQ5th06swlPSFVyVhiFqpSf9yKUZqGxxP0jTy3ywBSpRu2ue1wugfvjIJrJPyJrJ5f8bx-nadD8/s1600/B1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ93Qp9U_nhvYm7fgkuvNZjdDRH1YnWWkOpCBJR2gB7Sznn0Ag1OAm6kbsBVHKP-J-QQ5th06swlPSFVyVhiFqpSf9yKUZqGxxP0jTy3ywBSpRu2ue1wugfvjIJrJPyJrJ5f8bx-nadD8/s1600/B1.jpeg" height="161" width="320" /></a><a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com.au/2008/06/drape-shadow.html" target="_blank">You can use Mass Elements (using the DRAPE command) </a>and then massgroups ( a command they continue to hide from the ACA interface unless you have one in the drawing already) to take the survey and turn it into a 3D site and then cut chunks from it using "Massgroups & additives and negatives" to change the shape. You can use the same to create more complex roof shapes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOzzeS2NzlBvKzCSL4STKWI1tc2OfxdGHBm_PWYQNSlCyv-Kay14lfLNXEeOCHkdnLaLKyHnUVnJgIHtCSrB09Z2_yDjwUGRdD0kNAa91Sx77dbvbKxP0KQc28qOegKLz2n83EvOaHqE/s1600/B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOzzeS2NzlBvKzCSL4STKWI1tc2OfxdGHBm_PWYQNSlCyv-Kay14lfLNXEeOCHkdnLaLKyHnUVnJgIHtCSrB09Z2_yDjwUGRdD0kNAa91Sx77dbvbKxP0KQc28qOegKLz2n83EvOaHqE/s1600/B2.jpeg" height="145" width="320" /></a><br />
This is what I did on a recent project to model a steep site for a pool desk and outdoor area so we would have a firm idea of how the levels would actually work. Using this technique, you always have the original slope untouched and can edit the cuts and fills as required. However it is always a 'basic hammer tool' and never has any real intelligence you expect from a aec package. It cannot then tell you how much cut and fill etc.<br />
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Here's a pic of a quick scheme for a dam I created and posted somewhere to illustrate how to use MASSELEMENTGROUPS to alter terrain without actually altering the original terrain. ie. Once you have created the terrain using the DRAPE command on your contours, you can then add a ME box as a negative shape to cut out the dam shape. The water of course is just a big box that is created to fill the entire model (not close to the edges though) so that it looks like it 'fills' the space to level, dam & river. Again though it really only serves as a make do for quick illustrations. I can't calculate how much capacity the dam has except to run the measurements of the cube I use for a negative and deduct how high it (it's not visible here) stands above the (high) waterline. Having said that, 20 years ago I am sure an engineer would have loved these types of tools. But, it is 2014.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-y7VnxJiCP-Ju0OFiCWQMvYMWBhyphenhyphenhQX8iFJuPKWcq84hO4fn20hnEplbuUe_j7Yssp2U-wGZ7m-Rxq6_PQRw2mP395n36pR2EQz0dZd9hLZQrsXdJQ0_CGnm8cEvGtVrQx0Zx0y8cfw/s1600/TerrainModeller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-y7VnxJiCP-Ju0OFiCWQMvYMWBhyphenhyphenhQX8iFJuPKWcq84hO4fn20hnEplbuUe_j7Yssp2U-wGZ7m-Rxq6_PQRw2mP395n36pR2EQz0dZd9hLZQrsXdJQ0_CGnm8cEvGtVrQx0Zx0y8cfw/s1600/TerrainModeller.jpg" height="290" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've used Autodesk Designreview to create video walk throughs and quite frankly the quality is embarrassing. But that's the thing with Autodesk. Rather than take a main product (like ACA) and develop it fully they would rather spend millions on a niche product, spend time with it, release it for free and then loose interest a couple of years later. Any time spent learning the product becomes wasted time as they've moved onto the next bright idea like a child with AHD. I don't want to spend my life learning your next bright idea software package. I need to earn money to support my family and our dreams. It's why I stuck with ACA and never 'upgraded' to the 'sweets' er.. sorry, 'suites'. I'm sure there is something useful in there but all I saw was paying more money to spend many hours learning a new software package so I can do what I do now. No thanks. Hence the learning about the stock market. I want to work for me & mine, not Autodesk.<br />
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As my teenage son takes over my pc and starts shooting his mates online I drool over the (realtime rendered) visuals that look at a glance like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk34yU1BGiU" target="_blank">photo quality movies</a>. These are games obtained for well less than $100 and they often have tools to create your own environments. I've dabbled at times with the idea of importing models into Far Cry's CryENGINE environment so my clients can wander around enjoy gardens moving in the breeze, water flowing (no weapons) but my brain is swamped because ACA's WYSIWYG (1978) paperspace view no longer works in 2015 (finally fixed). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqEszWjnMuSCoIKt9xLkWzUwKidj2d_qBjE6TswBbmy_muhDD980cnmz8IDB_-qFTVvb35RVh6S3k6v9dfyfEuBScI2pPJ9ooa4LXJE_fUxRx0AFfVVmmg0Kch05r3JNjzOBBVeQFaaQ/s1600/Crysis-2-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqEszWjnMuSCoIKt9xLkWzUwKidj2d_qBjE6TswBbmy_muhDD980cnmz8IDB_-qFTVvb35RVh6S3k6v9dfyfEuBScI2pPJ9ooa4LXJE_fUxRx0AFfVVmmg0Kch05r3JNjzOBBVeQFaaQ/s1600/Crysis-2-011.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
Here's a scene from Crysis and don't get put off - the buildings are supposed to look decrepid, it's part of the ambience of the game. This level of rendering, lighting & texturing is available and common in games today and some have probably passed through Autodesk software and remember! this is live realtime playtime rendering. It's a screen grab. No sitting for minutes or hours waiting to see if you missed modelling something.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW8y28OgOhzifEqAYUQXXG9H3mujSX2FD7ewzAp1OVDE66pMex3dNTTOqA5O6WIpYsKeBkS33qlyKX85mSYec5bnHocISJfykB6M06GuFhyphenhyphenbLqWEnc7X9jfhY5gGe9ec9-Tq93hweC8U/s1600/crysis-2-environment-art2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW8y28OgOhzifEqAYUQXXG9H3mujSX2FD7ewzAp1OVDE66pMex3dNTTOqA5O6WIpYsKeBkS33qlyKX85mSYec5bnHocISJfykB6M06GuFhyphenhyphenbLqWEnc7X9jfhY5gGe9ec9-Tq93hweC8U/s1600/crysis-2-environment-art2.jpg" height="322" width="640" /></a>Imagine if we had access to this power of presentation somewhere in Autocad / ACA? Why not? Now I understand that CAD programs are much more accurate and operate differently but really, come on (aussie expression). It's only software.<br />
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In many ways I can see that Vectorworks is still catching up to ACA. Had ACA development continued it could be a very strong package. As always, the strength of Autocad (ACA) is it's flexibility and the weakness of Autocad (ACA) is it's flexibility. Sometimes you just want to be told what to do and not have too many options but power is well... power. But it does seem like for several years now, much more so with ACA, they have just played with the interface and the colours or given you yet another flawed way to do what you could do before. Little to no new real functionality. Certainly in ACA.<br />
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So .... yes I am still here. Many have picked up on my tips on the Roof Object and just maybe, one day, just maybe Autodesk will spend the money on upgrading this brilliant tool. The video's were a great way to illustrate lots of good stuff in ACA. Many great tips are still in my head. Maybe some can still leak out.<br />
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Hope you are having a rewarding and productive day.<br />
<br />
cheersUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-54506742702125452382012-10-09T08:50:00.000+08:002012-10-09T10:39:50.319+08:00Are you up to date?Thanks to friend Chris for a link to an AUGI page for updates to ACA back to version 2010<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.augi.com/library/heads-up-october-2012#AutoCADArchitecture">http://www.augi.com/library/heads-up-october-2012#AutoCADArchitecture</a><br />
<br />
Contains the very welcome link to ACA2013 Service Pack 1 along with other updates to ACA, Autocad, Civil, Revit, Inventor and 3DSMax.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/aca-2013-service-pack-1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheArchitectsDesktop+(The+Architect's+Desktop)">Some info on ACA SP1 from David Koch.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-73202490489115231862012-03-26T11:15:00.003+08:002012-04-13T19:55:50.956+08:00Roof Object Tips & Secrets Video Series Now on YOUTUBE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYqDVAR5AdWKf5ngWHk54z2G5VSWucHKXxxCHBDonh-q2Q5yz-X_p4drVih2VGJHRzQcxJCUGJT5SpkHQQMQ3YOha0qcAysDFBVG_eVxJnefqVIkUKiou24i1C4kitBQg7Si6tHfc5qU/s1600/ComplexRoof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYqDVAR5AdWKf5ngWHk54z2G5VSWucHKXxxCHBDonh-q2Q5yz-X_p4drVih2VGJHRzQcxJCUGJT5SpkHQQMQ3YOha0qcAysDFBVG_eVxJnefqVIkUKiou24i1C4kitBQg7Si6tHfc5qU/s400/ComplexRoof.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a ridiculously silly time delay I've finally put up a video series on the roof object.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are doing residential work I sincerely believe these tricks will make your work a lot easier!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>These video's are a must see!!</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is<a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/p/roof-object-video-links.html"> the link to a separate blog page</a> dedicated to the video's on the Roof Object tool. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can watch there or just click on the YOUTUBE video link inside the video itself near the lower left and it will open youtube itself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under the video on youtube is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ausacadotblogspot">my YouTube Channel</a> with this and other series.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD9BF5D8FF70CD3DF&feature=view_all">Roof Object Playlist</a> <span style="color: red;">(link fixed)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the video's I show you not only the basics in using the Roof Object but <b>SECRETS hidden</b> since it was first released. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some tips from</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/up-on-roof.html">RO creator himself</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some even he didn't know!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The basics</b></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to create a Roof Object from the Ribbon</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to Create a Roof Object from the command line</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to create a Roof Object from a Tool Pallete</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to create your own Roof Object Tool with your own custom properties</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to add Gables different ways</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to alter the slopes of each edge or all.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Projecting a wall to the roof line.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But wait there's more!</i> What are the<b> secrets never told</b> (except here) for the Roof Object</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to add vertices to the Roof Object <i>(yes we can!!)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to edit the Roof Object after creation. <i>(yes we can!!)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to get the Roof Object to overhang itself. <i> (yes we can!!)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Common issues that will have you stuck.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alternatives to Exploding into dumb roof slabs</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutting Holes in the Roof Object (Dormers, Skylights) <i>(yes we can!!)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complex Roof assembly like adding a turret to a corner <i>(yes we can!!)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy calculation tools for setting heights/distances right there in the RO tool</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Create edge styles for eaves, gables etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some practical samples of complex Roof Object problems.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Do you want to create Renderings of your projects to sell the deal to the client</i></span></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creating tools to quickly decorate the Roof Object for rendering.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to apply materials quickly and efficiently for residential work.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Challenge.</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a complex roof that you would like to see done in a video. Let me know by sending me a link (dropbox?) or you can place a comment with your email (I wont post) and I will email you for contact. <span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>: I have now created <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJcji_dKT7w">the above roof in no 14 of the series</a></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-69989925923779973032011-12-07T20:04:00.001+08:002011-12-07T20:18:17.656+08:00MultiLevel In 1 File Series on YouTube<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've uploaded some quickly produced video on my Maverick Method of constructing multiple levels in 1 file. Done late into the night so I can hear myself fade to a whisper to ensure my wife doesn't spoil my foray into a media career for waking her up!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ausacadotblogspot" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YjFMgNeN_wspZBFF43NgckwQe9yuTXN6cD9IpPXJLTfWt9MljJV9i0LfOluIuVXo5bhRwiNlKzRknRAetCeu-rzjpJ3aaGkvA5hN1WW2Z1ZxAR-oHuv-txNzbaMsqiCQMYBT6Snlg6M/s400/YoutubeChannel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As well as </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ausacadotblogspot" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MY YouTube channel</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> itself I have also </span><a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/p/multiple-levels-in-single-drawing-file.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a side page</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> here to list the video's available.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3K9v648jQ&list=UUejIvmXGHq_F46oq4vRV4vQ&feature=plpp" target="_blank">Playlist for this series</a> seems to mess the order up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the moment the sample file and lisp is only available by posting a comment here WITH your email (I will NOT publish and have not) and I will email to you. Perhaps soon I will post them somewhere that you can just grab them anonamously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">cheers</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-1411326731426446512011-12-01T21:00:00.001+08:002011-12-01T22:54:17.723+08:00I've gone YouTube<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've finally got a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBJZVUpWqCc" target="_blank">video</a> up on my youtube channel, intended to be the first of a number to explain my idiosyncracies and the method behind the madness in the way I use ACA. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A few ideas are planned but <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBJZVUpWqCc" target="_blank">this first one</a> takes a light dive into explaining my Mult-Level in 1 file approach for residential and small commercial projects. Sorry I did spend a little too long on my pretty picture but it is just an intro! Let me know what you think.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HYNfD5ns8bVBtd2WzJs7wtDPe3UTwP6dSI33XUWnMo9wEOBx1_6-aUAmczIVsPM8vLsaHl3-bdlRkJ8UpEgxv3abBQQc-J5igssPRheCzfPVa1u-Myiaj7cxPgAA8v_WwdwGZrD6-xg/s1600/AusACA+in+UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HYNfD5ns8bVBtd2WzJs7wtDPe3UTwP6dSI33XUWnMo9wEOBx1_6-aUAmczIVsPM8vLsaHl3-bdlRkJ8UpEgxv3abBQQc-J5igssPRheCzfPVa1u-Myiaj7cxPgAA8v_WwdwGZrD6-xg/s400/AusACA+in+UK.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">On googling my blog I came across this interesting <a href="http://urlspy.co.uk/www.ausaca.blogspot.com" target="_blank">link</a> placing my site in the top 2 million for the UK and in the top 19 million in the world. Haha! I guess there is a lot of people in the world so I should feel good about it but I do think they may be over estimating it's worth. Apparently most visitors are from Turkey so welcome to you all. Once we fought but now the best of friends hey - we have an important history together. Hopefully you can understand my accent on youtube.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's great to see despite not being able to blog much lately it's still of value to some.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I should also mention <a href="http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=auv2011_event" target="_blank">AU - Autodesk University</a> which has just begun. If you have subscription it's free and there is a number of <a href="http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class_listing&filter_keywords=&chunk=50&filter_type=&filter_track=&filter_software=81&filter_speaker=&filter_year=All&filter_language=English&whichfilter=all" target="_blank">previous year</a> classes that can be accessed which are still very relevant. I've just downloaded recorded movie files & pdf's for classes on Rendering in Autocad to see if I can pick up any good tips as well as Advanced Modelling etc in ACA. Don't forget that you can get benefit from some AutoCAD classes as well as ACA. Might have to wait for this year classes to be uploaded. I did try to partipate in a live class last year but the lag and the timeframe (early morning for me) saw me falling asleep in class. The opportunity to be able to download previous year class video recordings is a fantastic learning opportunity. They are BIG files but well worth the cost (free).</span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-28155924526113227532011-07-20T01:17:00.001+08:002011-07-20T01:19:37.431+08:00<br />
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<img border="0" height="155" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLQfg8f0cqiNPdSodyTi1KI9exLIlUM_Ohfsgz0M3vhU46dyARJRGkP2f3GmFt3QGDHnvY_10kKs7Q3GearL96XljqR0_UHp4UVRX2iEKbuzzBMTxQjXAawsqaeeSJFz2cRLIQlaSWr0/s200/Promo3rdQuart11.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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<span id="goog_64576726"></span><span id="goog_64576727"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm liking that the ACA master himself is getting into rendering inside ACA and I am looking forward to learning further how to get the best out of the system. Archidigm has a <a href="http://www.archidigm.com/">new post of</a> a very nice internal render on his front cover. My feeble attempts at internal renderings are humbling but I would like to get there. I notice his furniture featured which is <a href="http://www.archidigm.com/classroom/index.htm">available as content</a> at a very good price. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He's also <a href="http://www.archidigm.com/Coverpage/cover3-11/lounge-set_render_xrefs.htm">written another article on rendering materials</a> across X-Ref's and some of the problems you have. He notes that RMats work a little differently than other objects. When you bring x-ref's together for the purpose of rendering a model, all the materials are brought into the file and become part of that file. So you can then alter the materials in the host file unlike for e.g. a wall style which needs to be edited in the original file, saved and reloaded. Unload the xref and the materials remain (unless purged). Update the material in the original file and the material is NOT updated in the host file unless it's deleted and then reloaded by reloading the xref. These complications are why I like working in a <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Multi-Levels">1 file approach</a>. Recently pulled my 1 file model into another file just to do the render (as it was after doing the CD's) and I certainly confirmed the simplicity of my approach as I encountered the problems Odin addresses. However if you require a team to work on a project together then splitting the file using the Project Navigator can be a good idea despite the drawbacks or you may just like breaking the project into manageable pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I like his pick of <a href="http://www.augi.com/library/creating-door-swing-angles-in-revit/">how many steps it takes to swing a door in Revit</a>. Not knocking Revit overall of course but it's nice to see that ACA still has the ascendency in some areas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway just thought I'd post to let you know I am still alive. Barely breathing but still kicking.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-26999158883767851392011-03-20T20:04:00.010+08:002011-03-20T22:38:18.849+08:00Do you believe in ghosts?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's my ghost story!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtE2DgShjqNiDWr-l0PQFX2EVfVxliTF_H7W61qZ6Emqv2BONLuZoiigQR-CgushuQ8ZEDFYXECo1M6ZIcm1-xwF40dfSl9iwBOdi6gkXneehkw3TrNEddN-ICaZrJruYAvyQE1xLFf_8/s1600/GhostWalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtE2DgShjqNiDWr-l0PQFX2EVfVxliTF_H7W61qZ6Emqv2BONLuZoiigQR-CgushuQ8ZEDFYXECo1M6ZIcm1-xwF40dfSl9iwBOdi6gkXneehkw3TrNEddN-ICaZrJruYAvyQE1xLFf_8/s400/GhostWalls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is something that I have had occur over the years from time to time. ADT2005, 6, ACA2009 and 11. I have strange issues occuring with walls mysteriously not cleaning up properly and strange interference from unseen (wall?) objects. I've called them 'ghost walls' as they aren't there and won't show in any view or display rep even Diagnostic whiich should show something. I believe they are 'deceased' walls having been killed (erased) but they just don't want to go! Have they unfinished business? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghA3NuiEttHYfXxQ8rs44dIujx8j4doFbgxeyx2dGy-s_GIfI4QDpcBtKGHDxXODyQErKIfDkLg6m2xvqW1yLPwqSbyDcXutVs9nd6e6tqVSSYcOBkm7qKk1a15oouXwi8JBIhMix5xkQ/s1600/GhostWalls2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghA3NuiEttHYfXxQ8rs44dIujx8j4doFbgxeyx2dGy-s_GIfI4QDpcBtKGHDxXODyQErKIfDkLg6m2xvqW1yLPwqSbyDcXutVs9nd6e6tqVSSYcOBkm7qKk1a15oouXwi8JBIhMix5xkQ/s400/GhostWalls2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've tried deleting everything from the drawing and the purging the styles using the sweep tool but some styles won't go! Reading autolisp tutorials I've read that you can query the database for an object and see if it's erased and if it's still present in the dwg database even though erased. I gather this is for the undo options where items deleted can still be restored if you undo your previous actions. However I thought this was until you close the drawing and I would have assumed this information is lost forever. Or so I thought. Perhaps they don't want to go and come back to haunt my drawing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What's interesting is that the purge styles function in the style manager (broom) would not purge lots of styles & objects and the purge function would not remove lots of empty layers. It's like a complete breakdown in the functions. Thinking I might learn some new useful information I went thru a copy and LAYDEL each layer. (I draw a line on that layer so I can select the layer). This had the interesting effect of then allowing the Purge Styles to work and Purge on blocks as well?? At that point my Ghost walls had appeared to have 'gone to the light' and I no longer had my cleanup issues. Some aecmaterial definitions hung on perhaps attached to the blocks still resisting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I copied my square outlines from the picture file you see here and posted them back into the file I copied to use as a template thinking that they were going to coincide with the previous project walls but they didn't. Not quite anyway. Maybe this is a good reason to start from a clean template!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So I'm not sure what I learnt. Not about to delete all my layers from my functioning drawing though I suppose I could WB all the info out and then purge and then bring it all back in and see if that works the same. (I would loose the x-ref connections to the aecElevations). I had just moved it all to the left away from the ghost walls and the issues go away. I just can't draw in THAT space. Hey it's haunted! So....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you believe in ghosts?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">part 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Well as it turns out, as I was showing my younger workmate my haunted drawing, he pointed out that my Isolate Objects globe was red! After unisolating objects it turns out that on grabbing a previous drawing as a template, I had certain portions of the drawing hidden and brought it along into my new drawing. So the hidden walls were causing the cleanup problems! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Or were they? After removing all the now unhidden but unwanted drawing portions I still had cleanup issues! Sometimes advances in technology just get too fancy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I wonder if this is the answer to the issue I've had over the years from time to time.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-13149207901203433462011-03-09T23:04:00.002+08:002011-03-09T23:06:23.191+08:00Structural objections !<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto7vL-8fhPawLB1PYmZ7UaCMdQfGMBEXbO7w8yKd1LhiG7o4u_Yl44bB7SKyo9b8rp8mjUi9209O07JHP_iiE5aMgDinmTl83sRs9xmeR7nrLm6vzr-ejXklhNo9n9IxEzkA_uU6YVmw/s1600/SE-StructuralComponants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto7vL-8fhPawLB1PYmZ7UaCMdQfGMBEXbO7w8yKd1LhiG7o4u_Yl44bB7SKyo9b8rp8mjUi9209O07JHP_iiE5aMgDinmTl83sRs9xmeR7nrLm6vzr-ejXklhNo9n9IxEzkA_uU6YVmw/s400/SE-StructuralComponants.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James sent me a bunch of <b>Structural Members</b> he's been playing with that look great except they're not really structural members! In the great spirit of not accepting a 'tool' for what it is but exploring what it could be James has used <b>SM</b>'s to create excellent 2D detailing tools for those repetitive items. In case you ask the obvious question "what about using the Detail Componant Manager" which is designed to do this, it's not set up with australian details and there has been no Australian issue like the UK version. We'd have to customise the database and then learn how to upgrade and maintain yet another Tool! But yes you could use the DCM :-)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been tinkering with Dynamic Blocks to do much the same thing but there is a real advantage for an ACA'er using Structural Members. The more you use a tool the better you are in applying it and SE's can be very handy in virtual construction. For e.g. Structural members are great for creating a steel beam, adding end plates and the repeating cleats at set distances. So essentially the tool can also be used for 2D work in the same way. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WeWD4uRPNTJZUBLO49C5HXrEWv9giZbMvEzvjhm3qu2ZTQ_8_j0UfmmckhyphenhyphentrzmzDnZoFawMtvSbmesnrJuHrVFvIj3lHxTT4I8aalkHL3Vv5zmzdkJ8McOf5JqG8qfuiUmN0hdpIhM/s1600/SE-WallsNCeilings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WeWD4uRPNTJZUBLO49C5HXrEWv9giZbMvEzvjhm3qu2ZTQ_8_j0UfmmckhyphenhyphentrzmzDnZoFawMtvSbmesnrJuHrVFvIj3lHxTT4I8aalkHL3Vv5zmzdkJ8McOf5JqG8qfuiUmN0hdpIhM/s400/SE-WallsNCeilings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The disadvantage is that blocks can't be rotated or mirrored so you basically have to create the block in the orientation you want to insert it. However in the case of the roofing purlins in the example shown, the whole <b>SM</b> is simply rotated to the pitch so the purlin block would be inserted as though flat anyway. Here's a bunch of wall styles <b>SM</b>'s. Constant materials like wall cladding are componants of the <b>SM</b>. Periodical items like studs or hanging straps are added as blocks.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DuJthwrxo4_RxSZc2EfcqPUiQGuMfDgdSfiyZlG5GP_aDJWvyuVeMgBqoOhHw4vkyUcVPr6TqbO0jEBEiu9V4cpcdGZ0uNw-AsmYnutLX9BhI5Taaed8TCCy0GAQNUhqYiQRNSpAg_w/s1600/SE-How.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DuJthwrxo4_RxSZc2EfcqPUiQGuMfDgdSfiyZlG5GP_aDJWvyuVeMgBqoOhHw4vkyUcVPr6TqbO0jEBEiu9V4cpcdGZ0uNw-AsmYnutLX9BhI5Taaed8TCCy0GAQNUhqYiQRNSpAg_w/s400/SE-How.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So you end with dynamic detailing componants that will stretch and add components automatically! You do need to know when to create a separate style as in the window sill illustrated here. It's attached to the window instead of the bricks. Sometimes things get TOO complicated and besides, separate components gives you extra flexibility.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5kBFiCovZCEj_dNKcuhhgnH49OsNOLsuW351HJuPqY4BhWGY5nuZhsD3vsS0OlKaC9MboeT3o60f5vmAdj8VkC6M_CScMCejPybMTT8fXlW3HNGLY2Hzgu3ST2FDLutFNR7n88UDLuk/s1600/SE-Sheeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5kBFiCovZCEj_dNKcuhhgnH49OsNOLsuW351HJuPqY4BhWGY5nuZhsD3vsS0OlKaC9MboeT3o60f5vmAdj8VkC6M_CScMCejPybMTT8fXlW3HNGLY2Hzgu3ST2FDLutFNR7n88UDLuk/s320/SE-Sheeting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hate fiddling with those repetitive sheet profiles.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James, having done much more commercial work is good with <b>SM</b>'s. Myself I still struggle to understand why I must create a pier base sideways to get it to insert properly. But the more I use any of the tools and 'get' how they work I get increased productivity in knowing just how to use a tool, where to use it and when it won't do. I can model most things very quickly now because I understand what tool to use and how to use it effectively. Doing what James has done with <b>SM</b>'s is going to teach you a lot about Structural Members</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I might as well share with you some of James' </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">other</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> tricks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a2MB2Z1FpONh_R5kK4Vh2mqg9AyvyoBfwO6fWDCMQXAnovKpKBQ0tOVlZAyEv6nYudo0kn891X4siR6MF1XLKvS2AbZ8E6kjRCi7AEC-8-_cCKuRK23xh_tFTuILICss-byEZOAxWjc/s1600/CWA-CurregatedVertical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a2MB2Z1FpONh_R5kK4Vh2mqg9AyvyoBfwO6fWDCMQXAnovKpKBQ0tOVlZAyEv6nYudo0kn891X4siR6MF1XLKvS2AbZ8E6kjRCi7AEC-8-_cCKuRK23xh_tFTuILICss-byEZOAxWjc/s320/CWA-CurregatedVertical.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I blogged an option for displaying Vertical profiles mainly for the purpose of rendering but James showed me a better way using a <b>curtain wall</b>, with only Profiled Mullions showing, in the shape of the sheeting. CWA's can have their roof or floor line edited-in-place for easy matching to a building shape and the profile follows suit. The curtain wall might contain other componants but here it gives flexibility for the sheeting alone. This is a good quick way of get vertical profiled sheeting into your model. Through components you could control different display for different display reps. ie. this for 3D, just hatching on another component for aecElevations.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a <b>wall style</b> James developed for use in large commercial projects. Adding components for sheeting, insulation, cladding and each expected purlin and then adding a sweep to each purlin component you get a detailed wall that will section, elevate and off course display well in plan. Being a wall it will cleanup, has roof & floorline edit and the subsequent purlin components will appear as your height increases. Higher wall this time? Add (copy) some more purlin components in your wall style, add sweep and you're done. If your wall is low, the higher purlins don't appear. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope that helps stretch the paradigm a little for ya!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-78008706529667020952011-02-25T21:21:00.002+08:002011-03-10T07:25:16.162+08:00Drawing Properties<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I described</span><a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2010/06/auto-title-blocks-fast-plotting.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> how we use the drawing file custom properties for our <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Multi-Levels">1 File for Multistorey</a> to store the project data which is automatically grabbed by the title block and cover page. Well an email to support (subscription is useful for something occassionally) turned up th<a href="http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=29605&page=1&pp=10.">is link</a> and an excellant autolisp file that can bring a preset list from a .cvs file right into the drawing custom properties ready for you to add the project data to. (There are 2 lisp files posted at this link. I used the first issue for .cvs files. The 2nd amendment looks for .xls files but it didn't work for me).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Commands impdwp, expdwp and clrdwp import, export or delete (clear) drawing properties. Once you have them in your template they can just be updated for the next project but if you already have a project and want to bring the data in, here is an easy way to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Been to <a href="http://www.archidigm.com/">Archidigm</a> lately. They have released a new ACA door style set and checking out his windows and the many display options to get detail quickly and efficiently is impressive. He has video's of his street kit in action. And don't forget his intensive <a href="http://www.archidigm.com/classroom/adt_4_development_guide/adt_5_dg_cover.htm">Development Guide</a>. Purchasing one of Odin's products get's you access to his classroom and there is a treasure trove of info available for your ACA obsessing delight.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-68845982758006485952011-02-17T03:00:00.000+08:002011-02-17T03:00:01.827+08:00Doing it by the Book NOT<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a user since ADT3 for must be 6 or so years it's only in the last couple of years that I have hit an upper air stream in terms of productivity increase with ADT/ACA. I feel that I have finally 'got' how it works and more importantly how to work it. That includes not doing as I am told. Well not always. We all use this product for lots of different types of projects and the requirements of a hospital project have very different demands to a 2 or 3 storey residence or a back room extension. The product is really developed with the hospital in mind but my work is mainly residential.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's some ways I have NOT done it by the book:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Development of a <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Multi-Levels">1 file for multistorey</a> approach using custom (simple) autolisp programming, custom layer standard.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Developing my own simpler Layer Key Standard with many less layers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Practise that avoids dependance on the 'latest' interface such as <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Alias">using keyboard commands</a> rather than point and "oh where is it this time?" click chase the ribbon.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Return to <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2010/07/get-rendering.html">solids rather than MassElements</a> for modelling certain one off library elements.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">I've abandoned aecSlabs in favour of using aecSpaces. They are so much more easily edited. They don't have edge styles though but they do have componants and can be rendered. I do still use slabs but not mostly. Unfortunately spaces stretch oddly, if you 'grab' their centre point the whole space moves instead of stretching as the old area objects did. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Getting to know the Roof Object intimately and understanding what it can do and not converting to the slow, less intelligent, cumbersome Roof Slabs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Just knowing all the ways that won't work and the ones that will and knowing how far they will work so I don't have to fiddle.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So I thought I'd share some experiences that were successful and simple and worked. They may or may not work for you in your situation but might be worth considering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>example 1</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I don't use the Project Navigator for small projects and will build multilevel projects in the one file. However one advantage of the PN is in regenerating elevations without getting unwanted elements added in (like text) and having any new modelling elements automatically being part of the selection set (when the file is saved and the X-ref is reloaded). So on certain projects I may create a 2nd file to X-ref (overlay not attach) the model file into, set up the elevations including room elevations, sections etc and x-ref that back into the model file to complete the set of drawings. The advantage is the 2nd file will have all the right layers turned off and on so only desired elements are captured in the elevation (like in the PN) and also once the x-ref is selected, any new elements added to the main file are automatically selected for the next refresh or regeneration of the aecElevation. You can do all of them at once! You can x-ref in the model several times, renaming each instance if you want to set it up in different layer configurations for different purposes. A section or internal room/cabinet layout may require different layers than the elevations. Changes to the model file need to be saved, and the x-ref's reloaded in the Elev file, saved and then may be reloaded back into the main file if that is where they are inserted onto a sheet. Another advantage is the aec elevation/section objects are not in the main file in your way. When x-ref'ing the Elev file back into the main file, only the required objects are shown, the unwanted portions are x-clipped out. BTW '<b>overlaying</b>' and not '<b>attach</b>'ed means the x-ref will not travel with the file when x-ref'd to another file. Here that would cause a circular reference and won't work. If you organise the Elev drawing space as you want it, you only need to x-ref it back once into your main file for correct placement ready for the sheets (already set up in my tabs from the template drawing. This means all the drawing sheets are in the one file.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the above 2nd file (Elev), layers are not really important, only where you need to sort items like in a floor plan that is displayed several times in different ways as a working floor plan, sketch plan, reflected ceiling plan, electrical plan, landscaping plan, site plan, roof plan, rafter plan, ceiling timber plan etc. so I often simplify the numbers of layers I use. Using .stb plot style greatly helps this. Having a seperate file does allow some multi-user access to the one project if you need that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>example 2</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I recently modelled 4 single floor units in the one file (lets call it SITE drawing). That file was then x-ref'd into another file(s), clipped down to one unit (per file) and the full drawings for that unit produced in that file. The benefit I found in this method was that altering an aec style updating all references as it was all in the same (Site) file. (On larger projects you can use project standards but this is an extra process and is not on the fly). As the complete model was in the main file, there is only one reference of the model and coordination was automatic. I wanted this fine coordination as I was also using the file for rendering and exporting to 3DWF although that is a pretty dissappointing option at this point but I wanted to experiment with it and wanted to keep it all together. Rather than a seperate file I like to keep the file always at a ready to be re-rendered at any point rather than having that as a seperate file. This keeps all the documentation side out of my modelling file for rendering. I am about to use this method on another project of 10 small single storey homes as it was quite efficient. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Don't forget there are lots of ways to work on one area of your model (as opposed to having to split it up into x-ref's). Using Layer Isolate or the the object isolate tools are good ways to get data out the way quickly. Available on a right click is the Isolate Objects tools. You can hide lots of components you don't want to see for a while even if their layer gets turned on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, don't think that the method presented as THE way is always the best way. Not that it's usually the wrong way! Sometimes it's just the long way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cheers</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-3212786424979181062011-02-15T23:03:00.001+08:002011-02-16T21:16:35.062+08:00Free Tree Downloads<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.xfrog.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fGS9QIV57iKinmMKM80wNSvkYxmJFU216jrjDUrqpJ-peLfZWja4xcViK72x6Z-S48hY8vwJjznvV2MIjhFfE3NIG86voWOUFrjGrKRVG8Wg3mPbrzsno5_n-FQbk-K6nRcca_Epp2Q/s200/SH10lef.jpg" width="191" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are into rendering in any way you may have seen </span><a href="http://xfrog.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Xfrog.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> which offers a tool for creating and editing trees and plants. Well they have just released quite a portion of samples for you to try out. Among the strange list of download options for max, maya and terragen you also have the old 3ds format for 3DStudio which I think is now a defunk product. Using the <a href="http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?linkID=9240618&id=9481286&siteID=123112">3dsin command</a>, these tree files (oops see below) can be brought into AutoCAD for rendering. Each zip folder downloaded contains a number of 3ds files along with bitmaps (tif) for leaves, bark etc to be applied to the tree. Whilst the tree is modeled, the leaves are a single face for a bitmap to be applied. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are some tricks to getting the 3ds file into AutoCAD though. It seems it can't handle so much data (another memory handling problem?) and so you are best to load portions of the info at a time. But oh dear in trying to test this thru my ACA2009 crashed each time trying to bring the file in. So I loaded 2011 which can save the files down to 2009 (for non ACA items) though I am wondering what the translation does to the material definitions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">FAIL again. Crashed every time with xfrogs 3ds files? I had loaded a couple earlier so perhaps I need to reboot. I'll report the problem with xfrog and see if they offer any solution.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you get past the crashes, and the load fails, try loading without leaves and roots. once imported, do it again and this time load the leaves (do you need the roots?). I have a technique for simplifying the number of materials so I might not assign any material, using my own oft repeated material (e.g. Leaf1). In this case the leaves are just a square face and require the leaf bitmap to look somewhat realistic so I might include materials. I also don't allow multiple layers and put it all on layer 0.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, until I get it successfully loaded I can't post a picture of what you might expect. If I do I will update this post with a sample pic but it's all there on <a href="http://www.xfrog.com/">xfrog's site</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">er...happy rendering</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-1034011457341369672011-01-29T01:29:00.007+08:002011-02-05T15:44:47.364+08:00Multiple Levels in a single Drawing File? Part 4 (updated)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for the feedback on the Multi-Level in 1 file approach. I know it's not for everyone. Some of you don't like messing with layers. That's never been a drawback for me - I have aliased the Layer commands (were from ExpressTools) to quick shortcuts and use them alot as I work and have found it very efficient to do so. (I've now incorporated those shortcuts into my Levels autolisp so you will have them if you ask for it (& provide email)). Makes it quick to manipulate between layer set groups, or singles whilst I am working on different parts of a drawing. However my ML system is tied to a layer set and that may be a drawback for some. Some have asked for (& received) a sample file (you need to give me your email address - I will <b>NOT</b> publish online). Maybe a system such as this could be incorporated into the product somehow like the Renovation set but I wouldn't like to see it get complicated. I like it simple. Along with my understanding of the <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Roof">roof object</a> this has made <b><u>residential work</u></b> SO much quicker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should say this is for advanced users. Beginners might feel a little swamped. Email me for a sample! I'm really only explaining my theory here as to how I set it up. Now...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did I mention that I use a <strong>different wall cleanup group per floor?</strong> Again easy to create. Open Style Manager, Drag Standard down until a + symbol appears at the mouse, let go and another cleanup group, nicely named 'Standard (2)' for the 2nd floor appears. If you use something other than Standard for your walls then just copy that. I only just discovered the 'drag and let go' routine. Makes it so easy!! I then manually change my upper floor walls over to the new group. Haven't thought of a way to automate that yet nor explored fully how the change to the cleanup's for walls at different Z levels (version 2009) has made but it all works fine with the seperate cleanup group. (As I often will use a similar previous drawing as a template for the next job, I will often have an existing wall to 'As Selected' right click on and draw with so it already has the cleanup group set. i.e. I've changed to Level 2, the old level 2 is there off to the right and I click on a typical wall, right click and choose 'As Selected'</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScQrJXBCLqtLb0JHl6mzb0KCHlKsxwNEh8AiAUmSMbZNWJVRPOhFaRJCjyz86Y15AOAyWsw7yuBtDFRewfz1byuGlNnyGCJ6S0TivPZ7inLOIz_tzhtBaG_Ldqj20QqVDoQBwNPfnuKA/s1600/MultiLevel-StairDR-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScQrJXBCLqtLb0JHl6mzb0KCHlKsxwNEh8AiAUmSMbZNWJVRPOhFaRJCjyz86Y15AOAyWsw7yuBtDFRewfz1byuGlNnyGCJ6S0TivPZ7inLOIz_tzhtBaG_Ldqj20QqVDoQBwNPfnuKA/s320/MultiLevel-StairDR-1.jpg" width="183" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Stairs </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An additional item I need to share with you which require their own special treatment. My thoughts for handling stairs were along the idea of a spanning construct used with the Project Navigator but of course I can't bring stairs in at a different level. Many have used 2 different stairs but I didn't want such a work-around. I just wanted it to work and it again turned out to be easy to accomplish but you need to do a little work again in the <b>D</b>isplay <b>M</b>anager. So here it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By diving into the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DM</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> '</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Sets'</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (see image) and adding a 2nd 'Set', copied of the 1st such as 'Plan', dragging 'Plan' so the mouse shows a '+' symbol and dropping I get a 'Plan (2)' set. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Perfect!</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I can do this for however many different display styles I want for the stair utilising the OOTB ones preferably. So Plan, Plan Presentation, Reflected, etc. If you want you can simplify and use the same 'Plan' display for all your different display's whether it be working plan or a reflected ceiling plan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now moving down to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Representation by Object</strong>, scrolling down to 'Stair' and we do the same thing to add another display representation set but this is <strong>only going to apply to the stair.</strong> Again this is done to the OOTB template and is quite easy to do, however most times I grab a similar project as a template and it's already set up. Differently as done for the display representation '<strong>Configuration',</strong> I am going to do a little more than just alter the cutplane however don't panic! It's not complex. So here we go. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Selecting an existing display I want to copy for a 2nd floor and dragging down it becomes a new one with a (2) appended. Ideal!! Now we just need to scroll across and associate the (2) with the Display '<strong>Set</strong>' (2) and unassociate the original with the (2) set. Ok your way out and then draw a stair in a (Presentation) display. Editing the style you should only see one set to alter (it's the bolded one). (2) should not be bold. Now change your display set to a (2) and again edit the stair style. If you made your changes correctly, you should be now editing a newly created display rep for the stair for the 2nd floor and whatever changes you make will only appear for the 2nd floor. Now this makes it easy to set up a stair for ground floor showing the stairs going up and for the 2nd floor display with the stair going down! Or however you like it to show!! T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he final display changes can be done in the environment you are familiar with through working the style from the stair itself. See these 2 images.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Viewports</span></strong> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>(update)</strong></span> will need to be adjusted for each level displayed. It's seems that if you have not changed a viewports display rep then it will be whatever your current model space is set to. However if you specifically change the display rep inside a viewport, it will stay that way and not automatically alter (no idea what variable that is). So if you are setting up a viewport for your 2nd floor, double click inside the viewport and change the setting to Medium Detail(2) or whichever you need. Then also change the Elevation setting and you are done. If I use a previous job as my template these are already set though the 2nd floor level may be a little differerent height and may need to be altered. - easy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Stairs another way</span> (PN & X-ref's)</strong>.<strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">(update)</span></strong> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1tqUXOjpbHhjAUeqsKFs8C4J_y0iLog3ExjYGGyKcfZ6PrY7Fs5lNhNED4gURkbg6fYas6aprJhsDV5vuhpbM6TrISHAFebHV2okksBwlZIeSfIT4-Um904uVG1Hb6aBYohk_EBm7TA/s1600/JamesStairDRCP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1tqUXOjpbHhjAUeqsKFs8C4J_y0iLog3ExjYGGyKcfZ6PrY7Fs5lNhNED4gURkbg6fYas6aprJhsDV5vuhpbM6TrISHAFebHV2okksBwlZIeSfIT4-Um904uVG1Hb6aBYohk_EBm7TA/s320/JamesStairDRCP.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> James doesn't like manipulating layers and would like a 1 file system without having to manipulate layers. He sent me a file showing a stair that displayed differently in response to it's elevation. By setting the stair elevation to minus -2900 in the properties pallete, (as you would in an x-ref system for the 2nd floor plan) his stair changed to the 2nd floor display much as I show above but using the <u>same display representation</u> He achieved this by altering the global 'Display Below Range' to -2900 (normally set to -300) for that display rep. Of course this requires the stair set at 2 different positions and doesn't work for a one file system, but may be of interest to those using X-ref's or the PN. Interesting indeed but I haven't worked out all the ramifications.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spanning Walls</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have got a file from me and it has Plan Presentation (2) in the Display Manager under <strong>Representation by Object - Walls</strong>, then it's not required except where I was trying for a spanning wall which needed, like the stair, to be able to be viewed differently from the 2nd level. This would require a style over-ride for a style only used for spanning, or an object override. I'll have to discuss this in another blog but you don't need this except if you are trying to avoid horizontal lines between same plane upper & lower walls in your elevations. Since I often use alive elevations (the model viewed from different sides with hidden lines) for sketch presentations I've tried to use this option. I'm not sure it's successful but Watch this space !</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-13010174921397386822011-01-25T18:53:00.006+08:002011-02-05T13:51:48.630+08:00Mult-Levels in 1 File?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaFZtNw2D9cXLvKGbxkAx0th5oSlmKX_HYTkwSE2UYMlvVwFjivUDbYt_a04kH8HW9y5SlReDHT3GlFKDrw1nOdrctAZO9RZLjOOX3dedIIQleKBBNNxiq05thiUyQLXtf8EAYfjD0TQ/s1600/9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaFZtNw2D9cXLvKGbxkAx0th5oSlmKX_HYTkwSE2UYMlvVwFjivUDbYt_a04kH8HW9y5SlReDHT3GlFKDrw1nOdrctAZO9RZLjOOX3dedIIQleKBBNNxiq05thiUyQLXtf8EAYfjD0TQ/s320/9.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great to have some interest in this idea. I've sent out files to some.<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;"> If you haven't given me your email address <u>I can't email you anything OR reply to you</u>!!</span></strong> As you can see no one's email has been published so be confident I will protect your privacy. I delete your comment rather than post it. If you've tried to follow my online notes, it may be difficult and I may have missed things (hopefully not). It's hard to anticipate everything about someone else's setup. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Bk5K2zfYZlwsXkj-46tVvjjTFzWriZpVx5NF0mrYz5Qnd7nyksOYwj-9n6T6HDqom7tceCR_IUNk_75astpjBNLSSBsdXLrfH4_aAWrioqHnC1e5O6S-ypO5Mu7nt4yFukNp5kItc94/s1600/3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Bk5K2zfYZlwsXkj-46tVvjjTFzWriZpVx5NF0mrYz5Qnd7nyksOYwj-9n6T6HDqom7tceCR_IUNk_75astpjBNLSSBsdXLrfH4_aAWrioqHnC1e5O6S-ypO5Mu7nt4yFukNp5kItc94/s320/3.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If I send you a file you can compare and see how it actually works (and it does) and, if it suits you, use my file for your template. Feedback is welcome too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My intention is community as I like the open source idea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This 2nd image is 3 storey for which I had to add another 'level' of commands for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm presently working on a split level house which presents more challenges, some which should be simple to resolve and some are resolved because the <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2010/01/cutting-plane.html">typical wall style has it's cut plane</a> over-ridden. I'm adding some extra commands to change the Z plane level without changing the Level you are working on so you can have different levels for the same 'Level'. A 'Level' would correspond to those collection of levels you want viewed in the same plan view.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you have specific queries feel free to post a comment but it's best I can send you a file to try it out. If you are using ACA2011, I am sorry but it has BIG problems that will hopefully be addressed but it does significantly negate partially the reasons for Multi-Level in 1 File (rendering & memory issues). I may post my totally negative blog review on using ACA2011. For the record my great increase in productivity is in using ACA2009.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">And also I say again. I promote this system for residential and small commercial work. Larger projects should really be done with the project navigator or at least X-ref's but I will be intereted to see how large I can get. As computers increase in capacity, the size of file you can handle increases.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I keep intending to put some tut's on Youtube on the roof object, rendering and materials and this idea. Now that I've published it I have to do it hey! So much simpler to watch instead of just read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">cheers</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-17993829061004546112011-01-08T23:27:00.000+08:002011-01-08T23:27:00.282+08:00Windows & cutplanes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Koch - <a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/">The Architects Desktop</a>, has two excellant posts on getting windows above the cutplane to display, something I've always blundered through but his explanations makes it very simple to achieve at least my desired solution .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/2010/12/displaying-windows-above-cut-plane-in.html">Displaying Windows above cutplane</a> and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/2010/12/aca-wall-display-settings-at-openings.html">ACA Wall settings at openings.</a> (ok this one is not so simple to understand).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And whilst visiting here, David has a </span><a href="http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/2006/08/adt-schedule-feature-resources.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">link to ACA / ADT scheduling resources</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that is very valuable. He's captured wisdom from some great minds including his own and put them in one place. I can use schedules because of what I learnt from here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">David has help <a href="http://paulaubin.com/">Paul Aubin</a> with his latest update to the 'Mastering ACA' series of books now called</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://paulaubin.com/books/the-aubin-academy-master-series-autocad-architecture-2011/">The Aubin Academy Master Series: AutoCAD Architecture 2011</a></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Paul tells it, the bulk of the work for ACA has been done by David this time around and my thanks to David for all his efforts on continuing the education for ACA..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've said before that I learnt how to use the Project Navigator after reading Paul's ADT2004 series and<a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2010/04/multiple-levels-in-single-drawing-file.html"> I dived in on a complex project</a> on ADT2005 and was pleasantly surprised how it all came together so well. Paul himself has some good movies to watch over at <a href="http://autocad.autodesk.com/">Autodesk Exchange</a>, also a great resource. So recommend Paul's work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hope the new year's looking good for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cheers</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-44602503348277949492010-12-22T23:00:00.002+08:002012-08-09T01:30:07.686+08:00and Now for the Really Important Stuff<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well we're off to a wonderful holiday destination for just a short break. I think we have the blue trailer and some storage space in the red sea container reserved. I sure do need the open air exercise and I'm assured the pool is clean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks for sharing the journey. I hope you all are holding your own as the world shudders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've been working from home looking after my kids on their aussie break and they have got into <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Sketchup - release 8</a> just released. My middle son has designed his dream house. Not sure about the engineering issues but it's gets a great view and will catch any breeze! They have also messed with <a href="http://envisioneerexpress.com/">Envisioneer Express (free)</a>. So if you got young'uns who you'd like to inspire but don't want them messing up your cui or your pallete then these are great simple and free options for play. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU6dMGo4TIxRr-62cIfi5bggAij5MfExSHIRx6QLfclPxZLgpjtHaJz-Xh6luEIlznz4NadJby1cp8F6uzx86veNuJ2D2qDRjqpZv8esahX7sLzzbJek4XKNT1C0iqpnTPksaSt9TT2A/s1600/SketchupSunpath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU6dMGo4TIxRr-62cIfi5bggAij5MfExSHIRx6QLfclPxZLgpjtHaJz-Xh6luEIlznz4NadJby1cp8F6uzx86veNuJ2D2qDRjqpZv8esahX7sLzzbJek4XKNT1C0iqpnTPksaSt9TT2A/s320/SketchupSunpath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Actually I tried out Sketchup myself to be able to quickly review the sun path for a new display home I'm working on. It allowed me to quickly test the height and angle of a highlight window design. The sun slider is quick to show real time shadow and I was able to determine refinements required to allow in more winter sun and still block summer sun. I reduced the overhang. I could also evaluate the effectiveness of solar panel positioning and as here determined that some panels were just not going to be very effective and need another location.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">To get your aca model into Sketchup use the 3DSOUT command on a 3d view. <a href="http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?linkID=9240618&id=9481286&siteID=123112">(Don't have 3DSOUT??)</a> You can then import the 3dstudio format file into Sketchup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I also placed a camera and rendered shots at different times of the day using ACA, easy to adjust the time and rerender but it's not real time. Just looks better! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am working on a 3 level house now and upgraded my lisp tools to work on it within 1 drawing and it's working quite well. I have another post to share some finer details of <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Multi-Levels">my system of working in one file.</a> I've also added some extra commands that allow more quick efficient manipulation of parts of the building model.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">anyway.....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong style="background-color: #f4cccc;">So here's to you and yours. May you have a most enjoyable Christmas holiday with good family and friends, may your ability to shoulder the troubles increase and your understanding of the deeper things bring you peace. May your laughter be louder and longer and your tears be shed in joy and in sorrrow with those you love.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>In this, His season, </strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>God's best to ya</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>Cheers from AusACA</strong></em></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-38998118973447064192010-11-06T01:51:00.002+08:002010-11-16T22:29:10.249+08:00Multiple Levels in a single Drawing File? Part 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYyITNfxlGC8l6Z9pKc2xUpxLTrdvD_hDqRIBzC3CHbJWVUizdkC8C7x9tqM8iFgVDYljqFovixbm0X_NCeFNbNFMFnvs7snJw_mhMUDwwaKTjNtN79WyTznxaVLaXJk3rJPQ_Q4HlsA/s1600/MultiLevel-Sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYyITNfxlGC8l6Z9pKc2xUpxLTrdvD_hDqRIBzC3CHbJWVUizdkC8C7x9tqM8iFgVDYljqFovixbm0X_NCeFNbNFMFnvs7snJw_mhMUDwwaKTjNtN79WyTznxaVLaXJk3rJPQ_Q4HlsA/s320/MultiLevel-Sample.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok to continue my crazy idea of completing a <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">multi storey building in one file in ACA</span></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a sample drawing with all layers turned on (not any different to look at from X-ref'd level files) and the rendering (incidently done in a seperate file after the CD's were completed because I couldn't resist. Design by others.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32oD74Ep6qjnvnyuroFSc8XZPSr0HG6sqOhpEp4QVhiwwreP0pSyLsSh7ZGuTsomA0cZY2KtYtSQjFhEEYSdDe3fwY7vuw0TaxkcOeADNCd0hvHaSzP9OgZUEj44wSAj5hb0VRZXkkhw/s1600/MultiLevelSmapleRender.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32oD74Ep6qjnvnyuroFSc8XZPSr0HG6sqOhpEp4QVhiwwreP0pSyLsSh7ZGuTsomA0cZY2KtYtSQjFhEEYSdDe3fwY7vuw0TaxkcOeADNCd0hvHaSzP9OgZUEj44wSAj5hb0VRZXkkhw/s320/MultiLevelSmapleRender.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>The Cutplane & Display Configurations</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cutplane determines at what height a horizontal cut is made through your building to show a plan view. You can adjust the height to cut through the windows or as the default 'Reflected' display rep does, raised it to miss windows & doors altogether. (I lower this to cut frames as I display them in the electrical layouts for residential work). <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2010/01/cutting-plane.html">Now I override the global cutplane for walls and this is discussed here</a>. This means that whatever height a wall baseline is, it will display normally and not disappear because it's above the <b>Global</b> cutplane. So this will mean that you will need to rely on other methods to not display some items (walls) that are not in the current level but this is okay because some items ignore the cutplane and don't work like walls anyway. Here is where I use layers and my first designation in the layer name of it's level (1,2,3, Site etc). So in issuing a <span style="color: blue;">L2</span> command to flip to the 2nd level I need to adjust the cutplane and I do this by creating another Display Rep. <strong><em>This is a very simple procedure</em>.</strong> Opening your display manager and noting what Configuration is current (in <strong>Bold text</strong>). Select and right click and copy and then paste. This creates the same DR with a (2) attached - sweet just want we want! Actually that's the long way to do it. Try Selecting Standard and whilst holding it, drag down and your mouse should display a plus. Let go and the **(2) file is created. ('Configurations' are the names that appear in the selection box RHS bottom of your drawing screen).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-m5zwbgDS6yhftmQXnvSXmfomnECYmqkjpOn0KtQBGQvH50VkvGlVH847r-g8MVbrzXDtLz-6eNmQVQVPNrO_qXeOZjULIVDshWEqZIOe-fWhou4ZNw74uUY_F3xTTGrYIWqt4HpVdk/s1600/MultiLevel-NewConfig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-m5zwbgDS6yhftmQXnvSXmfomnECYmqkjpOn0KtQBGQvH50VkvGlVH847r-g8MVbrzXDtLz-6eNmQVQVPNrO_qXeOZjULIVDshWEqZIOe-fWhou4ZNw74uUY_F3xTTGrYIWqt4HpVdk/s320/MultiLevel-NewConfig2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I move to the CutPlane tab and add the lower floor to current floor height to bring the cutplane to the same height for the 2nd floor. Ok out and test in your display Configuration selection box that you now have a new config to select ready for your second floor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can create these extra configs for any of the DR's that you use. I would generally only create 3 extra for a 2 storey home and no other fiddling is necessary but you may need more depending on the type of documentation required.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Z Plane and the Elevation</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzDkZovllxVxBjYoYxM6fOBF8TJcb0Lp67HCSJmzf_HBfZ1g24es17htuk3wcI9M_KAdUjnDSDbbVyvDSeLAbRsYtrjkyIWezWa3jlZe_UUcflTIAZIn1sPZVt-zgU8k1aWgV7QOi0qY/s1600/MultiLevel-ElevOsnapZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzDkZovllxVxBjYoYxM6fOBF8TJcb0Lp67HCSJmzf_HBfZ1g24es17htuk3wcI9M_KAdUjnDSDbbVyvDSeLAbRsYtrjkyIWezWa3jlZe_UUcflTIAZIn1sPZVt-zgU8k1aWgV7QOi0qY/s320/MultiLevel-ElevOsnapZ.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course when you draw a wall you need to be able to restrict the baseline to the current level and not snap to some line lower down. The OsnapZ variable does this for you and the button is to the right of the Elevation setting. My lisp reads the 2nd floor height you set via a 'SetFL2' command and wrtes it to the Elevation setting and then locks the current Z plane to that height (sets OsnapZ to 1) and you can be confident that the any snapping will ignore the Z height. Issueing <span style="color: blue;">L1</span> will return back to the ground floor Z plane and elevation height.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Controlling Display</span></strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDPirp_V_7aggfGS0r4Azfw_6WMJS3nK95TN4RpXWyAYIrFo3O9bZZSgh_etGzQgol0b0ArJE3l4inU7rmoBEpQyJN1z-Ksd5XQzBVAEIg4G8UkDY9s8gx7sQfQx-FAQuTlyo82M7tSQ/s1600/MultiLevel-NewConfig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDPirp_V_7aggfGS0r4Azfw_6WMJS3nK95TN4RpXWyAYIrFo3O9bZZSgh_etGzQgol0b0ArJE3l4inU7rmoBEpQyJN1z-Ksd5XQzBVAEIg4G8UkDY9s8gx7sQfQx-FAQuTlyo82M7tSQ/s1600/MultiLevel-NewConfig3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how do we flip from Ground Floor to Upper Floor to Ground Floor Electrical to roof plan?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually I don't use a roof plan but I could. Simply by using lisp to automatically execute the -Layer command and using wildcards to turn layers off and on I can instantly switch between various groups of layers. <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">L21</span> will switch to the 2nd floor but show the underlying walls of Level 1 locked so they can't be moved. <span style="color: blue;">L1E</span> would show the Ground Floor but without text and dimensions and also show the electrical layout not shown for normal Ground Floor plan. Basically by following conventions and grouping rules with my layer names I can create simple lisp routines to get whatever display I need. As yet I don't control the Display Configuration via lisp completely and on issuing a level change command, the dropdown list will popup allowing you to cancel (if the current one is acceptable) or select the new display rep to change to. I know the tools to change are there but I need to step up my lisp learning to get the job done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that's it. Relatively simple for something I desired for years to accomplish and now am using successfully in production with significant productivity increase and ease of use with some simple Autolisp. As I said at the start, I am disappointed that this wasn't presented as an option now that I know how simple it is to implement. I am happy to send you a sample file and a copy of my ever evolving lisp file to check out so drop me a comment with you email (will NOT be published) and I can do that. I hope I have presented this in a way that doesn't scare you off. Drop back and check out the reasons why this is such a good idea for smaller projects if I haven't yet convinced you. <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Multi-Levels">See here if you missed parts 1 & 2 for all the MultiLevel posts..</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next I need to share just a little more work on stair so you can use a single stair and see it differently on the ground floor plan and the upper floor plan. <a href="http://www.archidigm.com/lounge/architectural_desktop/stairs_railings_columns/ups_and_downs_of_ADT_Stairs.htm">Odin Cary discussed this problem years ago here</a> and I did use something of his logic (developed for the PN) to use in my system.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cheers</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-33832629896367756362010-09-18T20:09:00.000+08:002010-09-18T20:09:00.432+08:00Rendering is fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is another project that I keep rendering over again. I have strict council guidelines to match a pocket of pre-war housing and I have to ensure that I satisfy the gods... er I mean the planners. A pretty picture can go a long way in getting support. I am not supposed to have a garage door and possibly the brick beam is going to get vetted but I'm hopeful they both have a chance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being able to constantly refine a design, hit render and in around 5-15mins (dependant on settings) I can have a reasonable image to sell the design. It goes a long way to winning a client. I will use the actual model, viewed from each side in a viewport with the vp set to hidden for elevations and they aren't perfect but it's quick. We can use aecElevations down the track when we get serious but time spent rendering will win over everytime. The included expanded (around 100) RPC's are enough to get you by though you can buy extra as you need it. To get the RPC's going you will need to download from Archivision. Look in your browser. I've mentioned before that if you have a license of 10, you can use the extra RPC's included in 10 in 09 without any problems.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jay of Visionrez has posted some helpful tips on getting started in rendering in pdf form for you to download. He explains that it was created for their VR clients but it's mostly useful for anyone using ACA or even Acad. (Can someone tell me where this is posted?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>Some simple tricks n tools shown in this image.</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rafter ends are a block of the rafter overhang ensconsed in a curtainwall style which automates the repeatable spacing. (I'm still figuring out how to automate the hip rafter).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The front fence is a railing style.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A curtainwall fashioned as vertical blinds create an interesting look behind the windows.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2008/06/back-to-wall-profiling.html">The boarding to upstairs clad walls are a profile applied to a cladding componant.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Roof hips and Gable treatments are profiles (shapes) applied to a structural brace style.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2008/08/gutter-eave.html">Gutter is a wall style with a profile</a>. (my typical fascia and eave lining is turned off).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.archidigm.com/lounge/architectural_desktop/doors_windows/architectural_desktop_door_window_trim.htm">Windows have a surround attached</a> to fatten them up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Having these items set up ready in a library and in a pallete at your fingertips makes bringing together an image like this an efficient process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rendering .. . .. . you gotta try it.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-64235906366972351822010-09-12T09:21:00.004+08:002010-09-17T00:03:20.558+08:00Model Rendering (edited at bottom)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James posted some <a href="http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Architecture-Customer/My-latest-project/td-p/2728163">lovely images in the ADesk NG</a> and I thought I'd like to add it to my blog as well as my wallpaper. This is modeled and rendered inside ACA2009 and shows that it's quite capable of a decent image for presentation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the tasks for the image is as part of the presentation to the local authority to gain their support for a project that overreaches in some aspects of planning regulations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A particular nicety in this image is the shade ribbon (a ribbon I like) that meanders around the balconies and brings about a wonderful interplay between the regular rhythm of the balastrade both glass inside the ribbon and solid outside, and the random travel of this shade device.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">James has drawn 2 circles, one offset of the other, extruded both and then subtracted the inside from the outer resulting in a tube. A plan view PLine was also used to map out other flat sections, extruded to a solid, other solids used to subtract portions and after some union'ing the whole lot was converted into Mass Elements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've just derided the overuse of ME's in my last blog but here they are quite useful because as James points out, <strong>they obey the cut plane</strong> when displaying each floor. Now He doesn't use the PN but regardless, positioned correctly, the ME ribbons will 'cut' correctly in the plan views whereas using solids would not, having no intelligence of that sort. Also in this situation the ME 'Ribbon' style can be assigned an aecMaterial and different rendering options can be swapped quickly to explore ideas. With an ME style, you only need to deal with the aecMaterial and mess with the 'Render' material to do this. If you used solids here, you would either have to alter the actual render material used (loosing previous options) or create a new material and then remap it to each seperate portion of Ribbon each change. The style system of ACA works well here although masselements are now more primative than solids and not able to show a true curve being segmented. But if your settings are high enough (as here) this can be barely noticable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh and James is working on a 64bit system with 8Mb of RAM. I doubt I could finish such a render on my 32bit home system with only 2Mb of RAM. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">tips: remember that ME's can be easily turned into solids and visa versa. Select the object and RC for options.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFrK1L4vh5uBvg36raZN9ycK-bbYiz8XxNZb1Gl1scmnJmFCchs1bF1VChHM4bCtaMlkJBtP5XLxhyphenhyphenu-cCN_154ii33KIcN7RNj7CR-NB4w58MH9fRCOD_MAdDMj8fhKI8gnHHR2JmoY/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFrK1L4vh5uBvg36raZN9ycK-bbYiz8XxNZb1Gl1scmnJmFCchs1bF1VChHM4bCtaMlkJBtP5XLxhyphenhyphenu-cCN_154ii33KIcN7RNj7CR-NB4w58MH9fRCOD_MAdDMj8fhKI8gnHHR2JmoY/s200/2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">I should mention that the first image is an updated rendering. BACKGROUND command will allow you to choose options such as a background image (sky) seen above, or sun & sky with illumination (no background) seen right. If you want to place a sky picture in later you can use a solid colour which makes selection easier in a paint program like photoshop or <a href="http://www.gimp.org/">free GIMP</a>. The Background setting can be saved in a VIEW you create. If you added a camera you will already have a view by the same name as the camera. Using a camera can allow easier adjustment of the view and easier setup in plan view. I'm still playing with these settings and cannot get light shadows with a sky background as James managed to get in the top image here so I've gone to pasting skies in later in GIMP. I'll post some images later to illustrate more on these settings.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrzkPV-PnO2qwFPYtUEQzmEAnvKhWQP-yGuSquHm2JysJNShgR3JV46toDYUJtlZW-pBrJ2vF8kPqQtJXBjk4Xp9gUSv-FWOuFY-as3ppVjr1Aws3Ync6ul0WZY1qwk0hyphenhyphenoZxI0BUvMw/s1600/RPref1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrzkPV-PnO2qwFPYtUEQzmEAnvKhWQP-yGuSquHm2JysJNShgR3JV46toDYUJtlZW-pBrJ2vF8kPqQtJXBjk4Xp9gUSv-FWOuFY-as3ppVjr1Aws3Ync6ul0WZY1qwk0hyphenhyphenoZxI0BUvMw/s400/RPref1.jpg" width="158" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">James' Tip: If you are not using sky illumination you may have trouble getting shadows looking anything but dark. Try GI (Global Illumination) and forcing FG (Final Gather) on (not auto) (more the FG than the GI). </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> "It's the only way of achieving lighter shadows if you don't want the generic mental ray background (Sun & Sky setting). </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I also use the logarithmic exposure control over the automatic." You can see the Globe button lit up for GI to tell you it's on as the settings display whether it's on or off (no greying out functionality here). The interface design is rather poor on a number of the palletes in 2009 and I don't think it's really improved in 2011. Be aware too that these two settings will greatly increase your render times. For my day to day images I will not use them but if I am trying to render higher resolution and better quality for special shots I will turn them on, set the render to go when I turn the lights out and hopefully in the morning I am greeted with a fabulous image. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> If you are using RPC content then you may be warned to alter your Physical Scale setting. Be good if the defaults were set already. James thinks it's 1100. I thought I read 600. Oh! this pallet is raised by the command RPref . Sunproperties will open the sun pallete (I've alised it to Sun).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other settings I know to mess with: If you have lots of RAM, you can try setting your memory limit higher than the default 1048. With 3.5Gb I have used 1800 but 2000 will crash. My home system with 2Gb will not get above 1600 (if I am lucky to get that). If you can get to 64bit and lots more RAM you will have better success trying to render larger images. At the top you can select from the presets. Medium will give you a reasonable quick render (5-20mins) but High or presentation turn on FG & GI and alter some of the other settings so only use them when you are ready for the final render. Of course the render time is greatly effected by what you are rendering, the materials applied, transparency, reflectively and the settings you have applied. When experimenting don't work on that 18 storey building! Try something small, even a few masselement boxes on a floor so you can get quick feedback.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>Rendering is fun!! Go on. Have a go</em></strong></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3289439345801804055.post-9249806925784965502010-08-02T21:13:00.007+08:002012-04-02T23:06:37.022+08:00Roof Object - Part 12<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part 12? Why not move on? LOL?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I keep finding out things about this RO tool that make it so much more usable and if I knew at least some of this when I was starting I would have been more productive and enjoyed using it more. So... <strong>I want to let you know</strong> !!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one (or two) is fairly simple and is more about technique. I've now known and used many times (Doug?) <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2009/03/aecroof-object-part-5-wow-look-what-i.html">my trim trick</a> but I've found out how to make it quicker and easier to use. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEj9UIRZIKsydTx3Mr1KlaBP4dOxbv3i3K8oYskTqvnEAHRFP8g44w9g9KU45r3KhM0RtB0KOhJKT0pZ2LtCMFOq6H4hBCyErfyQJD4lDDpxzt80dB6FB8ESy1kMih6sTr1QCTH1owDDA/s1600/RoofTrimCircle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEj9UIRZIKsydTx3Mr1KlaBP4dOxbv3i3K8oYskTqvnEAHRFP8g44w9g9KU45r3KhM0RtB0KOhJKT0pZ2LtCMFOq6H4hBCyErfyQJD4lDDpxzt80dB6FB8ESy1kMih6sTr1QCTH1owDDA/s320/RoofTrimCircle1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You ready?? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Instead of using a line to trim, use a circle</strong>. Pick the corner for your centre and any diameter will do. Then issue the TRIM command, pick your circle as a trim object and <strong>then your roof eave line</strong> and you now have 2 vertices - voila! (<a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/2009/03/aecroof-object-part-5-wow-look-what-i.html">Oh you haven't read my earlier post</a>?) They didn't tell you you could do this? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC07iR9pvC_pus2SvdozYGh4fSbGf3VkDLpZ2HoTlkVOX69PW63EDiA7040Xw7NC1q33y3Mg8VpOdBnJkRychvgfwO2xbngebh3QN5JBmCWOQ4u8WJTOyfzdAFTJrRu9JgTX7-MDVi2AM/s1600/RoofTrimCircle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 261px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 406px;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC07iR9pvC_pus2SvdozYGh4fSbGf3VkDLpZ2HoTlkVOX69PW63EDiA7040Xw7NC1q33y3Mg8VpOdBnJkRychvgfwO2xbngebh3QN5JBmCWOQ4u8WJTOyfzdAFTJrRu9JgTX7-MDVi2AM/s400/RoofTrimCircle2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now it's been great to have someone working with me and my young gun, on teaching him this trick just assumed you could trim <strong>an internal corner --</strong> he<strong> </strong>was <strong>successful</strong>, but didn't tell me! He just thought I knew! Here I am, going to the nearest external corner to drag (stretch) points around into position and all I had to do was trim in the inside turn and I was there. Sigh. So simple!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Either way, the <strong>beauty of using a circle</strong> is that you still have the original corner point preserved </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in the centre of the circle and using osnaps and the Stretch command you can quickly restore one of the points back to the corner. I was drawing extra lines before I learnt this trick!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>The old idea was that if you had to edit the roof object, you either deleted it and started again or converted it to slabs. I've learnt so many tricks to this RO that were hidden that it's a long way off from being such a disposable object. With it's easily edited capability it's a keeper.</strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFCdl0jhv3c8f2P_oKM6-7seMScWu1BBLq4Xw3LdR3SrpwFxydvUHeal1lD0gdV8C_uENbJ-nOb1UyyMNNV6Zy9-PS3gc1VQW_-ai_mPnKCtRuYZ3_6VlYScQmkUsDppI28jdDmzHp7A/s1600/RoofTrimCircle5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFCdl0jhv3c8f2P_oKM6-7seMScWu1BBLq4Xw3LdR3SrpwFxydvUHeal1lD0gdV8C_uENbJ-nOb1UyyMNNV6Zy9-PS3gc1VQW_-ai_mPnKCtRuYZ3_6VlYScQmkUsDppI28jdDmzHp7A/s320/RoofTrimCircle5.jpg" width="294" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after editing the edges (see below) we have a new roof.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #999999;">Here we have an edited roof object, albeit a simple one for demonstration but I hope you can see you've no need to throw out that complex Roof object and start again or convert to slabs just because the client wants to add a sun roof extention.</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I will even edit rather than delete just to see what else I might learn about this creature.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now remember this tool was created for ADT1 (1999) and it hasn't been improved since. Wouldn't it be great if Adesk paid some attention to this tool of great promise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><strong> Some more tips</strong></span></em> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure when trimming you 'cut' the 'Eave' line not the gutter line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sometimes when stretching vertices back in line they may disappear if they have the same height, eave etc. You may need to re-order your movements to stop them from disappearing or add the eave or difference before moving back in line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My young partner also showed me how to remove an unwanted vertice - simply select it and drag into another vertices and it is gone. I've already told you he showed me that <strong>Stretching</strong> a vertice is often successful where a drag won't budge it .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When you trim the Roof Object, the newly created edges will have their pitch at 90 and their elevation set to 0 and as the 2nd picture attests, that will muck up your roof object shape. Simply edit the offending edges and set to match your roof numbers and it will pop back to line.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoXVwaGCkShATU_g5OirLbelOXUjTB5omvihRATQI-n4bxy1Esp43a7Tsk6sVH2r-wmL9681yrD5OZwhvZAw5DKqCY7_d7ia_xJG9RXPRZTOK42IsSFSMLiMKbicBUUV2YQF0rpgKzS0/s1600/RoofTrimCircle7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoXVwaGCkShATU_g5OirLbelOXUjTB5omvihRATQI-n4bxy1Esp43a7Tsk6sVH2r-wmL9681yrD5OZwhvZAw5DKqCY7_d7ia_xJG9RXPRZTOK42IsSFSMLiMKbicBUUV2YQF0rpgKzS0/s320/RoofTrimCircle7.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQribzPpIKmZ7UlnIrBGTxQLbwIKUACl1cnZ_m2m_iiEUTzaJ4TB5wuTQ7m_Tz5B8dLZhHHh-7GrX6hqlY6hP71IKN6vTRspBCt1ftp8QjNolDjLJN4xhxwmXQYeyT2rDys4nE2CWZ3wE/s1600/RoofTrimCircle4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQribzPpIKmZ7UlnIrBGTxQLbwIKUACl1cnZ_m2m_iiEUTzaJ4TB5wuTQ7m_Tz5B8dLZhHHh-7GrX6hqlY6hP71IKN6vTRspBCt1ftp8QjNolDjLJN4xhxwmXQYeyT2rDys4nE2CWZ3wE/s320/RoofTrimCircle4.jpg" width="320" /></a> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><em><strong>Final tip for now</strong></em></span> (until another one is discovered).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When you trim a roof with it's elevation not at 0, like my 2nd floor roof within my <a href="http://ausaca.blogspot.com/search/label/Multi-Levels">'multi-level in one file</a> approach' system upper floor roof, your roof will be set back to 0 elevation. Once edited, simply retype in the elevation height (2nd floor level) in the properties pallete.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Arial;">Ok also a BIG apology to anyone who has followed from my much earlier posts on this roof object. I have mentioned drawing your roof with or setting a slope pitch to 0 when I should have said 90d. Setting one side to 0 will wipe out any reaction to any other pitch unless that pitching line is above the other so for example when creating a one slope verandah roof you should be using 90 (not 0) and adding the pitch to the sloping portion only.</span><img height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC07iR9pvC_pus2SvdozYGh4fSbGf3VkDLpZ2HoTlkVOX69PW63EDiA7040Xw7NC1q33y3Mg8VpOdBnJkRychvgfwO2xbngebh3QN5JBmCWOQ4u8WJTOyfzdAFTJrRu9JgTX7-MDVi2AM/s320/RoofTrimCircle2.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 431px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 471px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /></div>
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