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AECbytes Tips and Tricks Issue #40 (March 23, 2009)

Creating a Collage of Exploded Views in ArchiCAD

Lucan O. Robinson

Graduate student, School of Architecture, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Exploded views provide a quick way of identifying a buildings constituent elements and

understanding how they relate to each other. The production of these views can be quite a task

even with CAD and BIM applications. Nevertheless, the continued increase in design complexity

may warrant the increased use of exploded views as it is a strong communicative tool that canserve to enhance decision-making throughout a projects lifecycle.

ArchiCAD offers a number of methods for creating exploded views that yield varying degrees of

explosion. One of the roads most traveled involves saving a copy of the working model and

exploding the newly saved model vertically by changing the story heights using the Story Setting

dialog box. To achieve explosion horizontally, the constituent elements are then selected, grouped

and dragged to open space. Some of the disadvantages associated with these methods are:

They require the creation of two files, thus negating one of the essential characteristics ofArchiCAD as a BIM application which is having ONE central model file to provide all the views andinformation required.Updates made to the working model do not automatically register with the separate file created forthe exploded view. One option is to insert the constituent element groups into the new file asHot-link modules, which may not be practical in most cases.The integrity of the model that is exploded is compromised as dependencies between constituentelements are lost when the model is pulled apart.Pulling the constituent elements apart is a time consuming exercise, particularly the selectionprocess even with the handy Find and Select tool. Finalizing placement of the various elements isan exercise of trial and error. It is particularly time consuming, given the switching that is requiredbetween the model and 3D windows.

A return to first principles provides a way of achieving the exploded view in ArchiCAD without theneed for multiple files, compromising the working model or interrupting the typical project workflow.

Exploded views are typically intended to be used as 2D drawings. If the exploded view was

therefore considered a collection of smaller 2D views, each showing a constituent element group

(walls, columns, etc.), then simply creating individual views of these elements and arranging them

as a collage would yield a quick and easy method of creating the desired exploded view.

Creating exploded views using this collage method has four primary steps that involve standard

ArchiCAD operations. This tutorial has been prepared with assumption that the user is familiar withLayer, Layer Combination, and Saved View creation in ArchiCAD.

Process Overview

1. Coordinate element groups on layers

2. Create layer combinations for element groups3. Create views of element groups

4. Assemble views in layout window as a collage

The building below will serve as the subject of our tutorial.

ing a Collage of Exploded Views in ArchiCAD: AECbytes Tips and ... http://www.aecbytes.com/tipsandtricks/2009/issue40-archica

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Lets look at each of the steps in details.

Coordinate Element Groups on Layers

1. Open the Layer dialog box and create Layers for each element group: Columns for allcolumns, Beams for all beams and so on.

If you intend to explode one element group such as curtain wall (that occur on different faades) in

multiple directions, it is best to create a layer for each faade (CWall-west, CWall-north, etc.). Thiswill allow separate Views to be created for curtain walls on each faade and be inserted separately

to provide a greater level of flexibility and control. Similarly, if your model has, for example, a floor

beam system with numerous members, it may be prudent to establish a hierarchy among the

members and create layers accordingly to give you the options of hiding secondary and tertiarymembers for retaining visual clarity.

Tip: Use the marquee and Find and Select tool to quickly f ilter out constituent

elements that may be on their default layers; for example, beams, columns and slabs

all occur by default on the structural-bearing layer.

Create Layer Combinations for Element Groups


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Now we create Layer Combinations that will allow element groups to be isolated in order to create

the individual views that will make up the exploded view.

1. In the Layer dialog box, create new layer combinations with names that correspond with the

names of the layers created in step 1 in the previous section.

Tip: Create all the required layer combinations first, then use the Layer dialog boxsSelect All and Hide buttons to turn off all layers and then deselect them using the

Deselect All button. Next, associate the layers with their respective layercombinations by showing the required layer and updating the corresponding layercombination.

It is a good idea to also do this for any 2D grid elements (centerlines, bubbles, text, etc.) that you

may have used to organize your model in plan view. The grid will assist in arranging the various

views that will make up the exploded view on the layout.

Create Views for each Element Group

1. Open the 3D window. Select Axonometry from the View menu > 3D View mode.

2. Select Shading from the View menu > 3D View mode. Note that Wire frame and Hidden

modes have no fills to hide objects that are behind and produces a confused view due to

overlapping lines.


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3. Select Internal 3D Engine from the View menu> 3D View Mode.


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The Internal 3D engine is preferred as it retains the vector quality in displaying the objects in thelayout view, as opposed to the OpenGL 3D mode that produces a pixilated bitmap-like image with

noise around the edges of the objects.

Tip: If the OpenGL mode is preferred, a quick fix is to output the finished layout as a


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PDF. The process of creating the PDF will sharpen the edges of the elements to

some degree.

Another advantage of using the Internal 3D Engine is the ability to scale the drawings using

conventional scales within the Drawing dialog box (see left of image below) as opposed to being

restricted to percentile magnification with views created using the OpenGL 3D Engine (see right ofimage below).

Larger image

4. Use the Quick Options palette to quickly cycle through the Layer Combinations in order to

display each element group individually in the 3D Window.


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5. Create Saved Views of the individual element groups (columns, beams, walls, etc.) and name

the views to correspond with the names of the Layers and Layer Combinations.


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Assemble Views in Layout Window as a Collage

1. In the Layout View, set up a large format sheet such as 24x36 (600x900). This will allow for

enough space for the initial placement and arranging of the Views.

2. In the Drawing dialog box, check Transparent Background to change the drawing settings tomake all inserted drawings have transparent backgrounds. As drawings are layered upon each

other, this setting will allow views lowest in the stacking order to remain visible.


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3. In the same dialog box on the Title tab, select No Title from the pull down menu. This will

change the default setting that appends title markers to all newly inserted drawings.


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4. Place the views of the element groups on the Layout starting with the grid.

5. Using the Line tool to create reference lines to match the axonometric planes of the grid. Thesereference lines will assist in accurately aligning and spacing the views in the correct isometric

planes to achieve the 3D quality necessary for an exploded view.


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6. Place the remaining Views, aligning and spacing them as required with the aid of reference lines.

7. As the views stack up, selecting specific views may become difficult. Turning on the Printable

Border on the Frame tab in the Drawing Settings dialog box will provide a visible edge. Be sure

to set the Border Offset value to 0. Once the collage is complete the border can once again beturned off.


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The finished exploded view, produced in approximately 30 - 40 minutes, is shown below.


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If the model has elements that are not easily distinguishable a numbered legend may be useful toenhance the clarity of the exploded view.

Summary

The collage method brings to the table another valuable deliverable that can be easily harvestedfrom an ArchiCAD model and one that can remain up-to-date during a projects life cycle. It is a

simple way of creating exploded views and affords a great degree of flexibility and speed in doing

so, while retaining the integrity of the virtual model without the need for multiple f iles or interrupting

the typical project workflow in ArchiCAD.

About the Author

Lucan O. Robinson is a graduate student at the School of Architecture at Florida Agricultural and

Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida. He holds an undergraduate degree in Architectural

Technology from the Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology, Kingston,


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Jamaica. His graduate research focuses on achieving thermal comfort in commercial applications in

hot-humid climates through passive design strategies, and critical regionalism. Lucan is affiliated

with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), London, UK, and has over sevenyears professional experience in architectural documentation and project management combined.

He can be reached at [email protected].

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