Creating Foundation profiles without the slab separating line

You can use the Cadimage Tools Foundation Builder to create a simple foundation profile that prevents the bottom slab edge appearing in elevations. Following the dialog box below you can use any profile option to effectively create a skin up the face of a set-back slab (in this example we have set our slab back 90mm, or the thickness of our exterior framing) – voila, no more lines.

Window Builder Glazing Interface

When using the v12 Cadimage Tools Window Builder the panel selection method has changed from version 11.  Now you can simply click on the Panel you wish to edit.

Within the Window Builder Settings, go to the Setout > Glazing Tab.

Use the icons (buttons) beneath the Glazing selection panel to create your new window.

Tags: Glazing, WindowBuilder

Wall Builder Settings Transfer

Users will hopefully be familiar with the ArchiCAD Alt Click (Windows & OSX) and Alt-Ctrl Click (Windows) or Alt-Command Click (OSX) methodology to pick up and apply attributes. However, anyone who has tried this with a Wall Accessory may have experienced some weird results. The reason is that the Wall Builder Object contains the geometric description for the wall it ‘belongs’ to, applying these settings to another Wall Builder Object overrides the existing geometric description.

To combat this, you need to use the Pick Up and Inject buttons from within the Wall Builder Settings.  The settings that are exported and imported are all the attributes except the geometric description.

To use these functions:

1.     Select a Wall Accessory that has all the required attributes set the way you want
2.     Open its Selection Settings (Ctrl+T Windows or Command+T OSX) and click the Pick Up button, within the General tab, then click OK to close the dialog
3.     Select the Wall Accessories you wish to apply these settings to and open their Selection Settings
4.     Click the Inject button and click OK

All the Wall Builder Objects will now have the same settings applied.

Tags: Wall Builder, WallBuilder

Steel Wall Framing

Over the past few years a number of people have requested that the Wall Framing tool be extended to allow for steel wall framing.

The main requirements for a steel framing system are:

• Display C-section members in 3D, plan and elevated frame views.
• Orientate members within the wall
• Allow the design of custom solutions for sills, plates, lintels, etc.
• Extend the member ends into the steel channels.

The recent hotfix provides all of this functionality.

You can now define three types of member: timber, steel (C-section) and generic.

The Partial Structures presets now include trimmer studs and sills.

This means you can now design custom solutions for sills and jambs, in which the members are positioned and oriented within the wall.

As you can see, each steel member allows all other members to automatically extend into its channel.

Tags: Steel Framing, Steel Wall Framing

Creating a winder segment with the new StairBuilder 12

Using the Cadimage Tools StairBuilder 12 we can easily create winder flights. Simply place a standard stair element at a short length e.g. 25mm (nosing length). Grab the dynamic hotspot¹ and curve the stair as shown then using the live node² in the centre of the stair you can adjust the finishing angle of the winder flight. Lastly with the winder segment selected, simply change the flight type to finish.