Autodesk Architectural Desktop

Getting Started and New Features Guide

(including International Extensions)

18503-010000-5023A

June, 2001

Copyright 2001 Autodesk, Inc.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction 1
Fundamentals of Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 2
Complete Project Work Flow Management 2
Integration with AutoCAD 2002 3
Multiple Document Environment (MDE) 3
Shortcut Menus 4
Object Properties Window 6
Quick Select 7
3D Orbit Viewing 8
Layout Tabs 9
Partial Open and Partial Load 11
In-Place Reference Editing 11
Tracking Objects 12
AutoCAD DesignCenter 12
Managing Autodesk Architectural Desktop Content in AutoCAD
DesignCenter 15
Where to Begin 17
Beginning Users 17
Experienced Users 17
Finding Help 18
Online Documentation 18
Training Courseware 19
Contacting Autodesk 19
Sales Information 19
Customer Satisfaction 20
Technical Support 20
Feedback 20

Contents

Chapter 2

Getting Started with Architectural Desktop 21

Working with Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 22
Viewing the Autodesk Architectural Desktop Installation Guide 22
Opening Architectural Desktop 23
Using Architectural Desktop Templates 23
Getting Started with a Project 24
Creating a Drawing 25
Creating Walls, Doors, and Windows 27
Adding Design Content 35
Viewing your Project 38
Using the Layout Tabs 38
Working with Layer Keys and Layer Key Styles 39
Grip Editing Your Drawing Objects 40
Editing Doors with Grips 40
Editing Windows with Grips 42
Adding Annotations and Schedules 43
Adding Annotation Symbols 43
Working with Schedules 46
Plotting Your Drawing 49
Summary 49

Chapter 3

Templates 51
Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 Templates 52
Opening the Template 53
Starting a Drawing with an Architectural Desktop Template 58
Whats in the Templates 59
Using the Layout Tabs 60
Conceptual Design Layout Tabs 61
Work Layout Tabs 62
Plot Layout Tabs 63
Model Tab 65
Customizing Templates 66

Chapter 4

New Features 67
New Features in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 68
Expanding the Building Model 69
Curtain Walls 69
Window Assemblies 71
Roof and Floor Slabs 72
Structural Members 75
AEC Polygon 76
Enhanced Building Model Objects 77
Stairs 77

Contents

Railings 79
Walls 80
Windows 82
Section and Elevation Objects 83
Elevation Labels 84
Spaces 85
Layer Keying 86
Scheduling 86
Chases, Ducts and Floor Openings 87
User Interface Improvements 87
Style Manager 87
Display Manager 88
Other Enhancements 89
Pushpin Dialog Boxes 89
Add Selected (Draw By Example) and Insert Object Feature 90
Explode AEC Objects 92
Publish to Autodesk Architectural Studio 92
International Features 93
Area Calculation 93
AEC Dimensions 95
Live Sections 96

Chapter 5

Display System 99
Understanding the Display System 100
Display Representations 100
Display Sets 103
Display Configurations 104
How It All Works Together 107
Changing the Display of an AEC Object in a Viewport 108
Getting Started with the Display Manager 110
Displaying the Display Manager 111
Moving and Resizing the Display Manager 111
Viewing Display Systems in the Display Manager 112
Viewing Drawing Information in the Display Manager 113
Viewing the Display Representations 113
Viewing the Display Sets 115
Viewing the Display Configurations 117
Previewing an AEC Object Types Representation 119
Previewing an AEC Object Types Representation within a Display Set
120
Previewing an AEC Object Types Default Properties 120
Creating and Editing Display Systems 121
Working with Display Representations 121
Working with Display Sets 125

Contents

Working with Display Configurations 128

Purging Display Systems 132
Purging Display Representations 132
Purging Display Sets 132
Purging Display Configurations 133
Setting Display Systems in a Drawing 134
Setting the Default Display Representations of AEC Objects 134
Setting the Default Display Configuration 136
Setting the Display Configurations in Viewports 136
Copying Display Systems Between Drawings 137
Importing Display Sets 137
Importing Display Configurations 138
Exporting Display Sets 139
Exporting Display Configurations 139
Working with Display Systems on the Web 140
Downloading Display Systems from the Web 141
Sending Display Systems by Email 141
Sending the Display System in a Drawing 142
Troubleshooting the Display System 142
Why isnt my entity displayed? 143
Why isnt my display system updating? 143

Chapter 6

European Plan Views 145

Working with the European Plan Views 146
Accessing European Plan Views 146
Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects 147
Plan 1-100 148
Doors 149
Windows 150
Openings 151
Stairs 153
Mass Elements 156
Mass Group 157
Plan 1-50 159
Doors 159
Windows 162
Openings 164
Stairs 166
Mass Element 169
Mass Group 170

Chapter 7

Model Explorer and Viewers 173

Using Model Explorer 174

Contents

Using Display Commands 175

Using Mass Commands 176
Viewing Entities on a Nonvisible Layer 181
Maintaining Zoom Percentage and Position of an Object 181
Object Viewer 181
Floating Viewer 183
Changing the Entity Display 184
Changing the AutoCAD Properties of an Object 185
Changing the Display Properties of an Object 185

Chapter 8

Mass Elements 187

Creating Mass Elements 188
Adding Mass Elements 189
Editing Mass Elements 200
Changing Mass Elements Using Grips 200
Changing Mass Element Properties 205

Chapter 9

Mass Groups 211

Mass Groups 212
Creating a Mass Group 212
Changing Mass Group Properties 216

Chapter 10

Space Planning 221

Interior Space Planning 222
Creating Spaces 222
Creating a Space 223
Creating a Space with a Ceiling Boundary 223
Creating a Space with a Floor Boundary 224
Creating a Space with a Set Area 224
Creating a Space with a Set Length 225
Creating a Space with a Set Width 226
Changing the Drag Point of a Space 226
Converting Polylines to Spaces 227
Generating Spaces from Walls 228
Generating Spaces from Walls, Lines, Arcs, Polylines, and Circles 228
Generating Spaces from All Linework 229
Updating Generated Spaces 230
Modifying Spaces 231
Editing Spaces 231
Changing the Properties of a Space 235
Space Styles 238
Creating Space Styles 238

Contents

Editing Space Styles 240

Viewing Information About Spaces 247
Creating a Space Report 248

Chapter 11

Space Boundaries 251

Space Boundaries 252
Creating a Space Boundary 253
Creating Space Boundaries 255
Converting Objects to Boundaries 255
Attaching Spaces to a Space Boundary 257
Merging Boundaries 258
Splitting Space Boundaries 258
Adding Boundary Edges 258
Editing Boundary Edges 259
Removing Boundary Edges 259
Anchoring Objects to Boundaries 259
Releasing Objects from Space Boundaries 260
Converting Space Boundaries to Walls 260
Editing Space Boundaries 261
Modifying a Space Boundary 261
Changing the Space Boundary Properties 262

Chapter 12

Slice Floorplates 269

Creating Floorplates 270
Generating a Slice 270
Setting the Slice Elevation 271
Converting a Slice to a Polyline 271
Attaching Objects to a Slice 271
Detaching Objects from a Slice 272
Modifying Slice Properties 272
Changing the Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files for a Slice 273
Changing the Slice Location Properties 273

Chapter 13

Design Content 275

Using Design Content 276
AutoCAD DesignCenter Custom View 277
Changing the Design Content Menu 278
Adding AutoCAD Architectural Desktop Content 278
Adding Metric Content 279
Adding Bathroom Fittings Content 279
Adding Domestic Furniture Content 280
Adding Electrical Services Content 280

Contents

Adding Kitchen Fittings Content 281

Adding Office Furniture Content 282
Adding Pipe and Duct Content 282
Adding Site Content 283
Adding Metric D A CH Content 284
Adding DIN Symbols 284
Adding PlanzV 90 Symbols 285
Adding SIA Symbols 285
Adding Office Symbols 286
Adding Site Symbols 287
Adding Furniture Symbols 288
Adding Imperial Content 288
Adding Appliance Content 289
Adding Casework Content 289
Adding Ceiling Fixture Content 290
Adding Electrical Fixture Content 291
Adding Equipment Content 292
Adding Furniture Content 292
Adding Plumbing Content 293
Adding Site Content 294
Adding CSI Imperial Content 294
Adding Division 1 General Requirements Content 295
Adding Division 2 Site Construction Content 295
Adding Division 10 Specialties Content 296
Adding Division 11 Equipment Content 297
Adding Division 12 Furnishing Content 297
Adding Division 13 Special Construction Content 298
Adding Division 14 Conveying Systems Content 298
Adding Division 15 Mechanical Content 299
Adding Division 16 Electrical Content 300
Fixture Layout Overview 300
Placing Fixture Layout Content 302

Chapter 14

Walls 305
Creating Walls 306
Creating Straight Walls 307
Creating Curved Walls 309
Creating a Combination of Straight and Curved Walls 311
Modifying Walls 312
Changing Style of an Existing Wall 312
Changing the Wall Base Height 313
Changing the Wall Width 313
Changing the Wall Justification 313
Matching the Characteristics of an Existing Wall 314

Contents

Adding a Window to a Wall 314

Adding an Opening to a Wall 315
Adding a Door to a Wall 315
Adding an Assembly to a Wall 315
Changing Wall Properties 316
Attaching Notes and Files to a Wall 316
Changing the Wall Style Properties 317
Changing the Wall Dimension Properties 317
Changing the Wall Cleanup Properties 318
Troubleshooting Wall Cleanups 324
Changing the Roof Line and Floor Line of a Wall 327
Adding a Gable to the Roof Line of a Wall 328
Adding a Step to the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Wall 328
Changing Vertices in the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Wall 329
Reversing the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Wall 331
Setting Wall Style Overrides 332
Adding Wall Modifiers Manually 333
Removing Wall Modifiers Manually 335
Managing Wall 3D Modifiers 336
Changing the Wall Location Properties 338
Wall Entity Display Properties 339
Managing the Layer, Color, and Linetype for Wall Components 339
Managing the Hatching for Wall Components 340
Managing the Cut Plane Display Information 341
Managing Other Wall Display Information 342
Wall Styles 343
Creating New Wall Styles 343
Purging a Wall Style 345
Importing a Wall Style 346
Exporting a Wall Style to a New Drawing 346
Exporting Wall Styles to an Existing Drawing 347
Changing Wall Style Properties 348
Attaching Notes and Files to a Wall Style 348
Setting the Wall Style Default Properties 349
Changing the Wall Style Endcaps Properties 350
Adding a Component to a Wall Style 351
Removing a Component from a Wall Style 352
Changing the Wall Style Display Properties 353
Wall Component Index 354
Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Wall Style 355
Wall Cleanup Definitions 356
Creating a Wall Cleanup Group Definition 356
Editing a Wall Cleanup Group Definition 357
Purging a Wall Cleanup Group Definition 358
Importing Wall Cleanup Group Definitions 358

10

Contents

Exporting Wall Cleanup Group Definitions to a New Drawing 359

Exporting Wall Cleanup Group Definitions to an Existing Drawing 360
Assigning a Wall Cleanup Group to New Walls 361
Assigning a Different Wall Cleanup Group Definition to Existing Walls
362
Editing Walls 362
Converting Lines to Walls 362
Adding Wall Modifiers Automatically 363
Removing Wall Modifiers 364
Converting a Polyline to a Wall Modifier 365
Creating and Editing Wall Modifier Styles 366
Creating and Editing Endcap Styles 372
Overriding an Endcap Style 379
Merging Walls 379
Removing a Merged Wall 380
Changing the Roof Line of a Wall 381
Changing the Floor Line of the Wall 381
Adding an Interference Condition 382
Removing an Interference Condition 383
Sweeping a Profile 383
Changing the Sweep Profile Miter Angles 384
Adding an Object to the Wall 384
Subtracting an Object from a Wall 385
Replacing the Wall with an Object 386
Joining Walls 387
Reversing Wall Start/End 387
Anchoring an Object to a Wall 388
Detaching Objects from a Wall 388
Setting the Anchored End of an Object 388
Dimensioning a Single Wall 389
Dimensioning Multiple Walls 389

Chapter 15

Curtain Walls 395

Curtain Walls 396
Creating Curtain Walls 403
Creating a Straight Curtain Wall 403
Creating a Curved Curtain Wall 405
Creating a Curtain Wall that References a Curve 407
Converting a Layout Grid to a Curtain Wall 409
Creating a Curtain Wall with a Custom Grid 411
Converting a Wall to a Curtain Wall 413
Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls 414
Working with Curtain Wall Styles 419
Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style 419

Contents

11

Defining Divisions for Curtain Wall Grids 421

Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Cells 432
Defining Curtain Wall Frames 438
Defining Curtain Wall Mullions 444
Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements 450
Modifying the Display of Curtain Walls 465
Setting Default Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style 471
Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Style 472
Managing Curtain Wall Styles 473
Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall 477
Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Curtain Walls 478
Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls 483
Modifying Curtain Wall Styles 491
Modifying Curtain Walls 494
Changing the Base Height of a Curtain Wall 495
Selecting a Different Curtain Wall Style 495
Matching the Style or Base Height of an Existing Curtain Wall 496
Changing the Curtain Wall Dimensions 496
Changing the Roof Line and Floor Line of a Curtain Wall 497
Changing the Roof Line of a Curtain Wall 502
Changing the Floor Line of a Curtain Wall 503
Reversing Curtain Wall Start/End 504
Changing the Curtain Wall Location Properties 504
Adding an Interference Condition to a Curtain Wall 505
Cleaning up Curtain Wall Corners 506
Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall 508
Editing Objects Anchored in Curtain Walls 509
Changing the Orientation of an Object Anchored in a Curtain Wall 509
Changing the Alignment of an Object Anchored in a Curtain Wall 510
Changing the Offset of an Object Anchored in a Curtain Wall 510
Swapping Two Objects Anchored in a Curtain Wall 510
Releasing an Object Anchored in a Curtain Wall 511
Curtain Wall Units 511
Creating Curtain Wall Units 514
Creating a Curtain Wall Unit 514
Converting a Layout Grid to a Curtain Wall Unit 515
Creating a Curtain Wall Unit with a Custom Grid 516
Working with Curtain Wall Unit Styles 518
Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style 519
Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Unit Cells 525
Defining Curtain Wall Unit Frames 528
Defining Curtain Wall Unit Mullions 532
Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Elements 537
Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Unit Cells 538
Modifying the Display of Curtain Wall Units 547

12

Contents

Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit Style 552

Managing Curtain Wall Unit Styles 553
Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall Unit 557
Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments for Curtain Wall Units 558
Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall Units 562
Modifying Curtain Wall Unit Styles 570
Modifying Curtain Wall Units 571
Select a New Style for a Curtain Wall Unit 572
Changing the Dimensions of a Curtain Wall Unit 572
Setting a Miter Angle for a Curtain Wall Unit Adjacent to Another Object 573
Removing Curtain Wall Unit Overrides 574
Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit 574
Changing the Location of a Freestanding Curtain Wall Unit 575
Modifying the Position of Anchored Curtain Wall Units 576

Chapter 16

Slabs 581
Creating Slabs 582
Creating a Slab 583
Creating Slabs Based on Walls 584
Creating a Slab Based on Multiple Walls 585
Creating a Slab from a Polyline 587
Modifying a Slab 588
Editing Slabs 589
Editing a Slab Edge 589
Trimming a Slab 590
Extending a Slab 591
Mitering Slabs by Intersection 593
Mitering Slabs Using Edges 593
Cutting a Slab 594
Adding a Vertex to a Slab 594
Deleting a Vertex from a Slab 595
Adding Holes to a Slab 595
Removing Holes from a Slab 597
Adding Objects to a Slab (Boolean) 598
Subtracting Objects from a Slab (Boolean) 598
Removing Objects from a Slab (Boolean) 599
Grip Editing Slabs 599
Object Snap (Osnap) Behavior for Slabs 600
Slab Properties 600
Attaching Notes and Files to a Slab 600
Changing the Slab Style or Applying a New Slab Style 601
Changing the Slab Dimensions 601
Changing the Slab Edge Properties 603

Contents

13

Changing the Location of the Slab 603

Working with Slab Styles 604
Creating New Slab Styles 604
Purging a Slab Style 606
Importing a Slab Style 606
Exporting a Slab Style to a New Drawing 607
Exporting Slab Styles to an Existing Drawing 608
Changing Slab Style Properties 609
Adding Notes and Files to Slab Styles 609
Changing the Slab Style Default Properties 610
Changing the Slab Style Design Rules Properties 611
Changing the Slab Style Display Properties 611
Slab Edges 612
Slab Edge Styles 613
Creating New Slab Edge Styles 614
Purging a Slab Edge Style 615
Importing a Slab Edge Style 615
Exporting a Slab Edge Style to a New Drawing 616
Exporting Slab Edge Styles to an Existing Drawing 617
Changing Slab Edge Style Properties 618

Chapter 17

Openings 623
Creating Openings 624
Creating an Opening in a Wall 624
Creating an Opening in a Space Boundary 626
Creating a Freestanding Opening 627
Changing an Existing Opening 628
Repositioning an Opening 628
Changing Opening Properties 629
Attaching Notes and Files to an Opening 629
Changing Opening Dimension Properties 630
Changing the Position of an Opening Along a Wall or Space Boundary
630
Changing the Position of an Opening Vertically in a Wall or Space
Boundary 631
Changing the Position of an Opening Within a Wall or Space Boundary
631
Changing the Orientation of an Opening to a Wall or Space Boundary
632
Changing an Opening Endcap Properties 632
Changing an Opening Location Properties 633
Changing an Opening Entity Display 634
Changing the Display of Openings 634
Adding Components to the Display of Openings 635

14

Contents

Editing Components in an Opening Display 636

Removing Components from an Opening Display 637
Turning Off the Display of Opening Components 638

Chapter 18

Doors 641
Creating Doors 642
Creating a Door in a Wall 643
Creating a Door in a Space Boundary 644
Creating a Freestanding Door 645
Editing Doors 645
Changing the Style of an Existing Door 645
Changing the Door Size 646
Changing the Door Width 646
Changing the Door Height 646
Changing the Door Rise 647
Changing the Door Leaf 647
Changing the Door Opening Percentage 647
Moving a Door Along a Wall 647
Moving a Door Within a Wall 648
Flipping the Hinge of a Door 649
Flipping the Swing of a Door 649
Changing the Door Swing Opening 649
Changing Door Styles 650
Creating a Door Style 650
Creating a Door Style from an Existing Style 651
Editing a Door Style 651
Purging a Door Style 652
Importing Door Styles 652
Exporting Door Styles to a New Drawing 653
Exporting Door Styles to an Existing Drawing 654
Door Style Properties 655
Attaching Notes and Files to a Door Style 655
Changing the Door Style Dimensions Properties 656
Changing the Door Style Design Rules Properties 657
Changing the Standard Sizes of Door Styles 658
Changing the Door Style Display Properties 659
Changing the Entity Display of Doors 660
Changing the Display of Doors 660
Adding Components to the Display of Doors 660
Editing Components in the Display of Doors 662
Removing Components in the Display of Doors 663
Disabling the Display of Components in the Display of Doors 664
Displaying the Door Swing as Straight 664
Overriding the Opening Percentage for a Door 665

Contents

15

Changing the Door Threshold 665

Changing Door Properties 666
Attaching Notes and Files to a Door 666
Changing the Door Style Properties 667
Changing the Door Dimension Properties 667
Changing the Position of the Door Horizontally along the Wall or
Space Boundary 668
Changing the Position of the Door Vertically in the Wall or Space
Boundary 669
Changing the Position of the Door within the Wall or Space Boundary
669
Changing the Orientation of the Door to the Wall or Space Boundary
670
Changing the Door Endcap Properties 671
Changing the Door Location Properties 671

Chapter 19

Windows 675
Creating Windows 676
Creating a Window in a Wall 678
Creating a Window in a Space Boundary 679
Creating a Freestanding Window 680
Editing Windows 680
Changing the Style of an Existing Window 680
Changing Window Size 681
Changing Window Width 681
Changing Window Height 681
Changing Window Vertical Alignment 682
Moving a Window Along a Wall 682
Moving a Window Within a Wall 682
Flipping the Hinge of a Window 683
Flipping the Swing of a Window 683
Changing the Window Swing Opening 683
Changing Window Properties 684
Attaching Notes and Files to a Window 684
Changing Window Style Properties 685
Changing Window Dimension Properties 685
Changing the Position of a Window Along a Wall or Space Boundary
686
Changing the Position of a Window Vertically in a Wall or Space
Boundary 686
Changing the Position of a Window Within a Wall or Space Boundary
687
Changing the Orientation of a Window to a Wall or Space Boundary
688

16

Contents

Changing Window Endcap Properties 689

Changing Window Location Properties 689
Window Styles 690
Creating New Window Styles 690
Purging a Window Style 692
Importing a Window Style 693
Exporting a Window Style to a New Drawing 694
Exporting Window Styles to an Existing Drawing 694
Changing Window Style Properties 695
Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Style 695
Changing Window Style Dimension Properties 696
Changing Window Style Design Rule Properties 697
Changing Standard Sizes for a Window Style 697
Changing Window Style Display Properties 698
Changing the Entity Display of Windows 699
Changing the Display of Windows 699
Adding Components to a Window Display 700
Editing Components in a Window Display 702
Removing Components in a Window Display 703
Turning Off the Display of Components in a Window Display 703
Overriding a Window Opening Percentage 704
Changing the Windowsill 704
Creating Window Muntins 705
Adding a Rectangular Pattern Muntin 706
Adding a Diamond Pattern Muntin 709
Adding a Starburst Pattern Muntin 711
Adding a Sunburst Pattern Muntin 713
Adding a Gothic Pattern Muntin 716
Editing a Window Muntins Block 718
Removing a Window Muntins Block 719
Turning Off the Display of Window Muntins 719

Chapter 20

Window Assemblies 723

Window Assemblies 724
Creating Window Assemblies 727
Creating a Window Assembly 728
Converting a Layout Grid to a Window Assembly 729
Creating a Window Assembly with a Custom Grid 731
Working with Nested Grids in Window Assemblies 733
Working with Window Assembly Styles 736
Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style 736
Defining Divisions for Window Assembly Grids 737
Defining Infills for Window Assembly Cells 743
Defining Window Assembly Frames 747

Contents

17

Defining Window Assembly Mullions 751

Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Elements 755
Assigning Divisions to a Window Assembly Grid 756
Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells 756
Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Frames 762
Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Window Assembly 764
Modifying the Display of Window Assemblies 767
Setting Default Dimensions for a Window Assembly Style 772
Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Assembly Style 772
Managing Window Assembly Styles 773
Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly 778
Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Window Assemblies 779
Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies 783
Modifying Window Assembly Styles 790
Modifying Window Assemblies 792
Changing the Style of an Existing Window Assembly 793
Matching the Properties of an Existing Window Assembly 793
Changing the Window Assembly Width 794
Changing Window Assembly Height 794
Changing Window Assembly Vertical Alignment 794
Changing the Window Assembly Dimensions 795
Changing the Window Assembly Shape 795
Changing the Location of a Freestanding Window Assembly 796
Adding an Interference Condition to a Window Assembly 797
Cleaning up Window Assembly Corners 797
Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Assembly 799
Editing Objects Anchored in Window Assemblies 799

Chapter 21

Structural Members 805

Working with Structural Members 806
Using the Structural Member Catalog 806
Displaying the Structural Member Catalog 808
Locating Shapes in the Structural Member Catalog 808
Opening a Catalog File in the Structural Member Catalog 809
Creating a Style from a Shape in the Structural Member Catalog 810
Locating a Structural Member in the Structural Member Catalog from a
Member in a Drawing 811
Creating Structural Members 811
Creating a Column 812
Creating a Brace 816
Creating a Beam 818
Creating a Structural Member by Converting Lines, Arcs, or Polylines
819
Modifying Structural Members 821

18

Contents

Attaching Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files to a Structural Member 822

Changing the Style of a Structural Member 822
Changing the Dimensions of a Structural Member 823
Using Trim Planes to Modify Structural Members 825
Changing the Location of a Structural Member 828
Modifying the Display of Structural Members 829
Changing the Display of a Structural Member 831
Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Structural Member 832
Managing the Cut Plane Display Information 833
Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Structural Member 834
Changing the Structural Member Style Properties 835
Attaching Style Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files to a Structural
Member Style 835
Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles 837
Accessing the Design Rules of a Structural Member 837
Changing the Shape of a Structural Member 839
Adding a Shape to a Structural Member 840
Creating a Single Component Structural Member 841
Creating a Multi-Component Structural Member 843
Creating a Multi-Component Structural Member Using Multiple Segments 845
Creating Custom Shapes for Structural Members 852
Creating a Custom Shape for a Structural Member 853
Copying a Custom Shape 854
Editing a Custom Shape 855
Purging Custom Shapes 855
Working with Structural Member Styles in the Style Manager 856
Creating a New Structural Member Style 857
Creating a New Structural Member Style from an Existing Style 857
Purging a Structural Member Style 858
Importing a Structural Member Style 859
Exporting a Structural Member Style to a New Drawing 860
Exporting Structural Member Styles to an Existing Drawing 860

Chapter 22

Roofs 863
Creating Roofs 864
Creating a Single Slope Roof 864
Creating a Double Slope Roof 865
Creating a Gable Roof 865
Creating a Roof from a Polyline 866
Creating a Roof from Walls 867
Modifying Roofs 868

Contents

19

Changing an Existing Roof 868

Changing the Roof Edges and Faces 868
Changing Roof Properties 869
Attaching Notes and Files to a Roof 869
Changing the Roof Dimension Properties 870
Changing the Roof Location Properties 871
Roof Slabs 872
Creating Roof Slabs 873
Creating a Roof Slab 875
Creating Roof Slabs from an Existing Roof 878
Creating Roof Slabs Based on Walls 879
Creating a Flat Roof Slab Based on Multiple Walls 880
Creating a Roof Slab from a Polyline 882
Modifying a Roof Slab 884
Editing Roof Slabs 885
Editing a Roof Slab Edge 885
Trimming a Roof Slab 885
Extending a Roof Slab 887
Mitering Roof Slabs by Intersection 888
Mitering Roof Slabs Using Edges 890
Cutting a Roof Slab 892
Adding a Vertex to a Roof Slab 892
Deleting a Vertex from a Roof Slab 893
Adding Holes to a Roof Slab 894
Removing Holes from a Roof Slab 896
Adding Objects to a Roof Slab (Boolean) 896
Subtracting Objects from a Roof Slab (Boolean) 897
Removing Objects from a Roof Slab (Boolean) 898
Creating a Dormer in a Roof Slab 898
Grip Editing Roof Slabs 900
Object Snap (Osnap) Behavior for Roof Slabs 901
Roof Slab Properties 901
Attaching Notes and Files to a Roof Slab 901
Changing the Roof Slab Style or Applying a New Roof Slab Style 902
Changing the Roof Slab Dimensions 903
Changing the Roof Slab Edge Properties 904
Changing the Location of the Roof Slab 905
Working with Roof Slab Styles 905
Creating New Roof Slab Styles 906
Purging a Roof Slab Style 907
Importing a Roof Slab Style 908
Exporting a Roof Slab Style to a New Drawing 909
Exporting Roof Slab Styles to an Existing Drawing 909
Changing Roof Slab Style Properties 910
Adding Notes and Files to Roof Slab Styles 910

20

Contents

Changing the Roof Slab Style Default Properties 911

Changing the Roof Slab Style Design Rules Properties 912
Changing the Roof Slab Style Display Properties 913
Roof Slab Edges 914
Roof Slab Edge Styles 916
Creating New Roof Slab Edge Styles 916
Purging a Roof Slab Edge Style 918
Importing a Roof Slab Edge Style 918
Exporting a Roof Slab Edge Style to a New Drawing 919
Exporting Roof Slab Edge Styles to an Existing Drawing 920
Changing Roof Slab Edge Style Properties 921
Adding Notes and Files to Roof Slab Edge Styles 921
Changing the Roof Slab Edge Style Default Properties 922
Changing the Roof Slab Edge Style Design Rules Properties 923

Chapter 23

Stairs 927
Creating Stairs 928
Creating Straight Stairs 928
Creating U-shaped Stairs 929
Creating Multi-landing Stairs 931
Creating Spiral Stairs 934
Modifying Stairs 936
Changing an Existing Stair 936
Changing an Existing Stair Using Grips 937
Changing the Side of a Stair 937
Changing the Shape of a Flight 942
Changing the Shape of a Landing 944
Changing the Shape of a Spiral Stair to a Circle Using Grips 944
Changing the Shape of a Spiral Stair to an Arc Using Grips 945
Changing Stair Properties 946
Attaching Notes and Files to a Stair 946
Changing Stair Style Properties 946
Changing Stair Dimension Properties 947
Changing Stair Floor Setting Properties 948
Changing Flight Length Limits 949
Changing Stair Interference Properties 950
Changing U-shaped Stair Properties 951
Changing Spiral Shape Stair Properties 952
Changing Flight Dimension Properties 953
Changing Landing Dimension Properties 954
Changing Landing Extension Properties 955
Changing Stair Location Properties 956
Changing Stair Styles 957
Creating New Stair Styles 958

Contents

21

Editing a Stair Style 960

Purging a Stair Style 967
Importing Stair Styles 968
Exporting Stair Styles to a New Drawing 969
Exporting Stair Styles to an Existing Drawing 969
Changing the Size of Landing Components 970

Chapter 24

Railings 973
Creating Railings 974
Creating a Railing Attached to a Stair 974
Creating a Railing Attached to a Stair Flight 975
Creating a Freestanding Railing 976
Converting a Polyline to a Railing 977
Modifying Railings 978
Changing an Existing Railing 978
Adding a Post to a Railing 979
Removing a Post from a Railing 979
Redistributing Posts on a Railing 980
Hiding Posts 981
Showing Hidden Posts 981
Reversing the Direction of the Railing 982
Anchoring an Existing Railing to a Stair 982
Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles 983
Adding Custom Blocks to Railings 984
Editing Custom Blocks in a Railing Display 986
Removing Custom Blocks in the Display of Railings 988
Disabling Custom Blocks in the Display of Railings 989
Adding Custom Profiles to Railings 989
Editing Custom Profiles in a Railing Display 992
Removing Custom Profiles in the Display of Railings 994
Turning Off Custom Profiles in the Display of Railings 994
Changing Railing Properties 995
Attaching Notes and Files to a Railing 995
Changing the Style of a Railing 996
Changing Upper Rail Location Properties 996
Changing Bottom Rail Properties 998
Changing Post Location Properties 999
Changing the Properties of Railing Extensions at Floor Levels 1000
Changing the Properties of Railing Extensions at Landings 1001
Changing Railing Anchor Properties 1001
Changing Railing Location Properties 1002
Changing Railing Styles 1003
Creating a Railing Style 1003
Editing a Railing Style 1004

22

Contents

Creating a Railing Style from an Existing Style 1004

Purging a Railing Style 1005
Importing Railing Styles 1006
Exporting Railing Styles to a New Drawing 1007
Exporting Railing Styles to an Existing Drawing 1007
Changing Railing Style Properties 1008
Attaching Notes and Files to a Railing Style 1008
Changing Railing Style Upper Rail Location Properties 1009
Changing Railing Style Bottom Rail Location Properties 1011
Changing Railing Style Post Location Properties 1012
Changing Railing Style Components Properties 1013
Changing Railing Style Extensions Properties 1014
Changing Railing Style Display Properties 1016

Chapter 25

Grids 1019
Column Grids 1020
Creating a Rectangular Column Grid 1020
Creating a Radial Column Grid 1021
Creating a Rectangular Column Grid Dynamically 1022
Creating a Radial Column Grid Dynamically 1023
Labeling a Column Grid 1023
Extending Column Grid Lines beyond the Grid Boundary or Limits
1025
Dimensioning Column Grids 1025
Modifying Column Grids 1026
Changing Existing Rectangular Column Grids 1026
Changing Existing Radial Column Grids 1026
Attaching a Clipping Boundary to a Column Grid 1026
Adding a Hole to a Column Grid 1027
Removing a Hole from a Column Grid 1027
Changing the Column Grid Properties 1027
Attaching Notes and Files to a Column Grid 1028
Changing the Overall Size of a Column Grid 1028
Changing the Width of a Column Grid 1029
Changing the Depth of a Column Grid 1029
Changing the Column Grid X-Spacing Properties 1030
Changing the Column Grid Y-Spacing Properties 1030
Changing the Radial Column Grid Angle Dimension Properties 1031
Changing the Radial Column Grid Angle Properties 1031
Changing the Column Grid Location Properties 1032
Ceiling Grids 1033
Creating a Ceiling Grid with a Clipping Boundary 1033
Creating a Freestanding Ceiling Grid 1034
Creating a Ceiling Grid by Specifying the Size Dynamically 1035

Contents

23

Changing the Existing Ceiling Grids 1035

Attaching a Clipping Boundary to a Ceiling Grid 1036
Adding a Hole to a Ceiling Grid 1036
Removing a Hole from a Ceiling Grid 1037
Changing the Ceiling Grid Properties 1037
Attaching Notes and Files to a Ceiling Grid 1038
Changing the Overall Size of a Ceiling Grid 1038
Changing the Ceiling Grid Location Properties 1041

Chapter 26

Annotation 1045
Changing the Drawing Scale 1046
Setting the Drawing Scale 1046
Documentation Symbols 1047
Revision Clouds 1047
Chases, Ducts and Floor Openings 1048
Break Marks 1049
Detail Marks 1050
Elevation Marks 1053
Leaders 1057
Miscellaneous Symbols 1059
Section Marks 1060
Title Marks 1061

Chapter 27

AEC Dimensions 1063

Dimension Types and Uses 1064
Automatic AEC Dimensions 1064
Manual AEC Dimensions 1065
AutoCAD Dimensions 1065
The Contents of AEC Dimensions 1067
AEC Dimension Contents 1067
Predefined AEC Dimension Styles 1069
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences 1070
Creating AEC Dimensions 1073
Creating Automatic AEC Dimensions 1073
Creating Manual AEC Dimensions 1074
Creating AEC Dimensions from AutoCAD Dimensions 1076
Special Case: Copying Properties of AEC Dimensions to AutoCAD Dimensions 1078
Adding dimension points 1079
Removing Dimension Points 1080
Removing Dimension Points 1080
Restoring Automatic Dimension Points 1082
Attaching Objects to Dimensions 1083

24

Contents

Detaching Objects from Dimensions 1084

Editing AEC Dimensions 1085
Editing AEC Dimension Properties 1086
Moving Dimension Texts 1088
Working with Dimension Styles 1089
AEC Dimension Styles and AutoCAD Dimension Styles 1089
Creating AutoCAD Dimension Styles 1089
Creating AEC Dimension Styles 1091
Creating New AEC Dimension Styles 1091
Purging an AEC Dimension Style 1093
Importing an AEC Dimension Style 1093
Exporting an AEC Dimension Style to a New Drawing 1094
Exporting AEC Dimension Styles to an Existing Drawing 1095
Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties 1096
The AEC Dimension Display Wizard 1097
Attaching Notes and Files to an AEC Dimension Style 1099
Changing the AEC Dimension Style Chains Properties 1099
Changing the AEC Dimension Style Display Properties 1100
Q and A for Working with AEC Dimensions 1108

Chapter 28

Dimension Labels 1113

Working with Dimension Labels 1114
Standard Dimension Labels 1115
Standard Door/Window/Opening Labels 1115
Standard Stair Label 1116
Setting Dimension Label Preferences 1117
Setting Prefixes for Dimension Labels 1118
Adding Dimension Labels 1118
Modifying Dimension Labels 1119
Editing Dimension Label Properties 1120
Dimension Label Behavior 1123
Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels 1125
Adding Attributes 1125
Creating a Block 1128
Creating a Multi-View Block 1129
Adding the Dimension Label to the AutoCAD DesignCenter 1130

Chapter 29

Elevation Labels 1133

Working with Elevation Labels 1134
Adding Elevation Labels 1135
Modifying Elevation Labels 1136
Editing Elevation Label Properties 1137
Creating User-Defined Elevation Labels 1140

Contents

25

Creating a Graphic Symbol 1140

Adding Attributes 1141
Creating a Block 1142
Creating a Multi-View Block 1142
Adding the Elevation Label to the AutoCAD DesignCenter 1143

Chapter 30

Areas 1145
Working with Areas 1146
Work Order 1147
Creating Areas 1149
Creating New Areas 1149
Creating Areas from Objects 1153
Examples for Creating Areas 1157
Creating User-Defined Area Tags 1160
Editing Areas 1164
Grip Editing Areas 1165
Changing Area Properties 1165
Area Operations 1169
Joining Areas Together 1170
Creating Holes in Areas 1171
Creating Areas from the Intersection of Other Areas 1172
Vertices 1173
Trimming Areas 1174
Dividing Areas 1175
Removing Rings from Areas 1175
Reversing Area Rings 1176
Reversing Area Profiles 1177
Creating Polylines from Areas 1177
Attaching Areas to Area Groups 1178
Detaching Areas from Area Groups 1180
Area Styles 1181
Creating New Area Styles 1182
Purging Area Styles 1184
Importing Area Styles 1184
Exporting Area Styles to a New Drawing 1185
Exporting Area Styles to an Existing Drawing 1186
Changing Area Style Properties 1187
Attaching Notes and Files to an Area Style 1187
Changing the Area Style Layer/Color/Linetype Properties 1188
Changing the Area Style Hatching Properties 1189
Calculation Modifier Styles 1190
Creating New Calculation Modifier Styles 1190
Editing Calculation Modifier Styles 1192
Importing Calculation Modifier Styles 1196

26

Contents

Exporting Calculation Modifier Styles 1197

Purging Calculation Modifier Styles 1198
Attaching Calculation Modifier Styles to Areas 1199
Area Decomposition 1200
Display the Area Decomposition 1201
Area Decomposition Settings 1202

Chapter 31

Area Groups 1209

Working with Area Groups 1210
Creating Area Groups 1211
Creating a New Area Group 1212
Creating New Area Groups from a Group Template 1212
Attaching Area Groups to Other Groups 1214
Detaching Area Groups from Other Groups 1215
Editing Area Groups 1216
Changing Area Group Properties 1216
Creating an Area Group Layout 1223
Creating Polylines from Area Groups 1224
Area Group Styles 1225
Creating New Area Group Styles 1226
Editing Area Group Styles 1227
Changing Area Group Style Properties 1228
Importing Area Group Styles 1233
Exporting Area Group Styles 1234
Purging Area Group Styles 1236
Area Name Definitions 1236
Creating New Area Name Definitions 1237
Editing Area Name Definitions 1239
Importing Area Name Definitions 1241
Exporting Area Name Definitions 1242
Purging Area Name Definitions 1244
Area Group Templates 1245
Creating New Area Group Templates 1245
Editing Area Group Templates 1247
Importing Area Group Templates 1251
Exporting Area Group Templates 1252
Purging Area Group Templates 1254

Chapter 32

Area Evaluation 1257

Working with the Area Evaluation 1258
Preparing the Area Evaluation 1258
Selecting Areas 1258
Evaluation Content 1260

Contents

27

Image Display Properties 1264

Data Format Style Properties 1265
Setting the Default Templates 1267
Creating the Area Evaluation Document 1268
Creating an XLS Evaluation Document 1268
Creating a TXT Evaluation Document 1269
Creating XLT Templates 1269

Chapter 33

Schedules 1273
Creating Schedules in Autodesk Architectural Desktop 1274
Adding Schedule Tags 1278
Displaying Schedule Data When You Insert a Tag 1279
Adding Door and Window Tags 1280
Adding Object Tags 1280
Adding Room and Finish Tags 1281
Adding Wall Tags 1282
Anchoring a Tag to an Object 1283
Releasing an Anchored Tag 1283
Viewing the Relationship Between Schedule Tags and Objects 1284
Creating Custom Tags 1284
Using Schedule Data 1287
Attaching Schedule Data 1288
Editing Schedule Data 1288
Attaching Schedule Data to Object Styles and Definitions 1289
Browsing Existing Property Data 1290
Browsing Existing Property Set Definition Data 1291
Renumbering Existing Schedule Data 1292
Property Set Definitions 1292
Creating a New Property Set Definition 1293
Creating a Property Set Definition from an Existing Property Set Definition 1293
Defining What the Property Set Definition Applies To 1294
Editing a Property Set Definition 1295
Adding an Automatic Property 1297
Removing Property Set Definitions 1298
Merging Property Set Definitions 1299
Understanding Some Automatic Properties 1299
Attaching Notes or Files to a Property Set 1303
Purging Property Set Definitions 1304
Importing Property Set Definitions 1305
Exporting Property Set Definitions to an Existing Drawing 1306
Exporting Property Set Definitions to a New Drawing 1307
Data Format Styles 1308
Creating a Data Format Style 1308

28

Contents

Creating a Data Format Style from an Existing Data Format Style 1309
Attaching Notes or Files to a Data Format Style 1309
Editing a Data Format Style 1310
Purging Data Format Styles 1313
Importing Data Format Styles 1313
Exporting Data Format Styles to an Existing Drawing 1315
Exporting Data Format Styles to a New Drawing 1316
Schedule Tables 1316
Adding a Schedule Table 1317
Updating a Schedule Table 1318
Exporting Schedule Table Information 1319
Exporting Schedule Tables 1319
Schedule Table Styles 1320
Creating a Schedule Table Style 1320
Creating a Schedule Table Style from an Existing Schedule Table Style
1320
Attaching Notes and Files to a Schedule Table Style 1321
Changing the Schedule Table Style Default Format 1322
Defining What the Schedule Table Applies to 1323
Adding Schedule Table Style Columns 1324
Adding a Heading to a Schedule Table 1326
Editing Schedule Table Style Columns 1327
Deleting Schedule Table Style Columns 1328
Setting the Schedule Table Style Sorting 1328
Overriding Schedule Table Title Formats 1329
Editing the Schedule Table Style Display Properties 1330
Purging Schedule Table Styles 1331
Importing Schedule Table Styles 1332
Exporting Schedule Table Styles to an Existing Drawing 1333
Exporting Schedule Table Styles to a New Drawing 1334
Editing Table Cells 1335
Editing Schedule Tables 1335
Schedule Table Properties 1336
Attaching Notes and Files to a Schedule Table 1336
Changing the Style of the Schedule Table 1337
Changing the Schedule Table Settings 1337
Changing the Location of a Schedule Table 1337
Schedule Table Selection 1338
Adding Objects to a Schedule Table 1338
Removing Objects from a Schedule Table 1338
Reselecting the Objects to Be Included in a Schedule Table 1339
Showing Objects that are in a Schedule Table 1339

Contents

29

Chapter 34

Elevations 1343
Creating 2D and 3D Elevations 1344
Drawing and Changing Elevation Lines 1344
Drawing an Elevation Line and Mark 1346
Changing Elevation Line Properties 1347
Changing the Elevation Mark Attributes 1351
Creating and Changing 2D Elevations 1351
Creating a New 2D Elevation 1352
Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions 1354
Updating an Existing 2D Elevation 1354
Changing the 2D Elevation Properties 1356
Working with 2D Elevation Styles 1358
Creating New 2D Elevation Styles 1358
Purging a 2D Elevation Style 1360
Importing a 2D Elevation Style 1361
Exporting a 2D Elevation Style to a New Drawing 1362
Exporting 2D Elevation Styles to an Existing Drawing 1362
Changing 2D Elevation Style Properties 1363
Changing the 2D Elevation Style Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files
1364
Changing the 2D Elevation Style Display Components 1365
Changing the 2D Elevation Style Design Rule Properties 1366
Changing the 2D Elevation Style Display Properties 1368
Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Elevations 1369
Editing Linework in 2D Elevations 1370
Merging Linework into 2D Elevations 1371
Saving Linework Changes to a 2D Elevation 1371
Creating and Changing 3D Elevations 1372
Creating a New 3D Elevation 1373
Updating an Existing 3D Elevation 1374
Changing the 3D Elevation Properties 1375
Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a 3D Elevation 1377

Chapter 35

Sections 1379
Creating 2D and 3D Sections 1380
Drawing and Changing Section Lines 1380
Drawing a Section Line and Mark 1382
Changing Section Line Properties 1384
Changing the Section Mark Attributes 1388
Creating and Changing 2D Sections 1389
Creating a New 2D Section 1389
Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a 2D Section 1391
Updating an Existing 2D Section 1392
Reversing an Existing Section 1393

30

Contents

Changing the 2D Section Properties 1394

Working with 2D Section Styles 1395
Creating New 2D Section Styles 1396
Purging a 2D Section Style 1397
Importing a 2D Section Style 1398
Exporting a 2D Section Style to a New Drawing 1399
Exporting 2D Section Styles to an Existing Drawing 1400
Changing 2D Section Style Properties 1401
Changing the 2D Section Style Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files
1401
Changing the 2D Section Style Display Components 1402
Changing the 2D Section Style Design Rule Properties 1403
Changing the 2D Section Style Display Properties 1405
Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections 1406
Editing Linework in 2D Sections 1407
Merging Linework into 2D Sections 1408
Saving Linework Changes to a 2D Section 1409
Creating and Changing 3D Sections 1410
Creating a New 3D Section 1410
Updating an Existing 3D Section 1411
Changing the 3D Section Properties 1413
Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a 3D Section 1414

Chapter 36

Live Sections 1417

Working with Live Sections 1418
Creating a Section Line and Mark 1418
Changing Section Line Properties 1420
Attaching Notes and Files to a Section Mark 1420
Changing the Dimensions of a Section 1420
Creating Graphic Subdivisions in a Section 1422
Changing the Section Line Location Properties 1423
Generating a Live Section 1423
Changing the Display Properties of a Live Section 1426
Changing Layer/Color/Linetype Display Properties 1427
Changing Hatch Display Properties 1428
Walls: Applying Display Properties from Another Display Configuration 1429
Adding and Removing Objects from Live Sections 1430
Adding and Removing Objects from a Single Live Section 1430
Adding and Removing Objects from Multiple Live Sections 1431

Chapter 37

Cameras 1433
Working with Cameras 1434

Contents

31

Inserting a Camera into a Drawing 1434

Changing the Camera View Using Grips 1435
Modifying an Existing Camera 1436
Associating Cameras with Viewports 1436
Setting the Viewport to the Camera View 1437
Changing the View of the Camera 1437
Creating a Video Dry Run with a Camera 1438
Creating a Video with a Camera 1439
Changing the Camera Properties 1440
Attaching Notes and Files to a Camera 1440
Changing the Camera Name and Zoom Length 1441
Changing the Camera Location Properties 1441

Chapter 38

AEC Options 1445

Modifying the Architectural Desktop Environment 1446
Changing the AEC Editor Settings 1447
Changing the AEC Drawing Defaults 1448
Changing the AEC Performance Settings 1450
Changing the AEC Stair Defaults Settings 1451
Setting the General Stair Defaults 1451
Setting Stair Code Limits Defaults 1452
Setting Flight Height Limits Defaults 1452
Setting U-shaped (Landing) Stair Defaults 1453
Setting the Stair Interference Defaults 1455
Changing the AEC Content Settings 1456
Changing the AEC Dimension Settings 1457
General Settings 1457
AEC Dimension Settings 1458
Elevation Label Settings 1458
Dimension Label Settings 1459
Changing the Settings 1459

Chapter 39

Drawing Setup 1461

Setting up Your Drawing 1462
Setting the Drawing Units 1462
Setting the Drawing Scale 1464
Selecting Layer Standards and Layer Key Styles 1466
Setting or Changing the Default Display Representations of AEC Objects 1468

Chapter 40

Layer Management 1469

Managing Layers in Autodesk Architectural Desktop 1470

32

Contents

Getting Started with the Layer Manager 1472

Displaying the Layer Manager 1472
Moving and Resizing the Layer Manager 1472
Working with Individual Layers in the Layer Manager 1473
Working with Layer Standards 1476
Layer Standards Included with the Layer Manager 1477
Creating New Layer Standards 1485
Creating New Layer Standards from Existing Layer Standards 1486
Editing Layer Standard Definitions 1487
Purging Layer Standards 1490
Importing Layer Standards 1490
Exporting Layer Standards to New Drawings 1491
Exporting Layer Standards to Existing Drawings 1491
Layer Keying 1492
Layer Key Styles 1493
Default Layer Keys 1501
Layer Key Values 1506
Using Layer Key Overrides 1506
Remapping Object Layers 1508
Remapping Objects to Different Layers 1509
Restoring Objects to Default Layer Key Layers 1509
Working with Layer Groups 1510
Creating Layer Groups 1510
Creating User-Defined Groups 1511
Creating Filter Groups 1511
Manually Adding Layers to Layer Groups 1517
Changing Existing Layer Groups 1518
Working with Layer Snapshots 1520
Creating Snapshots of All Drawing Layers 1521
Creating Snapshots of Layer Groups 1521
Editing Layer Snapshots 1522
Deleting Layer Snapshots 1522
Restoring Layer Snapshots 1522
Importing Layer Snapshots 1523
Exporting Layer Snapshots 1523

Chapter 41

Style Manager 1525

Managing Styles in Autodesk Architectural Desktop 1526
Getting Started with the Style Manager 1527
Displaying the Style Manager 1529
Moving the Style Manager 1530
Sorting Styles in the Style Manager 1530
Sorting Styles by Drawing 1532
Sorting Styles by Style Type 1533

Contents

33

Switching Between Drawing and Style Sorted Styles 1534

Viewing Styles in the Style Manager 1534
Viewing All the Styles in a Drawing 1534
Viewing All the Styles of One Style Type in a Drawing 1535
Viewing Styles of One Style Type Across Multiple Drawings 1536
Filtering Styles 1536
Previewing a Style 1537
Viewing a Style Description 1537
Working with Drawings and Templates in the Style Manager 1538
Viewing Drawing Information 1539
Starting a New Drawing or Template in the Style Manager 1540
Opening an Existing Drawing or Template in the Style Manager 1540
Dragging an Existing Drawing into the Style Manager from Windows
Explorer 1541
Closing Drawings and Templates in the Style Manager 1541
Creating and Editing Styles in the Style Manager 1542
Creating a New Style in the Style Manager 1542
Creating a Style by Copying an Existing Style 1543
Creating New Definitions in the Style Manager from Existing Geometry
1544
Renaming a Style in the Style Manager 1544
Editing a Style in the Style Manager 1545
Copying Styles Between Drawings in the Style Manager 1545
Dragging All the Styles of One Style Type in a Drawing to Another
Drawing 1546
Dragging Individual Styles from One Drawing to Another Drawing
1547
Copying All the Styles of One Style Type to Another Drawing 1549
Copying Individual Styles from One Drawing to Another Drawing 1550
Working with Styles on the Web 1551
Purging Styles in the Style Manager 1552
Purging All Styles from a Drawing 1552
Purging All Styles of One Style Type from a Drawing 1553
Purging Individual Styles from a Drawing 1554
Sending Styles By Email In the Style Manager 1555
Sending All the Styles in a Drawing 1555
Sending All the Styles of One Type in a Drawing 1556
Sending Individual Styles 1557

Chapter 42

Layout Tools 1559

Using Layout Tools 1560
Layout Curves 1560
Adding Layout Curves 1560
Changing the Properties of Layout Curves 1562

34

Contents

Adding Nodes to Layout Curves 1564

Removing Nodes from Layout Curves 1565
Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Curves 1565
Switching Layout Curves 1567
Changing the Display of Layout Curves 1567
Layout Grids 1568
Adding Radial Layout Grids 1568
Changing Radial Layout Grids 1569
Changing the Properties of Radial Layout Grids 1569
Adding Rectangular Layout Grids 1571
Changing Rectangular Layout Grids 1571
Changing the Properties of Rectangular Layout Grids 1572
Adding Grid Lines to Layout Grids 1573
Removing Grid Lines from Layout Grids 1574
Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Grids 1574
Changing the Display of Layout Grids 1576
Attaching Clipping Profiles 1576
Layout Volumes 1578
Adding Layout Volumes 1578
Changing Layout Volumes 1579
Changing the Properties of Layout Volumes 1579
Adding Grid Lines to Layout Volumes 1582
Removing Grid Lines from Layout Volumes 1583
Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Volumes 1584
Changing the Display of Layout Volumes 1585

Chapter 43

Anchors 1589
Working with Anchors 1590
Working with Curve Anchors 1591
Working with Leader Anchors 1594
Working with Node Anchors 1597
Working with Cell Anchors 1600
Working with Volume Anchors 1603
Releasing and Positioning Anchored Objects 1605
Releasing Anchored Objects 1606
Positioning Anchored Objects 1606

Chapter 44

AEC Content 1611

Creating AEC Content 1612
Creating a New AEC Block 1612
Creating a New AEC Drawing 1615
Creating a New AEC Multi-View Block 1616
Creating a New AEC Masking Block 1617

Contents

35

Creating a New AEC Custom Command 1618

Chapter 45

Multi-View Blocks 1621

Defining Multi-View Blocks 1622
Creating View Blocks 1622
Creating a New Multi-View Block Definition 1624
Creating a New Multi-View Block from an Existing Multi-View Block
1626
Adding a Multi-View Block 1627
Changing Multi-View Block General Properties 1628
Changing View Block Properties 1629
Purging Multi-View Blocks 1630
Importing Multi-View Blocks 1630
Exporting Multi-View Blocks to an Existing Drawing 1632
Exporting Multi-View Blocks to a New Drawing 1633
Modifying Multi-View Blocks 1633
Multi-View Block Reference Properties 1634
Attaching Notes and Files to a Multi-View Block 1634
Changing Multi-View Block Style Properties 1635
Changing Multi-View Block Dimension Properties 1635
Changing Multi-View Block Offset Properties 1636
Changing Multi-View Block Attribute Properties 1636
Changing Multi-View Block Anchor Properties 1637
Changing Multi-View Block Location Properties 1637

Chapter 46

Mask Blocks 1641

Working with Mask Blocks 1642
Creating Mask Block Definitions 1643
Creating a Mask Block Definition from a Polyline 1643
Creating a Mask Block Definition from an Existing Mask Block Definition 1644
Purging Mask Block Definitions 1645
Importing Mask Block Definitions 1645
Exporting Mask Block Definitions to a New Drawing 1646
Exporting Mask Block Definitions to an Existing Drawing 1647
Attaching Notes or Files to a Mask Block Definition 1648
Adding a Mask Block 1649
Masking an AEC Object 1650
Detaching an Object from a Mask Block 1651
Modifying a Mask Block 1651
Changing Mask Block Properties 1651
Attaching Notes or Files to a Mask Block 1652
Changing Mask Block Style Properties 1652

36

Contents

Changing Mask Block Dimension Properties 1653

Changing Mask Block Location Properties 1653

Chapter 47

Profiles 1655
Working with Profiles 1656
Inserting a Profile as a Polyline 1657
Creating Profiles 1657
Creating a Profile from a Polyline 1657
Redefining an Existing Profile from an AEC Profile in the Drawing 1658
Create a Profile from an Existing Profile 1659
Attaching Notes or Files to a Profile 1659
Purging Profiles 1660
Importing Profiles 1661
Exporting a Profile to a New Drawing 1662
Exporting a Profile to an Existing Drawing 1662

Chapter 48

AEC Polygons 1665

Working with AEC Polygons 1666
Creating AEC Polygons 1667
Creating a New AEC Polygon 1668
Creating an AEC Polygon by Converting a Polyline 1669
Modifying AEC Polygons 1670
Editing an Existing AEC Polygon Using Grips 1671
Changing the Style of an Existing AEC Polygon 1671
Attaching Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files to an AEC Polygon
1672
Changing the Location of an AEC Polygon 1672
Editing AEC Polygon Geometry 1673
Working with AEC Polygon Styles 1680
Creating New AEC Polygon Styles 1681
Purging an AEC Polygon Style 1682
Importing an AEC Polygon Style 1683
Exporting an AEC Polygon Style to a New Drawing 1684
Exporting AEC Polygon Styles to an Existing Drawing 1685
Changing AEC Polygon Style Properties 1686
Changing the AEC Polygon Style Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files
1686
Changing the Width and Justification of the AEC Polygon Edges 1687
Changing the AEC Polygon Style Display Properties 1687
Rendering the Exact Colors of an AEC Polygon by Defeating Lighting and
Shading Effects 1690

Contents

37

Chapter 49

AEC Utilities 1693

Using Utilities 1694
Notes 1694
Quick Slice 1695
Referencing AEC Objects 1696
Adding a Reference to an Object 1696
Attaching Notes or Files to an Entity Reference 1697
Changing the Location Properties of an Entity Reference 1697
Changing the Insertion Point of a Reference Object 1698
Attaching an Object to an Existing Reference 1699
Hidden Line Projection 1699
AEC Object Explode 1700
Using AEC Object Explode 1701
Viewport Layer Mapping 1704
Working With External References (Xrefs) 1705

Chapter 50

IFC 1707
Industry Foundation Class 1708
IFC Command List 1710

Chapter 51

Publish to Autodesk Architectural Studio 1711

Working with Autodesk Architectural Studio 1712
Publishing Layouts to Autodesk Architectural Studio 1712

Glossary 1715
Index 1723

38

Contents

Introduction

In this chapter, you can learn about basic concepts of

In this chapter

Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 and about

Fundamentals of Autodesk

the integration of AutoCAD 2002 features with

Autodesk Architectural Desktop. You can also learn
about various ways to find help from online documentation and training courseware.

Architectural Desktop
Integration with

AutoCAD 2002
Where to begin
Finding help
Contacting Autodesk

Fundamentals of Autodesk Architectural

Desktop, Release 3
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 combines AutoCAD 2002 drafting tools with architectural objects. Using an object-oriented approach, individual building objects relate intelligently with one another in a way that
was not possible in a traditional CAD environment. Objects maintain data
across a building life cycle and perform more functions without the need to
reconstruct them. Objects in Architectural Desktop perform consistently and
work automatically with traditional AutoCAD commands and Microsoft
Windows-based navigation features. The integration of AEC objects and
AutoCAD drafting commands meets your project design requirements from
schematic conceptual models through detailed construction documents.

Complete Project Work Flow Management

When you use Architectural Desktop resources, you can transition between
major phases in your design process by reusing information from each
project stage to the next. Architectural Desktop assures that it is a smooth
process. After you complete a basic, conceptual design, you are ready to start
work on design development and documentation. The following brief
descriptions summarize the principal stages in developing, refining, and generating drawings for a building project. As you progress through each stage,
Architectural Desktop features ensure that your work flow is continuous.

Conceptual Design
In the initial design phase, you can assemble Architectural Desktop mass
elements as simple architectural shapes to form an exterior model of your
building project. You can also lay out interior areas by arranging general
spaces as you would in a bubble diagram. You can manipulate and consolidate three-dimensional mass elements into massing studies.
Later in this phase, you can create building footprints from the massing
study by slicing floorplates, and you can begin defining the structure by converting space boundaries into walls. At the completion of the conceptual
design phase, you have developed a workable schematic floor plan.

Design Development
As you refine the building project, you can add more detailed information to
the schematic design. Use the features in Architectural Desktop to continue
developing the design of the building project by organizing, defining, and

Chapter 1

Introduction

assigning specific styles and attributes to building components.

Construction Documents
After you have fully developed the building design, you can annotate your
drawings with reference marks, notes, and dimensions. You can also add tags
or labels associated with objects. Information from the objects and tags can
be extracted, sorted, and compiled into schedules, reports, tables, and inventories for comprehensive and accurate construction documentation.

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 shares the innovative tools in
AutoCAD 2002 and provides features that improve your work environment.
The following topics give quick summaries of features that Architectural
Desktop uses in conjunction with AutoCAD 2002. At the end of each description, you are directed to related topics where you can find more information.

Multiple Document Environment (MDE)

Autodesk Architectural Desktop incorporates the multiple document environment of AutoCAD 2002. This important feature means that you can work
on more than one drawing at a time without opening multiple sessions of
AutoCAD. To view two or more drawings, you can tile them in the drawing
area or you can switch between open drawings by pressing CTRL+TAB. You can
also employ Windows Explorer navigation and editing features to transfer
AEC objects between open drawings.
When you copy and paste or drag AEC objects from one drawing to another,
their properties remain intact. The transferred objects also carry anchor,
style, and display properties with them. If one object is associated with
another object, then that object is also copied to the new location. You can
place an object at the same location as in the original drawing, or you can
specify a new location. Each object assumes the view of the drawing into
which it is copied or dragged. For example, if the original drawing is in isometric view, when you copy an object from that drawing into a drawing in
plan view, the object is displayed in plan view in the new drawing. The following illustration shows a fire extinguisher in isometric view after it has
been dragged into a drawing in plan view.

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

Architectural Desktop AEC object in multiple document environment

For more information, see Working with Multiple Drawings in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Shortcut Menus
Autodesk Architectural Desktop has integrated a number of commands into
standard AutoCAD shortcut menus. Shortcut menus are displayed at the
cursor location after you right-click the pointing device.
Shortcut menus are context sensitive; they provide you with the most common command options used in the given situation. You can display the
shortcut menu by right-clicking anywhere in the drawing area. The shortcut
menu options depend on the cursor location and other conditions, such as
whether an object is selected or a command is in progress. The menu is
organized with general editing commands at the top, object-specific editing
commands in the middle, and filtering and object property commands at the
bottom. For example, when you select a wall and right-click, the following
shortcut menu is displayed with wall editing commands.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Architectural Desktop object editing shortcut menu

When you work with AEC objects, you can display a default shortcut menu
with Design options. The following illustration shows the menu that is displayed by right-clicking in the drawing area.

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

Architectural Desktop Design shortcut menu

Architectural Desktop default shortcut menu with design options

For more information, see Using Shortcut Menus in the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

Object Properties Window

Autodesk Architectural Desktop keeps track of all information during a drawing session. When you want to know certain details about an individual
object or a selection of objects, such as current settings, Architectural
Desktop uses the object property management features in AutoCAD 2002.
You can access the Properties window, a common one stop location where
you can manage object properties quickly without having to use commands.
In the Properties window, you can query and modify a complete set of objectspecific properties.
To access the Properties window, select one or more objects, right-click, and
choose Properties from the shortcut menu. You can leave the Properties window open and dock it anywhere on the screen while you work.

TIP To open and close the Properties window quickly, press CTRL+1.
The Properties window lists the current settings for all object properties, and
you can view them alphabetically or by category. To change a property, select
it from the list and make changes by selecting or entering a new value. You

Chapter 1

Introduction

can change general properties, such as color, layer, linetype, or you can
change AEC-specific properties, such as a wall style, wall dimensions, and
location in the drawing.
Additionally, the Properties window contains the Quick Select option, a set
of filtering criteria, that helps you to sort through properties in the selected
object or the entire drawing based on settings such as layer, color, linetype,
or style. For more information, see Quick Select on page 7.

Architectural Desktop Properties dialog box

For more information about the Properties window, see Using the Properties
Window in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Quick Select
Autodesk Architectural Desktop shares the editing functions of the Quick
Select option in AutoCAD 2002. Quick Select is a sorting filter that you can
use to separate selected objects or all objects in a drawing by a property (such
as layer) or by object type. For example, you can select all the objects on a

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

particular layer in a drawing without selecting any other objects, or you can
select all objects except those on the particular layer.
To access the Quick Select dialog box, click Quick Select
window or right-click selected objects.

in the Properties

Architectural Desktop Quick Select dialog box

For more information, see Filtering Selection Sets in the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

3D Orbit Viewing
Autodesk Architectural Desktop integrates the 3D orbit navigation capabilities in AutoCAD 2002 into the Object Viewer, Floating Viewer, and Model
Explorer. When you use these viewing windows, you can use the dynamic
features of the 3DORBIT command to manipulate the viewpoint for an
object or an entire model by clicking and dragging the pointing device to
different points around a circular perimeter. In the viewing windows, you
can also right-click to display a shortcut menu with various viewing options.
For more information about the viewing windows, see Using Model
Explorer in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Chapter 1

Introduction

3D orbit view displays an arcball, which is a circle divided into four quadrants by smaller circles. When 3DORBIT is active, the point, or target, that
you are viewing in the window remains stationary. The center of the arcball
serves as the target point. The point from which you are viewing, or the camera location, moves around the target. For more information, see Interactive
Viewing in 3D in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
The following illustration is an example of using 3D orbit view in Object
Viewer.

Architectural Desktop Object Viewer

Layout Tabs
Autodesk Architectural Desktop incorporates the layout tab options in
AutoCAD 2002. You can switch easily between model space, where you
spend most of your time creating and editing drawings, and other layout tabs
that contain pre-configured layouts of various page setups. You can use layout tabs for constructing your building as well as for plotting.

NOTE To become familiar with working with layout tabs in Autodesk

Architectural Desktop, it is recommended that you use one of the templates pro-

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

vided with the program. For more information, see Using Architectural Desktop
Templates on page 23.
When you choose a layout tab for the first time, you see a rectangular outline
of a sheet of paper that replicates the paper size configured for printing or
plotting. The margins displayed within the paper indicate the printable area,
as shown in the following illustration. To fill the screen with the paper, you
can double click to one side of the sheet to change to paper space and do a
zoom extents.

Architectural Desktop Aec Arch template

NOTE You can control the page display; for example, whether you want
margins and either a paper or shadow background. Access the Options dialog
box by choosing Options from the Tools menu. Specify the changes in the
Layout Elements section on the Display tab.
Using layout tabs is an advantage when you have more than one named
layout in your project. After you right-click a layout tab, you can do the
following:

10

Chapter 1

Introduction

Create multiple layouts, each representing an individual sheet of paper in

a drawing project to be printed or plotted.
Save and name a layout setup, and then apply it to the current layout or
to another layout before plotting.
Add each named layout to the layout tabs at the bottom of the drawing
area.
Insert a layout from another template.
Move and copy layout tabs.
Delete a layout tab.
Specify layout and plot device settings through Page Setup.

NOTE You cannot move or copy the Model tab.

In each layout tab, you can have mixed display configurations, or various
views of one drawing, in floating viewports (either rectangular or nonrectangular) that you can arrange on the sheet to form a layout design. After
youve created floating viewports in a page layout, you can apply different
scales to each view within the viewport, specify different visibility for layers,
and change linetype scales in the viewport.
For more information about working in paper space, switching between
model and paper space, and creating a layout arrangement, see Creating a
Layout to Plot in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Partial Open and Partial Load

Autodesk Architectural Desktop incorporates the Partial Open and Partial
Load options in AutoCAD 2002. These options are beneficial when you work
frequently with large drawings. Instead of opening those drawings fully, you
can open and insert into a current drawing only the view and layers that you
want to work with.
All objects, such as layers, views, blocks, dimension and text styles, viewports, and layouts, are available in the partially opened drawing, but you can
only edit and work with what you load into the drawing file. For more information, see Using Partial Open and Partial Load in the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

In-Place Reference Editing

Large drawings customarily contain one or more external references as well
as multiple block references. Since Autodesk Architectural Desktop shares the
Edit Reference (REFEDIT) option of AutoCAD 2002, you can edit those refer-

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

11

ences in place rather than having to open the original drawing to make your
changes.
You can edit part of an external reference by selecting the objects you want
to change. They are then extracted and inserted into the current drawing.
After you have modified the objects, you can save them back to update the
external reference.
Within the current drawing, you can edit a block definition by displaying
and changing it. You no longer have to explode the block first. You can then
save the changes back to the block definition. For more information, see
Editing References in Place in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Tracking Objects
AutoTrack helps you draw objects at specific angles (polar tracking) or in
specific relationships to other objects (object snap tracking). Temporary
alignment paths help you create objects at precise positions and angles.

Using polar tracking

You can turn AutoTrack on and off by clicking Polar and Otrack on the status
bar. Object-snap tracking works in conjunction with object snaps. You must
specify settings for object snaps before you can track from an object snap
point; the AutoSnap aperture settings control how close you must be to the
alignment path before the path is displayed. For more information, see
Using AutoTrack in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

AutoCAD DesignCenter
With AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can reuse information such as drawings,
blocks, or external references without having to leave the current drawing to
access them. You can now transfer information, including layer definitions,
linetypes, layouts, text and dimension styles, or custom drawing content, by
dragging it into an open drawing from files, network drives, or Internet locations. You can also use right-click shortcut menus for managing, inserting,
copying, and opening drawings.

12

Chapter 1

Introduction

TIP To quickly open and close AutoCAD DesignCenter, press CTRL+2.

The AutoCAD DesignCenter window is made up of four panes:

the navigation pane, or tree view, is a hierarchical listing of drawing files

or content folders
the content pane, or palette, shows drawing file content or custom
content
the preview pane
the description pane

There are three viewing structures for displaying sources of drawing content
in the AutoCAD DesignCenter tree view: Desktop, Open Drawings, and Custom.

Desktop
When you click
on the AutoCAD DesignCenter toolbar, the Desktop tree
view lists your local directory and network drives. If you click the plus sign
next to a drawing name, you can view drawing contents by category:
blocks, layers, linetypes, and so on. Also included in the drawing content are
styles for AEC objects, such as walls, doors, windows, stairs, and spaces,
unique to Architectural Desktop.
You can open a drawing by right-clicking the drawing name on the palette
and choosing Open in Window, or you can insert content from the drawing
by dragging it from the palette directly into the open drawing displayed in
the drawing area. For example, you can drag a layer definition or a wall style
from one drawing to another. No longer do you have to import styles; you
can insert, attach, or copy and paste the definitions into the current drawing.

Open Drawings
If you click
on the AutoCAD DesignCenter toolbar, the Open Drawings
tree view lists only the drawings that are currently open. You can view the
categories of content in an open drawing by clicking the plus sign next to
the drawing name. You can copy the content on the palette from one open
drawing to another. Content displayed in Open Drawings view includes
Autodesk Architectural Desktop styles such as those for walls, doors, windows, stairs, and spaces.

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

13

Custom
If you click
on the AutoCAD DesignCenter toolbar, the Custom tree view
displays folders containing custom content files that are unique to Autodesk
Architectural Desktop.
Click the plus sign

next to Architectural Desktop, and choose Imperial or

Metric. Click again next to the category of AEC content. Double-click a

specific folder to display various files in the palette. From the palette, you can
insert content directly into any open drawing. For example, you can select
Toilets under Plumbing and then choose Tank-Quiet Flush, as shown in the
following illustration.

AutoCAD DesignCenter

14

Chapter 1

Introduction

For more information about using AutoCAD DesignCenter, see Managing

Content with AutoCAD DesignCenter in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users
Guide.

Managing Autodesk Architectural Desktop

Content in AutoCAD DesignCenter
The Architectural Desktop folder in the Custom tree view lists content such
as building design and documentation symbols. Navigation features in
Custom view are the same as in Desktop view. For more information, see
Using Design Content in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.

Preview and Description Panes

After you open the Architectural Desktop folder and select a content category, you can select a symbol in the palette. To display a graphical icon of
each symbol, click

in the toolbar and choose Large Icons. To display

a larger, dynamic image of the symbol, click

in the toolbar to open the
Preview pane. For AEC content, the Preview pane corresponds to the standard Object Viewer and has the same dynamic viewing capabilities, including 3D orbit view. In the Preview pane, you can also right-click to display a
shortcut menu with viewing options, as shown in the following illustration.

Architectural Desktop Preview pane shortcut menu in DesignCenter

To display text that explains the selected AEC content in more detail, open
the Description pane by clicking

For more information, see AutoCAD DesignCenter Custom View in the

online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Integration with AutoCAD 2002

15

Adding AEC Content to Drawings

To add AEC content to drawings, first select the category you want in the
Architectural Desktop folder in the Custom tree view to display the content
in the palette. There are various ways to transfer content from the palette to
a target drawing.
You can double-click the content in the palette to open the Add Multi-View
Blocks dialog box in which you can specify changes to the object before you
insert it. You can specify scale and rotation values in the dialog boxes or on
the command line. Similarly, when you right-click the content in the palette,
you can choose Insert from the shortcut menu to display the Add Multi-View
Blocks dialog box. When you insert content from the palette into a drawing,
it is placed on a specific layer based on a layer key style.

NOTE When you double-click or right-click content, it inserts only Design content into your drawing. To insert other types of content, double-click or rightclick the content and enter commands on the command line.
You can also insert content from the palette by clicking the object and dragging it into the drawing area. When you release the button on the pointing
device, the object is inserted at the cursor location. For more information, see
Using Design Content in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.

TIP Do not release the button until you see the image of the symbol.
You can access Autodesk Architectural Desktop content quickly from the
Design and Documentation menus. The availability of specific categories
depends on whether you selected Imperial or Metric as your default unit type
during installation. If you selected Imperial, either Autodesk Architectural
Desktop or CSI MasterFormatTM can be used as the organization tool. For
more information about CSI MasterFormat, see Adding CSI Imperial Content and Adding Imperial Content in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.
If the AutoCAD DesignCenter window takes up too much room in the
drawing area, you can do one of the following:

Move the window by changing it from docked to floating.

Turn the tree view off to make the window smaller. You can use the Up
button

16

Chapter 1

to navigate the Content tree.

Introduction

Close the window before inserting the object into the drawing (press
CTRL+2.)

Creating New Content

If you need to set up custom content in a drawing, you can create new content or change existing content. Use the Create AEC Content wizard or a
script file to create new content. It can be a block, a multi-view block, an
entire drawing, masking blocks (a block that masks, or hides, parts of other
objects), or a custom command. For more information, see Creating AEC
Content in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Where to Begin
After you have installed Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you can begin
drawing according to your level of experience, whether you are a skilled user
who is upgrading from a previous version or a user who is new to Autodesk
products.

Beginning Users
If you are a new user of Autodesk Architectural Desktop you can begin by
reading Working with Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 on page
22 to help you start using Architectural Desktop. The section takes you stepby-step through a simple design so that you become comfortable working
with basic AEC building objects, and you can experience the exciting
Architectural Desktop tools.
For additional training, you can complete some of the procedures in the tutorials. Tutorials are exercises designed to take you through practical applications. They are located on the Autodesk Learning Assistance CD. If you are new
to AutoCAD 2002, it is important to begin with AutoCAD tutorials or
AutoCAD Learning Assistance and to refer often to the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

Experienced Users
If you are upgrading from a previous version of Architectural Desktop, see
New Features on page 67 to read about the new features and improvements. Additionally, refer to the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide to find
out about important innovations in AutoCAD drawing tools.

Where to Begin

17

Finding Help
There are various available resources to help you learn about Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, Release 3 and AutoCAD 2002.

Online Documentation
The following online manuals help you learn more about both Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, Release 3 and AutoCAD 2002.

Documentation

Description

Autodesk Architectural Desktop,

Release 3 Installation Guide

Explains how to install and configure

Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
Release 3.

Autodesk Architectural Desktop,

Release 3 Users Guide

Explains Autodesk Architectural Desktop

concepts and provides step-by-step
procedures. Includes a glossary with
definitions of Autodesk Architectural
Desktop terms.

AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide

Provides conceptual and overview

material with step-by-step procedures
for AutoCAD 2002.

The advantage of online manuals is that it presents information quickly

while you are in a drawing session. Although online Help topics provide
some conceptual and overview material, their main purpose is to help you
get a task done efficiently. Therefore, the Architectural Desktop online Help
emphasizes step-by-step procedures relevant to command selection. It also
incorporates visual examples and links to more information.

TIP To open online Help in Architectural Desktop instantly, while a command

is running, press F1.
Additionally, online tutorials are an excellent way to become familiar with
Autodesk Architectural Desktop. You can use the tutorials to learn program
concepts, and you can keep the tutorial window open in the drawing area
while you perform the steps.

18

Chapter 1

Introduction

To access online Help

From the Help menu, choose Architectural Desktop Help or AutoCAD

2002 Help.
When the Help window is displayed, browse Contents to locate the information you need, or look up index entries to pinpoint specific topics.

To access online tutorials

1 Insert the AutoCAD Learning Assistance or the Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Learning Assistance CD into your CD-ROM drive.
The Autodesk Learning Assistance dialog box is displayed.
2 Click Run to display all tutorial content but not install it, or click Install
to install the tutorial content so it can be viewed again later.
3 Accept the defaults to complete the installation process for the tutorial
content.
If you installed the tutorial content so it can be viewed again later, an
Autodesk Learning Assistance icon appears on your desktopclick this icon
to start Autodesk Learning Assistance and access the tutorials.

Training Courseware
AutodeskArchitectural Desktop Official Training Courseware (AOTC) is the
Autodesk-endorsed courseware for instructor-led training. To register for a
training course using this courseware, contact an Authorized Autodesk
Training Center (ATC), an Authorized Autodesk reseller, or Autodesk System
Center (ASC). You can find a list of these organizations on the Autodesk
Technical Assistance Web site, http://www.autodesk.com/support.

Contacting Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc.
11 McInnis Parkway
San Rafael, CA 94903 USA
Phone: 415-507-5000
Web site: http://www.autodesk.com

Sales Information
To purchase additional Autodesk software, contact your local reseller. For the
name of the authorized reseller nearest you, call 1-800-964-6432 or access the

Contacting Autodesk

19

Resellers and Training Centers web site, http://www.autodesk.com/resellers/

index.htm.

Customer Satisfaction
Phone: 1-800-538-6401
FAX: 603-621-3387
Web Site: http://www.autodesk.com/feedback/

Technical Support
If you have technical questions about the products, you should contact your
local reseller or check the frequently asked questions (Technical Solutions &
FAQS) section and Discussion Groups on the web site for Architectural
Desktop at http://www.autodesk.com/archdesktop. News groups are another
good source of information. You can look through the questions that have
already been posted, or you can post your own questions.

Feedback
Let us know what you think! If you have a suggestion for product enhancement or a compliment, or a complaint, or if you think you have found a bug,
then wed like to know about it.
To make comments and find additional information, visit our Web site at
http://www.autodesk.com/archdesktop.

20

Chapter 1

Introduction

Getting Started with

Architectural Desktop

The information in this chapter introduces new users of

In this chapter

Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 to some

Working with Architectural

Desktop

fundamental features of the software.

The design, documentation, and construction of a
building is complex. Architectural Desktop integrates
the flexibility you need to begin a project at any point.
You can begin with a conceptual massing model or

Getting started with projects

Viewing your project
Grip editing drawing objects
Adding annotations and

schedules
Plotting

move directly to laying out walls and developing a floor

plan. You decide what makes sense in terms of the scope
and design objectives of your project.
This chapter explains some fundamental principles and
commands of Architectural Desktop. It also enables you
to quickly and easily get underway with a design project
and find references that you need along the way to additional in-depth information in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, Release 3 Users Guide or the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

21

Working with Autodesk Architectural

Desktop, Release 3.3
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 provides complete project work
flow management. Using the Architectural Desktop object-oriented
approach to working with architectural objects, individual building
components relate intelligently with one another. This allows you to
transition without interruption between major phases in your design
process.

Viewing the Autodesk Architectural Desktop

Installation Guide
When you start Autodesk Architectural Desktop for the first time, you may
need to authorize the software. The Authorization Wizard is displayed when
you need to authorize the software. For authorization information, see the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Installation Guide.
You can find installation information prior to installing Architectural
Desktop from a file on the CD in the CD-ROM drive. On your desktop, select
My Computer to open and read the installation information. There are files
for individual and network users.
This information is also available in the first dialog box of the installation
sequence.
To read the Architectural Desktop installation information before beginning
the installation process
1 Open My Computer on your desktop.
2 Insert the Architectural Desktop CD into the CD-ROM drive.
3 When the Installation Wizard opens, click Cancel.
4 In the My Computer dialog box, right-click the CD-ROM drive, and
choose Open.
5 Double-click igviewer.exe to open the Installation Guide Viewer.
6 Select the installation type and file format, then choose View.

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Opening Architectural Desktop

The first time you start Architectural Desktop, the Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, Release 3 Today window is displayed. The Today window is
displayed every time you start Architectural Desktop unless you turn it off.
The Today window replaces the traditional AutoCAD startup options. You
can access drawings, the Autodesk Point A design portal, and a bulletin board
from the Today window. For more information about the Today window,
Autodesk Point A, and defaulting to the traditional startup, see To Start
AutoCAD in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

NOTE Slow Internet connections may slow the performance of My Drawings

in the Today Window.

Using Architectural Desktop Templates

The templates included serve as a guide to the recommended use of model
and paper space in Architectural Desktop and represent different ways to
work on and plot your project at different stages in the design process.
Templates are preset with the drawing units, drawing scale, annotation plot
size, and layer standards that you would use in a typical project. Sets of object
styles and display controls, specific to working with objects in Architectural
Desktop, are included in the template as well.
Use one of the basic Autodesk Architectural Desktop templates to create your
drawings until you are familiar with the program. These templates include
the fundamental settings and layout tabs to get you started. There are a number of country-specific templates available. If, for example, you want to start
with a German template, use the Aec Arch (metric d a ch).dwt.
If you do not find a template for your specific country, you can look at the
existing templates and customize one according to your needs, or create a
new template.
There are additional templates to use for drawing and plotting. Autodesk
Architectural Desktop templates are installed by default in the folder,
\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop\Template.

Working with Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3

23

Getting Started with a Project

Welcome to the latest release of Autodesk Architectural Desktop. This section
takes you step-by-step through a simple design so you can become comfortable working with basic AEC building objects and see in action some of the
exciting tools. Architectural Desktop is designed to help you produce complete building projects quickly, efficiently, and accurately.
Included in this section is information about:

Creating walls, doors, and windows

Adding design content
Using the layout tabs
Working with layer keying
Editing doors and windows with grips
Adding annotation symbols
Adding schedule tables

For the sake of simplicity, we present these steps using a very basic design.
After creating walls, doors, and windows and adding design content, you can
look at your building in different views as represented by the display configurations in the layout tabs.
After an introduction to layer keys, this section guides you through the
special editing abilities available to you in Architectural Desktop. You can
learn how to make quick changes to your door and window objects using
grips.
Annotations to a drawing are essential to producing clear, well-organized
information in your construction documents. Dimensioning walls, adding
door and window tags, section lines, and leaders can be done simply and
cleanly. Generating a section from the section line is one of the truly exciting
features. Adding these annotations in your simple design acquaints you with
some of the many annotation options.
You can add and edit schedule tables in Architectural Desktop in a fraction
of the time that schedules have taken in the past. Following the steps of compiling a door or window schedule gives you a sense of the powerful schedule
table commands.
The following illustration shows the design you are creating.

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Completed design

Creating a Drawing
NOTE The following example project is meant as a general introduction into
the capabilities of the latest release of Architectural Desktop. It does not contain
any country-specific content or settings.
If you are a new user of Autodesk Architectural Desktop, use a template when
you want to create drawings. After you are more familiar with the program,
you can use the other templates available from the template list or the Start
from Scratch option.
1 Start Autodesk Architectural Desktop.
2 In the Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3.0 Today window, select the Create Drawings tab under My Drawings.
3 From the select how to begin list, choose Template.
4 Select one of the country-specific templates, for example, Aec Arch
(metric d a ch).dwt.

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25

When the template opens, your drawing contains a series of named layout
tabs at the bottom of your drawing.

Layout tabs

NOTE Depending on the country-specific template you have chosen, these

tabs can be different.
Each layout tab represents a different view used in the design and documentation process. For more information about layout tabs, see Using
the Layout Tabs in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
5 Click the Plan 1-100 DIN A1 tab at the bottom of your drawing in the
series of layout tab.
6 To look at the layer key style and layer standard set for this drawing, do
the following:

From the Desktop menu, choose Drawing Setup.

Select the Layering tab.
The layer key style and the layer standard for the current drawing
depends on the template you selected initially. For more information
about layer keys and layer key styles, see Working with Layer Keys and
Layer Key Styles in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.

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Click OK to exit the Drawing Setup dialog box.

Getting Started with Architectural Desktop

7 Save the drawing file.

Creating Walls, Doors, and Windows

When you create individual AEC building objects like walls, doors, and windows, you can see how the objects relate intelligently with one another. This
is one of the fundamental concepts of Architectural Desktop.

Creating Walls
You can create walls in a plan or isometric view. The wall object contains all
the geometry necessary to represent a wall in 2D and 3D views, including
edges and surfaces. For more information, see Creating Walls in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To create walls
1 In your drawing file, click the Plan 1-100 DIN A1 layout tab.
2 From the Design menu, choose Walls Add Wall.
3 In the Add Walls dialog box, select the wall type from the Style list.
4 Click Straight to set the wall to a straight segment, or click Curved to set
the wall to a curved segment.
5 Specify a start point for the wall.

NOTE You cannot undo the first point when creating a wall. If you started
the wall at the wrong point, either finish at least one segment or click Cancel
to close the dialog box and then start the wall again.
6 Specify another point to end this segment of the wall.

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27

Drawing the first exterior wall segment

A marker shows on one side of the wall and indicates the direction the
wall is being drawn. It points from the starting point of the wall toward
the endpoint.
7 Continue placing wall segments to create an exterior shell.
When you select the beginning and ending points of the wall, notice how
the walls behave. For example, if you draw your walls continuously with
a left justification, the directional marker consistently remains to the left
of the wall from the insertion point. If you draw walls individually by
pressing ENTER between wall segments, then make sure you draw them in
the same direction to maintain the same justification.
8 Type C (Close) to close the series of walls by creating a wall segment from
the last point specified of the walls to the first point specified.
You can use the Ortho Close or Polyline Close options to finish the creation of an enclosed space. The following explains the options.

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Ortho Close: Closes the space by drawing two walls or space boundaries based on the direction you specify. The direction is extended until
it meets a line perpendicular to the initial edge of either the wall or
space boundary.
Polyline Close: Closes the wall by creating a wall segment from the
last point specified for the walls to the first point specified in this group
of walls.

Getting Started with Architectural Desktop

9 Click Close to end the command.

Drawing the remaining exterior wall segments

To create additional walls

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Add Wall.
2 In the Add Walls dialog box, select a different wall type from the one you
used previously from the Style list.
3 Add two interior wall segments.

Getting Started with a Project

29

Drawing interior wall segments

Creating Doors
Doors created with Autodesk Architectural Desktop are AEC objects that
interact with walls and space boundaries. For example, if a wall is moved, the
door moves with it. If the door is moved, it stays within a wall.
You can change any value in the Add Doors dialog box while creating doors,
so you can place one type of door in one wall and then select a different door
style to place in another wall. You can also create custom doors, doors in
space boundaries, and freestanding doors. For more information, see Creating Doors in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To create a door in a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Add Door.
2 In the Add Doors dialog box, select the door style from the Style list.
3 To specify the door size and vertical placement in the wall, do any of the
following:

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Select a size from the Size list.

Change the width and height to a custom size, if necessary.
Change the rise and leaf value for the selected style, if necessary.
Change the opening percentage of the door, if necessary.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value.

Getting Started with Architectural Desktop

Automatic Offset/Center: For insertion of the door, Automatic

Offset/Center sets the distance between the edge of the opening and
the end of the wall segment, or it centers the door on the wall segment
when you place your cursor somewhere near the center of the wall
segment.

Change the vertical alignment of the door, if necessary.

Vertical Alignment: For insertion of the door, Vertical Alignment
controls how you place the door in the wall and how the door responds
to modifications in height. The Sill Height/Head Height option allows
you to determine the working point on the door. You can place the
working point at the sill or at the head. The Vertical Alignment value
determines the location of the working point vertically in the wall.
Modifications to the door height respects the working point. For
example, if you set the working point of the door to sill, the vertical
alignment to 0 m and the door height to 2.26 m, the height in the wall
where the top of the door is placed is 2.26 m. If you modify the height
of the door to 2.10 m, the door sill remains at 0 m, and the top of the
door becomes 2.10 m. The sill working point is maintained.

If you set the working point to the door head, the Vertical Alignment
value to 2.26 m and the door height to 2.26 m, the height in the wall
where the top of the door is placed is 2.26 m. If you modify the height of
this door to 2.10 m, the door head remains at 2.26 m and the door sill
becomes 0.16 m. The head working point is maintained.
4 Select a wall.
5 Specify an insertion point along the wall.

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31

Adding exterior double doors

6 Add two interior doors.

Adding interior single doors

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TIP You can also place doors in a wall by selecting the wall, right-clicking to
get the shortcut menu, choosing Insert Doors, and specifying the options in
the Add Door dialog box.

Creating Windows
Windows created with Autodesk Architectural Desktop are AEC objects that
interact with walls and space boundaries. After a window is placed in a wall,
the window is constrained to the wall and cannot move outside it. Windows
can also be anchored to specific locations in walls, so that when the wall
moves or changes size, the location of the window stays constant.
You can change any value in the Add Windows dialog box while creating
windows. You can place one type of window in one wall and then select a
different window style to place in another wall. You can also create a window
at any elevation or as a freestanding window having no affiliation with a wall
or space boundary. For more information, see Creating Windows. in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 Users Guide.
To create a window in a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Add Window.
2 In the Add Windows dialog box, select the window style from the Style
list.
3 To specify the window size and vertical placement in the wall, do any of
the following:

Select a size from the Size list.

Change the width and height to a custom size, if necessary.
Change the rise for the selected style, if applicable.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value.
Automatic Offset/Center: For insertion of the window, Automatic
Offset/Center sets the distance between the edge of the opening and
the end of the wall segment, or it centers the window on the wall segment when you place your cursor somewhere near the center of the
wall segment.

Select Vertical Alignment and type the necessary value.

Vertical Alignment: For insertion of the window, Vertical Alignment controls how you place the window in the wall and how the window responds to modifications in height. The Sill Height/Head Height
option allows you to determine the working point on the window. You
can place the working point at the sill or at the head. The Vertical

Getting Started with a Project

33

Alignment value determines the location of the working point vertically in the wall.
Modifications to the window height respects the working point. For
example, if you set the working point of the window to sill, the vertical
alignment to 1 m and the window height to 1.01 m, the height in the
wall where the top of the window is placed is 2.01 m. If you modify the
height of the window to 0.8 m, the window sill remains at 1 m and the
top of the window becomes 1.81 m. The sill working point is maintained.
If you set the working point to the window head, the Vertical Alignment
value to 2.01 m and the window height to 1 m, the height in the wall
where the top of the window is placed is 2.01 m. If you modify the height
of this window to 0.8 m, the window head remains at 2.01 m and the windowsill becomes 1.21 m. The head working point is maintained.
4 Select the front wall.
5 Specify an insertion point near the left side of the wall, and then add
another window near the right side of the wall.

Adding front windows to the front wall

6 Add a window to the rear wall.

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Adding a window to the rear wall

TIP You can also place windows in a wall by selecting the wall, right-clicking
to get the shortcut menu, choosing Insert Windows, and specifying the
options in the Add Window dialog box.

Adding Design Content

You can place imperial and metric symbols in your project by dragging them
from AutoCAD DesignCenter into your drawing. Design content in Autodesk
Architectural Desktop is accessed through the Custom view in AutoCAD
DesignCenter.
Using the current display configuration, you can place design content in
your drawing and view them. For example, furniture symbols that are seen
in Plan 1-100 DIN A1 are not displayed in Plan 1-50 DIN A0. For more information, see Managing Content with AutoCAD DesignCenter in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide and Using Design Content in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

NOTE You can place CSI Masterformat symbols through AutoCAD

DesignCenter. For these divisions to be displayed, the CSI Masterformat option
must have been selected during installation.

Getting Started with a Project

35

Adding Furniture Symbols to Your Drawing

Furniture symbols placed in your drawing provide a sense of context. In
Architectural Desktop they are represented as multi-view blocks. When you
place a furniture symbol in your drawing, you can look at it in a plan or
three-dimensional view.
To add a furniture symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Furniture or on the
Design Content - Metric toolbar, click

2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the furniture you want to use in your

drawing, such as chairs.
3 Click the specific furniture symbol to be used in the drawing from the palette of AutoCAD DesignCenter. After you select the furniture symbol, you
can see a preview of it when you select the Preview button in the task bar.

NOTE If you did a metric installation of Architectural Desktop instead of an

imperial installation, your design content will be organized with slightly different folder names. To add a piece of furniture to your drawing, click on
Domestic Furniture or Office Furniture.

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Viewing a chair in Design Center

TIP You can view the symbol in 2D and 3D, as well as in a shaded perspective view by right-clicking in the preview pane.
4 Drag the furniture symbol into your drawing from the palette, and then
release the button at the location for the block. The block is placed in your
drawing using the current display configuration.

Getting Started with a Project

37

If the button is released before the item is displayed in your drawing, the
block may not be placed correctly. If the block is displayed at the cursor,
it is placed at the point of release.

Adding a chair

NOTE If you double-click or right-click to place the block, an Insert option

is displayed to place the block.

Viewing your Project

To see how your building appears in different views, you can use the layout
tabs in your drawing file. The multiple layout tabs at the bottom of the
drawing area represent different ways to work on and plot your building
model at the various stages in the design process. The layout tabs from left to
right reflect the general sequence of work flow in a project.

Using the Layout Tabs

When you open a template, your drawing contains a series of named layout
tabs at the bottom of your drawing.

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Each layout tab is represented by different display configurations. These display configurations are view-dependent and act as a filtering device to allow
you to clearly see specific views of your building as you work on your model.
There is a display configuration attached to every viewport. For more information about working with display configurations, see Understanding the
Display System in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Using the drawing you have completed, select the different layout tabs at
the bottom of the drawing to see how your building is represented by different display configurations.

Working with Layer Keys and Layer Key Styles

AEC objects are automatically placed on a layer in your drawing. Each layer
has an associated color, linetype, lineweight, and plot style. A layer key is a
map between the AEC object that you draw on screen and a defined layer.
When you create an object, the layer key that is associated with the object
automatically places that object on the layer to which the layer key is
mapped. Using layer keys to automatically place objects on predefined layers
is called layer keying.
Depending on your design needs, you might need to use different layer name
structures or assign different properties to layers within a layer standard.
With Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3, you can create different sets
of layer keys based on layer standards, called layer key styles. Each layer key
style contains a set of layer keys for all the AEC objects and their layer
mappings. For more information, see Layer Key Styles in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
For example, a wall object is assigned to the layer key WALL. If you use the
Generic Architectural Desktop layer key style that is based on the Generic
Architectural Desktop layer standard, the WALL layer key maps to the layer
A_Walls. The generic Architectural Desktop layer standard contains three
descriptive fields: Discipline, Contents 1 and Contents 2. In the Generic
Architectural Desktop layer standard definition, the Discipline field contains
A (for Architect) and the Contents 1 field contains Walls. These values determine the A_Walls layer name that the object is placed on. If you override the
information in these fields within the current layer key style, for example, by
replacing A in the Discipline field with E (for Electrical Planning), then the
next wall that you draw is placed on the E_Walls layer.

You can use layer standards to establish individual, project, or office layering conventions. A layer standard contains predefined layer names and
a set of rules that determine the names of new layers created within that

Viewing your Project

39

particular layer standard. For more information, see Working with Layer
Standards in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Viewing the Current Layer Standard

To view the current layer standard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Drawing Setup.
2 In the Drawing Setup dialog box, click the Layering tab.
3 The current layer standard is displayed.
The current Layer Key Style is also displayed.
4 Click OK to exit.

Grip Editing Your Drawing Objects

In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, each object contains specific grips for
stretching, rotating, and moving. Grips are small boxes displayed at various
points on a selected object that can be used as handles to edit the object.
You can select one or more grips and right-click to display a shortcut menu
with grip-editing options.
When you want to modify more than one object at a time, be sure to select
all grips on all the objects. Hold down SHIFT while selecting the grips. For
example, several objects can be moved together.

NOTE The Enable Grips option in the Options dialog box must be selected.
From the Tools menu, choose Options. It is recommended that you specify different colors for selected grips and unselected grips.

Editing Doors with Grips

You can use grip edits to move a door, change the door swing, or change the
door hinge. For more information about modifying doors, see Editing
Doors in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To flip the door swing and door hinge using grips
1 Click one of the layout tabs.
2 Select the door to edit.
The four grips that are associated with the door are displayed.
3 Click the grip that occurs along the door leaf.

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4 To flip the door hinge, move the cursor to the opposite side, and click.
5 Press ESC to clear the grips.

Flipping a door hinge with grips

6 Select the door to edit, and then click the grip that occurs along the door
leaf.
7 To flip the swing of the door, move your cursor to the opposite side of the
wall, and click.
8 Press ESC to clear the grips.

Flipping a door swing with grips

Grip Editing Your Drawing Objects

41

To modify the style, size, opening percent, or vertical alignment of a door

with the shortcut menu
1 Select the door to be modified, right click, and choose Door Modify from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Modify Doors dialog box, make the necessary changes.
3 Click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog box.
To move a door using grips
1 Click one of the layout tabs.
2 Select the door to move.
Four grips are associated with the door.
3 Click any of the grips other than the leaf grip.
4 Click a different wall location.
5 Press ESC to clear the grips.

Editing Windows with Grips

You can use grip edits to move a window, change the window swing, or
change the window hinge. For more information about modifying windows,
see Editing Windows in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
To flip the window swing and hinge using grips
1 Click one of the layout tabs.
2 Select the window to edit.
Four grips are associated with the window.
3 Click the grip that stands alone.
4 To flip the window hinge, move the cursor to the opposite side, and click.
5 To flip the swing of the window, move your cursor to the opposite side,
and click.
6 Press ESC to clear the grips.
To modify the style, size, opening percent, or vertical alignment of a window
with the shortcut menu
1 Select the window to be modified, right click, and choose Window Modify
from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Modify Windows dialog box, make the necessary changes.
3 Click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

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To move a window using grips

1 Click one of the layout tabs.
2 Select the window to move.
Four grips are associated with the window.
3 Click the middle grip in the row of three.
4 Click a different wall location.
5 Press ESC to clear the grips.

Moving a window in a wall with grips

Adding Annotations and Schedules

To complete the design development phase of your project, documentation
specifies decisions made and agreed to. You can easily communicate these
decisions with Architectural Desktop as construction requirements by inserting annotation symbols and schedules in your drawing. Symbols and schedules keep your plans uncluttered and easy to read and can be quickly
inserted.

Adding Annotation Symbols

You can add text, dimensions, tolerances, symbols, and notes as annotation
to your drawing. You can set the plot size of any annotation that you add to
your drawings. If you are using a drawing template, than you can customize
the drawing scale in your template and save the changes. For more information about setting up your drawing, see Setting the Drawing Scale in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Adding Annotations and Schedules

43

The purpose of the documentation content commands is to insert all the

graphics needed to annotate a drawing. For example, you can insert section
lines, detail marks, match lines, and north arrows in your drawing using
AutoCAD DesignCenter. The default metric and imperial versions are similar,
differing only in their base units. For more information, see Using Design
Content in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Adding Door and Window Tags

You can attach a schedule tag to doors and windows in your drawing. These
tags are used to annotate your drawing. Schedule tags force the appropriate
property sets to be added to the door and window objects. If that data is
changed, the associated schedule data changes as well. For more information
about schedule data, see Adding Schedule Tags in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To add a door tag
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tags Door & Window
Tags.
AutoCAD DesignCenter is displayed in Custom view with Architectural
Desktop as the top node. For more information about AutoCAD
DesignCenter, see Managing Content with AutoCAD DesignCenter in
the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
2 Select the door or window tag to attach from the AutoCAD DesignCenter
palette by double-clicking the appropriate tag.

TIP You can insert a leader with your door or window tag by typing le
(Leader) on the command line before selecting the object to tag. You can
center the tag on the object by typing c (Center) on the command line, and
pressing ENTER after selecting the object to tag and before specifying the
location of the tag.
3 Select the object to tag.
4 Specify the location of the tag.
5 The Edit Schedule Data dialog box is displayed, and the appropriate property sets are automatically added to the object.
You can view and edit information associated with the door or window
you selected.
6 Click OK to exit the Edit Schedule Data dialog box.
7 Place another tag, or press ENTER to exit the command.

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NOTE Only objects with property sets added to them display schedule data
in schedule tables.

Adding a Section Line

You can create sections of your current drawing by first creating a section line
and then generating a section based on that section line. You can control the
objects in the section by creating a selection set. Use the section line as a
boundary and to control the shape of the section. For more information, see
Creating 2D and 3D Sections in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.
To add a section line
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Section Marks.
2 From the AutoCAD DesignCenter palette, select the section mark to be
used in your drawing. After you select the section mark, you can see a preview of it when you select the Preview button in the task bar.
3 Drag the block into your drawing.
4 Select the first point of the section line.
5 Specify additional points for the section line, and press ENTER to complete
the section line.
6 In the Edit Attributes dialog box, enter the Section Mark Number and the
Sheet Number, if required.
7 Click OK to exit the Edit Attributes dialog box.
8 Select the side for the arrow.
9 Press y (Yes), and press ENTER to add an AEC section object.

TIP For subsequent section marks, Y is the default.

To create a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Create Section.
2 Select the section line in your drawing from which to generate your section.
3 Click 2d Section/Elevation Object with Hidden Line Removal in the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box.
4 Click Select Objects, select the objects to include in the section, and press
ENTER.

Adding Annotations and Schedules

45

5 Click Pick Point under Placement and select the insertion point to designate where the section is placed.
This insertion point is the center point of the resulting section.
6 Click OK to exit the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box and end the
command.

Adding a Leader
A leader is a line that visually connects annotations to a drawing object. From
any point or object in a drawing you can create a leader composed of straight
lines or smooth spline curves. When a straight leader is used, and the last
leader segment is at an angle greater than 15 degrees from horizontal, a small
hook line connects the annotation to the leader.
To add a leader
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Leaders.
2 Select the leader from the AutoCAD DesignCenter palette.
3 Specify the first point of the leader.
4 Continue specifying points for the leader.
5 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.
6 Type the identification for the leader in the Edit Attributes dialog box.

NOTE There are Straight and Spline leaders designated for multiple lines of
text.
7 Click OK to exit the Edit Attributes dialog box and end the command.

Working with Schedules

You can create schedules for any AutoCAD or Architectural Desktop object.
For example, you can create a schedule for doors, windows, fixtures, or
equipment blocks. All the data can be formatted and collected into a schedule table or exported directly to Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file
formats: worksheet (XLS), a comma separated values (CSV), or tab-delimited
text (TXT). This information can automatically update the schedule tables.
For more information about working with schedules, see Schedule Tables
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Schedule table styles specify what data are to be displayed and how the data
are formatted in schedule tables. You can use a sample schedule table style
for the purpose of getting started. The schedule table style has a large collec-

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tion of possible sets of values including title, column headers, properties to

display, orientations, and sorting.

Adding Schedule Tables

You can create schedule tables from schedule data after attaching schedule
tags to objects or otherwise adding property sets. When you place a schedule
after selecting the objects for the table, the table can be sized automatically,
or you can specify a size for the schedule table.
You can update the schedule table when an object that is included in the
table changes by right-clicking the table and selecting Update Table. For
more information about updating schedules, see Updating a Schedule
Table in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To add a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Add Schedule
Table.
2 Select the door or window schedule table style.
3 Select or clear Add New Objects Automatically.
4 Select or clear Automatic Update.

NOTE Turning on the automatic update feature may significantly slow

down Autodesk Architectural Desktop performance when you are working
with large drawings. Use at your discretion.
5 Select or clear Scan Xrefs.
6 Select or clear Scan Block References.
7 Click OK.
8 Select the door or window objects to be included in the schedule table, or
type all, and press ENTER to include every door or window in your drawing.
9 Specify the location for the upper left of the schedule table.
10 Specify the lower right for the table, or press ENTER to place the table at
the current text size.

Adding Annotations and Schedules

47

Example door schedule

Adding Objects to a Schedule Table

You can add objects to an existing table, remove objects from a table, reselect
the objects to be included in a schedule table, and show the objects that are
included in a table.
To add objects to a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Add Table
Selection.
2 Select the schedule table to add to.
3 Select the objects to add to the table, and press ENTER.
Objects that might already be in the table are not added.

Removing Objects from a Schedule Table

You can remove objects from the schedule table by selecting them from the
drawing.
To remove objects from a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Remove Table
Selection.
2 Select the schedule table to remove objects from.
3 In the drawing, select the objects to remove from the table, and press
ENTER.

Editing the Schedule Table Style

You can modify the schedule table style.
To modify a schedule table style
1 Select the table schedule and right click to Edit Table Style in the shortcut
menu to modify the style of the table.

48

Chapter 2

Getting Started with Architectural Desktop

2 On the Columns tab, select the column of information to delete, and then
click Delete.
3 Click OK to exit the Edit Schedule Table dialog box and exit the command.

Plotting Your Drawing

As a final step of completing this project, you can plot your drawing. When
you are ready to compose a layout of your drawing on a sheet for plotting or
printing, you can use one of the layout tabs in the templates. For more information, see Plotting Your Drawings in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users
Guide.
To create a plot of your drawing
1 In your drawing file, select a layout tab suited for plotting.
2 From the File menu, choose Plot, or in the Standard toolbar, click

3 On the Plot Device tab in the Plot dialog box, choose the name of the plotter or printer configured to plot your drawing.
4 On the Plot Settings tab, verify the settings for paper size, drawing orientation, plot scale, and plot area.
5 Click OK to plot your drawing and exit the Plot dialog box.

Summary
You have now worked your way through a simple building design using some
of the fundamental features of Autodesk Architectural Desktop. This process
gives you a snapshot of the capabilities in Architectural Desktop.
At this point, you can complete some of the exercises in the tutorials for additional experience. Exercises designed to take you through practical applications are located on the Autodesk Architectural Desktop Tutorials CD. You can
access the exercises through Autodesk Learning Assistance.
If you want to explore some of the more complex features, here are some
additional tasks you can complete that will show you the streamlined functionality and power of Architectural Desktop:

Assemble three-dimensional mass elements to look at the mass of your

building and how it relates to the space around it.
Slice floorplates from the massing study to create building footprints.

Plotting Your Drawing

49

Use space boundaries to create a conceptual design of interior spaces,

and convert these boundaries into walls later in the design phase.
Use Style Manager to create multiple components of a custom wall.
Use the Stairs and Railings features to add, modify and customize stair
runs, landings, and railings.
Use roofs and roof slab tools to add a pitched or flat roof to your building model.
Dimension your drawing with AEC dimensions, dimension labels and
elevation labels.
Explore the powerful Area Evaluation features.
Use column grids to determine the buildings structural system.
Use Display Manager to watch how your intelligent AEC objects are displayed in different views of your drawing.
Use the Structural Members commands to add columns, beams, and
braces to your building.
Use grids to add ceiling grids to your plans for precision placement of
lighting fixtures.
Create elevations for presentation from your schematic design.

Whether you are working on a stair design or curtain walls, massing studies
or facilities management, the latest release of Architectural Desktop provides
an integrated collection of tools to get the work done. For a comprehensive
guide to all the features, see the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.

50

Chapter 2

Getting Started with Architectural Desktop

Templates

This chapter explains the use of AutodeskArchitectural

In this chapter

Desktop, Release 3 templates and gives you the informa-

Using Architectural Desktop

templates

tion necessary to use templates effectively.

Drawing performance and size management is

Using layout tabs

Customizing templates

enhanced with the predefined settings, borders, and

layout tabs contained within the templates.
Whether you are an experienced user or new to
Architectural Desktop, you can begin drawing immediately and complete a project from concept to finish
when you use templates instead of starting from
scratch.

51

Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop,

Release 3.3 Templates
The templates included in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 serve
as a guide for using model and paper space. Templates also represent different
ways to work on and to plot your project at different stages in a design process. Templates are preset with drawing units, drawing scales, annotation
plot sizes, and layer standards that you would use in a typical project.
Templates also contain basic sets of object styles and display controls specific
to working with objects in Architectural Desktop. You can get started on a
project immediately by using one of the templates that are installed with
Architectural Desktop.

NOTE Architectural Desktop templates are installed by default in the folder,

\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3\Template.
Templates contain multiple layout tabs with predefined display systems
applied to viewports. You can use display controls and viewports in the templates, or you can modify the display control settings to suit your own office
standards. The display system in Architectural Desktop controls how objects
are displayed. By specifying objects you want to display in a viewport and a
view direction, you can produce different architectural displays, such as floor
plans, reflected plans, elevations, 3D models, or schematic displays. For more
information, see Understanding the Display System in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
If you are a new user of Architectural Desktop, it is recommended that you
use one of the basic Architectural Desktop templates to create your drawings
until you are more familiar with the program. The two basic templates that
you can use to create new drawings are:

AEC Arch (Imperial).dwt

AEC Arch (Metric).dwt

Use AEC Arch (Imperial).dwt to start drawings with imperial units, and use
AEC Arch (Metric).dwt to start drawings with metric units. Both of these templates include the fundamental settings and layout tabs to get you started.
If you are an experienced user of Architectural Desktop, you may want to
explore the other templates or create your own. In addition to the two basic
templates, the following templates are available in both imperial and metric
units:

52

Chapter 3

Templates

Space Planning
Massing
Building Model
Plot Floor Plan
Plot Reflected
Plot Sections
Plot Small Project

NOTE You may want to select a template based on the Architectural Program
Options that you selected when you installed Architectural Desktop. For
example, if you installed imperial architectural content and the 1998 AIA Layer
Guidelines, then you will probably want to start with a template using imperial
units.

Opening the Template

When you open an Architectural Desktop template, multiple layout tabs are
displayed at the bottom of the drawing area. Use the layout tabs to develop
your building project and to plot your drawings. The layout tabs that display
from left to right in each template reflect the general sequence of work flow
in a project.
You can choose the appropriate layout tab for the phase in your project on
which you want to work. Each layout tab has the following preset display
configurations:

The CONCEPT display configurations are meant for working on mass

elements, mass groups, and space studies. The display configurations
assigned to each viewport are defined for optimal use during these project
stages.
The WORK display configurations are intended for constructing the building model. The display sets include display representations that help you
during the work process (such as hatching in spaces) but may not be plotted in construction documentation.
The REFLECTED display configurations include representations of objects
as they would appear in a reflected ceiling plan and exclude those objects
that are on floor plans.
The PLOT display configurations are intended for producing plotted
outputs of the building model. They are preset to include only those
object representations that are in presentation drawings or construction
documents. For more information, see Display Configurations in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 Templates

53

The following sections are descriptions of each template with tables that
show the layout tabs, their recommended use, and the display configurations
that they contain:

AEC Arch Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the AEC Arch template

54

Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

WORK

Mass-Group

Creating massing models using mass

elements and mass groups

CONCEPT_MASS
and
CONCEPT_GROUP

Space

Space planning

CONCEPT_SPACE

Work-3D

Working in plan and 3D views

WORK

Work-FLR

Working in plan view

WORK

Work-RCP

Working on the reflected ceiling plan

WORK_REFLECTED

Work-SEC

Producing section and elevation views

of the model

WORK

Plot-FLR

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view for plotting

PLOT

Plot-RCP

Setting up reflected ceiling drawings

for plotting

PLOT_REFLECTED

Plot-SEC

Setting up section and elevation drawings

for plotting

PLOT

Template
Overview

Displays information contained on the

different layout tabs

Chapter 3

Templates

Space Planning Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Space Planning template
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

WORK

Space

Space planning

CONCEPT_SPACE

Template Overview

Displays information contained

on the different layout tabs

Massing Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Massing template

Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

WORK

Mass-Group

Creating massing models using

mass elements and mass groups

CONCEPT_MASS
and
CONCEPT_GROUP

Template Overview

Displays information contained

on the different layout tabs

Building Model Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Building Model template
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

WORK

Work-3D

Working in plan and 3D views

DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT

Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 Templates

55

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Building Model template
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Work-FLR

Working in plan view (full screen display)

WORK

Work-RCP

Working on the reflected ceiling plan

WORK_REFLECTED

Plot-FLR

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view for plotting

CONTRACT
DOCUMENTS
SMALL SCALE

Template
Overview

Displays information contained on

the different layout tabs

Plot Floor Plan Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Plot Floor Plan template

56

Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

PLOT

Plot-FLR-Small

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view for plotting

CONTRACT
DOCUMENTS
SMALL SCALE

Plot-FLR-Large

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view with visible wall components and
hatching on the plotted sheet

CONTRACT
DOCUMENTS
LARGE SCALE

Plot-FLR-Screened

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view with wall components and
hatching visibly lighter than other
objects on the plotted sheet

PLOT SCREENED

Plot-FLR-Poche

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view with walls shaded and no visible
wall components on the plotted sheet

DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
POCHE

Plot-FLR-Design

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view with walls displayed only by the
shrink-wrap on the plotted sheet

DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT

Template
Overview

Displays information contained on

the different layout tabs

Chapter 3

Templates

Plot Sections Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Plot Sections template
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

PLOT

Plot-SEC

Setting up section and elevation drawings

for plotting

PLOT

Template
Overview

Displays information contained on the

different layout tabs

Plot Reflected Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Plot Reflected template
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

PLOT_REFLECTED

Plot-RCP

Setting up reflected ceiling drawings

for plotting

PLOT_REFLECTED

Plot-RCPScreened

Setting up reflected ceiling drawings

for plotting with screened backgrounds

PLOT_REFLECTED
SCREENED

Template
Overview

Displays information contained on

the different layout tabs

Plot Small Project Template

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Plot Small Project
template
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Model

(Not recommended)

PLOT

Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 Templates

57

Layout tabs and display configurations for the Plot Small Project
template (continued)
Tab

Use for

Display
configuration

Plot-FLR

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view for plotting

PLOT

Plot-FLRScreened

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view with wall components and
hatching visibly lighter than other
objects on the plotted sheet

PLOT SCREENED

Plot-FLRPoche

Setting up floor plan drawings in plan

view with walls shaded and no visible wall
components on the plotted sheet

DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
POCHE

Plot-SEC

Setting up section and elevation drawings

for plotting

PLOT

Plot-RCP

Setting up reflected ceiling drawings

for plotting

PLOT_REFLECTED

Plot-RCPScreened

Setting up reflected ceiling drawings

for plotting with screened backgrounds

PLOT_REFLECTED
SCREENED

Template
Overview

Displays information contained on

the different layout tabs

NOTE The template settings are not necessarily the same as selecting Start
from Scratch when you start a new drawing, which would include the AutoCAD
default settings.

Starting a Drawing with an Architectural

Desktop Template
You can use one of four Architectural Desktop templates in either imperial or
metric units to start a drawing:

58

AEC Arch
Building Model
Massing
Space Planning

Chapter 3

Templates

NOTE All Architectural Desktop templates are installed in the following folder:
\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3\Template
Additional AutoCAD 2000i templates are installed in the following folder:
\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop\Template\AutoCAD
To start a drawing with an Architectural Desktop template from the Today
window
1 Start Autodesk Architectural Desktop.
2 In the Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3.0 Today window, select the Create Drawings tab under My Drawings.
3 From the Select How to Begin list, choose Template.
4 Select one of the following templates in either imperial or metric units:

AEC Arch
Building Model
Massing
Space Planning

NOTE You may want to select a template based on the Architectural Program Options that you selected when you installed Architectural Desktop. For
example, if you installed imperial architectural content and the 1998 AIA
Layer Guidelines, then you will probably want to start with a template using
imperial units.
5 Save the drawing.

Whats in the Templates

The Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 templates are preset with the
drawing units, drawing scales, annotation plotting sizes, layer standards,
object styles, and display representation defaults that you would use in a typical project. The templates also serve as a guide to using model and paper
space in Architectural Desktop correctly.

NOTE The template settings are not necessarily the same as selecting Start
from Scratch when you start a new drawing which include the AutoCAD default
settings.

Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 Templates

59

Display Settings
Each layout tab in a template contains one or more viewports, each assigned
a display configuration. A display configuration contains a collection of
display sets that determines how AEC objects are displayed. A display set has
specific view directions. The display configuration ensures that the objects in
the viewport are displayed with properties assigned to the display set for a
given view direction.
For example, if you view a door in a wall from the top, the wall is displayed
as parallel lines with hatching between the lines, and the door contains its
door swing. If you view the same objects in an isometric view, the wall is
displayed as faces representing interior and exterior surfaces, but the wall
hatching and door swing are not displayed. For more information, see Display Configurations in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Object Styles
The templates also contain basic, or starter, sets of sample object styles that
you can use in your project. For example, when you add a wall to the model,
you can choose from a list of styles that include brick cavity, gypsum board,
or shaft wall, in addition to the standard wall style. Use the Style Manager to
access other predefined wall styles. You can access the Style Manager directly
by choosing it from the Desktop menu. Likewise, you can easily purge any
styles that you do not want in the template. You can use the sample styles as
a basis for creating additional styles. For more information, see Managing
Styles in Autodesk Architectural Desktop in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

Using the Layout Tabs

A number of layout tabs in the Architectural Desktop templates have been
configured to allow you to work on different design phases of your projects
easily and efficiently. The templates include layout tabs for conceptual
design, building model design, and plotting.
There are advantages to working in layout tabs other than the Model tab. In
tabs other than Model, you can have different display configurations
assigned to different viewports, freeze different layers in each viewport, use
floating viewports, and specify different linetype scales. For more information, see Model Tab in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.

60

Chapter 3

Templates

The Template Overview tab is in each of the templates. This tab displays general information about the other tabs that are contained on that particular
template like viewport settings, scale, and display information.

Conceptual Design Layout Tabs

Two layout tabs, Mass-Group and Space, are configured for the conceptual
design phases of your projects. Use the Mass-Group tab to work on the initial
stage of conceptual or schematic design. Use the Space tab to work with space
planning and space boundaries.

Mass-Group Tab
The Mass-Group layout tab is available in the following templates:

AEC Arch
Massing

Use the Mass-Group layout tab to work on massing studies. The drawing area
is separated into two viewports with mutually exclusive display sets specifically designed for mass modeling. The display configuration in the left viewport is preset for working with mass elements. The display configuration in
the right viewport is preset for showing mass groups and does not display the
individual mass elements. The view direction in both viewports is isometric.
For more information about mass elements and mass groups, see Editing
Mass Elements and Mass Groups in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

Space Tab
The Space layout tab is available in the following templates:

AEC Arch
Space Planning

Use the Space layout tab to work with spaces and space boundaries. The
drawing area is separated into two viewports, each preset with the same
display configuration. This display configuration does not show mass
elements and groups but does show the same space objects displayed in
three-dimensional and plan view simultaneously. The view direction in the
left viewport is preset to an isometric view, and the right viewport is preset
to a plan view. For more information, see Interior Space Planning in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Using the Layout Tabs

61

Work Layout Tabs

Four layout tabs, Work-3D, Work-FLR, Work-RCP, and Work-SEC, have been
configured to work on the building model.

Work-3D Tab
The Work-3D layout tab is available in the following template:

AEC Arch
Building Model

Use the Work-3D layout tab to work on everything in the model except
ceiling objects. The drawing area is separated into two viewports: the left
viewport is preset to an isometric view, and the right viewport is preset to a
plan view. Both viewports contain the WORK display configuration.

Work-FLR Tab
The Work-FLR layout tab is available in the following templates:

AEC Arch
Building Model

Use the Work-FLR layout tab to work in one viewport (full screen display) in
the drawing area. The viewport is preset to plan view, but it can be used in
any view. The display configuration is WORK.

Work-RCP Tab
The Work-RCP layout tab is available in the following template:

AEC Arch
Building Model

Use the Work-RCP layout tab to work on ceiling designs. The drawing area
contains one viewport. The display configuration for the single viewport is
Work_Reflected. This configuration will display objects that usually display
on a reflected ceiling plan and may not display on a floor plan. For more
information about plan and reflected display representations, see Display
Representations in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Work-SEC Tab
The Work-SEC layout tab is available in the following template:

62

AEC Arch

Chapter 3

Templates

Use the Work-SEC layout tab to work on sections and elevations. The drawing area is separated into three viewports, all of which are configured to the
same Work display configuration. The left viewport is set to an isometric
view; the two right viewports are set to the front and the right side views. For
more information about sections and elevations, see Creating 2D and 3D
Sections and Creating 2D and 3D Elevations in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Plot Layout Tabs

When you are ready to compose a layout of your drawings on sheets for
plotting or printing, you can use the following tabs in the templates:

Plot-FLR
Plot-FLR-Small
Plot-FLR-Large
Plot FLR-Screened
Plot-FLR-Poche
Plot-FLR-Design
Plot-RCP
Plot-SEC

On small projects, you can use the same drawing file for working and plotting, but on larger projects you will probably construct your model in different drawing files for each floor. You can then insert each file as an external
reference into separate sheet files for plotting. You can delete any layout
tabs that are not needed for a particular drawing.

Plot-FLR Tab
The Plot-FLR layout tab is available in the following templates:

AEC Arch
Building Model
Plot Small Project

Use the Plot-FLR layout tab to arrange floor plan drawings in plan view. The
wall components, but not the hatching, is visible on the plotted sheet. The
scale of the preset viewport is 1/8'' or 1:100.

Plot-FLR-Small Tab
The Plot-FLR-Small layout tab is available in the following template:

Plot Floor Plan

Using the Layout Tabs

63

Use the Plot-FLR-Small layout tab to arrange floor plan drawings in plan
view. The wall components, but not the hatching, is visible on the plotted
sheet. The scale of the preset viewport is 1/8 or 1:100.

Plot-FLR-Large Tab
The Plot-FLR-Large layout tab is available in the following template:

Plot Floor Plan

Use the Plot-FLR-Large layout tab to arrange floor plan drawings in plan view.
Both the wall components and hatching are visible on the plotted sheet. The
scale of the preset viewport is 1/4 or 1:50.

Plot-FLR-Screened Tab
The Plot-FLR-Screened layout tab is available in the following template:

Plot Floor Plan

Use the Plot-FLR-Screened layout tab to arrange floor plan drawings in plan
view. Both the wall components and hatching are visibly dimmer than other
objects on the plotted sheet. The scale of the preset viewport is 1/8 or 1:100.

Plot-FLR-Poche
The Plot-FLR-Poche layout tab is available in the following template:

Plot Floor Plan

Use the Plot-FLR-Poche layout tab to arrange floor plan drawings in plan
view. The walls are shaded and no wall components are visible on the plotted
sheet. The scale of the preset viewport is 1/8 or 1:100.

Plot-FLR-Design Tab
The Plot-FLR-Design layout tab is available in the following template:

Plot Floor Plan

Use the Plot-FLR-Design layout tab to arrange floor plan drawings in plan
view with walls displayed only by the shrink-wrap. The scale of the preset
viewport is 1/8 or 1:100.

Plot-RCP Tab
The Plot-RCP layout tab is available in the following templates:

64

AEC Arch
Plot Reflected
Plot Small Project

Chapter 3

Templates

Use the Plot-RCP layout tab to arrange reflected ceiling drawings on a sheet
for plotting. Arrange viewports of designs you created on the Work-RCP tab.
The scale of the preset viewport is 1/8 or 1:100.

Plot-RCP-Screened Tab
The Plot-RCP-Screened layout tab is available in the following templates:

Plot Reflected
Plot Small Project

Use the Plot-RCP-Screened layout tab to arrange reflected ceiling drawings on

a sheet for plotting. Both the wall components and hatching are visibly dimmer than other objects on the plotted sheet. The scale of the preset viewport
is 1/8 or 1:100.

Plot-SEC Tab
The Plot-SEC layout tab is available in the following template:

AEC Arch
Plot Sections
Plot Small Project

Use the Plot-SEC layout tab to arrange section and elevation drawings on a
sheet for plotting. Arrange viewports of designs you created on the Work-SEC
tab. The scale of the preset viewports is 1/8 or 1:100.

NOTE The Plot layout tabs contain schematic layouts of sheets. You can insert
your own title block (as a block or as an external reference), as well as configure
the viewports to meet your requirements.
For more information about using floating viewports and setting up pages for
plotting, see Create Layouts and Plot Drawings, in the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

Model Tab
The Model tab can only be set to TILEMODE 1. That means you can divide,
or tile, the drawing area into multiple viewports. You cannot use floating
viewports. Each tiled viewport can display a different view of the model, for
example, a plan view in one viewport or a front or side elevation in another.
However, the same display configuration is used in all tiled viewports.
Display controls in manage object visibility, but it is still necessary to use
layer management in some working and plotting operations. When you

Using the Layout Tabs

65

work on the Model tab, you cannot freeze different layers in different tiled
viewports. However, if you work on other layout tabs, you can specify layer
visibility individually for each viewport.
In this layout, when you have set linetypes to be displayed similarly in all
viewports (PSLTSCALE=1), then the overall linetype scale (LTSCALE) should
be set to 1. In this case (which is generally preferred for architectural drawings), when you switch to the Model tab, the linetype scale is not displayed
properly. For more information about model space, see Work in Paper Space
and Model Space in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide. For more information about tiled viewports, see Set Model Tab Viewports in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Customizing Templates
It may be necessary for you to establish drawing standards that are unique to
a client, an industry, or your office. After you become familiar with the settings and configurations in the Architectural Desktop templates, you may
want to use certain settings from the templates and customize the rest. You
can make changes to a template to meet your requirements and then save it
as a new template.
You can also create templates by importing settings from a template into the
current drawing, and then saving the current drawing as a template. For
example, you can import the display configurations and representation sets
from the Architectural Desktop template into any other file. For more information about creating your own template, see Use a Template File in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide. For more information about importing
display settings to a custom template, see Importing Display Sets and
Importing Display Configurations in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

66

Chapter 3

Templates

New Features

This chapter contains a preview of the new and

In this chapter

enhanced building model objects, user interface

New features in Autodesk

improvements, and expanded features for international

building model objects contained in Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3.

Architectural Desktop,
Release 3.3
New international features in

Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, Release 3.3
Enhanced features in Autodesk

Architectural Desktop,
Release 3.3

67

New Features in Autodesk Architectural

Desktop, Release 3.3
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 has an integrated, robust set of
architectural features and enhancements that reduce workflow inefficiencies
and drafting inaccuracies that typically occur as a building design evolves
through successive, iterative phases of development. Through the use of efficient 2D drafting tools, smart objects update dynamically to reflect design
changes so that 3D building models can give you a comprehensive visual
understanding of the design. Thus, productivity is increased and coordination of drawings improved where errors are minimized and design recycle
times are reduced. The result is an intelligent drawing set that reduces costs
during construction and provides increased value to the building owner.
This feature-enhanced, third release of Autodesk Architectural Desktop provides a mature suite of tools for conceptual design, architectural design development, and construction documentation. New architectural and building
design objects include wall objects, structural members, window objects, and
curtain walls. These tools enable you to fully realize the benefits of the
object-modeling approach. As a designer, you can work in 2D or 3D while
using a streamlined interface that means ease-of-use and seamless integration with other Autodesk industry solutions. The result is enhanced
designer-to-designer and designer-to-contractor interaction.
By ensuring the production of more accurate construction documents with
scheduling information, associative dimensioning, and detail routines,
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 streamlines and reduces costs during the construction process.
During the development cycle of this release, Autodesk interviewed customers, and conducted usability tests and surveys. Autodesk found that designers
not only needed enhancements to the existing library of building model
objects, but that they also needed new and improved objects with tools that
leveraged their power. Also, designers wanted timely and accurate data access
and data collaboration.
With this feedback, Autodesk developed the latest release of Architectural
Desktop and it delivers the following benefits:

68

Increased productivity by reducing design development recycle time

Improved coordination and accuracy of drawings, thereby serving as a
practical tool for construction documentation

Chapter 4

New Features

Improved user interface, streamlined commands, and a redesigned Help

system that enhances your design experience within the Architectural
Desktop environment
Enhanced collaboration and workflow efficiency through Internet-driven
design features
Seamless integration with other Autodesk AEC solutions and an intelligent drawing set that can be used by building owners for facilities planning and management information

Expanding the Building Model

In this latest release, the building model has been expanded to include new
architectural objects, including curtain walls, window assemblies, slabs and
roof slabs, and structural members. These additions increase productivity
and reduce design development cycle time, while offering a practical tool for
construction documentation. The following sections describe some of these
new objects.

Curtain Walls
A curtain wall is a wall-like object that supports the creation of curtain walls
or storefront windows commonly used in commercial construction. Curtain
walls allow for easy and accurate production of curtain wall styles and, when
modified, exhibit true object behavior.
Create curtain walls by specifying parameters, such as length, height, radius,
and starting and ending miter angles. Divide curtain walls vertically and horizontally to suit your design requirements. Specify the width and depth for
frames and mullions, and then specify the type of infill to use for each segment of the curtain wall. You can add custom graphics to a curtain wall as a
display component when you need a detailed three-dimensional truss as
mullions or a decorative light fixture applied to an infill.
To create curtain walls quickly and easily, convert existing walls and
2D layout grids to curtain walls. You can modify a curtain wall with the new
edit-in-place technology so that the curtain wall is 100 percent correct, and
then you can transfer these settings to all curtain walls with the same style.

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The Curtain Wall supports insertion of the following:

70

Doors
Windows
Curtain wall units
AEC Polygons
Panels

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Curtain wall in commercial design

Window Assemblies
A window assembly is similar to a parametric window that contains
anchored windows and doors. Window assemblies are usually inserted into a
wall. You can group doors and windows as one object and save it as a style
for future use and modification. This increases productivity by eliminating
the need to recreate and modify door and window groupings.
You can create window assemblies and specify parameters, including length,
height, rise, and starting and ending miter angles. Specify the width and
depth for frames and mullions, and then specify the type of infill to use for
each segment of the window assembly. You can add custom graphics as a display component of a window assembly when you need a highly detailed
three-dimensional truss as mullions or a decorative light fixture applied to an
infill.

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Window assembly characteristics:

Style-based
Similar behavior of openings
Nested custom grid layouts

Roof and Floor Slabs

With the latest release of Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you can create and
modify floor and roof slabs. These objects are designed to accurately model
floors and complex roofs.
During the conceptual design phase, you can use the original roof object to
provide an easy method of roof layout. Then, during design development
when you need a higher level of detail control, convert the roof to individual
roof slabs.
You can locate slabs by specifying thickness, vertical offset, horizontal offset,
and slope values. You can configure slab edges by specifying an overhang
value, square or plumb orientation, and angle. You can add a predefined profile to a slab edge as a fascia or soffit. For optimal reusability of your work,
define slab edge styles.

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With a palette of slab tools, you can trim, extend, and miter slabs, add or
remove vertices from slabs, and add or remove holes. You can add or subtract
AEC objects to or from slabs, and use Boolean add, subtract, and intersect
commands when working with two or more slabs.

Roof slab with fascia, dormer, hole and soffit styles

Supports the following:

Dormer creation
Boolean operations
Roof-to-roof slab conversion
Hole creation

Roof Slab Edges

Roof slabs can be customized to have any type of edge style. These edge styles
can be used to create roof fascias and soffits. These edge styles can be easily
created through the use of AEC profiles. Theres also the ability to define the
amount of overhang as well as orientation, such as plumb or square cut.
Use the roof slab object in your residential designs.

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Floor Slabs
Similar to the roof slab object, the new floor slab object supports the creation
of floors. Floors can be flat or sloped. This object also supports custom edges.

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Structural Members
Using the new structural members in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you
can create intelligent columns, beams and braces in 2D and 3D. The
structural members help to provide a complete, integrated building model
solution.
Structural members allow you to judge the size of structural elements in relation to architectural features, and they carry forward structural information
for detailed analysis and design of structures. Add structural members to column grids in your structural plans. Use the members to visually check for
interferences in your designs.

The structural member entity has a number of controlling parameters. In its

simplest form you can define a path and a profile to sweep. Additional
options allow you to make a broad range of shapes. Structural options
include:
Trimming: You can create trim planes and apply offsets and angles. You
can view the results dynamically in a preview pane. The structural member
can also be trimmed with other entities, such as lines and polylines.
Block Attachment: You can attach any block to a member to modify its
shape.
Start and End Shapes: You can a component in a structural member start
out as one profile and end as another.

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Catalog-Driven Environment
All of the structural information in Autodesk Architectural Desktop is kept in
a catalog. This catalog serves as the interface for the creation of any structural
member. Easy to use, the catalog has Windows Explorer-like navigation
making structural member creation easy. Browse the catalog and select the
member by double-clicking. The member is then created. Structural members
are available in both imperial and metric forms.

AEC Polygon
The primary use of an AEC Polygon is to provide true color fills for producing
2D graphic renderings/elevations of curtain walls. AEC Polygons can also be
anchored to layout grids or layout curves, so that when the layout grid or
curve moves or changes size, the location and/or size of the AEC Polygon
changes with it. Create different AEC Polygon styles to represent a wide range
of different types of AEC Polygons for controlling the edge widths, color and
fill characteristics of groups of polygons.

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AEC Polygons support the following:

True color fills

Hatched boundaries
Boolean operations

Enhanced Building Model Objects

Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 has extended the function of
many of its existing objects. The following sections outline the objects and
the changes that they have undergone in this latest release.

Stairs
Improved stair objects are more flexible in supporting shapes. They have
been modified to show more detail in components as well as to show better
interaction with other objects.
You can now modify stair runs and landings separately. You can create
nonrectangular stairs with tapered edges or with a curved shape. Landings
can have nonrectangular shapes. You can use near-arbitrary profiles for the
edges of flights and landings. In addition, railings and stringers can be
anchored to stairs and can follow the edges of flights and landings.

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Stairs can now easily be edited and re-shaped by using grips. Stairs also support customized edges based on projection to objects such as walls and
AutoCAD entities such as polylines. Stairs can also support sloping risers.

Stairs support:

78

Grip editing for flight and landing adjustments

Customized stair edges by projection to any object, including walls and
polylines
Sloping risers
Improved dialog box layout

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Customize stair by projecting edges from aec objects or polylines

Railings
In previous releases of Architectural Desktop, railing components supported
only extrusions of round, square, or user-defined profiles. Rather than make
an expansion of these shapes, you can now specify custom blocks that can
replace individual railing components.
The railing object is style-based; it supports vertical and horizontal railing
styles, and it can be automatically anchored to a stair object after creation.

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Customizes components:

Balusters
Main posts
Dynamic posts
Guardrail
Handrail
Bottom rail

Walls
In this latest release of Architectural Desktop, the wall object has undergone
significant changes that can improve your productivity. The following is an
outline of the changes and improved function of walls that are present in this
release.
Walls have the following new features:

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Zero Cleanup Radii Support: Applies a cleanup radius to a wall start

and end points.
Wall Merge: Manually merges multiple wall objects to force wall
cleanup.

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Wall Body: Converts 3D solids to a wall object.

Wall Modifier: Easily draws polylines that modify a wall surface.
Profile Sweep: Sweeps a polyline along the length of a wall.
Shrinkwrap Hatching: Adds hatching to the shrinkwrap interference
condition.
Shrinkwrap Body Support: Sees the results of adding an interference
condition.
True Cut Planes: Sees true cut plane lines.
Multiple Cut Plane Support: Adds multiple cut plane heights.
Graphline Toggle: Toggles the graphline of a wall to the center or its
justification.

Profile sweeps

Shrinkwrap hatching

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Windows
Windows have been enhanced to support the creation of parametric
muntins. In previous releases, muntins were displayed by creating a custom
block and attaching it to a window. Though useful for visualization, this
method of creation had limitations, and it was difficult to create complex
muntins layout patterns. This latest release of Architectural Desktop provides
an easy way to create muntins with different layout patterns.
Parametric muntins types include:

Rectangular
Diamond
Sunburst
Starburst
Gothic

Parametric muntins

Parametric muntins are ideally suited for residential design.

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Section and Elevation Objects

The section and elevation feature in the latest release of Architectural
Desktop reduces the time and effort required to produce and maintain
construction documents. This feature also generates presentation-quality
sections and elevations from an Architectural Desktop building model.
You can now create section/elevation objects as 2D or 3D entities. The new
objects can also display hidden lines removed by the CreateHLR command.
Section/elevation objects can be modified by merging user-defined linework,
such as Architectural Desktop objects, and AutoCAD vector entities, such as
lines, polylines, arcs, and circles.

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Sections and elevations support the following:

Automatic 2D creation (CreateHLR)

Persistent line masking
Shrinkwrap
Hatching
Line weight control

Elevation Labels
Elevation labels are interactive multi-view blocks used for dimensioning
heights in a drawing. They are anchored to either the world coordinate
system (WCS) or a named user coordinate system (UCS). Elevation labels are
primarily used for measuring the height of building elements such as walls
or windows, but they can be used to measure every point in your drawing.
Elevation labels can be added in plan and section views. Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, Release 3 offers you a number of predefined blocks for
commonly used elevation labels. You can also create custom elevation labels.

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Spaces
Spaces have been enhanced in this latest release of Architectural Desktop.
You can quickly generate spaces based on walls, lines, arcs, polylines, and
circles. Similar to the way that AutoCAD hatch patterns are created, you can
generate spaces by defining a space boundary to create a selection set, and
then select an internal point.

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Layer Keying
You can now put an AEC object on a new layer with one easy command.
Select the object and choose a new layer key. You can change the layer key
style and remap the entire drawing to the new layer key style.

Scheduling
In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3, you can attach property set
definitions directly to object styles. It is an easy way to attach property sets
in a single step to all objects with the same style. It simplifies the creation of
schedule tables and reduces file size. Attach a property set to a style but not
to each object individually. When you want to modify a property set definition, you can do it once, and all objects connected to the style update
automatically.

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Chases, Ducts and Floor Openings

Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3 contains a number of symbols
for indicating chases, ducts, and floor openings. You can assign interference
conditions between these symbols and walls and spaces to show such features as cable shafts, wall niches, chimneys, and elevator shafts.

User Interface Improvements

Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes two new utilities, the Style Manager
and the Display Manager, that provide central locations where you can access
style or display information. The Display Manager allows you view and
change display representations, display sets, and display configurations in
your current drawing, while the Style Manager allows you to work with styles
from multiple drawings.

Style Manager
The Style Manager is a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can view and work with styles in drawings or from Internet and
intranet sites. The Style Manager has Windows Explorer-like navigation
capabilities.
Every object style can now be accessed through this central interface for style
creation, editing, and importing. A filter dialog box allows you to focus on
only the styles that are relevant to the current design. Internet-driven
features such as the Download Styles From Web allow you to quickly
download custom content from the Web.
In addition to styles, you can work with schedule data formats and definitions for clean up groups, masking blocks, multi-view blocks, profiles, and
property sets.

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Style Manager supports the following:

Multiple drawings
Download objects from a Web site
Filter styles by type

Display Manager
The new Display Manager in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3
brings together all display system features into a central location. You can use
the Display Manager to access all drawing display configurations, display
sets, display representations, and display properties for all available AEC
objects.
With new streamlined WindowsExplorer-like features, you can quickly navigate through object representations, sets, and display configurations as well
as see and understand their relationships.
The Display Manager allows you to copy object representations for greater
visual control. You can now take an object plan representation, copy it, and
create different architectural layouts including Demolition, Structural, and
MEP plans.

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Copy representations for more display control

Other Enhancements
Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes additional product enhancements
designed to facilitate your work process. Product enhancements include
pushpin Add and Modify object dialog boxes, streamlined Add and Insert
Object commands for quicker drafting, an AEC Object Explode command,
and new customized templates.

Pushpin Dialog Boxes

You can minimize all Architectural Desktop dialog boxes while you create or
modify objects. This enhancement significantly increases design space in
your drawing area.
Sometimes when you are working in a small drawing area, the Add and
Modify Object dialog boxes take up a lot of space and hide drawing objects
you need to access. You now have a way of hiding these dialog boxes until
you need them.

Other Enhancements

89

Select the Pushpin icon in the dialog box title bar. As you move your cursor
away from the dialog box, it is minimized to the title bar, freeing up more
space in your drawing area. To display the dialog box again, move your cursor
over the title bar.
If you do not want to minimize your Add and Modify Object dialog boxes,
deactivate the feature by clicking the Pushpin icon again to turn off the
Pushpin option.

Add Selected (Draw By Example) and Insert

Object Feature
The Add Selected option enhances your productivity by allowing you to
select an object and draw it without having to use menus and dialog boxes.
Drafting is quicker and more intuitive. You can access Add Selected by rightclicking an object to display a shortcut menu.
The Insert Object feature allows you to quickly insert doors, windows, openings, and window assemblies into a wall. The Insert Object feature eliminates
using menus as you create walls. Select the appropriate object insertion
options when you right-click to display a shortcut menu.

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Add selected object to drawing

Insert door into wall

Other Enhancements

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Explode AEC Objects

AEC Object Explode allows objects from Architectural Desktop to be converted or exploded into AutoCAD basic entities such as lines, arcs and
circles. You can now exchange drawings with another person who wants to
work on a copy of the drawing using only basic entities. You can use
AEC Object Explode when you want the drawing in a program to understand
only the basic DWG format, for example, a Facility Management application.
The new Explode AEC Objects function allows you to automatically explode
AEC objects to AutoCAD blocks, based on the viewport in which the
AEC objects are displayed. If you have multiple viewports in paperspace in
your drawing, you can explode them to different sets of AutoCAD entities.
You can also explode external references with this method.
A number of settings give you optimal control over layer, color and linetype
properties of the exploded objects.

Publish to Autodesk Architectural Studio

You can publish Autodesk Architectural Desktop design files to Autodesk
Architectural Studio, an Internet-based conceptual design environment. You
can use the conceptual design, sketching, modeling, and presentation tools
in Autodesk Architectural Studio to work with your published Autodesk
Architectural Desktop drawings.

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International Features
When you install Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3, you have the
option of installing International Extensions. The Extensions contain extra
features that are needed in, for example, European or Asian architecture. If
you would like to know more about these features, see the following sections.

NOTE To use the following features, you must install the International
Extensions of Autodesk Architectural Desktop. For information about installing
International Extensions, see the Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3
Installation Guide.

Area Calculation
This new documentation feature in Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
Release 3 allows you to calculate the areas in your floor plan. You can create
areas from scratch, from AEC objects such as stairs or columns, or from wall
boundaries. For example, you can assign calculation modifier styles to areas
to create, for example, an automatic plaster thickness deduction from walls,
or to calculate balcony areas at only 50 percent. Areas can be combined in
area groups to calculate construction or traffic areas.
You can export area calculations to spreadsheet (XLS) and text (TXT) formats,
with document templates that ensure professional layout and conformity to
company standards.

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Special area decomposition views can separate your floor plan into areas, as
shown in the following illustration, according to various decomposition
norms.

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Triangular and trapezoid area decomposition

AEC Dimensions
The AEC Dimensions feature has been optimized and expanded in this latest
release of Autodesk Architectural Desktop. You can now automatically
dimension all AEC objects and create intelligent AEC dimensions from logical points of building objects. You can also create manual AEC dimensions
that dimension the points you define in the drawing. As you work with manual AEC dimensions, you can now choose between static dimension points
and transformable dimension points. You can also convert AutoCAD dimensions easily into AEC dimensions. The new AEC Dimension Style wizard
makes modifying dimension styles quick and easy.

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Live Sections
The Live Sections feature of Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3.3
retains sectioned objects after sectioning, and it is also appropriate for
3D sections of building objects. You can assign different display properties to
components of sectioned objects, such as cut hatch patterns to object parts
inside and outside of a section, and to objects completely inside or outside
the section line.

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Live section retains objects

International Features

97

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Display System

The display system in Autodesk Architectural Desktop

In this chapter

controls how AEC objects are displayed in a designated

Understanding the display

system

viewport. By specifying the AEC objects you want to

display in a viewport and the direction from which you
want to view them, you can produce different architectural displays, such as floor plans, reflected plans, elevations, 3D models, or schematic displays.

Getting started with the Display

Manager
Viewing the display system in

the Display Manager

Creating and editing display

systems
Purging display systems
Setting display systems in a

drawing
Copying display systems

between drawings
Working with display systems

on the Web
Sending display systems by

email
Troubleshooting the display

system

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Understanding the Display System

The display system in Autodesk Architectural Desktop controls how
AEC objects are displayed in a designated viewport. By specifying the
AEC objects you want to display in a viewport and the direction from which
you want to view them, you can produce different architectural displays,
such as floor plans, reflected plans, elevations, 3D models, or schematic
displays.
In order to understand the display system in Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
Release 3, you should be familiar with three main components: display representations, which control how individual AEC objects are displayed; display sets, which group display representations of AEC objects; and display
configurations, which assign display sets to particular view directions. These
three main components are hierarchical in nature; each display configuration contains a number of display sets and each display set contains a number of display representations. It is important to fully understand each component in order to understand how they work together to create the display
system.

NOTE Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 includes templates with predefined display systems applied to viewports. You can use the display systems
and viewports supplied by the templates, or you can modify the display system
settings to suit your own office standards. If you want to create your own display
systems, you can start a drawing from scratch or from a template that does not
contain pre-defined display systems.

Display Representations
At the first level of display control are display representations. In
Architectural Desktop, a display representation defines how a set of components for an AEC object are drawn. In traditional CAD and manual drafting,
a single object, such as a door, is typically drawn multiple times in different
drawings, each using separate collections of entities such as lines and arcs.
Display representations allow you to create only one object of multiple entities that can change the way it draws itself depending on the display representation definitions of that AEC object.

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Display representation examples

NOTE A representation of an AEC object is not dependent on view direction,

although it is usually designed with a specific view in mind. The plan view in the
previous illustration shows the plan representation of the AEC objects even
though the view direction is isometric.
In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, most AEC objects are made up of individual components. For example, a door has the following components: door
panel, frame, stop, swing, glass, and threshold. Each component of the
AEC object has both physical and graphical properties that help determine
the display representation of that AEC object. The physical properties of an
AEC object control width, height, shape, and location of the AEC object in
the drawing; the graphical properties control visibility (on/off), layer, color,
and linetype. To represent an AEC object in the drawing area, each display
representation uses both the physical and graphical properties of the
AEC object. You usually decide the physical properties of the AEC object
when you create it, but you can change the graphical properties of an AEC
object in its display representations. You can define multiple display

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representations for the same AEC object by copying existing display representations and modifying the graphical properties of the components.
The display representations that are available for each AEC object and the
names of those display representations, are based on the ways that you might
need to view the AEC object in your drawings. Different display representations of an AEC object might include different components of the AEC object
or additional display options.
The previous illustration shows that a single AEC object can be drawn in different ways, depending on the individual needs of different drawing types.
For example, the plan representation draws the door panel, frame, stop, and
swing components and the nominal representation draws the door panel,
frame, and swing components. Although both representations draw the door
panel, each representation draws it differently. The plan representation
draws a door panel as a rectangle, while the nominal representation draws it
as a single line.
In traditional CAD, each representation of the door is drawn separately as a
collection of entities, such as lines and arcs. Display representations allow
you to create only one object of multiple components that can change the
way it draws itself depending on the display representation you define for
that object.
To better understand the different display representations available for the
different AEC objects, the following procedure shows you how to view
display representations for sample AEC object types in the Display Manager.
For further information about the Display Manager see Getting Started with
the Display Manager on page 110.
To preview the display representation of an AEC object type
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Click Floating Viewer.
3 Resize and reposition the Floating Viewer and Display Manager in the
drawing area so that both are visible.
4 Expand the Representations by Object folder in the tree view in the left
pane.
5 Select one of the object types, such as Door.
The right pane displays the detailed information associated with the
selected object type.
6 Under Display Representations in the right pane, select one of the representations, such as Model.

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The Floating Viewer displays the selected display representation of the

AEC object type.
7 Experiment with different AEC object types and their display
representations.
8 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Display Sets
At the second level of display control are display sets, which are collections
of display representations of AEC objects. A display set controls how a group
of AEC objects, such as a wall assembly consisting of a door and a window, is
displayed.

Display set examples

After you specify a drawing type such as a floor plan or elevation, all the
AEC objects in the drawing are usually drawn with similar representations.
A set of representations is not dependent on view direction, although it is

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103

usually designed with a specific view in mind. The plan view in the previous
illustration shows the plan representation of the AEC objects even though
the view direction is isometric.
In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, a display set is a collection of display
representations. It is organized based on drawing type. For example, a Plan
display set might contain the Plan display representations for a number of
AEC object types, while a 3D model display set might contain the Model
display representation for a number of AEC object types. It is possible for a
display set to contain zero or more display representations for a single
AEC object type. If a display set contains no display representations for an
AEC object type, the display set never draws those AEC objects. You can
define any number of display sets as you need them for the different types of
drawings you produce.

Display Configurations
At the final level of display control are display configurations. To understand
display configurations you must know how view direction relates to the display system. The previous two sections discussed how both display representations and display sets are not dependent on a view direction, although they
are usually defined with a view direction in mind. At the final level of display
control however, a specific view direction comes into play.
For example, the following illustration shows a viewport assigned the Plot
display configuration and the Top view direction. In this illustration, the
AEC objects are drawn with a plan representation.

AEC objects in plan view

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This viewport is also assigned the Plot display configuration and the Front
view direction. In this illustration the same AEC objects are drawn with an
elevation representation.

AEC objects in elevation view

This viewport is also assigned the Plot display configuration, but a

SE Isometric view direction. Notice the same AEC objects get drawn with a
3D representation.

AEC objects in SW isometric view

In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, a display configuration is assigned to

viewports, such as a floating viewport in paper space or all tiled viewports in
model space. If you are viewing your model in a paper space viewport and a
display configuration is assigned to the viewport, then that display configu-

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105

ration is used. If you are viewing your model in model space or in a tiled
viewport (the TILEMODE system variable is set to 1), then the default display
configuration is used. You can change the default display configuration
through the Display Manager. For further information about the Display
Manager see Getting Started with the Display Manager on page 110.
The display configuration also maps display sets to specific view directions.
A display configuration contains one or more display sets that control the
representation of AEC objects in your drawing when viewed from different
directions.

Plan display configuration in the Display Manager

In the Display Manager, the active viewport in the drawing has been assigned
the Plot display configuration, and is highlighted on the tree structure in the
left pane. The Plot display configuration has multiple display sets mapped to
specific view directions in the drawing. The Configuration tab in the right
pane shows the display sets mapped to the view directions. In this example,
the current view direction in the drawing (in bold type) is Top, to which the
Plan display set has been mapped, so the AEC objects in the active viewport
are drawn with the display representations in the Plan display set.
In the previous illustration of the Display Manager, when the view direction
in the active viewport is changed to Front, the AEC objects are drawn with
the display representations in the Section_Elev display set. This is also true

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when the view direction in the active viewport is changed to Right, Left, or
Back.
There are no non-orthogonal 3D view directions listed, but there is a Default
view direction. If the view direction is changed to one that is not currently
listed in the Configuration tab, such as a non-orthogonal 3D view,
AEC objects are drawn with whatever display set has been mapped to the
Default view direction. In this case, the AEC objects are drawn with the
Model display set.
The Default view direction is used when a view direction is selected that has
not been mapped with a specific display set, as in the case of the Bottom view
direction in this example. If the view direction of the active viewport is
changed to Bottom, AEC objects are drawn with the display set assigned to
the Default view direction, the Model display set. To learn more about how
to use the Display Manager, see Getting Started with the Display Manager
on page 110.

How It All Works Together

In Architectural Desktop, layouts are created for each type of drawing to be
created from your model. Within each layout, viewports are created based on
the number of different model views required for that type of drawing. Each
viewport is assigned a display configuration based on what is to be shown in
the viewport. A display configuration contains display sets that, in turn, contain display representations.

IMPORTANT A display configuration is defined for specific view directions, a

display set is defined for a set of AEC object types, and a display representation
is defined for a single AEC object type. A display configuration is view direction
dependent, while display sets and display representations are not.

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Display system hierarchy

The purpose of the display system is to determine how to draw a particular

AEC object in a particular viewport. The following is how an AEC object is
drawn in a specific viewport.

The active viewport has a current view direction and a display configuration assigned to it.
The display configuration has one or more display sets assigned to it and
selects the one that is mapped to the current view direction.
The display set has a group of display representations associated to it and
finds the one associated with the AEC object that needs to be drawn.
The AEC object is drawn in the active viewport using the appropriate display representations for the AEC object type and using the display properties for the individual AEC object.

NOTE If you change the view direction in the active viewport, the AEC object
may be redrawn using a different display representation, or it may not display
when it does not have a display representation in the active display set.

Changing the Display of an AEC Object in a

Viewport
An important procedure to learn is how to change the display of a specific
AEC object type in a specific viewport. For example, if you have a window

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AEC object in your model, and in one viewport the window is showing
incorrectly for your drawing, you must change the window representation in
that viewport.

Specifying the display of window components

If you do not have time to set up display configurations for your drawing, or
if this drawing is one that someone else set up and you are confused by the
current display system, then you must know how to change a specific
AEC object in a specific viewport.
The following procedure shows you how you can change the display representations of a specific AEC object in a specific viewport on the fly.
To change the display representation of an AEC object in a viewport
1 Set the viewport as current in which you want to make display changes.
2 Make sure that the current viewport is set to the desired view direction
with the appropriate display configuration.
3 Open the Display Manager, and expand the Sets folder in the tree view on
the left pane of the dialog box. The current display set is in bold text.
4 Click the current display set.
5 Click the Display Control tab on the right pane. This tab shows all the display representations that are active for the current display set.
6 Confirm that the display representations you want to display in your
viewport are selected for the current display set. If not, select the appropriate check box(es).
7 Click Apply for the Display Manager to accept your changes.
8 Click OK to close the Display Manager.
The current viewport and all viewports that have the same display configuration assigned to it are drawn with the new display representations.

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Getting Started with the Display Manager

When you open the Display Manager, all the display information from your
current drawing is displayed. The Display Manager is split into two re-sizable
panes and has a menu bar and toolbar.

Display Manager dialog box upon opening

Left Pane of the Display Manager

The left pane of the Display Manager organizes the display information in
your drawings in a hierarchical tree view that you can navigate by expanding
and collapsing the different levels in the tree. You can add, purge, rename,
copy, and send display system components in the tree view. The tree view is
always displayed in the left pane. As you select items in the tree, the right
hand pane, is appropriately updated.
Right Pane of the Display Manager
The right pane of the Display Manager shows the detailed display information, depending on what you select in the tree view in the left pane. You can
preview how an AEC object is displayed with a display representation, and
view the displays sets and the mapped view directions associated with each
display configuration. You can view the display representations of different
AEC object types, and access the default graphical display properties of the
AEC objects in your drawings.

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Display Manager Menu Bar and Toolbar

The top of the Display Manager includes a menu bar and a toolbar that allow
you to quickly access the menu commands. When you position your mouse
over a toolbar icon, a tooltip displays with an explanation of the icon.

Displaying the Display Manager

You can access the Display Manager directly, or you can set default display
configurations to viewports from the Select Display command. To access the
Display Manager directly, choose it from the Desktop menu. You can also
access the default display representations for AEC object types and the
default display configuration for the current drawing when you choose
Drawing Setup from the Desktop Menu, and then select the display tab in the
Drawing Setup dialog box.
When you open the Display Manager, all the display information of your
current drawing is displayed in the tree view of the Display Manager.
To display the Display Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
The display information for the current drawing is displayed in the Display Manager tree view in the left pane. The drawing name is highlighted
in the tree view, and the drawing is expanded to display all the possible
display information. If the display components have plus signs (+) next to
them, they contain multiple configurations, sets or representations.

NOTE If your drawing is open as read-only, a lock displays on the folder

icon next to the drawing in the tree view.
2 To close the Display Manager, choose File Exit, click OK, or click the X
in the top right side of the Display Manager title bar.
After you open the Display Manager, you can change the size and position
of the Display Manager. For more information, see Moving and Resizing
the Display Manager on page 111.

Moving and Resizing the Display Manager

You can move and resize the Display Manager to change its position and size
in the drawing area.

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To move the Display Manager

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 To move the Display Manager, drag the title bar of the Display Manager to
the desired location.
To resize the Display Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 To resize the Display Manager, move your cursor over the edge or a corner
of the dialog box until you see your cursor change representation to
stretching arrows. Click and drag the edge or corner of the dialog box to
the desired size.

Viewing Display Systems in the Display

Manager
The Display Manager is the central location of all display system information
for your drawing in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3. Within the
Display Manager you view all the components of the display system in the
current drawing. You can view basic display system information in the tree
view in the left pane of the Display Manager, or you can view more detailed
information about selected display components in the right pane of the
Display Manager. For more information about the Display Manager dialog
box, see Getting Started with the Display Manager on page 110.
Depending on what you select in the tree view in the left pane of the Display
Manager, the contents of the right pane change. In the right pane, you can
view all the detailed display information in a drawing, including details of
display configurations, display sets, and display representations of
AEC object types.
For visible AEC objects, like walls or doors, you can preview how the
AEC objects are displayed with a selected display representation. You can preview how the AEC objects are displayed for selected display sets that you
might have associated with specific display configurations. You can access
the graphical properties of AEC objects in the Display Manager directly.

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Viewing Drawing Information in the Display

Manager
You can view the drawing information of the current drawing in the Display
Manager, but you cannot edit the drawing information in the Display
Manager.
To view the drawing information in the Display Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 By default, the left pane has the current drawing name highlighted in the
tree view, and the right pane shows the detailed drawing information.
3 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

NOTE In the Display Manager dialog box, you can view the current drawing information by clicking the drawing name in the tree view of the left
pane. The right pane automatically updates to show the detailed drawing
information.

Viewing the Display Representations

You can view the display representations of the current drawing in the
Display Manager.
To view the display representations of the current drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view in the left pane of the Display Manager, select
Representations by Object.
The right pane displays all the display representations by object type.

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Display representations by objects in the current drawing

NOTE To view the display representations in the tree view only, you can
expand the Representations by Object folder.
3 Expand the Representations by Object folder in the tree view in the left
pane.
4 Select one of the object types, such as Wall.
The right pane displays the detailed information associated with the
selected object type.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

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Wall display representations

Viewing the Display Sets

You can view the display sets of the current drawing in the Display Manager.
To view the display sets of the current drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view in the left pane of the Display Manager, select Sets.
The right pane displays all the display sets.

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Display sets in the current drawing

NOTE To view the display sets in the tree view only, you can expand the
Sets folder.
3 Expand the Sets folder in the tree view in the left pane.
4 Select one of the Sets, such as Model.
The right pane displays the detailed information associated with the
selected display set.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

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Model display set detailed information

Viewing the Display Configurations

You can view the display configurations of the current drawing in the Display
Manager.
To view the display configurations of the current drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view in the left pane of the Display Manager, select
Configurations.
The right pane displays all the display configurations.

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Display configurations in the current drawing

NOTE To view the display configurations in the tree view only, you can
expand the Configuration folder.
3 Expand the Configurations folder in the tree view in the left pane.
4 Select one of the Configurations, such as Standard.
The right pane displays the detailed information associated with the
selected display configuration.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

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Standard display configuration detailed information

Previewing an AEC Object Types Representation

You can preview the representation of an AEC object type in the Display
Manager with the Floating Viewer.
To preview the display representation of an AEC object type
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Click Floating Viewer.
3 Resize and reposition the Floating Viewer and Display Manager so that
both are visible in the drawing area.
4 Expand the Representations by Object folder in the tree view in the left
pane.
5 Select one of the object types, such as Door.
The right pane displays the detailed information associated with the
selected object type.
6 Under Display Representations in the right pane, select one of the representations, such as Model.
The Floating Viewer displays the selected display representation of the
AEC object type.

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7 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Previewing an AEC Object Types Representation

within a Display Set
You can preview the representation of an AEC object type within a Display
Set in the Display Manager with the Floating Viewer.
To preview the display representation of an AEC object type within a display
set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Click Floating Viewer.
3 Resize and reposition the Floating Viewer and Display Manager so that
both are visible in the drawing area.
4 Expand the Sets folder in the tree view in the left pane.
5 Select one of the Sets, such as Model.
6 Click the Display Control tab in the right pane.
7 Under Objects in the right pane, select one of the object types, such as
Wall.
The Floating Viewer displays the selected display representation of the
AEC object type.
8 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Previewing an AEC Object Types Default

Properties
You can preview default properties of an AEC object type in the Display
Manager.
To preview the default properties of an AEC object type
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Expand the Representations by Object folder in the tree view in the left
pane.
3 Select one of the object types, such as Door.
The right pane displays the detailed information associated with the
selected object type.
4 Under Display Representations in the right pane, double-click one of the
representations, such as Model.

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The Entity Properties dialog box displays showing the default properties
of the selected AEC object type.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Creating and Editing Display Systems

The Display Manager is the central location of all display system information
for your drawing in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3. Within the
Display Manager you can create and edit all the components of the display
system in the current drawing. You can create and edit display representations, display sets, and display configurations. You can enter notes and reference files in your display sets and display configurations. You can edit the
graphical properties of an AEC object type in the Display Manager.

Working with Display Representations

All AEC objects have a predefined number of default display representations.
Most of the AEC objects have Plan, Model, and Reflected display representations, because these are the most common design situations that require a
different view of an AEC object. Some AEC objects, such as cameras and reference AEC objects, have only a General representation, because the display
of these AEC objects does not change in different views.
You can add new display representations to an object by duplicating an existing display representation and renaming it. You can change the properties of
the predefined and duplicated display representations. However, you cannot
add new display representations from scratch or change the names of the
predefined display representations of an AEC object type.

Creating Duplicate Display Representations

You can create your own display representation by duplicating a predefined
display representation in the Display Manager. You cannot create a display
representation from scratch.
To create a duplicate display representation
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Representation by
Object folder.
3 In the tree view under Representation by Object, select the AEC object
type you want to create a new display representation for.

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4 In the right pane of the Display Manager, right-click the display representation you want to duplicate, and choose Duplicate from the shortcut
menu.
The duplicated display representation is displayed as the last item in the
display representation list.
5 Type the new name for the display representation in the highlighted box.
6 Press ENTER.
7 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

NOTE By default, the new display representation has the same name followed by the number 2.

Renaming Display Representations

You can rename your own display representation that you created by duplicating a predefined display representation in the Display Manager. You cannot rename the predefined display representations of an AEC object type.
To rename a duplicate display representation
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Representation by
Object folder.
3 In the tree view under Representation by Object, select the AEC object
type you want to rename a duplicate display representation for.
4 In the right pane of the Display Manager, right-click the duplicate display
representation you want to rename, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
5 Type the new name for the display representation in the highlighted box.
6 Press ENTER.
7 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Editing Display Representations

You can edit the display representations in your current drawing in the
Display Manager. You can change the AutoCAD properties and display properties for any AEC object type. The AutoCAD properties include the layer,
color, linetype, and lineweight of the AEC object type. Additional properties
may be editable for some AEC object types such as, Hatching for
AEC Polygons and Other for Doors. The display properties of an AEC object
type include the visibility of the AEC object components.

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You can change the default display representations for the display configurations in your drawing by changing the display representations are assigned
to the display sets.
To edit a display representation of an AEC object type
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Representation by
Object folder.
The right pane displays the detailed display representation information.
3 In the tree view under Representation by Object, select the AEC object
type you want to edit.
4 You can do the following options to edit the display representation.

To change the default display representation assigned to a display set,

select the appropriate boxes under Sets in the right pane of the Display
Manager.

NOTE To set the same display representation for all display sets, or to set
the same display set for all the display representations, right-click the display
representation or the display set respectively in the right pane of the Display
Manager, and choose Select All or Clear All from the shortcut menu.

To change the properties of the display representation, double-click the

display representation you want to edit in the right pane. The Entity
Properties dialog box is displayed.

NOTE By default, the layer of AEC object components is set to layer 0 and
the color and linetype are set to ByBlock. With these defaults, the AEC object
components inherit the color and linetype properties of the parent AEC
object. AEC object components cannot exist as AEC objects outside their
parent AEC object, as typical AutoCAD block AEC objects can. AEC object
components with these ByBlock defaults always inherit the layer, color, and
linetype properties of their parent AEC object.

In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab

to change the AutoCAD properties including the visibility of the AEC
object components, to determine how the AEC object is displayed in
the display representation. To set the same display properties for multiple or all AEC object components in the Entity Properties dialog box,
use standard Microsoft Windows-based selection methods. For example, hold down SHIFT to select several consecutive AEC object compo-

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nents in the Component list. Hold down CTRL to select several nonconsecutive components.
If applicable, click tabs, such as Hatching or Other, to change additional AEC object specific properties.

NOTE The tabs in this dialog box depend on the AEC object type and
display representation that you select. For example, a wall AEC object in a
Model display representation displays only the Layer/Color/Linetype tab; a
wall AEC object in a plan display representation displays two additional tabs
to set display properties for hatching and cut-plane components.
5 When you finish changing the display representation of the AEC object
type, you can edit another display representation of the AEC object by
selecting another display representation from the list.

NOTE If you edit the display properties of the AEC object type in a display
representation, you can view the changes only in viewports where that display representation is current.
6 Click Apply.
7 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Deleting Display Representations

You can delete your own display representation that you created. However,
you cannot delete the predefined display representations of an AEC object
type.
To delete a display representation
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Representation by
Object folder.
3 In the tree view under Representation by Object, select the AEC object
type you want to want to delete a display representation for.
4 In the right pane of the Display Manager, right-click the display representation you want to delete, and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

NOTE You cannot delete the predefined display representations of an

AEC object type, such as Model, Plan, and General.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

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Working with Display Sets

There are four predefined default display sets: Model, Plan, Reflected, and
Section_Elev. These display sets are assigned display representations based on
the most common design situations that require different types of drawings
to be generated.
You can add new display sets by creating your own from scratch or by copying an existing display set and renaming it. You can rename, delete, or purge
display sets. For each display set you can change the display representations,
add general display set information, and add notes and reference files.

Creating New Display Sets

Display sets are groups of display representations. You can create your own
display sets to include only the AEC objects and AEC object components that
you specify. By default, no display representations are assigned to new display sets you create.
To create a new display set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, right-click Sets, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
The Sets folder is expanded and a new display set is listed.
3 Type the name for the new display set in the highlighted box.
4 Press ENTER.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

NOTE By default, the new display set has the name, New Display Set.

Creating a Display Set from an Existing Display Set

You can create new display sets by copying existing display sets. This is beneficial when you need duplicate display sets with different names or multiple
display sets with minor display representation differences.
To create a display set from an existing display set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Sets folder.
3 Right-click the display set you want to copy, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
The copied display set is in the display set list.

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4 Type the new name for the display set in the highlighted box.
5 Press ENTER.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

NOTE By default, the new display set has the name, New Display Set.

Renaming Display Sets

You can rename the display sets in your drawing in the Display Manager. It
is recommended that you rename your own display sets that you created in
the Display Manager, and do not rename the predefined display sets such as
Model and Plan.
To rename a new display set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Sets folder.
The right pane shows the display sets list for your drawing.
In the tree view, right-click the display set you want to rename, and
choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
3 In the right pane of the Display Manager, right-click the display set you
want to rename, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
4 Type the new name for the display set in the highlighted box.
5 Press ENTER.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Editing Display Sets

You can edit the display sets in your drawing in the Display Manager. by
changing the default display representations assigned to each display set.
To edit a display set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Sets folder.
3 In the tree view under Sets, select the display set you want to edit.
The right pane displays the detailed display set information.
4 To change the default display representation assigned to a display set,
click in the appropriate boxes under Sets in the right pane of the Display
Manager.

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NOTE To set the same display representation for all display sets, or to set
the same display set for all the display representations, right-click the display
representation or the display set respectively in the right pane of the Display
Manager, and choose Select All or Clear All from the shortcut menu.
5 Click Apply.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Deleting Display Sets

You can delete the display sets in your drawing in the Display Manager. It is
recommended that you delete your own display sets that you created in the
Display Manager, and do not delete the predefined display sets such as Model
and Plan.
To delete a display set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Sets folder.
3 In the tree view under Sets, right-click the display set you want to delete,
and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
4 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Adding Notes and Reference Files to a Display Set

You can enter notes and reference files in your display sets. This is beneficial
when you are a new user getting familiar with display systems, and it can
assist a CAD Manager in maintaining design standards.
To add notes and reference files to a display set
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Sets folder.
3 In the tree view under Sets, select the display set you want to add notes
and reference files to.
The right pane displays the detailed display set information.
4 In the right pane, select the General tab.
5 To add a description to the display set, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the display set, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

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8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 Click Apply.
10 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Working with Display Configurations

Display configurations are typically user-defined and are based on drawing
types to be produced. One predefined display configuration, Standard, is the
system default display configuration. You can add new display configurations by creating your own from scratch or by copying an existing display
configuration and renaming it. You can rename the new display configurations you add to your drawing, however, you cannot change the name of the
predefined Standard display configuration. For each display configuration,
you can change the display sets, add general display configuration information, and add notes and reference files.

Creating New Display Configurations

Display configurations are groups of display sets. You can create your own
display configurations to include only the display sets that you specify. By
default, the Standard display representation is duplicated for new display
configurations you create.
To create a new display configuration
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, right-click Configurations, and
choose New from the shortcut menu.
The Configurations folder is expanded and a new display configuration is
listed.
3 Type the name for the new display configuration in the highlighted box.
4 Press ENTER.

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5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

NOTE By default, the new display set has the name, New Display
Configuration.

Creating a Display Configuration from an Existing Display

Configuration
You can create new display configuration by copying existing display configurations and renaming them. You can benefit from this when you need
duplicate display configurations with different names or multiple display
configurations with minor display representation differences.
To create a display configuration from an existing display configuration
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Configurations folder.
3 Right-click the display configuration you want to copy, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
The copied display configuration is in the display configuration list.
4 Type the new name for the display configuration in the highlighted box.
5 Press ENTER.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

NOTE By default, the new display configuration has the name, New Display Configuration.

Renaming Display Configurations

You can rename your own display configuration that you created in the
Display Manager, however, you cannot rename the predefined Standard
display configuration.
To rename a new display configuration
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Configurations folder.
The right pane shows the display configuration list for your drawing.
In the tree view, right-click the display configuration you want to rename,
and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.

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3 In the right pane of the Display Manager, right-click the display configuration you want to rename, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
4 Type the new name for the display configuration in the highlighted box.
5 Press ENTER.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Editing Display Configurations

You can edit the display configurations in your drawing in the Display
Manager by changing the default display sets assigned to each view direction.
You can override the display configuration by specifying a fixed display configuration that assigns a single view direction to display a single display set
in a viewport. For example, to view a plan representation from an isometric
viewing direction, set the default display set to Plan and set the fixed view
direction to Top.
To edit a display configuration
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Configurations folder.
3 In the tree view under Configurations, select the display configuration
you want to edit.
The right pane displays the detailed display configuration information.
4 To change the default display set assigned to a view direction, select the
appropriate display set for each view direction in the list boxes under Display Representation Sets in the right pane of the Display Manager.
5 Click Apply.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Deleting Display Configurations

You can delete your own display configurations that you created. However,
you cannot delete the predefined Standard display configuration, or the current system default display configuration.
To delete a display configuration
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Configurations folder.
3 In the tree view under Configurations, right-click the display configuration you want to delete, and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

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NOTE You cannot delete the predefined display configuration Standard, or

the current system default display configuration.
4 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Adding Notes and Reference Files to a Display Configuration

You can enter notes and reference files in your display configurations. This is
beneficial when you are a new user getting familiar with display systems, and
it can assist a CAD Manager in maintaining design standards.
To add notes and reference files to a display configuration
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, expand the Configurations folder.
3 In the tree view under Configurations, select the display configuration
you want to add notes and reference files to.
The right pane displays the detailed display configuration information.
4 In the right pane, select the General tab.
5 To add a description to the display configuration, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the display configuration, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 Click Apply.
10 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

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Purging Display Systems

You can purge unused display system components from your drawing. You
cannot purge any display system components that are either in use, in a readonly drawing, or are Architectural Desktop Standard display system components such as the Standard display configuration.

Purging Display Representations

You can purge all display representation that you are not using from your
drawing or individual display representations by AEC object type. You cannot purge display representations that are assigned to any of the display sets
or display configurations, or those applied to viewports in your drawing, or
standard display representations such as Model and General.
To purge display representations
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, right-click the Representation by
Object folder, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
The Purge Display Representations dialog box is displayed.
3 In the Purge Display Representations dialog box, select the display representations that you want to purge, and click OK.

NOTE The Purge Display Representations dialog box lists all the currently
unused display representations. By default, all unused display representations
are selected with check marks in their boxes. If all display representations are
currently used in the drawing, a warning message is displayed telling you
nothing can be purged and you cannot access the Purge Display Sets dialog
box. If you want to view and purge only display representations for a specific
AEC object type, right-click the AEC object type in the tree view of the Display
Manager, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu. The Purge Display Representations dialog box lists only the unused display representations for the
selected AEC object type, not the entire drawing.
4 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Purging Display Sets

You can purge display sets that you are not using from your drawing. You
cannot purge display sets that are assigned to display configurations, or that

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are applied to any of the viewports in your drawing. It is recommended that

you do not purge the predefined display sets such as Model and Plan.
To purge display sets
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, right-click the Sets folder, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
The Purge Display Sets dialog box is displayed.
3 In the Purge Display Sets dialog box, select the display sets that you want
to purge, and click OK.

NOTE The Purge Display Sets dialog box lists currently unused display sets.
By default, all unused display sets are selected with check marks in their
boxes. If all display sets are currently used in the drawing, the message,
Nothing is Purgable, is displayed and you are unable to access the Purge
Display Sets dialog box.
4 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Purging Display Configurations

You can purge display configurations that you are not using from your drawing. You cannot purge display configurations that are applied to any of the
viewports in your drawing, the default display configuration, or the Standard
display configuration.
To purge display configurations
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, right-click the Configurations
folder, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
The Purge Display Configurations dialog box is displayed.
3 In the Purge Display Configurations dialog box, select the display configurations that you want to purge, and click OK.

NOTE The Purge Display Configurations dialog box lists currently unused
display configurations. By default, all unused display configurations are
selected with check marks in their boxes. If all display configurations are currently used in the drawing, the message, Nothing is Purgable, is displayed
and you are unable to access the Purge Configurations dialog box.

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4 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Setting Display Systems in a Drawing

You can set the defaults for the display system and its components for your
current drawing. When creating new viewports, model space, and tiled viewports, the default setting are automatically assigned. You can choose to use
the defaults as is, or you can modify the display system and its components
as necessary. Using the default drawing settings is beneficial when you are a
new user getting familiar with display systems, and it can assist a
CAD Manager in maintaining design standards. You can save templates with
default display system settings to maintain consistency.

Setting the Default Display Representations of

AEC Objects
You can specify the default display representation for each AEC object type.
You can use a predefined display representation such as Model or Plan, or use
a display representation that you created and exists in your current drawing.
You can set the default properties of the AEC objects such as layer, color, linetype, and visibility of the AEC object components.
To set the default display representation for an AEC object
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the Drawing Setup dialog box, click the Display tab.
3 Under Display Representations, set the display representations for any of
the AEC object types:

From the Object Type list, select an AEC object. The available display
representations for the selected AEC object are listed under Display
Representations.

NOTE You cannot modify the number or names of the display

representations of an AEC object from the Drawing Setup dialog box. For
further information about modifying display representations see, Working
with Display Representations on page 121.

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Under Display Representations, select the display representation that

you want to set, and click Edit.

Display System

NOTE If the display representation you select does not apply to the
selected AEC object, then the Edit option is unavailable and the message
Does Not Use Display Properties is displayed under the Object Type list.
4 In the Entity Properties dialog box, edit the display properties to determine how the AEC object (entity) is displayed in the display representation. To set the same display properties for multiple or all AEC object components in the Entity Properties dialog box, use standard MicrosoftWindows-based selection methods. For example, hold down SHIFT to select
several consecutive AEC object components in the Component list. Hold
down CTRL to select several nonconsecutive components.

Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab to modify the graphical properties

of the AEC object components in the display representation that you
selected such as, layer, color, linetype, and visibility (on/off).

NOTE By default, the layer of AEC object components is set to 0 and the
color and linetype are set to ByBlock. With these defaults, the AEC object
components inherit the color and linetype properties of the parent
AEC object. AEC object components cannot exist as AEC objects outside their
parent AEC object as typical Autodesk AEC objects can. AEC object
components with these ByBlock defaults always inherit the layer, color, and
linetype properties of their parent AEC object.

Click the Hatching tab, if applicable, to modify the hatch properties of

each hatched component of the AEC object. These properties include
the hatch pattern, scale, angle, and orientation of the hatch.
Click the Other tab, if applicable, to modify other AEC object-specific
properties. For example, in the Plan display representation of a door,
you can add a straight swing to a door or a custom block to the display
of the door.

NOTE The tabs in this dialog box depend on the AEC object type and
display representation that you select. For example, a wall AEC object in a
Model display representation displays only the Layer/Color/Linetype tab; a
wall AEC object in a Plan display representation displays two additional tabs
to set display properties for hatching and cut-plane components.
5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have set all the default display representations that you want to set.
6 Click OK.

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Setting the Default Display Configuration

You can specify the default display configuration that is applied to new viewports, model space, or tiled viewports.
To set the default display configuration for a viewport
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Drawing Setup.

NOTE You can set the default display configuration through the Display
Manager. Right-click the display configuration in the tree view of the Display
Manager, and choose Set as Drawing Default from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Drawing Setup dialog box, click the Display tab.
3 In the Drawing Default Display Configuration list box, select the display
configuration that you want to apply to new viewports or when the
TILEMODE system variable is set to 1.
4 Click OK.

NOTE When you access the Viewport Display Configuration dialog box to
apply a display configuration for a viewport in your drawing, the system
default display configuration is listed in the dialog box as System Default.

Setting the Display Configurations in Viewports

You can specify a display configuration for a viewport, model space, or tiled
viewport at any time during your design process. You change the current display configuration in a viewport by specifying a new display configuration.
To set a display configuration for the current viewport
1 Set the viewport as current in which you want to set the display configuration.

NOTE You can set the display configuration for the current viewport
through the Display Manager. Right-click the display configuration in the tree
view of the Display Manager, and choose Set To Current Viewport from the
shortcut menu.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Select Display.

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3 In the Viewport Display Configuration dialog box, select the viewport display configuration that you want to use.
4 Click OK.

NOTE The viewport display configuration that you selected is now applied
to the current viewport. When you choose Select Display again from the
Desktop menu while that viewport is current, then the new display configuration is highlighted in the Set Display Configuration for Current Viewport list.

Copying Display Systems Between Drawings

Display systems and their components, such as display configurations and
display sets, can be shared between drawings. You can import display configurations and display sets from an existing drawing into your current drawing. You can export display configurations and display sets from your current
drawing to other existing drawings. This is beneficial when you are a new
user getting familiar with display systems, and it can assist a CAD Manager
in maintaining design standards. For further information about sharing
entire display system between drawings see, Sending Display Systems by
Email on page 141.

Importing Display Sets

You can import display sets from an existing drawing into your current
drawing.
To import display sets
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Right-click the Sets folder, and choose Import/Export from the shortcut
menu.
3 In the Import/Export dialog box, click Open.
4 In the File to Import From dialog box, select a drawing file to import the
display sets from, and click Open.
5 In the Import/Export dialog box under External File, select one or more
sets that you want to import, and then click Import.
The display sets are now in your current drawing.

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137

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
when you select the additional items.
If you use a display set name that already exists in the target drawing, the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box is displayed. This dialog
box lists the duplicate names. You can choose to leave the existing display set
in the drawing, overwrite the existing display set with the new one, or
rename the display set to a unique name.
6 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Importing Display Configurations

You can import display configurations from an existing drawing into your
current drawing. When you import a display configuration, the display sets
that make up the display configuration are imported as well.
To import display configurations
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Right-click the Configurations folder, and choose Import/Export from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Import/Export dialog box, click Open.
4 In the File to Import From dialog box, select a drawing file to import the
display configuration from, and then click OK.

NOTE Importing a display configuration also imports the display sets that
make up the display configuration.
5 In the Import/Export dialog box under External File, select one or more
display configurations that you want to import, and then click Import.
The display configurations are now in your current drawing.

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
while you select the additional items.
If you use a display configuration name that already exists in the target drawing, the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box is displayed. This
dialog box lists the duplicate names. You can choose to leave the existing dis-

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play configuration in the drawing, overwrite the existing display configuration with the new one, or rename the display configuration to a unique name.
6 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Exporting Display Sets

You can export display sets from your current drawing to an existing drawing
or to a new drawing file.
To export display sets
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Right-click the Sets folder, and choose Import/Export.
3 In the Import/Export dialog box, do one of the following options.

Click Open, in the File to Import From dialog box, select a drawing file
to export the display configurations to, and click Open.
Click New, in the New Drawing File dialog box, type a name for the
new drawing file, and click Save.

4 In the Import/Export dialog box, select one or more display sets to export,
and click Export.
The display sets are now in the new or existing drawing.

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
while you select the additional items.
If you use a display set name that already exists in the target drawing, the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box is displayed. This dialog
box lists the duplicate names. You can choose to leave the existing display set
in the drawing, overwrite the existing display set with the new one, or
rename the display set to a unique name.
5 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Exporting Display Configurations

You can export display configurations from your current drawing to an existing drawing or to a new drawing file. When you export a display configuration, the display sets that make up the display configuration are exported as
well.

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139

To export display configurations

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Right-click the Configurations folder, and choose Import/Export.
3 In the Import/Export dialog box, do one of the following options.

Click Open, in the File to Import From dialog box, select a drawing file
to export the display configurations to, and click Open.
Click New, in the New Drawing File dialog box, type a name for the
new drawing file, and click Save.

4 In the Import/Export dialog box, select one or more display configurations to export, and click Export.
The display configurations are now in the new or existing drawing.

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
while you select the additional items.
If you use a display configuration name that already exists in the target drawing, the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box is displayed. This
dialog box lists the duplicate names. You can choose to leave the existing display configuration in the drawing, overwrite the existing display configuration with the new one, or rename the display configuration to a unique name.
5 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Working with Display Systems on the Web

In the Display Manager, you can access the Web and download Display
Systems and various components, such as Display Sets, directly into your
current drawing.

NOTE This feature of the Display Manager is available only when you have
Internet access available on your system. If you do not have access to the Internet
available on your system, the Web option is not available on the Display
Manager menu and shortcut menus.
When accessing the Web through the Display Manager, the right pane acts
as your Web browser and displays the Web page containing available display
configurations and other display system components. You can select what
you want to download and use standard Microsoft Windows-based naviga-

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tion methods to add the selected display system components into your
current drawing.

Downloading Display Systems from the Web

You can download display system components, such as display sets and display configurations, from the web directly into your drawings.

To download display systems from the Web

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 Depending on what display system component you want to download
from the Web, do one of the following:

Right-click the Configurations folder, and choose Configurations on

Point A.
Right-click the Sets folder, and choose Display Sets on Point A.
3 .Follow instructions on the Web page in the right pane of the Display
Manager to access the display system components you want to download.
4 Right-click the display system component image you want in the Web
browser. While holding down the right mouse button, drag the image into
the tree view in the left pane of the Display Manager.

NOTE Drop the image into the correct location in the tree view according
to what display component you have selected. For example, if you dragged
a display set into the tree view, add it into the Sets folder.
5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have set all the display system components
that you want to download into your current drawing.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Sending Display Systems by Email

In the Display Manager, you can share your display system by copying them
to a new drawing and sending the drawing by email to other users of
Architectural Desktop.

NOTE This feature of the Display Manager is available only when you have
email available on your system. If you do not have email available on your

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141

system, the Send option is not available from the Display Manager menu and
shortcut menus.
You can send the entire display system in your drawing to another user of
Architectural Desktop. The Display Manager copies the display system
information to a new drawing file (.dwg), and attaches it to a new email
message, created with the email program on your system. Users of Autodesk
Architectural Desktop who receive your display system by email can import
your display system in their drawings, open the attached drawing file and
export your display system to their drawings, or use the attached drawing file
as a template for new drawings. For further information about importing and
exporting display systems, see Copying Display Systems Between Drawings
on page 137.

Sending the Display System in a Drawing

You can send the entire display system in one of your drawings to other users
of Architectural Desktop by copying them to a drawing file (.dwg) and sending the file by email.
To send a display system in a drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view of the Display Manager, select the drawing name of the
current drawing.
3 In the Display Manager, choose File Send.
Select the drawing in the tree view, right-click, and choose Send from the
shortcut menu.
4 If email is not available on your system, the Send option is not available
from the Display Manager menu and shortcut menus.
A new email message with the subject ADT Display System, is created
using your email program. A drawing file (.dwg) containing the display
information is added to the message as a file attachment.
5 Send the email message with your email program.

Troubleshooting the Display System

If you have a problem with the display system in your drawing, try one of the
suggestions below.

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Why isnt my entity displayed?

When you have AEC objects in your model that are not displaying correctly
in your viewports, the following procedure can help you find what may be
the problem.
To check why an entity is not displaying
1 In the Display Manager, check the display configuration to find out what
display set is being used in the viewport with the entity display problem.
2 In the detailed view of the display sets in the Display Manager, make sure
a display representation for the entity is selected in that display set.
3 If a display representation is selected, look at the display properties. Are all
components turned off? Are components on layers turned off?
4 Is the entity drawn on a layer that is turned off?

Why isnt my display system updating?

Under certain circumstances, such as when you switch view directions in
shade modes other than 2D wireframe, the display is not correctly restored.
In such cases, type objrelupdate on the command line, and either select
the problem AEC object or press ENTER to select all the AEC objects. This
forces the display system to regenerate all the current display
representations.

Display System Command List

Select Display...

Menu command

Command line

Select Display...

SelectDisplay

Right-click

Troubleshooting the Display System

143

Display Manager...

144

Menu command

Command line

Display Manager....

DisplayManager

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Right-click

European Plan Views

In this chapter, you find a description of the specific

In this chapter

Plan views for architectural objects containing Euro-

Accessing European Plan Views

pean standards for display. They contain special compo-

Modifying Display Properties in

Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50

nents and features that are necessary for different planning stages of the project.

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The European plan views contain special display properties for architectural
objects, like doors, windows, and stairs. This chapter lists and describes those
display properties in the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 display configurations.
For a detailed description of working with architectural objects see the corresponding chapter in this manual. For example, if you want detailed information about working with doors, go to Doors on page 641.
For a detailed description of the Display System see Display System on page
99.
In this chapter, you find a short description of how to access the European
plan views as well as how to change the display properties for each object.
Additionally, you can find a list with all the special display properties you can
set.

Accessing European Plan Views

There are two plan views designed specifically for European Architecture.
Plan 1-100 This view has been defined for creating design view plans. It
contains display representations for all AEC objects with the detail level
needed for delivering a plan in 1:100 scale. A door, for example, contains in
Plan 1-100 a panel, swing, and direction arrow. In Plan 1-50 it contains a
panel, swing, direction, and frame as well as special settings to modify the
frame display to L or U shaped.
Plan 1-50 This view has been defined for creating working plans. It contains
display representations for all AEC objects with the detail level needed for
delivering a plan in 1:50 scale. A window, for example, contains in Plan 1-50
the components frame, sash, glass as well as special settings to modify the
frame display with an offset. In Plan 1-100 it contains only one single window component.
When you open a new drawing it is opened per default in Plan 1-100 view.

NOTE When you have selected Imperial content during installation, new
drawings are opened in Plan view.
To access the European plan views
1 On the Desktop menu, select Display Manager.

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2 In the Display Manager, navigate to the Configurations folder.

3 Select the Plan 1-100 or the Plan 1-50 display configurations.
4 Select Attach to Current Viewport from the shortcut menu.
5 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.

Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of

Objects
You can access the display properties for any architectural object and change
them according to your needs.
You can change the display properties of architectural objects on three different levels:
System Default: If you change the display properties of an object on the
System Default level, all objects of that type you have created in your drawing take the new settings. If you add, for example, a door threshold symbol
on the system default level, all doors in your drawing are displayed with the
chosen door threshold symbol, until you change that setting again.
Style: If you change the display properties on the style level, all objects that
have that style take the new settings. If you add, for example, a door threshold symbol in a door style, all doors that are created with that style are displayed with the chosen door threshold symbol.
Object: If you change the display properties for one individual object, only
this object take the new settings. If you add, for example, a door threshold
symbol for one individual door, only this door is displayed with the chosen
door threshold symbol.
All three options are described in this section.
To change the entity display of objects
1 Select the object in your drawing for that you want to change the entity
display. If you want, for example, to add a door threshold symbol, select
the door in the drawing.
2 Select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Do any of the following:

If you want to change the entity display for the Plan 1-100 display representation, choose Plan 1-100 from the list.
If you want to change the entity display for the Plan 1-50 display representation, choose Plan 1-50 from the list.

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147

If you want to change the entity display for any additional display representations associated with the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 views,
choose that display representation from the list. If you want, for example, to add a door threshold symbol, choose the Threshold Symbol Plan
display representation from the list.

5 Do any of the following:

If you want to change the entity display for all objects of that type in
the drawing, select System Default from the Property Source column.
If you want to change the entity display for all objects associated with
this style, select <Object> Style from the Property Source column. If you
want, for example, to change the entity display for a door style, select
Door Style from the list.
If you want to change the entity display for one individual object,
select <Object> from the Property Source column. If you want, for
example, to change the entity display for a door, select Door from the
list.

6 Click Attach Override if necessary.

7 Click Edit Display Props.
The Entity Properties dialog box consists of various tabs, that differ for
each individual object and each display representation.
A door, for example, contains in the Plan 1-100 display representation the
Layer/Color/Linetype tab and the Other tab, where you can set custom
blocks for the door display. The same door contains in its Plan 1-50 display representation the Layer/Color/Linetype tab, the Other tab, and additionally the Frame Display tab, where you can set the frame display. If you
choose the Threshold Symbol Plan display representation, the door contains a Layer/Color/Linetype tab, and the Other tab, where you can set the
threshold symbol.
For detailed information about the special European display settings refer
to the sections on the individual objects in Plan 1-100 on page 148 and
Plan 1-50 on page 159.
8 Edit the entity display as desired, and click OK twice to exit the dialog
boxes.

Plan 1-100
The Plan 1-100 view is designed specifically for creating design view plans.
The architectural objects contain all components and settings necessary for

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working with the design view, but none of the additional details you would
need for a working plan.

Doors
The following sections list the display components of a door in Plan 1-100
view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a door threshold
symbol to doors.

Components
The door in Plan 1-100 has the following display components:
Door Components in Plan 1-100
Name

Description

Panel

The filling of the door

Swing

The radius the door can swing to

Direction

An arrow indicating the direction in that the door swings.

NOTE The direction symbol is not available for all types of doors. It
is available, for example, for revolving doors.

To change door components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

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Door Threshold Symbols

When you have created a door with a threshold, you can add a threshold
symbol to it. For information about adding a door threshold, see Changing
the Door Threshold on page 665.
You have a number of different threshold symbols for various European Standards.

Different door threshold symbols

To change the door threshold symbol

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props dialog box.
2 Select Threshold Symbol Plan from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab, and edit the threshold symbol as
desired.
7 Click the Other tab, and select a threshold symbol.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Windows
The following section lists the display components of a window in
Plan 1-100 view.

Components
The window in Plan 1-100 consists of only one window component, because
Plan 1-100 offers a simplified view for the design plan. Therefore, the window is drawn in only one color and linetype.

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To change the window component

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit the window component as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility on and off, change color or lineweight.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Openings
The following sections list the display components of an opening in
Plan 1-100 view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a
symbol to openings.

Components
The opening in Plan 1-100 has the following display components:
Opening Components in Plan 1-100
Name

Description

Length Lines

The length of the opening

Width Lines

The width of the opening

Cross Line A

The first crossline of the opening symbol

Cross Line B

The second crossline of the opening symbol

Hatch

The hatch of the opening symbol

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151

To change opening components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Opening Sill Plan

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Sill Plan from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Change any of the following values for sill components: visibility, layer,
color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale, and plot style.
7 Click the Other tab, and make any changes to sill dimensions, which
include the depth and extension of each sill.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Opening Symbol
When you have created an opening, you can add an opening symbol to it.
You have a number of different opening symbols to choose from.

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Different opening symbols

To change the opening symbol

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Fill Type tab, and select an opening symbol.
7 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Stairs
The following sections list the display components of a stair in Plan 1-100
view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add European standard stairline settings to stairs.

Components
The stair in Plan 1-100 has the following display components:
Stair Components in Plan 1-100
Name

Description

Nosing Above Cut

Plane

The nosing of the treads that are above the

cutline

Path Above Cut

Plane

The part of the walking line that is above the

cut plane

Outline Below Cut

Plane

The stair boundary below the cut plane

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Stair Components in Plan 1-100

Name

Description

Nosing Below Cut

Plane

The nosing of the treads that are below the

cutline

Path Below Cut Plane

The part of the walking line that is below the

cut plane

Outline Below Cut

Plane

The stair boundary below the cut plane

To change stair components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Stairline Settings
For European architecture, you need a number of settings to define the stairline correctly.
To edit stairline settings
1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.

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5 Click Edit Display Props.

6 Click the Other tab.
7 To edit the stairline, do any of the following:

Choose whether you want to draw only one stair line or separate stair
lines for reach flight.

Stairline for whole stair and separate flights

Choose whether you want a straight or a curved stair line.

Straight and curved stairlines

Choose whether you want to apply the stair line to the whole stair or
separately to the parts above and below the cut plane.

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Stairline for whole stair and for parts above and below cutline

8 To edit arrow symbol settings, do any of the following:

Type the size of the start and end arrow symbols.

Type the offset of the end arrow symbol from the break marks.
Select the AutoCAD dimension style the shape of the start and end
arrow symbols are taken from.
Select if you want to have a standard arrow that is as wide as the stair
and as long as one tread.

9 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Mass Elements
The following sections list the display components of a mass element in
Plan 1-100 view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a cut
plane height to a mass element.

Components
The mass element in Plan 1-100 has the following display components:
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156

Name

Description

Entity Boundary

The boundary of the whole object

Hatch Component

The hatch of the object at cut plane height

Cut Boundary

The boundary of the mass element at cut plane

height

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To change mass element components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Cut Plane Height

In the Plan 1-100 display representation, you can set a cut plane height for
mass elements, just like for walls.
To set the cut plane height for mass elements
1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Other tab.
7 Type a cut plane height for the mass element.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Mass Group
The following sections list the display components of a mass group in
Plan 1-100 view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a cut
plane height to a mass group.

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Components
The mass group in Plan 1-100 has the following display components:

Mass Group Components in Plan 1-100

Name

Description

Entity

The boundary of any mass element attached to the

mass group

Marker

The mass group marker symbol

Hatch Component

The cut hatch of any mass elements attached to the

mass group

Cut Boundary

The cut boundary of any mass elements attached to the

mass group

To change mass group components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Cut Plane Height

In the Plan 1-100 display representation, you can set a cut plane height for
mass groups. The cut plane height of the mass group affects all mass elements
attached to it.

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To set the cut plane height for mass groups

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-100 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Other tab.
7 Type a cut plane height for the mass group.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Plan 1-50
The Plan 1-50 view is designed specifically for creating working plans. The
architectural objects contain all components and settings necessary for working with the working plan. It is a very detailed view that is best suited for the
later stages of the floor plan development.

Doors
The following sections list the display components of a door in Plan 1-50
view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a door threshold
symbol and change the door frame display.

Components
The door in Plan 1-50 has the following display components:
Door Components in Plan 1-50
Name

Description

Panel

The filling of the door

Swing

The radius the door can swing to

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Door Components in Plan 1-50

Name

Description

Direction

An arrow indicating the direction in that the door

swings.
NOTE The direction symbol is not available for all
types of doors. It is available, for example, for
revolving doors.

Frame

The frame components of the door. You can choose

between standard, L- or U-shaped frames.

To change door components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Door Frame
In Plan 1-50, the door display representation includes a component for the
door frame. You can choose with which shape the door frame is displayed
and set vertical and horizontal extensions for the door frame.

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Door frames with U-shape (left) and L-shape (right)

To change the door frame display

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Frame Display tab.
7 Select a frame type. You can choose between standard, u-shaped and lshaped door types.
8 If you have selected an u-shaped or l-shaped door type, enter vertical and
horizontal extensions for the door frame.
9 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Door Threshold Symbols

When you have created a door with a threshold, you can add a threshold
symbol to it. For information about adding a door threshold, see Changing
the Door Threshold on page 665.
You have a number of different threshold symbols for European Standards.

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Different door threshold symbols

To change the door threshold symbol

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Threshold Symbol Plan from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab and edit the threshold symbol as
desired.
7 Click the Other tab, and select a threshold symbol.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Windows
The following sections list the display components of a window in Plan 1-50
view. Additionally you can find a description of how to change the window
frame display.

Components
The window in Plan 1-50 has the following display components:
Window Components in Plan 1-50

162

Name

Description

Frame

The frame in that the window is placed

Sash

The window sash

Glass

The glass inset of the window

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To change the window components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit the window component as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Window Frame
In Plan 1-50, the window display representation includes a component for
the window frame. You can choose if you want the window frame displayed
straight or with an offset to the window stock.

Window frame without offset (left) and with offset (right)

To change the window frame display

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.

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6 Click the Frame Display tab.

7 Select if you want the frame offset from the stock or not.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Openings
The following sections list the display components of an opening in
Plan 1-50 view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add an
opening symbol.

Components
The opening in Plan 1-50 has the following display components:
Opening Components in Plan 1-50
Name

Description

Length Lines

The length of the opening

Width Lines

The width of the opening

Cross Line A

The first crossline of the opening symbol

Cross Line B

The second crossline of the opening symbol

Hatch

The hatch of the opening symbol

To change opening components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

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Opening Sill Plan

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Sill Plan from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Change any of the following values for sill components: visibility, layer,
color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale, and plot style.
7 Click the Other tab, and make any changes to sill dimensions, which
include the depth and extension of each sill.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Opening Symbol
When you have created an opening, you can add an opening symbol to it.
You have a number of different opening symbols to choose from.

Different opening symbols

To change the opening symbol

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click the Fill Type tab, and select an opening symbol.
5 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

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165

Stairs
The following sections list the display components of a stair in Plan 1-50
view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a European standard stairline.

Components
The stair in Plan 1-50 has the following display components:
Stair Components in Plan 1-50
Name

Description

Nosing Below Cut

Plane

Nosing of the treads below the cutline

Nosing Above Cut

Plane

Nosing of the treads above the cutline

Path Below Cut Plane

Walking line below the cut plane

Path Above Cut

Plane

Walking line above the cut plane

Outline Below Cut

Plane

Stair boundary below the cut plane

Outline Above Cut

Plane

Stair boundary above the cut plane

Stringer Below Cut

Plane

Stringer below the cut plane

Stringer above cut

plane

Stringer above the cut plane

Riser Below Cut

Plane

Height of the steps below the cut plane

Riser Above Cut

Plane

Height of the steps above the cut plane

To change stair components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.

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3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Stairline Settings
For European Architecture, you need a number of settings to define the stairline correctly.
To edit stairline settings
1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Other tab.
7 To edit the stairline, do any of the following:

Choose whether you want to draw only one stair line or separate stair
lines for each flight.

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Stairline for whole stairs and for separate flights

Choose whether you want a straight or a curved stair line.

Straight and curved stairline

Choose whether you want to apply the stair line to the whole stair or
separately to the parts above and below the cut plane.

Stairline for whole stair and parts below and above cutline

8 To edit arrow symbol settings, do any of the following:

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Type the size of the start and end arrow symbols.

Type the offset of the end arrow symbol from the break marks.
Select the AutoCAD dimension style the shape of the start and end
arrow symbols are taken from.
Select if you want to have a standard arrow that is as wide as the stair
and as long as one tread.

9 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Mass Element
The following sections list the display components of a mass element in
Plan 1-50 view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a cut
plane height to a mass element.

Components
The mass element in Plan 1-50 has the following display components:

Mass Element Components in Plan 1-50

Name

Description

Entity Boundary

The boundary of the whole object

Hatch Component

The hatch of the object at cut plane height

Cut Boundary

The boundary of the mass element at cut plane

height

To change mass element components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.

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7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Cut Plane Height

In the Plan 1-50 display representation, you can set a cut plane height for
mass elements, just like for walls.
To set the cut plane height for mass elements
1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click the Other tab.
5 Type a cut plane height for the mass element.
6 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Mass Group
The following sections list the display components of a mass group in
Plan 1-50 view. Additionally you can find a description of how to add a cut
plane height to a mass group.

Components
The mass group in Plan 1-50 has the following display components:
Mass Group Components in Plan 1-50

170

Name

Description

Entity

The boundary of any mass element attached to the

mass group

Marker

The mass group marker symbol

Hatch Component

The cut hatch of any mass elements attached to the

mass group

Cut Boundary

The cut boundary of any mass elements attached to

the mass group

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To change mass group components

1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit your components as desired. You can, for example, switch visibility
on and off, change colors or lineweights.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

Cut Plane Height

In the Plan 1-50 display representation, you can set a cut plane height for
mass groups. The cut plane height of the mass group affects all mass elements
attached to it.
To set the cut plane height for mass groups
1 Open the Entity Display dialog box as described in Changing the Plan
1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of Objects on page 147, and click the Display
Props tab.
2 Select Plan 1-50 from the list.
3 Select the property source you want to edit. For information about property sources, see Changing the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 Display of
Objects on page 147.
4 Click Attach Override if necessary.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Other tab.
7 Type a cut plane height for the mass group.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.

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Model Explorer and

Viewers

The Model Explorer is a window in which you can

In this chapter

create, view, and manipulate mass elements and mass

Using Model Explorer

groups. You can create your entire conceptual model by

using Model Explorer. The main viewing window

Using the Object Viewer

Using the Floating Viewer
Changing the entity display

display is similar to the 3D orbit view.

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Using Model Explorer

The Model Explorer is a window in which you can create, view, and manipulate mass elements and mass groups. Mass elements are primitive objects
representing specific shapes and having definable parametric behaviors.
Mass groups are assemblages of mass elements combined in a specific order.
For more information, see Mass Groups and Mass Elements in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
You can create your entire conceptual model by using Model Explorer. The
main viewing window display is similar to the 3D orbit view. You can attach
AEC objects and mass elements to mass groups and view them in the Model
Explorer. For more information about 3D orbit view, see Specifying 3D
Views Interactively (3D Orbit) in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To display objects from your drawing in the Model Explorer, from the Concept menu, choose Model Explorer.
The Model Explorer is divided into three major areas: the command area
across the top, the graphics area on the right, and the tree view list of drawings in the left pane.

The command area contains menus and toolbars related to the Model
Explorer.
The graphics area displays the mass elements or groups that are selected
in the tree view.
The tree view lists mass groups and attached objects and displays icons
that indicate the operation property of the objectsadditive, subtractive,
and intersectionas follows:

Both squares yellow = additive

Top portion of the two squares yellow = subtractive
Middle of squares yellow = intersection

An additive operation in the Model Explorer combines the total volume of

two or more solids or two or more regions into a composite object. A subtractive operation removes the common area of one set of solids from another.
An intersection removes non-overlapping portions and creates a composite
solid from the common volume.

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The order of the objects and mass elements in the tree view dictates the outcome of the group when mass elements are combined. The Model Explorer
is the only viewer where the order of objects and elements can be set.

NOTE To return to the Model Explorer, click an object within the tree view.

Using Display Commands

The following options change the display of the objects in the Model
Explorer.

Wireframe Produces a display in the current viewport in which all lines

are present, including those hidden by other objects.
Hide Regenerates a three-dimensional model with hidden lines
suppressed.
Shade Displays a flat-shaded image of the drawing in the current
viewport.
Render Creates a realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional
wireframe or solid model. Displays the image better in a perspective
view.
Pan Pans the view in the graphics area of the Model Explorer.
Zoom Realtime Zooms the Model Explorer display as you move your
pointing device.
Orbit Sets the display in the graphics area to 3D orbit view.
Adjust Distance Moves the view in the graphics area.

You can select the following views from the list:

Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, Back: Sets the current view to the
selected view.
SW Isometric, SE Isometric, NE Isometric, NW Isometric: Sets the
current view to the selected isometric view.

You can also select any saved view from this list.

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175

NOTE Hold down SHIFT and click to pan in the graphics area of the Model
Explorer. Hold down CTRL and click to zoom in the graphics area of the Model
Explorer.

Using Mass Commands

New Grouping Creates a new mass group in the drawing.

New Element Creates a new mass element in the drawing.
Cut Cuts the selected item in the tree view to the Clipboard.
Copy Copies the selected item from the tree view to the Clipboard.
Paste Pastes the selected item into the tree view at the selected
location.
Delete Item Deletes an item from the tree view and from the drawing.
Attach Items Attaches existing mass elements or objects to the selected
mass group. Select one or more elements or objects in the drawing. This
option is available only when a mass group is selected in the tree view.
Detach Items Detaches the selected mass elements or objects from the
mass group. This option is available only when a mass group is selected
in the tree view.
Properties Opens the properties dialog box for the selected mass
element, object, or mass group.
Display Configuration Changes the display configuration of the
objects in the Model Explorer. Select a display configuration from the
list.

Creating a Mass Element

You can create a mass element quickly in the Model Explorer.
To create a mass element using the Model Explorer
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 From the Model Explorer File menu, choose New Element, or click

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3 In the Add Mass Element dialog box under Shape, select Arch, Barrel
Vault, Box, Doric, Cone, Cylinder, Dome, Gable, Pyramid, Isosceles Triangle, Right Triangle, or Sphere.
4 Enter width, depth, and height.
5 Click the drawing, place the element, and choose the rotation.
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Mass Group

You can create a mass group quickly in the Model Explorer.
To create a mass group using the Model Explorer
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 From the Model Explorer File menu, choose New Grouping, or click

3 Place the mass marker in your drawing.

The location does not represent the location of the mass elements that are
added to the marker. Therefore, you can locate the mass marker in any
convenient area.
4 Select an angle for the mass marker.
The new mass group is added to the project tree in the Model Explorer.

Creating a Mass Element in a Mass Group

You can create a mass element that is automatically attached to an existing
group. This method is quicker than creating a mass group through the menu
and then attaching elements.
To create a mass element attached to a mass group
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 In the tree view, select an existing mass group.
3 Right-click, and then select Create Element from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Add Mass Element dialog box under Shape, select Arch, Barrel
Vault, Box, Doric, Cone, Cylinder, Dome, Gable, Pyramid, Isosceles Triangle, Right Triangle, or Sphere.
5 Click the drawing, place the element, and choose the rotation.
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

Attaching a Mass Element to a Mass Group

After a mass group is created, you can attach existing mass elements to the
group.

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177

To attach a mass element to a mass group

1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 In the tree view, select an existing mass group.
3 Right-click, and then select Attach Elements from the shortcut menu.
4 Select the existing mass elements to add to the group.
5 Press ENTER to add the elements to the group and end the command.

Attaching Objects to a Mass Group

After a mass group is created, you can attach objects in the drawing to the
group.
To attach an object to a mass group
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 In the tree view, select an existing mass group.
3 Right-click, and then select Attach Elements from the shortcut menu.
4 Select the existing objects to add to the group.
5 Press ENTER to add the objects to the group and end the command.

Setting a Mass Element Operation to Additive

Mass elements are additive when you create them. After a mass element has
been added to a mass group, its operation can be changed to produce different results. You can also change the operation of the mass element back to
additive. For more information about mass elements, see Mass Elements
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Specifying an additive mass element operation

To set the operation of a mass element to Additive

1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 In the tree view, select an existing mass element.

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3 Right-click, and then select Operation Additive from the shortcut

menu.
4 In the project tree, click Project to update the display.
The display changes to indicate the new operation property of the mass
element.

Setting a Mass Element Operation to Subtractive

Mass elements are additive when you create them. After a mass element has
been added to a mass group, its operation can be changed to produce different results. If the mass element is subtractive, its shape is taken out of the
mass group. For more information about mass elements, see Mass Elements
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Specifying a subtractive mass element operation

To set the operation of a mass element to subtractive

1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 In the tree view, select an existing mass element.
3 Right-click, and then select Operation Subtractive from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the tree view, click Project to update the display.
The display changes to indicate the new subtractive operation of the mass
element.

Setting a Mass Element Operation to Intersection

Mass elements are additive when you create them. After a mass element has
been added to a mass group, its operation can be changed to produce different results. If the mass element is set to intersect, a shape is defined by the
overlap where the mass element intersects with another mass element. For
more information about mass elements, see Mass Elements in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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179

Specifying an intersection mass element operation

To set the operation of a mass element to intersection

1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 In the tree view, select an existing mass element.
3 Right-click, and then select Operation Intersect from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the project tree, click Project to update the display.
The display changes to indicate the new intersection operation of the
mass element.

Setting the Order of Mass Elements

The operation (additive, subtractive, intersection) of each mass element in a
mass group is based on the elements higher in the project tree. You can use
the Model Explorer to move mass elements within mass groups by dragging
and dropping within the project tree. Elements are listed in the Model
Explorer tree view in the order they are created in the Model Explorer or
selected for the mass group.
To set the order of mass elements in the Model Explorer
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 Click the element you want to move.
3 Drag the element to the target location in the tree view and release the
button.

Moving a Mass Element from One Mass Group to Another

You can move a mass element from one mass group to another in the Model
Explorer project tree. The results can be viewed in the Model Explorer viewer.
To move a mass element to another mass group
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.

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2 Click the element you want to move.

3 Drag the element to another group in the tree view.

Viewing Entities on a Nonvisible Layer

When you start the Model Explorer for the first time, the default for viewing
objects is set so that any object on a layer that is frozen or turned off is not
displayed. You can change the setting and view all entities (objects), regardless of the visibility of the layer on which they reside.
To view all entities in the Model Explorer
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 From the Model Explorer View menu, choose Show All Layers.
The check mark () in the menu next to Show All Layers indicates that all
entities are displayed in the Model Explorer.

Maintaining Zoom Percentage and Position of an

Object
When you select an object in the Model Explorer tree view, the zoom percentage and location of the object is maintained. This is useful when you
want to examine how the object relates to the rest of the drawing.
You can set the Model Explorer to display the selected object only and display
it at maximum size.
To change the position and zoom percentage of an object in the Model
Explorer
1 From the Concept menu, choose Show Model Explorer.
2 From the Model Explorer View menu, choose Auto Zoom Extents.
3 Select the object to view from the tree view. The Model Explorer window
is displayed only the selected object, zoomed to fit the window.

Object Viewer
The Object Viewer is displayed objects you select in your drawing, based on
the current display configuration in the drawing. You can manipulate the
viewing angle and then set the drawing view equal to the view in the Object
Viewer.

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To display objects from your drawing in the Object Viewer, select the objects,
right-click, and choose Object Viewer from the shortcut menu.
The view in the Object Viewer is the same as the drawing view. If the drawing
is in plan view, the objects in the Object Viewer are in 2D plan view. If you
are viewing your drawing in 3D, then the objects are displayed in 3D.

Wireframe Displays objects in the current viewport with all lines present,
including those hidden by other objects.
Hide Regenerates three-dimensional objects with hidden lines
suppressed.
Shade Displays flat-shaded objects in the current viewport.
Render Creates realistically shaded images of three-dimensional
wireframe or solid objects. Displays better in a perspective view.
Pan Moves the current view without changing its size.
Zoom Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current
viewport.
Orbit Sets the display window to 3D orbit view.
Move Displaces objects a specified distance in a specified direction.

From the list at the right side of the Object Viewer, you can select the
following.

Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, or Back: Sets the current view to
the selected view.
SW Isometric, SE Isometric, NE Isometric, or NW Isometric: Sets
the current view to the selected isometric view.
Named views are also available from this list.

Save Bitmap Saves the current view as a bitmap (BMP) file.

Copy Copies the view to the Clipboard.
Parallel Sets the view to a parallel plane.
Perspective Sets a perspective view.

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Lens Length Stores the length of the lens used in perspective viewing
for the current viewport.
Set View Sets the view in the drawing equal to the view in the Object
Viewer.

You can choose the following zoom options.

Zoom Window, Zoom Center, Zoom Extents, Zoom In, Zoom

Out, or Zoom Factor: Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects
in the current viewport.
From the list at the bottom of Object Viewer, you can select the display
configuration.

Display Configuration: Sets which display configuration is shown in

the viewer.

NOTE Hold down SHIFT and click to pan in the Object Viewer. Hold down
CTRL and click to zoom in the Object Viewer.

Floating Viewer
You can view the object you are currently drawing by using the Floating
Viewer. In the Add and Modify dialog boxes when you are creating objects,
click

. A small window is displayed, titled Viewer.

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The following options are available in the Floating Viewer:

Wireframe Displays objects in the current viewport with all lines

present, including those hidden by other objects.
Hide Regenerates three-dimensional objects with hidden lines
suppressed.
Shade Displays flat-shaded objects in the current viewport.
Render Creates realistically shaded images of three-dimensional
wireframe or solid objects. Displays better in a perspective view.
Pan Moves the current view without changing its size.
Zoom Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current
viewport.
Orbit Sets the display window to 3D orbit view.
Move Displaces objects a specified distance in a specified direction.

You can select the following from the list.

Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, or Back: Sets the current view to
the selected view.
SW Isometric, SE Isometric, NE Isometric, or NW Isometric: Sets
the current view to the selected isometric view.
Display Configuration: Sets which display configuration is shown in
the viewer.
Named views are also available from this list as shown in the following
illustration.

Changing the Entity Display

You can change the AutoCAD properties and display properties for any
AEC object. This includes controlling the color, layer, linetype, and linetype

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scale of the object and overriding the default display properties for a selected
object.

Changing the AutoCAD Properties of an Object

You can change the color, layer, linetype, linetype scale, and lineweight for a
selected object. For some objects, you can also change the hatching associated with the object.
To change the AutoCAD properties of an object
1 Select an object.
2 Right-click, and select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Click AutoCAD Props.
4 Change any of the following in the object: color, layer, linetype, linetype
scale, and lineweight .
5 Click OK.

Changing the Display Properties of an Object

The display properties of an object affect the way the object appears in the
drawing. You can override the default display for the current display configuration by setting a different visibility, layer, color, linetype, hatching, and
cut plane height for the selected object.
To change the display properties of an object
1 Select an object.
2 Right-click, and select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Optionally, select a different display set for the object from the list. The
display in the current viewport is the default representation and has an
asterisk next to it.
5 Do any of the following:

To change how the object is displayed in the current viewport, select

the object from the property source and click Attach Override.
To change what is displayed for the representation of the selected
object, click Edit Display Properties. This includes the visibility, layer,
color, and linetype. To edit each property, click the field. These changes
affect only the selected object.
To reset the display representation to the next property source in the
list, click Remove Override.

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6 Click OK to set the display for the selected object.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
System Default is the default display representation. When a display configuration is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden are displayed in
the list.

Show Model Explorer Command List

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Menu Command

Command Line

Show Model
Explorer...

ModelExplorer

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Right-click

Mass Elements

You can create mass elements to define the shape and

In this chapter

configuration of your preliminary study, or mass model.

Creating mass elements

After you create the mass elements you need, you can
change their size as necessary to reflect the building

Changing mass elements

Changing mass element

properties

design.

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Creating Mass Elements

You can create mass elements to define the shape and configuration of your
preliminary study, or mass model. After you create the mass elements you
need, you can change their size as necessary to reflect the building design.

Mass element: A single object that has behaviors based on its shape.
For example, you can set the width, depth, and height of a box mass
element, and the radius and height of a cylinder mass element.
Mass elements are parametric, which allows each of the shapes to have
very specific behavior when it comes to the manipulation of each mass
elements shape. For example, if the corner grip point of a box is
selected and dragged, then the width and depth are modified. It is easy
to change the shape to another form by right-clicking on the element
and selecting a new shape from the list.

Through Boolean operations (addition, subtraction, intersection), mass

elements can be combined into a mass group. The mass group provides a
representation of your building during the concept phase of your project.

Mass group: Takes the shape of the mass elements and is placed on a
separate layer from the mass elements.
Mass model: A virtual mass object, shaped from mass elements, that
defines the basic structure and proportion of your building. A marker
appears as a small box in your drawing to which you attach mass
elements.

As you continue developing your mass model, you can combine mass
elements into mass groups and create complex building shapes through
addition, subtraction, or intersection of mass elements. You can still edit
individual mass elements attached to a mass group to further refine the
building model.
To study alternative design schemes, you can create a number of mass
element references. When you change the original of the referenced mass
element, all the instances of the mass element references are updated.
The mass model that you create with mass elements and mass groups is a
refinement of your original idea that you carry forward into the next phase
of the project, in which you change the mass study into floorplates and then
into walls. The walls are used to start the design phase.

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Adding Mass Elements

Mass elements are the basic building blocks for the building model. To create
a mass model of your building, you create and modify mass elements and
arrange them in mass groups. In the next phase of the project, you can convert the basic building model into floorplates and then walls to create your
building design.
To create mass elements, you start with basic shapes and then manipulate
them for the desired result. The twelve basic shapes are arch, barrel vault,
box, cone, cylinder, dome, doric column, gable, pyramid, isosceles triangle,
right triangle, and sphere.
Use grips to manipulate mass elements after you create them. For more information about grips, see Use Grips to Edit Objects in the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

Creating an Arch Mass Element

When you create an arch mass element, you specify the width, depth, height,
and radius.

Creating an arch mass element

To create an arch mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Arch.
3 Change the width, depth, height, and radius as necessary, or select Specify
on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the arch mass
element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

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Creating a Barrel Vault Mass Element

When you create a barrel vault mass element, you specify the width and
radius.

Creating a barrel vault mass element

To create a barrel vault mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Barrel
Vault.
3 Change the width and radius as necessary, or select Specify on Screen to
use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the barrel vault
mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Box Mass Element

When you create a box mass element, you specify the width, depth, and
height.

Creating a box mass element

To create a box mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Box.

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3 Change the width, depth, and height as necessary to match your buildings basic size, or select Specify on Screen to use the pointing device to
change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the box mass
element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Cone Mass Element

When you create a cone mass element, you specify the height and radius.

Creating a cone mass element

To create a cone mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Cone.
3 Change the height and radius as necessary, or select Specify on Screen to
use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the cone mass
element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Cylinder Mass Element

When you create a cylinder mass element, you specify the height and radius.

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Creating a cylinder mass element

To create a cylinder mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Cylinder.
3 Change the height and radius as necessary, or select Specify on Screen to
use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the cylinder
mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Dome Mass Element

Then you create a dome mass element, you specify the radius.

Creating a dome mass element

To create a dome mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Dome.
3 Change the radius as necessary, or select Specify on Screen to use the
pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.

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The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the dome mass
element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Doric Column Mass Element

When you create a doric column mass element, you specify the height and
radius.

Creating a doric column mass element

To create a doric column mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Doric.
3 Change the height and radius as necessary, or select Specify on Screen to
use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the doric column mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Gable Mass Element

When you create a gable mass element, you specify the width, depth, height,
and rise.

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Creating a gable mass element

To create a gable mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Gable.
3 Change the width, depth, height, and rise as necessary, or select Specify
on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the gable mass
element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Pyramid Mass Element

When you create a pyramid mass element, you specify the width, depth, and
height.

Creating a pyramid mass element

To create a pyramid mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element,.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Pyramid.

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3 Change the width, depth, and height as necessary, or select Specify on

Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the pyramid
mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating an Isosceles Triangle Mass Element

When you create an isosceles triangle mass element, you specify the width,
depth, and height.

Isosceles triangle mass element

To create an isosceles triangle mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element,.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Isosceles
Triangle.
3 Change the width, depth, and height as necessary, or select Specify on
Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the isosceles
triangle mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Right Triangle Mass Element

When you create a right triangle mass element, you specify width, depth,
and height.

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Creating a right triangle mass element

To create a right triangle mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element,.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select
Right Triangle.
3 Change the width, depth, and height as necessary, or select Specify on
Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the right triangle mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Sphere Mass Element

When you create a sphere mass element, you specify the radius.

Creating a sphere mass element

To create a sphere mass element

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Sphere.
3 Change the radius as necessary, or select Specify on Screen to use the
pointing device to change the size of the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the sphere mass element.

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5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Mass Element by Extruding a Profile

You can create a custom-shaped mass element by using an AEC profile as the
basis of its shape. First, create the shape for the extrusion by defining a profile. The extrusion projects the shape of the AEC profile to create the mass
element.
To create a custom shape, use the AEC Profile command from the Desktop
menu. For more information about creating a custom shape, see Creating a
Profile from a Polyline on page 1657.

Creating an extruded mass element from a defined profile

To create an extruded mass element from a defined profile

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Extrusion.

NOTE The Extrusion option is available only when an AEC Profile is defined.
3 From the Profile list, select the profile to use when creating the mass element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the extrusion
mass element.
5 Specify the height of the extrusion mass element.
The width and depth of the extrusion mass element are based on the original width and depth of the defined profile. You can specify different
width and depth values if necessary

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6 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
7 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Mass Element by Revolving a Profile

You can create a mass element by defining an AEC profile as the basis of its
shape and then revolving the profile about an axis. First, create the shape for
the revolution by defining a profile. The axis of revolution is along the X axis
of the profile as it is drawn.
For more information about defining profiles, see Creating a Profile from a
Polyline on page 1657.

Creating a revolved mass element from a defined profile

To create a revolved mass element using defined profile

1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select Revolution.

NOTE The Revolution option is available only when an AEC Profile is

defined.
3 From the Profile list, select the profile to use when creating the mass element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the insertion point in your drawing.
The insertion point is at the centroid of the bottom face of the revolved
mass element.
5 Specify a rotation angle or press ENTER for a rotation angle of zero degrees.
6 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

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Converting 3D Objects to Mass Elements

You can convert Architectural Desktop objects and other AutoCAD ACIS solids to Free Form mass elements. When you convert an object to a Free Form
mass element, the object is split into a collection of faces that compose the
original shape.

NOTE When you convert objects to Free Form mass elements, your drawing
size will increase, potentially slowing drawing performance.
To convert an AutoCAD ACIS solid to a Free Form mass element
1 On the command line, type masselement.
2 Type c (convert), and press ENTER.
3 Select the AutoCAD ACIS solid or solids that you want to convert to a Free
Form mass element.
4 Type a name that will display in the Model Explorer and press ENTER.
5 Type y (Yes) to erase the existing geometry, and press ENTER twice to end
the command.

Specifying the Size of a Rectangular Mass Element Dynamically

When you create a mass element, you can use the pointing device to specify
some of the valid size parameters. Some parameters are set; for example, the
radius of an arch is automatically one quarter of the width, and the rise of a
gable is automatically half of the height.
A rectangular mass element is any element that has four lines at its base, such
as an arch, barrel vault, box, gable, pyramid, isosceles triangle, or right
triangle.
To create a rectangular mass element by using the pointing device
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select a rectangular mass element.
3 Select Specify on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of
the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the first corner point.
5 Specify the second corner point for width and depth.
6 Specify the height.
7 Specify a rotation angle.
8 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

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Specifying the Size of a Circular Mass Element Dynamically

When you create a mass element, you can use the pointing device to specify
all the valid size parameters.
To create a circular mass element by using the pointing device
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Add Mass Element.
2 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select a circular
mass element.
3 Select Specify on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of
the element.
4 Use the pointing device to specify the center point.
5 Specify the radius and height as necessary.
6 Specify a rotation angle.
7 Click Close or press ENTER to end the command.

Editing Mass Elements

After you have created mass elements, you can edit and reposition them to
generate the general form of your building mass model.

Changing Mass Elements Using Grips

When you select a mass element, grips appear at specific points. You can use
these grips to edit the mass element quickly. The standard grip editing features available depend upon the shape of the selected element.
Grip mode needs to be turned on for grip editing to work. Grip mode is on
by default.

Changing the Area of a Rectangular Mass Element Using Grips

You can change the shape of a rectangular mass element quickly by using
grips. A rectangular mass element is any element that has four lines at its
base, such as an arch, barrel vault, box, gable, pyramid, isosceles triangle,
right triangle, or extrusion.

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Editing corner grips

To use grips to change the area of a rectangular mass element

1 Select the rectangular mass element to display its grips.
2 Click any corner grip to select it.
3 Move the pointing device.
The location of the opposite corner remains fixed while you are moving
the mass element corner with the pointing device.
4 Click to set the new location for the mass element corner.

Changing the Height of a Mass Element Using Grips

You can change the height of a mass element quickly by using grips.

Editing top grips

To use grips to change the height of a mass element

1 Switch to a 3D view.
2 Select the mass element to display its grips.
3 Click the grip at the top of the mass element to select it.
4 Move the pointing device.

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The height of the mass element changes as you move the pointing device.
5 Click to set the new height of the mass element.

Moving a Mass Element Using Grips

You can move a mass element quickly by using grips.

Editing center grips

To use grips to move a mass element

1 Select the mass element to display its grips.
2 Click the center grip to select it.
3 Move the pointing device.
The entire mass element moves as you move the pointing device.
4 Click to place the mass element at its new location.

Changing the Arch Radius of an Arch Mass Element Using

Grips
You can change the radius of the arch within an arch mass element quickly
by using grips.

Editing arch grips

To use grips to change the width of an arch in an arch mass element

1 Select the arch mass element to display its grips.

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2 Click the arch grip to select it.

3 Move the pointing device to change the radius of the arch.
The radius of the arch changes as you move the pointing device.
4 Click to set the new radius of the arch.

Changing the Roof Height of a Gable Mass Element Using

Grips
You can change the roof height of a gable mass element quickly by using
grips.

Editing roof grips

To use grips to change the roof height of a gable mass element

1 Switch to a 3D view.
2 Select the gable mass element to display its grips.
3 Click the roof grip at the midpoint of the roof ridgeline to select it.
4 Move the pointing device to change the height of the roof.
The height of the roof ridgeline and the walls changes as you move the
pointing device, leaving the roof slope and gable configuration
unchanged.
5 Click to set the new height of the roof.

Changing the Wall Height of a Gable Mass Element Using

Grips
You can change the wall height of a gable mass element quickly by using
grips.

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Editing wall grips

To use grips to change the height of gable wall mass element

1 Switch to a 3D view.
2 Select the gable mass element to display its grips.
3 Click the wall grip at the top of the wall to select it.
4 Move the pointing device to change the height of the wall.
The height of the wall changes as you move the pointing device, while the
roof ridgeline position remains fixed. This changes the roof slope and
gable configuration.
5 Click to set the new height of the wall.

Changing the Radius of a Circular Mass Element Using Grips

You can change the radius of a circular mass element quickly by using grips.
Circular mass elements include cones, cylinders, domes, doric columns,
spheres, and revolutions.

Editing radius grips

To use grips to change the size of a circular mass element

1 Select the circular mass element to display its grips.
2 Click the radius grip on the circle to select it.
You can select any one of the radius grips on the same circle to change the
size.
3 Move the pointing device in or out.

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The mass element becomes larger or smaller depending on the direction

of the movement.
4 Click to set the new radius of the circular mass element.

Changing an Existing Mass Element

You can change an existing mass element into another mass element shape,
add it to an existing mass group, and change its size.
To change an existing mass element
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Modify Mass Elements.
2 Select a mass element and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Mass Element dialog box, from the Shape list, select a new
basic shape.
4 From the Group list, select a new group for the mass element.

NOTE The group must already have been created.

5 In the measurement boxes, type new values for the mass element.
6 Click Apply to change the properties for the selected element and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the element, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

NOTE When you change the size of a mass element, the center point
remains constant and the change is applied to both sides of the element.

Changing Mass Element Properties

Dimensions, mass group, and location are all properties of a mass element.
You can specify these properties when you create a mass element, or you can
change properties later.
By changing a mass elements general properties, you can attach notes,
attach a reference, and add a description to the mass element.

Changing Mass Element Notes, Descriptions, or Reference

Files
To add a description or a note to a mass element, or attach, edit, or detach
a reference file
1

From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Modify Mass Element.

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205

2 Select the mass element and press ENTER.

3 In the Modify Mass Element dialog box, click

4 In the Mass Elements Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the mass element, type in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the mass element, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Mass Element Shape or Size

A mass element can be changed from one shape to another. You can control
its size by specifying different dimension properties.
To change the mass element shape or size
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Modify Mass Element.
2 Select the mass element and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Mass Element dialog box, click

4 In the Mass Elements Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 Change the type of mass element by selecting a basic shape from the Type
box.
6 Type values in the Size section, and then click OK.

NOTE In the Size section, the boxes available depend upon the mass element selected in the Type box.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Changing the Mass Group of a Mass Element

You can change the mass group the mass element is attached to by changing
its element properties.
To change the mass group of a mass element
1 Select the mass element.
2 Right-click, and choose Element Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Mass Element Properties dialog box, click the Mass Group tab.
4 Select the group from the Group list.

NOTE The group must already have been created.

5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Location Properties of a Mass Element

You can relocate an existing mass element by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point.
The mass element also has an orientation with respect to the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the top
and bottom of the mass element are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is
parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the mass element by
aligning its normal with another axis.
You can also rotate the mass element on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.
To change the location properties of a mass element
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Elements Modify Mass Element.
2 Select the mass element and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Mass Element dialog box, click

4 In the Mass Element Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the mass element, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the mass element, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the mass element on the XY plane, make the normal
of the space parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box,
and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the mass element on the YZ
plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate

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207

the mass element on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in
the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the mass element, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the mass element without leaving the Mass Element Properties dialog
box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Change the Display Properties of a Mass Element

You can change display properties for one mass element or for a group of
mass elements.
To change the display properties of a mass element
1 Select the mass element.
2 Right click and click Entity Display.
3 Click the Display Props tab.
4 Do any of the following:

Select a mass element from the property source and click Attach Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in
the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is only available when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.

NOTE The System Default is the default display representation. When a

Display Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is
displayed in the list.

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Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change what is displayed for the representation of the mass element. This includes the visibility, layer, color,
and linetype. To edit each property, click its field.
Click Edit Display Properties, then the Hatching tab to set what hatch
is displayed in each display representation for the mass element. The

Mass Elements

Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations, including Plan and Sketch.
5 Click OK to set the display for the mass element.

Set the Hatch Pattern for Mass Elements

You can set the hatch pattern for mass element display properties.
To set the hatch pattern for mass element display properties
1 Select the mass element.
2 Right click and click Entity Display.
3 Click the Display Props tab.
4 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Hatching tab to set the
hatch to be displayed in each display representation for the mass element.

The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations,

including Plan and Reflected.

5 Select a hatch to change in the Pattern list.

6 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, click Double Hatch on or
off.

7 Click OK.
8 Click the Scale/Spacing list to change the value for the selected
component.
9 Click the Angle list to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
10 Click the Orientation field to change from making the change global or
for the selected object.
11 Click OK to save the changes and exit each dialog box.

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Mass Elements Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with mass

element selected)

MassElement
Add Mass Element...

MassElementAdd

Add Mass Element to

Group...

MassGroupAddElem

Modify Mass
Element...

MassElementModify

Element Modify...

MassElementProps

Element Properties...
Right-click (with mass
element selected and
attached to a mass
group)

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MassElementOpAdd

Operation Additive

MassElementOpSubtract

Operation Subtractive

MassElementOpIntersect

Operation Intersect

Mass Elements

Mass Groups

After you have created basic mass elements, you can

In this chapter

combine them into mass groups to create more complex

Using mass group markers

shapes. Mass groups allow you to view multiple

configurations to see which ones work best for your
design needs.

Adding mass elements to a

mass group
Attaching and detaching mass

elements
Making mass elements additive

and subtractive
Creating an intersection from

mass elements
Changing mass group

properties

211

Mass Groups
After you have created basic mass elements, you can combine them into
mass groups to create more complex shapes. A mass group is a collection of
mass elements whose shapes the mass group combine according to a certain
order and according to Boolean operations (additive, subtractive, or intersection) you assign to the mass elements.
To create the mass group, you attach mass elements, other AEC objects, or
AutoCAD objects to a mass marker that you place in a convenient area of
your drawing.
You can attach anything to a mass group marker, but the mass group combines only closed, solid shapes. For example, a line has no solid properties
and therefore does not contribute anything to the shape of the mass group;
however, an AutoCAD 3D solid does contribute to the final shape.

Creating a Mass Group

To create a mass group, you must first place a group marker and then you
can add mass elements to the mass group.

Adding a Mass Group Marker

The mass group is controlled by a mass group marker that you place in the
drawing. The mass group marker is view dependent and changes size as you
zoom within the drawing. Attach mass elements to the marker to create a
mass group. You can view it in the Model Explorer. For more information
about the Model Explorer, see Model Explorer and Viewers on page 173.

NOTE Mass group markers are not plotted.

To add a mass group marker
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Add Mass Group.
2 Place the mass group marker in your drawing.
The location does not represent the location of the mass elements that
you attach to the marker, so locate the marker in any convenient area in
your drawing.
3 Specify a rotation angle for the mass marker.

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Changing the Size of the Mass Group Marker

You can change the size of the mass group marker by editing its display properties.
To change the size of mass group marker
1 Select the mass group marker.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select a representation from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the marker. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props and change any of the following values for
marker components: visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype
scale, and plot style.
7 Click the Other tab, and make any changes to the marker size.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Adding a Mass Element to a Mass Group

After you have placed a mass group marker in the drawing, you can add mass
elements to create a mass group.

Adding mass elements to a mass group

To add a mass element to a mass group

1 From the Concept menu, click Mass Elements Add Mass Element to
Group.
2 Select an existing mass group marker.
3 In the Add Mass Element dialog box, select a Shape for the mass element.

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4 From the Operation list, select Add, Subtract, or Intersect for the mass element. To make mass elements additive or subtractive, or to create a intersection, see later topics in this section.
5 Specify an insertion point in your drawing.
6 Specify a rotation angle.
7 Press ENTER to end the command.
The newly created mass element is now part of the selected mass group.

Attaching an Existing Mass Element to a Group

Existing mass elements can be added to a mass group.
To attach an existing mass element to a mass group
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Attach Elements.
2 Select the mass group marker.
3 Select one or more mass elements to attach to the mass group.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Detaching a Mass Element from a Group

After you have defined a mass group and added mass elements to it, you may
decide that one or more elements do not fit your model. You can detach
them from the mass group.
To detach mass elements from a mass group
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Detach Elements.
2 Select the mass group marker.
3 Select the mass elements to detach from the mass group.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Making a Mass Element Additive

All objects are additive by default when they are created. When two mass elements are grouped together, they form one mass containing both objects.
Mass elements can also operate by subtraction or intersection.
You can change the operation of a mass element as it is being added to a mass
group or after it has been attached to a mass group.
To make a mass element additive
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Make Additive.
2 Select the mass element to make additive.

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3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Making a Mass Element Subtractive

When a mass element in a group operates by subtraction, it subtracts its mass
wherever it overlaps another object.

Subtracting a mass element from a mass group

You can change the operation of a mass element as it is being added to a mass
group or after it has been attached to a mass group.
To make a mass element subtractive
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Make Subtractive.
2 Select the mass element you want to make subtractive.

NOTE When you select the mass element, make sure you select the mass
element, not the view of the mass group. When a mass element becomes part
of a mass group, it gets placed in that display set, which is usually displayed
with a different layer and color. To select a single element, you need to turn
off the mass group layer.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating an Intersection from Mass Elements

By changing how a mass element operates, you can use the intersection of
two mass elements to create a new mass shape.

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Intersection mass element

You can change the operation of a mass element as it is being added to a mass
group or after it has been attached to a mass group.
To create a mass element from the intersection of two elements
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Make Intersection.
2 Select the mass element to make intersecting.

NOTE When you select the mass element, make sure you select the mass
element, not the view of the mass group. When a mass element becomes part
of a mass group, it gets placed in that display set, which is usually displayed
with a different layer and color. To select a single element, you need to turn
off the mass group layer.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing Mass Group Properties

The properties of a mass group include its location, the group it belongs to,
and its general properties, including notes, references, and descriptions. You
can change the properties of a mass group after it has been created. You can
nest mass groups under other mass groups to create variations of your design
project.

Changing the Mass Group Notes, Descriptions, or Reference

Files
To add a description or a note to a mass group or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Mass Group Properties.

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2 Select the mass group and press ENTER.

3 In the Mass Group Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the mass group, type the text in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the mass group, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Changing the Mass Group Properties

You can change the group a mass group is attached to.
To change the mass group properties
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Mass Group Properties.
2 Select the mass group and press ENTER.
3 In the Mass Group Properties dialog box, click the Mass Group tab.
4 Select the group from the Group list.
5 Select an operation type, additive, subtractive, or intersect.
6 Click OK.

Changing the Location Properties of a Mass Group

You can relocate an existing mass group by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point.
The mass group also has an orientation with respect to the world coordinate
system or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the top and bottom of the mass group are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to

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217

the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the mass group by aligning its
normal with another axis.
You can also rotate the mass group on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.

NOTE You can change the location of objects attached to a group by selecting
the objects and using grips. You can also use the MOVE command. For more
information, see Move Objects in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a mass group
1 From the Concept menu, choose Mass Groups Mass Group Properties.
2 Select the mass group and press ENTER.
3 In the Mass Group Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the mass group, change the coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the mass group, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the mass group on the XY plane, make the normal of the
space parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and
type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the mass group on the YZ plane,
type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the mass
group on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z
boxes.
To change the rotation of the mass group, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Mass Groups Command List

Menu Command

Command Line
MassGroup

Add Mass Group

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MassGroupAdd

Right-click (with mass group

selected)

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with mass group

selected)

Mass Group
Properties...

MassGroupProps

Group Properties...

Make Additive

MassElementOpAdd

Make Subtractive

MassElementOpSubtract

Make Intersection

MassElementOpIntersect

Attach Elements

MassGroupAttach

Attach Elements

Detach Elements

MassGroupDetach

Detach Elements

ModelExplorer

Show Model Explorer...

MassGroupAddElem

Add New Element...

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Space Planning

10

Space planning is an inside-out design process in which

In this chapter

you define the interior spaces of the building and then

Creating spaces

define the boundary around those spaces. As you design

from the inside out, you can think of spaces as equivalent to rooms, space boundary edges as walls, and a
group of spaces within a boundary as a department.

Editing spaces
Changing the properties of

a space
Creating space styles
Editing space styles

221

Interior Space Planning

Space planning is an inside-out design process in which you define the interior spaces of the building and then define the boundary around those
spaces. As you design from the inside out, you can think of spaces as equivalent to rooms, space boundary edges as walls, and a group of spaces within
a boundary as a department.
You solve spatial problems conceptually, using space boundaries as forms and
spaces as voids. The display system can help you visualize your spatial
arrangement. For more information, see Getting Started with the Display
Manager on page 110.
After all the spaces have been created, you can convert the boundaries into
walls and use them later in the building design phase.
You can create space styles and use them to create spaces that conform to certain size rules that you control. For example, you can set limits for an office
space style to keep the size of an office within certain constraints. For more
information, see Creating Space Styles on page 238.

Creating Spaces
Often, the controlling factor in the design of a building is not the overall
form, but the size, proportion, and required relationships of the necessary
spaces. You can use space objects to study these variables.
A space is an object with volume that includes visual representations of a
floor and ceiling. Its primary variables are area, length, width, and room
height (measured from top of floor to bottom of ceiling). Additional variables
are floor thickness, space height (measured from bottom of floor to top of
ceiling), ceiling thickness, and distance above the ceiling to the top of the
volume (this area is not normally visible but is reserved by the space object
for use in conjunction with space boundaries). Spaces are used as placeholders for future rooms in the interior of a building.
You can create space styles that set target, minimum, and maximum dimensions for different types of spaces, such as an office space or a cafeteria space.
When you use space styles, the set sizes help you create spaces that are appropriate for your design.
You can convert closed polylines into spaces. You can also generate spaces
from walls and linework in your drawing, assigning tags and property set
information automatically.

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Creating a Space
To create a space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, select a style from the Style list. The parameters in the Add Space dialog box change when you select a new style.
3 Change the area, length, or width values to define the space object before
inserting it in the drawing.
4 Specify a location for the space object.
5 Specify a rotation angle.
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a space

Creating a Space with a Ceiling Boundary

You can create a space with a ceiling boundary, which is a visual representation of a ceiling. The ceiling boundary is a solid volume above the space
whose top represents the future ceiling. Defining a ceiling boundary at a
point lower than the top of the space might represent a typical dropped
ceiling grid in an office.

NOTE To remove a ceiling boundary, simply set the thickness of the ceiling
boundary to zero.
To create a space with a ceiling boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, select Ceiling Boundary.
The thickness of the ceiling boundary is determined by the space style
being used. You can change the ceiling thickness as you create spaces by

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223

changing the dimensions of the space. For more information, see Changing the Dimension Properties of a Space on page 236.
3 Specify a location for the space object.
4 Specify a rotation angle.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Space with a Floor Boundary

You can create a space with a floor boundary, which is a solid volume below
the space that represents the future floor.
By default, the floor extends below the current working coordinate Z=0 by
the depth of the floor as defined in the Space Properties dialog box. For more
information, see Changing the Properties of a Space on page 235.

NOTE To remove a floor boundary, simply set the thickness of the floor
boundary to zero.
To create a space with a floor boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, select Floor Boundary.
The thickness of the floor boundary is determined by the space style being
used. You can change the floor thickness as you create spaces by changing
the dimensions of the space. For more information, see Changing the
Dimension Properties of a Space on page 236.
3 Specify a location for the space object.
4 Specify a rotation angle.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Space with a Set Area

You constrain a space to a certain area value while you create it.
To create a space with a set area
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, click the Area Lock

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to turn it on.

NOTE The initial value in the Area box is set by the style selected in the
Style list.
3 Select Specify on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of
the space.
4 Click to place the insertion point of the space at the drag point.
As you move the pointing device, the shape of the space changes, but its
area stays the same. The space is constrained by the area value in the dialog box.
5 Specify a second point to establish the length of one side of the space.
The width of the space is calculated from the locked area.
6 Specify a rotation angle.
7 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a space with a set area

Creating a Space with a Set Length

You can constrain a space to a certain length while you create it.
To create a space with a set length
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, click the Length Lock

to turn it on.

NOTE The initial value in the Length box is set by the style selected in the
Style list.
3 Select Specify on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of
the space.

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225

4 Click to place the insertion point of the space at the drag, or corner, point.
For more information, see Changing the Drag Point of a Space on page
226.
As you move the pointing device, the width of the space and its area
change, but the length stays the same. The space is constrained by the
length value in the dialog box.
5 Specify a second point to establish the width of the space.
6 Specify a rotation angle.
7 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a Space with a Set Width

You can constrain a space to a certain width while you create it.
To create a space with a set width
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, click the Width Lock

to turn it on.

NOTE The initial value in the Width box is set by the style selected in the
Style list.
3 Select Specify on Screen to use the pointing device to change the size of
the element.
4 Click to place the insertion point of the space at the drag point. For more
information, see Changing the Drag Point of a Space on page 226.
As you move the pointing device, the length of the space and its area
change, but the width stays the same. The space is constrained by the
width value in the dialog box.
5 Specify a second point to establish the length of the space.
6 Specify a rotation angle.
7 Click Close to end the command.

Changing the Drag Point of a Space

The drag point of a space is the corner point you use to insert the space in
your drawing. You may want to place a group of space objects in a row or in
a particular pattern. By changing the drag point of a space to a different
corner and using an object snap, you can precisely locate the space in the
drawing.

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Specifying space object drag points

To change the drag point of a space

1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Add Space.
2 In the Add Space dialog box, click Drag Point until the crosshairs are at the
correct corner of the space.
3 Specify an insertion point.

NOTE You can use object snaps to locate the insertion point precisely.
4 Specify a rotation angle.
5 Click Close to end the command.

Converting Polylines to Spaces

A quick way to create a space is to draw a closed polyline and convert it into
a space. This method is also useful for creating a space with an irregular
shape.
You can use a series of lines and arcs to create the polyline. The polyline must
not intersect itself, and it must be closed.
To convert a polyline to a space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Convert to Spaces.
2 Select an existing closed polyline.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the polyline or type n (No) to keep the polyline in
the drawing.
4 In the Space Properties dialog box, change any of the values and click OK.
For more information, see Changing the Properties of a Space on page
235.

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227

Generating Spaces from Walls

You create spaces from walls in your drawing. The walls need to be closed,
but can have openings in them such as doors or windows. The command
knows to ignore these objects in the wall when creating spaces. These spaces
can have tags automatically associated with them.
To generate spaces from walls
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Generate Spaces.
2 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, select Walls Only from the Selection
Filter list and click OK.
3 Select the walls from which to generate the spaces and press ENTER.
4 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, you can select a different style for the
spaces.
5 To define the tag settings for the spaces, click Tag Settings.
6 Click Add Tag to New Spaces on and select a tag definition from the list to
add the tag to the new spaces.
7 Click Add Property Set to New Spaces on and select a property set and
properties from the list to add the property set to the new spaces.
8 Click Auto-Increment Numeric Properties on to automatically increment
the number associated with the space tag. Set the increment amount, then
click OK to return to the Generate Spaces dialog box.
9 Click within an area enclosed by the selected walls. A space is created in
that area with the selected tag and property set, if selected.
10 You can click Viewing Information About Spaces to view information
about spaces in the drawing.
11 You can click Modify Boundary Set to select a different Select FIlter for creating spaces.
12 Click Close to end the command.

Generating Spaces from Walls, Lines, Arcs,

Polylines, and Circles
You create spaces from walls, lines, arcs, polylines, and circles in your drawing. The walls and lines need to be closed, but the walls can have openings
in them such as doors or windows. The command knows to ignore these
objects in the wall when creating spaces. These spaces can have tags automatically associated with them.

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To generate spaces from lines, arcs, polylines and circles

1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Generate Spaces.
2 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, select Walls, lines, arcs, polylines, and
circles from the Selection Filter list and click OK.
3 Select the walls and lines from which to generate the spaces and press
ENTER.
4 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, you can select a different style for the
spaces.
5 To define the tag settings for the spaces, click Tag Settings.
6 Click Add Tag to New Spaces on and select a tag definition from the list to
add the tag to the new spaces.
7 Click Add Property Set to New Spaces on and select a property set and
properties from the list to add the property set to the new spaces.
8 Click Auto-Increment Numeric Properties on to automatically increment
the number associated with the space tag. Set the increment amount, then
click OK to return to the Generate Spaces dialog box.
9 Click within an area enclosed by the selected walls and lines. A space is
created in that area with the selected tag and property set, if selected.
10 You can click Viewing Information About Spaces to view information
about spaces in the drawing.
11 You can click Modify Boundary Set to select a different Select Filter for creating spaces.
12 Click Close to end the command.

Generating Spaces from All Linework

You create spaces from all the lines in your drawing. The lines need to form
closed areas This option when generating spaces is similar to exploding all
the objects and creating spaces from that linework. These spaces can have
tags automatically associated with them.
To generate spaces from all the linework in the drawing
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Generate Spaces.
2 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, select All linework from the Selection
Filter list and click OK.
3 Select the linework from which to generate the spaces and press ENTER.
4 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, you can select a different style for the
spaces.
5 To define the tag settings for the spaces, click Tag Settings.

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229

6 Click Add Tag to New Spaces on and select a tag definition from the list to
add the tag to the new spaces.
7 Click Add Property Set to New Spaces on and select a property set and
properties from the list to add the property set to the new spaces.
8 Click Auto-Increment Numeric Properties on to automatically increment
the number associated with the space tag. Set the increment amount, then
click OK to return to the Generate Spaces dialog box.
9 Click within an area enclosed by the selected lines. A space is created in
that area with the selected tag and property set, if selected.
10 You can click Viewing Information About Spaces to view information
about spaces in the drawing.
11 You can click Modify Boundary Set to select a different Select Filter for creating spaces.
12 Click Close to end the command.

Updating Generated Spaces

You can update spaces that have been generated from walls and linework in
your drawing. If you have moved any of the items that form the boundary
set for the generated spaces, you can update the space to match the new
shape.
To update generated spaces
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Generate Spaces.
2 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, select the Selection Filter you used to
generate the spaces and click OK.
3 Select the items in the boundary set from which to update the spaces and
press ENTER.
4 In the Generate Spaces dialog box, you can select a different style for the
spaces.
5 Click Update Space.
6 Click the space to update.
7 Click an internal point in the new area for the space.
8 Click Close to end the command.

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Modifying Spaces
After you place space objects in your drawing, you can move them, resize
them, create interference conditions, and change their properties to fit your
design needs.

Editing Spaces
You can change the style of a space. You can change the size of a space by
specifying dimensions in a dialog box or by using grips.

Changing the Style of an Existing Space

You can assign a different space style to an existing space. The new space style
defines the target, minimum, and maximum size and assigns display properties for the net boundary, gross boundary, and space hatch. You create the
new space style before applying it to new or existing spaces.
To change the style of an existing space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Modify Space.
2 Select the space.
3 In the Modify Space dialog box, select a new style from the Style list.
4 Click Apply to remain in the dialog box and continue modifying the space
style, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Size of a Space

After a space has been created, you can change its length and width. If the
length is changed, the area is changed, keeping the width constant. Similarly,
if you change the width, the area is changed and the length stays constant.
You can also change the height of the space or add or remove the floor or
ceiling boundary.

NOTE The height displayed in the Modify Space dialog box is the space
between the upper surface of the floor slab and the lower surface of the ceiling
plane, which is referred to as the room height, not the overall height of the space
object.
To change the size of an existing space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Modify Space.
2 Select the space you want to change.

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3 In the Modify Space dialog box, type a new length or width.

4 Add or remove the floor boundary and ceiling boundary.
5 Click Apply to remain in the dialog box and continue modifying the
space, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing a Space Using Grips

By using grips to edit spaces, you can create nonrectangular spaces. The
length of the space is displayed as the value of the longest distance between
any two vertices on the X axis. The width is the longest distance between any
two vertices on the Y axis. The area is calculated from the size of the space.

Changing a space using side grips

To change a space using grips

1 Select an existing space.
2 Select the grips you want to use to edit the space.
3 Move the pointing device to change the size of the space.

Changing a space using corner grips

Joining Existing Spaces

You can join two spaces to create one larger space. The spaces may be overlapping, tangential, or separate. The resulting space is considered one space

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even if the two original spaces did not touch. The characteristics of the first
space selected override those of the second space selected.

Joining existing spaces

To join existing spaces

1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Join Spaces.
2 Select the first space.
3 Select a space to join with the first space.

Dividing an Existing Space

You can divide a space into smaller spaces by using a divide line. The space
is split at the line.
Adding space boundary edges also divides spaces if the space boundary is set
to Manage Contained Spaces. This option creates a space within the space
boundary. Any changes to the space boundary also affect the space managed
by the boundary. If the Manage Contained Spaces option is cleared when a
space boundary is edited, any changes to the space boundary do not change
the spaces within it.

Dividing existing spaces

To divide an existing space

1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Divide Spaces.
2 Select a space to divide.
3 Specify the divide line start point.

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4 Specify the divide line endpoint.

NOTE The start point and endpoint of the divide line establish an line that
extends, dividing all parts of the selected space that lie on opposite sides of
the line.
The space is divided into smaller spaces at the divide line.

Creating Interference Conditions for a Space

You can place AEC objects, such as mass elements, in a space to create custom
openings or cutouts in the space. This method is called creating an interference
condition.
Before you use this procedure, it is necessary to place an existing AEC object
in the correct location in the space. For example, a column grid structure
might have columns within the space. Once set as interference conditions,
the columns cut out an area at the floor and ceiling of the space.
Calculations of the area of the space are correctly based on both the space
and the interference conditions set for that space. These calculations can be
used in schedules. For more information, see Schedules.
When you use this command, other objects attached to the space, such as a
ceiling grid, recognize the interference condition. For example, if you add a
column to the space as an interference condition, as long as the ceiling grid
is anchored to the space object, the ceiling grid is cut. If you move the
column, the ceiling grid is updated automatically with the new column
location.
To add interference conditions to spaces
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Interference Condition.
2 Type a to add an interference condition to selected spaces.
3 Select spaces you want to be affected by the interference condition.
4 Select an existing AEC object intersecting the space as the interference
condition.

Removing an Interference Condition from a Space

You can remove existing interference conditions from spaces.

NOTE Make sure that your display shows the interference object, so you can
select it in step 4 in the following task.

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To remove interference conditions from spaces

1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Interference Condition.
2 Type r to remove an interference condition from selected spaces.
3 Select spaces that are affected by the interference condition.
4 Select the AEC object intersecting the space as the interference condition.

Changing the Properties of a Space

You can specify the properties of a space when you create it, or you can
change its properties after it has been created. The dimension properties of a
space include the constraints of the space, its dimensions, its style, floor and
ceiling boundary thickness, and the height of the space above the ceiling
boundary. The location properties of a space include its location in the drawing, its orientation to the planes of the UCS, and its rotation angle.
You can also attach notes and reference files to a space and add a description.

Changing the Notes, Descriptions, or Reference Files for a

Space
To add a description or a note to a space or attach, edit, or detach a reference file.
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Modify Space.
2 Select the space and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space dialog box, click

4 In the Space Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the space style, type the text in the Description
field.
6 To add a note to the space, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document

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dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Style of a Space

You can change the style of the space after it has been created. For example,
you can change an office space to a meeting space.
To change the style of a space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Modify Space.
2 Select the space and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space dialog box, click

4 In the Space Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

5 Select the style you want from the list and click OK.
6 Click Apply to change the selected space to the new style, and click OK to
exit the dialog box.

Changing the Dimension Properties of a Space

You can control the constraints of the space and its dimensions by changing
its dimension properties.
You can control all dimension aspects of the space, including the floor and
ceiling boundary thickness and the height of the space above the ceiling
boundary.
To change the space dimension properties
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Modify Space.
2 Select the space and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space dialog box, click

4 In the Space Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

The Plan Constraints section displays the target, minimum, and maximum size for the space.

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5 In the Component Dimensions section, do any of the following:

Type a new length or width for the existing space.

Type a new value for the space height, the floor or ceiling boundary
thickness, or the height above the ceiling.

6 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Location Properties of a Space

You can relocate an existing space by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point.
The space also has an orientation with respect to the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the top and bottom of the space are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z
axis. You can change the orientation of the space by aligning its normal with
another axis.
You can also rotate the space on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
To change the location properties of a space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Modify Space.
2 Select the space and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space dialog box, click

4 In the Space Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the space, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the space, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To locate the space on the XY plane, make the normal of the space parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the
X and Y boxes. To locate the space on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box
and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the space on the XZ plane,
type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.

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To change the rotation of the space, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the space object without leaving the Space Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Space Styles
A space style is a collection of settings for variables associated with a space
object. Depending on the scope of the drawing, you could create different
space styles to represent a wide range of different types of spaces, from separate zoning areas in a master plan to different room types in a residential
project.
The current space style determines the properties of new spaces you create in
the drawing. The space style controls the target width, length, and area of a
space. When you are creating a new space, the minimum and maximum
area, length, and width set by the current space style cannot be exceeded.
The description field in the General space style properties stores the information you specify. This information is used when you perform a space inquiry
as one of the basic divisions in its queries. For more information, see Viewing Information About Spaces on page 247.
It makes sense to create space styles that represent the basic divisions of the
drawing that you need to keep track of separately, whether these are departmental or functional divisions.
When you edit the display properties of a space style, those changes are
applied to existing spaces of that style throughout the current drawing.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating Space Styles

You can create new space styles for your drawing, including space styles for
different kinds of rooms. For example, space styles provided with Autodesk
Architectural Desktop include kitchens, offices of different sizes, restrooms,
cafeterias, and libraries. When you name a space style, spaces are automati-

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cally grouped and can generate reports based on the first part of the space
style name.

Creating a Space Style

To create a space style
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Space styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Space style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 With the space style type selected, right-click and choose New.
3 Type a name for the new space style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new space style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit.
The Space Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to
the style, change the dimensions of the space, and change the display
properties of the new style. For more information about changing each
style property, see Editing Space Styles on page 240.
5 When you finish changing the space style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a Space Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new space style by copying an existing style and
modifying it.
To create a space style based on an existing style
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space styles in the current drawing are shown under the
space style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the space style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename. Type
a name for the new style, and press ENTER.

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5 To edit the style properties of your new space style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit.
The Space Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to
the style, change the dimensions of the space, and change the display
properties of the new style. For more information about changing each
style property, see Editing Space Styles on page 240.
6 When you finish changing the space style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Space Styles

The changes you make to an existing space style take effect the next time you
use it to create a space. Spaces already created with the space style are not
updated unless you change the display properties of the space style or the Net
to Gross Offset. If you edit the display properties or the Net to Gross Offset
of a space style, those changes are applied to existing spaces of that style
throughout the existing drawings.

Changing the Space Style Notes, Descriptions, or Reference

Files
To add a description or a note to a space style or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the space style type, select the space style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Space Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the space style, type in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the space style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the space style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Space Style Dimension Properties

You can change the target area and the minimum and maximum areas, the
target length and the minimum and maximum lengths, and the target width
and the minimum and maximum widths for a particular space style. When
you create spaces, if you specify a space area, length, or width that falls outside the sizes specified for that style, the area, length, or width is truncated
to the target size, and a warning is displayed.
The Net to Gross Offset value controls the width of the boundary when you
convert spaces to walls. The net area of the space (after subtracting the offset)
becomes the usable floor area. This value also sets the Node object snap for
the placement of spaces. By default the Net to Gross Offset is turned off (not
visible).
When you change the Net to Gross Offset value for a space style, the new
value is applied to existing spaces of that style in the drawing.

Specifying a space net to gross offset

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To change space style dimension properties

1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the space style type, select the space style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Space Style Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
4 To set a different area for the space style, type a new target area, minimum
area, or maximum area for the space style.

NOTE The target area must fall between the set minimum and maximum
values.
5 To set a different length for the space style, type a new target length, minimum length, or maximum length for the space style.

NOTE The target length must fall between the set minimum and maximum values.
6 To set a different width for the space style, type a new target width, minimum width, or maximum width for the space style.

NOTE The target width must fall between the set minimum and maximum
values.
7 To set a different Net to Gross Offset for a space style, type a new value.
8 When you finish changing the space style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Space Style Display Properties

Display properties include the visibility, layer, color, and linetype.
To change space style display properties
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles,.

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The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the space style type, select the space style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Space Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the display set for the space style from the list.
The current viewport display is the default representation display. The
default has an asterisk next to it in the list.
5 Do one of the following:

To change how spaces of the selected style are displayed only in the current viewport in the drawing, select the style from the property source
list and click Attach Override.
To attach an override, you can either select Attach Override or click in
the Attached column. Attach Override is available only when you
select a property source that is attached to the display representation.

NOTE System Default is the default display representation. When a Display

Configuration is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is
displayed in the list.

To reset the display representation to the next property source in the

list, click Remove Override.
To change how spaces of the selected space style are displayed throughout the drawing, click Edit Display Properties. To edit each property,
click its field. The changes you make affect only the selected style.

6 Click OK to set the display properties for the style.

Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Space Style

To change space style display properties
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles,.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the space style type, select the space style that you want to change,
right-click and choose Edit.
3 In the Space Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the display set for the space style from the list.

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The current viewport display is the default representation display. The

default has an asterisk next to it in the list.
5 To set which hatch pattern is displayed in each display representation for
the space style, click Edit Display Properties, and in the Entity Properties
dialog box click the Hatching tab.
The Hatching tab is displayed in only some of the display representations,
including Plan and Reflected.
6 In the Pattern list, select a hatch pattern to change.
7 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch pattern for the
selected component and click OK.

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, click Double Hatch on or
off.

8 Click the Scale/Spacing list to change the value for the selected
component.
9 Click the Angle list to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
10 Click the Orientation field to change from making the hatching change
global or for only the selected space style.
11 When you finish changing the space style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Space Style

If you no longer need a space style, you can delete it from the drawing.
To purge a space style
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles,.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
space style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

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To purge a single unused space style in your current drawing, select the
style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge.

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To purge all the unused space styles in your current drawing, with the
Space Style type selected, right-click, and choose Purge.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Space Style

You can import a space style from an existing drawing.

NOTE You can manage space styles efficiently by creating them all in one
drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other drawings as
needed.
To import a space style
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles,.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The space styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
space style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the space style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Space Styles to display the space styles in
the drawing.
5 Select the space style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

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7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Space Style to a New Drawing

You can copy Space styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.
To export a space style to a new drawing
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles,.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Space styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Space style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Space style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Space Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy Space styles from your current drawing to another drawing.
To export a space style to an existing drawing
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Styles,.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Space styles in the current drawing are displayed under the

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Space style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Space style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Viewing Information About Spaces

You can view the total area used by each space style, as well as the quantity
of each space style used. For individual spaces, you can view the space style,
description, individual area, and maximum and minimum size.
To view information about spaces
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Inquiry.
2 In the Space Information dialog box, for totals, click the Space Info Total
tab and view the information.
3 In the Space Information dialog box, click the Space Information tab and
view the information about individual spaces.
4 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Creating a Space Report

You can create a database file from the information in the Space Information
dialog box.
To create a database file of space information
1 From the Concept menu, choose Spaces Space Inquiry.
2 In the Space Information dialog box, click either the Space Info Total tab
or the Space Information tab.
3 Click Create MDB.
4 In the Database File dialog box, type a name for the database file.
The default name is the current drawing name.
5 Click Save.
6 In the Space Information dialog box, click OK to exit.

Spaces Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with space

selected)

Space

248

Add Space...

SpaceAdd

Modify Space...

SpaceModify

Convert to Spaces...

SpaceConvert

Generate Spaces...

SpaceAutoGenerate

Space Styles...

SpaceStyle

Space Inquiry...

SpaceQuery

Join Spaces

SpaceJoin

Join

Divide Spaces

SpaceDivide

Divide

Interference
Condition

SpaceInterference

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Space Modify...

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with space

selected)

SpaceSwap

Swap

SpaceProps

Space Properties...

SpaceStyleEdit

Edit Space Style...

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Space Boundaries

11

As you continue to design your building, you can think

In this chapter

of spaces as equivalent to rooms, space boundary edges

Creating and editing space

boundaries

as walls, and the grouping of spaces by a boundary as a

department.

Changing space boundary

properties
Converting objects to

You can create space boundary objects with or without

boundaries

included space objects. Spaces and boundaries combine

to create the complete representation of the space, the
interior space, and the surrounding boundaries.

251

Space Boundaries
A space boundary is a division between spaces that may exist as a solid form
boundary or as an area separation boundary. You can create space boundary
objects with or without included space objects. If spaces are created with
space boundary objects, then the boundaries are dependent on those space
objects. If you delete such a space, the boundary edges are removed as well.
Spaces and boundaries combine to create the complete representation of the
space, the interior space and the surrounding boundaries. You can attach
spaces to boundaries after both have been created.

Viewing spaces and space boundaries

There are two types of space boundaries, solid form and area separation. Solid
form boundaries equate to walls with a specified thickness. Solid form
boundaries can be later converted to a wall between two spaces. This boundary shares all the characteristics of a wall, including:

Justification
Base height
Thickness

Area separation boundaries have a thickness of zero and cannot be converted

to walls. An area separation boundary divides a space without anything solid
between the spaces. For example, an area separation boundary might separate two departments in an open office.

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Viewing solid form and area separation space boundaries

Creating a Space Boundary

You can create a space boundary with a solid form around the edge of the
boundary that represents walls around the space. Solid form boundaries can
be straight lines or arcs. You can later convert solid form boundaries to walls
with the Generate Walls command. See Converting Space Boundaries to
Walls on page 260.
You also can create a space boundary with a line of zero thickness around the
edge of the boundary. These area separation boundaries cannot be converted
to walls.
To create a space boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Add Boundary.
2 In the Add Space Boundary dialog box, select either Solid Form or Area
Separation.
3 Select Manage Contained Spaces.
This option creates a space within the space boundary. Any changes to the
space boundary also affect the space managed by the boundary. If the
Manage Contained Spaces option is cleared when a space boundary is
edited, any changes to the space boundary do not change the spaces
within it.
4 Set the Height, Offset, and Width for the space boundary.

The Height option sets the height of a solid form boundary. This option
is available when Solid Form is selected. The height is the distance from
the top of the floor elevation to the top of the space boundary. When
you convert the space boundary to a wall, the wall uses the height
parameters of the space boundary.

Space Boundaries

253

The Offset option sets the offset distance from the start and end points
of the space boundary segment to the space boundary baseline as you
draw the space boundary.

Specifying a space boundary offset distance

The Width option sets the width of a solid form boundary. This option
is available when Solid Form selected. When you convert the space
boundary to a wall, the wall uses the width parameters of the space
boundary.

5 If you are creating a solid form boundary, in the Justify list, set the justification of the space boundary as you draw it.
This option controls how the boundary is drawn with respect to the
selected points. If the Right option is selected, the space boundary is
drawn on the inside of the selected point; that is, the selected points fall
on the exterior face of the boundary. If the Center option is selected, the
boundary uses the selected points as the centerline. If the Left option is
selected, the selected points are used for the location of the inner surface
of the space boundary.

Specifying space boundary justification

6 Click your drawing.

7 Specify points to define the boundary.

NOTE After you specify the third point for the space boundary, the Ortho
Close and Polyline Close options become available.

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Ortho Close closes the space by drawing two walls or space boundaries based
on the direction you specify. The direction is extended until it meets a line
perpendicular to the initial edge of either the wall or space boundary.
Polyline Close closes the wall by creating a wall segment from the last point
specified for the walls to the first point specified in this group of walls.
8 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a space boundary

When a closed shape is created, it is designated by a hatched space contained within the space boundary in plan view.

Creating Space Boundaries

You can create space boundaries from existing spaces, slices, polylines, arcs,
and lines. For more information about slices, see Slice Floorplates on page
269.
Each section of a space boundary is also called a space boundary edge. When
you select a section of the space boundary, the section that is highlighted is
one space boundary edge. You can manipulate each edge separately.

Converting Objects to Boundaries

You can create space boundaries from existing spaces, or by converting slices
or sketches to space boundaries.

Creating Space Boundaries

255

Converting a Space to a Boundary

You can create space boundaries from existing spaces. Two or more non-overlapping spaces create one space boundary that surrounds each space object.
These boundaries do not need to be connected to be considered the same
space boundary.
To add a space boundary to a space
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Convert to Boundaries.
The following command line is displayed:
Convert [Edges/SPace/SLice]:

2 Type sp (Spaces), and then select the space to convert.

3 Press ENTER.

Converting a Slice to a Boundary

You can create a space boundary from a slice.
To create a space boundary from a slice
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Convert to Boundaries.
The following command line is displayed:
Convert [Edges/SPace/SLice]:

2 Type sl (Slices), and then select the slice to convert.

NOTE The slice you select must have objects attached to it.
3 Press ENTER.

NOTE The interior floor line of the bounded space is set at the elevation of
the slice; the thickness of the floor may extend below the slice.

Converting Sketching to a Boundary

You can create space boundary edges from existing polylines, lines, arcs, and
circles.
To create a space boundary from polylines, lines, arcs, and circles
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Convert to Boundaries.

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The following command line is displayed:

Convert [Edges/SPace/SLice]:

2 Type e (edges), and then select the polyline, line, arc or circle to convert.
3 Type y to erase the original polylines, lines, arcs, and circles, or type n to
keep them in the drawing.
Change the properties for the new space boundary edges. See Editing
Boundary Edges on page 259.
4 Press ENTER.

Converting a polyline to a space boundary

Attaching Spaces to a Space Boundary

You can add spaces to an existing space boundary by attaching a space to an
existing boundary and creating a space boundary around the existing space.
The boundary is considered to be the same boundary, for space information
totals, for instance.

NOTE The space boundary must have the Manage Contained Spaces option
selected before spaces are attached to it. See Creating a Space Boundary on
page 253.
To attach existing spaces to a boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Attach Spaces to
Boundary.
2 Select the space boundary.
3 Select the spaces to attach to the selected boundary.
4 Press ENTER.
The spaces have boundaries created around each one, and they are added
to the existing space boundary.

Creating Space Boundaries

257

Merging Boundaries
You can combine two or more boundaries to make one space boundary.
To merge existing boundaries
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Merge Boundaries.
2 Select the gaining space boundary.
3 Select a second boundary to merge with the first boundary.
The two boundaries become one boundary.

Splitting Space Boundaries

You can split an existing space boundary into two smaller boundaries if it
contains more than one space.
To split a boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Split Boundary.
2 Select the spaces in the boundary to split from the larger boundary.
3 Press ENTER.
The split boundary becomes two boundaries.

Adding Boundary Edges

You can add an additional space boundary edge to an existing space boundary. The newly added edge becomes a part of the existing space boundary.
The new edge cuts the space within the boundary if the boundary manages
the spaces within it. For more information, see Creating a Space Boundary
on page 253.
To add an edge to a boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Add Boundary
Edges.
2 Select an existing space boundary.
3 In the Add Space Boundary dialog box, select the segment type, height,
offset, width, and justification for the new space boundary edge.
4 To match the properties of an existing space boundary edge, click
and then select the existing space boundary.

5 Specify a start point and an endpoint for the new space boundary edge.

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NOTE The start point and endpoint must touch the spaces inside the existing boundaries, in order to form a new space within the added edges.

Editing Boundary Edges

You can change specific space boundary edges on an existing space boundary. You can modify a space boundary edge by changing its segment type,
width, and height and its boundary conditions for both floor and ceiling.
To modify existing boundary edges
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Edit Boundary
Edges.
2 Select existing space boundary edges to change.
3 In the Boundary Edge Properties dialog box, you can change the segment
type, dimensions, and design rules for the selected space boundary edges.
For information about segment types, dimensions, and design rules, see
Changing the Space Boundary Properties on page 262.
4 Click OK to change the selected space boundary edges.

Removing Boundary Edges

You can remove specific space boundary edges from an existing space boundary. If the space boundary is managing contained spaces and if removing the
boundary edge changes the boundary from enclosed to open, the managed
spaces are deleted as well.
To remove existing boundary edges
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Remove Boundary
Edges.
2 Select existing space boundary edges to delete.
3 Press ENTER.
The edges are removed from the space boundary.

Anchoring Objects to Boundaries

You can anchor objects to space boundaries. An anchored object is constrained to the space boundary. You can move it along the space boundary,
but it cannot move off the boundary until it is detached from it.

Creating Space Boundaries

259

The center of the bottom face of the object is anchored to the insertion point
on the space boundarys bottom face and at a point midway of the boundary
width.
For more information about anchors, see Working with Curve Anchors on
page 1591.
To anchor an object to a space boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Anchor to Boundary.
2 Type a to anchor an object to the space boundary.
3 Select the object to anchor to the boundary.
4 Select the space boundary to anchor the object to.
The object is placed on the space boundary and is anchored to that location on the space boundary.

Releasing Objects from Space Boundaries

You can release objects that have been anchored to space boundaries.
To release an object from a space boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Anchor to Boundary.
2 Type f to detach an object from the space boundary.
3 Select the object to detach from the boundary.
4 Press ENTER to release the attached object.
The object is no longer anchored and can now be moved off the space
boundary.

Converting Space Boundaries to Walls

You can convert existing space boundaries to walls to be carried forward into
the design phase of the drawing.
If you want to create a wall up to ceiling height only, set the value of the
space above ceiling height to zero (0). Also, the wall generated has a baseline
at zero (0) if the boundary is created in the world coordinate system, but the
wall itself extends below baseline by a distance equal to the floor thickness.
For more information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

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NOTE When walls are generated from a space boundary, any segments that
are adjoining and collinear will become a single wall. In order to prevent segments from joining automatically, make them different widths. This is useful, for
example, when the walls must be different styles.
After you convert the space boundaries to walls, you can use the Modify Wall
command to change the style of the walls. For more information, see Editing Walls on page 362.
To convert space boundaries to walls
1 From the Concept menu, select Space Boundaries Generate Walls.
2 Select one or more space boundaries to convert to walls.
The space boundary is converted to a standard wall.

NOTE The space boundary and any spaces that it is managing stay in the
drawing, but there is no link between the space boundary and the created
wall object. If you need to edit the boundaries, delete the walls, change the
boundaries, and then convert the space boundaries to walls again.

Editing Space Boundaries

You can change an existing space boundary from a solid form boundary to
an area separation boundary. You can also change the notes, descriptions, or
reference files attached to a space boundary; segment type, width, and justification; design rules; and location properties.

Modifying a Space Boundary

You can change an existing space boundary from a solid form boundary to
an area separation boundary. Depending on the type of boundary, you can
change its height and width, how it is drawn with respect to the points you
specified (justification), and whether changes to the boundary change the
space contained within it.
To change all segments of a space boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Modify Boundary.
2 Select the space boundary to modify, and then press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space Boundary dialog box, do one of the following:

Editing Space Boundaries

261

Change the segment type to Solid Form or Area Separation.

Solid Form: Creates a boundary edge with a specific width. This
boundary edge can be later converted to a wall.
Area Separation: Creates a boundary that is a partition or space
divider line. An area separation boundary edge cannot be converted to
a wall. For example, it can be used to separate spaces for different
departments within one space.

Change the height of the space boundary, if the height is not controlled by the managed spaces.
Change whether the space boundary manages the contained spaces.
Manage Contained Spaces: Creates a space within the space
boundary. Any changes to the space boundary also affect the space
managed by the boundary. If the Manage Contained Spaces option is
cleared when a space boundary is edited, any changes to the space
boundary do not change the spaces within it.

For solid form boundaries, change the width and justification of the
space boundary.

4 Click Apply to change the selected space boundary and remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the boundary, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Changing the Space Boundary Properties

You can change the space boundary notes, descriptions, or reference files;
segment type, width, and justification; design rules; and location properties.

Changing the Space Boundary Notes, Descriptions, or

Reference Files
To add a description or a note to a space boundary or attach, edit, or detach
a reference file
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Modify Boundary.
2 Select the boundary and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space Boundary dialog box, click

4 In the Space Boundary Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the space boundary, type in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the space boundary, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

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8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Space Boundary Segment Type, Width, and

Justification
To change the space boundary segment type, width, and justification
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Modify Boundary.
2 Select the boundary to modify, and then press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space Boundary dialog box, click

4 In the Space Boundary Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

5 Do one of the following:

Select either Solid Form or Area Separation to change the segment type.

Editing Space Boundaries

263

Solid Form: Creates a boundary edge with a specific width. This

boundary edge can be later converted to a wall. The following options
are available for solid form boundaries.
Area Separation: Creates a boundary that is a partition or space
divider line. An area separation boundary edge cannot be converted to
a wall. For example, it can be used to separate spaces for different
departments within one space.

Change the width and justification of the space boundary.

Width: Specifies the width of the boundary.
Justify: Controls how the boundary is drawn with respect to the
selected points. If the Right option is selected, the space boundary is
drawn on the inside of the selected point; that is, the selected points
fall on the exterior face of the boundary. If the Center option is
selected, the boundary uses the selected points as the centerline. If the
Left option is selected, the selected points are used for the location of
the inner surface of the space boundary.

NOTE These options are available when Solid Form is selected.

6 Click OK to apply the change to the selected boundary.

NOTE If the Manage Contained Spaces option is selected, space areas are
updated when you change the thickness or location of boundary edges. See
Creating a Space Boundary on page 253.

Changing the Space Boundary Design Rules

Space boundary design rules control where the boundary is drawn in relation
to the floor and ceilings. These settings are carried through when the space
boundary is converted to walls.
To change the space boundary design rules
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Modify Boundary.
2 Select the boundary to modify, and then press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space Boundary dialog box, click

4 In the Space Boundary Properties dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.

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5 In the Ceiling section, clear Automatically Determine from Spaces if you

want to change the boundary conditions at the ceiling. Otherwise, the
conditions are automatically set from the contained spaces.

Specifying ceiling conditions

6 Change the Base Height of the boundary. This option sets the height of
the space boundary from the top of the floor to the bottom of the ceiling.
7 Change the Upper Extension value. This option sets the height of the
space boundary above the ceiling.
8 If you want the wall to stop at the bottom of the ceiling, select Wall Stops
at Ceiling.
9 In the Floor section, clear Automatically Determine from Spaces if you
want to change the boundary conditions at the floor. Otherwise, the conditions are automatically set from the contained spaces.

Editing Space Boundaries

265

Specifying floor conditions

10 Change the Lower Extension value. This option sets the thickness of the
floor below the space boundary.
11 If you want the wall to stop at the top of the floor, select Wall Stops at
Floor.
12 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Changing the Location Properties of a Space Boundary

You can relocate an existing space boundary by changing the coordinate values of its insertion point.
The space boundary also has an orientation with respect to the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the top
and bottom of the space boundary are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is
parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the space boundary
by aligning its normal with another axis.
You can also rotate the space boundary on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.
To change the location properties of a space boundary
1 From the Concept menu, choose Space Boundaries Modify Boundary.
2 Select the space boundary and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Space Boundary dialog box, click

4 In the Space Boundary Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

266

To relocate the space boundary, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the space boundary, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the space boundary on the XY plane, make the nor-

Chapter 11

Space Boundaries

mal of the space parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the space boundary on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To
locate the space boundary on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and
type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the space boundary, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the space boundary object without leaving the Space Boundary Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Space Boundaries Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with space

boundary selected)

Space Boundary
Add Boundary...

SpaceBoundaryAdd

Modify Boundary...

SpaceBoundaryModify

Convert to
Boundaries...

SpaceBoundaryConvert

Attach Spaces to
Boundary

SpaceBoundaryMergeSpace

Attach Spaces to
Boundaries

Merge Boundaries

SpaceBoundaryMerge

Merge Boundaries

Split Boundary

SpaceBoundarySplit

Split Boundary

Add Boundary Edges

SpaceBoundaryAddEdges

Add Edges

Edit Boundary Edges

SpaceBoundaryEdge

Edit Edges...

Remove Boundary
Edges

SpaceBoundaryRemoveEdge
s

Remove Edges

Anchor to Boundary

SpaceBoundaryAnchor

Boundary Modify...

Editing Space Boundaries

267

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with space

boundary selected)

Generate Walls

SpaceBoundaryGenerateWal
ls

Generate Walls

SpaceBoundaryProps

Boundary Properties...

SpaceBoundaryInsertJoint

Insert Joint

SpaceBoundaryAnchorSetBn
d

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Slice Floorplates

12

A slice can be thought of as a representation of a

In this chapter

theoretical floor level. Slices are chosen and manipu-

Generating a slice

lated by an associated marker, the slice marker. When

you attach mass groups to the slice marker, the slice
marker creates the perimeter geometry of the building,
known as a floorplate. Anytime you change the mass
groups attached to the slice marker, the floorplate is

Changing slice properties

Setting the slice elevation
Converting a slice to a polyline
Attaching and detaching objects

to a slice
Converting space boundaries to

walls

updated.

269

Creating Floorplates
A slice can be thought of as a representation of a theoretical floor level. Like
mass groups, slices are chosen and manipulated by an associated marker, the
slice marker. When you attach mass groups to the slice marker, the slice
marker creates the perimeter geometry of the building, known as a floorplate.
Anytime you change the mass groups attached to the slice marker, the floorplate is updated.
If you attach mass elements instead of mass groups to the slice, the operational aspects (additive, subtractive, and intersection) of the mass elements
are not recognized by the slice. To have these aspects recorded by the slice,
attach the mass group. For more information about additive, subtractive, and
intersection operations, see Mass Groups on page 212.
After the floorplates have been created, you can convert slices to space
boundaries or polylines and then generate walls. You cannot create walls
directly from the slice itself.

Generating a Slice
The slice object is defined by a small crossed box. Like the mass group marker,
the slice marker can be located in a convenient place in your drawing. For
more information about the mass group marker, see Adding a Mass Group
Marker on page 212.
The Generate Slice command can create multiple slices at regular height
intervals. A slice marker is created for each slice.

Generating slice objects

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To generate a slice
1 From the Concept menu, choose Slice Floorplates Generate Slice.
2 Specify the number of slices you want to create.
3 Specify the lower-left and upper-right corners for the slice marker.

NOTE Keep the slice marker small so as not to clutter your drawing.
4 Specify a rotation for the slice marker.
5 Type the starting height of the slice.
6 Type the distance between the slices.
7 Press ENTER to end the command.

Setting the Slice Elevation

After creating a slice, you can change the elevation of it.
To change the slice elevation
1 From the Concept menu, choose Slice Floorplates Set Slice Elevation.
2 Select the slice marker.
3 Type a new slice elevation on the command line.

Converting a Slice to a Polyline

After objects have been attached to a slice marker, you can convert the slice
to a polyline. You can convert polylines to spaces, walls, or profiles.
To convert a slice to a polyline
1 From the Concept menu, choose Slice Floorplates Convert to Polyline.
2 Select the slice marker.
3 The outlines of the objects attached to the slice marker are converted to
polylines.

Attaching Objects to a Slice

You can attach mass elements or mass groups to a slice to create the building
floorplate.

Creating Floorplates

271

To attach an object to a slice marker

1 From the Concept menu, choose Slice Floorplates Attach Objects.
2 Select the slice marker.
3 Select the mass elements or mass groups you want to include in the slice.
4 Press ENTER.

Attaching a mass group to slice objects

Detaching Objects from a Slice

You can detach mass elements or mass groups from a slice to change a
floorplate.
To detach an object from a slice marker
1 From the Concept menu, choose Slice Floorplates Detach Objects.
2 Select the slice marker.
3 Select the mass elements or mass groups you want to exclude from the
slice.
4 Press ENTER.

Modifying Slice Properties

You can change the location properties of a slice. You can also attach notes,
attach a reference file, and add a description to the slice.

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Changing the Notes, Descriptions, or Reference

Files for a Slice
To add a description or a note to a slice or attach, edit, or detach a reference
file
1 Select the slice to modify, right-click, and choose Slice Properties from the
shortcut menu.
2 In the Slice Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the slice, type the text in the Description field.
4 To add a note to the slice, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

7 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Slice Location Properties

You can relocate an existing slice by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point.
The slice also has an orientation with respect to the world coordinate system
or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the top and bottom of
the slice are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You
can change the orientation of the slice by aligning its normal with another
axis.
You can also rotate the slice on its plane by changing the rotation angle.

Modifying Slice Properties

273

To change the location properties of a slice

1 Select the slice to modify, right-click, and choose Slice Properties from the
shortcut menu.
2 In the Mass Group Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
3 Do any of the following:

To relocate the slice, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the slice, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To
locate the slice on the XY plane, make the normal of the space parallel
to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X
and Y boxes. To locate the slice on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box
and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the slice on the XZ plane,
type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the slice, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

4 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the slice object without leaving the Mass Group Properties dialog box.
5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Slice Floorplates Command List

Menu Commands

Command Line

Right-click

Generate Slice

AecSliceCreate

Set Slice Elevation

AecSliceElevation

Set Elevation

Convert to Polyline

AecSliceToPline

Convert to Polyline

Attach Objects

AecSliceAttach

Attach Objects

Detach Objects

AecSliceDetach

Detach Objects

AecSlice
AecSliceProps

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Slice Properties...

Design Content

13

From the Design menu, you can locate AEC drawing

In this chapter

data and drawings and drag them into your drawings.

Changing the design content

menu

You can also create AEC content using multi-view

blocks, masking blocks, and profiles and drag them into

Adding content
Adding fixture layouts

your drawings.

275

Using Design Content

From the Design menu, you can locate AEC drawing data and drawings and
drag them into your drawings. You can also create AEC content using multiview blocks, masking blocks, and profiles and drag them into your drawings.
Content in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 is accessed through
Custom view in AutoCAD DesignCenter. In Custom view, the top-level for
AEC content is named Architectural Desktop. When you start one of the content commands from the Design menu, the AutoCAD DesignCenter is
displayed and the correct folder for the selected content is displayed.

There are four different Design Content submenus that can display in the
menu: Architectural Desktop Metric Content, Architectural Desktop Metric
D A CH Content (designed specifically for Germany, Austria and Switzerland), Architectural Desktop Imperial Content and CSI Master Format Imperial Content.
For information about AutoCAD DesignCenter, see chapter 14, Managing
Content in AutoCAD DesignCenter in the AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

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Chapter 13 Design Content

AutoCAD DesignCenter Custom View

When you are in Custom view in AutoCAD DesignCenter, Architectural
Desktop is at the top, and the tree view displays the file system folders and
file system shortcuts only. All other files stored in the directory structure are
not displayed. In Custom view, drawing files do not function as containers
as they do in the Desktop view of AutoCAD DesignCenter. Instead, each
drawing file represents one piece of AEC content; therefore, drawing files are
not displayed in Custom view.
You can navigate the file system using shortcuts within Custom view to
customize content hierarchies for specific needs. In all other aspects, navigation in the Custom view tree is identical to navigation in the Desktop view
of AutoCAD DesignCenter.
Like other AutoCAD DesignCenter palettes, the Custom view palette provides four different display options: Large Icons, Small Icons, List, and
Details. Only Large Icons display an image of the content. All other options
display the generic DWG icon. When the palette displays the contents of a
directory, it displays all directories, drawings, and shortcuts. You can drag
drawings and shortcuts to drawings from the palette into the drawing.
Each file displayed in Custom view in the AutoCAD DesignCenter is a DWG
file containing one piece of AEC content.
Note the following specific differences between AutoCAD DesignCenter and
Custom view in AutoCAD DesignCenter used with AEC Content:

Drawings that represent AEC content are not displayed in the tree view as
containers. Drawings are shown only in the palette.
The Preview window displays a user-controllable higher-resolution image
of the content. This can be a different image from the Large Icons image.
The Large Icons image is a bitmap stored with the drawing file. The
preview is the last saved view of the content drawing zoomed to the
extents of the drawing.
Special icons indicate shortcuts.
The root of Custom view is named Architectural Desktop.

The Preview window provides a higher-resolution preview of the content

than is available in the Large Icons view. In the Custom view, the Preview
window behaves exactly like the Object Viewer. For more information about
the Object Viewer, see Object Viewer on page 181.

Using Design Content

277

Changing the Design Content Menu

You can change the display of AutoCAD DesignCenter menu between metric
and imperial by accessing the AutoCAD options and selecting the type of
content to display. The initial display of the menu is set when you install the
program. For more information about installing the software, see the
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 Installation Guide.

NOTE To access Custom view, you must have loaded AutoCAD DesignCenter
in the current drawing session.
To change the display of the AutoCAD DesignCenter menu
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, select the AEC Content tab.
3 In the Content Menu section, select the content menu you would like to
use.
4 Click OK.
The Design Content menu now reflects the change that you made in the
Options dialog box.

Adding AutoCAD Architectural Desktop

Content
You can place symbols through AutoCAD DesignCenter. Depending on your
installation you have access to different folders and symbols, like Imperial
symbols, Metric symbols, CSI symbols and D A CH symbols (symbols for
Germany, Austria and Switzerland).

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Adding Metric Content

You can place metric symbols for USA through AutoCAD DesignCenter.

NOTE It depends on your installation whether this folder is present in your

AutoCAD DesignCenter. If it is not, but you would like to have it, install this specific content from your Installation CD.

Adding Bathroom Fittings Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag bathroom fittings symbols into
your drawing, including basins, baths, and showers.
To add bathroom fittings symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Bathroom Fittings, or
on the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such baths, drinking fountains, or floor sinks.
3 Select the specific bathroom fitting symbol to be used in the drawing.
You can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.
4 Drag the block into your drawing and then place it at the location for the
block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Metric Content

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Adding Domestic Furniture Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag domestic furniture fittings symbols into your drawing, including garden furniture and potted plants.
To add domestic furniture fittings symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Domestic Furniture, or
on the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such sofas or garden furniture.
3 Select the specific domestic furniture symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Electrical Services Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag electrical services symbols into
your drawing, including power outlets and switches.
To add electrical services symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Electrical Services, or
on the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such power outlets or switches.
3 Select the specific electrical services symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.

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4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Kitchen Fittings Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag kitchen fittings symbols into
your drawing, including kitchen sinks and refrigerators.
To add kitchen fittings symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Kitchen Fittings, or on
the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol, such as stoves or
dishwashers, to be placed in your drawing.
3 Select the specific kitchen fitting symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View

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281

Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Office Furniture Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag furniture symbols into your
drawing, including conference tables and filing cabinets.
To add furniture symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Office Furniture, or on
the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such desks or circular tables.
3 Select the specific office furniture symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Pipe and Duct Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag pipe and duct symbols into your
drawing, including pipe details and sanitary fittings.
To add pipe and duct symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Piped and Ducted
Services, or on the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.

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2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your

drawing, such pipe details or valves.
3 Select the specific piped and ducted services symbol to be used in the
drawing.
You can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.
4 Drag the block into your drawing and then place it at the location for the
block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Site Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag site symbols into your drawing
including boats and trees.
To add site symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Site, or on the Design
Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such boats or street furniture.
3 Select the specific site symbol to be used in the drawing.
You can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.
4 Drag the block into your drawing and then place it at the location for the
block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the

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283

cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Metric D A CH Content

You can place German, Austrian and Swiss metric symbols through AutoCAD
DesignCenter.

NOTE It depends on your installation whether this folder is present in your

AutoCAD DesignCenter. If it is not, but you would like to have it, install this specific content from your Installation CD.

Adding DIN Symbols

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag DIN Symbols into your drawing,
including drainage, electrical services and heating symbols.
To add DIN symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Symbols DIN, or on the
Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as communication systems, drainage or fire protection.
3 Select the specific symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the

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cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding PlanzV 90 Symbols

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag PlanzV 90 symbols into your
drawing.
To add PlanzV90 symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content PlanzV 90 Symbols, or
on the Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing.
3 Select the specific symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding SIA Symbols

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag SIA symbols into your drawing,
including sanitary and heating installations.

Adding Metric D A CH Content

285

To add SIA symbols

1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content SIA Symbols, or on the
Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing.
3 Select the specific symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Office Symbols

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag office furniture symbols into
your drawing, including conference tables and filing cabinets.
To add office symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Office, or on the Design
Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as conference tables or chairs.
3 Select the specific office furniture symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

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NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Site Symbols

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag site symbols into your drawing,
including cars and trees.
To add site symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Site, or on the Design
Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as cars or street furniture.
3 Select the specific site symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Metric D A CH Content

287

Adding Furniture Symbols

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag furniture symbols into your
drawing, including tables and beds.
To add furniture symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Furniture, or on the
Design Content - Metric toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as kitchen or living room furniture.
3 Select the specific symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Imperial Content

You can place imperial symbols for USA through AutoCAD DesignCenter.

NOTE It depends on your installation whether this folder is present in your

AutoCAD DesignCenter. If it is not, but you would like to have it, install this specific content from your Installation CD.

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Adding Appliance Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag appliance symbols into your
drawing, for example, ovens, dishwashers, washers, and dryers. These symbols are automatically scaled and are placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.
To add an appliance symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Appliances or on the
Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as dishwashers, kitchen units, or refrigerators.
3 Select the specific appliance symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Casework Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag casework symbols into your
drawing, for example, different-sized base cabinets and corner cabinets.
These symbols are automatically scaled and are placed in your drawing using
the current display configuration.
To add a casework symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Casework or on the
Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.

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289

2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your

drawing, such as base cabinets, corner cabinets, or tall cabinets.
3 Select the specific casework symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Ceiling Fixture Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag ceiling fixture symbols into
your drawing, for example, ceiling fans and smoke detectors. These symbols
are automatically scaled and are placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.
To add a ceiling fixture symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Ceiling Fixtures or on
the Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as smoke detectors and ceiling fans.
3 Select the specific ceiling symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the

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cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Electrical Fixture Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag electrical fixture symbols into
your drawing, including exit signs, different types of lighting, and telephones.
To add an electrical fixture symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Electric Fixtures or on
the Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as exit signs, fluorescent lights, or incandescent lights.
3 Select the specific electric symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

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291

Adding Equipment Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag equipment symbols into your
drawing, including office equipment, elevators, and vending machines.
To add an equipment symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Equipment or on the
Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as elevators or office equipment.
3 Select the specific equipment symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Furniture Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag furniture symbols into your
drawing, including bookcases, file cabinets, lamps, and tables.
To add a furniture symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Furniture or on the
Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as sofas, chairs, or desks.
3 Select the specific furniture symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.

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4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Plumbing Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag plumbing symbols into your
drawing, including sinks, baths, and showers.
To add a plumbing symbol
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Plumbing, or on the
Design Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such as showers or baths.
3 Select the specific plumbing symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View

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293

Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Site Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag site symbols into your drawing,
including boats, signs, people, and vehicles.
To add site symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Site or on the Design
Content - Imperial toolbar, click
.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of symbol to be placed in your
drawing, such signs, people, or sports fields.
3 Select the specific site symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
The block is placed in your drawing using the current display configuration.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding CSI Imperial Content

You can place CSI Masterformat symbols through AutoCAD DesignCenter.

NOTE It depends on your installation whether this folder is present in your

AutoCAD DesignCenter. If it is not, but you would like to have it, install this specific content from your Installation CD.

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Adding Division 1 General Requirements

Content
Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 1 General Requirements symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 1 General Requirements symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 1 General
Requirements.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the General Requirements section.
3 Select the specific general symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.
5 Specify a rotation angle for the symbol.

Adding Division 2 Site Construction Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 2 Site Construction
symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 2 Site Construction symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 2 Site Construction.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the site section to select the specific
symbol from.
3 Select the specific site symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the Preview window.

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295

4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Division 10 Specialties Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 10 Specialties symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 10 Specialties symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 10 Specialties.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the specialties section to select the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific specialties symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

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Adding Division 11 Equipment Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 11 Equipment
symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 11 Equipment symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 11 Equipment.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the equipment section to select the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific equipment symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Division 12 Furnishing Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 12 Furnishing symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 12 Furnishing symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 12 Furnishing.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the furnishing section to select the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific furnishing symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

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NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Division 13 Special Construction Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 13 Special Construction symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 13 Special Construction symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 13 Special
Construction.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the special construction section to select
the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific construction symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Division 14 Conveying Systems Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 14 Conveying Systems symbols into your drawing.

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To add CSI Division 14 Conveying Systems symbols

1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 14 Conveying
Systems.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the conveying system section to select
the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific conveying symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Division 15 Mechanical Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 15 Mechanical
symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 15 Mechanical symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 15 Mechanical.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the mechanical section to select the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific mechanical symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

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NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Adding Division 16 Electrical Content

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag CSI Division 16 Electrical symbols into your drawing.
To add CSI Division 16 Electrical symbols
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Division 16 Electrical.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the electrical section to select the specific symbol from.
3 Select the specific electrical symbol to be used in the drawing.
Note that you can view the symbol in 2D and 3D in the preview window.
4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.

NOTE If you release the left button before the item is displayed in the main
window, the block is placed at the origin. When the item is displayed at the
cursor, the block is placed at the point of release.

NOTE If you use the right button on your pointing device to place the
block, then an Insert option is displayed. The appropriate Add Multi-View
Block dialog box, or Add Mask Blocks dialog box is displayed to place the
block.

Fixture Layout Overview

Using DesignCenter, you can drag various pre-constructed fixture layouts
using DesignCenter into your drawings. Then, you can explode them into
component parts. For example, after you drop a toilet stall into your drawing
and explode it, the stall walls are wall objects, the door to the stall is a door
object, and the toilet is a multi-view block.

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See Fixture Layout Notes and Hints for more information about fixture layout content.
DISCLAIMER: The intent of the fixture layouts is to provide samples from
which to create your own office standards for restroom design. All of the
components can be modified, as required, to meet project and code requirements, then added to the DesignCenter for access. The samples provided do
not necessarily meet jurisdictional regulations or ADA (Americans with
Disabilities Act) requirements.

Fixture Layout Notes and Hints

The layout files are custom content set to Content Type: Drawing.
They have no layer key, because all objects have hard-coded layers within
the file. You can change the layers, as required.
They are not set to Explode on Insert, because you can place them at only
one rotation and orientation (not mirrored), and it is easier to reposition
them as unexploded blocks.
To set rotation and mirroring before insertion, double-click the icon
instead of dragging the content to display the standard AutoCAD Insert
dialog box.
The rotation angle and scale (for mirroring) can be set in the Insert dialog
box or on the command line. If you use the command line, you can see
the result of each option before actually inserting the content. You can
apply multiple settings on the command line, even though the prompt
says Specify insertion point: after the first one. You can still type
another X, Y, or R.
Use X = -1 or Y = -1 to mirror the content.
We recommend that you do not use the Explode (on Insert) option in this
dialog box. The drag jig is not displayed and you can not mirror about one
axis.
Use the NODe object snap to position individual stall and urinal layouts
next to each other. The toilet partitions and screens are inserted with centered baselines, so the node snap places them correctly.
After insertion, the stall layouts can be exploded in order to have the partition objects clean up with each other. The layout can also be adjusted to
extend partitions, or move doors, fixtures, or grab bars.
Stall partitions are wall objects placed in the wall group Toilet_Ptn. They
do not clean up with other walls. Urinal screens are in the Standard
group, but set to Do Not Cleanup.
Each lavatory layout consists of a counter, made of a wall object with the
cleanup group Toilet_Counter with lavatory MV Blocks anchored as
follows:
Lavs (1) Wall anchor; centered along curve

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Lavs (2) - (4) Layout Curve (on counter); even spacing (1-6 start & end
offset)
Lavs (5) Layout Curve (on counter); repeat @ 3-0 (1-6 start & end offset)

Use the ENDpoint object snap to position a counter against a stall or urinal screen.
After exploding, the lav counters can be trimmed or extended to the rest
room walls. The lavs adjust appropriately, depending on the anchoring
mode.
The rest room files are preconfigured assemblies of individual layouts,
arranged as typical Mens and Womens rooms.

DISCLAIMER: The intent of the fixture layouts is to provide samples from

which to create your own office standards for rest room design. All of the
components can be modified, as required, to meet project and code requirements, then added to the DesignCenter for access. The samples provided do
not necessarily meet jurisdictional regulations or ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.

Placing Fixture Layout Content

You can place fixture layouts into your drawing. Then, you can explode the
layout into its component parts that can be modified to your specifications.

NOTE After you create your custom fixture layout, save the layout as Custom
Design Content for easy placement in future drawings.
See Fixture Layout Notes and Hints for more information about fixture layout content.
To place fixture layout content
1 From the Design menu, choose Design Content Fixture Layout.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the type of layout to be placed in your
drawing.
3 With the layout selected, double-click.
4 Use the Insert dialog box to control the placement of the layout. Click OK
when finished.
5 Specify the location for the fixture layout.
6 To modify the components of the layout, type explode.
7 Select the fixture layout, and press ENTER.

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The components can be edited separately.

DISCLAIMER: The intent of the fixture layouts is to provide samples from
which to create your own office standards for rest room design. All of the
components can be modified, as required, to meet project and code requirements, then added to the DesignCenter for access. The samples provided do
not necessarily meet jurisdictional regulations or ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.

Fixture Layout Overview

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Walls

14

The wall object contains all the geometry necessary to

In this chapter

represent a wall in 2D and 3D views, including edges

Creating and editing walls

and surfaces.

Managing wall cleanup groups

Changing wall styles
Dimensioning walls
Defining surface modifiers
Creating and editing endcap

styles
Changing wall properties and

wall style properties

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Creating Walls
Objects are representations of real-world architectural features. The wall
object contains all the geometry necessary to represent a wall in 2D and 3D
views, including edges and surfaces.
The display of a wall object depends on the direction from which you view
the wall. In plan view, the wall object is displayed as parallel lines, as an
architect would typically draw a wall. In 3D view, the wall object is displayed
as it would appear in the real world, with surfaces showing length, thickness,
and height. You control what you want to display in each particular view.
Objects have relationships with each other. For example, door objects in a
wall object are constrained by the wall. You can move a door within a wall
but not outside it.
You can set specific sets of wall to only intersect and clean up with other walls
of the same group by using wall cleanup groups.

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Default wall style types

Creating Straight Walls

To create a straight wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Add Wall.
2 In the Add Walls dialog box, select the wall style.
3 Click Straight to set the wall to a straight segment.
4 Specify a start point for the wall.

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NOTE You cannot undo the first point when creating a wall. If you started
the wall at the wrong point, either finish at least one segment or click Cancel
to close the dialog box and then start the wall again.
5 Specify another point to end this segment of the wall.
The marker on one side of the wall indicates the direction the wall is being
drawn.
6 Continue placing wall segments to create, for example, a building exterior
or a room.

Drawing straight wall segments

You can use the Ortho Close or Polyline Close options to finish the creation of an enclosed space.

Ortho Close: Closes the space by drawing two walls or space boundaries based on the direction you specify. The direction is extended until
it meets a line perpendicular to the initial edge of either the wall or
space boundary.

Using the ortho close option

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NOTE While you are specifying the ortho direction, the first part of a space
boundary does not display. The first segment re-displays after the last space
boundary segments are drawn.

Polyline Close: Closes the wall by creating a wall segment from the
last point specified for the walls to the first point specified in this group
of walls.

7 Click Close, or press ENTER to end the command.

NOTE On the toolbar in the Add Walls dialog box, you can click Floating
Viewer to view the wall, click Properties to change any property of the wall,
click Match to match the property of another wall object, and click Undo to
undo the wall object.

Creating Curved Walls

To create curved walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Add Wall.
2 In the Add Walls dialog box, select the wall style.
3 Click Curved to set the wall to a curved segment.
4 Specify a start point for the wall.

NOTE You cannot undo the first point when creating a wall. If you started
the wall at the wrong point, either finish at least one segment, or click Cancel
to close the dialog box and then start the wall again.
5 Specify the midpoint of the curve.
6 Specify the endpoint of the curved wall.
The marker on one side of the wall indicates the direction the wall is being
drawn.
7 Continue placing wall segments to create, for example, a building exterior
or a room.

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Drawing curved wall segments

You can use the Ortho Close or Polyline Close options to finish the creation of an enclosed space. For an explanation of these options, see Creating Straight Walls on page 307.
8 Click Close, or press ENTER to end the command.

NOTE On the toolbar in the Add Walls dialog box, you can click Floating
Viewer to view the wall, click Properties to change any property of the wall,
click Match to match the property of another wall object, and click Undo to
undo the wall object.

NOTE When you draw a wall, the true length of the wall is the distance
between the two end grips. The wall can appear to have a different length
when it cleans up with other walls; the difference can be twice the cleanup
radius longer or shorter than the true length. The true length is the
length reported by Properties and Schedules. To get the most accurate information about wall length in schedules, always make sure that walls that clean
up with each other have end grips that coincide.

NOTE The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the

FACETDEV variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on
curved AEC objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance

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from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.

Creating a Combination of Straight and Curved

Walls
To create a combination of straight and curved walls
1 From the Design menu, click Walls Add Wall.
2 In the Add Walls dialog box, select the wall style.
3 Click Straight to set the wall to a straight segment.
4 Specify a start point for the wall.

NOTE You cannot undo the first point when creating a wall. If you started
the wall at the wrong point, either finish at least one segment or click Cancel
to close the dialog box and then start the wall again.
5 Specify the endpoint of the straight wall segment.
6 In the Add Walls dialog box, click Curved to set the wall to a curved segment.
7 Click the drawing to place the second point before the midpoint.
8 Specify the midpoint of the curve.
9 Specify the endpoint of the curved wall segment.
10 Continue placing wall segments. You can switch between straight and
curved wall segments.

NOTE On the toolbar in the Add Walls dialog box, you can click Floating
Viewer to view the wall, click Properties to change any property of the wall,
click Match to match the property of another wall object, and click Undo to
undo the wall object.

NOTE When you draw a wall, the true length of the wall is the distance
between the two end grips. The wall can appear to have a different length

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when it cleans up with other walls; the difference can be twice the cleanup
radius longer or shorter than the true length. The true length is the
length reported by Properties and Schedules. To get the most accurate information about wall length in schedules, make sure that walls that clean up
with each other have end grips that coincide.

NOTE The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the

FACETDEV variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on
curved AEC objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.

Modifying Walls
You can change any of the attributes of a wall, like height, style, width, and
justification, after it has been created. You can also change the properties of
the wall.
You can add doors, windows, openings, and assemblies quickly to walls using
the shortcut menu.
Using wall tools, you can define surface modifiers to create different wall
conditions, define and change endcaps at the start and the end of a wall, set
interference conditions, and reverse the direction of a wall by switching its
start point and endpoint.

Changing Style of an Existing Wall

You can change the wall style of one or more walls. For more information,
see Wall Styles on page 343.

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To change the style of an existing wall

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select one or more walls to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, select a different style from the Style list.
4 Click Apply to change the walls and remain in the dialog box to continue
modifying the walls, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Wall Base Height

You can quickly change the base height of one wall or a group of walls. The
base height changes the wall height of the wall from floor to ceiling.
To change the base height
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select one or more walls to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, type a new height.
4 Click Apply to change the walls and remain in the dialog box to continue
modifying the walls, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Wall Width

You can quickly change the width of one wall or a group of walls.
To change the width
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select one or more walls to be modified, and press ENTER.

NOTE Only the standard walls are available to modify. Any imported/predesigned walls that have a set width cannot be modified this way.
3 Type a new width
4 Click Apply to change the walls and remain in the dialog box to continue
modifying the walls, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Wall Justification

You can change the justification of one wall or a group of walls.

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Specifying wall justification

To change the wall justification

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select one or more walls to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 Select one of the justification settings: Baseline, Left, Center, or Right.
4 Click Apply to change the walls and remain in the dialog box to continue
modifying the walls, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Matching the Characteristics of an Existing Wall

You can change selected walls by copying the wall style, height, width, and
justification of existing walls in your drawing.
To match the characteristics of an existing wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select one or more walls to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 Type m (Match) or click

4 Select the wall in the drawing you want the selected walls to match and
press ENTER.
5 Click Apply to change the walls and remain in the dialog box to continue
modifying the walls or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Adding a Window to a Wall

You can add a window to a wall quickly using the shortcut menu.

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To add a window to a wall

1 Select an existing wall.
2 Right click, then choose Insert Window.
3 In the Add Window dialog box, enter all the values for the window, and
specify an insertion point along the wall.
4 Continue to place windows by selecting window styles and specifying
insertion points.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding an Opening to a Wall

You can add a window to a wall quickly using the shortcut menu.
To add an opening to a wall
1 Select an existing wall.
2 Right click, then choose Insert Opening.
3 In the Add Opening dialog box, enter all the values for the opening, and
specify an insertion point along the wall.
4 Continue to place openings by selecting opening shapes and specifying
insertion points.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding a Door to a Wall

You can add a window to a wall quickly using the shortcut menu.
To add a door to a wall
1 Select an existing wall.
2 Right click, then choose Insert Door.
3 In the Add Door dialog box, enter all the values for the door, and specify
an insertion point along the wall.
4 Continue to place doors by selecting door styles and specifying insertion
points.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding an Assembly to a Wall

You can add a window to a wall quickly using the shortcut menu.

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To add an assembly to a wall

1 Select an existing wall.
2 Right click, then choose Insert Assembly.
3 In the Add Door & Window Assemblies dialog box, enter all the values for
the door, and specify an insertion point along the wall.
4 Continue to place assemblies by selecting assembly styles and specifying
insertion points.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing Wall Properties

You can change the properties of existing walls in your drawing by adding
notes and reference files, changing the style and dimensions, controlling the
wall cleanup information, editing the roof and floorline, setting an override,
changing the wall modifier, and moving the wall.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Wall

To attach notes and files to walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the wall style, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the wall, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

316

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.

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To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Wall Style Properties

You can change the style of existing walls by selecting a new one from a list
of existing wall styles.
The new style you assign to the selected wall changes some of the settings on
the other tabs in the Wall Properties dialog box.
To set wall style properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

3 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

4 Select the style you want from the list, and click OK.
5 Click Apply to change the style for the selected wall and remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the wall, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

NOTE You can set all values in the Wall Properties dialog boxes back to the
style defaults by clicking Reset to Style Defaults.

Changing the Wall Dimension Properties

You can change the size of the wall.
To change wall dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

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5 Change the wall width, base height, length, radius (for curved walls), and
the wall justification.
Width: Changes the base wall width.
Base Height: Changes the height of the wall from the floor to the ceiling.
Length: Changes the length of the wall, from the start point to the
endpoint.

NOTE This is the distance between the two end grips. The dimension
added to the drawing when you use the Create Wall Dimensions command
accounts for the cleanup of the wall.
Radius: Changes the radius of a curved wall. This option is available
only when a curved wall segment is selected.
Justification: Changes the location of the wall in relation to the points
you specify to create the wall. With center justification, the points you
specify to draw the wall define the center of the walls thickness. With
right justification, the points define the right side of the wall. With left
justification, the points define the left side of the wall.
6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the properties for the selected wall and keep the
dialog box open to continue modifying the wall, or click OK to exit the
dialog box.

Changing the Wall Cleanup Properties

You can control which walls join and clean up with other walls by using
cleanup groups. Walls must be in the same cleanup group to join and clean
up properly. By default, walls are created using the Standard cleanup group.

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You can create new wall cleanup groups for specific sets of walls, and either
assign them to a new cleanup group as they are created or through the use of
the Modify Walls command.

Wall graph lines and cleanup circles

Wall display representations

Intersecting Walls
Intersecting walls clean up properly based on the intersection of cleanup
circles and wall graph lines in existing and new wall segments as they are
drawn. These conditions include the intersection of existing and new wall
graph lines, the intersection of an existing wall graph line with a new wall
cleanup circle, and the intersection of an existing wall cleanup circle with a
new wall graph line.

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Wall cleanup conditions

When walls intersect and clean up properly, a new wall joint is created at the
intersection of the wall graph lines. The exact location of the wall joint
depends on the location of the new wall segment endpoint. In many cases,
the wall joint location does not coincide with the existing wall segment centerline. The location of the wall joint is based on a weighted average distance
between wall segment endpoints, as well as the thickness of the wall
segments.
The resulting wall intersection and cleanup splits the existing wall segment
into two sections, each with its own wall graph line.

Wall joints and wall graph lines at wall intersections

To change the wall cleanup properties

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.

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3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Cleanups tab.

5 In the Automatically Cleanup Wall Intersections, select whether the

selected walls automatically clean up with other walls in the selected
Cleanup Group Definition.
6 Select a Cleanup Group Definition from the list for the selected walls. For
walls to clean up, they must be in the same cleanup group definition.
7 In the Cleanup Radius, set the radius for the cleanup circle at the end of
each selected wall.
8 In the Cleanup Radius Overrides, you can set an override for either end of
the wall. Start and End are based on the direction the wall was drawn.
9 In the Graph Line position box, you can set the graph line to the centerline or baseline of the selected walls.

NOTE You can set the wall cleanup radius to zero. In this case, the wall
graph lines need to touch in order for a wall to occur.

Overriding the Wall Cleanup Radius

You can override the default wall cleanup radius at either or both ends of a
wall.
To override the wall cleanup radius
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Override Cleanup Radius.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 Select a point near the end of the wall where you want to change the
cleanup radius.
4 Type a new radius, and press ENTER.

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Toggling the Wall Graph Display

When you initially draw a wall segment, a wall graph line is drawn coincident with the wall centerline. The start point of the wall graph line is the
midpoint of the first end of the wall segment. This wall graph line start point
is also the center of the wall segments first cleanup circle. In addition, a
cleanup circle is displayed at the end of the wall segment with its center at
the end of the wall graph line when you select the wall graph. Using this
command, you can toggle the wall graph display quickly.
To toggle the wall graph display
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Toggle Wall Graph Display.

Wall Cleanups and Priorities

Walls with multiple components clean up based on the priorities assigned to
each component and their location within the wall. Matching component
edges with the same priority are extended or trimmed to their intersection
points. Components with a higher priority (a low priority number) cut
through components with a lower priority (a high priority number).

Wall cleanup priorities

Performing Wall Cleanups

This is the order in which the program calculates and performs wall cleanups.
1 Component information is gathered from the wall graph.

Endcaps are calculated. Endcaps that do not fit in the section may also
produce a defect marker.
Sides of components are combined with endcaps to produce a component profile (like a 2D region).
When this profile is self-intersecting, the red defect marker is displayed.

2 Adjacent higher priority components are gathered from the wall graph
from neighboring wall segments.

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3 Higher priority component profiles are subtracted from the lower priority
component profiles.
4 Doors, windows, openings, and interferences are cut and/or applied.
5 Shrinkwrap may be calculated and hatching applied.

NOTE A failed shrinkwrap calculation may also result in the defect marker.
6 Graphics are drawn to an output device (for example, the AutoCAD
screen, Object Viewer, Osnap stream, explode stream, and a plotter).
7 Solutions are cached for subsequent draw requests, until the wall is modified again.
Recommendations
You may get red circles in your drawing when using wall cleanups. These are
defect symbols and indicate that the wall segment is incorrectly set up. The
following are some basic tips that may assist you.
There are several reasons why a wall might be displayed with a defect symbol.
Work through the following troubleshooting recommendations to solve the
problem.

Review the wall cleanup radius settings for each wall segment. A good
starting point is to set the wall cleanup radius equal to half of the wall
width. However, this might not fit every situation and you might need to
adjust the value to achieve the desired effect.

NOTE The wall segment must be longer than its assigned cleanup radius.

Use a smaller than necessary cleanup radius. It is much easier to solve

problems by increasing the cleanup radius of a wall than decreasing it. A
small cleanup radius also makes the graph display much more readable.
The cleanup circle radius should be between one-half the wall width and
the wall width.
When errors occur, it is probably because of a very short wall segment.
These short segments can be easily found by turning on the graph display
representation. They can be fixed by either adjusting the baselines or
increasing the cleanup radius.
Draw with center justification on and use an offset to simulate right or left
justification. Using this method, you can draw very short segments and
tight wall jogs, provided the appropriate cleanup radius is used.
Be precise with your baselines.

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Use the following procedure to verify that the wall segments are inserted at
a common Z elevation:
1 On the command line, type la (for Layer), and press ENTER.
2 In the Layer Properties Manager, freeze all layers except for the designated
wall layer.
3 Return to the drawing and select all remaining displayed objects, rightclick, and choose Wall Properties from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, choose the Location tab.
5 Verify that the Insertion Point Z value is consistent.
If *VARIES* is displayed, then at least one of the walls is inserted at a
different Z elevation. Change this value to zero (0) (or to the desired elevation), and click OK.
Another way that walls do not clean up properly, even though the insertion point is shown as equals on the Location tab, is when the wall is at
an angle. This can occur when the normal Z value varies. You can also use
the Properties window to see both the start and endpoint Z values
together.

NOTE In the Properties window, an entry is left blank when the values vary.

Troubleshooting Wall Cleanups

This section answers common questions associated with wall cleanups.

What if short walls display the defect marker?

This is caused by the cleanup radius being too large. To fix this, reduce the
cleanup radius of all walls at the wall graph joint, or adjust the baselines so
that the centerlines ends fall within the wall graph joint radii.

Varying wall circle cleanup radii

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What if walls that are close together display the defect marker?
This is caused by the cleanup radius being too large. To fix this, reduce the
cleanup radius of all walls at the wall graph joint, or adjust the baselines so
that the centerlines ends fall within the wall graph joint radii.

Adjusting wall segment lengths for proper clean up

While using small cleanup radii, wall joints clean up incorrectly

or not at all. How can I fix this?
Turn on the Wall Graph and adjust the baselines or increase the cleanup radii
until the problem is fixed. Also, make sure that there are not any short wall
segments in the wall. These can happen where centerlines intersect, or when
a segment is too short to produce a full profile. Delete the short wall segment
to fix the cleanup problem.

Adjusting wall cleanup circle radii for proper clean up

What happens when walls at a low angle (like 30 degrees) need

to be chamfered?
Create a mass element box and add it to both walls as a subtractive interference. Make sure the box is as tall as the walls are, then freeze the mass
element layer.

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Chamfering a wall corner with a mass element

To chamfer a wall corner

1 Select the walls to chamfer.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Interference Condition.
3 Type a (Add) to add an interference condition and press ENTER.
4 Select the mass element as the AEC Entity to add.
5 Type s (Subtractive) to make the shrinkwrap plan effect subtractive and
tress ENTER.
6 Press ENTER to complete the command.
7 Choose Desktop Layer Manager and freeze the layer for the mass element.
8 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager.

When I closed my drawing, all the wall cleanups looked fine.

Now when I open the drawing, there are defect markers in the
drawing. What causes this and how can I fix it?
This is caused by the order in which the walls clean up. Under some circumstances the order in which walls are cleaned up has an effect on the display.
When troubleshooting this condition, select the walls in question, right
click, click Wall Modify, then click OK. Try this a couple of times on different
walls to see whether you can locate the unstable wall. Usually, adjusting the
baseline of the unstable wall fixes this problem.
You can also try turning cleanups off, then turning them back on after adding several walls. This quickly refreshes all wall cleanups in the drawing.

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Changing the Roof Line and Floor Line of a Wall

You can use the roof and floor lines to create nonrectangular walls. The Roof/
Floor Line tab is available only when you select one wall to edit.

Modifying a wall roof line

You edit vertex locations on the floor and roof lines to create steps, gables,
and other floor and roof conditions.

Modifying a wall floor line

To set the roof and floor line properties

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 Do any of the following:

Add a gable to the roof line of a wall.

Add a step.
Insert a vertex.
Delete a vertex.
Edit a vertex.
Reverse the floor or roof line.

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Adding a Gable to the Roof Line of a Wall

To add a gable to the roof line of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 With Edit Roof Line selected, click Add Gable.

Modifying a wall roof line by adding a gable

NOTE This option is available only when the roof line has not been edited.
After the roof line changes, you cannot automatically add a gable using this
option.
A third vertex is added to the roof line set halfway between the two ends
of the roof line and eight feet up from the roof line.

NOTE The table at the top of the dialog box displays information about
each vertex in the wall. You can also select the vertex to edit from the list.
6 Continue editing the roof or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see your changes applied to the wall in the drawing. Continue editing your roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Adding a Step to the Roof Line or Floor Line of a

Wall
To add a step to the roof line or floor line of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.

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2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.

3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 With either Edit Roof Line or Edit Floor Line selected, click Add Step.

Modifying a wall floor line by adding a step

NOTE This option is available only when the line has not been edited. After
the line has been changed, you cannot automatically add a step using this
option.
A third vertex is added to the line set halfway between the two ends of the
line and four feet from the line, and a step is created from the selected vertex to the second vertex.
The active vertex in the dialog box illustration changes when you select a
different line to edit. Any changes you make to the wall are reflected in
the Wall Properties dialog box.
The table at the top of the Wall Properties dialog box displays information
about each vertex in the wall. You can also select the vertex to edit from
the list.
6 Continue editing the roof or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see your changes applied to the wall in the drawing. Continue editing the roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Vertices in the Roof Line or Floor Line

of a Wall
To change vertices in the roof line or floor line of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

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4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.

The active vertex in the illustration changes when you select a different
line to edit. Any changes you make to the wall are reflected in the Vertex
Editing illustration.
5 With either Edit Roof Line or Edit Floor Line selected, do any of the
following:

To add a vertex, click Insert Vertex. In the Wall Roof/Floor Line Vertex
dialog box, specify the horizontal offset and vertical offset for the new
vertex, type a distance, and click OK. The new vertex is displayed in the
Vertex Editing illustration at the end of this task.

Modifying a wall roof line by adding a vertex

Horizontal Offset: Specifies the existing vertex from which to measure

the placement of the next vertex and how far away from the existing vertex to place the new one. Distance is measured in the direction the wall is
drawn. You can enter a negative number to set the vertex in the reverse
direction.
From Wall Start measures distance from the wall start point.
From Wall End measures distance from the wall endpoint.
From Wall Midpoint measures distance from the wall midpoint.
From Previous Point measures distance from the vertex one closer
to the wall start point.
From Next Point measures distance from the vertex one closer to the
wall endpoint.

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From Midpoint of Neighbors measures distance from the midpoint

of the selected vertex and the next one closer to the wall endpoint.
Distance sets the distance from the specified point to create the
new vertex.
Vertical Offset: Specifies the location from which to measure the
height of the next vertex and how far away from the existing location to
place the new vertex. You can enter a negative number to set the vertex
toward the ground.
From Wall Base Height sets height from the base height of the wall.
From Next Point sets height from the height of the next point.
From Previous Point sets height from the height of the previous
point.
From Baseline sets height from the baseline of the wall.
Distance sets the distance from the specified location to create the
new vertex.

To move a vertex, select a vertex from the list or by clicking on a vertex

in the Vertex Editing illustration and click Edit Vertex. In the Wall
Roof/Floor Line Vertex dialog box, specify the Horizontal Offset and
Vertical Offset for the vertex, type a new distance, and click OK. The
change to the vertex is displayed in the Wall Properties dialog box.
To delete a vertex, click Delete Vertex and select a vertex from the list
or from the Vertex Editing illustration. The selected vertex is deleted,
and the line automatically connects the two adjacent vertices.

6 Continue editing the roof line or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see the changes applied to the wall in the drawing. Continue editing roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Reversing the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Wall

To reverse the roof line or floor line of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 With either Edit Roof Line or Edit Floor Line selected, click Reverse.

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Reversing a wall roof line

The selected line is reversed; the condition is applied to the opposite end
of the line. The list and illustration change to reflect the reversal of vertices.
6 Continue editing the roof or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see your changes applied to the wall in the drawing. Continue editing the roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Setting Wall Style Overrides

You can change the priority of a wall component so that when it intersects
with another wall, it has more or less priority than its counterpart on the
other wall. You can also set different endcaps than are specified in the wall
style.
To set the wall style override properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify, dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Wall Style Overrides tab.

5 To set a new priority override or change an existing priority override, click

Add Override or Edit Override.

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6 In the Priority Override dialog box, select Start or End of the wall for the
priority override, select the component whose priority you want to
change, change the position or the priority, and click OK.
The component is listed in the table on the Wall Style Overrides tab with
the position of the override and the new priority level.
Start priority override: Changes the priority of the components at
the beginning of a wall to customize the intersection with another wall.
End priority override: Changes the priority of the components at the
end of a wall to customize the intersection with another wall.
Priority: Controls which component takes precedence at an intersection. The lower the number, the higher the priority.
7 To delete an existing override, select a component from the table, and
click Remove Override.
8 To set an endcap override, click A - Start Endcap, or B - End Endcap and in
the Select an Endcap Style dialog box, select a new endcap style, and click
OK.
The endcap style override is listed next to A - Start Endcap or B - End Endcap on the Wall Style Overrides tab.
9 Click OK. Click Apply to see your changes applied to the wall in the drawing and continue setting wall style overrides, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Adding Wall Modifiers Manually

You can add components to walls in any location. The components can be
applied to both sides of a wall or to only one side. For more information
about wall modifiers, see Creating and Editing Wall Modifier Styles on page
366.
To add wall modifiers
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Wall Modifiers tab, and click
Add.
A new entry is added to the table at the top of the tab. This represents the
new modifier to be added to the wall. Any changes to the modifier are
reflected in this table.

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5 Select a modifier style and a component name, and specify where to apply
the component: right side, left side, or both sides of the wall.
The modifier style must have been already created. For more information,
see Creating and Editing Wall Modifier Styles on page 366. Any components created with the Define Surface Modifier command for the selected
wall style are listed in Component Name. The left and right sides of the
wall are determined from the start and endpoints of the wall.
6 Select the start position offset, the start elevation offset, and the end elevation offset for the component.
Start Position Offset: In conjunction with the wall start, wall end, or
wall midpoint, Start Position Offset sets the distance for the beginning of
the wall modifier. You can use a negative number to measure the distance
in the reverse wall direction.
Start Elevation Offset: In conjunction with the wall bottom, wall
baseline, wall base height, or wall top, Start Elevation Offset sets the
distance for the beginning height of the wall modifier. You can use a
negative number to measure the distance down the wall instead of up the
wall.
End Elevation Offset: In conjunction with the wall bottom, wall baseline, wall base height, or wall top, End Elevation Offset sets the distance
for the ending height of the wall modifier. You can use a negative number
to measure the distance down the wall instead of up the wall.

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Wall modifier parameters

7 Select or clear Use Drawn Size.

Use Drawn Size: Sets the component to the size at which it was originally drawn. When Use Drawn Size is turned off, the Scaled Size option is
available, and you can set the size of the wall modifier.
8 Select Mirror X to set the modifier to be mirrored in the X direction, or
select Mirror Y to set the modifier to be mirrored in the Y direction.
9 Select Measure to Center to set the modifier to be measured to the center
of the wall.
10 Click OK. Click Apply to see your changes applied to the wall in the drawing and continue changing wall modifiers, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Removing Wall Modifiers Manually

To remove wall modifiers
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

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4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Wall Modifiers tab.
5 Select one or more wall modifiers from the table, and click Remove.
The wall modifiers are removed from the selected wall.

Managing Wall 3D Modifiers

You can manage the wall interference objects, the wall sweep modifiers, and
the wall body modifiers in the 3D Modifier dialog box. Each of these modifiers are created elsewhere, but you can edit and remove them in this dialog
box once created.

Managing Wall Interference Objects

You can edit or remove existing wall interference objects, including the
shrinkwrap effect for each interference object.
To manage wall interference objects
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select a wall with interference objects, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the 3d Modifiers tab.

5 Select the interference object from the list.
6 In the Shrinkwrap Effect column, you can change the way shrinkwrap is
applied to the interference object. You can select Additive, Subtractive or
Ignore.
Additive: Adds the interference condition to the shrinkwrap.
Subtractive: Takes the object shape out of the shrinkwrap effect.
Ignore: Ignores the object when using shrinkwrap.
7 You can also delete the interference condition by clicking Remove.
8 Click OK to close the 3d Modifiers tab, and then click Apply to see the
changes to the wall object without leaving the Wall dialog box.
9 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Managing Wall Sweep Modifiers

You can edit or remove existing sweep modifiers, including the profile, component to apply the sweep to, the miter angles and the offsets in the wall.
To manage wall sweep modifiers
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.

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2 Select a wall with sweeps applied to it, and press ENTER.

3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the 3d Modifiers tab.

5 Select the sweep modifier from the list.
6 In the Component column, you can select another component to apply
the sweep profile to.
7 In the Start Miter and End Miter columns, you can type new miter angles
for the start and end of the wall.
8 In the Offset Vertical column, you can change the Z offset of the sweep.
9 In the Offset Within column, you can change the location of the sweep
within the wall.
10 You can also delete the sweep modifier by clicking Remove.
11 Click OK to close the 3d Modifiers tab, and then click Apply to see the
changes to the wall object without leaving the Wall dialog box.
12 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Managing Wall Body Modifiers

You can edit or remove existing wall body modifiers, including what component to apply the modifier to, the operation for the modifier, and the description for the modifier.
To manage wall body modifiers
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select a wall with sweeps applied to it, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the 3d Modifiers tab.

5 Select the body modifier from the list.
6 In the Component list, you can select which component to apply the
body modifier to.
7 In the Operation column, you can change the operation to Additive,
Subtractive, or Replace.
8 In the Description column, you can edit the description for the wall body
modifier.
9 You can also delete the body modifier by clicking Remove.
10 Click OK to close the 3d Modifiers tab, and then click Apply to see the
changes to the wall object without leaving the Wall dialog box.

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11 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Wall Location Properties

You can relocate an existing wall by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The wall also has an orientation with respect to the world
coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS). For
example, if the top and bottom of the wall are parallel to the XY plane, its
normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the wall
by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate the wall on its
plane by changing the rotation angle.
For more information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Wall dialog box, click

4 In the Wall Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the wall, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the wall, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To
locate the wall on the XY plane, make the normal of the wall parallel
to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X
and Y boxes. To locate the wall on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box
and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the wall on the XZ plane,
type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the wall, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the wall object without leaving the Wall dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Wall Entity Display Properties

Through the wall entity properties, you can control the layer, color, and linetype of wall components, the hatching used with each component, the cut
plane for the wall, and other specific wall display information.

Managing the Layer, Color, and Linetype for Wall

Components
For each component in a wall style, you can set the layer information, the
color, linetype, and the lineweight. The layer, color, linetype, and plot style
information can be set in either a wall style or for individual walls.

NOTE This procedure sets the layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and plot style
for a wall style.
To manage the layer, color and linetype for a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
2 Select the wall style that you want to change, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Plan as the display representation.
5 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab
to set the layer/color/linetype for each wall component in each display
representation for the wall style.
6 Select the component to change.
7 In the Visible column, select whether that component is visible or not in
this display.
8 In the Layer column, set the layer for the component.
9 In the Color column, set the color for the component. When you select
the color, the Select Color dialog box displays.
10 In the Linetype column, select a linetype for the component. When you
select the linetype, the Select Linetype dialog box displays with valid linetypes to select.
11 In the Lineweight column, select a new lineweight for the component.
When you select the lineweight, the Lineweight dialog box displays with
valid lineweights to select.

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12 In the Lt Scale column, you can type a new linetype scale for the component.
13 In the Plot Style column, you can set a new plot style scale for the
component.
14 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
15 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Managing the Hatching for Wall Components

You can control the hatching of specific components in walls. The hatching
settings can be set in either a wall style or for individual walls.

NOTE This procedure sets the hatching for a wall style.

To manage wall component hatching for wall styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
2 Select the wall style that you want to change, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Hatching tab is not displayed in the Model display representation.
5 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Hatching tab to set the
hatch in each display representation for the wall style.
6 Select a hatch in the Pattern list.
7 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

340

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, turn Double Hatch on or
off.
You select Solid Fill from the Type list.

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8 Click OK.
9 Click Scale/Spacing to change the value for the selected component.
10 Click Angle to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
11 Click Orientation to make the change global or to change only the
selected object.
12 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
13 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Managing the Cut Plane Display Information

To better visualize the elements of a wall in plan view, you can create cut
planes. The main cut plane is where the shrinkwrap and hatching are
applied. The plan display shows the components and objects in the wall as
they are displayed at the height of each cut plane. The hatching settings can
be set for either a wall style or for individual walls.

NOTE This procedure sets the cut plane height and additional cut planes for
a wall style.
To set the cut planes for a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
2 Select the wall style that you want to change, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Cut Plane tab is displayed only in some display representations,
such as Plan.
5 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Cut Plane tab to set the
cut plane in each display representation for the wall style.
6 Type a height in the Cut Plane Height text box to specify the cut plane
where shrinkwrap, component boundaries, and hatching takes effect.
7 Select Automatically Choose Above and Below Cut Plane Heights to show
the components above and below the cut plane height.

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8 To specifically define a cut plane, select Manual Above and Below Cut
Plane Heights, and click Add.
If you add a cut plane at a height lower than the Cut Plane Height, objects
are displayed using the properties specified for the Below Cut Plane component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
If you add a cut plane at a height higher than the Cut plane Height,
objects are displayed using the properties specified for the Above Cut
Plane component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
9 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Managing Other Wall Display Information

You can set other display properties for the wall style, such as whether to display complex endcaps, to show door and window frames, or whether to show
the miter of specific wall components. The other display information can be
set in either a wall style or for individual walls.
To manage other display information for a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
2 Select the wall style that you want to change, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Other tab is displayed only in some display representations,

such as Plan.
5 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Other tab to set the information in each display representation for the wall style.
6 Select Display Inner Lines Above to display the component lines within
the wall above the cut plane, for example, through a window or door in
the wall.
7 Select Display Inner Lines Below to display the component lines within
the wall below the cut plane, for example through a window or door in
the wall.
8 Select Never Display Lines Below Openings to not display lines beneath a
window or opening off.

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9 Select Display Endcaps to show complex endcaps. When this is clear, only
a single line is used to display the endcap. The complex shape is still there,
but is not shown in this display.
10 Select Cut Door Frame to not show the frame of the door in the plan view.
The wall display is shown to meet the door without the door frame. The
door frame is still there, but is not shown.
11 Select Cut Window Frame to not show the frame of the window in the plan
view. The wall display is shown to meet the window without the window
frame. The window frame is still there, but is not shown.
12 Select Component Draw Order by Priority to draw the components by
their priority. If this is clear, the components are drawn in the order that
they were created. This is useful when you want a specific component
color or style to be displayed over other components.
13 Select Do True Cut to perform a slice of the actual 3D model at each
defined cut plane height. This is useful when using sweeps and modifiers
to walls, so you can see a more accurate view of the wall.
14 Select Draw Miter for Components for each component where you want
to show miter lines at wall corners.
15 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
16 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Wall Styles
Wall styles control the appearance of wall objects. Using wall styles, you can
combine components, endcaps, and descriptions to create new types of
walls, such as concrete walls, masonry walls, and brick cavity walls.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and
templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating New Wall Styles

You can create a new wall style, or you can copy and edit an existing wall
style.

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Creating a New Wall Style

You can create a new wall style. After you create the new wall style, you can
edit the style properties of the wall.
To create a new wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
wall style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 With the wall style type selected, right-click, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new wall style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new wall style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Wall Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, add endcaps and wall components, and change the display properties of the new style. For more information about changing each style
property, see Changing Wall Style Properties on page 348.
5 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Wall Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new wall style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new wall style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
2 The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
wall style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
3 Select an existing style to copy under the wall style type, and press
CTRL+C.
4 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
5 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.

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6 To edit the style properties of your new wall style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Wall Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, add endcaps and components, and change the display properties of
the new style. For more information about changing each style property,
see Wall Styles on page 343.
7 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Wall Style

You can delete wall styles that are not being used in the current drawing. You
can delete a single unused wall style, or all wall styles in your drawing.
To purge a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
wall style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused wall style in your current drawing, select the
style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused wall styles in your current drawing, with the
wall style type selected, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Importing a Wall Style

You can copy wall styles from an existing drawing and use them in your
current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by
storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
wall style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the wall style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Wall Styles to display the wall styles in the
drawing.
5 Select the wall style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Wall Style to a New Drawing

You can copy wall styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.

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To export a wall style to a new drawing

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
wall style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the wall style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy wall styles from your current drawing to another drawing.
To export a wall style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
wall style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the wall style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

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6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Wall Style Properties

Each wall created has a style associated with it. You can create new styles or
change existing styles by using wall properties and wall style properties
together. You can add additional components to walls to change the display
of walls, and you can change the endcaps at each end of the wall.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Wall Style

To attach notes and files to a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the wall style, type the text in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the wall style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.

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To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Setting the Wall Style Default Properties

To set the wall style defaults
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Defaults tab.

4 To set the default wall width for the wall style, click the Wall Width box
on and type the width.
5 To set the default base height for the wall style, click the Base Height box
on and type the base height.

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6 To set the default justification for the wall style, click the Justify box on
and select a justification from the list.
7 To set the whether the walls with this wall style automatically clean up,
click the Automatic Cleanups box on and select Yes from the list.
8 To set the default cleanup radius for the wall style, click the Cleanup
Radius box on and type a radius in the box.
9 To set the cleanup group definition walls to which the wall style belongs,
click the Cleanup Group Definition box, and select a cleanup group definition from the list.
10 To set the default floor line offset from the baseline for the wall style, click
the Floor line box, and type the offset distance in the box.
11 To set the default roof line offset from the base height for the wall style,
click the Roof line box and type the offset distance in the box.
12 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
13 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Wall Style Endcaps Properties

You can set the default wall and opening endcap styles
To change the wall style endcaps properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Endcaps tab.
4 On the Endcaps tab, select either Wall Endcap Style or Opening Endcap
Style.
5 Select an endcap from the list.
6 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Adding a Component to a Wall Style

To add a component to a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Components tab, and
click Add.
4 Type a name for the new component, and specify the priority for the component when walls intersect.
The lower the number, the higher the priority it is given when two walls
intersect.
5 To set the edge offset or the width for the wall style component, click Edge
Offset or Width.

Wall component offset directions

6 In the Component Offset or Component Width dialog box, set the base
value for the offset or the width. To calculate the edge offset or the width
based on the base width, click Use Base Width and select an operator and
an operand.

Wall component baseline offset parameters

7 Click OK.
The new value or operation is displayed in the table in the Edge Offset
column or the Width column.

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351

Adding the first wall component

8 To set the top elevation offset or bottom elevation offset, type a new value,
and select from where the distance is to be measured: Wall Top, Base
Height, Baseline, or Wall Bottom.

Adding the second wall component

9 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

NOTE You can add as many components to a wall style as you like, but only
the first 20 are controlled by the display system. It is suggested that you limit
your components to 20.

Removing a Component from a Wall Style

To remove a component from a wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Components tab.
4 Select a component from the list, and click Remove.

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5 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Wall Style Display Properties

You can change wall display properties for one wall or for a group of walls.
To set the wall style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Optionally, select a different display set for the wall style from the list. The
current viewport display is the default representation display. An asterisk
is displayed next to the default.
5 Do any of the following:

Select the wall style from the property source, and click Attach Override
to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in the
drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display for the representation of the wall style. This includes the visibility, layer, color, and linetype. To edit each property, click its field. These changes are only for
the wall style.

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353

Click Edit Display Properties, then the Hatching tab to set what hatch
is displayed in each display representation for the wall style. The
Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations, including Plan and Reflected. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
Click Edit Display Properties and then the Other tab to set the cut plane
height, what inner lines are displayed, and what miters to draw for a
the wall style. Other display features that are set here include whether
to display lines below openings, whether to display endcaps, and
whether to cut door and window frames. The Other tab is displayed
only in some display representations, including Plan and Reflected. For
an explanation of display representations, see Display Representations on page 100.

6 Click OK to set the display for the wall style.

Wall Component Index

These are the component index priorities for all of the wall styles in the style
libraries.

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Component

Index

Concrete

200

Concrete (Footing)

200

CMU

300

CMU Veneer

350

Precast Panel

400

Stud

500

Insulation

600 (CMU/Brick, Stud/Brick)

Rigid Insulation

404 (Brick)

Air Gap

700

Air Gap (Brick Brick)

405

Air Gap (CMU CMU)

305

Air Gap (Stud Stud)

505

Brick

400

Brick Veneer

410

Siding

900

Metal Panel

1000

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Stucco

1100

Glass

1200

GWB

1200

GWB (X)

1200,1210,1220,1230

Bulkhead

1800

Casework - Base

2010

Casework - Upper

2000

Casework - Counter

2020

Casework - Backsplash

2030

Toilet Partition

3000

Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Wall Style

To set the hatch pattern for wall style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the wall style type, select the wall style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Hatching tab to set the
hatch to be displayed in each display representation for the wall style.
The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations,
including Plan and Reflected.
5 Select a hatch to change in the Pattern list.
6 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, click Double Hatch on or
off.

7 Click OK.

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8 Click the Scale/Spacing list to change the value for the selected
component.
9 Click the Angle list to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
10 Click the Orientation field to change from making the change global or
for the selected object.
11 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Wall Cleanup Definitions

Creating a Wall Cleanup Group Definition
The first step in setting up in assigning walls to different wall cleanup groups
is creating a new wall cleanup group definition.
To create a new wall cleanup group definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Cleanup Group Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The cleanup group definitions in the current drawing are displayed under the Cleanup Group Definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Cleanup Group Definition type selected, right-click, and choose
New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new cleanup group definition, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the properties of your new cleanup group definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Cleanup Group Definition Properties dialog box is displayed. You can
add notes and add reference files to the definition.
5 When you finish changing the cleanup group definition properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Editing a Wall Cleanup Group Definition

You can control the name and description of the Wall Cleanup Group
definition, and you can attach notes and files to the group.
To edit a wall cleanup group definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Cleanup Group Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The cleanup group definition type is selected within the current
drawing, and all other definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Cleanup Group Definition type, select the cleanup group definition that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Cleanup Group Definition Properties dialog box, click the General
tab.
4 In the Cleanup Group Definitions Properties dialog box, type a new name
for the Wall Cleanup Group definition in the Name dialog box.
5 Type a description of the Wall Cleanup Group definition in the Description box.
6 To add a note to the cleanup group, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 When you finish changing the cleanup group definition properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Purging a Wall Cleanup Group Definition

You can delete wall cleanup group definitions that are not being used in the
current drawing.
To purge a wall cleanup group definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Cleanup Group Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The cleanup group definitions in the current drawing are displayed under the Cleanup Group Definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused cleanup group definition in your current

drawing, select the definition, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused cleanup group definitions in your current
drawing, with the Cleanup Group Definition type selected, right-click,
and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Wall Cleanup Group Definitions

You can import wall cleanup group definitions from an existing drawing and
use them in a new drawing.

NOTE You can manage wall cleanup group definitions efficiently by creating
them all in one drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into
other drawings as needed.
To import wall cleanup group definitions
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Cleanup Group Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The cleanup group definitions in the current drawing are displayed under the Cleanup Group Definitions type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the definition that you want to copy to your current
drawing.

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3 Select the drawing with the definition that you want to copy, and click
Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Cleanup Group Definition type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Cleanup Group Definition to display the
cleanup group definitions in the drawing.
5 Select the cleanup group definition that you want to copy, and choose
Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing
already contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are
displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
number in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Cleanup Group Definitions to a

New Drawing
You can export wall cleanup group definitions from your current drawing to
a new drawing.
To export wall cleanup group definitions to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Cleanup Group Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The cleanup group definitions in the current drawing are displayed under the Cleanup Group Definitions type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the definition to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.

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359

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the cleanup group definitions type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Cleanup Group Definitions to an

Existing Drawing
You can export wall cleanup group definitions from the current drawing to
another drawing.
To export wall cleanup group definitions to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Cleanup Group Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The cleanup group definitions in the current drawing are displayed under the Cleanup Group Definitions type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the definition to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the definition to, and click
Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Cleanup Group Definitions type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

360

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.

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7 To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,

select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
number in the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Assigning a Wall Cleanup Group to New Walls

When you create walls, you can assign them to a wall cleanup group so they
do not clean up with walls from another group.
To create walls with a different wall cleanup group
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Add Wall.
2 In the Add Walls dialog box, select the wall style.
3 Select the wall cleanup group from the Group list.
4 You need to create a new wall cleanup group before you can assign walls
to that group. See Creating a Wall Cleanup Group Definition on page
356.
5 Click Straight or Curved to set the type of wall to create.
6 Specify a start point for the wall.
7 Specify another point to end this segment of the wall.
The marker on one side of the wall indicates the direction the wall is being
drawn.
8 Continue placing wall segments to create, for example, a building exterior
or a room.
You can use the Ortho Close or Polyline Close options to finish the creation of an enclosed space.

Ortho Close: Closes the space by drawing two walls or space boundaries based on the direction you specify. The direction is extended until
it meets a line perpendicular to the initial edge of either the wall or
space boundary.
Polyline Close: Closes the wall by creating a wall segment from the
last point specified for the walls to the first point specified in this group
of walls.

9 Click Close to end the command.

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Assigning a Different Wall Cleanup Group

Definition to Existing Walls
You can change the wall cleanup group of existing walls. This procedure is
useful when you see a place in the drawing where you would like to prevent
two walls from cleaning up with each other.
To change the wall cleanup group of existing walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Modify Wall.
2 Select the walls to change, and press ENTER.
3 In the Wall Modify dialog box, select the wall cleanup group from the
Group list.
You need to create a new wall cleanup group before you can assign walls
to that group. See Creating a Wall Cleanup Group Definition on page
356.
4 Click OK to set the selected walls to the new wall cleanup group.

Editing Walls
You can create walls by converting lines and sketches into walls. You can
then edit walls by adding and anchoring objects to them, by creating special
conditions, by changing the roof or floor lines, and by joining them with
other walls.

Converting Lines to Walls

You can create line diagrams or sketches of walls using lines, arcs, circles, and
polylines to create the building exterior and rooms, and then you can convert them to walls with one command.
To convert lines to walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Convert to Walls.
2 Select the lines, arcs, circles, or polylines to convert to walls.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected geometry, or type n (No) to keep the
geometry in the drawing.
4 Change the general, style, dimensions, and location properties of the wall.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box and create the walls.

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Adding Wall Modifiers Automatically

You can add components to walls in any location by selecting points on the
wall. The components can then be applied to one or both sides of the wall.
To add a wall modifier automatically
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Add Wall Modifier.
2 Select a wall.
3 Select the start point for the wall modifier. After you select the first point,
a temporary line is displayed to show you the length of the modifier.
4 Select the endpoint for the modifier.
5 Select the side of the wall to draw the modifier.
6 Type the depth for the wall modifier at the command line.
7 In the Add Wall Modifier dialog box, specify the style for the modifier.
8 If you select Offset Opposite Face, the wall is drawn along the line of the
modifier.
9 Select the start elevation offset and the end elevation offset for the component.
Start Elevation Offset: In conjunction with the wall bottom, wall
baseline, wall base height, or wall top, Start Elevation Offset sets the
distance for the beginning height of the wall modifier. You can use a
negative number to measure the distance down the wall instead of up the
wall.
End Elevation Offset: In conjunction with the wall bottom, wall baseline, wall base height, or wall top, End Elevation Offset sets the distance
for the ending height of the wall modifier. You can use a negative number
to measure the distance down the wall instead of up the wall.

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Wall modifier parameters

10 Click OK to add the modifier to the wall.

Removing Wall Modifiers

You can remove existing wall modifiers.
To remove an existing wall modifier
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Remove Wall Modifier.
2 Select a wall.
3 Select the modifier.

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Removing a wall modifier

Converting a Polyline to a Wall Modifier

You can convert an existing polyline into a wall modifier. The polyline can
be drawn in the location for the wall modifier, or it can be projected to the
wall. The polyline cannot be closed.
To convert polyline to a wall modifier
1 Draw a polyline in the shape and location of the wall modifier.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Convert Polyline to Wall
Modifier.
3 Select a wall.
4 Select the polyline.
5 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected polyline, or type n (No) to keep the
polyline in the drawing.

Converting a polyline to a wall modifier

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6 If you select Offset Opposite Face, the wall is drawn along the line of the
modifier.
7 Select the start elevation offset and the end elevation offset for the component.
Start Elevation Offset: In conjunction with the wall bottom, wall
baseline, wall base height, or wall top, Start Elevation Offset sets the
distance for the beginning height of the wall modifier. You can use a
negative number to measure the distance down the wall instead of up the
wall.
End Elevation Offset: In conjunction with the wall bottom, wall baseline, wall base height, or wall top, End Elevation Offset sets the distance
for the ending height of the wall modifier. You can use a negative number
to measure the distance down the wall instead of up the wall.

Wall modifier parameters

8 Click OK to add the modifier to the wall.

Creating and Editing Wall Modifier Styles

You can customize the surface of a wall by adding modifiers, such as inchthick stucco or wainscoting. After you define the wall modifier, you can add
it to either side of the wall and at any location. First, create wall modifier

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styles in the Style Manager. Then, you can place a modifier on the wall using
the Wall Modifiers tab in the Wall Properties dialog box.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, the Style Manager is
displayed. The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple
drawings and templates. For more information about using the Style
Manager, see Getting Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating a New Wall Modifier Style

You can create wall surface modifiers to be added to walls.
To define a surface modifier
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the wall modifier style type, right-click, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new wall modifier style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new wall modifier style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Wall Modifier Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the style.
5 After you finish changing the wall modifier style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
7 Click OK to save the new wall modifier style and exit the dialog box.

Creating a Wall Modifier Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new wall modifier style by copying and modifying an
existing style.
To create a wall modifier style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.

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2 Select an existing style to copy under the Wall Modifier style type, and
press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new wall modifier style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Wall Modifier Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the style.
6 When you finish changing the wall modifier style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing a Wall Modifier Style Using a Polyline

You can create a new shape for a wall modifier by selecting an existing
polyline.
To edit a wall modifier style using a polyline
1 Draw a polyline in the shape you want to use for the wall modifier.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
3 Select the style you want to edit, right-click, and choose Set From on the
shortcut menu.
4 Select the polyline from the drawing.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Attaching Notes or Files to a Wall Modifier Style

To attach notes or files to a wall modifier style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.

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2 Under the Wall Modifier style type, select the wall modifier style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Wall Modifier Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the wall modifier style, type it in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the wall modifier, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 When you finish changing the wall modifier style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Wall Modifier Style

If no walls have a specific wall modifier style, you can purge the style from
the drawing.
To purge a wall modifier style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused wall modifier style in your current drawing,

select the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.

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To purge all the unused wall modifier styles in your current drawing,
select the wall modifier style type, right-click, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.

3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Wall Modifier Styles

You can import existing wall modifier styles from another drawing. Using
this method, you can set up one drawing with all wall modifier styles in it,
and then import styles as you need them.
To import wall modifier styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the wall modifier style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Wall Modifier Styles to display the wall
modifier styles in the drawing.
5 Select the wall modifier style that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

370

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

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8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Modifier Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export wall modifier styles from one drawing to another.
To export wall modifier styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the wall modifier style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Modifier Styles to a New Drawing

You can export wall modifier styles from an existing drawing to a new
drawing.

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To export wall modifier styles to a new drawing

1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Wall Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New Drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the wall modifier style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Inserting a Wall Modifier as a Polyline

You can insert an existing wall modifier into your drawing as a polyline. You
can then edit the polyline and either create a new modifier or overwrite an
existing one.
To insert a wall modifier as a polyline
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Insert Modifier Style as Polyline.
2 Select the modifier style to insert as a polyline.
3 Click OK.
4 Select an insertion point in the drawing.
The selected wall modifier is inserted in the drawing as a polyline.

Creating and Editing Endcap Styles

You can define different endcap styles to control, for example, how the wall
meets doors and windows and the width and depth of ending pieces. These
endcaps are placed on walls through the settings on the Wall Style Overrides
tab in the Wall Properties dialog box.

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When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and
templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating a Wall Endcap Style

To create a wall endcap style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The wall endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the endcap style type, right-click, and choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new endcap style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new endcap style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Endcap Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to
the style.
5 When you finish changing the endcap style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a Wall Endcap Style from an Existing Style

You can copy and modify an existing wall endcap style to create a new wall
endcap style.
To create a wall endcap style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Endcap style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.

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4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new endcap style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Endcap Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to
the style.
6 When you finish changing the endcap style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing an Endcap Style Using Polylines

You can create the shape of a wall endcap by selecting existing polylines and
setting the index number and offset distance for each component of the
endcap.
To create a wall endcap style from existing polylines
1 Draw a polyline in the shape of the wall endcap you want to create.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
3 Select the style you want to edit, right-click, and choose Set From on the
shortcut menu.
4 Select the polyline in the drawing.

NOTE If you select a polyline with width, the segments with width will be
invisible when the endcap is placed on the wall.
5 Set the component index for the segment.
6 Type y (Yes) to add another component to the endcap style, or type n (No)
to continue creating the endcap style.
7 Type a return offset for the component.

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Polyline endcap parameters

8 When you finish changing the endcap style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Wall Endcap Style

To attach notes or files to a wall endcap style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Endcap style type, select the endcap style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 To add a description to the endcap style, type it in the Description field.
4 To add a note to the endcap, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type it on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish changing the endcap style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.

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8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Wall Endcap Style

If no walls have a specific wall endcap style, you can purge the style from the
drawing.
To purge a wall endcap style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused endcap style in your current drawing, select

the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused endcap styles in your current drawing, select
the endcaps style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Wall Endcap Styles

You can import existing wall endcap styles from another drawing. Using this
method, you can set up one drawing with all endcap styles in it and then
import them as needed.
To import wall endcap styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the endcap style type.

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4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Endcap Styles to display the endcap styles
in the drawing.
5 Select the endcap style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Endcap Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export wall endcap styles from the current drawing to another
drawing.
To export wall endcap styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the endcap style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

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6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Wall Endcap Styles to a New Drawing

You can export wall endcap styles from an existing drawing to a new
drawing.
To export wall endcap styles to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Wall Endcap Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The endcap styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Endcap style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the endcap style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Inserting an Endcap Style as a Polyline

You can insert an existing wall endcap style into your drawing as a polyline.
You can then edit the polyline and either create a new endcap style or
overwrite an existing style.

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To insert an endcap style as a polyline

1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Insert Endcap Style as Polyline.
2 Select the endcap style to insert as a polyline.
3 Click OK.
4 Select an insertion point in the drawing.
The selected endcap style is inserted in the drawing as a polyline.

Overriding an Endcap Style

You can select an existing wall and change the endcap style on that wall.
To override an endcap style
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Override Endcap Style.
2 Select a wall.
3 Select a point close to end where you want the endcap to be overridden.
4 In the Select an Endcap Style dialog box, select a style to override the existing style, and click OK.

Merging Walls
You can use the profile of selected walls and merge the walls. This does not
provide automatic wall cleanup, but merging walls is useful in tight situations that involve short wall segments.
To merge two walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Merge Walls.
2 Type a (Add) to merge walls.
3 Select a wall to merge with.
4 Select other walls to merge with the first wall, and press ENTER.

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Merging wall segments

5 You can continue to add or remove wall merges, or you can press ENTER
to exit the command.

Removing a Merged Wall

You can remove walls from a group of merged walls.
To remove a wall from a wall merge
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Merge Walls.
2 Type r (Remove) to remove a wall from a merge.
3 Select the first wall selected during the wall merge.
4 Select the walls to remove from the merge and press ENTER.
5 You can continue to add or remove wall merges, or you can press ENTER
to exit the command.

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Changing the Roof Line of a Wall

You can change the height of the roof line of an existing wall. You can also
create a polyline that represents the current roof line of selected walls.
To change the roof line
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Roof Line.
2 Type o (Offset), select the walls to change, and then type a value to offset
the roof line from the current height of the wall.
3 Type p (Project) to project the roof line to a selected polyline, select the
walls to change, and then select the polyline to project the roof line to.

NOTE For best results, the polyline does not need to be in the same plane
as the selected walls, but it should be parallel to the walls.
4 Type g (Generate polyline) to generate a polyline, and then select the
walls for the polyline to be created from.
5 Type a (Auto project) to project the wall roof line to another object, select
the walls, and then select the object to project to.
6 Type r (Reset) to remove any roof line changes made to the wall.

NOTE Auto project is useful when projecting walls to roofs.

7 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Floor Line of the Wall

You can change the height of the floor line of an existing wall. You can also
create a polyline that represents the current floor line of selected walls.
To change the floor line
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Floor Line.
2 Type o (Offset), select the walls to change, and then type a value to offset
the floor line from the current height of the wall.
3 Type p (Project) to project the floor line to a selected polyline, select the
walls to change, and then select the polyline to project the floor line to.

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NOTE For best results, the polyline does not need to be in the same plane
as the selected walls, but it should be parallel to the walls.
4 Type g (Generate polyline) to generate a polyline along the current roofline of the wall, and then select the walls for the polyline to be created
from.
5 Type a (Auto project) to project the wall floor line to another object, select
the walls, and then select the object to project to.
6 Type r (Reset) to remove any floor line changes made to the wall.
7 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding an Interference Condition

You can place AEC objects, such as mass elements, in walls to create custom
openings or cutouts in the wall. Before you use this procedure, it is necessary
for an existing AEC object to be placed at the correct location in the wall. An
example is a column grid structure where columns are connected by walls.
To add interference conditions to walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Interference Condition.
2 Type a (Add) to add an interference condition.
3 Select walls that are to be affected by the interference condition and press
ENTER.
4 Select an existing AEC object intersecting the wall as the interference
condition and press ENTER.
5 You can type either a (Additive), s (Subtractive), or i (Ignore).
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

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Removing an Interference Condition

You can remove AEC objects, such as mass elements, from walls that they
have been added to.
To remove interference conditions from walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Interference Condition.
2 Type r (Remove) to remove an interference condition and press ENTER.
3 Select walls that are to have the interference condition removed and press
ENTER.
4 Select an existing AEC object that has been added to the wall as an interference condition.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Sweeping a Profile
You can define a profile and use that shape as the shape of a wall component.
The insertion point of the profile is used as the lower-left corner of the wall
component. The profile is not scaled when swept on the wall.
To sweep a profile along a wall component
1 Define the AEC Profile to use.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Sweep Profile.
3 Select the walls to sweep and press ENTER.
4 Select the profile from the Profile Definitions dialog box and press OK.
5 Type the component index number to assign the profile to that component and press ENTER.

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Assigning a sweep profile to a wall

Changing the Sweep Profile Miter Angles

You can change the angles where two walls with AEC Profiles attached to
them meet.

NOTE If you miter the end of walls, then no endcaps are drawn.
To change the sweep profile miter angle
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Sweep Profile Miter Angles.
2 Select the first wall.
3 Select the second wall.

Adding an Object to the Wall

You can add a mass element or an AEC object with mass to a wall or to a component in the wall.
To add an object to a wall
1 Add an object in the location you want added to the wall.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Body Modifier.
3 Select the wall.
4 Select the object to add to the wall.
5 Type the component index number of the component to add the object
to and press ENTER.

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6 Type a (Additive) to add the body modifier to the wall and press ENTER.
7 Type a description for the body modifier and press ENTER.
8 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected geometry, or type n (No) to keep the
geometry in the drawing and press ENTER.

Adding a body modifier to a wall

Subtracting an Object from a Wall

You can subtract the shape of a mass element or object with mass from the
wall or from a component in the wall.
To subtract a shape from a wall
1 Add an object in the location you want subtracted from the wall.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Body Modifier.
3 Select the wall.
4 Select the object to subtract from the wall.
5 Type the component index number of the component to subtract the
object from.
6 Type s (Subtractive) to add the body modifier to the wall.
7 Type a description for the body modifier.
8 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected geometry, or type n (No) to keep the
geometry in the drawing.

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Subtracting a body modifier from a wall

Replacing the Wall with an Object

You can replace the entire wall or a component in the wall with a mass element or an AEC object with mass.
To subtract a shape from a wall
1 Add an object in the location you want to replace the wall.
2 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Body Modifier.
3 Select the wall.
4 Select the object to replace the wall.
5 Type the component index number of the component to replace on the
wall and press ENTER.
6 Type r (Replace) to replace the wall with the body modifier and press
ENTER.
7 Type a description for the body modifier and press ENTER.
8 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected geometry, or type n (No) to keep the
geometry in the drawing and press ENTER.

Replacing a wall with a body modifier

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Joining Walls
You can combine the baselines of two walls. The command also transfers all
sub-objects and anchored objects from one wall to the other.
Sub-objects include roofline, floorline anchors, wall modifiers, wall style
overrides, and interference conditions. Anchored objects include doors, windows, and openings anchored to the walls.
The requirements for walls to be joined are the following:

Base curve geometry

Linear walls must have colinear baselines and be touching at one
endpoint.
Arc walls must have the same center, radius, and be touching at one
end.
Walls must be of the same style and width and must be part of the same
cleanup group.

To join two walls

1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Join Walls.
2 Select the first wall to join.
3 Select the second wall to join.

Reversing Wall Start/End

Walls are drawn from the first specified point to the last point. Some commands and properties are affected by that order. For example, you can add
wall modifiers to the left or right side of a wall. Left to right sides are west to
east, respectively, when a wall is drawn from south to north, regardless of
how the wall is displayed in the current view.
If you must apply commands in the opposite order, you can change the direction walls are drawn. This command affects each wall segment you select.
To change the starting point of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Reverse Wall Start/End.
2 Select the walls to be changed.
3 Press ENTER to change the direction the walls are drawn and to end the
command.

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Anchoring an Object to a Wall

You can attach objects to walls. An attached object is constrained by the wall.
You can move the object along the wall, but it does not move from the wall
until it is detached. Objects anchored to walls follow connected wall
segments.
The center of the bottom face of the object is anchored to the insertion point
on the bottom face of the wall which is midway in the wall width.
To attach an object to a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Tools Anchor to Wall.
2 Type a (Attach) to attach an object to the wall and press ENTER.
3 Select the object to attach to the wall.
4 Select the wall to attach the object to.
The object is placed on the wall and is anchored to that location on the
wall.

Detaching Objects from a Wall

You can detach an object that has been anchored to a wall.
To detach an object from a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Anchor to Wall.
2 Type f (Free object) to detach an object from the wall and press ENTER.
3 Select the object to detach, and press ENTER.
The object is no longer constrained by the wall and can be moved off the
wall.

Setting the Anchored End of an Object

You can specify the end of the wall to anchor objects to.
After you select the end of the wall to anchor the object, all anchors are
changed to the end of the selected wall without moving the anchored
objects.
To set the endpoint of an object anchored to a wall
1 Select one or more objects anchored to the same wall segment.
2 Right-click, and choose Wall Anchor Set Anchored End from the shortcut menu.

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3 Specify a point near the end of the wall to designate the end for anchoring
the selected objects.
The object is now anchored to the end of the selected wall without moving the anchored objects.

Dimensioning a Single Wall

You can add dimensions to a single wall.
To dimension a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Dimension Walls.
2 Select the wall to dimension, and press ENTER.
3 Specify a location for the dimension line.
4 Specify a second point to set the angle of the dimension line, or type p
(Parallel) to set the dimension line parallel to the wall.

NOTE For walls with openings or for doors and windows, the dimension is
measured either from the center of the opening or from the outer frame of
the opening. The latter option is a more valid dimension for a wall with doors
or windows. To set this parameter, change the wall settings options for
required dimensioning in the Options dialog box. For more information, see
AEC Options on page 1445.

Dimensioning Multiple Walls

You can create dimensions for multiple walls.
To dimension multiple walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Wall Tools Dimension Walls.
2 Select the walls to dimension, and press ENTER.
3 Specify a location for the dimension line.
4 Specify a second point to set the angle of the dimension line, or type p to
set the dimension line parallel to the wall.

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Dimensioning to the center of wall openings

NOTE For walls with openings or with doors and windows, the dimension
is measured either from the center of the opening or from the outer frame of
the opening. The latter is more valid for a wall with doors or windows. To set
this parameter, change the wall settings options for required dimensioning in
the Options dialog box. For more information, see AEC Options on page
1445.

Dimensioning to the edge of wall openings

Add and Modify Dialog Box Behavior

This section refers to the Add/Modify dialog boxes for Walls, Curtain Walls,
Roof Slabs, Stairs, and Railings.
Default Values and the Registry
In the Add dialog, style default values are never persisted to the registry as
the last used value. Only those values that you actually enter are persisted.
For example, you add a wall, then select the standard style (which has no
defaults), set the base height to 10, draw a few walls, and close the Add dialog
box. The 10 base height is stored as the last used value in the registry. Now

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you add another wall. The last used base height of 10 is retrieved from the
registry and is displayed in the Height box. Now you select a style with a
default base height of 13. The Height in the Add dialog box changes to 13.
You then draw a few walls and close the Add dialog box. In this case, the last
used value in the registry remains as 10; the 13 value taken from the style
defaults is not saved in the registry.
When an Add command is invoked for Walls, Curtain Walls, Roof Slabs,
Slabs, Stairs, and Railings, a three-step process occurs:
1 Restore the last-saved values from the registry.
2 Overwrite with any active style defaults for the last used style.
3 If the style is not changed, apply user-overridden values, also stored in the
registry, for any parameter affected by a default.
Default Values Application
In the Add dialog for Walls, Curtain Walls, Roof Slabs, Slabs, and Railings,
style defaults are always applied whenever you change the style in the Add
dialog box. Also all values are reset back to the last used value before appropriate values are applied from the style defaults, which then change the data
in the dialog controls.
For example, use two different wall styles, WallStyle1 and WallStyle2.
WallStyle1 has the following default values: Base Height = 13 and Wall
Width = 6".
WallStyle2 has a Base Height of 8.
The last used values are as follows: Base Height = 3-6" and Wall Width = 4".
When you select WallStyle1, then the base height is set to 13 and the wall
width to 6". When you select WallStyle2, the base height is set to 8 and the
wall width is reset back to the last user value, 4".
For Railings, the values are drawn from the Style when you select another
style, because every stair and railing style provides all possible values.
Color-coded Parameters
If a value does not have an active style-based default, then the title text for
the field is colored the current Window Text Color; usually this is Black.
If a value matches the style-based default, then the title text for the field is
Blue.
If a value does have a style-based default, but its value does not match that
of the default, then the title text for the field is Red. This occurs when you
override the default value.

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Object Properties Values Persistence

Values not displayed directly in the Add or Modify dialog box are never persisted to the registry as last used values.
For example, while adding a wall, you click the Properties button and change
the wall cleanup radius to another value. The desired walls are added to the
drawing the command is closed. The last cleanup radius value is not persisted
to the registry.
There is one exception to this rule for Stairs. The state of the calculator locks
is always persisted. This includes tread, rise, straight length, and number of
risers.

Walls Command List

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with wall

selected)

Walls
Wall

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Add Wall

WallAdd

Modify Wall

WallModify

Convert to Walls

WallConvert

Wall Styles...

Wall Style

Cleanup Group
Definitions...

Wall, then CL

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Wall Modify...

WallStyleEdit

Edit Wall Style...

WallProps

Wall Properties...

DoorAdd

Insert Door...

WindowAdd

Insert Window...

OpeningAdd

Insert Opening...

WinAssemblyAdd

Insert Window
Assembly...

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with wall

selected)

CurtainWallConvertWall

Model Tools Convert

to Curtain Wall

WallAddSelected

Add Selected

Add Wall Modifier...

WallModifierAdd

Plan Tools Add Wall

Modifier...

Remove Wall Modifier...

WallModifierRemove

Plan Tools Remove Wall

Modifier

Convert Polyline to Wall

Modifier...

WallModifierConvert

Plan Tools Convert

Polyline to Wall
Modifier...

Wall Modifier Styles...

WallModifierStyle

Insert Modifier Style as

Polyline

WallModifier

Override Endcap Style

WallApplyEndcap

Wall Endcap Styles...

WallEndCapStyle

Insert Endcap Style

as Polyline

WallEndCap

Merge Walls

WallMerge

Plan Tools Merge

Override Cleanup
Radius

WallApplyCleanupRadius
Override

Plan Tools Override

Cleanup Radius

Toggle Wall Graph

Display

WallGraphDisplayToggle

Roof Line

RoofLine

Model Tools Roof Line

Floor Line

FloorLine

Model Tools Floor Line

Interference Condition

WallInterference

Model Tools
Interference

Sweep Profile

WallSweep

Model Tools Sweep

Profile

Wall Tools

Plan Tools Override

Endcap

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394

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with wall

selected)

Sweep Profile Miter

Angles

WallSweepMiterAngles

Model Tools Sweep

Profile Miter Angles

Body Modifier

WallBody

Model Tools Body

Modifier

Join Walls

Wall Join

Plan Tools Join

Reverse Wall Start/End

Wall Reverse

Plan Tools Reverse

Anchor to Wall

WallAnchor

Dimension Walls

WallDim

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Plan Tools Dimension

Curtain Walls

15

Curtain walls provide a grid or framework for inserting

In this chapter

objects such as windows and doors. They have many

Creating curtain walls

similarities to standard walls including a baseline, roof

line, and floor line, and they allow for interferences. You
can insert doors and windows into a curtain wall, just
like standard walls, but the insertion process is different.
Curtain walls are also different from standard walls in
that they are made up of one or more grids. Each grid in
a curtain wall has either a horizontal division or a vertical division, but you can nest the grids to create a variety
of patterns from simple to complex.

Working with nested grids in

curtain walls
Modifying the display of curtain

walls
Modifying the elements in a

curtain wall
Modifying curtain walls
Editing objects anchored in

curtain walls
Creating curtain wall units
Modifying the elements in a

curtain wall unit

Modifying the elements in a

curtain wall unit

Modifying curtain wall units

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Curtain Walls
Curtain walls provide a grid or framework for inserting objects such as
windows and doors. You can use curtain walls to model components such as

Large scale curtain walls

Storefronts with components
Assemblies of custom shaped doors and windows

Curtain walls have many similarities to standard walls. They have a baseline,
roof line, and floor line, and allow for interferences. They are also stylebased, meaning there are preset characteristics assigned to each curtain wall
that determine its appearance. You can insert doors and windows into a curtain wall, just like standard walls, but the insertion process is different.
Curtain walls are also different from standard walls in that they are made up
of one or more grids. Each grid in a curtain wall has either a horizontal
division or a vertical division, but you can nest the grids to create a variety
of patterns from simple to complex.

Curtain wall nested grid examples

Each cell in a grid can contain either a panel infill, to represent basic cladding
materials such as a stone wall panel or glazing, or an object such as a window
or a door.

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Specifying panel and window infill

Other objects you can insert in a grid include curtain wall units and window
assemblies. Curtain wall units are very similar to curtain walls except that the
grid cells can contain only panel infills, not objects. Curtain wall units are
designed to represent complex elements that are repeated within your main
curtain wall.

Specifying curtain wall unit infill

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Window assemblies serve a similar function as curtain wall units but window
assemblies can contain panel infills or objects such as doors or windows.
Window assemblies can be inserted into curtain walls and standard walls.

Specifying window assembly infill

Both curtain wall units and window assemblies can reduce the need for
nested grids, making edits to the curtain wall easier.
Grids are the foundation of curtain walls, curtain wall units, and window
assemblies. Every grid has four element types

Divisions: Define the direction of the grid (horizontal or vertical) and

the number of cells
Cell Infills: Contain another grid, a panel infill, or an object such as a
window or a door
Frames: Define the edge around the outside of the primary grid and
nested grids
Mullions: Define the edges between the cells

NOTE Division is an abstract element, in contrast to the other three element types that represent physical elements of the curtain wall.

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Each element type is assigned a default definition that describes what

elements of that type look like.

Element type

Default definitions

Divisions

Primary horizontal grid with a fixed cell dimension of 13

and secondary vertical grid with a fixed cell dimension of 3

Cell Infills

Cells containing simple panels 2" thick

Frames

Left, right, top, and bottom outer edges of grid 3" wide
and 3" deep

Mullions

Edges between cells 1" wide and 3" deep

Specifying grid element types

You can create new element definitions and assign those definitions to
specific elements within the curtain wall. For example, you can create
multiple infill definitions, and then assign different infills to specific cells in
the grid.

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Specifying different infill definitions

Likewise, you can create multiple frame definitions, and then assign a different definition to each frame edge (top, bottom, left, right).

Specifying different frame definitions

You create element definitions from the Design Rules tab of the Curtain Wall
Style Properties dialog box. Select an element from the tree to display a list
of definitions for that element, icons for adding and removing definitions,
and text boxes for creating the definitions.

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From the same Design Rules tab, you can assign the definitions to specific
elements in a grid. Select a grid from the tree to display a list of assignments
for that grid, icons for creating new assignments and columns in the assignment table for specifying the definition to use and where. You can also edit
the definitions at the bottom of the dialog box.

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To get started with curtain walls, draw a curtain wall using one of the
methods described in the next section, Creating Curtain Walls. Try a
variety of the existing curtain wall styles, find a style you like and make a
copy of it. Then, modify the element definitions and assignments to suit
your own needs. For more information, see Modifying the Elements in a
Curtain Wall on page 477.
After you become more familiar with curtain walls, element definitions, and
assignments, you can use the following steps to create a curtain wall.
To create a curtain wall
1 Create a new curtain wall style. For more information, see Creating a
New Curtain Wall Style on page 473.
2 Create element definitions for the curtain wall style. For more information, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on page
419.
3 Assign element definitions to specific elements in the curtain wall. For
more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements
on page 450.

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4 Draw a curtain wall using the style you created. For more information, see
the next section, Creating Curtain Walls.
5 Make any minor adjustments to the cells or edges using the curtain wall
overrides. For more information, see Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Curtain Walls on page 478.

Creating Curtain Walls

Curtain walls are created in much the same way as standard walls. You can
specify a style, a height, and start and endpoints. Curtain walls can be
straight, or curved or a combination of the two. Unlike standard walls, you
can also create curtain walls that are based on a curve, convert a 2D layout
grid to a curtain wall, or create a custom grid from 2D lines, arcs, and circles.
You can also convert standard walls to curtain walls.

Creating a Straight Curtain Wall

To create a straight curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Add Curtain Wall.
2 In the Add Curtain Walls dialog box, select the curtain wall style.

NOTE If you want the curtain wall to use the default dimensions defined in
the style, select Use Style Defaults. For more information, see Setting Default
Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 471.
3 Click Straight to draw a straight curtain wall.
4 Specify a start point for the curtain wall.

NOTE You cannot undo the first point when creating a curtain wall. If you
started the curtain wall at the wrong point, either select another point or click
Cancel to close the dialog box, and then start the curtain wall again.
5 Specify another point to end this curtain wall.

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Drawing a straight curtain wall segment

A marker on top of the curtain wall indicates the direction the curtain wall
is being drawn.
6 Continue placing curtain walls to create, for example, a building exterior
or a room.
You can use the Ortho Close or Polyline Close options to finish the creation of your curtain wall.
Ortho Close: Closes the space by drawing two curtain walls based on the
direction you specify. The direction is extended until it meets a line perpendicular to the initial edge of the curtain wall.

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Using the Ortho Close option

Polyline Close: Closes the curtain wall by drawing a curtain wall from
the last point specified for the curtain walls to the first point specified in
this group of curtain walls.
7 Click Close to end the command.

NOTE On the toolbar in the Add Curtain Walls dialog box, you can:

Click Floating Viewer to view the curtain wall.

Click Properties to change any property of the curtain wall.
Click Match to match the property of another curtain wall object.
Click Undo to undo the curtain wall.

Creating a Curved Curtain Wall

To create curved curtain walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Add Curtain Wall.
2 In the Add Curtain Walls dialog box, select the curtain wall style.

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NOTE If you want the curtain wall to use the default dimensions defined in
the style, select Use Style Defaults. For more information, see Setting Default
Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 471.
3 Click Curved to draw a curved curtain wall.
4 Specify a start point for the curtain wall.

NOTE You cannot undo the first point when creating a curtain wall. If you
start the curtain wall at the wrong point, either select another point or click
Cancel to close the dialog box, and then start the curtain wall again.
5 Specify the midpoint of the curve.
6 Specify the endpoint of the curved curtain wall.

Drawing a curved curtain wall segment

A marker on top of the curtain wall indicates the direction the curtain wall
is being drawn.
7 Continue placing curtain walls to create, for example, a building exterior
or a room.
You can use the Ortho Close or Polyline Close options to finish the creation of an enclosed space. For an explanation of these options, see Creating a Straight Curtain Wall on page 403.
8 Press ENTER to end the command.

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NOTE On the toolbar in the Add Curtain Walls dialog box, you can:

Click Floating Viewer to view the curtain wall.

Click Properties to change any property of the curtain wall.
Click Match to match the property of another curtain wall object.
Click Undo to undo the curtain wall object.

Facet Deviation
The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the FACETDEV
variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on curved AEC
objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.

Creating a Curtain Wall that References a Curve

If you want to create a curtain wall with a mixture of straight and curved segments, you can use the Add Curtain Wall command. However, for complicated designs, you might find it easier to draw the segments using lines, arcs,
and circles, and then reference that curve as the baseline for the curtain wall.
This method has an added advantage in that the curve remains in control of
the length and baseline of the curtain wall. Any changes you make to the
curve are reflected in changes to the curtain wall.

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Creating a curtain wall that references a curve

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Use any of the following entities to create the reference curve:

Line
Arc
Circle
Polyline
Spline
AEC objects (excluding stairs and multi-view blocks)

To create a curtain wall that references a curve

1 Draw a reference curve for the curtain wall.
2 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Reference Curtain Wall.
3 Select the curve.
A list of curtain wall styles is displayed.
4 Select a curtain wall style.

NOTE If you want the curtain wall to use the default dimensions defined in
the style, select Use Style Defaults. For more information, see Setting Default
Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 471.
5 Click OK.

Converting a Layout Grid to a Curtain Wall

You can create a curtain wall grid that is based on a 2D layout grid. If you
already have 2D layout grids in an existing drawing, you can easily convert
to curtain walls. Or if you are already familiar with layout grids, it is an efficient way to create a curtain wall, and then experiment with the curtain wall
commands to learn more about them.

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Converting a 2D layout grid to a curtain wall

The horizontal and vertical lines of the 2D layout grid define the divisions
for the curtain wall grids. The grid cells, frame, and mullions are assigned
default definitions. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements on page 450.
To convert a 2D layout grid to a curtain wall
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Grid (2D).
2 Create a layout grid. For more information, see Layout Grids on page
1568.
3 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Convert Layout Grid to
Curtain Wall.
4 Select the layout grid.
You are prompted to erase the layout grid after the conversion.
5 To erase the layout grid, type y (Yes). To have the layout grid remain after
the curtain wall is created, type n (No).
Curtain wall grids are one dimensionaldivided either horizontally or
vertically. To create the horizontal and vertical patterns in the 2D layout
grid, the curtain wall uses a primary grid with a secondary grid nested
inside it. For more information about nested grids, see Working with
Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on page 414.
You are prompted for the direction of the primary grid in the curtain wall.
If you select horizontal, the primary grid has horizontal divisions that
cross over the vertical divisions of the secondary grid (see the following
illustration). If you select vertical, the primary grid has vertical divisions
that cross over the horizontal divisions of the secondary grid.

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Specifying primary division directions

6 Select vertical or horizontal as the orientation for the primary division.

You are prompted to enter a name for the new style. For more information
about curtain wall styles, see Working with Curtain Wall Styles on page
419.
7 Type a name for this new curtain wall style.
8 Click OK.

Creating a Curtain Wall with a Custom Grid

Curtain walls contain one or more grids. You can define a custom grid with
lines, arcs, and circles, and then convert that linework into a curtain wall.
After the conversion, the curtain wall is in Edit in Place so that you can make
modifications to it. At any point, you can save the resulting curtain wall as a
new curtain wall style. For more information, see Using Edit in Place for
Curtain Walls on page 483.

NOTE Curtain wall grids are either horizontal or vertical. To create a grid pattern with horizontal and vertical cells, like the previous example, nested grids are
used. For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids
in Curtain Walls on page 414.
To create a curtain wall with a custom grid
1 Use lines, arcs, and circles to draw a grid in the world coordinate system
(WCS).
2 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Convert Linework to
Curtain Wall.
3 Select the lines, arcs, or circles that define your grid, and press ENTER.
4 Select one of the grid lines as the baseline for the curtain wall or press
ENTER to use the line along the X axis as the baseline.

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Converting linework to curtain walls using the default baseline option

TIP If you draw your linework in the XY plane (in plan view) and accept the
default baseline, the resulting window assembly is displayed from the
Z direction.

Converting linework to curtain walls using the specified baseline option

You are prompted to erase the lines that define the grid.
5 To erase the lines, type y (Yes). To have the lines remain after the curtain
wall is created, type n (No).

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Each enclosed area is assigned the default cell infill. The lines between the
cells are assigned the default mullion definition, and the boundary
around the grid is assigned the default frame definition. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements on page
450.

NOTE You cannot modify the division definition of a custom grid created
from lines, arcs, and circles. You can, however, assign a different division definition to it. For more information, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall
Grid on page 450.

Converting a Wall to a Curtain Wall

You can create curtain walls based on existing standard walls. For each wall
segment, a separate curtain wall is created. During the conversion process,
you are prompted to select a curtain wall style that determines the number
and size of cells in the curtain wall grid as well as the appearance of the cells,
frame, and mullions. For more information, see the next section Working
with Curtain Wall Styles.

Converting a wall to a curtain wall

To convert a standard wall into a curtain wall

1 From the Design menu, choose Walls Add Wall and draw a standard
wall in the world coordinate system (WCS).
2 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Convert Wall to Curtain
Wall.
3 Select the wall, and press ENTER.

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413

You are prompted for the location of the curtain wall baseline. You can
align the baseline with the left, right, or center of the standard wall.

Specifying justification for converting walls to curtain walls

4 Select Left, Right, or Center as the alignment.

A list of curtain wall styles is displayed.
5 Select a Curtain Wall style and click OK.
You are prompted to erase the standard wall after the conversion.
6 To erase the wall, type y (Yes). To have the wall remain after the curtain
wall is created, type n (No). Press ENTER.

Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls

Each curtain wall grid is one dimensional with either a horizontal or vertical
division. By nesting grids, you can create a variety of patterns from simple to
complex.

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Specifying nested grids

When you nest grids, you start with one primary grid. Each cell in the primary grid can then be filled with another grid. For example, if your primary
grid is horizontal and has three cells, you can nest a vertical grid in each horizontal cell to create a simple 2D grid. This is the nesting configuration for
the Standard curtain wall style.

Specifying cell division definitions 1

The previous illustration shows all cells in the grid with the same cell assignmenta vertical division. However, each cell in a grid is independent and
can have a separate assignment. For example, the following illustration
shows a three cell horizontal grid with different assignments in each cell. The
bottom cell contains another horizontal division, the middle cell contains
vertical divisions of varying width, and the top cell contains a vertical divisions of a fixed width.

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Specifying cell division definitions 2

The previous example show a primary grid with one level of nested grids.
However, you can continue to nest grids to create multiple levels. For example, the following illustrations show the Standard curtain wall style, which is
a simple 2D grid, with one horizontal cell and three vertical cells. Another
grid is nested in the first cell of the secondary grid. This creates a tertiary grid.
A fourth level is created by nesting another grid in the top cell of the tertiary
grid. The final illustration shows the nested grids assigned to all cells.

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Specifying a sequence of nested grids

You can define nested grids by using the Design Rules tab of the Curtain Wall
Style dialog box. The tree on the left side of the tab lists of the grids. There is
always one primary grid. The primary grid can have one or more secondary
grids. Each secondary grid can have one or more tertiary grids, and so on.

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TIP To quickly create nested grids in all cells, change the default cell assignment to Nested Grid. If you want multiple levels of nesting, be sure to change
the default cell assignment for each grid. For more information, see Creating a
Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall on page 452.
Each grid has its own cell assignments. You assign cells to contain another
grid, a panel infill, or an object such as a door or window. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Cells on page 451.

Primary grid and cell assignments

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Secondary grid and cell assignments

Working with Curtain Wall Styles

Curtain walls are style-based, meaning there are preset characteristics
assigned to each curtain wall that determine its appearance and function. By
changing from one style of curtain wall to another, you can quickly study
several different design options. Any changes you make to the style are
reflected throughout your building updating all curtain walls of that particular style. You can also apply overrides to a single curtain wall, without
changing other curtain walls of the same style.
A curtain wall style contains

Element definitions
Definition assignments for each element
Display properties for each element
Default dimensions
Notes about the style and any associated reference files

You can modify the Standard curtain wall style, or you can leave the Standard
style as it is and create a new style. For more information, see Creating a
New Curtain Wall Style on page 473.

Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall

Style
Element definitions determine the appearance of the four basic curtain wall
elements. There is a different definition type for each element.

Element type

Default definitions

Divisions

Primary horizontal grid with a fixed cell dimension of 13

and secondary vertical grid with a fixed cell dimension of 5

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Element type

Default definitions

Cell Infills

Cells containing simple panels

Frames

Left, right, top, and bottom outer edges of grid 3" wide
and 3" deep

Mullions

Edges between cells 1" wide and 3" deep

Curtain wall grid element types

Each type of element can have multiple definitions. For example, you can
define a division to create a horizontal grid or a vertical grid, and you can
define the cells to contain a nested grid or a window assembly. To make reuse
easier, you can save the element definitions, and then assign them to grids,
cells, frames, or mullions as needed.
Element definitions are style-specific. When you create element definitions
for a specific curtain wall style, those definitions are available only for curtain
walls of that style. For example, if you define a window assembly infill for
one curtain wall style, that infill is not available as an option when you edit
a curtain wall of a different style.
For information about defining the color, linetype, or layer of curtain wall
elements, see Modifying the Display of Curtain Walls on page 465.

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Defining Divisions for Curtain Wall Grids

The divisions of a grid define the orientation, that determines the direction
of the grid cells and mullions, and they define a division type that determines the number and size of cells.

NOTE Creating a nested grid is not a division rule. To create a nested grid, add
a cell assignment. For more information, see Creating a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall on page 452 and Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on
page 414.
You can create a variety of division definitions under different names, and
then assign different divisions to each grid in your curtain wall. Although
you can create multiple definitions, there can be only one division assignment per grid. For more information about assigning divisions to a particular
grid, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid on page 450.

NOTE You create division definitions for a specific curtain wall style and those
definitions can be assigned only to grids in curtain walls of that style.

Creating a Division Definition for a Curtain Wall

To create a division definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click the New division icon.
6 Type a name for this division definition in Name.
7 Select either the Vertical Orientation icon or the Horizontal Orientation
icon.
8 Select one of the following division types and specify offsets if needed.

Fixed Cell Dimension. For more information, see Specifying a Fixed

Size for Cells in a Curtain Wall Grid on page 422.
Fixed Number of Cells. For more information, see Specifying a Fixed
Number of Cells for a Curtain Wall Grid on page 424.

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Manual. For more information, see Manually Defining the Number

and Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Grid on page 426.
Baseline/ Base Height (horizontal grids only). For more information,
see Excluding Gables and Steps from a Curtain Wall Grid on page
427.
Polyline (vertical grids only). For more information, see Dividing a
Vertical Curtain Wall Grid at Each Vertex Along a Polyline on page
429.

After you create a division definition, you can assign the definition to a
specific grid in a curtain wall. For more information, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid on page 450.
9 When you are finished creating division definitions, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.

Specifying a Fixed Size for Cells in a Curtain Wall Grid

You can define a specific size for the cells in a grid. In this case, the number
of cells is determined by the length or height of the grid, depending on the
orientation.
To specify a fixed size for cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Divisions definition or create a new one.
6 Select Fixed Cell Dimension as the division type.

7 Type a size for the cells in Cell Dimension. If you are defining a vertical
division, then the cell dimension is the length of the cell from mullion to

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mullion. If you are defining a horizontal division, then the cell dimension
is the height of the cell.

Specifying a fixed size for cells

8 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Curtain
Wall Grid on page 429.

TIP The frame width is calculated as part of the cell size. Therefore, cells
adjacent to the frame can appear to be a different size than the other cells. If
you do not want the frame width included in the cell size, specify an offset for
the grid that is equal to the frame width.
When you draw a curtain wall using a fixed cell dimension, there is often
extra space between the last full-size cell and the end of the curtain wall.
9 To adjust the cells and accommodate this space automatically as you draw
curtain walls, select the Auto-Adjust Cells option.
10 Select the cells that you want to be adjusted.

For horizontal grids, select the Bottom, Middle, or Top icon

For vertical grids, select Start, Middle, or End icon
You can select any combination of these options. For example, bottom
only, bottom and top, middle and top, and so on.

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11 To increase the size of the specified cells to accommodate extra space,

select Grow as the cell adjustment. To decrease the size, select Shrink.
12 Click OK. Or, to make additional adjustments to the division you just
defined, click Convert to Manual Division.
To calculate the number of grid lines needed based on the size you specified, type a value for conversion height (for horizontal divisions) or conversion length (for vertical divisions).
The specified divisions are displayed in a table that you can easily modify.

For information about editing the division after the conversion, see,
Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Grid
on page 426.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your curtain wall, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid.

Specifying a Fixed Number of Cells for a Curtain Wall Grid

You can define a specific number of cells in a grid. In this case, the size of the
cells is determined by the length or height of the grid, depending on the
orientation.
To specify a fixed number of cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition or create a new one.
6 Select Fixed Number of Cells as the division type.
7 Type the desired number of cells in Number of Cells.

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Specifying a fixed number of cells

8 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see the next section, Specifying an
Offset for a Curtain Wall Grid.
9

If you want to make additional adjustments to the grid you just defined,
click Convert to Manual Division and specify a conversion height or
length. For more information see, Manually Defining the Number and
Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Grid on page 426.

10 Click OK. Or, to make additional adjustments to the division you just
defined, click Convert to Manual Division.
11 To calculate the distance between grid lines based on the specified number
of cells, type a value for conversion height (for horizontal divisions) or
conversion length (for vertical divisions).
The divisions you specified are displayed in a table that you can easily
modify.

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For information about editing the division after the conversion, see the
next section, Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Grid.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your curtain wall, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid.

Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Curtain

Wall Grid
You can manually add gridlines and specify an offset for each one when you
need to create a unique grid that does not fit into any of the other division
types. You can also start with a fixed cell dimension grid or a fixed number
of cells grid, and then manually adjust the grid lines to suit your needs.
To manually define the number and size of cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition or create a new one.
6 Select Manual as the division type.
7 Click the Add Grid Line icon to insert a grid line. Insert as many grid lines
as you need. If you need to remove a grid line, select it from the table and
click the Remove Grid Line icon.
8 Under Offset in the gridline table, type an offset distance for each grid
line.

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9 Under From in the grid line table, select the grid location from which the
grid line is offset.

10 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Curtain
Wall Grid on page 429.
11 Click OK when youve completed your manual grid definition to return to
the Style Manager.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid in
your curtain wall, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid.

Excluding Gables and Steps from a Curtain Wall Grid

If you are designing a curtain wall that has gables in the roof line or steps in
the floor line, there may be occasions when you do not want the grid to
extend into those areas. To define your curtain wall in this case, you can
define a single-cell horizontal grid that excludes those areas, and then use
that grid as a starting point for nested grids. For information about nested
grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on page 414.

NOTE For information about adding steps or gables to your curtain wall, see
Changing the Roof Line and Floor Line of a Curtain Wall on page 497.
To exclude gables or steps from a grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition or create a new one.
6 Select the Horizontal icon as the orientation.
7 Select Baseline/Base Height as the division type.
8 Select Divide at Baseline or Divide at Base Height.

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Divide at Baseline: Forces a division at the baseline to exclude steps from

the grid.

Divide at Base Height: Forces a division at the base height to exclude

gables from the grid.

9 To offset the division from the baseline, specify a positive number in Baseline Offset.

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10 To offset the division from the base height, specify a positive number in
Base Height Offset.
11 Click OK to return to the Style Manager.
The resulting grid contains a single, horizontal cell. To add additional divisions, use nested grids. For more information, see Creating a Nested Grid
in a Curtain Wall on page 452.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your curtain wall, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid.

Dividing a Vertical Curtain Wall Grid at Each Vertex Along a

Polyline
If you create a curtain wall by referencing a polyline, then you can define a
vertical grid for your curtain wall by placing grid lines at each vertex along
the polyline.
To divide a vertical curtain wall grid at each vertex along a referenced
polyline
1 Draw a polyline and use it as a reference curve to create a curtain wall. For
more information, see Creating a Curtain Wall that References a Curve
on page 407.
2 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
3 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 Click the Design Rules tab.
5 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
6 Select a Division definition or create a new one.
7 Select the Vertical icon as the orientation.
8 Select Polyline as the division type.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your curtain wall, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid.

Specifying an Offset for a Curtain Wall Grid

By default, grids cells are measured from the start and end points of the curtain wall baseline (for horizontal divisions) or from the floor line to the roof
line (for vertical divisions). The width of the grid frame is not considered in
calculating the size of the cell. For example, if you draw a curtain wall with
a 14' baseline and a 1' frame on the left and right, and you specify a fixed

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number of vertical cells, the cells do not appear equal in size. The first and
last cells appear smaller because they include the frame. To make the cells
equal in size, offset the start and end of the grid by the width of the frame.

NOTE You can offset the grid only when the division type is Fixed Cell
Dimension, Fixed Number of Cells, or Manual.
To offset the grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition or create a new one.
6 Select Fixed Cell Dimension, Fixed Number of Cells, or Manual as the
division type.
7 To offset the grid, type a positive value for any of the following options

For horizontal grids

Start Offset: Distance between the start point of the curtain wall
baseline to the start of the first cell.
End Offset: Distance between the end point of the curtain wall baseline to the end of the last cell.

For vertical grids

Bottom Offset: Distance between the floor line of the curtain wall to
the start of the first cell.
Top Offset: Distance between the roof line of the curtain wall to the
end of the top cell.

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Specifying grid offset directions

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing a Division Definition from a Curtain Wall Style

If you have a division definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the divisions definitions list. You cannot remove a division definition
when it is currently assigned to a grid. In addition, you cannot remove the
default division definition, but you can modify it as needed.
To remove a division definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition that you want to remove.
6 Click the Remove Division icon or select Remove from the shortcut menu.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

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Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Cells

An infill defines the contents of a curtain wall cell. A curtain wall cell can be
empty (no infill), it can contain a grid (nested grid), or it can contain one of
two infills: a panel or a style. Use the style infill for inserting doors, windows,
and other objects into a curtain wall.

Specifying different infills

NOTE Nested grids and no infill do not require element definitions. These are
options you select when assigning an infill to cell. For information, see Creating
a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall on page 452 and Removing the Infill from a
Curtain Wall Cell on page 455.
You can define as many infills as you need, and then use cell assignments to
specify the cells that use each infill. You can modify, as needed, a default infill
that is used for all unassigned cells. For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements on page 450.

NOTE Create infill definitions for a specific curtain wall style. Those definitions
can be assigned only to grid cells in curtain walls of that style.

Creating a Panel Infill for a Curtain Wall

Use a simple panel infill to represent basic cladding materials in the curtain
wall, such as a stone wall panel, concrete panel, metal panel, or glazing infill.

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To create a panel infill

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Infill icon to create a new infill.
6 Type a descriptive name for the infill.
7 Select Simple Panel as the infill type.
8 Select an alignment for the infill. For more information, see Specifying
an Alignment for a Curtain Wall Infill on page 435.
9 Specify an offset for the infill. For more information, see Specifying an
Offset for a Curtain Wall Infill on page 436.
10 Type a thickness for the panel in the Panel Thickness text box.

Specifying infill panel thickness

11 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
After you create an infill definition, you can assign it to any cell in a curtain wall grid. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall
Cells on page 451.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. You can then control the display of each infill definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Walls on page 465.

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Creating an Infill for Inserting an Object into a Curtain Wall

Use the Style infill to insert objects into a curtain wall. You can insert doors,
windows, window assemblies, curtain wall units, and AEC Polygons by
selecting a specific style of that object.

TIP After you insert an object in a cell, you can select that object independent
of the grid, and access editing options for the object from the shortcut menu.
To create an infill for inserting an object into a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Infill icon to create a new infill.
6 Type a descriptive name for the infill.
7 Select Style as the infill type.
The right side of the dialog box changes to display a tree view of the object
styles available for insertion into a curtain wall.
8 Select an object style.
There is a unique icon for each type of style. For example, the door style
icon
and the curtain wall unit icon
. These icons are also displayed next to the infill name at the top of the dialog to help you identify
the type of infill.
9 Select an alignment for the infill. For more information, see the next section Specifying an Alignment for a Curtain Wall Infill.
10 Specify an offset for the infill. For more information, see the next section,
Specifying an Offset for a Curtain Wall Infill.
11 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
After you create an infill definition, you can assign it to any cell in a curtain wall grid. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall
Cells on page 451.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. You can then control the display of each infill definition

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independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain

Walls on page 465.

Specifying an Alignment for a Curtain Wall Infill

You can align an infill so that it is centered with the baseline of the curtain
wall, in front of the baseline, or behind the baseline. In plan view, the front
of a curtain wall (drawn from left to right) is below the baseline and the back
is above the baseline.

NOTE To move the infill away from the baseline, see Specifying an Offset for
a Curtain Wall Infill on page 436.
To specify an alignment for an infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select an infill, or create a new one.
6 Select an alignment: front, center, or back.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Specifying infill alignments

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Specifying an Offset for a Curtain Wall Infill

By default, infills are centered on the curtain wall baseline. If your design
requires that the infill be aligned with frame edges or some other part of the
curtain wall, then you can specify an offset for the infill.
To specify an offset for an infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select an infill, or create a new one.
6 Type a distance in the Offset text box. In plan view, positive numbers offset the infill above the baseline and negative numbers offset the infill
below the baseline.
7 As shown in the following illustrations, the offset is also affected by the
selected alignment for the infill.

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Specifying panel infill offsets

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing an Infill Definition from a Curtain Wall Style

If you have an infill definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Infills definitions list. You cannot remove an infill definition when

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it is currently assigned to a cell. In addition, you cannot remove the default

infill definition, but you can modify it as needed.

NOTE For information about removing an infill from a cell, see Removing the
Infill from a Curtain Wall Cell on page 455.
To remove an infill definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded infill definition from the list.
6 Click the Remove Infill icon to remove the infill definition.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Defining Curtain Wall Frames

The curtain wall frame is represented by the outer edges of the grid. The
overall frame size is determined by the length and height of the curtain wall
grid. You can define a frame by specifying a width and depth or by selecting
a profile. For more information about profiles, see Working with Profiles
on page 1656.

Specifying default and profile-based frames

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You can create as many frame definitions as you want, and then assign the
definitions to the frames as needed. If you have nested grids, then each grid
has its own frame. There is a default frame definition, that you can modify
as needed. Unassigned frames are not displayed. For more information, see
Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Frames on page 458.

TIP You can copy a mullion definition and use it as a frame definition. Select
the mullion definition and drag it to Frames in the tree on the left side of the
dialog box.

NOTE Create frame definitions for a specific curtain wall style. Those definitions can be assigned only to frames in curtain walls of that style.

Defining a Curtain Wall Frame by Width and Depth

You can define a frame by specifying its width and depth. The overall frame
size is determined by the length and height of the curtain wall grid.

Specifying frame width and depth

To define a frame by width and depth

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Frame icon to create a new frame definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the frame.
7 Type a width and depth for the frame.

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TIP To remove the frame edge and have the infill adjust to fill the space
occupied by the frame, create a frame definition with both width and depth
set to zero. Then, assign that definition to the frame edge that you want to
remove. For more information, see Removing a Frame Edge from a Curtain
Wall on page 459.
8 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see Specifying Offsets
for a Curtain Wall Frame on page 442.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
After you create a frame definition, you can assign it to any frame in a curtain wall. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain
Wall Frames on page 458.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frames unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. You can then control the display of each frame definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Walls on page 465.

Defining a Curtain Wall Frame Using a Profile

If you do not want a straight edge to your frame, you can use a profile to
define edges with curves, jags, or any other shape you require.

Two profile-based frame examples

NOTE The insertion point of the profile is aligned with the centroid of the
frame.

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To define a frame using a profile

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Frame icon to create a new frame definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the frame.
7 Specify a width and depth for the frame edge. These dimensions are used
to calculate the center point of the edge for aligning the profile, and also
to specify a boundary for the adjacent infill.
8 Select Use Profile.

NOTE The Profile options are available only if you have existing profiles. For
information about creating a profile, see Working with Profiles on page
1656.
9 Select a profile from the list.
By default, the profile is inserted using the same width and depth with
which it was created.
10 To adjust the size of the profile to fit within the width or depth dimension
of the frame edge, select Auto-Adjust Profile Width or Depth.
11 To mirror the profile, select to mirror along the X or Y axis.
12 To rotate the profile, type a value in the Rotation text box.
13 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see the next section,
Specifying Offsets for a Curtain Wall Frame.
14 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
After you create a frame definition, you can assign it to any frame in a curtain wall. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain
Wall Frames on page 458.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frames unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. You can then control the display of each frame definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Walls on page 465.

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Specifying Offsets for a Curtain Wall Frame

By default, the outside edges of the frame align with start and end of the floor
line and the start and end of the roof line. When you adjust the width of the
frame, the frame expands inward. However, you can use offsets to expand or
contract the frame away from these default limits or to shift the frame away
from the baseline in either the X or Y direction.

Specifying frame offsets in the y direction

Specifying frame offsets in the x direction

To specify an offset for a curtain wall frame

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Select a frame definition from the list.
6 Type an offset distance for any of the following options.

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X: Positive X offset moves the frame edge outward beyond the end of the
curtain wall, while a negative X offset moves the frame edge inward
toward the center of the curtain wall.
Y: In plan view, a positive Y offset moves the frame edge above the baseline, while a negative Y offset moves the frame below the baseline.
Start: Negative Start offset lengthens the frame beyond the start point
while a positive Start offset shortens the frame. The start point for vertical
edges, is the baseline, and for horizontal edges (drawn left to right), it is
the left side.
End: Negative End offset lengthens the frame beyond the end point while
a positive End offset shortens the frame. The end point for vertical edges,
is the base height, and for horizontal edges (drawn left to right), it is the
right side.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a curtain wall, select the curtain
wall and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near
the center of the curtain wall and points toward the end of the curtain wall.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing a Frame Definition from a Curtain Wall Style

If you have a frame definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Frame definitions list. You cannot remove a frame definition if it is
currently assigned to a frame edge. In addition, you cannot remove the
default frame definition, but you can modify it as needed.

NOTE For information about removing a frame edge, see Removing a Frame
Edge from a Curtain Wall on page 459.
To remove a frame definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded frame definition from the list.
6 Click the Remove Frame icon to remove the frame definition.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

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Defining Curtain Wall Mullions

The mullions of a curtain wall are the edges between the grid cells. You can
define the mullions by specifying a width and depth or by selecting a profile.
For more information about profiles, see Working with Profiles on page
1656.

Specifying default and profile-based mullions

You can create as many mullion definitions as you want, and then assign the
definitions to mullions as needed. If you have nested grids, then each grid
has its own mullions. There is a default mullion definition, that you can
modify as needed, that is used for any unassigned mullions. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall on
page 462.

TIP You can copy a frame definition and use it as a mullion definition. Select
the frame definition and drag it to Mullions in the tree on the left side of the
dialog box.

NOTE You create mullion definitions for a specific curtain wall style and those
definitions can be assigned only to mullions in curtain walls of that style.

Defining Curtain Wall Mullions by Width and Depth

You can define mullions by specifying a width and a depth.

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Specifying mullion width and depth

To define mullions by width and depth

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Mullion icon to create a new mullion definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the mullion.
7 Type a width and depth for the mullion.

TIP To remove mullions for butt glazing, create a definition with both width
and depth set to zero. Then, assign that definition to the mullions that you
want to remove. For more information, see Removing Mullions from a Curtain Wall Grid on page 464.
8 Specify the offsets you want. For more information, see Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Curtain Wall on page 447.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
After you create a mullion definition, you can assign it to any mullion in
a curtain wall. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to the
Mullions of a Curtain Wall on page 462.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
mullion are applied to all mullions unless you create a custom display component for each definition. You can then control the display of each mullion def-

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inition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of

Curtain Walls on page 465.

Defining the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Using a Profile

If you do not want a straight edge to your mullions, you can use a profile to
define mullions with curves, jags, or any other shape you require.

NOTE The insertion point of the profile is aligned with the centroid of the
mullion.
To define mullions using a profile
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Mullion icon to create a new mullion definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the mullion.
7 Specify a width and depth for the mullion. These dimensions are used to
calculate the center point of the mullion for aligning the profile, and also
to specify a boundary for the adjacent infill.

Infill alignments with default and profile-based mullions

8 Select Use Profile.

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NOTE The Profile options are available only if you have existing profiles. For
information about creating a profile, see Working with Profiles on page
1656.
9 Select a profile from the list.
By default, the profile is inserted using the same width and depth with
which it was created.
10 To adjust the size of the profile to fit within the width or depth dimension
of the mullion, select Auto-Adjust Profile Width or Depth.
11 To mirror the profile, select to mirror along the X or Y axis.
12 To rotate the profile, type a value in the Rotation text box.
13 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see the next section,
Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Curtain Wall.
14 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
After you create a mullion definition, you can assign it to any mullion in
a curtain wall. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to the
Mullions of a Curtain Wall on page 462.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
mullion are applied to all mullions unless you create a custom display component for each definition. You can then control the display of each mullion definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of
Curtain Walls on page 465.

Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Curtain Wall

You can define mullions that are offset from the start or end of the curtain
wall to lengthen or shorten the edge or offset in the X or Y direction to shift
the edge. For example, you might want to represent butt glazing by offsetting
the mullions to be behind glass panel infills.

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Specifying mullion offsets in the x direction

Specifying mullion offsets in the y direction

To specify an offset for the mullions

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a mullion definition from the list.
6 Type an offset distance for any of the following options:

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X: For vertical mullions, a positive X offset moves the mullions toward

the end of the curtain wall, while a negative X offset moves the mullions
toward the start of the curtain wall. For horizontal mullions, a positive
X offset moves the mullions toward the top of the curtain wall, while a
negative X offset moves the mullions toward the bottom of the curtain
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Y: In plan view, a positive Y offset moves the mullions above the baseline,
while a negative Y offset moves the mullions below the baseline
Start: Negative Start offset lengthens the mullions beyond the start point,
while a positive Start offset shortens the mullions.
End: Negative End offset lengthens the mullions beyond the end point,
while a positive End offset shortens the mullions.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a curtain wall, select the curtain
wall and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near
the center of the curtain wall and points toward the end of the curtain wall.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing a Mullion Definition from a Curtain Wall Style

If you have a mullion definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Mullions definitions list. You cannot remove a mullion definition
if it is assigned to a mullion. In addition, you cannot remove the default mullion definition, but you can modify it as needed.

NOTE For information about removing mullions from between cells, see
Removing Mullions from a Curtain Wall Grid on page 464.
To remove a mullion definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded mullion definition from the list.
6 Click the Remove Mullion icon to remove the mullion definition.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

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Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements

After youve created element definitions for a curtain wall style, you can
assign those definitions to each of the curtain wall element types: divisions,
cell infills, frames, and mullions.
By default, one definition is assigned to all elements of a particular type.
However, you can assign definitions to individual elements as well. For
example, all cells in the grid are assigned the default infill. You can, however,
create a new cell assignment, select a different infill, and then specify the
cells to use that infill.

For more information about element definitions, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 419.

Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid

Divisions define the grid orientation (direction of the grid cells and mullions)
and the division type (number and size of cells).
After you define a division, you can assign it to the primary grid or to nested
grids. Nested grids are created by selecting Nested Grid as the cell assignment.
For more information, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on
page 414.
To assign divisions to a grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid you want
to assign a division to. The name of the grid you select is displayed in the
table under the Division Assignment row.

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TIP To rename a grid, select it, and choose Rename from the shortcut
menu. Type a new name.
5 Click the Element column for that grid and select a division definition
from the list. To create a new division definition, select New Division, and
then define the division in the fields below the assignment list.
6 Click OK to return to the Style Manager.

Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Cells

An infill defines the contents of a curtain wall cell. A curtain wall cell can be
empty (none), it can contain a grid (nested grid), or it can contain one of two
infills: a panel or a style. The style infill is for inserting doors, windows, and
other objects into a curtain wall.
A cell assignment defines the infill definition used for the cells. You can use
one cell assignment to assign the same infill to all cells, or you can create
multiple cell assignments to assign different infills to different cells.

Do not assign multiple definitions to the same cell because the last assigned
definition to the cell is used.
There is a default cell assignment used by all unassigned cells. You can modify the default assignment to be any type of infill, but you cannot delete the
default cell assignment.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component for
each definition. You can then control the display of each infill definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain Walls on
page 465.

Adding a New Cell Assignment to a Curtain Wall

To assign different infills to different cells, you need multiple cell
assignments.
To add a new cell assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.

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2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new cell assignment.
5 Click the New Cell Assignment icon.
A new cell assignment is displayed in the list of cell assignments.

6 Click New Cell Assignment, and type a descriptive name for the assignment.
7 Under the Element column, select an infill definition that you created or
select one of the following options.

Nested Grid: Fill specified cells with additional divisions. For more information, see Creating a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall on page 452.
Default Infill: Fill specified cells with the default infill. By default, any
cell without an assignment uses the default infill.
None: Remove the infill from the specified cells. Also removes adjacent
frames. For more information, see Removing the Infill from a Curtain
Wall Cell on page 455.
New Infill: Create a new infill definition for the specified cells. For more
information, see Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Cells on page 432.

8 Specify the cells to use this cell assignment. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Cells Use a Cell Assignment on page
456.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Creating a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall

A nested grid is a grid within a grid. Each nested grid has its own division,
cell assignments, frame, and mullions. By default, the frame is turned off for
nested grids.
For more information, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on
page 414.
To create a nested grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.

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2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a nested grid.
5 Create a new cell assignment or select an existing one.
6 Select Nested Grid in the Element column.
A new grid is added to the list of grids in the tree view to the left of the
dialog box. If you are editing the primary grid, then the new grid is added
at the secondary level. If you are editing a grid at the secondary level, then
the additional grid is placed at the tertiary level.

Create a nested grid

New nested grid in tree

NOTE To rename a grid, select it, and choose Rename from the shortcut
menu. Type a new name.
7 Specify the cells to contain this nested grid. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Cells Use a Cell Assignment on page
456.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

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Filling a Curtain Wall Cell with a Simple Panel

Simple panels are generally used to represent basic cladding materials in the
curtain wall, such as a stone wall panel or a concrete panel.
To assign a simple panel to a cell
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to assign a simple panel.
5 Create a new cell assignment and select an infill that defines a simple
panel.
If you do not have a simple panel infill defined, then select New Infill and
define one. For more information, see Creating a Panel Infill for a Curtain Wall on page 432.
6 Specify the cells to contain this simple panel. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Cells Use a Cell Assignment on page
456.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Inserting an Object into a Curtain Wall Cell

Curtain wall cells can contain doors, windows, window assemblies, curtain
wall units, and AEC Polygons.

TIP After you insert an object in a cell, you can select that object independent
of the grid, right-click and access editing options for the object.
To insert an object into a cell
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to insert objects.
5 Create a new cell assignment and select an infill that defines an object
style.

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If you do not have an object style infill defined, then select New Infill and
define one. For more information, see Creating an Infill for Inserting an
Object into a Curtain Wall on page 434.
6 Specify the cells to contain this object. For more information, see Specifying Which Curtain Wall Cells Use a Cell Assignment on page 456.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing the Infill from a Curtain Wall Cell

To remove the infill of a cell and leave the cell empty, use None as the element definition. Using None also removes any frame edges that border the
cell, but it does not affect the mullions.

Removing an infiull assignment from a cell

To remove the infill of a cell

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid that contains the cells you want to assign to None.
5 Create a new cell assignment or select an existing assignment.
6 Select NONE under the Element column.
7 Specify the cells to contain the None infill. For more information, see the
next section, Specifying Which Curtain Wall Cells Use a Cell Assignment.

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8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Specifying Which Curtain Wall Cells Use a Cell Assignment

When you create a cell assignment you need to specify the cells in the grid
to use that assignment. There are two options for selecting cells: Location
and Index.
Use Location to insert the infill into the start, middle, or end cells of a vertical
grid or into the bottom, middle, or top cells of a horizontal grid. If there is
an even number of cells (four or more), then Middle refers to the two cells in
the middle of the grid. If there is an odd number of cells (three or more), then
middle refers to one cell in the middle of the grid.

Specifying cell assignments by location

Use Index to insert the infill into specific cells based on cell numbers. Cells
are numbered from left to right or bottom to top. For example, typing 1, 3, 5
would place the infill in the first, third, and fifth cells.

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Specifying cell assignment by index

Any cells that are not assigned a specific cell assignment use the default infill.
To specify the cells to use a cell assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Create a new cell assignment or select an existing assignment.
6 Under the Type column, select Location or Index.
7 If you selected Location, click the Used In column, then click the button
at the far right of the row to display the Cell Location Assignment dialog
box. Select the cells you want to use this assignment, then click OK.
If you selected Index, type the cell numbers separated by commas in the
Used In column. For vertical grids, cells are numbered from start to end
and for horizontal grids, cells are numbered from bottom to top.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to a cell because the last definition
assigned to the cell is used.

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8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing an Assignment from a Curtain Wall Style

You can remove cell assignments, frame assignments, and mullion assignments. You cannot remove default assignments, but you can modify them to
suit your needs.

NOTE Each grid requires only one division assignment. Therefore, you cannot
add or remove the division assignment.
To remove an assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid from which
you want to remove an assignment.
5 Select a cell assignment, frame assignment, or a mullion assignment.
6 Click the Remove Assignment icon.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Frames

The curtain wall frame is represented by the outer edges of the grid. Each
nested grid has its own frame that is defined separately from the primary grid
frame. By default, nested grid frames are turned off. For more information
about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on
page 414.
A frame assignment defines the definition that is used by each frame edge.
You can use one frame assignment to assign the same definition to all four
edges of the frame, or you can create multiple frame assignments to assign
different definitions to different edges of the frame.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the frame edge because the last definition assigned to the edge is used.
There is a default frame assignment and you can select the frame edges it
applies to. Unassigned edges are not displayed. You can modify the default
assignment to use any frame definition, but you cannot delete the default
frame assignment.

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NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frame edges unless you create a custom display component for each definition. You can then control the display of each frame definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Walls on page 465.

Adding a New Frame Assignment to a Curtain Wall

To assign different definitions to different frame edges, you need multiple
frame assignments.
To add a new frame assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new frame assignment.
5 Click the New Frame Assignment icon.
A new frame assignment is displayed in the list of frame assignments.

6 Click New Frame Assignment and type a descriptive name for the
assignment.
7 Select a frame definition from the Element column.

TIP You can create a frame definition by selecting New from the Element
list.
8 Specify the sides of the frame to use this frame assignment. For more information, see Specifying Which Curtain Wall Edges Use a Frame Assignment on page 461.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing a Frame Edge from a Curtain Wall

There are three ways to remove a frame edge from a curtain wall:

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Set the width and depth of the edge to zero

Leave the edge unassigned
Specify None as an override to the edge assignment

The first two methods remove the frame edge and expand the adjacent infills
into the space occupied by the edge.

Specifying a frame width and depth of zero

By specifying None as an override, the frame edge is not displayed, but the
adjacent infill is not expanded into the space the edge occupied.

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For information about setting the width and depth to zero, see Defining a
Curtain Wall Frame by Width and Depth on page 439.
For information about leaving the edge unassigned, see Specifying Which
Curtain Wall Edges Use a Frame Assignment on page 461.
For information about overriding the edge, see Overriding a Curtain Wall
Edge Assignment on page 481.

Specifying Which Curtain Wall Edges Use a Frame Assignment

When you create a frame assignment, you need to specify the edges of the
frame to use that assignment.
To specify the frame edges to use a frame assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Create a new frame assignment or select an existing assignment.
Location is the only way to specify the frame edges using this assignment.
6 Click the Used In column, then click the button at the far right of the row
to display the Frame Location Assignment dialog box.

7 Select the edges that you want to use this assignment: Left, Right, Top, or
Bottom and click OK.

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Assigning frames to nested grids

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to the same frame edge because
the last definition assigned to the edge is used.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
Frame edges that are not assigned a frame definition are not displayed.

Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall

The mullions of a curtain wall are the edges between the grid cells. Each
nested grid has its own mullions that are defined separately from the primary
grid. For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested
Grids in Curtain Walls on page 414.

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Assign mullions to a nested grid

A mullion assignment defines the definition used by each mullion. You can
use one assignment to define all mullions, or you can create multiple assignments and assign different definitions to different mullions.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the same mullion because the last definition assigned to the mullion is used.
There is a default mullion assignment used by all unassigned mullions. You
can modify the default assignment to be any mullion definition, but you
cannot delete the default mullion assignment.

Adding a New Mullion Assignment to a Curtain Wall Style

To add a new mullion assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new mullion assignment.
5 Click the New Mullion Assignment icon.
A new mullion assignment is displayed in the list of mullion assignments.

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6 Click New Mullion Assignment and type a descriptive name for the
assignment.
7 Select a mullion definition from the Element column.

TIP You can create a mullion definition by selecting New from the Element
list.
8 Specify the mullions to use this assignment. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Mullions Use an Assignment on page
464.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Removing Mullions from a Curtain Wall Grid

If you want to remove a mullion from the curtain wall, set the edge width
and depth to zero. Adjacent infill expands to fill in the space that was occupied by the mullion. This is an effective way to represent butt glazing.
To remove a mullion from a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to remove a mullion.
5 Create a new mullion assignment and type 0 (zero) as the width and
depth. For more information, see Defining Curtain Wall Mullions by
Width and Depth on page 444.
6 Specify the mullions to use the zero width and depth definition. For more
information, see Specifying Which Curtain Wall Mullions Use an Assignment on page 464.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.

Specifying Which Curtain Wall Mullions Use an Assignment

When you create a mullion assignment you need to specify the mullions in
the grid to use that assignment. There are two options for selecting
mullions: Location and Index.
Use Location to assign a definition to the start, middle, or end mullions of a
vertical grid or the bottom, middle, or top mullions of a horizontal grid. If
there is an even number of mullions (four or more), then Middle refers to the

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two mullions in the middle of the grid. If there is an odd number of mullions
(three or more), then middle refers to one mullion in the middle of the grid.
Use Index to assign a definition to specific mullions based on mullion
numbers. Mullions are numbered from left to right or bottom to top. For
example, typing 1, 2, 3 would assign the definition to the first, second, and
third mullions.
To specify the mullions that use an assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Create a new mullion assignment or select an existing assignment.
6 Under the Type column, select Location or Index.
7 If you selected Location, click the Used In column, then click the button
at the far right of the row to display the Mullion Location Assignment dialog box. Select the cells you want to use this assignment, then click OK.
If you selected Index, type the mullion numbers separated by commas in
the Used In column. For vertical grids, mullions are numbers start to end
and for horizontal grids, mullions are number from bottom to top.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to the same mullion because the
last definition assigned to the mullion is used.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Style Manager.
Any mullions that are not assigned a specific mullion assignment use the
default mullion definition.

Modifying the Display of Curtain Walls

The display of a curtain wall object depends on the direction from which you
view the curtain wall. In plan view, the curtain wall object is displayed as parallel lines with vertices marking the grid lines, as an architect would typically
draw a curtain wall. In 3D view, the curtain wall object is displayed as it
would appear in the real world, with surfaces showing length, thickness, and
height. You control what you want to display in each particular view.
By default, the display of all infills, frames, and mullions are controlled by
the display properties of the default infill, default frame, and default mul-

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465

lions. However, you can add individual element definitions as components

with separate display properties. For example, if you define two infills called
stone panel and glass panel, by default they are both controlled by the same
default infill display properties. However, you can add each definition as a
new display component, and then control the display properties separately.

NOTE The component name (in the Custom Display Component dialog box)
must match the name of element definition (in the DesignRules tab). Otherwise
it wont display properly.
For more information about the display system, see Display System on
page 99.

Adding Curtain Wall Element Definitions as Display

Components
Before you can control the display of curtain wall elements according to the
definition assigned to the element, you must create display components for
each element definition.
To add a curtain wall element definition as new display component
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select the curtain wall style that you want to change, and choose Edit
from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Display Props tab in the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box.
4 Select Model as the display representation.

NOTE If you select the Custom Plan Component tab, the Custom Display
Component dialog box is similar, except that you do not specify the Z insertion point and Z offset for the custom graphic.
5 Click Edit Display Props. The default list of components includes only the
three basic elements and cell markers.

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6 Click the Custom Model Components tab, and then click Add.
7 Select Infill, Frame, or Mullion as the element type.
8 Select the specific element from the list.
9 Click OK.
10 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
The element definition that you added is displayed.
11 Click the Custom Model Components tab to continue adding element
definitions, or click OK to exit all dialog boxes and return to the Style
Manager.

Modifying the Display of Curtain Wall Elements

You can change the display properties of the elements for one curtain wall or
for a group of curtain walls.
To set the display properties for the default curtain wall elements
1 Select the curtain wall or walls that you want to change, and choose Edit
Curtain Wall Style from the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab in the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box.
3 You can select a different representation for the curtain wall style from the
list. The current viewport display is the default display representation. An
asterisk (*) is displayed next to the default.
4 Do any of the following:

Select the curtain wall style from the property source, and click Attach
Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display

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467

Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed

in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display for the representation of the curtain wall style. This includes visibility, layer, color,
linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale. To edit each property, click its
field. These changes are only for the curtain wall style.
Click Edit Display Properties, then the Hatching tab to set what hatch
is displayed in each display representation for the curtain wall style.
The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations,
such as Plan. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display
Systems on page 121.

5 Click OK to set the display for the curtain wall style.

Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Curtain Wall Element

To set the hatch pattern for a curtain wall element
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select the curtain wall style that you want to change, and choose Edit
from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations,

such as Plan.
5 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Hatching tab to set the
hatch to be displayed in each display representation for the curtain wall
style.
6 Select a hatch to change in the Pattern list.
7 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

468

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.

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If you select User-Defined in the Type field, turn Double Hatch on or

off.
You can select Solid Fill.

8 Click OK.
9 Click Scale/Spacing to change the value for the selected component.
10 Click Angle to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
11 Click Orientation to change from making the change global or for the
selected object.
12 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
13 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Curtain

Wall
There may be instances where an infill, frame, or mullion requires a custom
2D or 3D graphic. For example, you might need a highly detailed threedimensional truss as the mullions or a decorative light fixture applied to an
infill. In cases like these, you can create a custom block, add a display component with the block attached, and associate that component with an element definition. When you assign that definition to an element, the block is
also displayed.
To create a custom curtain wall component
1 Draw your custom component and save it as a block.
2 Select a curtain wall and choose Edit Curtain Wall Style from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Display Props tab.
4 Click Edit Display Props.
5 Click the Custom Model Component tab in the Entity Properties dialog
box.
6 Click Add.
7 Select Infill, Frame, or Mullion as the element type.
8 Select the specific element from the list.
9 Select Draw Custom Graphics.
10 To display the block instead of the associated curtain wall element, select
Replace Graphics. If you want to superimpose the block over the window

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assembly element so that both are displayed, then do not select Replace
Graphics.
11 Click Select Block, and select the custom block that you created.
12 Click OK to return to the Custom Display Component dialog box.
13 To scale the block to fit a particular dimension, select Width, Height, or
Depth. To prevent the block from losing its proportions, select Lock XY
Ratio.
14 If you want to mirror the block, determine if it should mirror in the X, Y,
or Z direction.
15 Specify how the block is inserted into the grid in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 If you want to offset the block from the grid, specify the offset in the X, Y,
or Z direction.
17 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Creating Cut Planes for a Curtain Wall

To better visualize the elements of a curtain wall in plan view, you can create
cut planes.
To set the cut planes for a curtain wall element
1 Select a curtain wall and choose Edit Curtain Wall Style from the shortcut
menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab in the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box.
3 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Cut Plane tab is displayed only in some display representations,
such as Plan.
4 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Cut Plane tab to set the
cut plane to be displayed in each display representation for the curtain
wall style.
5 Type a height in the Cut Plane Height text box to specify the cut plane at
which hatching takes effect.
6 To add a cut plane, click Add.
If you add a cut plane at a height lower than the Cut Plane Height, objects
are displayed using the properties specified for the Below component on
the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
If you add a cut plane at a height higher than the Cut Plane Height,
objects are displayed using the properties specified for the Above component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.

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7 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Setting Default Dimensions for a Curtain Wall

Style
You can set default dimensions for each curtain wall style and decide if you
want to use those defaults when you draw a curtain wall. In the Add Curtain
Wall dialog box, there is an option to Use Style Defaults. If you select this
option, then the curtain wall is drawn using the defaults that you specified
in the curtain wall style.
To set the default dimensions for a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select the style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Defaults tab.

4 To define a default, select the option, and then type a value to the right of
it. You can define defaults for Base Height, Floor Line Offset, and Roof Line
Offset.

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Base Height: Distance from the baseline of the curtain wall to the base
height, excluding steps, gables, or other extensions of the floor line and
roof line.
Floor Line Offset: Distance the floor line is offset from the baseline.
Floor Line Offset: Distance the roof line is offset from the base height.
5 Click OK to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Style

To attach notes and files to a curtain wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 With the curtain wall style type selected, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the curtain wall style, type it in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the curtain wall style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Managing Curtain Wall Styles

When you import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The
Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about the Style Manager, see Getting Started with the
Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating a New Curtain Wall Style

You can create a new curtain wall style. After you create the new curtain wall
style, you can edit the style properties of the curtain wall.
To create a new curtain wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 With the curtain wall style type selected, choose New from the shortcut
menu.
3 Type a name for the new curtain wall style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new curtain wall style, select the style,
and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box is displayed. From this dialog
box, you can

Define dimension defaults. For more information, see Setting Default

Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 471.
Define the elements within a curtain wall unit. For more information,
see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on page
419.
Define the display properties. For more information, see Modifying
the Display of Curtain Walls on page 465.
Attach notes and reference files. For more information, see Attaching
Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Style on page 472.

5 When you finish changing the curtain wall style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Curtain Wall Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new curtain wall style from a style in the current drawing.

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473

To create a new curtain wall style from an existing style

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Under Curtain Wall Style, select an existing style to copy, and choose
Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select Paste from the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new curtain wall style, select the style
and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box is displayed. From this dialog
box you can

Define dimension defaults. For more information, see Setting Default

Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 471.
Define the elements within a curtain wall unit. For more information,
see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on page
419.
Define the display properties. For more information, see Modifying
the Display of Curtain Walls on page 465.
Attach notes and reference files. For more information, see Attaching
Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Style on page 472.

6 When you finish changing the curtain wall style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Curtain Wall Style

You can delete curtain wall styles that are not being used in the current drawing. You can delete a single unused curtain wall style, or all the curtain wall
styles in your drawing.
To purge a curtain wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Do one of the following:

474

To purge a single unused curtain wall style in your current drawing,

select the style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

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To purge all the unused curtain wall styles in your current drawing,
select the Curtain Wall Style type, and choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Curtain Wall Styles

You can copy curtain wall styles from an existing drawing and use them in
your current drawing. You can manage all your object styles more efficiently
by storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import a curtain wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the curtain wall style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Curtain Wall Styles to display the curtain
wall styles in the drawing.
5 Select the curtain wall style that you want to import, and drag it over the
name of the current drawing in the tree.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

Leave Existing: Do not replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style of the same name.
Overwrite Existing: Replace the existing style in the drawing with the
new style.

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475

Rename to Unique: Rename the new style so both styles exist in the
drawing. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.

7 Click OK to exit the Import/Export Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Curtain Wall Styles to a New Drawing

You can copy curtain wall styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.
To export a curtain wall style to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the curtain wall style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing.
5 Drag the style over the name of the new drawing in the tree.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Curtain Wall Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy curtain wall styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a curtain wall style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the curtain wall style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing.
5 Drag the style over the name of the second drawing in the tree.

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The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

Leave Existing: Do not replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style of the same name.
Overwrite Existing: Replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style.
Rename to Unique: Rename the new style so both styles exist in the
drawing. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.

7 Click OK to exit the Import/Export Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall

After youve created a curtain wall, you can modify the divisions, cells,
frames, and mullions in one of three ways:

Override: The quickest and easiest way to assign a different definition to

a single cell or edge without changing the Design Rules. For example, if
there is a cell with a simple panel infill and you want to insert a door in
that cell without affecting the other cells in the grid, then you should use
Override. The door infill must already be defined for the style. For more
information, see Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Curtain
Walls on page 478.
Edit in Place: The best way to experiment with changing the components of a selected curtain wall without changing the curtain wall style.
You can create and modify element definitions and make new assignments. When you have finished, you can update the style with your
changes, create a new style, discard your changes, or leave the changes to
the curtain wall. For more information, see Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls on page 483.
Edit Curtain Wall Style: The easiest way to make specific changes to
all curtain walls of a specific style. For example, if youve defined a curtain
wall style that alternates cell infills between windows and panels and you
decide to use windows in all the cells, then you can edit the curtain wall
style and change the cell assignment from the panel infill to the window

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477

infill. For more information, see Modifying Curtain Wall Styles on page
491.

Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Curtain

Walls
Using the Override options, you can merge cells, assign a different definition
to a selected cell, frame, or mullion, and assign a profile to a frame or mullion
edge. The definition or profile must already exist before you can use it as an
override.

NOTE You cannot modify a definition using the Override method. For information about modifying definitions, see Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls
on page 483 or Modifying Curtain Wall Styles on page 491.
Overrides do not affect the Design Rules for the curtain wall style. However,
you can transfer overrides to a curtain wall style if you want all curtain walls
of that style to have the same overrides.
You can view a list of overrides that are currently assigned to a curtain wall
from the Overrides tab of the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box. For more
information, see Removing Curtain Wall Overrides on page 483.

NOTE Overrides are also listed on the Overrides tab in the Curtain Wall Style
Properties dialog box.

Turning on Cell Markers in a Curtain Wall

Before you can select a cell to merge or override an assignment, you need to
turn on the cell markers. A cell marker is displayed in the center of each cell
and acts as a selection point for the cell. The cell marker changes depending
on the direction of the grid and the cell assignment.

Horizontal grids: The cell marker points upward to indicate that cells
are numbered from the bottom to the top.
Vertical grids: The cell marker points to the right to indicate that cells
are numbered from left to right.
Cells assigned a nested grid: The grid icon is used as the cell marker.
Cells assigned any type of infill: The panel infill icon is used as the
cell marker.

When working with nested grids, each grid has its own set of cell markers.
And because the cell markers from different grid levels can overlap, you need

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to specify the grid level you want the markers in. The primary grid is the first
level and any grids nested within the primary grid are second level grids.
Grids nested in the second level are third level grids, and so on. For more
information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain
Walls on page 414.
To turn on cell markers
1 Select a curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers and one of the following options:

Option

Turn cell markers ...

Grids

Off

off

all

All Visible

on

all lowest level

1st Grid

on

primary

2nd Grid

on

all secondary

3rd Grid

on

all tertiary

Other

on

all on a level that you

specify on the command
line, 4, 5, etc.

Viewing cell markers

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479

TIP To change the size of the cell markers, click the Display Props tab on the
Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box. Click Edit Display Props, and select
the Custom Model Components tab. Type a new size for the cell markers.

Merging Two Curtain Wall Cells

You can merge cells to customize the grid as needed.

Merging two cells

To merge cells
1 Select a curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers, and select the grid level of the cells you want to merge.
For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers in a Curtain Wall on
page 478.
3 Select the curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
4 Select Overrides Merge Cells.
5 Select the first cell.
6 Select the second cell.

Overriding a Curtain Wall Cell Assignment

You can select a different infill definition for a selected cell by using a cell
assignment override.

NOTE If you want to assign a grid to a cell that currently has an infill, turn on
Edit in Place, and then use Modify Cell Assignment. For more information, see
Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls on page 483.

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To override a cell assignment

1 Select a curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers, and select the grid level of the cell you want to edit.
For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers in a Curtain Wall on
page 478.
3 Select the curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
4 Select Overrides Override Cell Assignment.
5 Select a cell.
A list of infill definitions is displayed.
6 Type the number that corresponds to the infill you want, or type none to
remove the infill and the cell edges.

Overriding a Curtain Wall Edge Assignment

You can select a different element definition for a selected frame edge or mullion edge by using an edge assignment override.
To override an edge assignment
1 Select a curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Overrides Override Edge Assignment.
3 Select a frame edge or a mullion.
If you selected a frame edge, a list of frame definitions is displayed.
If you selected a mullion, a list of mullion definitions is displayed.
4 Type the number that corresponds to the definition that you want or type
none to remove the edge.

NOTE Removing the edge does not affect the width of the cell. To remove
the edge and have the adjacent cell resize, create an edge definition with a
width and depth of zero. For more information, see Defining a Curtain Wall
Frame by Width and Depth on page 439 or Defining Curtain Wall Mullions
by Width and Depth on page 444.

Overriding a Curtain Wall Edge Profile

You can assign a profile to any vertical edgeframe or mullion. The profile
can be an AEC profile or any closed polyline that you specify. You can use a
profile edge to create a unique corner in situations where a simple miter is
not sufficient.

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481

To override an edge profile

1 Draw a closed polyline in plan view in the location where you want it to
display in the curtain wall.
2 Select a curtain wall and display the shortcut menu.
3 Select Overrides Override Edge Profile.
4 Select a vertical frame edge or a vertical mullion.
5 Select the closed polyline you just drew, or press ENTER and select an
AEC profile from the list displayed.
6 If you selected the closed polyline, type a name for this profile.

Overriding Edge Profile

7 If you selected an AEC profile, the profiles insertion point is aligned with
the center of the edge that was overwritten.

NOTE Adjacent infills are not trimmed or expanded to accommodate the

new edge. To adjust the infill, change the width of the frame edge. For more
information, see Defining a Curtain Wall Frame by Width and Depth on
page 439.

Changing a Curtain Wall Style to Incorporate Overrides

By default, overrides do not affect curtain wall styles. However, there might
be circumstances when you want to apply your overrides to all curtain walls
of the same style. You can then incorporate the overrides into the curtain
wall style.
You can view a list of overrides currently assigned to a curtain wall from the
Overrides tab of the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box. For more information, see Removing Curtain Wall Overrides on page 483.

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To incorporate overrides into a curtain wall style

1 Select the curtain wall that has the overrides.
2 Select Edit in place from the shortcut menu. For more information about
Edit in Place, see Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls on page 483.
3 Select the curtain wall again, and from the shortcut menu, select Edit in
Place Save Changes.
4 Select an existing style or create a new one.
5 Select the type of overrides that you want to transfer to the curtain wall
style.
6 Click OK.
To see a list of the overrides that are now assigned to the curtain wall style,
click the Overrides tab of the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box.

Removing Curtain Wall Overrides

To remove an override from a curtain wall cell or edge
1 Select the curtain wall.
2 Select Curtain Wall Properties from the shortcut menu.
To remove the override from all curtain walls of the same style, select Edit
Curtain Wall Style instead.
3 Click Overrides.
4 Select an override from the list and click Remove.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls

Use the Edit in Place command to edit a curtain wall without modifying all
the curtain walls that share the same style. In this way, you can experiment
with changes to a single curtain wall without constantly updating the entire
building with each design modification. When you find a design that works,
you can save the changes to the curtain wall style and update all the curtain
walls of that style. You can also discard your changes or leave the curtain wall
as is without updating the style. Until you save or discard the changes, Edit
in Place remains active for that curtain wall.

NOTE Changes made with Edit in Place affect only the selected curtain wall.
Although you can leave a curtain wall in Edit in Place and select a different curtain wall, changes you make to the second wall do not affect the first one.

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483

When you turn Edit in Place on, the following options are added to the
shortcut menu:

New menus

New commands

Edit in Place

Discard changes
Save Changes

Element Definitions

Divisions
Infills
Frames
Mullions

Assignments

Add Cell Assignment

Remove Cell Assignment
Modify Cell Assignment
Add Edge Assignment
Remove Edge Assignment
Modify Edge Assignment

In addition, a Design Rules tab is added to the Curtain Wall Properties dialog
box. Ordinarily, the Design Rules tab is available only from the Curtain Wall
Style Properties dialog box.

Turning on Edit in Place for a Curtain Wall

To turn on Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.

Modifying a Curtain Wall Element Definitions Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, an Element Definitions menu is added to the curtain wall shortcut menu. From this menu, you can create and modify division definitions, infill definitions, frame definitions, and mullion definitions
by accessing the Design Rules tab of the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box.

NOTE The Design Rules tab is available only from the Curtain Wall Properties
dialog box when Edit in Place is active.
To modify element definitions while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.

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2 Select Element Definitions from the shortcut menu.

3 Select one of the following options

Divisions. For more information, see Defining Divisions for Curtain

Wall Grids on page 421.
Infills. For more information, see Defining Infills for Curtain Wall
Cells on page 432.
Frames. For more information, see Defining Curtain Wall Frames on
page 438.
Mullions. For more information, see Defining Curtain Wall Mullions
on page 444.

Modifying Curtain Wall Assignments Using Edit in Place

While using Edit in Place, an Assignments menu is added to the curtain wall
shortcut menu. From this menu, you can create and remove cell, frame, and
mullion assignments. You can also modify assignments by selecting a new
element definition or changing the specific elements the definition is
assigned to.
You specify the assignment changes on the command line so that you can
easily select cells and edges from the drawing.

NOTE If you want to use the Design Rules tab to make these changes, instead
of the command line, then select Curtain Wall Properties from the shortcut
menu.

Adding a Curtain Wall Cell Assignment Using Edit in Place

While using Edit in Place, you can create new cell assignments for any grid
in the curtain wall. When you create the assignment, you can use your pointing device to select from the curtain wall the cells that you want to use this
assignment.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Cells on page 451.
To add a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to add the assignment to. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers in a Curtain
Wall on page 478.
3 Select Assignments Add Cell Assignment from the curtain wall shortcut
menu.

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NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell marker to specify the grid you want to add the assignment to.
Each curtain wall grid has its own assignments.
5 Type one of the following:

Index, and then type pick. Use your pointing device to select the cells
that you want to use this assignment, and then press ENTER.
Location, and then specify whether the new assignment is to be used
in the start cell, middle cell, or end cell of the selected grid.

NOTE If you are adding an assignment to a vertical grid, you are prompted
to assign the grid to the bottom, middle, or top cells.
6 To insert a nested grid in the selected cells, type grid. Then, specify a vertical or horizontal division.
To insert an infill, type infill, and then type the number associated with
the infill definition that you want.

Removing a Curtain Wall Cell Assignment Using Edit in Place

While using Edit in Place, you can remove a cell assignment that you no
longer need. Any cells using that assignment uses the default cell assignment
instead.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Cells on page 451.
To remove a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to remove the
assignment from. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers in
a Curtain Wall on page 478.
3 Select the curtain wall and select Assignments Remove Cell Assignment
from the curtain wall shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell that has the assignment you want to remove.

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The cell assignment is removed and all cells using that assignment are
assigned the default cell assignment instead.
If you selected a cell that was already using the default cell assignment, a
message is displayed indicating that the cell is already using the default
assignment. For information about modifying the default assignment, see
Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Cells on page 432.

Modifying a Curtain Wall Cell Assignment Using Edit in Place

While using Edit in Place, you can modify cell assignments for any grid in
the curtain wall. When you modify the assignment, you can use your pointing device to select from the curtain wall the cells that you want to use this
assignment.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Cells on page 451.
To modify a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to add the assignment to. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers in a Curtain
Wall on page 478.
3 Select the curtain wall and select Assignments Modify Cell Assignment
from the curtain wall shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell marker that has the assignment you want to modify.
5 To change the cells that are using this assignment, type used.
To specify the contents of the cell (infill or grid), type element.

NOTE If you select a cell that is using the default cell assignment, you are
not prompted to choose between Used In or Element. You cannot change the
cells using the default assignment, because all unassigned cells use the default
cell assignment.
6 If you selected Used In, type:

Index, and then type p (pick). Use your pointing device to select the
cells that you want to use this assignment.

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Location, and then specify whether the new assignment is used in the
start cell, middle cell, or end cell (for horizontal grids) or the bottom,
middle, or top cell (for vertical grids).

If you selected Element, type:

Grid to change the assignment to include a nested grid, and then specify a vertical or horizontal division.
Infill to change the assignment to include an infill, and then type the
number associated with the infill definition that you want.

Adding an Edge Assignment to a Curtain Wall Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, you can create new assignments for frame edges or
mullion edges. When you create an assignment, you can use your pointing
device to select from the curtain wall the edges that you want to use this
assignment.
For more information about frame and mullion assignments, see Assigning
Definitions to Curtain Wall Frames on page 458 and Assigning Definitions
to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall on page 462.
To add an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Select Assignments Add Edge Assignment from the curtain wall shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge to specify the grid you want to add the assignment to. Each
curtain wall grid has its own assignments.
4 Type one of the following:

Index, and then type p (pick). Use your pointing device to select the
mullions that you want to use this assignment, and then press ENTER.
Location, and specify the edge to be used in the new assignment. If you
selected a frame edge in step 3, then you are prompted for left, right,
top, and bottom edges. If you selected a mullion, you are prompted for
start, middle, or end (for horizontal grids) or bottom, middle or top (for
vertical grids).

5 Type the number associated with the edge definition that you want.

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Removing an Edge Assignment from a Curtain Wall Using Edit

in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can remove a frame edge or mullion edge
assignment that you no longer need. Any edges using the assignment you
remove use the default edge assignment instead.
For more information about frame and mullion assignments, see Assigning
Definitions to Curtain Wall Frames on page 458 and Assigning Definitions
to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall on page 462.
To remove an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Select Assignments Remove Edge Assignment from the curtain wall
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge that has the assignment you want to remove.
The edge assignment is removed and all edges using that assignment are
assigned the default assignment instead.
If you selected an edge that was already using the default cell assignment,
a message is displayed indicating that the cell is aready using the default
assignment. For information about modifying the default assignment, see
Defining Curtain Wall Frames on page 438 or Defining Curtain Wall
Mullions on page 444.

Modifying an Edge Assignment from a Curtain Wall Using Edit

in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can modify frame edge and mullion edge
assignments for any grid in the curtain wall. When you modify the assignment, you can use your pointing device to select from the curtain wall the
edges that you want to use this assignment.
For more information about edge assignments, see Assigning Definitions to
Curtain Wall Frames on page 458 and Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall on page 462.
To modify an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall.

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2 Select Assignments Modify Edge Assignment from the curtain wall

shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge that has the assignment you want to modify.
4 To change the edges that are using this assignment, type used.
To change the definition of the edge, type element.

NOTE If you select a mullion that is using the default assignment, you are
not prompted to choose between Used In or Element. You cannot change the
mullions used in the default assignment, because all unassigned mullions use
the default assignment.
5 If you selected Used In, type

Index, and then type pick. Use your pointing device to select the
edges that you want to use this assignment.
Location, and then specify whether the new assignment is to be used
for the left, right, top or bottom frame edge. (This option is not available for mullion edges.)

If you selected Element, type the number associated with the edge definition that you want.

Saving Edit in Place Changes to a Curtain Wall Style

After making changes with Edit in Place, you can save the changes to a curtain wall style and update all the curtain walls of that style.
To save Edit in Place changes to a curtain wall style
1 Select the curtain wall.
2 Select Edit in Place Save changes from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the style that you want to incorporate the edits in or create a new
style.
4 Select any override to include that override in the style.

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Transfer Cell Overrides to Style
Transfer Edge Overrides to Style
Transfer Edge Profile Overrides to Style

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An override option is unavailable when that type of override has not been
applied to the curtain wall. For more information about overrides, see
Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Curtain Walls on page 478.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box and save the changes.

Discarding Edit in Place Changes to a Curtain Wall

After working with Edit in Place, if you decide that you want to restore the
original style settings, then you can discard your changes.
To discard the Edit in Place changes
1 Select the curtain wall.
2 Select Edit in Place Discard changes from the shortcut menu.

Modifying Curtain Wall Styles

You can easily modify all curtain walls of the same style by making changes
to the style itself.

NOTE For information about modifying the components of a single curtain

wall see Using Edit in Place for Curtain Walls on page 483. For information
about modifying the shape and size of a single curtain wall, see Modifying Curtain Walls on page 494.
To modify a curtain wall style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Curtain Wall Styles.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Styles, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.

TIP You can also access the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box by
selecting a curtain wall of the style you want to edit, and select Edit Curtain
Wall Style from the shortcut menu.
3 Do any of the following

Define new divisions, infills, frames, or mullions. For more information, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on
page 419.
Change an existing division, infill, frame or mullion definition. For
more information, see Modifying Existing Element Definitions for
Curtain Wall Styles on page 492.

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491

Assign different definitions to grids, cells, frames, or mullions. For

more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Elements on page 450.
Remove overrides. For more information, see Removing Curtain Wall
Overrides on page 483.
Change the visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, or linetype scale
of curtain wall components. For more information, see Modifying the
Display of Curtain Walls on page 465.
Add custom components to a curtain wall. For more information, see
Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Curtain Wall
on page 469.
Change the dimension defaults for the curtain wall. For more information, see Setting Default Dimensions for a Curtain Wall Style on page
471.
Attach notes and reference files to the curtain wall style. For more
information, see Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Style on
page 472.

4 Click OK to exit the dialog box when you have completed the changes.

Modifying Existing Element Definitions for Curtain Wall Styles

You can modify element definitions using the edit boxes on the Design Rules
tab of the Curtain Wall Style Properties dialog box. There are two ways you
can access these definitions: from the assignments list and from the
definitions list.

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From the assignments list: Select a grid from the tree view to display
the assignments list. Then, select an element assignment that uses that
definition. Make your changes below the assignment list.

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From the definitions list: Select an element type from the tree view
to display all the definitions for that element type. Select a definition and
make your changes below the definitions list.

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Any changes you make, including changes to the definition name, overwrite
the existing definition. To create a new definition from the assignments list,
select New from the Element list. To create a new definition from the definitions list, click the New Division icon, the New Infill icon, the New Frame
icon or the New Mullion icon.

Modifying Curtain Walls

There are three different methods for changing the shape and size of a curtain wall. To access any of these methods, select a curtain wall, and select one
of the following options from the shortcut menu.

494

Curtain Wall Modify: Changes the height of the curtain wall, selects a
different style, or matches the properties of another existing curtain wall.
Tools menu: Changes the roof line or floor line, adds an interference, or
sets the miter angles between two curtain walls.

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Curtain Wall Properties: Attaches notes and reference files, selects a

different style, changes dimensions, and alters the roof line or floor line
for selected curtain walls.

NOTE For information about changing the elements within a curtain wall,
see Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall on page 477. For information
about changing the display of the curtain walls, see Modifying the Display
of Curtain Walls on page 465.
The method you want to use depends on what you want to accomplish.
For example, to change the height of the curtain wall, you can use

Curtain Wall Modify, when the height is the only property you need to
change. You can then change height quickly from the dashboard more
precisely than using grips.
Curtain Wall Properties, when you want to change the height in addition
to other properties of selected curtain walls. The Curtain Wall Properties
dialog box gives you easy access to numerous properties.

Changing the Base Height of a Curtain Wall

To change the base height of a curtain wall
1 Select one or more curtain walls.
2 From the shortcut menu, select Curtain Wall Modify, or select Curtain
Wall Properties, then the Dimensions tab.
3 Type a new value for Base Height.
4 Click OK.

Selecting a Different Curtain Wall Style

To select a different style for a curtain wall
1 Select one or more curtain walls.
2 From the shortcut menu, select Curtain Wall Modify, or select Curtain
Wall Properties, then the Style tab.
3 Select a different style from the list.
4 Click OK to apply the new style.

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Matching the Style or Base Height of an Existing

Curtain Wall
To match the style or base height of an existing curtain wall
1 Select one or more curtain walls.
2 Select Curtain Wall Modify from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Modify Curtain Wall dialog box, click the Match icon.
4 Click in the drawing, then select the curtain wall that has the style or
height you want to match.
5 Type one of the following options on the command line

Style to match only the curtain wall style

Base Height to match only the curtain wall base height
All to match both the style and height

6 Select another curtain wall to modify, or press ENTER to apply the changes.

Changing the Curtain Wall Dimensions

You can change the following dimensions of a curtain wall.
To change the curtain wall dimension properties
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Select Curtain Wall Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click Dimensions.
4 Change any of the following dimensions

Base Height: Height of the curtain wall from the baseline

Length: Length of a straight curtain wall from the start grip on the
baseline to the end grip
Radius: Radius of a curved curtain wall from the start grip on the
baseline to the end grip
Start Miter Angle: Angle of all infills and horizontal edges (frame or
mullion) at the start of the curtain wall.
End Miter Angle: Angle of all infills and horizontal edges (frame or
mullion) at the end of the curtain wall.

For more information about miter angles, see Cleaning up Curtain Wall
Corners on page 506.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Changing the Roof Line and Floor Line of a

Curtain Wall
You can use the wall roof and floor lines to create nonrectangular curtain
walls. The Roof/Floor Line tab is available only when you select a single curtain wall to edit.

NOTE You can also modify the roof line and floor line using the commands in
the Tools menu on the shortcut menu. For more information, see Changing the
Roof Line of a Curtain Wall, Changing the Floor Line of a Curtain Wall, and
Reversing Curtain Wall Start/End in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.

Modifying a curtain wall roof line

You edit vertex locations on the floor and roof lines to create steps, gables,
and other floor and roof conditions.

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Modifying a curtain wall floor line

To set the curtain wall roof and floor line properties

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the curtain wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 Do any of the following:

Add a gable to the roof line of a curtain wall.

Add a step.
Insert a vertex.
Delete a vertex.
Edit a vertex.
Reverse the floor or roof line.

Adding a Gable to the Roof Line of a Curtain Wall

To add a gable to the roof line of a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the curtain wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 After selecting Edit Roof Line, click Add Gable.

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Modifying a curtain wall roof line by adding a gable

NOTE This option is available only if the roof line has not been edited. After
the roof line changes, you cannot automatically add a gable using this option.
A third vertex is added to the roof line set halfway between the two ends
of the roof line and eight feet up from the roof line.

NOTE The table at the top of the dialog box displays information about
each vertex in the wall. You can also select the vertex to edit from the list.
6 Continue editing the roof or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see your changes applied to the curtain wall in the drawing.
Continue editing your roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Adding a Step to the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Curtain Wall

To add a step to the roof line or floor line of a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the curtain wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.

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5 After selecting either Edit Roof Line or Edit Floor Line, click Add Step.

Modifying a curtain wall floor line by adding a step

NOTE This option is available only if the roof line or floor line has not been
edited. After the line has been changed, you cannot automatically add a step
using this option.
A third vertex is added to the line set halfway between the two ends of the
line and four feet from the line, and a step is created from the selected vertex to the second vertex.
The active vertex in the dialog box illustration changes when you select a
different line to edit. Any changes you make to the wall are reflected in
the illustration.
The table at the top of the dialog box displays information about each vertex in the curtain wall. You can also select the vertex to edit from the list.
6 Continue editing the roof or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see your changes applied to the curtain wall in the drawing.
Continue editing the roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Changing Vertices in the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Curtain

Wall
To change vertices in the roof line or floor line of a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the curtain wall, and press ENTER.

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3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
The active vertex in the illustration changes when you select a different
line to edit. Any changes you make to the curtain wall are reflected in the
Vertex Editing illustration.
5 With either Edit Roof Line or Edit Floor Line selected, do any of the
following:

To add a vertex, click Insert Vertex. In the Wall Roof/Floor Line Vertex
dialog box, specify the horizontal offset and vertical offset for the new
vertex, type a distance, and click OK. The new vertex is displayed in the
vertex editing illustration at the end of this task.
Horizontal Offset: Specifies the existing vertex from which to
measure the placement of the next vertex and how far away from the
existing vertex to place the new one. Distance is measured in the
direction the curtain wall is drawn. You can enter a negative number to
set the vertex in the reverse direction.
From Wall Start: Measures distance from the curtain wall start
point.
From Wall End: Measures distance from the curtain wall endpoint.
From Wall Midpoint: Measures distance from the curtain wall
midpoint.
From Previous Point: Measures distance from the vertex one closer
to the curtain wall start point.
From Next Point: Measures distance from the vertex one closer to
the curtain wall endpoint.
From Midpoint of Neighbors: Measures distance from the
midpoint of the selected vertex and the next one closer to the curtain
wall endpoint.
Distance: Sets the distance from the specified point to create the
new vertex.

Vertical Offset: Specifies the location from which to measure the

height of the next vertex and how far away from the existing location
to place the new vertex. You can enter a negative number to set the vertex toward the ground.
From Wall Base Height: Sets height from the base height of the
curtain wall.
From Next Point: Sets height from the height of the next point.

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From Previous Point: Sets height from the height of the previous
point.
From Baseline: Sets height from the baseline of the curtain wall.
Distance: Sets the distance from the specified location to create the
new vertex.

To move a vertex, select a vertex from the list or select a vertex in the
vertex editing illustration, then click Edit Vertex. In the Wall Roof/
Floor Line Vertex dialog box, specify Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset for the vertex, type a new distance, and click OK. The change to the
vertex is displayed in the vertex editing illustration.
To delete a vertex, click Delete Vertex and select a vertex from the list
or from the vertex editing illustration. The selected vertex is deleted,
and the line automatically connects the two adjacent vertices.

6 Continue editing the roof line or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see the changes applied to the curtain wall in the drawing.
Continue editing roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Reversing the Roof Line or Floor Line of a Curtain Wall

To reverse the roof line or floor line of a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the curtain wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the Roof/Floor Line tab.
5 With either Edit Roof Line or Edit Floor Line selected, click Reverse.
The selected line is reversed; the condition is applied to the opposite end
of the line. The list and illustration change to reflect the reversal of vertices.
6 Continue editing the roof or floor line, and then click OK.
7 Click Apply to see your changes applied to the curtain wall in the drawing.
Continue editing the roof and floor lines, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Changing the Roof Line of a Curtain Wall

You can change the height of the roof line of an existing curtain wall. You
can also create a polyline that represents the current roof line of selected
curtain walls.

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To change the roof line

1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Select Tools Roof Line from the shortcut menu.
3 Type o (Offset), select the curtain walls to change, and then type a value
to offset the roof line from the current height of the curtain wall.
4 Type p (Project) to project the roof line to a selected polyline, select the
curtain walls to change, and then select the polyline to project the roof
line to.

NOTE The polyline does not need to be in the same plane as the selected
curtain walls, but it should be parallel to the curtain walls for the best results.
5 Type g (Generate polyline) to generate a polyline, and then select the curtain walls for the polyline to be created from.
6 Type a (Auto project) to project the curtain wall roof line to another
object, select the curtain walls, and then select the object to project to.

NOTE Auto project is useful when projecting curtain walls to roofs.

7 Type r (Reset) to remove any roof line changes made to the curtain wall.
8 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Floor Line of a Curtain Wall

You can change the height of the floor line of an existing curtain wall. You
can also create a polyline that represents the current floor line of a selected
curtain wall.
To change the floor line
1 Select a curtain wall.
2 Select Tools Floor Line from the shortcut menu.
3 Type o (Offset), select the curtain walls to change, and then type a value
to offset the floor line from the current height of the curtain wall.
4 Type p (Project) to project the floor line to a selected polyline, select the
curtain walls to change, and then select the polyline to project the floor
line to.

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NOTE The polyline does not need to be in the same plane as the selected
curtain walls, but it should be parallel to the curtain walls for the best results.
5 Type g (Generate polyline) to generate a polyline, and then select the curtain walls for the polyline to be created from.
6 Type a (Auto project) to project the wall floor line to another object, select
the curtain walls, and then select the object to project to.
7 Type r (Reset) to remove any floor line changes made to the curtain wall.
8 Press ENTER to end the command.

Reversing Curtain Wall Start/End

Curtain walls are drawn from a first point to a last point, and some commands and properties are affected by that order (for example, offsets).
If you need to apply commands in the opposite order, you can switch the
direction curtain walls are drawn. This command affects each curtain wall
you select.
To change the starting point of a curtain wall
1 Select the curtain wall.
2 Select Tools Reverse from the shortcut menu.

Changing the Curtain Wall Location Properties

You can relocate an existing curtain wall by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The curtain wall also has an orientation with respect to
the world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system
(UCS). For example, if the top and bottom of the wall are parallel to the XY
plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of
the curtain wall by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate
the curtain wall on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For more information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a curtain wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the curtain wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

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5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the curtain wall, change the coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the curtain wall, change the axis where the normal is parallel. To locate the curtain wall on the XY plane, make the normal of the
wall parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type
0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the curtain wall on the YZ plane, type
1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the curtain
wall on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z
boxes.
To change the rotation of the curtain wall, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, and then click
Apply to see the changes to the curtain wall without leaving the Modify
Curtain Walls dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Adding an Interference Condition to a Curtain

Wall
You can place AEC objects, such as mass elements, in curtain walls to create
custom openings or cutouts.
To add an interference condition to a curtain wall
1 Place any AEC object in the location where you want the opening or cutout.
2 Select the curtain wall.
3 Select Tools Interference from the shortcut menu.
4 Type a (Add) to add the interference object to the curtain wall, or type r
(Remove) to remove the interference object from the curtain wall.
5 Select the interference object.
You are prompted to determine the elements affected by the interference.
6 Type y (Yes) to apply the interference to the infill of the curtain wall cells,
or type n (No) to leave the infills as is.
7 Type y (Yes) to apply the interference to the frame of the curtain wall, or
type n (No) to leave the frame as is.
8 Type y (Yes) to apply the interference to the mullions of the curtain wall,
or type n (No) to leave the mullions as is.

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9 Select another interference object, or press ENTER to end the command.

Cleaning up Curtain Wall Corners

There are two methods of cleaning up curtain wall corners.

Calculate Miter Angles Automatically: Automatically determines

the necessary miter angles between two curtain walls.
Specify Miter Angles Manually: You can specify the miter angle for a
curtain wall that is adjacent to a standard wall or other AEC object.

Calculating the Miter Angles Between Curtain Walls

The corner where adjacent curtain walls meet is not mitered by default.
However, you can determine the necessary angles automatically.

Mitered curtain walls

NOTE The miter angle is applied to all infills and horizontal edges (frame or
mullion) that are adjacent to the corner. Vertical edges are not affected.
To automatically calculate the miter angles between two curtain walls
1 Select one of the curtain walls.
2 Select Tools Set Miter Angles from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the other curtain wall.
If you change the angle of either curtain wall, use Set Miter Angles again
to calculate the angles again.

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Specifying frame miter angles

TIP If you want to create a custom corner condition between two curtain
walls, you can replace the edge of one curtain wall with an AEC profile and
remove the edge of the other curtain wall by setting the frame width and
depth to zero for the adjacent edge.
For more information, see Overriding a Curtain Wall Edge Profile on page
481 and Defining Curtain Wall Frames on page 438.

Setting a Miter Angle for a Curtain Wall Adjacent to Another

Object
If you want to create a mitered corner between a curtain wall and another
object such as a standard wall or a mass element, then you must set the miter
angle manually. For example, if your curtain wall connects with a standard
wall that is at 60-degree angle from the curtain wall, then you would set the
miter angle to 30.

NOTE The miter angle is applied to all infills and horizontal edges that are
adjacent to the corner. Vertical edges are not affected.
To set the miter angle of a curtain wall
1 Select the curtain wall.
2 Select Curtain Wall Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click Dimensions.

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4 To miter the curtain wall at its start point, type an angle for Start Miter
Angle. To miter the curtain wall at its end point, type an angle for End
Miter Angle.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a curtain wall, select the curtain
wall and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near
the center of the curtain wall and points toward the end of the curtain wall.
5 Click OK.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall

To attach notes and files to curtain walls
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Walls Modify Curtain Wall.
2 Select the wall, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Curtain Walls dialog box, click the Properties icon.
4 In the Curtain Wall Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the wall, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the wall, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

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Editing Objects Anchored in Curtain Walls

When you fill a curtain wall cell with an object, such as a door or window,
you can edit that object independently from the curtain wall. For example,
you can select a door from a curtain wall and choose Door Properties from
the shortcut menu. The Door Properties dialog box is similar to the Door
Properties dialog box that is displayed when you edit a freestanding door,
except that the Location tab is replaced by an Anchor tab. From the Anchor
tab, you change the orientation of the door and the alignment or offset of
the door in relation to the curtain wall.
You can also swap objects from one cell to another or release the object
anchor so that the object moves independently from the curtain wall.

NOTE When you swap or release an object or edit its properties, you are creating a variation from the infill cell assignment for the curtain wall style. By
default, these variations (except release) are allowed to persist in the drawing
when you reapply the style to a curtain wall. However, if you want these variations to be overridden when you reapply a curtain wall style, then turn off the
Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition option on the Anchor tab of the
objects Properties dialog box. This option is set on a per object basis.

Changing the Orientation of an Object Anchored

in a Curtain Wall
To change the orientation of an object anchored in curtain wall
1 Select the object from the curtain wall and choose that objects Properties
option from the shortcut menu. (For example, Door Properties.)
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is available only for objects that are anchored to another
object, such as a curtain wall.
3 On the Anchor tab, do any of the following:

Click Flip X to flip the object in the X direction.

Click Flip Y to flip the object in the Y direction.
Click Flip Z to flip the object in the Z direction.

4 Click OK.

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Changing the Alignment of an Object Anchored

in a Curtain Wall
To change the alignment of an object anchored in curtain wall
1 Select the object from the curtain wall and choose that objects Properties
option from the shortcut menu. (For example, Door Properties.)
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is available only for objects that are anchored to another
object, such as a curtain wall.
3 On the Anchor tab, select Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition.
4 Choose a new alignment for the object. For more information, see Specifying an Alignment for a Curtain Wall Infill on page 435.
5 Click OK.

Changing the Offset of an Object Anchored in a

Curtain Wall
To change the offset of an object anchored in curtain wall
1 Select the object from the curtain wall and choose that objects Properties
option from the shortcut menu. (For example, Door Properties.)
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is available only for objects that are anchored to another
object, such as a curtain wall.
3 On the Anchor tab, select Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition.
4 Specify a new offset for the object. For more information, see Specifying
an Offset for a Curtain Wall Infill on page 436.
5 Click OK.

Swapping Two Objects Anchored in a Curtain

Wall
When you fill a curtain wall cell with an object, such as a door or window,
you can swap that object with another object in the curtain wall.

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To swap two objects anchored in curtain wall

1 Select one of the objects from the curtain wall and choose Infill
Anchor Swap Objects from the shortcut menu.
2 Select the object you want to swap with.

Releasing an Object Anchored in a Curtain Wall

When you fill a curtain wall cell with an object, such as a door or window,
that object is anchored to the curtain wall. While the anchor is in place, the
object moves when you move the curtain wall, and is removed when you
erase the curtain wall. If you want to move or erase an object independently
from the curtain wall, then you can release the anchor.

NOTE You can also move or erase the object by changing the element definition for the cell that contains the object. For more information, see Defining
Infills for Curtain Wall Cells on page 432.
To release an object anchored in curtain wall

Select one of the objects from the curtain wall and choose Infill
Anchor Release from the shortcut menu.

Curtain Wall Units

Curtain wall units are very similar to curtain walls except that the grid cells
can only contain panel infills, not objects. Curtain wall units are designed to
represent elements that are repeated within your main curtain wall.
You assign curtain wall units to specific cells within the curtain wall grid. For
more information, see Inserting an Object into a Curtain Wall Cell on page
454.
Curtain wall units are style-based, meaning there are preset characteristics
assigned to each curtain wall that determine its appearance. As with curtain
walls, you can override style settings for a single curtain wall unit or use Edit
in Place to experiment with changes, and then choose to either discard those
changes or save them to the style and update all the curtain wall units of that
style.
Like curtain walls, curtain wall units are made up of one or more grids. Each
grid has either a horizontal division or a vertical division, but you can nest
the grids to create a variety of patterns.

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TIP Using curtain wall units in a curtain wall can help you avoid the complexities of too many nested grids in the curtain wall.
Grids are the foundation of curtain walls and curtain wall units. Every grid
has four element types:

Divisions: Define the direction of the grid (horizontal or vertical) and

the number of cells
Cell Infills: Contain another grid, a panel infill, or an object such as a
window or a door
Frames: Define the edge around the outside of the primary grid and
nested grids
Mullions: Define the edges between the cells

NOTE Division is an abstract element, in contrast to the other three element

types that represent physical elements of the curtain wall unit.
Each element type is assigned a default definition that describes what elements
of that type look like.

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Element type

Default definitions

Divisions

Horizontal grid with two manual divisions offset from the

top and bottom of the grid

Cell Infills

Cells containing simple panels

Frames

Outer edges of grid 3" wide and 3" deep

Mullions

Edges between cells 1" wide and 3" deep

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Curtain wall units default element definitions

However, you can also create new definitions and assign those definitions to
specific elements within the curtain wall unit. For example, you can create
multiple infill definitions, and then assign different infills to specific cells in
the grid. Likewise, you can create multiple frame definitions, and then assign
a different definition to each frame edge (top, bottom, left, right).
You create element definitions from the Design Rules tab of the Curtain Wall
Unit Style Properties dialog box. Select an element from the tree to display a
list of definitions for that element, icons for adding and removing definitions, and text boxes for creating the definitions.
From the same Design Rules tab, you can assign the definitions to specific
elements in a grid. Select a grid from the tree to display a list of assignments
for that grid, icons for creating new assignments and columns in the assignment table for specifying the definition to use and where. You can also edit
the definitions at the bottom of the dialog box.
To get started with curtain wall units, draw a curtain wall unit using one of
the methods described in the next section, Creating Curtain Wall Units.
Try a variety of the existing curtain wall unit styles, find a style you like and
make a copy of it. Then, modify the element definitions and assignments to
suit your own needs. For more information, see Modifying the Elements in
a Curtain Wall Unit on page 557.
Element definitions and assignments for curtain wall units are identical to
those for curtain walls. For more information, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 419 or see Creating Element Defini-

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tions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.
For more information about element definitions and assignments, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style and Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Elements.

Creating Curtain Wall Units

Curtain wall units are created in much the same way as curtain walls. You
specify a style, a height, and start and endpoints. You can also create curtain
wall units by converting a 2D layout grid to a curtain wall or create a custom
grid from 2D lines, arcs, and circles. Unlike curtain walls, you cannot create
a curtain wall unit based on a curve. Curtain wall units can only be planar.

Creating a Curtain Wall Unit

To create a curtain wall unit
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Add Curtain Wall
Unit.
2 Select a start point and an end point.
3 Specify a height for the curtain wall unit.
4 Select a style and click OK.

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For information about curtain wall unit styles, see Working with Curtain
Wall Unit Styles on page 518.

Converting a Layout Grid to a Curtain Wall Unit

You can create a curtain wall unit that is based on a 2D layout grid. If you
already have 2D layout grids in an existing drawing, you can easily convert
to curtain wall units. Or, if you are already familiar with layout grids, it is a
quick and easy way to create a curtain wall unit, and then experiment with
the curtain wall unit commands to learn more about them.
To convert a 2D layout grid to a curtain wall unit
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Grid (2D).
2 Create a layout grid. For more information, see Layout Grids on page
1568.
3 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Convert Layout Grid
to Curtain Wall Unit.
4 Select the layout grid.

Converting a 2D layout grid to a curtain wall unit

Curtain wall units are divided either horizontally or vertically. To create

the horizontal and vertical patterns in the 2D layout grid, the curtain wall
unit uses nested grids. You define a primary division, either horizontal or
vertical, and then each cell within that grid is assigned a nested grid with
a division in the opposite direction.

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Specifying horizontal and vertical grid divisions

For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids
in Curtain Walls on page 414.
You are prompted to erase the layout grid after the conversion.
5 To erase the layout grid, type y (Yes). To have the layout grid remain after
the curtain wall unit is created, type n (No).
6 Select vertical or horizontal as the orientation for the primary division.
You are prompted to enter a name for the new style. For more information
about curtain wall unit styles, see Working with Curtain Wall Unit
Styles on page 518.
7 Type a name for this new curtain wall unit style.
8 Click OK.
The horizontal and vertical lines of the 2D layout grid define the divisions
for the curtain wall unit grids and the grid cells, frame, and mullions are
assigned default definitions. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Elements on page 537.

Creating a Curtain Wall Unit with a Custom Grid

Curtain wall units contain one or more grids. You can create a custom grid
by drawing the grid using lines, arcs and circles, and then convert that linework into a curtain wall unit. After the conversion, the curtain wall unit is in
Edit in Place so that you can make modifications to it. At any point, you can
save the resulting curtain wall unit as a new curtain wall unit style. For more
information, see Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall Units on page 562.

NOTE Curtain wall unit grids are one dimensionaleither horizontal or vertical. To create a grid pattern with horizontal and vertical divisions, like the example above, nested grids are used. For more information about nested grids, see
Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls on page 414.

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To create a curtain wall unit with a custom grid

1 Use lines, arcs, and circles to draw a grid in the world coordinate system
(WCS).
2 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Convert Linework
to Curtain Wall Unit.
3 Select the lines, arcs, or circles that define your grid, and press ENTER.
4 Select one of the grid lines as the baseline for the curtain wall unit, or press
ENTER to use the line along the X axis as the baseline.

Converting linework to a curtain wall unit with a default baseline

TIP If you draw your linework in the XY plane (in plan view) and accept the
default baseline, the resulting window assembly is displayed from the
Z direction.
You are prompted to erase the lines that you drew to define the grid.
5 To erase the lines, type y (Yes). To have the lines remain after the curtain
wall unit is created, type n (No).
Each enclosed area is assigned the default cell infill. The lines between the
cells are assigned the default mullion definition, and the boundary
around the grid is assigned the default frame definition. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Elements on
page 537.

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Converting linework to a curtain wall unit with a specified baseline

NOTE You cannot modify the division definition of a custom grid created
from lines, arcs, and circles. You can, however, assign a different division definition to it. For more information, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall
Unit Grid on page 537.

Working with Curtain Wall Unit Styles

Curtain wall units are style-based, meaning there are preset characteristics
assigned to each curtain wall unit that determine its appearance and function. By changing from one style of curtain wall unit to another, you can
quickly study several different design options. Any changes you make to the
style are reflected throughout your building, updating all curtain wall units
of that particular style. You can also apply overrides to a single curtain wall
unit, without changing other curtain wall units of the same style.
A curtain wall unit style contains:

518

Element definitions
Definition assignments for each element
Display properties for each element

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Notes about the style and any associated reference files

You can modify the Standard curtain wall unit style, or you can leave the
Standard style as it is and create a new style.
Curtain wall unit styles are very similar to curtain wall styles. For more information about styles, see Working with Curtain Wall Styles on page 419 or
Working with Curtain Wall Unit Styles in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall

Unit Style
Element definitions determine the appearance of the four basic curtain wall
unit elements. There is a different definition type for each element.
Each type of element can have multiple definitions. For example, you can
define a division to create a horizontal grid or a vertical grid and you can
define the cells to contain a nested grid or a window assembly. To make reuse
easier, you can save the element definitions, and then assign them to grids,
cells, frames, or mullions as needed.
Element definitions are style-specific. When you create element definitions
for a specific curtain wall unit style, those definitions are available only for
curtain wall units of that style. For example, if you define a window assembly
infill for one curtain wall unit style, that infill is not available as an option
when you edit a curtain wall unit of a different style.
For information about defining the color, linetype, or layer of curtain wall
unit elements, see Modifying the Display of Curtain Wall Units.

Defining Divisions for Curtain Wall Unit Grids

The divisions of a grid define the orientation, that determines the direction
of the grid cells, and mullions, and they define a division type that determines the number and size of cells.

NOTE Creating a nested grid is not a division rule. To create a nested grid, add
a cell assignment. For more information, see Creating a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall Unit and Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls.
You can create a variety of division definitions under different names, and
then assign different divisions to each grid in your curtain wall unit. For
more information about assigning divisions to a particular grid, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.

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NOTE You create division definitions for a specific curtain wall unit style and
those definitions can be assigned only to grids in curtain wall units of that style.

Creating a Division Definition for a Curtain Wall Unit Style

To create a division definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Division icon.
6 Type a name for this division in Name.
7 Select either the vertical orientation icon or a horizontal orientation icon.
8 Select one of the following division type, and specify offsets if needed.

Fixed Cell Dimensions. For more information, see Specifying a Fixed

Size for Cells in a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.
Fixed Number of Cells. For more information, see Specifying a Fixed
Number of Cells for a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.
Manual. For more information, see Manually Defining the Number
and Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.

After you create a division definition, you can assign the definition to a
specific grid in a curtain wall unit. For more information, see Assigning
Divisions to a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.
9 When you are finished creating division definitions, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your curtain wall, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Grid

Specifying a Fixed Size for Cells in a Curtain Wall Unit Grid

You can define a specific size for the cells in a grid. In this case, the number
of cells is determined by the length or height of the grid, depending on the
orientation.

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To specify a fixed size for cells

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Divisions definition or create a new one.
6 Select Fixed Cell Dimension as the division type.
7 Type a size for the cells in Cell Dimension. If you are defining a horizontal
grid, then the cell dimension is the length of the cell from mullion to mullion. If you are defining a vertical grid, then the cell dimension is the
height of the cell.
8 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Curtain
Wall Unit Grid.
When you draw a curtain wall unit using a fixed cell dimension, there is
often extra space between the last full-size cell and the end of the curtain
wall unit.
9 To adjust the cells and accommodate this space automatically as you draw
curtain wall units, select Auto-Adjust Cells.
10 Select the cells that you want to be adjusted.

For horizontal grids, select the Bottom, Middle, or Top icon

For vertical grids, select the Start, Middle, or End icon
You can select any combination of these options. For example, bottom
only, bottom and top, middle and top, and so on.

11 To increase the size of the specified cells to accommodate extra space,

select Grow as the cell adjustment. To decrease the size, select Shrink.
12 Click OK, or to make additional adjustments to the division you just
defined, click Convert to Manual Division.
13 To calculate the number of grid lines needed based on the size you specified, type a value for conversion height (for horizontal divisions) or conversion length (for vertical divisions).
The divisions you specified are displayed in a table that you can easily
modify.
For information about editing the division after the conversion, see Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.

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For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid

in your curtain wall unit, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Unit
Grid

Specifying a Fixed Number of Cells for a Curtain Wall Unit

Grid
You can define a specific number of cells in a grid. In this case, the size of the
cells is determined by the length or height of the grid, depending on the orientation.
To specify a fixed number of cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a division definition or create a new one.
6 Select Fixed Number of Cells as the division type.
7 Type the desired number of cells in Number of Cells. If you are defining a
horizontal grid, then you are specifying the number of horizontal cells. If
you are defining a vertical grid, then you are specifying the number of vertical cells.
8 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Curtain
Wall Unit Grid.
9 If you want to make additional adjustments to the grid you just defined,
click Convert to Manual Division and specify a Conversion Height or
Length. For more information, see Manually Defining the Number and
Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.
10 Click OK or, to make additional adjustments to the division you just
defined, click Convert to Manual Division.
11 To calculate the distance between grid lines based on the number of cells
you specified, type a value for conversion height (for horizontal divisions)
or conversion length (for vertical divisions).
The divisions you specified are displayed in a table that you can easily
modify.

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For information about editing the division after the conversion, see Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid in
your curtain wall unit, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Unit Grid.

Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Curtain

Wall Unit Grid
You can manually add grid lines and specify an offset for each one if you need
to create a unique grid that does not fit into any of the other division types.
You can also start with a Fixed Cell Dimension grid or a Fixed Number of
Cells grid, and then manually adjust the grid lines to suit your needs.
To manually define the number and size of cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Divisions definition or create a new one.
6 Select Manual as the division type.
7 Click the Add Grid Line icon to insert a grid line. Insert as many grid lines
as you need. If you need to remove a grid line, select it from the table and
click the Remove Grid Line icon.
8 Under Offset in the grid line table, type an offset distance for each grid
line.
9 Under From in the grid line table, select the grid location from which the
grid line is offset.
10 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Curtain
Wall Unit Grid.
11 Click OK when youve completed your manual grid definition.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your curtain wall unit, see Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Unit
Grid.

Specifying an Offset for a Curtain Wall Unit Grid

By default, grids cells are measured from the start and end points of the curtain wall unit baseline (for horizontal divisions) or from the floor line to the

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roof line (for vertical divisions). The width of the grid frame is not considered
in calculating the size of the cell. For example, if you draw a curtain wall unit
with a 14 baseline and a 1 frame on the left and right and you specify a fixed
number of vertical cells, the cells do not appear equal in size. The first and
last cells appear smaller because they include the frame. To make the cells
equal in size, offset the start and end of the grid by the width of the frame.

NOTE You can offset the grid only when the division type is Fixed Cell
Dimension, Fixed Number of Cells, or Manual.
To offset the grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a division definition or create a new one.
6 Select Fixed Cell Dimension, Fixed Number of Cells, or Manual as the division type.
7 To offset the grid, type a positive value for any of the following options:

For horizontal grids

Start Offset: Distance between the start point of the curtain wall unit
baseline to the start of the first cell
End Offset: Distance between the end point of the curtain wall unit
baseline to the end of the last cell.

For vertical grids

Bottom Offset: Distance between the floor line of the curtain wall
unit to the start of the first cell.
Top Offset: Distance between the roof line of the curtain wall unit to
the end of the top cell.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Removing a Division Definition from a Curtain Wall Unit Style

If you have a division definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Divisions definitions list. You cannot remove a definition if it is currently assigned to a grid.
To remove a division definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select the division definition that you want to remove.
6 Click the Remove Division icon or choose Remove from the shortcut
menu.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Unit Cells

An infill defines the contents of a curtain wall unit cell. A curtain wall unit
cell can be empty (no infill), it can contain a grid (nested grid), or it can contain a panel. Unlike curtain wall units, there is no style infill for inserting
doors, windows and other objects.

NOTE Nested grids and no infill do not require element definitions. These are
options you select when assigning an infill to cell. For information, see Creating
a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall Unit and Removing the Infill of a Cell in a Curtain Wall Unit.
You can define as many infills as you need, and then use cell assignments to
specify the cells used in each infill. There is a default infill, that you can modify as needed, that is used for all unassigned cells. For more information
about cell assignments, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Elements.

NOTE You create Infill definitions for a specific curtain wall unit style, and
those definitions can be assigned only to grid cells in curtain wall units of that
style.

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Creating a Panel Infill for a Curtain Wall Unit

Use the Simple Panel infill to represent basic cladding materials in the curtain
wall unit, such as a stone wall panel, concrete panel, metal panel, or glazing
infill.
To create a panel infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Infill icon to create a new infill.
6 Type a descriptive name for the infill.
7 Select Simple Panel as the infill type.
8 Select an alignment for the infill. For more information, see Specifying
an Alignment for an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit.
9 Specify an offset for the infill. For more information, see Specifying an
Offset for an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit.
10 Type a thickness for the panel in the Panel Thickness text box.
11 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create an infill definition, you can assign it to any cell in a curtain wall unit grid. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Curtain
Wall Unit Cells.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. You can then control the display of each infill definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Wall Units.

Specifying an Alignment for an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit

You can align an infill so that it is centered with the baseline of the curtain
wall unit, in front of the baseline, or behind the baseline. in plan view, the
front of a curtain wall unit (drawn from left to right) is below the baseline
and the back is above the baseline.

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NOTE To move the infill away from the baseline, see Specifying an Offset for
an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit.
To specify an alignment for an infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select an infill or create a new one.
6 Select an alignment: front, center, or back.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Specifying an Offset for an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit

By default, infills are centered on the curtain wall unit baseline. If your
design requires that the infill be aligned with frame edges or some other part
of the curtain wall unit, then you can specify an offset for the infill.
To specify an offset for an infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select an infill or create a new one.
6 Type a distance in the Offset text box. in plan view, positive numbers offset the infill above the baseline and negative numbers offset the infill
below the baseline.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing an Infill Definition from a Curtain Wall Unit Style

If you have an infill definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Infills definitions list. You cannot remove a definition if it is cur-

Working with Curtain Wall Unit Styles

527

rently assigned to a cell. In addition, you cannot remove the default infill
definition, but you can modify it as needed.

NOTE For information about removing an infill from a cell, see Removing the
Infill of a Cell in a Curtain Wall Unit.
To remove an infill definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded infill definition from the list.
6 Click the Remove Infill icon to remove the infill definition.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Defining Curtain Wall Unit Frames

The curtain wall unit frame is represented by the outer edges of the grid. The
overall frame size is determined by the length and height of the curtain wall
unit grid. You can define a frame by specifying a width and depth or by
selecting a profile. For more information about profiles, see Working with
Profiles.
You can create as many frame definitions as you want, and then assign the
definitions to the frames as needed. If you have nested grids, then each grid
has its own frame. There is a default frame definition, that you can modify
as needed. Unassigned frames are not displayed. For more information, see
Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames.

TIP You can copy a mullion definition and use it as a frame definition. Select
the mullion definition and drag it to Frames in the tree on the left side of the dialog box.

NOTE You create frame definitions for a specific curtain wall unit style and
those definitions can be assigned only to frames in curtain wall units of that style.

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Defining the Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit by Width and Depth

You can define a frame by specifying its width and depth. The overall frame
size is determined by the length and height of the curtain wall unit grid.
To define a frame by width and depth
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Frame icon to create a new frame definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the frame.
7 Type a width and depth for the frame.

TIP To remove the frame edge and have the infill adjust to fill the space
occupied by the frame, create a frame definition with both width and depth
set to zero. Then, assign that definition to the frame edge that you want to
remove. For more information, see Removing a Frame Edge from a Curtain
Wall Unit on page 543.
8 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see Specifying Offsets
for the Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a frame definition, you can assign it to any frame in a curtain wall unit. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frames unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. You can then control the display of each frame definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Wall Units.

Defining the Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit Using a Profile

If you do not want a straight edge to your frame, you can use a profile to
define edges with curves, jags, or any other shape you require.

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NOTE The insertion point of the profile is aligned with the centroid of the
frame.
To define a frame using a profile
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Frame icon to create a new frame definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the frame.
7 Specify a width and depth for the frame edge. These dimensions are used
to calculate the center point of the edge for aligning the profile and also
to specify a boundary for the adjacent infill.
8 Select Use Profile.

NOTE The Profile options are available only if you have existing profiles. For
information about creating a profile, see Working with Profiles.
9 Select a profile from the list.
By default, the profile is inserted using the same width and depth with
which it was created.
10 To adjust the size of the profile to fit within the width or depth dimension
of the frame edge, select Auto-Adjust Profile Width or Depth.
11 To mirror the profile, select to mirror along the X or Y axis.
12 To rotate the profile, type a value in the Rotation text box.
13 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see the next section
Specifying Offsets for the Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit.
14 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a frame definition, you can assign it to any frame in a curtain wall unit. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frames unless you create a custom display component

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for each definition. You can then control the display of each frame definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Wall Units.

Specifying Offsets for the Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit

By default, the outside edges of the frame align with start and end of the floor
line and the start and end of the roof line. When you adjust the width of the
frame, the frame expands inward. However, you can use offsets to expand or
contract the frame away from these default limits or to shift the frame away
from the baseline in either the X or Y direction.
To specify an offset for a curtain wall unit frame
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Select a frame definition from the list.
6 Type an offset distance for Offset Frame in X Direction, Offset Frame in Y
Direction, Offset Frame at Start, or Offset Frame at End.

Offset Frame in X Direction: A positive X offset moves the frame

edge outward beyond the end of the curtain wall unit, while a negative
X offset moves the frame edge inward toward the center of the curtain
wall unit.
Offset Frame in Y Direction: In plan view, a positive Y offset moves
the frame edge above the baseline, while a negative Y offset moves the
frame below the baseline.
Offset Frame at Start: A negative Start offset lengthens the frame
beyond the start point while a positive Start offset shortens the frame.
The start point for vertical edges is the baseline and for horizontal edges
(drawn left to right), it is the left side.
Offset Frame at End: A negative End offset lengthens the frame
beyond the end point while a positive End offset shortens the frame.
The end point for vertical edges is the base height and for horizontal
edges (drawn left to right), it is the right side.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a curtain wall unit, select the curtain wall unit and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is dis-

Working with Curtain Wall Unit Styles

531

played near the center of the curtain wall unit and points toward the end of
the curtain wall unit.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing a Frame Definition from a Curtain Wall Unit Style

If you have a frame definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Frame definitions list. You cannot remove a frame definition if it is
currently assigned to a frame edge. In addition, you cannot remove the
default frame definition, but you can modify it as needed.

NOTE For information about removing a frame edge, see Removing a Frame
Edge from a Curtain Wall Unit.
To remove a frame definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded frame definition from the list.
6 Click the Remove Frame icon to remove the frame definition.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Defining Curtain Wall Unit Mullions

The mullions of a curtain wall unit are the edges between the grid cells. You
can define the mullions by specifying a width and depth or by selecting a
profile. For more information about profiles, see Working with Profiles.
You can create as many mullion definitions as you want, and then assign the
definitions to mullions as needed. If you have nested grids, then each grid
has its own mullions. You can modify a default mullion definition, as
needed, for any unassigned mullions. For more information, see Assigning
Definitions to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.

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TIP You can copy a frame definition and use it as a mullion definition. Select
the frame definition and drag it to Mullions in the tree on the left side of the dialog box.

NOTE You create mullion definitions for a specific curtain wall unit style, and
those definitions can be assigned only to mullions in curtain wall units of that
style.

Defining the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit by Width and

Depth
You can define mullions by specify a width and a depth.
To define mullions by width and depth
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Mullion icon to create a new mullion definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the mullions.
7 Type a width and depth for the mullions.

TIP To remove mullions for butt glazing, create a definition with both width
and depth set to zero. Then, assign that definition to the mullions that you
want to remove. For more information, see Removing Mullions from a Curtain Wall Unit.
8 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see Specifying Offsets
for the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a mullion definition, you can assign it to any mullion in
a curtain wall unit. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to
the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.

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533

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the Default
Mullion are applied to all mullions unless you create a custom display component for each definition. You can then control the display of each mullion
definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display
of Curtain Wall Units.

Defining the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit Using a Profile

If you do not want a straight edge to your mullions, you can use a profile to
define mullions with curves, jags, or any other shape you require.

NOTE The insertion point of the profile is aligned with the centroid of the mullion.
To define mullions using a profile
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Mullion icon to create a new mullion definition.
6 Type a descriptive name for the mullions.
7 Specify a width and depth for the mullions. These dimensions are used to
calculate the center point of the mullion for aligning the profile, and also
to specify a boundary for the adjacent infill.
8 Select Use Profile.

NOTE The Profile options are available only if you have existing profiles. For
information about creating a profile, see Working with Profiles on page
1656.
9 Select a profile from the list.
By default, the profile is inserted using the same width and depth with
which it was created.
10 To adjust the size of the profile to fit within the width or depth dimension
of the mullion, select Auto-Adjust Profile Width or Depth.

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11 To mirror the profile, select to mirror along the X or Y axis.

12 To rotate the profile, type a value in the Rotation text box.
13 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see the next section,
Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.
14 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a mullion definition, you can assign it to any mullion in
a curtain wall unit. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to
the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
mullion are applied to all mullions unless you create a custom display component for each definition. You can then control the display of each mullion definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of
Curtain Wall Units.

Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit

You can define mullions that are offset from the start or end of the curtain
wall unit to lengthen or shorten the edge or offset in the X or Y direction to
shift the edge. For example, you might want to represent butt glazing by offsetting the mullions to be behind glass panel infills.
To specify an offset for the mullions
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under Element Definitions.
5 Select a mullion definition from the list.
6 Type an offset distance for Offset Mullions in X Direction, Offset Mullions
in Y Direction, Offset Mullions at Start, or Offset Mullions at End.

Offset Mullions in X Direction: For vertical mullions, a positive X

offset moves the mullions toward the end of the curtain wall unit,
while a negative X offset moves the mullions toward the start of the
curtain wall unit. For horizontal mullions, a positive X offset moves the
mullions toward the top of the curtain wall unit, while a negative X offset moves the mullions toward the bottom of the curtain wall unit.

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535

Offset Mullions in Y Direction: In plan view, a positive Y offset

moves the mullion above the baseline, while a negative Y offset moves
the mullion below the baseline.
Offset Mullions at Start: A negative Start offset lengthens the mullions beyond the start point while a positive Start offset shortens the
mullions. The start point for vertical edges, is the baseline, and for horizontal edges (drawn left to right), it is the left side.
Offset Mullions at End: A negative End offset lengthens the mullions beyond the end point while a positive End offset shortens the
mullions. The end point for vertical edges, is the base height, and for
horizontal edges (drawn left to right), it is the right side.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a curtain wall unit, select the curtain wall unit and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near the center of the curtain wall unit and points toward the end of
the curtain wall unit.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing a Mullion Definition from a Curtain Wall Unit Style

If you have a mullion definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Mullions definitions list. You cannot remove a mullion definition
if it is currently assigned to a mullion. In addition, you cannot remove the
Default Mullion definition, but you can modify it as needed.

NOTE For information about removing mullions from between cells, see
Removing Mullions from a Curtain Wall Unit.
To remove a mullion definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded mullion definition from the list.
6 Click the Remove Mullion icon to remove the mullion definition.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit

Elements
After youve created element definitions for a curtain wall unit style, you can
assign those definitions to each of the curtain wall unit element
types: divisions, cell infills, frames, and mullions.
By default, one definition is assigned to all elements of a particular type.
However, you can assign definitions to individual elements as well. For
example, all cells in the grid are assigned the default infill. However, you can
create a new cell assignment, select a different infill, and then specify the
cells to use that infill.
For more information about element definitions, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style.

Assigning Divisions to a Curtain Wall Unit Grid

Divisions define the grid orientation (direction of the grid cells and mullions)
and the division type (number and size of cells).
After you define a division, you can assign it to the primary grid or to nested
grids. Nested grids are created by selecting Nested Grid as the cell assignment.
For more information, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls.
To assign divisions to a grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid you want
to assign divisions to. The name of the grid you select is displayed in the
table under the Division Assignment row.

TIP To rename a grid select it, choose Rename from the shortcut menu, and
type a new name.
5 Click the Element column for that grid and select a division definition
from the list. To create a new division definition, select New Division, and
then define the division in the fields below the assignment list.
6 Click OK.

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Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Unit Cells

An infill defines the contents of a curtain wall unit cell. A curtain wall unit
cell can be empty (none), it can contain a grid (nested grid), or it can contain
a panel infill. Curtain wall units cannot contain objects.
A cell assignment defines the infill definition used for the cells. You can use
one cell assignment to assign the same infill to all cells, or you can create
multiple cell assignments to assign different infills to different cells.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the same cell because the last definition
assigned to the cell is used.
There is a default cell assignment used by all unassigned cells. You can modify the default assignment to be any type of infill, but you cannot delete the
default cell assignment.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component for
each definition. You can then control the display of each infill definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain Wall Units.

Adding a New Cell Assignment to a Curtain Wall Unit

To assign different infills to different cells, you need multiple cell assignments.
To add a new cell assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new cell assignment.
5 Click the New Cell Assignment icon.
A new cell assignment is displayed in the list of cell assignments.
6 Click the text New Cell Assignment, and type a descriptive name for the
assignment.
7 Under the Element column, select an infill definition that you created, or
select Nested Grid, Default Infill, NONE, or New Infill.

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Nested Grid: Fill specified cells with additional divisions. For more
information, see Creating a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall Unit.
Default Infill: Fill specified cells with the default infill. By default,
any cell without an assignment uses the default infill.
NONE: Remove the infill from the specified cells. Also removes any
frame edges adjacent to the cell. For more information, see Removing
the Infill of a Cell in a Curtain Wall Unit.
New Infill: Create a new infill definition for the specified cells.

8 Specify the cells to use this cell assignment. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Cells Use a Cell Assignment.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Creating a Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall Unit

A nested grid is a grid within a grid. Each nested grid has its own division,
cell assignments, frame, and mullions.
For more information, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls.
To create a nested grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a nested grid.
5 Create a new cell assignment or select an existing one.
6 Select Nested Grid in the Element column.
A new grid is added to the list of grids in the tree view to the left of the
dialog box. If you are editing the primary grid, then the new grid is added
at the secondary level. If you are editing a grid at the secondary level, then
the additional grid is placed at the tertiary level.

NOTE To rename a grid select it, choose Rename from the shortcut menu,
and type a new name.
7 Specify the cells to contain this nested grid. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Cells Use a Cell Assignment.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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539

Filling a Curtain Wall Unit Cell with a Simple Panel

Simple panels are generally used to represent basic cladding materials in the
curtain wall unit, such as a stone wall panel or a concrete panel.
To assign a simple panel to a cell
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to assign a simple panel.
5 Create a new cell assignment and select an infill that defines a simple
panel.
If you do not have a simple panel infill defined, then select New Infill and
define one. For more information, see Creating a Panel Infill for a Curtain Wall Unit.
6 Specify the cells to contain this simple panel. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Cells Use a Cell Assignment.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing the Infill of a Cell in a Curtain Wall Unit

To remove the infill of a cell and leave the cell empty, use NONE as the element definition. Using NONE also removes any frame edges that border the
cell, but it does not affect the mullions.
To remove the infill of a cell
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid that contains the cells you want to assign to None.
5 Create a new cell assignment or select an existing assignment.
6 Select NONE under the Element column.
7 Specify the cells to contain the None infill. For more information, see
Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Cells Use a Cell Assignment.

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8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Cells Use a Cell

Assignment
When you create a cell assignment you need to specify the cells in the grid
to use that assignment. There are two options for selecting cells: Location
and Index.
Use Location to insert the infill into the start, middle, or end cells of a vertical
grid or into the bottom, middle, or top cells of a horizontal grid. If there is
an even number of cells (four or more), then Middle refers to the two cells in
the middle of the grid. If there is an odd number of cells (three or more), then
middle refers to one cell in the middle of the grid.
Use Index to insert the infill into specific cells based on cell numbers. Cells
are numbered from left to right or bottom to top. For example, typing 1, 3, 5
would place the infill in the first, third, and fifth cells.
To specify the cells to use a cell assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Create a new cell assignment or select an existing assignment.
6 Under the Type column, select Location or Index.
7 If you selected Location, click the Used In column, then click the button
at the far right of the row to display the Cell Location Assignment dialog
box. Select the cells you want to use this assignment, and then click OK.
If you selected Index, type the cell numbers separated by commas in the
Used In column. For vertical grids, cells are numbers start to end and for
horizontal grids, cells are number from bottom to top.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to a cell because the last definition
assigned to the cell is used.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
Any cells that are not assigned a specific cell assignment use the default
infill.

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541

Removing an Assignment from a Curtain Wall Unit Style

You can remove cell assignments, frame assignments, and mullion assigments. You cannot remove default assignments, but you can modify them to
suit your needs.

NOTE Each grid requires only one division assignment. Therefore you cannot
add or remove the division assignment.
To remove an assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid from which
you want to remove an assignment.
5 Select a cell assignment, frame assignment, or a mullion assignment.
6 Click the Remove Assignment icon.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames

The curtain wall unit frame is represented by the outer edges of the grid. Each
nested grid has its own frame that is defined separately from the primary grid
frame. By default, nested grid frames are turned off. For more information
about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain Walls.
A frame assignment defines the definition used by each frame edge. You can
use one frame assignment to assign the same definition to all four edges of
the frame, or you can create multiple frame assignments to assign different
definitions to different edges of the frame.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the frame edge because the last definition assigned to the edge is used.
There is a default frame assignment and you can select the frame edges it
applies to. Unassigned edges are not displayed. You can modify the default
assignment to use any frame definition, but you cannot delete the default
frame assignment.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frame edges unless you create a custom display compo-

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nent for each definition. You can then control the display of each frame definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Wall Units.

Adding a New Frame Assignment to a Curtain Wall Unit

To assign different definitions to different frame edges, you need multiple
frame assignments.
To add a new frame assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new frame assignment.
5 Click the New Frame Assignment icon.
A new frame assignment is displayed in the list of frame assignments.
6 Click New Frame Assignment and type a descriptive name for the assignment.
7 Select a frame definition from the Element column.

TIP You can create a frame definition by selecting New from the Element
list.
8 Specify the sides of the frame to use this frame assignment. For more information, see Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Edges Use a Frame
Assignment.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing a Frame Edge from a Curtain Wall Unit

There are three ways to remove a frame edge from a curtain wall unit:

Set the width and depth of the edge to zero.

Leave the edge unassigned.
Specify None as an override to the edge assignment.

The first two methods remove the frame edge and expand the adjacent infills
into the space occupied by the edge.

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By specifying None as an override, the frame edge is not displayed, but the
adjacent infill is not expanded into the space the edge occupied.
For information about setting the width and depth to zero, see Defining the
Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit by Width and Depth.
For information about leaving the edge unassigned, see Specifying Which
Curtain Wall Unit Edges Use a Frame Assignment.
For information about overriding the edge, see Overriding an Edge Assignment in a Curtain Wall Unit.

Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Edges Use a Frame

Assignment
When you create a frame assignment, you need to specify the edges of the
frame to use that assignment.
To specify the frame edges to use a frame assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Create a new frame assignment or select an existing assignment.
Location is the only way to specify the frames used in this assignment.
6 Click the Used In column, then click the button at the far right of the row
to display the Frame Location Assignment dialog box.
7 Select the edges that you want to use this assignment: Left, Right, Top, or
Bottom.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to the same frame edge because
the last definition assigned to the edge is used.
8 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.
Frame edges that are not assigned a frame definition are not displayed.

Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit

The mullions of a curtain wall unit are the edges between the grid cells. Each
nested grid has its own mullions that are defined separately from the primary

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grid. For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested
Grids in Curtain Walls.
A mullion assignment defines the definition used by each mullion. You can
use one assignment to define all mullions, or you can create multiple assignments and assign different definitions to different mullions.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the same mullion because the last definition assigned to the mullion is used.
There is a default mullion assignment used by all unassigned mullions. You
can modify the default assignment to be any mullion definition, but you
cannot delete the default mullion assignment.

Adding a New Mullion Assignment to a Curtain Wall Unit

To add a new mullion assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new mullion assignment.
5 Click the New Mullion Assignment icon.
A new mullion assignment is displayed in the list of mullion assignments.
6 Click New Mullion Assignment and type a descriptive name for the assignment.
7 Select a mullion definition from the Element column.

TIP You can create a mullion definition by selecting New from the Element
list.
8 Specify the mullions to use this assignment. For more information, see
Specifying Which Mullions in a Curtain Wall Unit Use an Assignment.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing Mullions from a Curtain Wall Unit

If you want to remove a mullion from the curtain wall unit, set the edge
width and depth to zero. Adjacent infill expands to fill in the space that was
occupied by the mullion. This is an effective way to represent butt glazing.

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To remove a mullion from a curtain wall unit

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to remove a mullion.
5 Create a new mullion assignment and type 0 (zero) as the width and
depth. For more information, see Defining the Mullions of a Curtain
Wall Unit by Width and Depth.
6 Specify the mullions to use the zero width definition. For more information, see Specifying Which Mullions in a Curtain Wall Unit Use an
Assignment.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Specifying Which Mullions in a Curtain Wall Unit Use an

Assignment
When you create a mullion assignment you need to specify the mullions in
the grid to use that assignment. There are two options for selecting
mullions: Location and Index.
Use Location to assign a definition to the start, middle, or end mullions of a
vertical grid or the bottom, middle, or top mullions of a horizontal grid. If
there is an even number of mullions (four or more), then Middle refers to the
two mullions in the middle of the grid. If there is an odd number of mullions
(three or more), then middle refers to one mullion in the middle of the grid.
Use Index to assign a definition to specific mullions based on mullion numbers. Mullions are numbered from left to right or bottom to top. For example,
typing 1, 2, 3 would assign the definition to the first, second, and third mullions.
To specify the mullions that use an assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Create a new mullion assignment or select an existing assignment.

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6 Under the Type column, select Location or Index.

7 If you selected Location, click the Used In column, then click the button
at the far right of the row to display the Mullion Location Assignment dialog box. Select the cells you want to use this assignment, and then click
OK.
If you selected Index, type the mullion numbers separated by commas in
the Used In column. For vertical grids, mullions are numbers start to end
and for horizontal grids, mullions are number from bottom to top.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to the same mullion because the
last definition assigned to the mullion is used.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
Any mullions that are not assigned a specific mullion assignment use the
default mullion definition.

Modifying the Display of Curtain Wall Units

The display of a curtain wall unit object depends on the direction from
which you view the curtain wall unit. In plan view, the curtain wall unit
object displays as parallel lines with vertices marking the grid lines, as an
architect would typically draw a curtain wall unit. In 3D view, the curtain
wall unit object displays as it would appear in the real world, with surfaces
showing length, thickness, and height. You control what you want to display
in each particular view.
By default, the display of all infills, frames, and mullions are controlled the
display properties of the default infill, default frame, and default mullions.
However, you can add individual element definitions as components with
separate display properties. For example, if you define two infills called stone
panel and glass panel, by default they are both controlled by the same default
infill display properties. However, you can add each definition as a new display component, and then control the display properties separately.
For more information about the display system, see Understanding the Display System on page 100.

Adding Curtain Wall Unit Element Definitions as Display

Components
Before you can control the display of curtain wall unit elements according to
the definition assigned to the element, you must create display components
for each element definition.

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547

To add a curtain wall unit element definition as new display component

1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select the curtain wall unit style that you want to change, and choose Edit
from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.

NOTE If you select the Custom Plan Component tab, the Custom Display
Component dialog box is similar, except that you do not specify the Z insertion point and Z offset for the custom graphic.
4 Click Edit Display Props.
5 Click the Custom Model Components tab, then click Add.
6 Select Infill, Frame or Mullion as the element type.
7 Select the specific element from the list.
8 Click OK.
9 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
The element definition that you added is displayed.
10 Click the Custom Model Components tab to continue adding element
definitions, or click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Modifying the Display of Curtain Wall Unit Elements

You can change the display properties of the elements for one curtain wall
unit or for a group of curtain wall units.
To set the display properties for the default curtain wall unit elements
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select the curtain wall unit style that you want to change, and choose Edit
from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
4 Optionally, select a different representation for the curtain wall unit style
from the list. The current viewport display is the default display representation. An asterisk (*) is displayed next to the default.
5 Do any of the following:

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Select the curtain wall unit style from the property source and click
Attach Override to change how the object is displayed in the current
viewport in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display for the representation of the curtain wall unit style. This includes the visibility, layer,
color, and linetype. To edit each property, click its field. These changes
are only for the curtain wall unit style.
Click Edit Display Properties, then the Hatching tab to set what hatch
is displayed in each display representation for the curtain wall unit
style. The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations, such as Plan. For more information, see Creating and Editing
Display Systems.

6 Click OK to set the display for the curtain wall unit style.

Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Curtain Wall Unit Element

To set the hatch pattern for a curtain wall unit element
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select the curtain wall unit style that you want to change, and choose Edit
from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
4 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Hatching tab is not displayed in the Model display representation.

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5 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Hatching tab to set the
hatch to be displayed in each display representation for the curtain wall
unit style.
6 Select a hatch to change in the Pattern list.
7 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, turn Double Hatch on or
off.

8 Click OK.
9 Click Scale/Spacing to change the value for the selected component.
10 Click Angle to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
11 Click Orientation to change from making the change global or for the
selected object.
12 When you finish changing the wall style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
13 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Curtain

Wall Unit
There may be instances where an infill, frame, or mullion requires a custom
2D or 3D graphic. For example, you might need a highly detailed threedimensional truss as the mullions or a decorative light fixture applied to an
infill. In cases like these, you can create a custom block, add a display component with the block attached, and associate that component with an element definition. When you assign that definition to an element, the block is
also displayed.
To create a custom curtain wall unit component
1 Draw your custom component and save it as a block.
2 Select a curtain wall unit and choose Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Display Props tab.
4 Click Edit Display Props.

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5 Click the Custom Model Component tab in the Entity Properties dialog
box.
6 Click Add.
7 Select Infill, Frame, or Mullion as the element type.
8 Specify the specific element from the list.
9 Select Draw Custom Graphics.
10 To display the block instead of the associated curtain wall unit element,
select Replace Graphics. If you want to superimposed the block over the
window assembly element so that both are displayed, then do not select
Replace Graphics.
11 Click Select Block and select the custom block that you created.
12 Click OK to return to the Custom Display Component dialog box.
13 To scale the Block to fit a particular dimension, select Width, Height, or
Depth. To prevent the block from losing its proportions, select Lock XY
Ratio.
14 If you want to mirror the block, determine if it should mirror in the X, Y,
or Z direction.
15 Specify how the block are inserted into the grid in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 If you want to offset the block from the grid, specify the offset in the X, Y,
or Z direction.
17 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Creating Cut Planes for a Curtain Wall Unit

To better visualize the elements of a curtain wall unit in plan view, you can
create cut planes.
To set the hatch pattern for a curtain wall unit element
1 Select a curtain wall unit and choose Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style from the
shortcut menu.
2 In the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
3 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Cut Plane tab is displayed only in some display representations,
such as Plan.

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4 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Cut plane tab to set the
cut plane to be displayed in each display representation for the curtain
wall unit style.
5 Type a height in the Cut plane Height text box to specify the cut plane
where hatching takes effect.
6 To add a cut plane, click Add.
If you add a cut plane at a height lower than the Cut plane Height, objects
are displayed using the properties specified for the Below component on
the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
If you add a cut plane at a height higher than the Cut plane Height,
objects are displayed using the properties specified for the Above component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit

Style
To attach notes and files to a curtain wall unit style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 With the curtain wall unit style type selected, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the curtain wall unit style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the curtain wall unit style, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

552

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
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8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data.
9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Managing Curtain Wall Unit Styles

When you import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The
Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about the Style Manager, see Getting Started with the
Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating a New Curtain Wall Unit Style

You can create a new curtain wall unit style. After you create the new curtain
wall unit style, you can edit the style properties of the curtain wall unit.
To create a new curtain wall unit style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 With the curtain wall unit style type selected, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new curtain wall unit style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new curtain wall unit style, select the
style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The curtain wall unit Style Properties dialog box is displayed. From this
dialog box, you can:

Define the elements within a curtain wall unit. For more information,
see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style.
Define the display properties. For more information, see Modifying
the Display of Curtain Wall Units.
Attach notes and reference files. For more information, see Attaching
Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit Style.

5 When you finish changing the curtain wall unit style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Creating a New Curtain Wall Unit Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new curtain wall unit style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new curtain wall unit style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Under Curtain Wall Unit Style, select an existing style to copy, and choose
Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select Paste from the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new curtain wall unit style, select the
style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box is displayed. From this
dialog box you can:

Define the elements within a curtain wall unit. For more information,
see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style.
Define the display properties. For more information, see Modifying
the Display of Curtain Wall Units.
Attach notes and reference files. For more information, see Attaching
Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit Style.

6 When you finish changing the curtain wall unit style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Curtain Wall Unit Style

You can delete curtain wall unit styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused curtain wall unit style, or all the curtain wall unit styles in your drawing.
To purge a curtain wall unit style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Do one of the following:

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To purge a single unused curtain wall unit style in your current drawing, select the style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Purge
from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused curtain wall unit styles in your current drawing, select the Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Curtain Wall Unit Styles

You can copy curtain wall unit styles from an existing drawing and use them
in your current drawing. You can manage all your object styles more efficiently by storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them
into new drawings.
To import a curtain wall unit style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the curtain wall unit style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Curtain Wall Unit Styles to display the curtain wall unit styles in the drawing.
5 Select the curtain wall unit style that you want to import, and drag it over
the name of the current drawing in the tree.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

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6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select Leave Existing, Overwrite

Existing, or Rename to Unique.

Leave Existing: To not replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style of the same name.
Overwrite Existing: To replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style.
Rename to Unique: To rename the new style so both styles exist in
the drawing. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Curtain Wall Unit Styles to a New Drawing

You can copy curtain wall unit styles from your current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export a curtain wall unit style to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the curtain wall unit style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing.
5 Drag the style over the name of the new drawing in the tree.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Curtain Wall Unit Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy curtain wall unit styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a curtain wall unit style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.

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2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the curtain wall unit style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing.
5 Drag the style over the name of the second drawing in the tree.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select Leave Existing, Overwrite
Existing, or Rename to Unique.

Leave Existing: To not replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style of the same name.

Overwrite Existing: To replace the existing style in the drawing with

the new style.
Rename to Unique: To rename the new style so both styles exist in
the drawing. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall

Unit
After youve created a curtain wall unit, you can modify the divisions, cells,
frames and mullions in one of three ways:

Override: This is the quickest and easiest way to assign a different

definition to a single cell or edge without affecting the Design Rules. For
example, if there is a cell with a simple panel infill and you want to insert
a door in that cell without affecting the other cells in the grid, then you
should use Override. The door infill must already be defined for the curtain wall unit style. For more information, see Overriding Cell and Edge
Assignments for Curtain Wall Units on page 558.

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557

Edit in Place: The best way to experiment with changing the components of a selected curtain wall unit without changing the curtain wall
unit style. You can create and modify element definitions and make new
assignments. When you have finished, you can update the style with your
changes, create a new style, discard your changes, or leave the changes to
the curtain wall unit. For more information, see Using Edit in Place with
Curtain Wall Units on page 562.
Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style: The easiest way to make specific
changes to all curtain wall units of a specific style. For example, if youve
defined a curtain wall unit style that alternates cell infills between windows and panels and you decide to use windows in all cells, then you can
edit the curtain wall unit style and change the cell assignment from the
panel infill to the window infill. For more information, see Modifying
Curtain Wall Unit Styles on page 570.

These modification methods are identical to the methods for curtain walls.
For more information, see Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall on
page 477 or Modifying Curtain Wall Unit Styles in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments for

Curtain Wall Units
Using the Override options, you can merge cells, assign a different definition
to a selected cell, frame, or mullion, and assign a profile to a frame edge or
mullion edge. The definition or profile must already exist before you can use
it as an override.

NOTE You cannot modify a definition using the Override method. For information about modifying definitions, see Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall
Units or Modifying Curtain Wall Unit Styles.
Overrides do not affect the Design Rules for the curtain wall unit style. However, you can transfer overrides to a curtain wall unit style if you want all curtain wall units of that style to have the same overrides.
You can view a list of overrides that are currently assigned to a curtain wall
unit from the Overrides tab of the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box.
For more information, see Removing Curtain Wall Unit Overrides.

NOTE Overrides are also listed on the Overrides tab in the Curtain Wall Unit
Style Properties dialog box.

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Turning on Cell Markers for a Curtain Wall Unit

Before you can select a cell to merge or override an assignment, you need to
turn on the cell markers. A cell marker is displayed in the center of each cell
and acts as a selection point for the cell. The cell marker changes depending
on the direction of the grid and the cell assignment.

Horizontal grids: The cell marker points upward to indicate that cells
are numbered from the bottom to the top.
Vertical grids: The cell marker points to the right to indicate that cells
are numbered from left to right.
Cells assigned a nested grid: The grid icon is used as the cell marker.
Cells assigned any type of infill The panel infill icon is used as the
cell marker.

When working with nested grids, each grid has its own set of cell markers.
And because the cell markers from different grid levels can overlap, you need
to specify the grid level you want the markers in. The primary grid is the first
level and any grids nested within the primary grid are second level grids.
Grids nested in the second level are third level grids, and so on. For more
information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Curtain
Walls.
To turn on cell markers
1 Select a curtain wall unit and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers and one of the following options:

TIP To change the size of the cell markers, click the Display Props tab on the
Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box. Click Edit Display Props, and
select the Custom Model Components tab. Type a new size for the cell markers.

Merging Two Cells in Curtain Wall Unit

You can merge cells to customize the grid as needed.
To merge cells
1 Select a curtain wall unit and choose Cell Markers the shortcut menu.
2 Select the grid level of the cells you want to merge. For more information,
see Turning on Cell Markers for a Curtain Wall Unit.
3 Select Overrides Merge Cells.
4 Select the first cell.

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5 Select the second cell.

Overriding a Cell Assignment in a Curtain Wall Unit

You can select a different infill definition for a selected cell by using a cell
assignment override.

NOTE If you want to assign a grid to a cell that currently has an infill, turn on
Edit in Place, and then use Modify Cell Assignment. For more information, see
Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall Units.
To override a cell assignment
1 Select a curtain wall unit and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers and select the grid level of the cell you want to edit.
For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Curtain Wall
Unit.
3 Select Overrides Override Cell Assignment.
4 Select a cell.
A list of infill definitions is displayed.
5 Type the number that corresponds to the infill you want or type none to
remove the infill and the cell edges.

Overriding an Edge Assignment in a Curtain Wall Unit

You can select a different element definition for a selected frame edge or mullion by using an edge assignment override.
To override an edge assignment
1 Select a curtain wall unit and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Overrides Override Edge Assignment.
3 Select a frame edge or a mullion.
If you selected a frame edge, a list of frame definitions is displayed.
If you selected a mullion, a list of mullion definitions is displayed.
4 Type the number that corresponds to the definition that you want, or type
none to remove the edge.

NOTE Removing the edge does not affect the width of the cell. To remove
the edge and have the adjacent cell resize, create an edge definition with a
width and depth of zero. For more information, see Defining the Frame of a

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Curtain Wall Unit by Width and Depth or Defining the Mullions of a Curtain
Wall Unit by Width and Depth.

Overriding an Edge Profile in a Curtain Wall Unit

You can assign a profile to any vertical edgeframe or mullion. The profile
can be an AEC profile or any closed polyline that you specify. You can use a
profile edge to create a unique corner in situations where a simple miter is
not sufficient.
To override an edge profile
1 Draw a closed polyline in plan view in the location where you want it to
display in the curtain wall unit.
2 Select a curtain wall unit and display the shortcut menu.
3 Select Overrides Override Edge Profile.
4 Select a vertical frame edge or a vertical mullion.
5 Select the closed polyline you just drew or press ENTER and select an AEC
profile from the list displayed.
6 If you selected the closed polyline, type a name for this profile.
7 If you selected an AEC profile, the profile insertion point is aligned with
the center of the edge that was overwritten.

NOTE Adjacent infills are not trimmed or expanded to accommodate the

new edge. To adjust the infill, change the width of the frame edge. For more
information, see Defining the Frame of a Curtain Wall Unit by Width and
Depth.

Changing a Curtain Wall Unit Style to Incorporate Overrides

By default, overrides do not affect curtain wall unit styles. However, there
might be circumstances when you want to apply your overrides to all curtain
wall units of the same style. Then, you can incorporate the overrides into the
curtain wall unit style.
You can view a list of overrides currently assigned to a curtain wall unit from
the Overrides tab of the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box. For more
information, see Removing Curtain Wall Unit Overrides.
To incorporate overrides into a curtain wall unit style
1 Select the curtain wall unit that has the overrides.

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561

2 Select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu. For more information about
Edit in Place, see Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall Units.
3 Select the curtain wall unit again, and from the shortcut menu, select Edit
in Place Save changes.
4 Select an existing style or create a new one.
5 Select the type of overrides that you want to transfer to the curtain wall
unit style.
6 Click OK.
To see a list of the overrides that are now assigned to the curtain wall unit
style, click the Overrides tab of the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box.

Removing Curtain Wall Unit Overrides

To remove an override from a curtain wall unit cell or edge
1 Select the curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.

NOTE To remove the override from all curtain wall units of the same style,
select Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style instead of Curtain Wall Unit Properties.
2 Click Overrides.
3 Select an override from the list and click Remove.
4 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall Units

Use the Edit in Place command to edit a curtain wall unit without modifying
all curtain wall units that share the same style. In this way, you can experiment with changes to a single curtain wall unit without constantly updating
the entire building with each design modification. When you find a design
that works, you can save the changes to the curtain wall unit style and update
all the curtain wall units of that style. You can also choose to discard your
changes or leave the curtain wall unit as is without updating the style. Until
you save or discard the changes, Edit in Place remains active for that curtain
wall unit.

NOTE Changes made with Edit in Place affect only the currently selected curtain wall unit. Although you can leave a curtain wall unit in Edit in Place and

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select a different curtain wall unit, changes you make to the second wall do not
affect the first curtain wall unit.
When you turn Edit in Place on, the following options are added to the shortcut menu:
In addition, a Design Rules tab is added to the Curtain Wall Unit Properties
dialog box. Ordinarily, the Design Rules tab is available only from the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box.

Turning on Edit in Place for a Curtain Wall Unit

To turn on Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.

Modifying Element Definitions in a Curtain Wall Unit Using

Edit in Place
While using Edit in Place, an Element Definitions menu is added to the curtain wall unit shortcut menu. From this menu, you can create and modify
division definitions, infill definitions, frame definitions, and mullion definitions by accessing the Design Rules tab of the Curtain Wall Unit Properties
dialog box.

NOTE The Design Rules tab is available only from the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box when Edit in Place is active.
To modify element definitions while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Select Element Definitions from the shortcut menu.
3 Select one of the following options:

Divisions. For more information, see Defining Divisions for Curtain

Wall Unit Grids.
Infills. For more information, see Defining Infills for Curtain Wall
Unit Cells.
Frames. For more information, see Defining Curtain Wall Unit
Frames.
Mullions. For more information, see Defining Curtain Wall Unit Mullions on page 532.

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563

Modifying Assignments in a Curtain Wall Unit Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, an Assignments menu is added to the curtain wall
unit shortcut menu. From this menu, you can create and remove cell, frame,
and mullion assignments. You can also modify assignments by selecting a
new element definition or changing the specific elements the definition is
assigned to.
You specify the assignment changes on the command line so that you can
easily select cells and edges from the drawing.

NOTE If you want to use the Design Rules tab to make these changes, instead
of the command line, then select Curtain Wall Unit Properties from the shortcut
menu.

Adding a Cell Assignment to a Curtain Wall Unit Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, you can create new cell assignments for any grid
in the curtain wall unit. When you create the assignment, you can use your
pointing device to select from the curtain wall unit the cells that you want
to use this assignment.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Unit Cells.
To add a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to add the assignment to. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Curtain
Wall Unit.
3 Select Assignments Add Cell Assignment from the curtain wall unit
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell marker to specify the grid you want to add the assignment to.
Each curtain wall unit grid has its own assignments.
5 Type one of the following:

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Index, and then type pick. Use your pointing device to select the cells
that you want to use this assignment, and then press ENTER.
Location, and specify whether the new assignment is to be used in the
start cell, middle cell, or end cell of the selected grid.

NOTE If you are adding an assignment to a vertical grid, you are prompted
to assign the grid to the bottom, middle, or top cells.
6 To insert a nested grid in the selected cells, type grid. Then, specify a vertical or horizontal division.
To insert an infill, type infill, and then type the number associated with
the infill definition that you want.

Removing a Cell Assignment from a Curtain Wall Unit Using

Edit in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can remove a cell assignment that you no
longer need. Any cells using that assignment uses the default cell assignment
instead.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Unit Cells.
To remove a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to remove the
assignment from. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for
a Curtain Wall Unit.
3 Select Assignments Remove Cell Assignment from the curtain wall unit
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell that has the assignment you want to remove.
The cell assignment is removed and all cells using that assignment are
assigned the default cell assignment instead.
If you selected a cell that was already using the default cell assignment, a
message is displayed indicating that you cannot remove the default
assignment. For information about modifying the default assignment, see
Defining Infills for Curtain Wall Unit Cells.

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565

Modifying a Cell Assignment in a Curtain Wall Unit Using Edit

in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can modify cell assignments for any grid in
the curtain wall unit. When you modify the assignment, you can use your
pointing device to select from the curtain wall unit the cells that you want
to use this assignment.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Curtain Wall Unit Cells.
To modify a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to add the assignment to. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Curtain
Wall Unit.
3 Select Assignments Modify Cell Assignment from the curtain wall unit
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell marker that has the assignment you want to modify.
5 To change the cells that are using this assignment, type used.
To specify the contents of the cell (infill or grid), type element.

NOTE If you select a cell that is using the default cell assignment, you are
not prompted to choose between Used In or Element. You cannot change the
cells to use the default assignment, because all unassigned cells use the
default cell assignment.
6 If you selected Used In, type

Index, and then type pick. Use your pointing device to select the cells
that you want to use this assignment.
Location, and specify whether the new assignment is used in the start
cell, middle cell, or end cell (for horizontal grids) or the bottom, middle, or top cell (for vertical grids).

If you selected Element, type

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Grid to change the assignment to include a nested grid and specify a

vertical or horizontal division.
Infill to change the assignment to include an infill, then type the number associated with the infill definition that you want.

Adding an Edge Assignment to a Curtain Wall Unit Using Edit

in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can create new assignments for frame edges or
mullion edges. When you create an assignment, you can use your pointing
device to select from the curtain wall unit the edges that you want to use this
assignment.
For more information about frame and mullion assignments, see Assigning
Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames and Assigning Definitions to the
Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.
To add an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Select Assignments Add Edge Assignment from the curtain wall unit
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge to specify the grid you want to add the assignment to. Each
curtain wall unit grid has its own assignments.
4 Type one of the following:

Index, and then type pick. Use your pointing device to select the mullions that you want to use this assignment, and then press ENTER.
Location, and then specify the edge to use the new assignment. If you
selected a frame edge in step 3, then you are prompted for left, right,
top, and bottom edges. If you selected a mullion, you are prompted for
start, middle, or end (for horizontal grids) or bottom, middle or top (for
vertical grids).

5 Type the number associated with the edge definition that you want.

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567

Removing an Edge Assignment from a Curtain Wall Unit Using

Edit in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can remove a frame edge or mullion edge
assignment that you no longer need. Any edges using the assignment you
remove uses the default cell assignment instead.
For more information about frame and mullion assignments, see Assigning
Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames and Assigning Definitions to the
Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.
To remove an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.
2 Select Assignments Remove Edge Assignment from the curtain wall unit
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge that has the assignment you want to remove.
The edge assignment is removed and all edges using that assignment are
assigned the default assignment instead.
If you selected an edge that was already using the default cell assignment,
a message is displayed indicating that you cannot remove the default
assignment. For information about modifying the default assignment, see
Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Frames and Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Curtain Wall Unit.

Modifying an Edge Assignment in a Curtain Wall Unit Using

Edit in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can modify frame edge and mullion edge
assignments for any grid in the curtain wall unit. When you modify the
assignment, you can use your pointing device to select from the curtain wall
unit the edges that you want to use this assignment.
For more information about edge assignments, see Assigning Definitions to
Curtain Wall Unit Frames and Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a
Curtain Wall Unit.
To modify an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a curtain wall unit.

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2 Select Assignments Modify Edge Assignment from the curtain wall unit
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge that has the assignment you want to modify.
4 To change the edges that are using this assignment, type used.
To change the definition of the edge, type element.

NOTE If you select a mullion that is using the default assignment, you are
not prompted to choose between Used In or Element. You cannot change the
mullions to use the default assignment, because all unassigned mullions use
the default assignment.
5 If you selected Used In, type

Index, and then type pick. Use your pointing device to select the edges
that you want to use this assignment.
Location and then specify whether the new assignment is used for the
left, right, top or bottom frame edge. (This option is not available for
mullion edges.)

If you selected Element, type the number associated with the edge definition that you want.

Saving Edit in Place Changes to a Curtain Wall Unit Style

After making changes with Edit in Place, you can save the changes to a curtain wall unit style and update all the curtain wall units of that style.
To save Edit in Place changes to a curtain wall unit style
1 Select the curtain wall unit.
2 Select Edit in Place Save changes from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the style that you want to incorporate the edits or create a new style.
4 Select any override to include that override in the style.

Transfer Merge Operations to Style

Transfer Cell Overrides to Style
Transfer Edge Overrides to Style
Transfer Edge Profile Overrides to Style

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569

An override option is unavailable when that type of override has not been
applied to the curtain wall unit. For more information about overrides, see
Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments for Curtain Wall Units on page
558.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box and save the changes.

Discarding Edit in Place Changes to a Curtain Wall Unit

After working with Edit in Place, if you decide that you want to restore the
original style settings, then you can discard your changes.
To discard the Edit in Place changes
1 Select the curtain wall unit.
2 Select Edit in Place Discard changes from the shortcut menu.

Modifying Curtain Wall Unit Styles

You can easily modify all curtain wall units of the same style by making
changes the style itself.

NOTE For information about modifying the components of a single curtain

wall unit see Using Edit in Place with Curtain Wall Units on page 562. For information about modifying the shape and size of a single curtain wall unit, see
Modifying Curtain Wall Units.
To modify a curtain wall unit style
1 From the Design menu, choose Curtain Wall Units Curtain Wall Unit
Styles, or from the Curtain Walls toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Curtain Wall Unit Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.

TIP You can also access the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box by
selecting a curtain wall unit of the style you want to edit, and choose Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style from the shortcut menu.
3 Do any of the following:

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Define new divisions, infills, frames, or mullions. For more information, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Unit Style
on page 519.

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Change an existing division, infill, frame or mullion definition. For

more information, see Modifying Existing Element Definitions for
Curtain Wall Unit Styles.
Assign different definitions to grids, cells, frames, or mullions. For
more information, see Assigning Definitions to Curtain Wall Unit Elements.
Remove overrides. For more information, see Removing Curtain Wall
Unit Overrides.
Change the layer, color, linetype, or visibility of curtain wall unit components. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Curtain
Wall Units.
Add custom components to a curtain wall unit. For more information,
see Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Curtain
Wall Unit.
Attach notes and reference files to the curtain wall unit style. Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit Style.

4 Click OK to exit the dialog box when you have completed the changes.

Modifying Existing Element Definitions for Curtain Wall Unit

Styles
You can modify element definitions using the Design Rules tab of the Curtain Wall Unit Style Properties dialog box. There are two ways you can access
these definitions: from the assignments list and from the definitions list.

From the assignments list: Select a grid from the tree view to display
the assignments list. Then, select an element assignment that uses that
definition. Make your changes below the assignment list.
From the definitions list: Select an element type from the tree view
to display all definitions for that element type. Select a definition and
make your changes below the definitions list.

Any changes you make, including changes to the definition name, overwrite
the existing definition. To create a new definition from the assignments list,
select New from the Element list. To create a new definition from the definitions list, click the New Division icon, the New Infill icon, the New Frame
icon, or the New Mullion icon.

Modifying Curtain Wall Units

From the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box, you can select a different
style for selected curtain wall units, change dimensions, remove overrides, or

Modifying Curtain Wall Units

571

attach notes and reference files. You can also change the location of a freestanding curtain wall unit or modify how the curtain wall unit is anchored
to another object.

NOTE For information about changing the components within a curtain wall
unit, see Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall Unit on page 557. For information about changing the display of the curtain wall unit, see Modifying the
Display of Curtain Wall Unit Elements on page 548.

Select a New Style for a Curtain Wall Unit

To select a new style for a curtain wall unit
1 Select the curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 Click Style.
3 Choose a new style from the list.
4 Click OK.

Changing the Dimensions of a Curtain Wall Unit

You can change the dimensions of a curtain wall unit.
To change the curtain wall unit dimension properties
1 Select a curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 Click Dimensions.

3 Change any of the following dimensions:

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Height: The distance from the bottom to the top of the curtain wall
unit.
Width: The distance from the start to the end of the curtain wall unit.
Start Miter Angle: The angle of all infills and horizontal edges
(frame or mullion) at the start of the curtain wall unit.
End Miter Angle: The angle of all infills and horizontal edges (frame
or mullion) at the end of the curtain wall unit.
For more information about miter angles, see Setting a Miter Angle for
a Curtain Wall Unit Adjacent to Another Object on page 573.

4 Click OK to click the dialog box.

Setting a Miter Angle for a Curtain Wall Unit

Adjacent to Another Object
If you want to create a mitered corner between a curtain wall unit and
another object such as a standard wall or a mass element, then you must set
the miter angle manually. For example, if your curtain wall unit connects
with a standard wall that is at 60-degree angle from the curtain wall unit,
then you would set the miter angle to 30.

NOTE The miter angle is applied to all infills and horizontal edges that are
adjacent to the corner. Vertical edges are not affected.
To set the miter angle of a curtain wall unit
1 Select the curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 Click Dimensions.
3 To miter the curtain wall unit at its start point, type an angle for Start
Miter Angle. To miter the curtain wall unit at its end point, type an angle
for End Miter Angle.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a curtain wall unit, select the curtain wall unit and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near the center of the curtain wall unit and points toward the end of
the curtain wall unit.
4 Click OK.

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573

Removing Curtain Wall Unit Overrides

To remove an override from a curtain wall unit cell or edge
1 Select the curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.

NOTE To remove the override from all curtain wall units of the same style,
select Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style instead.
2 Click Overrides.
3 Select an override from the list and click Remove.
4 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Curtain Wall Unit

To attach notes and files to curtain wall units
1 Select the curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 Click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the curtain wall unit, type it in the Description
field.
4 To add a note to the curtain wall unit, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

7 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

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Changing the Location of a Freestanding Curtain

Wall Unit
You can relocate a freestanding curtain wall unit by using the MOVE command or, for more precision, by changing the coordinate values of its insertion point. The curtain wall unit also has an orientation with respect to the
world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS).
For example, if the top and bottom of the curtain wall unit are parallel to the
XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation
of the curtain wall unit by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also
rotate the curtain wall unit on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For more information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates andCoordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

NOTE For information about changing the location of a curtain wall unit that
is anchored to a curtain wall, see Specifying Which Curtain Wall Unit Cells Use
a Cell Assignment on page 541.
To change the location properties of a curtain wall unit
1 Select the curtain wall unit and choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
3 Do any of the following:

To relocate the curtain wall unit, change the coordinate values under
Insertion Point.
To reorient the curtain wall unit, change the axis to where the normal
is parallel. To locate the curtain wall unit on the XY plane, make the
normal of the wall parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the curtain wall unit
on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes.
To locate the curtain wall unit on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and
type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the curtain wall unit, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

4 Click OK.

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575

Modifying the Position of Anchored Curtain Wall

Units
When you use a curtain wall unit as an infill for a curtain wall or a window
assembly, the curtain wall unit is anchored to the other object. While
anchored, the curtain wall unit moves when you move the curtain wall and
it is erased when you erase the curtain wall.
You can change the orientation, alignment, or offset of the curtain wall unit
without affecting the anchor.

NOTE For information about releasing the curtain wall unit anchor so that it
moves and erases independently from the curtain wall, see Releasing an Object
Anchored in a Curtain Wall on page 511.

Changing the Orientation of an Anchored Curtain Wall Unit

To change the orientation of an anchored curtain wall unit
1 Select the curtain wall unit from the curtain wall or window assembly, and
choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE The Anchor tab is available only if the curtain wall unit is anchored
to a curtain wall or window assembly.
3 On the Anchor tab, do any of the following:

Click Flip X to flip the object in the X direction.

Click Flip Y to flip the object in the Y direction.
Click Flip Z to flip the object in the Z direction.

4 Click OK.

Changing the Alignment of an Anchored Curtain Wall Unit

To change the alignment of an anchored curtain wall unit
1 Select a curtain wall unit from a curtain wall or window assembly, and
choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

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NOTE The Anchor tab is available only when the Curtain Wall Unit is
anchored to a curtain wall or window assembly.
3 On the Anchor tab, select Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition.
Because alignment is part of the infill definition, you need to specify this
change as an acceptable variation from the definition.
4 Choose a new alignment for the object. For more information, see Specifying an Alignment for an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit on page 526.
5 Click OK.

Changing the Offset of an Anchored Curtain Wall Unit

To change the offset of an anchored curtain wall unit
1 Select a curtain wall unit from a curtain wall or window assembly, and
choose Curtain Wall Unit Properties from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Curtain Wall Unit Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE The Anchor tab is available only when the Curtain Wall Unit is
anchored to a curtain wall or window assembly.
3 On the Anchor tab, select Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition.
Because alignment is part of the infill definition, you need to specify this
change as an acceptable variation from the definition.
4 Specify a new offset for the object. For more information, see Specifying
an Offset for an Infill of a Curtain Wall Unit on page 527.
5 Click OK.

Curtain Walls Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Curtain Wall...

CurtainWallAdd

Modify Curtain Wall...

CurtainWallModify

Right-click (with curtain wall

selected)

Curtain Wall Modify...

Modifying Curtain Wall Units

577

Menu Command

Command Line

Convert Wall to
Curtain Wall

CurtainWallConvertWall

Convert Linework to
Curtain Wall

CurtainWallConvert

Convert Layout Grid to

Curtain Wall

CurtainWallConvertGrid

Reference Curtain Wall

CurtainWallReference

Curtain Wall Styles...

CurtainWallStyle

Add Curtain Wall Unit...

CwUnitAdd

Convert Linework to
Curtain Wall Unit

CwUnitConvert

Convert Layout Grid to

Curtain Wall Unit

CwUnitConvertGrid

Curtain Wall Unit Styles...

CwUnitStyle

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Right-click (with curtain wall

selected)

GridAssemblyCopyFromStyle

Edit in Place

GridAssemblyMakeStyleBased

Edit in Place Discard changes...

GridAssemblySaveChanges

Edit in Place Save changes...

GridAssemblySetEditDepthOff

Cell Markers Off

GridAssemblySetEditDepthAll

Cell Markers All Visible

GridAssemblySetEditDepth1

Cell Markers 1st Grid

GridAssemblySetEditDepth2

Cell Markers 2nd Grid

GridAssemblySetEditDepth3

Cell Markers 3rd Grid

GridAssemblySetEditDepth

Cell Markers Other

GridAssemblyMergeCells

Overrides Merge Cells

GridAssemblyAddCellOverride

Overrides Override Cell

Assignment

Curtain Walls

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with curtain wall

selected)

GridAssemblyAddEdgeOverride

Overrides Override Edge

Assignment

GridAssemblyAddProfileOverride

Overrides Override Edge Profile

GridAssemblyEditDivisions

Element Definitions Divisions...

GridAssemblyEditInfill

Element Definitions Infill...

GridAssemblyEditBoundaryEdge

Element Definitions Frames...

GridAssemblyEditInteriorEdges

Element Definitions Mullions...

GridAssemblyAddCellSpecifier

Assignments Add Cell

Assignment

GridAssemblyRemoveCellSpecifier

Assignments Remove Cell

Assignment

GridAssemblyModifyCellSpecifier

Assignments Modify Cell

Assignment

GridAssemblyAddEdgeSpecifier

Assignments Add Edge

Assignment

GridAssemblyRemoveEdgeSpecifier

Assignments Remove Edge

Assignment

GridAssemblyModifyEdgeSpecifier

Assignments Modify Edge

Assignment

CurtainWallReverse

Tools Reverse

RoofLine

Tools Roof Line

FloorLine

Tools Floor Line

GridAssemblyInterference

Tools Interference

GridAssemblySetMiterAngles

Tools Set Miter Angles

CurtainWallStyleEdit

Edit Curtain Wall Style...

CurtainWallProps

Curtain Wall Properties...

Right-click (with curtain wall unit
selected)

Modifying Curtain Wall Units

579

Menu Command

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Chapter 15

Command Line

Right-click (with curtain wall

selected)

CwUnitStyleEdit

Edit Curtain Wall Unit Style...

CwUnitProps

Curtain Wall Unit Properties...

Curtain Walls

Slabs

16

A slab is intended to provide a means of drawing a floor

In this chapter

or other objects that would require a flat surface and

Creating slabs

edge conditions.

Modifying slabs
Creating slab styles
Changing slab styles

581

Creating Slabs
A slab is a three dimensional body, bounded by a planer polygon (perimeter),
of any shape, and with any number of edges. Each slab is defined by its
perimeter, edge conditions, and style.
You can specify slope (pitch) of the slab either as an angle or as a rise-to-run
ratio. If you change the slope, the slab rotates around its pivot point. The
pivot point is initially the first vertex of the baseline, but you can move it to
any other point, either on or off the slab.
The slab insertion point is also, by default, the first point on the baseline. You
can offset the baseline, however, either horizontally or vertically from the
insertion point, to allow for precise alignment with walls or structural
elements.
The perimeter of the slab is a planer polygon defined by the X,Y,Z coordinates of its vertices. The slab can have three or more vertices, with the ability
to add or remove vertices. Each pair of vertices defines an edge.
The body of the slab is an extrusion perpendicular to the plane of the perimeter. The thickness of this extrusion is specified either in the slab style, when
it has a fixed thickness, or for each slab instance. The position of the slab bottom, relative to its perimeter plane, is controlled by the thickness offset value
in the slab style design rules. The imaginary line passing through the slab at
the perimeter line (in section) is called the slope line.
The following illustrations shows a four-sided slab.

Creating a slab

Each slab edge is defined by its orientation (plumb or square), angle (relative
to the orientation), edge style (fascia and soffit), and overhang (which
defines the point at which the fascia begins).

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The orientation, edge angle, and overhang are attributes of the slab instance,
but can be set as defaults in the slab edge style. The fascia and soffit parameters can be set only in the edge style.

Creating a Slab
When a slab is created, the first selected point determines the insertion point
of the slab. This point also locates the default pivot point of the slab. The
pivot point is represented on the slab by a small pyramid-shaped marker. The
second point picked determines the end point of the slab baseline. Subsequent points picked establish the vertices of the slab perimeter. The baseline
is always the first edge of the slab perimeter.
To create a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Add Slab.
2 In the Add Slab dialog box, from the Style list, select an existing style.
3 From the Mode list, select Projected or Direct.
Projected: The X,Y coordinates of the first point are projected to a Z
value of the current base height. This establishes the insertion point. The
second point establishes the baseline. All subsequent points, if any, are
projected to a plane established by the baseline and the specified slope
angle. This mode is provided for architects who wish to layout a slab by
tracing over a plan drawing.
Direct: The points specified become the vertices of the slab perimeter.
4 In the Thickness box, type the thickness for the slab.
5 In the Base Height box, type the height of the slab insertion point. This is
available only when you select Projected mode.
6 In the Overhang box, type the depth for the overhang.
7 In the Justify box, select the justification for the slab, Top, Center, Bottom,
or Slopeline.

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the slab object. The Justify option is intended primarily for Direct mode.
Top: Aligns the top of the added slab with the first selected point.
Center: Aligns the center of the added slab with the first selected point.
Bottom: Aligns the bottom of the added slab with the first selected
point.

Creating Slabs

583

Slopeline: Aligns the slopeline of the added slab with the first selected
point. The slopeline is defined as the position of the slab baseline relative
to its bottom face. This is set by the thickness offset in the Slab Style
Design Rules dialog box.
8 Set the slope for the slab by typing it in the Rise, Run, or Angle boxes.
When you change one value and click another box, the other fields adjust
accordingly. This is available only when you select Projected mode.
9 Click one of the direction buttons, to set how the slab is drawn relative to
the baseline.

NOTE You can use direction options only when you select two points. If
you select three or more points, the Direction buttons are shaded.
10 After the parameters for the slab have been set, click in your drawing, then
select a point for the beginning of the slab.
11 Select a second point for the first edge (baseline) of the slab.
12 You can select further points to define the slab, or you can click Ortho
Close to finish the slab.
Ortho Close: While drawing a slab, Ortho Close uses the first line and
the selected direction, and draws a square slab based on the current settings in the Add Slab dialog box.
13 After you have specified three or more points, you can click Polyline Close
to connect the last point of the slab to the first point, or you can click
Ortho Close to square off the last edge with the first.
14 Click OK.

Creating Slabs Based on Walls

You can create a rectangular slab from an existing wall. The slab is created
with the baseline edge of the slab situated at the base height of the wall. You
can specify all slab properties during the conversion or after creation.

TIP This command is useful when you want a specific alignment between the
slab baseline and the wall baseline.
To create a slab from a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Convert to Slabs.
2 Select an existing wall, and press ENTER.

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3 Type y (Yes) to erase the wall, or n (No) to leave the wall in the drawing.
4 Specify the justification for the slab, Top, Center, Bottom, or Slopeline.

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the slab object.
Top: Aligns the top of the slab with the wall base height.
Center: Aligns the center of the slab with the wall base height.
Bottom: Aligns the bottom of the slab with the wall base height.
Slopeline: Aligns the slopeline of the slab with the wall base height. The
slopeline is defined as the position of the slab baseline relative to its bottom face. This is set by the thickness offset in the Changing the Slab Style
Design Rules Properties dialog box.
5 Type where you want the baseline edge of the slab to align to in relation
to the wall width. This can be the left, center, or right of the wall or on the
baseline of the wall.
Left: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the left side of the wall, based on
the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Center: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the center of the wall.
Right: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the right side of the wall, based
on the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Baseline: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the baseline of the wall.
6 Type the slope direction, either left or right. This is based on the direction
the wall was drawn.
7 In the Slab Properties dialog box, you can edit the style properties and
dimension properties. See Changing the Slab Style or Applying a New Slab
Style and Changing the Slab Dimensions for more information. Click OK
after you have added and changed the necessary information.

Creating a Slab Based on Multiple Walls

You can create a flat slab that follows the outline of multiple walls. The slab
is created with the baseline edge of the slab at the top of the first selected
wall.

NOTE A flat slab is created only when you specify a zero slope. If you select
multiple walls and a non-zero slope, multiple slabs are created.

Creating Slabs

585

When you select multiple walls that do not form a closed shape, you can use
Polyline Close to form the slab. If the closed polyline intersects one of the
selected walls, then the slab is invalid and you must select the walls again.
You can specify all slab properties during the conversion or after creation.
To create a flat slab from a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Convert to Slabs.
2 Select the walls to form the slab, and press ENTER.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the walls, or n (No) to leave the walls in the drawing.
4 Specify the justification for the slab, Top, Center, Bottom, or Slopeline.

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the slab object.
Top: Aligns the top of the slab with the wall base height.
Center: Aligns the center of the slab with the wall base height.
Bottom: Aligns the bottom of the slab with the wall base height.
Slopeline: Aligns the slopeline of the slab with the wall base height. The
slopeline is defined as the position of the slab baseline relative to its bottom face. This is set by the thickness offset in the Slab Style Design Rules
dialog box. See Changing the Slab Style Design Rules Properties for more
information.
5 Type where you want the baseline edge of the slab to align to in relation
to the wall width. This can be the left, center, or right of the wall or on the
baseline of the wall.
Left: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the left side of the wall, based on
the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Center: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the center of the wall.
Right: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the right side of the wall, based
on the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Baseline: Aligns the slab baseline edge to the baseline of the wall.
6 Type the slope direction, either left or right. This is based on the direction
the wall was drawn.

NOTE The slope direction is only used for non-zero slopes. If you create a
flat slab, the slope direction is ignored.

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7 In the Slab Properties dialog box, you can edit the style properties and
dimension properties. See Changing the Slab Style or Applying a New Slab
Style and Changing the Slab Dimensions for more information. Click OK
after you have added and changed the necessary information.

Creating a Slab from a Polyline

You can create a single slab from a closed polyline. The first line drawn in the
polyline becomes the baseline edge of the slab. You can specify all slab properties during the conversion or after creation.
This command is useful to create a complex slab shape, especially with
curved edges.

NOTE The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the

FACETDEV variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on
curved AEC objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.
To create a slab from a closed polyline
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Convert to Slabs.
2 Select an existing closed polyline, and press ENTER.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the polylines, or n (No) to leave the polylines in the
drawing.
4 Type the creation type for the slab, Direct or Projected.
Direct: The polyline vertices become the vertices of the slab perimeter.
Projected: When you select Projected, there is an additional prompt for
the base height of the slab. The X,Y coordinates of the first polyline vertex
are projected to a Z value of the base height. This establishes the insertion
point. The offset values determine the start point of the baseline.

Creating Slabs

587

5 If you select Projected as the creation mode, type the base height for the
slab.
6 Specify the justification for the slab, Top, Center, Bottom, or Slopeline.
Top: Aligns the slab top with the polyline (or base height, if using projected mode.)
Center: Aligns the slab center with the polyline (or base height, if using
projected mode.)
Bottom: Aligns the slab bottom with the polyline (or base height, if
using projected mode.)
Slopeline: Aligns the slab slopeline with the polyline (or base height, if
using projected mode.)

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the slab object.

Converting a polyline to a slab

7 In the Slab Properties dialog box, you can edit the style properties and
dimension properties. See Changing the Slab Style or Applying a New Slab
Style and Changing the Slab Dimensions for more information. Click OK
after you have added and changed the necessary information.

NOTE If you have specified the Direct mode, then the slope value is
ignored.

Modifying a Slab
To modify a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Modify Slab.

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2 Select an existing slab, and press ENTER.

3 In the Modify Slab dialog box, you can select a new style from the Style
list.
4 In the Thickness field, change the thickness of the slab.
5 Change the slope for the slab by typing the values in the Rise, Run, or
Angle boxes.
When you change one value and click another field, the other fields adjust
accordingly.
6 You can click Set Pivot Point, and specify another location for the pivot
point. This becomes the new rotation point for subsequent changes in
slope.

NOTE If you have set one of the slab Hold Elevation constraints in the Slab
Dimensions Properties dialog box, the pivot point is ignored.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Editing Slabs
Through the slab tools, you can trim, extend, miter and cut slabs into the
shape you need. You can use other editing functions, such as adding a vertex
to the slab, adding a hole, or adding objects to the slab. You can also edit each
slab edge individually.

NOTE To select the slab, pick near one of the slab edges.

Editing a Slab Edge

You can edit each individual edge of a slab, including the overhang, edge
style, edge orientation, and the angle for the edge.
A viewer is also included in this dialog box, to show you which edge of the
selected slab is currently being edited.
To change the slab edges
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Edit Slab Edges.
2 Select the edges of one slab, and press ENTER.

Editing Slabs

589

3 Select edges to edit from the list. The edge is highlighted in the viewer.

TIP You can select multiple edges by using SHIFT or CTRL.

4 In the Overhang column, you can change the overhang for the edge.
5 In the Edge Style column, you can assign or change the style for the
selected edge. The angle is relative to the orientation.
6 In the Orientation column, you can set the orientation to square or
plumb.
7 In the Angle column, you can set the angle for the selected edge. To reset
selected edges to their style defaults, right-click on the edge number. If
Reset to Style Defaults is shaded on the shortcut menu, the edge is set to
its defaults or it has no assigned edge style.
8 After you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Trimming a Slab
You can trim a slab with any polyline, wall, or slab which defines a cutting
plane through the slab. The cutting object does not actually have to intersect
the slab, as long as it provides an intersection in the current user coordinate
system (UCS).
Any fascia and/or soffit profile which intersects the trim line is trimmed at
the same angle as the slab.
If the trimming object is a 3D body, such as a wall or slab, the trim plane is
at the closest surface. The new slab edge at the trim line has its edge angle
defined by the trimming plane.
It is not possible to trim an overhang only. The trim line must intersect the
slab perimeter line at some point.
To trim a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Trim Slab.
2 Select an object to trim the slab with. The object can be a wall, another
slab, or a polyline.
3 Select the slab to trim.
4 Specify the side of the slab to be trimmed.

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Trimming a slab to a wall

Extending a Slab
You can extend a slab to another slab or to a wall.
The target object does not have to actually intersect the plane of the slab, as
long as it projects an intersection in the current user coordinate system
(UCS).
Because multiple edges may have to be moved in an extend operation, you
are prompted to select the adjacent edges to lengthen, rather than the
specific edges to move. These selected edges retain their current vector
(angle) and are stretched until they intersect the plane of the target object.
If multiple edges exist between the selected edges, they are joined to form a
single edge. The new edge is set to the angle of the target surface.

Editing Slabs

591

Any fascia and/or soffit profile on the adjacent edges are extended to the
target surface and trimmed to its angle.
To extend a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Extend Slab.
2 Select the wall or slab to extend to.
3 Select the slab to be extended.
4 Select the first edge to lengthen.
5 Select the second edge to lengthen.

Extending a slab to a wall

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Mitering Slabs by Intersection

Mitering is an operation which can only be performed on two slabs of the
same type. The two slabs must intersect at some point for this command to
work correctly.
When a miter by intersection is performed, both slabs are trimmed along the
intersection of their perimeter lines. Vertices are added or removed as
required. The new edges of the slabs are set to angles required for a true miter
cut. If the slab thicknesses are different, the angles are different.

NOTE If the two edges do not intersect, use Miter by Edges.

To miter slabs by intersection
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Miter Slab.
2 Type i (Intersection) to miter at the intersection of the two slabs.
3 Select the first slab at the side of that slab to keep. The opposite side of the
selection is trimmed.
4 Select the second slab at the side of that slab to keep. The opposite side of
the selection is trimmed.

Mitering Slabs Using Edges

You can perform mitering only on two slabs of the same type. Only one edge
of each slab is mitered.
The Miter by Edges command provides more control than Miter by Intersection, because you can specify particular edges to miter. You can miter edges
of overlapping slabs without trimming the entire slab. To accomplish this,
however, it may be necessary to insert additional vertices.

TIP If you need to miter multiple edges on a slab, stretch them to overlap the
other slab and use Miter by Intersection.
To miter slabs by intersection
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Miter Slab.
2 Type e (Edges) to miter selected edges of the slabs.
3 Select one edge on the first slab to miter.
4 Select one edge on the second slab to miter.

Editing Slabs

593

Cutting a Slab
You can cut a slab into two or more slabs using any 3D object or polyline. If
you use a 3D body such as a wall, slab, mass element, or closed polyline, the
slab is broken along the intersection lines of the surfaces.
The slab is cut only when the 3D body or closed polyline actually intersects
the perimeter line of the slab. If you use an open polyline, the slab is cut
along the projection to the slab surface.
In either case, when the intersection line crosses the slab multiple times,
multiple slabs are created. If the intersection line has multiple edges, multiple edges are added to the new slabs.

NOTE The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the

FACETDEV variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on
curved AEC objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.
To cut a slab
1 Draw the object or polyline that you want to use to cut the slab.
2 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Cut Slab.
3 Select the slab.
4 Select the objects to cut the slab.
5 Type n (No) to keep the layout geometry, or type y (Yes) to erase the geometry.

Adding a Vertex to a Slab

You can add a vertex to a slab edge, creating two slab edges from one edge.

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TIP To place a new vertex at a precise intersection point, use ENT or APP object
snaps.
To add a vertex to a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Add Slab Vertex.
2 Select an existing slab.
3 Specify a point for the new vertex.
The new vertex is added to the nearest slab edge, perpendicular to the
selected point. If there is no point perpendicular to the slab, no vertex is
added.

NOTE To see the new vertex, select the slab after running this command.
A new grip point is displayed where you selected a new vertex.

Deleting a Vertex from a Slab

You can delete existing vertices from slabs. After deleting a vertex, the adjacent two vertices connect in a straight line.
To delete a vertex to a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Remove Slab Vertex.
2 Select an existing slab.
3 Select a vertex to remove it from the slab.

Adding Holes to a Slab

You can add a hole to an existing slab by using a polyline or 3D object. The
hole is created by adding new vertices and edges to the slab. These new vertices and edges can be edited like any other vertex or edge.
Holes generated by a closed polyline are projected from the polyline to the
slab, using the current user coordinate system (UCS).
You can also generate holes by selecting one or more objects, such as mass
elements or walls, which define a 3D body. The selected objects must intersect the slab without any projection. If the objects contain an interior void,
you are prompted to use the inside or outside surfaces to create the hole. For
example, if you create a chimney using four wall objects, you can cut the hole
at the inside or outside of the chimney. The new hole faces are aligned with

Editing Slabs

595

the surfaces of the cutting bodies, and are not necessarily parallel to each
other.

NOTE The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the

FACETDEV variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on
curved AEC objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.
To add a hole to a slab
1 Draw a closed polyline in the shape and location for the hole, or add an
object in the location for the hole.
2 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Slab Hole.
3 Type a (Add) to add the hole to the slab.
4 Select the slab.
5 Select the closed polyline or 3D objects, and press ENTER.
6 Type n (No) to keep the layout geometry, or type y (Yes) to erase the
geometry.
7 If you select 3D bodies, you are prompted to create the hole at the inside
or outside surfaces of the cutting objects. This prompt is displayed even if
the bodies do not contain an inner void, in which case, the Inside option
does not create a hole.

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Adding a hole to a slab

NOTE If you create a hole that is either outside or overlapping the slab
baseline or perimeter line at a slab overhang, then the body of the slab is cut
but the fascia and soffit remain. In this case, it is better to use the Cut Slab
command.

Removing Holes from a Slab

You remove existing holes from a slab.
To remove a hole to a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Slab Hole.
2 Type r (Remove) to remove the hole to the slab.
3 Select any edge of the hole in the slab.

Removing a hole from a slab

Editing Slabs

597

Adding Objects to a Slab (Boolean)

Slabs often require additional 3D geometry, such as rib joists, curbs, and cornice returns, that cannot be defined by the perimeter, style, or edge profiles.
The Boolean Add command fuses 3D geometry of selected objects with the
slab, so that a section cut through the slab is displayed as a single outline. The
added objects are not affected and are usually placed on a frozen layer.
If the added bodies are moved or changed, the slab updates accordingly.
To add objects to a slab
1 Create the objects to add to the slab in the current position.
2 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Boolean Add/Subtract.
3 Select the slab.
4 Select the objects to add to the slab, and press ENTER.
5 Type a (Add) to add the objects to the slab.

Adding an object to a slab

Subtracting Objects from a Slab (Boolean)

Slabs often require subtraction of 3D geometry which cannot be defined by
the perimeter, style, or edge profiles.
The Boolean Subtract command carves out the body of the slab using the
geometry of the selected objects, such that a section cut through the slab produces a single outline. The subtracted objects are not affected and are usually
placed on a frozen layer.
If the subtracted bodies are moved or changed, the slab updates accordingly.

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To subtract objects from a slab

1 Create the objects to subtract from the slab in the current position.
2 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Boolean Add/Subtract.
3 Select the slab.
4 Select the objects to subtract from the slab, and press ENTER.
5 Type s (Subtract) to subtract the objects shape from the slab.

Removing Objects from a Slab (Boolean)

You can remove Boolean geometry from slabs.
To remove boolean objects from a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slab Tools Boolean Add/Subtract.
2 Select the slab.
3 Select the objects to remove from the slab, and press ENTER.
4 Type r (Remove) to remove the objects from the slab.

Grip Editing Slabs

Grip editing slabs is slightly different from grip editing other objects. When
you select and grip edit the midpoint of a slab edge, moving the grip point
maintains the plane and the angles of the adjacent sides of the slab.
To mimic standard midpoint grip editing behavior, highlight the two corner
points of the edge pressing SHIFT, then drag those grip points.
Press CTRL while selecting the midpoint grip, then drag the edge to create
new slab edges. This behavior is similar to Space Boundaries.
Normal grip editing of slabs maintains the slope angle of the slab regardless
of the Z value of the selected point. To rotate the slab about its pivot point,
and change the slope, hold down CTRL + ALT while stretching a grip.

NOTE If you have set the Hold Fascia Elevation, When Changing Slope constraint, the pivot point is ignored during grip stretching with CTRL + ALT.

NOTE The pivot point is unaffected by grip editing of the slab edges.

Editing Slabs

599

Object Snap (Osnap) Behavior for Slabs

Pivot Point
Use the Node object snap to snap to the pivot point.

Baseline
Use the Node object snap to snap to the vertex points of the slab baseline.

Snap
Use the Insertion object snap to snap to the insertion point of the slab.
Use the Endpoint object snap to snap to the vertices of the slab edges.
Use the Midpoint object snap to snap to the midpoints of the slab edge lines.

Slab Properties
You can change the style, dimensions, edge properties and location of the
slab.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Slab

To attach notes and files to a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Modify Slab.
2 Select the slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Slab Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the slab, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the slab, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

600

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document

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dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Slab Style or Applying a New Slab

Style
You can change the style of a selected slab. Select the current style of the
selected slab, and then select a different style from the list to apply it to the
selected slab.
To change the slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Modify Slab.
2 Select the slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Slab dialog box, click

4 Click the Style tab.

5 Select the new style from the alphabetical list of styles.
6 Click OK to exit.

NOTE If you select more than one slab that have different styles, *VARIES* is
added to and is selected in the Slab Style dialog box. If you select a new slab
style, all selected styles are assigned that style.

Changing the Slab Dimensions

You can control the dimensions of the slab including the thickness, vertical
and horizontal offset, the slope, the fascia dimension constraints, and the
pivot point location.
To set the slab dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Modify Slab.
2 Select the slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Slab Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

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5 In the Thickness box, you can type a new thickness for the slab.
6 In the Vertical Offset box, you can type a new vertical distance offset from
the insertion point.
7 In the Horizontal Offset box, you can type a new horizontal distance offset from the insertion point.
8 In the Slope section, you can change the slope for the slab by typing the
values in the Rise, Run, or Angle boxes. After you change one value and
click another box, the other fields adjust accordingly.
9 By selecting Hold Fascia Elevation, When Changing Slope, you can constrain the fascia to align with other slab fascias even if the style is changed.
The two options can adjust the overhang or baseline height of the slab.
The constraints also apply to grip editing.

NOTE This constraint applies only to the baseline edge, and it works only
when the baseline is horizontal.
10 In the Pivot Point section, you can change the X, Y, and Z values of the
current pivot point location. The Pivot Point can be set graphically in the
Modify dialog box.
11 After you finish the changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

NOTE You can set values back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style
Defaults on the Style tab.

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Changing the Slab Edge Properties

You can edit each individual edge of a slab, including the overhang, edge
style, edge orientation, and the angle for the edge.
A viewer is also included in this dialog box, to show you which edge of the
selected slab is currently being edited.
To change the slab edges
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Modify Slab.
2 Select the slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Slab Properties dialog box, click the Edges tab.

5 Select the edge to edit from the list. Notice that the edge is highlighted in
the viewer. You can select multiple edges by using SHIFT or CTRL.
6 In the Overhang column, you can change the overhang for the edge.
7 In the Edge Style column, you can assign or change the style for the
selected edge.
8 In the Orientation column, you can set the orientation to Square or Plumb
cut.
9 In the Angle column, you can set the angle for the selected edge relative
to the orientation.

NOTE If you right-click the edge number, you can reset the selected edges
to their style defaults from the shortcut menu. If the option name is shaded,
the edges match the defaults.
10 After you finish the changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Location of the Slab

You can relocate an existing slab by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The slab also has an orientation with respect to the world
coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS).
For information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Modify Slab.

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2 Select the slab, and press ENTER.

3 In the Modify Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Slab Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the slab, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the slab, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To change the rotation of the slab, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the slab without leaving the Slab Modify dialog box.
7 After you finish the changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Working with Slab Styles

When you create, copy, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The Style
Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting Started with
the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating New Slab Styles

You can create a new slab style, or you can copy and edit an existing slab
style.

Creating a New Slab Style

You can create a new slab style. After you create the new slab style, you can
edit the style properties of the slab style.
To create a new slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 After you select the slab style type, right-click, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.

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3 Type a name for the new slab style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new slab style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Slab Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the default values, and change the display properties of the
new style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Slab Style Properties on page 609.
5 After you finish changing the slab style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Slab Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new slab style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new slab style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Slab style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select it and right-click. Choose Rename from the
shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new slab style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Slab Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the default values, and change the display properties of the
new style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Slab Style Properties on page 609.
6 After you finish changing the slab style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Purging a Slab Style

You can delete slab styles that are not being used in the current drawing. You
can delete a single unused slab style, or all slab styles in your drawing.
To purge a slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused slab style in the current drawing, select the
style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all unused slab styles in the current drawing, select the slab
style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Slab Style

You can copy slab styles from an existing drawing and use them in the current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by storing
them in a single drawing or template and copying them to new drawings.
To import a slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under the

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slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to the current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered out to display only the slab style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Slab Styles to display the slab styles in the
drawing.
5 Select the slab style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names is displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Slab Style to a New Drawing

You can copy slab styles from the current drawing to a new drawing.
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered out to display only the slab style type.

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4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Slab Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy slab styles from the current drawing to another drawing.
To export a slab style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the slab style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names is displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Changing Slab Style Properties

You can add notes and files to the slab styles, set the size defaults, design
rules, and display properties for slab styles.

Adding Notes and Files to Slab Styles

To add a description or note to a slab style, or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab style type is selected in the current drawing and all
other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the slab style type, select the slab style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Styles dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the slab style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the slab style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 After you finish changing the slab style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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609

Changing the Slab Style Default Properties

When you create a new slab style, the initial defaults used are taken from
these defaults.
To change the slab styles default parameters
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab style type is selected in the current drawing, and all
other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the slab style type, select the slab style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Styles dialog box, click the Defaults tab.

4 In the Thickness box, type the default thickness for the slab.
5 In the Vertical Offset box, type the default vertical distance for the offset.
6 In the Horizontal Offset box, type the default horizontal distance for the
offset.
7 In the Slope section, you can set the default slope for the slab by typing
the values in the Rise, Run, or Angle boxes. When you change one value
and click another box, the other fields adjust accordingly.
8 Select whether to automatically assign an edge style to the baseline edge
of the slab. If this is turned on, select the style from the list.
9 Select whether to automatically assign an edge style to the perimeter edges
of the slab, which are all edges but the baseline edge. If this is turned on,
select the style from the list.
10 Click New Edge Style to create a new edge style. See Creating New Slab
Edge Styles for more information.

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11 After you finish changing the slab style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Slab Style Design Rules Properties

You can choose whether the slab style has a fixed thickness, and you can
choose the thickness and the thickness offset.
To change the slab style component properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab style type is selected in the current drawing, and all
other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the slab style type, select the slab style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
4 Select whether to assign a fixed thickness to the slab style. If the slab has
fixed thickness, the Thickness box become editable.
5 In the Thickness Offset box, type a value for the offset. Use a negative
value to drop the slab bottom below the baseline.
6 After you finish changing the slab style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Slab Style Display Properties

To set the slab style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab style type is selected in the current drawing, and all
other style types are filtered out in the tree view
2 Under the slab style type, select the slab style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Styles dialog box, click the Display Props tab.

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611

4 From the list at the top of the dialog box, select the display representation
The display representation set in the current viewport is marked with an
asterisk (*).
5 Do any of the following:

Select the slab style from the property source and click Attach Override
to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in the
drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display of the slab style in
the display representation that you selected.
Click Edit Display Properties, and select the Hatching tab to change
hatch pattern display for the slab style in the display representation
that you selected.
Click Edit Display Properties, and select the Other tab to change the cut
plane height for the slab style in the display representation that you
selected.

6 After you finish changing the slab style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Slab Edges
The slab edge style defines the appearance of the slab edges. Each style consists of two components, a fascia and a soffit. Both components are optional.
The fascia component follows the orientation of the slab edge, plumb, or
square cut. The soffit component, however, is always oriented to the
horizontal. Either component can have a positive or negative angle, relative
to its base orientation.

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The +/- directions for the edge component angles remains the same regardless of their orientation in the X,Y plane. They always follow the slab slope,
so that, for example, a +30 soffit and a +30 slab would be parallel to each
other. Similarly, a +10 (plumb cut) fascia and a -10 soffit would meet at a
right angle. Mirroring a slab maintains the same angle signs for all
components.
Fascia
The fascia is defined by an AEC Profile, with its insertion point located at the
top of the slab edge. The local Y axis of the profile polyline aligns with the
slab edge angle. The fascia profile is drawn at actual size, except when you
select Auto-Adjust. If the slab edge is sloped relative to the ground plane, the
length is measured parallel to that slope, not plumb with the ground.
When you select Auto-Adjust to Edge Height, the fascia profile is scaled about
its insertion point so that its lowest Y axis point aligns with the bottom of
the slab edge.
Soffit
The soffit is defined by an AEC Profile, with the its insertion point positioned
at the X & Y offsets from the fascia insertion point.

NOTE These offsets are measured relative to the slab edge angle, not the
world UCS.
The soffit profile is drawn at actual size, except when you select Auto-Adjust.
The soffit angle is measured about its insertion point, using the local X axis
of the AEC profile.
When you select Auto-Adjust to Overhang Depth, the soffit profile is scaled
about the insertion point, so that the furthest X axis point aligns with a
plumb line from the slab baseline or perimeter line. Auto-Adjust scaling is
adjusted by the horizontal offset from the slab baseline dimension.

Slab Edge Styles

When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

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613

Creating New Slab Edge Styles

You can create a new slab edge style, or you can copy and edit an existing slab
edge style.

Creating a New Slab Edge Style

You can create a new slab edge style.
To create a new slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 After you select the slab edge style type, right-click, and choose New from
the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new slab edge style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new slab edge style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Slab Edge Style dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the style,
change the default values, and change the design rules of the new style.
For more information about changing each style property, see Changing
Slab Edge Style Properties on page 618.
5 After you finish changing the slab edge style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Slab Edge Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new slab edge style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new slab edge style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the slab edge style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.

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A copy of the existing style is created.

4 To rename the style, select the style and right-click. Choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new slab edge style, select the style and
right-click. Choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Slab Edge Style dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the style,
change the default values, and change the design rules of the new style.
For more information about changing each style property, see Changing
Slab Edge Style Properties on page 618.
6 After you finish changing the slab edge style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Slab Edge Style

You can delete slab edge styles that are not being used in the current drawing.
You can delete a single unused slab edge style or all slab edge styles in your
drawing.
To purge a slab edge style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused Slab Edge style in the current drawing, select
the style under the style type and right-click. Choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all unused slab edge styles in the current drawing, select the
slab edge style type and right-click. Choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Slab Edge Style

You can copy slab edge styles from an existing drawing and use them in the
current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by stor-

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615

ing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new drawings.
To import a slab edge style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to the current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view and is filtered out
to display only the slab edge style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Slab Edge Styles to display the slab edge
styles in the drawing.
5 Select the slab edge style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Slab Edge Style to a New Drawing

You can copy slab edge styles from the current drawing to a new drawing.
To export a slab edge style to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.

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The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view that is filtered out
to display only the slab edge style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Slab Edge Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy slab edge styles from the current drawing to another drawing.
To export a slab edge style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered out to display
only the slab edge style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

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617

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Slab Edge Style Properties

You can set a slab edge style, which can be applied to edges of slabs. You can
set the overhang length, orientation, and angle off of the orientation as well
as adding a a fascia and soffit for each edge style.

Adding Notes and Files to Slab Edge Styles

To add a note or a file to a slab edge style
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The slab edge style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under Slab Edge Style type, select the slab edge style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Edge Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the slab edge style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the slab edge style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

618

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.

Chapter 16

Slabs

To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 After you finish changing the slab edge style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Slab Edge Style Default Properties

You can set the default overhang depth, orientation, and edge angle for slab
edges using this edge style.
To change the slab edge styles default parameters
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
2 Under the slab edge style type, select the slab edge style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Edge Style Properties dialog box, click the Defaults tab.

4 In the Overhang box, specify the depth of the edge overhang.

5 In the Orientation box, select either Square or Plumb cut.

Square: The edge is cut square (90 degrees) with the plane of the slab.
Plumb: The edge is cut plumb (perpendicular) to the ground

6 In the Angle box, set an angle relative to the selected orientation. A positive value moves the bottom of the edge out and a negative value moves
the bottom of the edge in.
7 After you finish changing the slab edge style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.

Slab Edge Styles

619

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Slab Edge Style Design Rules Properties

You can attach different soffits, and a fascias for each edge style.
To change the slab edge style component properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Slabs Slab Edge Styles.
2 Under the slab edge style type, select the slab edge style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Slab Edge Style Properties dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
4 Select whether to assign a fascia to the edge style.
5 If there is fascia in this edge style, select an AEC profile for the fascia.

NOTE If you select *NONE*, display component settings are displayed for
the slab edge line or plane where the fascia is located.
6 In the Auto-Adjust to Edge Height box, select whether the fascia automatically scales to fit the height of the edge.
7 Select whether to assign a soffit to the edge style. If you select *NONE*, display component settings are displayed for the slab edge line or plane
where the soffit is located.
8 If there is soffit in this edge style, select an AEC profile for the soffit.
9 In the Auto-Adjust to Overhang Depth box, select whether the soffit automatically scales to fit the depth of the overhang.
10 In the Angle box, you can set the soffit angle, with zero being horizontal.
A positive angle slopes the soffit up from the insertion point and a negative value slopes the soffit down.
11 In the Horizontal Offset from Slab Baseline box, you can set how close the
soffit is to the slab baseline or perimeter line when you select Auto-Adjust.
12 In the Y Direction box, you can set a soffit offset in the local Y direction
from the fascias insertion point.
13 In the X Direction box, you can set a soffit offset in the local X direction
from the fascias insertion point.
14 After you finish changing the slab edge style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
15 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Slabs

Slabs Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click

Slabs
Add Slab...

SlabAdd

Modify Slab...

SlabModify

Convert to Slabs...

SlabConvert

Edit Slab Edges...

SlabEdgeEdit

Slab Styles...

SlabStyle

Slab Edge Styles...

SlabEdgeStyle

Slab Modify...

Slab Style...

SlabEdgeStyleEdit

Edit Slab Edge Style...

SlabEdgeEdit

Edit Edges...

SlabProperties

Edit Slab Properties...

Trim Slab

SlabTrim

Tools Trim

Extend Slab

SlabExtend

Tools Extend

Miter Slab

SlabMiter

Tools Miter

Cut Slab

SlabCut

Tools Cut

Add Slab Vertex

SlabAddVertex

Tools Add Vertex

Remove Slab Vertex

SlabRemoveVertex

Tools Remove Vertex

Slab Hole

SlabHole

Tools Add Hole

SlabRemoveHole

Tools Remove Hole

SlabBoolean

Tools then Boolean

Slab Tools

Boolean Add/
Subtract

Slab Edge Styles

621

622

Chapter 16

Slabs

Openings

17

You can create openings in walls to represent an

In this chapter

opening of any size at any elevation. The opening is an

Creating openings

AEC object and interacts with walls and space

boundaries.

Changing openings
Repositioning openings
Changing opening properties

623

Creating Openings
You can create openings in walls to represent an opening of any size at any
elevation. The opening is an AEC object and interacts with walls and space
boundaries.

Creating an Opening in a Wall

To create an opening in a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Add Opening.
2 In the Add Opening dialog box, select the opening style from the Predefined Shape or Custom Shape list.

624

Predefined Shape: Sets the opening to one of the following

shapes: rectangular, round, half-round, quarter-round, oval, arch,
trapezoid, gothic, right triangle, peak pentagon, octagon, hexagon, and
isosceles triangle.

Chapter 17

Openings

Default openings

Custom Shape: Sets the opening to a custom shape. To create custom

opening shapes, use the Profiles Definitions command from the Desktop menu. For more information, see Creating a Profile from a Polyline in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

3 To specify the opening size and placement in the wall, do any of the
following:

Change the size if necessary in Width and Height.

Change the rise value for the selected style if applicable.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value.
Automatic Offset/Center: For insertion of the opening, Automatic
Offset/Center sets the distance between the edge of the opening and
the end of the wall segment or centers the door on the wall segment if
you place your cursor somewhere near the center of the wall segment.

Change the Vertical Alignment if necessary.

Creating Openings

625

For insertion of the opening, Vertical Alignment controls how you

place the opening in the wall and how the opening responds to modifications in height. The Sill Height/Head Height option allows you to
determine the working point on the opening. You can place the working point at the sill or at the head. The Vertical Alignment value determines the location of the working point vertically in the wall.
Modifications to the opening height respects the working point. For
example, if you set the working point of the opening to sill, the vertical
alignment to 0'' and the opening height to 7'0'', the height in the wall
where the top of the opening is placed is 70''. If you modify the height
of the opening to 6'8'', the opening sill remains at 0'' and the top of
the opening becomes 68''. The sill working point is maintained.
If you set the working point to the opening head, the Vertical Alignment
value to 7'0'' and the opening height to 7'0'', the height in the wall
where the top of the opening is placed is 70''. If you modify the height of
this opening to 6'8'', the opening head remains at 7'0'' and the opening
sill becomes 4''. The head working point is maintained.
4 Select a wall.
5 Specify an insertion point along the wall.
The opening is constrained within the wall. The only valid insertion point
is in the wall.
6 Continue to place openings by selecting opening styles and specifying
insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating an Opening in a Space Boundary

To create an opening in a space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Add Opening.
2 In the Add Opening dialog box, select the opening style from the Predefined Shape or Custom Shape list.

Custom Shape: Sets the opening to a custom shape. To create custom

opening shapes, use the Profiles Definitions command from the Desktop menu. For more information, see Creating a Profile from a Polyline in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

NOTE To create custom opening shapes, use the Define AEC Profiles command from the Desktop menu. For more information, see Creating a Profile
from a Polyline on page 1657.

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3 To specify the opening size and placement in the space boundary, do any
of the following:

Change the size if necessary in Width and Height.

Change the rise value for the selected style if necessary.
Select Automatic Offset/Center and type the necessary value. For more
information about Automatic Offset/Center, see Creating an Opening
in a Wall in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Select Vertical Alignment, and type the necessary value. For more information about Vertical Alignment, see Creating an Opening in a Wall
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

4 Select a space boundary.

5 Specify an insertion point in the space boundary.
The opening is constrained within the space boundary. The only valid
insertion point is in the space boundary.
6 Continue to place openings by selecting opening styles and specifying
insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Freestanding Opening

To create a freestanding opening
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Add Opening.
2 Press ENTER to select a freestanding opening.
3 Select Predefined Shape or Custom Shape. For more information about
these shapes, see Creating an Opening in a Wall in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

NOTE To create custom opening shapes, use the Define AEC Profiles command from the Desktop menu. For more information, see Creating a Profile
from a Polyline on page 1657.
4 To specify the opening size and placement, do any of the following:

Change the size, if necessary, in Width and Height.

Change the rise value for the selected style, if necessary.
Select Automatic Offset/Center and type the necessary value. For more
information about Automatic Offset/Center, see Creating an Opening
in a Wall in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Select Vertical Alignment, and type the necessary value. For more information about Vertical Alignment, see Creating an Opening in a Wall
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating Openings

627

5 Specify an insertion point.

6 Specify a rotation angle for the opening.
7 Continue to place openings by selecting opening styles and specifying
insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Changing an Existing Opening

To change an existing opening
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the openings to change, and then press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, change the shape of the opening in the
Predefined Shape or Custom Shape box. For more information about these
shapes, see Creating an Opening in a Wall in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
4 Change the size in the Width, Height, and Rise boxes if necessary.
5 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected openings and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the openings, or click OK to accept
the changes and exit the dialog box.

Repositioning an Opening
You can change the location of an opening along the wall or space boundary.
To reposition the opening along a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Reposition Along Wall.
2 Select the opening to move.
3 Do one of the following:

Specify a point near the wall or space boundary to move the opening
to.
Set an offset from the end of the wall or space boundary by typing
o (Offset) and then a value. Select the wall or space boundary near its
end, and the opening is moved that offset distance from the end of the
wall or space boundary.
Type i (Ignore) and set whether the opening placement ignores existing openings in the wall or not. Type y (Yes) to ignore openings near
the corners when repositioning the selected opening.

4 Continue to reposition openings by selecting openings and specifying

insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

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Chapter 17

Openings

Changing Opening Properties

The change to a property affects only the selected opening objects. When
you create additional openings later, they are created with the original
defaults and do not reflect any current changes made to existing openings.

Attaching Notes and Files to an Opening

To attach notes and files to an opening
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the opening, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the opening, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you
must exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing Opening Properties

629

Changing Opening Dimension Properties

You can change the type of opening and the size of that opening by changing
its dimension properties.
To change opening dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening you want to change and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

5 On the Dimensions tab, select the type of opening from the Predefined or
Custom list.
6 Change the width, height, or rise for the opening and click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the properties for the selected opening and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the opening, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Changing the Position of an Opening Along a

Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of an opening along a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding opening.

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Chapter 17

Openings

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point for the anchor along the X
axis from the start point, midpoint, or endpoint of the wall or space
boundary.
6 Type the distance from the reference point. Use a negative number to
measure in the reverse direction, that is, from endpoint to start point.
7 Select the start edge, center, or end edge of the opening. Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected opening and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the opening, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Changing the Position of an Opening Vertically in

a Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of an opening vertically in a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding opening.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point for the anchor along the Z
axis from the bottom, center, or top of the wall or space boundary.
6 Type the distance from the reference point. Use a negative number to
measure in the reverse direction, that is, from endpoint to start point.
7 Select the bottom, center, or top of the opening. Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected opening and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the opening, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Changing the Position of an Opening Within a

Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of an opening within a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

Changing Opening Properties

631

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding opening.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point for the anchor along the Y
axis from the right, left, or center of the wall or space boundary.
6 Type the distance from the reference point. Use a negative number to
measure in the reverse direction, that is, from endpoint to start point.
7 Select the front, center, or back of the opening and click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the properties for the selected opening and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the opening, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Changing the Orientation of an Opening to a

Wall or Space Boundary
To change the orientation of an opening to a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding opening.

5 On the Anchor tab, do any of the following:

Change the openings rotation angle.

Click Flip X to flip the opening in the X direction.
Click Flip Y to flip the opening in the Y direction.
Click Flip Z to flip the opening in the Z direction.

6 Click Apply to change the properties for the selected opening and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the opening, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Changing an Opening Endcap Properties

You can change the type of endcap used at each side of an opening. An endcap is a user-definable condition for the edges of an opening.

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To change the endcap properties of an opening

1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Endcaps tab.

5 On the Endcaps tab, select starting and ending endcap styles. For more
information about endcap styles, see Creating and Editing Endcap
Styles in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the properties for the selected opening and remain
in the dialog box to continue modifying the opening, or click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Changing an Opening Location Properties

You can relocate an existing opening by changing the coordinate values of
its insertion point. The opening also has an orientation with respect to the
world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example,
if the top and bottom of the opening are parallel to the XY plane, its normal
is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the opening by
aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate the opening on its
plane by changing the rotation angle.
To change the location properties of an opening
1 From the Design menu, choose Openings Modify Opening.
2 Select the opening and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Opening dialog box, click

4 In the Opening Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

NOTE This tab is only available for a free-standing opening.

5 On the Location tab, do any of the following:

Changing Opening Properties

633

To relocate the opening, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the opening, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the opening on the XY plane, make the normal of the
opening parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and
type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the opening on the YZ plane,
type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the opening on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z
boxes.
To change the rotation of the opening, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the opening object while remaining in the Opening Properties dialog
box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing an Opening Entity Display

In addition to changing the display of openings, you can create custom
openings using the display representation system. You can produce openings
that display well in 3D.

Changing the Display of Openings

To change the display representation of an opening
1 Select the opening.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the opening. For more information, see Changing the Display Properties
of an Object in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
5 Click Edit Display Props and change any of the following values for the
opening component: visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype
scale, and plot style.
6 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

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Chapter 17

Openings

Adding Components to the Display of Openings

You can add custom blocks to the display representations of doors, windows,
and openings. The custom blocks can add components (like door hardware
and muntins) to the display or to replace the standard Architectural Desktop
display; for example, you can replace a simple door leaf with a customized
six-panel door leaf.
When you add a custom block, you can set several rules for positioning and
scaling the new component. Each custom block also appears in the display
properties component list so that you can control its layer, color, and linetype. Be sure that the objects used to create your custom blocks are created
with their properties set to ByBlock. Otherwise, they cannot be controlled
through the display properties interface. For more information, see Understanding the Display System in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.
Custom blocks are added and controlled entirely through the openings
display properties. You should understand the display representation system
before you create and modify the custom block parameters. After you create
custom blocks, you can set them on individual styles so that you dont need
to change the way they work each time you place a opening. With the use of
custom blocks, each door and window style library can then provide a much
richer and flexible set of door and window graphics.
To add components to an opening display
1 Create a block to represent the component to add to the opening. Create
the block in the same plane as the opening you are going to attach it to.
2 Select the opening.
3 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
5 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk (*)
next to it.
6 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the opening. For more information, see Changing the Display Properties
of an Object in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
9 Click Add to add a block to the opening.
10 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.

Changing an Opening Entity Display

635

11 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.
12 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none is selected, the block comes
in at its created size.
Width: Sets the component to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the component to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Height: Sets the component to the height of the object it is attached to.
Lock XY Ratio: Locks the XY shape of the object, so that if it is scaled
in one direction to fit another criteria in the Scale to Fit section, the whole
component is scaled equally.
13 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction.
Mirror Z creates a mirror of the component in the Z direction.
14 Specify the location of the insertion point in the opening.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.
You can place the Z insertion point at the top, center, or bottom of the
object.
15 Specify the insertion offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

NOTE The component types available are based on the display set that you
chose in step 5.
17 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Editing Components in an Opening Display

If you have added components to the display of openings, you can edit the
display of openings the same way you added components to them.
To edit components in an opening display
1 Select the opening to edit.

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Chapter 17

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2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.

3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the current representation from the list. The component is displayed only in this representation set. The current representation has an
asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the opening. For more information, see Changing the Display Properties
of an Object in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
8 Click Edit to edit the display of the opening.
9 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
10 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.

NOTE For more information about the options in the Select a Block dialog
box, see Adding Components to the Display of Openings in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none is selected, the block comes
in at its created size.
12 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
13 Specify the location of the insertion point in the opening.
14 Specify the offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.

NOTE The component types available are based on the display set that you
chose in step 4.
15 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Removing Components from an Opening Display

If you have added components to a display of an opening, you can remove
one or more of those components.
To remove components from an opening display
1 Select the opening to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.

Changing an Opening Entity Display

637

4 Select the current representation from the list. The component is displayed only in this representation set. The current representation has an
asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the opening. For more information, see Changing the Display Properties
of an Object in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list and click Remove.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Turning Off the Display of Opening Components

You can turn off the display of components without actually removing them
from the object.
To turn off the display of components in the opening display
1 Select the opening to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select Model from the display representation list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the opening.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list and click Disable Custom Blocks.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Openings Command List

638

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Opening...

OpeningAdd...

Modify Opening...

OpeningModify...

Chapter 17

Openings

Right-click (with opening

selected)

Opening Modify...

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with opening

selected)

Reposition Along
Wall

RepositionAlong

Reposition Along Wall

OpeningAddSelected

Add Selected...

OpeningProps

Opening Properties...

OpeningLabelAdd

Insert Opening Label...

Changing an Opening Entity Display

639

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Chapter 17

Openings

Doors

18

Doors created with Autodesk Architectural Desktop are

In this chapter

AEC objects that interact with walls and space bound-

Creating doors

aries. After a door is placed in a wall or space boundary,

the door is constrained to the object and cannot move
outside it. Doors can also be anchored to specific loca-

Editing doors
Using door styles
Changing door styles
Changing door style properties

tions in walls or space boundaries, so that when the wall

or space boundary moves or changes size, the location
of the door in that object stays constant.

641

Creating Doors
Doors created with Autodesk Architectural Desktop are AEC objects that
interact with walls and space boundaries. After a door is placed in a wall or
space boundary, the door is constrained to the object and cannot move
outside it. Doors can also be anchored to specific locations in walls or space
boundaries, so that when the wall or space boundary moves or changes size,
the location of the door in that object stays constant.
You can create door objects in walls or space boundaries or as freestanding
doors.

Default door styles

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Creating a Door in a Wall

You can change any value in the Add Doors dialog box while creating doors,
so you can place one type of door in one wall and then select a different door
style and place a door of that style in a different wall.
To create a door in a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Add Door.
2 In the Add Doors dialog box, select the door style from the Style list.
3 To specify the door size and vertical placement in the wall, do any of the
following:

Select a standard size from the Size list.

Change the width and height to a custom size if necessary.
Change the rise and leaf value for the selected style if necessary.
Change the opening percentage of the door if necessary.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value.
Automatic Offset/Center: For insertion of the door, Automatic
Offset/Center sets the distance between the edge of the opening and
the end of the wall segment or centers the door on the wall segment if
you place your cursor somewhere near the center of the wall segment.

Change the Opening percent for the door.

Change the Vertical Alignment if necessary.
Vertical Alignment: For insertion of the door, Vertical Alignment
controls how you place the door in the wall and how the door responds
to modifications in height. The Sill Height/Head Height option allows
you to determine the working point on the door. You can place the
working point at the sill or at the head. The Vertical Alignment value
determines the location of the working point vertically in the wall.
Modifications to the door height respect the working point. For
example, if you set the working point of the door to sill, the vertical
alignment to 0'' and the door height to 7'0'', the height in the wall
where the top of the door is placed is 70''. If you modify the height of
the door to 6'8'', the door sill remains at 0'' and the top of the door
becomes 68''. The sill working point is maintained.

If you set the working point to the door head, the Vertical Alignment
value to 7'0'' and the door height to 7'0'', the height in the wall where
the top of the door is placed is 70''. If you modify the height of this door
to 6'8'', the door head remains at 7'0'' and the door sill becomes 4''. The
head working point is maintained.

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4 Select a wall.
5 Specify an insertion point along the wall.
The door is constrained within the wall. The only valid insertion point is
in the wall.
6 Continue to place doors by selecting door styles and specifying insertion
points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a door in a wall

Creating a Door in a Space Boundary

You can change any value in the Add Doors dialog box while creating doors,
so you can place one type of door in one space boundary and then select a
different door style and place that door in a different space boundary.
To create a door in a space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Add Door.
2 In the Add Doors dialog box, select the door style from the Style list.
3 To specify the door size and placement in the space boundary, do any of
the following:

Select a standard size from the Size list.

Change the width and height to a custom size if necessary.
Change the rise and leaf value for the selected style if applicable.
Change the opening percentage of the door if necessary.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value. For more
information about Automatic Offset/Center, see Creating a Door in a
Wall in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Change the Opening percent for the door.
Select Vertical Alignment, and type the necessary value. For more information about Vertical Alignment, see Creating a Door in a Wall in
the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

4 Select a space boundary.

5 Specify an insertion point in the space boundary.

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The door is constrained within the space boundary. The only valid insertion point is in the space boundary.
6 Continue to place doors by selecting door styles and specifying insertion
points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Freestanding Door

You can create a door independent of a wall or space boundary.
To create a freestanding door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Add Door.
2 Press ENTER to specify a freestanding door.
3 In the Add Doors dialog box, select the door style.
4 Specify the door size.
5 Do any of the following:

Change the width and height of the door, if necessary. For more information, see Changing the Door Width and Changing the Door
Height in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Change the rise and leaf value for the selected style, if applicable. For
more information, see Changing the Door Rise and Changing the
Door Leaf in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Change the Opening percent for the door.
Select Vertical Alignment, and type the necessary value. For more
information, see Creating a Door in a Wall in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

6 Specify an insertion point.

7 Specify a rotation angle for the door.
8 Continue to place doors by specifying insertion points, or press ENTER to
end the command.

Editing Doors
You can change any characteristic of an existing door after it has been
created.

Changing the Style of an Existing Door

You can select a different style for an existing door or group of doors.

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To change the style of doors

1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select one or more doors to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, select a different style from the Style list.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected doors and remain in the
dialog box to continue modifying the doors, or click OK to accept the
changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Size

To change the size of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, select a different size from the Size list.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected door and remain in the
Modify Doors dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to
accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Width

To change the width of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, type a new width for the door.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected door and remain in the
Modify Doors dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to
accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Height

To change the height of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, type a new height for the door.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected door and remain in the
Modify Doors dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to
accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

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Changing the Door Rise

To change the rise of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, type a new rise for the door.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected door and remain in the
Modify Doors dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to
accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Leaf

To change the leaf of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, type a new leaf for the door.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected door and remain in the
Modify Doors dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to
accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Opening Percentage

To change the opening percentage of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door to be modified and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, type an opening percentage for the door
swing angle.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected door and remain in the
Modify Doors dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to
accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Moving a Door Along a Wall

You can set a door a specific distance from a corner or move a door to a
specific location along a wall or space boundary.
To move a door along a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Reposition Along Wall.

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2 Select the door to move.

3 Do one of the following:

Set an offset from the end of the wall or space boundary value by
typing o (Offset) and then a value. Select the wall or space boundary
near its end. The door is moved that offset distance from the end of the
wall or space boundary.
Type i (Ignore) and set whether or not the door placement ignores
existing openings in the wall or space boundary. If you dont ignore
openings, you can select near the opening and the door is placed at the
offset value from the opening.

Moving a Door Within a Wall

You can move a door within the wall or space boundary to be flush with one
side or the other. You can also set an offset from either side of the wall or
space boundary for the door.
To move a door within the wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Reposition Within Wall.
2 Select the door or doors to move and press ENTER.

NOTE You can select doors, windows, and openings and move them at the
same time. If you select more than one object to move, remember that you
can select only one side to offset from. If the selected point is on the exterior
of one wall and the interior of another, the two doors move in opposite directions.
3 Do one of the following:

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Type o (Offset) to set the current offset. If you set the offset to zero,
then the door is moved flush to the selected side of the wall or space
boundary.
Select the side of the wall to move to door to. The door is repositioned
within the wall to that side of the wall, taking into account the current
offset. If there is an offset, the offset is measured from the side of the
selected wall or space boundary.
Type c (Center) to set the door in the center of the wall or space boundary.

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Flipping the Hinge of a Door

You can quickly change the side of the door the hinge is located on. Multiple
doors can be selected.
To flip the hinge of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Flip Hinge.
2 Select one or more doors.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Flipping a door hinge

Flipping the Swing of a Door

You can quickly change the swing direction of the door. Multiple doors can
be selected.
To flip the swing of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Flip Swing.
2 Select one or more doors.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Flipping a door swing

Changing the Door Swing Opening

You can change the percentage of the door swing openings or you can set the
openings in 25 percent increments.

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To change the door swing opening

1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Change Opening Percent.
2 Select doors to change the swing opening.
3 Type a percentage for the door swing opening, or type t (Toggle) on the
command line to set the door swing opening to settings of 0, 25, 50, or
100 percent.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing Door Styles

You can create and modify door styles.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and
templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Style
Manager in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating a Door Style

To create a door style
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Door style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 With Door Styles highlighted, right-click and choose New.
3 Type a name for the new door style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Door style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit.
The Door Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the dimensions and shape of the door, attach and edit schedule data, add standard sizes, and change the display properties of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see Door
Style Properties in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
5 When you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.

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6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a Door Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new door style by copying an existing style and modifying it.
To copy a door style
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Door style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the door style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename. Type
a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new Door style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit.
The Door Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the dimensions and shape of the door, attach and edit schedule data, add standard sizes, and change the display properties of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see Door
Style Properties in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 When you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing a Door Style

You can modify an existing door style to fit your design needs. You can set
the dimensions, design rules, standard sizes, and display properties for a door
style.
To change a door style
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.

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The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Door style type, select the Door Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Door Style Properties dialog box, you can set the door style properties on the General, Dimensions, Design Rules, Standard Sizes, and Display Props tabs. For more information, see Door Style Properties in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
4 Click OK to save the new door style and exit the dialog box.

Purging a Door Style

To purge a door style
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Door style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused Door style in your current drawing, select the
style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge.
To purge all the unused Door styles in your current drawing, with Door
Styles highlighted, right-click, and choose Purge.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Door Styles

You can import door styles from an existing drawing.

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NOTE You can manage door styles efficiently by creating them all in one
drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other drawings as
needed.
To import door styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Door style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Door style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Door Styles to display the Door styles in the
drawing.
5 Select the Door style that you want to copy, and press CTRL+C.
6 Select the current drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Door Styles to a New Drawing

You can export door styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.

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To export door styles

1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Door style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Door style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the new drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Door Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export door styles from the current drawing to another drawing.
To export door styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Door style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Door style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the second drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.

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6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Door Style Properties

Each door you create has a style associated with it. You can alter existing
styles by changing the dimensions, design rules, standard sizes, and display
properties. When you change a door style, the doors in the current drawing
that were created with that style change. You can also edit schedule data, add
a note or a description, and attach a reference file.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Door Style

To attach notes and files to a door style
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Door style type, select the Door Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Door Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the Door style, type the text in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the Door, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you
must exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Door Style Dimensions Properties

You can change the default dimensions of a door style.
To set door style dimensions properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Door style type, select the Door Style that you want to change,
right-click and choose Edit.
3 In the Door Style Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

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4 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

Type values for the width and depth of the door frame, or select AutoAdjust to Width of Wall to set the frame automatically.
Type values for the width and depth for the door stop.
Type a value for the door thickness.

5 After you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Door Style Design Rules Properties

You can set the type of door and the shape of door that is created by changing
the design rules of the door style.
To set door style design rules properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Door style type, select the Door Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Door Style Properties dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
4 On the Design Rules tab, select the shape of the door from the Predefined
list or select a custom shape from the Custom list.

NOTE To create custom shapes, use the AEC Profile command from the
Desktop menu. For more information, see Creating a Profile from a Polyline
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
5 Select a specific door type from the Door Type list.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 contains an Overhead door
type. The Overhead door type is similar to the Pocket door type, with the
following exceptions:

The door swing display consists of four horizontal lines, forming five
equal panels. This display property is displayed in elevation and model
views only.

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The opening percentage moves the door panel vertically with graphics
above the door head disappearing. The swing display moves with the
panel.
The width of the door object always determines the opening cut in the
wall. Any width dimension applied to the frame extends beyond the
opening as if it were negative.
The Add Door command for this door type places the frame flush
against the face of the wall by default.

6 When you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Standard Sizes of Door Styles

The standard door style sizes are displayed in the Add Door dialog box.
To set door style standard sizes properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Door style type, select the Door Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Door Style Properties dialog box, click the Standard Sizes tab.
4 On the Standard Sizes tab, do any of the following:

To create new standard sizes, click Add. In the Add Standard Size dialog
box, type new values for Width, Height, Rise, and Leaf.
To change an existing size, select it and click Edit. In the Edit Standard
Size dialog box, type new values for Width, Height, Rise, and Leaf.
Select an existing size and click Remove to delete it.

5 When you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Changing the Door Style Display Properties

To set door style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Door Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Door style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Door style type, select the Door Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Door Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select a display set for the door style from the list. The current viewport
display is the default representation display. An asterisk (*) is displayed
next to the default.
5 Do any of the following:

Select the door style from the property source and click Attach Override
to change how the door style is displayed in the current viewport in the
drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties after you attach the override to change the
display of the representation of door style. This includes the visibility,
layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale, and plot style. To edit
each property, click the field.
Click Other to create custom blocks to add to the display of doors. For
more information, see Adding Components to the Display of Doors
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

6 When you finish changing the Door style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Changing the Entity Display of Doors

In addition to changing the display of doors, you can create custom doors
using the display representation system. You can produce doors that are
displayed well in 3D, with components like windows and doorknobs.

Changing the Display of Doors

To change the display representation of a door
1 Select the door.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Threshold Plan from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the door. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props and change any of the following values for
threshold components: visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale, and plot style.
7 Click the Other tab, and make any changes to threshold dimensions,
which include the depth and extension of each threshold.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Adding Components to the Display of Doors

You can add custom blocks to the display representations of doors, windows,
and openings. Custom blocks can add components (like door hardware and
muntins) to the display or to replace the standard Autodesk Architectural
Desktop display; for example, you can replace a simple door leaf with a
customized six-panel door leaf.
When you add a custom block, you can set several rules for positioning and
scaling the new component. Each custom block also appears in the display
properties component list so that you can control its layer, color, and linetype. Be sure that the objects used to create your custom blocks are created
with their properties set to ByBlock. Otherwise, they cannot be controlled
through the display properties interface. For more information about
ByBlocks, see Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide. See also Creating and Editing Display
Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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Custom blocks are added and controlled entirely through the doors display
properties. It is important that you understand the display representation
system before you create and modify the custom block parameters. For more
information, see Understanding the Display System in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
After you create custom blocks, you can set them on individual styles so that
you dont need to change the way they work each time you place a door.
Using custom blocks, each door and window style library can provide a much
richer and flexible set of door and window graphics.
To add components to the door display
1 Create a block to represent the component to add to the door. Create the
block in the same plane as the door you are going to attach it to.
2 Select the door.
3 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
5 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
6 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the door. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
9 Click Add to add a block to the door.
10 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
11 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.
12 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none are selected, the block
comes in at its created size.
Width: Sets the component to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the component to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Height: Sets the component to the height of the object it is attached to.
Lock XY Ratio: Locks the XY shape of the object, so that if it is scaled
in one direction to fit another criterion in the Scale to Fit section, the
whole component is scaled equally.
13 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction.

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661

Mirror Z creates a mirror of the component in the Z direction.

14 Specify the location of the insertion point in the door.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.
You can place the Z insertion point at the top, center, or bottom of the
object.
15 Specify the insertion offset of the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 Specify which type of component to add to the door: frame, leaf, or glass.
Frame sets whether the component is added, based on the inside or
outside of the frame.
Leaf sets whether the leaf component is applied to all or to a specified
number.
Glass sets whether the glass component is applied to all or to a specified
number.

NOTE The component types available are based on the display set that you
chose in step 5. The leaf and glass components are not available to be added
to the custom block unless you are in a model or elevation display
representation.
17 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Editing Components in the Display of Doors

If you have added components to the display of doors, you can edit the
display in the same way as adding them.
To edit components in the door display
1 Select the door to edit.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the door. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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6 Click Edit Display Props.

7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
8 Click Edit to edit the display of the door.
9 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
10 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.

NOTE For more information about the options in the Select a Block dialog
box, see Adding Components to the Display of Doors in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none are selected, the block
comes in at its created size.
12 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
13 Specify the location of the insertion point in the door.
14 Specify the offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
15 Specify which type of component to add to the door: frame, leaf, or glass.

NOTE The component types available are based on the display set that you
chose in step 4. The leaf and glass components are not available to be added
to the custom block unless you are in a model or elevation display
representation.
16 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Removing Components in the Display of Doors

If you have added components to the display of doors, you can remove one
or more of those components.
To remove components in the door display
1 Select the door to edit.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the door. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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6 Click Edit Display Props.

7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list and click Remove.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Disabling the Display of Components in the

Display of Doors
You can disable the display of components without actually removing them
from the object.
To disable the display of components in the door display
1 Select the door to edit.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the door. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list and click Disable Custom Blocks.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Displaying the Door Swing as Straight

You can set the door swing to display as a straight line for one door, for a
selection of doors, or for a door style.
To set the display of a door swing to a straight line
1 Select the door with the correct style to edit.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, either door or door style, attaching the
override needed to edit the door. For more information, see Creating and

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Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users

Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 Click Other.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click Straight Swing.
9 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Overriding the Opening Percentage for a Door

You can change the opening percentage of a selected door.
To change the opening percentage of a door
1 Select the door with the correct style to edit.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, either door or door style, attaching the
override needed to edit the door. For more information, see Creating and
Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 Click Other.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click Override Open Percent.
9 Type the percent.
10 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Changing the Door Threshold

You can display a door threshold and change its dimensions in the Threshold
Plan display representation. This is a plan display representation that can be
turned on in addition to the Plan display representation.
To set the display of the door threshold
1 Select the door to edit.
2 Right-click and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select Threshold Plan from the list.

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665

5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the door. Use System Default to change all doors (except those that have
a door style or door override), use Door Style to change all doors of this
style (except those that have a door override), and use Door to change
only this door.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, make either or both Threshold components visible (A is on the swing side of the door, B is on the other side).
8 Click the Other tab.
9 Set the threshold extension and depth dimensions.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Changing Door Properties

You can change the properties of existing doors in your drawing by changing
the door style properties, adding notes and reference files to the door, changing the dimensions of the door, moving the anchor location of the door, and
setting the endcap conditions of the door.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Door

To attach notes and files to a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Doors.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the door, type the text in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the door, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document

Chapter 18

Doors

dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you
must exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Door Style Properties

You can change the style of an existing door by selecting a new one from the
door style list.
To change the style of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Doo.
2 Select one or more doors and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

5 On the Style tab, select the new style from the list.
6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected door and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Dimension Properties

To set the door dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

5 On the Dimensions tab, change the width, height, rise, and leaf and the
opening percentage, or select a standard size from the list.
6 Select Measure to Outside Frame if you want the door to be the size of the
outside frame. This option is already selected if it was set in the AEC Draw-

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667

ing Defaults options. For more information, see AEC Options in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
7 Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected door and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Position of the Door Horizontally

along the Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of a door along a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding door.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point (start point, midpoint, or
endpoint of the wall or space boundary) for the anchor along the X axis.
6 Type the distance from the reference point. Use a negative numeral to
measure in the reverse direction, that is, from endpoint to start point.
7 Select the start edge, center, or end edge of the door, and click OK.

Door position along the X axis parameters

8 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected door and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Changing the Position of the Door Vertically in

the Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of a door vertically in a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding door.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point (bottom, center, or top of
the wall or space boundary) for the anchor along the Z axis.

Door position along the Z axis parameters

6 Type the distance from the reference point. Use a negative numeral to
measure in the reverse direction, that is, from endpoint to start point.
7 Select the bottom, center, or top of the door, and click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected door and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Position of the Door within the

Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of a door within a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.

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669

2 Select the door and press ENTER.

3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding door.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point (the right, left, or center of
the wall or space boundary) for the anchor along the Y axis.
6 Type the distance from the reference point. Use a negative numeral to
measure in the reverse direction, that is, from endpoint to start point.
7 Select the front, center, or back of the door, and click OK.

Door position along the Y axis parameters

8 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected door and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Orientation of the Door to the

Wall or Space Boundary
To change the orientation of a door to a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding door.

5 On the Anchor tab, do any of the following:

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Change the doors X and Z rotation angle.

Click Flip X to flip the door in the X direction.
Click Flip Y to flip the door in the Y direction.
Click Flip Z to flip the door in the Z direction.

6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected door and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the door, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Door Endcap Properties

You can change the endcap properties of doors that are anchored to walls.
To change the endcap properties of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Doors dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Endcaps tab.

5 On the Endcaps tab, select starting and ending endcap styles from the
lists. For more information, see Creating and Editing Endcap Styles in
the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click OK.

Changing the Door Location Properties

You can relocate an existing door by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The door also has an orientation with respect to the world
coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the
top and bottom of the door are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel
to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the door by aligning its
normal with another axis. You can also rotate the door on its plane by changing the rotation angle.

Changing Door Properties

671

For information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a door
1 From the Design menu, choose Doors Modify Door,.
2 Select the door and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Door dialog box, click

4 In the Door Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

NOTE This tab is only available for a freestanding door.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the door, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the door, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To locate the door on the XY plane, make the normal of the door parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the
X and Y boxes. To locate the door on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box
and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the door on the XZ plane,
type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the door, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the door object without leaving the Door Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Doors Command List

672

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Door...

DoorAdd

Modify Door...

DoorModify

Door Styles...

DoorStyle

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Right-click (with door

selected)

Door Modify...

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with door

selected)

Reposition Along
Wall

RepositionAlong

Reposition Along Wall

Reposition Within
Wall

RepositionWithin

Reposition Within Wall

Flip Hinge

OpeningFlipHinge

Flip Swing

OpeningFlipSwing

Change Opening
Percent

OpeningPercent

DoorAddSelected

Add Selected...

DoorStyleEdit

Edit Door Style...

DoorProps

Door Properties...

DoorLabelAdd

Insert Door Label...

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Windows

19

Windows created with Autodesk Architectural Desktop

In this chapter

are AEC objects that interact with walls and space

Creating windows

boundaries. After a window is placed in a wall or space

boundary, the window is constrained to the object and
cannot move outside it. Windows can also be anchored
to specific locations in walls or space boundaries; when

Editing windows
Using window styles
Changing window properties
Changing window style

properties
Creating window muntins

the wall or space boundary moves or changes size, the

location of the window in that object stays constant.

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Creating Windows
Windows created with Autodesk Architectural Desktop are AEC objects that
interact with walls and space boundaries. After a window is placed in a wall
or space boundary, the window is constrained to the object and cannot move
outside it. Windows can also be anchored to specific locations in walls or
space boundaries, so that when the wall or space boundary moves or changes
size, the location of the window in that object stays constant.
You can create windows, walls, and space boundaries at any elevation. The
window is an AEC object and interacts with walls and space boundaries. You
can also create a freestanding window that has no affiliation with a wall or
space boundary.

Default window styles

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Default window styles

Creating Windows

677

Creating a Window in a Wall

You can change any value in the Add Windows dialog box while creating
windows, so you can place one type of window in one wall and then select a
different window style and place a window of that style in a different wall.
To create a window in a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Add Window.
2 In the Add Windows dialog box, select the window style from the Style
list.
3 To specify the window size and placement in the wall, do any of the
following:

Select a standard size from the Size list.

Change the width and height to a custom size, if necessary.
Change the rise for the selected style, if applicable.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value.
Automatic Offset/Center: For insertion of the window, Automatic
Offset/Center sets the distance between the edge of the opening and
the end of the wall segment, or centers the window on the wall
segment when you place your cursor somewhere near the center of the
wall segment.

Change the Opening percent for the window.

Change the Vertical Alignment, if necessary.
Vertical Alignment: For insertion of the window, Vertical Alignment
controls how you place the window in the wall and how the window
responds to modifications in height. The Sill Height/Head Height
option allows you to determine the working point on the window. You
can place the working point at the sill or at the head. The Vertical
Alignment value determines the location of the working point
vertically in the wall.

678

Modifications to the window height respect the working point. For

example, if you set the working point of the window to sill, the vertical
alignment to 0'' and the window height to 7'0'', the height in the wall
where the top of the window is placed is 70''. If you modify the height
of the window to 6'8'', the window sill remains at 0'' and the top of the
window becomes 68''. The sill working point is maintained.
If you set the working point to the window head, the Vertical
Alignment value to 7'0'' and the window height to 7'0'', the height in
the wall where the top of the window is placed is 70''. If you modify
the height of this window to 6'8'', the window head remains at 7'0''

Chapter 19

Windows

and the window sill becomes 4. The head working point is

maintained.
4 Select a wall.
5 Specify an insertion point along the wall.
The window is constrained within the wall. The only valid insertion point
is in the wall.
6 Continue to place windows by selecting window styles and specifying
insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a window in a wall

Creating a Window in a Space Boundary

You can change any value in the Add Windows dialog box while creating
windows, so you can place one type of window in one space boundary and
then select a different window style and place that window in a different
space boundary.
To create a window in a space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Add Window.
2 In the Add Windows dialog box, select the window style.
3 To specify the window size and vertical placement in the wall, do any of
the following:

Select a standard size from the Size list.

Change the width and height to a custom size, if necessary.
Change the rise for the selected style, if applicable.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value. For more
information about Automatic Offset/Center, see Creating a Window in
a Wall in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Change the Opening percent for the window.
Select Vertical Alignment, and type the necessary value. For more information about Vertical Alignment, see Creating a Window in a Wall in
the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

4 Select a space boundary.

5 Specify an insertion point in the space boundary.

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679

The window is constrained within the space boundary. The only valid
insertion point is in the space boundary.
6 Continue to place windows by selecting window styles and specifying
insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a Freestanding Window

You can create a window independent of a wall or space boundary.
To create a freestanding window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Add Window.
2 Press ENTER to select a freestanding window.
3 In the Add Windows dialog box, select the window style.
4 Specify the window size.
5 Do any of the following:

Change the width and height, if necessary. For more information, see
Changing Window Width and Changing Window Height in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Change the rise value for the selected style, if applicable.
Change the Opening percent for the window.
Select Vertical Alignment, and type the necessary value. For more information, see Creating a Window in a Wall in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

6 Specify an insertion point.

7 Specify a rotation angle for the window.
8 Continue to place windows by specifying insertion points, or press ENTER
to end the command.

Editing Windows
You can change any characteristic of an existing window after it has been
created.

Changing the Style of an Existing Window

You can select a different style for an existing window or group of windows.

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To change the style of a window

1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select one or more windows to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, select a different style from the Style
list.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the window, or click OK to accept
the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing Window Size

To change the size of a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, select a different size from the Size list.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the window, or click OK to accept
the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing Window Width

To change the width of the window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, type a new width for the window.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the window, or click OK to accept
the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing Window Height

To change the height of a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, type a new height for the window.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the window, or click OK to accept
the changes and exit the dialog box.

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681

Changing Window Vertical Alignment

To change the head height of a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window or windows to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, type a new head height for the window in the Vertical Alignment box.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window and remain in
the dialog box to continue modifying the window, or click OK to accept
the changes and exit the dialog box.

Moving a Window Along a Wall

You can set a window a specific distance from a corner or move a window to
a specific location along a wall.
To move a window along a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Reposition Along Wall.
2 Select the window to move.
3 Do one of the following:

Specify a point near the wall to move the window to.

Set an offset from the end of the wall by typing o (Offset) and then a
value. Select the wall near its end, and the window is moved that offset
distance from the end of the wall.
Type i (Ignore) and set whether the window placement ignores existing
openings in the wall or not.

Moving a Window Within a Wall

You can move the window within a wall, to be flush with one side or the
other. You can also set an offset from either side of a wall for a window.
To move a window within a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Reposition Within Wall.
2 Select one or more windows to move, and press ENTER.

NOTE You can select doors, windows, and openings and move them at the
same time.

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3 Do one of the following:

Select the side of the wall to move the window to. The window is repositioned within the wall to that side of the wall, taking into account the
current offset.
Type o (Offset) to set the current offset. If you set the offset to zero,
then the window is moved flush to the selected side of the wall.
Type c (Center) to set the window in the center of the wall. In order to
center the window correctly to the wall, you must set the offset to zero.
Otherwise, the center is offset by whatever the distance you designated
as an offset.

Flipping the Hinge of a Window

You can move a hinge quickly from one side of a window to the other. You
can select multiple windows to change hinged sides.
To flip the hinge of a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Flip Hinge.
2 Select one or more windows.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Flipping the Swing of a Window

You can quickly change the swing of a window. You can select multiple
windows to change the swing.
To flip the swing of a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Flip Swing.
2 Select one or more windows.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Window Swing Opening

You can change the swing opening percentage for a window.
To change the window swing opening
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Change Opening Percent.
2 Select a window.

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683

3 Type a percentage for the window swing opening or type t (Toggle) on the
command line to change the window swing to settings of 0, 25, 50, and
100 percent.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing Window Properties

You can change the properties of windows in your drawing by adding notes
and reference files to a window, changing the style or dimensions of a
window, moving the anchor location of a window, and setting its endcapconditions.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Window

To attach notes and files to a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the window, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the window, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you
must exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

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9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing Window Style Properties

To change the style of an existing window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

5 On the Style tab, select a style from the list, and click OK.
6 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing Window Dimension Properties

To set the window dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

5 On the Dimensions tab, change the width and height of the window.
6 Change the opening percentage.
7 Select Measure to Outside Frame when you want the window to be the size
of the outside frame. This option is selected if you have set it in the AEC
Drawing Defaults options. For more information, see AEC Options in
the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
8 Click OK.
9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

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Changing the Position of a Window Along a Wall

or Space Boundary
To change the position of a window along a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding window.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point to start the anchor
from: the start point, midpoint, or endpoint of the wall or space boundary.

Window position along the X axis parameters

6 Type the distance from the reference point. You can use both positive and
negative numbers.
7 Select the To location, the start edge, center, or end edge of the window,
and click OK.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Position of a Window Vertically in a

Wall or Space Boundary
To change the position of a window vertically in a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

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4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding window.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point to start the vertical anchor
from the bottom, center, or top of the wall or space boundary.
6 Type the distance from the reference point. You can use both positive and
negative numbers.
7 Select the To location, the bottom, center, or top of the window, and
click OK.

Window position along the Z axis parameters

8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Position of a Window Within a Wall

or Space Boundary
To change the position of a window within a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding window.

5 On the Anchor tab, select the reference point to start the anchor from the
right, left, or center of the wall or space boundary.

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6 Type the distance from the reference point. You can use both positive and
negative numbers.
7 Select the To location, the front, center, or back of the window, and click
OK.

Window position along the Y axis parameters

8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Orientation of a Window to a Wall

or Space Boundary
To change the orientation of a window to a wall or space boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is not available for a freestanding window.

5 On the Anchor tab, do any of the following:

Change the rotation angle of the window.

Click Flip X to flip the window in the X direction.
Click Flip Y to flip the window in the Y direction.
Click Flip Z to flip the window in the Z direction.

6 Click OK.
7 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

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Changing Window Endcap Properties

To change endcap properties of a window in a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Windows dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Endcaps tab.

5 On the Endcaps tab, select starting and ending endcap styles from the
lists. For more information, see Creating and Editing Endcap Styles in
the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click OK.

Changing Window Location Properties

You can relocate an existing window by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The window also has an orientation with respect to the
world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS).
For example, if the top and bottom of the window are parallel to the XY
plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of
the window by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate the
window on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a window
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Modify Window.
2 Select the window, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window dialog box, click

4 In the Window Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

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NOTE This tab is only available for a freestanding window.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the window, change the coordinate values under Insertion

point.
To reorient the window, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the window on the XY plane, make the normal of the window parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type
0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the window on the YZ plane, type 1
in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the window on
the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the window, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the window object without leaving the Window Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Window Styles
Each window you create has a window style associated with it. The current
window style controls the dimensions, design rules, and standard sizes for
windows when you create them. When you change a window style, the windows in the current drawing that were created with that style change.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For more information, see Style Manager in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating New Window Styles

You can create a new window style, or you can copy and edit an existing
window style.

Creating a New Window Style

You can create a new window style. After you create the new window style,
you can edit the style properties of the window.

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To create a new window style

1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the window style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 With Window Styles highlighted, right-click, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new window style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Window style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Window Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
to the style, change the dimensions and shape of the window, edit schedule data, add standard sizes, and change the display properties of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Window Style Properties in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.
5 When you finish changing the Window style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Window Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new window style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new window style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the window style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the window style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new Window style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

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The Window Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
to the style, change the dimensions and shape of the window, edit schedule data, add standard sizes, and change the display properties of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Window Style Properties in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.
6 When you finish changing the Window style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Window Style

You can delete window styles that are not being used in the current drawing.
You can delete a single unused window style, or all the window styles in your
drawing.
To purge a window style
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the window style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused window style in your current drawing, select

the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused window styles in your current drawing, with
the window style type selected, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.

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4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Window Style

You can copy window styles from an existing drawing and use them in your
current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by
storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import a window style
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the window style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the window style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Window Styles to display the window styles
in the drawing.
5 Select the window style that you want to copy, and press CTRL+C.
6 Select the current drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Exporting a Window Style to a New Drawing

You can copy window styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.
To export a window style to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the window style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the window style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the new drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Window Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy window styles from your current drawing to another drawing.
To export a window style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the window style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the window style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and press CTRL+C.

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5 Select the second drawing, and press CTRL+V.

The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Window Style Properties

Each window you create has a style associated with it. You can alter existing
styles by changing the dimensions, design rules, or standard sizes. When you
change a window style, the windows of that style in the current drawing are
updated to reflect the changes.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Style

To attach notes and files to a window style
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the window style type, select the window style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Window Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the window style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the window, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

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7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you
must exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the window style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Window Style Dimension Properties

To set window style dimensions properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the window style type, select the window style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Window Style Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

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4 On the Dimensions tab, type the width and depth of the window frame,
or select Auto-Adjust to Width of Wall to set the frame automatically.
5 Type the width and depth for the window sash.
6 Type the glass thickness.
7 When you finish changing the window style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Window Style Design Rule Properties

To set window style design rule properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the window style type, select the window that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Window Style Properties dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
4 On the Design Rules tab, select the shape of the window from the Predefined list, or select a custom shape from the Custom list.

NOTE A custom window shape can be created using the AEC Profile
command from the Desktop menu. For more information, see Creating a
Profile from a Polyline in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
5 Select a specific window type from the Window Type list.
6 When you finish changing the window style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Standard Sizes for a Window Style

To set standard sizes for a window style
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.

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The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the window style type, select the window style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Window Style Properties dialog box, click the Standard Sizes tab.
4 On the Standard Sizes tab, do any of the following:

To create new standard sizes, click Add. In the Add Standard Size dialog
box, type new values for Width, Height, Rise, and Leaf.
To change an existing standard size, select it and click Edit. In the Edit
Standard Size dialog box, type new values for Width, Height, Rise, and
Leaf.
To delete an existing standard size, select it, and click Remove.

5 When you finish changing the window style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Window Style Display Properties

To set window style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Windows Window Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The window style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the window style type, select the window style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Window Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select a display set for the window from the list. The current viewport display is the default representation display. An asterisk (*) is displayed next
to the default.
5 Do any of the following:

Select the window from the property source, and click Attach Override
to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in the
drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a

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property source that is attached to the display representation.

The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties after you attach the override to change
what is displayed for the representation of the window including the
visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale, and plot
style. To edit each property, click the field. These changes are only for
the selected object.
Click Other to create custom blocks to add to the display of windows.
For more information, see Adding Components to a Window Display
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

6 When you finish changing the Window style properties, click OK to

return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Entity Display of Windows

In addition to changing the display of windows, you can create custom windows using the display representation system. You can produce windows that
display well in 3D, with components like windowsills.

Changing the Display of Windows

To change the display representation of a window
1 Select the window.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select Sill Plan from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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6 Click Edit Display Props and change any of the following values for sill
components: visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale,
and plot style.
7 Click the Other tab, and make any changes to sill dimensions, that
include the depth and extension of each sill.

8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Adding Components to a Window Display

You can add custom blocks to the display representations of windows.
Custom blocks can add components (like window hardware and muntins) to
the display. For example, to replace the standard Autodesk Architectural
Desktop display, you can replace a simple window with a customized window by adding components to represent shutters.
When you add a custom block, you can set several rules for positioning and
scaling the new component. Each custom block also is in the display properties component list so that you can control its layer, color, and linetype. Be
sure that the objects used to create your custom blocks are created with their
properties set to ByBlock. Otherwise, they cannot be controlled through the
display properties interface. For more information about ByBlocks, see Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks in the online AutoCAD 2002
Users Guide. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Custom blocks are added and controlled entirely through the display properties of the window. It is important that you understand the display representation system before you create and modify the custom block parameters.
For more information, see Getting Started with the Display Manager in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
After you create custom blocks, you can set them on individual styles so that
you do not need to change the way they work each time you place a window.
By using custom blocks, each window style library can provide a much richer
and flexible set of window graphics.

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To add components to the window display

1 Create a block to represent the component to add to the window. Create
the block in the same plane as the window you are going to attach it to.
2 Select the window.
3 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
5 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
6 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
9 Click Add to add a block to the window.
10 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
11 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.
12 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none is selected, the block comes
in at its created size.
Width: Sets the component to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the component to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Height: Sets the component to the height of the object it is attached to.
Lock XY Ratio: Locks the XY shape of the object, so that when it is
scaled in one direction to fit another criterion in the Scale to Fit section,
the whole component is scaled equally.
13 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction.
Mirror Z creates a mirror of the component in the Z direction.
14 Specify the location of the insertion point in the window.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.
You can place the Z insertion point at the top, center, or bottom of the
object.

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15 Specify the insertion offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 Specify the type of component to add to the window: frame or window.
Frame: Sets whether the component is added based on the inside or outside of the frame.
Window: Sets whether the window component is applied to all or to a
specified number.

NOTE The component types available are based on the display set that you
chose in step 5. The window component option is not available to be added
to the custom block unless you are in a model or elevation display
representation.
17 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Editing Components in a Window Display

If you have added components to the display of windows, you can edit the
display in the same way as adding them.
To edit components in the windows display
1 Select the window to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
8 Click Edit to edit the display of the window.
9 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
10 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.

NOTE For more information about the options in the Select a Block dialog
box, see Adding Components to a Window Display in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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11 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none is selected, the block comes
in at its created size.
12 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
13 Specify the location of the Insertion Point in the window.
14 Specify the Offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
15 Specify the type of component to add to the window: frame or window.

NOTE The component types available are based on the display set that you
chose in step 4. The window component option is not available to be added
to the custom block unless you are in a model or elevation display representation.
16 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Removing Components in a Window Display

After you have added components to a display of windows, you can remove
one or more of those components.
To remove components in the window display
1 Select the window to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the representation from the list. The component is displayed only
in this display set. The current representation has an asterisk (*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list, and click Remove.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Turning Off the Display of Components in a

Window Display
You can turn off the display of components without removing them from the
object.

Changing the Entity Display of Windows

703

To turn off the display of components in a window display

1 Select the window to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select Model from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list, and click Disable Custom Blocks.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Overriding a Window Opening Percentage

You can change the opening percentage of a selected window.
To change the opening percentage of a window
1 Select the windows to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select Model from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, either window or window style, attaching the override needed to edit the window. For more information, see
Creating and Editing Display Systems in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 Click Other.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click Override Open Percent.
9 Type the percent.
10 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Changing the Windowsill

You can display a windowsill and change its dimensions in the Sill Plan
display representation, that can be turned on in addition to the Plan display
representation.

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To set the display of a windowsill

1 Select the window to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select Sill Plan from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching overrides needed to edit the
window.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

6 Click Edit Display Props.

7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, make either or both Sill components
visible, then click the Other tab.
8 Set the sill extension and depth dimensions.
9 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Creating Window Muntins

Window muntins are secondary framing members that hold multiple panes
of glass in a window sash. Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 provides
an easy way to create muntins with different layout patterns.
You can generate various muntin layout patterns: rectangular, diamond,
starburst, sunburst, and gothic.

Creating Window Muntins

705

Window muntin components

Adding a Rectangular Pattern Muntin

You can create rectangular muntin patterns to attach to windows.

Specifying rectangular pattern muntins

NOTE The rectangular pattern is applicable to all window shapes and window
types except Pass Through.
To create rectangular muntin patterns to attach to a window
1 Select an existing window.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.

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3 Select either the Model or Elevation representation from the list.

4 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

5 Click Edit Display Props.

6 Select the Muntins tab.
7 Click Add.
8 Type the name of the muntins block in the Name box. By default, a new
block name is Muntin_block. If a block with the same name already exists,
then an integer is appended to the name, starting with 1. This name is displayed in the Muntins tab after the block is created.
9 In the Window Pane section, select what portion of the window to apply
the muntin pattern. You can attach muntins to the following window
panes.

Top: The following illustration shows a top window pane in different

window shapes and window types.

Applying muntin patterns to top panes

Other, All: All window panes.

Other, Single: Any one of the window panes.

Creating Window Muntins

707

If you select the Single pane option, the Window Pane Index field is
turned on. Specify the index of a window pane. The illustration shows
the double-hung rectangular window with two panes. The panes are
indexed counterclockwise starting from the lower left corner. The
default value is 1.

Specifying single pane index

10 In the Width box, type the width for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
11 In the Depth box, type the depth for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
12 In the Clean Up Joints box, select to clean up all the joints between the
muntins. This option has been included mainly for performance. If you
select this option, then performance is slightly degraded.

Specifying muntin cleanup joints

13 In the Convert to Body box, select to convert all the muntins to a threedimensional body. This option has been included mainly for performance. If you select this option, then performance is slightly degraded.

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14 In the Pattern box, select Rectangular.

15 In the Lights High box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the horizontal direction.
16 In the Lights Wide box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the vertical direction.
17 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the rectangular muntins pattern to the selected window or window style.

NOTE After you add a muntins block, you can manage its display properties, such as color or linetype, in the Entity Properties dialog box.

Adding a Diamond Pattern Muntin

You can create diamond muntin patterns to attach to windows.

Specifying diamond pattern muntins

NOTE The diamond pattern is applicable to all window shapes and window
types except Pass Through.
To create diamond muntin patterns to attach to a window
1 Select an existing window.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the Model or Elevation representation from the list.
4 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Creating Window Muntins

709

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

5 Click Edit Display Props.

6 Select the Muntins tab.
7 Click Add.
8 Type the name of the muntins block in the Name box. By default, a new
block name is Muntin_block. If a block with the same name already exists,
then an integer is appended to the name, starting with 1. This name is displayed in the Muntins tab after the block is created.
9 In the Window Pane section, select what portion of the window to apply
the muntin pattern. You can attach muntins to the following window
panes.

Top: The top window pane.

Other, All: All window panes.
Other, Single: Any one of the window panes.

If you select the Single pane option, the Window Pane Index field is
turned on. Specify the index of a window pane. The panes are indexed
counterclockwise starting from the lower left corner. The default value
is 1.
10 In the Width box, type the width for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
11 In the Depth box, type the depth for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
12 In the Clean Up Joints box, select to clean up all the joints between the
muntins. This option has been included mainly for performance. If you
select this option, then performance is slightly degraded.

Specifying muntin cleanup joints

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13 In the Convert to Body box, select to convert all the muntins to one body.
This option has been included mainly for performance. If you select this
option, then performance is slightly degraded.
14 In the Pattern box, select Diamond.
15 In the Lights High box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the horizontal direction.
16 In the Lights Wide box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the vertical direction.
17 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the diamond muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

NOTE After you add a muntins block, you can manage its display properties, such as color or linetype, in the Entity Properties dialog box.

Adding a Starburst Pattern Muntin

You can create starburst muntin patterns to attach to windows.

Specifying starburst pattern muntins

NOTE The starburst pattern can be applied to following window types:

awning, single hopper, single transom, vertical pivot, horizontal pivot, double
hung, glider, single hung, single casement, and picture. the starburst pattern
can be applied to following window shapes: windows with round, half round,
or quarter round top. The starburst pattern is added to the top window pane.

Creating Window Muntins

711

To create starburst muntin patterns to attach to a window

1 Select an existing window of an applicable shape.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the Model or Elevation representation from the list.
4 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

5 Click Edit Display Props.

6 Select the Muntins tab.
7 Click Add.
8 Type the name of the muntins block in the Name box. By default, a new
block name is Muntin_block. If a block with the same name already exists,
then an integer is appended to the name, starting with 1. This name is displayed in the Muntins tab after the block is created.
9 In the Window Pane section, select what portion of the window to apply
the muntin pattern. By default, starburst muntin patterns are only applied
to the top pane.
10 In the Width box, type the width for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
11 In the Depth box, type the depth for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
12 In the Clean Up Joints box, select to clean up all the joints between the
muntins. This option has been included mainly for performance. If you
do not select this option, then performance is slightly enhanced.

Specifying muntin cleanup joints

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13 In the Convert to Body box, select to convert all the muntins to one body.
This option has been included mainly for performance. If you do not
select this option, then performance is slightly enhanced.
14 In the Pattern list, select Starburst.
15 In the Lights High box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the horizontal direction.
16 In the Lights Wide box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the vertical direction.
17 In the Spokes box, click the arrows to specify the amount of spokes for the
starburst pattern.
18 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the starburst muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

NOTE After you add a muntins block, you can manage its display properties, such as color or linetype, in the Entity Properties dialog box.

Adding a Sunburst Pattern Muntin

You can create sunburst muntin patterns to attach to windows.

Specifying sunburst pattern muntins

NOTE The sunburst pattern can be applied to following window types:

awning, single hopper, single transom, vertical pivot, horizontal pivot, double
hung, glider, single hung, single casement, and picture. the sunburst pattern can
be applied to following window shapes: windows with round, half round, or
quarter round top. the sunburst pattern is added to the top window pane.

Creating Window Muntins

713

To create sunburst muntin patterns to attach to a window

1 Select an existing window of an applicable shape.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the Model or Elevation representation from the list.
4 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

5 Click Edit Display Props.

6 Select the Muntins tab.
7 Click Add.
8 Type the name of the muntins block in the Name box. By default, a new
block name is Muntin_block. If a block with the same name already exists,
then an integer is appended to the name, starting with 1. This name is displayed in the Muntins tab after the block is created.
9 In the Window Pane section, select what portion of the window to apply
the muntin pattern. By default, sunburst muntin patterns are only applied
to the top pane.
10 In the Width box, type the width for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
11 In the Depth box, type the depth for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
12 In the Clean Up Joints box, select to clean up all the joints between the
muntins. This option has been included mainly for performance. If you
select this option, then performance is slightly degraded.

Specifying muntin cleanup joints

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13 In the Convert to Body box, select to convert all the muntins to one body.
This option has been included mainly for performance. If you select this
option, then performance is slightly degraded.
14 In the Pattern box, select Sunburst.
15 In the Lights High box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the horizontal direction.
16 In the Lights Wide box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the vertical direction.
17 In the Spokes box, click the arrows to specify the amount of spokes for the
starburst pattern.
18 In the Style box, select either Open or Closed hub styles. This option
becomes active only when you select the Sunburst pattern. By default, the
hub style is closed.

Specifying open and closed hubs

19 In the Radius box, type the radius for the hub. The following illustrations
show the hub radius in half round, and quarter round top windows. The
Radius option is active only when you select the sunburst pattern. The
default value is 6 inches.

Creating Window Muntins

715

Specifying hub radius

20 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the sunburst muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

NOTE After you add a muntins block, you can manage its display properties, such as color or linetype, in the Entity Properties dialog box.

Adding a Gothic Pattern Muntin

You can create gothic muntin patterns to attach to windows.

Specifying gothic pattern muntins

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NOTE The gothic pattern can be applied to following window types: awning,
single hopper, single transom, vertical pivot, horizontal pivot, double hung,
glider, single hung, single casement, and picture. the gothic pattern can be
applied to following window shapes: round, half round, gothic, peak pentagon,
and arch. the gothic pattern is added to the top window pane.
To create gothic muntin patterns to attach to a window
1 Select an existing window of an applicable shape.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the Model or Elevation representation from the list.
4 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

5 Click Edit Display Props.

6 Select the Muntins tab.
7 Click Add.
8 Type the name of the muntins block in the Name box. By default, a new
block name is Muntin_block. If a block with the same name already exists,
then an integer is appended to the name, starting with 1. This name is displayed in the Muntins tab after the block is created.
9 In the Window Pane section, select what portion of the window to apply
the muntin pattern. By default, gothic muntin patterns are only applied
to the top pane.
10 In the Width box, type the width for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
11 In the Depth box, type the depth for each muntin. If you change this
value, the display in the viewer reflects the change.
12 In the Clean Up Joints box, select to clean up all the joints between the
muntins This option has been included mainly for performance. If you
select this option, then performance is slightly degraded.

Creating Window Muntins

717

Specifying muntin cleanup joints

13 In the Convert to Body box, select to convert all the muntins to one body.
This option has been included mainly for performance. If you select this
option, then performance is slightly degraded.
14 In the Pattern box, select Gothic.
15 In the Lights High box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the horizontal direction.
16 In the Lights Wide box, click the arrows to specify the amount of lights in
the vertical direction. These also create the pattern at the top of the window.
17 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the gothic muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

NOTE After you add a muntins block, you can manage its display properties, such as color or linetype, in the Entity Properties dialog box.

Editing a Window Muntins Block

After you create a muntins block, you can change any of its parameters.
To edit a window muntins block
1 Select a window with muntin blocks attached.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the property source to edit, attaching overrides needed to edit the
window.

718

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

Chapter 19

Windows

4 Click Edit Display Props.

5 Select the Muntins tab.
6 Select the muntin to edit.
7 Click Edit.
8 You can change any of the parameters in the Muntins Block dialog box.
For more information about each of these fields, see Creating Window
Muntins in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the gothic muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

Removing a Window Muntins Block

You can remove existing muntins blocks.
To remove an existing muntins block
1 Select a window with muntin blocks attached.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the property source to edit, attaching overrides needed to edit the
window.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

4 Click Edit Display Props.

5 Select the Muntins tab.
6 Select the muntin to remove.
7 Click Remove.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the gothic muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

Turning Off the Display of Window Muntins

You can turn off the display of window muntins without removing them
from the window.
To turn off the display of window muntins
1 Select a window with muntin blocks attached.

Creating Window Muntins

719

2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.

3 Select the property source to edit, attaching overrides needed to edit the
window.

Use System Default to change all windows (except those that have a
Window Style or Window override).
Use Window Style to change all windows of this style (except those that
have a Window override).
Use Window to change only this window.

4 Click Edit Display Props.

5 Select the Muntins tab.
6 Click Disable Muntins Blocks.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog boxes and to add the gothic muntins pattern
to the selected window or window style.

Windows Command List

720

Menu command

Command line

Add Window...

WindowAdd

Modify Window...

WIndowModify

Window Styles....

WIndowStyle

Reposition Along
Wall

RepositionAlong

Reposition Within
Wall

RepostionWithin

Flip Hinge

OpeningFlipHinge

Flip Swing

OpeningFlipSwing

Change Opening
Percent

OpeningPercent

Chapter 19

Windows

Right-click

Window Modify...

WindowStyleEdit

Edit Window Style...

WindowProps

Window Properties...

Menu command

Command line

Right-click

WindowLabelAdd

Insert Window Label...

Creating Window Muntins

721

722

Chapter 19

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Window Assemblies

20

Window assemblies provide a grid or framework for

In this chapter

inserting objects such as windows and doors. With this

Creating window assemblies

framework, you can create complex window and door

assemblies and insert them in standard walls or use
them as repeated elements in a curtain wall.
Like curtain walls, window assemblies are made up of
one or more grids. Each grid has either a horizontal division or a vertical division, but you can nest the grids to

Working with nested grids in

window assemblies
Working with window assembly

styles
Modifying the elements in a

window assembly
Modifying window assemblies
Editing objects anchored in

window assemblies

create a variety of patterns.

723

Window Assemblies
Window assemblies provide a grid or framework for inserting objects such as
windows and doors. With this framework, you can create complex window
and door assemblies and insert them in standard walls or use them as
repeated elements in a curtain wall.

Adding window assemblies to walls and curtain walls

You can insert window assemblies into standard walls in the same way that
you insert standard windows. For more information, see Creating Windows in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide. With curtain
walls however, you assign window assemblies to specific cells within the curtain wall grid. For more information, see Inserting an Object into a Curtain
Wall Cell.
Window assemblies are style-based, meaning there are preset characteristics
assigned to each window assembly that determine its appearance. As with
curtain walls, you can override style settings for a single window assembly or
use Edit in Place to experiment with changes and then choose to either discard those changes or save them to the style and update all the window
assemblies of that style.
Like curtain walls, window assemblies are made up of one or more grids. Each
grid has either a horizontal division or a vertical division, but you can nest
the grids to create a variety of patterns.

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Window Assemblies

Wall assembly nested grid examples

TIP Using a window assembly in a curtain wall can help you avoid the complexities of too many nested grids in the curtain wall.
Grids are the foundation of curtain walls, curtain wall units, and window
assemblies. Every grid has four element types

Divisions: Define the direction of the grid (horizontal or vertical) and

the number of cells
Cell Infills: Contain another grid, a panel infill, or an object such as a
window or a door
Frames: Define the edge around the outside of the primary grid and
nested grids
Mullions: Define the edges between the cells

NOTE Division is an abstract element, in contrast to the other three element

types that represent physical elements of the window assembly.

Window Assemblies

725

Each element type is assigned a default definition that describes what elements
of that type look like.

Element type

Default definitions

Divisions

Vertical divisions with a fixed cell dimension of 3

Cell Infills

Cells containing simple panels with a 2 thickness

Frames

Outer edges of grid 3" wide and 3" deep

Mullions

Edges between cells 1" wide and 3" deep

Specifying default window assembly element types

However, you can also create new definitions and assign those definitions to
specific elements within the window assembly. For example, you can create
multiple infill definitions and then assign different infills to specific cells in
the grid. Likewise, you can create multiple frame definitions and then assign
a different definition to each frame edge (top, bottom, left, right).

Specifying different window assembly infill and frame definitions

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You create element definitions from the Design Rules tab of the Style
Properties dialog box. Select an element from the tree to display a list of definitions for that element, icons for adding and removing definitions, and
text boxes for creating the definitions.
From the same Design Rules tab, you can assign the definitions to specific
elements in a grid. Select a grid from the tree to display a list of assignments
for that grid, icons for creating new assignments and columns in the assignment table for specifying the definition to use and where. You can also edit
the definitions at the bottom of the dialog box.
Element definitions and assignments for window assemblies are identical to
those for curtain walls. For more information, see Creating Element Definitions for a Curtain Wall Style on page 419 or see Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.
For more information about element definitions and assignments, see Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style and Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Elements.

Creating Window Assemblies

Window assemblies are like standard windows in that they are planar and
defined by an insertion point, as opposed to curtain walls which have a baseline that can be curved or straight. But similar to curtain walls, you can create
a window assembly based on a 2D layout grid or a combination of lines, arcs,
and circles.
If youre creating a window assembly for use in a standard wall, draw the wall
first. Then you can insert the window assembly and modify the window
assembly elements as needed.
If youre creating a window assembly for use in a curtain wall, insert the window assembly in space. Turn on Edit in Place and modify the element definitions and assignments as needed. Save your changes as a new window assembly style and then assign that style to cells in your curtain wall grid. For more
information, see Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies and Modifying
the Elements in a Window Assembly.

NOTE Edit in Place and element definitions for window assemblies are identical to those for curtain walls. For more information, see Using Edit in Place for
Curtain Walls on page 483 and Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall on
page 477. Or see Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies and Modifying

Creating Window Assemblies

727

the Elements in a Window Assembly in the online Autodesk Architectural

Desktop Users Guide.

Creating a Window Assembly

To create a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Add Window
Assembly.
2 In the Add Window Assemblies dialog box, select the window assembly
style from the Style menu.
3 Do any of the following:

Specify the width and height of the window assembly.

Change the rise for the selected style, if applicable.
Select Automatic Offset/Center, and type the necessary value.
Automatic Offset/Center: For insertion of the window assembly in a
standard wall, Automatic Offset/Center sets the minimum distance
between the edge of the opening and the edge of the wall or centers the
opening at the center of the wall.

Change the Vertical Alignment, if necessary.

Vertical Alignment: For insertion of the window assembly, Vertical
Alignment controls how you place the window assembly in the wall
and how the window assembly responds to modifications in height.
The Sill Height/Head Height option allows you to determine the
working point on the window assembly. You can place the working
point at the sill or at the head. The Vertical Alignment value determines
the location of the working point vertically in the wall.

728

Modifications to the window assembly height respect the working

point. For example, if you set the working point of the window to sill,
the vertical alignment to 0'' and the window assembly height to 7'0'',
the height in the wall where the top of the window assembly is placed
is 70''. If you modify the height of the window to 6'8'', the window
sill remains at 0'' and the top of the window assembly becomes 68''.
The sill working point is maintained.
If you set the working point to the window assembly head, the Vertical
Alignment value to 7'0'' and the window assembly height to 7'0'', the
height in the wall where the top of the window assembly is placed is
70''. If you modify the height of this window assembly to 6'8'', the
window assembly head remains at 7'0'' and the window sill becomes
4''. The head working point is maintained.

Chapter 20

Window Assemblies

Specifying window assembly head sill heights

4 Select a standard wall, or press ENTER to insert the window assembly into
space.

NOTE For information about inserting a window assembly into a curtain

wall, see Inserting an Object into a Curtain Wall Cell on page 454.
5 Specify an insertion point along the wall.
The window assembly is constrained within the wall.
6 Continue to place window assemblies by selecting window assembly
styles and specifying insertion points, or press ENTER to end the command.

NOTE On the toolbar in the Add Window Assemblies dialog box, you can
click Floating Viewer to view the window assembly, Properties to change any
property of the window assembly, Match to match the property of another
window assembly object, and Undo to undo the window assembly.

Converting a Layout Grid to a Window Assembly

You can create a window assembly grid that is based on a 2D layout grid. If
you already have 2D layout grids in an existing drawing, you can easily convert them to window assemblies. Or, if you are already familiar with layout
grids, it is a quick and easy way to create a window assembly and then experiment with the window assembly commands to learn more about them.

Creating Window Assemblies

729

To convert a 2D layout grid to a window assembly

1 From the Design menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Grid (2D).
2 Create a layout grid. For more information, see Layout Grids on page
1568.
3 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Convert Layout
Grid to Window Assembly.
4 Select the layout grid.
You are prompted to erase the layout grid after the conversion.
5 To erase the layout grid, type y (Yes). To have the layout grid remain after
the window assembly is created, type n (No).

Converting a 2D layout grid to a window assembly

Window assembly grids are divided either horizontally or vertically. To

create the horizontal and vertical patterns in the 2D layout grid, the window assembly uses nested grids. You define a primary division, either horizontal or vertical, and then each cell within that grid is assigned a nested
grid with a division in the opposite direction.

Specifying primary division directions

For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids
in Window Assemblies on page 733.

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6 Select vertical or horizontal as the orientation for the primary division.

You are prompted to enter a name for the new style. For more information
about window assembly styles, see Working with Window Assembly
Styles on page 736.
7 Type a name for this new window assembly style.
8 Click OK.
The horizontal and vertical lines of the 2D layout grid define the divisions
for the window assembly grids and the grid cells, frame, and mullions are
assigned default definitions. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Elements on page 755.

Creating a Window Assembly with a Custom

Grid
Window assemblies contain one or more grids. You can define a custom grid
using lines, arcs, and circles and then convert that linework into a window
assembly. After the conversion, the window assembly is in Edit in Place so
that you can make modifications to it. At any point, you can save the resulting window assembly as a new window assembly style. For more information, see Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies on page 783.

NOTE Window assembly grids are either horizontal or vertical. To create a grid
pattern with horizontal and vertical cells, like the example above, nested grids
are used. For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested
Grids in Window Assemblies on page 733.
To create a window assembly with a custom grid
1 Use lines, arcs, and circles to draw a grid in the world coordinate system
(WCS).
2 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Convert Linework
to Window Assembly.
3 Select the lines, arcs, or circles that define your grid, and press ENTER.
4 Select one of the grid lines as the baseline for the window assembly, or
press ENTER to use the line along the X axis as the baseline.

Creating Window Assemblies

731

Converting linework to a window assembly using the default baseline option

TIP If you draw your linework in the XY plane (in Plan view) and accept the
default baseline, the resulting window assembly is displayed from the
Z direction.
You are prompted to erase the lines that you drew to define the grid.
5 To erase the lines, type y (Yes). To have the lines remain after the window
assembly is created, type n (No).

Converting linework to a window assembly using the specified baseline option

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Each enclosed area is assigned the default cell infill. The lines between the
cells are assigned the default mullion definition, and the boundary
around the grid is assigned the default frame definition. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Elements on
page 755.

Specifying default window assembly element types

NOTE You cannot modify the division definition of a custom grid created
from lines, arcs, and circles. You can, however, assign a different division definition to it. For more information, see Assigning Divisions to a Window
Assembly Grid on page 756.

Working with Nested Grids in Window

Assemblies
Each window assembly grid is one dimensional with either a horizontal or
vertical division. By nesting grids, you can create a variety of patterns from
simple to complex.
When you nest grids, you start with one primary grid. Then each cell in the
primary grid can be filled with another grid. For example, the following illustration has a horizontal primary grid with four cells. You can nest a vertical
grid in each horizontal cell to create a simple 2D grid.

Working with Nested Grids in Window Assemblies

733

Specifying cell divisions 1

The previous illustration shows all cells in the grid with the same cell assignmenta vertical division. But each cell in a grid is independent and can have
a separate assignment. For example, the following illustration shows one cell
in the primary grid that contains another horizontal grid, the next cell contains a vertical grid with three divisions, and the next cell contains a vertical
grid with six divisions.

Specifying cell divisions 2

The previous examples show a primary grid with one level of nested grids.
But you can continue to nest grids to create multiple levels. For example, the
following illustrations show the Standard window assembly style grid, the
same grid with a nested grid in one cell of the secondary grid, and the same
grid again with nested grids in all cells of the secondary grid.

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Specifying a nested grid in a window assembly

Nested grids are defined on the Design Rules tab of the Window Assembly
Style Properties dialog box. The tree on the left side of the tab lists of the
grids. There is always one primary grid. The primary grid can have one or
more secondary grids. Each secondary grid can have one or more tertiary
grids and so on.

TIP To quickly create nested grids in all cells, change the default cell assignment to Nested Grid. If you want multiple levels of nesting, be sure to change
the default cell assignment for each grid. For more information, see Creating a
Nested Grid in a Curtain Wall on page 452.
Each grid has its own cell assignments. You assign cells to contain another
grid, a panel infill, or an object such as a door or window. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells on page 756.

Working with Nested Grids in Window Assemblies

735

Working with Window Assembly Styles

Window assemblies are style-based, meaning there are preset characteristics
assigned to each window assembly that determine its appearance and function. By changing from one style of window assembly to another, you can
quickly study several different design options. And any changes you make to
the style are reflected throughout your building, updating all window assemblies of that particular style. You can also apply overrides to a single window
assembly, without changing other window assemblies of the same style. A
window assembly style contains:

Element definitions
Definition assignments for each element
Display properties for each element
Default dimensions
Notes about the style and any associated reference files

Window Assembly Styles are very similar to Curtain Wall Styles. For more
information about styles, see Working with Curtain Wall Styles on page
419 or Working with Window Assembly Styles in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating Element Definitions for a Window

Assembly Style
Element definitions determine the appearance of the four basic window
assembly elements. There is a different definition type for each element.
Each type of element can have multiple definitions. For example, you can
define the divisions to create a horizontal grid or a vertical grid and you can
define the cells to contain a nested grid or a window assembly. To make reuse
easier, you can save the element definitions and then assign them to grids,
cells, frames, or mullions as needed.
Element definitions are style-specific. When you create element definitions
for a specific window assembly style, those definitions are available only for
window assemblies of that style. For example, if you define a window assembly infill for one window assembly style, that infill are not available as an
option when you edit a window assembly of a different style.
For information about defining the color, linetype, or layer of window assembly elements, see Modifying the Display of Window Assemblies on page
767.

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Defining Divisions for Window Assembly Grids

The divisions of a grid define the orientation that determines the direction
of the grid cells and mullions and they define a division type that determines
the number and size of cells.

NOTE Creating a nested grid is not a division rule. To create a nested grid, add
a cell assignment. For more information, see Creating a Nested Grid for a Window Assembly on page 758 and Working with Nested Grids in Window
Assemblies on page 733.
You can create a variety of division definitions under different names and
then assign different divisions to each grid in your curtain wall. Although
you can create multiple definitions, there can be only one division assignment per grid. For more information about assigning divisions to a particular
grid, see Assigning Divisions to a Window Assembly Grid on page 756.

NOTE You create division definitions for a specific window assembly style and
those definitions can be assigned only to grids in window assemblies of that
style.

Creating a Division Definition for a Window Assembly

To create a division definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click the New Division icon

6 Type a name for this set of division rules in Name.

7 Select either the vertical orientation icon
tion icon
.

or the horizontal orienta-

8 Select one of the following division types and specify offsets, if needed.

Fixed Cell Dimensions. For more information, see Specifying a Fixed

Size for Cells in a Window Assembly Grid on page 738.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

737

Fixed Number of Cells. For more information, see Specifying a Fixed

Number of Cells for a Window Assembly Grid on page 739.
Manual. For more information, see Manually Defining the Number
and Size of Cells in a Window Assembly Grid on page 740.

After you create a set of division rules, you can assign those rules to a specific grid in a window assembly. For more information, see Assigning
Divisions to a Window Assembly Grid on page 756.
9 When you are finished creating division definitions, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.

Specifying a Fixed Size for Cells in a Window Assembly Grid

You can define a specific size for the cells in a grid. In this case, the number
of cells is determined by the length or height of the grid, depending on the
orientation.
To specify a fixed size for cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition, or click

to create a new one.

6 Select Fixed Cell Dimension as the Division Type.

7 Type a size for the cells in Cell Dimension. If you are defining a vertical
grid, then the cell dimension is the length of the cell from mullion to mullion. If you are defining a horizontal grid, then the cell dimension is the
height of the cell.
8 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Window
Assembly Grid on page 741.

TIP The frame width is calculated as part of the cell size. Therefore, cells
adjacent to the frame can appear to be a different size than the other cells. If
you do not want the frame width included in the cell size, specify an offset for
the grid that is equal to the frame width.

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When you draw a window assembly using a fixed cell dimension, there is
often extra space between the last full-size cell and the end of the window
assembly.
9 To adjust the cells to accommodate this space automatically as you draw
window assemblies, select the Auto-Adjust Cells option.
10 Select the cells that you want to be adjusted.

For horizontal grids, select the bottom, middle, or top icons

For vertical grids, select start, middle, or end icons

You can select any combination of these options. For example, bottom
only, bottom and top, middle and top, and so on.
11 To increase the size of the specified cells to accommodate extra space,
select Grow as the Cell Adjustment. To decrease the size, select Shrink.
12 Click OK, or to make additional adjustments to the division you just
defined, click Convert to Manual Division.
13 To calculate the number of grid lines needed based on the size you specified, type a value for conversion height (for horizontal divisions) or conversion length (for vertical divisions).
The divisions you specified are in a table that you can easily modify.
For information about editing the division after the conversion, see,
Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Window Assembly
Grid on page 740.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your window assembly, see Assigning Divisions to a Window Assembly
Grid.

Specifying a Fixed Number of Cells for a Window Assembly

Grid
You can define a specific number of cells in a grid. In this case, the size of the
cells is determined by the length or height of the grid, depending on the
orientation.
To specify a fixed number of cells
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

739

5 Select a Division definition, or click

to create a new one.

6 Select Fixed Number of Cells as the Division Type.

7 Type the desired number of cells in Number of Cells. If you are defining a
horizontal grid, then you are specifying the number of horizontal cells. If
you are defining a vertical grid, then you are specifying the number of vertical cells.
8 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Window
Assembly Grid on page 741.

TIP The frame width is calculated as part of the cell size. Therefore, cells
adjacent to the frame can appear to be a different size than the other cells. If
you do not want the frame width included in the cell size, specify an offset for
the grid that is equal to the frame width.
9 If you want to make additional adjustments to the grid you just defined,
click Convert to Manual Division and specify a Conversion Height or
Length. For more information see, the next section, Manually Defining
the Number and Size of Cells in a Window Assembly Grid.
10 Click OK or, to make additional adjustments to the division you just
defined, click Convert to Manual Division.
11 To calculate the distance between grid lines based on the number of cells
you specified, type a value for conversion height (for horizontal divisions)
or conversion length (for vertical divisions).
The divisions you specified are in a table that you can easily modify.
For information about editing the division after the conversion, see the
next section Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Window Assembly Grid.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your window assembly, see Assigning Divisions to a Window Assembly
Grid.

Manually Defining the Number and Size of Cells in a Window

Assembly Grid
You can manually add grid lines and specify an offset for each one when you
need to create a unique grid that does not fit into any of the other division
types. You can also start with a fixed cell dimension grid or a fixed number
of cells grid and then manually adjust the grid lines to suit your needs.

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To manually define the number and size of cells

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition, or click

to create a new one.

6 Select Manual as the Division Type.

7 Click the Add Grid line icon to insert a grid line. Insert as many grid lines
as you need. If you need to remove a grid line, select it from the table, and
click the Remove Grid line icon.
8 Under Offset in the grid line table, type an offset distance for each grid
line.
9 Under From in the grid line table, select the grid location from which the
grid line is offset.
10 To specify an offset for the grid, type an offset distance in Start Offset or
End Offset. For more information, see Specifying an Offset for a Window
Assembly Grid on page 741.
11 Click OK when youve completed your manual grid definition.
For information about assigning the division definition to a specific grid
in your window assembly, see Assigning Divisions to a Window Assembly
Grid.

Specifying an Offset for a Window Assembly Grid

By default, grids cells are measured from the start and end points of the window assembly baseline (for horizontal divisions) or from the baseline to the
base height (for vertical divisions). The width of the grid frame is not considered in calculating the size of the cell. For example, if you draw a window
assembly with a 14' baseline and a 1' frame on the left and right and you specify a fixed number of vertical cells, the cells do not appear equal in size. The
first and last cells appear smaller because they include the frame. To make the
cells equal in size, offset the start and end of the grid by the width of the
frame.
To offset the grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

741

2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a Division definition, or click

to create a new one.

6 To offset the grid, type a positive value for any of the following options:

For horizontal grids

Start Offset: The distance between the start point of the window
assembly baseline to the start of the first cell
End Offset: The distance between the end point of the window
assembly baseline to the end of the last cell
For vertical grids
Bottom Offset: The distance between the baseline of the window
assembly to the start of the first cell
Top Offset: The distance between the base height of the window
assembly to the end of the top cell

7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing a Set of Division Rules from a Window Assembly

Style
If you have a set of division rules that you no longer need, you can remove
it from the divisions definitions list. However, you cannot remove a division
definition that is currently assigned to the primary or any nested grid.
To remove a division definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Divisions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select the division definition that you want to remove.
6 Select Remove from the shortcut menu, or click
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Defining Infills for Window Assembly Cells

An infill defines the contents of a window assembly cell. A window assembly
cell can be empty (no infill), it can contain a grid (nested grid), or it can contain one of two infills: a panel or a style. Use the style infill for inserting
doors, windows, and other objects into a window assembly.

NOTE Nested grids and no infill do not require element definitions. These are
options you select when assigning an infill to cell. For information, see Creating
a Nested Grid for a Window Assembly on page 758 and Removing an Infill
from a Window Assembly on page 760.
You can define as many infills as you need and then use cell assignments to
specify the cells that use each infill. There is a default infill, that you can
modify as needed, used for all unassigned cells. For more information about
cell assignments, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Elements
on page 755.

NOTE You create Infill definitions for a specific window assembly style, and
those definitions can be assigned only to grid cells in window assemblies of that
style.

Creating a Panel Infill for a Window Assembly

Use the Simple Panel infill to represent basic cladding materials in the window assembly, such as a stone wall panel, concrete panel, metal panel, or
glazing infill.
To create a panel infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Click

to create a new infill.

6 Type a descriptive name for the infill.

7 Select Simple Panel as the Infill Type.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

743

8 Select an alignment for the infill. For more information, see Specifying
an Alignment for a Window Assembly Infill on page 745.
9 Specify an offset for the infill. For more information, see Specifying an
Offset for a Window Assembly Infill on page 746.
10 Type a thickness for the panel in the Panel Thickness text box.
11 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create an infill definition, you can assign it to any cell in a window assembly grid. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells on page 756.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the Default
Infill are applied to all infills unless you create a Custom Display Component
for each definition. Then you can control the display of each infill definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Window
Assemblies on page 767.

Creating an Infill for Inserting an Object into a Window

Assembly
Use the Style infill to insert objects into a window assembly. You can insert
doors, windows, curtain wall units, and AEC polygons by selecting a specific
style of that object.

TIP After you insert an object in a cell, you can select that object independent
of the grid, and access editing options for the object from the shortcut menu.
To create an infill for inserting an object into a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Click

to create a new infill.

6 Type a descriptive name for the infill.

7 Select Style as the Infill Type.
The right side of the dialog box changes to display a tree view of the object
styles available for insertion into a window assembly.

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8 Select an object style.

There is a unique icon for each type of style. For example, the door style
icon
and the curtain wall unit icon
. These icons also are displayed next to the infill name at the top of the dialog to help you identify
the type of infill.
9 Select an alignment for the infill. For more information, see the next section Specifying an Alignment for a Window Assembly Infill.
10 Specify an offset for the infill. For more information, see Specifying an
Offset for a Window Assembly Infill on page 746.
11 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create an infill definition, you can assign it to any cell in a window assembly grid. For more information, see Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells on page 756.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the Default
Infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. Then you can control the display of each infill definition
indepentdently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Window
Assemblies on page 767.

Specifying an Alignment for a Window Assembly Infill

You can align an infill so that it is centered with the baseline of the window
assembly, in front of the baseline, or behind the baseline. In Plan view, the
front of a window assembly (drawn from left to right) is below the baseline
and the back is above the baseline.

NOTE To move the infill away from the baseline, see Specifying an Offset for
a Window Assembly Infill on page 746.
To specify an alignment for an infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select an infill, or click

to create a new one.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

745

6 Select an alignment: front, center, or back.

7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Specifying an Offset for a Window Assembly Infill

By default, infills are centered on the window assembly baseline. If your
design requires that the infill be aligned with frame edges or some other part
of the window assembly, then you can specify an offset for the infill.
To specify an offset for an infill
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select an infill, or click

to create a new one.

6 Type a distance in the Offset text box. In plan view, positive numbers offset the infill above the baseline and negative numbers offset the infill
below the baseline.
As shown in the following illustrations, the offset is also affected by the
selected alignment for the infill.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing an Infill Definition from a Window Assembly Style

If you have an infill definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Infills definitions list. However, you cannot remove an infill definition that is currently assigned to a cell in the primary or any nested grid. Also,
you cannot remove the default infill definition, but you can modify it as
needed.

NOTE For information about removing an infill from a cell, see Removing an
Infill from a Window Assembly on page 760.
To remove an infill definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.

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3 Click the Design Rules tab.

4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Infills under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded infill definition from the list.
6 Click

to remove the infill definition.

7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Defining Window Assembly Frames

The window assembly frame is represented by the outer edges of the grid. The
overall frame size is determined by the length and height of the window
assembly grid. You can define a frame by specifying a width and depth or by
selecting a profile. For more information about profiles, see Working with
Profiles on page 1656.
You can create as many frame definitions as you want and then assign the
definitions to the frame edges as needed. If you have nested grids, then each
grid has its own frame. There is a default frame definition, that you can modify as needed. Unassigned frame edges are not displayed. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Frames on page 762.

TIP You can copy a mullion definition and use it as a frame definition. Select
the mullion definition and drag it to Frames in the tree on the left side of the dialog box.

NOTE You create frame definitions for a specific window assembly style and
those definitions can be assigned only to frames in window assemblies of that
style.

Defining a Window Assembly Frame by Width and Depth

You can define a frame by specifying its width and depth. The overall frame
size is determined by the length and height of the window assembly grid.
To define a frame by width and depth
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

747

4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Click

to create a new frame definition.

6 Type a descriptive name for the frame.

7 Type a width and depth for the frame.

TIP To remove the frame edge and have the infill adjust to fill the space
occupied by the frame, create a frame definition with both width and depth
set to zero. Then assign that definition to the frame edge that you want to
remove. For more information, see Removing a Frame Edge from a Window
Assembly Grid on page 763.
8 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see Specifying Offsets
for a Window Assembly Frame on page 749.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a frame definition, you can assign it to any frame in a window assembly. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Frames on page 762.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frames unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. Then you can control the display of each frame definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Window
Assemblies on page 767.

Defining a Window Assembly Frame Using a Profile

If you do not want a straight edge to your frame, you can use a profile to
define edges with curves, jags, or any other shape you require.

NOTE The insertion point of the profile is aligned with the centroid of the
frame.
To define a frame using a profile
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.

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4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Click

to create a new frame definition.

6 Type a descriptive name for the frame.

7 Specify a width and depth for the frame edge. These dimensions are used
to calculate the center point of the edge for aligning the profile, and also
to specify a boundary for the adjacent infill.
8 Select Use Profile.

NOTE The Profile options are available only when you have existing profiles. For information about creating a profile, see Working with Profiles on
page 1656.
9 Select a profile from the list.
By default, the profile is inserted using the same width and depth with
which it was created.
10 To adjust the size of the profile to fit within the width or depth dimension
of the frame edge, select Auto-Adjust Profile Width or Depth.
11 To mirror the profile, select to mirror along the X or Y axis.
12 To rotate the profile, type a value in the Rotation text box.
13 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see the next section
Specifying Offsets for a Window Assembly Frame..
14 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a frame definition, you can assign it to any frame in a window assembly. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly Frames on page 762.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frames unless you create a custom display component
for each definition. Then you can control the display of each frame definition
independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Window
Assemblies on page 767.

Specifying Offsets for a Window Assembly Frame

By default, the outside edges of the frame align with start and end of the baseline and the start and end of the base height. When you adjust the width of
the frame, the frame expands inward. However, you can use offsets to expand
or contract the frame away from these default limits or to shift the frame
away from the baseline in either the X or Y direction.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

749

To specify an offset for a window assembly frame

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Select a frame definition from the list.
6 Type an offset distance for Offset Frame in X Direction, Offset Frame in Y
Direction, Offset Frame at Start, or Offset Frame at End.

Offset Frame in X Direction: A positive X offset moves the frame

edge outward beyond the end of the window assembly, while a negative X offset moves the frame edge inward toward the center of the window assembly.
Offset Frame in Y Direction: In plan view, a positive Y offset moves
the frame edge above the baseline, while a negative Y offset moves the
frame below the baseline.
Offset Frame at Start: A negative Start offset lengthens the frame
beyond the start point while a positive Start offset shortens the frame.
The start point for vertical edges, is the baseline, and for horizontal
edges (drawn left to right), it is the left side.
Offset Frame at End: A negative End offset lengthens the frame
beyond the end point while a positive End offset shortens the frame.
The end point for vertical edges, is the base height, and for horizontal
edges (drawn left to right), it is the right side.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a window assembly, select the
window assembly and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near the center of the window assembly and points toward the end of
the window assembly.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Remove a Frame Definition from a Window Assembly Style

If you have a frame definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Frame definitions list. However, you cannot remove a frame definition that is currently assigned to a frame in the primary or any nested grid.
Also, you cannot remove the default frame definition, but you can modify it
as needed.

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NOTE For information about removing a frame edge, see Removing a Frame
Edge from a Window Assembly Grid.
To remove a frame definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Frames under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded frame definition from the list.
6 Click

to remove the frame definition.

7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Defining Window Assembly Mullions

The mullions of a window assembly are the edges between the grid cells. You
can define the mullions by specifying a width and depth or by selecting a
profile. For more information about profiles, see Working with Profiles on
page 1656.
You can create as many mullion definitions as you want and then assign the
definitions to mullions as needed. If you have nested grids, then each grid
has its own mullions. There is a default mullion definition, that you can
modify as needed, used for any unassigned mullions. For more information,
see Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Window Assembly.

TIP You can copy a frame definition and use it as a mullion definition. Select
the frame definition and drag it to Mullions in the tree on the left side of the dialog box.

NOTE You create mullion definitions for a specific window assembly style and
those definitions can be assigned only to mullions in window assemblies of that
style.

Defining Window Assembly Mullions by Width and Depth

You can define mullions by specify a width and a depth.

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751

To define mullions by width and depth

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click

to create a new mullion definition.

6 Type a descriptive name for the mullions.

7 Type a width and depth for the mullions.

TIP To remove mullions for butt glazing, create a definition with both width
and depth set to zero. Then assign that definition to the mullions that you
want to remove. For more information, see Removing Mullions from a Window Assembly Grid on page 765.
8 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see Specifying Offsets
for the Mullions of a Window Assembly on page 754.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a mullion definition, you can assign it to any mullion in
a window assembly. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to
the Mullions of a Window Assembly on page 764.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
mullion are applied to all mullions unless you create a custom display component for each definition. Then you can control the display of each mullion definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of
Window Assemblies on page 767.

Defining Window Assembly Mullions Using a Profile

If you do not want a straight edge to your mullions, you can use a profile to
define mullions with curves, jags, or any other shape you require.

NOTE The insertion point of the profile is aligned with the centroid of the
mullion.

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To define mullions using a profile

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Click

to create a new mullion definition.

6 Type a descriptive name for the mullions.

7 Specify a width and depth for the mullions. These dimensions are used to
calculate the center point of the mullion for aligning the profile, and also
to specify a boundary for the adjacent infill.
8 Select Use Profile.

NOTE The Profile options are available only when you have existing profiles. For information about creating a profile, see Working with Profiles on
page 1656.
9 Select a profile from the list.
By default, the profile is inserted using the same width and depth with
which it was created.
10 To adjust the size of the profile to fit within the width or depth dimension
of the mullion, select Auto-Adjust Profile Width or Depth.
11 To mirror the profile, select to mirror along the X or Y axis.
12 To rotate the profile, type a value in the Rotation text box.
13 Specify any desired offsets. For more information, see the next section
Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Window Assembly.
14 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you create a mullion definition, you can assign it to any mullion in
a window assembly. For more information, see Assigning Definitions to
the Mullions of a Window Assembly on page 764.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
mullion are applied to all mullions unless you create a custom display component for each definition. Then you can control the display of each mullion definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of
Window Assemblies on page 767.

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Specifying Offsets for the Mullions of a Window Assembly

You can define mullions that are offset from the start or end of the window
assembly to lengthen or shorten the edge or offset in the X or Y direction to
shift the edge. For example, you might want to represent butt glazing by offsetting the mullions to be behind glass panel infills.
To specify an offset for the mullions
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under
Element Definitions.
5 Select a mullion definition from the list.
6 Type an offset distance forOffset Mullions in X Direction, Offset Mullions
in Y Direction, Offset Mullions at Start, or Offset Mullions at End.

Offset Mullions in X Direction: For vertical mullions, a positive X

offset moves the mullions toward the end of the window assembly,
while a negative X offset moves the mullions toward the start of the
window. For horizontal mullions, a positive X offset moves the mullions toward the top of the window assembly, while a negative X offset
moves the mullions toward the bottom of the window assembly.
Offset Mullions in Y Direction: In plan view, a positive Y offset
moves the mullion above the baseline, while a negative Y offset moves
the mullion below the baseline.
Offset Mullions at Start: A negative Start offset lengthens the mullions beyond the start point while a positive Start offset shortens the
mullions. The start point for vertical edges, is the baseline, and for horizontal edges (drawn left to right), it is the left side.
Offset Mullions at End: A negative End offset lengthens the mullions beyond the end point while a positive End offset shortens the
mullions. The end point for vertical edges, is the base height, and for
horizontal edges (drawn left to right), it is the right side.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a window assembly, select the
window assembly and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near the center of the window assembly and points toward the end of
the window assembly.

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7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing a Mullion Definition from a Window Assembly Style

If you have a mullion definition that you no longer need, you can remove it
from the Mullions definitions list. You cannot remove a mullion definition
that is currently assigned to a mullion in the primary or any nested grid. Also,
you cannot remove the Default Mullion definition, but you can modify it as
needed.

NOTE For information about removing mullions from between cells, see
Removing Mullions from a Window Assembly Grid on page 765.
To remove a mullion definition
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select Mullions under Element Definitions.
5 Select the unneeded mullion definition from the list.
6 Click

to remove the mullion definition.

7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly

Elements
After youve created element definitions for a window assembly style, you
can assign those definitions to each of the window assembly element types:
divisions, cell infills, frames, and mullions.
By default, one definition is assigned to all elements of a particular type.
However, you can assign definitions to individual elements as well. For
example, all cells in the grid are assigned the default infill. But you can create
a new cell assignment, select a different infill, and then Specify the cells to
use that infill.
For more information about element definitions, see Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style on page 736.

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Assigning Divisions to a Window Assembly Grid

Divisions define the grid orientation (direction of the grid cells and mullions)
and the division type (number and size of cells).
After you define a division, you can assign it to the primary grid or to nested
grids. Nested grids are created by selecting Nested Grid as the cell assignment.
For more information, see Working with Nested Grids in Window Assemblies on page 733.
To assign divisions to a grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid you want
to assign rules to. The name of the grid you select is displayed in the table
under the Division Assignment row.

TIP To rename a grid select it, select Rename from the shortcut menu, and
type a new name.
5 Click the Element column for that grid and select a division definition
from the list. To create a new division definition, click
, and then
define the division in the fields below the assignment list.
6 Click OK.

Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells

An infill defines the contents of a window assembly cell. A window assembly
cell can be empty (none), it can contain a grid (nested grid), or it can contain
one of two infills: a panel or a style. The style infill is for inserting doors, windows, and other objects into a window assembly.
A cell assignment defines the infill definition used for cells. You can use one
cell assignment to assign the same infill to all cells, or you can create multiple
cell assignments to assign different infills to different cells.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the same cell. If you do, the last definition assigned to the cell is used.

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There is a default cell assignment used by all unassigned cells. You can modify the default assignment to be any type of infill, but you cannot delete the
default cell assignment.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
infill are applied to all infills unless you create a custom display component for
each definition. Then you can control the display of each infill definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Window Assemblies on page 767.

Adding a New Cell Assignment to a Window Assembly Grid

To assign different infills to different cells, you need multiple cell assignments.
To add a new cell assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new cell assignment.
5 Click

, to create a new cell assignment.

A new cell assignment is displayed in the list of cell assignments.

6 Click the text New Cell Assignment and type a descriptive name for the
assignment.
7 Under the Element column, select an infill definition that you created or
select Nested Grid, Default Infill, None as the Infill, or New Infill.

Nested Grid: Fill specified cells with additional divisions. For more
information, see Creating a Nested Grid for a Window Assembly.
Default Infill: Fill specified cells with the default infill. By default,
any cell without an assignment uses the default infill.
None as the Infill: Remove the infill from the specified cells. Also
removes any frame edges adjacent to the cell. For more information,
see Removing an Infill from a Window Assembly.
New Infill: Create a new infill definition for the specified cells. For
more information, see Defining Infills for Window Assembly Cells.

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8 Specify the cells to use this cell assignment. For more information, see
Specifying Which Window Assembly Cells Use a Cell Assignment on
page 760.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Creating a Nested Grid for a Window Assembly

A nested grid is a grid within a grid. Each nested grid has its own division
rules, cell assignments, frame, and mullions. By default, the frame is off for
nested grids.
For more information, see Working with Nested Grids in Window Assemblies on page 733.
To create a nested grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a nested grid.
5 Select an existing cell assignment, or click

to create a new one.

6 Select Nested Grid in the Element column.

A new grid is added to the list of grids in the tree view to the left of the
dialog box. If you are editing the primary grid, then the new grid is added
at the secondary level. If you are editing a grid at the secondary level, then
the additional grid is placed at the tertiary level.

NOTE To rename a grid select it from the assignment list or the tree, select
Rename from the shortcut menu, and type a new name.
7 Specify the cells to contain this nested grid. For more information, see
Specifying Which Window Assembly Cells Use a Cell Assignment on
page 760.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Filling a Window Assembly Cell with a Simple Panel

Simple panels are generally used to represent basic cladding materials in the
window assembly, such as a stone wall panel or a concrete panel.

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To assign a simple panel to a cell

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to assign a simple panel.
5 Click
to create a new cell assignment, and select an infill that defines
a simple panel.
If you do not have a simple panel infill defined, then select New Infill and
define one. For more information, see Creating a Panel Infill for a Window Assembly on page 743.
6 Specify the cells to contain this simple panel. For more information, see
Specifying Which Window Assembly Cells Use a Cell Assignment on
page 760.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Inserting an Object into a Window Assembly Cell

Window assembly cells can contain doors, windows, curtain wall units, and
AEC Polygons.

TIP After you insert an object in a cell, you can select that object independent
of the grid, and access editing options for the object from the shortcut menu.
For more information, see Editing Objects Anchored in Window Assemblies on
page 799.
To insert an object into a cell
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to insert objects.
5 Click
to create a new cell assignment, and select an infill that defines
an object style.

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759

If you do not have an object style infill defined, then select New Infill and
define one. For more information, see Creating an Infill for Inserting an
Object into a Window Assembly on page 744.
6 Specify the cells to contain this object. For more information, see Specifying Which Window Assembly Cells Use a Cell Assignment on page 760.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing an Infill from a Window Assembly

To remove the infill of a cell and leave the cell empty, use None as the element definition. Using None also removes any frame edges that border the
cell, but it does not affect the mullions.
To remove the infill of a cell
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid that contains the cells you want to assign to None.
5 Select an existing cell assignment, or click

to create a new one.

6 Select None under the Element column.

7 Specify the cells to contain the None infill. For more information, see
Specifying Which Window Assembly Cells Use a Cell Assignment on
page 760.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Specifying Which Window Assembly Cells Use a Cell

Assignment
When you create a cell assignment you need to specify the cells in the grid
to use that assignment. There are two options for selecting cells: Location
and Index.
Use Location to insert the infill into the start, middle, or end cells of a vertical
grid or into the bottom, middle, or top cells of a horizontal grid. If there is
an even number of cells (four or more), then Middle refers to the two cells in
the middle of the grid. If there is an odd number of cells (three or more), then
middle refers to one cell in the middle of the grid.

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Use Index to insert the infill into specific cells based on cell numbers. Cells
are numbered from left to right or bottom to top. For example, typing 1, 2, 3
would place the infill in the first, second and third cells.
To specify the cells to use a cell assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Select an existing cell assignment, or click

to create a new one.

6 Under the Type column, select Location or Index.

7 If you selected Location, click the Used In column, then click the button
at the far right of the row to display the Cell Location Assignment dialog
box. Select the cells you want to use this assignment, then click OK.
If you selected Index, type the cell numbers separated by commas in the
Used In column. For vertical grids, cells are numbers start to end and for
horizontal grids, cells are number from bottom to top.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to a cell. If you do, the last definition assigned to the cell is used.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
Any cells that are not assigned a specific cell assignment use the default
infill.

Removing a Window Assembly Assignment

You can remove cell assignments, frame assignments, and mullion assigments. You cannot remove default assignments, but you can modify them to
suit your needs.

NOTE Each grid requires one, and only one, division assignment, therefore
you cannot add or remove the division assignment.
To remove an assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.

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761

2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid from which
you want to remove an assignment.
5 Select a cell assignment, frame assignment, or a mullion assignment.
6 Click

to remove the assignment.

7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly

Frames
The window assembly frame is represented by the outer edges of the grid.
Each nested grid has its own frame that is defined separately from the primary grid frame. By default, nested grid frames are turned off. For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Window
Assemblies on page 733.
A frame assignment defines the definition used by each frame edge. You can
use one frame assignment to assign the same definition to all four edges of
the frame, or you can create multiple frame assignments to assign different
definitions to different edges of the frame.
Do not assign multiple definitions to the frame edge. If you do, the last definition assigned to the edge is used.
There is a default frame assignment and you can select the frame edges it
applies to. Unassigned edges are not displayed. You can modify the default
assignment to use any frame definition, but you cannot delete the default
frame assignment.

NOTE The layer, color, linetype, and other display properties of the default
frame are applied to all frame edges unless you create a custom display component for each definition. Then you can control the display of each frame definition independently. For more information, see Modifying the Display of Window Assemblies on page 767.

Adding a New Frame Assignment to a Window Assembly Grid

To assign different definitions to different frame edges, you need multiple
frame assignments.

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To add a new frame assignment

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new frame assignment.
5 Click

to add a new frame assignment.

A new frame assignment is displayed in the list of frame assignments.

6 Click New Frame Assignment and type a descriptive name for the assignment.
7 Select a frame definition from the Element column.

TIP You can create a frame definition by selecting New from the Element
list.
8 Specify the sides of the frame to use this frame assignment. For more information, see Specifying Which Edges Use a Window Assembly Frame
Assignment on page 764.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing a Frame Edge from a Window Assembly Grid

There are three ways to remove a frame edge from a window assembly:

Set the width and depth of the edge to zero.

Leave the edge unassigned.
Specify None as an override to the edge assignment.

The first two methods remove the frame edge and expand the adjacent infills
into the space occupied by the edge.
By specifying None as an override, the frame edge is not displayed, but the
adjacent infill is not expanded into the space the edge occupied.
For information about setting the width and depth to zero, see Defining a
Window Assembly Frame by Width and Depth on page 747.
For information about leaving the edge unassigned, see Specifying Which
Edges Use a Window Assembly Frame Assignment on page 764.

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763

For information about overriding the edge, see Overriding a Window

Assembly Edge Assignment on page 781.

Specifying Which Edges Use a Window Assembly Frame

Assignment
When you create a frame assignment, you need to specify the edges of the
frame to use that assignment.
To specify the frame sides to use a frame assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Select an existing assignment, or click
ment.

to add a new frame assign-

Location is the only way to specify the frames used for this assignment.
6 Click the Used In column, then click the button at the far right of the row
to display the Frame Location Assignment dialog box.
7 Select the edges that you want to use this assignment: Left, Right, Top, or
Bottom.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to the same frame edge. If you do,
the last definition assigned to the edge is used.
8 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.
Frame edges that are not assigned a frame definition are not displayed.

Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a

Window Assembly
The mullions of a window assembly are the edges between the grid cells. Each
nested grid has its own mullions that are defined separately from the primary
grid. For more information about nested grids, see Working with Nested
Grids in Window Assemblies on page 733.
A mullion assignment defines the definition used by each mullion. You can
use one assignment to define all mullions, or you can create multiple assignments and assign different definitions to different mullions.

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Do not assign multiple definitions to the same mullion. If you do, the last
definition assigned to the mullion is used.
There is a default mullion assignment used by all unassigned mullions. You
can modify the default assignment to be any mullion definition, but you
cannot delete the default mullion assignment.

Adding a New Mullion Assignment to a Window Assembly

Grid
To add a new mullion assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to create a new mullion assignment.
5 Click

to add a new mullion assignment.

A new mullion assignment is displayed in the list of mullion assignments.

6 Click New Mullion Assignment and type a descriptive name for the assignment.
7 Select a mullion definition from the Element column.

TIP You can create a mullion definition by selecting New from the Element
list.
8 Specify the mullions to use this assignment. For more information, see
Specifying Which Window Assembly Mullions Use an Assignment on
page 766.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing Mullions from a Window Assembly Grid

If you want to remove a mullion from the window assembly, set the edge
width and depth to zero. Adjacent infill expands to fill in the space that was
occupied by the mullion. This is an effective way to represent butt glazing.
To remove a mullion from a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.

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2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select the grid in which
you want to remove a mullion.
5 Click
to create a new mullion assignment. Type 0 (zero) as the width
and depth. For more information, see Defining Window Assembly Mullions by Width and Depth on page 751.
6 Specify the mullions to use the zero width and depth definition. For more
information, see Specifying Which Window Assembly Mullions Use an
Assignment on page 766.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Specifying Which Window Assembly Mullions Use an

Assignment
When you create a mullion assignment you need to specify the mullions in
the grid to use that assignment. There are two options for selecting mullions:
Location and Index.
Use Location to assign a definition to the start, middle, or end mullions of a
vertical grid or the bottom, middle, or top mullions of a horizontal grid. If
there is an even number of mullions (four or more), then Middle refers to the
two mullions in the middle of the grid. If there is an odd number of mullions
(three or more), then middle refers to one mullion in the middle of the grid.
Use Index to assign a definition to specific mullions based on mullion numbers. Mullions are numbered from left to right or bottom to top. For example,
typing 1, 2, 3 would assign the definition to the first, second, and third mullions.
To specify the mullions used an assignment
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Design Rules tab.
4 From the tree on the left side of the dialog box, select a grid.
5 Select an existing mullion assignment, or click
6 Under the Type column, select Location or Index.

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to create a new one.

7 If you selected Location, click the Used In column, then click the button
at the far right of the row to display the Mullion Location Assignment dialog box. Select the cells you want to use this assignment, then click OK.
If you selected Index, type the mullion numbers separated by commas in
the Used In column. For vertical grids, mullions are numbers start to end
and for horizontal grids, mullions are number from bottom to top.

NOTE Do not assign multiple definitions to the same mullion. If you do, the
last definition assigned to the mullion is used.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
Any mullions that are not assigned a specific mullion assignment use the
default mullion definition.

Modifying the Display of Window Assemblies

The display of a window assembly object depends on the direction from
which you view the window assembly. In plan view, the window assembly
object is displayed as parallel lines with vertices marking the grid lines, as an
architect would typically draw a window assembly. In 3D view, the window
assembly object is displayed as it would appear in the real world, with surfaces showing length, thickness, and height. You control what you want to
display in each particular view.
By default, the display of all infills, frames, and mullions are controlled by
the display properties of the default infill, default frame, and default mullion.
However, you can add individual element definitions as components with
separate display properties. For example, if you define two infills called stone
panel and glass panel, by default they are both controlled by the same default
infill display properties. But you can add each definition as a new display
component and then control the display properties separately.
For more information about the display system, see Display System on
page 99.

Adding Window Assembly Element Definitions as Display

Components
Before you can control the display of window assembly elements according
to the definition assigned to the element, you must create display components for each element definition.

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767

To add a window assembly element definition as new display component

1 Select a window assembly, and choose Edit Window Assembly Style from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
3 Click Edit Display Props.
4 Click the Custom Model Components tab, then click Add.

NOTE If you select the Custom Plan Component tab, the Custom Display
Component dialog box is similar, except that you do not specify the Z insertion point and Z offset for the custom graphic.
5 Select Infill, Frame, or Mullion as the element type.
6 Select the specific element from the list.
7 Click OK.
8 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
The element definition that you added is displayed.
9 Click the Custom Model Components tab to continue adding element
definitions, or click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Modifying the Display of Window Assembly Elements

You can change the display properties of the elements in one window assembly or for a group of window assemblies.
To set the display properties of the elements in a window assembly
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Edit Window Assembly Style from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
3 Optionally, select a different representation for the window assembly style
from the list. The current viewport display is the default display representation. An asterisk (*) is displayed next to the default.
4 Do any of the following:

768

Select the window assembly style from the property source, and click
Attach Override to change how the object is displayed in the current
viewport in the drawing.

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NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation for the drawing.
When a Display Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word
Overridden is displayed in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display for the representation of the window assembly style. This includes the visibility, layer,
color, and linetype. To edit each property, click its field. These changes
are only for the window assembly style.
Click Edit Display Properties, then the Hatching tab to set what hatch
is displayed in each display representation for the window assembly
style. The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations, such as Plan. For more information, see Creating and Editing
Display Systems on page 121.

5 Click OK to set the display for the window assembly style.

Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Window Assembly Element

To set the hatch pattern for a window assembly element
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Edit Window Assembly Style from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
3 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations,

such as Plan.
4 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Hatching tab to set the
hatch to be displayed in each display representation for the window
assembly style.
5 Select a hatch to change in the Pattern list.
6 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

Working with Window Assembly Styles

769

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, turn Double Hatch on or
off.

7 Click OK.
8 Click Scale/Spacing to change the value for the selected component.
9 Click Angle to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
10 Click Orientation to change from making the change global or for the
selected object.
11 When you finish changing the window assembly style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Window

Assembly
There may be instances where an infill, frame, or mullion requires a custom
2D or 3D graphic. For example, you might need a highly detailed threedimensional truss as the mullions or a decorative light fixture applied to an
infill. In cases like these, you can create a custom block, add a display component with the block attached, and associate that component with an element definition. When you assign that definition to an element, the block is
also displayed.
To create a custom window assembly component
1 Draw your custom component and save it as a block.
2 Select a window assembly, and choose Edit Window Assembly Style from
the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Display Props tab.
4 Click Edit Display Props.
5 Click the Custom Model Component tab in the Entity Properties dialog
box.
6 Click Add.
7 Select Infill, Frame, or Mullion as the element type.
8 Select the specific element from the list.
9 Select Draw Custom Graphics.

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10 To display the block instead of the associated window assembly element,

select Replace Graphics. If you want to superimposed the block over the
window assembly element so that both are displayed, then do not select
Replace Graphics.
11 Click Select Block and select the custom block that you created.
12 Click OK to return to the Custom Display Component dialog box.
13 To scale the Block to fit a particular dimension, select Width, Height, or
Depth. To prevent the block from losing its proportions, select Lock XY
Ratio.
14 If you want to mirror the block, determine whether it should mirror in the
X, Y, or Z direction.
15 Specify how the block is inserted into the grid in the X, Y, and Z direction.
16 If you want to offset the block from the grid, specify the offset in the X, Y,
or Z directions.
17 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Creating Cut Planes for Window Assemblies

To better visualize the elements of a window assembly in plan view, you can
create cut planes.
To set the hatch pattern for a window assembly element
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Edit Window Assembly Style from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box, click the Display
Props tab.
3 Select Plan as the display representation.

NOTE The Cut Plane tab is displayed only in some display representations,
such as Plan.
4 Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Cut Plane tab to set the
cut plane to be displayed in each display representation for the window
assembly style.
5 Type a height in Cut Plane Height to specify the cut plane where hatching
takes effect.
6 To add a cut plane, click Add.
If you add a cut plane at a height lower than the Cut Plane Height, objects
are displayed using the properties specified for the Below component on
the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.

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If you add a cut plane at a height higher than the Cut Plane Height,
objects are displayed using the properties specified for the Above component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Setting Default Dimensions for a Window

Assembly Style
You can set default dimensions for each window assembly style and decide
whether you want to use those defaults when you draw a window assembly.
In the Add Window Assembly dialog box, there is an option to Use Style
Defaults. If you select this option, then the window assembly is drawn using
the defaults that you specified in the window assembly style.
To set the default dimensions for a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select the style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Defaults tab.
4 To define a default, select the option and then type a value to the right of
it. You can define defaults for Height, Width, and Rise.
Height: The distance from the baseline to the top of the window assembly including any rise.
Width: The distance from the start point to the end point along the baseline of the window assembly.
Rise: The distance from the base height to the top of the window assembly.
5 Click OK to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Assembly

Style
To attach notes and files to a window assembly style
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.

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2 With the window assembly style type selected, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box, click the General
tab.
4 To add a description to the window assembly style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the window assembly style, or to attach, edit, or detach
a reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data to Object Styles and Definitions and Editing Schedule Data.
9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Managing Window Assembly Styles

When you import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The
Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting Started with
the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating a New Window Assembly Style

You can create a new window assembly style. After you create the new window assembly style, you can edit the style properties of the window assembly.
To create a new window assembly style
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.

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2 Select Window Assembly Styles, and choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new window assembly style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new window assembly style, select the
style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box is displayed. From this
dialog box, you can:

Define defaults. For more information, see Setting Default Dimensions for a Window Assembly Style on page 772.
Create elements within a window assembly. For more information, see
Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style on page
736.
Define display properties. For more information, see Modifying the
Display of Window Assemblies on page 767.
Attach notes. For more information, see Attaching Notes and Files to
a Window Assembly Style on page 772.

5 When you finish changing the window assembly style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Window Assembly Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new window assembly style from a style in the current
drawing.
To create a new window assembly style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Under Window Assembly Styles, select an existing style to copy, and
choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select Paste from the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, choose Rename from the shortcut
menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new window assembly style, select the
style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box is displayed. From this
dialog box, you can:

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Define defaults. For more information, see Setting Default Dimensions for a Window Assembly Style on page 772.
Create elements within a window assembly. For more information, see
Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style on page
736.
Define display properties. For more information, see Modifying the
Display of Window Assemblies on page 767.
Attach notes. For more information, see Attaching Notes and Files to
a Window Assembly Style on page 772

6 When you finish changing the window assembly style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Window Assembly Style

You can delete window assembly styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused window assembly style, or all window assembly styles in your drawing.
To purge a window assembly style
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused window assembly style in your current drawing, select the style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Purge
from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused window assembly styles in your current drawing, select the Window Assembly Style type, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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775

Importing Window Assembly Styles

You can copy window assembly styles from an existing drawing and use
them in your current drawing. You can manage all your object styles more
efficiently by storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them
into new drawings.
To import a window assembly style
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the window assembly style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Window Assembly Styles to display the window assembly styles in the drawing.
5 Select the window assembly style that you want to copy, and drag it over
the name of the current drawing in the tree.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names is displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select Leave Existing, Overwrite
Existing, or Rename to Unique.
Leave Existing: To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the
new style of the same name.
Overwrite Existing: To replace the existing style in the drawing with
the new style.
Rename to Unique: To rename the new style so both styles exist in the
drawing. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Window Assembly Styles to a New Drawing

You can copy window assembly styles from your current drawing to a new
drawing.

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To export a window assembly style to a new drawing

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the window assembly style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing.
5 Drag the style over the name of the new drawing in the tree.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Window Assembly Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy window assembly styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a window assembly style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the window assembly style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing.
5 Drag the style over the name of the second drawing in the tree.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select Leave Existing, Overwrite
Existing, or Rename to Unique.
Leave Existing: To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the
new style of the same name.

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Overwrite Existing: To replace the existing style in the drawing with

the new style.
Rename to Unique: To rename the new style so both styles exist in the
drawing. New style names are appended with a number in the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Modifying the Elements in a Window

Assembly
After youve created a window assembly, you can modify the divisions, cells,
frames, and mullions in one of three ways:

Override: The quickest and easiest way to assign a different definition to

a single cell or edge without affecting the design rules. For example, if
there is a cell with a simple panel infill and you want to insert a door in
that cell without affecting the other cells in the grid, then you should use
Override. The door infill must already be defined in the style.
Edit in Place: The best way to experiment with changing the components of a selected window assembly without changing the window
assembly style. You can create and modify element definitions and make
new assignments. When you have finished, you can update the style with
your changes, create a new style, discard your changes, or leave the
changes to the window assembly.
Edit Window Assembly Style: The easiest way to make specific
changes to all window assemblies of a specific style. For example, if youve
defined a window assembly style that alternates cell infills between windows and panels and you decide to use windows in all cells, then you can
edit the window assembly style and change the cell assignment from the
panel infill to the window infill.

These modification methods are identical to the curtain wall methods. For
more information, see Modifying the Elements in a Curtain Wall on page
477 or Modifying Window Assembly Styles in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in

Window Assemblies
Using the Override options, you can merge cells, assign a different definition
to a selected cell, frame, or mullion, and assign a profile to a frame or mullion
edge. The definition or profile must already exist before you can use it as an
override.

NOTE You cannot modify a definition using the Override method. For information about modifying definitions, see Using Edit in Place with Window
Assemblies on page 783 or Modifying Window Assembly Styles on page 790.
Overrides do not affect the window assembly design rules. However, you can
transfer overrides to a window assembly style when you want all window
assemblies of that style to have the same overrides.
You can view a list of overrides that are currently assigned to a window
assembly from the Overrides tab of the Window Assembly Properties dialog
box. For more information, see Removing Window Assembly Overrides on
page 782.

NOTE Overrides are also listed on the Overrides tab in the Window Assembly
Style Properties dialog box.

Turning on Cell Markers for a Window Assembly

Before you can select a cell to merge or override an assignment, you need to
turn on the cell markers. A cell marker is displayed in the center of each cell
and acts as a selection point for the cell. The cell marker changes depending
on the direction of the grid and the cell assignment.

Horizontal grids: The cell marker points upward to indicate that cells
are numbered from the bottom to the top.
Vertical grids: The cell marker points to the right to indicate that cells
are numbered from left to right.
Cells assigned a nested grid: The grid icon is used as the cell marker.
Cells assigned any type of infill: The panel infill icon is used as the
cell marker.
When working with nested grids, each grid has its own set of cell markers.
And because the cell markers from different grid levels can overlap, you need
to specify the grid level you want the markers in. The primary grid is the first
level and any grids nested within the primary grid are second level grids.
Grids nested in the second level are third level grids, and so on. For more

Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly

779

information about nested grids, see Working with Nested Grids in Window
Assemblies on page 733.
To turn on cell markers
1 Select a window assembly and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers and one of the following options:

TIP To change the size of the cell markers, go to the Display Props tab on the
Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box. Click Edit Display Props, and
select the Custom Model Components tab. Type a new size for the cell markers.

Merging Two Window Assembly Cells

You can merge cells to customize the grid as needed.
To merge cells
1 Select a window assembly and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers and select the grid level of the cells you want to merge.
For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Window Assembly on page 779.
3 Select Overrides Merge Cells from the shortcut menu.
4 Select the first cell.
5 Select the second cell.

Overriding a Window Assembly Cell Assignment

You can select a different infill definition for a selected cell by using a cell
assignment override.

NOTE If you want to assign a grid to a cell that currently has an infill, turn on
Edit in Place and then use Modify Cell Assignment. For more information, see
Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies on page 783.
To override a cell assignment
1 Select a window assembly and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Cell Markers and select the grid level of the cell you want to edit.
For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Window Assembly on page 779.
3 Select Overrides Override Cell Assignment.
4 Select a cell.

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A list of infill definitions is displayed.

5 Type the number that corresponds to the infill you want or type none to
remove the infill and the cell edges.

Overriding a Window Assembly Edge Assignment

You can select a different element definition for a selected frame edge or mullion by using an edge assignment override.
To override an edge assignment
1 Select a window assembly and display the shortcut menu.
2 Select Overrides Override Edge Assignment.
3 Select a frame edge or a mullion.
If you selected a frame edge, a list of frame definitions is displayed.
If you selected a mullion, a list of mullion definitions is displayed.
4 Type the number that corresponds to the definition that you want or type
none to remove the edge.

NOTE Removing the edge does not affect the width of the cell. To remove
the edge and have the adjacent cell resize, create an edge definition with a
width and depth of zero. For more information, see Defining a Window
Assembly Frame by Width and Depth on page 747 or Defining Window
Assembly Mullions by Width and Depth on page 751.

Overriding a Window Assembly Edge Profile

You can assign a profile to any vertical edgeframe or mullion. The profile
can be an AEC profile or any closed polyline that you specify. You can use a
profile edge to create a unique corner in situations where a simple miter is
not sufficient.
To override an edge profile
1 Draw a closed polyline in plan view in the location where you want it to
display in the window assembly.
2 Select a window assembly and display the shortcut menu.
3 Select Overrides Override Edge Profile.
4 Select a vertical frame edge or a vertical mullion.
5 Select the closed polyline you just drew, or press ENTER and select an
AEC profile from the list displayed.
6 If you selected the closed polyline, type a name for this profile.

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781

7 If you selected an AEC profile, the profile insertion point is aligned with
the center of the edge that was overwritten. Any adjacent infills are
trimmed to accommodate the new edge.

NOTE Adjacent infills are not trimmed or expanded to accommodate the

new edge. To adjust the infill, change the width of the frame edge. For more
information, see Defining a Window Assembly Frame by Width and Depth
on page 747.

Changing a Window Assembly Style to Incorporate Overrides

By default, overrides do not affect window assembly styles. However, there
might be circumstances when you want to apply your overrides to all window assemblies of the same style. Then, you can incorporate the overrides
into the window assembly style.
You can view a list of overrides currently assigned to a window assembly from
the Overrides tab of the Window Assembly Properties dialog box. For more
information, see Removing Window Assembly Overrides on page 782.
To incorporate overrides into a window assembly style
1 Select the window assembly that has the overrides and select Edit in Place
from the shortcut menu. For more information about Edit in Place, see
Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies on page 783.
2 Select the window assembly again, and, from the shortcut menu, select
Edit in Place Save changes.
3 Select an existing style or create a new one.
4 Select the type of overrides that you want to transfer to the window assembly style.
5 Click OK.
To see a list of the overrides that are now assigned to the window assembly
style, go to the Overrides tab of the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box.

Removing Window Assembly Overrides

To remove an override from a window assembly cell or edge
1 Select the window assembly, and choose Window Assembly Properties
from the shortcut menu.
To remove the override from all window assemblies of the same style,
select Edit Window Assembly Style instead.

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2 Click Overrides.
3 Select an override from the list, and click Remove.
4 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies

Use Edit in Place to edit a window assembly without modifying all window
assemblies that share the same style. In this way, you can experiment with
changes to a single window assembly without constantly updating the entire
building with each design modification. When you settle on a design that
works, you can save the changes to the window assembly style and update all
the window assemblies of that style. You can also choose to discard your
changes or leave the window assembly as is without updating the style. Until
you save or discard the changes, Edit in Place remains active for that window
assembly.

NOTE Changes made with Edit in Place affect only the currently selected window assembly. Although you can leave a window assembly in Edit in Place and
select a different window assembly, changes you make to the second window
assembly do not affect the first window assembly.
When you turn Edit in Place on, the following options are added to the shortcut menu:
In addition, a Design Rules tab is added to the Window Assembly Properties
dialog box. Ordinarily, the Design Rules tab is available only from the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box.

Turning on Edit in Place for a Window Assembly

To turn on Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly.
2 Select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.

Modifying Window Assembly Element Definitions Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, an Element Definitions menu is added to the window assembly shortcut menu. From this menu, you can create and modify
division rules, infill definitions, frame definitions, and mullion definitions
by accessing the Design Rules tab of the Window Assembly Properties dialog
box.

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783

NOTE The Design Rules tab is available only from the Window Assembly Properties dialog box when Edit in Place is active.
To modify element definitions while using Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Element Definitions from the
shortcut menu.
2 Select one of the following options:

Divisions. For more information, see Defining Divisions for Window

Assembly Grids on page 737.
Infills. For more information, see Defining Infills for Window Assembly Cells on page 743.
Frames. For more information, see Defining Window Assembly
Frames on page 747.
Mullions. For more information, see Defining Window Assembly Mullions on page 751.

Modifying Window Assembly Assignments Using Edit in Place

While using Edit in Place, an Assignments menu is added to the window
assembly shortcut menu. From this menu, you can create and remove cell,
frame, and mullion assignments. You can also modify assignments by selecting a new element definition or changing the specific elements the definition is assigned to.
You specify the assignment changes on the command line so that you can
easily select cells and edges from the drawing.

NOTE If you want to use the Design Rules tab to make these changes, instead
of the command line, then select Window Assembly Properties from the shortcut
menu.

Adding a Cell Assignment to a Window Assembly Style Using

Edit in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can create new cell assignments for any grid
in the window assembly. When you create the assignment, you can use the
cursor to select from the window assembly the cells that you want to use this
assignment.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells on page 756.

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To add a cell assignment while using Edit in Place

1 Select a window assembly.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to add the assignment to. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Window Assembly on page 779.
3 Select Assignments Add Cell Assignment from the window assembly
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell marker to specify the grid you want to add the assignment to.
Each window assembly grid has its own assignments.
5 Type one of the following:

Index, and then type pick and use your pointing device to select the
cells that you want to use this assignment, then press ENTER.
Location, and specify whether the new assignment is to be used in the
start cell, middle cell, or end cell of the selected grid.

NOTE If you are adding an assignment to a vertical grid, you are prompted
to assign the grid to the bottom, middle, or top cells.
6 To insert a nested grid in the selected cells, type grid. Then specify a vertical or horizontal division.
To insert an infill, type infill and then type the number associated with the
infill definition that you want.

Removing a Cell Assignment from a Window Assembly Style

Using Edit in Place
While using Edit in Place, you can remove a cell assignment that you no
longer need. Any cells using that assignment use the default cell assignment
instead.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells on page 756.
To remove a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly.

Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly

785

2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to remove the
assignment from. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for
a Window Assembly on page 779.
3 Select Assignments Remove Cell Assignment from the window assembly shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell that has the assignment you want to remove.
The cell assignment is removed and all cells using that assignment are
assigned the default cell assignment instead.
If you selected a cell that was already using the default cell assignment, a
message is displayed indicating that you cannot remove the default
assignment. For information about modifying the default assignment, see
Defining Infills for Window Assembly Cells on page 743.

Modifying a Window Assembly Cell Assignment Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, you can modify cell assignments for any grid in
the window assembly. When you modify the assignment, you can use the
cursor to select from the window assembly the cells that you want to use this
assignment.
For more information about cell assignments, see Assigning Infills to Window Assembly Cells on page 756.
To modify a cell assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly.
2 Turn on the cell markers for the grid level that you want to add the assignment to. For more information, see Turning on Cell Markers for a Window Assembly on page 779.
3 Select Assignments Modify Cell Assignment from the window assembly
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
4 Select a cell marker that has the assignment you want to modify.
5 To change the cells are using in this assignment, type used.

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To specify the contents of the cell (infill or grid), type element.

NOTE If you select a cell that is using the default cell assignment, you are
not prompted to choose between Used In or Element. You cannot change the
cells used the default assignment, because all unassigned cells use the default
cell assignment.
6 If you selected Used In, type

Index, and then type pick and use the cursor to select the cells that you
want to use this assignment.
Location, and specify whether the new assignment is used in the start
cell, middle cell, or end cell (for horizontal grids) or the bottom, middle, or top cell (for vertical grids).

If you selected Element, type

Grid to change the assignment to include a nested grid and specify a

vertical or horizontal division.
Infill to change the assignment to include an infill, then type the number associated with the infill definition that you want.

Adding a Window Assembly Edge Assignment using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, you can create new assignments for frame edges or
mullion edges. When you create an assignment, you can use the cursor to
select from the window assembly the edges that you want to use this assignment.
For more information about frame and mullion assignments, see Assigning
Definitions to Window Assembly Frames on page 762 and Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Window Assembly on page 764.
To add an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly.
2 Select Assignments Add Edge Assignment from the window assembly
shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.

Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly

787

3 Select an edge to specify the grid you want to add the assignment to. Each
window assembly grid has its own assignments.
4 Type one of the following:

Index, and then type pick and use the cursor to select the mullions that
you want to use this assignment, then press ENTER.
Location, and specify the edge to use in the new assignment. If you
selected a frame edge in step 3, then you are prompted for left, right,
top, and bottom edges. If you selected a mullion, you are prompted for
start, middle, or end (for horizontal grids) or bottom, middle or top (for
vertical grids).

5 Type the number associated with the edge definition that you want.

Removing a Window Assembly Edge Assignment Using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, you can remove a frame edge or mullion edge
assignment that you no longer need. Any edges using the assignment you
remove use the default frame or mullion assignment instead.
For more information about frame and mullion assignments, see Assigning
Definitions to Window Assembly Frames on page 762 and Assigning Definitions to the Mullions of a Window Assembly on page 764.
To remove an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly.
2 Select Assignments Remove Edge Assignment from the window assembly shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge that has the assignment you want to remove.
The edge assignment is removed and all edges using that assignment are
assigned the default assignment instead.
If you selected an edge that was already using the default cell assignment,
a message is displayed indicating that you cannot remove the default
assignment. For information about modifying the default assignment, see
Defining Window Assembly Frames on page 747 or Defining Window
Assembly Mullions on page 751.

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Modifying a Window Assembly Edge Assignment using Edit in

Place
While using Edit in Place, you can modify frame edge and mullion edge
assignments for any grid in the window assembly. When you modify the
assignment, you can use the cursor to select from the window assembly the
edges that you want to use this assignment.
For more information about edge assignments, see Assigning Definitions to
Window Assembly Frames on page 762 and Assigning Definitions to the
Mullions of a Window Assembly on page 764.
To modify an edge assignment while using Edit in Place
1 Select a window assembly.
2 Select Assignments Modify Edge Assignment from the window assembly shortcut menu.

NOTE If you do not see Assignments in the shortcut menu, then Edit in
Place is not active. To activate it, select Edit in Place from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an edge that has the assignment you want to modify.
4 To change the edges used in this assignment, type used.
To change the definition of the edge, type element.

NOTE If you select a mullion that is using the default assignment, you are
not prompted to choose between Used In or Element. You cannot change the
mullions using the default assignment, because all unassigned mullions use
the default assignment.
5 If you selected Used In, type

Index, and then type pick and use the cursor to select the edges that
you want to use this assignment.
Location, and specify whether the new assignment is to be used for the
left, right, top or bottom frame edge. (This option is not available for
mullion edges.)

If you selected Element, type the number associated with the edge definition that you want.

Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly

789

Saving Edit in Place Changes to a Window Assembly Style

After making changes with Edit in Place, you can save the changes to a window assembly style and update all the window assemblies of that style.
To save Edit in Place changes to a window assembly style
1 Select the window assembly.
2 Select Edit in Place Save changes from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the style that you want to incorporate the edits or create a new style.
4 Select any override to include that override in the style.

Transfer Merge Operations to Style

Transfer Cell Overrides to Style
Transfer Edge Overrides to Style
Transfer Edge Profile Overrides to Style

An override option is unavailable when that type of override has not been
applied to the window assembly. For more information about overrides,
see Overriding Cell and Edge Assignments in Window Assemblies on
page 779.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box and save the changes.

Discarding Edit in Place Changes to a Window Assembly

After working with Edit in Place, if you decide that you want to restore the
original style settings, then you can discard your changes.
To discard the Edit in Place changes
1 Select the window assembly.
2 Select Edit in Place Discard changes from the shortcut menu.

Modifying Window Assembly Styles

You can easily modify all window assemblies of the same style by making
changes the style.

NOTE For information about modifying the components of a single window

assembly, see Using Edit in Place with Window Assemblies on page 783. For
information about modifying the shape and size of a single window assembly,
see Modifying Window Assemblies on page 792.

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To modify a window assembly style

1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Window Assembly
Styles, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select a style under Window Assembly Styles, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.

TIP You can also access the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box
by selecting a window assembly of the style you want to edit, and select Edit
Window Assembly Style from the shortcut menu.
3 Do any of the following:

Define new divisions, infills, frames, or mullions. For more information, see Creating Element Definitions for a Window Assembly Style
on page 736.
Change an existing division, infill, frame or mullion definition. For
more information, see Modifying Existing Element Definitions for
Window Assembly Styles on page 791.
Assign different definitions to grids, cells, frames, or mullions. For
more information, see Assigning Definitions to Window Assembly
Elements on page 755.
Remove overrides. For more information, see Removing Window
Assembly Overrides on page 782.
Change the layer, color, linetype, or visibility of window assembly
components. For more information, see Modifying the Display of
Window Assemblies on page 767.
Add custom components to a window assembly. For more information,
see Adding Custom Graphics as a Display Component of a Window
Assembly on page 770.
Change the dimension defaults for the window assembly. For more
information, see Setting Default Dimensions for a Window Assembly
Style on page 772.
Attach notes and reference files to the window assembly style. Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Assembly Style on page 772.

4 Click OK to exit the dialog box when you have completed the changes.

Modifying Existing Element Definitions for Window Assembly

Styles
You can modify element definitions using the Design Rules tab of the Window Assembly Style Properties dialog box. There are two ways you can access
these definitions: from the assignments list and from the definitions list.

Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly

791

From the assignments list: Select a grid from the tree view to display
the assignments list. Then select an assignment that uses that definition.
Make your changes below the assignment list.
From the definitions list: Select an element type from the tree view
to display all definitions for that element type. Select a definition and
make your changes below the definitions list.

Any changes you make, including changes to the definition name, overwrite
the existing definition. To create a new definition from the assignments list,
select New from the Element list. To create a new definition from the definitions list, click the New Division icon, the New Infill icon, the New Frame
icon, or the New Mullion icon.

Modifying Window Assemblies

There are three different methods for modifying the dimensions of a window
assembly. To access any of these methods, select a window assembly and
choose one of the following options from the shortcut menu.

Window Assembly Modify: For hanging the height, width, or vertical

alignment of the window assembly, selecting a different style, or matching the properties of another existing window assembly.
Tools: For adding an interference or setting the miter angles between two
window assemblies.
Window Assembly Properties: For attaching notes and reference
files, selecting a different style, changing dimensions, or location of
selected window assemblies.

The method you want to use depends on what you want to accomplish. For
example, to change the height of the window assembly, you can use

Window Assembly Modify when height is the only property you need to
change. You can change height quickly from the dashboard and it is more
precise than using grips.
Window Assembly Properties when you want to change the height in
addition to other properties of the selected window assembly. The
Window Assembly Properties dialog box gives you easy access to numerous properties.

These modification methods are identical to the methods described in Curtain Walls. For more information, see Modifying Curtain Walls on page
494 or Modifying Window Assemblies in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

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NOTE For information about changing the elements within a window assembly, see Modifying the Elements in a Window Assembly on page 778. For information about changing the display of the window assemblies, see Modifying
the Display of Window Assemblies in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.

Changing the Style of an Existing Window

Assembly
You can select a different style for an existing window assembly or group of
window assemblies.
To change the style of a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Modify Window
Assembly, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select one or more window assemblies to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window Assemblies dialog box, select a different style from
the Style list.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window assemblies and
remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the window assemblies,
or click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Matching the Properties of an Existing Window

Assembly
To match the style or base height of an existing window assembly
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Window Assembly Modify from the
shortcut menu.
2 Click

3 Click in the drawing editor, then select the window assembly that has the
properties you want to match.
4 Type one of the following options on the command line:

Style: To match only the window assembly style

Width: To match only the window assembly width
Height: To match only the window assembly height
Sill Height: To match only the window assembly sill height
All: To match all the above properties

Modifying Window Assemblies

793

5 Select another window assembly to modify, or press ENTER to apply the

changes.

Changing the Window Assembly Width

To change the width of the window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Modify Window
Assembly, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select the window assembly to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window Assemblies dialog box, type a new width for the
window assembly.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window assembly and
remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the window assembly, or
click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing Window Assembly Height

To change the height of a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Modify Window
Assembly, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select the window assembly to be modified, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window Assemblies dialog box, type a new height for the
window assembly.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window assembly and
remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the window assembly, or
click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing Window Assembly Vertical Alignment

To change the head height of a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Modify Window
Assembly, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select the window assembly or window assemblies to be modified, and
press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window Assemblies dialog box, type a new head height for
the window assembly in the Vertical Alignment box.
4 Click Apply to apply the changes to the selected window assembly and
remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the window assembly, or
click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog box.

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Changing the Window Assembly Dimensions

You can change the following dimensions of a window assembly.
To change the window assembly dimension properties
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Window Assembly Properties from
the the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Dimensions tab.
3 Change any of the following dimensions:

Width: The distance from the start point to the end point of the window assembly baseline
Height: The distance from the baseline to the top of the window
assembly, including any rise
Rise: The distance from the base height to the top of the window
assembly
Start Miter Angle: The angle of all infills and horizontal edges
(frame or mullion) at the start of the window assembly
End Miter Angle: The angle of all infills and horizontal edges (frame
or mullion) at the end of the window assembly

For more information about miter angles, see Cleaning up Window

Assembly Corners on page 797.
4 Click OK to click the dialog box.

Changing the Window Assembly Shape

There are several predefined shapes for window assemblies. You can use any
of these shapes or use an AEC profile as the shape. For more information
about profiles, see Working with Profiles.
To change the window assembly shape
1 Select a window assembly, and choose Edit Window Assembly Style from
the the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Shape tab.
3 Select a shape from the Predefined list or select Custom, and choose an
existing AEC Profile as the shape.
4 Click OK.

Modifying Window Assemblies

795

Changing the Location of a Freestanding Window

Assembly
You can relocate an existing window assembly by using the MOVE command, or (for more precision) by changing the coordinate values of its insertion point. The window assembly also has an orientation with respect to the
world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS).
For example, if the top and bottom of the window assembly are parallel to
the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the window assembly by aligning its normal with another axis. You
can also rotate the window assembly on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.
For more information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a window assembly
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Modify Window
Assembly, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select the window assembly, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Window Assembly dialog box, click

4 In the Window Assembly Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the window assembly, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the window assembly, change the axis to which the normal
is parallel. To locate the window assembly on the XY plane, make the
normal of the window assembly parallel to the Z axis: under Normal,
type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the window assembly on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the
Y and Z boxes. To locate the window assembly on the XZ plane, type 1
in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the window assembly, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Window Assembly Properties dialog box, and then
click Apply to see the changes to the window assembly without leaving
the Modify Window Assemblies dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Adding an Interference Condition to a Window

Assembly
You can place an AEC object, such as a mass element, in window assemblies
to create a custom opening or cutout.
To add an interference condition to a window assembly
1 Place any AEC object in the location where you want the opening or cutout.
2 Select the window assembly.
3 Select Tools Interference from the shortcut menu.
4 Type a (Add) to add the interference object to the window assembly or
type r (Remove) to remove the interference object from the window
assembly.
5 Select the interference object.
You are prompted to determine the elements that are affected by the interfenence.
6 Type y (Yes) to apply the interference to the infill of the window assembly
cells or type n (No) to leave the infills as is.
7 Type y (Yes) to apply the interference to the frame of the window assembly
or type n (No) to leave the frame as-is.
8 Type y (Yes) to apply the interference to the mullions of the window
assembly or type n (No) to leave the mullions as-is.
9 Select another interference object, or press ENTER to end the command.

Cleaning up Window Assembly Corners

There are two methods of cleaning up window assembly corners.

Calculate Miter Angles Automatically: Automatically determines

the necessary miter angles between two window assemblies.
Specify Miter Angles Manually: Specify the miter angle for a window
assembly that is adjacent to a standard wall or other AEC object.

Calculating the Miter Angles Between Window Assemblies

The corner where adjacent window assemblies meet is not mitered by
default. However, you can determine the necessary angles automatically.

Modifying Window Assemblies

797

NOTE The miter angle is applied to all infills and horizontal edges (frame or
mullion) that are adjacent to the corner. Vertical edges are not affected.
To automatically calculate the miter angles between two window assemblies
1 Select one of the window assemblies.
2 Select Tools Set Miter Angles from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the other window assembly.
If you change the angle of either window assembly, use Set Miter Angles
again to calculate the angles again.

Setting a Miter Angle for a Window Assembly Adjacent to

Another Object
If you want to create a mitered corner between a window assembly and
another object such as a standard wall or a mass element, then you must set
the miter angle manually. For example, if your window assembly connects
with a standard wall that is at 60-degree angle from the window assembly,
then you would set the miter angle to 30.

NOTE The miter angle is applied to all infills and horizontal edges that are
adjacent to the corner. Vertical edges are not affected.
To set the miter angle of a window assembly
1 Select the window assembly.
2 Select Window Assembly Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click Dimensions.
4 To miter the window assembly at its start point, type an angle for Start
Miter Angle. To miter the window assembly at its end point, type an angle
for End Miter Angle.

TIP To quickly identify the start and end of a window assembly, select the
window assembly and move one of the endpoints. A directional marker is displayed near the center of the window assembly and points toward the end of
the window assembly.
5 Click OK.

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Attaching Notes and Files to a Window Assembly

To attach notes and files to window assemblies
1 From the Design menu, choose Window Assemblies Modify Window
Assembly, or from the Doors - Windows - Openings toolbar, click
.
2 Select the window assembly, and press ENTER.
3 In the Window Assembly Modify dialog box, click

4 In the Window Assembly Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the window assembly, type it in the Description
field.
6 To add a note to the window assembly, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply. plan view

Editing Objects Anchored in Window

Assemblies
When you fill a window assembly cell with an object, such as a door or window, you can edit that object independently from the window assembly. For
example, you can select a door from a window assembly and choose Door
Properties from the shortcut menu. This Door Properties dialog box is very
similar to the Door Properties dialog box that is displayed when you edit a

Editing Objects Anchored in Window Assemblies

799

freestanding door, except that the Location tab is replaced by an Anchor tab.
From the Anchor tab, you change the orientation of the door and the alignment or offset of the door in relation to the window assembly.
You can also swap objects from one cell to another or release the object
anchor so that the object moves independently from the window assembly.

NOTE When you swap or release an object or edit its properties, you are creating a variation from the infill cell assignment. By default, these variations
(except for release) are allowed to persist in the drawing when you reapply the
style to a curtain wall. However, if you want these variations to be overridden
when you reapply a curtain wall style, then turn off the Allow Variation from Infill
Element Definition option on the Anchor tab of the object Properties dialog box.
This option is set on a per object basis.
These editing options are identical to the options described in Curtain
Walls, on page 396. For more information, see Editing Objects Anchored in
Curtain Walls on page 509 or Editing Objects Anchored in Window
Assemblies in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Changing the Orientation of an Object Anchored in a Window

Assembly
To change the orientation of an object anchored in window assembly
1 Select the object from the window assembly and choose that object
Properties option from the shortcut menu. (For example, Door Properties.)
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is available only for objects that are anchored to another
object, such as a window assembly.
3 On the Anchor tab, do any of the following:

Click Flip X to flip the object in the X direction.

Click Flip Y to flip the object in the Y direction.
Click Flip Z to flip the object in the Z direction.

4 Click OK.

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Changing the Alignment of an Object Anchored in a Window

Assembly
To change the alignment of an object anchored in window assembly
1 Select the object from the window assembly and choose that object
Properties option from the shortcut menu. (For example, Door Properties.)
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is available only for objects that are anchored to another
object, such as a window assembly.
3 On the Anchor tab, select Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition.
4 Choose a new alignment for the object. For more information, see Specifying an Alignment for a Window Assembly Infill on page 745.
5 Click OK.

Changing the Offset of an Object Anchored in a Window

Assembly
To change the offset of an object anchored in window assembly
1 Select the object from the window assembly and choose that object
Properties option from the shortcut menu. (For example, Door Properties.)
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

NOTE This tab is available only for objects that are anchored to another
object, such as a window assembly.
3 On the Anchor tab, select Allow Variation from Infill Element Definition.
4 Specify a new offset for the object. For more information, see Specifying
an Offset for a Window Assembly Infill on page 746.
5 Click OK.

Swapping Two Objects Anchored in a Window Assembly

When you fill a window assembly cell with an object, such as a door or window, you can swap that object with another object in the window assembly.
To swap two objects anchored in window assembly
1 Select one of the objects from the window assembly and choose Infill
Anchor Swap Objects from the shortcut menu.

Editing Objects Anchored in Window Assemblies

801

2 Select the object you want to swap with.

Releasing an Object Anchored in a Window Assembly

When you fill a window assembly cell with an object, such as a door or window, that object is anchored to the window assembly. While the anchor is in
place, the object moves when you move the window assembly, and is
removed when you erase the window assembly. If you want to move or erase
an object independently from the window assembly, then you can release
the anchor.

NOTE You can also move or erase the object by changing the element definition for the cell that contains the object. For more information, see Defining
Infills for Window Assembly Cells on page 743.
To release an object anchored in window assembly

Select one of the objects from the window assembly and choose Infill
Anchor release from the shortcut menu.

Window Assemblies Command List

Menu command

Command line

Add Window Assembly...

WinAssemblyAdd

Modify Window Assembly...

WInAssemblyModify

Convert Linework to
Window Assembly

WinAssemblyConvert

Convert Layout Grid to

Window Assembly

WinAssemblyConvertGrid

Window Assembly Styles....

WInAssemblyStyle

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Chapter 20

Right-click (with assembly

selected)

Window Assembly Modify...

WinAssemblyProps

Window Assembly Properties...

WinAssemblyStyleEdit

Edit WIndow Assembly Style...

GridAssemblyCopyFromStyle

Edit in Place

Window Assemblies

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with assembly

selected)

GridAssemblyMakeStyleBased

Edit in Place Discard

changes...

GridAssemblySaveChanges

Edit in Place Save changes...

GridAssemblySetEditDepthOff

Cell Markers Off

GridAssemblySetEditDepthAll

Cell Markers All Visible

GridAssemblySetEditDepth1

Cell Markers 1st Grid

GridAssemblySetEditDepth2

Cell Markers 2nd Grid

GridAssemblySetEditDepth3

Cell Markers 3rd Grid

GridAssemblySetEditDepth

Cell Markers Other

GridAssemblyMergeCells

Overrides Merge Cells

GridAssemblyAddCellOverride

Overrides Override Cell

Assignment

GridAssemblyAddEdgeOverride

Overrides Override Edge

Assignment

GridAssemblyAddProfileOverri
de

Overrides Override Edge

Profile

GridAssemblyEditDivisions

Element Definitions
Divisions...

GridAssemblyEditInfill

Element Definitions Infill...

GridAssemblyEditBoundaryEdg
e

Element Definitions Frames...

GridAssemblyEditInteriorEdges

Element Definitions
Mullions...

GridAssemblyAddCellSpecifier

Assignments Add Cell

Assignment

GridAssemblyRemoveCellSpecif
ier

Assignments Remove Cell

Assignment

GridAssemblyModifyCellSpecifi
er

Assignments Modify Cell

Assignment

Editing Objects Anchored in Window Assemblies

803

Menu command

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Chapter 20

Command line

Right-click (with assembly

selected)

GridAssemblyAddEdgeSpecifier

Assignments Add Edge

Assignment

GridAssemblyRemoveEdgeSpec
ifier

Assignments Remove Edge

Assignment

GridAssemblyModifyEdgeSpeci
fier

Assignments Modify Edge

Assignment

WinAssemblyAddSelected

Add Selected...

GridAssemblyInterference

Tools Interference

GridAssemblySetMiterAngles

Tools Set Miter Angles

Window Assemblies

Structural Members

21

You can create structural members, such as columns,

In this chapter

braces, and beams in your drawings. In Autodesk

Using the Structural Member

Catalog

Architectural Desktop, a structural member is a shape

Creating structural members

extruded along a path. The style of a structural member

Modifying structural members

contains the shape of the member. When you create a

Modifying the display of

structural members

structural member, you extrude the shape along a path

to determine the length and position of the structural
member.
You can use the Structural Member Catalog to create
styles for most standard structural members. You can
also create custom structural members with the design
rules in structural member styles.

Changing the structural

member style properties

Using the design rules to create

custom members
Creating custom shapes for

structural members
Working with structural

member styles in the Style

Manager
Structural Members Command

List

805

Working with Structural Members

You can create structural members, such as columns, braces, and beams in
your drawings. In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, a structural member is a
shape that is extruded along a path. The shape that you use to create a
structural member is stored in the style of the structural member. You define
the path of the structural member when you create the member.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes a Structural Member Catalog that
allows you to easily access industry-standard structural shapes. To create
most standard column, brace, and beam styles, you can access the Structural
Member Catalog, select a structural member shape, and create a style that
contains the shape that you selected. The shape, similar to an AEC profile, is
a 2D cross-section of a structural member. When you create a structural member with a style that you created from the Structural Member Catalog, you
define the path to extrude the shape along.
You can create your own structural shapes that you can add to existing
structural members, or use to create new structural members. The design
rules in a structural member style allow you to add these custom shapes to a
structural member, as well as create custom structural members from more
than one shape.
All the columns, braces, and beams that you create are sub-types of a single
Structural Member object type. The styles that you create for columns,
braces, and beams have the same Structural Member Styles style type as well.
When you change the display or style of a structural member, use the
Structural Member object in the Display Manager and the Structural Member
Styles style type in the Style Manager.

Using the Structural Member Catalog

The Structural Member Catalog includes specifications for standard
structural shapes. You can choose shapes from the Structural Member
Catalog, and generate styles for structural members that you create in your
drawings.
The left pane of the Structural Member Catalog contains a hierarchical tree
view. Several industry standard catalogs are organized in the tree, first by
imperial or metric units, and then by material.

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Structural Member Catalog

You can open all the levels in the tree pane under a material to select a structural shape. When you select a shape type in the tree view, a preview image
is displayed in the upper right pane. All the available shapes of that type in
the catalog are displayed in the lower right pane. Each shape has a list of
parameters that describe it. When you generate a style from a catalog
specification, you use the parameters to define and store a shape in the style.
For example, the steel beam selected in the previous illustration has
parameters that include its depth (d), flange width (bf), flange thickness (tf),
and web thickness (tw). When you generate a style in the catalog using the
specification, the parameters create the following shape that is stored in the
style.

Using the Structural Member Catalog

807

Creating a shape from the Structural Member Catalog

When you create a beam in your drawing with this style, the shape of the
beam is determined by the style. You determine the length, start and end
offsets, justification, and roll of the beam when you create the beam. After
you have created a structural member from a catalog style, you can locate the
original shape in the Structural Catalog that you used to generate the style
from the structural member in the drawing.

Displaying the Structural Member Catalog

To display the structural member catalog
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member
Catalog.
2 To resize the Structural Member Catalog, drag the borders of the catalog
window to the desired position. To resize two sides of the catalog window
at the same time, drag one of the four corner borders to the desired position.
3 To move the Structural Member Catalog, drag the title bar of the Structural
Member Catalog to the desired location.

Locating Shapes in the Structural Member

Catalog
The Structural Member Catalog contains listings of standard structural
shapes organized in a Windows Explorer-like tree view. The catalog is

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divided into imperial and metric units, and includes industry standard specifications, such as the AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction).
To locate shapes in the Structural Member Catalog
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member
Catalog.
The Structural Member Catalog is displayed. A tree view in the left pane
of the catalog lists the available shapes.
2 Depending on the units that you are using, click the plus sign (+) next to
Imperial or Metric.
The three material levels in the catalog, Concrete, Steel, and Timber, are
displayed.
3 Click the plus sign (+) next to the material that you want to use.
Depending on the material that you chose, several structural shape types
are displayed.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to the type of shape that you want to locate.
Depending on the shape, you may need to open another level in the tree.
5 Select the shape.
When you select a shape type in the tree view in the left pane, the bottom
right pane displays a listing of the available shapes and their descriptions.
You can select these shapes and their descriptions to generate styles for
structural members. For more information, see Creating a Style from a
Shape in the Structural Member Catalog on page 810.

Opening a Catalog File in the Structural Member

Catalog
When you display the Structural Member Catalog, a default catalog file,
AecsCatalog.xml, provides the catalog content. This catalog file is located in
the following folder:
\\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop R3\Catalogs\catalogs
In the future, additional catalog files may become available on Autodesk
Point A, or you may customize or create your own catalog files.
To open a catalog file in the Structural Member Catalog
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member
Catalog.
2 From the File menu in the Structural Member Catalog, choose Open and
locate a catalog file, or type the full path and name of the catalog file that

Using the Structural Member Catalog

809

you want to open in Catalog under the Structural Member Catalog toolbar.

Creating a Style from a Shape in the Structural

Member Catalog
The Structural Member Catalog stores a listing of standard structural shapes.
Each shape in the catalog has an associated list of parameters that describe it.
You can use these parameters to create a style for a structural member. The
style stores the shape generated from the parameters in the catalog. Later,
when you use the style to create a new structural member, the shape of the
structural member is defined by the shape contained in the style.
To create a style from a shape in the Structural Member Catalog
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member
Catalog.
2 Locate the shape in the catalog that corresponds to the structural member
style that you want to create, and select it. For more information, see
Locating Shapes in the Structural Member Catalog on page 808.
3 From the Tools menu in the Structural Member Catalog, choose Generate
style.
4 In the Structural Member Style dialog box, type a name for your style, and
click OK.
You cannot use the following special characters in your style names:

less-than and greater-than symbols (< >)

forward slashes and backslashes (/ \)
quotation marks (")
colons (:)
semicolons (;)
question marks (?)
commas (,)
asterisks (*)
vertical bars (|)
equal signs (=)
backquotes (`)

A style that contains the catalog shape that you selected is created. You
can view the style in the Style Manager, create a new structural member
from the style, or apply the style to an existing member.
When you add a structural member to your drawing, the shape inside the
style that you created defines the shape of the member. You define the

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length, justification, roll or rise, and start and end offsets of the structural
member when you draw it. For more information, see Creating Structural
Members on page 811.

Locating a Structural Member in the Structural

Member Catalog from a Member in a Drawing
After you have drawn a structural member with a style that you created from
a shape in the catalog, you can locate the catalog shape from the member in
the drawing. If you created a style from the Structural Member Catalog and
did not name it with the same name as the catalog shape, then you may find
this command useful.
To locate a shape in the Structural Member Catalog from a member in a
drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member
Catalog.
The Structural Member Catalog is displayed.
2 From the Tools menu in the Structural Member Catalog, choose Locate.
3 Select the structural member in the drawing that you want to locate in the
catalog.
The Structural Member Catalog is re-displayed, with the shape that you
located from the existing member selected.

Creating Structural Members

You can create structural members like columns, braces, and beams with
structural member styles. A structural member style contains one or more
shapes that you can extrude along a path to create a structural member. You
can create a style from a shape in the Structural Member Catalog. A style that
you create from the Structural Member Catalog contains a shape definition
that matches the parameters of the shape specification in the Structural
Member Catalog.
You can create structural members interactively or by drawing lines, arcs, or
polylines and converting them to structural members. When you create a
structural member interactively, you can create straight members only. You
select a style to supply the member shape, and then define a path to extrude
the shape along.

Creating Structural Members

811

To create a curved or multi-segmented structural member, draw a curved arc

or multi-segmented polyline to create the member path, and then convert it
to a member. You still need to specify a style to determine the shape of the
member. Converting lines or polylines to structural members also allows you
to select multiple lines to convert to members of the same style.
Creating custom structural members
You can also create custom structural members that are composed of multiple
shapes by changing the design rules in the styles of your structural members.
You can use shapes from the Structural Member Catalog to create custom
members, or you can define your own custom shapes. For more information,
see Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles on
page 837, and Creating Custom Shapes for Structural Members on page
852.

Creating a Column
You can create a column with a style that you created in the Structural
Member Catalog. The style provides the shape of the column. You define the
path that the shape is extruded along. Columns are created with their length
(X-axis) positioned in a positive direction along the current UCS Z-axis.

Creating a column

Optionally, you can add a start or end offset to your column.

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Creating a column with offsets

When you create a column, you can choose to anchor it to a column grid as
you create it.

Creating Structural Members

813

Anchoring a column to a grid

When you anchor an existing column to a grid (or any other object), the
extruded (X-axis) axis of the column is aligned with the X-axis of the grid,
resulting in a column that lies down on the grid. Anchoring the column during column or column grid creation compensates for this behavior.
To stand an anchored column up on the grid, edit the anchor. Select the column, right-click, and select Member Properties. Click the Anchor tab, and
enter a Y rotation of 270 under Orientation.
To create a column
1 In the Structural Member Catalog, create a style for the column that you
want to create. For more information, see Creating a Style from a Shape
in the Structural Member Catalog on page 810.
2 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Add Column.
The following prompt is displayed:
Select grid or RETURN:

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3 Do one of the following to create a column:

Select a column grid in your drawing that you want to anchor the column to.
Press ENTER to create a column that is not anchored to a grid.

4 In the Add Columns dialog box, in the Style list, select the column style
that you created in the catalog.
5 In the Length box, type a value for the length of the column.
6 In the Start Offset and End Offset boxes, type values to add a start or end
offset to the column.
7 In the Justify list, select a justification for the column.
You can justify the column based on nine positions on the column, or you
specify the baseline justification. For members created with styles from
the Structural Member Catalog, the baseline justification uses the centroid
of the column to justify the column.
8 Specify the roll, or rotation around the extruded axis of the column.
If you are creating a column that you are not anchoring to a grid, do one
of the following to specify the roll, or rotation around the extruded axis
of the column:

Type a value for the roll in the Roll box.

Select Specify on Screen to manually set the roll by rotating the column
after you select the insertion point.

If you are creating a column that you are anchoring to a grid, type a value
for the roll of the column.
9 Specify an insertion point in your drawing for the column. If you are
anchoring the column to a grid, specify a node on the column grid to
anchor the column.
10 If you selected Specify on Screen in step 8, rotate the column in your drawing and select a point to determine the roll angle.
11 You can continue to create as many columns as you need. Press ENTER to
finish creating columns by ending the command.
The column or columns that you created are displayed in your drawing. If
you added a start or end offset to your columns, the columns are offset from
the start or endpoint along their path.

Creating Structural Members

815

Creating a Brace
You can create a brace from a style that you created from a shape in the
Structural Member Catalog. The style provides the shape of the brace. You
define the path that the shape is extruded along.

Creating a brace

Optionally, you can add a start or end offset to your brace.

Creating a brace with offsets

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To create a brace
1 In the Structural Member Catalog, create a style for the brace that you
want to create. For more information, see Creating a Style from a Shape
in the Structural Member Catalog on page 810.
2 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Add Brace.
3 In the Add Braces dialog box, in the Style list, select the brace style that
you created in the catalog.
4 In the Start Offset and End Offset boxes, type values to add a start or end
offset to the brace.
5 In the Justify list, select a justification for the brace.
You can justify the brace based on nine positions on the brace, or you can
specify the baseline justification. For members created with styles from
the Structural Member Catalog, the baseline justification uses the centroid
of the brace to justify the brace.
6 Type a value in the Roll box to specify the rotation of the brace around its
extruded axis.
7 To specify the rise, or the vertical distance between the start and endpoint
of the brace, do one of the following:

Type a value for the rise.

Select Specify on Screen to set the rise of the brace by specifying a
3D point for the end of the brace.

8 Specify a start point in your drawing for the brace.

9 If you selected Specify on Screen in step 6, then the endpoint of the brace
is the 3D point that you selected for the end of the brace.
10 If you typed a value for the rise, then the endpoint of the brace is the X
and Y coordinates of the endpoint that you selected, the Z coordinate
equals the Z coordinate of the start point plus the value for the rise.
11 Specify an endpoint for your brace.
The brace is created in your drawing. You can continue to create as many
braces as you need.
12 Press ENTER to finish creating braces by ending the command.
The brace or braces that you created are displayed in your drawing. If you
added a start or end offset to your braces, the braces are offset from the start
or endpoint along their paths.

Creating Structural Members

817

Creating a Beam
You can create a beam with a style that you created in the Structural Member
Catalog. The style provides the shape of the beam. You define the path that
the shape is extruded along.

Creating a beam

Optionally, you can add a start or end offset to your beam.

Creating a beam with offsets

To create a beam
1 In the Structural Member Catalog, create a style for the beam that you
want to create. For more information, see Creating a Style from a Shape
in the Structural Member Catalog on page 810.
2 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Add Beam.
3 In the Add Beams dialog box, in the Style list, select the beam style that
you created in the catalog.

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4 In the Start Offset and End Offset boxes, type values to add a start or end
offset to the beam.
5 In the Justify list, select a justification for the beam.

Justifying a beam

You can justify the beam based on nine positions on the beam, or you
specify the baseline justification. For members created with styles from
the Structural Member Catalog, the baseline justification uses the centroid
of the beam to justify the beam.
6 To specify the roll, or rotation around the extruded axis, type a value for
the roll.
7 Specify an insertion point in your drawing for the beam.
8 Specify an endpoint for the beam.
The beam is created in your drawing. You can continue to create as many
beams as you need.
9 Press ENTER to finish creating beams by ending the command.
The beam or beams that you created are displayed in your drawing. If you
added a start or end offset to your beams, the beams are offset from the start
or endpoint along their path.

Creating a Structural Member by Converting

Lines, Arcs, or Polylines
You can convert structural members from lines, arcs, and polylines in your
drawings.

Creating Structural Members

819

Converting a polyline to a beam

You can select multiple lines to convert to multiple members, curved lines to
create curved members, and multi-segmented polylines to create multi-segmented members.

Converting an arc to a brace

To create a structural member by converting a line, arc, or polyline

1 In the Structural Member Catalog, create a style for the structural member.
For more information, see Creating a Style from a Shape in the Structural
Member Catalog on page 810.
2 Draw a path for the structural member with lines, arcs, or polylines in
your current drawing.

WARNING! You cannot convert a polyline with a start node that coincides
with the end node of the polyline. If you try to convert it to a structural member, then a defect marker displays in your drawing.
3 Depending on the type of structural member that you want to create, from
the Design menu, choose Structural Members Convert to Column,
Convert to Brace, or Convert to Beam.

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Converting a line to a column

4 Select the geometry that you created in step 2, and press ENTER.

NOTE You can create multiple structural members at the same time by
selecting geometry for more than one member.
The following prompt is displayed:
Erase layout geometry? [Yes/No] <N>:
5 Do one of the following:

To erase the geometry after you create the member (that is added to
your drawing), type y (Yes).
To keep the original geometry in the drawing, press ENTER.

6 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.
7 Select a style for the structural member.
8 Optionally, you can attach notes and reference files to the member,
change the member dimensions, and add trim planes to the member in
the Structural Member Properties dialog box. For more information, see
Modifying Structural Members on page 821.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
A new structural member is created in your drawing from the geometry that
you defined.

Modifying Structural Members

You can change the structural member properties to modify structural
members in your drawings. You can attach notes, descriptions, reference

Modifying Structural Members

821

files, or schedule data to a structural member, and change the style, dimensions, or location of the structural member. You can add trim planes to the
structural member to modify the geometry of the member.

Attaching Notes, Descriptions, or Reference

Files to a Structural Member
To attach notes and files to a structural member
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.
2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.
3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the structural member, type it in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the structural member, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Style of a Structural Member

You can change the style of a structural member.
To change the style of a structural member
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.

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2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.

3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.
4 Select the style you want from the list.
5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Dimensions of a Structural

Member
You can change the start and end offsets, length, roll, justification, and type
of a structural member in your drawing. You can also change the radius of a
curved member.

Changing the radius of a curved structural member

To change the dimensions of a structural member

1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.
2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.
3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

Modifying Structural Members

823

Changing the dimensions of a structural member

4 Change any of the following dimensions:

Start Offset: Changes the start offset of the structural member.

End Offset: Changes the end offset of the structural member.
Length: Changes the length of the member.
Radius: Changes the radius of a curved member. This dimension is
available only when a curved member is selected.
Roll: Changes the rotation of the structural member around its swept
axis.
Justification: Changes the justification of the structural member.
You can justify the member based on nine positions on the member, or
you specify the baseline justification. For a member created from a
Structural Catalog style, the baseline justification uses the centroid of
the member to justify it.
Overall Extents: Bases the justification of the member on the total
cross-sectional extents of the member. The justification is applied to all
shape definitions at each node of the member. If cleared, justification
is calculated per node and applied to the shape or shapes with the lowest priority at each node. For information about creating members with
multiple shapes, see Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles on page 837.
Member Type: Changes the member type (column, brace, or beam).

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Using Trim Planes to Modify Structural Members

You can use trim planes to trim structural members in your drawings. A trim
plane is a cutting plane that trims a structural member to a location on the
structural member that you define.

Using a trim plane to trim a structural member

You can use trim planes to clean up joints between multiple structural
members. For example, you could use multiple trim planes to angle both
ends of a brace used in a diagonally braced frame.
Because trim planes are infinite planes, you cannot use them to notch, cope,
or cut holes in structural members.
When you add a trim plane to a structural member, you locate the trim plane
relative to the baseline of the structural member. You define a location on the
baseline and an orientation to define the trim plane. You can add any
number of trim planes to structural member. After you modify a structural
member with a trim plane, you can remove the trim plane to restore the
member to its original dimensions.

Adding Trim Planes to a Structural Member

When you add a trim plane to a structural member, you define the position
of the trim plane relative to the structural member that you are trimming.
When defining trim planes, you can:

Define the position of the trim plane relative to the start or end of the
path of the member.

Modifying Structural Members

825

Offset the trim plane in the X direction to move the origin of the trim
plane along the member path.

Offsetting a trim plane

Offset the trim plane in the Y and Z direction to move the origin of the
trim plane perpendicular to the member path in the Y and/or Z directions.
Rotate the trim plane around its Y or Z axis to angle the cutting plane.

Rotating a trim plane

To add a trim plane to a structural member

1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.

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2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.

3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Trim Planes tab.
4 Click Add.
A new trim plane is added.
5 Under Offset, in the From list, select Start or End to specify whether the
position of the trim plane is defined relative to the start or endpoint of the
member.
6 Type a value under X to position the trim plane along the path of the
member in the X direction.

NOTE As you add values to define the trim plane, you can preview the
effects on the structural member in the floating viewer by clicking the viewer
icon in the left corner of the Structural Member Properties dialog box.
7 Type a value under y to move the trim plane origin perpendicular to the
path of the member in the Y direction.
8 Type a value under Z to move the trim plane origin perpendicular to the
path of the member in the Z direction.
9 Under Rotation, type values for Y and Z to rotate the trim plane around
the Y and/or Z axis of the trim plane.
When you finish specifying dimensions for the trim plane, you can continue adding trim planes to the structural member.
10 To copy a trim plane, select the trim plane, and click Copy.
11 When you finish adding trim planes, click OK to exit the dialog box.
After you add one or more trim planes to a structural member, you can
change the orientation of the trim planes or remove them from the member
to restore the original geometry of the member.

Changing Trim Planes

To change a trim plane
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.
2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.
3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Trim Planes tab.
4 Change any of the trim plane values by selecting the value and typing a
new value.

Modifying Structural Members

827

NOTE You can preview the changes the new trim plane values make to the
structural member in the floating viewer by clicking the viewer icon in the left
corner of the Structural Member Properties dialog box.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Removing Trim Planes

To remove a trim plane
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.
2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.
3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Trim Planes tab.
4 Select the trim plane that you want to remove, and click Remove.

Changing the Location of a Structural Member

You can relocate an existing structural member by changing the coordinate
values of its insertion point. The structural member also has an orientation
with respect to the world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user
coordinate system (UCS). For example, if the path of the structural member
is parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change
the orientation of the structural member by aligning its normal with another
axis. You can also rotate the structural member on its plane by changing the
rotation angle.
For more information about the world coordinate system (WCS) and the user
coordinate system (UCS), see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in
the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a structural member
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Properties.
2 Select a structural member, and press ENTER.
3 In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

828

To relocate the structural member, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the structural member, change the axis to which the normal
is parallel. To locate the structural member on the XY plane, make the
normal of the structural member parallel to the Z axis: under Normal,
type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the struc-

Chapter 21

Structural Members

tural member on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y
and Z boxes. To locate the structural member on the XZ plane, type 1
in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the structural member, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Modifying the Display of Structural Members

Structural member geometry is created by a shape contained in the style of
the structural member that is extruded along a path. Each shape can have
three levels of detail in its geometry, allowing different displays of the
structural member that the shape is defining. If you look at the display
representations of a structural member, you see that there may be more than
one of the same representation, marked by a -Sketch or -Detail extension.
The following table outlines the structural member display representations:
Display representations of structural members
Representation

Description

Elevation

Displays an elevation view of a structural member with

simplified geometry for better performance when
modeling.

Elevation - Detail

Displays an elevation view of a structural member in full

detail.

Logical

Displays the structural member path. Also displays

connections between members. Connections are
automatically established between members when they
touch endpoint to endpoint or endpoint to a point on the
member path.

Model

Displays a 3D structural member with simplified geometry

for better performance when modeling.

Model - Detail

Displays a 3D structural member in full detail. Use to

create large scale detail representations.

Plan - Detail

Displays a 2D structural member in full detail.

Modifying the Display of Structural Members

829

Display representations of structural members (continued)

Representation

Description

Plan - Sketch

Displays a 2D structural member with simple lines and

arcs. Includes a Beam - Sketch and a Brace - Sketch display
component to differentiate the beams and braces in plan
view. Use to create top view framing plans.

Plan

Displays a 2D structural member in less detail than the

Plan - Detail representation to improve performance when
modeling. Members display as closed polylines, rather
than lines and arcs as in the Plan - Sketch representation.

For example, the Plan representation of a structural member is expanded into

Plan, Plan - Sketch, and Plan - Detail display representations.
In the Plan - Sketch display representation, the shape of a member is
represented by simple lines and arcs. This display representation allows you
to create a top view framing plan where you may want to display a column
as a single line representation. The Plan - Sketch display representation
includes two display components, Beam - Sketch and Brace - Sketch. You can
change the display properties of these components, such as layer, color, and
linetype, to differentiate the display of beams and braces. You can also add
offsets between members in this representation to display them as you
typically would in a top view framing plan.

Displaying a structural member with the Plan display representations

In the Plan and Plan - Detail representations, the same column is represented
by closed polylines. Both representations display the beam geometry, but the
Detail representation is more detailed, including fillets in the display of the
column. Use the Plan representation to improve performance while
modeling, and the Plan - Detail representation to display an added level of
detail for detail drawings.

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Displaying a structural member with the Plan display representations

Because beams, braces, and columns are created from the same object, use
the Structural Member object in the Display Manager to change the display
of these objects.

Changing the Display of a Structural Member

You can control how a structural member is displayed in your drawing.
Structural members have a number of display representations that you can
use to display them in your drawings.
A general feature of the display system is that it allows you to assign display
properties to a single object, to all objects of the same type (for example, all
structural members), or to all objects of one type and one style (for example,
all structural members with the Standard style.)
To set the display properties for a structural member
1 Select a structural member, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the
shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Optionally, select a different representation for the from the list. The current viewport display is the default display representation. An asterisk (*)
is displayed next to all the current representations.
4 Do any of the following:

Select a property source, and click Attach Override to change how the
object is displayed in the current viewport in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display

Modifying the Display of Structural Members

831

Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed

in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Props to change the display for the representation of
the structural member. This includes the visibility, layer, color, and
linetype. To edit each property, click its field.
Click Edit Display Props, and then click the Hatching tab to set what
hatch is displayed in each display representation for the structural
member. The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations. For more information, see Setting the Hatch Pattern for a
Structural Member on page 832.
Click Edit Display Props and then click the Other tab. The Other tab is
displayed only in some display representations. For more information,
see Managing the Cut Plane Display Information on page 833.

5 Click OK to set the display for the structural member.

Setting the Hatch Pattern for a Structural

Member
To set the hatch pattern for a structural member
1 Select a structural member, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the
shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Select a display representation that includes hatching.

NOTE The Hatching tab is displayed only in some display representations

4 Click Edit Display Props, and then click the Hatching tab to set the hatch
pattern in the display representation.
5 Select a hatch to change in the Pattern list.
6 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for the selected
component.

832

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.
If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.

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If you select User-Defined in the Type field, turn Double Hatch on or

off.
If you select Solid Fill, no additional options are available.

7 Click OK.
8 Click Scale/Spacing to change the value for the selected component.
9 Click Angle to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
10 Click Orientation to set the hatch orientation relative to the object or to
the drawing.
11 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Managing the Cut Plane Display Information

To better visualize the components of a structural member in plan view, you
can create a cut plane. The Plan, Plan - Sketch, and Plan - Detail display
representations show the components of a member as they are displayed at
a cut plane elevation.
To set the cut planes for a structural member
1 Select a structural member, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the
shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Select Plan, Plan - Sketch, or Plan - Detail as the display representation.
4 Select the property source to edit, and click Edit Display Props.
5 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Other tab.
6 Type a value in the Cut Plane Elevation text box to specify the cut plane.
7 If you are modifying the Plan or Plan - Detail display representation, select
or clear True Cut Body to control the display of the components of a tilted
or tipped structural member at the cut plane elevation.
8 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
If you add a cut plane at an elevation lower than the Cut Plane Elevation,
objects are displayed using the properties specified for the Below Cut
Plane component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
If you add a cut plane at a elevation higher than the Cut Plane Elevation,
objects are displayed using the properties specified for the Above Cut
Plane component on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
9 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Modifying the Display of Structural Members

833

Adding Custom Graphics as a Display

Component of a Structural Member
You can add custom blocks to the display representations of structural
members. For example, you can add custom blocks to structural members to
add stiffener plates to a beam or add clip angles to a member.

Defining a custom block

Adding a custom block to a structural member

To create a custom structural member component

1 Draw your custom component and save it as a block.
2 Select a structural member, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the
shortcut menu.
3 Click the Display Props tab.
4 Click Edit Display Props.
5 Click Other tab in the Entity Properties dialog box.
6 Click Add.
7 Click Select Block, and select the block that you created.
8 From the Position list, select a position for the block along the X axis of
the member.
9 If you want to offset the block in the X, Y, or Z direction from the member,
type values under Insertion Offset.

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10 To repeat the block along the member path, select from the following
options:

Select Repeat Block Display, specify a start and end offset, and a space
between dimension.
Optionally, select Fit, and select Space Evenly or Scale to Fit.

If you do not select Fit, then the insertion point of the first block is located
at the start offset distance from the start node of the member. The block
is repeated, allowing for the space between, until the insertion point of
the block is beyond the end offset distance from the end node. A negative
end offset is necessary to place the last block within the member.
If you select Fit and Space Evenly, then the spacing between blocks is
increased as needed to make the insertion point of the last block be
exactly at the end offset distance from the end of the member.
If you select Fit and Scale to Fit, then the block is scaled and shifted so the
extents of all of the blocks fit between the start and end offset distances.
11 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary:

Mirror X creates a mirror of the block in the X direction, along the

member path.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the block in the Y direction.
Mirror Z creates a mirror of the block in Z direction.

12 Click OK to exit all dialog boxes.

Changing the Structural Member Style

Properties
The style properties of a structural member allow you to attach notes,
descriptions, or reference files to the member style, create a custom structural
member, and control the display of a structural member.

Attaching Style Notes, Descriptions, or

Reference Files to a Structural Member Style
To add a description or note to a structural member style, or attach, edit, or
detach a reference file
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.

Changing the Structural Member Style Properties

835

The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Structural Member Styles style type is selected within the
current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Structural Member Styles style type, select the structural member style that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click the General
tab.
4 To add a description to the structural member style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the structural member style, or to attach, edit, or detach
a reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the structural member style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Using the Design Rules to Create Custom

Structural Member Styles
You can set design rules in a structural member style to create custom
structural members. The design rules allow you to change the shape that is
extruded along the path of a structural member.
You can assign a start and end shape to each segment of a structural member
path. A single-segment member can start and end with the same shape, or
you can specify different start and end shapes, resulting in a member that
starts with one shape and ends with another. For example, you can create a
tapered column by assigning different start and end shapes to a single-segment column.
You can also assign different shapes to the same single-segment member by
adding a component to the member. By adding a component and assigning
different shapes to the same segment, you can create a structural member
with overlapping shapes. For example, you can create a concrete encased
steel colum by adding a component with a steel column shape to a concrete
column.
For multi-segmented structural members, you can assign different shapes to
each segment of the member as components of the member. A series of nodes
(starting at 0 at the start point of the member) correspond to each vertex of
the member path. By assigning different shapes to segments between nodes
on the member path, you can create a structural member that transforms
from one shape to different shapes along the member path. For example, you
can use this method to create a rigid frame.
When you create custom structural members, you can use the shapes
contained in styles that you create from the Structural Member Catalog or
you can create your own custom shapes. When you create a custom shape,
you can only add it to a structural member in the design rules. For information about creating custom shapes, see Creating Custom Shapes for Structural Members on page 852.

Accessing the Design Rules of a Structural

Member
The first time that you access the design rules of a structural member, only
the design rules for the start shape of the member are displayed. You can
display the expanded design rules of a structural member.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

837

To access the design rules of a structural member

1 Select the structural member, right-click, and choose Edit Member Style
from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click Design Rules.
3 On the Design Rules tab, click Show Details.
The expanded design rules are displayed.
4 Change any of the values to create a custom structural member:

838

Component: Allows you to add multiple components to a structural

member. Each component includes a name, a start and an end shape,
and a priority. You can also remove and copy the components of a
structural member.
Start Shape and End Shape: Allows you to select a shape and a set
of parameters to start and end a structural member component. The
component shapes can be the same, or they can be different. If end
shape is using the start shape, an asterisk (*) displays next to the end
shape. To transform the shape of the member along the member path,
the end shape must be explicitly set.
Priority: Allows you to assign a priority to a component. Components that start and end at a common node are mitered based on their
priorities. Components with the same priority are factored into the
miter angle between the components. Components with different priorities are not factored into the miter angle. Components with the lowest priority will effect the justification of the member when Justify
Overall Extents is cleared on the Dimensions tab in the Member Properties.
Name: Allows you to select the shapes that you assign to the start and
end of the member or member segment. You can select shapes contained in the styles that you create from the Structural Member Catalog, or custom shapes that you create.
Relative to: Allows you to define the position of the shape relative to
the start or end of the member.
Node: Allows you to place shapes on the member path relative to the
start or end of the member. To place shapes on the member path, assign
them to nodes on the member path. A single segment member has two
nodes; the start point and endpoint of the member. Multi-segmented
members have additional nodes located at each vertex of the member
path, allowing you to assign different shapes to the start and end of
each segment of the member. If you place shapes on the member path
relative to the start of the member, then the start point of the member
path is Node 0. The first vertex on the member path is Node 1, and so
on until the endpoint of the member path is defined as the final node.

Chapter 21

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If you place shapes on the member path relative to the end of the member, then the endpoint of the member is Node 0.
Scale: Allows you to scale the shape.
Mirror: Allows you to mirror the shape.
Rotation: Allows you to rotate the shape.
X: Allows you to offset the shape in the X direction along the member
path.
Y: Allows you to offset the shape in the Y direction perpendicular to
the member path.
Z: Allows you to offset the shape in the Z direction perpendicular to
the member path.

5 To add a component to the design rules of the structural member, click

Add.
A component with the same values as the preceding component is added
to the design rules.
6 To copy a component, select a component, and click Copy.
7 To remove a component from the design rules of a structural member,
select the component, and click Remove.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Shape of a Structural Member

A structural member is a shape extruded along a path. You can change the
shape that is extruded along the path to change the shape of a structural
member.
You can create a new shape for the structural member by creating a custom
shape, or by creating a new style from the Structural Member Catalog that
contains a shape.
To change the shape of a structural member
1 Create a structural member. For more information, see Creating Structural Members on page 811.
2 Create a new shape for the structural member.
You can create a custom shape for the member, or you can create a new
style that contains a shape from the Structural Member Catalog. For more
information, see Creating a Style from a Shape in the Structural Member
Catalog on page 810, and Creating a Custom Shape for a Structural
Member on page 853.
3 Select the structural member, right-click, and choose Edit Member Style
from the shortcut menu.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

839

4 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click Design Rules.
5 Under Start Shape, from the Name list, select the shape that you created
in step 2.
If you created a custom shape in step 2, the name of the shape is displayed
in the Name list. If you created a style from the Structural Member Catalog, the shape is displayed in the Name list with the name of the shape
that you selected in the catalog to create the style, not with the style name
that you typed.
6 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
The structural member is redrawn with the new shape.

Adding a Shape to a Structural Member

You can add shapes to a structural member in the design rules of the structural member style. You can create a new shape to add to the structural member by creating a custom shape, or by creating a new style from the Structural
Member Catalog that contains a shape.
To add a shape to a structural member
1 Create a structural member. For more information, see Creating Structural Members on page 811.
2 Create a new shape to add to the geometry of the structural member.
You can create a custom shape to add to the member, or you can create a
new style that contains a shape from the Structural Member Catalog. For
more information, see Creating a Style from a Shape in the Structural
Member Catalog on page 810, and Creating a Custom Shape for a Structural Member on page 853.
3 Select the structural member, right-click, and choose Edit Member Style
from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click Design Rules.
5 Click Add.
A new component is added to the structural member.
6 Type a name for each component under Component.
7 For the new component, from the Name list under Start Shape, select the
shape that you created in step 2.
If you created a custom shape in step 2, the name of the shape is displayed
in the Name list. If you created a style from the Structural Member Catalog, the shape is displayed in the Name list with the name of the shape

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that you selected in the catalog to create the style, not with the style name
that you typed.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
The structural member is redrawn with the new shape added to its geometry.

Creating a Single Component Structural

Member
You can create a structural member that starts with one shape and ends with
another, like a tapered column.

Creating a tapered column

To create a tapered column

1 Use the Structural Member Catalog to create two styles that contain the
shapes for the tapered column.

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member Catalog.
In the tree view in the left pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Imperial.
Click the plus sign next to Steel, and then next to AISC.
Click the plus sign next to I-Shaped.
Select Wn, Wide-Flange Shapes, right-click on W8X31 in the right
pane, and select Generate Member Style. Type Shape 1 for the style
name, and click OK.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

841

Select W1n, Wide-Flange Shapes, right-click on W14X43 in the right

pane, and select Generate Member Style. Type Shape 2 for the style
name, and click OK.
Close the Structural Member Catalog.

The first style contains the start shape for the column, and the second
style contains the end shape for the column.
2 In the Style Manager, create a new style for the tapered column.

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.

With the Structural Member Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose New from the shortcut menu.
Type Tapered Column for the new style name, and press ENTER.
Click OK to exit the Style Manager.

3 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Add Column.

4 In the Add Columns dialog box, select Tapered Column from the Style list,
and create a column.
For more information, see Creating a Column on page 812.
5 Select the column, right-click, and choose Edit Member Style from the
shortcut menu.
6 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click Design Rules.
7 Click Show Details to display the expanded design rules.

NOTE If you displayed the expanded design rules in a previous operation,

and did not click Hide Details to hide them before you exited the dialog box,
then the expanded design rules are displayed by default.
8 Under Component, type a name for the component.
9 In the Name list under Start Shape, select W8X31.
Do not change the other Start Shape parameters.
10 Scroll to the end of the Design Rules dialog box to display the End Shape
parameters.
11 In the Name list under End Shape, select the W14X43 shape.
Do not change the other End Shape parameters.
12 Click OK.
The column is redrawn to start with the W8X31 shape and end with the
W14X43 shape, resulting in a column that tapers from one end to the other.

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Creating a Multi-Component Structural Member

You can create a member with multiple components. This allows you to create a member from one of more shapes, for example, a steel column encased
in a concrete column. The steel column is one component of the member,
the concrete column another.

Creating a composite steel and concrete column

To create a composite steel and concrete column

1 Use the Structural Member Catalog to create two styles that contain
shapes for the steel and concrete column.

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member Catalog.
In the tree view in the left pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Imperial.
Click the plus sign next to Steel, and then next to AISC.
Click the plus sign next to I-Shaped.
Select Wn, Wide-Flange Shapes, right-click on W8X31 in the right
pane, and select Generate Member Style. Type Shape 1 for the style
name, and click OK.
Click the plus sign next to Concrete.
Click the plus sign next to Pre-Cast.
Select Rectangular Columns, right-click on 16 x 16 in the right pane,
and select Generate Member Style. Type Shape 3 for the style name,
and click OK.
Close the Structural Member Catalog.

The first style contains a shape for the steel column, and the second style
contains a shape for the concrete column.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

843

2 In the Style Manager, create a new style for the composite steel and concrete column.

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.

With the Structural Member Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose New from the shortcut menu.
Type Concrete Column for the new style name, and press ENTER.
Click OK to exit the Style Manager.

3 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Add Column.

4 In the Add Columns dialog box, select Concrete Column from the Style
list, and create a column.
For more information, see Creating a Column on page 812.
5 Select the column, right-click, and choose Edit Member Style from the
shortcut menu.
6 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click Design Rules.
7 Click Show Details to display the expanded design rules.

NOTE If you displayed the expanded design rules in a previous operation,

and did not click Hide Details to hide them before you exited the dialog box,
then the expanded design rules are displayed by default.
8 Under Component, type Component 1.
9 In the Name list under Start Shape, select 16X16.
10 Click Add.
A new component is added to the Design Rules of the structural member.
By default, the start and end shape are the same as the preceding component.
11 Under Component, type Component 2 for the second component.
12 In the Name list under Start Shape for Component 2, select the W8X31
shape.
Do not change the other Start Shape parameters.
13 Click OK.
The composite steel and concrete column is displayed in your drawing.

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Creating a Multi-Component Structural Member

Using Multiple Segments
You can create a multi-segmented structural member with an overall shape
that transforms at each vertex of the member path.
You can assign different shapes to each segment of the member as
components of the member. A series of nodes correspond to the start point,
vertices, and the endpoint of the member path. By assigning different shapes
to segments between nodes on the member path, the structural member
transforms from one shape to several different shapes along its path.
You can assign shapes to the member relative to the start or end of the
member. If you assign shapes to the member relative to the start of the
member, then the start point is defined as Node 0. The first vertex of the
member is defined as Node 1, the next vertex is Node 2, and so on until the
endpoint of the member, which is defined as the end node. If you assign
shapes relative to the end of the member, then the endpoint of the member
is defined as Node 0.

Identifying nodes on the member path

The following procedures show you how to create a rigid frame by assigning
multiple shapes to multiple components of a structural member.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

845

Creating a rigid frame

First, create the shapes that you will assign to the start and endpoints of each
segment of the path of the rigid frame. Next, draw a path for the frame and
convert it to a structural member. In the rigid frame style, assign shapes to
each segment of the rigid frame to create the legs and rafters of the frame.

Creating Shapes for the Rigid Frame

Before you create the rigid frame member, access the Structural Member Catalog to create styles that contain the shapes that you will use to construct the
frame.
To create shapes for the rigid frame
1 Use the Structural Member Catalog to create two styles that contain the
shapes for the rigid frame:

846

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Structural Member Catalog.
In the tree view in the left pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Imperial.
Click the plus sign next to Steel, and then next to AISC.
Click the plus sign next to I-Shaped.
Select Wn, Wide-Flange Shapes, right-click on W8X31 in the right
pane, and select Generate Member Style. Type Shape 1 for the style
name, and click OK.
Select W1n, Wide-Flange Shapes, right-click on W14X43 in the right
pane, and select Generate Member Style. Type Shape 2 for the style
name, and click OK.
Close the Structural Member Catalog.

Chapter 21

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Next, draw a path for the rigid frame and convert it to a structural member.
See Drawing the Rigid Frame Path and Converting it to a Structural Member on page 847.

Drawing the Rigid Frame Path and Converting it to a

Structural Member
Draw a path for the rigid frame, and convert it to a structural member.
To draw the rigid frame path and convert it to a structural member
1 In a plan view, from the Draw menu, choose Polyline, and draw a path for
the rigid frame.

Drawing and converting the rigid frame path

2 In the Style Manager, create a new style for the rigid frame.

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.

With the Structural Member Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose New from the shortcut menu.
Type Rigid Frame for the new style name, and press ENTER.
Click OK to exit the Style Manager.

3 Convert the polyline to a structural member with the Rigid Frame style
that you created in step 2.

From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Convert to

Column.
Select the polyline and press ENTER.
Type y (Yes) to leave the original polyline geometry in the drawing and
press ENTER.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

847

In the Structural Member Properties dialog box, on the Styles tab, select
Rigid Frame.
Click OK to exit.

Next, create the first leg of the rigid frame. See Creating the First Leg of the
Rigid Frame on page 848.

Creating the First Leg of the Rigid Frame

Create the first leg of the rigid frame by assigning a different start and end
shape to the first segment of the rigid frame member.

Creating the first leg of the rigid frame

To create the first leg of the rigid frame

1 Select the rigid frame, right-click, and choose Edit Member Style from the
shortcut menu.
2 In the Structural Member Style Properties dialog box, click Design Rules.
3 Click Show Details to display the expanded design rules.

NOTE If you displayed the expanded design rules in a previous operation,

and did not click Hide Details to hide them before you exited the dialog box,
then the expanded design rules are displayed by default.
4 Under Component, type Leg 1.
5 Specify the following parameters for the Start Shape:

848

From the Name list, select W8X31.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, verify the default value of 0, relative to the start point of
the member path.

Chapter 21

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Under Rotation, type 90.

6 Scroll to the end of the Design Rules dialog box to display the End Shape
parameters for Component 1.
7 Specify the following parameters for the End Shape:

From the Name list, select the W14X43 shape.

From the Relative to list, select Start.
Under Node, type 1. Node 1 corresponds to the vertex formed by the
endpoint of the first segment of the member path and the start point
of the second segment of the member path.

Next, create the first rafter of the rigid frame. See Creating the First Rafter of
the Rigid Frame on page 849.

Creating the First Rafter of the Rigid Frame

Create the first rafter of the rigid frame by assigning a different start and end
shape to the second segment of the rigid frame member.

Creating the first rafter of the rigid frame

To create the first rafter of the rigid frame

1 Click Add to add a second component to the structural member.
2 Under Component, type Rafter 1.
3 Specify the following parameters for the Start Shape:

From the Name list, select W14X43.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, type 1.

4 Scroll to the end of the Design Rules dialog box to display the End Shape
parameters for Component 1.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

849

5 Specify the following parameters for the End Shape:

From the Name list, select the W8X31 shape.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, type 2.

Next, create the second rafter of the rigid frame. See Creating the Second
Rafter of the Rigid Frame on page 850.

Creating the Second Rafter of the Rigid Frame

Create the second rafter of the rigid frame by assigning a different start and
end shape to the third segment of the rigid frame member.

Creating the second rafter of the rigid frame

To create the second rafter of the rigid frame

1 Click Add to add a third component to the structural member.
2 Under Component, type Rafter 2.
3 Specify the following parameters for the Start Shape:

From the Name list, select W8X31.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, type 2.

4 Scroll to the end of the Design Rules dialog box to display the End Shape
parameters for Component 1.
5 Specify the following parameters for the End Shape:

850

From the Name list, select the W14X43 shape.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, type 3.

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Next, create the second leg of the rigid frame. See Creating the Second Leg
of the Rigid Frame on page 851.

Creating the Second Leg of the Rigid Frame

Create the second leg of the rigid frame by assigning a different start and end
shape to the final segment of the rigid frame member.

Creating the second leg of the rigid frame

To create the second leg of the rigid frame

1 Click Add to add a fourth component to the structural member.
2 Under Component, type Leg 2.
3 Specify the following parameters for the Start Shape:

From the Name list, select W14X43.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, type 3.

4 Scroll to the end of the Design Rules dialog box to display the End Shape
parameters for Component 1.
5 Specify the following parameters for the End Shape:

From the Name list, select the W8X31 shape.

Under Relative to, verify Start is selected.
Under Node, type 4.

6 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

The complete rigid frame is created in your drawing.

Using the Design Rules to Create Custom Structural Member Styles

851

Creating Custom Shapes for Structural

Members
If you want to design a member with one or more shapes that you cannot
create in a style in the Structural Member Catalog, then you can use the
-AecsMemberShapeDefine command to create a custom shape. You can only
access this command on the command line.

Creating a custom shape

When you create a custom shape, you may define the shape that you want
to use. To accommodate the different levels of detail in the Design, Detail,
and Sketch display representations, you may define three separate
geometries for each representation. You can create the Sketch shape from
simple lines and arcs, and the Design and Detail shapes from closed polylines
that do not intersect each other. If you do not need to create the different levels of display, then you need only define the Design level geometry to use as
the default geometry for all three levels of display.
After you have created a custom component shape, you can assign the shape
to a structural member in the design rules of the structural member style. You
can edit, copy, and purge member styles after you create them.

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Creating a Custom Shape for a Structural

Member
To create a custom shape
1 Create three geometries to define the Sketch, Design, and Detail display of
the shape.
Use lines and arcs to create your Sketch shape, and use closed polylines
that do not intersect to create your Design and Detail shapes.
2 On the command line, type -AecsMemberShapeDefine.
The following prompt is displayed:
Shape [New/Copy/Edit/Purge/?]:

3 Type n (new) to create a new shape.

The following prompt is displayed:
New style name or [?]: ?

4 Type a new name for the shape, and press ENTER.

The following prompt is displayed:
Shape definition [Name/Description/Graphics]:

5 Type g (Graphics) to define the Sketch, Design, and Detail representations

of the shape.
Shape [Sketch/Design/Detail]:

NOTE If you do not want to create more than one representation for the
shape, skip to step 9 and define a Design representation to use as the default
representation.
6 Type s (Sketch) to define the Sketch representation of the shape.
The following prompt is displayed:
Base Point for Sketch Representation:

7 Select a base point for the Sketch representation, and press ENTER.
8 Select arcs and lines to define the Sketch representation of the shape, and
press ENTER.
The Sketch representation of the shape is defined. The following prompt
is displayed:
Shape [Sketch/Design/Detail]:

9 To define both the Design and Detail representations of the shape, type
Design or Detail.

Creating Custom Shapes for Structural Members

853

The following prompt is displayed:

Erase polyline? [Yes/No] <N>:

10 Do one of the following:

To erase the geometry, type y (Yes).

To keep the original geometry in the drawing, press ENTER.

11 Select the closed polylines that you want to use to create the representation.
The following prompt is displayed:
Add another ring? [Yes/No] <N>:

12 Do one of the following to complete the shape representation definition:

Press ENTER to create the shape definition from a single polyline.

Type y (Yes) to select additional polylines to add to the shape
definition. Polylines that are within other rings can be specified as void
areas that become holes in the shape These polylines must be entirely
within or outside each other; they cannot overlap or touch.

The following prompt is displayed:

Insertion Point or <Centroid>:

13 Select an insertion point for the shape, or press ENTER to use the centroid.
14 When you finish specifying shapes for both the Design and Detail representations, press ENTER three times to exit the command.

Copying a Custom Shape

To copy a custom shape
1 On the command line, type -AecsMemberShapeDefine.
The following prompt is displayed:
Shape [New/Copy/Edit/Purge/?]:

2 Type c (Copy) to copy a shape.

The following prompt is displayed:
Shape name to copy or [?]:

3 Do one of the following:

854

Type the name of the shape that you want to copy, and press ENTER.
Type ? to select a shape to copy from a list of existing shapes. Press
ENTER.

Chapter 21

Structural Members

4 Type a new shape name.

Editing a Custom Shape

To edit a custom shape
1 On the command line, type -AecsMemberShapeDefine.
The following prompt is displayed:
Shape [New/Copy/Edit/Purge/?]:

2 Type e (Edit), and press ENTER. The following prompt is displayed

Shape name to edit or [?]:

3 The following prompt is displayed

Shape definition [Name/Description/Graphics]:

4 To rename the shape, do the following:

Type n (Name), and press ENTER.

Type a new name for the shape, and press ENTER.

5 To add or change a description of the shape, do the following:

Type d (Description), and press ENTER.

Type a new description for the shape, and press ENTER.

6 To change the Sketch, Design, or Detail representation of the shape, do the

following:

Type g (Graphics), and press ENTER.

Specify new geometry for the Sketch, Design, or Detail representations.

NOTE When you edit a representation (Sketch, Design, or Detail), you

remove the existing shape from the representation. You cannot edit the
geometry of the shape in the representation. Create new shape geometry to
redefine the selected representation.
7 When you finish editing the shape, press ENTER three times to exit the
command.

Purging Custom Shapes

To purge custom shapes
1 On the command line, type -AecsMemberShapeDefine.

Creating Custom Shapes for Structural Members

855

The following prompt is displayed:

Shape [New/Copy/Edit/Purge/?]:

2 Type p (Purge) to purge one or more shapes.

The following prompt is displayed:
Shapes to purge <*>:

3 To purge a single shape, do the following:

Type the name of the shape, and press ENTER.

Type n (No) to not verify the shape to purge, and press ENTER.

The shape is purged.

4 To purge multiple shapes, do the following:

To purge multiple shapes, type * (asterisk), and press ENTER.

To purge all the existing shapes, type n (No), and press ENTER. To
choose shapes to purge, type y (Yes), press ENTER, and select the shapes
that you want to purge.

5 When you finish purging custom shapes, press ENTER to end the command.

Working with Structural Member Styles in

the Style Manager
You can import and export structural member styles between drawings, and
purge structural member styles that are not in use with the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Style Manager on page 1525.
You can also create new structural member styles in the Style Manager,
although they are created with the Standard style, instead of with dimension
specifications like those created from the Structural Member Catalog. For
more information about the Structural Member Catalog, see Using the
Structural Member Catalog on page 806.

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Creating a New Structural Member Style

You can create a new structural member style. After you create the new structural member style, you can edit the style properties of the style.
To create a new structural member style
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The structural member styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Structural Member Styles style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Structural Member Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new structural member style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new structural member style, select the
style, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Structural Member Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can
add notes to the style, change the width and justification of the structural
member edges, and change the display properties of the new style. For
more information about changing each style property, see Changing the
Structural Member Style Properties on page 835.
5 When you finish changing the structural member style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Structural Member Style from

an Existing Style
You can create a new structural member style from a style in the current
drawing.
To create a new structural member style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The structural member styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Structural Member Styles style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Structural Member Styles style
type, and press CTRL+C.

Working with Structural Member Styles in the Style Manager

857

3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new structural member style, select the
style, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Structural Member Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can
add notes to the style, change the width and justification of the structural
member edges, and change the display properties of the new style. For
more information about changing each style property, see Changing the
Structural Member Style Properties on page 835.
6 When you finish changing the structural member style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Structural Member Style

You can delete structural member styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused structural member style, or all structural member styles in your drawing.
To purge an structural member style
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The structural member styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Structural Member Styles style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused structural member style in your current drawing, select the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge
from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused structural member styles in your current drawing, with the Structural Member Styles style type selected, right-click,
and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

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NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Structural Member Style

You can copy structural member styles from an existing drawing and use
them in your current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them
into new drawings.
To import an structural member style
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The structural member styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Structural Member Styles style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Structural Member Styles style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Structural Member Styles to display the
structural member styles in the drawing.
5 Select the structural member style that you want to copy, and choose
Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

Working with Structural Member Styles in the Style Manager

859

To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Structural Member Style to a New

Drawing
You can copy structural member styles from your current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export an structural member style to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The structural member styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Structural Member Styles style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Structural Member Styles style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Structural Member Styles to an

Existing Drawing
You can copy structural member styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export an structural member style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Structural Members Member Styles.

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The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The structural member styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Structural Member Styles style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Structural Member Styles style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the other
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the other drawing. If the drawing already contains
a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Structural Members Command List

Menu command

Command line

Add Column...

ColumnAdd

Convert to Column...

ColumnConvert

Add Brace....

BraceAdd

Right-click (with structural

member selected)

Working with Structural Member Styles in the Style Manager

861

Menu command

Command line

Convert to Brace...

BraceConvert

Add Beam...

BeamAdd

Convert to Beam...

BeamConvert

Member Properties...

MemberProps

Member Styles...

MemberStyle

Structural Member
Catalog...

MemberCatalog

MemberStyleEdit

Edit Member Style...

MemberProps

Member Properties...

-AecsMemberShapeDefine

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Right-click (with structural

member selected)

Structural Members

Roofs

22

Roofs are AEC objects that model an entire roof surface.

In this chapter

You can create roofs on the fly or select an existing

Creating roofs

polyline shape and place a roof on that shape. You can

also select existing closed walls and place a roof on the

Modifying roofs
Changing roof properties
Creating roof slabs

walls. You can change the slope of an existing roof and

Modifying roof slabs

edit the edges and faces of roofs.

Creating roof slab styles

Changing roof slab styles

You can customize a roof by converting it into individual roof slabs, offering tight control of the detail of the
roof edges. You can customize the soffit and fascia of the
roof slab edge as well as the angle of the edge.

863

Creating Roofs
Roofs are AEC objects that model an entire surface. You can create roofs on
the fly or select an existing polyline shape and place a roof on that shape. You
can also select existing closed walls and place a roof on the walls. You can
change the slope of an existing roof and edit the edges and faces of roofs.
You can create roofs with single or double slopes and gable roofs from a
polyline or a closed group of walls. You can also create roofs dynamically
with a pointing device.

Creating a Single Slope Roof

You can create a single slope roof object quickly by setting a few parameters
and selecting points in the drawing.
To create a single slope roof
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Add Roof.
2 In the Add Roof dialog box, from the Shape list, select SingleSlope.
3 Type the values for Plate Height, Rise, and Slope for the roof.

Plate Height: The height of the bottom surface of the roof at its lowest
edge (where the overhang begins). This is usually the height of the top
plate of the wall that the roof sits on.

1 If you want an overhang, select Overhang, and type an overhang value.

2 Specify points in the drawing for the corners of the roof.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a single slope roof

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Creating a Double Slope Roof

You can create a double slope roof by setting parameters for both slopes and
then specifying points in the drawing.
To create a double slope roof
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Add Roof.
2 In the Add Roof dialog box, in the Shape list, select DoubleSlope.
3 Type values for the plate height and slope for the first slope. For an explanation of plate height, see Creating a Single Slope Roof on page 864.
4 Type values for the upper height and slope for the second slope.
5 If you want an overhang, select Overhang, and type an overhang value.
6 Specify points in the drawing for the corners of the roof.
7 Press ENTER to end the command.

Creating a double slope roof

NOTE You can add additional slopes to a roof face in the Edit Roof Edges
or Roof Properties dialog box.

Creating a Gable Roof

You can create a gable roof with a specified overhang.
To create a gable roof
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Add Roof.
2 In the Add Roof dialog box, if you want an overhang, select Overhang and
type an overhang value.
3 Specify the first point for the first roof edge.

Creating Roofs

865

4 In the Add Roof dialog box, set the plate height for the roof.
5 Specify the second point to complete the first sloped roof edge.
6 In the Add Roof dialog box, select Gable.
7 Specify the next point to create a gable roof edge.
8 In the Add Roof dialog box, clear Gable.
9 Specify the next point to create a sloped roof edge.
10 In the Add Roof dialog box, select Gable.
11 Specify the next point to create the second gable roof edge.

Creating a gable roof end

NOTE You can create a gable on a roof by gripping any ridge line point and
stretching it past the roof edge.

Creating a Roof from a Polyline

You can create a roof from an existing polyline.
To create a roof from a polyline
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof.
2 Select a closed 2D polyline.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected polyline after the roof is created or n (No)
to leave the polyline in the drawing.
4 In the Modify Roof dialog box, type new values as needed.
5 Click OK.

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Chapter 22

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Creating a roof from a polyline

Creating a Roof from Walls

To create a roof from walls, the selected walls must form a closed boundary.
The roof takes its plate height from the top of each wall segment.
To create a roof from a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof.
2 Select closed walls.

NOTE If the walls you select are not closed, a roof is added to the top of
each wall segment.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the selected walls after the roof is created or n (No) to
leave the walls in the drawing.
4 In the Modify Roof dialog box, type new values as needed.
5 Click OK.
The roof is created on the selected walls at the correct height.

Creating a roof from walls

Creating Roofs

867

NOTE If your walls are not properly cleaned up with each other, the roof
conversion is unpredictable. For more information, see Wall Cleanup Definitions on page 356.

Modifying Roofs
You can change any characteristic of a roof, including the plate height, the
slope, and overhang values. You can edit the edges and faces of roofs.

Changing an Existing Roof

You can change the plate height, the upper height for a double slope roof,
the slope, and the overhang for an existing roof.
To change an existing roof
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof.
2 Select an existing roof.
3 In the Modify Roof dialog box, do any of the following:

Change the shape by selecting a new shape from the list.

Change the plate height or upper height for a double slope roof.
Change the rise or slope angle for each face.
Change the overhang value.

4 Click Apply to change the properties of the selected roof and remain in the
dialog box to continue modifying the roof, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Changing the Roof Edges and Faces

You can edit the values in the table in the Edit Roof Edges dialog box. Drag
the lines between the column headings to change the width of the columns.
You can select multiple roof faces to edit.
To change roof edges
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Edit Roof Edges/Faces.
2 Select roof edge(s) to be edited and press ENTER.

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3 In the upper section of the Edit Roof Edges dialog box, change the height
or overhang for the roof edge as needed. For a curved edge, you can also
change the number of segments in the curve or radius.

4 In the lower section of the Edit Roof Edges dialog box, you can change the
slope of any edge selected in the upper section.

TIP If you click the blank space under the last number in the Face column,
a a new face is created for the selected edge. You can then assign the new
face a different height and slope. To remove a face, click Delete.
5 Click OK.

Changing Roof Properties

You can change the properties of roofs in your drawing by adding notes and
reference files to the roof, changing the dimensions of the roof, and setting
the location of a roof.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Roof

To attach notes and files to a roof
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof.
2 Select the roof, and press ENTER.

Changing Roof Properties

869

3 In the Modify Roof dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the roof, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the roof, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Roof Dimension Properties

You can edit the roof edge or roof face of a selected edge.
To set the roof dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof.
2 Select the roof, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

5 You can edit the roof edge or roof face.
6 Select roof edge(s) to be edited.

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7 In the upper section of the Edit Roof Edges dialog box, change the height
or overhang for the roof edge as needed. For a curved edge, you can also
change the number of segments in the curve or radius.

8 In the lower section of the Edit Roof Edges dialog box, you can change the
slope of any edge selected in the upper section.

TIP If you click the blank space under the last number in the Face column,
a a new face is created for the selected edge. You can then assign the new
face a different height and slope. To remove a face, click Delete.
9 Click OK.

Changing the Roof Location Properties

You can relocate an existing roof by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The roof also has an orientation with respect to the world
coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example, when
the top and bottom of the roof are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the roof by aligning its
normal with another axis. You can also rotate the roof on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Changing Roof Properties

871

To change the location properties of a roof

1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof.
2 Select the roof, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the roof, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the roof, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To
locate the roof on the XY plane, make the normal of the roof parallel
to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X
and Y boxes. To locate the roof on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box
and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the roof on the XZ plane,
type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the roof, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the roof object without leaving the Roof Properties dialog box.
7 After you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Roof Slabs
A roof slab models a single face of a roof. A slab is a three dimensional body,
bounded by a planer polygon (perimeter), of any shape, and with any number of edges. Each roof slab is defined by its perimeter, edge conditions, and
style.
Roof slab objects differ from roof objects because each slab is a separate entity
with no direct connection to other entities. You can use multiple roof slabs
to model an entire roof surface, but the combined topology (3D geometry) of
the roof is not calculated automatically. For this reason, it is recommended
that when you design complex roofs, you initially use the roof object. When
the design is substantially complete, but more flexibility and detail are
needed in the model, you can convert the roof to individual roof slabs.
While roof slabs do not dynamically interact with each other, they do allow
significant control over the roof geometry. For example, you can trim roof
slabs individually, extend them, and miter them with other slabs. You can cut
holes in them, add or subtract mass elements, and apply detailed fascia and

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soffit profiles to any edge at any angle and orientation. Roof slabs are also
style-based, so you can apply design changes globally.

Creating Roof Slabs

You can create roof slabs independently, or you can create them from existing objects, such as roofs, walls, and polylines.
Roof slabs created from roofs do not maintain any link to the original roof
object, but the roof slabs give you greater control over their geometry and
detail.
In practice, pitched roofs are usually designed by specifying a plate line and
a slope angle. Roof slabs have been designed so that the same approach can
be used in laying them out. All you need to do to add a roof slab is specify
two points and an angle.

TIP If you have traditionally designed roofs created by drawing a 2D plan

showing ridge, hip, and valley lines, you can simply trace over that plan with
roof slabs, specifying the desired height and slope, and the correct 3D model is
created.
In Architectural Desktop, the plate line is called a baseline, since not all roofs
actually sit on a wall plate. The baseline is always the first edge of the roof
perimeter, and is the edge that usually has an overhang and a unique fascia
and soffit detail.
You can specify slope (pitch) of the roof either as an angle or as a rise-to-run
ratio. If you change the slope, the roof slab rotates around its pivot point. The
pivot point is initially the first vertex of the baseline, but you can move it to
any other point, either on or off the slab.
The slab insertion point is also, by default, the first point on the baseline. You
can offset the baseline, however, either horizontally or vertically from the
insertion point, to allow for precise alignment with walls or structural
elements.

Creating Roof Slabs

873

Roof slab parameters

The perimeter of the roof slab is a planer polygon defined by the X,Y,Z coordinates of its vertices. The slab can have three or more vertices, with the ability to add or remove vertices. Each pair of vertices defines an edge.
The body of the slab is an extrusion perpendicular to the plane of the perimeter. The thickness of this extrusion is specified either in the slab style, when
it has a fixed thickness, or for each slab instance. The position of the slab bottom, relative to its perimeter plane, is controlled by the thickness offset value
in the slab style design rules. The imaginary line passing through the slab at
the perimeter line (in section) is called the slope line.
Each slab edge is defined by its orientation (plumb or square), angle (relative
to the orientation), edge style (fascia and soffit), and overhang (which
defines the point at which the fascia begins).
The orientation, edge angle, and overhang are attributes of the slab instance,
but can be set as defaults in the slab edge style. The fascia and soffit parameters can be set only in the edge style.

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Creating a Roof Slab

When a roof slab is created, the first selected point determines the insertion
point of the slab. This point also locates the default pivot point of the slab.
The pivot point is represented on the roof slab by a small pyramid-shaped
marker. The second selected point determines the endpoint of the roof slab
baseline. Subsequent selected points establish the vertices of the roof slab
perimeter. The baseline is always the first edge of the slab perimeter.

Creating a roof slab

To create a roof slab

1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Add Roof Slab.
2 In the Add Roof Slab dialog box, from the Style list, select an existing style.
3 From the Mode list, select Projected or Direct.
Projected: The X,Y coordinates of the first point are projected to a Z value
of the current base height. This establishes the insertion point. The second
point establishes the baseline. All subsequent points, if any, are projected
to a plane established by the baseline and the specified slope angle. This
mode is provided for architects who wish to layout a roof by tracing over
a plan drawing.

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Adding a roof slab using projected mode

Direct: The points specified become the vertices of the roof slab perimeter.

Adding a roof slab using direct mode

4 In the Thickness box, type the thickness for the roof slab.
5 In the Base Height box, type the height of the roof slab insertion point.
This is available only when you select Projected mode.
6 In the Overhang box, type the depth for the overhang. This determines
where the fascia begins for the roof slab.
7 In the Justify box, select the justification for the roof slab, Top, Center,
Bottom, or Slopeline.

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a roof slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the roof slab object. The Justify option is intended
primarily for Direct mode.

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Top: Aligns the top of the added slab with the first selected point.
Center: Aligns the center of the added slab with the first selected point.
Bottom: Aligns the bottom of the added slab with the first selected point.
Slopeline: Aligns the slopeline of the added slab with the first selected
point. The slopeline is defined as the position of the slab baseline relative
to its bottom face. This is set by the thickness offset in the Roof Slab Style
Design Rules dialog box.
8 Set the slope for the roof slab by typing it in the Rise, Run, or Angle boxes.
When you change one value and click another box, the other fields adjust
accordingly. This is available only when you select Projected mode.
9 Click one of the direction buttons, to set how the slab is drawn relative to
the baseline.

NOTE You can use direction options only when you select two points. If
you select three or more points, the Direction buttons are shaded.
10 After the parameters for the roof slab have been set, click your drawing,
then select a point for the beginning of the roof slab.
11 Select a second point for the first edge (baseline) of the roof slab.
12 You can select further points to define the roof slab, or you can click Ortho
Close to finish the roof slab.
Ortho Close: While drawing a roof slab, Ortho Close uses the first line
and the selected direction, and draws a square roof slab based on the current settings in the Add Roof Slab dialog box.
13 After you have specified three or more points, you can click Polyline Close
to connect the last point of the roof slab to the first point, or you can click
Ortho Close to square off the last edge with the first.

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Using ortho close with two and three specified points

14 Click OK.

Creating Roof Slabs from an Existing Roof

You can convert an existing roof into individual roof slabs. You can edit the
edges of the slabs to add a fascia and soffit.
When you convert a roof, multiple roof slabs are created. These slabs reproduce the original roof as closely as possible, using the default parameters of
the selected slab style.

TIP To create roof slabs with the same overhang as the roof, use a slab edge
style with the same default overhang.
To create roof slabs from an existing roof
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof Slabs.
2 Select an existing roof object, and press ENTER.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the roof, or n (No) to leave the roof in the drawing.

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4 Type a roof slab style name, or press ENTER to use the default style.

Converting a roof to roof slabs

Creating Roof Slabs Based on Walls

You can create a rectangular roof slab from an existing wall. The roof slab is
created with the baseline edge of the slab situated at the base height of the
wall. You can specify all roof slab properties during the conversion or after
creation.

TIP Use this conversion command to place roof slabs on top of existing walls.
The command is useful when you want a specific alignment between the slab
baseline and the wall baseline.
To create a roof slab from a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof Slabs.
2 Select an existing wall, and press ENTER.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the wall, or type n (No) to leave the wall in the drawing.
4 Specify the justification for the roof slab, Top, Center, Bottom, or Slopeline.
Top: Aligns the top of the slab with the wall base height.
Center: Aligns the center of the slab with the wall base height.
Bottom: Aligns the bottom of the slab with the wall base height.
Slopeline: Aligns the slopeline of the slab with the wall base height. The
slopeline is defined as the position of the slab baseline relative to its bottom face. This is set by the thickness offset in the Roof Slab Style Design
Rules dialog box.

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Creating a roof slab from a wall

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a roof slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the roof slab object.
5 Type where you want the baseline edge of the roof slab to align to in relation to the wall width. This can be the left, center, or right of the wall or
on the baseline of the wall.
Left: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the left side of the wall, based
on the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Center: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the center of the wall.
Right: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the right side of the wall,
based on the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Baseline: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the baseline of the wall.
6 Type the slope direction, either left or right. This is based on the direction
the wall was drawn.
7 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, you can edit the style properties
and dimension properties. Click OK after you have added and changed
the necessary information.

Creating a Flat Roof Slab Based on Multiple Walls

You can create a flat roof slab that follows the outline of multiple walls. The
roof slab is created with the baseline edge of the roof slab at the top of the
first selected wall.

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NOTE A flat roof slab is created only when you specify a zero slope. If you
select multiple walls and a non-zero slope, multiple roof slabs are created.
When you select multiple walls that do not form a closed shape, you can use
Polyline Close to form the roof slab. If the closed polyline intersects one of
the selected walls, then the roof slab is invalid and you must select the walls
again.
You can specify all roof slab properties during the conversion or after
creation.
To create a flat roof slab from a wall
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof Slabs.
2 Select the walls to form the roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the walls, or n (No) to leave the walls in the drawing.
4 Specify the justification for the roof slab, Top, Center, Bottom, or Slopeline.

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a roof slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the roof slab object.
Top: Aligns the top of the slab with the wall base height.
Center: Aligns the center of the slab with the wall base height.
Bottom: Aligns the bottom of the slab with the wall base height.
Slopeline: Aligns the slopeline of the slab with the wall base height. The
slopeline is defined as the position of the slab baseline relative to its bottom face. This is set by the thickness offset in the Roof Slab Style Design
Rules dialog box.
5 Type where you want the baseline edge of the roof slab to align to in relation to the wall width. This can be the left, center, or right of the wall or
on the baseline of the wall.
Left: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the left side of the wall, based
on the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Center: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the center of the wall.
Right: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the right side of the wall,
based on the direction of the wall when it was drawn.
Baseline: Aligns the roof slab baseline edge to the baseline of the wall.

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6 Type the slope direction, either left or right. This is based on the direction
the wall was drawn.

NOTE The slope direction is only used for non-zero slopes. If you create a
flat roof, the slope direction is ignored.
7 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, you can edit the style properties
and the dimension properties. Click OK after you have added and
changed the necessary information.

Creating a Roof Slab from a Polyline

You can create a single roof slab from a closed polyline. The first line drawn
in the polyline becomes the baseline edge of the roof slab. You can specify all
roof slab properties during the conversion or after creation.
This command is useful to create a complex-shaped roof slab, especially with
curved edges.

Facet Deviation
The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the FACETDEV
variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on curved AEC
objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.
To create a roof slab from a closed polyline
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof Slabs.
2 Select an existing closed polyline, and press ENTER.
3 Type y (Yes) to erase the polylines, or n (No) to leave the polylines in the
drawing.
4 Type the creation type for the roof slab, Direct or Projected.

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Direct: The polyline vertices become the vertices of the roof slab perimeter.

Converting a polyline to a roof slab using direct mode

Projected: When you select Projected, there is an additional prompt for

the base height of the roof slab. The X,Y coordinates of the first polyline
vertex are projected to a Z value of the base height. This establishes the
insertion point. The offset values determine the start point of the baseline.

Converting a polyline to a roof slab using projected mode

5 If you select Projected as the creation mode, type the base height for the
roof slab.
6 Specify the justification for the roof slab, Top, Center, Bottom, or Slopeline.

NOTE This justification is only used for the insertion of a roof slab. It is not
retained as a parameter of the roof slab object.

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Top: Aligns the slab top with the polyline (or base height, when using
projected mode.)
Center: Aligns the slab center with the polyline (or base height, when
using projected mode.)
Bottom: Aligns the slab bottom with the polyline (or base height, when
using projected mode.)
Slopeline: Aligns the slab slopeline with the polyline (or base height,
when using projected mode.)
7 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, you can edit the style properties,
and the dimension properties. Click OK after you have added and
changed the necessary information.

NOTE If you have specified the Direct mode, then the slope value is
ignored.

Modifying a Roof Slab

To modify a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof Slab.
2 Select an existing roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof Slab dialog box, you can select a new style from the
Style list.
4 In the Thickness field, change the thickness of the roof slab.
5 Change the slope for the roof slab by typing the values in the Rise, Run,
or Angle boxes.
When you change one value and click another field, the other fields adjust
accordingly.
6 Click Set Pivot Point, and specify another location for the pivot point.
This becomes the new rotation point for subsequent changes in slope.

NOTE If you have set one of the roof slab Hold Elevation constraints in the
Roof Slab Dimensions Properties dialog box, the pivot point is ignored.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

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Editing Roof Slabs

Through the roof slab tools, you can trim, extend, miter and cut roof slabs
into the shape you need. You can use other editing functions, such as adding
a vertex to the roof slab, adding a hole, adding a dormer, or adding objects
to the roof slab. You can also edit each roof slab edge individually.

NOTE To select the roof slab, click near one of the roof slab edges.

Editing a Roof Slab Edge

You can edit each individual edge of a roof slab, including the overhang, edge
style, edge orientation, and the angle for the edge.
A viewer is also included in this dialog box, to show you when the edge of
the selected slab is currently being edited.
To change the roof slab edges
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Edit Roof Slab Edges.
2 Select the edges of one roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 Select edges to edit from the list. The edge is highlighted in the viewer.

TIP You can select multiple edges by using SHIFT or CTRL.

4 In the Overhang column, you can change the overhang for the edge.
5 In the Edge Style column, you can assign or change the style for the
selected edge. The angle is relative to the orientation.
6 In the Orientation column, you can set the orientation to square or
plumb.
7 In the Angle column, you can set the angle for the selected edge. To reset
selected edges to their style defaults, right-click the edge number. If Reset
to Style Defaults is shaded on the shortcut menu, the edge is set to its
defaults or it has no assigned edge style.
8 After you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Trimming a Roof Slab

You can trim a roof slab with any polyline, wall, or slab that defines a cutting
plane through the slab. The cutting object does not actually have to intersect

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the slab, as long as it provides an intersection in the current user coordinate

system (UCS).
Any fascia and/or soffit profile that intersects the trim line is trimmed at the
same angle as the slab.
If the trimming object is a 3D body, such as a wall or slab, the trim plane is
at the closest surface. The new slab edge at the trim line has its edge angle
defined by the trimming plane.
It is not possible to trim an overhang only. The trim line must intersect the
slab perimeter line at some point.

Trimming a roof slab to a wall

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To trim a roof slab

1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Trim Roof Slab.
2 Select an object to trim the roof slab with. The object can be a wall,
another slab, or a polyline.
3 Select the roof slab to trim.
4 Specify the side of the slab to be trimmed.

Extending a Roof Slab

You can extend a roof slab to another slab or to a wall.
The target object does not have to actually intersect the plane of the slab, as
long as it projects an intersection in the current user coordinate system
(UCS).
Because multiple edges may have to be moved in an extend operation, you
are prompted to select the adjacent edges to lengthen, rather than the
specific edges to move. These selected edges retain their current vector
(angle) and are stretched until they intersect the plane of the target object.
If multiple edges exist between the selected edges, they are joined to form a
single edge. The new edge is set to the angle of the target surface.
Any fascia and/or soffit profile on the adjacent edges are extended to the
target surface and trimmed to its angle.
To extend a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Extend Roof Slab.
2 Select the wall or slab to extend to.
3 Select the roof slab to be extended.
4 Select the first edge to lengthen.
5 Select the second edge to lengthen.

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Extending a roof slab to a wall

Mitering Roof Slabs by Intersection

Mitering is an operation that can only be performed on two slabs of the same
type. The two slabs must intersect at some point for this command to work
correctly.

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When a miter by intersection is performed, both slabs are trimmed along the
intersection of their perimeter lines. Vertices are added or removed as
required. The new edges of the slabs are set to angles required for a true miter
cut. If the slab thicknesses are different, the angles are different.

NOTE If the two edges do not intersect, use Miter by Edges.

To miter roof slabs by intersection
1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Miter Roof Slab.
2 Type i (Intersection) to miter at the intersection of the two roof slabs.
3 Select the first roof slab at the side of that slab to keep. The opposite side
of the selection is trimmed.
4 Select the second roof slab at the side of that slab to keep. The opposite
side of the selection is trimmed.

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Mitering roof slabs by intersection

Mitering Roof Slabs Using Edges

You can perform mitering only on two slabs of the same type. Only one edge
of each slab is mitered.
The Miter by Edges command provides more control than Miter by Intersection, because you can specify particular edges to miter. You can miter edges
of overlapping slabs without trimming the entire slab. To accomplish this,
however, it may be necessary to insert additional vertices.

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TIP If you need to miter multiple edges on a slab, stretch them to overlap the
other slab and use Miter by Intersection.
To miter roof slabs by edge
1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Miter Roof Slab.
2 Type e (Edges) to miter selected edges of the roof slabs.
3 Select one edge on the first roof slab to miter.
4 Select one edge on the second roof slab to miter.

Mitering roof slabs by edge

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Cutting a Roof Slab

You can cut a roof slab into two or more slabs using any 3D object or
polyline. If you use a 3D body such as a wall, slab, mass element, or closed
polyline, the slab is broken along the intersection lines of the surfaces.
The slab is cut only when the 3D body or closed polyline actually intersects
the perimeter line of the slab. If you use an open polyline, the slab is cut
along the projection to the roof slab surface.
In either case, when the intersection line crosses the slab multiple times,
multiple slabs are created. If the intersection line has multiple edges, multiple edges are added to the new slabs.

Facet Deviation
The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the FACETDEV
variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on curved AEC
objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.
To cut a roof slab
1 Draw the object or polyline that you want to use to cut the roof slab.
2 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Cut Roof Slab.
3 Select the roof slab.
4 Select the objects to cut the roof slab.
5 Type n (No) to keep the layout geometry, or type y (Yes) to erase the
geometry.

Adding a Vertex to a Roof Slab

You can add a vertex to a roof slab edge, creating two roof slab edges from
one edge.

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TIP To place a new vertex at a precise intersection point, use ENT or APP object
snaps.
To add a vertex to a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Add Roof Slab Vertex.
2 Select an existing roof slab.
3 Specify a point for the new vertex.
The new vertex is added to the nearest roof slab edge, perpendicular to the
selected point. If there is no point perpendicular to the roof, no vertex is
added.

Adding a vertex to the side of a roof slab

NOTE To see the new vertex, select the roof slab after running this command. A new grip point is displayed where you specified a new vertex.

Deleting a Vertex from a Roof Slab

You can delete existing vertices from roof slabs. After deleting a vertex, the
adjacent two vertices connect in a straight line.

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To delete a vertex to a roof slab

1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Remove Roof Slab Vertex.
2 Select an existing roof slab.
3 Select a vertex to remove it from the roof slab.

Removing a vertex from the side of a roof slab

Adding Holes to a Roof Slab

You can add a hole to an existing roof slab by using a polyline or 3D object.
The hole is created by adding new vertices and edges to the slab. These new
vertices and edges can be edited like any other vertex or edge.
Holes generated by a closed polyline are projected from the polyline to the
roof slab, using the current user coordinate system (UCS).
You can also generate holes by selecting one or more objects, such as mass
elements or walls, which define a 3D body. The selected objects must intersect the slab without any projection. If the objects contain an interior void,
you are prompted to use the inside or outside surfaces to create the hole. For
example, if you create a chimney using four wall objects, you can cut the hole
at the inside or outside of the chimney. The new hole faces are aligned with
the surfaces of the cutting bodies, and are not necessarily parallel to each
other.

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Facet Deviation
The smoothness (tesselation) of curved edges is controlled by the FACETDEV
variable. This variable sets the number of facets to display on curved AEC
objects. This must be set before converting the polyline to slabs.
The facet deviation is available only on the command line by typing
AecFacetDev.
The number you set as the facet deviation defines the maximum distance
from the chord to the arc, the chord being an edge that is created from
faceting the curve, to the true mathematical arc. The facet deviation has a
range of greater than zero (0) and no upper limit.
The minimum number of facets is 8. For example, create a cylinder mass
element to have a 1 radius, and set the facetdev to 1, the cylinder has 8
faces.
To add a hole to a roof slab
1 Draw a closed polyline in the shape and location for the hole, or add an
object in the location for the hole.
2 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Roof Slab Hole.
3 Type a (Add) to add the hole to the roof slab.
4 Select the roof slab.
5 Select the closed polyline or 3D objects, and press ENTER.
6 Type n (No) to keep the layout geometry, or type y (Yes) to erase the
geometry.
7 If you select 3D bodies, you are prompted to create the hole at the inside
or outside surfaces of the cutting objects. This prompt is displayed even
when the bodies do not contain an inner void, in which case, the Inside
option does not create a hole.

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Adding a hole to a roof slab

NOTE If you create a hole that is either outside or overlapping the roof slab
baseline or perimeter line at a roof slab overhang, then the body of the slab
is cut but the fascia and soffit remain. In this case, it is better to use the Cut
Roof Slab command.

Removing Holes from a Roof Slab

You remove existing holes from a roof slab.
To remove a hole to a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Roof Slab Hole.
2 Type r (Remove) to remove the hole to the roof slab.
3 Select any edge of the hole in the roof slab.

Adding Objects to a Roof Slab (Boolean)

Roof slabs often require additional 3D geometry, such as rib joists, curbs, and
cornice returns, that cannot be defined by the perimeter, style, or edge
profiles.
The Boolean Add command fuses 3D geometry of selected objects with the
slab, so that a section cut through the slab is displayed as a single outline. The
added objects are not affected and are usually placed on a frozen layer.
If the added bodies are moved or changed, the slab updates accordingly.

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To add objects to a roof slab

1 Create the objects to add to the roof slab in the current position.
2 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Boolean Add/Subtract.
3 Select the roof slab.
4 Select the objects to add to the roof slab, and press ENTER.
5 Type a (Add) to add the objects to the roof slab.

Adding an object to a roof slab

Subtracting Objects from a Roof Slab (Boolean)

Roof slabs often require subtraction of 3D geometry and they cannot be
defined by the perimeter, style, or edge profiles.
The Boolean Subtract command carves out the body of the slab using the
geometry of the selected objects, such that a section cut through the slab produces a single outline. The subtracted objects are not affected and are usually
placed on a frozen layer.
If the subtracted bodies are moved or changed, the slab updates accordingly.
To subtract objects from a roof slab
1 Create the objects to subtract from the roof slab in the current position.
2 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Boolean Add/Subtract.
3 Select the roof slab.
4 Select the objects to subtract from the roof slab, and press ENTER.
5 Type s (Subtract) to subtract the object shape from the roof slab.

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Subtracting an object from a roof slab

Removing Objects from a Roof Slab (Boolean)

You can remove Boolean geometry from roof slabs.
To remove boolean objects from a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Boolean Add/Subtract.
2 Select the roof slab.
3 Select the objects to remove from the roof slab, and press ENTER.
4 Type r (Remove) to remove the objects from the roof slab.

Creating a Dormer in a Roof Slab

You can create a dormer by using selected objects to cut a hole in a roof slab.
To add a dormer to a roof slab, you must first create all parts of the dormer,
comparable to a small house, so that an appropriate hole in the roof slab can
be cut.
The Roof Dormer command is similar to the Roof Slab Hole command,
except that it also trims the walls and roof slabs of the dormer.

NOTE The walls you start with must include a back segment, so that the command can cut the full hole for the dormer.
To add a dormer to a roof slab
1 Create the three walls for the dormer, plus a closing rear wall.
2 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Convert to Roof Slabs.
3 Miter the edges as required.
4 Move the structure so that the walls and roof of the dormer fully penetrate
the existing roof slab in the correct position.
5 From the Design menu, choose Roof Slab Tools Roof Dormer.
6 Select the roof slab to add the dormer to.

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7 Select the objects that form the dormer, and press ENTER.
8 Select the outside or inside of the dormer to cut the roof slab.
9

Select whether to slice the walls or leave them as they are.

Adding a dormer to a roof slab

NOTE You can manually erase the wall at the rear of the dormer.

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Grip Editing Roof Slabs

Grip editing roof slabs is slightly different from grip editing other objects.
When you select and grip edit the midpoint of a roof slab edge, moving the
grip point maintains the plane and the angles of the adjacent sides of the
roof slab.

Grip editing a roof slab

To mimic standard midpoint grip editing behavior, highlight the two corner
points of the edge pressing SHIFT, then drag those grip points.
Press CTRL while selecting the midpoint grip, then drag the edge to create
new roof slab edges. This behavior is similar to Space Boundaries.
Normal grip editing of roof slabs maintains the slope angle of the slab regardless of the Z value of the selected point. To rotate the slab about its pivot
point, and change the slope, hold down CTRL + ALT while stretching a grip.

NOTE If you have set the Hold Fascia Elevation, When Changing Slope constraint, the pivot point is ignored during grip stretching with CTRL + ALT.

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NOTE The pivot point is unaffected by grip editing of the slab edges.

Object Snap (Osnap) Behavior for Roof Slabs

Pivot Point
Use the Node object snap to snap to the pivot point.

Baseline
Use the Node object snap to snap to the vertex points of the slab baseline.

Snap
Use the Insertion object snap to snap to the insertion point of the slab.
Use the Endpoint object snap to snap to the vertices of the slab edges.
Use the Midpoint object snap to snap to the midpoints of the slab edge lines.

Roof Slab Properties

You can change the style, dimensions, edge properties and location of the
roof slab.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Roof Slab

To attach notes and files to a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof Slab.
2 Select the roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the roof slab, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the roof slab, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Roof Slab Style or Applying a New

Roof Slab Style
You can change the style of a selected roof slab. Select the current style of the
selected roof slab, and then select a different style from the list to apply it to
the selected roof slab.
To change the roof slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof Slab.
2 Select the roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof Slab dialog box, click

4 Click the Style tab.

5 Select the new style from the alphabetical list of styles.

NOTE You can set values back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style
Defaults.
6 Click OK to exit.

NOTE If you select more than one roof slab that have different styles, *VARIES* is added to and is selected in the Roof Slab Style dialog box. If you select
a new roof slab style, all selected styles are assigned that style.

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Changing the Roof Slab Dimensions

You can control the dimensions of the roof slab including the thickness, vertical and horizontal offset, the slope, the fascia dimension constraints, and
the pivot point location.
To set the roof slab dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof Slab.
2 Select the roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

5 In the Thickness box, you can type a new thickness for the roof slab.
6 In the Vertical Offset box, you can type a new vertical distance offset from
the insertion point.
7 In the Horizontal Offset box, you can type a new horizontal distance offset from the insertion point.
8 In the Slope section, you can change the slope for the roof slab by typing
the values in the Rise, Run, or Angle boxes. After you change one value
and click another box, the other fields adjust accordingly.
9 By selecting Hold Fascia Elevation, When Changing Slope, you can constrain the fascia to align with other slab fascias even when the style is
changed. The two options can adjust the overhang or baseline height of
the roof slab. The constraints also apply to grip editing.

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NOTE This constraint applies only to the baseline edge, and it works only
when the baseline is horizontal.
10 In the Pivot Point section, you can change the X, Y, and Z values of the
current pivot point location. The Pivot Point can be set graphically in the
Modify dialog box.
11 After you finish the changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

NOTE You can set values back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style
Defaults.

Changing the Roof Slab Edge Properties

You can edit each individual edge of a roof slab, including the overhang, edge
style, edge orientation, and the angle for the edge.
A viewer is also included in this dialog box, to show you when the edge of
the selected slab is currently being edited.
To change the roof slab edges
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof Slab.
2 Select the roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, click the Edges tab.
5 Select the edge to edit from the list. Notice that the edge is highlighted in
the viewer. You can select multiple edges by using SHIFT or CTRL.
6 In the Overhang column, you can change the overhang for the edge.
7 In the Edge Style column, you can assign or change the style for the
selected edge.
8 In the Orientation column, you can set the orientation to Square or Plumb
cut.
9 In the Angle column, you can set the angle for the selected edge relative
to the orientation.

NOTE If you right-click the edge number, you can reset the selected edges
to their style defaults from the shortcut menu. If the option name is shaded,
the edges match the defaults.

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10 After you finish the changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Location of the Roof Slab

You can relocate an existing roof slab by changing the coordinate values of
its insertion point. The roof slab also has an orientation with respect to the
world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS).
For information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a roof slab
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Modify Roof Slab.
2 Select the roof slab, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Roof Slab dialog box, click

4 In the Roof Slab Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the roof slab, change the coordinate values under Insertion
Point.
To reorient the roof slab, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To change the rotation of the roof slab, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the roof slab without leaving the Roof Slab Modify dialog box.
7 After you finish the changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Working with Roof Slab Styles

When you create, copy, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The Style
Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting Started with
the Style Manager on page 1527.

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Creating New Roof Slab Styles

You can create a new roof slab style, or you can copy and edit an existing roof
slab style.

Creating a New Roof Slab Style

You can create a new roof slab style. After you create the new roof slab style,
you can edit the style properties of the roof slab style.
To create a new roof slab style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Roof Slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 After you select the roof slab style type, right-click, and choose New from
the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new roof slab style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new roof slab style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Roof Slab Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
to the style, change the default values, and change the display properties
of the new style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing Roof Slab Style Properties on page 910.
5 After you finish changing the roof slab style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Roof Slab Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new roof slab style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new roof slab style from an existing style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Roof Slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Roof Slab style type, and press
CTRL+C.

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3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select it and right-click. Choose Rename from the
shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new roof slab style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Roof Slab Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
to the style, change the default values, and change the display properties
of the new style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing Roof Slab Style Properties on page 910.
6 After you finish changing the roof slab style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Roof Slab Style

You can delete roof slab styles that are not being used in the current drawing.
You can delete a single unused roof slab style, or all roof slab styles in your
drawing.
To purge a roof slab style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the roof slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused roof slab style in the current drawing, select
the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all unused roof slab styles in the current drawing, select the
roof slab style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

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NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Roof Slab Style

You can copy roof slab styles from an existing drawing and use them in the
current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them to new drawings.
To import a roof slab style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the roof slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to the current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered out to display only the roof slab style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Roof Slab Styles to display the roof slab
styles in the drawing.
5 Select the roof slab style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names is displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

908

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

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8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Roof Slab Style to a New Drawing

You can copy roof slab styles from the current drawing to a new drawing.
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the roof slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered out to display only the roof slab style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Roof Slab Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy roof slab styles from the current drawing to another drawing.
To export a roof slab style to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the roof slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out
in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the roof slab style type.

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4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names is displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Roof Slab Style Properties

You can add notes and files to the roof slab styles.

Adding Notes and Files to Roof Slab Styles

To add a description or note to a roof slab style, or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab style type is selected in the current drawing and all
other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the roof slab style type, select the roof slab style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the roof slab style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the roof slab style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

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7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 After you finish changing the roof slab style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Roof Slab Style Default Properties

When you create a new roof slab style, the initial defaults used are taken from
these defaults.
To change the roof slab styles default parameters
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab style type is selected in the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the roof slab style type, select the roof slab style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Style Properties dialog box, click the Defaults tab.

Changing Roof Slab Style Properties

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4 In the Thickness box, type the default thickness for the roof slab.
5 In the Vertical Offset box, type the default vertical distance for the offset.
6 In the Horizontal Offset box, type the default horizontal distance for the
offset.
7 In the Slope section, you can set the default slope for the roof slab by typing the values in the Rise, Run, or Angle boxes. When you change one
value and click another box, the other fields adjust accordingly.
8 Select whether to automatically assign an edge style to the baseline edge
of the roof slab. If this is turned on, select the style from the list.
9 Select whether to automatically assign an edge style to the perimeter edges
of the roof slab, which are all edges but the baseline edge. If this is turned
on, select the style from the list.
10 Click New Edge Style to create a new edge style. See Creating New Roof
Slab Edge Styles for more information.
11 Click Save as Default for New Roof Slab Styles to save these default values
to the registry.
12 After you finish changing the roof slab style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
13 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Roof Slab Style Design Rules

Properties
You can choose whether the roof slab style has a fixed thickness, and you can
choose the thickness and the thickness offset.

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To change the roof slab style component properties

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab style type is selected in the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the roof slab style type, select the roof slab style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Style Properties dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
4 Select whether to assign a fixed thickness to the roof slab style. If the slab
has fixed thickness, the Thickness box become editable.
5 In the Thickness Offset box, type a value for the offset. Use a negative
value to drop the slab bottom below the baseline.
6 After you finish changing the roof slab style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Roof Slab Style Display Properties

To set the roof slab style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab style type is selected in the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view
2 Under the roof slab style type, select the roof slab style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 From the list at the top of the dialog box, select the display representation
The display representation set in the current viewport is marked with an
asterisk (*).
5 Do any of the following:

Select the roof slab style from the property source and click Attach
Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport
in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.

Changing Roof Slab Style Properties

913

The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display

Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display of the roof slab style
in the display representation that you selected.
Click Edit Display Properties, and select the Hatching tab to change
hatch pattern display for the roof slab style in the display representation that you selected.
Click Edit Display Properties, and select the Other tab to change the cut
plane height for the roof slab style in the display representation that
you selected.

6 After you finish changing the roof slab style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Roof Slab Edges

The roof slab edge style defines the appearance of the roof slab edges. Each
style consists of two components, a fascia and a soffit. Both components are
optional.
The fascia component follows the orientation of the slab edge, plumb, or
square cut. The soffit component, however, is always oriented to the
horizontal. Either component can have a positive or negative angle, relative
to its base orientation.
The +/- directions for the edge component angles remains the same regardless of their orientation in the X,Y plane. They always follow the roof slope,
so that, for example, a +30 soffit and a +30 slab would be parallel to each
other. Similarly, a +10 (plumb cut) fascia and a -10 soffit would meet at a
right angle. Mirroring a roof slab maintains the same angle signs for all
components.
Fascia
The fascia is defined by an AEC Profile, with its insertion point located at the
top of the roof slab edge. The local Y axis of the profile polyline aligns with
the slab edge angle. The fascia profile is drawn at actual size, except when you

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select Auto-Adjust. If the slab edge is sloped relative to the ground plane, the
length is measured parallel to that slope, not plumb with the ground.
When you select Auto-Adjust to Edge Height, the fascia profile is scaled about
its insertion point so that its lowest Y axis point aligns with the bottom of
the slab edge.

Assigning a profile as a fascia

Soffit
The soffit is defined by an AEC Profile, with the its insertion point positioned
at the X & Y offsets from the fascia insertion point.

NOTE These offsets are measured relative to the slab edge angle, not the
world UCS.
The soffit profile is drawn at actual size, except when you select Auto-Adjust.
The soffit angle is measured about its insertion point, using the local X axis
of the AEC profile.
When you select Auto-Adjust to Overhang Depth, the soffit profile is scaled
about the insertion point, so that the furthest X axis point aligns with a
plumb line from the slab baseline or perimeter line. Auto-Adjust scaling is
adjusted by the horizontal offset from the roof slab baseline dimension.

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Assigning a profile as a soffit

Roof Slab Edge Styles

When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating New Roof Slab Edge Styles

You can create a new roof slab edge style, or you can copy and edit an existing
roof slab edge style.

Creating a New Roof Slab Edge Style

You can create a new roof slab edge style.
To create a new roof slab style
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the roof slab style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 After you select the roof slab edge style type, right-click, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new roof slab edge style, and press ENTER.

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4 To edit the style properties of your new roof slab edge style, select the
style, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Roof Slab Edge Style dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the default values, and change the design rules of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Roof Slab Edge Style Properties on page 921.
5 After you finish changing the roof slab edge style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Roof Slab Edge Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new roof slab edge style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new roof slab edge style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the roof slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the roof slab edge style type, and
press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style and right-click. Choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new roof slab edge style, select the style
and right-click. Choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Roof Slab Edge Style dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the default values, and change the design rules of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Roof Slab Edge Style Properties on page 921.
6 After you finish changing the roof slab edge style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Purging a Roof Slab Edge Style

You can delete roof slab edge styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused roof slab edge style or all roof slab
edge styles in your drawing.
To purge a roof slab edge style
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the roof slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused roof Slab Edge style in the current drawing,
select the style under the style type and right-click. Choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.
To purge all unused roof slab edge styles in the current drawing, select
the roof slab edge style type and right-click. Choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a Roof Slab Edge Style

You can copy roof slab edge styles from an existing drawing and use them in
the current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by
storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import a roof slab edge style
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.

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The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the roof slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to the current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view and is filtered out
to display only the roof slab edge style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Roof Slab Edge Styles to display the roof slab
edge styles in the drawing.
5 Select the roof slab edge style that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Roof Slab Edge Style to a New

Drawing
You can copy roof slab edge styles from the current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export a roof slab edge style to a new drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed

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919

under the roof slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view that is filtered out
to display only the roof slab edge style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Roof Slab Edge Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy roof slab edge styles from the current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a roof slab edge style to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the roof slab edge style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered out to display
only the roof slab edge style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

920

Chapter 22

Roofs

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Roof Slab Edge Style Properties

You can set a roof slab edge style, which can be applied to edges of roof slabs.
You can set the overhang length, orientation, and angle off of the orientation
as well as adding a a fascia and soffit for each edge style.

Adding Notes and Files to Roof Slab Edge Styles

To add a note or a file to a roof slab edge style
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The roof slab edge style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under Roof Slab Edge Style type, select the roof slab edge style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Edge Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the roof slab edge style, type it in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the roof slab edge style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document

Roof Slab Edge Styles

921

dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 After you finish changing the roof slab edge style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Roof Slab Edge Style Default

Properties
You can set the default overhang depth, orientation, and edge angle for slab
edges using this edge style.
To change the roof slab edge styles default parameters
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
2 Under the roof slab edge style type, select the roof slab edge style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Edge Style Properties dialog box, click the Defaults tab.
4 In the Overhang box, specify the depth of the edge overhang.
5 In the Orientation box, select either Square or Plumb cut.

Square: The roof edge is cut square (90 degrees) with the plane of the
slab.
Plumb: The roof edge is cut plumb (perpendicular) to the ground

Specifying square and plumb edges

922

Chapter 22

Roofs

6 In the Angle box, set an angle relative to the selected orientation. A positive value moves the bottom of the edge out and a negative value moves
the bottom of the edge in.
7 After you finish changing the roof slab edge style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Roof Slab Edge Style Design Rules

Properties
You can attach different soffits, and a fascias for each edge style.
To change the roof slab edge style component properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Roofs Roof Slab Edge Styles.
2 Under the roof slab edge style type, select the roof slab edge style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Roof Slab Edge Style Properties dialog box, click the Design Rules
tab.

4 Select whether to assign a fascia to the edge style.

5 If there is fascia in this edge style, select an AEC profile for the fascia.

NOTE If you select *NONE*, display component settings are displayed for
the roof slab edge line or plane where the fascia is located.

Roof Slab Edge Styles

923

6 In the Auto-Adjust to Edge Height box, select whether the fascia automatically scales to fit the height of the edge.
7 Select whether to assign a soffit to the edge style. If you select *NONE*, display component settings are displayed for the roof slab edge line or plane
where the soffit is located.
8 If there is soffit in this edge style, select an AEC profile for the soffit.
9 In the Auto-Adjust to Overhang Depth box, select whether the soffit automatically scales to fit the depth of the overhang.
10 In the Angle box, you can set the soffit angle, with zero being horizontal.
A positive angle slopes the soffit up from the insertion point and a negative value slopes the soffit down.
11 In the Horizontal Offset from Roof Slab Baseline box, you can set how
close the soffit is to the slab baseline or perimeter line when you select
Auto-Adjust.
12 In the Y Direction box, you can set a soffit offset in the local Y direction
from the fascia insertion point.
13 In the X Direction box, you can set a soffit offset in the local X direction
from the fascia insertion point.
14 After you finish changing the roof slab edge style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
15 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Roofs Command List

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with roof or roof slab

selected)

Roofs
Add Roof...

RoofAdd

Modify Roof...

RoofModify

Convert to Roof...

RoofConvert

Edit Roof Edges/Faces...

RoofEditEdges

924

Chapter 22

Roofs

Roof Modify...

Edit Edges...

Menu command

Command line

Add Roof Slab...

RoofSlabAdd

Modify Roof Slab...

RoofSlabModify

Convert to Roof Slabs...

RoofSlabConvert

Edit Roof Slab Edges...

RoofSlabEdgeEdit

Roof Slab Styles...

RoofSlabStyle

Roof Slab Edge Styles...

RoofSlabEdgeStyle

Right-click (with roof or roof slab

selected)

Roof Slab Modify...

Edit Edges...

Convert to Roof Slabs

RoofProps

Roof Properties...

RoofSlabStyleEdit

Edit Roof Slab Style...

RoofSlabEdgeStyleEdit

Edit Roof Slab Edge Style...

RoofSlabProperties

Edit Roof Slab Properties

Trim Roof Slab

RoofSlabTrim

Tools Trim

Extend Roof Slab

RoofSlabExtend

Tools Extend

Miter Roof Slab

RoofSlabMiter

Tools Miter

Cut Roof Slab

RoofSlabCut

Tools Cut

Add Roof Slab Vertex

RoofSlabAddVertex

Tools Add Vertex

Remove Roof Slab Vertex

Roof SlabRemoveVertex

Tools Remove Vertex

Roof Slab Hole

RoofSlabHole

Tools Add Hole

Boolean Add/Subtract

RoofSlabBoolean

Tools Boolean

Roof Dormer

RoofSlabDormer

Roof Slab Tools

RoofSlabRemoveHole

Tools Remove Hole

Roof Slab Edge Styles

925

926

Chapter 22

Roofs

Stairs

23

Stairs are AEC objects that use flights of treads and risers

In this chapter

along with railings to accommodate vertical circulation.

Creating stairs

Stairs can interact closely with railing objects.

Modifying stairs
Changing stair properties
Changing stair styles
Changing stair style properties

927

Creating Stairs
Stairs are AEC objects that interact with railing objects. You can control the
style of the stair, the shape of the landing, whether the stairs have open or
closed treads, and the height and width of the stair run.
While strictly rectangular stairs are predominant in modern buildings, there
are many cases when the edges of a flight are not parallel, or follow some
curved shape. Landings can also have non-rectangular shapes. Stairs allow
the use of nearly arbitrary profiles for the edges of flights and landings. In
addition, railings and stringers can be anchored to stairs and can follow the
edges of flights and landings.
Stairs are created at a specified overall height that requires a total length
based on the tread length. Within that length, you can place landings or
turns. When you begin to create a stairway, a rectangular box is displayed
that represents the width and length of the stair as if it were a straight stairway. As you select consecutive points, depending upon the shape of the stair
selected, landings and turns are created.

Creating Straight Stairs

You can create simple straight stairs.
To create straight stairs
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Add Stair.
2 In the Add Stairs dialog box, select a style for the stair.
3 Select Straight from the Shape list.
4 Type a width for the stair in the Width field.
5 Type a height in the Height field.
6 Select the justification for the stair. This controls the insertion point when
you place the stair, left, center, or right at the bottom of the stair run.
7 Click in the drawing, then click to locate the start point for the stair.
8 Click to locate the direction for the stair.

928

Chapter 23

Stairs

Creating straight stairs

9 Click Close, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating U-shaped Stairs

U-shaped stairs have two equal-length runs joined by a half-landing. The justification setting controls where the points you specify to define the stair fall
within its width.
If you are drawing the risers or flight of the stair, then the walking path and
arrow are shown. If you are drawing a landing, no walking path or arrow are
shown.
To create U-shaped stairs
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Add Stair.
2 In the Add Stairs dialog box, select a style for the stair.
3 Select U-shaped from the Shape list.
4 Select the type of turn from the Turn Type field, either 1/2 Landing or 1/
2 Turn.

1/2 Landing: Creates a flat landing where the stair run turns back in
the opposite direction.
1/2 Turn: Creates stairs where the stair run turns back in the opposite
direction.

5 Select the justification for the stair. This controls the insertion point when
you place the stair, left, center, or right at the bottom and top of the stair
run.

Creating Stairs

929

NOTE If you select the clockwise button in step 7, left is the outer edge of
the stair and right is the inner edge. If you select the counterclockwise button,
right is the outer edge of the stair and left is the inner edge.

Specifying stair run justification

6 Set the height and width of the stair.

7 Set the direction for the U shape to turn using the Horizontal buttons.

Specifying the drawn direction for U-shaped stairs

8 Specify the start point for the bottom of the stair in the drawing.
An image of the stairway is displayed in the drawing.
9 Specify the endpoint for the U-shaped stairway.
10 Click Close, or press ENTER to end the command.

930

Chapter 23

Stairs

Creating U-shaped stairs

Creating Multi-landing Stairs

You can use multi-landing stair shapes to define both straight and angled
stair runs. You can insert quarter-landings, half-landings, and turns.
This type of stair is constrained by the design rules on the stair and the floor
to ceiling height. For more information about stair design rules, see Setting
Stair Style Design Rules Properties on page 961.
If you are drawing the risers or flight of the stair, then the walking path and
arrow are shown. If you are drawing a landing, no walking path or arrow are
shown.
To create multi-landing stairs
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Add Stair.
2 In the Add Stairs dialog box, select a style for the stair.
3 Select Multi-landing from the Shape list.
4 Select the justification for the stair. This controls the insertion point when
you place the stair, left, center, or right for the entire stair run.
5 Set the height and width of the stair.
6 Click in the drawing and specify the start point for the bottom of the stair
in the drawing.
An image of the stairway is displayed in the drawing.
7 Select a type of turn for the landing: 1/4 landing, 1/4 turn, 1/2 landing,
or 1/2 turn. The following explains the landing turns.

Creating Stairs

931

1/4 Landing: Creates a flat landing where the stair run creates a right
angle or some other bend.

Creating 1/4-turn multi-landing stairs

1/4 Turn: Creates stairs where some of the treads create a right angle
or other bend.

Creating 1/4 turn stairs

932

Chapter 23

Stairs

1/2 Landing: Creates a flat landing that is defined by start and end
points.

Creating 1/2-turn multi-landing stairs

1/2 Turn: Creates stairs where some of the treads make a turn back.

8 Specify the start and end points of the first section.

The stair turns at the specified point. Depending on the justification and
direction of the turn, the landing is added or subtracted from this length.
The point is either on the centerline of the landing or at one corner.
9 Select a second point to end the landing and start the next section of
stairs.

NOTE For quarter landings and quarter turn stairs, each subsequent point
defines the end of a flight and the location of another landing.
10 Repeat step 9 for another landing or specify the endpoint of the stair run.
11 Click Close, or press ENTER to end the command.

NOTE To create a straight stair with landings, use the multi-landing shape
with half landings. Select all the points in a straight line to define the flight
starts and flight end points.

Creating Stairs

933

Creating Spiral Stairs

You can create circular sweeping and spiral stairs. The spiral stairs revolve
about a common center point from bottom to top.
You can specify a radius either directly or on the screen only when the arc
constraint is free. Otherwise, the radius is determined from the specified
tread length and arc constraint. In that case, you need to adjust the tread
length to achieve a desired radius.
To create spiral stairs
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Add Stair.
2 In the Add Stairs dialog box, select a style for the stair.
3 Select Spiral from the Shape list.
4 Select the type of arc constraint to use when creating the spiral stair: Free,
Total Degrees, or Degrees per Tread.
Free: No constraint is set on the spiral stair run.
Total Degrees: Sets the total degrees for the stair flight.
Degrees per Tread: Sets the specific degree for each tread in the stair.
5 Select the justification for the stair. This controls the insertion point when
you place the stair, left, center, or right at the bottom of the stair run.
The justification also affects the calculation of the radius of the stair. The
radius is measured from the center point of the spiral stair to the selected
justification point.

Specifying the justification for spiral stairs with a free arc constraint

6 Set the height and width of the stair.

7 Set the direction for the spiral shape to turn using the Horizontal buttons.

934

Chapter 23

Stairs

Specifying the drawn direction for spiral stairs

8 Specify the center point for the spiral stair in the drawing.
9 Click the start and end point of the stair. If you select Specify on Screen,
the second point specifies the radius and orientation of the stair. In other
cases, the radius is fixed and the second point simply sets the orientation
of the stair.
10 Click Close, or press ENTER to end the command.

Creating spiral stairs

To create a spiral stair with the specified tread depth (T) that occurs at a
specified distance from the inner edge, first construct the stair with a width
equal to twice the required distance (A), and then use Customized Edges to
offset the outer edge to the desired total width B. The offset distance is equal
to B - 2A.

Creating Stairs

935

Creating a spiral stair with a specified tread depth at a specified distance

Modifying Stairs
You can edit stairs by changing values in a dialog box or by using grip points.

Changing an Existing Stair

To change existing stairs
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select a stair to change and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stairs dialog box, do any of the following:

Change the style of a stair by selecting a new style.

Change the height of a stair by typing a new height.
Change the justification of the stair by selecting a new justification.
This does not change the location of the stair, but changing this value
sets the point from which changes to the width are calculated from this
point forward.
Change the width of a stair by typing a new width.

4 For U-shaped and spiral stairs, you can also change the horizontal direction of the stair, clockwise and counterclockwise.
5 For spiral stairs, you can also change the radius, arc constraint, and constraint degrees of the stair.
6 Click Apply to change the selected stair and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the stair, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

936

Chapter 23

Stairs

Changing an Existing Stair Using Grips

When you use grips to edit stairs, the stairway continues to be constrained
by the design limits and length set when the stair was created. If you move
beyond those limits, a warning symbol is displayed.

Displaying the stairs warning symbol

You can use grips to create multi-landing stairs that have skewed landings
and angled stair runs. Changing the configuration of a landing may result in
changes to the stair run.
You can increase or decrease the overall width of the stair run for U-shaped
stairs.
The radius and start point can be changed for spiral stairs. You can use grips
to increase or decrease the overall width of the stair run for spiral stairs.

NOTE You cannot use grips to alter the floor-to-floor height. To change this
value, use the Modify Stair command. Also, the stair path can not be edited with
grips.

NOTE If you change the width of the stair after grip editing a side, the changes
are lost.

Changing the Side of a Stair

You can determine the shape of one edge of a stair run that includes flights
and landings, for straight, U-shaped, multi-landing, or spiral shape stairs.
The size of the landing must be adjusted to prevent overlapping treads when
the inner edge of a stair is projected to a profile that lies outside of the original stair. The initial size of the landing is determined by projecting the
diagonal of the original landing to the profile.

Modifying Stairs

937

Projecting stair edges and landings

Note that pushing one tread into the landing with its grip results in forcing
the landing to lengthen in the other direction. Pulling one tread away from
the landing does not affect the other end of the landing.

NOTE The stair is automatically lengthened at its top, to accommodate the

larger landing. You can modify the length with the top and bottom grips, at the
end of the stair walking path.

Offsetting the Side of a Stair

You can offset the side of a stair flight by a specified value.
To offset the side of a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Customize Edges,.
2 Type o (Offset) to offset the stair edge.
3 Select the edge of a stair to be offset.
4 Type the distance to offset, where positive is out and negative is in. Treads
are extended using the line of the current front and back edge.

Offsetting the edge of a stair

938

Chapter 23

Stairs

NOTE If edges intersect, which can happen with only spiral and winding
shapes, a defect marker is displayed.

NOTE If you change the width of the stair after offsetting a side, the
changes are lost.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Projecting the Side of a Stair

You can project the side of a stair to an existing polyline, wall, AEC object, or
solid.
You can project the edge of a stair to an AEC object. The AutoProject polyline
is obtained from most AEC objects (such as walls or mass elements, but
excluding multi-view blocks) the Quick Slice command.

Projecting a stair edge to an AEC object

NOTE In the case of projection of an edge of a stair that has an inner corner,
it is clear how to project the outer edge of the stair to the selected box, but projection of the inner corner is ambiguous. Rather than attempting to guess the
correct solution, these cases are not projected, and a dialog box is displayed with
an explanation that edges of stairs with interior corners can only be projected to
objects that extend beyond both ends of the stair.
The stair length is extended at its original width when the object (or
polyline) does not extend far enough for the stair to project completely.
When an object is partly within the stair and partly beyond it, the Project
command first trims the stair by removing the area that is within the stair.
If the same object is selected a second time, the stair extends to it. An error
message is displayed when the projection requires an inside corner to be
extended.

Modifying Stairs

939

Subtracting and extending stair edges from and to an AEC object

NOTE Objects to project to must extend the full length of the stair for an interior corner to project properly.
To project a side of a stair to a polyline
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Customize Edges.
2 Type p (Project) to project the stair edge.
3 Select an edge of a stair.
4 Select a polyline to project to and press ENTER. Treads are extended using
the line of the current front and back edge.

Projecting stair edges to polylines

940

Chapter 23

Stairs

NOTE If edges intersect, which can happen with only spiral and winding
shapes, a defect marker is displayed.

NOTE If you change the width of the stair after projecting a side, the changes
are lost.

Generating a Polyline from the Edge of a Stair

You can generate a polyline from the edge of a stair. The polyline is generated
at the stair bottom elevation.
You can keep some sample profiles in your drawing, and then use the final
choice to project to. That way, you can project the stair edge, edit the stair,
then generate the polyline, change the stair again, generate another polyline,
change the stair some more, and finally project to the best version you
created.
To generate a polyline from a side of a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Customize Edges.
2 Type g (Generate) to generate the polyline.
3 Select an edge of a stair.
4 Select the edge of a stair for the polyline creation.

Generating a polyline from a stair edge

A polyline is created at the stair bottom elevation along the length of the
stair run.

Removing the Changes to the Side of a Stair

You can return the selected edge of the stair to its default profile. If the stair
is back to its original condition, the width field is restored to the original
value, rather than *VARIES*. This change affects the treads, risers, and
stringers.

Modifying Stairs

941

NOTE It takes an additional step to return any attached railing to its original
position (the anchor used to attach the railing to the stair must be changed back
to a justified type).
To remove the changes made to the side of a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Customize Edges.
2 Type r (Remove) to remove the changes to the stair edge.
3 Select the edge of a stair.

Removing changes made to the side of a stair

Changing the Shape of a Flight

You can change the top and bottom width of a single flight on U-shaped,
multi-landing, or spiral shape stairs. Each side of a flight can be tapered
independently using grip points. The midpoint grip moves the entire edge,
while the corner moves the two adjacent edges.
To change the shape of a flight
1 Select the stair to modify.
2 Select a corner grip on the stair flight, and then move the grip away from
stair path to new location. The flight changes to the new shape.

942

Chapter 23

Stairs

Using grips to change stair run configurations

3 Select a middle grip on the stair flight, and then move the grip perpendicular to stair path to a new location. The entire edge of the flight moves to
the selected location. The flight entry width also changes to fit the new
stair width.

NOTE The changes made by grip editing are lost when the stair width is
edited.

Using grips to edit stair run and landing configurations

Modifying Stairs

943

Changing the Shape of a Landing

You can change the angles and positions of landing edges on U-shaped and
multi-landing stairs. Each edge of a landing can be tapered or moved independently using grip points.
To change the shape of a landing
1 Select the stair to modify.
2 Select a corner grip on the landing, and then move the grip away from the
stair path to a new location. The landing changes to the new shape. If the
corner grip is shared between a landing and flight, the flight moves with
the landing.
3 Select a middle grip on the landing, and then move the grip perpendicular
to the stair path to new location. The entire edge of the landing moves to
the selected location.
4 While pressing CTRL, select a middle grip on the side of a landing, then
move the grip away from the stair path.

NOTE The changes made by grip editing are lost when the stair width is
edited.

Changing the Shape of a Spiral Stair to a Circle

Using Grips
You can change the size of a spiral stair using the center grip point.
To change the shape of a spiral stair
1 Select the midpoint grip of the spiral stair.
2 Drag the grip to make the stair either smaller or larger. The stair maintains
its shape as a circle.

944

Chapter 23

Stairs

Using grips to change the shape of a spiral stair as a circle

Changing the Shape of a Spiral Stair to an Arc

Using Grips
You can change the size of a spiral stair using the center grip point. The
center of the stair and the outside grip points are maintained while the arc of
the stair changes.
To change the shape of a spiral stair
1 While pressing CTRL, select the midpoint grip of the spiral stair.
2 Continue pressing CTRL, and drag the grip to make the stair either smaller
or larger. The stair changes its shape so the midpoint is the center of an
arc.

Using grips to change the shape of a spiral stair as an arc

Modifying Stairs

945

Changing Stair Properties

You can change the properties of stairs in your drawing by adding notes and
reference files, changing the dimensions, style, design and landing extensions, and location.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Stair

To attach notes and files to a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stair, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the stair, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the stair, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing Stair Style Properties

You can change the construction style associated with the selected stair.

946

Chapter 23

Stairs

To set the stair style properties

1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stair, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

5 On the Style tab, select a new style from the list.

NOTE You can set all values for the stair back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style Values.
6 Click OK.

Changing Stair Dimension Properties

You can control the various dimensions associated with calculating the stair.
To set the stair calculation properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.

NOTE On the Dimensions tab, change any of the following:Some of the

interacting dimensions can be locked and unlocked using the lock icon. Only
specific logical combinations are available when the rule based calculator is
in effect. The possible unlocked combinations are all locked or one or two values unlocked. Illegal combinations are prevented by making the lock unavailable. To unlock a parameter, you must lock one of the currently unlocked val-

Changing Stair Properties

947

ues. When the rule-based calculator is not in effect, either tread or straight
length can be unlocked and either riser count or riser height can be unlocked.
Unlocking one value in either pair locks the other one.

Width: Controls the width of a stair run.

Height: Controls the floor-to-floor height for the stair.
Straight Length: Controls the overall linear length of stairs. When
Straight Length is locked, the value is calculated based on the tread size
and riser count. When Straight Length is unlocked, the stair length is
set to the dimension entered and the other three values are automatically adjusted within the code limits. When Riser Count is unlocked,
the tread depth is increased or decreased to accommodate the stair.
Riser Count: Controls the total number of stair risers. When Riser
Count is locked, the number of risers is based on the overall length and
overall height of the stair and the code limits set on the Design Rules
tab. The Straight Length value of the stair is adjusted automatically.
When Riser Count is unlocked, you can specify a desired value that is
used to calculate the tread depth and riser height. If these values fall
outside the stair limits, an error message is displayed.

Riser: Sets the height of each riser in the stair flight.

Tread: Sets the tread depth for each tread in the stair flight.
Justify: Sets the justification of the stair. The options are left, center
and right. This does not change the location of the stair, but changing
this value sets the point from which the width is calculated if it is subsequently changed.

NOTE Some of the interacting dimensions can be locked and unlocked

using the lock icon. Only specific logical combinations are available when the
rule based calculator is in effect. The possible unlocked combinations are all
locked or one or two values unlocked. Illegal combinations are prevented by
making the lock unavailable. To unlock a parameter, you must lock one of the
currently unlocked values. When the rule-based calculator is not in effect,
either tread or straight length can be unlocked and either riser count or riser
height can be unlocked. Unlocking one value in either pair locks the other
one.
5 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

Changing Stair Floor Setting Properties

You can control how the stair interacts with the floor at the beginning and
end of the stair run.

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To change the stair floor settings

1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Constraints tab.

5 In the Floor Settings section, change the any of the following:

Top Offset: Controls the thickness of the floor finish material at the
upper floor of the stair.
Top Depth: Controls the depth of the structure at the top floor.
Bottom Offset: Controls the thickness of the floor finish material at
the bottom floor of the stair.
Bottom Depth: Controls the depth of the structure at the bottom
floor.

NOTE The Top and Bottom Depth settings currently have no effect on the
stair or stringers. In addition, the top offset has no visible effect on the stair.
Bottom offset extends or truncates any attached stringers. Both offset values
affect the rough floor-to-floor height, if it is displayed.
6 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

Changing Flight Length Limits

You can change the limits set on the flight of a stair, to no limits, to a minimum number of risers, or to a minimum height.

NOTE If a stair is drawn with a flight that is below the specified limits, it automatically becomes a landing.
To change the flight length limits
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.

Changing Stair Properties

949

3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Constraints tab.

5 In the Flight Length Limits section, select a limit type, None, Risers or
Height.
None: There are no limits set on the flight.
Risers: Sets a minimum number of risers per flight.
Height: Sets a minimum height for the flight.
6 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

Changing Stair Interference Properties

You can control the size of the stair interference area. When you use the
Interference Condition command from the Spaces menu to add an interference condition between a stair and a space object, a box is cut out around the
stair from the ceiling boundary based on the specified headroom height and
side clearance.
Only stairs that occur within space objects are cut by using the Interference
Condition command. Wall and slab objects are not cut out around stairs with
this command, only spaces. Results vary depending on the configuration of
both the space and the stair.

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Specifying headroom height and side clearance for a stair and a space object

To change the size of the stair interference

1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Constraints tab.

5 In the Stair Interference section, you can set the headroom height and the
side clearance.
Headroom Height: Sets the height above the treads for the interference
condition.
Side Clearance: Sets the width of the interference condition on all sides
of a stair run, other than where you step on and off at the first and last
treads.
6 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

Changing U-shaped Stair Properties

You can change the alignment and alignment offset of U-shaped stairs.

Changing Stair Properties

951

NOTE These fields are available only when you select a U-shaped stair to
modify.
To change the U-shaped stair properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Constraints tab.

5 In the U-shaped (Landing) Stairs section, you can change the alignment
from free, tread to tread, tread to riser, or riser to riser.
Free: Allows the placement of treads and risers where necessary to complete the stair.
Tread to Tread: Aligns the tread of the up flight to the tread of the
down flight.
Tread to Riser: Aligns the tread of the up flight to the riser of the down
flight.
Riser to Riser: Aligns the riser of the up flight to the riser of the down
flight.
6 When you selected Tread to Tread, Tread to Riser, or Riser to Riser, you can
set an offset value. A positive offset value means that the down flight tread
location is closer to landing than the up flight tread location.

Specifying tread to riser alignment offsets

7 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

Changing Spiral Shape Stair Properties

You can control what constrains the spiral stair by specifying a total degree
amount or how many degrees per tread to use.

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NOTE These fields are available only when you select a spiral-shaped stair to
modify.
To change the spiral shape of a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Constraints tab.

5 In the Spiral Shape Stairs section, set the Turn Constraints to Free, Total
Degrees, or Degrees per Tread.
Free: No constraint is set on the spiral stair run.
Total Degrees: Sets the total degrees for the stair flight. Total degrees
can be between nn and nnn.
Degrees per Tread: Sets the specific degree for each tread in the stair.
Degrees per tread can be between n and nn.
6 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

Changing Flight Dimension Properties

You can change the tread and riser thickness and nosing length for each stair.
Also, the display of the tread and riser can be turned on and off.
To change the flight dimension stair properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Components tab.

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953

5 Under Flight Dimensions, select or clear the display of treads and risers.
When the tread or riser display is off, the corresponding thickness
becomes unavailable.
6 Set the Tread Thickness, Riser Thickness and Nosing Length for the
selected stairs.
Tread Thickness: Controls the thickness of each tread.
Riser Thickness: Controls the thickness of the riser.
Nosing Length: Controls the nosing length.
7 To set the stair to have sloping risers, turn on Sloping Riser.
8 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

NOTE You can set all values for the stair back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style Values on the Styles tab.

Changing Landing Dimension Properties

You can change the landing thickness and additional width for stair
landings.
To change the landing dimension stair properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Components tab.

5 In the Landing Dimensions section, change the landing thickness or add
Additional Width to the selected stair landings.

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Where the additional width gets added is controlled by the type of landing and the justification of the stair.

Specifying the justification of a quarter landing

Specifying the justification of a half landing

6 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

NOTE You can set all values for the stair back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style Values on the Styles tab.

Changing Landing Extension Properties

You can change the distances between landings and treads and the stringer
resolution for stairs. You can differentiate the size of landing components
from those used for the stair flights. The default values are specified as part
of the style, but you can change them for each stair.
To change the landing extension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stairs, and press ENTER.

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955

3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Landing Extensions tab.

5 Under Extension Distances, you can change the distance to the first tread,
either on the down or up side of the landing.
Distance to First Tread DOWN: Type a value to add to the distance to
the first tread on the down side of the landing.
Add Tread Depth: When selected, extends the landing down by a single tread.
Distance to First Tread UP: Type a value to add to the distance to the
first tread on the up side of the landing.
Add Tread Depth: When selected, extends the landing up by a single
tread
6 Under Stringer Resolution, select Extend Landings to automatically merge
the flight stringers with the landing stringers. This provides additional
landing extension, if necessary, to make the flight stringers meet the landing stringers without any discontinuity.
7 After you have completed the changes, click OK.

NOTE You can set all values for the stair back to the style defaults by clicking Reset to Style Values on the Styles tab.

Changing Stair Location Properties

You can relocate an existing stair by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The stair also has an orientation with respect to the world
coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS). For
example, if the top and bottom of the stair are parallel to the XY plane, its
normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the stair

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by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate the stair on its
plane by changing the rotation angle.
For information about the world coordinate system and the user coordinate
system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Modify Stair.
2 Select the stair, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Stair dialog box, click

4 In the Stair Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the stair, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the stair, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To
locate the stair on the XY plane, make the normal of the stair parallel
to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X
and Y boxes. To locate the stair on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box
and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the stair on the XZ plane,
type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the stair, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the stair object without leaving the Stair Modify dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Stair Styles

Stair styles include the construction components that create stair objects.
These styles can be created, edited, saved, purged, imported, and exported.
Within the stair style, you can set the dimensions, landing extensions, components, and display properties of the stair.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and
templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

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957

Sample stair styles

Creating New Stair Styles

You can create a new Stair style, or you can copy and edit an existing Stair
style.

Creating a New Stair Style

You can create a new stair style. After you create the new stair, you can edit
the style properties of the Stair.
To create a new stair style
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Stair style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 With the Stair style type selected, right-click, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new Stair style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Stair style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

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The Stair Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the design rules, stringers, components, landing extensions
and change the display properties of the new style. For more information
about changing each style property, see Changing Stair Styles on page
957.
5 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Stair Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new Stair style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new Stair style from an existing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Stair style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Stair style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new Stair style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Stair Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the design rules, stringers, components, landing extensions
and change the display properties of the new style. For more information
about changing each style property, see Changing Stair Styles on page
957.
6 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Stair Styles

959

Editing a Stair Style

To change a stair style
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
2 To edit the style properties of your new Stair style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Stair Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the
style, change the design rules, stringers, components, landing extensions
and change the display properties of the new style.
3 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Adding Notes and Files to a Stair Style

You can attach a description, notes, and a reference document to the stair
style.
To add notes and files to a stair style
1

From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.

The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.

2 Under the Stair style type, select the Stair Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Stair Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the Stair style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the Stair, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

960

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document

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dialog box. To edit the file, select the reference file name to start its
application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Setting Stair Style Design Rules Properties

You can set the minimum, maximum, and optimal code limits for the riser
height and tread depth and set the stair calculator rules.
To set the stair style design rules properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Stair style type, select the Stair Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Stair Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.

4 Set the default riser height and tread length for the Minimum Slope,
Optimum Slope, and Maximum Slope.
Subject to the constraints of the calculator rules and the fact that the tread
heights must be an even divisor of the floor-to-floor height, the program
gets as close as possible to the selected optimal tread length and riser
height.

Changing Stair Styles

961

Specifying stair design rules

5 If you want to change the default stair calculator, select Use Rule Based
Calculator. The fields in the Calculator Rule section become available for
editing.

6 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Setting Stair Style Stringer Properties

You can set the stair style to include stringers. You can also set the style to
housed or solid slab.
To set the stair style stringer properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Stair style type, select the Stair Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Stair Styles dialog box, click the Stringers tab.

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4 You can add, copy and remove stringers to the stair style.

Add: Adds a stringer to the stair style.

Copy: Adds an identical stringer to the list.
Remove: Deletes the stringer.

5 Within the stringer list, each of the fields is editable.

Stringers: Type a name for the stringer. The default name is

stringer.
Type: Select from saddled or housed.
Alignment: Select from align left, align right, or center.
Width: Type the desired width.
Offset: Type the desired offset.
Flight: Type the waist and total flight values.
Landing: Type the waist and total landing values.

6 When you click Solid Slab, the Slab Settings can be changed.

Waist at Flights: Sets thickness of the slab at flights.

Waist at Landings: Sets thickness of the slab at landings.

7 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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963

Setting Stair Style Components Properties

You can set the display and edit the thicknesses and widths of stair components. Also, you can determine whether these properties of the style are
allowed to vary with different stairs.
To set the stair style dimension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Stair style type, select the Stair Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Stair Styles dialog box, click the Components tab.

4 Click Allow Each Stair to Vary to allow stairs to vary within the same style.
For example, you can change the nosing of a stair, but it still is considered
to have the same style. If this option is clear, you need to create a different
style for any change of stair component properties.
5 In the Flight Dimensions section, turn the display of treads and risers on
or off. If tread is off, the tread thickness and landing thickness become
unavailable.
6 Set the Tread Thickness, Riser Thickness and Nosing Length for the
selected stairs.

964

Tread Thickness: Controls the thickness of each tread.

Riser Thickness: Controls the thickness of the riser.

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Nosing Length: Controls the nosing length.

7 To set the stair to have sloping risers, select Sloping Riser.

8 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Setting Stair Style Landing Extension Properties

You can change the distances between landings and treads and the stringer
resolution of stairs. You can differentiate the size of landing components
from those used for the stair flights.
To set the stair style landing extension properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Stair style type, select the Stair Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Stair Styles dialog box, click the Landing Extensions tab.

4 Click Allow Each Stair to Vary to allow stairs to vary within the same style.
If this option is clear, you need to create a different style for any change
of the stair landing extension properties.
5 In the Extension Distances section, you can change the distance to the
first tread, either on the down or up side of the landing.
Distance to First Tread DOWN: Type a value to add to the distance to
the first tread on the down side of the landing.

Changing Stair Styles

965

Add Tread Depth: If selected, extends the landing down by a single

tread
Distance to First Tread UP: Type a value to add to the distance to the
first tread on the up side of the landing.
Add Tread Depth: If selected, extends the landing up by a single tread.
6 In the Stringer Resolution section, turn on Extend Stringers to automatically merge the flight stringers with the landing stringers.
7 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Setting Stair Style Display Properties

The display properties define how the various components of the stair object
are displayed in a particular view. For model and plan views, you can use the
system default for display of stair objects, or set the display for all stairs of a
certain style.
To set the stair style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Stair style type, select the Stair Style that you want to change,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Stair Styles dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select a representation for the object from the list. The current viewport
display is the default representation display. An asterisk (*) is displayed
next to the default.

NOTE The plan view of stair objects includes stringers, risers, nosing, path
symbols, and stair outlines. You can set the visibility of these components for
above and below the cut plane of the stair.
5 Do any of the following:

966

Select a stair style from the property source, and click Attach Override
to change how the style is displayed in the chosen representation.

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NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change what is displayed for the representation of the selected style. This includes the visibility, layer, color,
and linetype. To edit each property, click its field. These changes are
only for the selected style.
Click Edit Display Properties, then click the Other tab to change what
is displayed for the Cut Plane, Arrow, Stair Line, and Break Mark of the
selected style. To edit each property, click the field and type or select a
new value. These changes are only for the selected style. The Other tab
is displayed in only some of the display representations, including Plan
and Reflected. For more information about display representations, see
Display Representations.

6 When you finish changing the Stair style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Stair Style

To purge a stair style
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Stair style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused stair style in your current drawing, select the
style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

Changing Stair Styles

967

To purge all the unused Stair styles in your current drawing, with the
Stair style type selected, right-click, and choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Stair Styles

You can import stair styles from an existing drawing file.

NOTE You can manage stair styles efficiently by creating them all in one drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other drawings as
needed.
To import stair styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Stair style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Stair style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Stair Styles to display the Stair styles in the
drawing.
5 Select the Stair style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.

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The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Stair Styles to a New Drawing

You can export stair styles to a new drawing.
To export stair styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Stair style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Stair style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Stair Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export stair styles from the current drawing to another drawing.

Changing Stair Styles

969

To export stair styles to an existing drawing

1 From the Design menu, choose Stairs Stair Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Stair styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Stair style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Stair style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Size of Landing Components

You can change the size of landing components from those used for the stair
flights. The components are specified as part of style, but applicable only to
multi-landing and U-shaped (non-turn or winding). Stringer dimensions are
specified for the flight and landing in a single table. The flight stringer type
(slab, housed, or saddled) controls what is available for the landing (total
depth only for housed, waist depth for all types). If the flight has no stringers,
the landing has none.
All landings of a single stair initially use the same dimensions. You can then
customize each one separately by grip stretching or projection. Horizontal

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positions and the widths of stringers are identical between flights and
landings.
Tread alignment values apply only to U-shaped and multi-landing stairs with
flat landings. Landing specific dimensions are ignored for turn landings. The
default values are set in accordance with the most common situation for
stairs.
If the option to resolve the meeting of Flight and Landing stringers is left
OFF, then the flight stringer should simply terminate at the landing.

Stairs Command List

Menu command

Command line

Add Stair...

StairAdd

Modify Stair...

StairModify

Stair Styles...

StairStyle

Customize Edges...

Right-click (with stair

selected)

Stair Modify...

StairProps

Stair Properties...

StairStyleEdit

Edit Stair Style...

StairCustomizeEdge

Customize Edge...

Changing Stair Styles

971

972

Chapter 23

Stairs

Railings

24

Railings are style-based AEC objects that interact with

In this chapter

stairs. You can add railings to existing stairs, or you can

Creating railings

create freestanding railings. Options include guardrails,

handrails, posts, balusters, and one or more bottom
rails.

Modifying railings
Custom railing blocks and

profiles
Changing railing properties
Changing railing styles
Changing railing style

properties

973

Creating Railings
Railings are AEC objects that interact with stairs. You can add railings to
existing stairs, or you can create freestanding railings. Options include guardrails, handrails, posts, balusters, and one or more bottom rails.

Railing components

Creating a Railing Attached to a Stair

You can create a railing that is automatically attached to a stair.
To create a railing attached to a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Add Railing.
2 In the Add Railing dialog box, select a style for the railing.
3 In the Attached To list, select Stair.
The Automatic option is selected automatically.
When you select a side of the stair, the railing is automatically placed on
the complete stair run. If you turn off Automatic, you specify a start and
end point for the railing.
In the Offset box, type an offset value to place the railing in or out from
the side of the stair. Positive values are in toward the center of the stair and
negative values are out from the center of the stair. If the railing is center

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justified, then a positive value is to the right and a negative value is to the
left.
4 Select or clear Handrail.
5 Select or clear Guardrail.
6 Select or clear Posts, Dynamic Posts, Balusters, and Bottomrail.

NOTE Some of the elements (handrails, guardrails, posts, balusters, and

bottom rails) may be unavailable due to limitations imposed by the railing
style.
7 Select a side of a stair to place the railing.
8 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a railing attached to a stair

NOTE Once a railing which is anchored to a stair is released, any changes

to the railing (such as grip editing or changing properties) may cause the railing to lose its slope. Be sure to correct the appearance of the railing before
releasing it from the stair.

Creating a Railing Attached to a Stair Flight

You can create a railing that is automatically attached to one flight of a stair
run.

Creating Railings

975

To create a railing attached to a stair

1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Add Railing.
2 In the Add Railing dialog box, select a style for the railing.
3 In the Attached To list, select Stair Flight.
The Automatic option is selected automatically and cannot be turned off.
4 In the Offset box, type an offset value, to place the railing in or out from
the side of the stair. Positive values are in toward the center of the stair and
negative values are out from the center of the stair. If the railing is center
justified, then a positive value is to the right and a negative value is to the
left.
5 Select or clear Handrails.
6 Select or clear Guardrails.
7 Select or clear Posts, Balusters, and Bottomrail.

NOTE Some of the elements (handrails, guardrails, posts, balusters, and

bottom rails) may be unavailable due to limitations imposed by the railing
style.
8 Select a side of a stair to place the railing.
9 Click Close to end the command.

NOTE Once a railing which is anchored to a stair is released, any changes

to the railing (such as grip editing or changing properties) may cause the railing to lose its slope. Be sure to correct the appearance of the railing before
releasing it from the stair.

Creating a Freestanding Railing

You can create a railing independent from stairs.
To create a freestanding railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Add Railing.
2 In the Add Railing dialog box, select a style for the railing.
3 In the Attached To list, select None.
Automatic automatically becomes inactive.
4 Select or clear Handrails.
5 Select or clear Guardrails.

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6 Select or clear Posts, Balusters, Dynamic Posts, and Bottomrail.

NOTE Some of the elements (handrails, guardrails, posts, balusters, and

bottom rails) may be unavailable due to limitations imposed by the railing
style.
7 Specify the start point in the drawing.
8 Specify successive points for the railing. Press ENTER to end the railing.
9 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a freestanding railing

Converting a Polyline to a Railing

You can convert an existing polyline to a railing. You can create a railing from
a polyline with arcs.
To convert a polyline to a railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Convert to Railing.
2 Select the polylines to convert to a railing.
The following prompt is displayed.
Erase layout geometry [Yes/No] <N>:

3 Do one of the following:

To erase the geometry after you create the railing (that is added to your
drawing), type y (yes).
To keep the original geometry in the drawing, press ENTER.

4 In the Railings Properties dialog box, you can set the General properties,
Style, Rail Locations, and Post Locations for the railing.
5 Click OK to end the command.

Creating Railings

977

Converting a polyline to a railing

Modifying Railings
You can edit railings by changing values in dialog boxes, right-clicking and
using commands on the shortcut menu, or by using grip points.

Changing an Existing Railing

You can change what is included with the railing, the style of the railing, and
the offset assigned to the railing in the Modify Railing dialog box.
To change an existing railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing,.
2 Select an existing railing.
3 In the Modify Railings dialog box, do any of the following:

If the railing is attached to a stair, you can change the offset value.
Change whether handrails are included with the railing.
Change whether guardrails are included with the railing.
Select or clear Posts, Dynamic Posts, Balusters, and Bottomrail.

NOTE Some of the elements (handrails, guardrails, posts, balusters, and

bottom rails) may be unavailable due to limitations imposed by the railing
style.
4 Click Apply to change the selected railing and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the railing, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Chapter 24

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Adding a Post to a Railing

You can add a post to an existing railing. The post is placed at a selected point
on the railing.
To add a post to an existing railing
1 Select an existing railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Post Placement Add from the shortcut menu.
3 Select a location for a new post.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding a post to an existing railing

Removing a Post from a Railing

You can remove posts you have added from existing railings. The manuallyadded post closest to the selected point is removed from the railing. If two
posts are equidistant to the selected point, the post closer to the starting
point of the railing is removed.
To remove a post from an existing railing
1 Select an existing railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Post Placement Remove from the shortcut
menu.

Modifying Railings

979

Removing a post from an existing railing

Redistributing Posts on a Railing

You can reposition dynamic posts to account for posts that have been added
or removed but not hidden. You may also want to redistribute posts after
dragging the endpoints (start and end offset) of a railing attached to a stair.
To redistribute posts on an existing railing
1 Select an existing railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Redistribute Posts from the shortcut menu.

Redistributing posts on an existing railing

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Chapter 24

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NOTE If posts are lost after trimming a railing, use the Redistribute Posts
command to restore the posts.

NOTE If you have created a railing that is so short that only one post can
be created, grip-editing and dragging the railing does not create another
post. You must use the Redistribute Posts command to add another post to
the end of the railing.

Hiding Posts
You can hide posts in a railing. These posts are not deleted, only hidden from
view. Dynamic cannot be hidden.
To hide a post on an existing railing
1 Select an existing railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Post Placement Hide from the shortcut menu.

Hiding a post on an existing railing

Showing Hidden Posts

You can show hidden posts.
To show all hidden posts
1 Select an existing railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Post Placement Show from the shortcut menu.

Modifying Railings

981

Reversing the Direction of the Railing

Some of the values of a railing are controlled by the direction in which the
railing is drawn. You can reverse the direction of the railing to change the
location of railing components.
To change an existing railing
1 Select an existing railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Reverse from the shortcut menu.

Anchoring an Existing Railing to a Stair

You can anchor an existing railing to a stair. The railing must be in its position relative to the stair before being anchored. Once attached, the railing
stays where it is located in the drawing, but it moves when the stair is moved.
This allows you to create free-form paths for a railing along a stair.
To anchor an exiting railing to a stair
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Anchor to Stair.
2 Select an existing railing.
3 Select an existing stair.

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Attaching an existing railing to a stair

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

You can specify custom blocks and profiles that are added to or replace individual railing components. Posts, dynamic posts, and balusters can be added
to or replaced for railings. Other railing components can be added to, but not
replaced.
When you add a custom block and profile, you can set several rules for positioning and scaling the new component. Each custom block or profile is also
in the display properties component list so that you can control its layer,
color, and linetype. Be sure that the objects used to create your custom blocks
are created with their properties set to ByBlock. Otherwise, they cannot be
controlled through the display properties interface. For more information
about ByBlock, see Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks in

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

983

the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide. For more information, see Creating
and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
Custom blocks and profiles are added and controlled entirely through the
railing display properties. It is important that you understand the display
representation system before you create and modify the custom block and
profiles parameters. For more information about the Display System, see
Understanding the Display System on page 100.
After you create custom blocks and profiles, you can attach them to individual styles so that you do not need to change the way they work each time
you place a railing. Using custom blocks and profiles, each railing style
library can provide a much richer and more flexible set of railing graphics.

Adding Custom Blocks to Railings

To add custom blocks to the railing display
1 Create a block to represent the component to add to the railing. Create the
block in the same plane as the railing you are going to attach it to.
2 Select the railing.
3 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
5 Select the Model representation from the list. The component is displayed
only in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk
(*) next to it.
6 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the railing. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
9 Click Add to add a block to the railing.
10 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
11 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.
12 Set the Scale to Fit for the custom block. If none is selected, the block
comes in at its created size. Some combinations of Scale to Fit are not logically possible. These selections are disabled by the interface.
Width: Sets the custom block to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the custom block to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Height: Sets the custom block to the height of the object it is attached to.

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Lock XY Ratio: Locks the XY shape of the object, so that if it is scaled

in one direction to fit another criterion in the Scale to Fit section, the
whole custom block is scaled equally.
Between Comp: Adds the selected block to the railings between the
selected components. Baluster, Main Post, and Dynamic Posts are the only
valid component selections.
13 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction, along the
length of the railing.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction, across the
width of the railing.
Mirror Z creates a mirror of the component in the Z direction.
14 Specify the location of the insertion point in the window.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.
You can place the Z insertion point at the top, center, or bottom of the
object.
15 Specify the insertion offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 Specify the type of component to add to the railing. The two groups of
components are mutually exclusive, so selecting an object from one column makes the other unavailable. You can select more than one object in
each column, to apply the block to each selected component. For example, you can use the same block for the main posts and dynamic posts.
Baluster: Select to change the balusters to the selected block.
Main Post: Select to change the main posts to the selected block.
Dynamic Post: Select to change the dynamic posts to the selected
block.
Replace: Select Replace to replace the current baluster, main post, or
dynamic post with the selected block.
Guardrail: Select the guardrail to add to the selected block.
Handrail: Select to change the handrail to the selected block.
Bottomrail: Select to change the bottom rail to the selected block.
17 Specify what to add the block to: all instances of the component, the first
instance, the last instance, or selected instances.

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

985

All: Applies the selected block to all instances of the selected

components.
First: Applies the selected block to the first instance of the selected
component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Last: Applies the selected block to the last instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Selection: Applies the block to the selected number of components. The
components are numbered in the order the railing was drawn.
18 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Assigning a custom block as a baluster component to a railing

Editing Custom Blocks in a Railing Display

If you have added custom blocks to the display of railings, you can edit the
display in the same way as adding them.
To edit custom blocks in the railing display
1 Select the railing to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.

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4 Select the Model representation from the list. The component is displayed
only in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk
(*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the railing. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
8 Select the Custom Block Display to edit.
9 Click Edit.
10 In the Custom Block dialog box, click Select Block.
11 Select the block to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.

NOTE For an explanation of the options in the Select a Block dialog box,
see Adding Custom Blocks to Railings on page 984.
12 Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none is selected, the block comes
in at its created size. Some combinations of Scale to Fit are not logically
possible. These selections are disabled by the interface.
Width: Sets the custom block to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the custom block to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Height: Sets the custom block to the height of the object it is attached to.
Lock XY Ratio: Locks the XY shape of the object, so that if it is scaled
in one direction to fit another criteria in the Scale to Fit section, the whole
custom block is scaled equally.
Between Comp: Adds the selected block to the railings between the
selected components: Baluster, Main Post, and Dynamic Posts are the
only valid component selections.
13 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction.
Mirror Z creates a mirror of the component in the Z direction.
14 Specify the location of the Insertion Point in the railing.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

987

You can place the Z insertion point at the top, center, or bottom of the
object.
15 Specify the Offset for the component in the X, Y, and Z directions.
16 Specify the type of component to add to or replace with the block.
Baluster: Select to change the balusters to the selected block.
Main Post: Select to change the main posts to the selected block.
Dynamic Post: Select to change the dynamic posts to the selected
block.
Replace: Select Replace to replace the current baluster, main post, or
dynamic post with the selected block.
Guardrail: Select to change the guardrail to the selected block.
Handrail: Select to change the handrail to the selected block.
Bottomrail: Select to change the bottom rail to the selected block.
17 Specify what to add the block to: all instances of the component, the first
instance, the last instance, or selected instances.
All: Applies the selected block to all instances of the selected
components.
First: Applies the selected block to the first instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Last: Applies the selected block to the last instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Selection: Applies the profile to the selected number of components.
The components are numbered in the order the railing was drawn.
18 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Removing Custom Blocks in the Display of

Railings
After you have added components to the display of railings, you can remove
one or more of those components.
To remove custom blocks in the window display
1 Select the railing to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the Model representation from the list. The component is displayed
only in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk
(*) next to it.

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5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the railing. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the component to remove from
the list, and click Remove.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Disabling Custom Blocks in the Display of

Railings
You can disable the display of components without actually removing them
from the railing.
To disable the display of custom blocks in the railing display
1 Select the railing to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select Model from the list.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.

NOTE You can selectively turn off the visibility of individual display blocks
on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab. This is one way to switch between alternate
blocks.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click Disable Custom Blocks.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Adding Custom Profiles to Railings

To add custom profiles to the railing display
1 Create a profile to represent the component to add to the railing. Create
the profile in the XY plane.
2 Select the railing. You must be in plan view to add custom profiles to the
railing.

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

989

3 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.

4 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
5 Select the Plan representation from the list. The component is displayed
only in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk
(*) next to it.
6 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the railing. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
9 Click Add to add a profile to the railing.
10 In the Custom Profile dialog box, click Select Profile.
11 Select the profile to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.
Set the Scale to Fit for the component. If none is selected, the profile
comes in at its created size. Some combinations of Scale to Fit are not logically possible. Some selections are disabled by the interface.
Width: Sets the custom profile to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the custom profile to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Height: Sets the custom profile to the height of the object it is attached
to.
Lock Ratio: Locks the shape of the object, so that if it is scaled in one
direction to fit another criterion in the Scale to Fit section, the whole custom profile is scaled equally.
Between Comp: Adds the selected profile to the railings between the
selected components. Baluster, Main Post, and Dynamic Posts are the only
valid component selections.
12 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction, along the
length of the railing.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction, across the
width of the railing.
13 Set the angle to rotate the component in the Z direction, if necessary.
14 Specify the location of the insertion point in the window.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.

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15 Specify the insertion offset for the component in the X, and Y directions.
16 Specify the type of component to add to the railing. The two groups of
components are mutually exclusive, so selecting an object from one column makes the other unavailable. You can select more than one object in
each column, to apply the profile to each selected component. For example, you can use the same profile for the main posts and dynamic posts.
Baluster: Select to change the balusters to the selected profile.
Main Post: Select to change the main posts to the selected profile.
Dynamic Post: Select to change the dynamic posts to the selected
profile.
Replace: Select Replace to replace the current baluster, main post, or
dynamic post with the selected profile.
Guardrail: Select to add the selected profile to the guardrail.
Handrail: Select to change the handrail to the selected profile.
Bottomrail: Select to change the bottom rail to the selected profile.
17 Specify what to add the profile to: all instances of the component, the
first instance, the last instance, or selected instances.
All: Applies the selected profile to all instances of the selected
components.
First: Applies the selected profile to the first instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Last: Applies the selected profile to the last instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Selection: Applies the profile to the selected number of components.
The components are numbered in the order the railing was drawn.
18 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

991

Assigning a profile to a baluster in a railing

Editing Custom Profiles in a Railing Display

If you have added custom profiles to the display of railings, you can edit the
display in the same way as adding them.
To edit custom profiles in the railing display
1 Select the railing.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the Plan representation from the list. The component is displayed
only in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk
(*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the railing. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the Other tab.
8 Click Add to add a profile to the railing.
9 In the Custom Profile dialog box, click Select Profile.
10 Select the profile to use from the Select a Block dialog box, and click OK.

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Set the Scale to Fit for the custom profile. If none is selected, the profile
comes in at its created size. Some combinations of Scale to Fit are not logically possible. Some selections are disabled by the interface.
Width: Sets the custom profile to the width of the object it is attached to.
Depth: Sets the custom profile to the depth of the object it is attached to.
Lock Ratio: Locks the shape of the object, so that if it is scaled in one
direction to fit another criteria in the Scale to Fit section, the whole
custom profile is scaled equally.
Between Comp: Adds the selected profile to the railings between the
selected components. Baluster, Main Post, and Dynamic Posts are the only
valid component selections.
11 Set the Mirror In direction, if necessary.
Mirror X creates a mirror of the component in the X direction, along the
railing.
Mirror Y creates a mirror of the component in the Y direction, across the
railing.
12 Set the angle to rotate the component in the Z direction, if necessary.
13 Specify the location of the insertion point in the window.
You can place the X insertion point at the left, center, or right of the
object.
You can place the Y insertion point at the front, center, or back of the
object.
14 Specify the insertion offset for the component in the X, and Y directions.
15 Specify the type of component to add to the railing. The two groups of
components are mutually exclusive so selecting an object from one column makes the other unavailable. You can select more than one object in
each column, to apply the profile to each selected component. For example, you can use the same profile for the main posts and dynamic posts.
Baluster: Select to change the balusters to the selected profile.
Main Post: Select to change the main posts to the selected profile.
Dynamic Post: Select to change the dynamic posts to the selected
profile.
Replace: Select Replace to replace the current baluster, main post, or
dynamic post with the selected profile.
Guardrail: Select to change the guardrail to the selected profile.
Handrail: Select to change the handrail to the selected profile.
Bottomrail: Select to change the bottom rail to the selected profile.

Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles

993

16 Specify what to add the profile to: all instances of the component, the
first instance, the last instance, or selected instances.
All: Applies the selected profile to all instances of the selected
components.
First: Applies the selected profile to the first instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Last: Applies the selected profile to the last instance of the selected component, based on the direction the railing was drawn.
Selection: Applies the profile to the selected number of components.
The components are numbered in the order the railing was drawn.
17 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Removing Custom Profiles in the Display of

Railings
After you have added custom profiles to the display of railings, you can
remove one or more of those profiles.
To remove custom profiles in the window display
1 Select the railing to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the Plan representation from the list. The component is displayed
only in this representation set. The current representation has an asterisk
(*) next to it.
5 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the railing. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, select the custom profile to remove
from the list, and click Remove.
8 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Turning Off Custom Profiles in the Display of

Railings
You can turn off the display of custom profiles without actually removing
them from the railing.

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To disable the display of custom profiles in the railing display

1 Select the railing to edit.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, select the Display Props tab.
4 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the window. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems on page 121.

NOTE You can selectively turn off the visibility of individual display blocks
on the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click Disable Custom Profiles.
7 Click OK in each dialog box to exit the command.

Changing Railing Properties

You can change the properties of railings in your drawing by adding notes
and reference files to the railing, changing the rail and post locations, and
changing the location properties of the railing.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Railing

To attach notes and files to a railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select the railing, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

5 To add a description to the railing, type it in the Description box.
6 To add a note to the railing, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Style of a Railing

You can change the style associated with existing railings.

NOTE If the new style has different values for Railing Location, Post Location
and Extension they may or may not be imposed automatically when you change
the style. To use the values of the new style, whether or not they are imposed,
click the Reset to Style Values button.
To change the style of a railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select the railing, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

5 Select a different style from the list.
6 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing Upper Rail Location Properties

You can control whether the railing has a guardrail or a handrail, the height
of each one, the sloping height, the offsets from the posts, and the side for
the offsets.

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To change the upper rails of a railing

1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select the railing, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Rail Locations tab.

5 Select whether to include guardrails and handrails.

NOTE There must be either a guardrail or a handrail. Both cannot be

turned off.
6 Set the following parameters for either the guardrail or the handrail.
When you select the guardrail or handrail, these boxes become available
to edit: Horizontal Height, Sloping Height, Offset from Post, and Side for
Offset.

Horizontal Height: Sets the height for the guardrail or the handrail.
Sloping Height: Sets the height for the guardrail or the handrail while
it is on a stair flight.
Offset from Post: Sets the offset from the posts.
Side for Offset: Sets the side of the post for the offset, based on the
direction the stair (or railing) was drawn. Side for Offset is available
only when there is an offset value.
Side for Offset includes Right, Left, Center, and Auto. Auto is useful
only for railings attached to the edges of stairs. A positive value is
toward the center of the stair, while a negative value is toward the outside edge. The Handrail selection also has a selection of Both, so you
can set a handrail on both sides of the railing.

NOTE If Auto is selected, and the railing is not attached to or is along the
center of a stair, the offset is to the right.
7 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

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NOTE You can set all these values back to the style defaults by clicking
Reset to Style Values on the Style tab.

Changing Bottom Rail Properties

You can set whether the railing has a bottom rail, set how many bottom rails
there are, and control the distance between them.
To change the lower rails of a railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select the railing, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Rail Locations tab.

5 Select Bottomrail to add bottom rails to the railing. Once selected, the
other boxes in this section become active.
6 Type values for the Horizontal and Sloping height of the lowest bottom
rail.
Horizontal: Sets the height for the rail when it is horizontal.
Sloping: Sets the height for the rail while it is on a slope, that is, on a
stair flight.
7 Type the number of bottom rails in the Number of Rails box. If there is
more than one bottom rail, type the spacing between each bottomrail in
the Spacing of Rails box.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

NOTE You can set all these values back to the style defaults by clicking Rest
to Style Values on the Style tab.

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Changing Post Location Properties

You can control the type of posts placed with the railing, the amount the
posts extend above the railings, the maximum spacing between posts and
balusters and the number of balusters for each tread for railings that are
attached to stairs.
To change the post locations of a railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select the railing, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Post Locations tab.

5 In the Fixed Posts box, select whether to include fixed posts with the railing. Fixed posts are included at the beginning and end of the railing.
6 Set the height above or below the top railing for the posts in the A Extension of ALL Posts from Top Railing box.
7 Select whether to include fixed posts at the railing corners.
8 In Dynamic Posts, select whether to include dynamic posts with the railing. Dynamic posts are added to the railing between the fixed posts. In B Maximum Center to Center Spacing, type the maximum amount of space
between the center of each post.
9 In Balusters, select whether to include balusters with the railing. In C Maximum Center to Center Spacing, type the maximum amount of space
between the center of each balusters.
10 In Stair Tread Length Override, select whether to override the amount of
balusters on each stair tread. In D - Number per Tread, type the number of

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balusters to include on each stair tread. This only applies to railings that
are attached to stairs.
11 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

NOTE You can set all these values back to the style defaults by clicking
Reset to Style Values on the Style tab.

Changing the Properties of Railing Extensions at

Floor Levels
For railings attached to stairs, you can control the length of the handrail and
guardrail extensions at the top and bottom of stair flights.

NOTE If a bottom rail exists, it extends as far as the other railing it is below.
To change the railing extensions properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select a railing attached to a stair, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Extensions tab.

5 In the At Floor Levels section, select whether to use the stair landing
extension from the stair property settings or to use values in this dialog
box.
6 Type the value of the Handrail extension in Top of the Entire Stair or select
the check box to the right of the Handrail box add the tread length to the
Handrail extension value.
7 Type the value of the Guardrail extension in Top of the Entire Stair or
select the box to the right of Guardrail to add the tread length to the
Guardrail extension value.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

NOTE You can set all these values back to the style defaults by clicking
Reset to Style Values on the Style tab.

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Changing the Properties of Railing Extensions at

Landings
For railings attached to individual stair flights, you can control the length of
the handrail and guardrail extensions at landings.

NOTE If a bottom rail exists, it extends as far as the other railing it is below.
To change the railing extensions properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select a railing attached to a stair, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Extensions tab.

5 In the At Landings section, select whether to use the stair landing extension from the stair property settings or to use values in this dialog box.
6 Type the value of the Handrail extension in Top of Flight or select the box
to the right of Handrail to add the tread length to the Handrail extension
value.
7 Type the value of the Guardrail extension in Top of Flight or select the
check box to the right of Guardrail to add the tread length to the Guardrail
extension value.
8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

NOTE You can set all these values back to the style defaults by clicking
Reset to Style Values on the Style tab.

Changing Railing Anchor Properties

For railings attached to stairs, you can change the justification of a railing
and the side, start, and end offsets.
To change the railing anchor properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select a railing attached to a stair, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

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4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab, and do any of
the following:

Change the justification of the railing.

Change the offset from the stair.
Offset values: A value of zero places the start and end fixed posts
exactly at the ends of the stair; positive values move the start/end onto
the stair; and negative values extend the railing beyond the stair
bounds.

Change the start offset from the top of the stair.

Change the ending offset at the bottom of the stair.
Click Redistribute Posts to change the existing posts.

NOTE If you edit a railing using grips so that the railing doesnt end on a
post, you can use Redistribute Posts to move a post to the end of the edited
railing.
5 Click OK.
6 Click Apply to change the selected railing and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the railing, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Railing Location Properties

You can relocate an existing railing not attached to a stair by changing the
coordinate values of its insertion point. The railing also has an orientation
with respect to the world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS). For example, if the top and bottom of the railing are
parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change
the orientation of the railing by aligning its normal with another axis. You
can also rotate the railing on its plane by changing the rotation angle.

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For information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a railing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Modify Railing.
2 Select the railing, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Railing dialog box, click

4 In the Railing Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the railing, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the railing, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To locate the railing on the XY plane, make the normal of the railing
parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in
the X and Y boxes. To locate the railing on the YZ plane, type 1 in the
X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the railing on the XZ
plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the railing, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the railing object without leaving the Railing Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Railing Styles

You can create and modify railing styles.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and
templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Getting
Started with the Style Manager on page 1527.

Creating a Railing Style

To create a railing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railings Styles.

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1003

The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 With Railing Styles highlighted, right-click, and choose New from the
shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new railing style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Railing style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
5 In the Railing Styles dialog box, you can set the railing style properties on
the General, Rail Locations, Post Locations, Components, Extensions and
Display Props tabs.
6 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing a Railing Style

To change a railing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 With Railing Styles highlighted, right-click, and choose Edit from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Railing Styles dialog box, you can set the railing style properties on
the General, Rail Locations, Post Locations, Components, Extensions and
Display Props tabs.
4 Click OK to save the new stair style and exit the dialog box.

Creating a Railing Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new railing style by copying an existing style and modifying
it.
To copy a railing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.

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The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Railing style type, and click Copy
Style.
A copy of the existing style is created.
3 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Railing style, select the style, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Railing Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to
the style, change the dimensions and shape of the railing, edit schedule
data, add standard sizes, and change the display properties of the new
style. For more information about changing each style property, see
Changing Railing Styles on page 1003.
5 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a Railing Style

To purge a railing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused Railing style in your current drawing, select

the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused Railing styles in your current drawing, with
Railing Styles highlighted, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

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1005

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Railing Styles

You can import railing styles from an existing drawing.

NOTE You can manage railing styles efficiently by creating them all in one
drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other drawings as
needed.
To import railing styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Railing style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Railing Styles to display the Railing styles in
the drawing.
5 Select the Railing style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

1006

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
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To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Railing Styles to a New Drawing

You can export railing styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.
To export railing styles
1 From the Design menu, choose Railing Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Railing style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Railing Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export railing styles from the current drawing to another drawing.
To export railing styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
Railing style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in
the tree view.

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1007

2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Railing style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Properties

Each railing you create has a style associated with it. You can alter existing
styles by changing the rail locations, post locations, components, or extensions. When you change a railing style, the railings of that style in the
current drawing update to reflect the changes.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Railing Style

To attach notes and files to a railing style
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.

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2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the railing style, type it in the Description box.
5 To add a note to the railing style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, select the reference file name to start its
application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Upper Rail Location

Properties
You can control whether the railing style has a guardrail or a handrail, the
height of each one, the sloping height, the offsets from the posts, and the
side for the offsets.
To change the railing style upper rail location properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.

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1009

2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the Rail Locations tab.

4 Select whether to allow individual railings to change these values in Allow

Each Railing to Vary. If you select this option, you can change these values
in the Railing Properties dialog box. If you do not select this option, these
values cannot be edited in the Railing Properties dialog box.

NOTE These changes do not affect existing railings unless the Allow each
railing to vary check box is clear.
5 Select whether to include guardrails and handrails.

NOTE There must be either a guardrail or handrail. Both cannot be turned

off.
6 Set the following parameters for either the guardrail or the handrail.
When you select the guardrail or handrail, these boxes become available
to edit: Horizontal Height, Sloping Height, Offset from Post, and Side for
Offset.

Horizontal Height: Sets the height for the guardrail or the handrail.
Sloping Height: Sets the height for the guardrail or the handrail while
it is on a stair flight.
Offset from Post: Sets the offset from the posts.
Side for Offset: Sets the side of the post for the offset, based on the
direction the stair (or railing) was drawn. Side for Offset is available
only if there is an offset value.
Side for Offset includes Right, Left, Center, and Auto. Auto is meaningful only for railings attached to the edges of stairs. A positive value is
toward the center of the stair, while a negative value is toward the outside edge. The Handrail selection also has a selection of Both, so you
can set a handrail on both sides of the railing.

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NOTE If Auto is selected, and the railing is not attached to a stair, the offset
is to the right.
7 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Bottom Rail Location

Properties
You can set whether the railing style has a bottom rail, set how many bottom
rails there are, and control the distance between them.
To change the railing style bottom rail location properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the Rail Location tab.

4 Select Bottomrail to add bottom rails to the railing. Once selected, the
other boxes in this section become active.

NOTE These changes do not affect existing railings unless the Allow each
railing to vary check box is clear.
5 Type values for the Horizontal and Sloping height of the lowest bottom
rail.
Horizontal: Sets the height for the rail when it is horizontal.
Sloping: Sets the height for the rail while it is on a slope.

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1011

6 Type the number of bottom rails in the Number of Rails box. If there is
more than one bottom rail, type the spacing between each bottom rail in
the Spacing of Rails box.
7 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Post Location Properties

You can control the type of posts placed with a railing style, the amount the
posts extend above the railings, the maximum spacing between posts and
balusters, and the number of balusters for each tread for railings that are
attached to stairs.
To change the railing style post location properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the Post Locations tab.

4 Select whether to allow individual railings to change these values in Allow

Each Railing to Vary. If you select this option, you can change these values
in the Railing Properties dialog box. If you do not select this option, these
values cannot be edited in the Railing Properties dialog box.

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NOTE These changes do not affect existing railings unless the Allow each
railing to vary check box is clear.
5 In Fixed Posts, select whether to include fixed posts with the railing. Fixed
posts are included at the beginning and end of the railing.
6 Set the height above the top railing for the posts in A - Extension of ALL
Posts from Top Railing.
7 Select whether to include fixed posts at the railing corners.
8 In Dynamic Posts, select whether to include dynamic posts with the railing. Dynamic posts are added to the railing between the fixed posts. In B Maximum Center to Center Spacing, type the maximum amount of space
between the center of each post. Dynamic posts are evenly spaced
between adjacent fixed posts, thus the spacing may vary along a multisegment railing.
9 In the Balusters box, select whether to include balusters with the railing.
In C - Maximum Center to Center Spacing, type the maximum amount of
space between the center of each balusters.
10 In Stair Tread Length Override, select whether to override the amount of
blusters on each stair tread. In D - Number per Tread, type the number of
balusters to include on each stair tread.
11 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Components Properties

You can control the shape of the railing components, and the width, depth
and rotation of each component for each railing style.
To change the railing style component properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the Components tab.

Changing Railing Style Properties

1013

4 Select the component to change. Your choices are Guardrail, Handrail,

Bottomrail, Fixed Post, Dynamic Post, and Baluster.
5 Click the profile name. Click the down arrow to display a list of all the profiles available to be applied to the selected component. The default profiles are circular and rectangular. Also, any profiles that you have defined
are displayed in this list.
6 Click Width, and type a width for the selected component.
7 Click Depth, and type a depth for the selected component. Depth is not
available for the default circular profile.
8 Click Rotation, and type a rotation for the selected component. Rotation
is not available for rail components, or when the default circular profile is
used for posts.
9 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Extensions Properties

If railing extensions are not allowed to vary, the endpoint cannot be grip
edited.
To change the railing style extensions properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.

1014

Chapter 24

Railings

The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the Extensions tab.

4 Select whether to allow individual railings to change these values in Allow

Each Railing to Vary. If you select this option, you can change these values
in the Railing Properties dialog box. If you do not select this option, these
values cannot be edited in the Railing Properties dialog box.

NOTE These changes do not affect existing railings unless the Allow each
railing to vary check box is clear.
5 Type the value of the Handrail extension in Top of the Entire Stair or select
the box to the right of Handrail to add the tread length to the Handrail
extension value.
6 Type the value of the Guardrail extension in Top of the Entire Stair or
select the check box to the right of Guardrail to add the tread length to
the Guardrail extension value.
7 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Railing Style Properties

1015

Changing Railing Style Display Properties

To change the railing style display properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Railings Railing Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Railing style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Railing style type, select the Railing Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit.
3 In the Railing Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select a representation set for the railing from the list. The current viewport display is the default representation display. An asterisk (*) is displayed next to the default.
5 Do any of the following:

Select the railing from the property source and click Attach Override to
change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties after you attach the override to change
what is displayed for the representation of the railing, including the
visibility, layer, color, linetype, line weight, linetype scale, and plot
style. To edit each property, click the field. These changes are only for
the selected object.
Click Other to create custom blocks and profiles to add to the display
of railing. For more information, see Custom Railing Blocks and Profiles on page 983.

6 When you finish changing the railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.

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Chapter 24

Railings

7 When you finish changing the Railing style properties, click OK to return
to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Railings Command List

Menu command

Command line

Add Railing...

RailingAdd

Modify Railing...

RailingModify

Convert to Railing...

RailingConvert

Railing Styles...

RailingStyle

Anchor to Stair...

RailingAnchorToStair

Right-click

Railing Modify...

RailingPostAdd

Post Placement Add

RailingPostRemove

Post Placement Remove

RailingPostHide

Post Placement Hide

RailingPostShow

Post Placement Show

RailingRedistributePosts

Redistribute Posts

RailingReverse

Reverse

RailingStyleEdit

Edit Railing Style...

RailingProps

Railing Properties...

Changing Railing Style Properties

1017

1018

Chapter 24

Railings

Grids

25

Grids are AEC objects on which you can anchor other

In this chapter

objects, such as columns, and constrain their locations.

Column grids
Ceiling grids

You can create a rectangular or radial column grid,

Changing ceiling grid properties

create columns on the grid, label the column grid, and

change the properties of existing grids.

1019

Column Grids
Grids are AEC objects on which you can anchor other objects, such as
columns, and constrain their locations.
You can create a rectangular or radial column grid, create columns on the
grid, label the column grid, and change the properties of existing grids.

Creating a Rectangular Column Grid

To create a rectangular column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Column Grid.
2 In the Add Column Grid dialog box, select Rectangular from the Shape
list.
3 Type a value for the width of the grid in the X direction.

To set the number of bays in the X direction, do one of the following:

Select Divide By and type a value.
Clear Divide By and type a value for the bay size in X-Baysize.

4 Type a value for the width of the grid in the Y direction.

5 To set the number of bays in the Y direction, do one of the following:

Select Divide By and type a value.

Clear Divide By and type a value for the bay size in Y-Baysize.

6 Click Column. In the Add Columns dialog box, select the column and
click Close.

NOTE If you are in the Add Columns dialog box and decide not to add columns to the column grid, click the X in the upper-right corner of the dialog
box instead of the Close button. You exit the dialog box without setting any
columns for the column grid.
7 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.
8 Specify the rotation angle of the grid.
9 Press ENTER to create the column grid, and click Close to end the command.

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Chapter 25 Grids

Creating a rectangular grid

Creating a Radial Column Grid

To create a radial column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Column Grid.
2 In the Add Column Grid dialog box, select Radial from the Shape list.
3 Specify the radius for the grid.
4 To set the number of bays in the radial direction, type a value in the radius
Divide By field.
The number plus one is the number of bays created in the radial direction.
5 Specify the angle of the grid.
6 To set the number of bays created in the angles, type a value in the Divide
By field.
The number plus one is the number of bays created in the angles.
7 Change the inside radius of the grid. To change the inside radius of the
grid, type a value in Inside Radius.
8 Specify an insertion point in the drawing, and click Column.
9 In the Add Columns dialog box, specify the shape and dimensions of the
column and click Close.

NOTE If you are in the Add Columns dialog box and decide not to add columns to the column grid, click the X in the upper-right corner of the dialog
box instead of the Close button. You exit the dialog box without setting any
columns for the column grid.
10 Specify the insertion point of the grid.

Column Grids

1021

11 Specify the rotation angle of the grid.

Columns are created at each intersection in the grid.
12 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a radial grid

Creating a Rectangular Column Grid

Dynamically
To create a rectangular column grid dynamically
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Column Grid.
2 In the Add Column Grid dialog box, select Rectangular from the Shape
list.
3 Select Specify on Screen.
4 In the Add Columns dialog box, specify the shape and dimensions for the
column and click OK.
5 Specify a location for a column in the drawing.
6 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.
7 Specify the overall size of the grid.
8 Drag the crosshairs inside the shape and click when you have the number
of bays you want in the column grid.

NOTE The closer the crosshairs go to the left and bottom of the grid, the
more spaces are created. The sizes of the spaces within the grid are reported
in the Add Column Grid dialog box as you drag the pointing device.
9 Click Column.
10 Specify the rotation angle of the grid.
Columns are created at each intersection point in the grid.

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Chapter 25 Grids

11 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a Radial Column Grid Dynamically

To create a radial column grid dynamically
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Column Grid.
2 In the Add Column Grid dialog box, select Radial from the Shape list.
3 Select Specify on Screen.
4 Click Column. In the Add Columns dialog box, specify the column and
click OK.
5 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.
6 Specify the overall size of the grid.
7 Specify the inside radius in the drawing.
8 Drag the crosshairs inside the shape.
The closer the crosshairs go to the inside radius and bottom of the grid,
the more spaces are created.

NOTE The sizes of the spaces within the grid are reported in the Add Column Grid dialog box as you drag the pointing device.
9 Click when you have the right number of bays in the column grid.
10 Specify the rotation angle of the grid.
Columns are created at each intersection point in the grid.
11 Click Close to end the command.

Labeling a Column Grid

You can label existing column grids in the X direction and the Y direction.
To label a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Label Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid to label.
3 In the Column Grid Labeling dialog box, click the X-Labeling tab or the
Y-Labeling tab.
4 Type a starting number or letter for the label in the first space in the table.
Each grid line in the X direction or the Y direction is listed in the table. If
Automatically Calculate Values for Labels is selected, when you specify a

Column Grids

1023

location other than the first space in the table, numbers are filled in consecutively, either in ascending or descending order, depending upon
which is selected in the Ordering section.

NOTE To renumber a grid, type a new value in the first location. The rest
of the values are updated automatically if Automatically Calculate Values for
Labels is selected.
5 If there are characters that you do not want to use in the sequence, type
them in Never Use Characters, separated by commas.
6 Click Generate New Bubbles on Exit to update the bubbles.
7 If you are labeling the X direction, select Top to create bubbles at the top
of the grid. Select Bottom to create bubbles at the bottom of the grid.
8 If you are labeling the Y direction, select Left to create bubbles at the left
side of the grid. Select Right to create bubbles at the right side of the grid.
9 To use a different block for the bubble, click Bubble.
10 Type an extension value for the bubble lines to set the distance the bubbles are placed from the grid. Click OK.

Labeling a column grid

1024

Chapter 25 Grids

Extending Column Grid Lines beyond the Grid

Boundary or Limits
There are situations in which it is desirable to label two sides of a column grid
and have the other two sides lines extend beyond the edge of the column
grid rectangle.
To extend lines beyond the edge of the grid
1 Label the sides of the column grid you need labeled. See Labeling a Column Grid on page 1023 for more information.
2 Create a multi-view block definition which has no view blocks. See Creating a New Multi-View Block Definition on page 1624 for more information.
3 From the Design menu, choose Grids Label Column Grid.
4 Select the column grid to label.
5 In the Column Grid Labeling dialog box, click the Labeling tab for the axis
you wish to extend.
6 Select the Bubble Parameter that hasnt been labeled yet (Left or Right, or
Top or Bottom), but do not uncheck the sides with the bubbles, or they
will be removed.
7 Click Bubble and select the new multi-view block you created, then click
OK.
8 Make sure Generate New Bubbles On Exit is off.
9 Click OK.

Dimensioning Column Grids

You can dimension column grids and set the distance the dimensions are
from the grid.
To dimension column grids
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Dimension Column Grid.
2 Select the column grids you want to label and press ENTER.
3 Type the offset distance for the dimensions and press ENTER.

Column Grids

1025

Modifying Column Grids

You can change existing rectangular and radial column grids by changing the
grid values or by grip-editing the grids. You can change the X-width, Y-width,
bay spacing, X-baysize and the Y-baysize of rectangular column grids. You
can change the radius, angle, bay spacing, bay size, and bay angle of radial
column grids.

Changing Existing Rectangular Column Grids

To change an existing rectangular column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the rectangular column grid you want to change.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, change any of the following: the
X-width, Y-width, and Divide By spacing, or the X-Baysize and Y-Baysize.
4 Click Apply to change the selected column grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the column grid, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Changing Existing Radial Column Grids

To change an existing radial column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the radial column grid you want to change.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, change any of the
following: Radius, Angle, Divide By spacing, and Inside Radius.
4 Click Apply to change the selected column grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the column grid, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Attaching a Clipping Boundary to a Column Grid

You can attach a boundary to an existing column grid. Any part of the column grid within the attached boundary is displayed. Any part outside the
boundary is not displayed.
To attach a clipping boundary to a column grid
1 Create a closed polyline around the existing column grid.
2 From the Design menu, choose Grids Clip Column Grid.

1026

Chapter 25 Grids

The following command line is displayed:

Layout grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]:

3 Type s (Set) to set the boundary.

4 Select the column grid to attach to the boundary and press ENTER.
5 Select the closed polyline.
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding a Hole to a Column Grid

To add a hole to a column grid
1 Create an AEC object or a closed polyline within the column grid.
2 From the Design menu, choose Grids Clip Column Grid.
The following command line is displayed:
Layout grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]:

3 Type a (Add) to add a hole to the grid.

4 Select the AEC object or closed polyline to create the hole in the grid.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Removing a Hole from a Column Grid

You can remove existing holes in the column grid.
To remove a hole from a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Clip Column Grid.
The following command line is displayed:
Layout grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]:

2 Type r (Remove) to remove the hole.

3 Select the column grid and press ENTER.
4 Select the AEC object or closed polyline used as a hole in the grid.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Column Grid Properties

You can change the dimension properties, the spacing of individual lines on
the X and Y axes, and the location of the grid.

Changing the Column Grid Properties

1027

Attaching Notes and Files to a Column Grid

To attach notes and files to a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the column grid, type the text in the Description
field.
6 To add a note to the column grid, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Overall Size of a Column Grid

To change the size of a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

1028

In X-Width, type a new width for the grid.

Chapter 25 Grids

In Y-Depth, type a new depth for the grid.

6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the selected grid and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Width of a Column Grid

To change the width of a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid you want to change and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, select Automatic Spacing.
6 Type a new value for either Space Lines Evenly or Repeat Bay Size.

Space Lines Evenly: Sets the grid to have evenly spaced lines on the
X axis or Y axis. Automatically sizes the grid to fit the selected number
of lines.
Repeat Bay Size: Sets the bay size using the value you specify.

7 Type a start offset and an end offset and click OK

8 Click Apply to change the selected column grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Depth of a Column Grid

To change the depth of a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid you want to change and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, select Automatic Spacing.
6 Type a new value for either Space Lines Evenly or Repeat Bay Size. For
more information about the options, see Changing the Width of a Column Grid on page 1029.
7 Type a start offset and an end offset and click OK.

Changing the Column Grid Properties

1029

8 Click Apply to change the selected column grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Column Grid X-Spacing Properties

You can move separate lines in the X direction by selecting them from a list
and typing a new X-spacing value.
To change the column grids X spacing
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the X-Spacing tab.
5 Select Distance to Line or Spacing for the line you would like to move.

Distance to Line: Specifies the distance to the line from the start
point of the grid.
Spacing: Specifies the distance from one grid line to the next.

6 Type a new value in the selected field.

7 Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the selected grid and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Column Grid Y-Spacing Properties

To change the column grids Y spacing
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the rectangular column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Y-Spacing tab.
5 On the Y-Spacing tab, select Distance to Line or Spacing for the line you
would like to move. For more information about the Distance to Line or
Spacing options, see Changing the Column Grid X-Spacing Properties
on page 1030.
6 Type a new value in the selected field.
7 Click OK.

1030

Chapter 25 Grids

8 Click Apply to change the selected grid and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Radial Column Grid Angle

Dimension Properties
To change the radial column grids angle dimension
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the radial column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, select Automatic Spacing.
6 Type a new value for either Space Lines Evenly or Repeat Bay Angle.

Space Lines Evenly: Sets the grid to have evenly spaced lines on the
X axis or Y axis. Automatically sizes the grid to fit the selected number
of lines.
Repeat Bay Angle: Sets the bay angle size using the value you specify.

7 Type a start offset and an end offset and click OK

8 Click Apply to change the selected column grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Radial Column Grid Angle

Properties
To change the radial column grids angle properties
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Angle tab.
5 On the Angle tab, select Angle to Line or Spacing for the angle division
you would like to change.
6 Type a new value in the selected field.
7 Click OK.

Changing the Column Grid Properties

1031

8 Click Apply to change the selected grid and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Column Grid Location Properties

You can relocate an existing column grid by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The column grid also has an orientation with respect
to the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For
example, if the top and bottom of the column grid are parallel to the XY
plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of
the column grid by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate
the column grid on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For information about the world coordinate system, see Using Coordinates
and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a column grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Column Grid.
2 Select the column grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Column Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Column Grid Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the column grid, change the coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the column grid, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the column grid on the XY plane, make the normal
of the column grid parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the column grid on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To
locate the column grid on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type
0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the column grid, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the column grid object without leaving the Column Grid Properties
dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

1032

Chapter 25 Grids

Ceiling Grids
Grids are AEC objects on which you can anchor other objects and constrain
their locations.
Ceiling grids can be clipped by a boundary, and the grid is displayed only
within that boundary. If a ceiling grid is placed within a space, the grid is
automatically placed at the ceiling height of the space.

Creating a ceiling grid in a space

Creating a Ceiling Grid with a Clipping Boundary

You can create a ceiling grid within a polyline or a space object. If the ceiling
grid is within a space, the grid is automatically created at the ceiling height
of the space.
To create a ceiling grid with a clipping boundary
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Ceiling Grid.
2 In the Add Ceiling Grid dialog box, click Set Boundary.
3 Select an existing space or a closed polyline.
4 Type a value for the width of the grid in the X direction.
5 To set the number of bays in the X direction, do one of the following:

Select Divide By and type a value.

Clear Divide By and type a value for the bay size in X-Baysize.

6 Type a value for the width of the grid in the Y direction.

7 To set the number of bays in the Y direction, do one of the following:

Select Divide By and type a value.

Ceiling Grids

1033

Clear Divide By and type a value for the bay size in Y-Baysize.

8 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.

The grid is displayed only within the space or closed polyline.
9 Specify the rotation angle of the grid.
10 Click Close to end the command.

Creating a ceiling grid from a polyline

Creating a Freestanding Ceiling Grid

You can create a ceiling grid independent of any boundaries.
To create a freestanding ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Ceiling Grid.
2 In the Add Ceiling Grid dialog box, type a value for the width of the grid
in the X direction.
3 To set the number of bays in the X direction, do one of the following:

Select Divide By and type a value.

Clear Divide By and type a value for the bay size in X-Baysize.

4 Type a value for the width of the grid in the Y direction.

5 To set the number of bays in the Y direction, do one of the following:

Select Divide By and type a value.

Clear Divide By and type a value for the bay size in Y-Baysize.

6 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.

7 Specify the rotation angle of the grid.
8 Click Close to end the command.

1034

Chapter 25 Grids

Creating a freestanding ceiling grid

Creating a Ceiling Grid by Specifying the Size

Dynamically
To create a ceiling grid by specifying the size dynamically
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Add Ceiling Grid.
2 In the Add Ceiling Grid dialog box, select Specify on Screen.
3 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.
4 Specify the overall size of the grid.
5 Drag the crosshairs inside the shape. The closer the cursor go to the left
and bottom of the grid, the more spaces are created.

NOTE The sizes of the spaces within the grid are reported in the Add Ceiling Grid dialog box as you drag the pointing device.
6 Click when you have the number of bays you want in the ceiling grid.
7 Specify an insertion point in the drawing.
8 Specify the rotation angle for the grid.
9 Press ENTER to place the ceiling grid, and click Close to end the command.

Changing the Existing Ceiling Grids

You can change all aspects of a ceiling grid through the Modify Ceiling Grid
dialog box.
To change a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid to change and press ENTER.

Ceiling Grids

1035

3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, change any of the following: the
X-Width and Y-Width, and the Divide By spacing or X-Baysize and Y-Baysize.
4 Click Apply to change the selected ceiling grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the ceiling grid, or click OK to exit the dialog
box.

Attaching a Clipping Boundary to a Ceiling Grid

You can attach a boundary to an existing ceiling grid. Any part of the ceiling
grid within the attached boundary is displayed. Any part outside the boundary is not displayed. If the ceiling grid is placed within a space, the grid is
automatically placed at the ceiling height of the space.
To attach a clipping boundary to a ceiling grid
1 Create a closed polyline or space object around the existing ceiling grid.
For information about space objects, see Creating Spaces on page 222.
2 From the Design menu, choose Grids Clip Ceiling Grid.
The following command line is displayed:
Ceiling grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]:

3 Type s (Set) to set the boundary.

4 Select the ceiling grid to attach to the boundary and press ENTER.
5 Select the closed polyline or space boundary to attach to the space.
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

Adding a Hole to a Ceiling Grid

To add a hole to a ceiling grid
1 Create an AEC object or a closed polyline within the ceiling grid.
2 From the Design menu, choose Grids Clip Ceiling Grid.
The following command line is displayed:
Ceiling grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]:

3 Type a (Add) to add a hole to the grid.

4 Select the AEC object or closed polyline to create the hole in the grid.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

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Chapter 25 Grids

Adding a hole to a ceiling grid

Removing a Hole from a Ceiling Grid

You can remove existing holes in the ceiling grid.
To remove a hole from a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Clip Ceiling Grid.
The following command line is displayed:
Ceiling grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]:

2 Type r (Remove) to remove the hole.

3 Select the ceiling grid and press ENTER.
4 Select the AEC object or closed polyline to use as a hole in the grid.
5 Press ENTER to end the command.

Removing a hole from a ceiling grid

Changing the Ceiling Grid Properties

You can change the grids dimension properties, the spacing of individual
lines on the X and Y axis and the location of the grid. You can also add notes
and reference files to a ceiling grid.

Changing the Ceiling Grid Properties

1037

Attaching Notes and Files to a Ceiling Grid

To attach notes and files to a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the ceiling grid, type in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the ceiling grid, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Overall Size of a Ceiling Grid

To change the size of a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid you want to change and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

1038

In X-Width, type a new width for the grid.

In Y-Depth, type a new depth for the grid.

Chapter 25 Grids

6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the selected ceiling grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Width of a Ceiling Grid

To change the width of a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid you want to change and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, select Automatic Spacing.
6 Type a new value for either Space Lines Evenly or Repeat Bay Size.

Space Lines Evenly: Sets the grid to have evenly spaced lines on the
X axis or Y axis. Automatically sizes the grid to fit the selected number
of lines.
Repeat Bay Size: Sets the bay size using the value you specify.

7 Type a start offset and an end offset and click OK.

8 Click Apply to change the selected ceiling grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Depth of a Ceiling Grid

To change the depth of a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
5 On the Dimensions tab, select Automatic Spacing.
6 Type a new value for either Space Lines Evenly or Repeat Bay Size. For
more information about the options, see Changing the Width of a Ceiling Grid on page 1039.
7 Type a start offset and an end offset and click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the selected ceiling grid and remain in the dialog
box to continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Ceiling Grid Properties

1039

Changing the Ceiling Grid X-Spacing Properties

You can move individual lines in the X direction by selecting them from a
list and typing a new X-spacing value.
To change the X-spacing properties of the ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the X-Spacing tab.
5 Select Distance to Line or Spacing for the line you want to move.

Distance to Line: Specifies the distance to the line from the start
point of the grid.
Spacing: Specifies the distance from one grid line to the next.

6 Type a new value in the selected field.

7 Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the selected grid and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Ceiling Grid Y-Spacing Properties

To change the Y-spacing properties of the ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the Y-Spacing tab.
5 Select Distance to Line or Spacing for the line you would like to move. For
more information about the options, see Changing the Ceiling Grid XSpacing Properties on page 1040.
6 Type a new value in the selected field.
7 Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the selected grid and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the grid, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Chapter 25 Grids

Changing the Ceiling Grid Location Properties

You can relocate an existing ceiling grid by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The ceiling grid also has an orientation with respect to
the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For
example, if the top and bottom of the ceiling grid are parallel to the
XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation
of the ceiling grid by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also
rotate the ceiling grid on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
To change the location properties of a ceiling grid
1 From the Design menu, choose Grids Modify Ceiling Grid.
2 Select the ceiling grid and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Ceiling Grid dialog box, click

4 In the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the ceiling grid, change the coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the ceiling grid, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the ceiling grid on the XY plane, make the normal of
the ceiling grid parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the ceiling grid on the
YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate
the ceiling grid on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the
X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the ceiling grid, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the ceiling grid object without leaving the Ceiling Grid Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Ceiling Grid Properties

1041

Grids Command List

1042

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Column Grid...

ColumnGridAdd

Modify Column
Grid...

ColumnGridModify

Clip Column Grid

LayoutGridClip

Label Column Grid...

ColumnGridLabel

Dimension Column
Grid...

ColumnGridDim

Add Ceiling Grid....

CeilingGridAdd

Modify Ceiling
Grid...

CeilingGridModify

Clip Ceiling Grid

CeilingGridClip

Chapter 25 Grids

Right-click (with grid

selected)

Column Grid Modify...

Labels...

Ceiling Grid Modify...

ColumnGridProps

Column Grid Properties...

ColumnGridXAdd

X Axis Add Grid Line

ColumnGridXRemove

X Axis Remove Grid Line

ColumnGridXMode

X Axis Layout Mode

ColumnGridYAdd

Y Axis Add Grid Line

ColumnGridYRemove

Y Axis Remove Grid Line

ColumnGridYMode

Y Axis Layout Mode

ColumnGridDim

Dimensions

CeilingGridProps

Ceiling Grid Properties...

CeilingGridXAdd

X Axis Add Grid Line

CeilingGridXRemove

X Axis Remove Grid Line

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with grid

selected)

CeilingGridXMode

X Axis Layout Mode

CeilingGridYAdd

Y Axis Add Grid Line

CeilingGridYRemove

Y Axis Remove Grid Line

CeilingGridYMode

Y Axis Layout Mode

CeilingGridDim

Resize

Changing the Ceiling Grid Properties

1043

1044

Chapter 25 Grids

Annotation

26

You can add annotation symbols to your drawing, such

In this chapter

as break marks, revision clouds, and title marks.

Changing the drawing scale

Documentation symbols

1045

Changing the Drawing Scale

Scale-dependent objects in an AutoCAD Architectural Desktop drawing are
scaled automatically to reflect the units set in a drawing. Any styles that you
create in metric or imperial units are scaled appropriately. You can also set the
scale for the plot size of annotation in your drawing. If you are using a drawing template, then you can customize the drawing scale in your template and
save the changes. For more information about setting up your drawing, see
Setting up Your Drawing on page 1462.

Setting the Drawing Scale

To set the drawing scale
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Set Drawing Scale.
2 On the Scale tab, under Drawing Scale, select the drawing scale that you
want to use.
3 Under Annotation Plot Size, type a value. This value, multiplied by the
drawing scale factor, determines the height of plotted annotation text.

WARNING! The Annotation Plot Size value can be restricted by the Linear
Precision setting on the Units tab. If the Annotation Plot Size value is more
precise than the Linear Precision value, then the Annotation Plot Size value is
not accepted. For information about setting the linear precision value, see
Setting up Your Drawing on page 1462.
4 If you want to save your drawing scale settings as the default drawing settings, click Save As Default. If you want to save your drawing scales settings in the current drawing only, clear Save As Default.
5 Click OK.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

Documentation Symbols
The purpose of the documentation symbol commands is to insert all of
graphics (blocks, polylines, leaders, etc.) needed to annotate a drawing. The
default metric and imperial versions are similar, differing only in their base
units.
These commands use AutoCAD DesignCenter to store and add the annotation to your drawing. Choosing a documentation annotation command
opens AutoCAD DesignCenter in Custom view with Architectural Desktop as
the top node in the tree pane. The correct location under the Documentation
folder is highlighted from which you can select the specific command.
The Annotation Plot Size command controls the scaling of most of the symbols when plotted. The symbols are defined with attribute text sized at one
unit (1.0) height, for text to be plotted at the Annotation Plot Size. Other text
can be sized proportionately larger or smaller.
Most annotation content is set to use the current text style for attribute text.
For information about text styles, see Working with Text Styles in chapter
11, Adding Text to Drawings in the AutoCAD 2000 Users Guide.

Revision Clouds
You place revision clouds in your drawing using AutoCAD DesignCenter. You
can define the arc length for each section of a revision cloud.
To add a revision cloud symbol
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation
Content Revision Clouds.
2 Drag an icon into your drawing.
3 Release the button where you want the revision cloud to be placed.
4 Do any of the following:

To select a different symbol to use for the revision cloud annotation,

type s (Select).
To change the color of the cloud, type c (pline Color), and then specify
a color number.
To set the arc length for each section of the cloud, type a (Arc length).
To change the line width for the polyline used to draw the revision
cloud, type w (pline Width).

5 Specify the starting point for the revision cloud.

Documentation Symbols

1047

As you drag your cursor, the cloud is drawn. The cloud finishes when the
cursor moves to the starting location of the cloud.

7 If the cloud has a tag associated with it, select the location for the center
point of the tag.
8 Type the revision number in the Edit Attributes dialog box.
9 Click OK to end the command.

Chases, Ducts and Floor Openings

Using AutoCAD DesignCenter, you can drag chase, duct, and floor opening
symbols into your drawing.
These symbols are frequently used for the following building elements:

chimneys
floor openings
cable shafts
escalator shafts
wall niches

You can define an interference with walls, spaces, slabs and roof slabs to create realistic conditions for shafts and floor openings.
The Architectural Desktop templates contain a number of predefined chase,
duct and opening symbols as well as tags to annotate them.
To add chase, duct and floor opening symbols
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content
Chases.
2 Navigate to the Symbols folder.
3 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, select the symbol to be placed in your drawing, such as a chase or duct.

NOTE You can view the symbol in the preview window.

4 Holding down the button on your pointing device, drag the block into
your drawing and then release the button at the location for the block.
5 If you want to attach a label to your chase, select one from the list.
6 if you want a description displayed in the tag, type it in the Description
field.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

NOTE The description is only displayed if the tag you have chosen contains
a description attribute. Otherwise, it will not display. In this case, just select
another label which contains a description field.
7 If you want to change the insertion point of the symbol, type the desired
values in the X, Y or Z-fields, or click Pick Point and select a new insertion
point in the drawing.
8 If you want to change the scale of the symbol, type the desired values in
the X, Y or Z-fields, or click Pick Point and define the new scale in the
drawing.

NOTE To simplify the definition of the scale, you can click Pick XY scale and
define the X and Y scale in one step on screen.
9 To create an interference with a wall, space, slab or roof slab, click Select
Objects.

To create an additive interference with the selected object, chose Additive. Additive interferences are used for chimneys or escalators.
To create a subtractive interference with the selected object, chose Subtractive. Subtractive interferences are used for non-closed cavities in a
wall like niches or recesses.
To create an interference that connects the element to the wall or space
without performing any additive or subtractive operation, chose
Ignore. You would typically use this kind of interference for cavities
that are closed later in the design process, such as cable shafts or ventilation shafts.

NOTE The Ignore interference condition does work only for walls. It has no
effect for spaces, slabs and roof slabs.
10 To define the rotation of the chase, type a value in the Angle field or click
Specify on Screen and set the rotation on screen.
11 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Break Marks
You place break marks in your drawing using AutoCAD DesignCenter. You
can scale the break mark to fit between specified points, or you can stretch

Documentation Symbols

1049

the block based on the drawing scale so that the polyline fits the specified
points.
To add a break mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Break
Marks.
2 Click one of the icons and, while holding down the button on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 To change the symbol to be used with the break bar, type s (Symbol).
5 To change the break bar type to stretched or scaled, type t (Type).

Choose sc (SCaled) when you want the break mark scaled during insertion.
Choose st (STretched) when you want the break mark remain in original size and only the break line stretched during insertion.

6 Specify the first point for the break line.

7 Specify the second point for the break line.
8 Select an object to trim, or press ENTER to end the command.

Detail Marks
You can place detail marks in your drawing using AutoCAD DesignCenter.
You can place boundaries for blowups of details and place detail marks for
section detail references.

Adding Circular Detail Boundaries

To add a circular detail boundary
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content
Detail Marks.
2 Click the Detail Boundary (1) icon and, while holding down the button
on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the center of the detail circle.
5 Specify the radius for the boundary circle.
6 Specify the first point for the leader line.
7 Continue specifying points for the leader line.
8 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

9 Type the section mark number and the sheet number in the Edit
Attributes dialog box.
10 Click OK to place the detail mark at the end of the leader and exit the command.

NOTE The symbol is placed in the drawing at the same angle as the last
section of the leader line.

Adding Rectangular Detail Boundaries

To add a rectangular detail boundary
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content
Detail Marks.
2 Click the Detail Boundary (2) icon and, while holding down the button
on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first corner for the boundary box.
5 Specify the opposite corner for the boundary box.
6 Specify the first point for the leader line on the boundary box.
7 Continue specifying points for the leader line.
8 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.
9 Type the section mark number and the sheet number in the Edit
Attributes dialog box.
10 Click OK to place the detail mark at the end of the leader and exit the command.

NOTE The symbol is placed in the drawing at the same angle as the last
section of the leader line.

Adding Custom Detail Boundaries

You can create a detail boundary of any shape.
To add a custom detail boundary
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content
Detail Marks.
2 Click the Detail Boundary (3) icon and, while holding down the button
on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.

Documentation Symbols

1051

3 Release the button in your drawing.

4 Specify the first corner for the boundary.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the detail symbol, type s (Symbol).

To change the linetype used for the boundary, type l (Linetype).
To change the width of the line used for the boundary, type w (Width).
To change the corner radius for the boundary, type r (Radius).

6 After changing any of the boundary options, continue specifying points

to define the boundary, and press ENTER to close the boundary.
7 Specify the first point for the leader line on the boundary.
8 Continue specifying points for the leader line, and press ENTER when the
leader is finished.
9 Type the section mark number and the sheet number in the Edit
Attributes dialog box.
10 Click OK to place the detail mark at the end of the leader and exit the command.

NOTE The symbol is placed in the drawing at the same angle as the last
section of the leader line.

Adding Detail Marks

To add a detail mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content
Detail Marks.
2 Click one of the detail marks and, while holding down the button on your
pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the detail line.
5 Specify the second point for the detail line.
6 Do any of the following:

To place a break in the detail line, type b (Break). Specify a new point
to continue the detail line.
To change the detail symbol, type s (Symbol).
To change the length and width of the detail lines tail, type t (Tail).

7 Continue specifying points for the detail line.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

8 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.

9 Type the section mark number and, if necessary, the sheet number in the
Edit Attributes dialog box.
10 If necessary, click OK to place the detail mark at the end of the detail line.
11 Specify the side where you want the tail to be placed.

NOTE The symbol is placed in the drawing at the same angle as the last
section of the leader line.

Elevation Marks
You place elevation mark symbols in your drawing using AutoCAD DesignCenter. You can place up to four separate elevations using the four-way elevation mark. You can add elevation marks to existing elevation objects.
For more information about elevation marks, see Drawing an Elevation Line
and Mark on page 1346.

Adding Elevation Marks A1

To add an elevation mark A1
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Elevation Marks.
2 Click the Elevation Mark A1 icon and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the direction for the elevation mark.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block for the elevation mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the elevation mark, type a (Arrow).
To change the type of the arrow block between single and 4-way, type
t (Type).

6 Specify a second point for the rotation of the elevation mark.

7 Type the text for the elevation mark number in the Edit Attributes dialog
box.
8 Click OK.
9 Type y to add an AEC elevation object to the elevation mark, and then
type the width of the elevation object. The width is also the default depth
of the elevation object. Type n to end the command.

Documentation Symbols

1053

Adding Elevation Marks A2

To add an elevation mark A2
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Elevation Marks.
2 Click the Elevation Mark A2 icon and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the location of the elevation tag.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block for the elevation mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the elevation mark, type a (Arrow).
To change the type of the arrow block between single and 4-way, type
t (Type).

6 Specify a second point for the direction of the elevation.

7 Type the text for the elevation mark number and the sheet number in the
Edit Attributes dialog box.
8 Click OK.
9 Type y to add an AEC elevation object to the elevation mark, and then
type the width of the elevation object. The width is also the default depth
of the elevation object. Type n to end the command.

Adding Elevation Marks B1

You can add a four-way elevation mark that is annotated with the numbers
one through four.
To add an elevation mark B1
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Elevation Marks.
2 Click the Elevation Mark B1 icon and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the elevation mark.
5 Do any of the following:

1054

To change the symbol block for the elevation mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the elevation mark, type a (Arrow).

Chapter 26 Annotation

To change the type of the arrow block between single and 4-way, type
t (Type).

6 Specify a second point for the rotation of the elevation mark.

7 Type the text for the sheet number in the Edit Attributes dialog box.
8 Click OK.
9 Type y to add AEC elevation lines to the elevation mark, and then type
the width of the elevation object. The width is also the default depth of
the elevation object. Type n to end the command.

Adding Elevation Marks B2

You can add a four-way elevation mark that is annotated with north, east,
south, and west.
To add an elevation mark B2
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Elevation Marks.
2 Click the Elevation Mark B2 icon and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the elevation mark.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block for the elevation mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the elevation mark, type a (Arrow).
To change the type of the arrow block between single and 4-way, type
t (Type).

6 Specify a second point for the rotation of the elevation mark.

7 Type the text for the sheet number in the Edit Attributes dialog box.
8 Click OK.
9 Type y to add an AEC elevation object to the elevation mark, and then
type the width of the elevation object. The width is also the default depth
of the elevation object. Type n to end the command.

Adding Elevation Marks C1

You can add a triangular elevation mark in your drawing.

Documentation Symbols

1055

to add an elevation mark C1

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Elevation Marks.
2 Click the Elevation Mark C1 icon and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the insertion point for the elevation mark.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block for the elevation mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the elevation mark, type a (Arrow).
To change the type of the arrow block between single and 4-way, type
t (Type).

6 Specify a second point for the direction of the elevation mark.

7 Type the text for the elevation mark number and sheet number in the Edit
Attributes dialog box.
8 Click OK.
9 Type y to add AEC elevation lines to the elevation mark, and then type
the width of the elevation object. The width is also the default depth of
the elevation object. Type n to end the command.

Adding Elevation Marks C2

You can add a triangular elevation mark with reversed text in your drawing.
To add an elevation mark C2
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Elevation Marks.
2 Click the Elevation Mark C2 icon and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the insertion point for the elevation mark.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block for the elevation mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the elevation mark, type a (Arrow).
To change the type of the arrow block between single and 4-way, type
t (Type).

6 Specify a second point for the direction of the elevation mark.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

7 Type the text for the elevation mark number and sheet number in the Edit
Attributes dialog box.
8 Click OK.
9 Type y to add AEC elevation lines to the elevation mark, and then type
the width of the elevation object. The width is also the default depth of
the elevation object. Type n to end the command.

Leaders
You can place many different types of leaders with different symbols using
AutoCAD DesignCenter. To place these leaders, you can use a specified
dimension style or the current dimension style in the drawing.

Adding Spline Leaders

To add a spline leader
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Leaders.
2 Click one of the spline leaders and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the leader.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol for the leader, type s (Symbol block).

To change the leader to straight or spline, type t (Type).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader, type d
(Dimension style).

6 Continue specifying points for the leader.

7 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.
8 Type the leader ID in the Edit Attributes dialog box.
9 Click OK.

Adding Spline Leaders with Text

To add a spline leader with text
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Leaders.
2 Click the Spline (Text) icon and, while holding down the button on your
pointing device, drag it into your drawing.

Documentation Symbols

1057

3 Release the button in your drawing.

4 Specify the first point for the leader.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol for the leader, type s (Symbol block).

To change the leader to straight or spline, type t (Type).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader, type d
(Dimension style).

6 Continue specifying points for the leader.

7 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.
8 Type the first line of text for the leader. Continue typing text as needed.
9 Press ENTER on a blank line of text to end the command.

Adding Straight Leaders

To add a straight leader
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Leaders.
2 Click one of the straight leader icons and, while holding down the button
on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the leader.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol for the leader, type s (Symbol).

To change the leader to straight or spline, type t (Type).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader, type d (Dimension Style).

6 Continue specifying points for the leader.

7 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.
8 Type the leader ID in the Edit Attributes dialog box.
9 Click OK.

Adding Straight Leaders with Text

To add a straight leader with text
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Leaders.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

2 Click the Lines (Text) icon and, while holding down the button on your
pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the leader.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol for the leader, type s (Symbol block).

To change the leader to straight or spline, type t (Type).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader, type d
(Dimension style).

6 Continue specifying points for the leader.

7 Press ENTER when the leader is finished.
8 Type the first line of text for the leader. Continue typing text as needed.
9 Press ENTER on a blank line of text to end the command.

Miscellaneous Symbols
You can place match lines and north arrow symbols in your drawing using
AutoCAD DesignCenter.

Adding North Arrows

To add a north arrow
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Miscellaneous.
2 Double click the North Arrows folder in the Miscellaneous section.
3 Click one of the north arrow icons and, while holding down the button
on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
4 Release the button in your drawing.
5 Specify the insertion point for the north arrow.
6 To change the symbol block for the north arrow, type s (Symbol).
7 Specify the rotation.

Adding Match Lines

To add a match line
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Miscellaneous.
2 Double click the Match Lines folder in the Miscellaneous section.

Documentation Symbols

1059

3 Click one of the match line icons and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
4 Release the button in your drawing.
5 Specify the first point for the match line.
6 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block for the match line, type s (Symbol).
To change the polyline width for the match line, type w (polyline
Width).
To change the color of the polyline, type c (polyline Color).
To change the linetype of the polyline, type l (polyline Linetype).

7 Continue specifying points for the match line and press ENTER when the
line is finished.
8 Type the text for the match line in the Edit Attributes dialog box and click
OK.

Section Marks
You place section mark symbols in your drawing using AutoCAD DesignCenter. You can add section marks to existing section objects.
To add a section mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Section Marks.
2 Click one of the section mark icons and, while holding down the button
on your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Specify the first point for the section mark line.
5 Continue specifying points for the section mark line.
6 Do any of the following:

To place a break in the section mark line, type b (Break). Specify a new
point to continue the section mark line.
To change the symbol block for the section mark, type s (Symbol).
To change the arrow block for the section mark, type a (Arrow).
To change the tail length and width, type t (Tail).

7 Continue specifying points for the section mark line and press ENTER
when the line is finished.

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Chapter 26 Annotation

8 Type the section mark number and, if necessary, the sheet number in the
Edit Attributes dialog box and click OK.
9 Specify the side for the section mark arrow.
10 Type y to add an AEC section object to the section mark line, or type n to
end the command.

NOTE If you add an AEC section object to the section mark, it is created as
a square (if there is one line) in the direction of the section mark arrow.

Title Marks
You place title mark symbols in your drawing using AutoCAD DesignCenter.
To add a title mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation Content Title
Marks.
2 Click one of the title mark icons and, while holding down the button on
your pointing device, drag it into your drawing.
3 Release the button in your drawing.
4 Do any of the following:

To change the symbol block, type s (Symbol block).

To change the text block, type te (Text block).
To change the width of the polyline, type w (polyline Width).

5 Specify the location for the title mark.

6 Type the title mark number in the Edit Attributes dialog box, and then
click OK.
7 Type the title and drawing scale in the next Edit Attributes dialog box, and
then click OK.
8 Specify the endpoint for the title mark line.

Documentation Symbols

1061

Documentation Content Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Break Marks...

DcSetMetBreakMarks

Detail Marks...

DcSetMetDetailMarks

Elevation Marks...

DcSetMetElevationMarks

Leaders...

DcSetMetLeaders

Miscellaneous...

DcSetMetMiscellaneous

Revision Clouds...

DcSetMetRevisionClouds

Section Marks...

DcSetMetSectionMarks

Title Marks...

DcSetMetTitleMarks

Elevation Labels...

DcSetMetElevationLabels

Chases...

DcSetMetChases

Right-click

Set Drawing Scale Command List

1062

Menu Command

Command Line

Set Drawing Scale...

DwgScaleSetup

Chapter 26 Annotation

Right-click

AEC Dimensions

27

In this chapter, you learn how to add AEC dimensions

In this chapter

to AEC objects. You learn about the concept of AEC

Adding AEC dimensions to

architectural objects

dimensions, how to create dimension styles, convert

AutoCAD dimensions, as well as adding and removing
points from AEC dimension chains.

Converting AutoCAD

dimensions
Using AEC dimension Styles
Modifying AEC dimensions
Adding and removing

dimension points
Attaching objects to AEC

dimensions

1063

Dimension Types and Uses

NOTE The AEC dimension functionality contains specific modifications for
European Architecture. Therefore, all figures depicted in this chapter are displayed in metric, not imperial measurements.
You can use imperial measurements as well, only some features like superscripting are not applicable with imperial units.
Architectural Desktop offers you three ways of dimensioning objects: automatic AEC dimensions, manual AEC dimensions, and AutoCAD dimensions.
You can use all three methods in your drawings, even next to each other;
they have each special uses and features.

Automatic AEC Dimensions

Automatic AEC dimensions offer you the maximum functionality for dimensioning.

When you create automatic AEC dimensions, you pick architectural objects,
and dimension logical points on them. You have a number of logical points
to choose from for every object that can automatically be dimensioned;
before you add the dimension you decide which of those points are relevant

1064

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

for you. When you create an automatic AEC dimension for a wall, you can,
for example, dimension the outer boundaries of the wall, the wall lengths,
the width of the wall components, wall intersections, and openings in the
wall.
Logical dimension points react associatively towards building elements.
When the dimensioned object changes its measurements, the dimension
points are updated accordingly. When the dimensioned object is moved, the
dimension chains are moved accordingly.
You can define different dimension contents for different views. You could,
for example, in Plan 1-00 dimension the outer boundaries of a building, and
in Plan 1-50 dimension additionally all wall lengths and openings.
AEC dimensions contain important settings like superscripting, variable
extension line length, and grouping of dimension chains into groups. A
dimension group consists of several dimension chains used to dimension the
same object, but with different points to measure. When you dimension a
house, for example, you can in one dimension chain measure the outer
boundaries of the dimensioned walls, and in another dimension chain the
length of the dimensioned walls.
However, you can dimension only AEC objects as walls, windows, structural
members etc. To add non-AEC objects, such as polylines or AutoCAD solids,
you have to add manual dimension points to an automatic AEC dimension,
or create a manual AEC or AutoCAD dimension.

Manual AEC Dimensions

Manual AEC dimensions are a variant of automatic AEC dimensions. They
contain a number of features like the automatic AEC dimensions, but do not
contain logical dimension points. That means that you can dimension any
point in a drawing that you pick. These points can react associatively or
remain static, depending on your settings. For information about setting the
dimension point mode, see Creating Manual AEC Dimensions on page
1074.
Like automatic AEC dimensions, manual AEC dimensions contain settings
for superscripting, variable extension line length, and grouping of dimension
chains into groups.

AutoCAD Dimensions
Traditional AutoCAD dimensions also do not contain logical dimension
points. That means that you can dimension any point in a drawing that you
pick.

Dimension Types and Uses

1065

NOTE In Architectural Desktop Release 3.3, a new type of associative

AutoCAD dimensioning in introduced. This new AutoCAD dimension feature is
associative only towards AutoCAD objects like polylines, rectangles, etc. and not
towards AEC objects like walls, roofs or windows. Therefore, it is as a default
turned off in Architectural Desktop Release 3.3.
To work with the associative AutoCAD dimension feature, set the system variable
DIMASSOC to 2 (Associative Dimensions). To create traditional AutoCAD dimensions, set DIMASSOC to 1 (Non-Associative Dimensions). This is the default setting in Architectural Desktop Release 3.3.
For detailed information on associative AutoCAD dimensions, refer to the
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
Traditional AutoCAD dimensions are not associative to the object they
dimension, and cant be grouped into dimension groups. They have by definition no settings for superscripting and variable extension line length.
You can edit dimension texts on AutoCAD dimensions, which makes it possible to manually change the measurements.
For information about AutoCAD dimensions, see Create Dimensions in the
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
Find below a table describing the differences between the three dimensioning methods.

1066

Automatic AEC
dimensions

Manual AEC dimensions

Traditional AutoCAD
dimensions

Logical dimension
points taken from object

Manual dimension points

taken from drawing

Manual dimension points

taken from drawing

dimension AEC objects

dimension picked points

in drawing

dimension picked points in

drawing

Associative towards
building elements

Associative or nonassociative towards

points, depending on
user settings

Associative towards points

Dimension groups

Dimension groups

Single dimensions

Support superscripting,
variable extension line
length

Support superscripting,
variable extension line
length

Supports no
superscripting, variable
extension line length

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Dimension texts cannot

be edited

Dimension texts cannot

be edited

Dimension texts can be

edited

Defined by AEC
dimension style and
AutoCAD dimension
style

Defined by AEC
dimension style and
AutoCAD dimension style

Defined by AutoCAD
dimension style

The Contents of AEC Dimensions

The following sections give you an overview over the logical points you can
choose for dimensioning building objects as well as predefined contents in
styles.

AEC Dimension Contents

The following sections give you a complete list of logical dimension points
you can choose from.
For information about how to set dimension content, see Changing Contents Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on page 1102.

Walls
The following logical wall dimension points are available:
Wall dimension points
Selection

Description

Outer Boundaries
Complete

Dimensions the two outer

points of all dimensioned walls.

Length of Wall: Outer

Boundaries

Dimensions the outer

boundaries of every selected
wall. When wall boundaries are
overlapping, only those wall
boundaries that are visible from
the direction of the dimension
are dimensioned.

Length of Wall: Wall

Length

Dimensions the length of all

walls in the dimensioned
object.

Examples

The Contents of AEC Dimensions

1067

Wall dimension points

Selection

Description

Wall Width: Wall

Width

Dimensions the overall width

of a wall.

Wall Width:
Components

Dimensions the width of all

components in a wall.

Wall intersections

Dimensions the intersection

points of all walls that are
connected with the selected
walls.

Examples

Windows, Doors, and Openings in Walls

The following logical dimension points are available for windows, doors, and
openings in walls:
Window, door, and opening dimension points
Selection

Description

Opening Max. Width

Dimensions the maximal width

of a window, door or opening
in a wall.

Opening Min. width

Dimensions the minimal width

of a window, door or opening
in a wall.

Center of Opening

Dimensions the center point of

a window, door or opening in a
wall. NOTE This type of
dimension is frequently used in
Austria.

Examples

All Other AEC Objects

The following logical dimension points are available for all other AEC
objects, which include mass elements, curtain walls, window assemblies,

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

structural members, standalone windows, doors and openings, as well as

stairs, spaces, columns:
Other building object dimension points
Selection

Description

Examples

Outer Boundaries
Complete

Dimensions the two outer

points of the dimensioned
building objects.

Bounding Box

Dimensions the bounding box

of a building object.

Edges: All Edges

Dimensions all edges in a

building object.

Edges: Facing Edges

Dimensions the edges of the

building object that are visible
from the direction of the
dimension line.

Center

Dimensions the center point of

a building object.

Predefined AEC Dimension Styles

The most frequently used dimension contents for Germany are already
present as styles in the Aec Arch (metric d a ch) template.
Predefined AEC Dimension Styles in Plan 1-100
Style

Number
of
Chains

Contents

All Objects (Outer

Boundaries Complete)

Dimensions the outer boundaries of all

AEC objects.
Does not dimension openings in walls.

All Objects (Outer

Boundaries)

Dimensions the outer lengths of walls

and the bounding boxes of all other
AEC objects.
Does not dimension openings in walls.

The Contents of AEC Dimensions

1069

Predefined AEC Dimension Styles in Plan 1-100

Style

Number
of
Chains

Contents

Walls (Building Approval)

Dimensions walls and openings in walls

according to German building approval
regulations.
Chain 1: lengths of walls, wall widths,
maximal width of openings in walls
Chain 2: lengths of walls, wall widths,
wall intersections
Chain 3: lengths of walls
Chain 4: outer boundaries complete of
walls

Walls (Intersections)

Dimensions lengths of walls, wall

widths, wall intersections

Walls (Openings)

Dimensions lengths of walls, wall

widths, maximal width of openings in
walls

Walls (Outer Boundaries

Complete)

Dimensions the outer boundaries of

walls

Walls (Outer Boundaries)

Dimensions the outer lengths of walls

Setting AEC Dimension Preferences

Before you start working with AEC dimensions, you should set the dimension preferences according to your needs.
To set the AEC dimension preferences
1 On the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Dimension tab.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

3 Select Use Superscript mm, if you have chosen meters as your drawing
unit and want the millimeters displayed as superscripted text.

Non-superscripted and superscripted millimeters

4 Select Trailing Zero Suppression if you do not want zeros at the end of your
superscripted numbers. You can select this option only if you have
selected Use Superscript mm.

Trailing zeroes non-suppressed (left) and suppressed (right)

Setting AEC Dimension Preferences

1071

5 Select the unit in which dimensions are to be displayed. This unit can differ from the drawing unit. You can, for example, create a drawing in
meters, but have the dimensions displayed in centimeters. This dimension notation is common in Austria.
6 Select if any, and which, of your AutoCAD dimension styles shall be
rescaled when you change the drawing unit.
Example: You switch the drawing unit from meter to millimeter. You
have selected the AutoCAD dimension style AEC-Dimension 1:100.
The following settings in the AutoCAD dimension style AEC-Dimension
1:100 are rescaled automatically:
AutoCAD dimension style settings for meters and millimeters
Description

Variable

AEC
Dimension1:
100 in meter

AEC
Dimension:
100 in
millimeter

Dimension line spacing

DIMDLI

0.5000

50.0000

Dimension line
extension

DIMDLE

0.1250

125

Extension line length

DIMEXE

0.1250

125.0000

Text offset from

dimension line

DIMGAP

0.1000

100.0000

Dimension text height

DIMTXT

0.2000

200.0000

7 Select an Update Dimension Chain Immediately setting to influence the

behavior when removing dimension points from a dimension chain.

Select the check box to update the display after every point you remove
from a dimension chain.
Clear the check box to update the display only after you have ended
the Remove Dimension Points command.

For information about removing dimension points, see Removing

Dimension Points on page 1080.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Creating AEC Dimensions

You can create manual and automatic AEC dimensions. For information
about the differences between them, see Dimension Types and Uses on
page 1064. To decide which dimensioning method is appropriate for you,
you should consider the following points:

Do you want to dimension only building objects or also other points, like
polylines or AutoCAD elements?
What dimension information in the selected objects do you need? Do you
want, for example, to dimension windows and doors, building boundaries, or wall components?
Do you want the dimension to automatically update when you make
changes to the dimensioned object?

Considering these points can help you to find the right dimensioning
method.
When you, for example, need a dimension that is fully associative and contains only architectural building objects, you should use an automatic AEC
dimension.
When you know that you plan to dimension a building and its property
lines, which are drawn as polylines, you use a manual dimension, because
automatic AEC dimensions cannot measure polylines. You might also decide
to use an automatic AEC dimension for the building, and add manual dimension points for the polyline representing the property line.

Creating Automatic AEC Dimensions

An automatic AEC dimension takes its dimension points from the AEC object
it dimensions.

Creating AEC Dimensions

1073

To create an automatic AEC dimension

1 From the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Add AEC
Dimension.
2 In the Add AEC Dimension dialog box, select the style you want to assign
to the dimension group.
For detailed information about styles, see Working with Dimension
Styles on page 1089.

NOTE If you are working with the Aec Arch (metric d a ch) template, a
number of predefined dimension styles are already present.
3 Select the objects you want to dimension.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.
5 Specify the position of the dimension group by clicking the desired position in the drawing. The dimension group can, for example, be placed
above or below the object.
6 Do any of the following:

Drag with the mouse to set the direction of the dimension. The extension lines are be drawn into the direction you have dragged.
Type p in the command line, if you want the dimension group placed
parallel to the dimensioned object.
Type perp into the command line, and select the point the dimension
is perpendicular to.
Type an angle for the dimension group in the command line.

NOTE The angle you specify here is calculated in relation to the UCS, not
to the dimensioned object.

Creating Manual AEC Dimensions

Manual AEC dimensions take their points not from architectural objects like
walls or windows, but from points you pick in your drawing. You can choose
if manual dimension points are associative and get updated every time the
dimensioned point is updated, or static and remain at their absolute position
in the drawing after they have been created.

1074

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Static dimension points

Transformable Dimension Points

To set associative or static dimension points

1 On the command line, type dimpointmode.
2 Do any of the following:

To create associative dimension points which are updated with the

dimensioned points, type t (transformable).
To create static dimension points which remain at their absolute position in the drawing, type s (static).

These settings remain valid for all subsequent manual dimensions until
you change them again.
After you have set the dimension points mode, you can create manual AEC
dimensions.
To create a manual AEC dimension
1 From the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Add Manual
AEC dimension.
2 Pick the points you want to dimension.

TIP Selecting points exactly is easier when you have Osnap turned on.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.

Creating AEC Dimensions

1075

The points you have selected are marked with crosses. That way, you can
check if all points are included in your selection set.
4 Type st into the command line to select a style for your manual AEC
dimension.

NOTE You can define the number of dimension chains for a manual AEC
dimension only during insertion. If you want a different number of dimension
chains later, you have to delete the dimension and create a new one with the
correct number of chains.
5 Specify the position of the dimension group by clicking the desired position in the drawing. The dimension group can, for example, be placed
above or below the object.
6 Do any of the following:

Drag with the mouse to set the direction of the dimension. The extension lines are drawn into the direction you have dragged.
Type perp into the command line, and select the point the dimension
is perpendicular to.
Type an angle for the dimension group in the command line.

NOTE If you have chosen dynamic dimension points, they remain visible
after inserting the dimension, because they are regular AutoCAD points. If
you cannot see them, they are set at a very small size. If you want to change
their size and shape, type ddptype on the command line, and edit them as
desired.
If you have chosen static dimension points, they disappear after inserting the
dimension.

Creating AEC Dimensions from AutoCAD

Dimensions
Another way of creating AEC dimensions is to take existing AutoCAD dimensions, and create manual AEC dimensions from it.

1076

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

AutoCAD dimension (left) converted to AEC dimension (right)

To create a manual AEC Dimension from an AutoCAD Dimension

1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Convert to AEC
Dimension.
2 Type st to select the AEC dimension style to apply.
3 Select the AutoCAD dimensions you want to convert.
4 Press ENTER to end you selection.
5 Do any of the following:

If you have selected one AutoCAD dimension to convert, proceed to

Step 8.
If you have selected more than one AutoCAD dimension to convert,
proceed to Step 6.

6 Specify the position of the dimension group by clicking the desired position in the drawing. The dimension group can, for example, be placed
above or below the object.
7 Do any of the following:

Drag with the mouse to set the direction of the dimension. The extension lines are drawn into the direction you have dragged.
Type perp into the command line, and select the point the dimension
is perpendicular to.
Type an angle for the dimension group in the command line.

NOTE The angle you specify here is calculated in relation to the UCS, not
to the dimensioned object.
8 Select if you want to erase the AutoCAD dimension.

If you have selected only one AutoCAD dimension, the new AEC
dimension is inserted exactly at the same point as the AutoCAD dimen-

Creating AEC Dimensions

1077

sion. If you have not erased the AutoCAD dimension, the AEC dimension is placed on top of it.
If you have selected more than one AutoCAD dimension, the new AEC
dimension is placed according to your settings from Step 6-7. If you
have not erased the AutoCAD dimensions, they remain in their original position.

Special Case: Copying Properties of AEC

Dimensions to AutoCAD Dimensions
In addition to converting AutoCAD dimensions to manual AEC dimensions,
you have also the possibility to match the display properties of an AEC
dimension to an AutoCAD dimension without actually converting it. In this
case, a number of display attributes are changed while the functionality of
the AutoCAD dimension is not changed.
The following attributes are matched:

AutoCAD dimension style

AEC dimensions have an underlying AutoCAD dimension style, defining all the settings for the dimension not explicitly set in the AEC
dimension style.
When you copy the properties of an AEC dimension to an AutoCAD
dimension, the underlying AutoCAD dimension style of the AEC
dimension is applied to the AutoCAD dimension.
For detailed information about the connection between AutoCAD
dimension styles and AEC dimension styles, see AEC Dimension
Styles and AutoCAD Dimension Styles on page 1089.

Superscript settings
If you have defined superscripted millimeters in the drawing, this is
applied to the AutoCAD dimension.
For information about superscript, see Setting AEC Dimension Preferences on page 1070.

Extension line length

The extension length you have defined for your AEC dimension is
applied to the AutoCAD dimension.

NOTE The AutoCAD dimension style and the length of the extension lines
are view dependent settings. When you copy the properties of an AEC
dimension to an AutoCAD dimension, the settings for the current view are
applied.

1078

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

TIP When you copy the properties of an AEC dimension to an AutoCAD

dimension that has a different extension line length, the definition points of
the AutoCAD dimension are adjusted to the new extension line length. In
some cases, this is an undesired result. Therefore, you should copy the properties of AEC dimensions to AutoCAD dimensions only as the last step in your
documentation process when you dont need to make any more changes to
the dimension.
To copy the properties of an AEC dimension to an AutoCAD dimension
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Match AEC
Dimension.
2 Specify the AEC dimension you want to copy properties from.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Specify the AutoCAD dimensions you want to copy properties to.
5 Press ENTER to end your selection.
The properties of the AEC dimension listed above are copied to the
AutoCAD dimension.

NOTE Copying the properties of an AEC dimension to an AutoCAD dimension does not apply associative behavior to the AutoCAD dimension. When
the AutoCAD dimension is moved, stretched ore otherwise manipulated, the
dimension points do not react associatively to the dimensioned object.

Adding dimension points

You can add additional dimension points to any manual or automatic AEC
dimension chain. Those dimension points behave like the points in manual
dimension chains. They dimension points you pick in the drawing and,
depending on your mode settings, can be associative or static.
For information about setting the mode for manual dimension points, see
Creating Manual AEC Dimensions on page 1074.
To add dimension points
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Add Dimension
Points.

Adding dimension points

1079

2 Specify the points you want to add to the dimension chain.

The points you have selected are marked with crosses. That way, you can
check if all points are included in your selection set.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Select the dimension chain to which you want to add the points.
Your chosen points are added to the dimension chain.

Adding dimension points

Removing Dimension Points

In the same way you can add dimension points to automatic or manual AEC
dimensions, you can also remove them. When you remove a point from an
automatic AEC dimension, you can restore it later; when you remove a point
from a manual dimension chain, it is removed permanently.
Both options are described in the following sections.

Removing Dimension Points

You can remove automatic and manual dimension points. Automatic dimension points you have removed, you can restore later. For information about
restoring automatic dimension points, see Restoring Automatic Dimension
Points on page 1082.
To remove dimension points
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Remove Dimension Points.
2 Specify the points on the chain you want to remove by clicking the extension lines.

1080

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

If you have checked Update Dimension Chain Immediately in the AEC

Dimensions page of the Options dialog box, the removed points disappear immediately.
If you have not checked Update Dimension Chain Immediately in the
AEC Dimensions page of the Options dialog box, the removed points
disappear after you have ended the command with ENTER.
For information about the update options, see Setting AEC Dimension
Preferences on page 1070.

Removing dimension points

NOTE If the deleted points are still visible as a crossed circle, the entity display
component Removed Points Marker is turned on. If you want the removed
points marker to vanish, deactivate the component. For information about the
Removed Points Marker, see Restoring Automatic Dimension Points on page
1082.

WARNING! When you remove multiple points, some removed points may
re-appear. This can happen when you have checked the option Update Dimension Chain Immediately, and the entity display component Removed Points
Marker is turned off. The reason for this behavior is that during your current
Remove operation, you have accidentally selected an invisible Removed Points
Marker for a dimension point already removed. Removing an already removed
point restores it. To avoid this effect, turn on the Removed Points marker in the
entity display. For information on turning removed points on and off, see Changing Layer/Color/Linetype Properties of an AEC Dimension Style.

Removing Dimension Points

1081

Restoring Automatic Dimension Points

You have the possibility to restore automatic dimension points you have
removed. Automatic dimension points belong to a logical point on the
dimension chain; therefore, information about type and position of the
removed point are still present in the chain.
To restore an removed associative dimension point
1 Select the dimension chain on that you want to restore a removed dimension point.
2 Do any of the following:

If the point removed is still visible as a crossed circle, proceed to step 9.

If the point removed is not visible as a crossed circle, you must first
make it visible again. Follow the steps 3-11 to do this.

3 Select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.

4 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
6 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 For the component Removed Points Marker, turn on the option Visible.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.
The removed dimension point on the dimension chain is now visible, displayed by a crossed circle.
9 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Remove Dimension Points.
10 Click the center of the circle for the dimension points you want to restore.

If you have checked Update Dimension Chain Immediately in the AEC

Dimensions tab of the Options dialog box, the restored points appear
immediately.
If you have not checked Update Dimension Chain Immediately in the
AEC Dimensions tab of the Options dialog box, the restored points
appear after you have ended the command with ENTER.

For information about the update options, see Setting AEC Dimension
Preferences on page 1070

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

1) Select dimension points to remove. 2) Remove them. 3) Make removed points

visible. 4) Restore them.

Attaching Objects to Dimensions

After you have created an automatic AEC dimension group, you may want to
add new objects to the dimension group later. You can add all AEC objects to
an existing, automatic AEC dimension.
To attach an AEC object to an automatic dimension group
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Attach Objects.
2 Select the dimension group you want to add the object to.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Specify the objects you want to add to the dimension group.
5 Press ENTER to end your selection.
Dimension points for the added object are inserted into the dimension
group.

Attaching Objects to Dimensions

1083

Adding objects to dimension chain

NOTE If you do not see any added dimension points on the dimension
group, maybe the group does not include point settings for the object in
question.
If, for example you want to add a mass element to a dimension group that
has not point settings for mass elements turned on, you cannot see any points
for the added mass element. If you want to see the mass element points,
change the style or the entity display of the object, so that now dimension
points for mass elements are turned on.
For information about dimension points, see The Contents of AEC Dimensions on page 1067 and Changing Contents Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on page 1102.

Detaching Objects from Dimensions

In the same way you can attach an object to an automatic AEC dimension
group, you can also detach it again.
To detach an object from an AEC dimension group
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Detach Objects.
2 Select the dimension group you want to detach the object from.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Specify the building objects you want to detach from the dimension
group.
5 Press ENTER to end your selection.
The dimension points belonging to the object are removed from the
dimension group.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Removing objects from dimension chain

Editing AEC Dimensions

After you have created an AEC dimension, you can change its attributes, like
the style assigned or its dimension properties.
To edit an AEC dimension
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Modify AEC
Dimension.
2 Select the dimension groups you want to modify.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Do any of the following:

Select a new style from the AEC Dimension Style list. For information
about styles, see Working with Dimension Styles on page 1089.

NOTE If you have created dimension with only manual points on it, you
can change the style, but not the dimension content or the number of
dimension chains.

Click
to edit the properties of the dimension. For information
about dimension properties, see Editing AEC Dimension Properties
on page 1086.

5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Modify AEC Dimension dialog
box, click OK.

Editing AEC Dimensions

1085

To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing AEC Dimension Properties

You can edit the properties of a dimension group. Dimension properties
include attached notes and files, style assignments, and location information.

Attaching Notes and Files to an AEC Dimension Group

To attach notes and files to an AEC dimension group
1 Open the Modify AEC Dimension dialog box, as described in Editing AEC
Dimensions on page 1085.
2 Click

3 In the AEC Dimension Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the AEC dimension, type in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the AEC dimension, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you
must exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To add a Property Set to the AEC dimension, click Property Sets.

9 Click Add and select one or more property sets.
10 To edit one of the properties, click in the row containing the value of the
property and type in your changes.

NOTE You can edit only manual properties. Automatic properties are filled
by the object and can not be changed here.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions
on page 1292.
11 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box, and return to the Modify AEC Dimension dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing AEC Dimension Style Properties

To edit AEC dimension style properties
1 Open the Modify AEC Dimension dialog box, as described in Editing AEC
Dimensions on page 1085.
2 Click

3 In the AEC Dimension Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.
4 Select the style you want from the list.

NOTE If you have created a dimension with only manual points on it, you
can change the style, but not the dimension content or the number of dimension chains.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box, and return to the Modify AEC Dimension dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing AEC Dimension Location Properties

To edit AEC dimension location properties
1 Open the Modify AEC Dimension dialog box, as described in Editing AEC
Dimensions on page 1085.
2 Click

3 In the AEC Dimension Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

Choose the coordinate system the location values are relative to.
To re-locate the dimension, change the insertion point coordinates
X,Y,Z.

Editing AEC Dimensions

1087

To change the angle of the dimension group, type the desired value
into the Angle field.
To change the dimension normal, change the X, Y, and Z normal values.

5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box, and return to the Modify AEC Dimension dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Moving Dimension Texts

When you have created an AEC dimension, dimension texts are inserted
according to the settings in the AEC dimension style and AutoCAD dimension style. When you move the AEC dimension, the dimension texts are
moved with it.
However, you can move individual dimension texts without moving the
whole dimension. This can be useful on large plans with little free space or
on chains with multiple overlapping dimension texts.
To be able to move dimension texts individually you have to show the
dimension text grip points.

WARNING! To move dimension texts individually you have to create a style

override for the dimension. That means that the display settings of the dimension are no longer connected to the originally selected dimension style.
It is recommended to move dimension texts as the last step, when you are sure
that you will not change the dimension display any more.
To move dimension texts
1 On the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension Activate Dim Text
Grip Points.
2 Select the AEC dimensions for which you want individual text grip points.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
When you click the changed AEC dimension, you now have individual
grip points for all dimension texts on the dimension.
4 Drag the text elements as desired.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Working with Dimension Styles

A style is a defined and named collection of attributes for a dimension group.
When you apply the style to one or more dimension groups, the attributes
defined in it are applied automatically.
You can define styles for a single drawing (.dwg) as well as for a template
(.dwt). For best reusability, define your styles as part of the template you are
working with.

AEC Dimension Styles and AutoCAD

Dimension Styles
Every AEC dimension style has an underlying AutoCAD dimension style,
which controls those settings that are not directly in the AEC dimension
style.
Properties that are set in the AutoCAD dimension style include:

Color of dimension lines and extension lines

Lineweight of dimension lines and extension lines
Shape and size of dimension arrowheads
Dimension text height and color
Units, precision, and decimal separator symbol

Properties that are set in the AEC dimension style include:

Number of dimension chains

Contents of dimensions chains
Distance between dimension chains
Display of opening heights

Creating AutoCAD Dimension Styles

To control all aspects of a new AEC dimension style, you first need to create
an AutoCAD dimension style containing the AutoCAD dimension settings
listed above.

Working with Dimension Styles

1089

NOTE Autodesk Architectural Desktop comes with a number of preset

AutoCAD dimension styles specifically designed for use in AEC dimensions. To
save yourself work, check these out first, and evaluate if you can use them
directly or with modifications.
To create an AutoCAD dimension style
1 On the Dimension menu, select Style.
2 In the Dimension Style Manager, click New.
3 Follow the instructions for creating a new AutoCAD dimension, as
described in Using Dimension Styles in chapter Creating Dimensions
in the AutoCAD User Guide.
Important settings include

Dimension line and extension line settings

Arrowhead settings
Text display settings
Unit settings

For information about connecting the AutoCAD dimension style to an AEC

dimension style, see Changing AutoCAD Dimension Style and Other Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on page 1104.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Creating AEC Dimension Styles

You can create new AEC dimension styles, edit AEC dimension styles, import
and export AEC dimension styles between drawings, and purge AEC dimension styles that are not in use. When you create, purge, import, export, or edit
styles, you access the Style Manager. The Style Manager provides a central
location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, where you can work with styles
from multiple drawings and templates. For more information about using
the Style Manager, see Style Manager on page 1525.

Creating New AEC Dimension Styles

You can create a new AEC dimension style, or you can copy and edit an existing AEC dimension style.

Creating a New AEC Dimension Style

You can create a new AEC dimension style. After you create the new style,
you can edit the style properties of the style.
To create a new AEC dimension style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the AEC dimension Style type, and choose New from the shortcut
menu.
3 Type a name for the new AEC dimension style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new AEC dimension style, select the
style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the style, edit the AEC dimension style chains properties, and
change the AEC dimension style display properties. For more information
about changing each style property, see Changing AEC Dimension Style
Properties on page 1096.
5 When you finish changing the AEC dimension style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating AEC Dimension Styles

1091

Creating a New AEC Dimension Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new AEC dimension style from a style in the current drawing.
To create an AEC dimension style from an existing dimension style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the AEC dimension type, and choose
Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the AEC dimension style type above the copied AEC dimension style, or the AEC dimension style to be copied, and choose Paste from
the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created, with a numeral appended to the
name.

NOTE Another way of copying an existing style is to use the default Windows Copy and Paste buttons from the toolbar.
4 To rename the style, select the style, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new AEC dimension style, select the
style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the style, edit the AEC dimension style chains properties, and
change the AEC dimension style display properties. For more information
about changing each style property, see Changing AEC Dimension Style
Properties on page 1096.
6 When you finish changing the AEC dimension style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Purging an AEC Dimension Style

You can delete AEC dimension styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused AEC dimension style, or all of the
AEC dimension styles in your drawing.
To purge an AEC dimension style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused AEC dimension style in your current drawing,

select the style under the style type and choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.
To purge all the unused AEC dimension styles in your current drawing,
select the AEC dimension style type and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing an AEC Dimension Style

You can copy AEC dimension styles from an existing drawing and use them
in your current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently
by storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.

Creating AEC Dimension Styles

1093

To import an AEC dimension style

1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the AEC dimension style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to AEC Dimension Styles to display the AEC
dimension styles in the drawing.
5 Select the AEC dimension style that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting an AEC Dimension Style to a New

Drawing
You can copy AEC dimension styles from your current drawing to a new
drawing.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

To export an AEC dimension style to a new drawing

1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the AEC dimension style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting AEC Dimension Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy AEC dimension styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export an AEC dimension style to an existing drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the AEC dimension style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.

Creating AEC Dimension Styles

1095

5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.

The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a number in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

When you define a dimension style, there are a number of properties you can
set. In the following sections you find descriptions of these properties as well
as instructions how to modify them for your purposes.
There are two ways of editing a dimension style.

1096

You can edit the dimension style in the traditional way with the tab pages
in the AEC Dimension Styles Properties dialog box. The advantage of this
method is that you can edit all AEC dimension style settings here. For
information about editing the dimension style with the AEC Dimension
Styles Properties dialog box, see Attaching Notes and Files to an AEC
Dimension Style on page 1099, Changing the AEC Dimension Style
Chains Properties on page 1099 and Changing the AEC Dimension Style
Display Properties on page 1100.
You can edit the dimension style with the AEC Dimension Display Wizard. The advantage of this method is that you can edit the most important
display settings of the style in a fast and uncomplicated way. However,
you can not change all settings here; for example, chain and content settings can only be edited with the AEC Dimension Styles Properties dialog
box. For information about the AEC Dimension Display Wizard, see The
AEC Dimension Display Wizard on page 1097.

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

The AEC Dimension Display Wizard

The AEC Dimension Display Wizard offers you a fast and comfortable way of
changing the most important display settings in a dimension style.
You can edit the following display settings here:

arrowhead shape and size

length and color of extension lines
color of dimension lines
distance between dimension chains
dimension text style, size and color
rounding-off value
layer assignment

To use the AEC Dimension Display Wizard

1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimensions AEC Dimension Wizard.

2 In the AEC Dimension Display Wizard, in the Select Style tab, select the
AEC dimension style you want to edit and click Next.

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

1097

IMPORTANT When you have chosen a dimension style that has its property source set to System Default, you get a warning message. In this case, if
you want to edit the style, close the Wizard, open the style in the style manager, and set the display property source to AEC Dimension Style.
For information about working with the Style Manager, see Style Manager
on page 1525.
3 In the Lines and Arrows tab, select the display representation for which
you want to change the display. If you want, for example, to edit the
dimension style in Plan 1-100, select Plan 1-100.

NOTE If the AEC dimension style you edit is based on the same AutoCAD
dimension style for both its Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 display representation,
the edits you make here are applied to both display representation. To avoid
this, make sure that the AEC dimension style uses different AutoCAD dimension styles for the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 display representations.
For Information about assigning AutoCAD dimension styles to AEC dimension styles, see Changing AutoCAD Dimension Style and Other Properties of
an AEC Dimension Style on page 1104.
4 Do any of the following:

Select new arrowhead symbols.

Change the size of the arrowheads.
Define a new length for the extension lines.
Define a new distance between the individual dimension chains.

5 Click Next.
6 In the Text tab, do any of the following:

Select a new text style.

Select a new text height.
Define a new round-off precision for dimension values.

7 Click Next.
8 In the Color and Layer tab, do any of the following:

1098

Select a new text color.

Select a new dimension line color.
Select a new extension line color.
Choose a new layer for the dimension.

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

9 Click Finish to end your edits.

Attaching Notes and Files to an AEC Dimension

Style
To attach notes and files to an AEC dimension style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the AEC dimension style type, select the AEC dimension style that
you want to change, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the AEC dimension style, type it in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the AEC dimension style, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the filename in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference filename to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the filename in the list, and click
Delete.

8 When you finish changing the AEC dimension style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.

Changing the AEC Dimension Style Chains

Properties

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

1099

To change AEC dimension style chains properties

1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the AEC dimension style type, select the AEC dimension style that
you want to change, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box, click the Chains tab.
4 Type the number of dimension chains you want to define for this dimension style.

NOTE To set the contents of the individual chains, see Changing Contents
Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on page 1102.
5 When you finish changing the AEC dimension style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the AEC Dimension Style Display

Properties
You can control how an AEC dimension is displayed in your drawing.
A general feature of the display system is that it allows you to assign display
properties to a single object, to all objects of the same type (for example, all
AEC dimensions), or to all objects of one type and one style (for example, all
AEC dimensions with the Standard style.
To change AEC dimension style display properties
1 From the Documentation menu, choose AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC dimension styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC dimension style type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the AEC dimension style type, select the AEC dimension style that
you want to change, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

1100

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

3 In the AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props
tab.
4 From the list at the top of the dialog box, select the display representation
to use to display the AEC dimension.
The display representation set in the current viewport is marked with an
asterisk.
5 Do any of the following:

Select AEC Dimension Style from the property source, and click Attach
Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport
in the drawing.

NOTE You can select Attach Override or click the Attached column to
attach an override. Attach Override is only available when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Props to change the display of the AEC dimension
style in the display representation that you selected. In the Entity Properties dialog box, edit the display properties as described in Changing
Layer/Color/Linetype Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on page
1101, Changing Contents Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on
page 1102, and Changing AutoCAD Dimension Style and Other Properties of an AEC Dimension Style on page 1104.

6 When you finish changing the AEC dimension style properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Layer/Color/Linetype Properties of an AEC

Dimension Style
To change the Layer/Color/Linetype properties
1 Open the Entity Properties dialog box, as described in Changing the AEC
Dimension Style Display Properties on page 1100, and click the Layer/
Color/Linetype tab.

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

1101

2 Select the component for which you want to change Layer/Color/Linetype properties.
3 In the column containing the information you want to edit, click the
desired information.
The list of components includes three components:

AEC Dimension Group: Use this component only to switch the visibility of a dimension group on or off for a specific view. All the other
settings, like color, linetype and lineweight are defined in the underlying AutoCAD dimension style; any changes you enter here are not displayed.
Removed Points Marker: Make this component visible when you
want to work with the Remove/Restore dimension points functionality,
as described in Removing Dimension Points on page 1080.
AEC Dimension Group Marker: This component defines the display properties of the dimension base point.

4 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box, and return to the AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Changing Contents Properties of an AEC Dimension Style

In the contents tab, you can define which points are dimensioned in the
chains you have set. For information about setting the number of dimension
chains, see Changing the AEC Dimension Style Chains Properties on page
1099.
To change the contents properties
1 Open the Entity Properties dialog box, as described in Changing the AEC
Dimension Style Display Properties on page 1100, and click the Contents
tab.

1102

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Selecting the contents of dimension chains

In the Apply To window on the top left, you find a list of AEC objects for
which you can choose logical dimension points.

NOTE The Other entry combines all AEC objects that are not listed separately above. They include stairs, spaces, columns, areas, roofs, and railings.
2 In the Apply To window, select the element for which you want to create
logical dimension points.
3 In the Chains window below, select the chain on which you want the
dimension points to appear.

NOTE Selecting in this case means highlighting the desired chain. It does
not mean selecting its check mark. The check mark is set automatically
depending on whether dimension points for this chain have been selected or
not. Example: If you clear all possible dimension points for a chain, its check
mark is automatically cleared.
4 Select on the right side of the dialog box the points you want to include
in the highlighted chain. For detailed information about the possible
dimension points, see the list in AEC Dimension Contents on page
1067.
5 Repeat steps 3-4 for every chain in the Chains window.

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

1103

6 Repeat steps 2-4 for every element you want to be able to dimension with
this particular style.

TIP It is advisable not to include too many chains and dimension points into
one dimension style. Rather try to create separate dimension styles for all your
uses. You can, for example, create a dimension style which exclusively dimensions window assemblies, and another one which only dimensions mass elements or walls.
7 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box, and return to the AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Changing AutoCAD Dimension Style and Other Properties of

an AEC Dimension Style
The Other tab of the Entity Properties dialog box contains important informations. Those include:

AutoCAD dimension style

distance between dimension chains
length of extension line
display of height of openings
dimension layer

To change AutoCAD dimension style and other properties

1 Open the Entity Properties dialog box, as described in Changing the AEC
Dimension Style Display Properties on page 1100, and click the Other
tab.
2 To change the underlying AutoCAD dimension style of the AEC dimension style, select a style from the Dimension Style list.
3 To edit the AutoCAD Dimension Style, click Edit.
For information about AutoCAD dimension styles, see AEC Dimension
Styles and AutoCAD Dimension Styles on page 1089.
To return to the Other tab in the Entity Properties dialog box, click Close.
4 Type the distance you want between the single dimension chains in the
dimension group.

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Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Different distances between dimension chains

5 Define whether you want fixes extension lines or variable extension lines.

Fixed extension lines have all the same length.

Variable extension lines adapt to the outline of the object they dimension. This is the way AutoCAD dimensions work.

Fixed extension lines (left) and variable extension lines (right)

6 If you have selected fixed extension lines, type the length of the extension
lines. The value you type here represents the length of the extension lines
in direction to the dimensioned object.

Different lengths of extension lines

7 Select whether the height of openings is to be displayed, too.

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

1105

NOTE This opening dimension is used specifically for German working

plans, where you need a detailed description of measurements.
8 Click Layer to select the layer on which the dimension group is placed.
9 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box, and return to the AEC Dimension Style Properties dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

AEC Dimensions Command List

1106

Menu Command

Command Line

Add AEC
Dimension...

DimAdd

Add Manual AEC

Dimension

DimManAdd

Modify AEC
Dimension...

DimModify

Convert to AEC
Dimension

DimConvert

AEC Dimension
Styles...

AecDimStyle

Edit AEC Dimension Style...

Attach Objects

DimAttach

Attach Objects

Detach Objects

DimDetach

Detach Objects

Add Dimension
Points

DimPointsAdd

Add Points

Remove Dimension
Points

DimPointsRemove

Remove Points

Match AEC
Dimension

DimMatch

Match AEC Dimension

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Right-click

AEC Dimension Modify...

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click

Activate Dim Text

Grip Points

DimSetOverride

Activate Text Grips

AEC Dimension
Wizard...

DimWizard

Changing AEC Dimension Style Properties

1107

Q and A for Working with AEC Dimensions

Question: I want to change the color, textsize, and arrowheads of
my AEC dimension. But I cannot find these settings in the AEC
dimension style. How can I change these settings?
A: Those settings are defined in the AutoCAD dimension style that underlies
the AEC dimension style. To access them easily, use the AEC Dimension Display Wizard.
To change color, textsize, and arrowheads in an AEC dimension
1 From the Documentation menu, select AEC Dimension AEC Dimension Wizard.
2 In the AEC Dimension Display Wizard, select the dimension style of the
AEC dimension you want to change.
3 In the Lines and Arrows tab, select the display representation for which
you want to change the display. If you want, for example, to edit the
dimension style in Plan 1-100, select Plan 1-100.
4 Do any of the following:

Select new arrowhead symbols.

Change the size of the arrowheads.

5 Click Next.
6 In the Text tab, do any of the following:

Select a new text style.

Select a new text height.

7 Click Next.
8 In the Color and Layer tab, do any of the following:

Select a new text color.

Select a new dimension line color.
Select a new extension line color.
Choose a new layer for the dimension.

9 Click Finish to end your edits.

Question: How can I set that the AEC dimension updates only on
demand and not, for example, after every time a wall is moved?
This would mean a performance enhancement, especially for big
drawings.

1108

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

A: When you freeze the layer on which the AEC dimension is placed, the AEC
dimension is updated only when the layer is thawed again or if you perform
the REGEN command. You can add new AEC dimensions even when the
layer is frozen. However, you can edit them only after the layer has been
thawed again.
When you switch into another view e.g., a 3D view, and then back to a plan
view, the AEC dimension is not updated. This accelerates the drawing.
Question: How can I change the text height of superscripted numbers in an AEC dimension?
Answer: As a default, the text height of superscripted numbers in AEC dimensions is set to 50 percent of the text height of the underlying AutoCAD
dimension style. To change this, you have to change the according value in
the registry file.
To change the height of superscripted numbers
1 Open the MS Windows Registry Editor.
2 Navigate to the entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\ObjectDBX\R15.0\AEC\3.0\AecArchDACHBase\ObjectDefaults\AEC Dimension\ SuperscriptScaleFactor.
3 Type the desired value. Note that the value you type here is always relative
to the AutoCAD dimension text height (DIMTXT).
Question: What do I have to take into consideration when working with an AEC dimension in an external reference?
Answer: When you open an external reference containing AEC dimensions
in a drawing, you should not dimension any objects that are not contained
in the external reference. Because AEC dimensions are associative to the
dimensioned objects, the dimension information cannot be saved in the
external reference if the dimensioned object is not contained in the external
reference.
Question: How can I invert extension lines in an AEC dimension if
they point in the wrong direction?
Answer: To invert the extension lines of an AEC dimension, you have to
change the rotation angle of the dimension.
To invert the extension lines
1 Select the dimension for which you want to invert dimension lines.
2 Select AEC Dimension Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Location tab.

Q and A for Working with AEC Dimensions

1109

4 Change the rotation angle by exactly 180. If you have, for example, a
rotation angle of 180, change it to 0.
Question: The AEC dimension for a wall of 1 meter height is displayed only with an error symbol. How can I get a correct dimension display?
Answer: The cut plane of an AEC dimension is taken from the cut plane
height of a wall in Plan view. As a default, this cut plane is set to 1.4 meters.
You have to change the wall cut plane height to the right height.
To change the wall cut plane height
1 Select the wall for which you want to change the cut plane height.
2 Select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the current Plan (Plan, Plan 1-100, Plan 1-50) display representation from the list. The current display representation is marked by an
asterisk.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the cut plane height for the selected wall, select Wall in the
Property Source column.
To change the cut plane height for all walls based on the current style,
select Wall Style in the Property Source column.
To change the cut plane height for all walls in the drawing, select System Default in the Property Source column.

6 If no previous wall or wall style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column reads Empty. In this case, click Attach
Override to edit the style.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Cut Plane tab.
9 Type a cut plane height which is below or equal to the wall height.
10 Click OK twice to close the dialog boxes.
Question: I am dimensioning the intersection points of walls and
receive superfluous dimension points on the dimension. How can
I check if this dimension is correct?
Answer: When you receive more wall intersection dimension points than
you expect, one possible reason is that the walls you are dimensioning are
intersecting with other walls which are not included in this dimension
chain. To check if this is the case and if your dimension is correct, you can

1110

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

prolong the extension lines, so that they actually meet the point they dimension. Then you can verify if the dimension points on your chain are placed
correctly.
To prolong dimension lines
1 Select the dimension of which you want to prolong the extension lines.
2 Right-click and select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 In the Property Source column, select AEC Dimension.
5 Click Attach Override, and then Edit Display Props.
6 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Other tab.
7 Uncheck Use Fixed Lengths Extension Lines.
8 Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes.
The extension lines of dimension are now reaching to the point they
dimension.

Fixed extension lines (left) and variable extension lines (right)

Q and A for Working with AEC Dimensions

1111

1112

Chapter 27 AEC Dimensions

Dimension Labels

28

Dimension labels are another way of adding dimension

In this chapter

information to AEC objects.

Adding dimension labels to

doors, windows, openings, and

stairs
Setting dimension prefixes
Creating user-defined

dimension labels

1113

Working with Dimension Labels

In AEC Dimensions on page 1063, you have learned how to add associative
dimensions to AEC objects.
Another way of adding measurement information to AEC objects is the use
of dimension labels. You can add dimension labels to doors, windows, openings, and stairs. Dimension labels contain information about a design object
like sill height, head height, width, or the riser/tread ratio in a stair.

Examples for opening and stair labels

A dimension label contains a number of attributes. Those attributes are values taken from the dimensioned object. You can, for example, have an
attribute Sill Height for windows. This attribute is represented in the dimension label as a number with an optional prefix, like SH 2.5.
Dimension labels react interactively. When the associated object changes its
measurements, the values in the dimension label are updated accordingly.
Dimension labels are associative. That means that they have no absolute positions in the drawing, but relative positions to the object they are added to.
When the object is, for example, moved to another position, the dimension
label moves accordingly.
In the following sections you learn how to add dimension labels to objects,
modify them, use predefined labels, and create your own dimension labels.

1114

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

Standard Dimension Labels

When you install Architectural Desktop, a number of predefined standard
dimension label definitions are already set for you. They have been designed
to cater to the most frequent uses architects have for dimension labels.
Because a number of these definitions are stored in templates, it is advised
that you use templates when you are working extensively with dimension
labels. If you start a drawing from scratch, a standard dimension label for
each doors, window, openings, and stairs is provided for you.
The size of the standard dimension label text in Plan 1-100 view is 0.25m. In
Plan 1-50 it is 0.15m, but will be plotted with 0.3m. The default font used is
Romans.
For information about standard dimension labels, see the following sections.

Standard Door/Window/Opening Labels

Dimension labels are view-dependent, and therefore can have different display representations.
A display representation decides how a certain object in this case the
dimension label is displayed in a display configuration.
For information about views and display representations, see Display System on page 99.
That means that a dimension label can look different and contain different
information in Plan 1-100 than in Plan 1-50.
The default door dimension label that is present when you start a drawing
from scratch, contains the head height of the door for all display representations.
The default window and opening dimension labels, which are present when
you start a drawing from scratch, contain in Plan 1-100 view the sill height;
in Plan 1-50 view, they contain also the measurement for the head height.

Standard Dimension Labels

1115

Opening labels in Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50

NOTE Dimension labels for doors, windows, and openings in a wall are
inserted with a fixed distance to the wall boundary. The default set by ADT is 0.1
meters from the wall boundary. Because this value is stored in the registry, the
CAD manager can change it there.
Dimension labels for standalone doors, windows, and openings are inserted with
a fixed distance to the object midpoint.

Standard Stair Label

The default stair dimension label, that is present when you start a drawing
from scratch, contains values for riser count, riser length, and tread length
for all view representations.
Stair labels do not support superscripting. However, you can, set them to suppress the decimal separator for values below one meter. For information
about these settings, see Setting AEC Dimension Preferences on page 1070.

1116

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

Stair label in Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 (identical)

NOTE Dimension labels for stairs are inserted at the stair midpoint.

Setting Dimension Label Preferences

There a two categories of dimension label preferences: general preferences and
prefix preferences.
General preferences are, for example, the use and appearance of superscript
in dimension values.
For information about setting general preferences, see Setting AEC Dimension Preferences on page 1070.
The other kind of preferences you can set are prefix/postfix preferences. A
measurement in a dimension label consists of two parts. One is the actual
value for the measurement taken, like the height of a window or the number
of risers in a stair. The other one is a prefix/postfix that tells you which measurements are being taken, for example, BRH for sill height or STG for the
number of risers.
The measurement value is calculated and delivered by Architectural Desktop.
However, you can decide if you want a prefix/postfix for a value, and what it
should look like.

Setting Dimension Label Preferences

1117

Setting Prefixes for Dimension Labels

You can define prefixes for most values that can be displayed in a dimension
label.
For a complete list of available dimension label values, see Adding
Attributes on page 1125.
To set prefixes/postfixes for dimension labels
1 On the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Dimension tab.
3 Do any of the following:

Type prefixes for window dimension labels. You can type prefixes for
sill height, head height, height, width, rough height, and rough width.
Type prefixes for opening dimension labels. You can type prefixes for
sill height, head height, height, and width.
Type prefixes for door dimension labels. You can type prefixes for sill
height, head height, height, width, rough height, and rough width.
Type a prefix for the number of risers the stair dimension label.
If you do not want a prefix, leave the corresponding field empty.

NOTE When you create a new drawing from scratch, default values for the
prefixes and postfixes are used.
When you create a new drawing based on a template, the default prefix/postfix values defined in the template are used.
When you open an existing drawing, the values defined in that drawing are
used.

Adding Dimension Labels

Dimension labels are a quick and comfortable way of adding measurement
information to doors, windows, openings, and stairs.
The values contained in them are automatically updated when the object
changes. If, for example, you change the height of a window, the dimension
label shows the modified height.
You can add any number of dimension labels to a single object.

1118

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

To add a dimension label to a window, door, opening or stair

1 On the Documentation menu, select Dimension Labels Add Door/Window/Opening/Stair Label.
2 Select the door, window, opening or stair you want to add a dimension
label to.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.

TIP Alternatively, you can select your window, door, opening or stair and
select Insert Door/Window/Opening/Stair Label from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Create Multiview Block for Dimension Labels dialog box, select the
dimension label you want to add to the selected object.

NOTE As a default, the standard dimension label for the object selected
a door, window, opening or stair - is highlighted. However, you can select
another one.
5 In the Label to Object field, type the angle of the dimension label in
respect to the dimensioned object.

If you want the dimension label inserted parallel to the dimensioned

object, type the value 0.

In the Object field, the rotation of the dimensioned object is displayed in

relation to the currently set coordinate system. If you have, for example,
drawn a window with a 45 angle relative to the current coordinate system, the value 45 is displayed in the dialog.

If you want the dimension label to be in a non-parallel angle to the

dimensioned object, type the desired angle between dimension label
and dimensioned object in the field.

6 Type a different scale factor if necessary.

7 Click OK to exit the Create Multiview Block for Dimension Labels dialog
box.
The dimension label is inserted in the drawing.

Modifying Dimension Labels

After you have created a dimension label, you can change its attributes, like
the rotation or the scaling factor.

Modifying Dimension Labels

1119

To modify a dimension label

1 Select the dimension label you want to modify.
2 Select Multi-View Block Modify from the shortcut menu.
3 Do any of the following:

Change the rotation angle of the dimension label.

NOTE The Rotation field works additively. That means that although s the
overall rotation angle is displayed when you want to change the rotation,
you type only the value you want to add to the overall angle. If, for example,
you have inserted a dimension label with a 45 angle to the dimensioned
object and you want to change that angle to 46, open the Modify MultiView Blocks dialog and type 1 into the rotation field. When you click Apply
or OK, that value is added to the overall angle, and applied and so displayed
in this case 46.

Change the X, Y or Z scale of the dimension label.

Click
to edit the properties of the dimension label. For information about dimension label properties, see the following sections.

4 When you are finished editing the dimension label, do any of the following:

Click Apply to apply your changes and remain in the Modify MultiView Blocks dialog box.
Click OK to apply your changes and exit the Modify Multi-View Blocks
dialog box.

Editing Dimension Label Properties

You can edit the properties of a dimension label. Dimension label properties
include general information like type and description of a dimension label,
scale, and offset information.

Editing General Dimension Label Properties

To edit general dimension label properties
1 Open the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, as described in Modifying Dimension Labels on page 1119.
2 Click

1120

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the General
tab.
4 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the filename in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference filename to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the filename in the list and click
Delete.

5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing Dimension Label Style Properties

In the Style tab, you can change the dimension label type. If you have, for
example, one door dimension label that includes rough height and one that
includes rough width, you can select the other one here.
To edit dimension label style properties
1 Open the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, as described in Modifying Dimension Labels on page 1119.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Style
tab.
4 The style (or definition) you have used for your dimension label is highlighted.
5 Change the style, if desired. When you change the style, a warning message appears, notifying you that you loose your current offset and
attributes values.
6 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click OK.

Modifying Dimension Labels

1121

To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing Dimension Label Dimension Properties

To edit dimension label dimension properties
1 Open the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, as described in Modifying Dimension Labels on page 1119.
2 Click

3 In the Multi View-Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
4 To change the size of the dimension label, type a scale factor into the X, Y
or Z fields.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing Dimension Label Offset Properties

To edit dimension label offset properties
1 Open the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, as described in Modifying Dimension Labels on page 1119.
2 Click

3 In the Multi View-Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Offsets
tab.
In the View Blocks list, the blocks of which your dimension label is composed are displayed.
4 To offset the dimension label from its original insertion point, type an offset value in the X, Y or Z fields.
5 Do any of the following:

1122

To close the dialog box and return to the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

Displaying Dimension Label Attribute Properties

To display dimension label attribute properties
1 Open the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, as described in Modifying Dimension Labels on page 1119.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View-Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the

Attributes tab.
In the View Blocks list, the blocks of which your dimension label is composed are displayed.
The list on the right side lists the attributes the blocks are composed of and
their current values.
For more information about multi-view blocks, blocks, and attributes, see
Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels on page 1125.

NOTE Although you can edit the values in the list, those modifications are
not applied; your modified values are overwritten by the actual values the
dimension label gets from the dimensioned object.
4 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Dimension Label Behavior

Dimension labels are associated with the object they dimension a door,
window, opening or stair. Therefore their behavior in the drawing is dependent on that object. Dimension labels are subordinate to the dimensioned
object, which means that the behavior of the object does influence their
behavior, but not the other way around. If for example you move a door, the
dimension label associated with it does move, too. If, however, you move the
dimension label, the door does not move with it.

Dimension Label Behavior

1123

Below you can find a list of operations you can perform with objects and
their associated dimension labels, and how they react with each other

Selection

Action

Reaction

Dimensioned
object

is moved

Dimension label is moved, too.

is rotated

Dimension label is rotated too.

is mirrored
without deleting
the source object

Dimension label stays connected with

source object

is mirrored with
deleting the source
object

Dimension label is connected to

mirrored object.

is deleted

Dimension label is deleted too.

is copied

Dimension label is not copied.

is moved

Dimensioned object is not moved.

is rotated

Dimensioned object is not rotated.

is mirrored

Dimension label is moved, not mirrored

is deleted

Dimensioned object is not deleted.

is copied

Copied dimension label is attached to

dimensioned object, too.

are moved

Dimension label and dimensioned

object move.

are rotated

Dimensioned object is rotated by the

specified value in relation to ECS;
Dimension label is rotated by the
specified value in relation to
dimensioned object.

Dimension
label

Dimension
label and
dimensioned
object

1124

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

Selection

Action

Reaction

are mirrored
without deleting
source objects

Dimensioned object and dimension

label are mirrored.
NOTE Dimension label text can only be
mirrored when the MIRRTEXT variable is
set to 1.

are mirrored
with deleting
source objects

Dimension label is not mirrored, but is

connected to mirrored object.

are deleted

Dimension label and dimensioned

object are deleted.

are copied

Dimension label and dimensioned

object are copied.

Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels

The Architectural Desktop templates offer you a number of predefined
dimension labels.
However, you may want to create your own, specific labels that are not
included in any of the templates.
In the following sections, you learn how to choose attributes for your own
dimension labels, combine them into blocks, and create dimension labels
from them.
The creation of a user-defined dimension label consists of four basic steps.
1 Adding attributes
2 Creating a block
3 Creating a multi-view block
4 Adding the dimension label to the AutoCAD DesignCenter

Adding Attributes
A dimension label usually contains one or several attributes displaying sill
height, head height, rough height, and rough width.
Dimension label attributes are coming from a property set definition. A number of predefined automatic attributes are available if you start with a tem-

Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels

1125

plate or if you have started from scratch and dragged a predefined dimension
label from the AutoCAD DesignCenter into the drawing.
If you want different attributes for using in dimension labels, create your
own Property Set Definition for dimension labels. For information about creating property set definitions, see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
Dimension Label Attributes
Attribute

Object

Description

OPENING:SILLHEIGHT

Window,
Opening

Returns the sill height of a window or

opening

OPENING:SILLHEIGHT:MM

Window,
Opening

Returns superscripted millimeters for

the sill height of a window or opening
NOTE This value is only displayed if
you have set the option Superscripted
Millimeters in the AEC dimension
preferences. For information, see
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences
on page 1070.

OPENING:HEADHEIGHT

Window,
Opening,
Door

Returns the head height of a window,

opening or door

OPENING:HEADHEIGHT:M
M

Window,
Opening,
Door

Returns superscripted millimeters for

the head height of a window, door or
opening
NOTE This value is only displayed if
you have set the option Superscripted
Millimeters in the AEC dimension
preferences. For information, see
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences
on page 1070.

OPENING:HEIGHT

1126

Window,
Opening,
Door

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

Returns the opening height of a

window, opening or door

Dimension Label Attributes (continued)

Attribute

Object

Description

OPENING:HEIGHT:MM

Window,
Opening,
Door

Returns superscripted millimeters for

the height of a window, door or
opening
NOTE This value is only displayed if
you have set the option Superscripted
Millimeters in the AEC dimension
preferences. For information, see
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences
on page 1070.

OPENING: WIDTH

Window,
Opening,
Door

Returns the opening width of a

window, opening or door

OPENING:WIDTH:MM

Window,
Opening,
Door

Returns superscripted millimeters for

the width of a window, door or
opening
NOTE This value is only displayed if
you have set the option Superscripted
Millimeters in the AEC dimension
preferences. For information, see
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences
on page 1070.

OPENING:ROUGHHEIGHT

Window,
Door

Returns the rough height of a window

or door (height without sash and
frame)

OPENING:ROUGHHEIGHT:
MM

Window,
Door

Returns superscripted millimeters for

the rough height of a window or door
NOTE This value is only displayed if
you have set the option Superscripted
Millimeters in the AEC dimension
preferences. For information, see
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences
on page 1070.

OPENING:ROUGHWIDTH

Window,
Door

Returns the rough width of a window

or door (width without sash or frame)

Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels

1127

Dimension Label Attributes (continued)

Attribute

Object

Description

OPENING:ROUGHWIDTH:
MM

Window,
Door

Returns superscripted millimeters for

the rough width of a window or door
NOTE This value is only displayed if
you have set the option Superscripted
Millimeters in the AEC dimension
preferences. For information, see
Setting AEC Dimension Preferences
on page 1070.

STAIR:RISERCOUNT

Stair

Returns the riser count of a stair

STAIR:TREADRISER

Stair

Returns the length of the stair riser

and the length of the stair tread

To add an attribute
1 On the command line, type ddattdef.
2 In the Tag field, type one of the attributes described above. If you want,
for example, create an attribute for the rough height of windows and
doors, type OPENING:ROUGHHEIGHT here.
3 Proceed to adding the attribute as described in Working with Attributes
in the AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
4 Repeat steps 1-3 for each attribute you want to add to the dimension label.
As a result, you have a number of attributes in your drawing. For a user
defined dimension label containing the rough height and rough width of
a window with superscript settings it could look like this:

Attribute block for dimension label

Creating a Block
After you have assembled the attributes you want in the dimension label, you
create a block from them.

1128

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

To create a block from attributes

1 From the Draw menu, choose Block Make.
2 Type a name for the block.
3 Click Select Objects, and select the attributes you want to include in the
dimension label.
4 From the Insert units list, choose Unitless.
5 Proceed to creating the block as described in Create Blocks in the
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Creating a Multi-View Block

Now that you have created a block containing your desired attributes, you
can use that block to create the multi-view block for the dimension label.
For detailed information about multi-view blocks, see Multi-View Blocks
on page 1621.
To create a multi-view block for a dimension label
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing
are displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With Multi-View Block Definitions selected, choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new multi-view block definition.
The new multi-view block definition appears in the Multi-View Block
Definition tree.
4 Select the new multi-view block definition, and select Edit from the shortcut menu.
5 Click the View Blocks tab.
6 Select a display representation for the dimension label.
7 Click Add.
8 In the Select A Block dialog, select the block you have defined in Creating
a Block, and click OK.
9 In the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box, select the view
directions for the block.

Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels

1129

10 Repeat Steps 6-9 for each display representation where you want the
dimension label to appear.
11 Click OK twice to exit the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog
box and the Style Manager.

Adding the Dimension Label to the AutoCAD

DesignCenter
To add the dimension label to the AutoCAD DesignCenter, you need to create a *.dwg file in the AEC Content Wizard. In this section you find a short
description of how to add user-defined dimension labels to the AutoCAD
DesignCenter. For a detailed description of the AEC Content Wizard, see
AEC Content on page 1611.
To add dimension labels to the AutoCAD DesignCenter
1 On the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content to open the Create
AEC Content Wizard.
2 In the Content Type dialog box, select Multi-View Block.
3 Select the multi-view block you have created in Creating a Multi-View
Block on page 1129, and click Add to add it to the Content File.
4 On the command line, type AecAnnoScheduleTagAdd, a space and
then the name of the multi-view block, for example:
AecAnnoScheduleTagAdd MyLabel

5 Click Next.
6 In the Insert Options dialog box, select a layer key for the label.

NOTE The default layer key for dimension labels is DIMLINE.

7 Click Next.
8 In the Display Options dialog box, type a filename and a directory for the
label.

NOTE The default directory for dimension labels is \\Content\Metric

D A CH\Dimension Labels.
9 Click Finish to exit the Create AEC Content Wizard.

1130

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

The new interactive dimension label appears now in the AutoCAD

DesignCenter at the location you have specified in the AEC Content Wizard. From here, you can drag it into your drawing.

Creating User-Defined Dimension Labels

1131

Dimension Labels Command List

1132

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click

Add Door Label...

DoorLabelAdd

Insert Door Label

Add Window Label...

WindowLabelAdd

Insert Window Label

Add Opening
Label...

OpeningLabelAdd

Insert Opening Label

Add Stair Label...

StairLabelAdd

Insert Stair Label

Chapter 28 Dimension Labels

Elevation Labels

29

Elevation labels are used to dimension height values in

In this chapter

plan and section view.

Adding elevation labels to

objects

They are a component of the Architectural Desktop

Changing the reference height

dimensioning features, which contains

Creating user-defined elevation

labels

AEC dimensions, dimension labels and elevation labels.

To access the complete AEC dimensioning features, you
need to install the International Extensions.
In this section, you can learn how to add elevation
labels to your drawing, change their values, and define
your own elevation labels.

1133

Working with Elevation Labels

Elevation labels are interactive multi-view blocks used for dimensioning
heights in a drawing. They are anchored to either the world coordinate
system (WCS) or a named user coordinate system (UCS). Elevation Labels are
primarily used for measuring the heights of building elements like walls or
windows, but they can be used to measure every point in your drawing.
Elevation labels can be added in plan and section views. Autodesk
Architectural Desktop offers you a number of predefined blocks for commonly used elevation labels. You can, however also define your own elevation labels.
When elevation labels are moved along the Z-axis, their Z-values change
accordingly. Elevation labels can, however, be anchored only to a named
UCS or the WCS, not to any building object. If the object height is changed,
the value of the elevation label is not updated automatically.
An elevation label measures the height of a point with relation to the reference height. The reference height can be taken from the Z-coordinate of the
WCS or the Z-coordinate of a named UCS.

Frequently used elevation labels

1134

Chapter 29 Elevation Labels

Adding Elevation Labels

Elevation labels are dragged into the drawing via the AutoCAD DesignCenter.
To add an elevation label
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Documentation
Content Elevation Labels to open AutoCAD DesignCenter.
2 In AutoCAD DesignCenter, navigate to the Plan, 2D Section, or Model
folder.

NOTE In some installations, the Elevation Label folder contains another

subfolder named Standard Blocks. This folder contains non-interactive elevation labels, where you can add the elevation value manually in the Edit
Attributes dialog box.
3 Drag the desired elevation label into your drawing.
4 Specify an insertion point by clicking the drawing or by entering coordinates on the command line.
The Add Elevation Label dialog box is displayed.
5 Select the coordinate system the elevation label is relative to.
6 If you want to create a new named user coordinate system (UCS), click
Define UCS

, and define the new UCS on screen.

7 If you want to use the UCS of another existing elevation label, click Match
UCS

and select the desired elevation label on screen.

8 Enter the desired elevation value of your elevation label.

NOTE The elevation value you type here is always calculated in relation to
the coordinate system you have selected in the list. When you redefine the
coordinate system, the Z-value of the elevation label is recalculated accordingly.
For example, you have a UCS named First Floor with its Z-origin at 3 m.
When you insert an elevation label in WCS and set it to 2 m, and then
change the coordinate system to First Floor the Z-value of the elevation
label is changed to -1 m.
9 If desired, type a prefix and suffix for the elevation label.

Adding Elevation Labels

1135

10 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Modifying Elevation Labels

After you have created an elevation label, you can change its attributes, such
as the coordinate system it is referenced to or its prefix and suffix values.
To modify an elevation label
1 Select the elevation label you want to modify.
2 Select Elevation Label Modify from the shortcut menu.

NOTE Since elevation labels are created from multi-view blocks, you can
also change their properties by choosing Multi-View Block Modify from the
context menu. In this case, however, you can edit only the general multi-view
block properties of the elevation label and not specific properties like coordinate system, prefixes, and suffixes.
3 Do any of the following:

Change the coordinate system the elevation label is referenced to.

NOTE When you change the referenced coordinate system, the Z-value of
the elevation label is recalculated accordingly. When, for example, you have
an elevation label that has been entered at 2 m from the world coordinate
system (WCS) Z-origin, and then switch to a user coordinate system (UCS)
with its Z origin at 3 m from the world coordinate system (WCS) Z origin, the
value of the elevation label is recalculated to -1.

Change the Z-value of the elevation label.

Change prefix and suffix text.
Click
to edit the properties of the elevation label. For information
about editing elevation label properties, see Editing Elevation Label
Properties on page 1137.

4 Do any of the following:

1136

Click Apply to apply your changes and remain in the Elevation Label
Modify dialog box.
Click OK to apply your changes and exit the Elevation Label Modify
dialog box.

Chapter 29 Elevation Labels

Editing Elevation Label Properties

You can edit the properties of an elevation label. Elevation label properties
include general information like type and description of a label, scale, and
offset information.

Attaching Notes and Files to an Elevation Label

To attach notes and files to elevation labels
1 Open the Elevation Label Modify dialog box, as described in Modifying
Elevation Labels on page 1136.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the General
tab.
4 To add a description to the elevation label, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the elevation label, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file on the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Elevation Label Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Modifying Elevation Labels

1137

Editing the Elevation Label Definition

In the Style tab, you can change the elevation label definition.
To edit the elevation label definition
1 Open the Elevation Label Modify dialog box, as described in Modifying
Elevation Labels on page 1136.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Style
tab.
4 The definition you have used for your elevation label is highlighted.
5 Change the definition, if desired. When you change the definition, a
warning message is displayed, notifying you that you lose your current
offset and attribute values.
6 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Elevation Label Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Editing Elevation Label Dimension Properties

To edit elevation label dimension properties
1 Open the Elevation Label Modify dialog box, as described in Modifying
Elevation Labels on page 1136.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the

Dimensions tab.
4 To change the size of the elevation label, type a scale factor into the X, Y,
or Z fields.
5 Do any of the following:

1138

To close the dialog box and return to the Elevation Label Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Chapter 29 Elevation Labels

Editing Elevation Label Offset Properties

To edit elevation label offset properties
1 Open the Elevation Label Modify dialog box, as described in Modifying
Elevation Labels on page 1136.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Offsets
tab.
In the View Blocks list, the blocks comprising your elevation label are
displayed.
4 To offset the elevation label from its original insertion point, type an offset
value in the X, Y, or Z fields.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Elevation Label Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Displaying Elevation Label Attributes

An elevation label is a multi-view block created out of different attributes,
like elevation, prefixes, and suffixes.
For information about creating user-defined elevation labels, see Creating
User-Defined Elevation Labels on page 1140.
In the Attributes dialog box, you can see the attributes that are used in those
elevation labels and what their values are.

NOTE Although you can edit the values in the list, those modifications are not
applied; your modified values are overwritten by the actual values.
To display elevation label attributes
1 Open the Elevation Label Modify dialog box, as described in Modifying
Elevation Labels on page 1136.
2 Click

3 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the

Attributes tab.
In the View Blocks list, the blocks comprising your elevation label are
displayed.

Modifying Elevation Labels

1139

The list on the right side lists the attributes of the blocks and their current
values.
4 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Elevation Label Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Creating User-Defined Elevation Labels

The Architectural Desktop templates offer you a number of predefined
elevation labels.
You may, however, want to create your own, specific labels that are not
included in any of the templates.
In the following sections, you can learn how to choose attributes for your
own elevation labels, combine them into blocks, and create elevation labels
from them.
The creation of a user-defined elevation label consists of five basic steps.
1 Creating a graphic symbol
2 Adding attributes
3 Creating a block
4 Creating a multi-view block
5 Adding the elevation label to AutoCAD DesignCenter

Creating a Graphic Symbol

Elevation labels usually consist of a graphic symbol and a number of
attributes defining elevation height and other information.
You can create a graphic symbol with any of the drawing commands in
AutoCAD, as well as importing a symbol from another drawing or from a
symbol library.
For information about drawing objects in AutoCAD, see Create and Insert
Symbols (Blocks) in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

1140

Chapter 29 Elevation Labels

Adding Attributes
An elevation label usually contains one or several attributes displaying the
elevation, prefixes, and suffixes.
Elevation label attributes are coming from a property set definition. A
number of predefined automatic attributes are available when you start with
one of the templates, or when you have started from scratch and dragged a
predefined elevation label from AutoCAD DesignCenter into the drawing.
Elevation label attributes
Attribute/Tag

Description

ELEVATION

Displays the height of an elevation label in relation to the

coordinate system chosen

ELEVATION:MM

Displays the millimeters of the elevation value in superscript

NOTE You need this attribute only when you are working
with metric units.

PREFIX

Displays a prefix for you to type for your elevation label

For information about entering prefixes, see Adding
Elevation Labels on page 1135.

SUFFIX

Displays a suffix for you to type for your elevation label

For information about entering suffixes, see Adding
Elevation Labels on page 1135.

If you want different attributes for use in elevation labels, create your own
Property Set Definition for elevation labels. For information about creating
property set definitions, see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
To add an attribute
1 On the command line, type ddattdef.
2 In the Tag field, type one of the attributes from the table above. If you
want, for example, to create an attribute for the height of the elevation,
type ELEVATION.
3 Proceed adding the attribute. For more information see Attach Data to
Blocks in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
4 Repeat steps 13 for each attribute you want to add to the elevation label.

Creating User-Defined Elevation Labels

1141

Creating a Block
After you have assembled the graphic symbols and attributes you want in the
elevation label, you create a block from them.
To create a block from attributes
1 From the Draw menu, choose Block Make.
2 Enter a name for the block.
3 Click Select Objects and select the graphic symbol and the attributes you
want to include in the elevation label.
4 From the Insert units list, choose Unitless.
5 Proceed creating the block as described in Create Blocks in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Creating a Multi-View Block

Now that you have created a block containing your desired attributes, you
can use that block to create the multi-view block for the elevation label.
For detailed information about multi-view blocks, see Multi-View Blocks
on page 1621 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To create a multi-view block for an elevation label
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing
are displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select Multi-View Block Definitions, and select New from the shortcut
menu.
3 Type a name for the new multi-view block definition.
The new multi-view block definition is displayed in the Multi-View Block
Definition tree.
4 Select the new multi-view block definition, and select Edit from the shortcut menu.
5 Click the View Blocks tab.
6 Select a display representation for the elevation label.
7 Click Add.

1142

Chapter 29 Elevation Labels

8 In the Select A Block dialog, select the block you have defined in Creating
a Block, and click OK.
9 In the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box, select the view
directions for the block.
10 Repeat steps 69 for each display representation where you want the elevation label to display.
11 Click OK twice to exit the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog
box and the Style Manager.

Adding the Elevation Label to the AutoCAD

DesignCenter
To add the elevation label to AutoCAD DesignCenter, you need to create a
*.dwg file in the AEC Content Wizard. In this section is a short description of
how to add user-defined elevation labels to AutoCAD DesignCenter. For a
detailed description of the AEC Content Wizard, see Creating AEC Content
on page 1612 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To add elevation labels to AutoCAD DesignCenter
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content to open the Create
AEC Content Wizard.
2 In the Content Type dialog box, select Multi-View Block.
3 Select the multi-view block you have created in Creating a Multi-View
Block on page 1142, and click Add to add it to the Content File.
4 On the command line, type AecAnnoElevationLabelAdd, press the
SPACEBAR, and then type the name of the Multi-View block, for example
AecAnnoElevationLabelAdd MyLabel

5 Click Next.
6 In the Insert Options dialog box, select a layer key for the label.

NOTE The default layer key for elevation labels is DIMLINE.

7 Click Next.
8 In the Display Options dialog box, type a file name and a directory for the
label.

NOTE The default directory for elevation labels is, depending on your
installation one of the following:

Creating User-Defined Elevation Labels

1143

\\Content\Imperial\Documentation\Elevation Labels
\\Content\Metric\Documentation\Elevation Labels
\\Content\Metric D A CH\Documentation\Elevation Labels.

9 Click Finish to exit the Create AEC Content Wizard.

The new elevation label is now displayed in AutoCAD DesignCenter at the
location you have specified in the AEC Content Wizard. From here, you
can drag it into your drawing.

1144

Chapter 29 Elevation Labels

Areas

30

The area feature allows you to define the areas in your

In this chapter

drawing, group them in area groups and then calculate

Creating new areas

the whole building according to various norms.

You can use the area feature for such purposes as deliv-

Creating areas from building

objects and rooms

Defining calculation modifier

styles

ering plans for government approval, cost estimates and

Attaching areas to area groups

facility management.
In this chapter, you learn how to create areas either freehand or derive them from existing walls and building
objects, add and subtract areas from each other, define
area calculation modifier styles, and attach areas to area
groups.
For information about area groups and area evaluation,
see Area Groups on page 1209 and Area Evaluation
on page 1257.

1145

Working with Areas

An area is an architectural object describing a two-dimensional room. In
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, it is used for calculating the areas in the
floor plan. After the design process on a floor plan is complete, you create
areas from your rooms, construction areas, and other areas, and group them
into functional and hierarchical group structures. You then use these structures to create an area evaluation of the floor plan. The values from this calculation are needed for approval of the plan by the building authorities.
To calculate areas correctly for such purposes as building approval, cost
estimates, or rent calculation, you often need to modify their values when
calculating them.
To do this, you attach calculation modifier styles to areas or area groups,
which change the calculation result of an area or group. Calculation modifier
styles contain formulas. You can, for example, calculate plaster deductions,
subtract areas for columns, or calculate the tiling in a bathroom.
Areas can be grouped in area group structures. An area group can contain both
areas and other area groups. You could, for example, create an area group
named Apartment Building, which contains the subgroups First Floor and
Second Floor. For information about area groups, see Working with Area
Groups on page 1210.

After creating areas and area groups in the drawing, you can create an area
evaluation of the building and export the results into an external document.This document can be used for government approval or for cost
estimates from building contractors.

1146

Chapter 30 Areas

Following are a number of typical tasks that the area evaluation feature can
be used for.
For practical examples, see Examples for Creating Areas on page 1157.

As an architect, you have created a plan for a building and want to prepare
it for approval by the building administration. This includes the decomposition of areas into area subdivisions, the relation between floor area
and site area, values for the base and calculated areas, construction areas,
traffic areas, floor areas, and functional areas of the plan.
You want to rent an apartment. For this, you need to calculate all balcony
and terrace areas - according to some national regulations - with 50
percent of their actual value. You also need to calculate the areas under the
roof correctly at the 2 m line and the 1 m line.
You need to determine different zones in an office landscape, like office
cubicles, recreation areas, and walking areas.
As a facility manager, you need to determine different area types in an
office building like office rooms, rest rooms, or sick rooms.
You need a categorization of the floor plan into areas that need to be
cleaned every week to get a cost estimation from a building cleaning
service.
You need an overview of hardware equipment rooms because you need to
calculate the costs for special ventilation systems.
As a carpeting contractor, you need the perimeter values of all rooms to
make a cost estimate for baseboard material.

Work Order
The flexible and powerful design of the area evaluation feature gives you
optimal freedom to shape your design process according to your needs. To
make your workflow as effective as possible, you should consider in which
order you want to work before you start. Each has its own advantages for
different tasks.

From the Top Down

When you work from the top down, you first define all necessary elements
such as area styles, area group templates, name definitions, and calculation
modifier styles; then create a group structure and as the last step create the
areas and attach them to the groups.
To create a top-down work flow
1 Create the necessary calculation modifier styles e.g., for plaster deduction.

Working with Areas

1147

For information about calculation modifier styles, see Calculation Modifier Styles on page 1190.
2 Create the necessary area name definitions e.g., names according to DIN
277.
For information about area name definitions, see Area Name Definitions on page 1236.
3 Create the necessary area groups templates e.g., a template according to
DIN 277.
For information about area groups templates, see Area Group Templates
on page 1245.

NOTE It might be a good idea to save your calculation modifier styles, area
name definitions, and area groups templates into an *.dwt file for reusing
them later.
4 Create area groups from the group templates.
For information about creating area groups from group templates, see
Creating New Area Groups from a Group Template on page 1212.
5 Create areas and attach them to the area groups.
For information about creating areas, see Creating Areas on page 1149.
6 Start the area evaluation.
For information about area evaluation, see Area Evaluation on page
1257.
When you work like this, you define all the necessary elements and structures and then fill them with the actual content from the floor plan. The
advantage of this approach is that you are working in a well-structured
environment and can use templates (dwt files) for your work. You lose
however a certain amount of flexibility in the process and have a longer
planning phase beforehand.

From the Ground Up

When you work from the bottom up, you first create your areas. The necessary structure, styles and templates are created on the fly when you need
them.
To create a ground-up workflow
1 Create areas.
2 Create, when you need them, groups, group templates, calculation modifier styles, and name definitions.

1148

Chapter 30 Areas

3 Start the area evaluation.

For information about area evaluation, see Area Evaluation on page
1257.
The advantage of this approach is that you can start quickly and you can
decide issues in the real project environment. The disadvantage is that the
work flow is interrupted more frequently because you not only need to
add areas, but also create the logical structure around them piece by piece.
You can also use a combination of the two methods, defining a number of
settings beforehand, like, for example, group templates and name definitions, and other settings only when you need them, for example, calculation modifier styles and styles.

Creating Areas
You can create new areas, create areas from AEC objects or create areas by
selections from closed rooms. If you have created area groups in your drawing, you can attach areas to them.

Creating New Areas

To create a new area
1 From the Documentation menu, select Areas Add Area.
2 In the Add Area dialog box, type a name for the new area, if desired.
3 Select a style for the area. For information about area styles, see Area
Styles on page 1181.
4 Select a tag for the area.

NOTE If no area tags are contained in the list, you can drag a tag into the
drawing from the AutoCAD DesignCenter folder Metric
Imperial Schedules Area Tags. You can also create your own area tags
from multi-view blocks. For information about creating your own area tags,
see Creating User-Defined Area Tags on page 1160.
5 If you want to attach the area to an area group, click
area group you want to attach the area to.

and select the

Creating Areas

1149

For information about area groups, see Area Groups on page 1209.

NOTE If you are unsure about whether the area should be attached to an
area group or if area groups have not been created yet, you can omit this step
and attach the area to a group later.
6 Do any of the following:

If you want to create an area consisting of only one area ring, clear
Composed Area.
You would typically use areas with one ring for rooms in a building.

Areas consisting of one area ring

If you want to create an area consisting of several area rings, select

Composed Area and click the Plus button
click the Minus button

for an additive area ring or

for a subtractive area ring.

You would typically use an area with several rings for complex structures
like an atrium house with an interior court.

1150

Chapter 30 Areas

NOTE The terms additive and subtractive describe the type of area you are
using. Additive areas are areas with a positive area value, like rooms. Negative
areas are holes, that can either be deducted from positive areas or stand
alone. If you want to create a hallway with a number of columns to be subtracted from the hallway area, you would first create an additive area ring for
the hallway and then create a number of subtractive area rings for the columns. When you later create an area evaluation of the floor plan, the hallway
area ring is calculated as a positive value, from which the subtractive rings of
the columns are subtracted as negative values.

Area with several area rings

7 Choose if the first area line segment is to be a line or an arc.

NOTE You can switch between these two modes any time during the insertion of the area. The creation of an area boundary is similar to creating a
polyline or AEC profile.
8 Select the starting point of the first area line segment in the drawing.
9 Specify further points to define the area.

Creating Areas

1151

Creating an area by specifying points

NOTE After you specify the third vertex for the area boundary, the Ortho
Close and Polyline Close options become available.
Ortho Close closes the area by drawing two line segments based on the direction you specify. The direction is extended until it meets a line perpendicular
to the initial edge of the area boundary.
Polyline Close closes the area by creating an area line segment from the last
point specified for the area to the first point specified in this area boundary.
10 Press ENTER to end the command.
11 Do any of the following:

If you have created an area consisting of one ring, proceed to adding

new areas until you have added all areas you need. Then click Close.
If you have created an area consisting of several rings, proceed to adding new area rings until you have added all rings you need.

Then click

to finish the composition of the area.

NOTE When you have chosen the Composed Area option to create an area
with several rings, and have not finished the composition of the area with the
Composed Area icon, you get a message upon closing the Add Area dialog
box, asking you if want to create the composed area. To confirm that you
want to create the composed area to the drawing, click Yes.

1152

Chapter 30 Areas

Creating Areas from Objects

You can create new areas by using the outlines of existing objects or by selecting the inside of a closed wall boundary. This is especially useful for creating
room areas in a quick and comfortable way.

Creating Areas from Object Outlines

The following objects can be used as area outlines:

Walls/Curtain Walls
Columns/Braces/Beams/Slabs
Doors/Windows/Window Assemblies
Roofs/Roof Slabs
Stairs/Railings
Mass Elements/Mass Groups
Spaces/Space Boundaries
AEC Polygons
Profiles
Closed AutoCAD polylines

Creating an area from a stair object

NOTE When you convert objects to areas in a rotated UCS, you receive different behaviors.
When you convert a closed AutoCAD polyline to an area in a rotated UCS, the
resulting area is inserted planar to the ECS of the polyline.
When you convert another object to an area in a rotated UCS, the resulting
area is inserted planar to the WCS, at the height of the UCS.
To create an area from an object
1 From the Documentation menu, select Areas Create Area from Object.

Creating Areas

1153

2 In the Create Areas from Objects dialog box, type a name for your area.
3 Select a style for your area. For information about area styles, see Area
Styles on page 1181.
4 Select a tag for the area.

NOTE If no area tags are contained in the list, you can drag a tag into the
drawing from the AutoCAD DesignCenter folder Metric/
Imperial Schedules Area Tags. You can also create your own area tags
from multi-view blocks. For information about creating your own area tags,
see Creating User-Defined Area Tags on page 1160.
5 If you want to attach your area to an area group, click
area group you want to attach the area to.

and select the

For information about area groups, see Area Groups on page 1209.

NOTE If you are unsure about whether the area should be attached to an
area group or if area groups have not been created yet, you can omit this step
and attach the area to a group later.
6 Click Select Objects.
7 Click your drawing and select an object from which you want to create a
new area. here, you can select here all AEC building objects as well as
closed AutoCAD polylines.
8 Press ENTER to end the command.
9 Enter the cutplane height of the object you want to create the area from.
This is important for objects that change their outline at different heights,
such as pyramid shapes.

1154

Chapter 30 Areas

Creating an area from a mass group object

10 Click Close to exit the dialog box.

Creating Areas from Wall Boundaries

A frequent use case for creating areas is to create an area by selecting the
inside of a closed room. Architectural Desktop offers you a quick and comfortable way to do this.
To create an area from wall boundaries
1 From the Documentation menu, select Areas Create Area from Object.
2 In the Create Areas from Objects dialog box, type a name for your area.
3 Select a style for your area. For information about area styles, see Area
Styles on page 1181.
4 Select a tag for the area.

NOTE If no area tags are contained in the list, you can drag a tag into the
drawing from the AutoCAD DesignCenter folder Metric/
Imperial Schedules Area Tags. You can also create your own area tags

Creating Areas

1155

from multi-view blocks. For information about creating your own area tags,
see Creating User-Defined Area Tags on page 1160.
5 If you want to attach your area to an area group, click
area group you want to attach the area to.

and select the

For information about area groups, see Area Groups on page 1209.

NOTE If you are unsure about whether the area should be attached to an
area group or if area groups have not been created yet, you can omit this step
and attach the area to a group later.
6 If necessary, select Composed Area.
7 Click Select Bounding Walls.
8 Click your drawing and select the closed walls from which you want to
create an area.

NOTE If your selection set is very large, this method of creating areas can
slow down the performance considerably. If you experience any performance
problems, try a smaller selection set next time.
9 Press ENTER to end your selection.
10 Select a point inside the wall boundaries.

1156

Chapter 30 Areas

Creating an area from wall boundaries

11 Click Close to exit the dialog box.

Examples for Creating Areas

Following are a number of typical tasks for creating areas.

Calculating Roof Areas

You want to calculate the area of an attic at the 1 m line and the 2 m line.

NOTE To follow these instructions, you must set your drawing units to meters.
Select Desktop Drawing Setup, click the Units tab and change the drawing
units to meters there.
To calculate roof areas
1 Create the roof to be calculated.
2 From the Documentation menu, select Areas Create Area from Object.
3 Enter a name, style, and, if necessary, the desired area tag.
4 Click Select Objects.
5 Select the roof in the drawing, and press ENTER to end your selection.
6 Enter the height at which the area shall be calculated.

If you want to calculate the area at the 1 m line, type 1.

If you want to calculate the area at the 2 m line, type 2.

7 Press ENTER to end the command.

The area has been created at the 1 m or 2 m line.

Creating Areas

1157

Defining Construction Areas in a Ground Plan

An important element of the area evaluation is the definition of construction
areas in a building.
To define construction areas
1 Create the groundplan to be calculated.
2 From the Documentation menu, select Area Create Area from Object.
3 Enter a name, style, and, if necessary, the desired area tag.
4 Click Select Objects.
5 Select all objects you want to define as construction areas. For example,
you can choose all walls and columns in a floor plan.

NOTE Selecting objects in a large floor plan can be a complex task. Here
are a couple of tips how to simplify this:
Draw a selection marquee around the plan and then SHIFT-click to deselect
the objects not included in the construction areas.
Use the Quick Select command to filter for objects included in construction
areas (e.g., walls, columns).
6 Press ENTER to end your selection.
7 Enter the height at which the construction area is to be calculated.
8 Press ENTER to end the command.
9 You now have in your drawing a number of areas for every object you have
selected in step 4. To merge them, do any of the following:

If you want to retain the single area objects, but calculate them
together as construction area, create an area group named, for example,
Construction Area and attach all single areas to it.
For information about area groups, see Area Groups on page 1209.
For information about attaching areas to area groups, see Attaching
Areas to Area Groups on page 1178.

If you want to merge the single area objects into one area object, use
the Join command.

For information about the Join command, see Joining Areas Together
on page 1170.

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Chapter 30 Areas

Construction areas in a floor plan

Creating Side Areas

Sometimes you want to create areas not only from horizontal plan objects
but also from vertical objects like the sides of walls or from slanting objects
like roof sides. To create such areas, you have to create a user coordinate
system (UCS) which is aligned to the object you want to derive an area from.
To calculate side areas
1 Create the floor plan to be calculated.
2 Create and save a UCS where the X and Y axis are aligned to the vertical
or slanting object you want to create an area from.
For information about creating a user coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
You now have two options available to create the side area.
To draw a side area
1 From the Documentation menu, select Areas Create Area.
2 Follow the contour of the object you want to create an area from or create
a freehand area.

TIP Following the contour of an object is easier with object snaps (OSNAP)
turned on.
Finish the area with the POLYLINE CLOSE or ORTHO CLOSE commands.
3 Switch back to the world coordinate system (WCS) to see the new area.

Creating Areas

1159

To create a side area from a closed polyline

Architectural Desktop does not offer the same capabilities for creating side
areas as for creating plan areas. You cannot select building objects or select
the insides of walls to create side areas. You can, however, convert the inside
of a closed AutoCAD polyline into an area in your user coordinate system
(UCS).
1 Draw a closed AutoCAD polyline.
2 From the Documentation menu, select Areas Create Area from Object.
3 Click Select Objects and, in the drawing, select the closed polyline.
4 Enter a cut plane height.
5 Press ENTER.
6 Switch back to the WCS to see the new area.

Measuring an Area from the Axis of the Wall

When you create areas from the boundaries of walls, the resulting area is as
a default measured from the inside of the walls.

According to some calculation standards, however, you need to measure

rooms from the axis of the enclosing walls. You can do this by stretching the
area grip points to the correct position.
To stretch the area grip points
1 Create an area from closed wall boundaries as described in Creating Areas
from Wall Boundaries on page 1155.
2 Use the Grip points of the area to drag it to the desired size.

Creating User-Defined Area Tags

The Architectural Desktop templates offer you a number of predefined area
tags.

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Chapter 30 Areas

You may, however, want to create your own specific tags that are not
included in any of the templates.
In the following sections, you learn how to choose attributes for your own
area tags, combine them into blocks, and create an area tag from them.
To create a user-defined area tag
1 Adding attributes
2 Creating a block
3 Creating a multi-view block
4 Adding the area tag to the AutoCAD DesignCenter

Adding Attributes
An area tag usually contains one or several attributes displaying base and calculated area and perimeter values, number, name, and description of the
area, as well as any calculation modifier styles.
Area attributes come from a property set definition. A number of predefined
automatic attributes are available when you either start with one of the
Architectural Desktop templates or when you start from scratch and drag a
predefined area tag from the AutoCAD DesignCenter into the drawing.
If you want different attributes for using in area tags, create your own
property set definition for areas. For information about creating property set
definitions, see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
Area tag attributes
Attribute/Tag

Description

AREA:NUMBER

Number for the area

AREA:NAME

Name of the area

AREA:DESCRIPTION

Description of the area

AREA:BASEAREA

Base area value without any calculation modifier styles

taken into account

AREA:CALCULATEDAREA

Calculated area value that results from the base area

value, plus any calculation modifier styles that have
been added to the area

AREA:BASEPERIMETER

Base perimeter value without any calculation modifier

styles taken into account

Creating Areas

1161

Area tag attributes (continued)

Attribute/Tag

Description

AREA:CALCULATED
PERIMETER

Calculated perimeter value that results from the base

perimeter value, plus any calculation modifier styles
that have been added to the area

AREA:CALCULATION
MODIFIERSTYLE

Calculation modifier styles that have been attached to

the area

To add an attribute
1 On the command line, type ddattdef.
2 In the Tag field, type one of the attributes described above. If you want,
for example, to create an attribute for the calculated area, type
AREA:CALCULATEDAREA.
3 Proceed to adding the attribute as described in Attach Data to Blocks
(Block Attributes) in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
4 Repeat steps 13 for each attribute you want to add to the area tag.

Creating a Block
After you have assembled the attributes you want in the area tag, you create
a block from them.
To create a block from attributes
1 From the Draw menu, choose Block Make.
2 Type the name of the block.
3 Click Select Objects and select the attributes you want to include in the
area tag.
4 From the Insert units list, choose Unitless.
5 Proceed to creating the block as described in Create Blocks in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Creating a Multi-View Block

Now that you have created a block containing your desired symbols and
attributes, you can use that block to create the multi-view block for the area
tag.
For detailed information about multi-view blocks, see Multi-View Blocks
on page 1621.

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Chapter 30 Areas

To create a multi-view block for an area tag

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing
are displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With Multi-View Block Definitions selected, choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new multi-view block definition.
The new multi-view block definition appears in the Multi-View Block
Definition tree.
4 Select the new multi-view block definition and select Edit from the shortcut menu.
5 Click the View Blocks tab.
6 Select a display representation for the area tag.
7 Click Add.
8 In the Select A Block dialog box, select the block you have defined in
Creating a Block, and click OK.
9 In the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box, select the view
directions for the block.
10 Repeat Steps 710 for each display representation you want the area tag to
be displayed in.

Adding the Area Tag to the AutoCAD DesignCenter

To add the area tag to the AutoCAD DesignCenter, you need to create a *.dwg
file using the AEC Content Wizard.

NOTE In this section you find a short description of how to add user-defined
area tags to the AutoCAD DesignCenter. For a detailed description of the AEC
Content Wizard, see AEC Content on page 1611.
To add area tags to the AutoCAD DesignCenter
1 On the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
2 In the Content Type Dialog box, select Multi-View Block.
3 Select the Multi-View block you have created in Creating a Multi-View
Block on page 1162 and add it to the Content Files.

Creating Areas

1163

4 On the command line, type AecAnnoScheduleTagAdd, press the

SPACEBAR, and then the name of the Multi-View block, for example:

AecAnnoScheduleTagAdd MyTag

5 Click Next.
6 In the Insert Options dialog box, select a layer key for the tag.

NOTE The default layer key for area tags is ROOMNO.

7 Click Next.
8 In the Display Options dialog box, type a file name and a directory for the
tag.

NOTE The default directory for area tags is \\Content\Metric (or

Imperial)\Documentation\Area Tags.
9 Click OK and Finish to exit the AEC Content Wizard.

Editing Areas
After you have created an area, you can change its properties, such as calculation modifier styles or area style.
To edit an area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Modify Area.
2 Select the areas you want to modify.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 In the Area Modify dialog box, do any of the following:

1164

Change the name of the area.

Select a new style. For information about area styles, see Area Styles
on page 1181.
Attach the area to an area group by clicking
. For information
about attaching areas to groups, see Attaching Areas to Area Groups
on page 1178.

Chapter 30 Areas

Click
to edit the properties of the area. For information about area
properties, see Changing Area Properties on page 1165.

5 When you are finished editing the area, do any of the following:

Click Apply to apply your changes and remain in the Area Modify dialog box.
Click OK to apply your changes and exit the Area Modify dialog box.

Grip Editing Areas

Areas behave like closed AutoCAD polylines, only they have additional grip
points at the midpoints of each segment for editing.
When you create an area consisting of multiple area rings, each area ring has
its own grip points. You should, however, be careful when editing areas with
multiple rings with grip points. If you have, for example, created an area with
a hole in it and you drag the hole boundary over the areas outer boundary,
the result is a faulty area. You can see error symbols at those position where
the hole boundary crosses the outer boundary. To remove those error symbols, drag the hole boundary back inside the outer boundary.

Grip points of negative boundary dragged incorrectly (bottom)

Changing Area Properties

You can edit the properties of an area. Area properties include notes and files
you can attach, style settings, and group assignments.

Editing Areas

1165

Attaching Notes and Files to an Area

To attach notes and files to an area
1 Open the Area Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Areas on page
1164.
2 Click

3 In the Area Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

4 To add a description to the area, type in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the area, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click
Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you must
exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data on page 1288 and Editing Schedule Data
on page 1288 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click Add and select one or more property sets.
10 To edit one of the properties, click in the row containing the value of the
property and type in your changes.

NOTE You can edit only manual properties. Automatic properties, such as
the area and perimeter values, are filled by the object and can not be changed
here.
For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions
on page 1292 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 Do any of the following:

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Chapter 30 Areas

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Modify dialog box, click
OK.
To enter more changes on other tabs, click the desired tab.

Changing the Area Style Properties

Area styles contain information about the display of the area. For information about how to define area styles, see Creating New Area Styles on page
1182.
To change the style of an existing area
1 Open the Area Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Areas on page
1164.
2 Click

3 In the Area Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

4 Select the style you want from the list.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Modify dialog box, click
OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Attaching and Detaching Calculation Modifier Styles

A calculation modifier style is a formula you can apply to an area that
changes the calculated result of the area or perimeter value. You can create
calculation modifier styles for a number of purposes: you can, for example,
have modifiers that calculate plaster deductions, subtract areas for construction, or calculate the height of the tiling in a bathroom.
For information about creating calculation modifier styles, see Calculation
Modifier Styles on page 1190.
To attach or detach a calculation modifier style
1 Open the Area Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Areas on page
1164.
2 Click

3 In the Area Properties dialog box, click the Evaluation tab.

4 Do any of the following:

To attach a calculation modifier style to the area, click Attach.

To detach a calculation modifier style from the area, click Detach.

Editing Areas

1167

5 Sort the attached calculation modifier styles by dragging them within the
list.

IMPORTANT Calculation modifier styles are applied to the area in the

order in which they are displayed in the list. The top modifier is applied first,
then the next one below it, and so on. Because a different order can in some
cases provide different results, take care to sort the modifiers in the desired
order.
6 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Modify dialog box, click
OK.
To enter more changes on other tabs, click the desired tab.

NOTE This tab is available for multiple areas only when these areas have
the same modifier styles attached in exactly the same order.

Changing the Areas Position in the Group Structure

On the Area Group tab, you can attach the area to an area group. You can also
change the hierarchical position of the area within a group or detach the area
from an area group.
For information about area groups, see Area Groups on page 1209.
To change the areas position in the group structure
1 Open the Area Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Areas on page
1164.
2 Click

3 In the Area Properties dialog box, click the Area Group tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To attach the area to an area group, select the area group.

To detach the area from an area group, clear the area group.

NOTE There are different colors for the check marks.

A black check mark means that you have selected this group directly. You can
clear this group directly.
A grey check mark means that you have selected a subgroup of the grey-

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Chapter 30 Areas

marked group and thereby added the area, by implication, to all supergroups
of the selected group. You cannot clear a grey mark directly: you need to
clear the black-marked subgroup to remove it.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Modify dialog box, click
OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

NOTE This tab is not available when you have selected multiple areas.

Changing Area Location Properties

To change the location properties of an area
1 Open the Area Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Areas on page
1164.
2 Click

3 In the Area Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.

4 Do any of the following:

Choose the coordinate system of the area location values.

To relocate the area, change the insertion point coordinates X,Y,Z.
To change the angle of the area, type the desired value into the Angle
field.
To change the area normal, change the X, Y, and Z normal values.

5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Modify dialog box, click
OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Area Operations
After you have created areas in your drawings, you can perform a number of
geometric operations on them. You can define how two or more areas interact with each other, or redefine the geometry of a single area. You can:

Join areas together

Area Operations

1169

Create holes in an area by subtracting areas from another

Create a new area from the common area shared by intersecting areas
Divide an areas into two areas
Trim a piece from an area
Remove or add vertices to areas

Joining Areas Together

You can join two or more areas in a drawing. You can join areas that overlap
with each other in your drawing, or you can join two areas that do not touch
each other.
When you join two areas that overlap each other in your drawing, their common boundary is combined to form the boundary of the joined area.
When you join two areas that do not touch each other, both area rings retain
their geometry, but act as one single area. You could do this in a shopping
mall, where one shop might consist of several rooms.
When you join two areas that are not overlapping, both area rings retain
their boundaries, but act now as one area.

WARNING! When you join an area to another one, the second area no
longer exists as an entity. Thus you cannot select or edit it separately anymore.
Also, area properties like name, display properties, or attached calculation modifier styles of the second area are deleted and replaced with the corresponding
properties of the first area.
To join areas
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Join.
2 Select the first area you want to join.

NOTE You can join only these areas that lie on the same Z-plane. Two areas
with different Z-positions in the same coordinate system cannot be joined.
3 Select the next areas you want to join.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.

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Chapter 30 Areas

Joining two areas

If the areas are overlapping, the individual area boundaries are joined
into one.
If the areas are not overlapping, the individual area boundaries are
retained but act now as different rings of the same area.

Creating Holes in Areas

You can subtract areas from each other to create a hole in an area. This is useful when you want, for example, to calculate the area of a room without columns and chimney chases.
To create holes in areas
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Subtract.
2 Select the area from which you want to subtract other areas.
3 Select the areas you want to subtract.

NOTE To perform a subtraction operation, you need to select areas that

intersect somewhere. If you choose areas that do not intersect, all areas you
have marked for subtraction are deleted from the drawing.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.

Area Operations

1171

Subtracting one area from another

The resulting area has now been reduced by the amount of the areas
subtracted from it.

WARNING! Subtracted areas no longer exist as entities after the subtraction. Thus, you cannot select or edit them separately anymore. Also, area
properties like name, display properties, or attached calculation modifier
styles of the subtracted areas are deleted and replaced with the corresponding properties of the first area.

Creating Areas from the Intersection of Other

Areas
You can create a new area from the common area of two intersecting areas.
The source areas are deleted in the process.
To create an intersection area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Intersect.
2 Select the first area.
3 Select the intersecting areas.

NOTE To perform an intersection operation, you need to select areas that

intersect somewhere. If you choose areas that do not intersect, all areas you
have marked for intersecting the first area, are deleted from the drawing.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.

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Chapter 30 Areas

Intersecting two areas

The areas have been removed, except where they were intersecting.

Vertices
You can add and remove vertices to areas you have created.

Adding Vertices
You can add additional vertices to an area.
To add vertices to an area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Edit Vertices.
2 Select the area you want to add a vertex to.
3 Click your drawing to specify any vertex points you want to add.

Adding a vertex to an area

4 Press ENTER to end the command.

NOTE If you click Cancel instead of pressing ENTER, all vertices you have
added during this command are removed.

Area Operations

1173

Removing Vertices
In the same way you can add vertices, you can also remove them from an
area.
To remove vertices from an area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Edit Vertices.
2 Select the area you want to remove a vertex from.
3 Select the vertex points you want to remove by clicking near them while
holding down SHIFT.

Removing a vertex from an area

4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Trimming Areas
You can trim areas along a trim line you have defined. Trimming means to
cut away a part of the area along a defined line.
To trim an area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Trim.
2 Click to define the start point of the trim line.
3 Click to define the endpoint of the trim line.
4 Click the side of the area to be removed after trimming.

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Chapter 30 Areas

Trimming an area

Dividing Areas
You can divide areas along a divide line you define.
To divide an area in two
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Divide.
2 Select the area you want to divide in two.
3 Click to define the start point of the divide line.
4 Click to define the endpoint of the divide line.

Dividing an area

You now have two areas next to each other. You can select each of them
individually and modify them as separate areas.

Removing Rings from Areas

You can create an area with several rings in different ways.

You can create a composed area.

For information on creating composed areas, see Creating Areas on page
1149.

Area Operations

1175

You can create separate areas and merge them by a Join/Subtract/Intersect

operation.
For information on joining areas, see Joining Areas Together on page
1170.
For information on subtracting areas, see Creating Holes in Areas on
page 1171.
For information on intersecting areas, see Creating Areas from the Intersection of Other Areas on page 1172.

When you have an area with several rings, you can remove individual rings
from it.
To remove rings from areas
1 Select an area with multiple rings, from which you want to remove a ring.
2 From the shortcut menu, select Edit Rings Remove Ring.
3 Select the area ring you want to remove from the area.
The area ring is removed from the area.

NOTE You cannot remove a ring from an area which has only one ring and
you cannot remove the last ring from an area.

Reversing Area Rings

When you create an area with several rings, you define whether the individual area rings are to be positive (additive) or negative (subtractive, hole).

When you create a composed area, you define the positive/negative value
upon inserting the composed area.
For information on creating composed areas, see Creating Areas on page
1149.

When you can create separate areas and merge them by a Join/Subtract/
Intersect operation, the operation used defines if the area ring is positive
or negative. When you, for example, subtract an area from another, the
subtracted area is converted into a negative area ring.
For information on joining areas, see Joining Areas Together on page
1170.
For information on subtracting areas, see Creating Holes in Areas on
page 1171.

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Chapter 30 Areas

For information on intersecting areas, see Creating Areas from the Intersection of Other Areas on page 1172.
You can reverse the value of an area ring, so that a positive ring can be transformed into a negative ring and a negative ring into a positive ring.
To reverse area rings
1 Select an area of which you want to reverse a ring.
2 From the shortcut menu, select Edit Rings Reverse Ring.
3 Select the area ring you want to reverse.
Depending on whether the ring was before positive or negative, it now
takes on the opposite value. A negative ring is transformed into a positive
ring and a positive ring is transformed into a negative ring.

Reversing Area Profiles

In the same way you can reverse individual rings of an area, you can also in
one step reverse all rings of an area.
When you reverse the area profile, all positive rings are transformed into negative rings and all negative rings are transformed into positive rings.
To reverse the area profile
1 Select an area you want to reverse.
2 From the shortcut menu, select Edit Rings Reverse Ring.
3 Select further areas for reversing.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.
All negative area rings are transformed into positive rings and all positive
rings are transformed into negative rings.

Creating Polylines from Areas

You can create polylines from an area you have created.
This is useful, for example,

When you want to export the floor plan to an application which can process only polylines
When you want to remove a hole from an area
When you want to create walls or spaces from areas

Creating Polylines from Areas

1177

After you have converted your areas to polylines, you can also reconvert
them to areas.
To create a polyline from an area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Create Polyline.
2 Select the areas you want to create a polyline from.
3 Press ENTER to end you selection.

Creating a polyline from an area boundary

On top of your areas, standard AutoCAD polylines have been created. You
can edit them as any other polyline.

TIP When polylines are lying above areas, it can be difficult to select the
area without the polyline. Try one of the following:

CTRL-click the boundary. Then click until the area boundary is highlighted.
If the area hatch is displayed, click the hatch.
Use the Quick Select command from the shortcut menu.

Attaching Areas to Area Groups

If you have created area groups in your drawing, you can attach areas to
them.
For information about creating area groups, see Creating Area Groups on
page 1211.
To attach an area to an area group
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Modify Area.
2 Select the areas you want to attach to an area group.

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Chapter 30 Areas

3 Press ENTER to end your selection.

4 Click

5 In the Area Group dialog box, select the area group you want to attach
your area to and select its check box.

Attaching an area to a group

NOTE There are different colors for the check marks.

A black check mark means that you have selected this group directly. You can
clear this group directly.
A grey check mark means that you have selected a subgroup of the greymarked group and thereby added the area, by implication, to all supergroups
of the selected group. You cannot clear a grey mark directly; you need to clear
the black-marked subgroup to remove it.
6 Do any of the following:

Click Apply to apply your changes and remain in the Area Modify dialog box.
Click OK to apply your changes and exit the Area Modify dialog box.

TIP Another, quicker way to attach areas to area groups is to select an area,
and then choose Attach to Group from the shortcut menu.

Attaching Areas to Area Groups

1179

Detaching Areas from Area Groups

In the same way you can attach areas to area groups you can also detach
them from the group.
To detach an area from an area group
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Modify Area.
2 Select the areas you want to detach from an area group.

TIP When you have attached an area to an area group it can be difficult to
select the area without the area group. Try one of the following:
CTRL-click

the desired area boundary. Then click until the desired area
is highlighted.
If the area hatch is displayed, click the hatch.
If area decomposition is displayed, click one of the decomposition
lines.
Drag a selection window around the areas you want to detach.
Use the Quick Select command from the shortcut menu.

3 Click

4 In the Area Group dialog box, clear the group you want to detach the area
from.

Removing an area from a group

NOTE There are different colors for the check marks.

A black check mark means that you have selected this group directly. You can
clear this group directly.

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Chapter 30 Areas

A grey check mark means that you have selected a subgroup of the greymarked group and thereby added the area, by implication, to all supergroups
of the selected group. You cannot clear a grey mark directly; you need to clear
the black-marked subgroup to remove it.
5 Do any of the following:

Click Apply to apply your changes and remain in the Area Modify dialog box.
Click OK to apply your changes and exit the Area Modify dialog box.

TIP Another, quicker way to detach areas from area groups is to select an
area, and then choose Detach from Group from the shortcut menu.

Area Styles
A style is a collection of display and decomposition properties for an area.
When you apply the style to one or more areas, the settings defined in it are
applied automatically.
You can use area styles for

Different area types

You could draw construction areas, calculated areas, base areas, traffic
areas, or used areas with different display properties. You could, for example, draw all construction areas in green and hatched, and the traffic areas
in blue with a solid fill.

Different decomposition methods

You could, for example, create a style for trapezoid decomposition and
one for triangular decomposition. For information about area decomposition, see Area Decomposition on page 1200.

Different calculation standards

You might create area styles for areas you create according to DIN277,
areas that are rented, or demolition areas.

You can define styles for a single drawing (.dwg) as well as for a template
(.dwt). For best reusability, define your styles as part of the template you are
working with.

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1181

For information about templates, see Using Architectural Desktop Templates on page 23.
You can create new area styles, edit area styles, import and export area styles
between drawings, and purge area styles that are not in use. When you create,
purge, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The Style
Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about using the Style Manager, see Style Manager on
page 1525.

Creating New Area Styles

You can create new area styles or you can copy an existing area style and
modify it according to your needs. Both options are described in the
following sections.
Related Procedures

Creating a New Area Style

Creating a New Area Style from an Existing Style

Creating a New Area Style

You can create a new area style. This method is best suited when you need
full control over every aspect of your drawing environment and have numerous requirements for the style.
To create a new area style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
area style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 With the area style type selected, choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new area style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new area style, select the style, and
choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Style dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the style,
change the layer/color/linetype settings, and change the hatching properties of the new style. For more information about changing each style
property, see Changing Area Style Properties on page 1187.

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5 When you finish changing the area style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Area Style from an Existing Style

Apart from creating a new area style, you have also the option of copying an
existing area style and modifying only the attributes you want to change.
This method is time-saving and efficient, especially when there are only
minor modifications to be made.
To create a new area style from an existing style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
area style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the area style type, and choose Copy
from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the area style type above the copied area style, or the area
style to be copied, and choose Paste from the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created, with a numeral appended to the
name.

NOTE Another way of copying an existing style is to use the default Windows Copy and Paste buttons from the toolbar.
4 To rename the style, select the style, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new area style, select the style, and
choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Style dialog box is displayed. You can add notes to the style,
change the layer/color/linetype settings, and change the hatching properties of the new style. For more information about changing each style
property, see Changing Area Style Properties on page 1187.
6 When you finish changing the area style properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Area Styles

1183

Purging Area Styles

You can delete area styles that are not being used in the current drawing. You
can delete a single unused area style, or all the area styles in your drawing.
To purge area styles
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
area style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused area style in your current drawing, select the
style under the style type, and choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused area styles in your current drawing, with the
area style type selected, choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Area Styles

You can copy area styles from an existing drawing and use them in your current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by storing
them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new drawings.
To import an area style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
area style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.

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2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the area style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Area Styles to display the area styles in the
drawing.
5 Select the area style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Styles to a New Drawing

You can copy area styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.
To export area styles to a new drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
area style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the area style type.

Area Styles

1185

4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can copy area styles from your current drawing to another drawing.
To export area styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area styles in the current drawing are displayed under the
area style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the area style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Changing Area Style Properties

The style properties of an area style store the settings for that style. In the
style properties of an area style, you can attach notes, descriptions, or a reference files to the area style, and change the layer/color/linetype and hatching settings of the style.

Attaching Notes and Files to an Area Style

To attach notes and files to an area style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the area style type, select the area style that you want to change,
and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Area Style dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the area style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the area style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click Add and select one or more property sets.
10 To edit one of the properties, click in the row containing the value of the
property and type in your changes.

Changing Area Style Properties

1187

NOTE You can edit only manual properties. Automatic properties are filled
by the object and can not be changed here.
For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions
on page 1292 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 When you finish changing the area style properties, click OK twice to
return to the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Area Style Layer/Color/Linetype

Properties
To change the area style layer/color/linetype settings
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the area style type, select the area style that you want to change,
and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Area Style dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 From the list, select one of the Plan display representations. The current
display representation is marked with an asterisk (*).
5 In the Property Source column, select Area Style.
6 If no previous area style display settings have been made, the entry in the
Display Contribution column reads Empty. In this case, click Attach Override to edit the style.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
9 Select the component for which you want to change Layer/Color/Linetype properties.

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Display components in plan views

Component

Description

Additive Boundary

Boundary of an area with a positive value, e.g., a room

area

Subtractive Boundary

Boundary of an area with a negative value (a hole)

Additive Hatch

Hatch of an area with a positive value

Subtractive Hatch

Hatch of an area with a negative value (a hole)

Defect marker

Error symbol that appears when a display component

cannot be displayed

10 In the column containing the information you want to edit, click the
desired information.
11 When you finish changing the area style properties, click OK twice to
return to the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Area Style Hatching Properties

To change the area style hatching properties
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area style type is selected within the current drawing, and
all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the area style type, select the area style that you want to change,
and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Area Style dialog box, click the Display Props tab.

Changing Area Style Properties

1189

4 From the list, select one of the Plan display representations. The current
display representation is marked with an asterisk (*).
5 In the Property Source column, select Area Style.
6 If no previous area style display settings have been made, the entry in the
Display Contribution column reads Empty. In this case, click Attach Override to edit the style.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Hatching tab.
9 Do any of the following:

Change the hatch pattern.

Change the scale/spacing settings.
Change the angle and the orientation of the hatch pattern.

10 When you finish changing the area style properties, click OK twice to
return to the Style Manager.
11 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Calculation Modifier Styles

A calculation modifier style is a formula you can apply to an area to change
the calculated result of an area or perimeter value. Calculation modifier styles
can be applied to areas or to area groups where they change the calculated
results of all areas attached to that group. You can create calculation modifier
styles for a number of purposes: you can, for example, have modifiers to calculate plaster deductions, or calculate the tiling in a bathroom.

Creating New Calculation Modifier Styles

You can create new calculation modifier styles for areas or you can copy an
existing calculation modifier style and modify it according to your needs.
Both options are described in the following sections.

Creating a New Calculation Modifier Style

You can create a new calculation modifier style, meaning that no modifier
formula has been set yet.
To create a new calculation modifier style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.

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Chapter 30 Areas

The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Area Calculation Modifier style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Area Calculation Modifier style type selected, choose New from
the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new Calculation Modifier style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Calculation Modifier style, select
the style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Calculation Modifier Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You
can add notes to the style and create a formula for the new style. For more
information about changing each style property, see Editing Calculation
Modifier Styles on page 1192.
5 When you finish changing the Calculation Modifier style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Calculation Modifier Style from an Existing

Style
You can copy an existing calculation modifier style and modify only the
attributes you want to change. This method is time-saving and efficient,
especially when there are only minor modifications to be made.
To create a new calculation modifier style from an existing style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier styles in the current drawing is displayed under the Area Calculation Modifier style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the calculation modifier style type,
and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the calculation modifier style type above the copied calculation modifier style, or the calculation modifier style to be copied, and
choose Paste from the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created, with a numeral appended to the
name.

Calculation Modifier Styles

1191

NOTE Another way of copying an existing style is to use the default Windows Copy and Paste buttons from the toolbar.
4 To rename the style, select the style, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new Calculation Modifier style, select
the style, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Calculation Modifier Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You
can add notes to the style and create a formula for the new style. For more
information about changing each style property, see Editing Calculation
Modifier Styles on page 1192.
6 When you finish changing the Calculation Modifier style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Calculation Modifier Styles

After you have created an calculation modifier style, you can modify it.
To edit a calculation modifier style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Area Calculation Modifier style type, select the Calculation
Modifier Style that you want to change, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Edit the calculation modifier style as described in the following sections.
4 When you finish changing the Calculation Modifier style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Defining the Calculation Type of the Modifier Style

An AEC area contains two values, area and perimeter, which you can use for
applying a calculation modifier style. Depending on which value you choose
to apply the modifier style, it is for the calculation type area or the calculation type perimeter.

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NOTE A calculation modifier style can also have both calculation types and
can be applied to both the perimeter and the area value.
An example for a modifier style of the calculation type area would be one
which calculates an area only with 50 percent of its square meters. (This is
obligatory for several area types in various international architectural
standards.)
An example for a modifier style of the calculation type perimeter would be
one that deducts length from the perimeter of a room for openings and stairs.
This would be helpful when you are trying to calculate how much baseboard
material you approximately need for this room.
To define the calculation type
1 Open the Area Calculation Modifier Style Properties dialog box, as
described in Editing Calculation Modifier Styles on page 1192.
2 Click the Apply To tab.
3 Select whether you want to apply the modifier style to the area or perimeter value. You can also select both values here.
4 When you finish changing the calculation modifier style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Defining the Modifier Styles Formula

After you have chosen a calculation type, you now create the modifier style
formula. You define the rules that are used to calculate the area or perimeter
(or both).

Calculation Modifier Styles

1193

To define the modifier style formula

1 Open the Area Calculation Modifier Style Properties dialog box, as
described in Editing Calculation Modifier Styles on page 1192.
2 Click the Definition tab.
3 Click Add to add a parameter for the modifier style. If you want, for example, to create a plaster deduction of 3 percent, type Plaster_Deduction
for the Variable and type 0.97 for the Value.
There are a number of limitations for naming variables. The following
characters and words are not allowed:

Special characters like ?()*- You can, however use an underscore (_).
Spaces
Accent marks like , , , , ,
Key words from Visual Basic.

For information about Visual Basic key words refer to the Visual Basic
Reference.
4 The Area Data field displays the value you have chosen in the Apply To
tab for calculation

AreaValue = area
PerimeterValue = perimeter
Value = area and perimeter

You cannot edit this field; if you want to change the area data, click the
Apply To tab and choose different data there.
5 In the Output field, type the formula for calculating the modifier style. If
you want, for example, set up a plaster deduction of 3 percent from the
area type

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AreaValue * Plaster_Deduction

NOTE It is important to type the values AreaValue and PerimeterValue

exactly as they are displayed in the Area Data field. Alternative spellings like
Area Value or perimetervalue are not recognized.

NOTE You do not need to work with variable names. In the Output field,
you can type direct mathematical formulas and also use Visual Basic key
words, like Mod, Exp, or Log.
6 To test your formula, type an exemplary area value in the Input field and
check if the result in the Output field is as expected.
7 When you finish changing the Calculation Modifier style properties, click
OK to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Calculation Modifier Style

To attach notes and files to a calculation modifier style
1 Open the Area Calculation Modifier Style Properties dialog box, as
described in Editing Calculation Modifier Styles on page 1192.
2 In the Area Calculation Modifier Style Properties dialog box, click the
General tab.
3 To add a description to the calculation modifier style, type it in the
Description field.
4 To add a note to the calculation modifier style, or to attach, edit, or detach
a reference file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.

Calculation Modifier Styles

1195

To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish changing the calculation modifier style properties, click
OK twice to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Calculation Modifier Styles

You can import a calculation modifier style from an existing drawing.
To import calculation modifier styles
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Area Calculation Modifier style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Area Calculation Modifier style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Area Calculation Modifier Styles to display
the Calculation Modifier styles in the drawing.
5 Select the Calculation Modifier style that you want to copy, and choose
Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

1196

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

Chapter 30 Areas

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Calculation Modifier Styles

You can export calculation modifier styles either to a new drawing or to an
existing drawing.

Exporting Calculation Modifier Styles to a New Drawing

To export calculation modifier styles to a new drawing
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Area Calculation Modifier style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Area Calculation Modifier style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Calculation Modifier Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export calculation modifier styles from the current drawing to
another drawing.
To export calculation modifier styles to an existing drawing
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Area Calculation Modifier style type. All other style and
definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.

Calculation Modifier Styles

1197

3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Area Calculation Modifier style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging Calculation Modifier Styles

When you do not need a calculation modifier style any longer, you can purge
it from the drawing.
To purge calculation modifier styles
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Calculation Modifier Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Calculation Modifier styles in the current drawing are displayed under the Calculation Modifier style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

1198

To purge a single unused Calculation Modifier style in your current

drawing, select the style under the style type, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused Calculation Modifier styles in your current
drawing, with the Area Calculation Modifier style type selected, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

Chapter 30 Areas

3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Calculation Modifier Styles to Areas

After you have created a calculation modifier style, you can attach it to an
area, an area group or an area groups template.
For information about attaching calculation modifier styles to area groups,
see Editing Area Groups on page 1216.
For information about attaching calculation modifier styles to area group
templates, see Changing Area Group Template Properties on page 1248.
Calculation modifier styles work in an accumulating structure. When you
apply several different calculation modifier styles to an area, they are all
applied to it. Therefore, it is important to define the order in which they are
used.
Example: You have an area of 25 m2. You want to apply two different calculation modifier styles to it. Calculation modifier style A deducts a standard
value of 0.3 m2 for a column. Calculation modifier style B divides the area by
2 (in some international calculation schemes, this is used for calculating balconies).

If you apply the plaster deduction first and the division after, you get the
following result:
Calculation Modifier Style A: 25 m2 - 0.3 m2 = 24.7 m2
Calculation Modifier Style B: 24.7 m2 / 2 = 13.35 m2

If you apply the division first and the plaster deduction after, you get the
following result:
Calculation Modifier Style B: 25 m2 / 2 = 12.5 m2
Calculation Modifier Style A: 12.5 m2 - 0.3 m2 = 12.2 m2

Both cases have different results depending on the order in which you apply
the calculation modifier styles.
You can set the order of calculation modifier styles in the properties of the
area. For instructions about how to order calculation modifier styles, see the
following steps.
To attach calculation modifier styles to areas
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Modify Area.
2 Select the area you want to attach calculation modifier styles to.

Calculation Modifier Styles

1199

3 Press ENTER to end your selection.

4 Click

to edit the properties of the area.

5 Click the Evaluation tab.

6 Do any of the following:

To attach a calculation modifier style to the area, click Attach.

To detach a calculation modifier style from the area, click Detach.

7 Sort the attached calculation modifier styles by dragging them within the
list.

IMPORTANT Calculation modifier styles are applied to the area group in the
order in which they are displayed in the list. The top modifier style is applied first,
then the next one below it, and so on. Since a different order can in some cases
provide different results, take care to sort the modifier styles in the desired order.

Area Decomposition
In some countries, like Germany and Japan, an important part of the area
evaluation is the visual decomposition of areas into area subdivisions. Area
decomposition is needed for the area proof that must be presented to the
building administration for approval.
In Architectural Desktop you can control each aspect of how the decomposition is displayed, like the decomposition method used, color settings for the
decomposition components and tags. The decomposition view of an area is
an additional display representation with display settings.

1200

Chapter 30 Areas

Trapezoid and Triangulated Area Decomposition

The most comfortable way to define these settings is via styles.

For information about area styles, see Area Styles on page 1181.

Display the Area Decomposition

An area decomposition is a view in which the areas are displayed as triangles
or trapezoidsdepending on the decomposition method you have selected.
Additionally, the decomposition view shows height lines, and edge and
height dimensions. Architects need area decomposition for calculation
proof, needed for such efforts as presenting building proposals to building
authorities.
The decomposition view is an additional display representation of the area
object which you can turn on and off.
In the Plan 1-100 and Plan 1-50 display configurations, the area decomposition is not displayed as default. You can turn on the area decomposition for
these display configurations if you want to. For information about changing
display configurations, see Display System on page 99.

Area Decomposition

1201

A more comfortable way of displaying the area decomposition is to turn on

the Proof of Areas display configuration.

NOTE To display the Proof of Areas display configuration, you must work with
a template which contains this configuration, for example Aec Arch (metric
d a ch).
To display the area decomposition
1 On the AEC Setup toolbar, click the Set Current Display Configuration
icon

2 On the submenu, select Proof of Areas.

NOTE In the Proof of Areas view, only the area decomposition is visible. You
can see no architectural objects like doors, walls, or windows. If you want to
display those objects, together with the decomposition, you need to switch
them on in the Set Proof of Areas display representation set.
For information about display representation sets, see Display Sets on page
103.

Area Decomposition Settings

In Architectural Desktop, you can change the area decomposition settings
according to your preferences and office standards.
Because the decomposition is a part of the display properties of the area
object, the best way to organize them is with styles.
For information about area styles, see Area Styles on page 1181.

Layer/Color/Linetype Settings of the Area Decomposition

To set layer/color/linetype settings
1 Select the area for which you want to change the decomposition settings.
2 Select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the Decomposed display representation from the list.
5 Do any of the following:

1202

To change the decomposition settings for the selected area, select Area
in the Property Source column.

Chapter 30 Areas

To change the decomposition settings for all areas based on the current
style, select Area Style in the Property Source column.
To change the decomposition settings for all areas in the drawing,
select System Default in the Property Source column.

6 If no previous area or area style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column reads Empty. In this case, click Attach
Override to edit the style.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
9 Select the component for which you want to change Layer/Color/Linetype properties.
Display components in decomposed view
Component

Description

Additive Edge

Decomposition lines of an area with a positive value,

such as a room area

Subtractive Edge

Decomposition lines of an area with a negative value,

or a hole

Additive Label

Label for an area subdivision with a positive value

Subtractive Label

Label for an area subdivision with a negative value

Additive Height

Height lines of an area subdivision with a positive

value

Subtractive Height

Height lines of an area subdivision with a negative

value

Edge Dimension Text

Label for an area edge displaying its length

Height Dimensions

Label for a height line displaying its length

Defect Marker

Marker that appears when a display component

cannot be displayed.

10 In the column containing the information you want to edit, click the
desired information.

Method of the Area Decomposition

There are different methods of decomposing an area.

Area Decomposition

1203

In the Decomposition tab page, you can set the decomposition method you
prefer.

Trapezoid and Triangulated Area Decomposition

To set the decomposition method

1 Select the area for which you want to change the decomposition settings.
2 Select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the Decomposed display representation from the list.
5 Do any of the following:

1204

To change the decomposition settings for the selected area, select Area
in the Property Source column.
To change the decomposition settings for all areas based on the current
style, select Area Style in the Property Source column.
To change the decomposition settings for all areas in the drawing,
select System Default in the Property Source column.

Chapter 30 Areas

6 If no previous area or area style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column is Empty. In this case, click Attach
Override to edit the style.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Decomposition tab.
9 Select a decomposition method in the Type list.
10 Choose an explosion mode.

Choose Lines if you want the area to change into single lines after
exploding it.
Choose Faces if you want the area to change into closed polylines after
exploding it.

Text Settings for the Area Decomposition

You can add further modifications to the numbers of the area subdivisions as
well as to the edge and height annotations.
To set text settings
1 Select the area for which you want to change the text settings.
2 Select Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the Decomposed display representation from the list.
5 Do any of the following:

To change the text settings for the selected area, select Area in the Property Source column.
To change the text settings for all areas based on the current style, select
Area Style in the Property Source column.
To change the text settings for all areas in the drawing, select System
Default in the Property Source column.

6 If no previous area or area style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column is Empty. In this case, click Attach
Override to edit the style.
7 Click Edit Display Props.
8 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Proof tab.
9 Enter a prefix for the numbers of the area subdivisions. If you want no prefix, leave the Prefix field empty.
10 To change the text style of the numbers of the area subdivisions, click Text
Style.

Area Decomposition

1205

11 In the Text Style dialog box, enter all settings for the text style, and click
Apply to return to the Proof dialog box. For information about the Text
Style dialog box, see Work with Text Styles in the online AutoCAD 2002
Users Guide.
12 To change the height of the labels of the area subdivisions, type a different
height.
13 To change the text style of the height and edge annotation, click Text
Style.
14 In the Text Style dialog box, enter all settings for the text style, and click
Apply to return to the Proof dialog box. For information about the Text
Style dialog box, see Work with Text Styles in the online AutoCAD 2002
Users Guide.
15 To change the height of the height and edge annotation, type a different
height.

Areas Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Area...

AreaAdd

Modify Area...

AreaModify

Create Area from Object...

AreaCreateFromObject

Area Styles...

AreaStyle

Join

AreaOpJoin

Operation Join

Subtract

AreaOpSubtract

Operation Subtract

Intersect

AreaOpIntersect

Operation Intersect

Modify Vertex

AreaVertexModify

Edit Vertices

Trim

AreaTrim

Operation Trim

Divide

AreaDivide

Operation Divide

Create Polyline

AreaCreatePline

1206

Chapter 30 Areas

Right-click (with area selected)

Area Modify...

Menu Command

Command Line

Area Name Definitions...

AreaNameDef

Calculation Modifier Styles...

AreaCalculationModifierStyle

Area Evaluation...

AreaEvaluation

Right-click (with area selected)

AreaRemoveRing

Edit Rings Remove Ring

AreaReverseRing

Edit Rings Reverse Ring

AreaReverseProfile

Edit Rings Reverse Profile

AreaAttach

Attach to Group

AreaDetach

Detach from Group

AreaStyleEdit

Edit Area Style...

AreaProps

Area Properties...

Area Decomposition

1207

1208

Chapter 30 Areas

Area Groups

31

In this section, you learn how to create area groups. Area

In this chapter

groups are an important part of the area evaluation. You

Creating area groups

can find information about how to attach areas to

groups and detach them again. You can also learn how

Creating area group templates

Creating area name definitions
Attaching areas to area groups

to create area group templates and area name definitions and work with them.

1209

Working with Area Groups

An area group is a container that can contain areas and other area groups.
Area groups are necessary when you want to create an evaluation of your
floor plan. You structure your existing areas into various groups, according to
different schemes. You can have functional groups, for example, construction areas or traffic areas. You can also have groups named apartment 1
ground floor, apartment 2 ground floor, and so on. Another way to organize
areas in area groups can be by special calculation rules, such as 50 percent.
(According to some international standards, there are certain types of rooms
that are allowed to be calculated with only 50 percent of their actual area
when you rent them to tenants. These include balconies porches, or rooms
under the roof with a room height of less than two meters).
Areas can be attached to any number of area groups. You could, for example,
attach a balcony area to both the groups 50 percent and apartment 1
ground floor.

When you create an area evaluation of the floor plan, you can choose groups
that are included in it and area groups that are not calculated.
For information about area evaluations of the floor plan, see Area Evaluation on page 1257.
You can create new area group structures or use predefined structures according to various area calculation standards. Predefined structures are called area
group templates and the Autodesk Architectural Desktop templates contain
a number of them.

1210

Chapter 31 Area Groups

An area group can be connected to an area name definition, a list of names

you can choose from when you create an area that is attached to the group
with the area name definition. This is a good way to ensure consistency in
the naming of areas.
Area groups and area group templates can also have calculation modifier
styles attached to them. A calculation modifier style is a formula you can
apply to an area group which changes the calculated result of the area group
value. You can create calculation modifier styles for a number of
purposes: you can, for example, have calculation modifier styles that calculate plaster deductions, subtract areas for construction, or calculate the
height of the tiling in a bathroom.

Creating Area Groups

Area groups are often placed in group structures, and are later used for the
area evaluation of the floor plan.
You can create new area group structures or use a predefined area group
template. If you are working often with the same structures, you should
create an area group template.
For information about area group templates, see Area Group Templates on
page 1245.
There are five basic steps to create a group structure:

Outline all the groups and subgroups you need for your group structure.
Outline the hierarchical and logical structure the groups are to have to
each other.
Create the groups needed.
Create the logical structure between the groups by attaching groups to
each other in a hierarchical structure.

Creating Area Groups

1211

For information about attaching areas to area groups, see Attaching Areas to
Area Groups on page 1178.

Creating a New Area Group

To create a new area group
1 From the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Add Area Group.
2 In the Add Area Group dialog box, type a name for your area group.

NOTE You can theoretically leave the name field empty, so that the group
is inserted without a name. However, you will have problems later when you
want to create an area evaluation of the floor plan. Therefore, it is recommended that you give every group a distinctive name.
3 Select a style for your area group. For information about area group styles,
see Area Group Styles on page 1225.
4 Click the drawing to insert the area group.
5 Do any of the following:

To create more area groups, repeat steps 24 for each new area group.
To exit the Add Area Groups dialog box, click Close.

Creating New Area Groups from a Group

Template
When you use the same group structure frequently, it is best not to create it
anew every time, but to create an area group template from which you then
create the group structure in the drawing.

1212

Chapter 31 Area Groups

Area group structure from German DIN277 template

For information about creating area group templates, see Area Group Templates on page 1245.
To create new area groups from a group template
1 From the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Add Area Group
from Group Template.
2 Select the area group template you want to create a group from.
3 Do any of the following:

Define the horizontal offset the groups in the structure are to have to
each other. You can do this by either entering a value in the Row Offset
field or by clicking
and defining the desired value on screen.
Define the vertical offset the groups in the structure are to have to each
other. You can do this by either entering a value in the Column Offset
field or by clicking

and defining the desired value on screen.

Define the vertical and horizontal offset in one step by clicking

and drag a rectangle for the offset into the screen.

NOTE If you do not enter a vertical or horizontal offset, a default offset

value is used.

Creating Area Groups

1213

4 Click the drawing to insert the area group structure.

5 Do any of the following:

To create more area group structures from group templates, repeat

steps 24 for each new area group.
To exit the Create Area Groups from Template dialog box, click Close.

Attaching Area Groups to Other Groups

After you have created the area groups you need, you need to structure them
by attaching area groups to other area groups and thereby creating a group
structure.
This step is not necessary when you have created your area groups from a
group template. In this case, the structure is already present. You can change
this structure manually after it has been inserted in the drawing. This is useful when you have one basic structure but need small variations for different
purposes. In this case, you would define the basic structure as an area group
template and make the smaller changes directly in the groups created from
the template.
Area group connections are not unique. You can attach one area group to any
number of other area groups.

1214

A main group can have any number of subgroups attached.

A subgroup can be attached to any number of higher level groups.

Chapter 31 Area Groups

To attach area groups to each other

1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Attach.
2 Select the area group you want to attach a subgroup to in the drawing.

NOTE When you are building a group structure, you build it from the top
down. You first select the main group and attach the first level of subgroups
to it. Then you select the first level subgroups and attach the second level subgroups to them. Finally, you attach areas to the groups.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Select the area groups you want to attach to the selected group.
5 Press ENTER to end your selection.
The connection between the two area groups is now displayed by a connecting line in the drawing.

TIP Another, quicker way to attach area groups to other area groups is to
select an area group, right-click, and chose Attach Areas / Area Groups from
the shortcut menu.

Detaching Area Groups from Other Groups

You can detach area groups from other area groups.
To detach area groups from other groups
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Detach.
2 Select the area group from which you want to detach a subgroup in the
drawing.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 Select the area groups you want to detach from the selected group.

NOTE You can detach only those area groups that are direct subgroups of
the group selected. If you have an area group structure where the group
Apartment 1 is attached to group First floor which, in turn, is attached to
top level group Apartment building you cannot select Apartment building and detach Apartment 1 from it.

Detaching Area Groups from Other Groups

1215

5 Press ENTER to end your selection.

The connection line between the two area groups does not display in the
drawing.

TIP Another, quicker way to detach area groups from other area groups is
to select an area group and chose Detach Areas / Area Groups from the shortcut menu.

Editing Area Groups

After you have created an area group, you can change its properties.
To edit an area group
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Modify Area Group.
2 Select the area group or groups you want to modify, and press ENTER to
end your selection.
3 Do any of the following:

Rename the area group.

Select a new area group style. For information about area group styles,
see Area Group Styles on page 1225.
Click
to edit the properties of the area group. For information
about area group properties, see Changing Area Group Properties on
page 1216.

4 When you are finished editing the area group, do any of the following:

Click Apply to apply your changes and remain in the Area Group Modify dialog box.
Click OK to apply your changes and exit the Modify Area dialog box.

Changing Area Group Properties

You can edit the properties of an area group. Area group properties include
general information like name and description, area group styles, access and
content restrictions, associated area name definitions, and the position of
the group within the structure.

1216

Chapter 31 Area Groups

Attaching Notes and Files to an Area Group

To attach notes and files to an area group
1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the area group, type in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the area group, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you must
exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data on page 1288 and Editing Schedule Data
on page 1288 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click Add and select one or more property sets.
10 To edit one of the properties, click in the row containing the value of the
property and type your changes.

NOTE You can edit only manual properties. Automatic properties, such as
the area and perimeter values, are filled by the object and can not be changed
here.
For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions
on page 1292 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 Do any of the following:

Editing Area Groups

1217

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Changing the Area Group Style Properties

Area group styles contain information about the display settings of the area
group. For information about how to define area group styles, see Area
Group Styles on page 1225.
To change the style of an existing area group
1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.
4 Select the style you want from the list.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Changing the Area Group Content Properties

Area groups can contain a number of properties, like associated name definitions and access restrictions.
To change the content properties of an existing area group
1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the Content tab.
4 To associate an area group with an area name definition, select a name set
from the list. When you later attach an area to this group, the list of names
from the definition is available for the area.
For information about creating area name definitions, see Area Name
Definitions on page 1236.
5 Define what object types can be attached to the group. You can choose
between areas, groups and both areas and groups.
6 Define the access rights for the group.

1218

Chapter 31 Area Groups

When you select Lock Group, this node cannot be repositioned within
the group hierarchy or deleted.
This selection has no effect on any sublevels of the group.

When you select Lock Sub Group, the subgroups on the next lower
level cannot be repositioned or deleted, nor can new subgroups on the
next lower level be attached.

This selection has no effect on the group directly.

7 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

NOTE This tab is not available when you have selected multiple area
groups.

Changing the Calculation Type of the Area Group

An area group contains two values that you can calculate in the evaluation
of the floor plan, perimeter value and area value. Depending on the value
you choose on the Calculation tab, this value is calculated later. This is also
the value calculation modifier styles area applied to.
For information about calculation modifier styles, see Attaching Calculation Modifier Styles to an Area Group on page 1220.
Use the calculation type area, for example, when you want to measure the
square meters of an apartment. This information would be useful should you
want to rent the apartment to tenants.
Use the calculation type perimeter, for example, when you want to find out
how many meters of baseboard material you need. This information would
be useful for a carpeting contractor.
In most cases, select both calculation types to ensure greatest flexibility and
use with different modifier styles.
To change the calculation type of an area group
1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the Calculation tab.

Editing Area Groups

1219

4 Indicate whether you want to calculate the area or perimeter value of the
area group. You can also select both values here.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

NOTE This tab is not available when you have selected multiple area
groups.

Attaching Calculation Modifier Styles to an Area Group

A calculation modifier style is a formula you can apply to an area group; it
changes the calculated result of the area group area or perimeter value. You
can create calculation modifier styles for a number of purposes: you can, for
example, have calculation modifier styles that calculate plaster deductions,
subtract areas for construction, or calculate the height of the tiling in a
bathroom.
For information about creating calculation modifier styles, see Calculation
Modifier Styles on page 1190.
In Changing the Calculation Type of the Area Group on page 1219, you
have defined that the value of the area group is calculated in the evaluation
of the floor plan. Depending on this value, you choose calculation modifier
styles.
Below are listed a number of examples for the calculation types:

If you have chosen the calculation type area, you could attach a modifier
style that divides the area by 50 percent. This is a common practice in
defining the rent for special room types like attics and balconies.
If you have chosen the calculation type perimeter, you could attach a modifier style that calculates the height of the tiling in bathrooms.
If you have chosen both calculation types, you can attach both modifier
styles.

To attach a calculation modifier style to an area group

1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the Evaluation tab.

1220

Chapter 31 Area Groups

4 Do any of the following:

To attach a calculation modifier style to the area group, click Attach.

To detach a calculation modifier style from the area group, click
Detach.
To sort calculation modifier styles, drag them to the desired position.

NOTE Calculation modifier styles are applied to the area group in the order
in which they are displayed in the list. The top calculation modifier style is
applied first, then the next one below it, and so on. Because a different order
can in some cases provide different results, take care to sort the calculation
modifier styles in the desired order.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

NOTE This tab is available for multiple area groups only when these groups
have the same modifier styles attached in exactly the same order.

Changing the Position of the Area Group Within the Group

Structure
On the Area Group tab, you can attach the area group to other area groups.
You can also change the hierarchical position of the area group within the
structure or detach the area group from other area groups.

NOTE You cannot attach an area group to itself; when you try selecting the
area group the property tabs of which your are editing right now, an error message is displayed.
To change the position of the area group within the group structure
1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the Area Group tab.
4 Do any of the following:

Editing Area Groups

1221

To attach the area group to another area group, select the area group.
To detach the area group from another area group, clear the area group.

NOTE There are different symbols for the check marks.

A black check mark means that you have selected this group directly. You can
clear this group directly.
A grey check mark indicates that you have selected a subgroup of the greymarked group. You cannot clear a grey mark directly: you need to clear the
black-marked subgroup to remove this selection.
A red circle means that you cannot attach a subgroup to this group. The
group has an access restriction that allows only areas to be attached and not
area groups.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

NOTE This tab is not available when you have selected multiple area
groups.

Changing Area Group Location Properties

To change the location properties of an area group
1 Open the Area Group Modify dialog box, as described in Editing Area
Groups on page 1216.
2 Click

3 In the Area Group Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

Choose the coordinate system the location values are relative to.
To relocate the area group, change the insertion point coordinates
X,Y,Z.
To change the angle of the area group, type the desired value into the
Angle field.
To change the area group normal, change the X, Y, and Z normal values.

5 Do any of the following:

1222

Chapter 31 Area Groups

To close the dialog box and return to the Area Group Modify dialog
box, click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Creating an Area Group Layout

When you have created a complex area group structure with many levels, it
can become difficult to recognize the hierarchical structure of the groups. To
sort the group nodes according to their hierarchical positions, Architectural
Desktop offers you an easy-to-use command.

Ordering area group structures

To create an area group layout

1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Area Group Layout.
2 In the drawing, click the main node of the area group structure you want
to sort.
The area group structure is sorted according to the default values of the
Area Group Layout dialog box.
3 Do any of the following:

If you are satisfied with the area group layout displayed in the drawing,
press ENTER to close the Area Group Layout dialog box.
If you want a different horizontal and vertical spacing between the
group nodes, type the desired values in the Row Offset and Column
Offset fields, or click

and define the desired values on screen.

Editing Area Groups

1223

Creating Polylines from Area Groups

You can create polylines from an area group you have created.
This is useful, for example,

When you want to export the floor plan to an application that can process
only polylines
When you want to remove a hole from an area
When you want to create walls or spaces from areas

Creating polylines from area groups

After you have converted your areas to polylines, you can also reconvert
them to areas, if you wish.
To create a polyline from an area
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Create Polyline.
2 Select the area groups you want to create a polyline from.
3 Press ENTER to end you selection.
4 Select if you want to create polylines from all attached areas in the group
or only from the areas directly attached to the group.
5 Press ENTER to confirm you selection.
On top of your areas, standard AutoCAD polylines have been created. You
can edit them as any other polyline.

1224

Chapter 31 Area Groups

TIP When polylines are lying above areas, it can be difficult to select the
area without the polyline. Try one of the following:

Press CTRL, and click the boundary. Then click until the area boundary
is highlighted.
If the area hatch is displayed, click the hatch.
Use the Quick Select command from the shortcut menu.

Area Group Styles

A style is a collection of display properties for an area group. Display properties are applied to the area group as well as to areas attached to the group.
You can use area group styles for

Different area group types

You can create groups for construction areas, calculated areas, base areas,
traffic areas, or other areas with different display properties. You could, for
example, draw and hatch all areas in the construction group, create the
traffic area group in blue with a solid fill, and so on.

Living rooms and construction areas with different styles

Different calculation standards

You can create area group styles for area groups according to national calculation standards (like the German DIN 277), groups for areas that are
rented, or groups for demolition areas.

When you create an area evaluation, you can select area groups that are
included in the evaluation and are groups that are excluded.

Area Group Styles

1225

Creating New Area Group Styles

You can create new area group styles, or you can copy an existing area group
style and modify it according to your needs. Both options are described in
the following sections.

Creating a New Area Group Style

You can create a new area group style. This method is most appropriate when
you need full control over every aspect of your drawing environment and
have numerous requirements for the style.
To create a new area group style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Group styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Group style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Area Group style type selected, choose New from the shortcut
menu.
3 Type a name for the new Area Group style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Area Group style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Group Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
to the style and change the display properties of the new style. For more
information about changing each style property, see Changing Area
Group Style Properties on page 1228.
5 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Area Group Style from an Existing Style

Apart from creating a new area group style, you also have the option of copying an existing style and modifying only the attributes you want to change.
This method is time-saving and efficient, especially when there are only
minor modifications to be made.
To create a new area group style from an existing style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Group Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.

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The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Group styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Group style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the area group style type, right-click,
and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the area group style type above the copied area group style,
or the area group style to be copied, right-click, and choose Paste from the
shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing style is created, with a numeral appended to the
name.

NOTE Another way of copying an existing style is to use Microsoft Windows Copy and Paste buttons from the toolbar.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new Area Group style, select the style
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Group Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
to the style and change the display properties of the new style. For more
information about changing each style property, see Changing Area
Group Style Properties on page 1228.
6 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Area Group Styles

After you have created an area group style, you can modify it.
To modify an area group style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Group style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Area Group style type, select the Area Group style that you want
to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

Area Group Styles

1227

3 In the Area Group Style Properties dialog box, edit the area group style as
described in Changing Area Group Style Properties on page 1228.
4 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Area Group Style Properties

You can edit a number of settings in the area group style.

Attaching Notes and Files to an Area Group Style

To attach notes and files to an area group style
1 Open the Area Group Styles Properties dialog box, as described in Editing
Area Group Styles on page 1227.
2 In the Area Group Style dialog box, click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the Area Group style, type it in the Description
field.
4 To add a note to the Area Group style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data on page 1288 and Editing Schedule Data
on page 1288 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
8 To add a property set to the area group style, click Property Sets.
9 Click Add and select one or more property sets.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

10 To edit one of the properties, click in the row containing the value of the
property and type in your changes.

NOTE You can edit only manual properties. Automatic properties are filled
by the object and can not be changed here.
For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions
on page 1292 in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Layer/Color/Linetype Settings of an Area Group

Style
In addition to components belonging directly to the area group, components
of the area group style can include components of areas connected to the
group. The area group display settings control the boundary and the hatch
of connected areas as well.
To change the layer/color/linetype settings of an area group style
1 Open the Area Group Styles Properties dialog box, as described in Editing
Area Group Styles on page 1227.
2 In the Area Group Style dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
3 From the list, select one of the Plan display representations.
4 In the Property Source column, select Area Group Style.
5 If no previous area group style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column shows the text Empty. In this case,
click Attach Override to edit the style.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
8 Select the component for which you want to change Layer/Color/Linetype properties.

Area Group Styles

1229

Display components of an area group

Display components in plan views

Component

Description

Entity

Entity boundaries of any area directly connected to that area

group
NOTE The settings in the area group overwrite any settings
you have defined for the area directly.

Hatch

Hatch component of the area group symbol as well as that of

any area directly connected to the area group
NOTE The settings in the area group overwrite any settings
you have defined for the area directly.

Name

Area group name

Marker

Area group symbol

Group Connection
Line

Connecting line between the group and any connected

subgroups

Area Connection
Line

Connecting line between the group and any connected areas

9 In the column containing the information you want to edit, click the
desired information.
10 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
11 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

Changing the Hatching Settings of an Area Group Style

The hatch on an area group hatches the area group symbol and the areas
connected to this group. In this way, you can easily oversee the structure in
your drawing when you have many different areas and groups. The hatch is
also important when you want to create a coding legend out of the area
groups.
To change the hatching settings of an area group style
1 Open the Area Group Styles Properties dialog box, as described in Editing
Area Group Styles on page 1227.
2 In the Area Group Style dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
3 From the list, select the desired display representation.
4 In the Property Source column, select Area Group Style.
5 If no previous area group style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column reads Empty. In this case, click Attach
Override to edit the style.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Hatching tab.
8 Do any of the following:

Change the hatch pattern.

Change the Scale/Spacing settings.
Change the angle and the orientation of the hatch pattern.

NOTE The hatching properties you change here are the ones displayed in
the hatch of areas connected to the group you are editing.
9 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing Other Display Properties of an Area Group Style

In the Others tab of the Area Group Style dialog box, you can edit these
additional settings:
Marker Size: You can set the size of the area group symbol here. This is
especially useful when you want to create a coding legend from the group
structure.

Area Group Styles

1231

Text Style/Height: You can set and define a text style for the area group
name here. You can also define the height of the area group name here.
Draw All Areas: You can decide whether the display properties of the area
group are visible on the next lower level of attached areas only or on all
subsequent levels.

Draw all areas selected (top) and not selected (bottom)

To change other display properties of the area group style

1 Open the Area Group Styles Properties dialog box, as described in Editing
Area Group Styles on page 1227.
2 In the Area Group Style dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
3 From the list, select the one of the Plan display representations.
4 In the Property Source column, select Area Group Style.
5 If no previous area group style display settings have been made, the entry
in the Display Contribution column shows the text Empty. In this case,
click Attach Override to edit the style.
6 Click Edit Display Props.
7 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Other tab.
8 Do any of the following:

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

To change the size of the area group symbol, type a size in the Width
and Height fields.

NOTE If you want the area group marker always displayed in 1/50 of the
screen size, click Use Display Scale.

Define whether the area group display properties are used only for the
next level of areas and area groups, or whether they are used for all
attached subgroups and areas.
If you want the display properties of the group be used only for the
next lower level of subgroups and areas, clear Draw All Areas.

If you want the display properties of the group to be used for all subsequent levels of subgroups and areas, select Draw All Areas.

To choose another text style for the area group name, select one from
the list. To edit the text style for the area group name, click Text Style
and edit the text style in the Text Style dialog box.
To change the height of the area group name, type a new height into
the Height field.

9 When you finish changing the Area Group style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Area Group Styles

In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you can exchange area group styles
between drawings by importing and exporting between files. You can import
an area group style from an existing drawing.
To import an area group style
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Group styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Group style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.

Area Group Styles

1233

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the area group style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Area Group Styles to display the Area Group
styles in the drawing.
5 Select the area group style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Group Styles

You can export area group styles either to a new drawing or to an existing
drawing.

Exporting Area Group Styles to a New Drawing

To export area group styles to a new drawing
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Group styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Group style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the area group style type.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Export Area Group Styles to an Existing Drawing

You can export area group styles from the current drawing to another
drawing.
To export area group styles to an existing drawing
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Groups Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the area group style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the area group style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Area Group Styles

1235

Purging Area Group Styles

When you do not need an area group style any longer, you can purge it from
the drawing.
To purge area group styles
1 On the Documentation menu, select Area Group Area Group Styles to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the area group style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused area group style in your current drawing,

select the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused area group styles in your current drawing, with
the area group style type selected, choose Purge from the shortcut
menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Area Name Definitions

An area name definition is a list of name proposals for a new area. It is displayed when you create an area associated to a group.
Area name definitions can be attached to area groups either directly with the
area group properties or with an area group template. Whenever you attach
an area to an area group, you have access to the area name definition associated with this group.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

For information about area group templates, see Area Group Templates on
page 1245.

Using an area name definition is useful when you are working with a standard group template. In such cases, area names often must follow certain
standards that you should not change.
A number of area name definitions have been included in the templates.

NOTE The area name definition works only as a naming guideline. If you have
connected the area group with a name definition, you can either choose one of
the names from the list or manually type a different one.
To use an area name definition you need to perform three basic steps:

Create an area name definition, as described in the following sections.

Connect that area name definition to an area group or an area group
template.
For information about connecting area name definitions to area groups,
see Changing the Area Group Content Properties on page 1218.
For information about connecting area name definitions to area group
templates, see Changing Area Group Template Properties on page 1248.

Create a new area that is connected to an area group with an area name
definition.

Creating New Area Name Definitions

In the Style Manager, you can create new area name definitions or you can
copy an existing area name definition and modify it according to your needs.
Both options are described in the following sections.

Creating a New Area Name Definition

You can create a new area name definition. Thus, the list of name proposals
is empty and must be filled with entries.

Area Name Definitions

1237

To create a new area name definition

1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Name definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Area Name Definition type selected, choose New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new Area Name definition, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the properties of your new Area Name Definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Name Definition Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the definition and create a list of name definitions. For more
information about changing the definition, see Defining the Content of
an Area Name Definition on page 1240.
5 When you finish changing the Area Name Definition properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Area Name Definition from an Existing

Definition
Apart from creating a new area name definition from scratch, you also have
the option of copying an existing area name definition and modifying only
the attributes you want to change. This method is time-saving and efficient,
especially when there are only minor modifications to be made.
To create a new area name definition from an existing definition
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Name definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing name definition to copy under the area name definition
type, right-click, and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the area name definition type above the copied area name
definition, or the area name definition to be copied, right-click, and
choose Paste from the shortcut menu.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

A copy of the existing definition is created, with a numeral appended to

the name.

NOTE Another way of copying an existing definition is to use Microsoft

Windows Copy and Paste buttons from the toolbar.
4 To rename the definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose
Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new definition, and
press ENTER.
5 To edit the properties of your new Area Name definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Name Definition Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the definition and create a list of name definitions. For more
information about changing the definition, see Defining the Content of
an Area Name Definition on page 1240.
6 When you finish changing the Area Name definition properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Area Name Definitions

Once you have created an area name definition, you can modify it.
To edit an area name definition
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definition type is selected within the current
drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree
view.
2 Under the Area Name definition type, select the Area Name definition
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Edit the Area Name definition as described in the following sections.
4 When you finish changing the Area Name Definition properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Area Name Definitions

1239

Defining the Content of an Area Name Definition

An area name definition consists of a list of names that you can choose from
when you want to name an area.
To define the content of an area name definition
1 Open the Area Name Definition Properties dialog box, as described in
Editing Area Name Definitions on page 1239.
2 Click the Content tab.
3 Do any of the following:

To add a new entry to the area name definition, click New and type the
entry name in the list window.
To rename an existing entry, select the entry in the list window, click
Rename, and type the new name.
To delete an existing entry, select the entry in the list window, and click
Delete.

4 When you finish changing the Area Name definition properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to an Area Name Definition

To attach notes and files to an area name definition
1 Open the Area Name Definition Properties dialog box, as described in
Defining the Content of an Area Name Definition on page 1240.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

2 In the Area Name Definition Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the Area Name definition, type it in the Description field.
4 To add a note to the Area Name definition, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish changing the Area Name definition properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Area Name Definitions

You can import an area name definition from an existing drawing.
To import area name definitions
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Name definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the definition that you want to copy to your current
drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the definition that you want to copy, and click
Open.

Area Name Definitions

1241

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Area Name definition type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Area Name Definitions to display the Area
Name definitions in the drawing.
5 Select the Area Name definition that you want to copy, and choose
Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing
already contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are
displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Name Definitions

You can export area name definitions either to a new drawing or to an
existing drawing.

Exporting Area Name Definitions to a New Drawing

To export area name definitions to a new drawing
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Name Definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the definition to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Area Name definitions type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
7 Click OK to exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Name Definitions to an Existing Drawing

You can export an area name definition from the current drawing to another
drawing.
To export area name definitions to an existing drawing
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Name Definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the definition to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the definition to, and click
Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Area Name definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.

Area Name Definitions

1243

To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,

select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
8 Click OK to exit the Style Manager.

Purging Area Name Definitions

When you do not need an area name definition any longer, you can purge it
from the drawing.
To purge area name definitions
1 On the Documentation menu, select Areas Area Name Definitions to
open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Area Name definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Area Name definitions type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused Area Name definition in your current drawing, select the definition under the definition type, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused Area Name definitions in your current drawing,
with the Area Name definition type selected, right-click, and choose
Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

Area Group Templates

An area group template is a definition for an area group structure in the drawing. You define the group template as a hierarchical structure with certain
properties, which is then used to create the group structure in the drawing.

Area group structure from German DIN277 template

However, an area group template can be used only to create a group structure.
Later changes to the area group template are not copied to existing groups
based on this group template. If you have, for example, a group template
named Apartment Building, which contains the subgroups First floor
and Second floor,, and you create a group from it, this group contains the
subgroups First floor and Second floor, according to the group template.
When you later change the group template to contain another subgroup
named Third floor the existing group is not updated accordingly. Only new
groups you create after the change have the new subgroup Third floor.
Similarly, when you change a group that has been based on a group template,
those changes do not flow back into the group template.
You should create area group templates for all structures you need frequently
and provide them through Architectural Desktop templates.
Area group templates can be imported and exported between drawings.

Creating New Area Group Templates

You can create your own area group templates.

Area Group Templates

1245

Creating a New Area Group Template

To create a new area group template
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed
under the area group template type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the area group template type selected, right-click, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new area group template, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the properties of your new area group template, select the template, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Group Template Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the template and define the structure of the template. For more
information about changing each property, see Editing Area Group Templates on page 1247.
5 When you finish changing the area group template properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New Area Group Template from an Existing

Template
To create an area group template from an existing template
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed
under the area group template type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing template to copy under the area group template type,
right-click, and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
3 Select either the area group template type above the copied area group
template, or the area group template to be copied, right-click, and choose
Paste from the shortcut menu.
A copy of the existing template is created, with a numeral appended to the
name.

1246

Chapter 31 Area Groups

NOTE Another way of copying an existing template is to use Microsoft

Windows Copy and Paste buttons from the toolbar.
4 To rename the template, select the template, right-click, and choose
Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new template, and
press ENTER.
5 To edit the properties of your new template, select the template, rightclick, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Group Template Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the template and define the structure of the template. For more
information about changing each property, see Editing Area Group Templates on page 1247.
6 When you finish changing the template properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Area Group Templates

Once you have created an area group template, you can modify it.
To edit an area group template
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed
under the area group template type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 To edit the properties of your area group template, select the template,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Area Group Template Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the template and define the structure of the template. For more
information about changing each property, see Changing Area Group
Template Properties on page 1248.
3 When you finish changing the area group template properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Area Group Templates

1247

Changing Area Group Template Properties

When you create an area group template, you set the structure as well as
properties like calculation types, modifier styles, and name definitions. Every
group you create from this set has the same structure and properties. For
information about area groups, see Creating Area Groups on page 1211.

To change the properties of a area group template

1 Open the Area Group Template Properties dialog box, as described in
Editing Area Group Templates on page 1247.
2 Click the Content tab.
On the left side of the Content tab is a tree structure that displays the
structure of the area group template with all groups and subgroups. If you
are creating a new area group template, only the top level group node is
present. All other subgroups are yet to be inserted.
You can navigate in this tree structure as you would in Microsoft Windows
Explorer.

1248

A (+) sign in front of a group signifies that this group has more subgroups.
A (-) sign in front of a group signifies that all subgroups are already
displayed.

Chapter 31 Area Groups

When there is no sign in front of a group, the group has no more subgroups.

3 Add the desired subgroups to your group template.

The structure window has a shortcut menu with the following commands:

Area group template shortcut menu

Shortcut menu
command

Description

New

Creates a new subgroup under the group you have

selected.

Rename

Lets you rename the group selected in the structure

window.
NOTE You can also rename a group in the General area
on the right side of the Definition tab or click F2.

Delete

Deletes the group selected from the group structure.

NOTE When you delete a group, all its subgroups are
deleted with it.

NOTE To rearrange groups within the structure, use standard Microsoft

Windows navigation features.
4 Enter a description for the group node.
5 If desired, attach a name set to the group node. For information about area
name definitions, see Area Name Definitions on page 1236.
6 Select an area group style for the group node. For information about area
group styles, see Area Group Styles on page 1225.
7 Define what object types can be attached to the group node. You can
choose between areas, groups and both areas and area groups.
8 Define the access rights for the group node.

When you select Lock Group, this node cannot be repositioned within
the group hierarchy or deleted.
This selection has no effect on any sublevels of the group.

Area Group Templates

1249

When you select Lock Sub Group, the subgroups on the next lower
level cannot be repositioned or deleted, nor can new subgroups be
attached.
This selection has no effect on the group node directly.

9 Select the calculation type used for that group node in the calculation of
the floor plan.
For example, you have two different area group nodes, one to calculate
how many square meters of carpet you need (group carpet) and another
one to calculate how many meters of baseboard you need (group baseboard). For the carpet group node, you need the calculation of the area;
therefore you select the area calculation type. For the baseboard group
node, you need a calculation of the perimeter; therefore, you use the
perimeter calculation type.
If necessary, you can select both calculation types here when want both
values to appear in the evaluation.
10 Select one or more calculation modifier styles to be applied to the group
node.
If you have, for example, created a group node named balconies you can
attach a calculation modifier style that calculates all area values in this
group with only 50 percent.

NOTE Calculation modifier styles accumulate. If you have attached a 50percent calculation modifier style to the area directly, and then attach the
area to a group which also has a 50 percent calculation modifier style, the
resulting area value is 25 percent, because both calculation modifier styles are
applied.
11 Click Attach.
12 In the Select an Area Calculation Modifier Style window, select the calculation modifier style you want to attach to the area group, and click OK.
The Architectural Desktop templates contains a number of commonly
used calculation modifier styles.
13 To detach an existing calculation modifier style, select it from the list, and
click Detach.
14 When you finish changing the area group template properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
15 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

Attaching Notes or Files to an Area Group Template

To attach a note or file to an area group template
1 Open the Area Group Template Properties dialog box, as described in
Editing Area Group Templates on page 1247.
2 Click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the area group template, type it in the Description
field.
4 To add a note to the area group template, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish changing the area group template properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Area Group Templates

You can manage area group templates efficiently by creating them all in one
drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other drawings as needed.
To import area group templates
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed

Area Group Templates

1251

under the area group templates type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the template that you want to copy to your current
drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the template that you want to copy, and click
Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the area group templates type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Area Group Templates to display the area
group templates in the drawing.
5 Select the area group templates that you want to copy, and choose
Edit Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The template is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing
already contains a template with the same name, the duplicate names are
displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate template names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing template in the drawing with the new template of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing template in the drawing with the new template,
select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new template so both templates exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New template names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Group Templates

You can export an area group template to a new drawing or to an existing
drawing.

Exporting Area Group Templates to an Existing Drawing

To export area group templates to an existing drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager.

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Chapter 31 Area Groups

The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed
under the area group templates type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the template to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the template to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the area group templates type.
4 Select the template in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The template is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate template names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing template in the drawing with the new template of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing template in the drawing with the new template,
select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new template so both templates exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New template names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Area Group Templates to a New Drawing

To export area group templates to a new drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed
under the area group template type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the template to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.

Area Group Templates

1253

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the area group template type.
4 Select the template in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The template is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging Area Group Templates

To purge area group templates
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Area Groups Area Groups
Templates to open the Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The area group templates in the current drawing are displayed
under the area group template type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused area group template in your current drawing,

select the template under the template type, right-click, and choose
Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused area group templates in your current drawing,
with the area group template type selected, right-click, and choose
Purge from the shortcut menu.

NOTE Unlike purging styles, there is no warning message when you try to
delete area group templates used by area groups. Because the connection
between area group templates and area groups exists only during creation of
the area group, area groups are not affected by the deletion of the area group
template.
3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

1254

Chapter 31 Area Groups

Areas Groups Command List

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with area group

selected)

Add Area Group...

AreaGroupAdd

Area Group Modify...

Create Area Groups from

Template...

AreaGroupCreatefromTemplate

Modify Area Group...

AreaGroupModify

Area Group Styles...

AreaGroupStyle

Attach

AreaGroupAttach

Attach Areas / Area Groups

Detach

AreaGroupDetach

Detach Areas / Area Groups

Create Polyline

AreaGroupCreatePline

Area Groups Templates...

AreaGroupTemplate

Area Group Layout...

AreaGroupLayout
AreaGroupStyleEdit

Edit Area Group Style...

AreaGroupProps

Area Group Properties...

Area Group Templates

1255

1256

Chapter 31 Area Groups

Area Evaluation

32

In this chapter, you learn how to define the correct set-

In this chapter

tings for an area evaluation and how to create evalua-

Setting evaluation options

tion documents in various formats.

Exporting evaluations to XLS

Exporting evaluations to TXT
Creating evaluation templates

1257

Working with the Area Evaluation

The area evaluation is a documentation feature that calculates and evaluates
the area information of your finished floor plan. This information is displayed in an separate file that you export from Autodesk Architectural
Desktop to a spreadsheet or word processing application. Templates ensure
that the information is displayed in a consistent, structured way.
Architects need the area evaluation feature for submitting floor plans to the
building authorities and their customers. It can also be used for performing
cost estimates, assigning jobs to contractors, or organizing the facilities management of buildings.
You can create evaluations for

Selected areas and area groups in the current drawing

Selected areas and area groups from different open drawings
All areas and area groups in a drawing
All areas and area groups from all open drawings
External references from all open drawings

Preparing the Area Evaluation

Before you create an evaluation file, you first need to select the areas to be
included as well as set a number of options that control the exported output.

Selecting Areas
The first step to create an area evaluation is to select the areas and area groups
you want to include in the evaluation.
To select areas for the area evaluation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Evaluation.

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Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

In a tree view on the left side, all open drawings are displayed with all
areas and area groups contained in them.
When you highlight one of the areas or groups in the tree structure, information about that item is displayed on the right side:

Name and description of the area/area group

Base and calculated area
Base and calculated perimeter
Calculation type for the area/area group
Modifiers attached to the area/area group

2 To also display areas and area groups from external references in your
open drawings, click

NOTE Areas and area groups from external references are displayed with
the External References icon in the tree. However, you can select them in the
same way as other areas and area groups.
3 Select the areas and area groups you want to include in the evaluation of
the floor plan.

Preparing the Area Evaluation

1259

To include an area or area group in the evaluation, select the area or

area group.
To exclude an area or area group from the evaluation, clear the area or
area group.

NOTE There are different colors for the check marks.

A black check mark means that you have selected this area or group directly
for evaluation. You can clear this mark directly.
A grey check mark means that you have selected a subgroup or attached area
of the grey-marked area group. This does not mean that the grey-marked
supergroup is included into the evaluation; if you want to include them, you
need to select them directly.
A blue check mark means that you have selected a supergroup of the bluemarked group or area. The blue-marked subgroup is added into the evaluation because it is a subgroup or attached area of a group already selected.

Evaluation Content
Before you create an area evaluation, you must first define the values and the
categories you want in the evaluation file.
You can chose from these area components:
Evaluation content for areas

1260

Component

Description

Name

Name of the area, for example:

Living Room

Description

Description of the area, for example:

Main Living Room, Ground Floor

Overview Image

Graphic image of the area evaluated in bitmap format

Base Area Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Base Area 50 m2

Base Area Result

Value of the area without any calculation modifier

styles taken into account, for example:
Base Area 50 m2

Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

Evaluation content for areas (continued)

Component

Description

Calculated Area Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Calculated Area 48.5 m2

Calculated Area Result

Value of the area with calculation modifier styles taken

into account, for example:
Calculated Area 48.5 m2

Modifier Label

Prefix showing the name of the modifiers, for

example:
Plaster deduction 50 * 0.97 = 48.5 m2

Modifier Expression

Formula of calculation modifier styles applied to areas,

for example:
Plaster deduction 50 * 0.97 = 48.5 m2

Modifier Result

Resulting value of any applied area calculation

modifier styles, for example:
Plaster deduction 50 * 0.97 = 48.5 m2

Proof Label

Number of the area subdivisions plus any prefixes you

may have set, for example:
TF 1 (I): 0.5 * 7.591 * 4.156 = 15.772

Proof Expression

Formula of the decomposition method applied to the

area, for example:
TF 1 (I): 0.5 * 7.591 * 4.156 = 15.772

Proof Result

Result of the area decomposition, for example:

TF 1 (I): 0.5 * 7.591 * 4.156 = 15.772

Decomposed Image

Graphic image of the area decomposition

Base Perimeter Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Base Perimeter 30 m

Base Perimeter Result

Value of the area without any calculation modifier

styles taken into account, for example:
Base perimeter 30 m

Calculated Perimeter
Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Calculated Perimeter 29.1 m

Calculated Perimeter
Result

Value of the perimeter with calculation modifier styles

taken into account, for example:
Calculated Area 29.1 m

Preparing the Area Evaluation

1261

Evaluation content for areas (continued)

Component

Description

Modifier Label

Prefix showing the name of the modifier, for example:

Plaster deduction: 30 * 0.97 = 29.1 m

Modifier Expression

Formula of calculation modifier styles applied to areas,

for example:
Plaster deduction: 30 * 0.97 = 29.1 m

Modifier Result

Resulting value of any applied area calculation

modifier styles, for example:
Plaster deduction: 30 * 0.97 = 29.1 m

You can chose from these informations for area groups:

Evaluation content for area groups

1262

Component

Description

Name

Name of the area group

Description

Description of the area group

Overview Image

Graphic image of the area group and all its associated

area boundaries

Base Area Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Base Area 75 m2

Base Area Result

Value of the area groups total area without any

calculation modifier styles taken into account, for
example:
Base Area 75 m2

Calculated Area Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Calculated Area 72.75 m2

Calculated Area Result

Value of the area group total area with calculation

modifier styles taken into account, for example:
Calculated Area 72.75 m2

Modifier Label

Prefix showing the name of the modifier style

attached to the area group, for example:
Group deduction 75 * 0.97 = 72.75 m2

Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

Evaluation content for area groups (continued)

Component

Description

Modifier Expression

Formula of calculation modifier styles applied to the

area group, for example:
Group deduction 75 * 0.97 = 72.75 m2

Modifier Result

Resulting value of any applied area group calculation

modifier styles, for example:
Group deduction 75 * 0.97 = 72.75 m2

Base Perimeter Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Base Perimeter 50 m

Base Perimeter Result

Value of the area groups total perimeters without any

calculation modifier styles taken into account, for
example:
Base Perimeter 50 m

Calculated Perimeter
Label

Fixed prefix showing the type of the numbers, for

example:
Calculated Perimeter 48.5 m

Calculated Perimeter
Result

Value of the area groups total perimeters with

calculation modifier styles taken into account, for
example:
Calculated Perimeter 48.5 m

Modifier Label

Prefix showing the name of the modifier attached to

the area group, for example:
Group deduction 50 * 0.97 = 48 m2

Modifier Expression

Formula of calculation modifier styles applied to the

area group, for example:
Group deduction 50 * 0.97 = 48.5 m

Modifier Result

Resulting value of any applied area group calculation

modifier styles, for example:
Group deduction 50 * 0.97 = 48.5 m2

To set evaluation content

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Evaluation.
2 Click Options.
3 In the Evaluation Properties dialog box, click the Evaluation tab.
4 From the Select list, select areas or area groups.

Preparing the Area Evaluation

1263

5 In the list displayed select the values you want to appear in the evaluation
file. For a description of the individual values, see the table above.
6 If desired, repeat Step 45 for area groups.
7 Do any of the following:

To apply your changes and exit the Evaluation Properties dialog box,
click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Image Display Properties

If you want to export images of your areas and area groups in the evaluation
file, you need to define the image settings.
To set image display properties
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Evaluation.
2 Click Options.
3 In the Evaluation Properties dialog box, click the Image Display tab.

4 Select the drawing for which you want to set image properties.

NOTE If you want to create an evaluation file including several open drawings, you need to set the image properties for each open drawing separately.
5 Choose the desired color depth for the images in the evaluation file.
Choosing a high resolution enhances the quality of the images and also
enlarges the file size. If you are not sure about the correct resolution,
experiment with different settings until you have found the optimal one.

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Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

6 Select the following settings for the area boundary, the area group, and the
decomposed area:

Select the display configuration in which the chosen element (area,

area group, or decomposed area) is to be displayed in the exported evaluation file. For example, if you want to see your exported area boundary in Plan 1-100, select Plan 1-100.

NOTE In the list, only those display configurations are displayed in which a
representation of the area, area group, or decomposed area is turned on.

Select the width and height of the exported images of the areas, decomposed areas, and area groups.

7 Do any of the following:

To apply your changes and exit the Evaluation Properties dialog box,
click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Data Format Style Properties

You can set different data format styles for different elements of the
evaluation file.

Area and Perimeter Results: The format of the resulting area and
perimeter values in the evaluation file
Example:
Calculated Perimeter = 33.778 m
Calculated Area = 88.532 m2
When you select Area Results or Perimeter Results in the tree on the left,
an additional checkbox, Additional Exact Value, is displayed on the right.
When you select this box, the area and/or perimeter values in the evaluation file display with the precision set in the data format style and, in an
extra column, with their exact precision without any rounding off.
Example:

Calculated Perimeter = 33.778 m

Exact Calculated Perimeter = 33.777692

m

Calculated Area = 88.532 m2

Exact Calculated Area = 88.5321423 m2

Preparing the Area Evaluation

1265

Area and Perimeter Calculation Modifier Style Expressions: The

formula you have used for calculation modifier styles, applied to the
resulting area or perimeter value, for example:
Plaster Deduction = 88.832 - 0.3

Area Proof: The format of the values of an area decomposition, for

example:
1 (I): 4.035 m2
2 (I): 27.141 m2
3 (I): 36.41 m2

NOTE For information about how to create data format styles, see Data
Format Styles on page 1308.
To set data format style properties
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Evaluation.
2 Click Options.
3 In the Evaluation Properties dialog box, click the Data Format Styles tab.

4 In the Apply To window, select the element to which you want to assign
a data format style. You can choose from these elements:

1266

Area results
Area calculation modifier styles
Area proof
Perimeter results
Perimeter calculation modifier styles

Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

5 For Area Result and Perimeter Result, select when you want to display the
exact, not rounded of values additionally. To display exact, unrounded
values additionally, select Additional Exact Value. To display only the values rounded off according to the data format style used, clear Additional
Exact Values.
6 Select the drawing from which you want to take a data format style.
7 Select the desired data format style from the list.

NOTE The data format styles you select here are used for values from all
drawings included in the evaluation.
8 Do any of the following:

To apply your changes and exit the Evaluation Properties dialog box,
and click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Setting the Default Templates

When you create an evaluation document, it is saved as a spreadsheet (XLS)
file or a TXT (ASCII text format) file. For both file types you need template
files. To create an XLS file, you need an XLT template and to create a TXT
document, you need a TXT template.
Architectural Desktop includes a number of preset templates for most common uses. You can use those templates or modify them according to your
needs.
You can also create your own XLT and TXT templates in MicrosoftExcel or
any word processor with TXT capabilities, like NotePad or MicrosoftWord.
After a default template is set, it is used for all evaluations until you change
the default settings again. If you set no default template, you are prompted
for a template with every evaluation you create.
To set the default template
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Areas Area Evaluation.
2 Click Options.
3 In the Evaluation Properties dialog box, click the Templates tab.
4 Do any of the following.

To set a default template for exporting XLS evaluation files, type a file
name and directory path in the Excel Template File field.

Preparing the Area Evaluation

1267

To set a default template for exporting TXT evaluation files, type a file
name and directory path in the TXT Template File field.

TIP You can use the Browse buttons to navigate to the desired template file.

Creating the Area Evaluation Document

When you create the area evaluation document, you receive a new separate
file that contains the area information from one or several drawing files. This
file is saved as an XLS file or a TXT file, depending on your settings.

Creating an XLS Evaluation Document

One of the most frequently used formats for area evaluation documents is
XLS, the native file format of Microsoft Excel. It is a powerful spreadsheet file
format with numerous calculation and formatting abilities. You can easily
convert from Excel to widely used formats like CSV or DBF.
You can export text (results, modifier expressions, labels) and images (bitmap
previews of areas and groups). For a detailed list of elements that can be
exported, see Evaluation Content on page 1260.
You can create your own XLT templates into which the evaluation is then
integrated. For information about creating XLT templates, see Creating XLT
Templates on page 1269.
To create an XLS evaluation document
1 Prepare the area evaluation as described in Preparing the Area Evaluation on page 1258.
2 Click

3 Do any of the following:

If you have selected no default XLT template in the Evaluation Properties dialog box, you are prompted to select a template now.
If you have already selected a default template in the Evaluation Properties dialog box, proceed to step 4.

For information about setting default templates, see Setting the Default
Templates on page 1267.
4 Select a file directory and type a name for the XLS evaluation file.

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Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

5 Click Save.
The area evaluation file is saved to the specified file directory and named
as an XLS file. You can open it with Microsoft Excel or any other spreadsheet application with XLS capabilities.

Creating a TXT Evaluation Document

You can also export area evaluations in plain TXT format, and it is well suited
for running test evaluations while the design process is still going on.

WARNING! In TXT, you can only export text (results, modifier expressions,
labels). Images cannot be exported to TXT. If you need image export in the evaluation, use XLS instead.
You can create your own TXT templates into which the evaluation is then
integrated.
To create a TXT Evaluation Document
1 Prepare the evaluation as described in Preparing the Area Evaluation on
page 1258.
2 Click

3 Do any of the following:

If you have selected no default TXT template in the Evaluation Properties dialog box, you are prompted to select a template now.
If you already have selected a default template in the Evaluation Properties dialog box, proceed to step 4.

For information about setting default templates, see Setting the Default
Templates on page 1267.
4 Select a file directory and type a name for the area evaluation file.
5 Click Save.
The area evaluation file is saved to the specified file directory and named
as a TXT file. You can open it with any word processor with TXT capabilities.

Creating XLT Templates

When you export an evaluation into an Excel file, you use a XLT template
file as the basis for your XLS.

Creating the Area Evaluation Document

1269

There a number of predefined field settings you can use to format your XLT
templates:
Excel field definition
Field name

Description

AREA_EVALUATION_BEGIN

The row your evaluation begins

AREA_COLUMN_PICTURE

The column in which your exported images

are placed

AREA_COLUMN_DESCRIPTION

The column in which your labels, modifier

names and decomposed area names are
placed

AREA_COLUMN_EXPRESSION

The column in which your decomposition

expressions and modifier formulas are
placed

AREA_COLUMN_RESULT

The column in which all results are placed

AREA-COLUMN_EXACT_VALUE

The column in which the unrounded results

are placed

To create an XLT template for evaluation

1 Open Microsoft Excel.
2 Select the table cell in which you want to place a special type of information, such as pictures or results.
3 Click the name box in the upper left corner of the Excel sheet and type the
desired field definition.
4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all information types you want to place.
5 Define additional settings for your template. Settings you can set in an
XLT file include

Header and footer information

Company logos
Company fonts
Special cell formatting (borders, colors)

6 Save the resulting file with the extension XLT (Excel Template) to the
default directory you are using for templates.
7 When you create an area evaluation in Architectural Desktop the next
time, select this template.

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Creating the Area Evaluation Document

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Chapter 32 Area Evaluation

Schedules

33

Schedules are tables in your drawings that list specific

In this chapter

information about selected components in your build-

Adding schedule tags

ing model. You can create different types of schedules in

Autodesk Architectural Desktop by attaching schedule
data to objects and object styles in your drawing, and
then extracting and displaying the data in a schedule

Using schedule data

Creating property set

definitions
Creating data format styles
Creating schedule table styles

table or exporting it to an external file.

Because the schedule data is attached to the objects and
styles, you can create and update schedules in your
drawings. Rather than waiting until the end of a project
to create schedules in your drawings, you can create preliminary schedules that you can update later to reflect
changes in your drawings.

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Creating Schedules in Autodesk

Architectural Desktop
Schedules are tables in your drawings that list specific information about
selected components in your building model. You can create different types
of schedules in Autodesk Architectural Desktop by attaching schedule data to
objects and object styles in your drawing, and then extracting and displaying
the data in a schedule table or exporting it to an external file.
A number of elements allow you to create schedules in Autodesk Architectural Desktop:

schedule tables and schedule table styles

property set definitions
data format styles
schedule tags

Creating schedules in Autodesk Architectural Desktop

A schedule table is an object that provides the graphical representation of the

schedule data in your drawing. A schedule table style links the schedule to the
objects in the drawing and controls the formatting of the schedule table,
including the text height and spacing, columns, and headers. The schedule
table has display properties that control the visibility, layer, color, linetype,
lineweight, and linetype scale of its components.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

A sample door schedule

The schedule data that is reported in the schedule table is collected from the
objects in the drawing. Each column of information in the schedule table is
provided by a property set definition that you attach to the objects or object
styles that you are scheduling. A property set definition is a group of property
definitions, or related properties of the objects and object styles, that you
want to report in the schedule.

Using a property set definition to create a door schedule

All AEC objects and styles have two types of properties: automatic properties
and manual properties. Automatic properties are the properties that are built
into objects and styles when you create them, such as width, length, and
height. Manual properties are properties that are not part of the regular

Creating Schedules in Autodesk Architectural Desktop

1275

object or style properties, but that are properties that you want to report in
the schedule, like fire rating, manufacturer, or finish. Automatic properties
are automatically available to include in your property set definitions, but
you must create any manual properties of objects or styles that you want to
schedule.

Creating schedule data

When you create a property set definition, you apply it to either objects or
object styles. Automatic properties are dynamically retrieved from the object.
Most automatic properties should be put in a property set definition at the
object style level. For example, the properties Door Width and Door
Height can be obtained from any door object. Placing this property at the
style level provides a different value for every door object. It is not necessary
to replicate this property set for every instance of a door, since the value will
be automatically derived from each individual door object.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

Applying a property set to door styles

Data format styles are applied to each property definition within a property
set definition. Data format styles specify how the property definition data
displays in the schedule table. For example, you can use data formats to display a door that is six feet wide as 6-0, 6, or 6 ft.
You can use tags in your drawings to graphically connect schedule data with
building model components. You can report schedule data in the tag by linking it to a property definition in a property set definition. When you anchor
the tag to an object that has the property set applied to it, the property displays in the tag. The information in the tag updates if the object or property
changes.
You can take at least three approaches to creating schedules in your drawing.
You can use the default schedule information provided with the Autodesk
Architectural Desktop templates; you can import schedule table styles from
an existing drawing; or you can create your own custom schedule table styles
in your drawing. You can access the default tags, property set definitions, and
schedule tables in drawings located in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural
Desktop 3\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules.
To create your own schedules, use the following steps:

Creating Schedules in Autodesk Architectural Desktop

1277

To create a custom schedule

1 Create data format styles to control how schedule data is displayed.
For more information, see Data Format Styles.
2 Create property set definitions that can be applied to individual objects or
object styles to control which information and objects are going to be
tracked in the schedule table.
For more information, see Property Set Definitions.
3 Create your schedule table styles, which control how the schedule table is
displayed, what data is displayed, and how the data is sorted.
For more information, see Schedule Table Styles.
4 Attach schedule data to the objects and object styles that you want in your
schedule table. You can also attach schedule tags to these objects.
For more information, see Using Schedule Data, and Adding Schedule
Tags.
5 Add a schedule table to your drawing using the styles and objects that you
have selected.
For more information, see Schedule Tables.
6 Edit individual table cells to change values of manual properties, if necessary.
For more information, see Editing Table Cells.
7 Use the selection commands to add, remove, reselect, and show relationships with items from the table, if necessary.
For more information, see Schedule Table Selection.
8 Renumber schedule data, if necessary.
For more information, see Renumbering Existing Schedule Data.
9 Update schedule tables after objects within the schedule are changed.
For more information, see Updating a Schedule Table.
10 Export the finished schedule table to an external file, if necessary.
For more information, see Exporting Schedule Table Information.

Adding Schedule Tags

Schedule tags are symbols placed in your drawing to connect building model
components with lines of data in a schedule. Schedule tags usually display
data about the objects that they are attached to.

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When you add tags in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you anchor each tag
to an object in your drawing. Each tag is a multi-view block with attributes.
When the tag (multi-view block) is anchored to an object, values from the
schedule data of the object can be transferred to the tag attributes, as long as
the tag attributes are named in the following manner:
PropertySetName:Property
For example:
DoorStyles:DoorHeight

NOTE If you use extended names (names that contain spaces) for your property set definitions or your property definitions, you are not able to display those
objects automatically through the use of a tag anchor. Attribute definitions tags
cannot have extended names to match the schedule data.
Because the tag attributes are linked to the schedule data, the tag attribute
changes when the schedule data changes. To edit the information that displays in the tag, edit the schedule data. For more information, see Editing
Schedule Data.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes predefined tags, but you can create
your own tags. For more information, see Creating Custom Tags.

Displaying Schedule Data When You Insert a Tag

When you anchor a tag to an object, you can display the schedule data that
is attached to the object. Depending on the property set definitions that are
attached to the object that you are tagging, you can immediately edit or enter
schedule data.

NOTE If you are adding tags that contain automatic properties only, then it is
more efficient to turn this option off.
To display schedule data when you insert a tag
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 Click the AEC Content tab.
3 Select Edit Schedule Data Dialog During Tag Insertion.
4 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Adding Schedule Tags

1279

Adding Door and Window Tags

You can attach a schedule tag to doors and windows in your drawing.
To add a door or window tag
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tags Door & Window
Tags.
AutoCAD DesignCenter is displayed in Custom view with Architectural
Desktop as the top node.
2 Select the type of tag to attach to the door or window.
You can view the symbol in the preview pane.
3 Drag the tag into your drawing and then release the button at the location
for the symbol.
4 If necessary, do one of the following:

To change the tag symbol, type s (Symbol).

To add a leader to the symbol, type l (Leader).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader,
type d (Dimension Style).

5 Select the door or window to attach the tag to.

6 Specify the location of the tag.
7 If the Display Edit Schedule Data Dialog During Tag Insertion option is
selected in the AEC Content section of the Options dialog box, the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box is displayed. For more information, see Displaying Schedule Data When You Insert a Tag on page 1279.
If there is an appropriate property set defined within the current drawing,
or in the PropertySetDefs.dwg in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural
Desktop 3\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules, you can attach that information to the door or window. For more information about property sets,
see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
8 Click OK to place another door and window tag.
9 Press ENTER to exit the command.

Adding Object Tags

You can attach an object tag to a block reference or a multi-view block
reference.

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To add an object tag

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tags Object Tags.
AutoCAD DesignCenter is displayed in Custom view with Architectural
Desktop as the top node.
2 Select the type of tag to attach to the object.
You can view the symbol in the preview pane.
3 Drag the tag into your drawing and then release the button at the location
for the symbol.
4 If necessary, do one of the following:

To change the tag symbol, type s (Symbol).

To add a leader to the symbol, type l (Leader).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader,
type d (Dimension Style).

5 Select the object to attach the tag to.

6 Specify the location of the tag.
7 If the Display Edit Schedule Data Dialog During Tag Insertion option is
selected in the AEC Content section of the Options dialog box, the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box is displayed. For more information, see Displaying Schedule Data When You Insert a Tag on page 1279.
If there is an appropriate property set defined within the current drawing,
or in the PropertySetDefs.dwg in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural
Desktop 3\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules, you can attach that information to the object. For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
8 Click OK to place another object tag.
9 Press ENTER to exit the command.

Adding Room and Finish Tags

You can attach room finish, room, and space tags to spaces in your drawing.
To add a room or finish tag
1 From Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tags Room & Finish Tags.
AutoCAD DesignCenter is displayed in Custom view with Architectural
Desktop as the top node.
2 Select the type of tag to attach to the room or finish.
You can view the symbol in the preview pane.

Adding Schedule Tags

1281

3 Drag the tag into your drawing and then release the button at the location
for the symbol.
4 If necessary, do one of the following:

To change the tag symbol, type s (Symbol).

To add a leader to the symbol, type l (Leader).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader,
type d (Dimension Style).

5 Select the space to attach the tag to.

6 Specify the location of the tag.
7 If the Display Edit Schedule Data Dialog During Tag Insertion option is
selected in the AEC Content section of the Options dialog box, the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box is displayed. For more information, see Displaying Schedule Data When You Insert a Tag on page 1279.
If there is an appropriate property set defined within the current drawing,
or in the PropertySetDefs.dwg in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural
Desktop 3\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules, you can attach that information to the room or finish. For more information about property sets,
see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
8 Click OK to place another room or finish tag.
9 Press ENTER to exit the command.

Adding Wall Tags

You can attach a wall tag to walls in your drawing.
To add a wall tag
1 From Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tags Wall Tags.
AutoCAD DesignCenter is displayed in Custom view with Architectural
Desktop as the top node.
2 Select the type of tag to attach to the wall.
You can view the symbol in the preview pane.
3 Drag the tag into your drawing and then release the button at the location
for the symbol.
4 If necessary, do one of the following:

1282

To change the tag symbol, type s (Symbol).

To add a leader to the symbol, type l (Leader).
To change the dimension style used to create the leader,
type d (Dimension Style).

Chapter 33 Schedules

5 Select the wall to attach the tag to.

6 Specify the location of the tag.
7 If the Display Edit Schedule Data Dialog During Tag Insertion option is
selected in the AEC Content section of the Options dialog box, the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box is displayed. For more information, see Displaying Schedule Data When You Insert a Tag on page 1279.
If there is an appropriate property set defined within the current drawing,
or in the PropertySetDefs.dwg in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural
Desktop 3\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules, you can attach that information to the wall. For more information about property sets, see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
8 Click OK to place another wall tag.
9 Press ENTER to exit the command.

Anchoring a Tag to an Object

You can anchor an existing schedule tag to an object, or you can attach an
existing tag to another object.

NOTE If you copy a tag from one object to another, the tag remains anchored
to the original object. Use this command to re-anchor the tag to the new object.
To anchor an existing tag to an object
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tags Anchor Tag to
Object.
2 Select an existing tag in the drawing.
3 Select an object to anchor the tag to.

NOTE You can view the current relationship between schedule tags and
objects through the use of the display system. See the following section,
Viewing the Relationship Between Schedule Tags and Objects on page
1284.

Releasing an Anchored Tag

You can release a tag that is anchored to an object. After you release the tag,
you can re-anchor it to another object.

Adding Schedule Tags

1283

To release an anchored tag

1 Select the anchored tag, right-click, and choose Tag Anchor Release.

Viewing the Relationship Between Schedule Tags

and Objects
When you have many tags and are not sure which objects they are attached
to, you can view the current relationship between schedule tags and objects
by turning on the General display representation for Anchor Tag to Entity in
the current view.

Viewing the relationship between a door tag and a door

To view the relationship between schedule tags and objects

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Display Manager.
2 In the tree view at the left pane of the Display Manager, click the plus sign
(+) next to Sets.
3 Select the current display set. The current display set is in bold type in the
list under Sets.
4 At the right pane of the Display Manager, click Display Control.
5 In the Objects list, locate the Anchor tag to Entity object, and select the
Anchor Tag to Entity General display representation.
6 Click OK to exit the Display Manager.
7 Regenerate the drawing. The schedule tag is connected to the object it is
anchored to by an arc. The tag and object are attached from insertion
point to insertion point.

Creating Custom Tags

You can create your own tags that display schedule data about objects to
which you anchor them.

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When you create a tag, you need to determine the object that you intend tag,
and the information that you want to display inside the tag. Next, you need
to either create or identify a property set definition for the object that you
are going to tag. The property set definition must contain the property definition or definitions that contain the information that displays in the tag.
After you create or identify the property set that you want to use, you can
create the tag geometry and save it as a block with one or more attributes.
You must assign each attribute a unique name, formed from a combination
of the name of the property set definition and the property definition you
are linking it to:
PropertySetName:Property
Use the tag block to create a multi-view block and add it to the DesignCenter
using the Create AEC Content Wizard. When the tag is anchored to objects
that the property set definition applies to, the tag displays the property definition information as the value of its tag attribute.

Creating a tag

For example, you have a property set definition named DoorProps that contains a property definition named FireRating. The FireRating property definition contains the fire rating information for door objects. To create a door tag
that displays the fire rating of a door that it is anchored to, you must create
a block definition that contains an attribute definition of DoorProps:FireRat-

Adding Schedule Tags

1285

ing. Then you must create a multi-view block definition from the block definition you just created.

NOTE If you use extended names (names that contain spaces) for your property set definitions or your property definitions, you are not able to display those
objects automatically through the use of a tag anchor. Attribute definitions tags
cannot have extended names.
To create a custom tag
1 Identify or create a property set definition with a property definition that
you want to display in the tag.
The property set definition should be saved in PropertySetDefs.dwg, located
in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules.
2 Start a new drawing and create the tag geometry.
3 From the Draw menu, choose Block Define Attributes to define an
attribute name for the tag.
4 Under Attribute, in Tag, type the property set definition and property definition within the property set definition that you want to display in the
tag.
The tag must be defined as PropertySet:Property.

Defining an attribute for a custom tag

5 Specify values for the prompt, value, height, and justification, and click
OK.

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6 From the Draw menu, choose Block Make.

7 Type a name for the tag, and use the select objects button to define the
tag. Click OK.
8 Create a Multi-view block from the tag block.
See Creating a New Multi-View Block Definition, for more information.
9 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
10 Under Content Type, choose Custom Command.
11 Select the tag block and multi-view block under Current Drawing, and
click Add.
12 Link the tag to a property set definition by typing the following string
under Command String:
_AecAnnoScheduleTagAdd PropertySetDefs.dwg _Symbol TagName
_LEADER None _DIMSTYLE Current
where TagName is replaced with the name of the tag (multi-view block).
The PropertySetDef.dwg is located in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural
Desktop\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules folder. You can specify a
leader to create when you insert the symbol and specify a different dimension style for the leader by changing the value listed after LEADER and
DIMSTYLE in the command string.
13 Click Next, and specify the Insertion Options.
See Creating a New AEC Custom Command, for more information.

TIP It is also useful to view the settings for a tag in one of the tag drawings in
the c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules folder.
14 Click Next, and then click OK to exit the Create AEC Content Wizard.
15 Use the DesignCenter to add your custom tag to objects in your drawing.

Using Schedule Data

Objects to be included in schedule tables must have schedule data attached
to them. Because the schedule table is just a display object showing the
schedule data in the drawing, the schedule data must exist and be attached
to the objects in the drawing.
Schedule data is created from property set definitions. When you attach
schedule data to an object, any property definitions that apply to that object

Using Schedule Data

1287

or object styles are available to assign to the object. Automatic property set
definitions are provided by the object or style properties. You must enter
manual property set definition values.

Attaching Schedule Data

You must attach schedule data to objects that you intend to include in a
schedule table.
To attach schedule data to objects
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Attach/Edit
Schedule Data.
2 Select the objects to attach schedule data to.

NOTE A property set definition for the object type that you are selecting
must exist in the drawing, or no data is attached to the object.
3 In the Edit Schedule Data dialog box, click Add To, and select a defined
property set.
4 In the Add Property Sets dialog box, choose which property sets to attach
to the object, and click OK.
If necessary, you can click Remove to remove property sets from the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box.

NOTE If you selected more than one type of object in step 2, then you can
attach only the property set definitions that apply to all of the selected
objects.
5 Click OK to attach the property sets to the selected objects.

Editing Schedule Data

After you attach schedule data to an object, you can change that data or add
more property sets to the object.
To edit attached schedule data
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Attach/Edit
Schedule Data.
2 Select the objects (including schedule tags) with attached schedule data
that you want to change, and press ENTER.

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3 In the Edit Schedule Data dialog box, click Add to select a defined property
set.
If necessary, you can click Remove to remove property sets from the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box.
4 In the Add Property Sets dialog box, select the property sets to attach to
the object, and click OK.
5 Click OK to attach the property sets to the selected objects.

Attaching Schedule Data to Object Styles and

Definitions
You can attach schedule data directly to some object styles and definitions.
The object styles and definitions that you can attach schedule data to include
2D Section/Elevation styles, AEC Polygon styles, area group styles, area styles,
curtain wall styles, curtain wall unit styles, door styles, mask block definitions, multi-view block definitions, railing styles, roof slab styles, slab styles,
space styles, stair styles, structural member styles, wall styles, window assembly styles, and window styles.
Objects automatically inherit schedule data if they are created with a style or
a definition and have property sets defined and schedule data entered for
them.
To attach schedule data to objects styles and definitions
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the style or definition type that you want
to edit.
3 Select the style or definition that you want to edit, right-click, and choose
Edit from the shortcut menu.
The style or definition properties dialog box is displayed.
4 Click the General tab, and click Property Sets.

NOTE The Property Sets button is only available when editing the styles
and definitions listed above.
5 In the Edit Schedule data window, click Add.
The Add Property Sets dialog box is displayed with a list of the available
property sets that you can apply to the style or definition. The available

Using Schedule Data

1289

property sets are determined when the property sets are created. For more
information, see Defining What the Property Set Definition Applies To
on page 1294.
6 Select the property sets that you want to apply.
7 Populate the property fields with data by selecting the fields and typing
values.

NOTE Only manual properties can be edited. Automatic property values

are read directly from objects in the drawing.
8 When you finish, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
You can also attach schedule data while editing individual styles and definitions, or while creating new styles and definitions in the Style Manager.

Browsing Existing Property Data

Objects that have a property set definition attached to them are displayed in
the Browse Property Data dialog box. You can edit the property set attached
to each object, remove that property set from the object, and highlight the
object in your drawing.
To browse objects with property data attached
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Browse Data.
2 From the Property Sets window in the Browse Property Data dialog box,
select the object with the attached property set to view.
The Property Sets window displays all of the property set definitions currently in your drawing. When you highlight an individual object, the values from the attached property set are listed in the Values window.
3 Select Highlight to highlight the selected object in your drawing.

NOTE If the object is nested in a block, highlight does not highlight that
object.
4 Select or clear Format Data to view the data in the Value window as formatted or raw data using the schedule data format definition.
5 Click Edit to edit the schedule data attached to the selected object.

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6 Click Remove to remove the selected property set from the object to
which it is attached.
7 Click Refresh to show the results of the Edit and Remove buttons. If you
dont use Refresh after editing or removing items in the tree, the items stay
in the tree and display nothing in the Value window.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Browsing Existing Property Set Definition Data

You can display property set definitions and the objects that are attached to
them. Also, you can edit all of the objects with that property attached,
remove that property from all objects, and highlight all of the objects with
the selected property set attached.
To browse property set definition data
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Browse Data.
2 From the Property Sets window in the Browse Property Data dialog box,
select the property set to view.
The window displays all of the property set definitions currently in your
drawing. The description and what object the property set applies to are
displayed in the Values window.
3 Select Highlight to highlight the objects with the selected property set in
your drawing.

NOTE If the object is nested in a block, highlight does not highlight that
object.
4 Click Edit All to edit the schedule data.
The changes that you make to the schedule data apply to all of the objects
listed under the property set definition.
5 Click Remove All to remove the selected property set from the objects it is
attached to.
6 Click Refresh to show the results of the Edit and Remove buttons. If you
dont use Refresh after editing or removing items in the tree, the items stay
in the tree and display nothing in the Value window.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Using Schedule Data

1291

Renumbering Existing Schedule Data

When Integer or Auto Increment property definitions have been attached to
objects as schedule data, you can quickly set or reset numbered properties.
Deleting an instance of an object that is included in a schedule table would
be a reason to renumber the schedule data.
To renumber existing schedule data
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Renumber Data.
2 Select the Property Set to renumber. For more information about property
sets, see Property Set Definitions on page 1292.
3 Select the new start number if you want it to change.
4 Select the new increment value if you want it to change. Each number is
increased by this amount in the drawing when schedule data is renumbered. For example, if the start number is 1 and the increment is 3, the
sequence would number 1, 4, 7, 10, and so on.
5 Click OK to renumber the selected property set in the drawing.

Property Set Definitions

A property set definition contains specific types of data that can be tracked
by an object. A property set definition is an object that represents a userdefinable group of related object properties. For example, you could create a
property set definition named DoorProps that contains property definitions
for DoorNumber, DoorWidth, and FireRating. Each property has a name,
description, data type, data format, and default value.
Property set data can be defined either manually or automatically. Manual
property data is filled out by the user, while automatic property data is filled
out by the object that the property is attached to. For example, a Manufacturer property must be filled out manually for each object or object style,
while a Width property for a door can be answered automatically by the door
object. See Understanding Some Automatic Properties on page 1299 for
general information on automatic properties, as well as additional explanation of some properties for walls, slabs, roof slabs, doors, and structural members.
Property set definitions can be either style-based or object-based. Style-based
properties apply to all objects of a specific style, while object-based properties
apply to individual objects. It is beneficial for you to define a strategy for

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designing style-based vs. object-based property set definitions. For example,

you can assign all automatic properties as style-based properties.
All automatic properties should, if possible, be in style-based definitions,
since they can be answered by individual objects. However, you need to
determine whether a manual property should be in a style-based definition
or in an object-based definition based on how often information might
change. For example, a Manufacturer property will probably be the same for
every instance of a particular door style, so it should be in a style-based property. However, a Door Number property is different for each instance of a
door, so it should be in an object-based property.

Creating a New Property Set Definition

To create a new property set definition
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Property Set Definitions type selected, right-click, and choose
New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new property set definition, and press ENTER.

NOTE Using extended names makes this property set definition unusable
by schedule tags.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
After you create a new property set definition, you need to define what the
property set definition applies to. For more information, see Defining What
the Property Set Definition Applies To.

Creating a Property Set Definition from an

Existing Property Set Definition
To create a property set from an existing property set definition
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.

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1293

The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Property Set Definitions type,
and press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose
Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new definition, and
press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new property set definition, select the
style, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Defining What the Property Set Definition

Applies To
To define what the property set definition applies to
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Property Set Definitions definition type is selected within
the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree
view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Property Set Definitions type.
The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed.
3 Under the Property Set Definitions type, select the property set definition
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Property Set Definition Properties dialog box, click the Applies To
tab.
5 In the Applies to list, select Entities to apply the property set by object, or
select Styles and Definitions to apply the property set by style or definition.
Depending on what you select, one of the two lists in the dialog box
becomes available. The list in the left pane includes objects, and the list in

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the right pane includes style and definition types. The information in
both lists in arranged in alphabetical order.
6 Define which object styles and definitions or objects the property set
applies to. Do one of the following:

To define an object style- or definition-based property set, select the

styles or definitions in the right-hand list to determine which styles or
definitions the property set applies to.
To define an object-based property set, select the objects in the lefthand list to determine which objects the property set applies to. By
default, all the object types are selected. If all of the objects or none of
the objects are selected, then your property set can be attached to any
object type.

TIP Applying the property set definition to all objects slows your drawing performance because all objects in the drawing are scanned.
If the property set that you define contains data that are the same for all objects
created using a specific style, then choose a style-based property set. This eliminates the need for you to attach data for each instance of the object that you
create. Objects created using the style that has the property set assigned to it
automatically inherit the associated style-based data.
In general, automatic properties should only be within property set definitions
that are applied to styles or definitions.
7 Click OK to return to the Property Set Definitions dialog box.
8 When you finish changing the definition properties, click OK to return to
the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing a Property Set Definition

When you create a property set definition, you define what the property set
definition attaches to and how the information contained in the property set
is tracked and displayed.
To edit a property set definition
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.

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1295

The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the property set definition that you want to edit, right-click, and
choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Property Set Definition Properties dialog box, click the Definition
tab.
The property definitions stored in the property set display on this tab. You
can add, remove, or edit the individual property definitions.
4 To start the definition of a property, click Add.

NOTE If there is an existing property that you no longer need in the set,
select the property, and then click Remove.
5 Type the Name for the property. By default, the space for the property
name is left blank.

NOTE Using extended names (names that contain spaces) makes this
property set unusable by schedule tags.
6 To define a property by using properties already defined in your drawing,
select a property from the Start With list, and edit the fields.
7 Type a short description of the property definition.
The default value is the same as the property definition name. This text is
used as the default for a table heading.

NOTE If you change the name of the property later, the description stays
the same. If the old description no longer applies, you need to edit it.
8 Select or clear Automatic to set whether the data tracked is automatically
retrieved from the object it is attached to, or manually entered.
If Automatic is selected, you can specify the property of the object that the
definition queries by clicking Source. This option displays a dialog box
listing all the objects selected on the Applies To tab for this property definition. Only one property source may be selected per object type. For
more information, see Defining What the Property Set Definition Applies
To on page 1294.
9 Specify the type of data value.

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This value cannot be changed if the property set definition is being used
in the drawing. The Type option is unavailable if the Automatic option is
selected. Possible values are AutoIncrement, Integer, Real, Text, and True/
False.
The default value is used if you enter no data for this definition. This value
is used in the example field and as example data for schedule table columns. The Default option is not available when the Automatic option is
selected.

NOTE If you create a manual definition, it is helpful to type a neutral character, such as --, as the default value. When you create a schedule, the character fills the cells that you have not created a value for. You can edit the character in each cell later. If you leave the default value blank, then the corresponding cells are blank and you cannot select and edit the characters.
10 Select a format to specify the method used to display the data included in
the definition. Format displays a list of available format styles that are currently defined in the drawing. For more information, see Data Format
Styles on page 1308.

NOTE The data format style becomes the default format of a column when
this property is added to a schedule table style. It can be changed at any time.
The example area shows how the default data is displayed using the selected
data format.
11 When you finish changing the properties, click OK to return to the Style
Manager.
12 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Adding an Automatic Property

Automatic properties can be added using the process outlined in Editing a
Property Set Definition on page 1295, but the following procedure provides
a shortcut.
To add an automatic property
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.

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1297

The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the property set definition that you want to edit, right-click, and
choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Property Set Definition Properties dialog box, click the Definition
tab.
On this tab, you define the properties, which are the information you
want to track and the objects for which that information will be tracked.
4 Click Add Automatic.
A dialog box that lists all available automatic properties for the objects
selected on the Applies To tab for the property definition is displayed.
5 Select a property from each object type.
Only one property source may be selected per object type. A warning is
given if you select different names from different object types, but this is
allowed.
6 Click OK.
A new automatic property is created, with its source set as the set you selected
in step 5. The property description is the name of the first source selected,
and the property name is the same as the description, but with all spaces
removed.

Removing Property Set Definitions

You can remove all the property sets that no longer apply to the objects and
object styles to which they are attached. Property sets are defined to be
applied to certain objects and styles, and cannot be attached to other objects.
If you remove an object or style from the Applies To list of an property set
after it has already been attached to the object, the property set is not automatically removed. This allows you to retrieve data that might have already
been set in a manual property.
To remove a property set definition from an object
1 On the command line, type PropertySetClean.
2 Type the name of the property set that you want to remove from the
objects or styles to which it is applied.

NOTE Type * to remove all the property sets from the objects or styles.

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Merging Property Set Definitions

You can replace one property set definition with another for all objects or
object styles.
To merge property sets
1 On the command line, type PropertySetDefMerge, and press ENTER.
The following prompt is displayed:
Property set definition to keep:
2 Type the name of the property set definition that you want to keep, and
press ENTER.
The following prompt is displayed:
Property set definition to merge:
3 Type the name of the property set definition that you want to merge, and
press ENTER.
The following prompt is displayed:
Purge merged property set definition? (Yes/No) <N>:
4 Do one of the following:

To purge the property set definition that you merged, type y (Yes).
To keep the merged property set definition in the drawing, press ENTER.
If you keep merged property set definition in the drawing, the property
set definition is not attached to any objects.

The following prompt is displayed:

Remove property sets that do not apply after the merge? (Yes/No)<N>:
5 Do one of the following:

To remove the property sets that do not apply to the same objects or styles
as the kept property set definition, type y (Yes).
To keep the property sets attached to objects and styles even though they
may not apply, press ENTER.

Understanding Some Automatic Properties

The data in an automatic property is filled out by individual objects and not
manually by a user. Some automatic properties are answered by individual
objects, while others are answered by the style of the object. For example, a
number of doors might have the same style but different widths. A Width

Property Set Definitions

1299

automatic property would answer differently for each door. However, those
same doors all have the same thickness, since that is a property of the style.
A Thickness automatic property would then answer the same way for each
door.

NOTE Even though the data for an automatic property may be contained in
an object, it is still answered correctly if that property is part of a style-based
property set definition.
Almost one thousand automatic properties are available in Autodesk Architectural Desktop. Most of these are self-explanatory, but a few need some
additional explanation.

Wall Area Properties

There are four new Wall Area properties:
Area - Right Gross
Area - Right Net
Area - Left Gross
Area - Left Net
The right and left sides of a wall are determined as if you were standing on
the start point of the wall and facing the end point. Gross area is the area of
one side without allowing for any holes cut for openings such as doors and
windows. Net Area is the area of one side after cutting holes for openings.
Gross area might be used to determine the quantity of gypsum board needed
for a wall, while Net area might be used to determine the quantity of brick.

WARNING! The area of a wall is determined by taking the union of the wall
components, not including any body modifiers or interferences, and adding the
area of all faces that point to the right (for right areas) or the left (for left areas).
If a particular wall style has multiple components with air space in between, then
the wall area is probably not reported as expected. For example, a wall typically
used in construction has a brick exterior, a CMU interior, and an air space in
between. A wall style defined for this wall might have a component for the brick,
a component for the CMU, but no component for the air space. If the wall was
drawn with the brick on the left, then the wall area computed for the right side
would include the right face of the CMU as well as the right face of the brick.
The area reported would be twice what it actually is. The solution to this problem
is to always create components for interior air spaces, so that no interior faces
exist when the wall components are unioned.

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In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, a wall can take a wide variety of shapes

by adding or subtracting Body Modifiers, or by totally replacing the wall with
Body Modifiers. Automatically calculating appropriate areas for every possible wall shape is next to impossible. Because of this, Body Modifiers and
Interferences are NOT currently included in wall area calculations. Wall areas
for unusually shaped walls must be computed manually.

Wall Volume Properties

There are four new Wall Volume Properties:
Volume - Gross
Volume - Net
Volume - Gross With Mods
Volume - Net With Mods
Gross volume is the volume of wall components without allowing for any
holes cut for openings such as doors or windows. Net volume is the volume
after cutting holes for openings.
Calculating Wall Volume is less problematic than calculating Wall Areas, so
options exist to get Wall Volume with or without wall body modifiers. Volume Gross and Net show the volume of the wall components as if no body
modifiers exist, while the options With Mods include body modifiers.

Wall Length Property

In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, a wall can take a wide variety of shapes
by adding or subtracting Body Modifiers, or by totally replacing the wall with
Body Modifiers. Automatically calculating the appropriate length for every
possible wall shape is next to impossible. Because of this, the Wall Length
Property only returns the distance between the start and end points (the grip
points) of the wall. To get a more accurate report for the length of a wall, you
may have to reposition its end points.
Due to wall cleanups, the visible length of a wall may be different than the
distance between the end points.

Slab and Roof Slab Volume Properties

Volumes for Slabs and Roof Slabs do not include the volume of any fascias or
soffits.

Slab and Roof Slab Elevation Properties

Two elevation properties exist for Slab and Roof Slab objects.
Elevation - High

Property Set Definitions

1301

Elevation - Low
These properties give the highest and lowest value of all Slab and Roof Slab
vertices, including fascias and soffits.

Door Size Properties

In addition to existing dimension properties of Width, Height, and Thickness, new properties allow these values to be presented in one property. The
table below shows how Door Size properties would appear for a number of
different door styles, each with a width of 3-0, a height of 6-8, and a thickness of 2, but differing in number and size of individual door panels.

Property

Single
Door

Double
Door

Uneven Door

Door Size - W x H

3-0 x
68

3-0 x 6x8

3-0x 6x8

Door Size - 2 @ W
xH

3-0 x
68

2 @ 1-6x
68

2-0(1-0)x 68

Door Size - PR W x
H

3-0 x
68

PR 1-6x
68

2-0(1-0)x 68

Door Swing Direction Properties

Different countries have different conventions for specifying the swing direction of a door. For example, the door shown below is considered a left swinging door in the United States and Great Britain, while it is considered a right
swinging door in Australia, Russia, and most of Europe. To accommodate
these differences, an additional property, called Swing Direction - Reverse,
has been added.

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Determining the swing direction of a door

Structural Member Length Property

The Length of a structural member object is the Logical Length, the length
between its grip points, not the actual length, which can be difficult to compute in some instances. Structural members with offsets and cut planes give
a visible length that is different that the Logical length.

Attaching Notes or Files to a Property Set

To attach a note or file to a property set
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Property Set Definitions definition type is selected within
the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree
view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Property Set Definitions type.
The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed.
3 Under the Property Set Definitions type, select the property set definition,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Property Set Definition Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the property set, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the property set, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

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1303

8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

9 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
10 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Purging Property Set Definitions

To purge property set definitions
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Property Set Definitions definition type is selected within
the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused property set definition in your current drawing, select the definition under the definition type, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused property set definitions in your current drawing, with the Property Set Definitions type selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

NOTE If a property set definition is in use by another object, then it will not
be purged.
A confirmation dialog box with the definitions that you selected to purge
is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the definitions.

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NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the definitions, select Only Show this Confirmation

Dialog When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Property Set Definitions

You can manage property set definitions efficiently by creating them all in
one drawing that you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other
drawings as needed.
To import property set definitions
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the definition to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the definition to, and click
Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Property Set Definitions definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.

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1305

WARNING! If you overwrite a property set definition with another

one, you may lose data. For example, a drawing contains a property set
definition that contains a number of manual property definitions. The
property set definition is attached to a number of doors with the manual properties set and is included in a schedule table. If you override
this property set definition with another property set definition that
does not have the same manual property definitions, then the values
associated with the manual property definitions are lost when you
overwrite the property set definition. In addition, any columns in the
schedule table that reference these manual properties are removed.
Changes to the schedule table that result from changes to the property
set definition display the next time the tables are updated manually or
automatically.

To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,

select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Property Set Definitions to an Existing

Drawing
To export property set definitions to an existing drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the definition to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the definition to, and click
Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Property Set Definitions definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.

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The definition is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.
WARNING! If you overwrite a property set definition with another
one, you may lose data. For example, a drawing contains a property set
definition that contains a number of manual property definitions. The
property set definition is attached to a number of doors with the manual properties set and is included in a schedule table. If you override
this property set definition with another property set definition that
does not have the same manual property definitions, then the values
associated with the manual property definitions are lost when you
overwrite the property set definition. In addition, any columns in the
schedule table that reference these manual properties are removed.
Changes to the schedule table that result from changes to the property
set definition display the next time the tables are updated manually or
automatically.

To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,

select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Property Set Definitions to a New

Drawing
To export property set definitions to a new drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Property Set
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The property set definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Property Set Definitions definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New Drawing to create the new drawing to copy the definition to.

Property Set Definitions

1307

3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Property Set Definitions definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new definition, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Data Format Styles

Data formats control how data is displayed in the schedule tables, in schedule tags, and in the Edit Schedule Data dialog box.

NOTE Certain automatic properties cannot be formatted with Data Format

Styles because their values must be formatted from within the automatic query.

Creating a Data Format Style

To create a new data format style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule data formats in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Data Formats style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Schedule Data Formats type selected, right-click, and choose
New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new schedule data format, and press ENTER.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Creating a Data Format Style from an Existing

Data Format Style
To create a data format style from an existing data format style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule data formats in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Data Formats style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing schedule data format to copy under the Schedule Data
Formats style type, and press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing schedule data format is created.
4 To rename the schedule data format, select the schedule data format,
right-click, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for
the new schedule data format, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the properties of your new schedule data format, select the schedule data format, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes or Files to a Data Format Style

To attach a note or file to a data format style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Data Formats style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Data Formats style type.
The schedule data formats in the current drawing are displayed.
3 Under the Schedule Data Formats style, select the schedule data format
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Data Format Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

To add a description to the schedule data format, type it in the Description field.

Data Format Styles

1309

To add a note to the schedule format style, or to attach, edit, or detach

a reference file, click Notes.

5 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
You can add notes to the data format style to keep track of its intended
use.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Editing a Data Format Style

To edit a data format style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Data Formats style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Schedule Data Formats style, select the schedule data format
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 In the Schedule Data Format Properties dialog box, click the Formatting
tab.
4 Type a prefix or a suffix for the schedule data.

1310

Prefix: A string that is automatically placed in front of data. For

example, tolerances might require a preceding plus/minus symbol; a
tolerance of 10 could be displayed as +10. A currency string could be
prefixed with a dollar sign.

Chapter 33 Schedules

Suffix: A string that is automatically placed after data. For example, a

door leaf thickness of 35 could have a millimeter suffix, for example,
35mm.

5 Set the undefined symbol.

Undefined Symbol: A text string that is displayed when the system

encounters an undefined value. An undefined value might occur if the
requested property has not been attached to an object. A typical undefined character is the question mark.

6 Select the case for the schedule text.

Case: Options for capitalization that can be used to format text

strings:
As Is: No capitalization formatting is applied.
Sentence case: The first letter of the first word is capitalized: for
example, this is an EXAMPLE becomes This is an example.
Title Case: The first letter of each word is capitalized: for example,
this is an EXAMPLE becomes This Is An Example.
UPPER CASE: All letters converted to upper case: for example, this
is an EXAMPLE becomes THIS IS AN EXAMPLE.
lower case: All letters converted to lower case: for example, this is
an EXAMPLE becomes this is an example.

7 Set the zero padding for the text.

Zero Padding: The expansion of integer values to include leading

zeros. The value entered specifies the maximum length of a numeric
value after it has been padded with leading zeros. For example, with
Zero Padding set to 3, the number 6 would become 006. This option is
primarily intended for identity numbers such as those used by door
and window tags. For example, to number doors as D01 through to
D99, the raw value of the data would be saved as a simple integer, but
the prefix would be set to D and Zero Padding would be set to 2. Setting
the Zero Padding option to zero applies no zero padding formatting.

8 Type the true/false values.

True/False: Text that can be displayed for a true/false value.

9 Select the unit format and the numerical precision.

Unit: The AutoCAD conversion units (Architectural, Scientific, Decimal, Engineering, and Fractional) used when converting numeric values into strings (for example, a value of 14.25 is displayed as 1'2-1/4"
in Architectural units).

Data Format Styles

1311

Precision: The number of decimal places used to display floating

point numbers (for example, 0, 0.0, 0.00, etc.).

10 Select the format for fractions.

Fraction Format: How fractions are displayed: horizontal, diagonal, or not stacked.

11 Select the decimal separator.

Decimal Separator: How decimals are separated: period, comma,

or space.

For more information about fraction format and decimal separators, see
Formatting Primary Dimension Units in the online AutoCAD 2002
Users Guide.
12 Select the Round Off value.

Round Off: The rounding rules for floating point values. If you enter
a value of 0.25, all numeric values are rounded to the nearest 0.25 unit.
Similarly, if you enter a value of 1.0, all numeric values are rounded to
the nearest integer. The number of digits displayed after the decimal
point depends on the precision set.

13 Set the Zero Suppression.

Zero Suppression: The rule for suppression of zeros for leading, trailing, and feet and inches of floating point numbers.
Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal numeric values. For
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.
Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal numeric values. For
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5.
0 Feet: Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches numeric value
when the value is less than one foot. For example 0'6 1/2" becomes
6 1/2".
0 Inches: Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches numeric
value when the value is an integral number of feet. For example 2'0"
becomes 2'.

For more information, see Suppressing Zeros in Dimension Units in the

online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
14 To use a dimension style to set some formatting, click Set from Dimension
Style, and then select a dimension style from the dialog box, and click OK.
Undefined, Case, Zero Padding, and True/False are not defined by dimension styles.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

15 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
16 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Purging Data Format Styles

To purge a data format style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Data Formats style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused schedule data format in your current drawing,

select the schedule data format under the style type, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused schedule data formats in your current drawing,
with the Schedule Data Formats style type selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Data Format Styles

You can manage data format styles efficiently by creating them all in one
drawing that you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other
drawings as needed.

Data Format Styles

1313

To import data format styles

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule data formats in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Data Formats style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the schedule data format that you want to copy to your
current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the schedule data format that you want to copy,
and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Schedule Data Formats style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Data Formats style type to display the schedule data formats in the drawing.
5 Select the schedule data format that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The schedule data format is copied into the current drawing. If the current
drawing already contains a schedule data format with the same name, the
duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names
Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate schedule data format names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing schedule data format in the drawing with
the new schedule data format of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing schedule data format in the drawing with the
new schedule data format, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new schedule data format so both schedule data formats
exist in the drawing, select Rename to Unique. New schedule data format names are appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

Exporting Data Format Styles to an Existing

Drawing
To export data format styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule data formats in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Data Formats style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Schedule Data Formats style type.
4 Select the schedule data format in the current drawing that you want to
copy to the second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The schedule data format is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a schedule data format with the same name, the
duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names
Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate schedule data format names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing schedule data format in the drawing with
the new schedule data format of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing schedule data format in the drawing with the
new schedule data format, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new schedule data format so both schedule data formats
exist in the drawing, select Rename to Unique. New schedule data format names are appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Data Format Styles

1315

Exporting Data Format Styles to a New Drawing

To export data format styles to a new drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Data Data Format
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule data formats in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Data Formats style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the schedule data format to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Schedule Data Formats style type.
4 Select the schedule data format in the current drawing that you want to
copy to the new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new schedule data format, and choose Edit Paste.
The schedule data format is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Schedule Tables
After attaching schedule data to objects, either through adding tags or from
attaching the data directly, you can create schedule tables from that data.
When you place a schedule table in your drawing after selecting the objects
to include in the table, the table can be sized automatically using the current
drawing scale, or you can specify a size for the schedule table.
You can update a schedule table that does not update automatically and
export schedule data to external files. You can export schedule data directly
to:

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Microsoft Excel XLS spreadsheet (XLS) files

Comma-separated values (CSV) files
Tab-delimited text (TXT) files

Chapter 33 Schedules

Adding a Schedule Table

After you have attached schedule data to objects, either by adding tags or by
attaching the data directly, you can create schedule tables from that data.

Creating a door schedule with a schedule table

To add a schedule table

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Add Schedule
Table.
2 Select the schedule table style.
3 Optionally, select the layer filter to be applied to the table.
When adding a schedule table that must scan Xrefs or blocks, use a layer
filter that includes both the name of the layer that the Xref or block is on,
and the name of the layer of the object inside the Xref or block. You can
separate multiple layer wildcards with a comma.
4 Select or clear Add New Objects Automatically.
5 Select or clear Automatic Update.

NOTE Turning on the automatic update features may have a significant

impact on Autodesk Architectural Desktop performance when you work on
large drawings. Use at your discretion. For information about updating
schedules manually, see Updating a Schedule Table.
6 Select or clear Scan Xrefs.
7 Select or clear Scan Block References.

NOTE Clear this option when the schedule table that you are adding
applies to blocks (such as equipment tables).
8 Click OK.

Schedule Tables

1317

9 Select the objects to be included in the schedule table.

10 Specify the location for the upper left of the schedule table.
11 Specify the lower right for the table, or press ENTER to automatically scale
the schedule table to the current drawing scale.

Updating a Schedule Table

If an object that is included in a schedule table changes, you can update the
schedule table. Always update schedule tables before plotting the drawings
that contain them.

NOTE The only way to be certain that the table contains accurate information
is to close and re-open your drawing. Certain changes to drawings, such as reference editing, are reflected in schedule tables only when a drawing is reopened.
If you turn on the Out of Date display component in the General schedule
display representation, a line is drawn through the schedule table to indicate
that the information that the schedule is tracking has changed. For example,
a line would be drawn through the schedule table if an object tracked in the
schedule has been moved or deleted.

Displaying an out of date schedule

NOTE This display component is turned off in the AEC templates to speed
drawing performance.
To update the information in a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Update Schedule Table.
2 Select the schedule table to update, and press ENTER.
The schedule table is updated.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

Exporting Schedule Table Information

You can export selected schedule data from a schedule table to a separate file.
To export schedule data from a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Export Schedule Table.
2 Select a file type in the Save As Type list: XLS (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet), TXT (tab-delimited text), or CVS (comma-separated values).

NOTE You must have Microsoft Excel installed to export a file to an Excel
format.
3 Specify the name of the file to export to, or click Browse to select an existing file.
4 Turn off Use Existing Table.
5 Select the table style to use in the exported file.
6 Select the layer filter to use in the exported file.
7 Select whether the command scans for Xrefs or block references.
8 Click OK.
9 Select the objects to be included in the exported table, and press ENTER.
If a file already exists with the name you specified, then a warning dialog
box is displayed with the options to overwrite the existing file, specify a
unique name, or cancel the export command.

Exporting Schedule Tables

You can export a schedule table to a separate file.

NOTE Architectural format (6-0) is not supported by Microsoft Excel 97. If

you export to Microsoft Excel 97, then you must convert the schedule values to
decimal values or text format.
To export a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Export Schedule Table.
2 Select a file type in the Save As Type list: XLS (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet), TXT (comma-delimited text), or CSV (comma-separated values).

Schedule Tables

1319

3 Specify the name of the file to export to, or click Browse to select an existing file.
4 Select Use Existing Table, and Click OK.
5 Select the schedule table to export, and press ENTER.
If a file already exists with the name you specified, then a warning dialog
box is displayed with the options to overwrite the existing file, specify a
unique name, or cancel the export command.

Schedule Table Styles

Schedule table styles control how schedule tables are displayed in your drawings. Text height and spacing, column contents, headers, and the sorting
order of your schedule tables are controlled by the schedule table style.

Creating a Schedule Table Style

To create a schedule table style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule table styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Table Styles style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the Schedule Table Styles style type selected, right-click, and choose
New from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new schedule data format schedule table style, and
press ENTER.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a Schedule Table Style from an Existing

Schedule Table Style
To create a schedule table style from an existing style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule table styles in the current drawing are displayed

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Chapter 33 Schedules

under the Schedule Table Styles style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing schedule table style to copy under the Schedule Table
Styles style type, and press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing schedule table style is created.
4 To rename the schedule table style, select the schedule table style, rightclick, and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the
new schedule table style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the properties of your new schedule table style, select the schedule
data table style, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Schedule Table

Style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.

To add a description to the schedule data format, type it in the Description field.
To add a note to the schedule format style, or to attach, edit, or detach
a reference file, click Notes.

5 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

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1321

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Changing the Schedule Table Style Default

Format
To change the schedule table style default format
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the Default Format
tab.
This tab contains the standard formatting options that apply to each cell
unless overridden.

NOTE Most of the schedule table styles provided by Architectural Desktop

have overrrides applied to their titles and column headers. You can access
these settings on the Layout tab in the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog
box.
5 Select the text style from an existing AutoCAD text style.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

The text style must be defined as an AutoCAD text style before you can
apply it to the schedule table. If you want to use a different font for part
of your schedule, you must first define an AutoCAD text style that uses the
desired font.
6 Set the text alignment.
For more information about aligning the text using the Multiline Text Editor, see Formatting Multiline Text in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users
Guide.
7 In Height, set the prescaled height for the text.
8 In Gap, set the prescaled gap between the text and the schedule table
lines.
9 Set the Rotation, which changes the text orientation within the cell. For
the table title and for group titles, this option also controls the location of
the cell relative to the rest of the table.
10 Select a Matrix Symbol, which is used by matrix displays and optionally
for true/false values. Symbols include:
Tick ()
Dot (.)
Cross ()
Diagonal line (/ corner to corner across cell)
11 Select or clear Use for True/False to control whether matrix symbols or the
data format text are used for true/false values.
12 Set the Fixed Width for a given column. Specify 0.0 for widths that adjust
to fit the data within them.
Height, Fixed Width, and Gap are normally specified as the size you want
on the final plot.
Cell Size Height is a read-only field.
13 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
14 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Defining What the Schedule Table Applies to

To define what the schedule table applies to
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the cur-

Schedule Table Styles

1323

rent drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the Applies To tab.
5 Select the objects the schedule table style applies to.

NOTE The schedule table can apply to all objects or to any of the objects
in the list. However, you should limit your selection as much as possible to
speed performance.
6 Click Select All to select all of the objects on the list, or Clear All to clear
all of the selection boxes.

NOTE The area at the top of the tab displays the objects that are currently
selected.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Adding Schedule Table Style Columns

Each schedule column displays one property set definition. The property set
and property set definition must exist in the drawing before you can use
them to add a column to a schedule table.
To add a schedule table style column
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the Columns tab.
5 Click Add Column to add a new column to the schedule table.

NOTE The Add Column button is unavailable if there are no properties

defined or available for the current objects selected on the Applies To tab.
6 In the Add Column dialog box, select the property to track in this column.

NOTE If there are columns in the schedule table currently, column properties are unavailable in this list.
7 Type the heading for the column.
8 Select the data format, or leave the default that is set in the property definition.
For more information, see Data Format Styles on page 1308.

NOTE The data format default comes from the property definition but can
be overridden.
If necessary, you can override the cell format for this column. This allows
you to change the display of the data in the column.
For more information about overriding cells, see Overriding Schedule
Table Title Formats on page 1329.
9 If necessary, select matrix and the maximum columns for the matrix.
10 Select a total to be added to the end of the schedule table column.
11 If there are columns in the schedule table, you can select where to insert
the new column by selecting an existing column and inserting the column before or after the selected column.
12 Click OK to add the column.
13 To repeat the first column at the end of the table, select Repeat First Column.
14 To include a quantity column, select Include Quantity Column.
If you include a quantity column in a schedule table, all the objects in the
table with the same values are displayed in one row, with the number of
objects displayed in the Quantity Column.

Schedule Table Styles

1325

15 If you have included a quantity column, you can also add a product column by selecting Include Product Column.
A Product Column multiplies the value in the Quantity Column by the
value in another column in the table, the Data Column. To specify the
Data Column, select the Product Column, click Modify, and then select
one of the existing schedule table columns in the Data Column list. For
example, a Product Column can be used to multiply a unit cost for an
object by the number of objects to get a total cost.
16 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
17 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Adding a Heading to a Schedule Table

To add a heading to a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the Columns tab.
5 Select the columns you want to include under a heading by clicking the
leftmost column heading and then pressing CTRL while you select the
other columns.

NOTE A heading can only be added above consecutive columns.

6 Click Add Header.
7 Type a title for the heading, and press ENTER.
8 To remove the heading, select it, and click Delete. In the Remove
Columns/Headings dialog box, click OK.
9 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

10 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply to
save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Editing Schedule Table Style Columns

To edit a schedule table style column
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the Columns tab.
5 Select an existing column by clicking the column.
6 Click Modify.
7 In the Modify Column dialog box, type the heading for the column.
8 Select the data format.
If necessary, you can override the cell format for this column. This allows
you to change specific data formats in the column.
For more information, see Data Format Styles on page 1308.
9 If necessary, you can select matrix and the maximum columns for the
matrix.
10 If necessary, select a total to be added to the end of the schedule table column.
11 If there are columns in the schedule table, you can select where to insert
the new column by selecting an existing column and inserting the column before or after the selected column.
12 Click OK to change the column.
13 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
14 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Schedule Table Styles

1327

Deleting Schedule Table Style Columns

To delete a schedule style column
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, click the Columns tab.
5 Select an existing column by clicking the column.
6 Click Delete.
7 In the Remove Columns/Headings dialog box, click OK.
8 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
9 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Setting the Schedule Table Style Sorting

After the columns have been created, you can set how the table is to be sorted
by selecting a column and a sorting method. Sorting is done from the top
property in the list first, then the second in the list, and so on.
To set table sorting
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Sorting tab.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

If assigned, the current property for sorting the schedule displays.

4 Click Add.
5 Select a property to sort by, and click OK. The selections presented are the
columns defined on the Columns tab that are not already selected for sorting.
6 Select the property from the list, and then select either Ascending or
Descending as the sorting method for that property.
7 To remove a property from the sorting list, select the property and then
click Remove.
8

To move a property higher or lower in the sorting order, select the property and then either Move Up or Move Down.

When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.

10 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Overriding Schedule Table Title Formats

To override a schedule table title format
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, override cell formats for
the title, individual column headings, or matrix headings. You can also set
the overall title for the schedule table.
5 Click the Layout tab.
6 Type a new overall title for the schedule table in Table Title.
7 Select Override Cell Format next to the type of cell you want to change.
8 Select the text style from an existing AutoCAD text style.
9 Set the text alignment.

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1329

For more information about aligning the text using the Multiline Text Editor, see Formatting Multiline Text in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users
Guide.
10 In Height, set the prescaled height for the text.
This height is scaled according to the drawing scale set in the Drawing
Setup dialog box.
11 In Gap, set the prescaled gap between the text and the schedule table
lines.
12 Cell Size Height is a read-only field that is calculated by Height + 2 x Gap.
13 Set the Rotation, which changes the text orientation within the cell. For
the table title and for group titles, this option also controls the location of
the cell relative to the rest of the table.
14 Click OK.
The check box is selected, informing you that the cell format has been
overridden.
15 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
16 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Editing the Schedule Table Style Display

Properties
To edit the schedule table style display properties
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type.
The schedule table styles are displayed in the current drawing.
3 Under the Schedule Table Styles style type, select the schedule table style
that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
4 In the Schedule Table Style Properties dialog box, create the columns,
headings, and title for the schedule table.
You can change the standard layer, color, and linetype of the schedule
table style.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

5 Click the Display Props tab.

6 Optionally, select a different display set for the schedule table style from
the list. The current viewport display is the default representation display.
An asterisk (*) is displayed next to the default.
7 Do any of the following:

Select the schedule table style from the property source and click
Attach Override to change how the object is displayed in the current
viewport in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or select Yes in the Attached
column to attach an override. Attach Override is only available when you
select a property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change what is displayed for the representation of the schedule table style. This includes the visibility, layer,
color, and linetype. To edit each property, click its field. These changes
are only for the schedule table style.

When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.

Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

Purging Schedule Table Styles

To purge a schedule table style
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Schedule Table Styles style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the
tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

Schedule Table Styles

1331

To purge a single unused schedule table style in your current drawing,

select the schedule table style under the style type, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused schedule table styles in your current drawing,
with the Schedule Tables Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
After you purge the schedule table style, you may want to purge the associated property sets and schedule data styles as well.

Importing Schedule Table Styles

You can manage schedule table styles efficiently by creating them all in one
drawing that you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other
drawings as needed.
To import schedule table styles
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule table styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Table Styles style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the schedule table styles that you want to copy to your
current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the schedule table style that you want to copy,
and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Schedule Table Styles style type.

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4 Click the plus sign (+) next to the Schedule Table Styles style type to display the schedule table styles in the drawing.
5 Select the schedule table style that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The schedule table style is copied into the current drawing. If the current
drawing already contains a schedule table style with the same name, the
duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names
Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate schedule table style names, select one of the
following options:

To not replace the existing schedule tables styles in the drawing with
the new schedule table style of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing schedule table style in the drawing with the new
schedule table style, select Overwrite Existing.
WARNING! When you overwrite a schedule table style, only the style
is overridden, not the property set definitions or data format styles
associated with it. If you need to overwrite a schedule table style,
import the data format styles and property set definitions associated
with the schedule table style before you import the schedule table style.

To rename the new schedule table style so both schedule tables styles
exist in the drawing, select Rename to Unique. New schedule table style
names are appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Schedule Table Styles to an Existing

Drawing
To export schedule table styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule table styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Table Styles style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the schedule table style to.

Schedule Table Styles

1333

3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Schedule Table Styles style type.
4 Select the schedule table style in the current drawing that you want to
copy to the second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The schedule table style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing
already contains a schedule table style with the same name, the duplicate
names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog
box.
6 To resolve any duplicate schedule table style names, select one of the
following options:

To not replace the existing schedule table style in the drawing with the
new schedule table style of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing schedule table style in the drawing with the new
schedule table style, select Overwrite Existing.
WARNING! When you overwrite a schedule table style, only the style
is overridden, not the property set definitions or data format styles
associated with it. If you need to overwrite a schedule table style,
import the data format styles and property set definitions associated
with the schedule table style before you import the schedule table style.

To rename the new schedule table style so both schedule table styles
exist in the drawing, select Rename to Unique. New schedule table style
names are appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Schedule Table Styles to a New

Drawing
To export schedule table styles to a new drawing
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Schedule Table
Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The schedule table styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the Schedule Table Styles style type. All other style and definition
types are filtered out in the tree view.

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2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the schedule table style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Schedule Table Styles style type.
4 Select the schedule table style in the current drawing that you want to
copy to the new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new schedule table style, and choose Edit Paste.
The schedule table style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Table Cells

You can edit specific cells within an existing schedule table.
To edit a schedule table cell
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Edit Table
Cell.
2 Select a cell within a table. The cell must not be an automatic property.

NOTE Cells that display data from property sets attached to styles may be
displayed in multiple cells. Editing one cell will change them all.
3 From the Edit Schedule Data dialog box, type a new value for the table cell
in the Value field.
4 Click OK.

Editing Schedule Tables

You can edit values from the entire schedule table.
To edit a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Edit Table
Cell.
2 Select the table by clicking on the border of the table.
3 From the Edit Schedule Data dialog box, type a new value for the selected
property.

Schedule Table Styles

1335

NOTE This value is entered for all of the instances of that property.
4 Click OK.
For more information about the Edit Schedule Data dialog box, see
Attaching Schedule Data on page 1288.

Schedule Table Properties

You can attach notes and files to an existing schedule table, change the style
of a schedule table, and change the location of the schedule table.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Schedule Table

To attach notes and files to a schedule table
1 Select an existing schedule table.
2 Right-click and choose Table Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 To add a description to the schedule table, type it in the Description field.
4 To add a note to the schedule table, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 When you finish making changes, click OK to return to the Style Manager.
8 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager, or click Apply
to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

Changing the Style of the Schedule Table

To change the style of a schedule table
1 Select an existing schedule table.
2 Right-click, and choose Table Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Style tab.
4 Select a different style from the list.
5 Click OK.

Changing the Schedule Table Settings

To change the schedule table settings
1 Select an existing schedule table.
2 Right-click, and choose Table Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Settings tab.
4 Select or clear Add New Objects Automatically.
5 Select or clear Scan Xrefs to scan Xrefs for schedule information.
6 Select or clear Scan Block References to scan the references for schedule
information.
7 Select or clear Automatic Update.

NOTE Turning on the automatic update features might have a significant

impact on Architectural Desktop performance when you work on large drawings. Use at your discretion.
8 Set the layer wildcard for the layer filter to be applied to the table.
9 Set the scale for the schedule table.
10 Click OK.

Changing the Location of a Schedule Table

To change the location properties of a schedule table
1 Select an existing schedule table.
2 Right-click, and choose Table Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

Schedule Table Properties

1337

To relocate the schedule table, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the schedule table, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the schedule table on the XY plane, make the normal
of the schedule table parallel to the Z axis; under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the schedule table on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To
locate the schedule table on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type
0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the schedule table, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Schedule Table Selection

You can add objects to an existing table, remove objects from a table, reselect
the objects to be included in a schedule table, and show which objects are
included in a table.

Adding Objects to a Schedule Table

You can add objects to an existing schedule table.
To add objects to a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Add Table
Selection.
2 Select the schedule table to add to.
3 Select the objects to add to the table, and press ENTER.
Objects that are already in the table are not added.

Removing Objects from a Schedule Table

You can remove objects from the schedule table by selecting them from the
drawing.
To remove objects from a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Remove Table
Selection.
2 Select the schedule table to remove objects from.

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Chapter 33 Schedules

3 In the drawing, select the objects to remove from the table, and press
ENTER.

Reselecting the Objects to Be Included in a

Schedule Table
You can reselect the objects to be included in the schedule table. After
reselection, the table contains only the new objects that you selected.
To reselect the content of a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Reselect Table
Selection.
2 Select the schedule table to reselect objects for.
3 Select all of the objects to include in the table, and press ENTER.

Showing Objects that are in a Schedule Table

You can show which objects are included in a schedule table.
To show objects that are in a schedule table
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Schedule Tables Show Table
Selection.
2 Select the border of the schedule table to show all the objects in the table,
or select a specific cell to show only the objects contained on that row.
The selected objects are highlighted in the drawing.

Schedule Tags Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with schedule

tag selected)

Door & WIndow

Tags...

DcSetImpDoorWindowTags

Object Tags...

DcSetImpObjectTags

Room & Finish

Tags...

DcSetImpRoomAndFinishTa
gs

Schedule Table Selection

1339

Menu Command

Command Line

Wall Tags...

DcSetImpWallTags

Anchor Tag to
Object

TagAnchorAdd

Right-click (with schedule

tag selected)

TagAnchorSet

Tag Anchor Set Object

TagAnchorRelease

Tag Anchor Release

Schedule Data Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click

Attach/Edit Schedule
Data...

PropertyDataEdit

Edit Schedule Data...

Browse Data...

PropertyDataBrowse

Renumber Data...

PropertyRenumberData

Property Set
Definitions...

PropertySetDefine

Data Format Styles...

PropertyFormatDefine

Schedule Tables Command List

1340

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Schedule Table...

TableAdd

Update Schedule
Table...

TableUpdateNow

Chapter 33 Schedules

Right-click (with schedule

table selected)

Update Table

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with schedule

table selected)

Export Schedule
Table...

TableExport

Schedule Table
Styles...

TableStyle

Edit Table Cell

TableCellEdit

Edit Table Cell...

Add Table Selection

TableSelectionAdd

Selection Add

Remove Table
Selection

TableSelectionRemove

Selection Remove

Reselect Table
Selection

TableSelectionReselect

Selection Select Again

Show Table Selection

TableSelectionShow

Selection Show

TableUpdateAutomatic

Automatic Update (On)

TableUpdateManual

Automatic Update (Off)

TableStyleEdit

Edit Table Style...

TableProps

Table Properties...

Schedule Table Selection

1341

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Chapter 33 Schedules

Elevations

34

You can create elevations of the building models in your

In this chapter

drawings by first drawing an elevation line and mark,

Creating 2D and 3D elevations

and then creating a 2D or 3D elevation based on that

line. You can control the size and shape of any elevation
that you create, and you can update an existing elevation when the objects included in the elevation are

Drawing and changing elevation

lines
Creating and changing

2D elevations
Creating and changing

3D elevations

modified. 2D elevations are created with hidden and

overlapping lines removed. You can control the appearance of 2D elevations by applying rules that are controlled by the style and display properties of the
2D elevation.

1343

Creating 2D and 3D Elevations

You can create an elevation in your current drawing by first drawing an elevation line and mark, and then creating a 2D or 3D elevation based on that
line. You can control the size and shape of the elevation that is generated.
Unless you explode the elevation that you create, the elevation remains
linked to the building model that you used to create it. Because of this link
between the elevation and the building model, any changes to the building
model can be made in the elevation as well.
When you create a 2D elevation, the elevation is created with hidden and
overlapping lines removed. You can edit the 2D elevation that you created by
changing its display properties. The 2D Section/Elevation style allows you to
add your own display components to the display representation of the elevation, and create rules that assign different parts of the elevation to different
display components. You can control the visibility, layer, color, linetype,
lineweight, and linetype scale of each component. You can also use the line
work editing commands to assign individual lines in your 2D elevation to
display components, and merge geometry into your 2D elevation.
After you create a 2D elevation, you can use the AutoCAD BHATCH and
AutoCAD DIMLINEAR commands to hatch and dimension the 2D elevation.

WARNING! Use non-associative hatching (hatching that is independent of

boundaries) to hatch 2D elevations. Associative hatching of 2D elevations slows
drawing performance.
If you create a 3D elevation, you can use the Hidden Line Projection command from the Desktop menu to create 2D hidden line projections of any
view of the 3D elevation that you can explode and edit or hatch. For more
information, see Hidden Line Projection on page 1699.

Drawing and Changing Elevation Lines

The first step in creating either 2D or 3D elevations in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop is to draw an elevation line in your drawing in relation to your
building model. The elevation line defines the extents of the elevation view
of the building model you want to use for your elevation.
When you create a 2D elevation, the elevation line extracts an orthographic
projection from your building model. When you create a 3D elevation, the
elevation line marks the area of the building model used in the 3D elevation.

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Chapter 34

Elevations

In plan view, the elevation line is displayed as you would expect on a construction document. The elevation line includes an elevation mark that
points in the direction of the elevation view.

Viewing the elevation line and mark, plan view

In an isometric view, the same elevation line is displayed with a boundary

that defines the depth of elevation view.

Drawing an elevation line, isometric view

You can change the elevation line properties to control the elevation that
you create. Within the elevation line properties, you can change the height
and depth of the elevation that you create, as well as add a lower extension
to the elevation.
You can also set up subdivisions in the elevation line properties that are
added to your elevation when you create it. Subdivisions are set at distances
from the plane of the elevation line. You can control the lineweight (as well
as other display properties) of the subdivisions to add different levels of
depth to your elevations. For example, you could display one subdivision in
your elevation with a heavy lineweight and display another subdivision with
a lighter lineweight to suggest that the first subdivision is in front of the
second subdivision.

Drawing and Changing Elevation Lines

1345

You can change the elevation line properties before you create an elevation,
or you can change the elevation line properties and update an elevation that
you have already created. For more information about updating existing elevations, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page 1354.

Drawing an Elevation Line and Mark

You can draw an elevation line in your drawing by specifying a start point
and an endpoint for the line in relation to your building model.

NOTE If you are working with a drawing set where several xrefs are linked to
a main drawing, then draw your elevation line in the main drawing.
To draw an elevation line and mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Add Elevation Line.
2 Specify the elevation line start point.

NOTE Specify a start and endpoint for the elevation line that extends past
the face or segment of your building model view to ensure that all objects are
included in the elevation view.
3 Specify the elevation line endpoint.
The elevation line is displayed in your drawing with an elevation mark.
The elevation line boundary is automatically drawn, using the elevation
line as its left side, and forming a box with the elevation line. This is the
area that defines the elevation.

Drawing an elevation line, isometric view

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Chapter 34

Elevations

Depending on the direction in which you drew the elevation line, the elevation mark points in the direction of the elevation view.
4 To reverse the direction of the elevation, right-click, and choose Reverse
from the shortcut menu.
The elevation mark is a multi-view block, anchored to the elevation line.
You can edit the elevation mark to change the information that is displayed in the bubble. For more information, see Changing the Elevation
Mark Attributes on page 1351.
Once you have an elevation line in your drawing, you can change the
properties of the line to change the elevation. For more information, see
Changing Elevation Line Properties on page 1347.

Changing Elevation Line Properties

After you create an elevation line, you can change the height and area of the
elevation and create subdivisions in the elevation before you generate the
elevation. You can also attach notes and reference files to the elevation line.
If you have an existing elevation in your drawing, you can change the elevation line properties and then update the existing elevation to reflect the
changes that you made. To update an elevation, see Updating an Existing
2D Elevation on page 1354.

Attaching Notes and Files to an Elevation Line

To attach notes and files to an elevation line
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Line
Properties.
2 Select the elevation line, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the elevation line, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the elevation line, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document

Drawing and Changing Elevation Lines

1347

dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to save your changes and exit each dialog box.

Changing the Dimensions of an Elevation

You can change the dimensions of an elevation in the elevation line
properties.

NOTE The depth of an elevation can also be defined by grip-editing the elevation line boundary in your drawing.
To change the dimensions of an elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Line
Properties.
2 Select the elevation line you want to change, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions
tab.
4 On the Dimensions tab, under Component Dimensions, do any of the
following:

Select Use Model Extents for Height to set the height of the elevation
to the extents of the selected objects, or clear it and type the height of
the elevation.
Height: Sets the height of the box to create an elevation from a Z
value measured from the XY plane of the world coordinate system
(WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS). The objects are cut
at this height when an elevation is created.

Change Lower Extension of the elevation.

Lower Extension: Sets the lower limit of the elevation box as a Z
value measured from the XY plane of the WCS or the current UCS. The
lower elevation by default is 1 foot below the XY plane unless the Use
Model Extents for Height option is selected.

1348

Change the length of Side 1 or Side 2.

Chapter 34

Elevations

Sides: Sets the length of the two lines from the elevation line to create
the elevation box. Side 1 starts from the first point specified for the elevation line, and side 2 starts from the point specified for the end of the
elevation line.

Specifying elevation height, lower extension, and side parameters

Change the angle of Angle 1 or Angle 2.

Angles: Sets the angle of the two sides from the elevation line to create the elevation box. The apex of angle 1 is the start point of the elevation line, and the apex of angle 2 is the endpoint of the elevation
line. Both these angles must be between 0 and 90 degrees.

Specifying elevation angle parameters

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Drawing and Changing Elevation Lines

1349

Creating Graphic Subdivisions in an Elevation

You can set up subdivisions in the elevation line properties that are created
within your elevation when you generate it. Subdivisions are set at distances
from the elevation line.
You can control the lineweight (as well as other display properties) of the subdivisions after you create the elevation to add different levels of depth to
your elevations.
To create, change, or remove subdivisions in an elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Line
Properties.
2 Select the elevation line you want to change, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions
tab.
4 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

To create a subdivision in the elevation, click Add, type the distance

from the elevation line, and click OK.
Click Edit to change the length of an existing subdivision.
Click Remove to delete the selected subdivision.

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Before you create your elevation, you can view the location of the subdivision by viewing the elevation line with its boundary in an isometric
view. You can relocate the subdivision with grips in this view.
After you create the elevation, you can use the display properties of the 3D
elevation to control the display of the subdivisions. For more information,
see Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions on page 1354.

Changing the Elevation Line Location Properties

You can relocate an existing elevation line by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The elevation line also has an orientation with respect
to the WCS or the current UCS. For example, if the top and bottom of the
elevation line are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis.
You can change the orientation of the elevation line by aligning its normal
with another axis. You can also rotate the elevation line on its plane by
changing the rotation angle.
For information about the world coordinate system and the user coordinate
system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

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Elevations

To change the location properties of an elevation line

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Line
Properties.
2 Select the elevation line, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the elevation line, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the elevation line, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the elevation line on the XY plane, make the normal
of the elevation line parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the elevation line on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To
locate the elevation line on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type
0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the elevation line, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Elevation Mark Attributes

You can change the information that is displayed in the elevation mark
bubble. The elevation mark is a multi-view block.
To change the elevation mark attributes
1 Select the elevation mark, right-click, and choose Multi-View Block
Properties from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the
Attributes tab.
3 Select the existing attributes under Value, type the new information that
you want to include in the bubble, and press ENTER.
4 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Creating and Changing 2D Elevations

After you draw an elevation line in your drawing, you can create a
2D elevation with hidden lines removed. The elevation view is set by the
elevation line and its properties before you create the elevation. When you

Creating and Changing 2D Elevations

1351

create the 2D elevation from the elevation line, you can choose a style for the
elevation, add or subtract objects to and from the elevation, select a display
set for the elevation, and select a location for the elevation.

NOTE When you create a 2D elevation, the object that is created is a

2D Section/Elevation object. Both 2D sections and elevations share the same
object type and style.
If your building model changes, or you want to change the elevation view,
you can change the elevation line or elevation lines properties, and then
update or re-create your 2D elevation. Unless you explode your 2D elevation,
the elevation is linked to the building model and can be easily updated to
reflect any changes you make. If you want to change the style or location of
an elevation, instead of updating the elevation, you can change it in the
2D Elevation properties.
After you create or update a 2D elevation, you can edit your elevation by
changing the display of the lines in your elevation. You use the style of the
elevation to make and save these changes. For more information about
2D elevation styles, see Working with 2D Elevation Styles on page 1358,
and Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Elevations on page 1369.

Creating a New 2D Elevation

You can create a new 2D elevation by drawing an elevation line in your drawing, and then extracting a 2D elevation from the elevation line and the
objects in your building model. When you create the elevation, you select
the objects in your building model that you want to include in the elevation.
You can also select a display set and a location for the new 2D elevation.

TIP Before you create an elevation, thaw and turn on all the layers of the
objects in your building model that you want to include in the elevation. Objects
on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection set for the
elevation.
To create a new 2D elevation
1 Draw an elevation line in your drawing. For more information, see Drawing an Elevation Line and Mark on page 1346.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Create Elevation.
3 Select the elevation line.
The Generate Section/Elevation dialog box is displayed.

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4 Under Result Type, select 2D Section/Elevation Object with Hidden Line

Removal.
5 From Style to Generate, select a style to use to create the 2D elevation.
You can use the style of a 2D elevation to determine its display in your
drawing. If you have a style that you want to use to create the elevation,
select it from Style to Generate. Otherwise, use the Standard style. For
more information, see Working with 2D Elevation Styles on page 1358.
6 Under Selection Set, click Select Objects and select the objects in your
building model that you want to include in the elevation. Press ENTER
after you select the objects.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the elevation, hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection set.
7 Under Display Set, select a display set for the elevation object.

NOTE The display representation controls the type of display when the elevation is placed in the drawing.
8 Under Placement, select New Object, and do one of the following:

Click Pick Point to select a location in your drawing for the elevation.
Type the X,Y, and Z coordinates to place the elevation in your drawing.

9 Click OK to create the new 2D elevation.

A 2D elevation with hidden lines removed is created from the elevation
line properties and objects in your building model. The 2D elevation is
linked to your building model. If you make changes to your building
model after you create your 2D elevation, you can update your elevation
to reflect the changes. For more information, see Updating an Existing
2D Elevation on page 1354.
You can edit your 2D elevation by using style properties of the 2D elevation style to control the display of selected objects in your elevation, or by
controlling the display of individual lines in your 2D elevation. For more
information, see Changing 2D Elevation Style Properties on page 1363,
and Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Elevations on page 1369.

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Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions

You can change the display of subdivisions in a 2D elevation by changing the
display properties of the 2D elevation. Each subdivision that you specified in
the elevation line properties is assigned to a numbered Subdivision display
component in the display properties. You can control the visibility, layer,
color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale of each subdivision by changing the display properties of each Subdivision component.

NOTE You can move subdivision lines in your drawing using grips.
To change the display properties of a 2D elevation
1 Select the 2D elevation in your drawing, right-click, and choose Entity
Display from the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Use System Default to change all 2D sections and elevations (except

those that have a 2D Section/Elevation Style override).
Use 2D Section/Elevation Style to change all sections and elevations of
the current style.

4 Click Edit Display Props.

The Entity Properties dialog box is displayed. The Layer/Color/Linetype
tab lists all the components that contribute to the display of the object.
The defining line represents the cutting plane of the elevation line. The
numbered subdivision components correspond to the number of subdivisions you created in your elevation.
5 Depending on how you want to display the subdivisions in your
2D elevation, turn the visibility on or off, and change the layer, color,
linetype, lineweight, or lineweight scale for each subdivision component.
6 Click the Custom Display Components tab to add a custom display component to the display of the 2D elevation. For more information about
adding custom components, see Adding a Display Component to a 2D
Elevation Style on page 1365.
7 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.

Updating an Existing 2D Elevation

Update a 2D elevation to re-create the elevation to reflect changes you have
made to the building model, the elevation line properties, or the

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2D elevation style. You can update a 2D elevation as long as you have not
destroyed the link between the elevation and the building model by exploding the elevation.

TIP Before you create or update an elevation, thaw and turn on all the layers
of the objects in your building model that you want to include in the elevation.
Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection set for the
elevation.
When you update a 2D elevation, you can add objects in your drawing to the
2D elevation, change the location of the elevation in the drawing, and
change the display set of the elevation in the drawing.
To update an existing 2D elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Update Elevation.
2 Select the elevation that you want to update.
3 Under Result Type, select 2d Section/Elevation Object with Hidden Line
Removal.
4 If you want to change the style of the 2D elevation, select a new style from
Style to Generate.
5 If you edited the elevation with the linework editing commands, select
Save Copy of User Edits, and select a style to save your edits in.
If you want your edits to display in the updated elevation, make sure the
style you select is the same style as in Style to Generate. For more information about editing linework in your elevations, see Editing and Merging
Linework in 2D Elevations on page 1369.
6 Under Selection Set, do one of the following to specify the objects that
you want to include in your 2D elevation:

Click Select Additional Objects to add new objects to the selection set
that you specified when you created the original elevation, and press
ENTER.
Click Reselect Objects to select a new selection set of objects for the elevation, and press ENTER.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the elevation, hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection set.
7 Under Display Set, select a display set for the elevation object.

Creating and Changing 2D Elevations

1355

NOTE The display representation controls the representation of objects

when the elevation is created.
8 Under Placement, do one of the following to locate the 2D elevation in
your drawing:

Select New Object and select a point or type coordinates to locate the
new 2D elevation.
Select Replace Existing to replace the original 2D elevation with the
new updated 2D elevation.

9 Click OK to update your 2D elevation.

Changing the 2D Elevation Properties

You can add notes and reference files to a 2D elevation and change the style
and location of the elevation.

Attaching Notes and Files to a 2D Elevation

To attach notes and files to a 2D elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Properties.
2 Select the elevation object, and press ENTER.
3 In the 2D Section/Elevation Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the elevation, type in it the Description field.
5 To add a note to the elevation, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

1356

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

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8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Style of a 2D Elevation

You can change the style of an existing elevation.
To change the style of an elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Properties.
2 Select the elevation object, and press ENTER.
3 In the 2D Section/Elevation Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.
4 Select a new style for your elevation.
5 Click OK.

Changing the 2D Elevation Location Properties

You can relocate an existing elevation by changing the coordinate values of
its insertion point. The elevation also has an orientation with respect to the
WCS or the current UCS. For example, if the top and bottom of the elevation
are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can
change the orientation of the elevation by aligning its normal with another
axis. You can also rotate the elevation on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.
For information about the world coordinate system (WCS) and the user coordinate system (UCS), see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of an elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Properties.
2 Select the elevation, and press ENTER.
3 In the 2D Section/Elevation Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the elevation, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the elevation, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the elevation on the XY plane, make the normal of the
elevation parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and

Creating and Changing 2D Elevations

1357

type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the elevation on the YZ plane,

type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the elevation on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z
boxes.
To change the rotation of the elevation, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Working with 2D Elevation Styles

A style is a group of properties assigned to an object that determine the
appearance and function of the object. The style of a 2D elevation allows you
to control the linework of a 2D elevation, by setting rules in the style properties. These rules determine how different parts of the elevation display in
your drawing. You can also change the display of individual lines in the elevation, and save your changes in the 2D elevation object.
You can create new 2D elevation styles, import and export 2D elevation styles
between drawings, and purge 2D elevation styles that are not in use. When
you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The
Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about using the Style Manager, see Style Manager on
page 1525.

Creating New 2D Elevation Styles

You can create a new 2D elevation style, or you can copy and edit an existing
2D elevation style.

Creating a New 2D Elevation Style

You can create a new 2D elevation style. After you create the new
2D elevation, you can edit the style properties of the 2D elevation object.
To create a new 2D elevation style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.

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2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 Select the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type, right-click, and choose
New from the shortcut menu.
4 Type a name for the new 2D Section/Elevation style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new 2D Section/Elevation style, select
the style, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes, display components, and design rules to the style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing 2D Elevation
Style Properties on page 1363.
6 When you finish changing the style properties, click OK to return to the
Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating a New 2D Elevation Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new 2D elevation style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new 2D elevation style from an existing style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 Select an existing style to copy, and press CTRL+C.
4 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
5 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename. Type
a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
6 To edit the style properties of your new 2D elevation style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit.
The 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes, display components, and design rules to the style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing 2D Elevation
Style Properties on page 1363.

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1359

7 When you finish changing the 2D elevation style properties, click OK to

return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a 2D Elevation Style

You can delete 2D elevation styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused 2D elevation style, or all 2D Section/
Elevation styles in your drawing.
To purge a 2D Elevation style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused 2D elevation style in your current drawing,

select the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused 2D elevation styles in your current drawing,
with the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
4 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Importing a 2D Elevation Style

You can copy 2D elevation styles from an existing drawing and use them in
your current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by
storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import a 2D elevation style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
4 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
5 Click the plus sign (+) next to 2D Section/Elevation Styles to display the
2D elevation styles in the drawing.
6 Select the 2D Section/Elevation style that you want to copy, and choose
Edit Copy.
7 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
8 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so that both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Working with 2D Elevation Styles

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Exporting a 2D Elevation Style to a New Drawing

You can copy 2D elevation styles from your current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export a 2D elevation style to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
4 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type.
5 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting 2D Elevation Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy 2D elevation styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a 2D elevation style to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.

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4 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type.
5 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the other
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the other drawing. If the drawing already contains
a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so that both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing 2D Elevation Style Properties

The style properties of a 2D elevation style allow you to set design rules to
determine how the elevation is displayed in your drawing. You can change
how the elevation is displayed by setting up design rules in the style properties to assign lines in the elevation to display components. You then assign
properties, such as layer, color, and linetype to the display components. After
you create an elevation, the elevation remains linked to the building model
it was created from.
When you create a design rule, you specify the part of the 2D elevation to
control based on the color of the elevation objects in the building model, and
their context in the elevation. After you make this selection, you assign the
lines to a display component in the display representation of the
2D elevation. You can assign them to the default display components, or you
can add your own custom display components.
For example, you can hide selected objects in your 2D elevation by creating
a design rule that assigns the objects in your building model to the Hidden
component. By turning the Hidden component off in the display represen-

Changing 2D Elevation Style Properties

1363

tation, you can hide the objects in the 2D elevation. Alternatively, you can
leave the Hidden component on and assign a hidden linetype to it.
For finer editing, you can use the Edit Linework command to select individual lines in the 2D elevation and assign them to display components. You
can also add geometry to your 2D elevation to add detail. For more information, see Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Elevations on page 1369.

Changing the 2D Elevation Style Notes,

Descriptions, or Reference Files
To add a description or note to a 2D elevation, or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the 2D elevation, type it in the Description field.
4 To add a note to the 2D elevation, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Changing the 2D Elevation Style Display

Components
You can add or remove display components to or from the display of a
2D elevation style. When you add a component, you can use the design rules
to assign parts of the elevation to that component. When you remove a
component, any design rules use that component are removed as well.

Adding a Display Component to a 2D Elevation Style

You can add your own custom display component to a 2D elevation style.
When you add a custom component, you can assign the display of lines in
your elevation to the new component with a design rule.You must update
your elevation style to add the component to the display properties and
apply the design rule to the display of your 2D elevation.
To add a display component to a 2D elevation style
1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2d Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Components tab,
and click Add.
A new unnamed display component is created.
3 Type a new name for the component under Name.
4 Type a description for the component under Description.
5 To assign the display of lines in your elevation to the new component, create a design rule. For more information, see Adding a Design Rule to a 2D
Elevation Style on page 1366.
6 After you create the design rule, click OK in the 2D Section/Elevation
Styles dialog box to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
8 Update the elevation to add the new component to the display of the
2D elevation. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page 1354.

Removing a Display Component from a 2D Elevation Style

You can remove a display component that you added to the 2D elevation
style display properties. If the component that you are removing is used in a
design rule, then removing the component removes the design rule as well.
You can only remove display components that you defined, not the default
display components.

Changing 2D Elevation Style Properties

1365

To remove a display component from a 2D elevation style

1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Components tab.
3 Select the component that you want to remove, and click Remove.
4 If the component is used in a design rule, then a dialog box is displayed,
warning you that the associated design rule is removed as well. Click Yes
to remove the component.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
6 Update the elevation to remove the design rule from the display of the
2D elevation. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page 1354.

Changing the 2D Elevation Style Design Rule

Properties
The design rules allow you to assign parts of your 2D elevation to different
display components in the display representation of the 2D elevation. You
can assign parts of the elevation to display components based on their context in the building model. If you added any custom display components to
the 2D elevation, then you must create a design rule to assign lines in your
elevation to the new components. By default, 2D Sections/Elevations include
Defining Line, Hidden, Erased, Unknown, and Subdivision components.

Adding a Design Rule to a 2D Elevation Style

When you add a design rule to a 2D elevation style, you need to define the
rule. A design rule has four fields of information that allow you to identify
lines in your elevation and determine how to display them.
The four fields, Color, Context, Component, and Description, are included
in each design rule, and define the information for the design rule:

Color: Identifies the color of the lines in the building model.

Context: Identifies the line or lines in the 2D elevation.
Component: Identifies the display component to assign the lines to.
Description: Allows you to type a description for the rule.

For example, a rule with the Color 50, a Context of Within subdivision 2, and
a user-defined Component of New, would assign any lines in the elevation
that have the color 50 in the building model and that are within
subdivision 2 in the elevation to the New display component.

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To add a design rule to a 2D elevation style

1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab,
and click Add.
A new design rule is created with default color, context, and component
values.
3 To change the color of the design rule, click the default Color. In the Select
Color dialog box, select a new color, and click OK.
4 To change the context of the design rule, select a new context from the list
under Context.
5 To change the component of the design rule, select a new component
from the list under Component.
6 Type a description for the rule under Description.
7 Click OK to save your changes to the design rule.
8 To apply the rule to the elevation, update the elevation. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page 1354.
9 After you update the elevation, you can change the display properties of
the elevation. For more information, see Changing the 2D Elevation
Style Display Properties on page 1368.

Removing a Design Rule from a 2D Elevation Style

You can remove a design rule from a 2D elevation style.
To remove a design rule from a 2D elevation style
1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
3 Select the rule that you want to remove, and click Remove.
4 Click OK to save your changes to the design rule, and exit the 2D Section/
Elevation Styles dialog box.
5 Update the elevation to remove the effects of the design rule. For more
information, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page 1354.

Changing a 2D Elevation Style Design Rule

To change a 2D elevation style design rule
1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.

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2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
3 To change the color, click the default Color. In the Select Color dialog box,
select a new color, and click OK.
4 To change the context, select a new context from the list under Context.
5 To change the component, select a new component from the list under
Component.
6 Type a description for the rule under Description.
7 Click OK to save your changes to the design rule, and exit the 2D Section/
Elevation Styles dialog box.
8 Update the elevation to remove the effects of the design rule. For more
information, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page 1354.

Changing the 2D Elevation Style Display

Properties
To edit your 2D elevation, you can add display components to your elevation
and set up rules to assign parts of the elevation to the new components,
based on their context in the building model. You use the style properties of
the 2D elevation to make and save these changes. To apply these edits to the
2D elevation, you must control the display of the elevation in your drawing
by style
After you have added display components and design rules to the style of
your 2D elevation, you can change the display properties of the 2D elevation
to control how it is displayed in your drawing.
To change the 2D elevation style display properties
1 Select the elevation that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
3 Select a display set for the window from the list. The current viewport display is the default representation display. An asterisk (*) is displayed next
to the default display representation.
4 Do any of the following:

Select the 2D Section/Elevation style from the property source, and

click Attach Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a

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property source that is attached to the display representation.

The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display for the representation of the elevation. This includes the visibility, layer, color, linetype,
lineweight, and linetype scale. To edit each property, click its field.
Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Custom Display
Components tab to add, change, or remove custom components from
the display properties. You can add custom display components here,
as well as on the Components tab of the 2D Section/Elevation Styles
dialog box. For more information, see Changing the 2D Elevation
Style Display Components on page 1365.

5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Editing and Merging Linework in 2D

Elevations
After you have created a 2D elevation, you can edit the display of the individual lines that make up the elevation and merge existing geometry into the
elevation.
The Edit Linework command allows you to select individual lines in your
2D elevation and assign them to display components. You can assign the
lines to the display components that are fixed in the display representation
of the 2D elevation, or you can assign them to custom display components
that you add to the 2D elevation.
The Merge Linework command allows you to add geometry to your
2D elevation. Merge lines with your elevation to add detail to your elevation,
or add linework to the elevation that you did not model in your drawing.
Linework that you have edited or merged in your 2D elevation is not maintained in the 2D elevation when you update it, unless you save your changes
to the current 2D elevation style. Alternatively, you can save your linework
changes to another style when you update.

Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Elevations

1369

Editing Linework in 2D Elevations

You can edit the individual lines in a 2D elevation by assigning them to
display components in the display representation of the elevation. After you
assign the linework to display components, you can change the display properties (visibility, color, layer, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale) to
change the display of the lines in the current drawing
You can assign the linework that you select to the fixed display components
that determine the display of every elevation that you generate, or you can
assign the linework to custom display components that you define. For information about adding custom display components, see Adding a Display
Component to a 2D Elevation Style on page 1365.
To edit linework in a 2D elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Edit Linework.
2 In your 2D elevation object, select one or more lines that you want to
assign to a single display component in the display representation, and
press ENTER.
A list of available display components and their index numbers are displayed on the command line. Press F2 to view the list in the AutoCAD Text
Window.
3 Type the index number of the display component that you want to assign
the linework to, and press ENTER.
The linework that you selected is assigned to the display component that
you selected.
4 To control the current display of the linework in the 2D elevation, select
the 2D elevation, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut
menu.
5 Click the Display Props tab, and then click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit the properties of the component that you assigned to linework. You
can change the visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype
scale of the linework.
8 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.
After you edit linework in a 2D elevation, you can save your changes to
the current style. This allows you to update the elevation without erasing
the merged linework. For more information, see Saving Linework
Changes to a 2D Elevation on page 1371.

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Merging Linework into 2D Elevations

You can merge existing geometry with your 2D elevations to add detail to
your 2D elevation. When you merge linework into your elevation, you assign
the display of the linework in the 2D elevation to one of the display
components.
To merge linework into a 2D elevation
1 Draw the geometry that you want to merge into your 2D elevation.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Merge Linework.
3 Select your 2D elevation.
4 Select the geometry that you want to merge.
5 Type the index number of the display component that you want to assign
the linework to.
The linework is merged into your 2D elevation. When you select your elevation, the linework is selected as part of the 2D elevation.
6 To control the current display of the merged linework in the 2D elevation,
select the 2D elevation, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the
shortcut menu.
7 Click the Display Props tab, and then click Edit Display Props.
8 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
9 Edit the properties of the numbered component that you assigned to the
merged linework. You can change the visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale of the linework.
10 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.
After you merge linework into a 2D elevation, you can save the linework
to the current style. This allows you to update the elevation without erasing the merged linework. For more information, see Saving Linework
Changes to a 2D Elevation on page 1371.

Saving Linework Changes to a 2D Elevation

To save your linework changes that you make to a 2D elevation, you must
update the 2D elevation. When you update the 2D elevation, use the current
style to update the elevation, and save your edits in the current style.

NOTE You can also save your linework changes to any other existing
2D elevation style.

Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Elevations

1371

If you do not save your changes to a 2D elevation style when you update,
then your changes are not saved.
The following steps describe how to save your linework changes to the current style. For a complete description of the other options available when
updating 2D elevations, see Updating an Existing 2D Elevation on page
1354.
To save linework changes to a 2D elevation style
1 Select the 2D elevation with linework changes.
If you select a 2D elevation that you merged linework into, notice the
merged linework is now selected with the 2D elevation.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Update Elevation.
3 In the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box, under Result Type, select
Save Copy of User Edits.
4 In Style for Copy, select the current style.

NOTE You can also save your linework changes to any other existing
2D elevation style. However, selecting a different style saves your linework
changes to that style, and not to the current elevation in your drawing.
5 Click OK to save your edits to the current 2D elevation style.

Creating and Changing 3D Elevations

You can create a 3D elevation by drawing an elevation line, and deriving a
3D elevation object from the elevation line and objects in your building
model. You can create a 3D elevation from any part of a building model, and
specify objects inside and outside of your building model that you want to
include in the elevation. Unlike 2D elevations, hidden lines are not removed
in 3D elevations.
The elevation line controls the length, height, and depth of the 3D elevation
that you create. You can also create subdivisions in the 3D elevation by
adding them to the elevation line properties. After you create the
3D elevation, you can use the display properties of the 3D elevation to
control the display of the subdivisions.
3D elevations do not use styles, so you cannot edit them like 2D elevations.
However, you can control the display of subdivisions within 3D elevations,
and you can create hidden line projections from the 3D elevations with the

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Hidden Line Projection command in the Desktop menu. For more information about using this command, see Hidden Line Projection on page 1699.
Unless you explode your 3D elevation, your elevation is linked to the building model. If the design of your building model changes, if you want to add
objects to your 3D elevation, or if you want to change length, height, depth,
or subdivisions of the elevation, you can easily update your elevation to
reflect these changes.

Creating a New 3D Elevation

You can create a new 3D elevation by drawing an elevation line in your drawing, and then deriving a 3D elevation from the elevation line and the objects
in your building model. The elevation line and its boundary create a selection set for the objects that are used to create the 3D elevation. When you
create the elevation, you can add other objects in your drawing to the elevation, or remove objects from the selection set. You can also select a display
set and a location in your drawing for the new 3D elevation.
To create a new 3D elevation
1 Draw an elevation line in your drawing.
2 Switch to a view other than plan view.

TIP Before you create an elevation, thaw and turn on all the layers of the
objects in your building model that you want to include in the elevation.
Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection set for
the elevation.
3 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Create Elevation.
4 Select the elevation line.
The Generate Section/Elevation dialog box is displayed.
5 Under Result Type, select 3D Section/Elevation Object.
6 Under Selection Set, click Select Objects and select the objects in your
building model that you want to include in the elevation. Press ENTER
after you select the objects.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the elevation, hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection set.
7 Under Display Set, select a display set for the elevation object.

Creating and Changing 3D Elevations

1373

NOTE The display representation controls the type of display when the elevation is placed in the drawing.
8 Under Placement, select New Object, and do one of the following:

Click Pick Point to select a location in your drawing for the elevation.
Type the X, Y, and Z coordinates to place the elevation in your drawing.

9 Click OK to create the new 3D elevation.

A 3D elevation is created in your drawing. If you make any changes to
your building model, or add objects to the elevation, then you can update
the elevation to reflect your changes. For more information, see Updating an Existing 3D Elevation on page 1374.

Updating an Existing 3D Elevation

Update an elevation to re-create the elevation to reflect changes you have
made to either the building model or the elevation line properties in the 3D
elevation. You can update a 3D elevation as long as you have not destroyed
the link between the elevation and the building model by exploding the
elevation.
When you update a 3D elevation, you can add objects in your drawing to the
elevation, change the location of the elevation in the drawing, and change
the display set of the elevation in the drawing.
To update an existing 3D elevation
1 Switch to a view other than plan view.

TIP Before you update an elevation, thaw and turn on all the layers of the
objects in your building model that you want to include in the elevation.
Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection set for
the elevation.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Update Elevation.
3 Select the elevation that you want to update.
4 Under Result Type, select 3D Section/Elevation Object.
5 Under Selection Set, do one of the following to specify the objects that
you want to include in your 3D elevation:

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Click Select Additional Objects to add new objects to the selection set
that you specified when you created the original elevation. Press ENTER
after you select the objects.
Click Reselect Objects to select a new selection set of objects for the elevation, and press ENTER.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the elevation, hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection set.
6 Under Display Set, select a display set for the elevation object.

NOTE The display representation controls the type of display when the elevation is placed in the drawing.
7 Under Placement, do one of the following to locate the 3D elevation in
your drawing:

Select New Object and select a point or type coordinates to locate a new
3D elevation.
Select Replace Existing to replace the original 3D elevation with the
updated 3D elevation.

8 Click OK to update your 3D elevation.

Changing the 3D Elevation Properties

You can add notes and reference files to a 3D elevation, and change the
location properties of the elevation.

Attaching Notes and Files to a 3D Elevation

To attach notes and files to a 3D elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Properties.
2 Select the elevation object, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the elevation, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the elevation, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.

Creating and Changing 3D Elevations

1375

7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Changing the 3D Elevation Location Properties

You can relocate an existing elevation by changing the coordinate values of
its insertion point. The elevation also has an orientation with respect to the
WCS or the current UCS. For example, if the top and bottom of the elevation
are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can
change the orientation of the elevation by aligning its normal with another
axis. You can also rotate the elevation on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.
For information about the world coordinate system (WCS) and the user coordinate system (UCS), see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a 3D elevation
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Elevations Elevation Properties.
2 Select the elevation, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

1376

To relocate the elevation, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the elevation, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the elevation on the XY plane, make the normal of the
elevation parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and

Chapter 34

Elevations

type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the elevation on the YZ plane,

type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the elevation on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z
boxes.
To change the rotation of the elevation, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a

3D Elevation
You can change the display of subdivisions in a 3D elevation by changing the
display properties of the 3D elevation. Each subdivision that you specified in
the elevation line properties is assigned to a numbered subdivision display
component in the display properties of the 3D elevation. You can control the
visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale of each subdivision by changing the display properties of each subdivision component.

NOTE You can move subdivision lines in your drawing using grips.
To change the display properties of a 3D elevation
1 Select the 3D elevation in your drawing, right-click, and choose Entity
Display from the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Make sure the Subdivisions display representation is selected.
4 Under Property Source, control the display of the 3D elevation by object
or by instance. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display
Systems on page 121.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
The Entity Properties dialog box is displayed. The Layer/Color/Linetype
tab lists all the components that contribute to the display of the object.
The defining line represents the cutting plane of the elevation line. The
numbered subdivision components correspond to the number of subdivisions you created in your elevation.
6 Depending on how you want to display the subdivisions in your
3D elevation, turn the visibility on or off, and change the layer, color, linetype, lineweight, or lineweight scale for each subdivision component.
7 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.

Creating and Changing 3D Elevations

1377

Elevations Command List

Menu command

Command line

Add Elevation Line

BldgElevationLineAdd

Elevation Line Properties...

BldgElevationLineProps

Elevation Line Properties...

Create Elevation

BldgElevationLineGenerate

Generate Elevation...

Update Elevation

BldgSectionUpdate

Elevation Properties...

BldgSectionProps

Elevation Styles...

2dSectionStyle

Edit Linework

2dSectionResultEdit

Edit Linework...

Merge Linework

2dSectionResultMerge

Merge Linework...

BldgElevationLineReverse

Reverse

2dSectionResultUpdate

Update...

2dSectionResultStyleEdit

Edit 2d Section/Elevation Style...

2dSectionResultProps

2d Section/Elevation Properties...

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Right-click (with elevation line or

elevation selected)

Sections

35

You can create sections of the building models in your

In this chapter

drawings by first drawing a section line and mark and

Creating 2D and 3D sections

then creating a 2D or 3D section based on that line. You

can control the size and shape of any section that you
create, and you can update an existing section when the
objects included in the section are modified.

Drawing and changing section

lines
Creating and changing

2D sections
Creating and changing

3D sections

2D sections are created with hidden and overlapping

lines removed. You can control the appearance of
2D sections by applying rules that are controlled by the
style and display properties of the 2D section.

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Creating 2D and 3D Sections

You can create a section in your current drawing by first drawing a section
line and mark, and then creating a 2D or 3D section based on that line. You
can control the size and shape of the section that is generated. Unless you
explode the section that you create, the section remains linked to the building model that you used to create it. Because of this link between the section
and the building model, any changes to the building model can be made in
the section as well.
If you create a 2D section, the section is created with hidden and overlapping
lines removed. You can edit the 2D section that you created by changing its
display properties. The 2D section style allows you to add your own display
components to the display representation of the section, and create rules
that assign different parts of the section to different display components. You
can control the visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale
of each component. You can also use the linework editing commands to
assign individual lines in your 2D section to different display components,
and merge geometry into your 2D section.
After you create a 2D section, you can use the AutoCAD BHATCH and
AutoCAD DIMLINEAR commands to hatch and dimension the 2D section.

WARNING! Use non-associative hatching (hatching that is independent of

boundaries) to hatch 2D sections. Associative hatching of 2D sections slows
drawing performance.
If you create a 3D section, you can use the Hidden Line Projection command
in the Desktop menu to create 2D hidden line projections of any view of the
3D section that you can explode and edit or hatch. For more information, see
Hidden Line Projection on page 1699.

Drawing and Changing Section Lines

The first step in creating either 2D or 3D sections in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop is to draw a straight or jogged section line through your building
model. The section line defines the extents of the section that you extract
from the building model.
When you create a 2D section, the section line extracts an orthographic projection from your building model. When you create a 3D section, the section
line extracts the area of the building model used in the 3D section.

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In plan view, the section line is displayed as you would expect on a

construction document. The section marks point in the direction that the
section is cut.

Viewing the section line and mark, plan view

In an isometric view, the same section line is displayed with a boundary that
defines the extents of the section.

Viewing a section line, isometric view

You can change the section line properties to control the section that you
create. Within the section line properties, you can change the height and
shape of the section that you create, as well as add a lower extension to the
section.
You can also set up subdivisions in the section line properties that are added
to your section when you create it. Subdivisions are set at distances from the
cutting plane of the section line. You can control the lineweight (as well as
other display properties) of the subdivisions to add different levels of depth
to your sections. For example, you could display one subdivision in your
section with a heavy lineweight and display another subdivision with a
lighter lineweight to suggest the first subdivision was in front of the second
subdivision.

Drawing and Changing Section Lines

1381

You can change the section line properties before you create a section, or you
can change the section line properties and update a section that you have
already created. For more information about updating existing sections, see
Updating an Existing 2D Section on page 1392.

Drawing a Section Line and Mark

You can draw a section line in your drawing by specifying a start point, an
endpoint, a length, and a height for the section. You can specify additional
points between the start and endpoint to create jogs in your section. The
section line acts as a cutting plane when you create the section, slicing a
section from the building model.

NOTE If you are working with a drawing set where several xrefs are linked to
a main drawing, then draw your section line in the main drawing.
To draw a section line and mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Add Section Line.

NOTE If you draw your section line by choosing

Documentation Sections Add Section Line, the section line includes two
section marks. You can also create a section line and mark by choosing
Documentation Documentation Content Section Marks.
2 Specify the section line start point.
3 Continue to specify points to define the section line.
You can create jogs in the section line to cut through portions of your
building model that you want to show in the section, that are not along a
single straight path.
4 Press ENTER to end the section line.
5 Specify the length of the section to be taken from the endpoints of the
line.
6 Specify the height of the section.
The section line is displayed in your drawing. Depending on the direction
in which you draw the section line, the section marks point in the direction of the section.

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Drawing a section line, isometric view

7 To reverse the direction of the section, right-click, and choose Reverse

from the shortcut menu.

Reversing a section

The section marks are multi-view blocks, anchored to the section line. You
can edit the section marks to change the information that is displayed in
the bubbles. For more information, see Changing the Section Mark
Attributes on page 1388.
After you create a section line in your drawing, you can change the properties of the line to change the height and depth of the section, add a
lower extension to the section, or add subdivisions to the section. For
more information, see Changing Section Line Properties on page 1384.

Drawing and Changing Section Lines

1383

Changing Section Line Properties

After you create a section line, you can change the height and area of the
section, and create subdivisions in the section before you generate the
section. You can also attach notes and reference files to the section line.
If you have an existing section in your drawing, you can change the section
line properties, and then update the existing section to reflect the changes
that you made. To update a section, see Updating an Existing 2D Section
on page 1392.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Section Line

To attach notes and files to a section line
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the section line, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the section line, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to save your changes and exit each dialog box.

Changing the Dimensions of a Section

You can change the dimensions of a section in the section line properties.

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NOTE The depth of a section can also be defined by grip-editing the section
line boundary in your drawing.
To change the dimensions of a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line you want to change, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions
tab.

4 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

Select Use Model Extents for Height to set the height of the section to
the extents of the selected objects, or clear it and type the height of the
section.
Height: Sets the height of the box to create a section from a Z value
measured from the XY plane of the world coordinate system (WCS) or
the current user coordinate system (UCS). The objects are cut at this
height when a section is created.

Change the Lower Extension of the section.

Lower Extension: Sets the lower limit of the section box as a Z value
measured from the XY plane of the WCS or the current UCS. The lower
section by default is 1 foot below the XY plane unless the Use Model
Extents for Height option is selected.

Change the length of Side 1 or Side 2.

Sides: Sets the length of the two lines from the section line to create
the section box. Side 1 starts from the first point specified for the sec-

Drawing and Changing Section Lines

1385

tion line, and side 2 starts from the point specified for the end of the
section line.

Specifying section height, lower extension, and side parameters

Change the angle of Angle 1 or Angle 2.

Angles: Sets the angle of the two sides from the section line to create
the section box. The apex of angle 1 is the start point of the section
line, and the apex of angle 2 is the endpoint of the section line. Both
these angles must be between 0 and 90 degrees.

Specifying section angle parameters

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

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Creating Graphic Subdivisions in a Section

In the section line properties, you can set up subdivisions that are created
within your section when you generate it. Subdivisions are set at distances
from the cutting plane of the section line.
You can control the lineweight (as well as other display properties) of the subdivisions after you create the section to add different levels of depth to your
sections.
To create, change, or remove subdivisions in a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line you want to change, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions
tab.
4 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

To create a subdivision in the section, click Add, type the distance from
the section line, and click OK.
Click Edit to change the length of an existing subdivision.
Click Remove to delete the selected subdivision.

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Before you create your section, you can view the location of the subdivision by viewing the section line with its boundary in an isometric view.
You can relocate the subdivision with grips in this view.
After you create the section, you can use the display properties of the
3D section to control the display of the subdivisions. For more information, see Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a 2D Section
on page 1391.

Changing the Section Line Location Properties

You can relocate an existing section line by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The section line also has an orientation with respect to
the WCS or the current UCS. For example, if the top and bottom of the section line are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You
can change the orientation of the section line by aligning its normal with
another axis. You can also rotate the section line on its plane by changing the
rotation angle.

Drawing and Changing Section Lines

1387

For information about the world coordinate system (WCS) and the user coordinate system (UCS), see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a section line
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the section line change the coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the section line, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the section line on the XY plane, make the normal of
the section line parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the section line on the
YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate
the section line on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the
X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the section line, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Changing the Section Mark Attributes

You can change the information that is displayed in the section mark bubble.
The section mark is a multi-view block.
To change the section mark attributes
1 Select the section mark, right-click, and choose Multi-View Block Properties from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the
Attributes tab.
3 Select the existing attributes under Value, and type the new information
that you want to include in the bubble.
4 Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

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Creating and Changing 2D Sections

After you draw a section line in your drawing, you can create a 2D section
with hidden lines removed. The section view is set by the section line and its
properties before you create the section. When you create the 2D section
from the section line, you can choose a style for the section, add or subtract
objects to and from the section, select a display set for the section, and select
a location for the section.

NOTE When you create a 2D section, the object that is created is a

2D Section/Elevation object. Both 2D sections and elevations share the same
object type and style.
If your building model changes, or you want to change the section view, you
can change the section line or section lines properties, and then update your
2D section. Unless you explode your 2D section, the section is linked to the
building model and can be easily updated to reflect any changes you make.
If you want to change the style of a section, instead of updating the section,
you can change it in the 2D section properties.
After you create or update a 2D section, you can edit your section by changing the display of the lines in your section. You use the style of the section to
make and save these changes. For more information about 2D section styles,
see Working with 2D Section Styles on page 1395, and Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections on page 1406.

Creating a New 2D Section

You can create a new 2D section by drawing a section line in your drawing,
and then extracting a 2D section from the section line and the objects in
your building model. When you create the section, you can select the objects
in your drawing to include in the section. You can also select a display set and
a location for the new 2D section.

TIP Before you create a section, thaw and turn on all the layers of the objects
in your building model that you want to include in the section. Turn off the layers
of the objects that you do not need to include in the section to speed performance. Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection
set for the section.

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To create a new 2D section

1 Draw a section line in your drawing. For more information, see Drawing
a Section Line and Mark on page 1382.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Create Section.
3 Select the section line.
The Generate Section/Elevation dialog box is displayed.
4 Under Result Type, select 2D Section/Elevation Object with Hidden Line
Removal.
5 From Style to Generate, select a style to use to create the section.
You can use the style of a 2D section to determine its display in your drawing. If you have a style that you want to use to create the section, select it
from Style to Generate. Otherwise, use the Standard style. For more information, see Working with 2D Section Styles on page 1395.
6 Under Selection Set, click Select Objects and select the objects in your
drawing that you want to include in your section. Press ENTER after you
select the objects.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the section,
hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection
set.
7 Under Display Set, select a display set for the section object.

NOTE The display representation controls the representation of objects

when the section is created.
8 Under Placement, select New Object, and do one of the following:

Click Pick Point to select a location in your drawing for the section.
Type X, Y, and Z coordinates to place the section in your drawing.

9 Click OK to create the new 2D section.

A 2D section with hidden lines removed is created from the section line
properties and objects in your building model. The 2D section is linked to
your building model. If you make changes to your building model after
you create your 2D section, you can update your section to reflect the
changes. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Section on
page 1392.
You can edit your 2D section by using the style properties of the 2D section style to control the display of selected objects in your section, or by

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controlling the display of individual lines in your 2D section. For more

information, see Changing 2D Section Style Properties on page 1401,
and Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections on page 1406.

Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a

2D Section
You can change the display of subdivisions in a 2D section by changing the
display properties of the 2D section. Each subdivision that you specified in
the section line properties is assigned to a numbered subdivision display
component in the display properties. You can control the visibility, layer,
color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale of each subdivision by changing the display properties of each subdivision component.

NOTE You can move subdivision lines in your drawing using grips.
To change the display properties of a 2D section
1 Select the 2D section in your drawing, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Select the property source to edit, and click Attach Override.

Use System Default to change all 2D sections and elevations (except

those that have a Section/Elevation Style override).
Use 2D Section/Elevation Style to change all sections and elevations of
the current style.

4 Click Edit Display Props.

The Entity Properties dialog box is displayed. The Layer/Color/Linetype
tab lists all the components that contribute to the display of the object.
The defining line represents the cutting plane of the section line. The
numbered subdivision components correspond to the number of subdivisions you created in your section.
5 Depending on how you want to display the subdivisions in your 2D section, turn the visibility on or off, and change the layer, color, linetype, lineweight, or linetype scale for each subdivision component.
6 Click the Custom Display Components tab to add a custom display component to the display of the 2D section. For more information about adding custom display components, see Adding a Display Component to a
2D Section Style on page 1402.

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7 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.

Updating an Existing 2D Section

Update a 2D section to re-create the section to reflect changes you have made
to the building model, the section line properties, or the 2D section style. You
can update a 2D section as long as you have not destroyed the link between
the section and the building model by exploding the section.
When you update a 2D section, you can add objects in your drawing to the
2D section, change the location of the section in the drawing, and change
the display set of the section in the drawing.
To update an existing 2D section
1 Switch to a view other than plan view.

TIP Before you create a section, thaw and turn on all the layers of the
objects in your building model that you want to include in the section. Turn
off the layers of the objects that you do not need to include in the section to
speed performance. Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of
the selection set for the section.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Update section.
3 Select the section.
4 In the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box, under Result Type, select 2D
Section/Elevation Object with Hidden Line Removal.
5 If you want to change the style of the 2D section, select a new style from
Style to Generate.
6 If you edited the section with the linework editing commands, select Save
Copy of User Edits, and select a style to save your edits in.
If you want your edits to be displayed in the updated section, make sure
the style you select is the same style as in Style to Generate. For more
information about editing linework in your sections, see Editing and
Merging Linework in 2D Sections on page 1406.
7 Under Selection Set, do one of the following to specify the objects that
you want to include in your 2D section:

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Click Select Additional Objects to add new objects to the selection set
that you specified when you created the original section, and press
ENTER.

Chapter 35 Sections

Click Reselect Objects to select a new selection set of objects for the
section, and press ENTER.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the section,
hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection
set.
8 Under Display Set, select a display set for the Section/Elevation object.

NOTE The display representation controls the representation of objects

when the section is created.
9 Under Placement, do one of the following to locate the 2D section in your
drawing:

Select New Object and select a point or type coordinates to locate the
new 2D section.
Select Replace Existing to replace the original 2D section with the
updated 2D section.

10 Click OK to update your 2D section.

Reversing an Existing Section

You can reverse the direction of an existing section by reversing the section
line and updating the section.
To reverse an existing section
1 Select the section line that you used to create the section, right-click, and
choose Reverse from the shortcut menu.
2 Select the section line.
The section line is mirrored about its own axis, as is the section box with
its original parameters.
3 Select the existing section, right-click, and choose Update Section from
the shortcut menu.
4 In the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box, click OK.
The selected section is reversed in your drawing.

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Changing the 2D Section Properties

You can add notes and reference files to a 2D section and change the style
and location of the section.

Attaching Notes and Files to a 2D Section

To attach notes and files to a 2D section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Properties.
2 Select the Section/Elevation object, and press ENTER.
3 In the 2D Section/Elevation Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the section, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the section, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Style of a 2D Section

You can change the style of an existing section.
To change the style of a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Properties.
2 Select the Section/Elevation object, and press ENTER.
3 In the 2D Section/Elevation Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.

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4 Select a new style for your section.

5 Click OK.

Changing the 2D Section Location Properties

You can relocate an existing section by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The section also has an orientation with respect to the WCS
or the current UCS. For example, if the top and bottom of the section are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the
orientation of the section by aligning its normal with another axis. You can
also rotate the section on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For information about the world coordinate system (WCS) and the user coordinate system (UCS), see Using Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Properties.
2 Select the section, and press ENTER.
3 In the 2D Section/Elevation Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the section, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the section, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To locate the section on the XY plane, make the normal of the section
parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in
the X and Y boxes. To locate the section on the YZ plane, type 1 in the
X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the section on the XZ
plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the section, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Working with 2D Section Styles

A style, a group of properties assigned to an object, determines the appearance and function of the object. The style of a 2D section allows you to
control the linework in the section, by setting rules in the style properties to
determine how different parts of the section are displayed in your drawing.

Working with 2D Section Styles

1395

You can also change the display of individual lines in the section, and save
your changes in the 2D Section/Elevation object.
You can create new 2D section styles, import and export 2D section styles
between drawings, and purge 2D section styles that are not in use.When you
create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager. The Style
Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For
more information about using the Style Manager, see Style Manager on
page 1525.

Creating New 2D Section Styles

You can create a new 2D section style, or you can copy and edit an existing
2D section style.

Creating a New 2D Section Style

You can create a new 2D section style. After you create the new 2D Section/
Elevation style, you can edit the style properties of the 2D section.
To create a new 2D section style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section styles in the drawing.
3 Select the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type, right-click, and choose
New from the shortcut menu.
4 Type a name for the new 2D section style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new 2D section style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes, display components, and design rules to the style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing 2D Section
Style Properties on page 1401.
6 When you finish changing the 2D section style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Creating a New 2D Section Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new 2D section style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new 2D section style from an existing style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section styles in the drawing.
3 Select an existing style to copy under the 2D Section Styles style type, and
press CTRL+C.
4 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
5 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
6 To edit the style properties of your new 2D section style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes, display components, and design rules to the style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing 2D Section
Style Properties on page 1401.
7 When you finish changing the 2D section style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging a 2D Section Style

You can delete 2D section styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused 2D section style, or all AEC Polygon
styles in your drawing.
To purge a 2D section style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section styles in the drawing.
3 Do one of the following:

Working with 2D Section Styles

1397

To purge a single unused 2D section style in your current drawing,

select the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused 2D section styles in your current drawing, with
the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is
displayed.
4 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog

When the Shift Key is Down.

5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing a 2D Section Style

You can copy 2D section styles from an existing drawing and use them in
your current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by
storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import a 2D section style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section and elevation styles in the
drawing.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
4 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
5 Click the plus sign (+) next to 2D Section/Elevation Styles to display the
2D section styles in the drawing.
6 Select the 2D section style that you want to copy, and choose Edit Copy.
7 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.

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The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
8 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a 2D Section Style to a New Drawing

You can copy 2D section styles from your current drawing to a new drawing.
To export a 2D section style to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section/Elevation Styles style type
under the drawing to display the 2D section styles in the drawing.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
4 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the 2D section style type.
5 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Working with 2D Section Styles

1399

Exporting 2D Section Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy 2D section styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export an 2D section style to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing is expanded in
the tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the 2D Section Styles style type under the
drawing to display the 2D section styles in the drawing.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
4 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the 2D section style type.
5 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the other
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
6 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the other drawing. If the drawing already contains
a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Changing 2D Section Style Properties

The style properties of a 2D section style allow you to set design rules to
determine how the section is displayed in your drawing. You can change how
the section is displayed by setting up design rules in the style properties to
assign lines in the section to display components. You then assign properties,
such a layer, color, and linetype, to the display components. After you create
a section, the section remains linked to the building model it was created
from.
When you create a design rule, you specify the part of the 2D section to control based on the color of the section objects in the building model, and their
context in the section. After you make this selection, you assign the lines to
a display component in the display representation of the 2D section. You can
assign them to the default display components, or you can add your own custom display components.
For example, you can hide selected objects in your 2D section by creating a
design rule that assigns the objects in your building model to the Hidden
component. By turning the Hidden component off in the display representation, you can hide the objects in the 2D section. Alternatively, you can
leave the Hidden component on and assign a hidden linetype to it.
For finer editing, you can use the Edit Linework command to select individual lines in the 2D section and assign them to display components. You can
also add geometry to your 2D section to add detail. For more information,
see Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections on page 1406.

Changing the 2D Section Style Notes,

Descriptions, or Reference Files
To add a description or note to a 2D section, or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit 2D
Section/Elevation style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the General tab.
3 To add a description to the 2D section, type it in the Description field.
4 To add a note to the 2D section, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
5 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

Changing 2D Section Style Properties

1401

6 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

7 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the 2D Section Style Display

Components
You can add or remove display components to the display of a 2D section
style. When you add a component, you can use the design rules to assign
parts of the section to that component. When you remove a component, any
design rules used with that component are removed as well.

Adding a Display Component to a 2D Section Style

You can add your own custom display components to a 2D section style.
When you add a component, you can assign the display of lines in your section to the new component with a design rule. You must update your section
to add the component to the display properties and apply the design rule to
the display of your 2D section.
To add a display component to a 2D section style
1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit 2D
Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Components tab,
and click Add.
A new unnamed component is created.
3 Type a new name for the component under Name.
4 Type a description for the component under Description.

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5 To assign the display of lines in your section to the new component, create
a design rule. For more information, see Adding a Design Rule to a 2D
Section Style on page 1404.
6 After you create the design rule, click OK in the 2D Section/Elevation
Styles dialog box to return to the Style Manager.
7 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
8 Update the section to add the new component to the display of the
2D section. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Section
on page 1392.

Removing a Display Component from a 2D Section Style

You can remove a display component that you added to the 2D section style
display properties. If the component that you are removing is used in a
design rule, then removing the component removes the design rule as well.
You can remove only display components that you defined, not the default
display components.
To remove a display component from a 2D section style
1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Components tab.
3 Select the component that you want to remove, and click Remove.
4 If the component is used in a design rule, then a dialog box is displayed,
warning you that the associated design rule is removed as well. Click Yes
to remove the component.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.
6 Update the section to remove the design rule from the display of the
2D section. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Section
on page 1392.

Changing the 2D Section Style Design Rule

Properties
The design rules allow you to assign parts of your 2D section to different
display components in the display representation of the 2D section. You can
assign parts of the section to components based on their context in the building model. If you add any new display components to the 2D section, then
you need to create a design rule to assign lines in your section to the new
components. By default, 2D sections include Defining Line, Hidden, Erased,
Unknown, and Subdivision components.

Changing 2D Section Style Properties

1403

Adding a Design Rule to a 2D Section Style

When you add a design rule to a 2D section style, you need to define the rule.
A design rule has four fields of information that allow you to identify lines
in your section and determine how to display them.
The four fields, Color, Context, Component, and Description, are included
in each design rule, and define the information for the design rule:

Color: Identifies the color of the lines in the building model.

Context: Identifies the context of the line or lines in the 2D section.
Component: Identifies the display component to assign the lines to.
Description: Allows you to type a description for the rule.

For example, a rule with the Color 50, a Context of Within subdivision 2, and
a user-defined Component of New would assign any lines in the section that
have the color 50 in the building model and that are within subdivision 2 in
the section to the New display component.
To add a design rule to a 2D section style
1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab,
and click Add.
A new design rule is created with default color, context, and component
values.
3 To change the color of the design rule, click the default Color. In the Select
Color dialog box, select a new color, and click OK.
4 To change the context of the design rule, select a new context from the list
under Context.
5 To change the component of the design rule, select a new component
from the list under Component.
6 Type a description for the rule under Description and press ENTER.
7 Click OK to save your changes to the design rule.
8 To apply the rule to the section, update the section. For more information,
see Updating an Existing 2D Section on page 1392.
9 After you update the section, you can change the display properties of the
section. For more information, see Changing the 2D Section Style Display Properties on page 1405.

Removing a Design Rule from a 2D Section Style

You can remove a design rule from a 2D section style.

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To remove a design rule from a 2D section style

1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
3 Select the rule that you want to remove, and click Remove.
4 Click OK to save your changes to the design rule, and exit the 2D Section/
Elevation Styles dialog box.
5 Update the section to remove the effects of the design rule. For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Section on page 1392.

Changing a 2D Section Style Design Rule

To change a 2D section style design rule
1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit 2D
Section/Elevation style.
2 In the 2D Section/Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Design Rules tab.
3 To change the color, click the default Color. In the Select Color dialog box,
select a new color, and click OK.
4 To change the context, select a new context from the list under Context.
5 To change the component, select a new component from the list under
Component.
6 Type a description for the rule under Description, and press ENTER.
7 Click OK to save your changes to the design rule and exit the 2D Section/
Elevation Styles dialog box.
8 Update the section to apply the changes in the design rule to the section.
For more information, see Updating an Existing 2D Section on page
1392.

Changing the 2D Section Style Display Properties

To edit your 2D section, you can add display components to your section and
set up rules to assign parts of the section to the new components based on
their context in the building model. You use the style properties of the
2D section to make and save these changes.
After you have added display components and design rules to the style of
your 2D section, you can change the display properties of the 2D section to
control how it is displayed in your drawing.

Changing 2D Section Style Properties

1405

To change the 2D section style display properties

1 Select the section that you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
2D Section/Elevation Style.
2 In the 2D Elevation Styles dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
3 Select a display set for the window from the list. The current viewport display is the default representation display. An asterisk (*) is displayed next
to the default.
4 Do any of the following:

Select the 2D Section/Elevation style from the property source, and

click Attach Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.
The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display
Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden is displayed
in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display for the representation of the section. This includes the visibility, layer, color, linetype,
lineweight, and linetype scale. To edit each property, click its field.
Click Edit Display Properties, and then click the Custom Display
Components tab to add, change, or remove custom components from
the display properties. You can add custom display components here,
as well as on the Components tab of the 2D Section/Elevation Styles
dialog box. For more information, see Changing the 2D Section Style
Display Components on page 1402.

5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections

After you have created a 2D section, you can edit the display of the individual
lines that make up the section and merge existing geometry into the section.

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Chapter 35 Sections

The Edit Linework command allows you to select individual lines in your
2D section and assign them to display components. You can assign the lines
to the display components that are fixed in the display representation of the
2D section, or you can assign them to display components that you add to
the 2D section.
The Merge Linework command allows you to add geometry to your
2D section. Merge lines with your section to add detail, or add linework that
you did not model to the section.
Linework that you have edited or merged in your 2D section is not maintained in the 2D section when you update it, unless you save your changes
to the current 2D section style. You can also save your linework changes to
another style when you update.

Editing Linework in 2D Sections

You can edit the individual lines in a 2D section by assigning them to display
components in the display representation of the section. After you assign the
linework to display components, you can change the display properties (visibility, color, layer, lineweight, linetype, and linetype scale) to change the display of the lines in the current drawing.
You can assign the linework that you select to the fixed display components
that determine the display of every section that you generate, or you can
assign the linework to display components that you define. For information
about adding custom display components, see Adding a Display Component to a 2D Section Style on page 1402.
To edit linework in a 2D section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Edit Linework.
2 Select one or more lines in your 2D Section/Elevation object that you want
to assign to a single display component in the display representation, and
press ENTER.
A list of available display components and their index numbers is displayed on the command line. Press F2 to view the list in the AutoCAD Text
Window.
3 Type the index number of the display component that you want to assign
the linework to, and press ENTER.
The linework that you selected is assigned to the display component that
you selected.

Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections

1407

4 To control the current display of the linework in the 2D section, select the
2D section, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut
menu.
5 Click the Display Props tab, and then click Edit Display Props.
6 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
7 Edit the properties of the component that you assigned to linework. You
can change the visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype
scale of the linework.
8 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.
After you edit linework in a 2D section, you can save your changes to the
current style. This allows you to update the section without erasing the
merged linework. For more information, see Saving Linework Changes to
a 2D Section on page 1409.

Merging Linework into 2D Sections

You can merge existing geometry with your 2D sections to add detail to your
2D section. When you merge linework into your section, you assign the
display of the linework in the 2D section to one of the display components.
To merge linework into a 2D section
1 Draw the geometry that you want to merge into your 2D section.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Merge Linework.
3 Select your 2D section.
4 Select the geometry that you want to merge.
5 Type the index number of the display component that you want to assign
the linework to.
The linework is merged into your 2D section. When you select your section, the linework is selected as part of the 2D section.
6 To control the current display of the merged linework in the 2D section,
select the 2D section, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the
shortcut menu.
7 Click the Display Props tab, and then click Edit Display Props.
8 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
9 Edit the properties of the numbered Subdivision component that you
assigned to the merged linework. You can change the visibility, layer,
color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale of the linework.
10 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.

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Chapter 35 Sections

After you merge linework into a 2D section, you can save the linework to
the current style. This allows you to update the section without erasing
the merged linework. For more information, see Saving Linework
Changes to a 2D Section on page 1409.

Saving Linework Changes to a 2D Section

To save your linework changes that you make to a 2D section, you must
update the 2D section. When you update the 2D section, use the current style
to update the section, and save your edits in the current style.

NOTE You can also save your linework changes to any other existing
2D section style.
If you do not save your changes to a 2D section style when you update, then
your changes are not saved.
The following steps describe how to save your linework changes to the
current style. For a complete description of the other options available when
updating 2D sections, see Updating an Existing 2D Section on page 1392.
To save linework changes to a 2D section style
1 Select the 2D section with linework changes.
If you select a 2D section that you merged linework into, the merged linework is now selected with the 2D section.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Update Section.
3 In the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box, under Result Type, select
Save Copy of User Edits.
4 In Style for Copy, select the current style.

NOTE You can also save your linework changes to any other existing
2D section style. However, selecting a different style saves your linework
changes to that style, and not to the current section in your drawing.
5 Click OK to save your edits to the current 2D section style.

Editing and Merging Linework in 2D Sections

1409

Creating and Changing 3D Sections

You can create a 3D section by drawing a section line, and deriving a
3D Building Section object from the section line and objects in your building
model. You can create a 3D section from any part of a building model, and
specify objects inside and outside of your building model that you want to
include in the section. Unlike 2D sections, hidden lines are not removed in
3D sections.
The section line controls the length, height, and depth of the 3D section that
you create. You can also create subdivisions in the 3D section by adding them
to the section line properties. After you create the 3D section, you can use the
display properties of the 3D section to control the display of the subdivisions.
3D sections do not use styles, so you cannot edit them like 2D sections.
However, you can control the display of subdivisions within 3D sections, and
you can create hidden line projections from the 3D sections with the Hidden
Line Projection command in the Desktop menu. For more information about
using this command, see Hidden Line Projection on page 1699.
Unless you explode your 3D section, your section is linked to the building
model. If the design of your building model changes, if you add objects to
your 3D section, or if you change length, height, depth, or subdivisions of
the section, you can easily update your section to reflect these changes.

Creating a New 3D Section

You can create a new 3D section by drawing a section line in your drawing,
and then deriving a 3D section from the section line and the objects in your
building model. The section line and its boundary create a selection set for
the objects that are used to create the 3D section. When you create the section, you can add other objects in your drawing to the section, or remove
objects from the selection set. You can also select a display set and a location
in your drawing for the new 3D section.
To create a new 3D section
1 Draw a section line in your drawing.
2 Switch to a view other than plan view.

TIP Before you create a section, thaw and turn on all the layers of the
objects in your building model that you want to include in the section.

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Chapter 35 Sections

Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection set for
the section.
3 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Create Section.
4 Select the section line.
The Generate Section/Elevation dialog box is displayed.
5 Under Result Type, select 3D Section/Elevation Object.
6 Under Selection Set, click Select Objects and select the objects in your
building model that you want to include in the section. Press ENTER after
you select the objects.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the section,
hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection
set.
7 Under Display Set, select a display set for the section object.

NOTE The display representation controls the type of display when the section is placed in the drawing.
8 Under Placement, select New Object, and do one of the following:

Click Pick Point to select a location in your drawing for the section.
Type X, Y, and Z coordinates to place the section in your drawing.

9 Click OK to create the new 3D section.

A 3D section is created in your drawing. If you make any changes to your
building model, or want to add objects to the section, then you can make
the changes and update the section to reflect your changes. For more
information, see Updating an Existing 3D Section on page 1411.

Updating an Existing 3D Section

Update a section to re-create the section to reflect changes you have made to
either the building model or the section line properties in the 3D section. You
can update a 3D section as long as you have not destroyed the link between
the section and the building model by exploding the section.
When you update a 3D section, you can add objects in your drawing to the
section, change the location of the section in the drawing, and change the
display set of the section in the drawing.

Creating and Changing 3D Sections

1411

To update an existing 3D section

1 Switch to a view other than plan view.

TIP Before you create a section, thaw and turn on all the layers of the
objects in your building model that you want to include in the section.
Objects on layers that are off or frozen cannot be part of the selection set for
the section.
2 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Update Section.
3 Select the section that you want to update.
4 Under Result Type, select 3D Section/Elevation Object.
5 Under Selection Set, do one of the following to specify the objects that
you want to include in your 3D section:

Click Select Additional Objects to add new objects to the selection set
that you specified when you created the original section. Press ENTER
after you select the objects.
Click Reselect Objects to select a new selection set of objects for the section, and press ENTER.

NOTE If you select an object that you do not want to include in the section,
hold down SHIFT and select the object again to remove it from the selection
set.
6 Under Display Set, select a display set for the Section/Elevation object.

NOTE The display representation controls the type of display when the section is placed in the drawing.
7 Under Placement, do one of the following to locate the 3D section in your
drawing:

Select New Object and select a point or type coordinates to locate a new
3D section.
Select Replace Existing to replace the original 3D section with the new
updated 3D section.

8 Click OK to update your 3D section.

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Chapter 35 Sections

Changing the 3D Section Properties

You can add notes and reference files to a 3D section, and change the location properties of the section.

Attaching Notes and Files to a 3D Section

To attach notes and files to a 3D section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Properties.
2 Select the Section/Elevation object, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the section, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the section, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the 3D Section Location Properties

You can relocate an existing section by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The section also has an orientation with respect to the WCS
or the current UCS. For example, if the top and bottom of the section are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the
orientation of the section by aligning its normal with another axis. You can
also rotate the section on its plane by changing the rotation angle.

Creating and Changing 3D Sections

1413

For information about the world coordinate system (WCS) and the user coordinate system (UCS), see Working with Cartesian and Polar Coordinate
Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of a 3D section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Properties.
2 Select the section, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the section, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the section, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To locate the section on the XY plane, make the normal of the section
parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in
the X and Y boxes. To locate the section on the YZ plane, type 1 in the
X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the section on the XZ
plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the section, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Display of Graphic Subdivisions in a

3D Section
You can change the display of subdivisions in a 3D section by changing the
display properties of the 3D section. Each subdivision that you specified in
the section line properties is assigned to a numbered subdivision display
component in the display properties of the 3D section. You can control the
visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, and linetype scale of each subdivision by changing the display properties of each subdivision component.

NOTE You can move subdivision lines in your drawing using grips.
To change the display properties of a 3D section
1 Select the 3D section in your drawing, right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
2 Click the Display Props tab.
3 Make sure the Sub-divisions display representation is selected in the list.

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Chapter 35 Sections

4 Under Property Source, control the display of the 3D section by object or

by instance. For more information, see Changing the Display of an AEC
Object in a Viewport on page 108.
5 Click Edit Display Props.
The Entity Properties dialog box is displayed. The Layer/Color/Linetype
tab lists all the components that contribute to the display of the object.
The defining line represents the cutting plane of the section line. The
numbered subdivision components correspond to the number of subdivisions you created in your section.
6 Depending on how you want to display the subdivisions in your 3D section, turn the visibility on or off, and change the layer, color, linetype, lineweight, or lineweight scale for each subdivision component.
7 Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.

Sections Command List

Menu command

Command line

Right-click

Add Section Line

BldgSectionLineAdd

Section Line Properties...

BldgSectionLineProps

Section Line Properties...

Create Section

BldgSectionLineGenerate

Generate Elevation

Update Section

BldgSectionUpdate

Update Section

Section Properties...

BldgSectionProps

Section Properties

Section Styles...

2dSectionStyle

Edit Linework

2dSectionResultEdit

Edit Linework...

Merge Linework

2dSectionResultMerge

Merge Linework

BldgSectionLineReverse

Reverse

2dSectionResultUpdate

Update...

2dSectionResultStyleEdit

Edit 2d Section/Elevation Style...

2dSectionResultProps

2d Section/Elevation Properties...

Creating and Changing 3D Sections

1415

1416

Chapter 35 Sections

Live Sections

36

You can create live sections of your current drawing by

In this chapter

first creating a section line and mark, and then basing

Working with sections

your section on that line. Live sections work in a different way from standard sections: they retain the original
objects after sectioning them and create a new, separate
display configuration for each section.

Creating section lines and

marks
Changing section line

properties
Generating a section
Changing section properties

You can use both types of section next to each other.

1417

Working with Live Sections

There are two different types of sections you can create in Architectural
Desktop: standard sections and live sections.
The table below lists the differences between them:
Differences between standard sections and live sections
Standard sections

Live sections

Cut Plan and Model views

Cut only Model views

Cut all AEC and AutoCAD objects

Cut walls, doors, windows, mass elements,

mass groups, stairs, railings, roofs, roof slabs,
spaces, space boundaries, curtain wall layouts
and units, window assemblies, structural
members

Create one single sectioned object

Retain the original objects after sectioning

Display properties can be set only

for sectioned object and
subdivisions

Display properties can be set for all objects in

section

No hatch for section boundary

Hatch for section boundary can be set

Before you create a section, consult the list and decide the type of section you
need.
If you want to create a standard section, proceed to Creating a Section Line
and Mark on page 1418.
If you want to create a live section, proceed from this point.

Creating a Section Line and Mark

To create a standard or a live section, you must first create a polyline in your
drawing to use for the section line that defines the area to take the section
from. Next, specify the length from the endpoints of the line to include in
the section as well as the height of the section.

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Chapter 36 Live Sections

Creating a section line

To create a section line and mark

1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Add Section Line.
2 Specify the start point for the section line.
3 Continue to specify points to define the section line.
The section line can be stepped so that you can choose objects to section
that are not on a straight line.
4 Press ENTER to end the section line.
5 Specify the length of the section to be taken from the endpoints of the
line.
6 Specify the height of the section.
The section line box is drawn with section marks at each end of the line.

Viewing the section line and mark

NOTE To change the graphic displayed by the mark symbol, edit the
STANDARD SECTION BUBBLE mvblock definition. For more information
about multi-view blocks, see Multi-View Blocks on page 1621.

Creating a Section Line and Mark

1419

Changing Section Line Properties

After you have created a section line and marks, you can change the height
and area of the section before you generate the section. You can also add
notes and reference files to a section line.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Section Mark

To attach notes and files to a section mark
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the section line, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the section line, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 To add a note, type it on the Text Notes tab in the Notes dialog box.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select

Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You can type a
description of the reference file in the Reference Document dialog box.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box or enter more changes in the other tabs.

Changing the Dimensions of a Section

To change the dimensions of a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line you want to change, and press ENTER.
3 Click the Dimensions tab.

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Chapter 36 Live Sections

4 On the Dimensions tab, do any of the following:

Select Use Model Extents for Height to set the height of the section to
the extents of the selected objects, or clear it and change the Height of
the section.
Height: Sets the height of the box to create a section from as a Z value
measured from the XY plane of the world coordinate system (WCS) or
the current user coordinate system (UCS). The objects are cut at this
height when a section is created.

Change the Lower Extension of the section.

Lower Extension: Sets the lower extension of the section box as a Z
value measured from the XY plane of the WCS or the current UCS. The
lower elevation by default is 1 foot below the XY plane unless the
option Use Model Extents for Height is selected.

Change the length of Side 1 or Side 2.

Sides: Sets the length of the two lines from the section line to create
the section box. Side 1 starts from the first point specified for the section line, and side 2 starts from the point specified for the end of the
section line.

Specifying section height, lower extension, and side parameters

Change the angle of Angle 1 or Angle 2.

Angles: Sets the angle of the two sides from the section line to create
the section box. The apex of angle 1 is the start point of the elevation
line, and the apex of angle 2 is the endpoint of the elevation line. Both
angles must be between 0 and 90 degrees.

Changing Section Line Properties

1421

Specifying section angle parameters

5 After you have made your changes, click OK.

Creating Graphic Subdivisions in a Section

Subdivisions are used to control lineweights at preset distances from the cutting plane.

NOTE You can move the subdivision line using grips.

To create graphic subdivisions in a section
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line you want to change, and press ENTER.
3 Click the Dimensions tab, and do any of the following:

To create a subdivision of the section, click Add, type the distance from
the section line, and click OK.
Click Edit to change the length of the subdivision.
Click Remove to delete the selected subdivision.

4 Click OK to end the command and add the new subdivision to the section.

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Chapter 36 Live Sections

Changing the Section Line Location Properties

You can relocate an existing section line by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The section line also has an orientation with respect to
the world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system
(UCS). For example, if the top and bottom of the section line are parallel to
the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the section line by aligning its normal with another axis. You can
also rotate the section line on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
To change the location properties of a section line
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Sections Section Line Properties.
2 Select the section line, and press ENTER.
3 In the Section/Elevation Line Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the section line, change the coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the section line, change the axis to which the normal is parallel. To locate the section line on the XY plane, make the normal of
the section line parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the section line on the
YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate
the section line on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the
X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the section line, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

5 When you have finished making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Generating a Live Section

Live sections contain advanced section features, but they can be applied to
only a limited number of AEC objects. Currently included in that set are

walls/curtain walls
doors
windows/window assemblies
mass elements/mass groups
stairs

Generating a Live Section

1423

railings
roofs/roof slabs/slabs
spaces/space boundaries
columns/beams/braces/

Live sections use for their display only the model display representation of
the object. You cannot use other display representations for viewing them.
A live section, for example, cannot display a sectioned stair in top view with
a path; the path component is not a part of the stairs model display
representation.

Stairs displayed in top view in Plan 1-100, Plan 1-50 and Live Section display
configuration

Because a live section retains the objects after sectioning them, you can
change the display properties of the sectioned objects separately. You can
also add individual hatches to the section boundaries.
Each new live section is displayed in a separate display configuration created
specifically for that section. For information about display configurations,
see Display Configurations on page 104.

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Chapter 36 Live Sections

To generate a live section

Command line SectionConfigurationAdd
1 Create a section line as described in Creating a Section Line and Mark
on page 1418.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Live Section Display Add Live Section
Configuration.
3 Select the section line.

NOTE If the section line you have chosen is already connected to a section
display configuration, you receive a warning message asking you to use the
Modify Section Display Configuration command. For information about this
command, see Adding and Removing Objects from Live Sections on page
1430.
4 In the Add Display Configuration dialog box, type a name for the display
configuration your section will be in. As a default the name Section, followed by an alphanumerical character, is suggested. However, you can
choose another name.

NOTE If you are trying to choose a name already being used by another
section display configuration, you receive an error message upon closing the
dialog box requiring you choose another name. Therefore, you are prevented
from accidentally overwriting an existing section display configuration.
5 Select an attribute for the section bubble.
6 Type a description for your new section display configuration.
7 Click Select Objects.
8 Choose the objects you want to include in the new section.

NOTE If you do not select any objects here, you are prompted to do so
upon closing the Add Display Configuration dialog box.
9 Press ENTER to end your selection.
10 Depending on whether you want to set the new section display configuration as your current display configuration, select or clear Set Current.
11 Click OK.

Generating a Live Section

1425

If you have set your new section display configuration as your current
display configuration, the section you have created is displayed in your
current viewport.
If you have not set your new section display configuration as your current display configuration, you see your original display configuration
from which you created your section.

To switch to your section display configuration, choose Desktop Select

Display, and in the Display Manager, choose the section display configuration (e.g., Section A) you have created in the previous steps. From the
shortcut menu, select Attach to Current Viewport, and click OK.

Sectioned building elements

Changing the Display Properties of a Live

Section
After you have created a live section, you can change the display properties
of the objects included in it.

1426

Chapter 36 Live Sections

You can, for example, define a hatch for the section boundary of a window
or define different colors and lineweights for walls.
To change the display properties of a live section
1 If you have not already done so, switch to the section display configuration containing your live section by choosing Desktop Select Display,
and selecting the desired section display configuration in the Display
Manager.
2 Select the object to which you want to change the display properties.
3 Press ENTER to end your selection.
4 From the shortcut menu, select Entity Display.
5 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
6 Under Property Source, select the object you have selected in step 2.
7 Click Attach Override to edit the object.
8 Click Edit Display Props.
9 In the Entity Properties dialog box, edit the display properties.
10 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Layer/Color/Linetype Display

Properties
Sectioned AEC objects consist of six components.

Cutting Boundary: Outer limit of the section

Hatch: Fill for the area inside the boundary
Inside Cutting Body: Part of the sectioned object that is inside the
section line
Outside Cutting Body: Part of the sectioned object that is outside the
section line
Inside Full Body: Objects that are completely inside the section line
Outside Full Body: Objects that are completely outside the section line

Changing the Display Properties of a Live Section

1427

Components of objects in live section display configuration

To change the layer/color/linetype display properties

1 Open the Entity Properties dialog box, as described in Changing the Display Properties of a Live Section on page 1426.
2 Click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
3 Select the component for which you want to change Layer/Color/Linetype properties.
4 In the column containing the information you want to edit, click the
desired information.
Some columns, like Visible or Lt. Scale, can be edited directly. Others, like
Layer and Color, open a dialog box where you can enter changes.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Entity Properties dialog box,
click OK.
To enter more changes, click the desired tab.

Changing Hatch Display Properties

You can set a number of different hatch patterns for every sectioned object.

1428

Chapter 36 Live Sections

To change the hatch display properties

1 Open the Entity Properties dialog box, as described in Changing the Display Properties of a Live Section on page 1426.
2 Click the Hatching tab.
3 Select the hatch for which you want to change display properties.
4 In the column containing the information you want to edit, click the
desired information.
Some columns, like Angle or Scale/Spacing, can be edited directly. Others,
like Pattern, open a dialog box where you can enter changes.
5 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Entity Display dialog box,
click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Walls: Applying Display Properties from Another

Display Configuration
Often when you create a live section, you do not want to set the layer/color/
linetype and hatching properties by hand, but only use the settings of a standard configuration, for example, one of the Plan configurations. For walls,
Architectural Desktop offers you an easy way to do this.
To apply display properties from another display configuration
1 Open the Entity Properties dialog box, as described in Changing the Display Properties of a Live Section on page 1426.
2 Click the Other tab.
3 Select the display configuration from which you want to copy the display
properties, and click Match Properties.
The layer/color/linetype and hatching settings from the selected Display
Configuration are applied to the property source you have chosen in the
Entity Display dialog box.
4 Do any of the following:

To close the dialog box and return to the Entity Display dialog box,
click OK.
To enter more changes in other tabs, click the desired tab.

Changing the Display Properties of a Live Section

1429

Adding and Removing Objects from Live

Sections
After you have created a live section, you can add objects to it or remove
objects from it. You can choose whether you want to add and remove objects
only to one section or to multiple sections in one step.

Adding and Removing Objects from a Single Live

Section
To add or remove objects from a single live section
1 Select the display configuration in that you have added your section line.
For information about adding section lines, see Creating a Section Line
and Mark on page 1418.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Live Section Display Modify Live Section Configuration.
3 Select the section line you want to add or remove objects to.

TIP Alternatively, you can select the section line you want to add or remove
objects from, and choose Modify Configuration from the shortcut menu.
The name of the section line is displayed beside the description and the
number of objects already added to it.
4 Do any of the following:

To add objects to the selected section display configuration, click Add

Objects.
To remove objects from the selected display configuration, click
Remove Objects.

5 Select the objects you want to add or remove.

6 Press ENTER to end your selection.
7 If desired, set the selected section display configuration as your current
display configuration.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

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Chapter 36 Live Sections

Adding and Removing Objects from Multiple Live

Sections
When you have several section lines and section display configurations, you
can edit them comfortably in one step.
To add and remove objects from multiple live sections
1 Select the display configuration to that you have added your section lines.
For information about adding section lines, see Creating a Section Line
and Mark on page 1418.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Live Section Display Modify Live Section Configuration.
3 On the command line, type dialog, and press ENTER.

NOTE If you type Name instead, you are prompted to type the name of
the section line you want to edit. If you want to do this, type the name and
proceed as described in Adding and Removing Objects from a Single Live
Section on page 1430.

Selecting a display configuration to edit

4 From the Name list, select the section display configuration you want to
add or remove objects from first.
5 Do any of the following:

Adding and Removing Objects from Live Sections

1431

To add objects to the selected section display configuration, click Add

Objects.
To remove objects from the selected display configuration, click
Remove Objects.

6 Select the objects you want to add or remove.

7 Press ENTER to end your selection.
8 Repeat Steps 47 for each section display configuration you want to edit.

NOTE If you click Cancel to revoke your changes, all changes you have
made in this dialog box are revoked.
9 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Live Sections Command List

Menu command

Command line

Add Live Section

Configuration

SectionConfigurationAdd

Modify Live Section

Configuration

SectionConfigurationModify

1432

Right-click

SectionConfigurationAddFor

Add Live Section Configuration...

SectionConfigurationModifyFor

Modify Live Section

Configuration...

Chapter 36 Live Sections

Cameras

37

You can save perspective views of your drawing by using

In this chapter

the AEC camera. The camera is a quick and simple visu-

Inserting cameras into a

drawing

alization tool, modeled after real cameras, that uses a

Modifying existing cameras

point-and-shoot process to help you view the drawing

Creating a video with a camera

as if you were standing within it.

Changing camera properties

1433

Working with Cameras

You can save perspective views of your drawing by using the AEC camera.
The camera is a quick and simple visualization tool, modeled after real
cameras, that uses a point-and-shoot process to help you view the drawing as
if you were standing within it.
You can use the camera grips to modify the view and see the results in
selected viewports. You can add any number of camera views to your
drawing.

NOTE To create more complex perspective view setups, for example, using
clipping planes, use the AutoCAD 3D dynamic view (DVIEW).
You can also create a video dry run of your design model with the camera.

Inserting a Camera into a Drawing

You generally insert cameras within plan views. To insert a camera, you specify a source point (camera insertion point) and a target point (what the camera is looking at), and then you adjust the cameras zoom to change its field
of view (FOV).

Camera view parameters

NOTE For the camera source point (location) and the camera target point,
enter X, Y, and Z values.
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Add Camera.
2 In the Add Camera dialog box, type a name for the camera.
3 Set the zoom percentage.

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Chapter 37 Cameras

4 Set the eye height for the camera in the Eye Level field.
5 If you want the view in the drawing to change to the cameras view after
you set it, select Generate View after Add.
6 Specify the camera source point using the pointing device, or type coordinate values on the command line, and press ENTER.
7 Specify the camera target point, and then press ENTER.

Adding a camera

You can change camera properties, such as the color of the viewing cone
and values for zoom and field of view (FOV), by changing the entity display of the camera. See Changing the Camera Properties on page 1440.
Use the HIDE or SHADE command to produce a final representation of
your perspective view.

Changing the Camera View Using Grips

After you insert a camera into a drawing, you can change the magnification
of the view and the source and target points either by using the camera grips
or by changing the camera view in the AEC Camera Properties dialog box.
By selecting one of the grips on the field of view, you can change the zoom
magnitude.
To change the camera view using grips
1 Select the camera to display its grips.

NOTE When a camera is not selected, only the small camera icon is displayed. Selecting the camera restores the camera display to show the field of
view.

Working with Cameras

1435

Viewing the camera icon

2 Select the target grip or the source grip and drag it to a new location.
The camera settings are automatically updated to reflect the new location.
3 To change the cameras field of view (FOV), drag one of the grips.

NOTE If you drag the camera in plan view, the Z axis is ignored, so that you
do not accidentally snap the camera to a set of objects with a different Z
value. The camera is effectively locked to the viewing plane.

Modifying an Existing Camera

You can change the name of the camera and its zoom length.
To modify an existing camera
1 Select the camera.
2 Right-click, and then choose Camera Modify from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Modify Camera dialog box, change the name of the selected camera
in the Name field.
4 Change the zoom length.
5 Click OK.

Associating Cameras with Viewports

You can change the viewport the camera is associated with. When the camera
is created, it is associated with the viewport it is created in.
To change the cameras viewport association
1 Select the camera.
2 Right-click, and then choose Camera Modify from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Camera Modify dialog box, click Viewport Association.

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Chapter 37 Cameras

4 Click Apply.
5 Select the new viewport to associate the camera with.
6 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Generating a perspective view with a camera

NOTE To learn more about viewports, see Using Tiled Viewports in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Setting the Viewport to the Camera View

You can set the viewport of your drawing to the cameras viewpoint.
To set the viewport to the camera view
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Create Camera
View
2 Select the camera in the drawing.
The view in the drawing is changed to the cameras view.

Changing the View of the Camera

You can change the view of the camera incrementally in various directions.
To change the camera view
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Adjust Camera
View.
2 In the Adjust Camera Position dialog box, the Adjustment Increments
control how much each button changes the view. Do any of the following:

Working with Cameras

1437

Change the Step value: This numerical value controls how much each
click of the following buttons moves the camera on the Actions tab of
the AEC Camera Steps dialog box: Forward, Back, Left, Right, Up,
Down.
Change the Angle value: This numerical value controls how much
each click of the following buttons moves the camera angle on the
Actions tab of the AEC Camera Steps dialog box: Turn Left, Turn Right,
Look Up, Look Down.
Change the Zoom percentage: This value controls how much each
click of the button zooms the camera for Zoom In and Zoom Out on
the Actions tab of the AEC Camera Steps dialog box.
Click Hide to view the drawing with hidden lines removed.

3 Click the appropriate button to adjust the view. If the view in the drawing
wasnt the cameras view, then the first selected button places the drawing
into the cameras view.
As you click each button, the view changes in increments determined by
values in the Adjustment Increments section. If Auto View is selected, you
can see the change after you click each button.
4 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Creating a Video Dry Run with a Camera

You can watch the movement of a camera along the path before actually
recording a video of the movement.
To create a video dry run
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Create Video.
2 Select the camera or press ENTER to select a camera from a list of existing
cameras.
3 In the AEC Camera Video dialog box, either click Pick Path in the Camera
Path to select a polyline path in the drawing for the camera to follow, or
click Pick Point to select a point for the camera to move to.
If you select a path, type a name for the path and click OK.
4 Either click Pick Path in the Target Path to select a polyline path in the
drawing for the camera to focus on as it moves along the camera path, or
click Pick Point to select a point for the camera to focus on.
If you select a path, type a name for the path and click OK.
If you select the camera path as the target path, the camera maintains its
original view direction.
5 Select the Regen type.

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Chapter 37 Cameras

6 Select the number of frames and the rate for the frames.
7 Click Dry Run.
8 Click OK.
The camera moves along the camera path, pointing at the target path or
point.

Creating a Video with a Camera

You can create a video file of the camera moving in your drawing pointing at
a stationary point or along its own path.
To create a video
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Create Video.
2 In the AEC Camera Video dialog box, either click Pick Path in the Camera
Path to select a polyline path in the drawing for the camera to follow, or
click Pick Point to select a point for the camera to move to.
If you select a path, type a name for the path, and click OK.

Generating a video by specifying a camera path

3 Either click Pick Path in the Target Path to select a polyline path in the
drawing for the camera to focus on as it moves along the camera path, or
click Pick Point to select a point for the camera to focus on.
If you select a path, type a name for the path and click OK.

Working with Cameras

1439

Generating a video by specifying a target path

4 Select the Regen type.

5 Select the number of frames and the rate for the frames. Click OK.
The AEC Camera Video File dialog box is displayed.
6 Select a location for the file and type the name of the AVI (audio/video
interleave) file. Click Save.
The Video Compression dialog box is displayed.
7 Select the Video Compressor and Compression Quality. Click OK.
The video is displayed as it is created.
8 Click Yes to view the video, or click No to close the dialog box. You can
view the video later by using the AVI file you created.

Changing the Camera Properties

You can add notes and reference files to an existing camera change the name
of a camera, and move the camera.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Camera

To attach notes and files to a camera
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Camera Properties.

NOTE There must be a camera in the drawing before you can use this
command.

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Chapter 37 Cameras

2 In the drawing, select the camera whose view you want to change.
3 In the Camera Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the camera, type the text in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the camera or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Camera Name and Zoom Length

You can change the name of the camera and its zoom percentage.
To change the camera dimensions properties
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Camera Properties.
2 Select the camera or press ENTER to select a camera from a list of existing
cameras.
3 In the Camera Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
4 Change the name of the selected camera in the Name field.
5 Change the zoom length.
6 Click OK.

Changing the Camera Location Properties

You can relocate an existing camera by changing the coordinate values of its
insertion point. The camera also has an orientation with respect to the world
coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For example, if the

Changing the Camera Properties

1441

top and bottom of the camera are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is
parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the camera by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also rotate the camera on its plane
by changing the rotation angle.

NOTE Although you can change the location of the camera using Camera
Properties dialog box, it is recommended that you use grips and the view settings to move the camera. For more information, see Changing the Camera
View Using Grips on page 1435.
To change the location properties of a camera
1 From the Documentation menu, choose Perspectives Camera Properties.
2 Select the camera or press ENTER to select a camera from a list of existing
cameras.
3 In the Camera Properties dialog box, select the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the camera, change the coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the camera, change the axis to which the normal is parallel.
To locate the camera on the XY plane, make the normal of the camera
parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in
the X and Y boxes. To locate the camera on the YZ plane, type 1 in the
X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To locate the camera on the XZ
plane, type 1 in the Y box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the camera, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

5 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Perspectives Command List

1442

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Camera...

CameraAdd

Chapter 37 Cameras

Right-click (with camera

selected)

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with camera

selected)

Camera Properties...

CameraProps

Camera Properties...

Create Camera View

CameraView

Create View

Adjust Camera
View...

CameraAdjust

Adjust View...

Create Video...

CameraVideo...

Create Video

CameraModify

Camera Modify...

Changing the Camera Properties

1443

1444

Chapter 37 Cameras

AEC Options

38

Autodesk Architectural Desktop adds several AEC

In this chapter

option tabs to the AutoCAD window and environment

Modifying the Architectural

Desktop environment

options. You can access these options from the Tools

menu by selecting Options.
You can use the AEC options to set the default values for

Changing editor settings

Changing drawing defaults
Changing performance settings
Changing stair settings

some architectural objects, to specify the location and

Changing content settings

type of content files, and to control performance while

Changing AEC dimension

you are working with Autodesk Architectural Desktop.

settings

1445

Modifying the Architectural Desktop

Environment
You can use the AEC options to change the editor settings in your drawing,
change the drawing defaults, specify the location and type of content files,
and turn off display options that slow performance while you are working in
Autodesk Architectural Desktop. The AEC Options add the following tabs to
the standard AutoCAD Options dialog box: AEC Editor, AEC DwgDefaults,
AEC Performance, AEC Stair Defaults, and AEC Content.
You can use the AEC Editor settings to control the display of diagnostic messages, control the placement of dialog boxes and viewers on the screen, and
control whether AEC objects retain their layer, color, and linetype when you
explode them. You can speed up the layer loading time of the Layer Manager.
You can also limit the snap points provided by certain display representations to speed up performance in your drawing.
You can use the AEC DwgDefaults settings to set parameters for creating
objects such as walls, spaces, doors, windows, and roofs that are not set in the
object styles.
You can use the AEC Performance options to speed up your work by turning
off memory-intensive wall display functions in Autodesk Architectural Desktop. For example, you can turn off the display of hatching to plot a rough
drawing quickly. When you are ready to plot the final drawing, you can
change the performance settings again and regenerate the drawing.
You can use the AEC Stair Defaults to set parameters for creating stairs that
are not set in the stair styles or stair display properties.
You can use the AEC Content options to specify the location of content files,
choose between imperial and metric content, and specify whether the Edit
Schedule Data dialog box displays when you insert schedule tags.
Any changes that you make to the AEC Editor and Content options are saved
in the registry, while any changes that you make to the AEC Performance or
DwgDefaults options are saved only in your current drawing.

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Chapter 38 AEC Options

Changing the AEC Editor Settings

You can control the display of certain messages, control the placement of
dialog boxes and viewers on the screen, and control whether objects retain
their layer, color, and linetype when you explode them. You can also limit
the snap points provided by certain display representations, and improve the
layer loading time of the Layer Manager, to speed up performance in your
drawings.
To change the AEC Editor settings
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Editor tab.
3 Under Diagnostic Messages, select options to display different types of
messages:

Object Relationship Graph: Displays data about the relationships

between objects in the current drawing on the command line.
Display Management System: Displays Display System error messages on the command line.
Geometry: Displays geometry-specific data.

NOTE All diagnostic messages are turned off by default.

4 Under Similar-Purpose Dialogs, select options for the position of dialog
boxes and viewers:

Use Common Position: Sets one common position on the screen for
similar dialog boxes, such as door, wall, and window Add or Modify
dialog boxes. Some dialog boxes, such as those for object styles and
properties, are always displayed in the center of the screen, regardless
of this setting.
Use Common Viewer Position and Sizes: Sets one size and position on the screen for the similar-purpose viewers in Architectural
Desktop. Viewer position is separately controlled for Add, Modify,
Style, and Properties dialog boxes.

5 Under Block Properties of Exploded Object, select Maintain Resolved

Layer, Color, Linetype to maintain the layer, color, and linetype of AEC
objects when you explode them.
When you explode an AEC object, you create several objects grouped in a
block definition. Any objects whose component layer, color, and linetype

Changing the AEC Editor Settings

1447

properties are set to ByBlock take the color of the parent object if this
option is selected. If this option is cleared when you explode an object,
then properties set to ByBlock remain ByBlock. Clear this option if you
want to explode the block definition even further.
6 Under Object Snap, select Optimize for Speed to limit certain display representations to respond only to the Node and Insert object snaps.
This setting affects stair, railing, space boundary, multi-view block, masking block, slice, and clip volume result (building section) objects.
7 Under Layer Manager, select Optimize for Speed to load layers into the
Layer Manager faster.
Each time you open the Layer Manager with Optimize for Speed turned
off, the Layer Manager scans your current drawing to determine which
layers are in use and which layers are not in use. After the layers are
scanned and loaded into the Layer Manager, the status (in use/not in use)
of each layer is indicated by the icon to the left side of the layer name in
the Layer Manager.
When you select Optimize for Speed, the Layer Manager does not scan the
drawing to determine the status of the layers, speeding up the loading
time. The icons that are displayed next to the layer name in the Layer
Manager do not indicate whether or not the layer is in use.
8 Click OK to exit the Options dialog box, or click Apply to continue working in the Options dialog box.
The AEC Editor settings that you selected are saved in the registry.

Changing the AEC Drawing Defaults

You can change the drawing defaults to set parameters for creating walls,
doors, spaces, windows, and roofs that are not set in the object styles. The
settings are applied only to new objects that you add to your drawing and do
not affect existing objects.
To change the AEC Drawing Defaults
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC DwgDefaults tab.
3 Under Wall Settings, select a wall dimension option: Dimension to Center
of Opening or Dimension to Outer Frame of Opening.
4 Select Use Center Line as Graph Line to use wall center lines instead of the
wall justification position to represent the walls in the Wall Graph display
representation and calculate wall cleanups.

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Chapter 38 AEC Options

NOTE In releases of Architectural Desktop prior to Autodesk Architectural

Desktop, Release 3, the center line of a wall represented the wall graph line.
If you plan to open a drawing from a previous release or save an Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Release 3 or 3.3 drawing as an R14 drawing, make sure
that this option is selected to avoid wall clean up problems.
To quickly view the walls in your drawing in the Wall Graph display representation, select Design Wall Tools Toggle Wall Graph Display.
5 Select Autosnap New Wall Baselines to force the endpoint of a new wall
drawn within the Autosnap Radius distance of the baseline of an existing
wall to snap to that baseline.
If you select this option and set your Wall Cleanup Radius to 0, then only
walls that touch clean up with each other.
6 Select Autosnap Grip Edited Wall Baselines to force a wall that you grip
edit to snap to the baseline of an existing wall within the Autosnap Radius
distance.
7 Type a value for the Autosnap Radius.
8 Type a value for the Wall Cleanup Radius.
The Wall Cleanup Radius controls whether or not walls clean up when
they meet at a corner or intersection. You can set the default cleanup
radius for all walls in this dialog box. You can also set different cleanup
radii for individual walls on the Dimensions tab of the Wall Properties dialog box.
9 Under Space Settings, specify settings for the following:

Type a value for the Height of Space Above Ceiling.

Type a value for the Floor Boundary Thickness.
Type a value for the Ceiling Boundary Thickness.

10 Under Door Settings, select or clear Measure Door to Outside of Frame.

If Measure Door to OUTSIDE of Frame is selected then all measurements
are from the outside of the frame. If Measure Door to OUTSIDE of Frame
is not selected, all measurements are from the inside of the frame. All measurements to wall corners are to the nearest corner.

NOTE The Measure to Outside of Frame option for doors and windows
only affects doors and windows added and stored in the drawing after you
select the option. It will not affect any existing doors and windows. To change
this setting for existing doors or windows, select each door or window, rightclick, and select Door or Window Properties from the short-cut menu. Click

Changing the AEC Drawing Defaults

1449

Dimensions, and select Measure to Outside of Frame under Current Size.

11 Under Window Settings, select or clear Measure Window to Outside of
Frame.
12 Under Roof Settings, type a value for Thickness.
13 Click OK to exit the Options dialog box, or click Apply to continue working in the Options dialog box.
The AEC Drawing Defaults that you selected are applied to your drawing.

Changing the AEC Performance Settings

You can speed up your work by turning off memory-intensive wall display
functions in Autodesk Architectural Desktop. The settings that you select are
applied to the wall objects in your drawing. You may need to regenerate your
drawing to update the wall display.
To change the AEC performance settings
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Performance tab.
3 Under Wall Display, do any of the following:

To not clean up walls, select Never Cleanup Wall Intersections.

To not hatch wall components, select Never Hatch Wall Components.
To turn off shrinkwrapping in plan view, select Never Shrinkwrap.
Shrinkwrap is an outline that highlights only the outer cut lines of wall
segments at the cut plane.

NOTE Shrinkwrap is controlled by display components in the plan and

model display representations of walls. This option turns off shrinkwrapping
in plan view only. For more information, see Adding an Interference
Condition on page 382.

1450

To eliminate interference between objects in all views, select Never Do

Interference.
To turn off display of all components above and below the cut plane in
a plan display representation, select Do Not Display Above or Below
Cut Plane.

Chapter 38 AEC Options

To not cut openings or do interference in wireframe display representations, select Do Not Cut Openings and Interference for Wireframe Display Representations.

4 Click OK to exit the Options dialog box, or click Apply to continue working in the Options dialog box.

Changing the AEC Stair Defaults Settings

You can set some parameters and options for stairs that are not set in stair
styles or stair display properties.

Setting the General Stair Defaults

You can change the general stair defaults to set stair parameters that are not
set in the stair style or display properties. These defaults apply to existing
stairs in the current drawing, as well as new stairs that you create.
To set the general stair defaults
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Stair Defaults tab.
3 Select Presentation Format to display stairs without cut lines or a path.

The effect of presentation format for the plan representation of stairs

4 Select which type of Node Osnap to use with stairs, Flight and Landing
Corners, or Vertical Alignment.
Flight and Landing Corners selects the corners of the stairs and landings
for the Node Osnap.
Vertical Alignment node osnap positions are the stair height distance
above the start of the stair and below the end of the stair.
5 Select how to measure the stair height, Finished Floor to Floor, which
includes top and bottom offsets, or Rough Floor to Floor, which ignores
top and bottom offsets.
6 Continue setting the stair defaults, or click OK to exit the Options dialog
box.

Changing the AEC Stair Defaults Settings

1451

Setting Stair Code Limits Defaults

You can set the minimum, maximum, and optimum slope for stairs. This sets
the defaults for all of the stair styles you create. You can change these values
for individual stair styles.

NOTE When specifying values for individual stair styles, use values that represent the actual dimensions of the tread and riser components that you want to
create, not just the ratios of these dimensions.
Subject to the constraints of the calculator rules and the fact that the riser
height must be an even divisor of the floor-to-floor height, the program gets
as close as possible to the selected optimum slope.
To set the stair code limits defaults
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 Click the AEC Stair Defaults tab.
If the tab is not displayed, make sure that you have started an AEC command this session.
3 Set the default riser height and tread depth for Minimum Slope, Optimum
Slope, and Maximum Slope.
4 Continue setting the stair defaults, or click OK to exit the Options dialog
box.

Setting Flight Height Limits Defaults

You can control the default limits set on the height of a stair run.
To set stair flight height limits defaults
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 Click the AEC Stair Defaults tab.
If the tab is not displayed, make sure that you have started an AEC command this session.
3 Set the limit type, None, Risers, or Height.
None: There is no limit set on the stair run.
Risers: Sets the minimum number of risers per flight.
Height: Sets the minimum vertical height for any flight in the stair run.

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Chapter 38 AEC Options

4 Continue setting the stair defaults, or click OK to exit the Options dialog
box.

Setting U-shaped (Landing) Stair Defaults

You can set the alignment constraints and specify an offset for them for Ushaped stairs, which use a half landing.
To set U-shaped stair defaults
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Stair Defaults tab.
3 Select the alignment constraints: Free, Tread to Tread, Tread to Riser, or
Riser to Riser.

Specifying tread and riser alignment parameters

Free: Allows placement of treads and risers where necessary to complete

the stair run.

Changing the AEC Stair Defaults Settings

1453

Specifying a free tread to riser alignment

Tread to Tread: Aligns the tread of the up flight to the tread of the
down flight.

Specifying a tread to tread alignment

Tread to Riser: Aligns the tread of the up flight to the riser of the down
flight.

Specifying a tread to riser alignment

Riser to Riser: Aligns the riser of the up flight to the riser of the down
flight.

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Chapter 38 AEC Options

Specifying a riser to riser alignment

4 If you selected Tread to Tread, Tread to Riser, or Riser to Riser, you can set
an offset value. A positive offset value means that the down flight tread
location is closer to landing than the up flight tread location.

Specifying tread and riser alignment offsets

NOTE The top riser of a U-shaped stair cannot extend farther than the bottom riser.
5 Continue setting the stair defaults, or click OK to exit the Options dialog
box.

Setting the Stair Interference Defaults

You can control the size of the stair interference area, which is a box that is
cut out from a space around the stair from the ceiling boundary based on the
specified headroom height and side clearance.
Only stairs that occur within space objects are cut by using the interference
condition. For more information, see Creating Interference Conditions for
a Space.

Changing the AEC Stair Defaults Settings

1455

Specifying headroom height and side clearance for a stair and a space object

To set the default values for the stair interference condition

1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Stair Defaults tab.
3 In the Stair Interference section, you can set the defaults for the headroom
height and the side clearance.
Headroom Height: Sets the height above the treads for the interference
condition.
Side Clearance: Sets the width of the interference condition on all sides
of a stair run, other than where you step on and off at the first and last
treads.
4 Continue setting the stair defaults, or click OK to exit the Options dialog.

Changing the AEC Content Settings

You can change the location of the content files accessed by the Custom
View in AutoCAD DesignCenter and the Design and Documentation menus,

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Chapter 38 AEC Options

choose between imperial and metric content, and specify whether the Edit
Schedule data dialog box displays when you insert schedule tags.
When you installed Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you selected an initial
imperial or metric content menu. You can change the content that you
installed by selecting another content menu.
To change the AEC Content settings
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Content tab.
3 Under Content Path, type the path and location of your content files, or
click Browse to search for the content files.

NOTE Your Autodesk Architectural Desktop CD-ROM provides two imperial content menus: an Autodesk Architectural Desktop content menu and a
CSI MasterFormat content menu. For more information about these content menus, see Adding AutoCAD Architectural Desktop Content on
page 278.
4 Under Content Menu, select Imperial or Metric symbols and content.
The symbols in the Design and Documentation menus change to reflect
the option that you select.
5 To display the Edit Schedule Data dialog box when you insert a schedule
tag in the drawing, select Display Edit Schedule Data Dialog During Tag
Insertion.
6 Click OK to exit the Options dialog box, or click Apply to continue working in the Options dialog box.
The AEC Content settings that you selected are saved in the registry.

Changing the AEC Dimension Settings

You can change a number of settings for AEC dimensions, dimension labels,
and elevation labels.

General Settings
These settings are applied to AEC dimensions, dimension labels and
elevation labels.

Changing the AEC Dimension Settings

1457

Superscript settings: You can choose if you want superscripted numbers for millimeters in dimensions, dimension labels, and elevation labels,
and if superscripted millimeters suppress their trailing zeros.
Dimension Units: As a default, the units in which a dimension, dimension label, or elevation label is drawn are identical to the drawing units.
However, you can choose different dimension units here, so that you
could, for example, create your drawing with the units millimeter but
your dimension with the units meter.

AEC Dimension Settings

Redraw behavior of removed dimension points: You can choose

if removed dimension points are deleted from the display immediately or
if they are removed only after the Remove command has been finished.
Rescaling AutoCAD dimension styles: Every AEC dimension style
has an underlying AutoCAD dimension style that controls unit-dependent settings like dimension line spacing, dimension line extension,
extension line length, text offset, and dimension text height. You can
choose here that AutoCAD dimension styles be automatically rescaled to
the correct units when the drawing units are changed.
For example, if you change the drawing units from meter to millimeter
and you have selected the AutoCAD dimension style AEC-Dimension
1:100, the following settings in the AutoCAD dimension style are rescaled
automatically:

AutoCAD dimension style settings for meters and millimeters

Description

Variable

Meters

Millimeter

Dimension line spacing

DIMDLI

0.5000

50.0000

Dimension line extension

DIMDLE

0.1250

125

Extension line length

DIMEXE

0.1250

125.0000

Text offset from dimension

line

DIMGAP

0.1000

100.0000

Dimension text height

DIMTXT

0.2000

200.0000

Elevation Label Settings

1458

Sign Preferences: You choose if you want the sign before a zero and
the sign + before positive values.

Chapter 38 AEC Options

Dimension Label Settings

Prefix settings: You can set a number of prefixes and postfixes for
dimension label values.

Changing the Settings

To change the AEC dimension settings
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the AEC Dimension tab.
3 In the General section, do any of the following:

Select Use Superscript mm if you have chosen meters as your drawing

units and want the millimeters displayed as superscripted text.

Superscripted millimeters and non-superscripted millimeters

Select Trailing Zero Suppression if you do not want zeros at the end of
your superscripted numbers. You can select this option only if you have
selected Use Superscript mm.

Trailing zeroes non-suppressed and suppressed

4 Select the drawing units in which dimensions are to be displayed. These

units can differ from the drawing units of the drawing. You can, for example, create a drawing in meters, but display dimensions in centimeters.
This dimension notation is common in Austria.

Changing the AEC Dimension Settings

1459

5 Select if any and which of your AutoCAD dimension styles shall be

rescaled when you change the drawing units.
6 Select an Update Dimension Chain Immediately setting to influence the
behavior when removing dimension points from a dimension chain.

Select the check box to update the display after every point you remove
from a dimension chain.
Clear the check box to update the display only after you have ended
the Remove Dimension Points command.

7 In the Dimension Label Prefix section, do any of the following:

Type prefixes for window dimension labels. You can type prefixes for
sill height, head height, height, width, rough height, and rough width.
Type prefixes for opening dimension labels. You can type prefixes for
sill height, head height, height and width.
Type prefixes for door dimension labels. You can type prefixes for sill
height, head height, height, width, rough height, and rough width.
Type a prefix for the number of risers the stair dimension label.
If you do not want a prefix, leave the corresponding field empty.

NOTE When you create a new drawing, default values of the program are
used for the prefixes and postfixes.
When you create a new drawing based on a template, the default prefix/postfix values defined in the template are used.
When you open an existing drawing, the values defined in that drawing are
used.
8 In the Elevation Labels section, do any of the following:

1460

To display a Plus/Minus sign for zero, select Display for 0.00.

To display a Plus sign for positive values, select Display + for positive
values.

Chapter 38 AEC Options

Drawing Setup

39

With the drawing setup options, you can set the draw-

In this chapter

ing units and the drawing scale of your current drawing.

Setting up your drawing

You can determine what layer standards and layer key

styles you want to import to your current drawing. You
can also set the default display representations of
AEC objects. You can save the drawing units, drawing
scale, and layering options as the default settings for any

Setting the drawing units

Setting the drawing scale
Selecting layer standards and

layer key styles

Setting or changing the default

display representation of
AEC objects

drawing that you start from scratch or from a template

without drawing setup information.

1461

Setting up Your Drawing

If you are using an Autodesk Architectural Desktop template, the drawing
setup options are preset. You can customize your template by changing the
drawing setup values and then saving the changes. If you need to change
only the drawing scale, you can quickly access the drawing scale options by
choosing Set Drawing Scale from the Documentation menu. The Scale tab is
displayed by default.
if you are not working with an Autodesk Architectural Desktop template, you
can set the drawing units and the drawing scale of your current drawing with
the drawing setup options. You can determine what layer standards and layer
key styles to import to your current drawing. You can also set the default display representations of AEC objects. You can save the drawing units, drawing
scale, and layer options as the default settings for any drawing that you start
from scratch or from a template without drawing setup information.

NOTE If you are unfamiliar with the display system and layer management in
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3, review Understanding the Display
System and Getting Started with the Layer Manager in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide before setting the layering and display options.

Setting the Drawing Units

In Autodesk Architectural Desktop, every object that you create is measured
in drawing units. You specify what one drawing unit represents in each one
of your drawings. For example, one unit might represent one inch in one
drawing and one meter in another drawing. After you set or change the drawing units in your current drawing, you can control whether existing objects
in the drawing are scaled to the new unit or retain their original scale. If you
insert objects into your current drawing from another drawing with different
drawing units, you can specify whether you want to scale those objects to the
current drawing units or insert them at their original scale.
You can also specify the unit type and precision for linear, angular, area, and
volume units. The precision values set only the number of decimal places displayed in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, not the number of decimal places
used to make calculations.
To set the drawing units
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Drawing Setup.

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Drawing Setup

2 In the Drawing Setup dialog box, click the Units tab and change the drawing units. The units that you select determine the unit of measurement
that each unit in your drawing represents. For example, if you select
Inches, then each drawing unit equals one inch.

NOTE When you change the drawing units, the default options under Area
and Volume change to reflect the new drawing units. The drawing scale
options on the Scale tab also change to reflect the new drawing units.
3 To scale objects that you insert into the current drawing from other drawings with different drawing scales, select Scale Objects Inserted from Other
Drawings. Clear this option to insert objects at their original scale.
4 Under Linear, select a unit type and precision.
5 Under Angular, select an angle type and precision. If you want to measure
angles clockwise instead of counterclockwise, then select Clockwise.
6 Under Area, select an area type and precision. If you do not want to use
the default suffix that is displayed for the drawing units that you set, then
type a new suffix in the Suffix box.
7 Under Volume, select a volume type and precision. If you do not want to
use the default suffix that is displayed for the drawing units that you set,
then type a new suffix in the Suffix box.
8 To save the units settings, do one of the following:

To save your units settings as the default settings for new drawings that
you start from scratch or with a template that contains no drawing
setup information, select Save As Default. The drawing settings on the
Scale and Layering tabs are also saved as the default settings. For more
information about setting the drawing scale and layering, see Setting
the Drawing Scale, and Selecting Layer Standards and Layer Key
Styles in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

NOTE You can save both default imperial and metric drawing unit and
scale settings with the Save As Default option. When you start a drawing from
scratch, specify English or Metric default settings in the Create a New
Drawing dialog box to use either the imperial or metric settings that you
saved as the default settings.

To save your units settings in the current drawing only, clear Save As
Default.

Setting up Your Drawing

1463

9 After you finish specifying your drawing units settings, do one of the
following:

To change other drawing settings, click Apply, and then click another
tab in the Drawing Setup dialog box.
To set the new units options and exit the Drawing Setup dialog box,
click OK.

10 If you changed the drawing units in step 3, then the following message is
displayed:
You have changed the unit for this drawing database. All new objects
will be drawn according to the new unit, but existing objects will
not change size unless you specify for automatic scaling to occur.

11 To control the scale of existing objects in your current drawing, do one of

the following:

Select or clear Scale Model-Space Objects in Current Drawing to Reflect

New Units to control whether objects in model space are scaled to the
new drawing units or retain their original scale.
Select or clear Scale Paper-Space Objects in Current Drawing to Reflect
New Units to control whether objects in paper space are scaled to the
new drawing units or retain their original scale.

12 After you set the scaling options for objects in your current drawing,
click OK.

Setting the Drawing Scale

Scale-dependent objects in an Architectural Desktop drawing are automatically scaled to reflect the units that are set in a drawing. Any styles that you
create in metric or imperial units are scaled appropriately. You can also set the
scale for the plot size of annotation in your drawing. This value, multiplied
by the drawing scale factor, determines the height of plotted annotation text.

NOTE You can quickly change the drawing scale by choosing Set Drawing
Scale from the Documentation menu. The Scale tab is displayed by default.
To set the drawing scale
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Drawing Setup.
2 In the Drawing Setup dialog box, click the Scale tab.
3 Under Drawing Scale, select the drawing scale value that you want to use.
If you do not see the scale that you want to use, select Other and type your

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Chapter 39

Drawing Setup

own drawing scale factor in the Custom Scales box.

NOTE The scale values in the Drawing Scale list reflect the current drawing
units. To change the drawing units, see Setting the Drawing Units in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
4 Under Annotation Plot Size, type a value. This value, multiplied by the
drawing scale factor, determines the height of plotted annotation text.
5 To save the scale settings, do one of the following:

To save your scale settings as the default settings for new drawings that
you start from scratch or with a template that contains no drawing
setup information, select Save As Default. The drawing settings on the
Units and Layering tabs are also saved as the default settings. For more
information about setting the layer settings, see Selecting Layer Standards and Layer Key Styles in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.

NOTE You can save both default imperial and metric drawing unit and
scale settings with the Save As Default option. When you start a drawing from
scratch, specify English or Metric default settings in the Create a New
Drawing dialog box to use either the imperial or metric settings that you
saved as the default settings.

If you want to save your scale settings in the current drawing only, clear
Save As Default. The drawing settings on the Units and Layering tabs
are also saved to the current drawing. For information about setting
drawing units and layering, see Setting the Drawing Units, and
Selecting Layer Standards and Layer Key Styles in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

6 When you finish specifying your drawing scale settings, do one of the
following:

To change other drawing settings, click Apply and then click another
tab in the Drawing Setup dialog box.
To set the new scale options and exit the Drawing Setup dialog box,
click OK.

7 If you changed the drawing units on the Units tab and did not click Apply,
then the following message is displayed:
You have changed the unit for this drawing database. All new objects
will be drawn according to the new unit, but existing objects will

Setting up Your Drawing

1465

not change size unless you specify for automatic scaling to occur.

8 To control the scale of existing objects in your current drawing, do one of

the following:

Select or clear Scale Model-Space Objects in Current Drawing to Reflect

New Units to control whether objects in model space are scaled to the
new drawing units or retain their original scale.
Select or clear Scale Paper-Space Objects in Current Drawing to Reflect
New Units to control whether objects in paper space are scaled to the
new drawing units or retain their original scale.

9 After you set the scaling options for objects in your current drawing,
click OK.

Selecting Layer Standards and Layer Key Styles

You can import layer standards and layer key styles that you use to control
the layers that objects are placed on in your drawings. You can set the layer
key style that you want to use in your drawing as the current layer key style.
You can set layer standards and a layer key style to be automatically imported
when you set up a new drawing. Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes the
a number of layer standards and layer key styles in the AecLayerStd.dwg
located in Program Files\Autodesk Architectural\Content\Layers.

NOTE If you are unfamiliar with layer keying in Autodesk Architectural

Desktop, review the overview of layer keying before setting layering options. See
Layer Management Command List in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.
The layer key styles in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 replace the
use of LY files. If you want to use LY files from AutoCAD Architectural Desktop Release 1, then you can create a new layer key style from an LY file. For
more information, see Creating New Layer Key Styles from LY Files in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To select a layer standard and layer key style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Drawing Setup.
2 In the Drawing Setup dialog box, click the Layering tab.
3 Under Layer Standards/Key File to Auto-Import, click Browse to select a
drawing that contains the layer standard and key style you want to
import.

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Chapter 39

Drawing Setup

If you are using an Autodesk Architectural Desktop template, the AecLayerStd.dwg (located in Program Files\Autodesk Architectural\Content\Layers)
is loaded. It contains layer standards and layer key styles.
4 Under Default Layer Standard, from the Layer Key Style list, select the
layer key style that you want to use in your drawing. Do one of the following:

Select a layer key style based on a layer standard. The Based On Layer
Standard box displays the layer standard the layer key style is based on.
Select Current Layer to create objects on the current layer without
using a layer key style.
Select Standard to use the default layer key style. By default, objects are
drawn on layers with the same name as their layer key.

NOTE You cannot apply layer key overrides to the Standard style unless you
assign a layer standard to the Standard style by editing it. For more
information about editing a layer standard, see Editing Layer Standard
Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
5 To save the layer settings, do one of the following:

To save your layer settings as the default settings for new drawings that
you start from scratch or with a template that contains no drawing
setup information, select Save As Default. The drawing settings on the
Units and Scale tabs are also saved as the default settings.

NOTE You can save both default imperial and metric drawing unit and
scale settings with the Save As Default option. When you start a drawing from
scratch, specify English or Metric default settings in the Create a New
Drawing dialog box to use either the imperial or metric settings that you
saved as the default settings.

If you want to save your layer settings in the current drawing only, clear
Save As Default. The drawing settings on the Units and Scale tabs are
also saved in the current drawing.

6 When you finish specifying the layer settings, do one of the following:

To change other drawing settings, click Apply and then click another
tab in the Drawing Setup dialog box.
To set the new layering options and exit the Drawing Setup dialog box,
click OK.

Setting up Your Drawing

1467

7 If you changed the drawing units on the Units tab and did not click Apply,
then the following message is displayed:
You have changed the unit for this drawing database. All new objects
will be drawn according to the new unit, but existing objects will
not change size unless you specify for automatic scaling to occur.

8 To control the scale of existing objects in your current drawing, do one of

the following:

Select or clear Scale Model-Space Objects in Current Drawing to Reflect

New Units to control whether objects in model space are scaled to the
new drawing units or retain their original scale.
Select or clear Scale Paper-Space Objects in Current Drawing to Reflect
New Units to control whether objects in paper space are scaled to the
new drawing units or retain their original scale.

9 After you set the scaling options for objects in your current drawing,
click OK.
For more information about setting drawing units and scale, see Setting
the Drawing Units, and Setting the Drawing Scale in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Setting or Changing the Default Display

Representations of AEC Objects
You can set the default display representations of an object to include the
object components and their display properties to control how the object is
displayed in a drawing. For more information, see Setting Display Systems
in a Drawing in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Set Drawing Scale Command List

1468

Menu Command

Command Line

Set Drawing Scale...

AecDwgScaleSetup

Chapter 39

Drawing Setup

Right-click

Layer Management

40

In addition to the layering capabilities included in

In this chapter

AutoCAD, Autodesk Architectural Desktop adds layer

Managing Layers in Autodesk

Architectural Desktop

standards, layer keying, and a layer management interface, the Layer Manager, to help you standardize, automate, and manage the use of layers in your office, in
your projects, and in your drawings.

Getting Started with the Layer

Manager
Working with Layer Standards
Layer Keying
Remapping Object Layers
Working with Layer Groups
Working with Layer Snapshots

1469

Managing Layers in Autodesk Architectural

Desktop
In addition to the layering capabilities included in AutoCAD, Autodesk
Architectural Desktop adds layer standards, layer keying, and a layer management interface, the Layer Manager, to help you standardize, automate, and
manage the use of layers in your office, in your projects, and in your drawings.
Layer standards set naming conventions for layers in your drawings. A layer
standard contains a set of rules that determines the structure of the layer
names in your drawings. When you install Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
you can select from a number of layer standards that you can use with your
drawings. You can change or edit each of the layer standards later.
Each layer standard has a corresponding layer key style. A layer key style contains a set of layer keys. The layer keys in the layer key style assign AEC
objects to predefined layers with names that conform to the layer standard.
When you draw an AEC object in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, the object
is automatically drawn on the layer assigned to it in the current layer key
style. This process is called layer keying.

Viewing the layer keys and layers in a layer key style

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

You can change any part of the layer name structure using layer key overrides
within the layer key style. You can override the layer names for all the layer
keys in a layer key style, or you can override individual layer key styles.
You can access layer standards, layer key styles, and layer overrides as well as
other layering features in the Layer Manager. The Layer Manager helps you
organize, sort, and group layers, as well as save and coordinate layering
schemes. In the Layer Manager you can

Change layer properties by clicking AutoCAD layer property icons

Make a layer the current layer
Create, rename, and delete layers
Work with layer standards and layer key styles
Create layer groups and layer snapshots

When you display the Layer Manager, all the layers in your current drawing
are displayed in the layer group, All. If there are any external reference files
linked to the drawing, then the layers are listed in an XRef layer group.

Viewing layers in the Layer Manager

You can create additional layer groups to manage large sets of layers. You can
control the visibility of all the layers in the layer group by changing the layer
group properties. The Layer Manager allows you to create two types of layer
groups; user layer groups and filter layer groups. User groups can contain any
layers that you put in them, while filter groups contain only layers that meet
specific criteria that you set.
In addition to layer groups, the Layer Manager allows you to save specific
layer sets as layer snapshots, similar to taking a picture of a layer set that you
can restore and view later. By saving layer and view information in a snap-

Managing Layers in Autodesk Architectural Desktop

1471

shot, you can quickly recall specific layer and view configurations from complex data sets. For example, a facilities manager might create snapshots of
individual floor plans and furniture, cable, and HVAC layouts to separate this
information from a complete building layout.

Getting Started with the Layer Manager

The Layer Manager helps you organize, sort, and group layers, as well as save
and coordinate layering schemes. You can also use layering standards with
the Layer Manager to better organize the layers in your drawings.
When you open the Layer Manager, all the layers in the current drawing are
displayed in the right pane. You can work with individual layers to:

Change layer properties by clicking AutoCAD layer property icons

Make a layer the current layer
Create, rename, and delete layers

If you are working with drawings that contain large numbers of layers, you
can improve the speed at which the Layer Manager loads layers when you
open it by selecting the Layer Manager/Optimize for Speed option in your
AEC Editor options. For more information, see Changing the AEC Editor Settings, in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Displaying the Layer Manager

When you open the Layer Manager, all the layers in your current drawing are
displayed in the right pane of the Layer Manager.
To display the Layer Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 To close the Layer Manager, click the X in the upper right corner of the
Layer Manager title bar.
After you open the Layer Manager, you can change the size and position
of the Layer Manager. For more information, see Moving and Resizing the
Layer Manager on page 1472.

Moving and Resizing the Layer Manager

You can move the Layer Manager to change its position on your screen.
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

2 To move the Layer Manager, drag the title bar of the Style Manager to the
desired location.
3 To resize the Layer Manager, move your cursor over the edge or a corner
of the dialog box until the cursor changes to stretching arrows. Drag the
edge or corner of the dialog box to the desired size.

Working with Individual Layers in the Layer

Manager
When you open the Layer Manager in a drawing, the layers in the drawing
are listed in the right pane. You can edit the standard AutoCAD layer properties like visibility, color, or linetype by clicking their icons. In the Layer Manager, you can create new layers with or without using a layer standard. You
can also use the Layer Manager to make a layer current, to rename and delete
layers, and add layers to layer groups.

Making Layers Current

To make a layer current
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 From the right side of the Layer Manager, do one of the following:

Select the layer that you want to make current and click
.
Double-click the layer that you want to make current.
Select the layer that you want to make current, right-click, and choose
Make Current from the shortcut menu.

NOTE You must select an individual layer to make current. You cannot
make multiple layers or layer groups current.
The layer that you selected is now the current layer and is marked with a
green check () in the Layer Manager. The name of this layer is displayed
next to the Current Layer button near the top of the Layer Manager.
3 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Creating New Nonstandard Layers

A nonstandard layer is a layer that does not need to conform to the naming
and content standard of any layer standard. You might want to use nonstandard layers for elements like architects comments or construction lines,

Getting Started with the Layer Manager

1473

blocks you do not want to insert on their original layer, or walls that you
want to display partially.
To create a new nonstandard layer
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the New Layer dialog box, under Layer Standard, select Non Standard.
4 In the Layer Name box, type a name for the new layer.
5 Select Make Current to make the new layer the current layer.
6 In the Description box, type a description for the new layer.
7 To select a color for the new layer, click Browse and select a color in the
Select Color dialog box.
8 Under Linetype, select a linetype.
9 Under Lineweight, select a lineweight.
10 Deselect Plot if you do not want the new layer to be plotted.
11 Click OK to return to the Layer Manager.
The new layer is listed in the right pane of the Layer Manager. If you made
the new layer current, the layer is marked with a green check () and the
name of the layer is displayed next to the Current Layer button near the
top of the Layer Manager.
12 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Creating New Layers with a Layer Standard

The Layer Manager provides an interface for creating layers that meet the
naming convention of the current layer standard. You can, however, also create your own layer standards to reflect the layering conventions of your
office. For more information about layer standards, see Working with Layer
Standards in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To create a new layer with a layer standard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the New Layer dialog box, from Layer Standard, select the layer standard that you want to use.
4 Under Value and Description, enter the layer standard information for the
new layer by clicking Browse and selecting from the lists of prespecified
values for each of the fields. You can also enter a new value, provided you
follow the parameters specified for the layer standard components.

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

When you are finished, the Layer Name and Description fields display the
description you have chosen. If you have, for example, created a new layer
for wall dimensions according to the AIA layer standard, it would be
named A-Anno-Dims.
5 Select Make Current to make the new layer the current layer.
6 To select a color for the new layer, in the Select Color dialog box, click
Browse and select a color.
7 Under Linetype, select a linetype.
8 Under Lineweight, select a lineweight.
9 Click OK to return to the Layer Manager.
The new layer is listed in the right pane of the Layer Manager. If you made
the new layer current, then the layer is marked with a green check () and
the name of the layer is displayed next to the Current Layer button near
the top of the Layer Manager.
10 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Renaming Layers
To rename a layer
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, do one of the following:

Select the layer that you want to rename, right-click and choose
Rename Layer from the shortcut menu.
Select the layer that you want to rename and press F2.

3 Type a new name for the layer.

Deleting Layers
To delete a layer
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, select the layer that you want to delete, right-click,
and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
The layer you have deleted is marked with a red X. It is permanently
deleted when you click Apply or exit the Layer Manager.

NOTE If you try to delete a layer that still has objects on it, you receive an
error message. To delete this layer, you must first erase all objects on it in the

Getting Started with the Layer Manager

1475

drawing.
If the layer you try to delete is the current layer, the Delete command from
the shortcut menu is deactivated. To delete this layer, make another layer current and then delete the layer.
Some layers may be assigned to the components of another object, or even
to other object styles. These layers cannot be deleted.
3 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Layer Standard of Layers

To change the layer standard of a layer
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, select the layer that you want to change, right-click,
and choose Change Layer Standard from the shortcut menu.
3 Select a layer standard or nonstandard.
The layer you selected is assigned to the different layer standard.
4 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

NOTE If a layer standard is unavailable on the shortcut menu, then the

layer that you selected is not valid for that standard.

Changing Layer Descriptions

To change the layer description
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, select the layer that you want to change, right-click,
and choose Change Description from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a new description for the layer and press ENTER.
4 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Working with Layer Standards

You can use layer standards to establish individual, project, or office layering
conventions. A layer standard contains predefined layer names and a set of

1476

Chapter 40 Layer Management

rules that determines the names of new layers that you create within that
particular layer standard. Autodesk Architectural Desktop provides a number
of layer standards that you can use in your drawings. You can also create your
own layer standards by customizing an existing layer standard.
Each layer standard definition contains a set of rules that determines the
names of new layers created within the layer standard. When you create a
new layer, the layer name has a number of parts separated by delimiters (for
example, hyphens). Each part of the layer name is determined by rules set in
one field of the layer standard. You can edit the layer standard definition to
change these rules. For more information, see Editing Layer Standard Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
For example, the AIA Long Format layer standard includes four fields that
form each new layer name: Discipline, Major Code, Minor Code, and Status.
Each field is separated by a hyphen (-) delimiter, as in the following example:
(Discipline) - (Major Code) - (Minor Code) - (Status)
A layer in your drawing with a Discipline value of A, a Major Code value of
Wall, a Minor Code value of Full, and a Status value of Demo, to
denote a demolition layer, would be named A-WALL-FULL-DEMO.
You can override the information in each field to change the way a layer standard creates a layer name by setting layer key overrides. For more information, see Using Layer Key Overrides on page 1506.

Layer Standards Included with the Layer Manager

Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes a number of layer standards for different country settings, as well as one generic layer standard. Each layer standard contains specific information organized in fields. You can control how
the information appears in each field by changing the values in the layer
standard fields. For more information, see Editing Layer Standard Definitions
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide..
National Layer Standards
Country

Layer Standard

Generic

Generic Architectural Desktop Format

Working with Layer Standards

1477

National Layer Standards (continued)

Country

Layer Standard

Germany

DIN 276 Format

ISYBAU Format - Short Version
ISYBAU Format - Long Version
STLB Format

USA

AIA Long Format

Great Britain

BS1192 - AUG Version 2

BS1192 - Descriptive

Layer Standard Fields

These are the layer standard fields.

1478

Field Name: Identifies the field. Field names should be as consistent as

possible across layering systems to aid in translation.
Optional: When set to Yes, allows the field to be omitted from the end
of the layer. Optional layer fields cannot precede a required layer field
unless the match option is set to Yes so that the fields can be identified
according to a match against specific descriptions.
Max Width: Represents the maximum width in characters that can be
used.
Fixed Width: When set to Yes, prevents a field from being shortened
from the width setting.
Wildcard: Is an AutoCAD wildcard pattern that the field must match.
Match Description: When set to Yes, recognizes the field only if it
exactly matches a description. You can omit fields from the middle of
layer names. For example, an AIA layer may be made up of <discipline>
<major> <minor>, or <discipline> <major> <status>, or <discipline>
<major> <minor> <status>, as the <minor> field may not precede the <status> field and can be determined only by matching the field value against
valid <minor> field descriptions.
Delimiter: Specifies the character used to separate fields with no fixed
width. Delimiters are often also used in fixed-width fields for clarity.

Chapter 40 Layer Management

Generic Architectural Desktop Format

The Architectural Desktop Format is a generic layer standard, based on European guidelines. It contains layer descriptions for all AEC objects as well as a
number of other important architectural elements such as drainage, isolation, electricity.

Discipline: Gives information about who has created the layer, for
example, A for Architect, or B for Building Owner. This field is required.
Contents 1: Contains information about what the layer contains, for
example, Walls, Beams or Dimensions. This field is required.
Contents 2: Contains additional information about what the layer contains, for example, Tag or Miscellaneous. This field is optional.

Architectural Desktop Format

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

Yes

None

No

No

Contents 1

31

No

No

No

Contents 2

31

No

Yes

No

DIN 276 Format

The DIN 276 Format is a layer standard based on the requirements of the
German DIN 276 for architects.

Costs 13: Gives information about the cost group the layer is in, according to DIN 276.
Description 1: Contains information about what the layer contains.
This field is required.
Description 2: Contains additional information about what the layer
contains. This field is optional.

DIN 276 Format

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Costs 1

Yes

None

No

No

Costs 2

Yes

None

No

No

Costs 3

Yes

None

No

No

Working with Layer Standards

1479

DIN 276 Format (continued)

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Description 1

31

No

No

No

Description 2

31

No

Yes

No

ISYBAU Short Format

The ISYBAU Format is a layer standard based on the requirements of the
German ISYBAU standard for architects. This is the short version with only
one Content field. The Content field has a length of two characters.

Discipline: Gives information about who has created the layer. This
field is required.
Phase: Contains information about the planning section the plan is currently in. Possible choices for this field are planning sections from 15 and
AE. This field is required.
Type: Contains information about the view you are looking at. This field
is required.
Floor: Contains information about the story and direction of layers.
Content: Contains information about the content of the layer. This field
is required.
Revision: Contains information about the revision stage the plan is currently in. Revision levels from AK are available. This field is optional.

ISYBAU Short Format

1480

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

Yes

None

No

No

Phase

Yes

None

No

No

Type

Yes

None

No

No

Floor

Yes

None

No

No

Content

Yes

None

No

No

Revision

No

None

Yes

No

Chapter 40 Layer Management

ISYBAU Long Format

The ISYBAU Format is a layer standard based on the requirements of the
German ISYBAU standard for architects. This is the long version with three
Content fields. The Content fields have a length of 31 characters.

Discipline: Gives information about who has created the layer. This
field is required.
Phase: Contains information about the planning section the plan is currently in. Possible choices for this field are planning sections from 15 and
AE. This field is required.
Type: Contains information about the view you are looking at. This field
is required.
Floor: Contains information about the story and direction of layers.
Content 13: Contains information about the content of the layer.
Content 1 and Content 2 are required. Content 3 is optional.
Revision: Contains information about the revision stage the plan is currently in. Revision levels from AK are available. This field is optional.

ISYBAU Long Format

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

Yes

None

No

No

Phase

Yes

None

No

No

Type

Yes

None

No

No

Floor

Yes

None

No

No

Content 1

Yes

No

No

Content 2

Yes

None

No

No

Content 3

Yes

None

Yes

No

Revision

No

None

Yes

No

STLB Format
These fields are included in the STLB format.

Discipline: Gives information about what work process is involved in a

certain layer. This field is required.

Working with Layer Standards

1481

Description 1: Contains information about what the layer contains.

This field is required.
Description 2: Contains additional information about what the layer
contains. This field is optional.

STLB format
Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

No

None

No

No

Description 1

31

No

No

No

Description 2

31

No

No

Yes

BS1192 - AUG Version 2 Format

The BS1192 - AUG Version 2 layer standard is a British layer standard and
contains the following fields:

1482

Discipline: Identifies the author of the layer by using a single character.

For example, A for architect, S for structural engineer. This field is
required.
Category: Identifies the building element by using three digits and uses
CISfB as a common referencing system. For example, 210 for wall, 315 for
door. This field is required.
Graphics: Indicates information that is associated with the category by
using a single character. For example, D for dimension, G for graphics,
T for text. This field is optional.
Grade: Expresses as a single digit the recommended line thickness,
where 1 is the thinnest and 9 is the thickest. This field applies mostly
when using text where ISO standard pen thicknesses correlate with ISO
standard text heights. For example, text that is 2.5mm high that is drawn
with a 0.25mm pen is given a pen grade of 2.
Level: Differentiates viewing planes in plan, section, or elevation view by
using a two-digit alphanumeric character. For example, 01 would be
Level/Floor 1, EA the elevation, and SA Section A.
Status: Indicates the state of work by using a single character. For example, N indicates new, R indicates to be removed.
Scale: Indicates the level of detail to be shown by using a single character. For example, P indicates a planning level, D indicates a detail.

Chapter 40 Layer Management

Phase/Time: Indicates phasing or alternatives by using a single character.

BS1192 AUG Version 2 Format

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

Yes

None

No

No

[0A-Z]

CISfB-A

Yes

None

No

No

CISfB-B

Yes

None

No

No

CISfB-C

Yes

None

No

No

Graphics

Yes

None

No

No

[0ACDGHTZ]

Grade

Yes

None

No

No

Level

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0-9A-Z][0-9A-Z]

Status

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0NXR]

Scale

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0ASPD]

Phase

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0-9A-Z]

CSIfB

Field

BS1192 Descriptive Format

The BS1192 Descriptive layer standard is a British layer standard and contains the following fields:

Discipline: Identifies the author of the layer by using a single character.

For example, A for architect, S for structural engineer. This field is
required.
Element: Identifies the building element by using a descriptive name for
it, for example, Equipment or Room. This field is required.
Graphics: Indicates information that is associated with the category by
using a single character. For example, D for dimension, G for graphics, T
for text. This field is optional.
Level: Differentiates viewing planes in plan, section, or elevation view by
using a two-digit alphanumeric character. For example, 01 would be
Level/Floor 1, EA the elevation, and SA Section A.
Status: Indicates the state of work by using a single character. For example, N indicates new, R indicates to be removed.

Working with Layer Standards

1483

Scale: Indicates the level of detail to be shown by using a single character. For example, P indicates a planning level, D indicates a detail.
Phase: Indicates phasing or alternatives by using a single character.

BS1192 Descriptive Format

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

Yes

None

No

No

[0A-Z]

Element

15

No

No

No

Graphics

Yes

No

No

[0ACDGHTZ]

Level

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0-9A-Z]
[0-9A-Z]

Status

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0NXR]

Scale

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0ASPD]

Phase

Yes

None

Yes

No

[0-9A-Z]

AIA Long Format Layer Standard

The AIA Long Format is an American layer standard and contains the
following fields:

Discipline: Shows divisions of manageable sections. For example, A for

architectural, M for mechanical. This field is required.
Major Code: Designates assemblies or construction systems such as
walls and doors. This field is required.
Minor Code: Further differentiates major groups into minor groups such
as full-height walls and partial-height walls. This field is optional and userdefined.
Status: Differentiates phases of work. For example, Neww indicates new,
Demo indicates to be demolished. This field is optional.

AIA Long Format

1484

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Discipline

Yes

None

No

No

Major Code

Yes

No

No

@@@@

Chapter 40 Layer Management

AIA Long Format (continued)

Field

Width

Fixed

Delimiter

Optional

Match

Wildcard

Minor Code

No

Yes

No

Status

No

Yes

No

Creating New Layer Standards

To create a new layer standard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Layer Standards dialog box, click New.

4 In the Create Layer Standard dialog box, type a name for the new layer
standard.
5 Click OK to return to the Layer Standards dialog box.
6 Select the new layer standard and click Edit.
7 In the Layer Standard Properties dialog box, do any of the following:

Click the Component Fields tab to specify how you want to set up the
fields within the layer standard that determine the different parts of the
layer names created with that standard. You can add and delete fields
here. For more information, see Editing Component Fields in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Edit Descriptive Fields tab to add a description that is applied
to each component field in the layer name. You can add a single
description to a group of layer name component fields. For more information, see Editing Descriptive Fields in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Edit Descriptions tab to map longer or different descriptions
to the component fields of the layer name. For more information, see
Editing Descriptions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
Click the Description Specification tab to control how all the fields in
the layer standard determine the layer description that is displayed in
the Layer Manager. You can change the field that is used in the description and the order of the fields, and you can add text to the beginning
of the layer description. For more information, see Editing Description
Specifications in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

8 When you finish making changes to the layer standard, click OK.

Working with Layer Standards

1485

Creating New Layer Standards from Existing

Layer Standards
To create a new layer standard from an existing layer standard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Layer Standards dialog box, click New.

4 In the Create Layer Standard dialog box, type a name for the new layer
standard.
5 Select Based On, and select the layer standard that you want to use to create the new layer standard.

NOTE If you are not using an Autodesk Architectural Desktop template,

you might need to import an existing layer standard. For more information,
see Importing Layer Standards in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide..
6 Click OK to return to the Layer Standards dialog box.
7 Select the new layer standard and click Edit.
8 In the Layer Standard Properties dialog box, do any of the following:

1486

Click the Component Fields tab to specify how you want to set up the
fields within the layer standard that determine the different parts of the
layer names created with that standard. You can add and delete fields
here. For more information, see Editing Component Fields in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Edit Descriptive Fields tab to add a description that is applied
to each component field in the layer name. You can add a single
description to a group of layer name component fields. For more information, see Editing Descriptive Fields in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Edit Descriptions tab to map longer or different descriptions
to the component fields of the layer name. For more information, see
Editing Descriptions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
Click the Description Specification tab to control how all the fields in
the layer standard determine the layer description that is displayed in
the Layer Manager. You can change the field that is used in the description and the order of the fields, and you can add text to the beginning

Chapter 40 Layer Management

of the layer description. For more information, see Editing Description

Specifications in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 When you finish making changes to the layer standard, click OK.

Editing Layer Standard Definitions

You can edit a layer standard definition to change the way new layers created
within the layer standard are named.
To edit a layer standard definition
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Layer Standards dialog box, select the layer standard that you want
to edit and click Edit.
4 In the Layer Standard Properties dialog box, edit the information about
each of the tabs. These tabs set rules to determine the fields and the values
of individual components of the fields in each layer name. For a list of
what values can be set in each field, see Layer Standard Fields in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Click the Component Fields tab to specify how you want to set up the
fields within the layer standard that determine the different parts of the
layer names created with that standard. You can add and delete fields
and edit the values of the individual components of the fields here. For
more information, see Editing Component Fields in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Edit Descriptive Fields tab to add a description that is applied
to each field in the layer name. You can add a single description to a
group of layer name fields. For more information, see Editing Descriptive Fields in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Edit Descriptions tab to map longer or different descriptions
to the fields of the layer name. The layer descriptions are displayed in
the Layer Manager under Description. For more information, see Editing Descriptions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
Click the Description Specification tab to control how all the fields in
the layer standard determine the layer description that is displayed in
the Layer Manager. You can change the field that is used in the description and the order of the fields from the shortcut menu, and you can
add text to the layer description. For more information, see Editing
Description Specifications in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.

Working with Layer Standards

1487

5 Click OK to return to the Layer Standards dialog box.

Editing Component Fields

Use the Component Fields tab to specify how you want to break down the
individual component fields of a layer standard.
To edit component fields
1 Open the Layer Standard Properties dialog box as described in Editing
Layer Standard Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide. Select the Component Fields tab.
2 On the Layer Standard list, select the layer standard that you want to edit.
3 To delete a component field, select the field and click

4 To add a component field above an existing field, select the field, and
click
. Type a name for the new component field.
5 To add a component field below an existing field, select the field, and
click
. Type a name for the new component field.
6 To edit a field name, double-click the name of the field, and type a new
name over the existing name, or select the name of the field and press F2.
7 To change the values of individual components of the fields, select the values that you want to change, click the values that you want to change, and
select a new value from the shortcut menu. For more information, see
Layer Standard Fields in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.

Editing Descriptive Fields

Use the Edit Descriptive Fields tab to change the display order of layer standard components in the Layer Manager.
To edit descriptive fields
1 Open the Layer Standard Properties dialog box as described in Editing
Layer Standard Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide. Select the Edit Descriptive Fields tab.
2 On the Layer Standard list, select the layer standard that you want to edit.
3 To delete a descriptive field, select the field and click

4 To add a descriptive field above an existing field, select the field, and
click
. Type a name for the new descriptive field.
5 To add a descriptive field below an existing field, select the field, and
click
. Type a name for the new descriptive field.
6 To add a component to a descriptive field, select the component under
Component across from the descriptive field and choose a new compo-

1488

Chapter 40 Layer Management

nent from the shortcut menu. You can add multiple components to a
descriptive field. Multiple components are used for hierarchical fields such
as the CISfB field used by the BS1192 layer standard.
7 To delete a component from a descriptive field, select the component and
choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
8 To edit a field name, double-click on the name of the field and type over
the existing name with a new name, or select the name of the field and
press F2.

Editing Descriptions
Use the Edit Descriptions tab to map descriptions to component fields.
To edit a description
1 Open the Layer Standard Properties dialog box as described in Editing
Layer Standard Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide. Select the Edit Descriptions tab.
2 In the Layer Standard list, select the layer standard that you want to edit.
3 In the Field to Edit list, select the field that you want to change.
4 To delete a description, select the field description and click

5 To edit a description, select the field description and click

or doubleclick the description. Make changes to the description in the Edit Descriptions dialog box and click OK.
6 To add a field with a value and a description, click
. In the Add Description dialog box, type a value and a description for the field, and click OK.

Editing Description Specifications

Use the Description Specification tab to control how the fields of a layer standard determine the layer description.
To edit a description specification
1 Open the Layer Standard Properties dialog box as described in Editing
Layer Standard Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide. Select the Description Specification tab.
2 On the Layer Standard list, select the layer standard with the description
specification that you want to edit.
3 To delete a layer standard field, select the field in the dialog box and
click
.
4 To add a field above an existing field, select the field and click
name for the new field.

Working with Layer Standards

. Type a

1489

5 To add a field below an existing field, select the field and click
name for the new field.

. Type a

6 To edit text under Prior Text, select the text you want to change and type
new text.
7 To change the Field value, click the current value, and select a new value
from the shortcut menu.

Purging Layer Standards

To purge layer standards
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Select Layer Standards dialog box, select the layer standards that
you want to purge and click Purge.
4 Click OK.
The layer standards that you selected are removed.

Importing Layer Standards

To import layer standards
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Select Layer Standards dialog box, click Import/Export.

4 In the Import/Export dialog box, click Open.
5 Select the drawing file with the layer standards that you want to import
and click Open.

NOTE You can import layer standards from the AecLayerStd.dwg drawing
file in Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop\Content\Layers.
All the layer standards in the drawing file are displayed in the External File
list.
6 From the External File list, select the layer standard that you want to
import and click Import.

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
while you select the additional items.

1490

Chapter 40 Layer Management

If you import a layer standard that already exists in the target drawing, a
message is displayed asking if you wish to overwrite the existing layer standard. Click Yes to overwrite the existing layer standard, or click No to cancel.
7 Click OK to return to the Select Layer Standards dialog box.
The layer standards that you imported are displayed in the Select Layer
Standards dialog box.

Exporting Layer Standards to New Drawings

To export layer standards to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Select Layer Standards dialog box, click Import/Export.

4 In the Import/Export dialog box, click New.
5 In the New Drawing dialog box, type a name for the new drawing file that
you want to export the layer standards to and click Save.
6 In the Import/Export dialog box, select the layer standards that you want
to export and click Export.

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
while you select the additional items.
The layer standards are now in the new drawing.
7 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

Exporting Layer Standards to Existing Drawings

You can export layer standards from the current drawing to another drawing.
To export layer standards to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Select Layer Standards dialog box, click Import/Export.

4 In the Import/Export Layer Standards dialog box, click Open.
5 In the Open drawing dialog box, select a drawing to export the layer
standards to and then click Open.

Working with Layer Standards

1491

6 In the Import/Export Layer Standards dialog box under Current Drawing,

select the layer standards to export and then click Export.

NOTE You can select more than one item in a list by holding down CTRL
while you select the additional items.
If you export a layer standard that already exists in the target drawing, a message is displayed asking if you wish to overwrite the existing layer standard.
Click Yes to overwrite the existing layer standard, or click No to cancel.
7 Click OK to exit each dialog box.
The layer standards that you selected are exported to the existing drawing
file.

Layer Keying
A layer key maps an AEC object that you draw on screen to a defined layer.
When you create an object, the layer key that is associated with the object
automatically places that object on the layer to which it is mapped. Using
layer keys to automatically place objects on predefined layers is called layer
keying. Usually, you key objects to layers that conform to a layer standard.
Each layer standard names layers according to a set of rules that you can
modify. To create or change the rules that determine the layer name structure
in a layer standard, you can modify the information in the component fields,
descriptive fields, descriptions, and description specifications of the layer
standard definition. For more information, see Layer Standards Included with
the Layer Manager, in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Depending on your design needs, you might need to use different layer name
structures or assign different properties to layers within a layer standard.
With Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you can create different sets of layer
keys based on layer standards, called layer key styles. Each layer key style contains a set of layer keys for all of the AEC objects and their layer mappings.

NOTE You must create layer keys for objects new to Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, Release 3 if you are opening a drawing from Architectural Desktop
Release 2.
You can easily change the properties of the layers that the layer keys are
mapped to within a layer key style. If you base your layer key style on a layer
standard, then you can also change the layer name for new objects drawn

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

with that layer key. To do this, you override the information in the
descriptive fields of the layer standard definition to change the layer name
within the layer key style.
For example, a wall object is assigned to the layer key WALL. If you use the
AIA (256-color) layer key style that is based on the AIA layer standard, the
WALL layer key maps to the layer, A-Wall. The AIA layer standard contains
four descriptive fields, Discipline, Major Code, Minor Code, and Status. In
the AIA layer standard definition, the Discipline field contains A and the
Major Code field contains Wall. These values determine the A-Wall layer
name that the object is placed on. If you override the information in these
fields within the current layer key style, for example, by replacing A in the
Discipline field with B, then the next wall that you draw is placed on the BWall layer.

Layer Key Styles

You can create different sets of layer keys that you can use to place objects on
defined layers in your drawings. Each layer key style contains a set of layer
keys. Both the AIA and BS1192 layer key styles contain layer keys and layer
properties, including layer name, description, color, linetype, lineweight,
plot style, and plot settings for all of the AEC objects. You can import the AIA
and BS1192 layer standards and layer key styles that are provided with
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3 from the AecLayerStd.dwg in the
c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural Desktop\Content\Layers folder. You
can also create layer key styles from LY files.

NOTE The layer key styles in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3

replace the use of LY files. If you have LY files from S8 or Release 1 of AutoCAD
Architectural Desktop that you want to use, then you can create a new layer key
style from an LY file. On the command line enter -AecLYImport to import legacy LY files. For more information see, Creating New Layer Key Styles from LY
Files in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
You can add and remove layer keys from layer key styles. Default layer keys
cannot be removed. The properties of any layer in an existing layer key style
can also be edited. You can change the layer name, description, color, linetype, lineweight, plot style, and plot settings for the layer that each layer key
maps to. If the layer key style is based on a layer standard, then you can use
overrides on all or some of the layer keys within the layer key style. For more
information about overrides, see Using Layer Key Overrides in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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NOTE The default Standard layer key style is not based on a layer standard. It
contains the default set of layer keys.
You can copy an existing layer key style and purge unused layer key styles.
You can purge only those layer key styles not currently in use. Layer key
styles can be imported to and exported from existing drawings and new
drawings.
You can create a new layer key style by using the Autodesk Architectural
Desktop default layer keys, or you can create a new layer key style from an
existing LY file. You can also copy an existing layer key style and then change
the layer key properties to create a new layer key style. For more information
about editing layer key styles, see Editing Layer Key Styles in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Each of the default layer keys has default settings for layer name, description,
color, linetype, lineweight, plot style, and plot. For information about
default layer keys, see Default layer keys for creating AEC objects in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide. For more information about saving default layers keys, see Selecting Layer Standards and Layer Key Styles in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Whether you create an original layer key style or one from an existing LY file,
if you want to use overrides, you must base the layer key style on a layer standard in the current drawing. If you create a nonstandard layer key style, then
the Overrides On/Off command is unavailable. If you copy a layer key style,
then you can use layer key overrides only if the layer key style that you
copied is based on a layer standard. For more information about using layer
key overrides, see Using Layer Key Overrides in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating New Layer Key Styles

If you want to use layer key overrides, you must base the layer key style you
create on a layer standard in the current drawing. If you create a nonstandard
layer key style, then you cannot attach layer key overrides to that layer key
style.
To create a new layer key style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Layer Key style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.

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2 With the Layer Key style type selected, right-click, and choose New from
the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new Layer Key style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new Layer Key style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Layer Key Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
and change the layer keys of the new style. For more information about
changing each style property, see Editing Layer Key Styles in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
5 When you finish changing the Layer Key style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Creating New Layer Key Styles from LY Files

You can create a new layer key style from an existing LY file from S8 or
Release 1 of AutoCAD Architectural Desktop. If the LY file that you are using
does not contain the default layer keys required by Architectural Desktop,
then they are added to the new layer key style by default and mapped to
default layers based on the key name. For example, the layer key ANNOBJ
maps to the layer ANNOBJ.
If you want to be able to use layer key overrides, you must base the new layer
key style on a layer standard. If you create a nonstandard layer key style, then
you cannot attach layer key overrides to that layer key style. When you create
an original layer key style from an existing LY file, you can choose which sections of the LY file you want to include in your layer key style.
To create a new layer key style from an LY file
You must first import an existing LY file.
1 On the command line, type -AECLYImport.
2 Specify the file name to import or click Browse.
3 Select the file and click open to import the file.
4 Enter the name for the new layer key style.
5 Select the sections of the LY file you want to include in the new layer key
style from the Import LY File dialog box.
6 Click OK to end the command.
A new layer key style is created. It is not associated with a layer standard
until you assign the new layer key style to a layer standard. For more infor-

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mation about changing style properties, see Editing Layer Key Styles in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating New Layer Key Styles from Existing Styles

You can create a new Layer Key style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new layer key style from an existing style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Layer Key style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the Layer Key style type, and press
CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu.
5 Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
6 To edit the style properties of your new Layer Key style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The Layer Key Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add notes
and change the keys of the new style. For more information about changing each style property, see Editing Layer Key Styles in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
7 When you finish changing the Layer Key style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes and Files to Layer Key Styles

To attach notes and files to a layer key style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Layer Key style type, select the Layer Key Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

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3 In the Layer Key Style Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the layer key style, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the layer key style, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the filename in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference filename to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the filename in the list and click
Delete.

8 When you finish changing the Layer Key style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Editing Layer Key Styles

You can change the layer standard that a layer key style is based on, or you
can set a layer standard for a nonstandard layer key style. You can add layer
keys to the layer key style, and you can remove any layer keys except the
default layer keys. You can edit the layer properties of the layers that the layer
keys map to. You can also specify whether layer key overrides can be used
with the layer key style.
To edit a layer key style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key style type is selected within the current drawing,
and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the Layer Key style type, select the Layer Key Style that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layer Key Style Properties dialog box, click the Keys tab.

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4 If you want to change the layer standard that the layer key style is based
on, select a new standard from the Standard list. To not base the layer keying on a layer standard, select Non Standard from the list.

NOTE You can base more than one layer key style on the same layer standard so that each layer key style can be used with different color, linetype,
and override settings.
5 To add a new layer key, click Add.
New keys are added with default values.
6 To delete the selected layer key, click Remove.
7 To change the layer key properties, do any of the following:

Under Description, edit text to change the layer key descriptions.

Under Layer, edit text to change the layer name.
Under Color, click the current color and change it.
Under Linetype, click the current linetype and change it.
Under Lineweight, click the current lineweight and change it.
Under Plotstyle, click the current plot style and change it.
Under Plot, click the printer icon to turn plotting on and off.
Under Allow Overrides, select and clear the override options. If your
layer key style is not based on a layer standard, then the Allow Overrides option is not available.

NOTE To change the properties of more than one layer key at a time, hold
down CTRL and select the additional layer keys.
8 When you finish changing the Layer Key style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging Layer Key Styles

You can purge any layer key style that is not currently in use. You cannot
purge the current layer key style or the Standard layer key style.
To purge layer key styles
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key styles in the current drawing are displayed under

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the Layer Key style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused Layer Key style in your current drawing, select
the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused Layer Key styles in your current drawing, with
the Layer Key style type selected, right-click, and choose Purge from the
shortcut menu.

3 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Layer Key Styles

You can import layer key styles into the current drawing from another drawing.
To import layer key styles
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Layer Key style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Layer Key style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Layer Key Styles to display the Layer Key
styles in the drawing.
5 Select the Layer Key style that you want to copy, and press CTRL+C.
6 Select the current drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.

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1499

To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Layer Key Styles to a New Drawing

You can export layer key styles from the current drawing to a new drawing
file.
To export layer key styles to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key styles in the current drawing are displayed under
the Layer Key style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Layer Key style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the new drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Layer Key Styles to Existing Drawings

You can export layer key styles from the current drawing to another existing
drawing.
To export layer key styles to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Layer Key styles in the current drawing are displayed under

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the Layer Key style type. All other style and definition types are filtered
out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Layer Key style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the second
drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the second drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The style is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.

7 To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select Rename
to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in the Style
Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Default Layer Keys

The following are the default layer keys used by Autodesk Architectural
Desktop when you create AEC objects.
Default layer keys for creating AEC objects
Layer Key

Description

ANNDTOBJ

Detail marks

ANNELOBJ

Elevation objects

ANNOBJ

Notes, leaders, etc.

ANNREV

Revisions

Layer Keying

1501

Default layer keys for creating AEC objects (continued)

1502

ANNSXOBJ

Section marks

ANNSYMOBJ

Annotation marks

APPL

Appliances

AREA

Areas

AREAGRP

Area groups

AREAGRPNO

Area group tags

AREANO

Area tags

CAMERA

Cameras

CASE

Casework

CASENO

Casework tags

CEILGRID

Ceiling grids

CEILOBJ

Ceiling objects

CHASE

Chases

COLUMN

Columns

COMMUN

Communication

CONTROL

Control systems

CWLAYOUT

Curtain walls

CWUNIT

Curtain wall units

DIMLINE

Dimensions

DOOR

Doors

DOORNO

Door tags

DRAINAGE

Drainage

ELEC

Electric

ELECNO

Electrical tags

Chapter 40 Layer Management

Default layer keys for creating AEC objects (continued)

ELEV

Elevations

ELEVAT

Elevators

ELEVHIDE

Elevations (2D)

EQUIP

Equipment

EQUIPNO

Equipment tags

FINCEIL

Ceiling tags

FINFLOOR

Finish tags

FIRE

Fire system equip.

FURN

Furniture

FURNNO

Furniture tags

GRIDBUB

Plan grid bubbles

GRIDLINE

Column grids

LAYGRID

Layout grids

LIGHTCLG

Ceiling lighting

LIGHTW

Wall lighting

MASSELEM

Massing elements

MASSGRPS

Massing groups

MASSSLCE

Massing slices

OPENING

Wall openings

PEOPLE

People

PFIXT

Plumbing fixtures

PLANTS

Plants - outdoor

PLANTSI

Plants - indoor

POLYGON

AEC Polygons

Layer Keying

1503

Default layer keys for creating AEC objects (continued)

1504

POWER

Electrical power

PRK-SYM

Parking symbols

ROOF

Rooflines

ROOFSLAB

Roof slabs

ROOMNO

Room tags

SCHEDOBJ

Schedule tables

SEATNO

Seating tags

SECT

Miscellaneous sections

SECTHIDE

Sections (2D)

SITE

Site

SLAB

Slabs

SPACEBDRY

Space boundaries

SPACEOBJ

Space objects

STAIR

Stairs

STAIRH

Stair handrails

STRUCTBEAM

Structural beams

STRUCTBEAMIDEN

Structural beam tags

STRUCTBRACE

Structural braces

STRUCTBRACEIDE
N

Structural brace tags

STRUCTCOLS

Structural columns

STRUCTCOLSIDEN

Structural column tags

SWITCH

Electrical switches

TITTEXT

Border and title block

TOILACC

Arch. specialties

Chapter 40 Layer Management

Default layer keys for creating AEC objects (continued)

TOILNO

Toilet tags

UTIL

Site utilities

VEHICLES

Vehicles

WALL

Walls

WALLFIRE

Fire wall patterning

WALLNO

Wall tags

WIND

Windows

WINDASSEM

Window assemblies

WINDNO

Window tags

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Layer Key Values

The following are the default values assigned to new layer keys.
Default values for layer keys
Layer name

Same as layer key name. Assigned to

appropriate layer root name.

Description

Blank

Color

7 (white/black)

Linetype

Continuous

Lineweight

Default

Plot style

Normal

Plot

Yes

Description

Blank

Using Layer Key Overrides

You can apply overrides to any layer keys within a layer key style that is based
on a layer standard. The structure of the layer name of each layer that each
layer key maps an object to is determined by the descriptive fields in the layer
standard definition. You can override the information in each field according
to the values set in the layer standard definition. You can allow overrides on
all the layer keys within a layer key style, or you can select individual layer
keys that you want to override. You can also choose to allow all of the
descriptive fields that make up the layer name to be overridden, or you can
specify which descriptive fields you want to override.
For example, the AIA layer standard contains four descriptive fields:
Discipline, Major Code, Minor Code, and Status. In the AIA layer standard
definition, the Discipline field assigns a description and the Major Code field
assigns a name by default. By using layer key overrides, you can change the
values set in these fields and add values in the unused fields, Minor Code and
Status. The information that you enter to create layer key overrides must conform to the field width and value types set by the layer standard definition.
For example, you cannot set a four-letter override in the Discipline field in
the AIA Layer Standard, because the maximum width for the Discipline field
as set in the AIA layer standard definition is 1. To modify the descriptive

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fields, you must edit the layer standard definition. For more information, see
Getting Started with the Layer Manager in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.
After you create layer key styles with overrides, you can turn the overrides on
and off in your current drawing. When the layer key overrides are on, objects
that you create are placed on layers defined by the layer standard definitions
and overridden with the values that you set. When the layer key overrides
are off, objects that you create are placed on the layers defined only by the
layer standard. You can start using the layer key overrides immediately after
you set them, or you can use the Overrides On/Off command to switch them
on later.

Setting Layer Key Overrides

To set layer key overrides, you must have a layer key style that is based on a
layer standard. If you base your layer key standard on a nonstandard style,
then you cannot set layer key overrides. The layer key overrides that you set
apply only to the layer keys that have any or all descriptive field overrides
selected in the Layer Key Properties dialog box. For more information, see
Editing Layer Key Styles in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
To set layer key overrides
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Key Overrides.
2 In the Layer Key Overrides dialog box under Current Layer Key Style,
select the layer key style that you want to override. The layer standard that
the layer key style is based on is displayed under Based on Standard and is
not editable.
3 In the Field/Override list, type values or click Browse to set values to override the information in the descriptive fields used by the layer standard.
The fields in this dialog box depend on what layer standard your layer key
style is based on. For example, if you are using the AIA layer standard,
then you can enter override values for the Discipline, Major Code, Minor
Code, and Status descriptive fields.
4 To begin using the layer overrides immediately, select Enable All Overrides.
If you do not select this option, then objects that you draw after you exit
this dialog box are placed on the layer defined by the layer standard. You
can use the Overrides On/Off command to turn on the layer overrides
later.

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1507

NOTE Individual layer keys that do not allow overrides as specified in the
Layer Key Properties dialog box are not overridden when you select Enable All
Overrides.
5 Click OK.
If you turned on the layer key overrides, then any objects that you create
will use the layer key overrides according to the override values that you
have set and whether you allowed overrides for the layer keys in the layer
key style. If you did not turn on the layer key overrides, then objects that
you create are placed on layers defined by the layer standard.

Turning Layer Key Overrides On and Off

You can use the Overrides On/Off command as a switch to turn layer key
overrides on and off for the current layer key style in your drawing. This
command is available only if your current layer key style is based on a layer
standard and if you have set layer key overrides. If the layer key overrides are
on in the current drawing, then a check mark () is displayed next to the
command name on the menu.
To turn layer key overrides on and off

From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Overrides On/Off.

If you turned the layer key overrides on, then objects that you create are
placed on layers defined by the layer standard definitions and overridden
with the values that you set. If you turned the layer key overrides off, then
objects that you create are placed on layers defined by the layer standard.

Remapping Object Layers

Layer keys assign or map Autodesk Architectural Desktop objects to be
drawn on predefined layers. To change the layer that an object is mapped to
by its current layer key, you can assign the object to a different layer key. After
you remap objects to different layers, you can restore the objects to their
default layer key layers.

NOTE When you remap or restore objects to layers, any current layer key overrides that are in place remain in effect.

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Remapping Objects to Different Layers

You can change the layer an object is drawn on by remapping it from the current layer key to a different layer key.
To remap an object to a different layer
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Remap Object Layers.
2 Select the object or objects that you want to change.
The following prompt is displayed:
Enter a Layer Key or [?/byObject]:

3 If you want to view the list of available layer keys, type a question mark
(?).
4 Type the name of the layer key that you want to remap the object to, and
press ENTER.
The object is mapped to a different layer in your drawing, respecting any current layer key overrides.

Restoring Objects to Default Layer Key Layers

After you remap an object to a different layer by assigning it to a different
layer key, you can restore the default layer key to the object.
To restore an object to the default layer key layer
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Remap Object Layers.
2 Select the object or objects that you want to change.
The following prompt is displayed:
Enter a Layer Key or [?/byObject]:

3 Type o apply the layer assigned to the default layer key of each object in
the selection set, respecting any current layer key overrides.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Remapping Object Layers

1509

Working with Layer Groups

With the Layer Manager, you can create groups of layers to produce working
views and backgrounds from large building data sets. There are four different
types of layer groups:

All: Is always present and lists all the layers and other layer groups in the
drawing.
Xref: Lists any layers in external reference files linked with the current
drawing.
User groups: Contain layers that you have assigned to them.
Filter groups: Contain layers based on a filter that you set for the group.

The following group rules apply when you are creating and working with
layer groups:

You can list a layer in more than one layer group.

Multiple listings of the same layer must always have identical property
settings. For example, a layer that is a member of two groups cannot be of
a different color in each group.
You cannot list a layer twice in a group.
You can delete layer groups without affecting the layers in the group.
Changing one of the properties of a layer group changes that property for
all the layers in that group, except where the change would be invalid. For
example, it is not possible to freeze the current layer.
Layer group names need not be unique.
There is no naming convention for layer groups. Group names can
include spaces, nonalphanumeric characters, and both uppercase and
lowercase letters.

You can add and subtract layers from existing layer groups. You can change
the standard AutoCAD properties for the layers in groups, rename layer
groups, delete layer groups, and change the filters in filter groups.

Creating Layer Groups

With the Layer Manager, you can create two types of layer groups: user
groups and filter groups. The layer groups named XREFS and All are created
automatically. User-defined groups can contain any layers in the current
drawing. You can manually add layers to and remove layers from user groups
by dragging layers within the Layer Manager into the user group or by selecting an object in the drawing on the layer that you want to add to the user
group.

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A filter group contains layers that meet filter criteria that you specify for the
group. Filter criteria can select layers according to layer states (on/off, frozen/
thawed, locked/unlocked), properties, or names. For example, you can create
a filter group that includes all of the red layers in the current drawing.
Filter groups can be either dynamic or static. Dynamic filter groups are automatically updated when you change the properties of layers that are part of
the group. You cannot manually add layers to or remove layers from existing
dynamic filter groups. Static filter groups are not automatically updated, and
they include only the layers that met the filter criteria when the group was
created. You can manually add layers to and remove layers from existing
static filter groups.

Creating User-Defined Groups

User-defined groups can contain any layers in the current drawing. You can
manually add layers to and remove layers from user groups by dragging
layers within the Layer Manager into the user group or by selecting an object
in the drawing on the layer that you want to add to the user group.
To create a user group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the left pane of the Layer Manager, select a layer group that you want
to create the new group under, right-click, and choose New Group User
from the shortcut menu, or click
in the Layer Manager.
3 Type a name for the new user group and press ENTER.
The new user group is displayed in the Layer Manager with the name that
you typed.
4 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Creating Filter Groups

A filter group contains layers that meet filter criteria that you specify for the
group. Filter criteria can select layers according to layer states (on/off, frozen/
thawed, locked/unlocked), properties, or names. For example, you can create
a filter group that includes all of the red layers in the current drawing.
You can create two types of filter layer groups:

Dynamic filter groups: Automatically update when you change the

properties of layers that are part of the group. You cannot manually add
layers or remove layers.

Working with Layer Groups

1511

Static filter groups: Do not automatically update, and include only

the layers that met the filter criteria when the group was created. You can
manually add layers and remove layers.

Creating Dynamic Filter Groups

To create a dynamic filter group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the left pane of the Layer Manager, select a layer group, right-click, and
choose New Group Filter from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, type a name for the new filter
group under Filter Name.
4 In the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, verify that Dynamic is selected.
5 Set the filter criteria:

Click the States tab and set filter criteria by visibility state, or select
Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer State Filter
Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Colors tab and set filter criteria by layer color, or select Ignore
This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Color Filter Criteria
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Linetypes tab and set filter criteria by linetype, or select
Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Linetype Filter
Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Layer Standards tab and set filter criteria by a layer standard,
or select Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Standard Filter Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
Click the Wildcards tab and set filter criteria by using wildcard characters, or select Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Filter
Criteria Using Wildcard Characters in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

6 After you finish specifying the filter criteria, click OK to return to the Layer
Manager.
7 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Creating Static Filter Groups

To create a static filter group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

2 In the left pane of the Layer Manager, select a layer group, right-click and
choose New Group Filter from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, type a name for the new filter
group under Filter Name.
4 In the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, select Static.
5 Set the filter criteria:

Click the States tab and set filter criteria by visibility state, or select
Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer State Filter
Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Colors tab and set filter criteria by layer color, or select Ignore
This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Color Filter Criteria
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Linetypes tab and set filter criteria by linetype, or select
Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Linetype Filter
Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Standards tab and set filter criteria by a layer standard, or
select Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Standard Filter Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
Click the Wildcards tab and set filter criteria by using wildcard characters, or select Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Filter
Criteria Using Wildcard Characters in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

6 After you finish specifying the filter criteria, click OK to return to the Layer
Manager.
7 Click OK to exit the Layer Manager dialog box. To apply the change and
remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Setting Layer State Filter Criteria

To set the layer state filter criteria
1 Open the Layer Filter Properties dialog box as described in Creating
Dynamic Filter Groups or Creating Static Filter Groups in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
2 Under the States tab in the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, clear Ignore
This Filter.
3 Select one of the following options for the On/Off layer state filter:

On: All the layers in the drawing that are turned on.
Off: All the layers that are turned off.

Working with Layer Groups

1513

Both: Both layers that are turned on and layers that are turned off.

4 Select one of the following options for the Freeze/Thaw layer state filter:

Thawed: All the layers in the drawing that are thawed.

Frozen: All the layers that are frozen.
Both: Both thawed and frozen layers.

5 Select one of the following options for the Locked/Unlocked layer state filter:

Unlocked: All the layers in the drawing that are unlocked.

Locked: All the layers that are locked.
Both: Both locked and unlocked layers.

6 Select one of the following options for the Viewport Thawed/Viewport

Frozen layer state filter:

VP Thawed: All the layers that are thawed in the current viewport.
VP Frozen: All the layers that are frozen in the current viewport.
Both: All the layers in the current viewport, both thawed and frozen.

7 Select one of the following options to filter for layers that are in use or
unused:

In Use: All the layers in the drawing that are in use.

Unused: All of the layers that are unused.
Both: Both used and unused layers.

8 After you finish specifying the filter criteria, click OK to return to the Layer
Manager or select other filter properties tabs to continue to add additional
filtering criteria.

Setting Layer Color Filter Criteria

To set the layer color filter criteria
1 Open the Layer Filter Properties dialog box as described in Creating
Dynamic Filter Groups or Creating Static Filter Groups in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
2 Under the Color tab in the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, clear Ignore
This Filter.
3 Add layer colors to the filter by doing one of the following:

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

To add all of the colors from the Architectural Desktop color palette to
the color filter, click Add All. All of the colors available to Architectural
Desktop are moved to the Selected Colors list.
To add an individual color to the filter, select a color in the Available
Colors list, and click Add. The color that you selected is moved from
the Available Colors list to the Selected Colors list.
To add a new color to the filter from the full color palette, click Choose
Color, select a color from the Select Color dialog box, and click OK.

4 To remove layer colors from the filter, do one of the following:

To remove all of the layer colors in the color filter, click Remove All.
The colors in the Selected Colors list are moved to the Available Colors
list.
To remove an individual color from the filter, select the color in the
Selected Colors list, and click Remove. The color that you selected is
moved from the Selected Colors list to the Available Colors list.

5 After you finish specifying the filter criteria, click OK to return to the Layer
Manager.

Setting Layer Linetype Filter Criteria

To set the layer linetype filter criteria
1 Open the Layer Filter Properties dialog box as described in Creating
Dynamic Filter Groups or Creating Static Filter Groups in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
2 Under the Linetypes tab in the Layer Filter properties dialog box, clear
Ignore This Filter.
3 Add linetypes to the filter by doing one of the following:

To add an individual linetype to the filter, select a linetype in the Available for Filtering list, and click Add. The linetype is moved from the
Available for Filtering list to the Already in Filter list.
To add all of the available linetypes to the filter, click Add All. The
linetypes are moved from the Available in Drawing list to the Already
in Filter list.

4 To remove linetypes from the filter, do one of the following:

To remove an individual linetype from the filter, select a linetype in the

Already in Filter list and click Remove. The linetype that you selected
is moved from the Already in Filter list to the Available for Filtering list.

Working with Layer Groups

1515

To remove all of the linetypes in the filter, click Remove All. The linetypes are moved from the Already in Filter list to the Available for Filtering list.

5 After you finish specifying the filter criteria, click OK to return to the Layer
Manager.

Setting Layer Standard Filter Criteria

To set the layer standard filter criteria
1 Open the Layer Filter Properties dialog box as described in Creating
Dynamic Filter Groups or Creating Static Filter Groups in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
2 Under the Standards tab in the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, clear
Ignore This Filter.
3 Select the Layer Standard filter criteria by doing one of the following:

To filter for layer categories that are not in a layer standard, select
Nonstandard.
To filter for layers that are in a layer standard, select the layer standard
from the list.

4 If you selected a layer standard in step 3, use Add and Remove to transfer
layer standard categories to and from the Available Categories and
Selected Categories lists.
The Selected Categories list contains the categories that are included in
the filter criteria. When you add categories to the Selected Categories list,
the order in which you add them affects the hierarchical structure of the
generated layer groups. For example, if you select the AIA layer standard,
you can add Discipline followed by Major to create a two-tier hierarchy
with architectural layers separated from facilities management layers.

Setting Filter Criteria Using Wildcard Characters

To set the filter criteria using wildcards
1 Open the Layer Filter Properties dialog box as described in Creating
Dynamic Filter Groups or Creating Static Filter Groups in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
2 Under the Wildcards tab in the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, clear
Ignore This Filter.
3 Select the Wildcard filter criteria by doing one of the following:

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

From the list on the left, select Wildcard Layer Names Must Match, and
then type a wildcard string and an asterisk (*) to include in the filter all
layers that contain that string.
From the list on the left, click Wildcard Layer Names Must Not Match,
and then type a wildcard string and an asterisk (*) to exclude from the
filter all layers that contain that string. For more information about
working with wildcards, see Filter Selection Sets in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

NOTE The wildcard string is not case sensitive.

Manually Adding Layers to Layer Groups

You can manually add layers to a user group or to a static filter group within
the Layer Manager. You can either drag them from the list of layers in the
right pane of the Layer Manager to the group in the left pane, or add the layer
to the group by selecting an object in the current drawing that is on the layer
that you want to add.
You can also replace all layers in an existing group by selecting objects on the
layers that you want to replace the existing layers.

Dragging Layers into a Layer Groups

To drag a layer into a layer group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the left pane of the Layer Manager, select the All layer group to view all
the layers in the drawing in the right pane.
3 Select a layer in the right pane of the Layer Manager and drag the layer to
the user layer group or static filter layer group in the left pane.
The layer is added to the layer group. To view the contents of the layer
group, click the layer group folder in the left pane of the Layer Manager.

Adding Layers to Groups by Selecting Drawing Objects

To add layers to a group by selecting drawing objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, select the user group or static filter group to which
you want to add a layer, right-click, and choose Select Layers Add from
the shortcut menu.

Working with Layer Groups

1517

3 In the current drawing, select an object on each layer that you want to add
to the user group.
4 After you finish selecting objects, press ENTER or right-click to return to
the Layer Manager.
The layers that you selected are added to the layer group. To view the
contents of the layer group, click the layer group folder in the left pane of
the Layer Manager.

Replacing Layers from Groups by Selecting Drawing Objects

To replace layers from a group by selecting drawing objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, select the user group or static filter group whose layers you want to replace, right-click, and choose Select Layers Replace
from the shortcut menu.
3 Select an object on each layer that you want to use to replace the layers in
the user group.
4 After you finish selecting objects, press ENTER to return to the Layer Manager.
The layers that you selected replace all of the existing layers in the layer
group. To view the contents of the layer group, click the layer group folder in
the left pane of the Layer Manager.

Changing Existing Layer Groups

In the Layer Manager, you can change the standard AutoCAD properties of
all the layers in an existing layer group. You can also rename and delete
existing groups of layers. If you are working with existing filter groups, you
can change the filter.
You can also save a layer group as a layer snapshot. A layer snapshot is a
specific set of layers and view information that you can save, edit, and restore
in your drawing. By saving layer and view information in a snapshot, you
can quickly recall specific layer and view configurations from complex data
sets.

Changing the Properties of Layer Groups

To change the properties of a layer group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

2 In the Layer Manager, select the layer group whose properties you want to
change, right-click, and choose one of the following options from the
shortcut menu:

Lock: Locks or unlocks all the layers in the group depending on the
layer state.
Freeze/Thaw: Freezes or thaws all the layers in the group depending
on the layer state.
Viewport: Freezes or thaws all the layers in the group within the current viewport.
Visibility: Switches all the layers in the group on or off depending on
the layer state.
Isolate Group: Freezes all the layers in the drawing except those in
the selected layer group.

The layers in the layer group are updated to display the property changes.

Renaming Layer Groups

To rename a layer group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 On either side of the Layer Manager, do one of the following to rename
the layer group:

Select the layer group that you want to rename, press F2, and type a
new name for the layer group.
Select the layer group that you want to rename, right-click, choose
Rename Group from the shortcut menu, and type a new name for the
layer group.
Click the group name to highlight it, and click again to type a new
name over the existing name.

Deleting Layer Groups

To delete a layer group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 On either side of the Layer Manager, select the layer group that you want
to delete.
3 Do one of the following to delete the layer group:

Press DELETE to delete the group.

Right-click, and choose Delete Group from the shortcut menu.

Working with Layer Groups

1519

NOTE The layer group is deleted from the Layer Manager, but the layers listed
in the group are not affected.

Changing Layer Group Filters

To change a layer group filter
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the left pane of the Layer Manager, select the layer group with the filter
criteria that you want to edit, right-click, and choose Properties from the
shortcut menu.
3 In the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, set the filter criteria:

Click the States tab and set filter criteria by visibility state, or select
Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer State Filter
Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Colors tab and set filter criteria by layer color, or select Ignore
This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Color Filter Criteria
in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Linetypes tab and set filter criteria by linetype, or select
Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Linetype Filter
Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Click the Standards tab and set filter criteria by a layer standard, or
select Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Layer Standard Filter Criteria in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
Click the Wildcards tab and set filter criteria by using wildcard characters, or select Ignore This Filter. For more information, see Setting Filter
Criteria Using Wildcard Characters in the online Autodesk Architectural
Desktop Users Guide.

4 When you finish specifying the filter properties, click OK.

Working with Layer Snapshots

A layer snapshot is a specific set of layers and view information that you can
save, edit, and restore in your drawing. By saving layer and view information
in a snapshot, you can quickly recall specific layer and view configurations
from complex data sets. For example, a facilities manager might create snapshots of individual floor plans and furniture, cable, and HVAC layouts to separate this information from a complete building layout.

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

You can create and name any number of layer snapshots. You can add and
delete individual layers in an existing snapshot. You can edit, delete, and
import and export the snapshot. Import snapshots into new drawings to
automatically set up a layering scheme in your drawing.
You can create snapshots of all the layers in the current drawing or all of the
layers in a particular layer group. Create a snapshot of all the layers in a
drawing when you want to restore or export an entire layering scheme.
Create a snapshot of a particular layer group to store a specific set of layering
information.

Creating Snapshots of All Drawing Layers

To create a snapshot of all layers
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 in the left pane of the Layer Manager, click All to display all the layers or
layer groups in your drawing.
3 Click

4 In the Snapshots dialog box, click New.

5 In the Snapshots dialog box, type a name for the new snapshot.
6 Click OK to create the snapshot and return to the Snapshots dialog box.
The new snapshot that you created is listed in the Snapshots dialog box.

Creating Snapshots of Layer Groups

To create a snapshot of a layer group
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 in the left pane of the Layer Manager, click All to display all the layers and
layer groups in your drawing.
3 Select the layer group that you want to use to create the snapshot, rightclick, and choose Save as Snapshot from the shortcut menu.
4 In the Snapshot dialog box, type a name for the new snapshot.
5 Click OK to create the snapshot and return to the Layer Manager.
The layer group snapshot that you created is listed in the Snapshots dialog
box.
6 To view the new layer group snapshot in the Snapshots dialog box,
click
in the Layer Manager.

Working with Layer Snapshots

1521

Editing Layer Snapshots

To edit a layer snapshot
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Snapshots dialog box, select the snapshot that you want to edit and
click Edit.
4 In the Snapshot Edit dialog box, do any of the following:

To add layers in the drawing that are not listed in the snapshot, click
Add, select the layer that you want to add in the Select Layer dialog
box, and click OK.
To delete a layer from the snapshot, select the layer that you want to
delete and click Delete.
To edit the standard AutoCAD layer properties of the individual layers
in the snapshot, click the property icons or descriptions.

5 When you finish editing the layer snapshot, click OK to return to the
Snapshots dialog box.
The snapshot is saved with the changes that you made and is displayed in
the Snapshots dialog box.

Deleting Layer Snapshots

To delete a snapshot
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Snapshots dialog box, select the snapshot that you want to delete
and click Delete.
The snapshot that you deleted is no longer listed in the Snapshots dialog
box.

Restoring Layer Snapshots

To restore a layer snapshot
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Snapshots dialog box, select the layer snapshot that you want to
restore, and click Restore.

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Chapter 40 Layer Management

Importing Layer Snapshots

To import a layer snapshot
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Snapshots dialog box, click Import.

4 In the Open dialog box, select the snapshot that you want to import.
You can import snapshots with the following file extensions:

SSL: Layer Manager Snapshot Format. Saves layer properties, description, and linetype files.
LAY: Bonus Layer Format. Compatible with the AutoCAD Express
Tools utility for saving layer snapshots. The layer description and linetype file are not saved with the snapshot.
CDF: Comma-Delimited Format. An ASCII file that you can read or
edit in a standard word processor.

5 Click Open to return to the Snapshots dialog box.

6 If a snapshot includes layers that are not in the current drawing, an error
message lists the layers contained in the snapshot that are not in the current file.
7 You are prompted to restore the snapshot settings. Click Yes to restore the
settings.
The imported snapshot is displayed in the Snapshots dialog box.

Exporting Layer Snapshots

To export a snapshot
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layer Management Layer Manager.
2 In the Layer Manager, click

3 In the Snapshots dialog box, select the snapshot that you want to export,
and click Export.
4 In the Export Layer Snapshot dialog box, type a name for the new file that
you want to export the snapshot to.
5 Navigate to the folder you want to save the layer snapshot in.
6 From the Save as type list, select one of the following file formats for the
snapshot:

Working with Layer Snapshots

1523

SSL: Layer Manager Snapshot Format. Saves a layer properties, description, and linetype file.
LAY: Bonus Layer Format. Compatible with the AutoCAD Express
Tools utility for saving layer snapshots. The layer description and linetype file are not saved with the snapshot.
CDF: Comma-Delimited Format. An ASCII file that you can read or
edit in a standard word processor.

7 Click Save to export the snapshot and return to the Snapshots dialog box.
The layer snapshot is exported to the folder that you specified in the format you selected.

Layer Management Command List

1524

Menu Command

Command Line

Layer Manager...

LayerManager

Select Layer
Standard...

DwgLayerSetup

Layer Key Styles...

LayerKeyStyle

Layer Key Overrides...

LayerKeyOverride

Overrides On/Off

LayerKeyOverride

Remap Object Layers

RemapLayers

Chapter 40 Layer Management

Right-click

Style Manager

41

The Style Manager provides a central location in

In this chapter

Autodesk Architectural Desktop where you can work

Managing styles in Autodesk

Architectural Desktop

with styles from multiple drawings and templates. With

the Style Manager, you can quickly set up new drawings
with the styles that your project or office standards
require.
With the Style Manager, you can view, sort, create, edit,
and purge styles. You can share styles with other users
on Internet or intranet sites, or by email.
In addition to styles, you can work with schedule data
formats and definitions for clean up groups, mask

Getting started with the Style

Manager
Sorting and viewing styles
Working with drawings and

templates in the Style Manager

Creating and editing styles
Copying styles between

drawings
Working with styles on the

Web
Purging styles
Sending styles by email

blocks, multi-view blocks, profiles, and property sets.

1525

Managing Styles in Autodesk Architectural

Desktop
The Style Manager is a Microsoft Windows Explorer-based utility that provides you with a central location in Autodesk Architectural Desktop where
you can view and work with styles in drawings or from Internet and intranet
sites.
Styles are sets of parameters that you can assign to objects in Autodesk
Architectural Desktop to determine their appearance or function. For example, a door style in Autodesk Architectural Desktop determines what door
type, such as single or double, bi-fold or hinged, a door in a drawing represents. You can assign one style to more than one object, and you can modify
the style to change the all the objects that are assigned that style.
Depending on your design projects, either you or your CAD Manager might
want to customize existing styles or create new styles. The Style Manager
allows you to easily create, customize, and share styles with other users. With
the Style Manager, you can:

Provide a central point for accessing styles from open drawings and
Internet and intranet sites
Quickly set up new drawings and templates by copying styles from other
drawings or templates
Sort and view the styles in your drawings and templates by drawing or by
style type
Preview an object with a selected style
Create new styles and edit existing styles
Delete unused styles from drawings and templates
Send styles to other Autodesk Architectural Desktop users by email

Objects in Autodesk Architectural Desktop that use styles include 2D sections

and elevations, AEC Polygons, curtain walls, curtain wall units, doors,
endcaps, railings, roof slab edges, roof slabs, schedule tables, slab edges, slabs,
spaces, stairs, structural members, wall modifiers, walls, window assemblies,
and windows.
Additionally, layer key styles, schedule data formats, and cleanup group,
mask block, multi-view block, profile, and property set definitions are handled by the Style Manager.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

NOTE To view layer key styles in the Style Manager, you must run a Layer
Management command (Layer Manager, Layer Key Styles, or Layer Key Overrides) before you display the Style Manager.
Most of the objects in Autodesk Architectural Desktop have a default
Standard style. In addition, Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes a starter
set of styles that you can use with your drawings. The Autodesk Architectural
Desktop templates contain some of these styles. Any drawing that you start
from one of the templates includes these styles. You can also access the styles
for doors, endcaps, spaces, stairs, walls, and windows from drawings located
in c:\Program Files\Autodesk Architectural\Content\Imperial or Metric\Styles.
Property set definitions and schedule tables are located in the c:\Program
Files\Autodesk Architectural\Content\Imperial or Metric\Schedules folder.
You can access the Style Manager directly by choosing it from the Desktop
menu. You can also access it when you choose object styles from other
Autodesk Architectural Desktop menus (for example, from the Design menu,
choose Walls Wall Styles).
Upgrading from a previous version of AutoCAD Architectural Desktop
If you are upgrading from a previous version of AutoCAD Architectural
Desktop, the Style Manager replaces the Style dialog box, used for creating,
copying, editing, purging, importing, and exporting styles.

Getting Started with the Style Manager

When you open the Style Manager, all the style information from your open
drawings and templates is displayed. The Style Manager is split into two resizable panes and has a menu bar, toolbar, and status bar.

Getting Started with the Style Manager

1527

The Style Manager

Left pane of the Style Manager

The left pane of the Style Manager organizes the styles in your open drawings
and templates in a hierarchical tree view that you can navigate by expanding
and collapsing the different levels in the tree. You can sort styles in the tree
view by the drawing that contains them, or by the object type that they
modify. The tree view is always displayed in the left pane, regardless of how
you sort the styles.
Right pane of the Style Manager
The right pane of the Style Manager displays different style information,
depending on what you select in the tree view in the right pane. You can preview how an object is displayed with a style, view style descriptions, view
drawing information, and view the distribution of styles of a selected type
across multiple drawings and templates.
Style Manager menu bar and toolbar
The top of the Style Manager includes a menu bar and a toolbar that allow
you to quickly access the menu commands. If you position your mouse over
a toolbar icon, a tooltip displays with an explanation of the icon.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

Status bar
The status bar at the bottom right of the Style Manager indicates how the
styles are sorted in the tree view, and the drawing and style type or style currently selected.

Displaying the Style Manager

You can access the Style Manager directly, or you can access it from individual style commands. You can access the Style Manager directly by choosing
it from the Desktop menu. You can also access it when you choose object
styles from other Autodesk Architectural Desktop menus (for example, from
the Design menu, choose Walls Wall Styles).
When you open the Style Manager, all your open drawings and templates are
displayed in the tree view of the Style Manager.
To display the Style Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.

Opening the Style Manager

Your open drawings and templates are displayed in the Style Manager tree
view in the left pane. The current drawing name is highlighted in the tree

Getting Started with the Style Manager

1529

view, and the drawing is expanded to display all the possible style types.
If the style types have plus signs (+) next to them, they contain styles.

NOTE If any of your drawings or templates are open as read-only, then

their read-only status is indicated by a lock on the folder icon next to the
drawing in the tree view.
2 To close the Style Manager, choose File Exit, or click the X in the top
right side of the Style Manager title bar.
The drawings and templates in the tree view can be sorted and selected to
view the style information within them. For more information, see Sorting Styles in the Style Manager on page 1530 and Viewing Styles in the
Style Manager on page 1534.
After you open the Style Manager, you can change the size and position
of the Style Manager. For more information, see Moving the Style Manager on page 1530.

Moving the Style Manager

You can move the Style Manager to change its position on your screen.
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
2 To move the Style Manager, drag the title bar of the Style Manager to the
desired location.

Sorting Styles in the Style Manager

When you open the Style Manager, the names of your open drawings and
templates are displayed in the tree view in the left pane. If you expand a
drawing in the tree view, you can see that the individual styles within the
drawing are organized under the drawing in the tree by style type, or the type
of object that they modify. In this view, your styles are sorted by drawing.
This is the default tree view of the Style Manager. Each time you open the
Style Manager, your styles are sorted by drawing in the tree view.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

Sorting styles by drawing in the Style Manager

You can reverse the order of the drawing and style type levels in the tree view
by sorting your styles by style type. In style sorted view, your styles are
organized by style type, then by drawing.

Sorting Styles in the Style Manager

1531

Sorting styles by style type

The status bar at the bottom of the Style Manager indicates whether the
styles are sorted by drawing or by style type.
Depending on how you sort the tree view, and on what you select in the tree
view, the contents of the right pane changes. You can preview how an object
is displayed with a style, view style descriptions, view drawing information,
and view the distribution of styles of a single type across multiple drawings
and templates. For more information, see Viewing Styles in the Style Manager on page 1534.

Sorting Styles by Drawing

When you sort your styles by drawing in the Style Manager, all the styles
within your open drawings and templates are organized by the drawing or
template they reside in, and then by style type.

NOTE By default, the styles in your open drawings and templates are sorted
by drawing each time you open the Style Manager.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

To sort styles by drawing

1 In the Style Manager, choose View Explore By Drawing.

NOTE If By Drawing is selected on the View Explore menu, then your

styles are already sorted by drawing.
Your open drawings and templates are displayed in the tree view in the left
pane of the Style Manager.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to a drawing or template in the tree view.
A list of style types is displayed under the drawing in the tree view. If the
style types have plus signs (+) next to them, then styles of that type exist
in the drawing.
3 Click the plus sign (+) next to each style type.
The individual styles in the drawing are displayed under the style types.
The status bar at the bottom of the Style Manager indicates that the styles
are sorted by drawing. You can easily switch between drawing and style
type sorted styles. For more information, see Switching Between Drawing
and Style Sorted Styles on page 1534.

Sorting Styles by Style Type

When you sort your styles by style type in the Style Manager, all the styles
within your open drawings and templates are organized by style type, and
then by the drawing they reside in.
To sort styles by style type
1 In the Style Manager, choose View Explore By Style.

NOTE If By Style is selected on the View Explore menu, then your styles
are already sorted by style type.
The style types from all the open drawings and templates are displayed in
the tree view.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to a style type in the tree view.
Your open drawings and templates are displayed under the style type. If
the drawings or templates have plus signs (+) next to them, then they contain styles of that style type.
3 Click the plus sign (+) next to a drawing or template.
The styles in the drawing are displayed under the drawing or template.

Sorting Styles in the Style Manager

1533

The status bar at the bottom of the Style Manager indicates that the styles
are sorted by drawing. You can easily switch between drawing and style
type sorted styles. For more information, see Switching Between Drawing
and Style Sorted Styles on page 1534.

Switching Between Drawing and Style Sorted

Styles
You can quickly switch between drawing and style sorted styles in the tree
view.
To switch between drawing and style sorted styles

In the Style Manager, click

If your styles were sorted by drawing, then they are now sorted by style. If
your styles were sorted by style, then they are now sorted by drawing.

Viewing Styles in the Style Manager

Depending on how you sort your styles, and on what you select in the tree
view in the left pane of the Style Manager, the contents of the right pane
changes. In the right pane, you can view all the styles in a drawing or
template, view all the styles of a single style type in a drawing, and view the
distribution of styles of a single style type across multiple drawings and
templates.
You can filter styles in the Style Manager so only the styles of one type that
you select are displayed in the tree view in the left pane. Your styles are
filtered by default when you choose object styles from other Autodesk
Architectural Desktop menus (for example, from the Design menu, choose
Walls Wall Styles).
For visible objects, like walls or doors, you can preview how the objects display with a style that you select. You can view a description of any of your
styles. The style description is generated by the AutoCAD LIST command.

Viewing All the Styles in a Drawing

You can view all the styles in a drawing or template.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

To view all the styles in a drawing

1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing.
2 Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display the
style types in the drawing.
3 Click the plus sign (+) next to each style type in the drawing.

Viewing All the Styles of One Style Type in a

Drawing
You can view all the styles that modify one object type in a single drawing in
the right pane of the Style Manager. You can display the styles in the right
pane with large or small icons, or in a list with or without a description of
the styles.
To view all the styles of one style type in a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style.
2 Do one of the following, depending on how your styles are sorted:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Select the style type with the styles that you want to view.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view with the
styles that you want to display.
Select the drawing that contains the styles of the style type that you
want to copy.

The styles of the style type within the drawing that you selected are displayed in the right pane of the Style Manager.
3 To change how the style information is displayed in the right pane, do one
of the following:

To display large icons for each of the styles in the right pane, from the
Style Manager menu, choose View Large Icons.
To display small icons for each of the styles in the right pane, from the
Style Manager menu, choose View Small Icons.
To display the styles in a list, from the Style Manager, choose View
List.

Viewing Styles in the Style Manager

1535

To display the styles in a list with a description of each style, from the
Style Manager, choose View Details.

Viewing Styles of One Style Type Across Multiple

Drawings
You can display a chart view of the styles of a single style type distributed
across the drawings that contain them in the Style Manager. In this chart,
you can see the styles used in more than one drawing and the styles used
only in a single drawing.
To view the styles of one type across drawings
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by style type.
2 In the tree view, select the style type with the styles that you want to view
across the drawings.

Filtering Styles
You can filter styles in the Style Manager so only the styles of one selected
type display in the tree view in the left pane. The styles are filtered out for
viewing purposes only. They are not deleted. You can easily restore the styles
that you filter out.
To filter styles
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Select the style type that you do not want to filter out.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Select the style type that you do not want to filter out.

3 Click

The styles that you did not select are filtered out, and the style type that
you selected remains in the Style Manager tree view.
4 To filter the previous styles back into the Style Manager, click

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

Previewing a Style
You can view how an object is displayed with a selected style applied to it.
You can only preview styles that are applied to visible objects, like walls,
doors, or stairs. Non-visible objects, like schedule table styles, cannot be
previewed.
To preview a style
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type that contains the style that
you want to preview.
Select the style that you want to preview.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the style that you want to preview.
Select the drawing that contains the style that you want to preview.
Select the style in the drawing that you want to preview.

3 Click the Viewer tab.

The selected style applied to the type of object that it modifies is displayed
in the Floating Viewer. For more information about how you can view
objects in this viewer, see Floating Viewer on page 183.
4 To view a description of the style, click the List tab. The AutoCAD LIST
command is used to display the database information for the style.

Viewing a Style Description

You can view a description of a selected style. The AutoCAD LIST command
is used to display the database information for the style.
To view a style description
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Viewing Styles in the Style Manager

1537

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type that contains the style that
you want to preview.
Select the style.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the style that you want to preview.
Select the drawing that contains the style that you want to preview.
Select the style in the drawing.

3 Click the List tab to view the description of the selected style.
4 To preview the style, click the Viewer tab.

Working with Drawings and Templates in the

Style Manager
When you first open the Style Manager, any drawings or templates that are
open in Autodesk Architectural Desktop are displayed in the tree view. You
can open other existing drawings or templates and create new drawings or
templates within the Style Manager.
Opening new or existing drawings
When you create a new drawing or template, or open an existing drawing or
template within the Style Manager, the drawing or template is open for use
within the Style Manager only, not in your Autodesk Architectural Desktop
drawing session. You can open the drawing in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop after you exit the Style Manager.
Read-only drawings that you open in your drawing session, or within the
Style Manager, display in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.

NOTE AutoCAD Architectural Desktop Release 1 or Release 2 drawings that

you open in the Style Manager, open as read-only drawings.
Determining the status of a drawing
You can easily identify whether a drawing or template is open in Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, or open within the Style Manager only. The icon next
to the drawing or template in the tree view indicates its status in the Style

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

Manager. The following table shows how a drawing can display in the Style
Manager.

Drawing icon

Drawing status
Drawing is open in Autodesk Architectural Desktop and in the Style
Manager
Drawing is open in the Style Manager only

Drawing is open, but is read-only

Closing drawings
Any of the drawings and templates that you create or open in the Style
Manager are displayed every time you open the Style Manager, unless you
close them from within the Style Manager. These drawings and templates are
redisplayed in the Style Manager when you quit the drawing session, restart
Autodesk Architectural Desktop, and open the Style Manager.

Viewing Drawing Information

You can view the drawing information of an open drawing in the Style
Manager, but you cannot edit the drawing information in the Style Manager.
To view drawing information in the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing.
2 In the tree view, click the drawing with the drawing information that you
want to view.
The drawing information is displayed in the right pane of the Style Manager.

NOTE To edit or add to the drawing information, close the Style Manager,
and choose File Drawing Properties. Click the Summary tab and make your
changes. Re-open the Style Manager and select the drawing in the tree view
to view your changes.
3 Click OK.

Working with Drawings and Templates in the Style Manager

1539

Starting a New Drawing or Template in the Style

Manager
When you start a new drawing or template in the Style Manager, the new
drawing or template does not contain any styles, and is open for use in the
Style Manager only. It is not open in Autodesk Architectural Desktop.
To start a new drawing or template in the Style Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New Drawing.
3 In the New Drawing dialog box under File Name, enter the new drawing
name.
4 Under Save as Type, select Drawing (.dwg) to create a drawing or Drawing
Template File (.dwt) to create a template.
5 Click Save.
The drawing or template is displayed in the Style Manager tree view. The
new drawing does not contain any styles and is open only in the Style
Manager, not your Autodesk Architectural Desktop drawing session. You
can open the drawing in Autodesk Architectural Desktop after you exit the
Style Manager.

Opening an Existing Drawing or Template in the

Style Manager
You can open existing drawings or templates in the Style Manager. The
drawings or templates are open within the Style Manager only.

NOTE If you open an AutoCAD Architectural Desktop Release 1 or 2 drawing

in the Style Manager, the drawing is open as a read-only drawing.
To open an existing drawing or template in the Style Manager
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open Drawing.
3 In the Open Drawing dialog box, select one or more files, and choose
Open.
You can also enter the drawing name under File name, and choose Open,
or double-click a file name in the list of files.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

The drawing is displayed in the Style Manager tree view. It is open only in
the Style Manager, not your Autodesk Architectural Desktop drawing session. You can open the drawing in Autodesk Architectural Desktop after
you exit the Style Manager.

Dragging an Existing Drawing into the Style

Manager from Windows Explorer
You can open an existing drawing or template in the Style Manager by
dragging it from Windows Explorer.
To open an existing drawing or template by dragging it into the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing.
2 Start Windows Explorer.
3 In Windows Explorer, select the drawing or template that you want to
open in the Style Manager.
4 Drag the drawing into the tree view in the Style Manager.
The drawing or template is displayed in the tree view. The drawing or template is open only in the Style Manager, not your Autodesk Architectural
Desktop drawing session. You can open the drawing in Autodesk
Architectural Desktop after you exit the Style Manager.

Closing Drawings and Templates in the Style

Manager
You can close the drawings and templates open only in the Style Manager
from the Style Manager.
To close drawings in the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing.
2 Select the drawing or template that you want to close.
3 In the Style Manager, choose File Close.
The drawing or template that you selected is closed in the Style Manager,
and is no longer displayed in the tree view. You can open the drawing in
Autodesk Architectural Desktop after you exit the Style Manager.

Working with Drawings and Templates in the Style Manager

1541

Creating and Editing Styles in the Style

Manager
In the Style Manager, you can create and edit styles, as well as schedule data
formats, and cleanup groups, mask blocks, multi-view blocks, profiles, and
property set definitions.
When you create a new style in the Style Manager, you create a new style
based on the Standard style for the type of object that the style is to modify.
After you create the new style, you can edit it to change the style properties
from the Standard style properties. You can also create a new style by copying
an existing style.
When you create new definitions of mask blocks, profiles, curtain wall layouts, curtain wall units, window assemblies, endcaps, and wall modifiers,
you can select existing geometry in your drawings to create the new
definition.
When you edit a style in the Style Manager, you can access and edit the style
properties of the style.
The procedures in the following sections outline the basic steps to create and
edit styles and definitions in the Style Manager. For more detailed
information about creating a specific style or editing specific style properties,
see the style topics associated with each object. For example, to create a wall
style, see Creating New Wall Styles on page 343.

Creating a New Style in the Style Manager

You can create new styles in the Style Manager. New styles are created from
the Standard style for the type of object that the style modifies. After you create the new style, you can edit it to change the style properties from the
Standard style properties.
To create a new style in the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

1542

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view where you
want to create the new style.
Select the style type of the new style that you want to create.

Chapter 41 Style Manager

Right-click, and choose New.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type of the new style in the tree
view.
Select the drawing where you want to create the new style.
Right-click, and choose New.

3 Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.

You can now edit the new style. For more information, see Renaming a
Style in the Style Manager on page 1544.

Creating a Style by Copying an Existing Style

You can create a new style by copying an existing style. After you create the
new style, you can edit it to change the style properties.
To create a style by copying an existing style
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view where you
want to create the new style.
Select the style type of the style that you want to copy.
Right-click, and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type of the new style in the tree
view.
Select the drawing where you want to create the new style.
Right-click, and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.

3 Select the current drawing, or a different drawing, right-click, and choose

Paste.
The style is copied into the drawing that you selected. You can now edit
the new style. For more information, see Renaming a Style in the Style
Manager on page 1544.

Creating and Editing Styles in the Style Manager

1543

Creating New Definitions in the Style Manager

from Existing Geometry
You can use existing geometry in your current drawing to create definitions
for curtain walls, curtain wall units, window assemblies, endcaps, wall
modifiers, masking blocks, and profiles.
To create a new definition in the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view where you
want to create the new definition.
Select the definition type of the new definition that you want to create.
Right-click, and choose New from the shortcut menu.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the definition type of the new definition
in the tree view.
Select the drawing where you want to create the new definition.
Right-click, and choose New from the shortcut menu.

3 Type a name for the new definition, and press ENTER.

4 Select the new definition, right-click, and choose Set From.
Depending on the type of definition you are creating, you are returned to
your current drawing to select the geometry that you want to use to create
the definition. For more detailed information about creating specific definitions, see the topics associated with each type of object. For example,
to create a masking block definition, see Creating a Mask Block Definition from a Polyline on page 1643.

Renaming a Style in the Style Manager

To rename a style in the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, select a style in the Style Manager tree view.
2 Right-click the style in tree view, and then click Rename from the shortcut
menu.
3 Type a new name for the style, and press ENTER.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

Editing a Style in the Style Manager

You can edit styles and definitions in the Style Manager.
To edit a style in the Style Manager
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 Depending on how you sorted your styles, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view where you
want to create the new style.
Select the style type of the new style that you want to create.
Right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type of the new style in the tree
view.
Select the drawing where you want to create the new style.
Right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

3 Change any of the style properties of the style to edit it.

For more detailed information about editing specific styles, see the topics
associated with each type of object. For example, to edit a wall style, see
Changing Wall Style Properties on page 348.

Copying Styles Between Drawings in the

Style Manager
The Style Manager allows you to copy styles, schedule data formats, and
cleanup group, masking block, multi-view block, profile, and property set
definitions between drawings and templates quickly and easily. Depending
on how you sort your styles in the Style Manager, you can copy all the styles
of one style type in a drawing to another drawing, or copy individual styles
in one drawing to another drawing.

Copying Styles Between Drawings in the Style Manager

1545

You can drag and drop or copy and paste styles to copy them between
drawings. The following table outlines the possible operations in the Style
Manager.
Copying styles between drawings in the Style Manager
If you want to...

Sort styles by...

Select in tree
view...

Drag to or copy and paste to...

Copy all the styles of

one style type from
Drawing 1to Drawing 2

Drawing

Style Type in
Drawing 1

Drawing 2,
or any style type or style in
Drawing 2

Style Type

Drawing 1

Drawing 2

Drawing

Styles in
Drawing 1

Drawing 2,
or any style type or style in
Drawing 2

Style Type

Styles in
Drawing 1

Drawing 2 in the selected style

type

Copy one or more

styles from Drawing 1
to Drawing 2

When you copy styles from one drawing to another drawing, the Style
Manager uses the AutoCAD WBLOCK command to write your styles to the
second drawing. If there are any styles of the same name in the second drawing, the Style Manager reports the duplicate style names. You have the option
to not copy the new styles to the second drawing, to overwrite the duplicate
styles in the second drawing with the new styles, or to rename the new styles
as you copy them to the second drawing.
You cannot copy styles to drawings that are open as read-only. However, you
can copy styles from read-only drawings to other drawings.
Before you can copy styles between drawings, you must open more than one
drawing or template in the Style Manager. For more information, see Working with Drawings and Templates in the Style Manager on page 1538.

Dragging All the Styles of One Style Type in a

Drawing to Another Drawing
You can drag all the styles of one style type from one drawing to another
drawing in the Style Manager.
To drag all the styles of one type in a drawing to another drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:

If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view with the
styles that you want to copy.
Select the style type with the styles that you want to copy.
Drag the style type to the second drawing, or any style type or style in
the second drawing.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view with the
styles that you want to copy.
Select the drawing that contains the styles of the style type that you
want to copy.
Drag the styles to the second drawing, or any style in the second drawing.

NOTE You cannot copy styles to read-only drawings. Read-only drawings

are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.
The styles are copied into the target drawing. If the drawing that you are
copying styles to already contains styles with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found
dialog box.
3 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing styles in the drawing with the new styles of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing styles in the drawing with the new styles, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new styles so both sets of styles exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. The new style names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

Dragging Individual Styles from One Drawing to

Another Drawing
You can drag individual styles from one drawing to another drawing in the
Style Manager.

Copying Styles Between Drawings in the Style Manager

1547

To drag individual styles in a drawing to another drawing

1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view with the
style that you want to copy.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy.
Select the style that you want to copy.
Drag the style to the second drawing, or any style type or style in the
second drawing.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the style that you want to copy.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing that contains the style that
you want to copy.
Select the style in the drawing that you want to copy.
Drag the style to the style type in the second drawing, or any style in
the second drawing.

NOTE You cannot copy styles to read-only drawings. Read-only drawings

are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.
The styles are copied into the target drawing. If the drawing that you are
copying styles to already contains styles with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found
dialog box.
3 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

1548

To not replace the existing styles in the drawing with the new styles of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing styles in the drawing with the new styles, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new styles so both sets of styles exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. The new style names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

Chapter 41 Style Manager

Copying All the Styles of One Style Type to

Another Drawing
You can copy all the styles of one style type from one drawing to another
drawing in the Style Manager.
To copy all the styles of one type in a drawing to another drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Select the style type with the styles that you want to copy.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view that you
want to copy to display the drawings that contain styles of that style
type.
Select the drawing that contains the styles of the style type that you
want to copy.

3 Choose Edit Copy.

The styles are copied to the clipboard.
4 Do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Select the drawing in the tree view that you want to copy the styles to.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that you
want to copy to display the drawings that contain styles of that style
type.
Select the drawing that contains the styles of the style type that you
want to copy.

5 Choose Edit Paste.

NOTE You cannot copy styles to read-only drawings. Read-only drawings

are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.

Copying Styles Between Drawings in the Style Manager

1549

The styles are copied into the target drawing. If the drawing that you are
copying styles to already contains styles with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found
dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing styles in the drawing with the new styles of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing styles in the drawing with the new styles, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new styles so both sets of styles exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. The new style names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

Copying Individual Styles from One Drawing to

Another Drawing
You can copy individual styles from one drawing to another drawing in the
Style Manager.
To copy individual styles in a drawing to another drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type that contains the style that
you want to copy.
Select the style that you want to copy.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the style that you want to copy.
Select the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy.
Select the style in the drawing that you want to copy.

3 Choose Edit Copy.

The style is copied to the clipboard.
4 Do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

Select the drawing in the tree view that you want to copy the style to.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that you
want to copy to display the drawings that contain styles of that style
type.
Select the drawing that contains the styles of the style type that you
want to copy.

5 Choose Edit Paste.

NOTE You cannot copy styles to read-only drawings. Read-only drawings

are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.
The style is copied into the target drawing. If the drawing that you are
copying styles to already contains a style with the same name, the duplicate name are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found
dialog box.
6 To resolve the duplicate style name, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. The new style name is appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

Working with Styles on the Web

With the Style Manager, you can access the Web and download styles directly
into your current drawing from Autodesk Point A.
This feature of the Style Manager is available only when you have Internet
access available on your system. If you do not have access to the Internet
available on your system, the Web option is not available on the Style Manager menu and shortcut menus.
When accessing the Web through the Style Manager, the right pane acts as
you Web browser and displays the Web page containing available styles.

Working with Styles on the Web

1551

To download styles from the Web

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Style Manager.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Styles on Point A.
3 Follow the instructions on the Web page in the right pane of the Style
Manager to access the styles you want to download.

Purging Styles in the Style Manager

You can delete unused styles and definitions from your drawings and templates in the Style Manager. You can delete all the unused styles in a drawing
or template, delete only styles of a single type in a drawing or template, or
delete a single style.
You cannot delete styles that are in use, styles in read-only drawings or
templates, Standard styles, style types, or drawings or templates in the Style
Manager.

Purging All Styles from a Drawing

You can delete all the unused styles from a drawing or template. Standard
styles and styles that are in use in the drawing cannot be deleted and remain
in the drawing after you purge.
To purge all the unused styles from a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing.

NOTE You cannot purge styles from read-only drawings. Read-only drawings are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, select the drawing with the styles
that you want to purge.

NOTE You can select only one drawing in the tree view at a time. You cannot select multiple drawings in the tree view.
3 Choose Edit Purge.
A confirmation dialog box with a list of styles that are available to purge
is displayed. All the available styles are selected by default.
4 Click OK to purge all the styles.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you choose Edit Purge in step 3, select Only Show this Confir-

mation Dialog When the Shift Key is Down.

All of the unused styles in your drawing are purged. Any Standard styles
or styles in use remain in the drawing.

Purging All Styles of One Style Type from a

Drawing
You can delete all the unused styles of a single style type from a drawing or
template. Standard styles and styles that are in use in the drawing cannot be
deleted and remain in the drawing after you purge.
To purge all the styles of one style type from a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.

NOTE You cannot purge styles from read-only drawings. Read-only drawings are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Select the style type with the styles that you want to purge.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains styles of that you want to purge.
Select the drawing that contains the styles that you want to purge.

3 Choose Edit Purge.

A confirmation dialog box with a list of styles that are available to purge
is displayed. All the available styles are selected by default.
4 Click OK to purge the styles in the drawing.

Purging Styles in the Style Manager

1553

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you choose Edit Purge in step 3, select Only Show this Confir-

mation Dialog When the Shift Key is Down.

All of the unused styles within the style type that you selected are purged.
Standard styles or styles within that style type that are in use remain in the
drawing.

Purging Individual Styles from a Drawing

You can delete a single unused style from a drawing or template. Standard
styles and styles that are in use in the drawing cannot be deleted and remain
in the drawing when you try to purge them.
To purge a single style from a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.

NOTE You cannot purge styles from read-only drawings. Read-only drawings are displayed in the Style Manager with a lock next to them.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type that contains the style that
you want to purge.
Select the style that you want to purge.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the style that you want to purge.
Select the drawing that contains the style that you want to purge.
Select the style in the drawing that you want to purge.

3 Choose Edit Purge.

A confirmation dialog box with the style that you selected to purge is
displayed. The style is selected by default.
4 Click OK to purge the style.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you choose Edit Purge in step 3, select Only Show this Confir-

mation Dialog When the Shift Key is Down.

The style that you selected is purged from the drawing. Standard styles or
styles that are in use remain the drawing.

Sending Styles By Email In the Style Manager

With the Style Manager, you can share your styles and definitions by copying
them to a new drawing and sending the drawing by email to other Autodesk
Architectural Desktop users.

NOTE This feature of the Style Manager is available only when you have email
available on your system. If you do not have email available on your system, the
Send option is not available on the Style Manager menu and shortcut menus.
You can send all the styles in a drawing or template, send only the styles of
single style type in a drawing or template, or send a single style. The Style
Manager copies the styles that you select to a new drawing file (.dwg), and
attaches it to a new email message, created with the email program on your
system.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop users who receive your styles by email can
open the attached drawing file in the Style Manager and copy your styles to
their drawings.

Sending All the Styles in a Drawing

You can send all the styles in one of your drawings or templates to other
Autodesk Architectural Desktop users by copying them to a drawing file
(.dwg) and sending the file by email.
To send all the styles in a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing.
2 In the tree view, select the drawing with the styles that you want to send.

NOTE You can select only one drawing in the tree view at a time. You cannot select multiple drawings in the tree view.

Sending Styles By Email In the Style Manager

1555

3 In the Style Manager, choose File Send.

NOTE If email is not available on your system, the Send option is not available on your Style Manager menu and shortcut menus.
A new email message with the default subject ADT Styles, is created
using your email program. A drawing file (.dwg) containing the styles is
added to the message as a file attachment.
4 Address and send the email message with your email program.
The Autodesk Architectural Desktop user or users who receive your styles
by email can open the attached drawing in the Style Manager and copy
the styles to their drawings.

Sending All the Styles of One Type in a Drawing

You can send all the styles of a single style type in one of your drawings or
templates to other Autodesk Architectural Desktop users by copying them to
a drawing file (.dwg) and sending the file by email.
To send all the styles of a style type in a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Select the style type with the styles that you want to send.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the styles that you want to send.
Select the drawing that contains the styles that you want to send.

3 In the Style Manager, choose File Send.

NOTE If email is not available on your system, the Send option is not available on your Style Manager menu and shortcut menus.

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Chapter 41 Style Manager

A new email message with the default subject ADT Styles, is created
using your email program. A drawing file (.dwg) containing the styles is
added to the message as a file attachment.
4 Address and send the email message with your email program.
The Autodesk Architectural Desktop user or users who receive your styles
by email can open the attached drawing in the Style Manager and copy
the styles to their drawings.

Sending Individual Styles

You can send a single style in one of your drawings or templates to other
Autodesk Architectural Desktop users by copying them to a drawing file
(.dwg) and sending the file by email.
To send a single style in a drawing
1 In the Style Manager, sort your styles by drawing or by style type.
2 In the tree view of the Style Manager, do one of the following:
If you sorted your styles by drawing:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the drawing in the tree view to display
the style types in the drawing.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type that contains the style that
you want to purge.
Select the style that you want to send.

If you sorted your styles by style type:

Click the plus sign (+) next to the style type in the tree view that contains the style that you want to purge.
Select the drawing that contains the style that you want to purge.
Select the style in the drawing that you want to send.

3 Choose File Send.

NOTE If email is not available on your system, the Send option is not available on your Style Manager menu and shortcut menus.
A new email message with the default subject ADT Styles, is created
using your email program. A drawing file (.dwg) containing the style is
added to the message as a file attachment.
4 Address and send the email message with your email program.

Sending Styles By Email In the Style Manager

1557

The Autodesk Architectural Desktop user or users who receive your style
by email can open the attached drawing in the Style Manager and copy
the styles to their drawings.

Style Manager Command List

1558

Menu command

Command line

Style Manager...

AecStyleManager

Chapter 41 Style Manager

Right-click

Layout Tools

42

Layout tools help you position objects in relation to

In this chapter

each other. There are three types of layout tools: layout

Adding layout curves

curves, 2D layout grids, and 3D layout volumes (volume

grids). Each type of layout object has anchors to which
you can attach objects. All three layout tools offer nodes
as anchor points. Layout grids and layout volumes offer

Changing layout curve

properties
Adding layout grids and layout

volumes
Changing properties of layout

grids and layout volumes

additional cells as anchoring points for cell anchors and

volume anchors.

1559

Using Layout Tools

Layout tools help you to position objects in relation to each other. There are
three types of layout tools: layout curves, 2D layout grids, and 3D layout volumes. Each type of layout tool has nodes to which you can attach objects via
different types of anchors. For information about anchor types, see
Anchors on page 1589.
A layout curve is a tool that attaches nodes to linear objects. You can use layout curves to position objects along a path. Anchoring objects to a layout
curve might be useful for positioning washbasins along a wall or joists along
a roof.
A layout grid is an arrangement of rectangular or radial spaces, called bays,
that are delineated with parallel or radial lines. Use a 2D layout grid to position objects in a grid pattern. Anchoring objects to layout grids might help
you to position columns on a column grid, planters in a sidewalk grid, or tile
accents in a floor tile grid.
A layout volume is a 3D arrangement of rectangular spaces. Use 3D layout
volumes to position objects on a multilevel grid. Changing the size of a layout volume changes the spacing of objects attached to that grid and can also
change the size and height of objects attached to that grid.

Layout Curves
Use a layout curve to anchor objects along a path. You can define walls, mass
elements, and roofs, lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, polygons, polylines, and
splines as layout curves.

Adding Layout Curves

A layout curve contains nodes to which you can anchor objects. Creating a
layout curve involves selecting any object in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, and then choosing a spacing option to position anchor nodes on it. The
spacing between the anchor nodes determines the spacing between the
objects that you attach to the layout curve, even if you change the geometry
of the layout curve.

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Layout Tools

NOTE Theoretically, you can attach layout curves to any object in Architectural Desktop. However, they are best suited for objects with linear geometry,
like polylines, walls or splines. If you need nodes on a 2D object, you might consider using a layout grid instead.
The following spacing options are available:

Manual: You specify the position of each node along the layout curve.
Repeat: You specify a set equidistant spacing between nodes along the
layout curve. The number of anchor nodes is determined by the length of
the layout curve. As the length of the curve changes, nodes are added or
subtracted accordingly. The spacing of the nodes remains fixed.
Space Evenly: You specify the number of nodes along the curve. The
space between the nodes is determined by the length of the layout curve.
As the length of the curve changes, the spacing between the nodes is
lengthened or shortened accordingly. The number of nodes remains fixed.

To add a layout curve

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Curve.
2 Select the object you want to attach a layout curve to.
The following prompt is displayed:
Select node layout mode [Manual/Repeat/Space evenly] <Manual>:

3 To place the nodes manually, press ENTER and do the following:

Type the number of nodes that you want to place on the curve, or press
ENTER to use the default number of nodes.
Specify points on the curve to place the nodes. The distances that you
specify are measured from the start point of the curve.

Placing nodes manually on a layout curve

4 To place the nodes along the curve based on a repeated spacing value, type
r (Repeat), and do the following:

Type a starting offset distance for the first node, or press ENTER to use
the default starting offset distance.

Layout Curves

1561

Type an ending offset distance for the last node, or press ENTER to use
the default ending offset distance.
Type a value for node spacing, or press ENTER to use the default node
spacing. The first point is placed at the starting offset distance, and
additional nodes are added up to, but not over, the ending offset distance. The last node may be farther from the end of the curve than the
ending offset distance.

Placing nodes at a repeating spacing on a layout curve

5 To place the nodes evenly along the curve, type s (Space Evenly), and do
the following:

Type a starting offset distance for the first node, or press ENTER to use
the default starting offset distance.
Type an ending offset distance for the last node, or press ENTER to use
the default ending offset distance.
Type the number of nodes that you want to place on the curve, or press
ENTER to place the default number of nodes. The first node is placed at
the starting offset distance. Additional nodes are spaced evenly up to,
but not over, the ending offset distance.

Placing nodes at an even spacing on a layout curve

Changing the Properties of Layout Curves

You can attach notes and files to a layout curve, or change the placement and
location of layout nodes.

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Chapter 42

Layout Tools

Attaching Notes or Files to Layout Curves

To attach notes or files to a layout curve
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Layout Curve Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layout Curve Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the layout curve, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the layout curve, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the filename in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference filename to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the filename in the list and click
Delete.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Dimensions of Layout Curves

To change the layout curve dimension properties
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Layout Curve Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layout Curve Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
In Width Dimension (X-axis, select or clear Automatic Spacing. If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new
value, or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
start and end offsets. If Automatic Spacing is not selected, type new values
for Distance to Line and Spacing.
4 When you finish making changes to the layout curve, click OK to exit the
dialog box.

Layout Curves

1563

Changing the Location of Layout Curves

You can relocate an existing layout curve by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The layout curve also has an orientation with respect
to the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For
example, if the top and bottom of the layout curve are parallel to the
XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation
of the layout curve by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also
rotate the layout curve on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
To change the layout curve location properties
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Layout Curve Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layout Curve Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the layout curve, change coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the layout curve, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the layout curve on the XY plane, make the normal
of the layout curve parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the layout curve on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the layout curve, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

5 When you finish making changes to the layout curve, click OK to exit the
dialog box.

Adding Nodes to Layout Curves

You can add nodes to an existing layout curve.

NOTE You can add nodes only to layout curves with manually spaced nodes
or evenly spaced nodes. Layout curves with nodes placed at a fixed repeated
spacing value cannot be changed without changing the length of the curve. For
information about spacing options, see Adding Layout Curves on page 1560.
To add nodes to an existing layout curve
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Add Node from the shortcut menu.

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Layout Tools

3 Specify the distance of the new layout node from the start of the curve.

If you have added a node to a layout curve with manually spaced

nodes, the new node is inserted on the specified position. The position
of the other nodes remains unchanged.
If you have added a node to a layout curve with evenly spaced nodes,
the new node is inserted on the specified position and the remaining
nodes are recalculated, so that they are evenly spaced again.

Removing Nodes from Layout Curves

You can remove nodes from an existing layout curve.

NOTE You can remove nodes from layout curves only with manually spaced
nodes or evenly spaced nodes. Layout curves with nodes placed at a fixed
repeated spacing value cannot be changed without changing the length of the
curve. For information about spacing options, see Adding Layout Curves on
page 1560.
To remove nodes from an existing layout curve
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Remove Node from the shortcut menu.
3 Specify the distance of the layout node to be removed from the start of the
curve.

If you have removed a node from a layout curve with manual nodes,
the node is removed from the specified position. The position of the
other nodes remains unchanged.
If you have removed a node from a layout curve with evenly spaced
nodes, the node is removed from the specified position and the remaining nodes are recalculated, so that they are evenly spaced again.

Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Curves

You can add layout curves with three different spacing modes:

Manual: You specify the position of each node along the layout curve.
Repeat: You specify a set equidistant spacing between nodes along the
layout curve. The number of anchor nodes is determined by the length of
the layout curve. As the length of the curve changes, nodes are added or
subtracted accordingly. The distance between the nodes remains fixed.

Layout Curves

1565

Space Evenly: You specify the number of nodes along the curve. The
space between the anchor nodes is determined by the length of the layout
curve. As the length of the curve changes the spacing between the nodes
is lengthened or shortened accordingly. The number of nodes remains
fixed.

You can change that mode later, so that, for example, a curve with manually
spaced nodes becomes a curve with evenly spaced nodes. Or if you want to
add nodes to a layout curve with a fixed number of nodes, you must first convert the layout curve to the manually spaced or evenly spaced modes.
To change the spacing mode of a layout curve
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Layout Mode from the shortcut menu.
The following prompt is displayed:
Select node layout mode [Manual/Repeat/Space evenly] <Manual>:

3 Select the desired mode and press ENTER.

1566

If you are changing a layout curve with manually spaced nodes to a

curve with nodes placed at a fixed repeated spacing value, you are
prompted to type start and end offsets, and the distance between the
nodes. If there are too few nodes on the curve to fill it, new nodes are
created at the specified distance.
If you are changing a layout curve with manually spaced nodes to a
curve with evenly spaced nodes, you are prompted to type start and
end offsets for the curve. The existing nodes are distributed evenly on
the curve.
If you are changing a curve with nodes placed at a fixed repeated spacing value to a curve with manually spaced nodes, there is no visible
change. The nodes have, however, been converted to manual nodes, so
that you now can add nodes to and remove nodes from the curve.
If you are changing a curve with nodes placed at a fixed repeated spacing value to a curve with evenly spaced nodes, you are prompted for a
start offset and an end offset. The existing nodes are than recalculated
and distributed evenly. You can now add nodes to and remove nodes
from the curve.
If you are changing a curve with evenly spaced nodes to a curve with
manually spaced nodes, there is no visible change. If you change the
curve however, the nodes remain now fixed in their place and are not
redistributed evenly anymore.
If you are changing a curve with evenly spaced nodes to a curve with
nodes placed at a fixed repeated spacing value, you are prompted to

Chapter 42

Layout Tools

type start and end offsets, and the distance between the nodes. If there
are too few nodes on the curve to fill it, new nodes are created at the
specified distance.

Switching Layout Curves

You can move a layout curve from one object to another object. The layout
mode is retained in this action. If the layout curve had been inserted originally with evenly spaced nodes, the nodes remain spaced evenly on the new
object as well.
If you are switching the curve to an object that already contains a layout
curve, the two curves are not merged. They are still separate objects and can
be edited separately.
To switch layout curves to another object
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Switch Curve from the shortcut menu.
3 Select the object to which you want to attach the layout curve.
The layout curve is moved to the new object.

Changing the Display of Layout Curves

You can change the display of the nodes on a layout curve. Display properties
you can change include layer, color and linetype information, and the node
size.
To change the display of a layout curve
1 Select the layout curve by selecting one of the node anchors.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the layout curve. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display
Systems.
5 Click Edit Display Props and do any of the following:

To change visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale,

and plot style information, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab and
make the desired changes.
To change the size of the layout nodes, click the Other tab and type the
desired node size.

Layout Curves

1567

Layout Grids
Use a layout grid to arrange objects in a 2D grid pattern. You can use a radial
or rectangular layout grid. A layout grid has node anchors at the intersection
of the grid lines and cell anchors at the intersection of grid bays. You can
anchor objects to the intersection of the grid lines (nodes) or to the center of
the grid bays (cells).

NOTE By default, the markers for node anchors and cell anchors are not displayed when you insert a grid. To display them, turn these components on in the
Entity Display. For information about turning on display components, see
Changing the Display of Layout Grids on page 1576.
Changing the size of a grid changes the spacing of objects anchored to that
grid and can also change the size of objects anchored to that grid. When
using a cell anchor, you can use a clipping profile to define a boundary
around a layout grid or to make a hole in a layout grid. The layout grid is not
displayed outside of a boundary or inside a hole. Use closed polylines to
define the boundary or hole. For example, you can use a clipping profile to
cut a hole in a reflected ceiling grid object.

Adding Radial Layout Grids

To add a radial layout grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Grid [2D].
2 In the Add Layout Grid dialog box, select Radial in the Shape list.

NOTE If you want to use the pointing device instead of the Add Layout
Grid dialog box to insert the radial layout grid, select Specify on Screen.
3 Type a value for the radius.
4 Type a value for the angle.
5 Type a value for the inside radius.
6 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the X bay
size.
7 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the bay
angle.

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Layout Tools

8 Specify an insertion point in the drawing for the center of the radial layout grid.
9 Specify the rotation of the radial grid about the insertion point.

Creating a radial layout grid

Changing Radial Layout Grids

To change a radial layout grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Modify Layout Grid [2D].
2 Select one or more radial layout grids that you want to modify.
3 In the Modify Layout Grid dialog box, type a new radius value.
4 Type a new angle value.
5 Type a new inside radius value.
6 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new X bay value.
7 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new bay angle
value.

NOTE If you use grips to stretch a radial layout grid, then the behavior of
the radial layout grid depends on the spacing type of each axis. The overall
size of the grid jumps in directions that are specified to use a specific bay
size (with Divide By cleared) because the exact bay size is maintained. The
overall size changes in directions that are specified to be evenly spaced (with
Divide By selected) or manually spaced.

Changing the Properties of Radial Layout Grids

To change the properties of a radial layout grid
1 Select the radial layout grid.

Layout Grids

1569

2 Right-click, and choose 2D Layout Grid Properties from the shortcut

menu.
3 In the Layout Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab and
type new width and angle values in the Overall Size section.
4 In Width Dimension (X-axis), select or clear Automatic Spacing. If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new
value, or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
inside radius and end offset.

NOTE The end offset has the effect of reducing the overall size of the grid.
5 In the Angle Dimension section, select or clear Automatic Spacing. If
Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a
new value or select Repeat Bay Angle and type a new value. Type new values for start and end offset.

NOTE The start and end offsets have the effect of reducing the overall size
of the grid.
6 Click the X-Spacing tab, and then type new values for Distance to Line
and Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing
option for the width dimension is cleared.
7 Click the Angle tab, and then type new values for Angle to Line and Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing option
for the angle dimension is cleared.
8 Click the Location tab.
9 Do any of the following:

To relocate the layout grid, under Insertion Point, change coordinate

values.
To reorient the layout grid, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the layout grid on the XY plane, make the normal of
the layout grid parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the layout grid on the
YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the layout grid, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

10 When you finish making changes to the layout grid, click OK to exit the
dialog box.

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Adding Rectangular Layout Grids

To add a rectangular layout grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Grid [2D].
2 In the Add Layout Grid dialog box, select Rectangular in the Shape list.

NOTE If you want to use the pointing device instead of the Add Layout
Grid dialog box to insert the rectangular layout grid, select Specify on Screen.
3 Type a value for the X width.
4 Type a value for the Y depth.
5 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the
X bay size.
6 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the
Y bay size.
7 Specify an insertion point in the drawing for the lower-left corner of the
rectangular layout grid.
8 Specify the rotation of the rectangular grid about the insertion point.

Creating a rectangular layout grid

Changing Rectangular Layout Grids

To change a rectangular layout grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Modify Layout Grid [2D].
2 Select one or more rectangular layout grids that you want to modify.
3 In the Modify Layout Grid dialog box, type a new X width value.

Layout Grids

1571

4 Type a new Y depth value.

5 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new X bay size
value.
6 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new Y bay size
value.

NOTE If you use grips to stretch a rectangular layout grid, then the behavior of the rectangular layout grid depends on the spacing type of each axis.
The overall size of the grid jumps in directions that are specified to use a
specific bay size (with Divide By cleared) because the exact bay size is maintained. The overall size changes in directions that are specified to be evenly
spaced (with Divide By selected) or manually spaced.

Changing the Properties of Rectangular Layout

Grids
To change the properties of a rectangular layout grid
1 Select the layout grid.
2 Right-click, and choose 2D Layout Grid Properties from the shortcut
menu.
3 In the Layout Grid Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab, and in
the Overall Size section, type new X width and Y depth values.
4 In Width Dimension (X-axis), select or clear Automatic Spacing. If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new
value or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
start and end offsets.

NOTE The start and end offsets have the effect of reducing the overall size
of the grid.
5 In Depth Dimension (Y-axis), select or clear Automatic Spacing. If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new
value, or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
start and end offsets.

NOTE The start and end offsets have the effect of reducing the overall size
of the grid.

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6 Click the X-Spacing tab, and then type new values for Distance to Line
and Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing
option for the X axis is cleared.
7 Click the Y-Spacing tab, and then type new values for Distance to Line and
Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing
option for the Y axis is cleared.
8 Click the Location tab.
9 Do any of the following:

To relocate the layout grid, change coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the layout grid, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the layout grid on the XY plane, make the normal of
the layout grid parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the layout grid on the
YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the layout grid, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

10 When you finish making changes to the layout grid, click OK to exit the
dialog box.

Adding Grid Lines to Layout Grids

You can manually add grid lines to a an existing grid. You can add grid lines
on the X plane and on the Y plane separately.

NOTE You can add lines only to grids which have been inserted with manually
spaced lines or evenly spaced lines. Layout grids with lines placed at a fixed
repeated spacing value cannot be changed manually. For information about grid
modes, see Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Grids on page 1574.
To add lines to an existing layout grid
1 Select the layout grid.
2 Right-click, and do any of the following:

To add a grid line to the X plane of the grid, select X-axis on the shortcut menu, and then Add Grid Line.
To add a grid line to the Y plane of the grid, select Y-axis on the shortcut
menu, and then Add Grid Line.

3 Specify the distance of the new grid line from the start of the grid.

Layout Grids

1573

If you have added a line to a layout grid with manually spaced lines,
the new line is inserted on the specified position. The position of the
other lines remains unchanged. The grid size changes accordingly.
If you have added a line to a layout grid with evenly spaced lines, the
new line is inserted and all lines are recalculated, so that they are
evenly distributed again. The grid size remains unchanged.

Removing Grid Lines from Layout Grids

You can manually remove individual grid lines from an existing grid. You can
remove grid lines from the X plane and the Y plane separately.

NOTE You can remove lines only from grids which have been inserted with
manually spaced lines or evenly spaced lines. Layout grids with lines placed at a
fixed repeated spacing value cannot be changed manually. For information
about grid modes, see Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Grids on page
1574.
To remove lines from an existing layout grid
1 Select the layout grid.
2 Right-click, and do any of the following:

To remove a grid line from the X plane of the grid, select X-axis on the
shortcut menu, and then Remove Grid Line.
To remove a grid line from the Y plane of the grid, select Y-axis on the
shortcut menu, and then Remove Grid Line.

3 Click on the grid line to be removed from the grid.

If you have removed a line from a layout grid with manually spaced
lines, the specified line is removed from the grid. The position of the
other lines remains unchanged.
If you have removed a line from a layout grid with evenly spaced lines,
the specified line is removed from the grid. All remaining lines are
recalculated, so that they are evenly distributed again.

Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Grids

Layout grids can have three different spacing modes. These modes are set separately for the X and Y planes.

1574

Manual: The user specifies the position of each line on the layout grid.

Chapter 42

Layout Tools

Repeat: The user specifies a set equidistant spacing between lines on the
layout grid. The number of lines is determined by the size of the layout
grid. As the size of the grid changes, lines are added or subtracted accordingly. The distance between the lines remains fixed.
Space Evenly: The user specifies the number of lines on the grid. The
space between the lines is determined by the size of the layout grid. As the
size of the grid changes, the spacing between the lines is lengthened or
shortened accordingly. The number of lines remains fixed.

NOTE As a default, layout grids are inserted with evenly spaced lines.
To change the spacing mode of a layout grid
1 Select the layout grid.
2 Right-click, and do any of the following:

To change the spacing mode of the X plane of the grid, select X-axis on
the shortcut menu, and then Layout Mode.
To change the spacing mode of the Y plane of the grid, select Y-axis on
the shortcut menu, and then Layout Mode.

The following prompt is displayed:

Node layout mode X axis [Manual/Repeat/Space evenly] <Manual>:

3 Select the desired mode and press ENTER.

If you are changing a layout grid with manually spaced lines to a a grid
with lines placed at a fixed repeated spacing value, you are prompted
to type start and end offsets, and the distance between the lines. If
there are too few lines on the grid to fill it according to your specifications, new lines are created.
If you are changing a layout grid with manually spaced lines to a grid
with evenly spaced lines, you are prompted to type start and end offsets
for the grid. The existing lines are distributed evenly on the grid.
If you are changing a layout grid with lines placed at a fixed repeated
spacing value to a grid with manually spaced lines, there is no visible
change, but the lines have been converted to manual lines, so that you
now can add lines to and remove lines from the grid.
If you are changing a layout grid with lines placed at a fixed repeated
spacing value to a grid with evenly spaced lines, you are prompted for
a start offset and an end offset. The existing lines are than recalculated
and distributed evenly. You can now add lines to and remove lines from
the grid.

Layout Grids

1575

If you are changing a grid with evenly spaced lines to a grid with manually spaced lines, there is no visible change. If you change the grid
however, the lines now remain fixed and are not distributed evenly
anymore.
If you are changing a grid with evenly spaced lines to a grid with lines
placed at a fixed repeated spacing value, you are prompted to type start
and end offsets, and the distance between the lines. If there are too few
lines on the grid to fill the grid according to your specifications, new
lines are created.

Changing the Display of Layout Grids

You can change the display of a layout grid. Components that can be
changed include grid lines and node and cell markers.
To change the display of a layout grid
1 Select the layout grid.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the layout grid. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display
Systems.
5 Click Edit Display Props and do any of the following:

To change visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale,

and plot style information of the grid components, click the Layer/
Color/Linetype tab and make the desired changes.
To change the size of the node and cell markers, click the Other tab and
type the desired node size.

Attaching Clipping Profiles

You can attach a clipping profile to define a boundary around a layout grid
or to make a hole in a layout grid. You could, for example, create a layout grid
for an irregularly shaped room.

NOTE To attach a clipping profile, you must first draw a closed polyline with
the desired boundary or hole shape.

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Creating Boundaries for Layout Grids

To create a boundary for a Layout Grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Clip Layout Grid.
The following prompt is displayed:
Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole:

2 Type s (Set Boundary) and select the desired layout grid.

3 Press ENTER to end the selection.
4 Select a closed polyline for the boundary of the layout grid.
The layout grid is clipped so that everything outside of the polyline
boundary is removed.

Creating Holes in Layout Grids

To create a hole in a layout grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Clip Layout Grid.
The following prompt is displayed:
Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole:

2 Type a (Add Hole), and select the desired layout grid.

3 Press ENTER to end the selection.
4 Select a closed polyline for the hole.
A hole is cut in the layout grid.

Removing Holes from Layout Grids

You can remove holes you have created in layout grids.
To remove a hole from a layout grid
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Clip Layout Grid.
The following prompt is displayed:
Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole:

2 Type r (Remove Hole), and then select a layout grid.

3 Press ENTER to end the selection.
4 Select the closed polyline of the hole.
The hole is removed from the layout grid. The polyline however remains
in the drawing.

Layout Grids

1577

Layout Volumes
Use a layout volume to arrange objects in a 3D grid. Changing the size of a
layout volume changes the spacing of objects attached to that volume and
can also change the size and height of objects attached to that volume.

Adding Layout Volumes

Creating a layout grid volume

To add a layout volume

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Add Layout Volume [3D].
2 In the Add Layout Grid Volume dialog box, type a value for the X width.

NOTE If you want to use the pointing device instead of the Add Layout
Grid dialog box to insert the layout volume, select Specify on Screen.
3 Type a value for the Y depth.
4 Type a value for the Z height.
5 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the X bay
size.

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6 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the Y bay
size.
7 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a value for the Z bay
size.
8 Specify an insertion point in the drawing for the lower-left corner of the
layout volume.
9 Specify the rotation of the layout volume about the insertion point.

Changing Layout Volumes

To change a layout volume
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Layout Tools Modify Layout Volume
[3D].
2 Select one or more layout volumes that you want to modify.
3 In the Modify Layout Grid Volume dialog box, type a new X width value.
4 Type a new Y depth value.
5 Type a new Z height value.
6 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new X bay size
value.
7 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new Y bay size
value.
8 Select the Divide By option and type a value, or type a new Z bay size
value.

NOTE If you use grips to stretch a layout volume, then the behavior of the
layout volume depends on the spacing type of each axis. The overall size of
the grid jumps in directions that are specified to use a specific bay size (with
Divide By cleared) because the exact bay size is maintained. The overall size
changes in directions that are specified to be evenly spaced (with Divide By
selected) or manually spaced.

Changing the Properties of Layout Volumes

You can change layout grids by changing their properties, which include
dimensions, X spacing, Y spacing, and location. Layout volumes also include
Z spacing. You can also attach notes and files to a layout volume.

Layout Volumes

1579

Attaching Notes and Files to Layout Volumes

To attach notes or files to a layout grid or volume
1 Select the layout grid or grid volume.
2 Right-click, and choose 2D Layout Grid Properties or 3D Layout Grid
Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Layout Grid or Grid Volume Properties dialog box, click the General
tab.
4 To add a description to the layout grid or grid volume, type it in the
Description field.
5 To add a note to the layout grid or grid volume, or to attach, edit, or
detach a reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the filename in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference filename to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the filename in the list and click
Delete.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Dimensions of Layout Volumes

You can change the X, Y and Z dimensions of a layout volume.
To change the dimensions of a layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and choose 3D Layout Grid Properties from the shortcut
menu.
3 In the Layout Grid Volume Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab
and type new X width, Y depth, and Z height values in the Overall Size
section.
4 In Width Dimension (X-axis), select or clear Automatic Spacing. If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new

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Layout Tools

value or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
start and end offsets.

NOTE The start and end offsets have the effect of reducing the overall size
of the grid.
5 In Depth Dimension (Y-axis), select or clear Automatic Spacing. If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new
value or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
start and end offsets.

NOTE The start and end offsets have the effect of reducing the overall size
of the grid.
6 In Height Dimension (Z-axis) select or clear Automatic Spacing, If Automatic Spacing is selected, either select Space Lines Evenly and type a new
value or select Repeat Bay Size and type a new value. Type new values for
start and end offsets.

NOTE The start and end offsets have the effect of reducing the overall size
of the grid.

Changing the Spacing of Layout Volumes

You can change the X, Y and Z spacing of a layout volume.
To change the spacing of a layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and choose 3D Layout Grid Properties from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the X-Spacing tab, and then type new values for Distance to Line
and Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing
option for the X axis is cleared.
4 Click the Y-Spacing tab, and then type new values for Distance to Line and
Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing
option for the Y axis is cleared.
5 Click the Z-Spacing tab, and then type new values for Distance to Line and
Spacing. You can type these values only when the Automatic Spacing
option for the Z axis is cleared.

Layout Volumes

1581

Changing the Location of Layout Volumes

You can change the location of a layout volume.
To change the location of a layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and choose 3D Layout Grid Properties from the shortcut
menu.
3 Click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the layout volume, change coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the layout volume, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the layout volume on the XY plane, make the normal
of the layout volume parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the layout volume on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the layout volume, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

5 When you finish making changes to the layout volume, click OK to exit
the dialog box.

Adding Grid Lines to Layout Volumes

You can manually add grid lines to the planes of an existing layout volume
grid. You add these grid lines on the X plane, the Y plane and the Z plane
separately.

NOTE You can add lines only to planes of layout volumes which have been
inserted in with manually spaced lines or evenly spaced lines. Layout volumes
with lines placed at a fixed repeated spacing value cannot be changed manually.
For information on spacing modes, see Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout
Grids on page 1574.
To add lines to an existing layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and do any of the following:

1582

To add a grid line to the X plane of the volume grid, select X-axis on
the shortcut menu, and then Add Grid Line.

Chapter 42

Layout Tools

To add a grid line to the Y plane of the volume grid, select Y-axis on the
shortcut menu, and then Add Grid Line.
To add a grid line to the Z plane of the volume grid, select Z-axis on the
shortcut menu, and then Add Grid Line.

3 Specify the distance of the new grid line from the start of the grid plane.

If you have added a line to a layout volume with manually spaced lines,
the new line is inserted on the specified position. The position of the
other lines on that plane remains unchanged. The grid size changes
accordingly.
If you have added a line to a layout volume with evenly spaced lines,
the new line is inserted and all lines on that plane are recalculated, so
that they are evenly distributed again. The grid size remains
unchanged.

Removing Grid Lines from Layout Volumes

You can manually remove individual grid lines from an existing grid plane
in a layout volume. You can remove grid lines from the X plane, the Y plane
and the Z plane separately.

NOTE You can remove lines only from layout volumes that have been inserted
in with manually spaced lines or evenly spaced lines. Layout volumes with lines
placed at a fixed repeated spacing value cannot be changed manually. For information about spacing modes, see Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout
Grids on page 1574.
To remove lines from an existing layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and do any of the following:

To remove a grid line from the X plane of the volume grid, select X-axis
on the shortcut menu, and then Remove Grid Line.
To remove a grid line from the Y plane of the volume grid, select Y-axis
on the shortcut menu, and then Remove Grid Line.
To remove a grid line from the Z plane of the volume grid, select Z-axis
on the shortcut menu, and then Remove Grid Line.

3 Click on the grid line to be removed from the grid.

Layout Volumes

1583

If you have removed a line from a layout volume with manually spaced
lines, the specified line is removed from the grid. The position of the
other lines on that plane remains unchanged.
If you have removed a line from a layout volume with evenly spaced
lines, the specified line is removed from the grid. All remaining lines
on that plane are recalculated, so that they are evenly distributed again.

Changing the Spacing Mode of Layout Volumes

The planes of a layout volume can have three different spacing modes. These
modes are set separately for the X, Y, and Z planes.

Manual: The user specifies the position of each line on the grid plane.
Repeat: The user specifies a set equidistant spacing between lines on the
grid plane. The number of lines is determined by the size of the grid. As
the size of the grid changes, lines are added or subtracted accordingly. The
distance between the lines remains fixed.
Space Evenly: The user specifies the number of lines on the grid plane.
The space between the lines is determined by the size of the grid. As the
size of the grid changes, the spacing between the lines is lengthened or
shortened accordingly. The number of lines remains fixed.

NOTE As a default, layout volume grids are inserted with evenly spaced grid
lines.
To change the spacing mode of a layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and do any of the following:

To change the spacing mode of the X plane of the grid, select X-axis on
the shortcut menu, and then Layout Mode.
To change the spacing mode of the Y plane of the grid, select Y-axis on
the shortcut menu, and then Layout Mode.
To change the spacing mode of the Z plane of the grid, select Z-axis on
the shortcut menu, and then Layout Mode.

The following prompt is displayed:

Node layout mode X axis [Manual/Repeat/Space evenly] <Manual>:

3 Select the desired spacing mode and press ENTER.

1584

If you are changing a grid with manually spaced lines to a a grid with
lines placed at a fixed repeated spacing value, you are prompted to type

Chapter 42

Layout Tools

start and end offsets, and the distance between the lines. If there are too
few lines on the grid to fill it according to your specifications, new lines
are created.
If you are changing a grid with manually spaced lines to a grid with
evenly spaced lines, you are prompted to type start and end offsets for
the grid. The existing lines are destabilized evenly on the grid.
If you are changing a grid with lines placed at a fixed repeated spacing
value to a grid with manually spaced lines, there is no visible change
but the lines have been converted to manual lines, so that you now can
add lines to and remove lines from the grid.
If you are changing a grid with lines placed at a fixed repeated spacing
value to a grid with evenly spaced lines, you are prompted for a start
offset and an end offset. The existing lines are than recalculated and
distributed evenly. You can now add lines to and remove lines from the
grid.
If you are changing a grid with evenly spaced lines to a grid with manually spaced lines, there is no visible change. If you change the grid
however, the lines now remain fixed and are not spaced evenly anymore.
If you are changing a grid with evenly spaced lines to a grid with lines
placed at a fixed repeated spacing value, you are prompted to type start
and end offsets, and the distance between the lines. If there are too few
lines on the grid to fill it according to your specifications, new lines are
created.

Changing the Display of Layout Volumes

You can change the display of a layout volume. Components which can be
changed include grid lines and node and cell markers.
To change the display of a layout volume
1 Select the layout volume.
2 Right-click, and choose Entity Display from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Entity Display dialog box, click the Display Props tab.
4 Select the property source to edit, attaching the override needed to edit
the layout volume. For more information, see Creating and Editing Display Systems.
5 Click Edit Display Props and do any of the following:

To change visibility, layer, color, linetype, lineweight, linetype scale,

and plot style information of the volume grid components, click the
Layer/Color/Linetype tab and make the desired changes.

Layout Volumes

1585

To change the size of the node and cell markers, click the Other tab and
type the desired node size.

Layout Tools Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with node or

layout selected)

Add Layout Curve

LayoutCurveAdd

Add Layout Grid

(2D)...

LayoutGridAdd

Add Layout Volume

(3D)...

GridVolumeAdd

Modify Layout Grid

(2D)...

LayoutGridModify

2D Layout Grid Modify...

Modify Layout
Volume (3D)...

GridVolumeModify

3D Layout Grid Modify...

Clip Layout Grid

LayoutGridClip
Layout Curve
LayoutCurveAddNode

Add Node

LayoutCurveRemoveNode

Remove Node

LayoutCurveMode

Layout Mode

LayoutCurveChangeCurve

Switch Curve

LayoutCurveModify

Layout Curve Modify

LayoutCurveProps

Layout Curve Properties...

LayoutGrid

1586

Chapter 42

LayoutGridDims

Resize

LayoutGridXAdd

X Axis Add Grid Line

Layout Tools

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with node or

layout selected)

LayoutGridXRemove

X Axis Remove Grid Line

LayoutGridXMode

X Axis Layout Mode

LayoutGridYAdd

Y Axis Add Grid Line

LayoutGridYRemove

Y Axis Remove Grid Line

LayoutGridYMode

Y Axis Layout Mode

LayoutGridModify

2D Layout Grid Modify...

LayoutGridProps

2D Layout Grid
Properties...

GridVolume
GridVolumeDims

Resize

GridVolumeXAdd

X Axis Add Grid Line

GridVolumeXRemove

X Axis Remove Grid Line

GridVolumeXMode

X Axis Layout Mode

GridVolumeYAdd

Y Axis Add Grid Line

GridVolumeYRemove

Y Axis Remove Grid Line

GridVolumeYMode

Y Axis Layout Mode

GridVolumeZAdd

Z Axis Add Grid Line

GridVolumeZRemove

Z Axis Remove Grid Line

GridVolumeZMode

Z Axis Layout Mode

GridVolumeDims

Dimensions

GridVolumeModify

3D Layout Grid Modify...

GridVolumeProps

3D Layout Grid
Properties...

Layout Volumes

1587

1588

Chapter 42

Layout Tools

Anchors

43

An anchor links an AEC object to another object or to a

In this chapter

layout tool. You can create anchors between objects and

Working with Anchors

also remove them.

Releasing and Positioning

Anchored Objects

Several types of anchors in Autodesk Architectural

Desktop allow you to use anchors for many different
purposes.

1589

Working with Anchors

An anchor is a general linking mechanism within Autodesk Architectural
Desktop. AEC objects can be anchored to each other, to AutoCAD objects like
lines and circles, or to layout tools.

NOTE To anchor an AutoCAD object to an AEC object, you must create an

AEC reference to that object and then anchor the reference. For more information about creating an AEC reference, see Referencing AEC Objects on page
1696.
There are two basic kinds of anchors in Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
automatic anchors and user-defined anchors.
Automatic anchors are anchors that are set by the program. Certain objects are
by default anchored to other objects. For example, doors and windows are
usually anchored to walls or space boundaries. Curtain wall units or window
assemblies might be anchored to curtain wall systems. Although these
anchors are all inserted automatically, their behavior can differ slightly. For
example, a door that is anchored to a wall can be easily moved to another,
entirely unconnected, wall. It can not, however, be moved outside a wall and
stand alone. To do this, you must first remove the anchor between door and
wall. The anchor of a column to a column grid behaves differently: you can
move the column inside the grid, but you cannot move it to another grid
without first removing the anchor.
User-defined anchors are manual links that you can create between two
objects. Most anchors are used with layout tools like layout curves, layout
grids, or volumes. You can also attach anchors to other AEC objects or
AutoCAD objects.
Anchoring objects to a layout curve might be useful for positioning washbasins along a wall or joists along a roof. Anchoring objects to layout grids
might help you to position columns on a column grid, planters on a sidewalk
grid, or tile accents on a floor tile grid. For information about layout tools,
see Layout Tools on page 1559.
There are five different types of anchors that you can use to attach objects:

1590

Curve anchors: Attach objects to the base curve of other objects, such
as lines, arcs, circles, mass elements, polylines, roofs, or walls.
Leader anchors: Attach objects to nodes on layout tools with leaders.
Node anchors: Attach objects to nodes on layout tools.

Chapter 43 Anchors

Cell anchors: Attach objects to the cell positions on 2D layout grids and
3D volume grids.
Volume anchors: Attach objects to volumes on 3D volume grids.

NOTE When you anchor a column to an object, the X-axis of the column
aligns with the X-axis of the object, resulting in a column that lies down on the
object. To change the vertical orientation of the column, select the column,
right-click, and choose Member Properties from the shortcut menu. Click the
Anchor tab and type a Y rotation of 270. For more information, see Creating a
Column.

Working with Curve Anchors

With curve anchors, you can attach AEC objects to the base curve of other
AEC objects or AutoCAD objects, such as lines, arcs, circles, mass elements,
polylines, roofs, or walls. The movement of an object that is anchored to
another object with a curve anchor is constrained by the object to which it
is anchored. Curve anchors are best suited for attaching objects to linear
objects like lines, arcs or walls as opposed to grids or layout volumes.

Adding Curve Anchors

You can add any number of curve anchors to your drawing.
To add a curve anchor
1

From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Curve Anchor.

The following prompt is displayed:

ATtach object/Set curve/X position/Y position/Z position/Rotation/

set ANchored end:

2 Type at (Attach Object), and then select the object to be anchored.

3 Select a point on the curve that you want to anchor the object to. The
object is anchored to the curve at the X position. When the object is first
placed, the Y and Z positions are 0.

Anchoring an object to a layout curve

Working with Anchors

1591

4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Position of Objects Anchored to Curves

You can change the position of an anchored object relative to the curve in
the X, Y, and Z directions. You can also rotate and flip the object along its
axes.

NOTE The positioning of multi-view blocks assumes that the insertion point of
the multi-view block is at its midpoint.
To change the position of an anchored object
1 Select the anchored object, right-click, and choose Properties for the
anchored object from the shortcut menu.
For example, if the anchored object is a wall, select Wall Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

TIP When an object is anchored to a curve, the Anchor tab displays on the
far right of the object Properties dialog box.
3 To change the position along the X-axis, do any of the following:

Select the X reference point on the curve. You can choose among start,
midpoint, and end of curve.
Type the X distance between the reference point on the curve and the
anchored object.
Select from which point on the anchored object the X distance to the
curve is measured. You can choose among start edge, center and end
edge.

4 To change the position along the Y-axis, do any of the following:

Select the Y reference point on the curve. You can choose among left
edge of curve width, center, and right edge of curve width.
Type the Y distance between the reference point on the curve and the
anchored object.
Select from which point on the anchored object the Y distance to the
curve is measured. You can choose among front, center and back.

5 To change the position along the Z-axis (vertical), do any of the following:

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Chapter 43 Anchors

Select the Z reference point on the curve. You can choose among bottom of curve height, center, and top of curve height.
Type the Z distance between the reference point on the curve and the
anchored object.
Select from which point on the anchored object the Z distance to the
curve is measured. You can choose among bottom of object, center, and
top of object.

6 To change the rotation of the anchored object, type values for the X and
Z rotation.
7 To flip the object along one of the axes, select Flip X, Flip Y, or Flip Z.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

NOTE You can also change the position and rotation of an anchored object on
the command line. To do this, from the Desktop menu, select Curve Anchor and
proceed with the instructions on the command line.

Anchoring Objects to New Curves

You can anchor an object to a new object without first releasing the previous
anchor. The new anchor is of the same type as the previous one, in this case,
a curve anchor.
To anchor an object to a new curve
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Curve Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
ATtach object/Set curve/X position/Y position/Z position/Rotation/
set ANchored end:

2 Type s (Set Curve).

3 Select anchored objects.

NOTE You can choose only AEC objects here.

4 Press ENTER to end the command.
5 Select a new object to anchor the object to.

NOTE You can choose AEC objects and AutoCAD objects here.
6 Press ENTER to end the command.

Working with Anchors

1593

Working with Leader Anchors

Use leader anchors to anchor objects to nodes on layout tools with leaders.
The movement of the anchored object is constrained by the leader on the
anchor.
For information about creating layout tools and nodes, see Layout Tools on
page 1559.

Adding Leader Anchors

You can add any number of leader anchors to your drawing. An object can
be anchored to only one node at a time. When you try to anchor it to a second node, the object is first released from the first node. You can, however,
anchor any number of objects to a single layout node.
To add a leader anchor
1

From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Leader Anchor.

The following prompt is displayed:

Attach object/Direction/Extension/Copy to nodes:

2 Type a (Attach Object), and then specify a point on or near a node on a

layout curve, layout grid, or volume grid.
The object is anchored to the node that you selected. By default, the leader
anchor is created at a direction of 0 from the node and has first and second
extensions of 1 inch (2.54 cm) each. These extensions are measured from
the node to the center of the anchored object.
3 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Position of Objects Anchored to Layout Nodes

with Leader Anchors
You can change the coordinate system, orientation, and rotation of an object
anchored to a layout node. You can also define offsets from the node.
To change the position of an anchored object
1 Select the anchored object, right-click, and choose Properties for the
anchored object from the shortcut menu.
For example, if the anchored object is a wall, select Wall Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

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Chapter 43 Anchors

TIP When an object is anchored to a layout node, the Anchor tab displays
on the far right of the object Properties dialog box.
3 To define an offset from the object to the node, type an offset value for the
X, Y, and Z position. If you want the object to be anchored to the center
of the node, select Center on Node.
4 If you want the anchored object to use the coordinate system of the node,
select Use Node Coordinate System. If you dont want to use the nodes
coordinate system, you have to define the X, Y, and Z normals for the
anchored object.
5 To change the rotation of the anchored object, type values for the X, Y,
and Z rotation.
6 To flip the object along one of the axes, select Flip X, Flip Y, or Flip Z.
7 To change the angle of the leader to the node, type a value in the Angle to
Node field.
8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Editing Leaders
A leader anchor connects an object to a layout node with a leader between
the two. You can change the length and shape of the leader.
A leader consists of one segment or several segments. You can change the
leader shape by grip editing the object or by changing the values on the
Anchors tab of the anchored object.

Grip Editing Leaders

To grip edit leaders
1 Select the anchored object.
You can see object grips (for example, wall grips) and a leader grip.
2 Use the leader grip to drag the leader in the desired direction.
3 After you have released the leader, select the anchored object again.
You can see that not only has the leader been stretched and moved, but
also an additional leader grip has been added at the point from which the
leader originally started.
4 Drag the leader grip at the start of the leader line to add another segment
to the leader.
5 Repeat this operation until the leader has all the segments you need. You
can later edit the leader in the same way you would edit an AutoCAD
polyline.

Working with Anchors

1595

Extending Leaders
When you create and edit a leader line, the start and end of the leader are
defined by the first and last grip points on the leader line. You can, however,
extend the leader line beyond these grip points.
To extend leaders
1 Select the leader, right-click, and choose Properties for the anchored
object from the shortcut menu.
For example, if the anchored object connected to the leader line is a wall,
select Wall Properties from the shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

TIP When an object is anchored to a curve, the Anchor tab displays on the
far right of the object Properties dialog box.
3 To extend the start point of the leader line, in the First Extension field,
type the desired extension value.
4 To extend the end point of the leader line, in the Second Extension field,
type the desired extension value.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Copying Objects to All Layout Nodes

You can select an AEC object and, instead of manually anchoring it to a layout node, you can copy the object and anchor one copy to each node on a
layout tool.
To copy anchored objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Leader Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/Direction/Extension/Copy to nodes:

2 To copy the object to every node on the layout tool, type c (Copy to
Nodes).
3 Select the object that you want to copy and anchor to every node on the
layout tool.
4 Select the layout tool.
If there is an existing object anchored to any of the nodes, you are
prompted to specify whether you want to skip nodes that already have
something anchored to them. Type y (Yes) to avoid duplicate anchored
objects on those nodes.

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Chapter 43 Anchors

TIP If you want the leader to be displayed in the same way at every node,
anchor the object to a single node first and adjust the leader attributes (direction, extension, properties). Then use Copy to Nodes. Select the object that
is anchored to the single node, and then select the layout tool. To avoid
anchoring duplicate objects at the original node, type y (Yes) at the prompt
Skip Nodes That Already Have Something Anchored to Them?.

Working with Node Anchors

Use node anchors to attach objects to nodes on layout tools. Anchoring
objects to a layout curve might be useful for positioning washbasins along a
wall or joists along a roof. Anchoring objects to layout grids might help you
to position columns on a column grid, planters on a sidewalk grid, or tile
accents on a floor tile grid.

Adding Node Anchors

You can add as many node anchors in your drawing as you have layout
nodes. One single AEC object can be anchored only to one layout node. If
you try to anchor an object to a second node, the first anchor is released. You
can, however, anchor several objects to the same layout node and edit them
individually.
To add a node anchor
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Node Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/Set node/Copy to each node:

2 Type a (Attach Object), and then select the object to be anchored.

3 Specify a point on or near a node on a layout tool.

Anchoring an object to a layout curve node

The object is anchored to the node that you selected.

Working with Anchors

1597

Changing the Position of Objects Anchored to Layout Nodes

with Node Anchors
You can change the coordinate system and orientation of an object anchored
to a layout node. You can also define offsets from the node.
To change the position of an anchored object
1 Select the anchored object, right-click, and choose Properties for the
anchored object from the shortcut menu.
For example, if the anchored object is a wall, select Wall Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

TIP When an object is anchored to a layout node, the Anchor tab displays
on the far right of the object Properties dialog box.
3 To define an offset from the object to the node, type an offset value for the
X, Y, and Z position. If you want the object to be anchored to the center
of the node, select Center on Node.
4 If you want the anchored object to use the coordinate system of the node,
select Use Node Coordinate System. If you dont want to use the nodes
coordinate system, you must define the X, Y, and Z normals for the
anchored object.
5 To flip the object along one of the axes, select Flip X, Flip Y, or Flip Z.
6 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Anchoring Objects to Different Nodes

You can attach an anchored object to another node on the same layout tool,
or to another layout tool altogether.
To anchor an object to a different node
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Node Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/Set node/Copy to each node:

2 Type s (Set Node).

3 Select the anchored object.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.
5 Select the node you want to anchor the object to.

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Chapter 43 Anchors

Moving an anchored object to another layout curve node

NOTE If you want to move an anchored object to a different node on the

same layout tool, you can also drag it there.

Copying Objects to All Layout Nodes

You can select an AEC object and, instead of manually anchoring it to a layout node, you can copy the object and anchor one copy to each node on the
layout tool.
To copy anchored objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Node Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/Set node/Copy to each node:

2 To copy the object to every node on the layout tool, type c (Copy to each
Node).
3 Select the object that you want to copy and anchor to every node on the
layout tool.
4 Select the layout tool.
If there is an existing object anchored to any of the nodes, you are
prompted to specify whether you want to skip nodes that already have
something anchored to them. Type y (Yes) to avoid duplicate anchored
objects on those nodes.

Copying an object to all layout curve nodes

Working with Anchors

1599

Working with Cell Anchors

A cell is a subdivision of a layout grid or volume grid. A cell anchor attaches
objects to cell positions on layout grids and volume grids. When an object is
anchored to a cell, it is resized to fit the cell size. When the grid or volume
itself is resized, you can decide whether the anchored object is updated
accordingly or remains its original size.

Adding Cell Anchors

You can add cell anchors to objects to connect them to cells in layout grids
and volume grids.
To add a cell anchor
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Cell Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/SEt cell/SCaling/Copy to each cell:
2 Type a (Attach Object), and then select the object to be anchored.
3 Specify a point on or near a cell of a layout grid or volume grid. The object
is automatically scaled to fill the entire cell.

Anchoring an object to a layout grid cell

NOTE There is no rule which determines which cell the object attaches to
when you anchor it. You can turn on the Node display component to display
the cell nodes of the layout grid or volume for easier cell selection. You can
also move the object after you anchor it to the layout grid or volume.
4 Press ENTER to end the command.

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Chapter 43 Anchors

Changing the Position and Size of Objects Anchored to Layout

Cells
You can change the coordinate system and orientation of an object anchored
to a layout cell. You can also define insertion and size offsets and indicate
whether the object should be resized when the cell is resized.
To change the position of an anchored object
1 Select the anchored object, right-click, and choose Properties for the
anchored object from the shortcut menu.
For example, if the anchored object is a wall, select Wall Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

TIP When an object is anchored to a layout cell, the Anchor tab displays on
the far right of the object Properties dialog box.
3 To define an offset from the object to the cell, type an offset value for the
X, Y, and Z position. If you want the object to be anchored to the center
of the cell, select Center on Node.
4 If you want the anchored object to use the coordinate system of the cell,
select Use Node Coordinate System. If you dont want to use the cells
coordinate system, you must define the X, Y, and Z normals for the
anchored object.
5 To flip the object along one of the axes, select Flip X, Flip Y, or Flip Z.
6 If you want the object to be resized every time the cell is resized, select
Apply Resize. If you do not want the object to be resized, clear Apply
Resize.
7 Normally, an object anchored to a cell is resized to fit the edges of the cell.
You can, however, define an offset, so that the object has a distance to the
cell edges or extends beyond them. Do any of the following:

To create a distance between the anchored object and the cell, in Size
Offset, type the appropriate negative value.
To extend the anchored object beyond the cell edges, in Size Offset,
type the appropriate positive value.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Working with Anchors

1601

Anchoring Objects to a Different Cell

You can attach an anchored object to another cell in the same layout grid or
volume grid, or to another layout tool altogether.
To anchor an object to a different cell
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Cell Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/SEt cell/SCaling/Copy to each cell:

2 Type s (Set Cell).

3 Select the object.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.
5 Select the cell you want to anchor the object to.
The object is moved to the new cell. If the new cell is different in size from
the original one, the object is resized accordingly.

NOTE If you want to move an anchored object to a different cell on the same
layout grid or volume grid, you can also drag it there.

Copying Objects to All Layout Cells

You can select an AEC object and, instead of manually anchoring it to a layout cell, you can copy the object and anchor one copy to each cell on the
layout grid or volume grid.
To copy anchored objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Cell Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/SEt cell/SCaling/Copy to each cell:

2 To copy the anchored object to every cell in the layout grid or volume
grid, type c (Copy to each cell).
3 Select the object.
4 Select the layout grid or volume grid that you want to copy and anchor
the object to.
If there is an existing object anchored to any of the cells, you are
prompted to specify whether you want to skip cells that already have
something anchored to them. Type y (Yes) to avoid duplicate anchored
objects on those cells.

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Chapter 43 Anchors

Working with Volume Anchors

Use volume anchors to attach objects to volumes in 3D volume grids. The
movement of an object that is anchored to a volume grid is constrained by
that volume grid.
When an object is anchored to a volume inside a volume grid, it is resized to
fit the volume size. When the volume itself is resized, you can decide
whether the anchored object is updated accordingly or remains its original
size.

Adding Volume Anchors

You can add volume anchors to objects to connect them to volume grids.
To add a volume anchor
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Volume Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/Set volume/Copy to each volume:

2 Type a (Attach Object), and then select the object to be anchored.

3 Specify a point on or near a volume in a volume grid.
The object is automatically scaled to fill the entire volume.

Anchoring an object to a volume grid

4 Press ENTER to end the command.

Changing the Position and Size of Objects Anchored to

Volumes
You can change the coordinate system and orientation of an object anchored
to a volume. You can also define insertion and size offsets and indicate
whether the object should be resized when the volume is resized.

Working with Anchors

1603

To change the position and size of anchored objects

1 Select the anchored object, right-click, and choose Properties for the
anchored object from the shortcut menu.
For example, if the anchored object is a wall, select Wall Properties from
the shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Anchor tab.

TIP When an object is anchored to a volume grid, the Anchor tab displays
on the far right of the object Properties dialog box.
3 To define an offset from the object to the volume, type an offset value for
the X, Y, and Z position. If you want the object to be anchored to the center of the volume, select Center on Node.
4 If you want the anchored object to use the coordinate system of the volume grid, select Use Node Coordinate System. If you dont want to use the
volume grids coordinate system, you must define the X, Y, and Z normals
for the anchored object.
5 To flip the object along one of the axes, select Flip X, Flip Y, or Flip Z.
6 If you want the object to be resized every time the volume is resized, select
Apply Resize. If you do not want the object to be resized, clear Apply
Resize.
7 Normally, an object anchored to a volume is resized to fit the edges of the
volume. You can, however, define an offset, so that the object has a distance to the volume edges or extends beyond them. Do any of the following:

To create a distance between the anchored object and the volume, in

Size Offset, type the appropriate negative value.
To extend the anchored object beyond the volume edges, in Size Offset,
type the appropriate positive value.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Anchoring Objects to a Different Volume

You can attach an anchored object to another volume in the same volume
grid, or to another volume grid altogether.
To anchor an object to a different volume
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Volume Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:

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Chapter 43 Anchors

Attach object/Set volume/Copy to each volume:

2 Type s (Set Volume).

3 Select the anchored object.
4 Press ENTER to end your selection.
5 Select the volume you want to anchor the object to.
The object is moved to the new volume. If the new volume is different in
size from the original one, the object is resized accordingly.

NOTE If you want to move an anchored object to a different volume on the

same volume grid, you can also drag it there.

Copying Objects to All Layout Volumes

You can select an AEC object and, instead of manually anchoring it to a volume, you can copy the object and anchor one copy to each volume on the
volume grid.
To copy anchored objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Volume Anchor.
The following prompt is displayed:
Attach object/Set volume/Copy to each volume:

2 To copy the anchored object to every volume in the volume grid, type c
(Copy to each volume).
3 Select the object that you want to copy and anchor to every volume in the
volume grid.
4 Select the volume grid.
If there is an existing object anchored to any of the volumes, you are
prompted to specify whether you want to skip volumes that already have
something anchored to them. Type y (Yes) to avoid duplicate anchored
objects on those volumes.

Releasing and Positioning Anchored Objects

You can release and position anchored objects. Release an anchored object
from another object to remove the relationship between the objects. Position
an anchored object to offset it from the object it is anchored to.

Releasing and Positioning Anchored Objects

1605

Releasing Anchored Objects

Release objects from anchors to remove the anchoring relationship. Any
anchored object can be released, even a railing that is anchored to a stair
object or a window that is anchored to a wall.
To release anchored objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Release Anchored Objects.
2 Select the objects with anchors that you want to release.

Positioning Anchored Objects

You can position an object with anchors to offset it from the object that it is
anchored to.
To position anchored objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Anchors Position Anchored Objects.
2 Select the objects with leader, node, cell, or volume anchors that you want
to position.
3 Type an XYZ coordinate value for the desired offset position. Typing a
coordinate for the offset distance is equivalent to setting all three of the
individual position offsets.

Anchors Command List

1606

Menu Command

Command Line

Curve Anchor

CurveAnchor

Leader Anchor

LeaderAnchor

Node Anchor

NodeAnchor

Cell Anchor

CellAnchor

Volume Anchor

VolumeAnchor

Chapter 43 Anchors

Right-click (with
anchored object
selected)

Menu Command

Command Line

Release Anchored
Objects

AnchorRelease

Position Anchored
Objects

AnchorSetOffset

Right-click (with
anchored object
selected)

Anchor
CurveAnchorSetCurve

Curve Anchor Set Curve

AnchorRelease

Curve Anchor Release

CurveAnchorSetPositionX

Curve Anchor Set X

Position

CurveAnchorSetPositionY

Curve Anchor Set Y

Position

CurveAnchorSetPositionZ

Curve Anchor Set Z

Position

CurveAnchorSetEnd

Curve Anchor Set

Anchored End

CurveAnchorSetRotation

Curve Anchor Set

Rotation

AnchorFlipX

Curve Anchor Flip X

AnchorFlipY

Curve Anchor Flip Y

AnchorFlipZ

Curve Anchor Flip Z

CurveAnchorAttach
NodeAnchorSetNode

Leader Anchor Set Node

AnchorRelease

Leader Anchor Release

AnchorSet Offset

Leader Anchor Set Offset

AnchorSetRotation

Leader Anchor Set

Rotation

AnchorSetNormal

Leader Anchor Set

Normal

Releasing and Positioning Anchored Objects

1607

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with
anchored object
selected)

LeaderAnchorSetDirection

Leader Anchor Set

Directions

LeaderAnchorSetExtensions

Leader Anchor Set

Extensions

AnchorFlipX

Leader Anchor Flip X

AnchorFlipY

Leader Anchor Flip Y

AnchorFlipZ

Leader Anchor Flip Z

LeaderAnchorAttach
LeaderAnchorCopyTo
NodeAnchorSetNode

Node Anchor Set Node

AnchorRelease

Node Anchor Release

AnchorSet Offset

Node Anchor Set Offset

AnchorSetRotation

Node Anchor Set

Rotation

AnchorSetNormal

Node Anchor Set

Normal

AnchorFlipX

Node Anchor Flip X

AnchorFlipY

Node Anchor Flip Y

AnchorFlipZ

Node Anchor Flip Z

NodeAnchorAttach
NodeAnchorCopyTo
CellAnchorAttach
CellAnchorCopyTo

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Chapter 43 Anchors

CellAnchorSetCell

Set Cell

AnchorRelease

Cell Anchor Release

Menu Command

Command Line

Right-click (with
anchored object
selected)

AnchorSet Offset

Cell Anchor Set Offset

AnchorSetRotation

Cell Anchor Set Rotation

AnchorSetNormal

Cell Anchor Set Normal

CellAnchorSetScaling

Set Scaling

AnchorFlipX

Cell Anchor Flip X

AnchorFlipY

Cell Anchor Flip Y

AnchorFlipZ

Cell Anchor Flip Z

VolumeAnchorSetVolume

Set Volume

AnchorRelease

Volume Anchor Release

AnchorSet Offset

Volume Anchor Set

Offset

AnchorSetRotation

Volume Anchor Set

Rotation

AnchorSetNormal

Volume Anchor Set

Normal

CellAnchorSetScaling

Volume Scaling

AnchorFlipX

Volume Anchor Flip X

AnchorFlipY

Volume Anchor Flip Y

AnchorFlipZ

Volume Anchor Flip Z

VolumeAnchorAttach
VolumeAnchorCopyTo

Releasing and Positioning Anchored Objects

1609

1610

Chapter 43 Anchors

AEC Content

44

Autodesk Architectural Desktop provides a wizard to

In this chapter

help you create your own AEC content. You can create

Creating AEC blocks

blocks, drawings, and commands from data existing in

the current drawing.

Creating AEC drawings

Creating AEC multi-view blocks
Creating AEC masking blocks
Creating AEC custom

commands

1611

Creating AEC Content

When creating content in an existing AEC file (that is, a drawing generated
from the Create AEC Content wizard), the default values for each dialog box
are set to the value used to create the drawing. This provides intelligent
defaults so that it is easy for you to make small modifications to existing
content files.
To create AEC content, you first select the content type to be created. Next,
you set options to be used when content is inserted into a drawing. The final
step is to specify the output file and other parameters that control how the
AutoCAD DesignCenter displays the content.

Creating a New AEC Block

You can create a custom AEC block that you can insert using AutoCAD
DesignCenter. The block is saved in a new drawing that can be accessed from
AutoCAD DesignCenter.
When the selected content type is block, the Current Drawing list displays all
blocks in the current drawing. Only a single item may be selected at a time
in Current Drawing. Also, only one item from this list may be added to the
Content File.
Changing the content type selected updates the Current Drawing and clears
the option.
To create a new AEC block using the Content Wizard.
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
2 In the Create AEC Content Wizard dialog box select Block to create a new
AEC block.
All of the currently defined blocks are displayed in Current Drawing.
3 Select a block to save as AEC content and click Add.
The selected block is displayed in the Content File list.
4 Click Next.
5 Set the insert options for the new content, Explode on Insert, Preset Elevation, and Anchor Type.
Explode on Insert: Explodes the AEC content when it is inserted in a
drawing.
Preset Elevation: Sets the elevation used during insertion of the
AEC content. The default elevation is a Z coordinate value of zero. If you

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Chapter 44

AEC Content

want the block to be inserted at a different elevation, type a new value for
Preset Elevation
Anchor Type: Sets the type of anchor to use with the block. Each anchor
controls what type of object the block gets attached to when it is placed
in a drawing. The default is None. For more information, see Working
with Anchors in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
6 Set the scale for the block.

Scaling: Defines the scale factor applied to custom AEC content as it

is inserted. Only one of the additional options may be selected at any
time. The default XYZ scale is 1,1,1. The default Additional Scaling is
None.
Three types of scaling are used to scale AEC content: Architectural
Desktop Unit Scaling, Content-Specific Scaling, and Target Drawing
Scale.
Architectural Desktop unit scaling scales content based on the
drawing units defined by the Set Drawing Scale command. No setting
for scale is required when the drawing units of the content and target
drawing match. This scaling can be turned off through the Create AEC
Content dialog box. To avoid duplicate unit scaling, AEC content drawings should set AutoCAD DesignCenter Insert Units to the value Unitless. This setting is governed by the new system variable INSUNITS. For
more information, see Setting Drawing Units in the online AutoCAD
2002 Users Guide.

NOTE Autodesk Architectural Desktop unit scaling scales block and

dictionary definitions, not block references. AEC content requires this type of
scaling. It does not work with AutoCAD DesignCenter Insert Unit scaling,
which scales only block references.
The second type of scale is a content-specific XYZ scale factor
defined with each AEC content item. The default is 1,1,1 and is specified in the Create AEC Content dialog box.
The third type of scale specifies whether the Drawing Scale or the
Annotation Scale of the target drawing should be uniformly applied to
each content item. These last two scales work together and are used to
define the scale of the content reference in the target drawing. (The
content definition is scaled by Autodesk Architectural Desktop unit
scaling when it is added to the target drawing.)
Drawing scale is specified by the Set Drawing Scale command. A typical
imperial drawing scale is 1/8 = 1-0, which results in a scale factor of

Creating AEC Content

1613

96. A typical metric drawing scale is 1:100, which results in a scale factor of 100. Unit conversion must be defined and turned on for drawings using Drawing Scale.
The annotation scale is used for content that must appear on a plotted
sheet and whose size is set by Annotation Plot Size. Annotation Plot
Size is also specified by the Set Drawing Scale command. This scaling
converts one unit in the content drawing to Annotation Plot Size units
on the plotted sheet. This scale consists of Annotation Plot Size units
multiplied by the Drawing Scale factor. For example, content inserted
in a drawing with Annotation Plot Size of 1/4 and Drawing Scale of 1/
8 = 1-0 is created at a height of 24 (1/4 x 96 = 24). Unit conversion
must be turned off for drawings using Annotation Scale.
For more information about the Set Drawing Scale command, see Setting
the Drawing Scale in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
7 Set the text angle if there is any in the block.
Attribute Text Angle: The attribute text groups control the style and
angle of attribute text created when you drag the custom AEC content
into a drawing. These groups are available only if ATTDEFS are defined in
the selected content. For more information about attribute definition, see
Creating Attributes in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide. The
attribute text style used for custom AEC content is either the style defined
by the content or the current target drawing text style. The default value
is As Defined by Content.
The Attribute Text Angle group controls the angle of attribute text. The
angle is either the angle of the inserted block (As Inserted), always zero
(Force Horizontal), or Right Reading. Right Reading forces the rotation
angle to be in the range 89 to +89. Zero degrees is used for +90 and
90.
8 Specify the layer key to be used when the block is inserted.
Layer Keying: This layer group is used to define a layer key to be used
during insertion. This value can be typed in directly or selected from the
Select Layer Key dialog box. The list of layer keys, names, and descriptions
is obtained from the current layer standard.
You can type a string that doesnt correspond to an existing layer key. In
this case, what you type in directly defines the layer to be used for the
content. No layer keying is performed.
For more information, see Layer Management Command List in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
9 Click Next.

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10 Type a name for the drawing to contain the block.

11 Select the icon for the block. Click New Icon to select an existing bitmap
for the icon, or click Default Icon to use a bitmap of the drawing. This icon
is used to identify the drawing in AutoCAD DesignCenter.
Icon: The Icon group initially displays an image of a default icon to be
used in the Large Icons view to represent the content. This icon image is
derived from the blocks selected in the first dialog box of the AEC Create
Content wizard. If no block is selected, a default generic icon is displayed.
The default icon can be redefined by clicking New Icon. The File Open
dialog box is displayed, in which you can select a BMP file containing the
new icon definition. The BMP file should be a 16-color, 32-by-32 pixel
image. If it isnt, the image is converted to this format before being
displayed.
12 Type a description of the block that can be used in the AutoCAD
DesignCenter description pane.
13 Click to save preview graphics or not.
Save Preview Graphics: Controls whether all drawing objects are copied to the content file. These objects are used in the preview window and
in generating the default thumbnail icon. The default value of Save Preview Graphics is selected, which copies all objects to the content file.
Save Preview Graphics is unavailable if the content type is Entire Drawing,
because the objects are always copied in this case.
14 Click Finish to save the drawing with the new AEC block.

Creating a New AEC Drawing

You can create a custom AEC drawing that you can insert using AutoCAD
DesignCenter. The drawing can be accessed from AutoCAD DesignCenter.
When the selected content type is Drawing, both Current Drawing and
Content File are unavailable. Both boxes list all blocks, multi-view blocks,
and masking blocks in the current drawing.
To create a new AEC drawing using the Content Wizard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
2 In the Create AEC Content Wizard dialog box, select Drawing to create a
new AEC drawing, and click Next.
3 Set the insert options for the new content, Explode on Insert, Preset
Elevation, and Anchor Type.
4 Set the scale for the drawing.

Creating AEC Content

1615

5 Set the text angle if there is any in the drawing.

6 Specify the layer key to be used when the drawing is inserted.
7 Click Next.
8 Type a name for the drawing.
9 Select the icon for the drawing. Click New Icon to select an existing bitmap for the icon, or click Default Icon to use a bitmap of the drawing.
This icon is used to identify the drawing in AutoCAD DesignCenter.
10 Type a description of the drawing that can be used in the AutoCAD
DesignCenter description pane.
11 Click to save preview graphics or not.
12 Click Finish to save the drawing. You can use AEC content in the drawing
by accessing AutoCAD DesignCenter.

NOTE For an explanation of insert options, scale, text angles, icons, layer key,
and preview graphics, see Creating a New AEC Block in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating a New AEC Multi-View Block

You can create a custom AEC multi-view block that you can insert using
AutoCAD DesignCenter. The multi-view block is saved in a new drawing that
can be accessed from AutoCAD DesignCenter.
Changing the content type that is selected updates the Current Drawing list
and clears any selection from the Content File list.
You define a multi-view block from view blocks created in your drawing that
represent different views of your custom object. For more information, see
Creating View Blocks in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users
Guide.
To create a new AEC multi-view block using the Content Wizard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
2 Click Multi-View Block to create a new AEC multi-view block.
All of the currently defined multi-view blocks are displayed in Current
Drawing.
3 Select a multi-view block to save as AEC content and click Add.
The selected multi-view block is displayed in the Content File list.
4 Click Next.

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AEC Content

5 Set the insert options for the new content, Explode on Insert, Preset
Elevation, and Anchor Type.
6 Set the scale for the multi-view block.
7 Set the text angle if there is any in the multi-view block.
8 Specify the layer key to be used when the multi-view block is inserted.
9 Click Next.
10 Type a name for the drawing to contain the multi-view block.
11 Select the icon for the multi-view block. Click New Icon to select an existing bitmap for the icon, or click Default Icon to use a bitmap of the drawing.
This icon is used to identify the drawing in AutoCAD DesignCenter.
12 Type a description of the multi-view block that can be used in the
AutoCAD DesignCenter description pane.
13 Click to save preview graphics or not.
14 Click Finish to save the drawing with the new AEC multi-view block.

NOTE For an explanation of the insert options scale, text angles, icons, layer
key, and preview graphics, see Creating a New AEC Block in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating a New AEC Masking Block

You can create a custom AEC masking block that you can insert using
AutoCAD DesignCenter. The masking block is saved in a new drawing that
can be accessed from AutoCAD DesignCenter. For more information about
using masking blocks, see Working with Mask Blocks in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
Changing the content type that is selected updates the Current Drawing list
and clears any selection from the Content File list.
To create a new AEC masking block using the Content Wizard
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
2 Click Masking Block to create a new AEC masking block.
All of the currently defined masking blocks are displayed in Current
Drawing.
3 Select a masking block to save as AEC content and click Add.
The selected masking block is displayed in the Content File list.

Creating AEC Content

1617

4 Click Next.
5 Set the insert options for the new content, Explode on Insert, Preset
Elevation, and Anchor Type.
6 Set the scale for the masking block.
7 Set the text angle if there is any in the masking block.
8 Specify the layer key to be used when the masking block is inserted.
9 Click Next.
10 Type a name for the drawing to contain the masking block.
11 Select the icon for the masking block. Click New Icon to select an existing
bitmap for the icon, or click Default Icon to use a bitmap of the drawing.
This icon is used to identify the drawing in AutoCAD DesignCenter.
12 Type a description of the masking block that can be used in the AutoCAD
DesignCenter description pane.
13 Click to save preview graphics or not.
14 Click Finish to save the drawing with the new AEC masking block.

NOTE For an explanation of the insert options scale, text angles, icons, layer
key, and preview graphics, see Creating a New AEC Block in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating a New AEC Custom Command

You can create content that runs commands when inserted in the drawing
from AutoCAD DesignCenter.
When the content type is Custom Command, Current Drawing contains all
blocks, multi-view blocks, and masking blocks in the current drawing.
Multiple selection is available in both lists. The entire content of the current
drawing is always saved as content. However, only the set of blocks in the
Content File list is copied to the target drawing before the custom command
starts. This provides an easy way to define a preview image for custom commands; the current model-space objects are displayed as the preview of the
custom command in AutoCAD DesignCenter.
Changing the content type that is selected updates the Current Drawing list
and clears any selection from the Content File list.
Command String and Expand are available only when the content type is
Custom Command. The command string entered is executed when the content is dropped onto a drawing.

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Use Expand to enter command string text in a larger box. Wherever you
enter it, the command string length is limited to 255 characters.

NOTE Pressing ENTER selects the default button of the dialog box, which prevents ENTER from being added to the command string.
To create AEC custom commands
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Create AEC Content.
2 Click Custom Command to create a new AEC custom command.
3 Select any combination of blocks, multi-view blocks, and masking blocks
to use as AEC Custom content.
All of the currently defined blocks are displayed in Current Drawing.
4 Click Add>>>.
The selected items are displayed in the Content File.
5 Type your command and its parameters in Custom String. If necessary,
click Expand to display the Custom Command String dialog box to type
in a long command string, and click OK.
6 Click Next>.
7 Set the Insert Options for the new content, Explode on Insert, Preset
Elevation, and Anchor Type.
8 Set the scale for the new content.
9 Set the text angle if there is any in the blocks.
10 Select the Layer Key to be used with when the new content is inserted. For
more information, see Layer Management Command List in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
11 Click Next>.
12 Type a name for the drawing to contain the custom command.
13 Select the icon for the new content. Click New Icon to select an existing
bitmap for the icon or click Default Icon to use a bitmap of the drawing.
This icon is used to identify the drawing in AutoCAD DesignCenter.
14 Type a description of the custom command that can be used in the
AutoCAD DesignCenter description pane.
15 Click to save preview graphics or not.
16 Click Finish to save the drawing with the new AEC custom command.

Creating AEC Content

1619

NOTE For an explanation of the insert options scale, text angles, icons,
layer key, and preview graphics, see Creating a New AEC Block in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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Chapter 44

AEC Content

Multi-View Blocks

45

You can create custom objects with multi-view blocks. A

In this chapter

multi-view block is a special block that can have differ-

Defining multi-view blocks

ent representations in different view directions. You can

create a multi-view block from AutoCAD blocks that

Modifying multi-view blocks

Multi-view block reference

properties

represent the different views of the custom object that

you want to create.

1621

Defining Multi-View Blocks

A multi-view block is a custom architectural object that can have different
representations in different view directions. Standard AutoCAD blocks representing the plan, elevation, and model views are grouped together to create
a multi-view block. You can create multi-view blocks for objects that require
different geometry in different views.
Multi-view blocks typically represent 3D architectural objects. For example,
you can create customized cabinetry by drawing plan, elevation, and model
views and saving each view as an individual AutoCAD block. Each block is
assigned to a view when you define the multi-view block. The blocks (top,
bottom, front, back, left, right, and model views) are used to define the custom object as a single multi-view block. By adding points to your views on
the defpoints layer prior to defining the block, you can identify additional
insertion points for the view block. You set the display representations and
view directions in the process of defining the multi-view block.
You can see the individual blocks of your custom object in plan, elevation,
and isometric views as one assembly after inserting them in the drawing as a
multi-view block. For more information about working with blocks, see Create and Insert Symbols (Blocks) in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide. For
more information about display representations, see Setting Display Systems in a Drawing in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating View Blocks

You create multi-view blocks from AutoCAD blocks in your drawing that represent each view of the multi-view block. These individual AutoCAD blocks
are then assembled into one block as a multi-view block.
For more information about creating a new multi-view block definition, see
Creating a New Multi-View Block Definition in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To create a view block
1 Draw your front and back views on the XZ plane.
Define additional insertion points on the defpoints layer through the
AutoCAD point command if necessary.
2 Draw your left and right views on the YZ plane.
Define additional insertion points on the defpoints layer through the
AutoCAD point command if necessary.

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Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

TIP If you are creating a symmetrical object with the multi-view block, you may
be able to create one block to represent both side views.
3 Draw your top and bottom views on the XY plane.
Define additional insertion points on the defpoints layer through the
AutoCAD point command if necessary.

NOTE The points added to view blocks are cumulative. For example, if you
add one point to a view block used for the top view and two points to the view
block used for the model view, you will have a total of four points to cycle
through. The fourth point is the regular basepoint defined during the creation
of the block.
4 Set the user coordinate system (UCS) to World before making blocks out of
these individual views. For more information about coordinate systems, see
Using Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
5 Define each view as a block, and coordinate the location of the insertion base
point as you define each view as a block. For more information about blocks,
see Working with Blocks in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

Defining Multi-View Blocks

1623

Creating individual blocks for multi-view block definition

For example, if you select the insertion base point of the model view block as
the midpoint of the bottom edge on the back side, the front and back view
blocks have an insertion base point at the midpoint of the bottom edge.
Then, the left and right view blocks have an insertion base point at the back
bottom corner with the insertion base point for the top and bottom view
blocks at the midpoint of the back edge.

TIP It is helpful to have a naming convention as you save your views as blocks.
For example, name the plan view block desk-p, and name the right view block
desk-r.
6 Click OK to exit the Block Definition dialog box.

Creating a New Multi-View Block Definition

You define a multi-view block from view blocks created in your drawing that
represent different views of your custom object.

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Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

To create a new multi-view block definition

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block
Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 With Multi-View Block Definitions highlighted, right-click, and choose New
from the shortcut menu, or click New Style.
3 Type a style name for the new multi-view block definition.
The new multi-view block definition appears in the Multi-View Block
Definition tree.
4 Select the new multi-view block definition, right-click, and choose Edit to
display the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box.
5 Click the View Blocks tab.
6 To define the plan and elevation views for the General display representation, select General.
7 Click Add and select a view block from the Select a Block dialog box.
8 Click OK to return to the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box.
9 Select the View Directions to correspond with the block you just selected.
For example, if you added the side view block of the custom object to the
General display representation, Left and Right would be selected (assuming
that the block represented both left and right sides) and all remaining view
directions cleared.

NOTE All view directions are selected by default.

Other represents a view that displays the block three-dimensionally and is
used for non-orthogonal (isometric or perspective) views of the custom
object.
10 Continue to add elevation and plan view blocks to the General display representation as necessary. You should have a block assigned to each view direction, or the object is invisible in some views.
11 To define model views of the object, click on the Model display
representation.
12 Click Add and select the corresponding block from the Select a Block dialog
box.
13 Click OK to return to the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box.

Defining Multi-View Blocks

1625

This block should be assigned to all view directions, including Other.

14 You should also assign view blocks for the reflected representation if necessary. This is primarily used for ceiling fixtures.
15 Click OK to exit. To apply the changes and remain in the Style Manager, click
Apply.

Creating a New Multi-View Block from an

Existing Multi-View Block
You can create a new multi-view block by copying an existing multi-view
block and then modifying it.
To create a new multi-view block from an existing multi-view block
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing multi-view block to copy under Multi-View Block
Definitions, and press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 Type a name for the new multi-view block.
5 Select the new multi-view block definition, right-click, and choose Edit to
display the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box.
6 Click the View Blocks tab.
7 To define the plan and elevation views for the General display representation, click General.
8 Click Add and select a block from the Select a Block dialog box.
9 Click OK to return to the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box.
10 Select the View Directions to correspond with the block you just selected.
For example, if you added the side block of the custom object to the General
display representation, Left and Right would be selected (assuming that the
block represented both left and right sides).
11 Continue to add elevation and plan views to the General display representation as necessary.
12 To define model views of the object, click the Model display representation.

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Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

13 Click Add and pick the corresponding block from the Select a Block dialog
box.
14 Click OK to return to the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box.
15 Select Other for the view direction.
Other represents a view that displays the block three-dimensionally and is
used primarily for the model view of the custom object.
16 Click OK to exit. To apply the changes and remain in the Style Manager, click
Apply.

Adding a Multi-View Block

After you create a multi-view block definition, you can add it to your drawing. For more information about creating a multi-view block definition, see
Creating a New Multi-View Block Definition in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To add a multi-view block
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Add Multi-View Block.
2 In the Add Multi-View Blocks dialog box, select the multi-view block that you
want to add to your drawing from the Name list.
3 Select the insertion point for the block.
If you added additional insertion points to the view blocks, you can cycle
through all of the points with the CTRL key.
4 Enter the rotation angle numerically under Rotation if necessary.
5 Enter the scale values for the X, Y, and Z scales of the multi-view block
numerically under Scale.
6 Otherwise, you can:

Specify Rotation on Screen and use your pointing device to determine the
angle of the multi-view block dynamically. You can specify additional
points with the pointing device to insert multiple multi-view blocks in the
drawing, each with different rotations.
Specify Scale on Screen for the multi-view block and use your pointing
device to determine the scale of the multi-view block dynamically. You
can specify additional points with the pointing device to insert additional
multi-view blocks in the drawing, each with different scales.

7 Choose the insertion point for the multi-view block on the screen and press
ENTER to end the command.
8 Alternately, from the command line, do any of the following:

Defining Multi-View Blocks

1627

Specify the named multi-view block to be inserted.

Specify the X, Y, and Z scale of the multi-view block. The X, Y, and Z scales
represent the distance from the insertion point.
Specify the rotation angle, or press ENTER to use the last rotation angle
specified.
Specify a multi-view block to match and be inserted in the drawing.

9 Choose the insertion point for the multi-view block on the screen, and press
ENTER to end the command.

Changing Multi-View Block General Properties

To change general properties multi-view block properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the multi-view block you want to change, right-click and choose from
the shortcut menu.
3 In the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box, click the General
tab, and do any of the following:

Type a description of the multi-view block in the Description field.

Click Notes to add a note to the multi-view block on the Text Notes tab.
Click Notes to attach a reference file to the multi-view block on the
Reference Docs tab. On the Reference Docs tab, click Add, select a document in the Select Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You
can type a description of the reference file in the Reference Document
dialog box.
Click Notes to edit the name or path of a reference file that has been
attached to a multi-view block. On the Reference Docs tab, select the file
name in the list, click Edit, and change the document or the description
in the Reference Document dialog box.
Click Notes to detach a reference file from a multi-view block definition.
On the Reference Docs tab, select the file name in the list and click Delete.
Click Property Sets to attach or edit schedule data. For more information,
see Editing Schedule Data in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager,
or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

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Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

Changing View Block Properties

Multi-view blocks usually display differently in different view directions.
Occasionally, a multi-view block may not display in a particular view, or it
may display incorrectly. You can correct the display by changing the view
block properties of the multi-view block.

NOTE The blocks used to define the display of an multi-view block control
attribute tags for multi-view blocks. To change the tags, you must redefine the
attributes in the individual blocks.
To change view block properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the multi-view block you want to change, right-click, and choose Edit
from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box, select the View
Blocks tab.
4 Select the display representation you want to change, and do any of the
following:

Click Add to select a block from the Select a Block dialog box to represent
the object. The block must exist in the drawing to display in the Select a
Block dialog box.
Select a view under View Directions for the block that represents the
object. You can select a different block for each view, or set the same block
for multiple views.
Highlight a View Block and click Remove to remove blocks from the View
Blocks list.

5 When you finish setting all the view blocks for the required View Directions,
click OK to return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager,
or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Defining Multi-View Blocks

1629

Purging Multi-View Blocks

Because multi-view blocks contain standard AutoCAD blocks, the blocks are
recognized by AutoCAD. You cannot purge these blocks until you purge the
associated multi-view block definitions.
To purge multi-view blocks
1 Delete and purge the AutoCAD block that contains the multi-view block
graphics.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
3 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused multi-view block definition style in your current

drawing, select the style under style type, right-click, and choose Purge
from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused multi-view block definition styles in your current
drawing, with Multi-View Block Definitions selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the definitions that you selected to purge is
displayed.
4 Click OK to purge the definitions.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the SHIFT
key as you purge the definitions, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
6 Run the AutoCAD PURGE command again to eliminate the view blocks.

Importing Multi-View Blocks

You can import multi-view blocks from an existing drawing. Importing a
multi-view block also imports the AutoCAD view blocks that make up the
multi-view block.

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Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

NOTE You can manage multi-view blocks efficiently by creating them all in
one drawing you reserve for this purpose and importing them into other drawings as needed.
To import multi-view blocks
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block style type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing
that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the multi-view block definition that you want to
copy, and then click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the multi-view block definition styles.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Multi-View Block Definition to display the
multi-view block definitions in the drawing.
5 Select the multi-view block definition that you want to copy, and then press
CTRL+C.
6 Select the current drawing, and then press CTRL+V.
The multi-view block definition is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already contains a multi-view block definition with the same
name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate
Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate multi-view block definition names, select one of the
following options:

To not replace the existing multi-view block definition in the drawing with
the new multi-view block definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition,
select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new multi-view block definition so both exist in the drawing, select Rename to Unique. New multi-view block definitions are
appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.

Defining Multi-View Blocks

1631

NOTE Importing multi-view blocks into a drawing with a multi-view block of

the same name will not override the view block definitions.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager,
or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Multi-View Blocks to an Existing

Drawing
You can export multi-view blocks from the current drawing to another
drawing. Exporting a multi-view block also exports the AutoCAD view blocks
that make up the multi-view block.
To export multi-view blocks to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definition styles in the current drawing are
displayed under the Multi-View Block Definition style type. All other style
and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing
drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the multi-view block definition to
and then click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only the
Multi-View Block Definition type.
4 Select the multi-view block definition in the current drawing that you want
to copy to the second drawing and then press CTRL+C.
5 Select the second drawing and then press CTRL+V.
The multi-view block definition is copied into the second drawing. If the
drawing already contains a multi-view block definition with the same name,
the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names
Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate multi-view block definition names, select one of the
following options:

1632

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new
definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition,
select Overwrite Existing.

Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

NOTE Exporting multi-view blocks into a drawing with a multi-view block of

the same name will not override the view block definitions.
7 To rename the new definition so both exist in the drawing, select Rename to
Unique. New definitions are appended with a numeral in the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager,
or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Multi-View Blocks to a New Drawing

You can export multi-view block from your current drawing to a new
drawing. Exporting a multi-view block also exports the AutoCAD view blocks
that make up the multi-view block.
To export multi-view blocks to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Multi-View Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Multi-View Block Definitions in the current drawing are displayed under the Multi-View Block Definition type. All other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing
to copy the multi-view block definition to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing and then click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Multi-View Block Definition type.
4 Select the multi-view block definition in the current drawing that you want
to copy to the new drawing and then press CTRL+C.
5 Select the new drawing and then press CTRL+V.
The definition is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager,
or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Modifying Multi-View Blocks

After you insert a multi-view block in the drawing, you can modify its rotation angle, X, Y, and Z scales, and properties. For more information about

Modifying Multi-View Blocks

1633

changing properties, see Multi-View Block Reference Properties in the

online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
To modify a multi-view block
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select the multi-view block and press ENTER.
3 Change the rotation angle.
4 Change the X, Y, or Z dimension scale for the block.
5 Click Apply to change the multi-view block and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the block, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Multi-View Block Reference Properties

You can add notes and reference files to existing multi-view blocks in your
drawing, change the style and dimensions of the multi-view block, add offsets to the insertion point, change the attributes of the multi-view block, and
move the multi-view block.

Attaching Notes and Files to a Multi-View Block

To attach notes and files to a multi-view block
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select a multi-view block and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Definition Properties dialog box, click the General
tab, and do any of the following:

1634

Type a description of the multi-view block definition in the Description

field.
Click Notes to add a note to the multi-view block definition on the Text
Notes tab.
Click Notes to attach a reference file to the multi-view block definition on
the Reference Docs tab. On the Reference Docs tab, click Add, select a document in the Select Reference Document dialog box, and click Open. You
can type a description of the reference file in the Reference Document
dialog box.

Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

Click Notes to edit the name or path of a reference file that has been
attached to a multi-view block definition. On the Reference Docs tab,
select the file name in the list, click Edit, and change the document or the
description in the Reference Document dialog box. To edit the file itself,
double-click the reference file name to start its application. You must exit
the Modify command for the reference file to open.
Click Notes to detach a reference file from a multi-view block definition.
On the Reference Docs tab, select the file name in the list and click Delete.
Click Property Sets to attach or edit schedule data. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop
Users Guide.

5 Click OK to exit each dialog box. Click Apply to change the multi-view block
and remain in the dialog box to continue modifying the block.

Changing Multi-View Block Style Properties

To change multi-view block style properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select a multi-view block and then press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Style tab.
5 Select a new style from the list.

NOTE A dialog box is displayed to inform you that changing a multi-view

block style also changes the current values of the offsets and attributes for the
multi-view block.
6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the multi-view block and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the block, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Multi-View Block Dimension

Properties
To change multi-view block dimension properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.

Multi-View Block Reference Properties

1635

2 Select a multi-view block and press ENTER.

3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the

Dimensions tab.
5 Change the values in the X, Y, or Z fields.
6 Click OK.
7 Click Apply to change the multi-view block and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the block, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Multi-View Block Offset Properties

To change the multi-view block offset properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select a multi-view block and then press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Offsets tab.
View Blocks lists the individual blocks that make up the multi-view block.
5 Select the individual view block to change in View Blocks.
6 Change the X, Y, or Z offsets.
7 Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the multi-view block and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the block, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Multi-View Block Attribute Properties

To change multi-view block attribute properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select a multi-view block and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Attributes
tab.
5 Select the multi-view block to change in the View Blocks list.
6 Click the Values section and type a new value.

1636

Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

7 Click OK.
8 Click Apply to change the multi-view block and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the block, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Multi-View Block Anchor Properties

To change multi-view block anchor properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select a multi-view block and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Reference Properties dialog box, click the Anchor
tab.
The Anchor tab is available only for multi-view blocks that are anchored to
an object.
5 Change Position Along (X) to change the location of the multi-view block
along the X axis.
6 Change Position Within (Y) to change the location of the multi-view block
along the Y axis.
7 Change Position Vertical (Z) to change the location of the multi-view block
along the Z axis.
8 Change Orientation to change the rotation of the multi-view block.
9 Click OK.
10 Click Apply to change the multi-view block and remain in the dialog box to
continue modifying the block, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Multi-View Block Location Properties

You can relocate an existing multi-view block by changing the coordinate
values of its insertion point. The multi-view block also has an orientation
with respect to the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate
system. For example, if the top and bottom of the multi-view block are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the
orientation of the multi-view block by aligning its normal with another axis.
You can also rotate the multi-view block on its plane by changing the rotation angle.

Multi-View Block Reference Properties

1637

To change multi-view block location properties

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Multi-View Blocks Modify Multi-View
Block.
2 Select the multi-view block and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Multi-View Blocks dialog box, click

4 In the Multi-View Block Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

Change the coordinate values under Insertion Point to relocate the multiview block.
Change the axis to which the normal is parallel to re-orient the multi-view
block. To locate the multi-view block on the XY plane, make the normal
of the multi-view block parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the multi-view block on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To
locate the multi-view block on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and
type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
Type a new value for Rotation Angle to change the rotation of the multiview block.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the multi-view block object without leaving the Multi-View Block
Properties dialog box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Multi-View Blocks Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Multi-View Block

MvBlockAdd

Modify Multi-View Block MvBlockModify

Right-click (with multi-view

block selected)

Multi-View Block Modify...

Define Multi-View Block MvBlockDefine

MvBlockDefEdit

1638

Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

Edit Multi-View Block

Definition...

MvBlockDefEdit

Multi-View Block Properties...

Multi-View Block Reference Properties

1639

1640

Chapter 45 Multi-View Blocks

Mask Blocks

46

A mask block is a two-dimensional block that hides, or

In this chapter

masks, part of the graphic display of an AEC object in

Working with mask blocks

a 2D view. You can use mask blocks to clean up or

correct objects in your drawings or to create custom

Creating mask block definitions

Changing mask block

properties

2D shapes from predefined drawing objects, such as

walls or grids.

1641

Working with Mask Blocks

A mask block is a two-dimensional block that covers, or masks, part of the
graphic display of an AEC object in a plan (2D) view. You can use mask blocks
to clean up or correct objects in your drawings or to create custom 2D shapes
from predefined drawing objects, such as walls or grids.
For example, you can add a light fixture to a ceiling grid in a plan view as a
mask block. You must attach the mask block (the light fixture) to the
AEC object that you want it to mask (the ceiling grid). If the light fixture is
bigger than one or more of the ceiling grid bays, the light fixture mask, or
cover, the ceiling grid lines that would visibly pass through the light fixture
if it had been defined as a regular AutoCAD block.
Before you can begin to mask objects in your plan view drawings, you must
first choose or define a mask block. You can use a predefined mask block,
create your own mask block definition with the Mask commands, or use the
Create AEC Content Wizard. Some of the light fixtures in the Architectural
Desktop Content in the DesignCenter can be added directly to your drawings
as mask blocks.
After you have selected a mask block from the Design Center or created one,
add the mask block to your plan view drawing. Adding the mask block to
your drawing is like adding a regular AutoCAD block: you can specify an
insertion point or scale factors and a rotation angle to insert the mask block.
The mask block and the AEC object that you want to mask must be coplanar,
that is, on the same plane, for the mask object to cover the other object.
After you add a mask block to your drawing, your final step is to attach the
AEC object or objects to be masked to the mask object. Then, the mask block
clips the graphics of the AEC object or objects that you are masking when the
object or objects regenerate themselves in a plan view. Only the objects that
you attached to the mask block are clipped. The masked AEC objects are plotted as you see them on your screen.
If you change your drawing from a 2D view to a 3D view, the mask block is
still displayed, but it no longer masks the AEC objects that are attached to it.
You can detach the mask block from the AEC objects at any time. You can
also import mask block definitions from other drawings and export mask
block definitions to other drawings. If you create a mask block definition that
you decide not to use in your drawings, you can purge it.

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Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

Creating Mask Block Definitions

You can define mask blocks by using the Create AEC Content Wizard, by
selecting a piece of geometry in the drawing and defining it as a mask block,
or by copying and editing an existing mask block.
To use the Create AEC Content Wizard to save mask blocks in content drawings for convenient reuse, see Creating AEC Content in the online Autodesk
Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

Creating a Mask Block Definition from a Polyline

You can create a new mask block definition from one or more closed
2D polylines. If you use more than one polyline to create your mask block
definition, the polylines must be completely within or outside each
other: they cannot overlap or touch. Polylines that are within each other can
be specified as void areas that become holes when the mask block is created.
To create a mask block definition
1 Create or identify one or more closed polylines in your current drawing
that you want to use to create a mask block.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Mask Block definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
3 With the Mask Block definition type selected, right-click, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
4 Type a name for the new mask block definition, and press ENTER.
5 Select the mask block definition name, right-click, and choose Set From
from the shortcut menu.
6 Select the polyline that you want to use to create the Mask Block definition.
The following prompt is displayed.
Add another ring?[Yes/No] <N>

7 Do one of the following to complete the Mask Block definition:

Press ENTER to create the mask block definition from a single polyline.
Type y (Yes) to select additional polylines to add to the mask block
definition. These polylines must be entirely within or outside each

Creating Mask Block Definitions

1643

other; they cannot overlap or touch. Polylines that are within other
rings can be specified as void areas that become holes in the mask
block.
8 Specify an insertion base point for the mask block.
9 Select additional graphics that you want to include in the mask block
definition, or press ENTER if you do not want to include any additional
objects.

NOTE You can select text or symbols to include in the Mask Block definition.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.
A mask block definition is created from the polyline or polylines that you
selected. The new mask block definition is listed in the mask block definition
tree and viewed in the graphics screen of Style Manager. The original
polylines remain in the drawing.

Creating a Mask Block Definition from an

Existing Mask Block Definition
To create a mask block definition from an existing mask block definition
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Mask Block definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing definition to copy under the Mask Block definition type,
and press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing definition is created.
4 To rename the definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose
Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new definition, and
press ENTER.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

1644

Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

Purging Mask Block Definitions

To purge mask block definitions
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Mask Block definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused Mask Block definition in your current drawing, select the definition under the definition type, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused Mask Block definitions in your current drawing, with the Mask Blocks definition type selected, right-click, and
choose Purge from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the definitions that you selected to purge
is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the definitions.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the definitions, select Only Show this Confirmation

Dialog When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Mask Block Definitions

To import mask block definitions
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Mask Block definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the definition that you want to copy to your current
drawing.

Creating Mask Block Definitions

1645

3 Select the drawing with the definition that you want to copy, and click
Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Mask Block definition type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Mask Blocks to display the Mask Block definitions in the drawing.
5 Select the Mask Block definition that you want to copy, and press CTRL+C.
6 Select the current drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The definition is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing
already contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are
displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Mask Block Definitions to a New

Drawing
You can copy Mask Block definitions from your current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export a mask block definition to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Mask Block definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the definition to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.

1646

Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Mask Block definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
new drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the new drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The definition is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting Mask Block Definitions to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy Mask Block definitions from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a mask block definition to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Mask Block definition type. All other style and definition types
are filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the definition to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the definition to, and click
Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Mask Block definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and press CTRL+C.
5 Select the second drawing, and press CTRL+V.
The definition is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.

Creating Mask Block Definitions

1647

7 To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,

select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes or Files to a Mask Block

Definition
To attach a note or file to a mask block definition
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Mask Block Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Mask Block definition type is selected within the current
drawing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree
view.
2 Under the Mask Block definition type, select the Mask Block definition
that you want to change, right-click and choose Edit from the shortcut
menu.
3 In the Mask Block Definition Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the Mask Block definition, type the text in the
Description field.
5 To add a note to the Mask Block definition, or to attach, edit, or detach a
reference file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

1648

Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

9 When you finish changing the Mask Block definition properties, click OK
to return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Adding a Mask Block

You can add a mask block to a drawing if the drawing contains a mask block
definition. For more information about creating a mask block definition, see
Creating Mask Block Definitions in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

TIP When you add mask blocks to your drawing, insert them on a separate
layer. You can turn the layer off in 3D views, where the mask blocks no longer
mask any objects.
To add a mask block
1 If a mask block does not already exist in the current drawing, then create
or import a mask block definition. For information about importing a
mask block definition, see Importing Mask Block Definitions in the
online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Add Mask Block.
3 Choose the insertion point for the mask block in the drawing or do any of
the following on the command line:

Specify the mask block to be inserted using the Name prompt.

Specify the X, Y, and Z scale of the mask block. The X, Y, and Z scales
represent the distance from the insertion point.
Specify the rotation angle, or press ENTER to use the last rotation angle
specified.
Specify a mask block to match and be inserted in the drawing.
Press ENTER to end the command.

NOTE If you are using mask blocks to mask walls, the mask block must be
located at the baseline of the wall (Z = 0). Even though the wall components
are at different heights, the plan display representation draws them at the
height of the baseline, as they would be drawn on paper.
4 Alternately, in the Add Mask Blocks dialog box, do any of the following:

Creating Mask Block Definitions

1649

Select the mask block that you want to add to your drawing from the
Name list.
Enter the rotation angle for the mask block under Rotation.
Enter the scale values for the X, Y, and Z scales of the mask block under
Scale.
Specify Rotation on Screen for the mask block and use your pointing
device to designate the angle of the mask block. You can specify additional points with the pointing device to insert multiple mask blocks
in the drawing.
View the mask block being inserted.
Specify an existing mask block to match and be inserted in the drawing.
Open and edit mask block properties in the Mask Block Properties dialog box.
Remove the last mask block added from the drawing.

The mask block is displayed in the drawing at the insertion point you
specified. To use the mask block to clean up or correct an object in the
drawing, attach the object to the mask block.

Masking an AEC Object

To mask an AEC object
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Attach Mask to Objects.
2 Select the mask block or blocks that you want to attach to an object.
3 Select the AEC object that you want to mask.
The Select Views dialog box is displayed and lists current views.
4 Select a view and click OK.

Attaching a mask block to an AEC object

5 Select the mask block and move it to mask the AEC object.
The AEC object is now hidden by the mask block.
Mask blocks mask AEC objects only and only in plan views. Mask blocks
are visible in 3D views but do not mask the AEC objects that are attached
to them.

1650

Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

Detaching an Object from a Mask Block

To detach an object from a mask block
1 Select the mask block that you want to detach from an AEC object, rightclick, and choose Detach from the shortcut menu.
2 Select the AEC object that you want to detach from the mask block.

Detaching an AEC object from a mask block

The AEC object is detached from the mask block and is no longer hidden
by the mask block.

Modifying a Mask Block

To modify a mask block
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Mask Blocks Modify Mask Block.
2 Select the mask block that you want to modify, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify Mask Blocks dialog box, do any of the following:

To modify the X, Y, or Z scale, type new values under Scale.

To change the rotation of a mask block, type a new rotation angle.
To match another mask block in the drawing, click
and select the
mask block that you want to match.
To change the properties of the mask block, click
and select the
mask block that you want to change. See Changing Mask Block Properties in the online Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

The mask block is updated to reflect the changes that you made.

Changing Mask Block Properties

A mask block has dimension, style, location, and display properties. You can
specify these properties when you create a mask block, or you can change

Changing Mask Block Properties

1651

properties later. You can also attach notes and reference files and add a
description to the mask block.

NOTE If the mask block is attached to a grid, you can change the anchor
properties as well.

Attaching Notes or Files to a Mask Block

To attach notes or files to a mask block
1 Select the mask block that you want to change.
2 Right-click, and choose Mask Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Mask Block Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the mask block, type the text in the Description
field.
5 To add a note to the mask block, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference file
on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click Delete.

8 Click OK to exit each dialog box.

9 To apply the changes and remain in the dialog box, click Apply.

Changing Mask Block Style Properties

To change the mask block style properties
1 Select the mask block that you want to change.
2 Right-click, and choose Mask Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Style tab.
4 Select a new mask block definition, and click OK.

1652

Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

The mask block that you selected is redefined.

Changing Mask Block Dimension Properties

To change the mask block dimension properties
1 Select the mask block that you want to change.
2 Right-click, and choose Mask Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Dimensions tab.
4 Under Scale, type new values for the X, Y, and Z scale.
5 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing Mask Block Location Properties

You can relocate an existing mask block by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point. The mask block also has an orientation with respect to
the world coordinate system or the current user coordinate system. For
example, if the top and bottom of the mask block are parallel to the
XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation
of the mask block by aligning its normal with another axis. You can also
rotate the mask block on its plane by changing the rotation angle.
For more information about the world coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the mask block location properties
1 Select the mask block that you want to change.
2 Right-click and choose Mask Properties from the shortcut menu.
3 Click the Location tab.
4 Do any of the following:

To relocate the mask block, change coordinate values under Insertion

Point.
To reorient the mask block, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the mask block on the XY plane, make the normal of
the mask block parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the Z
box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the mask block on the
YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the mask block, type a new value for Rotation
Angle.

Changing Mask Block Properties

1653

5 After you finish making changes to the mask block, click OK to exit the
dialog box.

Mask Blocks Command List

1654

Menu Command

Command Line

Add Mask Block...

MaskAdd

Modify Mask Block...

MaskModify

Mask Block
Definitions...

MaskDefine

Attach Mask to
Objects...

MaskAttach

Attach

MaskDetach

Detach

MaskDefEdit

Edit Mask Definition...

MaskProps

Mask Properties...

Chapter 46 Mask Blocks

Right-click (With mask

block selected)

Mask Modify...

Profiles

47

Profiles are generic shapes, defined by two-dimensional

In this chapter

closed polylines, which you can create and use to com-

Inserting profiles

plete complex shapes. Profiles are inserted in your draw-

Creating profiles

ings as polylines, not as AEC objects. Use profiles to create custom shapes for handrails, window styles, door
styles, and wall and space boundary openings. Extrude
or revolve profiles to create custom mass elements.

1655

Working with Profiles

Profiles are generic shapes, defined by two-dimensional closed polylines,
which you can create and use to complete complex shapes. Profiles are
inserted in your drawings as polylines, not as AEC objects. You can use profiles to create custom shapes, such as handrail shapes, and shapes for custom
window styles, door styles, and wall and space boundary opening styles. You
can also create custom mass elements by extruding and revolving profiles.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop includes some standard profiles that you can
access and use in your drawings.
Create a new profile by creating a closed polyline in the drawing and then
defining it as a profile, or by redefining an existing profile. You can create
holes (voids) in your profile by adding one or more closed polylines within
the polyline that you use to create the outer profile shape. When you create
a profile from a polyline, the size and shape of the polyline are not important. You can insert the profile into the drawing, and then use grip editing to
change the size and shape of the profile. Once you create a profile, you can
copy it, import and export it between drawings, and purge it.
To create shapes for custom door and window openings, first create the
AEC profile that you need, then add the profile to the door or window style
definition to change the shape and type of the door or window. For example,
to create a door with a number of glass panes, first use closed 2D polylines to
create the door shape with the glass panes within it. Create a profile from the
polylines. Then, add a standard door to your drawing, and edit the door style
to specify the profile that you created as a custom shape for the door. For
more information about using profiles to change the shape and type of a
door or window, see Changing the Door Style Design Rules Properties on
page 657, and Changing Window Style Design Rule Properties on page
697.
To create shapes for custom wall and space boundary openings, create the
opening shape from a profile, and then specify the profile as a custom shape
for the opening when you add the opening to your drawing. For more information, see Creating an Opening in a Wall on page 624, and Creating an
Opening in a Space Boundary on page 626.
To use profiles to create mass elements, first create a profile and then extrude
or revolve the profile to create the mass element. For more information, see
Creating a Mass Element by Extruding a Profile on page 197, and Creating
a Mass Element by Revolving a Profile on page 198.

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Inserting a Profile as a Polyline

When you insert a profile in your drawing, the profile is inserted as a
polyline, not as an AEC object.
To insert a profile as a polyline
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Insert Profile as Polyline.
2 In the Profile Definitions dialog box, select the profile that you want to
insert in the drawing and click OK.
The profile that you selected is inserted in the drawing at the origin as a
polyline.

Creating Profiles
You can create new profiles from closed 2D polylines in your drawings, or
from an existing profile. You can also copy an existing profile.

Creating a Profile from a Polyline

You can create a new profile from one or more closed 2D polylines. If you use
more than one polyline to create your profile, the polylines must be completely within or outside each other; they cannot overlap or touch. Polylines
that are within each other can be specified as void areas that become holes
when the profile is created.
To create a new profile from an existing polyline
1 Draw or identify one or more closed polylines in the current drawing.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
3 With the Profile definition type selected, right-click, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
4 Type a name for the new Profile definition, and press ENTER.
5 Select the profile name, right-click, and choose Set From from the shortcut
menu.
6 Select the polyline that you want to use to create the profile.

Inserting a Profile as a Polyline

1657

The following prompt is displayed.

Add another ring?[Yes/No] <N>

7 Do one of the following to complete the profile:

Press ENTER to create the profile from a single polyline.

Type y (Yes) to select additional polylines to include in the profile
definition. These polylines must be entirely within or outside one
another; they cannot overlap or touch. Polylines that are within other
rings can be specified as void areas that become holes in the profile.

Creating a profile

8 Select the insertion point. The default is the centroid.

9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Redefining an Existing Profile from an

AEC Profile in the Drawing
You can use an existing profile in your drawing to create a new AEC profile.
After you specify the existing profile that you want to use to create the new
profile, you can add additional 2D closed polylines to the profile definition.
If you add polylines to your new profile, the polylines must be completely
within or outside each other; they cannot overlap or touch. Polylines that are
within each other can be specified as void areas that become holes when the
profile is created.
To redefine an existing profile from another profile in the drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select the profile that you want to redefine, right-click, and select Set From
from the shortcut menu.

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3 Select the profile in your drawing that you want to use to redefine the
existing profile.
The following prompt is displayed.
Add another ring?[Yes/No] <N>

4 Do one of the following to complete the profile:

Press ENTER to redefine the profile.

Type y (Yes) to select additional polylines to include in the profile
definition. These polylines must be entirely within or outside one
another; they cannot overlap or touch. Polylines that are within other
rings can be specified as void areas that become holes in the profile.

5 Select the insertion point.

6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Create a Profile from an Existing Profile

To create a profile from an existing profile
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing definition to copy under the Profile definition type, and
press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing definition is created.
4 To rename the definition, select the definition, right-click, and choose
Rename from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new definition, and
press ENTER.
5 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Attaching Notes or Files to a Profile

To attach notes or files to a profile
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The Profile definition type is selected within the current draw-

Creating Profiles

1659

ing, and all other style and definition types are filtered out in the tree
view.
2 Under the Profile definition type, select the profile that you want to
change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the Profile Definition Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
4 To add a description to the profile, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the profile, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file,
click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to
start its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

8 When you finish changing the Profile definition properties, click OK to

return to the Style Manager.
9 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging Profiles
To purge profiles
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Do one of the following:

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To purge a single unused profile definition in your current drawing,

select the definition under the definition type, right-click, and choose
Purge from the shortcut ment.

Chapter 47

Profiles

To purge all the unused profile definitions in your current drawing,

with the profile definition type selected, right-click, and choose Purge
from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the definitions that you selected to purge
is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the definitions.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the definitions, select Only Show this Confirmation

Dialog When the Shift Key is Down.

4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing Profiles
To import profiles
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the definition that you want to copy to your current
drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the definition that you want to copy, and click
Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Profile definition type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to Profiles to display the Profile definitions in
the drawing.
5 Select the Profile definition that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing
already contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are
displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

Creating Profiles

1661

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Profile to a New Drawing

You can copy profile definitions from your current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export a profile to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the definition to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the Profile definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
new drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied to the new drawing.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting a Profile to an Existing Drawing

You can copy profile definitions from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export a profile to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Profiles Profile Definitions.

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The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The profile definitions in the current drawing are displayed
under the Profile definition type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the definition to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the definition to, and click
Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the Profile definition type.
4 Select the definition in the current drawing that you want to copy to the
second drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The definition is copied into the second drawing. If the drawing already
contains a definition with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate definition names, select one of the following
options:

To not replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition of the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing definition in the drawing with the new definition, select Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new definition so both definitions exist in the drawing,
select Rename to Unique. New definition names are appended with a
numeral in the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style
Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Profiles Command List

Menu Command

Command Line

Profile Definitions...

ProfileDefine

Insert Profile as
Polyline...

ProfileAsPolyline

Right-click

Creating Profiles

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AEC Polygons

48

An AEC Polygon is an object with three or more sides

In this chapter

that you can use in 2D graphic presentation drawings.

Creating AEC Polygons

You can control the width and justification of the edges

of an AEC Polygon. You can also hatch or fill the edges
and interior of an AEC Polygon. After you draw an

Modifying AEC Polygons

Working with AEC Polygon

styles
Changing AEC Polygon style

properties

AEC Polygon, you can attach it to layout tools, such as

layout curves and grids.

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Working with AEC Polygons

An AEC Polygon is a 2D object with three or more sides. In Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, AEC Polygons can be used as infill components for
the cells of curtain walls. However, you can use AEC Polygons for other purposes as they fit your design needs.
After you create an AEC Polygon, you can use the style and display properties
of the AEC Polygon to change the display of the AEC Polygon in your
drawing. Within the style of the AEC Polygon, you can assign a width to the
edges of the AEC Polygon and control the justification of the AEC Polygon
edges. The justification determines whether the edges are displayed inside,
outside, or centered on the AEC Polygon vertices.
You can use the display properties of the AEC Polygon to hatch the edges and
interior of the AEC Polygon. You can also use a special AEC Polygon True
Color display representation to assign a solid fill to the edges and interior of
the AEC Polygon. AEC Polygons using this display representation can be
attached to the cells of curtain walls as panels to create a conceptual rendering of the curtain wall.

AEC Polygon components

You can anchor AEC Polygons to layout grids or layout curves. When an
AEC Polygon is anchored to a layout tool, the AEC Polygon moves or
changes size when you move or change the layout tool. For example, after
you create an AEC Polygon, you can anchor the AEC Polygon to the cells of
a curtain wall as an infill component to represent the panels in the curtain
wall. For information about using infill components in curtains walls, see
Creating Curtain Walls on page 403.

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Curtain wall with AEC Polygon infill assignment

Creating AEC Polygons

You can create new AEC Polygons, or convert existing polylines to
AEC Polygons. Whichever method you use, you must define the
AEC Polygon as a closed 2D object with three or more sides that does not
intersect itself.
When you create an AEC Polygon, you can use only straight line segments to
create the AEC Polygon. To create an AEC Polygon from a combination of
line and arc segments, convert a polyline to an AEC Polygon. First create the
geometry for the AEC Polygon from a closed polyline made up of line and arc
segments, and then convert it to an AEC Polygon.
When you create a new AEC Polygon, either by creating a new one or by converting a polyline, you must choose a style for your AEC Polygon. The
AEC Polygon style controls the width of the polygon edges and the justification of the AEC Polygon edges. The justification determines whether the
edges are displayed inside, outside, or centered on the AEC Polygon vertices.
After you have more than one AEC Polygon in your drawing, you can create
a new AEC Polygon from the intersection of two AEC Polygons. For more
information, see Creating a New AEC Polygon From the Intersection of Two
AEC Polygons on page 1677.

Creating AEC Polygons

1667

Creating a New AEC Polygon

When you create a new AEC Polygon, you create an AEC Polygon from
straight line segments only. The AEC Polygon must have a minimum of three
sides and must not intersect itself. The style that you select for your
AEC Polygon controls the width and the justification of the AEC Polygon
edges. The justification determines whether the edges are displayed inside,
outside, or centered on the AEC Polygon vertices.
To create a new AEC Polygon
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Add AEC Polygon.
2 In the Add AEC Polygon dialog box, select an AEC Polygon from the Style
list.
The style contains a value that controls the width of the polygon edges
and a value that controls whether the polygon edges are displayed inside,
outside, or centered with the vertices of the polygon. You can change
these values by changing the style or editing the style.
3 Specify the start point of your AEC Polygon.
4 Continue to specify points to create your AEC Polygon.

NOTE You must specify enough points to create at least three sides for your
AEC Polygon.
5 Enter c (Close) to close your AEC Polygon.

Creating an AEC Polygon

After you have an AEC Polygon in your drawing, you can control the width
and justification of the AEC Polygon edges and the display of the
AEC Polygon by editing the current AEC Polygon style. For more informa-

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tion, see Changing the Style of an Existing AEC Polygon on page 1671, and
Changing the AEC Polygon Style Display Properties on page 1687.
You can also create a new AEC Polygon from the intersection of two
AEC Polygons. For more information, see Creating a New AEC Polygon
From the Intersection of Two AEC Polygons on page 1677.

Creating an AEC Polygon by Converting a

Polyline
When you create an AEC Polygon by converting a closed polyline in your
drawing, the polyline that you convert can be created from a combination of
line and arc segments. The polyline must have a minimum of three sides and
must not intersect itself. After you convert the polyline to an AEC Polygon,
the width and justification of the AEC Polygon edges are set by the style that
you select for the AEC Polygon.
To create an AEC Polygon from a polyline
1 Draw a polyline with in the current drawing.
The polyline must be closed, have three or more sides created by line or
arc segments, and cannot intersect itself.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Convert to AEC Polygon.
3 Select the polyline that you created in step 1, and press ENTER.
The following prompt is displayed:
Erase layout geometry? [Yes/No] <N>:
4 Do one of the following:

To erase your polyline after you create the polyline (that is added to
your drawing), type y (Yes).
To keep your original polyline in the drawing, press ENTER.

5 In the AEC Polygon Properties dialog box, on the General tab, type a
descriptive name for your AEC Polygon, and then click the Style tab.
The style contains a value that controls the width of the polygon edges
and a value that determines whether the edges are displayed inside, outside, or centered on the vertices of the AEC Polygon. You can change these
values later by changing the style or editing the style.
6 Select a style for your AEC Polygon, and click OK.

Creating AEC Polygons

1669

Converting a polyline to an AEC Polygon

After you have an AEC Polygon in your drawing, you can control the width
and justification of the AEC Polygon edges and the display of the
AEC Polygon by editing the current AEC Polygon style. For more information, see Changing the Style of an Existing AEC Polygon on page 1671, and
Changing the AEC Polygon Style Display Properties on page 1687.
You can also create a new AEC Polygon from the intersection of two
AEC Polygons. For more information, see Creating a New AEC Polygon
From the Intersection of Two AEC Polygons on page 1677.

Modifying AEC Polygons

After you have an AEC Polygon in your drawing, you can edit it using grips,
change the width and justification of its edges by applying a new style to the
AEC Polygon, move it to another location in your drawing, or change how it
is displayed in your drawing.
You can also change the width and justification of the AEC Polygon edges
without changing the style by editing the width and justification values
within the current style. For more information, see Changing the Width
and Justification of the AEC Polygon Edges on page 1687.
Additionally, you can redefine the geometry of an AEC Polygon or define
how AEC Polygons interact with each other. You can join two AEC Polygons,
create a hole in an AEC Polygon by subtracting the area of another
AEC Polygon, create an AEC Polygon from the intersection of two
AEC Polygons, divide or trim an AEC Polygon, and add and remove vertices
to and from an AEC Polygon. For more information, see Editing AEC Polygon Geometry on page 1673.

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Editing an Existing AEC Polygon Using Grips

You can change the shape and size of an AEC Polygon in your current drawing by grip-editing it.
To change the shape and size of an AEC Polygon using grips
1 Select an existing AEC Polygon.
2 Click the edge of the AEC Polygon that you want to edit to display its
grips.

NOTE If grips are turned off, choose Options from the Tools menu, and
click the Selection tab. Under Grips, select Enable Grips.
3 Select the grip or grips that you want to use to change the shape and size
of the AEC Polygon.
4 Move the pointing device to change the shape and size of the AEC Polygon.

Changing the Style of an Existing AEC Polygon

You can change the style of an existing AEC Polygon. The style of an
AEC Polygon controls the width and justification of the AEC Polygon edges.
The justification determines whether the edges are displayed inside, outside,
or centered on the vertices of the AEC Polygon. The style can also control the
display properties of the AEC Polygon.
To change the style of an existing AEC Polygon
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Modify AEC Polygon.
2 Select the AEC Polygon in your drawing that you want to modify, and
press ENTER.
3 In the Modify AEC Polygon dialog box, select a new AEC Polygon style
from the Style list.

NOTE If you did not import or create any additional AEC Polygon styles in
your drawing, then the Standard style is the only available style. To create a
new AEC Polygon style, see Creating New AEC Polygon Styles on page
1681.
4 Click Apply to remain in the dialog box and continue modifying the
AEC Polygon, or click OK to exit the dialog box.

Modifying AEC Polygons

1671

The AEC Polygon in your drawing changes to reflect the edge width and
edge justification values that are contained in the new style. If the new
AEC Polygon style controls the display of the AEC Polygon, then the display of the AEC Polygon changes. For more information, see Changing
AEC Polygon Style Properties on page 1686.

Attaching Notes, Descriptions, or Reference

Files to an AEC Polygon
To attach notes and files to AEC Polygons
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Modify AEC Polygon.
2 Select the AEC Polygon, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify AEC Polygon dialog box, click

4 In the AEC Polygon Properties dialog box, click the Model tab.
5 To add a description to the AEC Polygon, type it in the Description field.
6 To add a note to the AEC Polygon, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
8 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

9 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.
10 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To apply the changes and remain in the
dialog box, click Apply.

Changing the Location of an AEC Polygon

You can relocate an existing AEC Polygon by changing the coordinate values
of its insertion point.

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The AEC Polygon also has an orientation with respect to the world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate system (UCS). For example,
if the top and bottom of the AEC Polygon are parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change the orientation of the
AEC Polygon by aligning its normal with another axis.
You can also rotate the AEC Polygon on its plane by changing the rotation
angle.
To change the location properties of an AEC Polygon
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Modify AEC Polygon.
2 Select the AEC Polygon, and press ENTER.
3 In the Modify AEC Polygon dialog box, click

4 In the Modify AEC Polygon dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the AEC Polygon, change the coordinate values under

Insertion Point.
To reorient the AEC Polygon, change the axis to which the normal is
parallel. To locate the AEC Polygon on the XY plane, make the normal
of the AEC Polygon parallel to the Z axis: under Normal, type 1 in the
Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the AEC Polygon on
the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the Y and Z boxes. To
locate the AEC Polygon on the XZ plane, type 1 in the Y box and type
0 in the X and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the AEC Polygon, type a new value for Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to close the Location tab, and then click Apply to see the changes
to the AEC Polygon without leaving the AEC Polygon Properties dialog
box.
7 When you finish making changes, click OK to exit the dialog box.

Editing AEC Polygon Geometry

Once you have created AEC Polygons in your drawings, you can perform a
number of geometric operations on them. You can define how AEC Polygons
interact with each other, or redefine the geometry of a single AEC Polygon.
With the editing commands, you can:

Divide an AEC Polygon into two AEC Polygons.

Join two AEC Polygons together.

Modifying AEC Polygons

1673

Create a hole in an AEC Polygon by subtracting one AEC Polygon from

another.
Create a new AEC Polygon from the common area shared by two intersecting AEC Polygons.
Trim a piece from an AEC Polygon.
Remove or add vertices to AEC Polygons.

Dividing an AEC Polygon

You can divide an AEC Polygon to create two separate AEC Polygons by
defining a division line through an existing AEC Polygon.
To divide an AEC Polygon
1 Create an AEC Polygon. For more information, see Creating AEC Polygons on page 1667.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Divide.
3 Select the AEC Polygon that you want to divide.
4 Specify a start point for the division line.

NOTE You can specify only a start and endpoint for your division line. You
cannot specify additional points.
5 Specify an endpoint for the division line.

Dividing an AEC Polygon

Your AEC Polygon is divided by the line that you defined. Use grips to move
the two AEC Polygons to different locations in your drawing.

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Joining Two AEC Polygons

You can join two AEC Polygons that overlap each other in a drawing. When
you join two AEC Polygons that overlap in your drawing, their common area
is combined to form a single AEC Polygon.
To join two AEC Polygons
1 Create two overlapping AEC Polygons. For more information, see Creating AEC Polygons on page 1667.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Join.
3 Select the AEC Polygon that you want to join to the other AEC Polygon.
4 Select the other AEC Polygon.

Joining two overlapping AEC Polygons

Creating a Hole in an AEC Polygon

You can subtract the area of a smaller AEC Polygon from the area of a larger
AEC Polygon to create a hole in the larger AEC Polygon.
To create a hole in an AEC Polygon
1 Create an AEC Polygon that you want to subtract a hole from. For more
information, see Creating AEC Polygons on page 1667.
2 Create a second, smaller AEC Polygon to represent the area to be subtracted from the larger AEC Polygon.
You can draw the second AEC Polygon within or overlapping the area of
the first AEC Polygon, or you can draw it in another location and then use
grips to move it onto the larger AEC Polygon.
3 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Subtract.
4 Select the larger AEC Polygon to subtract the hole from.

Modifying AEC Polygons

1675

5 Select the smaller AEC Polygon to subtract from the larger AEC Polygon.
The following prompt is displayed:
Erase the subtracted AecPolygon? [Yes/No] <N>:
6 Do one of the following:

To erase the original geometry of the AEC Polygon that you are subtracting, type y (Yes).

Subtracting an AEC polygon with original geometry erased

To keep the geometry of the AEC Polygon that you are subtracting, in
addition to the new AEC Polygon, press ENTER.

Subtracting an AEC polygon with original geometry retained

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Creating a New AEC Polygon From the Intersection of Two

AEC Polygons
You can create a new AEC Polygon from the common area of two intersecting
AEC Polygons. When you create the new AEC Polygon, you can leave the
original intersecting AEC Polygons in your drawing, or you can erase them.
To determine intersection of two AEC Polygons
1 Create two overlapping AEC Polygons. For more information, see Creating AEC Polygons on page 1667.

NOTE You can use grips to move existing AEC Polygons so that they overlap each other.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Intersect.
3 Select the first AEC Polygon.
4 Select the second AEC Polygon.
The following prompt is displayed:
Erase the selected AecPolygons? [Yes/No] <N>:
5 Do one of the following:

To erase the original geometry of both AEC Polygons, leaving only the
new AEC Polygon created from the intersection, type y (Yes) and press
ENTER.
To keep your original AEC Polygons in the drawing, in addition to the
new AEC Polygon, press ENTER.

Intersecting AEC Polygons with original geometry erased

Modifying AEC Polygons

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Intersecting AEC Polygons with original geometry retained

Trimming an AEC Polygon

You can trim a side from an AEC Polygon by defining a trim line through an
existing AEC Polygon.
To trim an AEC Polygon
1 Create an AEC Polygon. For more information, see Creating AEC Polygons on page 1667.
2 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Trim.
3 Specify a start point for the trim line. This line cuts through the
AEC Polygon, creating the area to trim and the area to retain.
4 Specify an endpoint for the trim line.
5 Select the AEC Polygon that you want to trim.

Trimming an AEC polygon

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Adding a Vertex to an AEC Polygon

You can add a vertex to an existing AEC Polygon to change its shape. A vertex
is a location on an AEC Polygon where the edges of the AEC Polygon meet.
To add a vertex to an AEC Polygon
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Add Vertex.
2 Select the AEC Polygon with the vertex that you want to add.
3 Select a point in your drawing where you want to add the new vertex.

Adding a vertex to an AEC Polygon

Line segments are drawn from the two existing vertices of the AEC Polygon closest to the point that you selected to form the new vertex.

Removing a Vertex from an AEC Polygon

You can remove a vertex from an existing AEC Polygon to change its shape.
A vertex is a location on an AEC Polygon where the edges of the AEC Polygon
meet.
To remove a vertex from an AEC Polygon
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon Remove Vertex.
2 Select the AEC Polygon with the vertex that you want to remove.
3 Select the vertex of the AEC Polygon that you want to remove.

Modifying AEC Polygons

1679

Removing a vertex from an AEC Polygon

Working with AEC Polygon Styles

A style is a group of preset properties assigned to an object that determine the
appearance and function of the object. The style of an AEC Polygon contains
values for the width and justification of the edges of the AEC Polygon. The
justification determines whether the edges are displayed from the inside of
its vertices, from the outside of its vertices, or centered on its vertices. The
style can also control the display of an AEC Polygon.

Justifying AEC Polygon edges

When you create an AEC Polygon, you choose a style to control these properties of the AEC Polygon. With the AEC Polygon in your drawing, you can
change the style, or edit the style properties within the current style, to
change the edges of your existing AEC Polygon. You can also control the display of an AEC Polygon by its style. The display properties of an AEC Polygon

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allow you to hatch its interior and edges, or fill its edges and interior with a
solid color fill.
You can create new AEC Polygon styles, import and export AEC Polygon
styles between drawings, and purge AEC Polygon styles that are not in use.
When you create, import, export, or edit styles, you access the Style Manager.
The Style Manager provides a central location in Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, where you can work with styles from multiple drawings and templates. For more information about using the Style Manager, see Style Manager on page 1525.

Creating New AEC Polygon Styles

You can create a new AEC Polygon style, or you can copy and edit an existing
AEC Polygon style.

Creating a New AEC Polygon Style

You can create a new AEC Polygon style. After you create the new
AEC Polygon, you can edit the style properties of the AEC Polygon.
To create a new AEC Polygon style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC Polygon style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 With the AEC Polygon style type selected, right-click, and choose New
from the shortcut menu.
3 Type a name for the new AEC Polygon style, and press ENTER.
4 To edit the style properties of your new AEC Polygon style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The AEC Polygon Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the style, change the width and justification of the AEC Polygon
edges, and change the display properties of the new style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing AEC Polygon
Style Properties on page 1686.
5 When you finish changing the AEC Polygon style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Working with AEC Polygon Styles

1681

Creating a New AEC Polygon Style from an Existing Style

You can create a new AEC Polygon style from a style in the current drawing.
To create a new AEC Polygon style from an existing style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC Polygon style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 Select an existing style to copy under the AEC Polygon style type, and
press CTRL+C.
3 Press CTRL+V.
A copy of the existing style is created.
4 To rename the style, select the style, right-click, and choose Rename from
the shortcut menu. Type a name for the new style, and press ENTER.
5 To edit the style properties of your new AEC Polygon style, select the style,
right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
The AEC Polygon Style Properties dialog box is displayed. You can add
notes to the style, change the width and justification of the AEC Polygon
edges, and change the display properties of the new style. For more information about changing each style property, see Changing AEC Polygon
Style Properties on page 1686.
6 When you finish changing the AEC Polygon style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Purging an AEC Polygon Style

You can delete AEC Polygon styles that are not being used in the current
drawing. You can delete a single unused AEC Polygon style, or all the
AEC Polygon styles in your drawing.
To purge an AEC Polygon style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC Polygon style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.

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2 Do one of the following:

To purge a single unused AEC Polygon style in your current drawing,

select the style under the style type, right-click, and choose Purge from
the shortcut menu.
To purge all the unused AEC Polygon styles in your current drawing,
with the AEC Polygon style type selected, right-click, and choose Purge
from the shortcut menu.

A confirmation dialog box with the styles that you selected to purge is displayed.
3 Click OK to purge the styles.

NOTE To display the confirmation dialog box only when you press the
SHIFT key as you purge the styles, select Only Show this Confirmation Dialog
When the Shift Key is Down.
4 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Importing an AEC Polygon Style

You can copy AEC Polygon styles from an existing drawing and use them in
your current drawing. You can manage your object styles more efficiently by
storing them in a single drawing or template and copying them into new
drawings.
To import an AEC Polygon style
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC Polygon style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the drawing that contains the style that you want to copy to your current drawing.
3 Select the drawing with the style that you want to copy, and click Open.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the AEC Polygon style type.
4 Click the plus sign (+) next to AEC Polygon Styles to display the AEC Polygon styles in the drawing.

Working with AEC Polygon Styles

1683

5 Select the AEC Polygon style that you want to copy, and choose Edit
Copy.
6 Select the current drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the current drawing. If the current drawing already
contains a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in
the Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
7 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting an AEC Polygon Style to a New

Drawing
You can copy AEC Polygon styles from your current drawing to a new
drawing.
To export an AEC Polygon style to a new drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC Polygon style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File New drawing to create the new drawing to copy the style to.
3 Type a name for the new drawing, and click Save.
The new drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display
only the AEC Polygon style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the new
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the new drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied to the new drawing.

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6 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Exporting AEC Polygon Styles to an Existing

Drawing
You can copy AEC Polygon styles from your current drawing to another
drawing.
To export an AEC Polygon style to an existing drawing
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed, with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon styles in the current drawing are displayed
under the AEC Polygon style type. All other style and definition types are
filtered out in the tree view.
2 In the Style Manager, choose File Open drawing to browse for the existing drawing that you want to copy the style to.
3 Select the drawing that you want to copy the style to, and click Open.
The drawing opens in the Style Manager tree view, filtered to display only
the AEC Polygon style type.
4 Select the style in the current drawing that you want to copy to the other
drawing, and choose Edit Copy.
5 Select the second drawing, and choose Edit Paste.
The style is copied into the other drawing. If the drawing already contains
a style with the same name, the duplicate names are displayed in the
Import/Export - Duplicate Names Found dialog box.
6 To resolve any duplicate style names, select one of the following options:

To not replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style of
the same name, select Leave Existing.
To replace the existing style in the drawing with the new style, select
Overwrite Existing.
To rename the new style so both styles exist in the drawing, select
Rename to Unique. New style names are appended with a numeral in
the Style Manager.

7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Working with AEC Polygon Styles

1685

Changing AEC Polygon Style Properties

The style properties of an AEC Polygon style store the settings for that style.
In the style properties of an AEC Polygon style, you can attach notes, descriptions, or a reference files to the AEC Polygon style, set the width and justification of the AEC Polygon edges, and control the display of an AEC Polygon
by style.

Changing the AEC Polygon Style Notes,

Descriptions, or Reference Files
To add a description or note to an AEC Polygon, or attach, edit, or detach a
reference file
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the AEC Polygon style type, select the AEC Polygon Style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the AEC Polygon Style Properties dialog box, click the Model tab.
4 To add a description to the AEC Polygon, type it in the Description field.
5 To add a note to the AEC Polygon, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference
file, click Notes.
6 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
7 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 To attach or edit schedule data, click Property Sets. For more information,
see Attaching Schedule Data and Editing Schedule Data in the online
Autodesk Architectural Desktop Users Guide.

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9 When you finish changing the AEC Polygon style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
10 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Width and Justification of the AEC

Polygon Edges
You can change the width and justification of the edges of an AEC Polygon
in the AEC Polygon style. The justification of the edges determines whether
the edges are displayed inside, outside, or centered on the vertices of the AEC
Polygon.
To change the AEC Polygon edge width and justification
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view.
2 Under the AEC Polygon style type, select the AEC Polygon Style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the AEC Polygon Style Properties dialog box, click the Dimensions tab.
4 To change the width of the AEC Polygon edges, type a new value for the
Edge Width.
5 To change justification of the AEC Polygon edges, change the option in
the Justification list.

Center: Displays the edges of the AEC Polygon centered with its vertices.
In: Displays the edges inside the AEC Polygon vertices.
Out: Displays the edges outside of the AEC Polygon vertices.

6 When you finish changing the AEC Polygon style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
7 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the AEC Polygon Style Display

Properties
You can control how an AEC Polygon is displayed in your drawing.
AEC Polygons have two display representations that you can use, Model and

Changing AEC Polygon Style Properties

1687

True Color, depending on whether they are included in the display configuration applied to the current viewport.
The Model display representation allows you to control the display of the
edges and interior of an AEC Polygon. You can control whether or not the
interior and exterior edges of the AEC Polygon are displayed, and whether
the edges are hatched. You can also hatch the interior of the AEC Polygon
within the Model display representation.
The True Color display representation allows you to add solid fills to the
edges and interior of an AEC Polygon. Apply the True Color representation
to AEC Polygons to create two color panels for curtain walls.
A general feature of the display system is that it allows you to assign display
properties to a single object, to all objects of the same type (for example, all
AEC Polygons), or to all objects of one type and one style (for example, all
AEC Polygons with the Standard style.)
To change the AEC Polygon style display properties
1 From the Desktop menu, choose AEC Polygon AEC Polygon Styles.
The Style Manager is displayed with the current drawing expanded in the
tree view. The AEC Polygon style type is selected within the current drawing, and all other style types are filtered out in the tree view
2 Under the AEC Polygon style type, select the AEC Polygon style that you
want to change, right-click, and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
3 In the AEC Polygon Style Properties dialog box, click the Display Props
tab.
4 From the list at the top of the dialog box, select the Model or True Color
display representation to use to display the AEC Polygon.
5 Optionally, select the Model or True Color display representation for the
AEC Polygon style from the list.
The display representation set in the current viewport is marked with an
asterisk.
6 Do any of the following:

Select the AEC Polygon style from the property source, and click Attach
Override to change how the object is displayed in the current viewport
in the drawing.

NOTE You can either select Attach Override or click in the Attached column
to attach an override. Attach Override is available only when you select a
property source that is attached to the display representation.

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The System Default is the default display representation. When a Display

Contribution is overridden, a red X and the word Overridden are
displayed in the list.

Click Remove Override to reset the display representation to the next

property source in the list.
Click Edit Display Properties to change the display of the AEC Polygon
style in the display representation that you selected. To edit either the
Model or True Color display representation, see Changing the Model
Display Representation of an AEC Polygon on page 1689, and
Changing the True Color Display Representation of an AEC Polygon
on page 1690. These changes are set only for the AEC Polygon style.

7 When you finish changing the AEC Polygon style properties, click OK to
return to the Style Manager.
8 Click Apply to save your changes and continue working in the Style Manager, or click OK to save your changes and exit the Style Manager.

Changing the Model Display Representation of an AEC Polygon

To change the model display representation of an AEC Polygon
1 In the Entity Properties dialog box, click the Layer/Color/Linetype tab.
The following components of the AEC Polygon in its Model display
representation display:

Interior Edge: Inner edge of an AEC Polygon

Exterior Edge: Outer edge of an AEC Polygon
Interior Fill: Inner fill of an AEC Polygon
Exterior Fill: Outer fill of an AEC Polygon
Interior Hatch: Inner hatching of an AEC Polygon
Edge Hatch: Inner hatching of the edges of an AEC Polygon

2 For each component, click the visibility, layer, and linetype characteristics
that you want to change.
3 To set the hatch pattern for the interior hatch and edge hatch, turn visibility on for the Interior Hatch and Edge Hatch. Then click the Hatching
tab.
4 In the Hatch Pattern dialog box, select the type of hatch for Interior Hatch
and Edge Hatch.

If you select Predefined in the Type field, select a pattern from the Pattern Name list.

Changing AEC Polygon Style Properties

1689

If you select Custom in the Type field, type the custom pattern name
in the Custom Pattern box.
If you select User-Defined in the Type field, turn Double Hatch on or
off.

5 Click OK.
6 Click the Scale/Spacing list to change the value for the selected
component.
7 Click the Angle list to type a new angle for the hatch pattern.
8 Click the Orientation field to change from making the change global or
for the selected object.
9 Click OK to save the changes and exit each dialog box.

Changing the True Color Display Representation of an AEC

Polygon
1 In the Entity Properties dialog box, on the Fill Properties tab, do any of the
following:

To fill the edges of the AEC Polygon with a solid color fill, select Edge
Fill, and choose a color for the fill from the Edge Color list.
To fill the interior of the AEC Polygon with a solid color fill, select Interior Fill, and choose a color for the fill from the Interior Color list.

2 Click OK to save the changes and exit each dialog box.

Rendering the Exact Colors of an AEC

Polygon by Defeating Lighting and Shading
Effects
Occasionally, you may want to display the exact colors of an AEC Polygon
on screen after you render it, without any lighting or shading effects.
Complete the following steps before you render an AEC Polygon to defeat the
lighting and shading effects usually calculated when rendering.

NOTE Most users probably do not need to display AEC Polygons in this
manner.

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To defeat lighting and shading effects

1 Change the 3D Graphics System Display properties.

From the Tools menu, choose Options.

Click the System tab.
Under Current 3D Graphics Display, click Properties.
In the 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box, select Render
Options and Enable Lights.
Click Apply & Close to exit the 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box. Click OK to exit the Options dialog box.

2 Change the ambient light intensity and create a new distant light.

From the View menu, choose Render Light.

In the Lights dialog box, under Ambient Light, type 1.0 for the Intensity.
Select a Distant Light from the list, and click New.
In the New Distant Light dialog box, type a name for the new light.
Type 0.0 for Intensity.
Under Color, set Red, Green, and Blue to 0.0.

NOTE Do not define any additional lights. Delete any existing lights other
than the new distant light.

Click OK to exit the both dialog boxes.

Modify the global rendering material.

From the View menu, choose Render Materials.

In the Materials dialog box, under Materials, select *Global*, and click
Modify.
In the Modify Standard Material dialog box, select Color/Pattern and
type 1.0 for the Value.
Select Ambient, and type 1.0 for the Value.
Select Reflection, and type 1.0 for the Value.
Click OK to exit both dialog boxes.

Now the RENDER and SHADEMODE settings match. When you render an
AEC Polygon (or any other object), the AEC Polygon renders in the original object color or colors with no shading or lighting effects.

Rendering the Exact Colors of an AEC Polygon by Defeating Lighting and Shading

AEC Polygon Command List

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with
polygon selected)

AecPolygon

1692

Add AEC Polygon...

AecPolygonAdd

Modify AEC Polygon...

AecPolygonModify

Convert to AEC
Polygon...

AecPolygonConvert

AEC Polygon Styles...

AecPolygonStyle

AEC Polygon Modify...

AecPolygonStyleEdit

Edit AEC Polygon Style...

AecPolygonProperties

Aec Polygon Properties...

Divide

AecPolygonOpDivide

Operation Divide

Join

AecPolygonOpJoin

Operation Join

Subtract

AecPolygonOpSubtract

Operation Subtract

Intersect

AecPolygonOpIntersect

Operation Intersect

Trim

AecPolygonOpTrim

Operation Trim

Add Vertex

AecPolygonAddVertex

Vertex Add Vertex

Rermove Vertex

AecPolygonRemoveVerte
x

Vertex Remove Vertex

Chapter 48

AEC Polygons

AEC Utilities

49

The Utilities commands are tools that you can use to

In this chapter

work with the AEC objects in your drawing.

Notes
Quick Slice command
Referencing AEC objects
Hidden line projection
AEC Object Explode

1693

Using Utilities
The Utilities commands are tools that you can use to work with the
AEC objects in your drawing. The Utilities commands, Notes, Object Viewer,
Quick Slice, Reference AEC Objects, Hidden Line Projection and Explode AEC
Options, do not create any new AEC objects.
Use the different Utilities commands to:

Create a quick slice through an object or objects in your drawing. The

Quick Slice command extracts a polyline from objects that you can use to
create profile shapes.
Create reference copies of AEC objects that are updated automatically
when you change the original object. You can use the Reference
AEC Objects command to add identical objects, such as columns, to your
drawing.
Create flat 2D projections with hidden background lines from a 3D view
of objects in your drawing. The Hidden Line Projection command produces quick sections and elevations of objects in your drawings that are
not updated automatically when you make changes to your 3D model.

Notes
You can attach notes and reference documents to an object.
To attach notes and reference documents to an object
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Notes.
2 Select an object to attach a note or reference document to.
3 In the Notes dialog box, type the note on the Text Notes tab.
4 To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab, and
do any of the following:

1694

To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Docs dialog
box. To edit the file itself, double-click the reference file name to start
its application. If the reference file is an AutoCAD drawing, you must
exit the Modify command for the reference drawing to open.

Chapter 49 AEC Utilities

To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list and click
Delete.

5 Click OK to save your changes and exit the Notes dialog box.

Quick Slice
You can use the Quick Slice command to extract a polyline outline of a slice
through one or more 3D objects. The Quick Slice command generates a plane
that slices through objects to produce a single polyline on the current layer
rather than the several polyline segments that section objects and slice
objects produce. Unlike slices created with the Generate Slice command, a
quick slice does not have a slice marker. For more information about the
Generate Slice command, see Generating a Slice on page 270.
For example, if you have a 3D model of stairs in your current drawing, you
can use a quick slice to create a polyline outline of the stair in a section view
instead of using the section object. You can use the Quick Slice command to
produce profile shapes, such as roof trusses, or to slice through mass groups.
You can also slice through both AutoCAD blocks and xrefs. For more information about section views, see Creating 2D and 3D Sections on page
1380.
You can create a quick slice through any 3D object or objects in your
drawing.
To create a quick slice through one or more objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Quick Slice.
2 Select one or more objects that you want to slice through, and press
ENTER.
3 Specify a starting point for the slice plane.
4 Specify a second point to complete a slice plane through the objects.
The slice plane creates profiles from the objects that you sliced through.
Any overlapping parts of the profiles are combined in a Boolean operation
and converted into a polyline that is inserted on the current layer. You can
select the quick slice and then open the Object Viewer to view the slice
polyline.

Quick Slice

1695

Referencing AEC Objects

The objects that you can create reference objects from include all AEC objects
and AutoCAD polylines. These reference objects are automatically updated
when you change the original object. When you select an object to reference,
you must specify a point on the original object as an insertion point for the
marker of the reference object. A reference marker is displayed in the drawing to mark the insertion point.
You can place the reference object in the drawing at any location or rotation
angle. The distance between the reference object and the reference marker
remains equal to the distance between the original object and the insertion
point specified. You can change this distance by specifying a new insertion
point at a new location in relation to the original object.
When you change the properties of the original object or edit it with grips,
the reference object reflects the changes. For example, if you want to add custom-shaped mass elements to a drawing, then you can add one mass element
and reference it. If you make changes to the original, the reference object is
updated.

Adding a Reference to an Object

To add a reference to an object
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Reference AEC Objects.
2 The following prompt is displayed:
ADd/Properties/Insertion point/ATtach:

3 Type ad (Add).
4 Select the object that you want to reference.
5 Specify a point on the original object to use as the insertion point for the
reference object marker.
6 Specify a location for the reference object in the drawing.
The distance between the reference object and the reference marker is
equal to the distance between the original object and the insertion point
that you specified in step 4.
7 Type a rotation angle for the reference object, or press ENTER for zero
rotation.
The reference object and reference mark are placed in the drawing at the
specified location and rotation angle. If you edit the original object, the
same changes are made to the reference object.

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Attaching Notes or Files to an Entity Reference

To attach notes or files to an entity reference
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Reference AEC Objects.
2 The following prompt is displayed:
ADd/Properties/Insertion point/ATtach:

3 Type p (Properties) and select an entity reference.

4 In the Entity Reference Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
5 To add a description to the entity reference, type it in the Description
field.
6 To add a note to the entity reference, or to attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click Notes.
7 In the Notes dialog box, to add a note, type the note on the Text Notes tab.

To attach, edit, or detach a reference file, click the Reference Docs tab,
and do any of the following:
To attach a reference file, click Add, select a document in the Select File
dialog box, and click OK. You can type a description of the reference
file on the Reference Docs tab.
To edit a reference file, select the file name in the list, click Edit, and
change the document or the description in the Reference Document
dialog box. To edit the file, double-click the reference file name to start
its application.
To detach a reference file, select the file name in the list, and click
Delete.

8 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Location Properties of an Entity

Reference
You can relocate an existing reference object by changing the coordinate values of its insertion point. The reference object also has an orientation with
respect to the world coordinate system (WCS) or the current user coordinate
system (UCS). For example, if the top and bottom of the reference object are
parallel to the XY plane, its normal is parallel to the Z axis. You can change
the orientation of the reference object by aligning its normal with another
axis. You can also rotate the reference object on its plane by changing the
rotation angle.

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For more information about the world coordinate system and the user coordinate system, see Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems in the online
AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To change the location properties of an entity reference
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Reference AEC Objects.
2 The following prompt is displayed:
ADd/Properties/Insertion point/ATtach:

3 Type p (Properties) and select an entity reference.

4 In the Entity Reference Properties dialog box, click the Location tab.
5 Do any of the following:

To relocate the reference object, change coordinate values under Insertion Point.
To reorient the reference object, change the axis to which the normal
is parallel. To locate the reference object on the XY plane, make the
normal of the reference object parallel to the Z axis: under Normal,
type 1 in the Z box, and type 0 in the X and Y boxes. To locate the reference object on the YZ plane, type 1 in the X box and type 0 in the X
and Z boxes.
To change the rotation of the reference object, type a new value for
Rotation Angle.

6 Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Changing the Insertion Point of a Reference

Object
To change the insertion point of a reference object
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Reference AEC Objects.
2 The following prompt is displayed:
ADd/Properties/Insertion point/ATtach:

3 Type i (Insertion Point).

4 Select the reference marker, and then press ENTER.
5 Specify a new insertion point for the object in relation to the original
object.
The insertion point of the referenced object is updated in your drawing.

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Attaching an Object to an Existing Reference

To attach an object to an existing reference
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Reference AEC Objects.
The following prompt is displayed:
ADd/Properties/Insertion point/ATtach:

2 Type at (Attach).
3 Select the reference marker that you want to use.
4 Select the new object that you want to use to replace the referenced object.
The new reference object replaces the former reference object. The original object is unchanged.

Hidden Line Projection

You can quickly create a 2D graphic from a 3D view of one or more objects
in your drawing. The 2D graphic that you create is a flattened representation
of the objects in the current 3D view, with hidden background lines. Use the
Hidden Line Projection command to create quick 2D elevations and sections.
After you create an elevation or section hidden line projection, you can
hatch or shade the cut areas. You can also use hidden line projections to create detail drawings. For more information about creating elevations and sections, see Creating 2D and 3D Elevations on page 1344 and Creating 2D
and 3D Sections on page 1380.
When you create hidden line projections, the 3D objects that you select are
copied and collected into a unnamed (also called anonymous) 2D block. The
unnamed block can be placed in your drawing parallel to the XY plane or in
the current 3D view. You can edit or explode the inserted block. If you want
to insert the block in another drawing as a named block, define the block.
For more information about inserting blocks, see Insert Blocks in the
online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.

NOTE Your 2D hidden line projections are not dynamically linked to the
objects in the 3D view. Therefore, if you edit the original object or objects in
3D view, the 2D graphic does not change. You must edit or re-create the
2D hidden line projection to reflect any changes that you make to the original
objects.

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To create a hidden line projection of objects in a 3D view

1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Hidden Line Projection.
2 Select one or more objects in the current 3D view that you want to use to
create your hidden line projection, and press ENTER.
3 The 3D object or objects that you selected are copied and collected into a
2D AutoCAD block.
4 Specify an insertion point in your current drawing for the 2D hidden line
projection.
The following prompt is displayed:
Insert in plan view [Yes/No] <Y>:

5 Insert the 2D hidden line projection into your drawing, do one of the
following:

Press ENTER to insert the 2D block parallel to the XY plane.

Type n (No) to leave the 2D block in the current view.

Depending on the insertion option that you select, the 2D hidden line
projection block is displayed in your drawing parallel to the XY plane or
in the current 3D view. You can use standard AutoCAD commands to
explode, edit, or define it.

AEC Object Explode

You can convert or explode AEC objects from Architectural Desktop (ADT)
into AutoCAD primitive entities such as lines, arcs, and 3D faces. This may
be helpful when exchanging drawings with another person who wants to
work on a copy of the drawing using only the primitive entities. There are
two other methods for sharing drawings with those who are not using ADT
that you should try before relying on this method. Those methods are:
1 The non-ADT user installs the AEC Object Enabler. This method keeps the
drawing in its original form and allows the non-ADT user to view the
drawing exactly as you created it. In addition, the AEC Object Enabler
allows them to query the live objects and to make slight editing modifications. The AEC Object Enabler is available for free from both the Architectural Desktop Installation CD-ROM and from the Autodesk Web site. It
is recommended to use this method to share ADT drawings with non-ADT
users.
2 Turn on Proxy graphics before saving and sending the file to the user not
using ADT. Proxy graphics store the last viewed image of AEC objects and

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are used in the absence of the AEC Object Enabler. Proxy graphics allow
the non-ADT user to view your drawing without modifying the original
objects. The limitation of Proxy graphics is that it can only store one display representation of the objects. When you save the file, Proxy graphics
are generated for only the current active viewport. For example, if you
have a drawing with both a Plan and a Model viewport, the drawing with
Proxy graphics has two viewports with the same graphics in it.
If you find that neither of these preferred methods solve the problem for
your particular situation, you can convert the ADT objects to primitive
AutoCAD entities. However, once converted, there is no way to convert
the primitive entities back into ADT objects.

IMPORTANT It is recommended that you always convert the objects in a

copy of the original file.

Using AEC Object Explode

To explode AEC objects
1 From the Desktop menu, choose Utilities Explode AEC Objects.
2 From the Explode AEC Objects dialog box, select whether to explode
AEC objects to primitive graphics or not.
Clear this option when you want to erase only the AEC objects without
actually producing any new AutoCAD primitive entities. This is useful
when youve selectively exploded a few of the AEC objects and now want
to clean out any of the AEC style definitions, display representations, or
other AEC objects. When this option is not selected, no graphics are produced from the original AEC objects.
3 If Explode AEC Objects To Primitive Graphics is set on, select the viewport
to use.
Because AEC objects support multiple display representations, you must
decide whether to explode to multiple sets of AutoCAD primitives or not.

If you are not using paper space viewports (MVIEWs), then your only
choice is to use the current viewport (Current View). Note that this
only produces one display representation of the AEC objects.
If you are using multiple viewports in paper space layouts, choosing All
Layouts explodes a different set of graphics for each viewport in each
layout. Because AutoCAD primitive entities cannot change their graphics based on the viewport, the resulting, exploded objects are mapped

AEC Object Explode

1701

to layers, some of which are frozen in some viewports and not in others. For more information, see Viewport Layer Mapping.

NOTE If you have no paper space viewports (MVIEWs) in your drawing and
you choose All Layouts, you end up with a single representation in your output file (from the active model space viewport). If you are working strictly
from the Model layout tab, the Current View option should be used.
4 The Re-use Existing Layer and Block Names option is only applicable
when you are exploding to All Layouts, where viewport layer mapping is
in effect. The first time you convert a file, layer and block names are automatically produced to hold the resulting AutoCAD primitive entities. If
you were to later convert that same converted file again, the same names
would be produced again, which may or may not be the desired behavior.
If your goal is to preserve the exact appearance of the graphics currently
on screen, then the best option is to not re-use existing names. If, however, your goal is to minimize the number of layers and block definitions
produced, you should select this option. However, selecting this does not
ensure that the resulting graphics will have the exact appearance that they
currently have. For more information, see Viewport Layer Mapping.
5 Xrefs present a bit of a problem when trying to explode the AEC objects.
This is because an object display is dependent on the viewport it is currently being drawn in, which is in a different drawing file than the object.
If your goal is to produce the exact graphics that are currently on the
screen, then it is recommended that you use Bind Xref in the output file
before the conversion. The option ensures correct graphic output, but it
may be undesirable when you need to keep the files split up into different
xref drawings. For more information, see Working With External References (Xrefs).
You can choose to use either the Bind or Insert type of xref binding. This
option is only available when the current drawing has one or more xrefs
attached.
6 If you turn on Explode to Anonymous Blocks, then each object explodes
its graphics into a container block that keeps the primitive entities packaged together. If you have Maintain Resolved Layer, Color, Linetype
turned off also, then the properties and structure of the entities are exactly
what they were when they were objectified as ADT objects. However, if
you have Explode To Anonymous Blocks turned off, then the primitives
for all exploded objects go directly into the destination block space and
are directly accessible as line, arc, and circle and other non-AEC entities.
If you do this, it is advisable to also select Maintain Resolved Layer, Color,
Linetype. If you do not, the visual appearance of the objects could change

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drastically due to the fact that the entities set to BYBLOCK will no longer
be inheriting Layer, Color, and Linetype from their parent container
object.
7 Turn on Maintain Resolved Layer, Color, Linetype when you are more
concerned with keeping exact visual appearance than you are with keeping the same structure as the original objects. If you have selected Explode
To Anonymous Blocks, then you can safely leave Maintain Resolved Layer,
Color, Linetype off and still get the same appearance. However, if you then
explode those anonymous blocks again, then the visual appearance will
change due to the fact that some entities will be set to BYBLOCK, but will
no longer be inheriting from their parent container block.
8 Turn on Erase AEC Objects when you want to erase the AEC objects from
the drawing when you are through with the conversion. Under normal
conditions you will want this selected.
9 Select Shorten Symbol Names for R14 Compatibility when the converted
drawing is going to be used in an AutoCAD R14-based program, such as
AutoCAD Architectural Desktop R1 When this option is on, you can set
the desired maximum length for symbol names from 20 to 31. Use a
shorter length when this drawing is to be attached as an xref to another
drawing. For example, if the maximum length were set to 20, the block
I_CASE_CORNER_WALL 30IN HIGH_F would be renamed
I_CASE_CORNER_WALL~1. If you require more control over the final
names, use the RENAME command.

NOTE You can also use Shorten Symbol Names for R14 Compatibility without doing anything to AEC Objects. If you select this option, but Explode
AEC Objects To Primitive Graphics and Erase AEC Objects are not selected,
then the AEC objects remain unchanged, and all existing symbol names are
shortened to the selected length.
10 Select Display Status Messages when you want to receive messages at the
command line showing progress during the conversion and the items
were exploded and erased.

NOTE Because of limitations in the number of lines that can be viewed in

the command window, you may need to turn the Maintain a log file option
on to see all resulting messages. From the Tools menu, choose Options, then
click the Open and Save tab. Select the Maintain a log file option under File
Safety Precautions.
11 Click OK to explode AEC objects using the values that you set.

AEC Object Explode

1703

Viewport Layer Mapping

AEC objects have the ability to display themselves differently in each viewport. When AEC objects are exploded into AutoCAD primitive entities, each
display representation must create a different set of primitives. For each viewport, a new layer and a new block definition are created to hold all exploded
entities. A block reference (INSERT) to this definition is also created and
placed on the given layer. For the given viewport, all layers created for other
viewports are then frozen so that only the graphics for the display representation that was originally visible remain visible.
For a given layout tab, the following block definitions are created:
AecObjExplode_LayoutName_PspaceBlock containing AEC objects in
paper space
AecObjExplode_LayoutName_Vport_VportHandle1Block containing AEC
objects from MVIEW 1
AecObjExplode_LayoutName_Vport_VportHandle2Block containing AEC
objects from MVIEW 2

AecObjExplode_LayoutName_Vport_VportHandleN

LayoutName is filled in with the name of the specific layout tab, and
VportHandle# is filled out with the unique AutoCAD entity handle for that
specific viewport.

NOTE To determine the handle for a viewport, type list at the command line
and select the viewport boundary. The handle is a hexadecimal number, such as
4D2A.
A layer is also created with the same names so that the blocks that do not
apply to that viewport can be on a frozen layer, and thus not visible.
The template used to generate the block and layer names is stored in the
Win32 Registry under the key:
//HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Autodesk/AutoCAD/R15.0/ACAD-4:409/
AEC
/AecObjExplode/Preferences

You can change these templates to be another character string, but it still
must contain the %!1s! format specifiers that are currently present. These
format specifiers are filled in by the layout name and the viewport handle
number.

NOTE When in the Model Layout tab (TILEMODE=1), all representations are
visible at the same time. This is because there is no way to freeze a layer in a tiled
viewport without freezing it in all PaperSpace viewports. However, you can

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freeze all but one of the viewport layers to get the desired representation.

Working With External References (Xrefs)

Exploding AEC objects into primitive AutoCAD entities is a bit of a challenge
when you do not use the Automatically Bind Xrefs option. This is because
objects in xrefs actually belong to a different drawing file than the one that
they are currently being viewed in. There are two methods you can use to
convert the xrefd files.
1 Use the Bind Xrefs option. This performs an Xref Bind on all xrefs before
beginning the conversion process. This option ensures that the converted
drawings visual appearance remains the same as the original. However,
this also results in the xrefd files becoming part of the converted drawing.
2 Run the Explode AEC Objects command on each of the xrefd files first,
before running it on the host file. This also requires you to re-identify
all converted xrefs when you have changed their name by specifying a different output file.

NOTE First copy all the parent and all xref drawing files. Then open the parent drawing, and use the Xref Manager to change the Saved Path for each
Xref. Select them one at a time, and change each file name in the Xref Found
At edit box. Finally, open, explode and save each of the drawings.
You should only choose this method when keeping the drawing as separate xrefs is mandatory. Also, in some cases you may not get the exact
same graphics. This is because objects in the xrefd file display themselves
based on the display configuration in effect for a given viewport in the
host drawing. However, when the xrefd file is converted, the objects only
know about viewports from their own drawing. If the same display configuration is not used in both drawings, the graphic output when converted to AutoCAD primitives may be different.
For example, if the xref drawing only has a single viewport that shows the
plan representation, but both plan and model representations are used in
the host file, exploding the files separately gives you only the plan representation in the final file. If the xref files have multiple representations,
you need to turn off one or more xref viewport layers in the host drawing to get the appropriate representations in each viewport.

AEC Object Explode

1705

Utilities Command List

Menu command

Command line

Right-click (with object selected)

Notes

Notes

Notes...

Object Viewer...

ObjectViewer

Object Viewer...

Quick Slice

QuickSlice

Reference AEC Objects...

EntRef

Hidden Line Projection

CreateHLR

Explode AEC Objects

ObjExplode

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Chapter 49 AEC Utilities

IFC

50

The Industry Foundation Class (IFC) commands are

In this chapter

tools that you can use to import from and export data

Industry Foundation Class

to an IFC file to be used in other CAD systems.

1707

Industry Foundation Class

You can build intelligent objects from building models created in other CAD
systems by using the IFC Import and Export commands. You can import
from and export data to an Industry Foundation Class (IFC) file.
With the IFC Import/Export commands, you can transform model data
created in other CAD systems into objects, ready for editing with
Architectural Desktop. Data from the IFC file is converted into walls, doors,
and windows, not lines, arcs, and circles, preserving the intent of the design
and drastically simplifying editing and manipulation. You control what
objects to import and export.
By reading an IFC file, every IFC object which is covered by an Architectural
Desktop object is mapped into a corresponding IFC object. All other information is stored in memory. By writing an IFC file, both the Architectural
Desktop object (held in the drawing file) and the information held in memory is collected together, providing a round trip in an AutoCAD session.
When you close the drawing you save the additive information, writing the
IFC file again. If the information in memory does not exist, the IFC file will
be written out properly, but different than the original file in that the IFC
specific data will not be present.

NOTE The supported IFC version is 1.5.1.

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IFC import/export data flow

There are three different cases for objects matching to IFC objects.
1 AEC objects that have corresponding IFC objects. These are matched up.
2 AEC objects that dont have corresponding IFC objects. These become IFC
proxy objects when exported and follow the IFC classification as mass elements when imported. The geometry is preserved, but the object type and
properties are lost.
3 IFC objects that dont have corresponding AEC objects. These are
imported as AEC mass elements with an IFC classification and exported as
real IFC objects again. No IFC information is lost.
For more detailed information about IFC procedures, see IFC Utility
Overview in AutoCAD Architectural Desktop online Help.

Industry Foundation Class

1709

IFC Command List

1710

Menu Command

Command Line

Import...

IfcImport

Export...

IfcExport

Purge

IfcPurge

Classification...

IfcClassification

Settings...

IfcSettings

Chapter 50 IFC

Right-click

Publish to Autodesk
Architectural Studio

51

You can publish floor plans, sections, elevations, and

In this chapter

other building model views to Autodesk Architectural

Working with Autodesk

Architectural Studio

Studio in Drawing Web Format (DWF). Autodesk Architectural Studio is an Internet-based conceptual design

Publishing layouts to Autodesk

Architectural Studio

and collaboration environment designed to replicate a

designers desktop.
Any view on a layout tab of an Architectural Desktop
drawing can be published to Architectural Studio, where
you can use the Architectural Studio conceptual design,
sketching, modeling, and presentation tools to work
with your published Architectural Desktop designs.

1711

Working with Autodesk Architectural Studio

You can publish Autodesk Architectural Desktop building model views to
Autodesk Architectural Studio. Architectural Studio is an Internet-based conceptual design environment designed to replicate a designers desktop. You
can use pen-based input devices to use the Architectural Studio sketching,
conceptual, modeling, and presentation tools with your Architectural Desktop designs.
For example, a designer could publish an Architectural Desktop floor plan to
Architectural Studio, where a project architect could mark changes with the
sketching tools in Architectural Studio.
You can also export Architectural Studio files to Architectural Desktop. Threedimensional conceptual models from Architectural Studio can be imported
into Architectural Desktop, where building models can take shape. 3D solids
in your Architectural Studio drawings are imported to Architectural Desktop
as Free Form mass elements. For more information, see the Architectural Studio Help system.

Publishing Layouts to Autodesk Architectural

Studio
When you publish a view of an Architectural Desktop building model to
Architectural Studio, you use a plotter configuration file (PC3) to electronically plot your designs to Architectural Studio in Drawing to Web Format
(DWF). Any layout in an Architectural Desktop drawing can be published to
Architectural Studio.

NOTE Because DWF files are 2D vector files, 3D views are published to Architectural Studio as 2D line drawings. Any views that are currently using AutoCAD
SHADE or RENDER will not be displayed as shaded or rendered in Architectural
Studio.
For more information about DWF, see Overview of Using the Drawing Web
Format (DWF) in the online AutoCAD 2002 Users Guide.
To publish layouts to Autodesk Architectural Studio
1 Start Architectural Studio.
Architectural Studio must be running to publish an Architectural Desktop
layout.

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Publish to Autodesk Architectural Studio

2 In Architectural Desktop, select the layout tab in the drawing with the
view that you want to publish.
3 From the File menu, choose Page Setup and click the Plot Device tab.
4 On the Plot Device tab, under Plot configuration, select a DWF plotter
configuration from the Name list.
5 Click the Layout Settings tab and set the size, orientation, plot scale, plot
area, and plot options for the layout.
For more information, see Setup a Layout in the online AutoCAD 2002
Users Guide.
6 Click OK to exit the Page Setup dialog box.
7 In Architectural Desktop, from the Desktop menu, choose Publish to
Architectural Studio.
8 Click OK to publish the layout to Architectural Studio. A meter displays
the plot progress to Architectural Studio.
After the Architectural Desktop layout is published to Architectural Studio, it
displays in Architectural Studio, where you can begin working with it.

Working with Autodesk Architectural Studio

1713

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Chapter 51

Publish to Autodesk Architectural Studio

Glossary

additive 1. To expand the volume of a mass group by joining one or more mass elements with it. 2. A Boolean operation that manages 3D objects as true solids. See Boolean.
AEC content Content, such as architectural symbols, object styles, and annotation
routines unique to Architectural Desktop, that you can access in the Custom view in
AutoCAD DesignCenter. See AutoCAD DesignCenter.
AEC Object Enabler A distributable utility which allows users without Autodesk
AEC applications to use Autodesk AEC objects in AutoCAD 2000, Volo View Express,
AutoCAD Map 2000, and 3D Studio VIZ 3.0.
AEC profile Outline to delineate custom elements, such as openings or extrusions.
Profiles can be created from one or more closed polylines and may contain voids.
AIA American Institute of Architects
anchor 1. A feature that creates a relationship between two objects. 2. To fasten, or
anchor, an object to another object. The anchored objects movement and/or size is
constrained by the object to which it is anchored.
annotation Text, dimensions, symbols, or reference marks. For example, Architectural Desktop annotation includes break marks, leaders, bar scales, revision clouds,
detail boundaries, elevation marks, and arrows.
apply To put to specific use. For example, after making changes in a dialog box, click
Apply to execute and view the changes.
attach To establish a relationship between two objects, for example, between a mass
element and a mass group, or between a mass group and a slice representing a floor
plate.
AutoCAD DesignCenter A window that is displayed in the drawing area from which
the user can use selection aids to find, load, and import drawings and drawing components. In the Custom view in AutoCAD DesignCenter, the user can choose AEC content from the hierarchical tree in the Architectural Desktop folder, and drag the content from the palette into an open drawing.
base curve A curve used to define particular drawing objects, such as lines, polylines,
arcs, mass elements, and walls. For example, the base curve of a wall is at its base elevation, located at the justification position (where left, right, center, or baseline grips
display). Many objects, such as doors, windows, or mvblocks, do not have a base curve
and must be used with the curve anchor or layout curve commands.

Glossary

1715

baseline An established, but imaginary line on which objects can rest. The baseline
of a wall establishes the line from which all component edge offsets are measured.
bay

In grid layouts, a regularly repeated spatial element defined by gridlines.

Boolean Type of action performed by mathematical operations (add, subtract, intersect) when 3D solid objects are combined. For example, mass elements perform Boolean operations when they join to make a mass group, and their common, or overlapping, areas combine.
boundary A delineation of an interior space which will later become a wall. Boundaries are created from spaces or drawn to enclose spaces. Spaces can be linked with
boundaries so that when either is changed, the correct relationship between boundary
and space is retained.
break mark Notation that signifies that an object has been broken, or has a piece
removed.
camera A display feature that correlates with adjusting the view of an object as if
looking through the lens of a camera.
ceiling grid A rectangular arrangement of parallel lines forming a pattern for laying
out ceiling tile and fixtures in a building.
cell An area within which an AEC object can be attached. Controls the width and
depth of the object, in addition to its position and rotation.
cell anchor A feature that fastens, or anchors, an object to the cell position of a 2D
or 3D layout object. The anchored objects movement and size is constrained by the
cell. See node anchor.
cleans up Joins appropriate parts of two different walls by lengthening, shortening,
or breaking lines that represent boundaries of the wall components.
clipping boundary A boundary which automatically adjusts the size of a ceiling grid
to fill a given area, such as a space.
column grids An arrangement, either rectangular or radial, of spaces, or bays, delineated with parallel or radial lines. At the line intersection points are column positions.
component A fundamental element of an object, such as the frame of a door, or the
hatching of a wall.
conceptual design phase Initial design phase of a building project, including mass
modeling and space planning. Sometimes also referred to as schematic design.
construction documents The working drawings, schedules, and specifications
required to construct a building. Also referred to as CDs.
construction documents phase
construction documents.

The phase during which the architect produces

Construction Specifications Institute (CSI): A professional association that provides technical information and products to the construction industry, such as the
five-digit MasterFormat numbering system used to organize one of the imperial content menus included with AutoCAD Architectural Desktop. See MasterFormat.
content User definable, pre-configured elements, which are provided with Architectural Desktop to aid in getting started on a project. Examples of supplied content are
templates, styles, and symbols.

1716

Glossary

CSI A professional association that provides technical information and products to

the construction industry, such as the five-digit MasterFormat numbering system used
to organize one of the imperial content menus included with AutoCAD Architectural
Desktop. See MasterFormat.
curve anchor A feature that fastens, or anchors, an object to the base curve of
another object. The anchored objects movement is constrained by the object it is
anchored to.
cut-plane The height at which an object is cut to produce the plan representation.
The cut-plane determines the position of the break mark in plan representation of a
stair and railing.
default

A predefined, or previous value for objects or parameters.

design content Generic blocks that represent real-world building components, such
as appliances, electrical fixtures, furniture, etc. Design content can be accessed from
the AEC DesignCenter.
design development phase The phase during which the architect develops the conceptual design into a completed building. Sometimes referred to as preliminary design.
detach To remove the relationship between two objects, for example, between a
mass element and a mass group or between a mass group and a slice representing a
floor plate.
detail mark Notation that references another drawing which contains a detail of the
original drawing.
direction dependent A condition where the display of an object is dependent on the
view direction. For example, a door might appear open in plan view, but closed in elevation view.
display configuration The arrangement of how objects are displayed in individual
viewports. Display configurations could be fixed view or direction-dependent view.
Each display configuration will have one or more display representation sets associated
with it.
display representation A level of display control in which the user can specify display settings for individual components of objects, such as layer, color, linetype, and
visibility display properties, to affect how a particular object is displayed.
display representation set A saved set of display representations, which can be associated with a display configuration. See display representation.
documentation Any output records of an architectural project, consisting of working drawings, specifications, schedules, and other information pertaining to the building.
edge offset The distance from the face of a component to a specific base line. For wall
components, the edge offset determines where the width of the component is measured from.
endcap A user definable end condition for the end of a free-standing wall or the vertical edges at a door or window opening.
entity reference An object that makes a reference to another object, and which will
update dynamically if the referenced object is altered. Entity references are similar to
blocks, except that their definitions must remain as objects in the drawing editor.

Glossary

1717

entref An object that makes a reference to another object, and which will update
dynamically if the referenced object is altered. Entity references are similar to blocks,
except that their definitions must remain as objects in the drawing editor.
extrusion
axis.

A custom mass element created by extruding a planar profile along the Z

Floating Viewer A separate window that displays objects with orbit commands.
intersect 1. To reduce the volume of a mass group to that which is shared with the
mass element creating a new region from the area common to two or more overlapping regions. 2. A Boolean operation that manages 3D objects as true solids. See Boolean.
layer keying A method of automatically placing objects in a specific layer as they are
drawn. A particular layer key (for example, WALL) can be assigned to any predefined
layer name (for example, A-WALL). This layer name is controlled by the current layer
key style.
layer key style

A set of layer keys with their associated layer names.

Layer Manager A utility used for grouping layers by industry standards or by userdefined designations.
layer snapshots

A combination of layer property settings that can be saved.

layer standard A pre-defined list of layer names or layer group names, and a set of
rules determining how new layer names are created.
layout curve A linear grid that attaches node points to an object with a base curve,
for example, walls, mass elements, and polylines.
layout mode
or manually.

A setting by which the nodes in a grid can be spaced evenly, repeatedly,

masking block A special block which can be used to mask the graphic display of part
of an object in a particular view. Masking blocks can add additional graphics over the
masked section.
mass element A primitive object representing a specific shape and having definable
parametric behaviors. Some Architectural Desktop mass elements shapes are gable,
arch, cone, column, and cylinder.
mass group A assemblage of mass elements combined in a specific order with Boolean (add, subtract, intersect) operations.
MasterFormat A system provided by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)
used to organize construction resources using a five-digit numbering system. See Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). One of the imperial content menus provided with AutoCAD Architectural Desktop uses the CSI MasterFormat system to organize its design content.
model

A two- or three-dimensional representation of one or more objects.

Model Explorer A separate display window that contains a hierarchical tree pane in
which the user can control the organization of mass groups and mass elements. It also
contains a preview pane in which the user can view and navigate drawing objects.
multi-view block (mvblock): A special Architectural Desktop block which can contain multiple AutoCAD blocks set to display differently in different views.

1718

Glossary

mvblock A special Architectural Desktop block which can contain multiple

AutoCAD blocks set to display differently in different views.
net to gross offset
area outline.

The distance between the net area outline of a space and the gross

node anchor A feature that fastens, or anchors, an object to the node position of an
object. The anchored objects movement is constrained by the other object. See cell
anchor.
nodes Points to which an AEC object can be attached. Controls the position and
rotation of the object.
object A collection of one or more graphical elements, such as lines, circles,
polylines, text, or dimensions, treated as a single element for creation, manipulation,
and modification. An Architectural Desktop object is a special entity with predefined
behavior and display characteristics.
object anchors 1. A feature that creates a relationship between two objects. 2. To fasten, or anchor, an object to another object. The anchored objects movement and/or
size is constrained by the object to which it is anchored.
Object Enabler A distributable utility which allows users without Autodesk AEC
applications to use Autodesk AEC objects in AutoCAD 2000, Volo View Express,
AutoCAD Map 2000, and 3D Studio VIZ 3.0.
Object Viewer A separate window that can display any drawing objects. You can
manipulate and view the objects with orbit commands.
operation A mass element property which determines how the mass element contributes its volume to a mass group. See Boolean.
orbit To navigate an object in a graphics display window, such as the Floating Viewer,
Object Viewer, or Model Explorer, with user-selected view geometry rotating around a
center axis. 3D orbit allows the user to inspect the object in real time. The user can
right-click to display a shortcut menu with more viewing options.
ortho close A special command, available when adding multiple walls and space
boundaries, which closes the defined space by automatically placing the last segment
perpendicular to the first. It is most useful when creating rectangular rooms.
priority The parameter which determines component cleanup at wall intersections.
The lower the priority number, the higher the priority. For example, a priority 1 component will extend through a priority 2 component at an intersection.
profile Outline to delineate custom elements, such as openings or extrusions. Profiles can be created from one or more closed polylines and may contain voids.
Quick Slice A plane generated from two selected points and an entity used to slice
through an AEC object, such as roof and mass groups. The resultant profile becomes a
polyline which is added to the current layer.
radial column grid A circular pattern of spaces, or bays, around a central axis point.
At the line intersection point of the bays are column positions.
rectangular column grid A pattern of spaces, or bays, delineated by lines at right
angles. At the line intersection points are column positions.

Glossary

1719

representation sets A saved set of display representations, which can be associated

with a display configuration.
schedule

A tabulation of data extracted from objects in the drawing.

schedule table The graphic representation, in tabular form, of schedule data

extracted from the drawing, and formatted based on rules set in a schedule table style.
schedule tag A special annotation tag, linked to a drawing object by a schedule
anchor, for the purpose of extracting schedule data, and displaying it on the drawing.
section 1. A representation of an object as it would appear if cut by an imaginary
plane, showing the internal structure. 2. A representation of a building, or portion
thereof, drawn as if it were cut vertically to show the interior.
section/elevation mark Notation used to designate where source objects are being
cut to generate a section/elevation view.
shrink wrap An outline that highlights only the outer cut-lines of wall segments at
the cut plane.
slice An object representing a horizontal section, or slice, through any collection of
AEC objects. Usually used to create floor plate footprints from a mass grouping.
slice elevation

The height at which the floor plate footprint outline is cut.

solid form A boundary segment type with user-defined width that is used to capture
preliminary wall information and to control space layout.
space boundaries A delineation of an interior space which will later become a wall.
Boundaries are created from spaces or drawn to enclose spaces. Spaces can be linked
with boundaries so that when either is changed, the correct relationship between
boundary and space is retained.
spaces Areas or sections in the interior of a building designated for specific use.
Spaces have a ceiling and floor boundaries, height, width, and length.
stair flight The stairs between landings, usually including any landing extensions,
excepting railing heights and automatic extensions.
stair run

The entire stair, from one floor to another, including landings.

stair walking path The defining path of a stair. Treads are generally perpendicular to
this polyline, except in the case of winder turn types. Stair edges may not intersect this
line. If the do, then a defect marker is displayed.
styles Group of preset characteristics assigned to an object that determine appearance and function.
sub-object An object which cannot exist independently of an AEC object, used to
attach two objects together, or otherwise to carry the position and rotation information about an AEC object.
subtractive To reduce the volume of a mass group by removing the common area
that a mass element shares with it. 2. A Boolean operation that manages 3D objects as
true solids. See Boolean.
target A value guideline to help the user maintain preferred length and area of
spaces.
title mark

1720

Glossary

Notation that identifies a drawing.

volume Similar to a cell, volume controls all three dimensions of an attached object,
in addition to its position and rotation.
wall anchor A feature that fastens, or anchors, an object to the base curve of a wall.
The anchored objects movement is constrained by the wall.

Glossary

1721

1722

Glossary

Index
2D elevation properties, 1356
attaching notes and files, 1356
changing styles, 1357
location, 1357
2D elevation styles, 1358
attaching notes and files, 1364
creating, 13581359
design rule properties, 13661367
display, 1365, 1368, 1405
importing and exporting, 13611362
properties, 1363
purging, 1360
2D elevations, 1344, 1351
creating, 1352
elevation lines, 1344
graphics subdivision display, 1354
hidden line projections, 1351
linework, 13691371
updating, 1354
2D section properties, 1394
attaching notes and files, 1394
location, 1395
2D section styles, 1395
attaching notes and files, 1401
creating, 13961397
design rule properties, 14031405
display, 14021403, 1405
importing and exporting, 13981400
properties, 1401, 1405
purging, 1397
2D sections, 1380, 1389
creating, 1389
graphic subdivision display, 1391
hidden line projections, 1380, 1389
linework, 14061409
reversing, 1393
section lines, 1380
updating, 1392
3D elevation properties, 1375
attaching notes and files, 1375
display of graphic subdivisions, 1377
location, 1376
3D elevations, 1344, 1372
creating, 1373
elevation lines, 1344
hidden line projects, 1372
updating, 1374
3D orbit view, 8
3D section properties, 1413
attaching notes and files, 1413
display of graphic subdivisions, 1414
location, 1413

3D sections, 1380, 1410

creating, 1410
hidden line projections, 1380, 1410
section lines, 1380
updating, 1411

A
add AEC dimension points, 1079
add AEC dimension styles
copy, 1092
new, 1091
add AEC dimensions, 1073
automatic AEC dimension, 1073
copy properties of AEC dimensions to
AutoCAD dimensions, 1078
from AutoCAD dimension, 1076
manual AEC dimension, 1074
add boundaries, 253
add ceiling grids
clipping boundary, 1033
freestanding, 1034
add components to display
doors, 660, 662663
add dimension label
doors, 1119
openings, 1119
stairs, 1119
windows, 1119
add doors
freestanding, 645
in space boundaries, 644
in walls, 643
add layout grids, 1568
add mass elements, 188189
See also specific mass elements
add mass groups, 212
add roof slab, 583
Add/Modify dialog boxes, 390
adding
layout curves, 1561
layout volumes, 1578
lines to layout grids, 1573
lines to layout volumes, 1582
nodes to layout curves, 1564
adding components to window display, 700, 703
additive mass elements, 214
AEC camera. See camera
AEC content
accessing. See AutoCAD DesignCenter
AEC content, creating, 17
adding to drawings, 16
AEC block, 1612

1723

custom commands, 1618

icons, 1615
insert options, 1612
layer keying, 1614
masking blocks, 1617
multi-view blocks, 1616
preview graphics, 1615
scale factor, 1613
text angle, 1614
AEC content, file locations, 1456
See also AutoCAD DesignCenter
AEC dimension chain contents, 1102
AEC dimension chains
all edges, 1069
bounding box, 1069
center of opening, 1068
opening max. width, 1068
opening min. widht, 1068
outer boundaries complete, 1067, 1069
wall intersections, 1068
wall length, 1067
wall width, 1068
wall width components, 1068
AEC Dimension Display Wizard, 1097
AEC dimension styles, 1089, 1091
and AutoCAD dimension styles, 1089
chain distance, 1104
chains properties, 1099
creating, 1091
creating AutoCAD dimension styles, 1089
dimension chain contents, 1102
display properties, 1100
editing, 1096
exporting, 10941095
extension lines, 1105
import/export, 1093
importing, 1093
importing and exporting, 10941095
layer/color/linetype properties, 1101
notes, descriptions, reference files, 1099
opening height, 1105
properties, 1096
purging, 1093
working with, 1091
AEC dimensions, 1063
adding dimension points, 1079
AEC Dimension Display Wizard, 1097
attaching objects, 1083
automatic, 1064
creating, 1073
detaching objects, 1084
dimension points, 1068
door dimension points, 1068
logical dimension points, 10641065, 1067
manual, 1065
modifying, 1085
move dimension texts, 1088

1724

Index

opening dimension points, 1068

predefined contents, 1069
preferences, 1070
properties, 1086
redrawing, 1072, 1460
removing dimension points, 1080
rescaling, 1072
restoring associative points, 1082
style properties, 1087
superscript, 1071
trailing zero suppression, 1071
unit, 1072
wall dimension points, 1067
window dimension points, 1068
AEC dimensions, changing, 14571458
label settings, 1458
trailing zero suppression, 1459
AEC drawings, creating, 1615
AEC objects
adding schedule tags, 1280
anchoring. See object anchors, 1590
attaching schedule data, 1288, 1290
attaching to reference, 1699
changing location properties of reference,
1697
creating reference copies, 1696
default layer keys, 1501
detaching masking blocks, 1651
display management, 100
display properties, 122, 126, 130, 184185
display representations, 134
exploding, 1447, 17001701, 17041705
layer keying, 1492
layer keys, 39
masking, 1650
masking blocks, 1642
new object default settings, 1448
Properties window, 6
referencing, 1696, 1698
shortcut menus, 4
See also objects
AEC options
AEC dimension preferences, 1070
AEC dimension settings, 1458
content file locations, 1456
dimension label preferences, 1117
dimension label settings, 1459
dimension settings, 1457
drawing defaults, 1448
editor settings, 14461447
elevation label settings, 1458
performance settings, 1450
AEC Polygon styles, 1680
attaching notes, descriptions or reference
files, 1686
changing properties, 1686
creating, 16811682

importing and exporting, 16831685

purging, 1682
AEC Polygons
adding, 1668
commands, 1692
inserting into curtain walls, 434, 454
inserting into window assemblies, 759
AEC Polygons, creating, 16661667
from closed polylines, 1669
from intersection of two AEC Polygons,
1677
from straight line segments, 1668
AEC Polygons, editing geometry
changing shapes by adding or removing
vertex, 1679
dividing, 1674
joining two AEC Polygons, 1675
new AEC Polygons from overlapping AEC
Polygons, 1677
subtracting areas, 1675
trimming, 1678
AEC Polygons, modifying, 1670
attaching notes, descriptions, or reference
files, 1672
changing location properties, 1672
changing style, 1671
editing geometry, 1673
moving, 1672
using grips, 1671
AEC profiles
importing and exporting, 16461647
AEC utilities
commands, 1706
AEC utilities. See utilities
AIA Long Format (layer standard), 1472, 1476,
1484
anchor objects
to walls, 388
anchor properties
multi-view block, 1637
railings, 1001
anchored objects. See object anchors
anchoring objects to boundaries, 259
anchors
commands, 1606
annotation, 1045
adding symbols, 4347
break marks, 1049
chases, 1048
detail marks, 1050
elevation marks, 1053
leaders, 1057
miscellaneous, 1059
revision clouds, 1047
section marks, 1060
title marks, 1061
using AutoCAD DesignCenter, 1047

Annotation Plot Size, 1047

annotation symbols, 1045
arch mass elements
changing size using grips, 202
creating, 189
Architectural Desktop Format (layer standard),
1479
Architectural Desktop, introduction to, 221
adding symbols with AutoCAD
DesignCenter, 35
annotation symbols, 4347
beginning and experienced users, 17
creating drawings, 25
creating walls, doors, and windows, 2734
finding help, 18
grip editing objects, 4042
installation information, 22
layer keys, 39
new features, 6896
See also new features in Architectural
Desktop
plotting drawings, 49
project stages, 2
schedules, 46
section lines, 45
shared AutoCAD 2000i features. See
AutoCAD 2000i features
starting Architectural Desktop, 23
starting projects, 24
using templates, 23, 25, 38
See also templates
viewing drawings, 38
arcs converted to boundaries, 256
area calculation modifier styles, 1190
attaching notes and files, 1195
attaching to or detaching from areas, 1167,
1199
copying, 1191
creating, 1190
defining calculation type, 1192
defining style formula, 1193
importing and exporting, 11961197
modifying, 1192
purging, 1198
area decomposition, 1200
display settings, 1202
displaying, 1201
methods, 1203
text settings, 1205
area evaluation, 1146
See also area decomposition
area evaluation document formats, 12681270
CSV (comma-separated values), 1268
DBF (database), 1268
TXT (text), 1269
XLS (spreadsheet), 1268
XLT (spreadsheet), 1269

Index

1725

area evaluations, creating, 1258

data format style properties, 1265
default templates, 1267
defining content, 1260
documents. See area evaluation document
formats
image display properties, 1264
selecting areas, 1258
area group styles, 12251236
creating, 1226
display components, 1229
editing, 1227
importing and exporting, 12331234
modifying. See area group styles, modifying
properties, 1228
purging, 1236
area group styles, modifying
hatching settings, 1231
properties, 1228
area group templates, 12451254
attaching notes or files, 1251
creating, 12451246
group structure, 1245, 1248
importing and exporting, 12511252
properties, 1248
purging, 1254
shortcut menu commands, 1249
area groups, 1146, 1178, 12091224
attaching calculation modifier styles, 1220
attaching to or detaching from areas, 1178,
1180
attaching to or detaching from other
groups, 12141215
commands, 1255
creating polylines, 1224
hierarchical structure, 1221
name definitions. See area name definitions
templates. See area group templates, 1245
area groups, creating, 12111212
using group templates, 1212
area groups, modifying, 1216
calculation modifier styles, 1220
changing calculation type, 1219
changing group structure, 1221
content properties, 1218
group location, 1222
group properties, 1216
properties, 1222
style properties, 1218
area labels
adding attributes, 1161
attributes, 1161
create multi-view block, 1162
creating blocks from attributes, 1162
area name definitions, 12361243
content, 1240
creating, 1238

1726

Index

importing and exporting, 12411242

modifying, 1239
purging, 1244
area operations, 1169
adding and removing vertices, 1173
create areas from area intersections, 1172
creating holes in areas, 1171
joining areas, 1170
area separations, 262, 264
area space totals, 247
area styles, 1181, 11871189
attaching notes and files, 1187
creating, 11821183
hatching, 1189
importing and exporting, 11841186
properties, 1188
purging, 1184
areas, 11451180
adding and removing vertices, 1173
attaching notes and files, 1166
calculating and evaluating information. See
area evaluations
calculation modifier styles. See area
calculation modifier styles
changing style properties, 1187
construction areas, 1158
creating polylines, 1177
decomposition. See area decomposition
examples for creating, 1157
groups. See area groups
labels. See area labels
measuring from axis of wall, 1160
modifying. See areas, modifying
operations. See area operations
roof areas, 1157
side areas, 1159
splitting, 1175
subtracting areas, 1171
workflow methods, 1147
areas, creating, 1149
from objects, 1153
from wall boundaries, 1155
task examples, 1157
areas, modifying, 1164
attaching to or detaching from groups,
1168, 1178, 1180
location properties, 1169
properties, 1165
style properties, 1167
trimming, 1174
using grips, 1165
vertices, 1173
arrow symbols
stairs, 168
attach mass elements to mass groups, 214
attribute properties
dimension labels, 1123

attribute properties, elevation labels, 1139

AutoCAD 2000i features, 3
3D orbit view, 8
AutoTrack, 12
editing external references, 11
layout tabs, 9
multiple document environment (MDE), 3
partial open and partial load, 11
Properties window, 6
Quick Select, 7
AutoCAD DesignCenter, 12
adding AEC content to drawings, 16
adding metric symbols to drawing,
279283
AEC content, 1611
annotation symbols, 1047
changing content file location, 1456
changing menu between metric and
imperial, 278
creating AEC content, 17
creating AEC drawings, 1615
Custom view, 277
design symbols, 276
fixture layout, 300, 302
imperial AEC content, 278
managing symbols, 15
metric symbols, 279
viewing AEC content, 13
See also imperial symbols and metric symbols
AutoCAD dimension styles, 1104
Autodesk Architectural Studio
publishing Architectural Desktop views to,
1711
automatic properties
door size properties, 1302
door swing direction properties, 1302
slab and roof slab elevation properties, 1301
slab and roof slab volume properties, 1301
structural member length property, 1303
wall area properties, 1300
wall length property, 1301
wall volume properties, 1301
AutoTrack, 12

B
barrel vault mass elements, creating, 190
bathroom fittings (metric), AutoCAD
DesignCenter, 279
beams, creating, 818
See also structural members, creating
Boolean operations, mass elements, 188, 212
boundaries, modifying, 261
changing dimensions, 263
changing properties, 262
design rules, 264
location properties, 266
boundary edges, adding, 258

box mass elements, creating, 190

braces, creating, 816817
See also structural members, creating
break marks, 1049
BS1192
layer standard, 1472, 1476
BS1192 AUG Version 2 Format (layer standard),
1482
BS1192 Descriptive Format (layer standard),
1483

C
cable shaft symbols, 1048
calculation modifier styles
attaching to area groups, 1220
editing, 1192
modifying, 1192
properties, 1192
purging, 1198
calculation type
area modifier styles, 1192
calculation type of area groups, 1219
camera
attaching notes and files, 1440
creating videos, 14381439
inserting into drawing, 1434
location properties, 1441
modifying, 1436
properties, 1440
saving perspective views, 1433
using grips, 14341435
viewport association, 1436
cameras
commands, 1442
ceiling grids, 1033
clipping boundary, 1033, 1036
commands, 1042
holes, 10361037
modify, 1035
properties, 1037
ceilings
boundary in spaces, 264
ceilings, boundary in spaces, 223
cell anchors, 1591
adding, 1600
cell infills, curtain walls, 419, 432
alignment, 435
assigning, 451
cell markers, 478
inserting objects, 454
modifying, 477
offsets, 436
panel, 454
panel infill, 432
removing, 437, 455
cell infills, window assemblies
assigning, 756757, 760

Index

1727

cell markers, 779

editing objects in cells, 799802
inserting objects, 759
overriding assignments, 779
panel, 758
removing, 760761
cell markers, curtain walls, 478, 480
cell markers, window assemblies, 779
chain distance
AEC dimension styles, 1104
chases, 1048
chimney symbols, 1048
circular detail boundary mark, 1050
circular mass elements, 200
changing size using grips, 204
specifying size, 200
clipping profiles, layout grids, 1576
column grids, 10191020
angles, 1031
clipping boundary, 1026
commands, 1042
grid spacing, 10301031
holes, 1027
labeling, 1023
location properties, 1032
modifying, 1026, 10281029
properties, 1027
radial, 1021, 1023
rectangular, 10191020, 1022
columns, creating, 812, 814
See also structural members, creating
steel and concrete, 843
tapered columns, 841
command list
AEC Polygons, 1692
AEC utilities, 1706
anchors, 1606
area groups, 1255
cameras, 1442
ceiling grids, 1042
column grids, 1042
curtain walls, 577
display commands, 143
Display Manager, 144
doors, 672
elevations, 1378
grids, 1042
IFC, 1710
layer management, 1524
layout tools, 1586
live sections, 1432
mask blocks, 1654
mass elements, 210
mass groups, 218
multi-view blocks, 1638
openings, 638
profiles, 1663

1728

Index

railings, 1017
roofs, 924
schedule data, 1340
schedule tables, 1340
schedule tags, 1339
sections, 1415
set drawing scale, 1468
slabs, 621
slice floorplates, 274
space boundaries, 267
space planning, 248
stairs, 971
structural members, 861
Style Manager, 1558
utilities, 1706
walls, 392
window assemblies, 802
windows, 720
concept
slice floorplates, 270
concept phase
creating mass elements, 188
creating mass groups, 212
space boundaries, 252
space planning, 221222
using viewing windows. See viewing
windows
conceptual design phase, 2
using templates, 61
cone mass elements, creating, 191
construction document phase, 3
content creation. See AEC content, creating
content, AEC. See AEC content, creating
converting AEC objects into simple AutoCAD
entities, 1700
converting polylines to AEC Polygons, 1669
copy
AEC dimension styles, 1092
door styles, 651
profiles, 1659
copying
AEC Polygon styles, 1682
area calculation modifier styles, 1191
area group templates, 1246
area groups styles, 1226
custom structural shapes, 854
door styles, 1626
layer standards, 14851486
masking blocks, 1644
multi-view blocks, 1626
railing styles, 1004
schedule table styles, 1320
space styles, 239
structurla member styles, 857
styles between drawings with Style
Manager, 15451550
wall endcap styles, 373

wall modifier style, 367

walls, 314
Create AEC Content wizard, 17, 1611, 1615
creating, 199
curtain wall display. See curtain wall properties
curtain wall grids, 398
cells, 422, 424, 426, 451
commands, 577
custom, 411
custom grid, 516
defining divisions, 421, 431
dividing, 429
divisions, 450
excluding gables and steps, 427
frames, 438
mullions, 444, 446447, 449
nested grids, 414
offsets, 429
curtain wall properties
attaching notes and files, 472
creating styles, 473
dimensions, 471, 496
display, 465470
element definitions, 492
modifying styles, 491
overrides, 478, 482483
curtain wall styles, 419, 473
cell infills, 432, 435437, 451
commands, 577
dimensions, 471
display. See curtain wall properties
elements of, 419, 450
frames. See frames, curtain walls
importing and exporting, 475476
inserting objects, 434
mullions. See mullions, curtain walls
purging, 474
removing frame from, 443
removing mullions from, 449
curtain wall styles, modifying, 491
element definitions, 492
curtain wall units, 514
alignment, 576
converting layout grid, 515
creating, 514, 516
dimensions, 572
location, 575576
mitered corners, 573
modifying, 557, 571
offset, 577
orientation, 576
overrides, 574
properties, 572
styles, 518
curtain walls
Add/Modify dialog boxes, 390
curtain walls, creating, 395396, 403

commands, 577
curved, 407
custom grids, 411
from walls, 413
nested grids, 414, 452
referencing curves, 409
straight, 403, 407
curtain walls, modifying, 477
cell markers, 478
commands, 577
dimensions, 496
edit in place, 483491
gables in roof lines, 498
merging two cells, 480
overrides, 480483
overriding cell and edge assignments, 478
restoring original settings, 491
roof and floor lines, 497, 499500
curve anchors, adding, 15901591
curved walls, 309
custom blocks
door display, 660
railing components, 983984, 986,
988989
window display, 700
custom commands, AEC content, 1618
custom content. See AutoCAD DesignCenter
custom detail boundary mark, 1051
custom openings
profiles, 1656
Custom view, AutoCAD DesignCenter, 276277
cut plane height
mass elements, 157, 170
mass groups, 158, 171
cut planes
curtain walls, 470
walls, 341
window assemblies, 771
cylinder mass elements, creating, 191

D
data format styles, schedules
attaching notes or files, 1309
copying, 1309
creating, 1308
editing, 1310
exporting, 1316
importing and exporting, 1313, 1315
purging, 1313
defaults, setting for drawings, 1446
deleting
AEC dimension styles
deleting. See purging
descriptions. See notes, descriptions, reference
files (attaching)
design
AEC dimensions, 1063

Index

1729

AutoCAD DesignCenter, 276

cameras, 1434
dimension labels, 1113
doors, 642
elevations, 13431344
grids, 1020
live sections, 1417
openings, 624
railings, 974
roofs, 864
sections, 13791380
stairs, 928
walls, 306
windows, 676
design configurations, templates, 57
design content, 275
design content, accessing. See AutoCAD
DesignCenter
design content, creating. See multi-view blocks
design development phase, 2
using templates, 62
design rules
2D elevations, 13661367
2D sections, 1403, 1405
custom structural member styles, 837
custome structural member styles, 837
door styles, 657
roof slab edge styles, 923
space boundaries, 264
window styles, 697
DesignCenter. See AutoCAD DesignCenter
desktop
AEC options, 1446
anchors, 1590
profiles, 1656
detach
mass elements from mass groups, 214
objects from slice, 272
detaching
area groups from other area groups, 1215
masking blocks from objects, 1651
objects from boundaries, 260
objects from walls, 388
detail boundary mark, 1052
detail marks, 1050
adding, 1052
circular boundaries, 1050
custom boundaries, 1051
rectangular boundaries, 1051
diagnostic messages, displaying. See AEC options,
editor settings
dialog boxes, displaying. See AEC options, editor
settings
diamond pattern in window muntins, 709
dimension chains
AEC dimension styles, 1099
dimension label styles

1730

Index

properties, 1121
dimension labels, 1113
adding to AutoCAD Design Center, 1130
attributes, 1114
behavior, 1123
block, 1128
create multi-view block, 1129
creating, 1118
define attributes, 1125
display representations, 1115
doors, 1115
modifying, 1119
notes and reference files, 1120
openings, 1115
prefixes, 1118
properties, 1120
rotation, 11191120
setting preferences, 1117
stairs, 1116
standard dimension labels, 1115
userdefined, 1125
windows, 1115
dimension properties, 263
curtain walls, 496
dimension labels, 1122
door styles, 656
doors, 667
layout curves, 1563
masking blocks, 1653
multi-view blocks, 1635
openings, 630
roof slabs, 601, 903
roofs, 870
section lines and marks, 1420
space styles, 240241
stairs, 947
window assemblies, 772, 795
window styles, 696
windows, 685
dimension settings, AEC options, 1457
elevation and dimension labels, 1458
dimension styles
AutoCAD dimension styles, 1089
dimensioning walls
multiple walls, 389
single wall, 389
dimensions
curtain wall styles, 471
dimension types and uses, 1064
dimensions (AEC). See also AEC dimensions
DIN 276 Format (layer standard), 14791481
display
European plan views, 145
display commands, 143
display configurations, 104, 128
adding notes and files, 131
creating, 128129

deleting, 130
editing, 130
importing and exporting, 137139
purging, 132133
renaming, 129
setting defaults, 136
templates, 5356, 60
viewing in Display Manager, 117
viewports, 136
display management, 100
display configurations, 104
Display Manager. See display systems
display representations, 100
display systems. See display systems
layers, 1472
troubleshooting, 143
display options, changing for performance,
1446, 1450
display properties
2D elevation styles, 1363, 1368, 1405
2D sections styles, 1405
AEC dimension styles, 1100
AEC objects, 122, 126, 130, 184
command list, 143
curtain walls, 465, 467
doors, 660
European plan views, 147
live section, 1426
roof slab styles, 611, 913
space styles, 242
stair styles, 966
window assembly styles, 768
window styles, 698
windows, 700
See also entity display
display representations, 100, 134
AEC objects, 1468
deleting, 124
editing, 122
structural members, 829
viewing in the Display Manager, 113
display sets, 103, 125
adding notes and files, 127
creating, 125
deleting, 127
editing, 126
renaming, 126
viewing in Display Manager, 115
display settings, template, 99100
display systems, 100, 112141
copying between drawings, 137
display configurations, 117, 128130
Display Manager, 111
display representations, 113, 122, 124
display sets, 115, 125127
purging, 132
sending by email, 141142

setting in a drawing, 134

troubleshooting, 142
viewing drawing information, 113
dividing a space, 233
dividing AEC Polygons, 1674
divisions, curtain walls, 419, 421
modifying, 477
divisions, window assemblies, 737, 756
documentation
drawing scale, 1046
schedules, 1273
symbols. See annotation
dome mass elements, creating, 192
door assemblies, 724
editing objects in cells, 799
See also window assemblies
door frame
Plan 1-50, 160
door hinge, 649
door styles
creating, 651, 1626
editing, 651
exporting, 653654
importing, 652
modifying, 650
properties, 655656, 658, 667
door swing, 649, 664
displaying, 664
opening, 649
door threshold, 665
Plan 1-50, 161
doors, 642
add to AEC dimension chain, 1083
commands, 672
creating, 30, 642
detach from AEC dimension chain, 1084
dimension label, 1119
dimension points, 1068
display, 660, 664
inserting into curtain walls, 434, 454
modifying, 645
Plan 1-100, 149
Plan 1-50, 159
properties, 666
repositioning, 647648
schedule tags, 1280
standard dimension labels, 1115
doric column mass elements, creating, 193
dormers in roofs, 898
double slope roofs, adding, 865
drag points in spaces, 226
dragging content between drawings, 3
dragging styles between drawings, 15461547
drawing annotation. See annotation
drawing scale
setting, 1046
drawing scale, setting, 1464

Index

1731

drawing setup, 14611468

AEC object display, 1468
drawing units, 1462
layer management, 1466
scale, 1464
drawing templates. See templates
drawings
changing defaults, 1446, 1448
copying styles between drawings,
15451550
creating in Architectural Desktop, 25
elevations, 1343
layer management, 1472
managing styles with Style Manager,
15321541
partial, 11
plotting, 49
sections, 1379
sending styles by email, 15551557
setting display systems, 134
setting scale, 1046
setting up. See drawing setup
using in Style Manager, 15401541
viewing drawing information in Style
Manager, 1539
viewing information in Display Manager,
113

E
edit

AEC dimension styles, 1096

AEC dimensions, 1085
dimension labels, 1119
door style, 651
doors, 645
roof slabs, 589600
See also modify
edit in place
curtain walls, 483491
restoring original settings, 491
window assemblies, 783789
editing
AEC Polygon geometry, 1673
area group styles, 1227
area groups. See area groups, modifying
area name definitions, 1239
areas, 1164
boundary edges, 259
calculation modifier styles, 1192
custom structural shapes, 855
elevation labels, 11361139
layer key styles, 1497
layer snapshots, 1522
layer standard definition, 1487
openings, 628
railing styles, 1004
roof slabs, 885901

1732

Index

roofs, 868871
schedule data, 1288
space styles, 240
spaces, 231, 236
stair styles, 958962, 964965
stairs, 936
styles with Style Manager, 15421545
wall endcap styles, 374, 377379
wall modifier styles, 368
windows, 680
editor settings, changing in the desktop. See AEC
options
electrical services symbols (metric), AutoCAD
DesignCenter, 280
elevation labels, 11331143
adding, 1135
adding to AutoCAD DesignCenter, 1143
adding to drawing, 1135
attribute properties, 1139
modifying. See elevation labels, modifying
elevation labels, modifying, 11361139
attaching notes and files, 1137
dimension properties, 1138
editing label definition, 1138
offsetting, 1139
properties, 11371139
elevation labels, user-defined, 11401142
adding attributes, 1141
creating a block, 1142
creating multi-view blocks, 1142
graphic symbols, 1140
elevation lines, 1344
attaching notes and files, 1347
dimensions, 1348
drawing lines and marks, 1346
graphic subdivisions, 1350
location properties, 1350
properties, 1347
elevation marks, 1053
adding, 10531056
elevations, 13431377
annotation, 1053
commands, 1378
elevation marks, 1351
location properties, 1350, 1357, 1376
properties, 1356
See also 2D elevations and 3D elevations
email
sending display systems in a drawing,
141142
sending styles and definitions, 15551557
endcap properties, 671, 689
endcap styles for walls, 372
creating, 372373
editing, 374
exporting, 377378
purging, 376

entities, viewing on a non-visible layer, 181

entity display
AEC objects, 184185
doors, 660664
mass elements, 208
openings, 634
structural members, 831
walls, 339
windows, 699, 702703
entity display. See display properties
escalator shaft symbols, 1048
European plan views, 145146
accessing, 146
display properties, 147
door threshold symbol, 150
doors, 149, 159
entity display, 147
mass elements, 156, 169
mass groups, 157, 170
openings, 151, 164
stairline, 154
stairs, 153, 166
windows, 150, 162
exploding objects
display representations, 1704
external references, 1705
using AEC Object Explode, 17001701
exporting. See import/export
exporting. See importing and exporting
extension lines
AEC dimension styles, 1105
external references
editing, 11
exploding objects, 1705
layers, 1510
Quick Slice, 1695
extruding profiles, mass elements, 197

F
fascia in roof styles, 612613, 914
fields, layer standards, 1478
filtering objects with Quick Select, 7
flipping door hinges
flipping door swing directions, 649
Floating Viewer, 183
3D orbit view, 8
floor
boundaries in spaces, 224, 264
floor lines in curtain walls, changing, 497500
floor lines in walls, 381
changing, 327329
floor opening symbols, 1048
floorplans, evaluating. See area groups
floorplates, 270
generating slices, 270
objects, 271272
frames, curtain walls, 419, 438

modifying, 477
offsets, 442
removing, 443
using a profile, 440
width and depth, 439
frames, window assemblies, 747
assigning, 762
offsets, 749
overriding assignments, 779
removing, 750, 763
specifying edges, 764
using a profile, 748
width and depth, 747
free form mass elements, 199
freestanding
ceiling grid, 1034
doors, 645
openings, 627
stair railings, 976
window assemblies, 796
windows, 680
furniture symbols, AutoCAD DesignCenter, 280

G
gable mass elements
changing roof height, 203
changing wall height, 203
creating, 193
gable roof line
adding to curtain wall, 498
adding to wall, 328
gable roofs, creating, 865
geometry, editing in AEC Polygons, 1673
gothic pattern in window muntins, 716
grids
anchoring to objects, 1590
ceiling, 1033
column, 1020
commands, 1042
layout, 1560, 1568
grids, curtain walls, 398
cells, 422, 424, 426, 451
converting to curtain wall unit, 515
custom, 411, 516
dividing, 429
divisions, 421, 431, 450
elements of, 419
excluding gables and steps, 427
frames, 438
mullions, 444, 446447, 449
nested grids, 414
offsets, 429
polylines, 429
grids, window assemblies, 725, 729
cells, 738739
custom, 731
divisions, 756

Index

1733

elements, 726
frames. See frames, window assemblies
mullions. See mullions, window assemblies
nested grids, 733, 758
grips

editing roof slabs, 599

modifying mass elements, 200203
using with camera, 14341435
using with objects, 4042
grips, editing with
AEC Polygons, 1671
areas, 1165
changing spaces, 232
changing stairs, 937
roof slabs, 900

H
hatch patterns
curtain walls, 468
mass elements, 209
structural members, 832
walls, 340341
window assemblies, 769
height of doors, changing, 646
help sources, 18
hidden line projection, creating, 16991700
2D elevations, 1351
2D sections, 1380, 1389
3D elevations, 1372
3D sections, 1380, 1410
hinge. See door or window hinge
holes in roof, 595, 597, 894, 896
holes, ceiling grids, 1027, 10361037

I
IFC

commands, 1710
IFC (Industry Foundation Class), 1708
import/export
AEC dimension styles, 10931095
door styles, 652654
profiles, 16611662
roof slab edge styles, 615617
roof slab styles, 606608
import/export profiles, 1662
importing and exporting
2D elevation styles, 13611362
2D section styles, 13981400
AEC Polygon styles, 16831685
AEC profiles, 16461647
area calculation modifier styles, 11961197
area group styles, 12331234
area group templates, 12511252
area styles, 11841186
curtain wall styles, 475476
display configurations, 137139

1734

Index

layer key styles, 14991500, 1508

layer snapshots, 1523
layer standards, 14901491
masking blocks, 1645
multi-view blocks, 16301633
railing styles, 10061007
roof slab edge styles, 918920
roof slab styles, 908909
space styles, 245246
stair styles, 968969
structural member styles, 859860
wall cleanup group definitions, 358360
wall endcap styles, 376378
wall modifier styles, 370371
wall styles, 346347
window assembly styles, 776777
window styles, 693694
importing. See import/export
Industry Foundation Class, 1708
infill cells, curtain walls. See cell infills, curtain
walls
in-place reference editing, 11
installing Architectural Desktop, 22
interference conditions
spaces, 234
walls, 382383
interior space planning, 221222
intersections from mass elements, 215
isosceles triangle mass elements, creating, 195
ISYBAU Kurzversion (layer standard),
14801481
ISYBAU Langversion (layer standard), 1481

J
joining spaces, 232
joining two AEC Polygons, 1675
joining walls, 387

K
kitchen fittings (metric), AutoCAD
DesignCenter, 281

L
labels, elevation, 11331143
landings in stairs, 970
layer groups, 15101520
adding layers, 1517
changing filters, 1520
changing properties, 1518
color filter criteria, 1514
creating, 1510
creating snapshots, 1521
deleting, 1519
filter group, 15111512
layer standard filter criteria, 1516
linetype filter criteria, 1515

renaming, 1519
replacing layers, 1518
state filter criteria, 1513
wildcard filtering, 1516
layer key overrides, 15061508
setting, 1507
turning on and off, 1508
layer key styles, 1493
creating, 14941495
editing, 1497
exporting, 1500, 1508
importing and exporting, 14991500
purging, 1498
layer keying, 39, 14921508
default values, 1506
layer keys for AEC objects, 1501
styles, 1493
values for new layer keys, 1506
layer management, 14701524
commands, 1524
drawing setup, 1466
improving performance of Layer Manager,
1448
introduction to, 1472
Layer Manager
accessing, 1472
improving performance of, 1472
See also layer management
layer snapshots, 15201524
creating, 1521
deleting, 1522
editing, 1522
importing and exporting, 1523
layer groups, 1521
restoring, 1522
layer standards, 14761492
AIA Long Format, 1472, 1476, 1484
Architectural Desktop Format, 1479
BS1192, 1476
BS1192 AUG Version 2 Format, 1482
BS1192 Descriptive format, 1483
copying, 14851486
DIN 276 Format, 14791481
editing, 14871489
fields, 1478
importing and exporting, 14901491
ISYBAU Kurzversion, 14801481
ISYBAU Langversion, 1481
purging, 1490
STLB Format, 1481
layers, 14731476
changing description, 1476
changing layer standard, 1476
creating nonstandard, 1473
creating standard, 1474
deleting, 1475
making current, 1473

renaming, 1475
layout curves, 1560
adding, 1561
adding nodes, 1564
anchoring objects, 1560
anchoring to objects, 1590
changing dimensions, 1563
changing properties, 1562
changing spacing, 1565
changing the display, 1567
node size, 1567
removing nodes, 1565
switching curves, 1567
layout grids, 1560, 1568
adding lines, 1573
attaching boundaries, 1576
attaching clipping profiles, 1576
changing spacing, 1574
changing the display, 1576
creating holes, 1576
curtain walls, 414
properties, 1579
radial, 15681569
rectangular, 15711572
removing holes, 1576
removing lines, 1574
window assemblies, 729
layout tabs, 9
layout tabs, templates, 38, 54, 6065
conceptual design, 61
design development, 62
display configurations, 5357, 60
Model, 65
plotting, 6365
layout tools
commands, 1586
layout curves, 1560
layout grids, 1568
layout volumes, 1578
radial grids, 1568
rectangular grids, 1571
spacing, 1561
layout volumes
adding, 1578
adding lines, 1582
changing, 1579
changing properties, 1579
changing spacing, 1584
changing the display, 1585
removing lines, 1583
leader anchors, 1590
adding, 1594
leaders, 1057
spline, 1057
straight, 1058
with text, 10571058
leaf of doors, changing, 647

Index

1735

lines converted to boundaries, 256

lines, converting to walls, 362
linework, 2D elevations, 13691371
linework, 2D sections, 14061409
linking objects. See object anchors
live sections
See sections (live)
live sections. See sections (live)
location properties, 237, 273
AEC dimensions, 1087
area groups, 1222
areas, 1169
camera, 1441
ceiling grids, 1041
changing in AEC Polygons, 1673
changing in entity reference, 1697
column grid, 1032
curtain wall units, 575
doors, 671
elevation lines, 1350
elevations, 1357, 1376
masking blocks, 1653
mass elements, 207
mass groups, 217
multi-view blocks, 1637
openings, 633
railings, 1002
roof slabs, 603, 905
roofs, 871
section lines, 1387, 1423
sections, 1395, 1413
space boundary, 266
stairs, 956
structural members, 828
walls, 338
windows, 689
locks on space parameters, 224226, 236

M
manufacturer part specifications, structural, 806
markers, mass groups, 212
mask blocks
commands, 1654
masking blocks, 1642
adding, 1649
AEC content, 1617
attaching to objects, 1650
copying, 1644
creating a definition, 1643
detaching from objects, 1651
dimension properties, 1653
importing and exporting, 1645
location properties, 1653
modifying, 1651
purging, 1645
mass elements, 188
additive, 178179, 214

1736

Index

changing location properties, 207

changing mass group affiliation, 205, 207
changing properties, 205
commands, 210
creating, 189
creating mass groups, 212
extruding profile, 197
intersection, 215
mass group, 177
mass groups, 212214
modifying, 200
moving, 180
notes, descriptions, reference files, 205
Plan 1-100, 156
Plan 1-50, 169
revolving profiles, 198
subtractive, 215
using Model Explorer, 176177
See also specific mass elements
mass groups, 188, 212
adding markers, 212
changing, 205
changing affiliation, 207
changing properties, 216217
commands, 218
detaching mass elements, 214
intersections, 215
mass elements, 177180, 213214
notes, descriptions, reference files, 217
Plan 1-100, 157
Plan 1-50, 170
using Model Explorer, 177
mass models, 188
See also concept phase
match lines, adding, 1059
merge boundaries, 258
metric symbols, AutoCAD DesignCenter,
279283
bathroom fittings, 279
electrical services, 280
furniture, 280
kitchen fittings symbols, 281
office furniture, 282
pipes and ducts, 282
site symbols, 283
mitered corners, window assemblies, 797798
Model Explorer, 174
3D orbit view, 8
additive mass elements, 178179
display commands, 175
entities on a non-visible layer, 181
maintaining position of object, 181
mass commands, 176
mass elements, 176177
mass group, 177, 180
model space, selecting, 9
Model tab in template, 65

modify AEC dimension styles, 1096

modify AEC dimensions, 1085
location properties, 1087
style properties, 1087
modify camera, 1436
modify ceiling grids, 1035
dimensions, 10381039
grid spacing, 1040
properties, 10371038, 1041
modify column grids, 1026
angles, 1031
dimensions, 10281031
location properties, 1032
properties, 1027
modify dimension labels, 1119
properties, 11211123
modify doors, 645, 666
dimensions, 646
door leaf, 647
opening percentage, 647
properties, 667, 671
repositioning, 668670
rise, 647
styles, 645
modify mass elements, 200, 202, 205
changing properties, 205
changing shape or size, 206
changing shapes, 205
display properties, 208
using grips, 200201
modify multi-view block
attach notes and reference files, 1634
modify roof slab, 588
properties. See roof slab properties
See also roof slabs, editing
moving
doors in walls, 647648, 668669
mass elements, 180, 202
mass groups, 217
mullions, curtain walls, 419
modifying, 477
offsets, 447
removing definition, 449
using a profile, 446
width and depth, 444
mullions, window assemblies, 751
assigning, 764766
offsets, 754
overriding assignments, 779
removing, 755, 765
using a profile, 752
width and depth, 751
multi-landing stairs, 931
multiple document environment (MDE), 3
multi-view blocks, 1621
AEC content, 1616
attaching notes and files, 1634

commands, 1638
elevation marks, 1351
importing and exporting, 16301633
modifying, 1633
properties, 1628, 16341637
purging, 1630
section marks, 1388
multi-view blocks, defining, 1622
copying, 1626
properties, 16281629
multi-view blocks, modifying, 1633
dimensions, 1635
style properties, 1635
muntins, window. See window muntins

N
new features in Architectural Desktop, 68
architectural objects, 69
AEC Polygons, 76
curtain walls, 69
roof and floor slabs, 7274
structural members, 7576
window assemblies, 71
building models, 77
elevation labels, 84
railings, 79
scheduling, 86
sections and elevations, 83
spaces, 85
stairs, 77
walls, 80
windows, 82
international features, 93
area calculation, 93
dimensions, 95
live sections, 96
user interface
Display Manager, 88
exploding objects, 92
pushpin dialog boxes, 89
shortcut menus, 90
Style Manager, 87
node anchors, 1590
adding, 1597
nonrectangular spaces, 232
nonrectangular walls, 327
north arrows, adding, 1059
notes
AEC dimension styles, 1099
AEC dimensions, 1086
ceiling grids, 1038
dimension labels, 1120
profiles, 1659
slices, 273
notes (attaching), 1694
notes, descriptions, or reference files (attaching)
2D elevations, 1356, 1364

Index

1737

2D sections, 1394, 1401

3D elevations, 1375
AEC Polygon styles, 1686
AEC Polygons, 1672
area calculation modifier styles, 1195
area group templates, 1251
area styles, 1187
areas, 1166
camera, 1440
curtain walls, 472
display configurations, 131
display sets, 127
door styles, 650659
doors, 666
elevation labels, 1137
elevations, 1347, 1375
masking blocks, 1648, 1652
mass elements, 205
mass groups, 217
multi-view blocks, 1634
openings, 629
railings, 995
roof slab edge styles, 618, 921
roof slab styles, 609, 910
roof slabs, 600, 901
roofs, 869
schedule table styles, 1321
sections, 1413
space boundaries, 262
space styles, 240
spaces, 235
stairs, 946
structural member styles, 835
structural members, 822
wall cleanup groups, 357
wall endcap styles, 375
wall styles, 348349
walls, 316
window assemblies, 772, 799
window styles, 695
windows, 684

O
object anchors, 1590
cell anchor, 1591, 1600
curve anchor, 15901591
leader anchor, 1590, 1594
node anchor, 1590, 1597
positioning, 16051606
releasing, 16051606
volume anchor, 1591, 1603
Object Properties toolbar, 1472
object properties window, 6
object snap tracking (AutoTrack), 12
object snaps, using in roofs, 600, 901
Object Viewer, 181
3D orbit view, 8

1738

Index

objects
See also AEC objects
adding to walls, 384
anchoring on layout curves, 1560
attaching to a mass group, 178
display properties, 185
editing in window assemblies, 799802
querying properties, 6
sorting by properties, 7
spaces, 222
styles in templates, 60
subtracting from walls, 385
See also AEC objects
office furniture symbols (metric), AutoCAD
DesignCenter, 282
offset properties
dimension labels, 1122
multi-view blocks, 1636
offsetting elevation labels, 1139
opening Architectural Desktop, 23
opening height
AEC dimension styles, 1105
opening partial drawings, 11
opening percentage
doors, 647, 665
windows, 704
opening symbol
Plan 1-50, 165
openings, 624
add to AEC dimension chain, 1083
attaching notes and files, 629
commands, 638
detach from AEC dimension chain, 1084
dimension label, 1119
dimension points, 1068
display. See openings, display
freestanding, 627
modifying, 628
Plan 1-100, 151
Plan 1-50, 164
properties, 629, 633
space boundaries, 626
standard dimension labels, 1115
openings, adding
freestanding, 627
space boundary, 626
wall, 624
openings, display, 634
adding components, 635
changing display representation, 634
editing components, 636
removing components, 637
turning off display, 638
openings, modifying, 628
properties, 629630, 632
repositioning, 628, 630632
options. See AEC options

overhead door, 657

P
panes, window, 705
paper space
display configurations, 104
layout tabs, 9
partial open and partial load option, 11
performance, increasing, 1447, 1450
perspective views, saving with camera,
14331434, 1437
pipe and duct symbols (metric), AutoCAD
DesignCenter, 282
planes. See Quick Slice
planning spaces, 221222
plotting drawings, 49
plotting layouts in templates, 6365
polylines
area groups, 1224
areas, 1177
converting to wall modifiers, 365
creating masking blocks, 1643
creating walls, 362
editing wall endcaps, 374
profiles, 1657
roof slabs, 587, 882
roofs, 866
slices, 271
spaces, 256
wall endcap styles, 378
wall modifier, 372
polylines, converting to AEC Polygons, 1669
positioning anchored objects, 16051606
preliminary studies. See concept phase
profile styles
importing and exporting, 1662
profiles, 1656
commands, 1663
copying, 1659
defining, 1658
importing, 16611662
notes and reference files, 1659
polylines, 1657
purging, 1660
railing components, 983, 989, 992, 994
wall components, 383
project stages in Architectural Desktop, 2
project tree in Model Explorer, 180
projects, starting in Architectural Desktop, 24
properties
2D elevations, 1356, 1363
2D sections, 1391, 1394
AEC dimension styles, 1096
AEC dimensions, 1086
AEC Polygon styles, 1686
area group templates, 1248
area groups, 1216

area styles, 11871188

areas, 1165
camera, 1440
ceiling grids, 1037
changing in objects, 6
column grids, 1027
dimension labels, 1120
door styles, 655
doors, 666
elevation labels, 11371139
elevation lines, 1347
elevations, 1375
masking blocks, 1651
mass elements, 205207
mass groups, 216217
multi-view blocks, 1628, 16341635
openings, 629
railings, 995
roof slabs, 600, 901
roofs, 869
section lines, 1384, 1420
sections, 1413
slices, 272273
space boundaries, 262263
space styles, 236, 240
spaces, 235237
stairs, 946
structural members, 822
wall styles, 348
walls, 316
window styles, 695
Properties toolbar. See Object Properties toolbar
Properties window, 6
property set definitions, schedules, 1292
attaching notes or files, 1303
copying, 1293
creating, 1293
defining, 1294
editing, 1295
importing and exporting, 13051307
purging, 1304
proxy graphics, 1700
publishing Architectural Desktop views
to Autodesk Architectural Studio, 1711
purge
AEC dimension styles, 1093
profiles, 1660
roof slab styles, 606
See also deleting
purging
2D elevation styles, 1360
2D section styles, 1397
AEC Polygon styles, 1682
area calculation modifier styles, 1198
area group styles, 1236
area group templates, 1254
area name definitions, 1244

Index

1739

area styles, 1184

curtain walls styles, 474
custom structural members, 855
display configurations, 132133
display systems, 132
layer key styles, 1498
layer standards, 1490
masking blocks, 1645
multi-view blocks, 1630
railing style, 1005
roof slab styles, 907
schedule table styles, 1331
space style, 244
stair styles, 967
structural member styles, 858
styles in Style Manager, 15521554
wall cleanup group definitions, 358
wall endcap styles, 376
wall modifier styles, 369
wall style, 345
window assembly styles, 775
window styles, 692
pyramid mass elements, creating, 194

Q
querying
object properties, 6
space totals, 247
Quick Select, 7
Quick Slice, 1695
creating, 1695
external references, 1695

R
radial column grids, 1021, 1023
modifying, 1026
radial layout grids, 1568
changing properties, 1569
modifying, 1569
railing properties, 995
anchor properties, 1001
attaching notes and files, 995
bottom rail, 998
changing railing style, 996
location, 999, 1002
railing extensions, 10001001
upper rail location, 996
railing style properties, 1008
attaching notes and files, 1008
bottom rail location, 1011
components, 1013
display, 1016
extensions, 1014
post location, 1012
upper rail location, 1009
railing styles, 1003

1740

Index

changing properties, 1008

creating, 10031004
editing, 1004
importing and exporting, 10061007
purging, 1005
railings, 974
Add/Modify dialog boxes, 390
adding custom blocks and profiles,
983984, 986, 988989, 992, 994
attaching to stairs, 974975
commands, 1017
freestanding, 976
modifying. See railings, modifying
properties, 995
railings, modifying, 978
anchoring to stairs, 982
changing properties, 995
changing style, 996
rectangular column grids, 10191020, 1022
modifying, 1026
rectangular detail boundary mark, 1051
rectangular layout grids, 1571
changing properties, 1572
modifying, 1571
rectangular mass elements, 190
changing size with grips, 200
specifying size, 199
rectangular pattern in window muntins, 706
reference AEC objects, 1696
reference files
AEC dimension styles, 1099
AEC dimensions, 1086
ceiling grids, 1038
dimension labels, 1120
multi-view blocks, 1634
profiles, 1659
slices, 273
reference files. See notes, descriptions, reference
files (attaching)
referencing AEC objects
attaching notes or files, 1697
attaching objects, 1699
changing insertion point, 1698
location properties, 1697
remove
hole from ceiling grid, 1027, 1037
remove AEC dimension points, 1080
remove components from display
doors, 663
removing
boundary edges, 259
lines from layout grids, 1574
lines from layout volumes, 1583
nodes from layout curves, 1565
removing components from window display,
703
removing wall modifiers, 335337

report, space totals, 248

repositioning doors along walls, 647
restore associative dimension points, 1082
revision cloud symbol, adding, 1047
revolving profiles, mass elements, 198
right triangle mass elements, creating, 195
right-click menus, 4
rigid frame structural members, 845
creating shapes, 846
drawing frame path, 847
first and second rafters, 849850
first segment, 848
second segment, 851
rise of doors, changing, 647
roof and floor lines in curtain walls
adding gables, 498
adding steps, 499
changing vertices, 500
modifying, 497
roof dormers, 898
roof fascia, 612, 914
roof lines in walls, 381
changing, 327329
roof properties
attaching notes and files, 869
dimensions, 870
location properties, 871
roof slab edge styles, 613, 916
attaching notes and files, 618, 921
changing default properties, 619, 922
creating, 614, 916917
design rules, 620, 923
importing and exporting, 615617,
918920
properties, 618, 921
purging, 615, 918
roof slab properties, 600, 901
changing or applying new styles, 601, 902
dimensions, 601, 903
editing edges, 603, 904
location, 603, 905
notes and files, 600, 901
roof slab style properties, 609611, 910913
adding notes and files, 609, 910
changing defaults, 610, 911
design rules, 611, 912
display, 611, 913
roof slab styles, 604, 905
commands, 924
creating, 604605, 906
importing and exporting, 606608,
908909
properties. See roof slab style properties
purging, 606, 907
roof slabs, 582, 872
Add/Modify dialog boxes, 390
adding dormers, 898

based on walls, 584, 879

commands, 924
creating, 582587, 873, 875882
edge styles, 612, 914
existing roof, 878
from polylines, 587, 882
modifying, 588
modifying. See roof slabs, editing
multiple walls, 585, 880
properties. See roof slab properties
styles. See roof slab styles
using object snaps, 600, 901
roof slabs, editing, 589600, 884901
adding and removing holes, 595, 597, 894,
896
adding and subtracting objects, 598,
896897
adding dormers, 898
adding or deleting a vertex, 594595,
892893
cutting into two or more slabs, 594, 892
edges, 589, 885
extending, 591, 887
grip editing, 599, 900
mitering, 593, 888, 890
properties. See roof slab properties
removing objects, 599, 898
trimming, 590, 885
using object snaps, 600, 901
roof soffit, 612, 914
roofs, 864871
calculating roof area, 1157
changing properties. See roof properties
commands, 924
roof slab edge styles, 613, 916
roof slabs. See roof slabs
roofs, creating, 864867
converting from polyline, 866
converting from walls, 867
double slope, 865
gable, 865
single slope, 864
roofs, modifying, 868
edges and faces, 868
properties. See roof properties
rooms. See space boundaries

S
sashes, window, 705
scale, setting for drawings, 1464
Annotation Plot Size, 1047
schedule data, 1287
attaching to objects, 1288
browsing existing property data, 1290
commands, 1340
editing, 1288
renumbering, 1292

Index

1741

schedule table styles

applying objects, 1323
attaching notes and files, 1321
columns, 1324, 13261328
copying, 1320
creating, 1320
default format, 1322
display properties, 1330
editing, 1329
importing and exporting, 13321334
purging, 1331
sorting, 1328
schedule tables, 1316, 1338
adding objects, 1338
commands, 1340
creating, 1317
editing cells, 1335
editing schedule tables, 1335
exporting information, 1319
exporting information for selected object,
1319
removing objects, 1338
reselecting objects, 1339
showing objects, 1339
styles. See schedule table styles
updating information, 1318
schedule tags, 1278
anchoring to object, 1283
commands, 1339
custom tags, 1284
door and window tags, 1280
object tags, 1280
room and finish tags, 1281
view relationship with objects, 1284
wall tags, 1282
schedules, 46, 1273
creating tables, 1316
data format styles, 1308
property set definitions, 1292
table styles, 1320
section line properties, 1420
adding notes and files, 1420
changing dimensions of section, 1420
graphic subdivisions, 1422
location, 1423
section lines, 1380
creating, 1418
dimensions, 1420
drawing line and marks, 1382
graphic subdivisions, 1387
location properties, 1387
properties, 1384, 1420
section marks, adding, 1060
section marks. See section lines
sections, 13791414
commands, 1415
location properties, 1387, 1395, 1413

1742

Index

properties, 1394, 1413

section marks, 1388
See also 2D sections and 3D sections
sections (live)
adding and removing objects, 14301431
adding objects to the display, 1430
boundary, 1427
commands, 1432
creating, 1423, 1425
creating section lines, 1418
cutting body, 1427
differences to standard sections, 1418
display properties, 1426
hatch, 1427
hatch properties, 1428
inside full body, 1427
layer/color/linetype properties, 1427
outside cutting body, 1427
outside full body, 1427
section lines, 1417
updating, 1430
set drawing scale
commands, 1468
setting AEC dimension preferences, 1070
setting defaults, 134
setting dimension label preferences, 1117
shortcut menus, 4
shrinkwrap in cut plane display, 341
single face of roof. See roof slabs
single slope roof, adding, 864
site symbols, AutoCAD DesignCenter, 283
sizes
ceiling grids, 1038
circular mass elements, 200
column grids, 10281031
door styles, 658
doors, 646
rectangular mass elements, 199
rectangular spaces, 231
space styles, 240
window styles, 697
windows, 681
sketches converted to boundaries, 256
slabs
commands, 621
slice floorplates, 270
commands, 274
generating a slice, 270
objects, 271272
slices
changing properties, 272273
converting to a polyline, 271
converting to boundaries, 256
elevation, 271
slice marker, 270
slices. See Quick Slice
slopes in roofs, creating, 864865

snap points, display. See AEC options, editor

settings
snapshots. See layer snapshots
soffit in roof styles, 612613, 914915
solid form space boundary, 253
sorting styles in Style Manager, 1530
by drawing or template, 1532
style type, 1533
switching between drawings and styles in
tree view, 1534
See also Style Manager
space boundaries, 252
area separation, 262, 264
attaching notes and files, 262
attaching spaces, 257
changing properties, 237, 262264
commands, 267
converting, 255
converting to walls, 260
creating, 253, 255
doors, 644
edges, 258259
editing, 258, 261
floors, 224
merging, 257258
objects, 259260
openings, 626
polylines, 256
solid form, 261, 264
windows, 679
space planning
commands, 248
space styles, 238
copying, 239
creating, 238
editing, 236, 240
importing and exporting, 245
purging, 244
spaces, 221222
area totals, 247
attach to boundary, 257
changing properties, 235236
converting to boundary, 256
create interference conditions, 234
creating, 222224
defining parameters, 224226
editing, 231232, 236
joining together, 232
planning, 221222
removing an interference condition, 234
reports, 248
viewing information, 247
spaces, adding
drag points, 226
joining together, 232
setting parameters, 224226
space styles, 238

spacing
layout grids, 1574
layout nodes, 1565
layout volumes, 1584
spacing, ceiling grids, 1040
Specify on Screen option
ceiling grid, 1035
masking block, 1627, 1649
radial column grid, 1023
rectangular column grid, 1022
size of mass element, 199200
space boundaries, 224
speeding up work environment, 1446
sphere mass elements, creating, 196
spiral stairs, 934
splitting boundaries, 258
stair styles, 957
arrow symbols, 156, 168
editing, 958962, 964965
importing and exporting, 968969
properties, 946
purging, 967
setting dimension properties, 961962, 964
setting general properties, 960
setting landing extension properties, 965
stairline, 155, 167
stairline, 167
edit settings, 155
Plan 1-100, 154
stairline settings
Plan 1-50, 167
stairs, 928
Add/Modify dialog boxes, 390
arrow symbols, 156
attaching railings, 974975
commands, 971
creating, 928
dimension label, 1119
editing, 936
<itailic>See also stairs, modifying
landings, 970
Plan 1-100, 153
Plan 1-50, 166
properties, 946
railings, 995
standard dimension label, 1116
stairs, adding
multi-landing, 931
spiral, 934
u-shaped, 929
stairs, modifying, 936
properties, 946947
using grips, 937
standard dimension labels, 1115
doors, 1115
openings, 1115
stairs, 1116

Index

1743

windows, 1115
starburst pattern in window muntins, 711
starting Architectural Desktop, 23
steel and concrete columns, 843
step, adding to roof or floor line, 328
STLB Format (layer standard), 1481
storefronts. See curtain walls, creating
straight line segments, creating AEC Polygons,
1668
straight walls, 307
Structural Member Catalog, 806
creating a style, 810
displaying, 808
locating a part specification, 811
locating parts, 808
opening a catalog file, 809
structural member styles
attaching notes and files, 835
commands, 861
creating, 857
custom, 853855
importing and exporting, 859860
purging, 858
using Style Manager, 856
structural members, 806
accessing design rules, 837
adding custom shapes to, 840, 852855
commands, 861
manufacturer part specifications, 806
Structural Member Catalog, 806, 808811
structural members, creating, 811
adding custom shapes, 840
beams, 818
braces, 816817
columns, 812, 814
commands, 861
converting lines, arcs, and polylines, 819
custom member styles, 837
multi-component, 843, 845
rigid frames. See rigid frame structural
members
single segment, 841
tapered columns, 841
structural members, displaying, 829
changing display properties, 831
hatch pattern, 832
structural members, modifying, 821
attaching notes and files, 822
changing location of member, 828
changing shape, 839
dimensions, 823
styles, 822
using trim planes, 825828
Style dialog box. See Style Manager
Style Manager, 15261530
accessing, 1529
commands, 1558

1744

Index

copying styles between drawings,

15451550
creating and editing styles, 15421545
filtering styles, 1536
moving Style Manager, 1530
previewing styles, 1537
purging styles, 15521554
sending styles by email, 15551557
sorting styles, 15301534
viewing contents, 1527, 15341537
working with drawings and templates,
15381541
styles
AEC dimensions, 1089
AEC Polygons, 1680
area groups, 1218, 1225
curtain walls, 419, 473
doors, 645, 650
layer keying, 1493
managing styles. See Style Manager
multi-view blocks, 1635
schedule tables, 1320
spaces, 238
stairs, 957
wall endcaps, 372
wall surfaces, 366
walls, 313, 317, 343
window assemblies, 736
windows, 690
subtracting areas from AEC Polygons, 1675
subtractive mass elements, 215
sunburst pattern in window muntins, 713
switching layout curves, 1567
symbols, 1045
architectural. See AutoCAD DesignCenter
design content. See AutoCAD DesignCenter
drawing. See annotation

T
tapered columns. See structural members,
creating
template, Architectural Desktop
display settings, 99100
templates, 23, 25, 38, 5166
area evaluation documents, 1267
basic, 52, 54
conceptual design layout tabs, 61
contents, 5457, 59
copying styles between templates,
15451550
creating custom, 66
definition, 52
design development layout tabs, 62
display configurations, 5357
managing styles with Style Manager,
15321541
Model tab, 65

object styles, 60
plotting layout tabs, 6365
sending styles by email, 15551557
Template Overview tab, 60
using in Style Manager, 15401541
threshold symbol
Plan 1-100, 150
thresholds of doors, changing, 665
title marks
adding, 1061
Today window, 23
trim planes, modifying structural members,
825826
adding, 825
changing, 827
removing, 828
trimming AEC Polygons, 1678
troubleshooting display systems, 142

U
units in drawings, setting, 1462
u-shaped stairs, 929
utilities
AEC Object Explode, 1700
commands, 1706
hidden line projection, 1699
Quick Slice, 1695
referencing AEC objects, 1696
using commands, 1694

V
vertex, adding and removing from AEC
Polygons, 1679
vertices in areas, 1173
vertices in roof and floor lines, 329
videos, recording with camera, 14381439
view
camera viewpoint, 1433, 1437
Style Manager contents, 1534
viewing windows, 8
AutoCAD DesignCenter, 12
Floating Viewer, 183
Model Explorer, 174
Object Viewer, 181
viewports
associating camera, 1436
camera viewpoint, 1437
controlling display, 100
display configurations, 104, 136
displaying AEC objects, 107108
setting display, 136
volume anchor, 1591
adding, 1603

W
wall boundaries, creating areas from, 1155

wall cleanup groups

assigning different definitions, 362
assigning to new walls, 361
attaching notes and files, 357
editing definitions, 357
importing and exporting definitions,
358360
purging definitions, 358
wall component index, 354
wall display, managing, 339
changing information, 342
cut planes, 341
hatching, 340
layers, colors, and linetypes, 339
wall endcap styles, 372
attaching notes and files, 375
creating, 373
editing, 374
importing and exporting, 376378
inserting as polyline, 378
overriding, 379
purging, 376
wall height, gable
changing, 203
wall modifier styles, 366
creating, 367
editing, 368
importing and exporting, 370371
purging, 369
wall modifiers, 368
wall niche symbols, 1048
wall properties
3D modifiers, 336337
adding and removing wall modifiers, 333,
335
attaching notes and files, 316
changing wall styles, 317
dimensions, 317
location properties, 338
roof and floor lines, 327329, 331
wall style overrides, 332
wall style properties
adding and removing components,
351352
attaching notes and files, 348349
display properties, 353
endcap properties, 350
hatch patterns, 355
wall styles, 343
creating, 343344
importing and exporting, 346347
overrides, 332
properties. See wall style properties
purging, 345
wall tools
adding and subtracting objects, 384385
adding wall modifiers, 363372

Index

1745

attaching and detaching objects, 388

dimensioning walls, 389
endcap styles, 372
floor lines, 381
interference conditions, 382383
joining walls, 387
replacing with object, 386
reverse wall start and end, 387
roof lines, 381
start and end points, 387
sweeping profiles, 383384
wall endcap styles, 365, 372379
wall modifier styles, 366
walls
add to AEC dimension chain, 1083
Add/Modify dialog boxes, 390
adding doors, 643
adding wall modifiers, 333, 363, 372
adding windows, 678
attaching objects, 388
cleanup definitions. See wall cleanup groups
commands, 392
converting to curtain walls, 413
creating, 27, 29, 306, 309, 311, 362
creating areas, 1160
creating roofs, 867
curtain walls. See curtain walls, creating
detach from AEC dimension chain, 1084
dimensioning, 389
dimensions points, 1067
display. See wall display, managing
floor line, 381
from space boundaries, 260
joining, 387
merging, 379
nonrectangular, 327328
openings, 624
properties. See wall properties
roof line, 381
schedule tags, 1282
start and end points, 387
straight, 307
walls, adding
curved, 309, 311
straight, 307, 311
walls, editing, 312, 362, 368
See also walls, modifying
adding wall modifiers, 363
converting lines to walls, 362
converting polylines to wall modifiers, 365
endcap styles, 372376
floor lines, 381
merging walls, 379
roof lines, 381
wall modifiers, 366367, 369372
wall tools. See wall tools
walls, modifying, 312

1746

Index

attaching notes and files, 316

copying, 314
dimensions, 313, 317
floor and roof lines, 327329, 331
interference objects, 336
modifiers, 333, 335
properties, 316, 338
vertices in roofs and floors, 329
wall body modifiers, 337
wall style overrides, 332
wall styles, 313, 317
wall sweep modifiers, 336
width of doors, changing, 646
window assemblies
commands, 802
inserting into curtain walls, 434, 454
window assemblies, creating, 724, 727728
custom grids, 731
frames. See frames, window assemblies
mullions. See mullions, window assemblies
nested grids, 758
window assemblies, modifying, 767, 792
attaching notes and files, 772
dimensions, 772
display, 767771
edit in place, 783789
editing objects in cells, 799802
element definitons, 778
height, 794
interference conditions, 797
matching properties, 793
merging two cells, 780
mitered corners, 797798
overrides, 780782
overriding assignments, 779
shape, 795
vertical alignment, 794
width, 794
window assembly grids, 725, 729
cells, 738739
custom, 731
divisions, 737, 756
elements, 726
frames, 747, 762
mullions, 751, 764
nested grids, 733, 758
window assembly properties
assigned overrides, 779, 782
attaching notes and files, 799
design rules, 783
dimensions, 795
element definitions, 783
location, 796
overrides, 782
window assembly styles, 736, 773
creating, 728, 773774
default dimensions, 772

division definition, 737

elements of, 736, 755
frames. See frames, window assemblies
importing and exporting, 776777
incorporating overrides, 782
mullions. See mullions, window assemblies
purging, 775
window assembly styles, modifying, 790, 793
cell infills, 757761
display, 767771
edit in place changes, 790
element definitions, 791
frames, 747750, 762, 764
grid cells, 737739
grid divisions, 756
matching styles, 793
mullions, 751752, 754755, 765766
nested grids, 758
window frame
Plan 1-50, 163
window hinge, 683
window muntins, 705
creating
diamond pattern, 709
editing, 718
gothic pattern, 716
rectangular pattern, 706
removing, 719
starburst pattern, 711
sunburst pattern, 713
turning off display, 719
window panes, 705
window properties, 684
attaching notes and files, 684
dimension, 685
location, 689
window style properties, 695
attaching notes and files, 695
dimension, 696
display, 698
window styles, 690
creating, 690
design rules, 697
importing and exporting, 693694
properties, 695
purging, 692
sizes, 697
window swing, 683

windows, 676
add to AEC dimension chain, 1083
assemblies. See window assemblies
commands, 720
creating, 33
detach from AEC dimension chain, 1084
dimension label, 1119
dimension points, 1068
editing, 680
inserting into curtain walls, 434, 454
muntins. See window muntins
openings, 704
Plan 1-100, 150
Plan 1-50, 162
schedule tags, 1280
standard dimension labels, 1115
windowsills, 704
windows, adding
freestanding, 680
in space boundaries, 679
space boundary, 679
wall, 678
windows, creating, 678
window swing, 683
windows, display, 699, 702703
adding components to, 700
editing components in, 702
removing components from, 703
turning of component display, 703
windows, modifying, 680
changing orientation, 688
dimension properties, 685
endcap properties, 689
height, 681
location properties, 689
properties, 684
repositioning, 682, 686687
size, 681
style properties, 685
styles, 681
vertical alignment, 682
width, 681
windowsills, 704

Z
zoom always, Model Explorer, 181
zoom length, camera, 1436

Index

1747

1748

Index