• TechNotes
• Align Construction Elements Graphically with Virtual Trace

Use Virtual trace to Align Construction Elements

The Trace Reference feature of ArchiCAD 11 can be used to aid the graphical alignment of construction elements across multiple Model Views.

For a description of this feature, see “Virtual Trace:” Using References to Edit and Compare Model Views and Drawings.

Some examples of when this can be useful:

• You wish to fit window headers and/or mullions to one another horizontally/vertically on two different Elevations (e.g. North Elevation and South Elevation)
• You wish to check and align footing levels on two separate (even perpendicular) Sections
• You want to see and take into consideration hidden connecting structures (Slabs, Structural Walls, partition walls) when designing a building façade.

Let us take the example of taking hidden structures into consideration when designing a building facade. In our example, we wish to decide the vertical placement of windows in a staircase so they are not in conflict with the Stair body.

In ArchiCAD 11, the Trace feature provides a streamlined and highly flexible workflow:

1. Go to the Elevation Window in which you wish to adjust Windows.

2. Show the other Section as the Trace Reference over the active Model View. (Go the Project Map of the Navigator, right-click on the name of the Elevation to be used as Reference, and from the context menu, select the Show as Trace Reference command.

3. Move the Reference to the correct position (if not done automatically). You may adjust the Reference color and transparency for better distinction (use the Trace & Reference Palette). You can also adjust the color in the Active Window. In our example, the Reference is red with 50% transparency, and the Active content is blue.

4. Align Windows while considering structures shown in the Reference.

5. Switch off the Reference, if no longer needed.

Note: When showing a Model View as Reference, you have several options as to which representation of the Model View: either a Viewpoint (that is, the Elevation in the Project Map) or you could use an Elevation View (a View saved from the Section with specific settings) from the View Map). The difference between using a Viewpoint and a View as a Reference is that a Reference View will use the settings it was saved with, while the Reference Viewpoint will use the current settings of the Active View. Thus, if you want the Reference to use a different Layer Combination, Scale, Model View Options Combination etc. than the Active View, you should use a View as a Reference, rather than a Viewpoint. In our example, we used a Section Viewpoint as Reference, because the settings of the Active and Reference views are similar (since our Court Elevation used the same View settings).

Note: Sometimes the Model View you wish to use as a Reference may not exist in your Project (as in the above example: there was no Section taken through that portion of the Stair structure. In such a case, you can temporarily create the needed Section, Elevation etc., use it as a Reference, and after it is no longer needed, you can simply delete it.

Archicad 10 Method

In ArchiCAD 10 and earlier versions, the task above could be achieved in a less flexible way by copying and pasting reference elements:

1. Go to the Elevation that contains structures you need to take into consideration in another Elevation.

2. Select and Copy elements from this Elevation to the Clipboard.

3. Go to the Elevation Window in which you wish to align Windows, and paste the content from the Clipboard. You may need to cut portions of pasted elements, group them to be able to move them as a whole, change their color to the same Pen color for easy identification, and use Edit > Display Order > Send to Back so they do not obscure Model elements in the Elevation we need to work on.

4. Align the pasted content’s position to the active Model View seen in the Elevation Window.

5. Fit Windows’ positions to the pasted drawings as desired.

6. Delete pasted elements, which are now unnecessary.

7. Change to the other Elevation Window and repeat the above steps as needed.

Note: ArchiCAD 11's Virtual Trace technology permits you to reference live model information, thus avoiding potential errors with the copy/paste technique of ArchiCAD 10 and earlier for this example. Such live references are even more valuable in a TeamWork environment where another team member might be manipulating the very part of the model that you are referencing.

Category2dDrawing Category3dModeling