INT_AC Training Series Vol.1

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 1

The ArchiCAD BIM Concept

Credits

Visit the GRAPHISOFT website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and product availability information.

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 1 The ArchiCAD BIM Concept Copyright © 2013 by GRAPHISOFT, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or translation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Trademarks ArchiCAD® is a registered trademark of GRAPHISOFT. GRAPHISOFT. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Credits The following ArchiCAD project project is used in this training material: NHS Office Complex, Los Angeles, California, US Architect: PAAstudio, PAAstudio, US


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Contents

CONTENTS Introduction ___________________________________ ___________________________________________ ________ 4 The ArchiCAD Interface _______________________________ __________________________________ ___ 6 Navigate Around the Floor Plan __________________________11 Navigate in 3D ______________________________ ________________________________________ __________13 13 The Virtual Building Concept ____________________________17 The Documentation Documentation Workflow Workflow ___________________________39


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Introduction

Introduction Welcome Welcome to the ArchiCAD Training Series! This Guide is part of the ArchiCAD Training Series, which currently includes the following materials: •

Vol. ol. 1, 1, The The Arch ArchiC iCAD AD BIM BIM Con Conce cept pt

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Vol. 2, 2, Bas Basic ic Arch ArchiC iCAD AD

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Vol. ol. 3, Inte Interm rmed edia iate te Arch ArchiC iCAD AD

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Vol. ol. 4, 4, Adv Advan ance ced d Arc Archi hiCA CAD D

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Vol. ol. 5, 5, Usin Using g Team eamwo work rk

You are now reading Vol. 1, "The ArchiCAD BIM Concept" Concept" a hands-on training to familiarize you with the modeling and documentation concepts of ArchiCAD. This guide is meant for new ArchiCAD users and prospects as well as students s tudents and teachers. This guide is also suitable for using as BIM Curriculum "Exercises" - for Hands-on Practice in universities where ArchiCAD is taught to students. Lecturers who would like to use this guide as a BIM Curriculum should visit the educational sites of the GR APHISOFT website (http://www.graphisoft.com/lea (http://www.gra phisoft.com/learning/education/ rning/education/ ) where, after registration, they will be entitled to obtain a full set of training materials suitable for seminar lectures. Contents of this guide: Training guide e-book: The PDF guide includes detailed detailed explanation of every step, with several several screenshots. ArchiCAD project file: The pre-set training file will help h elp your learning process. Pre-set project views help you to navigate between different steps thus you can focus on the core knowledge. Movie clips: Narrated movie clips are available on the YouTube YouTube channel for GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD (www.youtube.com/user/Archicad ) providing step-by-step instructions for each step of the training guide. The ArchiCAD YouTube YouTube Channel can also be accessed from the Help menu of ArchiCAD. Enter the name of this Training Guide in the search field to locate the related videos.


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Introduction You must have ArchiCAD 17 or later version installed on your computer to use this guide. This ebook and the movie clips were made with the English language version of ArchiCAD. For your conveniance we recommend recommend you to download and use the same version for practicing. If you do not have ArchiCAD yet, please visit https://myarchicad.com/ to obtain a free ArchiCAD installer: •

If you are are a student student,, a teacher teacher or a representa representative tive of of a school, school, registe registerr and downloa download d a fully fully functional Education Version of ArchiCAD for Students and Teachers.

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If you are are a profession professional al architect architect,, register register and downl download oad a fully fully functional functional 30-day 30-day trial trial version version of ArchiCAD. Projects saved with this TRIAL version can be automatically upgraded to FULL versions upon purchase of a commercial license.

Please contact your local distributor for purchasing commercial ArchiCAD licenses: http://www.graphisoft.com/purchase/ How to use this training material? •

Inst Instal alll the the requ requir ired ed Arc ArchiC hiCAD AD ver versio sion n

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Open the PD PDF F Guide

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Open the relat related ed movie movie clips clips from from the GRAPHISOFT GRAPHISOFT ArchiCA ArchiCAD DY Youtub outube e Channel Channel

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Follo Follow w the inst instruct ruction ionss given given in the the PDF PDF guide guide and and the vide videos. os.

We hope you will find this training useful and wish you success with your future ArchiCAD projects!

Good Luck!

The GRAPHISOFT Team Team


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The ArchiCAD Interface

The ArchiCAD Interface Please extract the “AC_Training_Series_Vol_1.zip” archive file into your computer. computer. To To start exploring ArchiCAD we will open an example file first. Let’s Let’s start ArchiCAD by clicking on the application icon. First we encounter a dialog box, in which we can choose between creating a new project or working on an existing one.

We’ll do the latter, so we click on the “Open a Project” radio radio button. Then in the second section of Project”. Choose “Standard Profile 17” for the Work the dialog box we select “Browse for a Solo Project”. Environment and click on “Browse”. In the browser dialog box, we locate and open the NHS Office 17.pla project 17.pla project file, which is located in the folder where you extracted the zip file.


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The ArchiCAD Interface If you are running ArchiCAD 17 Student version, a message appears warning you that you have to convert the project into EDU format.

Click on the "Convert to EDU " button. Since we are opening a so-called archive project that contains all the external elements used in creating the project, we are asked how we wish to handle these elements. For the time being we ignore this and keep all the project elements in the archive file; so without changing the radio buttons simply click “Open” .


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The ArchiCAD Interface The project file opens. Let's take a closer closer look at the ArchiCAD interface. This application was designed by architects for architects. The easy to understand graphical interface and the visual feedback will help you to quickly get familiar with the program's capabilities.

The central part of the interface shows the Floor Plan of our project. At the bottom bottom of the screen, a set of icons help to navigate in this thi s view, and set the drawing scale and zoom factor.

To To the left, the Toolbox contains Toolbox contains all the tools necessary to build the 3D model and complete the documentation. To To the right, the Navigator lists Navigator lists all aspects of the project – here we can jump from story to stor y or to different 3D views, sections, elevations and details. At the very top, the Menubar lists Menubar lists all the available commands, logically grouped. Commands for File operations, Editing and Viewing functions can be selected from the corresponding menus. Since Design and Documentation are separate processes in architectural practice, tools and commands supporting these processes are also located in separate menus. Commands in the Options menu regulate basic


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The ArchiCAD Interface settings and the Work Environment. The Teamwork menu menu supports collaborative work, and the Window menu menu sets the visibility of the toolbars and palettes.


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The ArchiCAD Interface The Standard Toolbar contains Toolbar contains some of the commands and functions available from the menus. It can be found right below the Menubar and can be fully customized. (The whole user inter face can be arranged into so-called schemes to fast-track repetitive work, but this is outside the scope of this training guide). The Info Box shows Box shows the current settings of the selected tool or the characteristics of the selected element. (Try it by selecting a different tool from the Toolbox. Toolbox. Look at the changes in the Info In fo Box.) Changes in the Info Box are immediately reflected in current settings or the attributes of the selected element. The Info Box can be resized (similarly to all boxes and palettes) to reveal more information than in the basic settings.


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Navigate Around the Floor Plan

Navigate Around the Floor Plan Let’s Let’s take a closer look at the Floor Plan. From the icons at the bottom of the Floor Plan, let’ let ’s select the “Increase Zoom” icon.

The cursor changes to to a magnifying glass. glass. Let’s Let’s draw two corners of a rectangle around the upper upper right entrance area of the building. After the second click, you will see a zoomed-in view of the Floor Plan in the main window.


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Navigate Around the Floor Plan Try the other icons for Panning, Reducing Zoom, Fitting in Window the the contents of the Floor Plan, or switching between Previous and Next Views.

There is an even even faster way to navigate navigate in all views. views. With the cursor in the main window, press the mouse scroll button to pan around pan around the Floor Plan in real-time. Remember to keep the scroll button pressed!

Rolling the scroll button away from you will wi ll zoom in and in and rolling it toward you will zoom out in out in real-time. In these cases, the cursor position will act as the center point of the projection. This technique will let let you move move from one one location of the Floor Plan Plan to another very very quickly. Try Try it!


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Navigate in 3D

Navigate in 3D In ArchiCAD, every building element is instantly represented in 3D as well. Naturally this sample project includes not only the 2D documentation but the entire 3D building model as well. So what does our sample project look like in 3D? The 3D model can be shown in an axonometric axonometric or a perspective view. We’ll We’ll try an axonometric view first. To access the 3D representation of our building, go to the 3D section in the Project Map of the Navigator and double-click on Generic Axonometry (as shown below).


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Navigate in 3D As a result you will see something like this:

Within the 3D view, the real-time navigational tools (Zoom-In, Zoom-Out, Pan) function exactly as on the Floor Plan. Use the scroll button of the mouse to move from one part of the image to the other. Select a view where the building more or less fills the main window. win dow. There are two fundamentally different ways of navigating in a model ArchiCAD: Orbit and Walk. Let's see how they work. From the bottom Toolbar select the “Orbit” icon. “Orbit” icon.

The cursor changes to a little orbit sign. Click and keep the left left mouse button pressed and move the mouse around to view the building from all sides. While in Orbit mode, mode, real-time Zoom and Pan can still be used. Try them both to explore the whole model. To get out of Orbit mode, mode, press “Esc ”.


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Navigate in 3D There is an even more exciting exciting way of getting around the building. In order to see this, this, let’s double-click Generic Perspective from Perspective from the 3D section 3D section of the Navigator. Navigator. The result is something like this:

In this view Orbit , real-time Zoom and Pan work as we have seen already. The only difference is that here they affect the camera position rather than the projected image. Let’s try and move around a little. For a different way of exploration, let’s get into first-person “shooter” mode by selecting the “Explore” icon Explore” icon at the bottom toolbar.


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Navigate in 3D The appearing dialog box explains explains how movement can be controlled controlled (very similarly to FPS computer games).

If you are sure you have the controls right, click 3D Explore and start flying inside the building and navigating around. Walls will not stop you in this “game” “game”, but to get the hang of it you should try tr y to use the doors. To To get out of Explore mode, just click into the 3D view.


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The Virtual Building Concept

The Virtual Building Concept So how is it possible that we’ve seen a single Floor Plan, yet we could explore the whole building right away? To explain, let’s let’s see a short introduction of GRAPHISOFT’s Virtual Building Concept also known as Building Information Modeling or BIM. Let’s Let’s double-click on 0.1 floor in floor in the Stories section of the Navigator. Navigator. Instantly we get back to the initial Floor Plan. You can adjust the content to the Floor Plan window if it is necessar y by clicking on the symbol Zoom (Fit in Window) One fundamental concept of BIM is that the 3D model is made of real building components like walls, beams or slabs. Let's take a closer look at the ArchiCAD walls as an example.


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The Virtual Building Concept Let’s Let’s double-click on the Wall tool in the Toolbox. The dialog box for the Wall settings appears.

In the first section sec tion we can specify the geometry of the wall, including height and shape information as well as its vertical position. In the second section we can set how the wall will be represented in 2D view such as the Floor Plan or a section. We can set the attributes of the wall (or rather its representative symbol) to control its display. Here the structure of a composite wall or other view-dependent characteristics can be selected.


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The Virtual Building Concept In the next section sec tion we can determine how the wall should look in 3D views. Sur face materials and textures can be specified here. In the last section we can link different properties that are necessary to build bills of material for this type of wall. In list type views, the wall behaves as a group of basic building components that forms this composite structure. The point is that the wall we either draw on the Floor Floor Plan or place in 3D in a perspective view is not merely a 2D symbol or a collection of parallel lines or just a 3D shape. It is all that and much more: it is an environment-sensitive building block of the Virtual Building that knows how to present itself within the different aspects of architectural documentation.


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The Virtual Building Concept What does that mean in practice? Let’s make some changes in our Virtual Building and see what happens. First of all let’s change the current Wall settings to this:


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The Virtual Building Concept Set the wall height to 13'-1" under 13'-1" under Geometry and Positioning. For the Composite Type (which is going to be the representation of the composite wall structure on Floor Plans P lans and sections) let’s let’s select the “Wall Conc. Stone Tile” structure. To do this click on the Composite button and from the appearing dialog choose the required composite type.


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The Virtual Building Concept In the Model section let’s click on the little chain icon on the right. Click on Override Surface button. The list of avail availabl able e surface surface materia materials ls come comess up. up. Select Select “Brick-Common Bond” from from the list. All three surface material settings (wall exterior, interior and edge) will be updated.


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The Virtual Building Concept After changing the settings, let’s click on “OK” .

Back on the Floor Plan let’s zoom in to the wall on the right side of the lobby area and select the Inject Parameters tool from the Standard Toolbar. Toolbar.

The cursor changes to a little syringe. This tool injects the current settings of the active design or documentation tool to existing elements. When we move the cursor above the wall we zoomed in on, the wall will be highlighted, showing that it is selected for the injection. inject ion. Let’s Let’s click anywhere inside the wall body.


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The Virtual Building Concept The wall changes instantly, instantly, showing the composite structure we selected in the Wall Wall dialog box.

Now let’s let’s see what happened in other views of the Virtual Building.


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The Virtual Building Concept First, let’s select and double-click 04 D_D Section from Section from the Sections/Elevations part of the Navigator. Navigator.

The section opens instantly. On the right side of the Lobby’s Lobby’s first floor we see the wall wall we have just modified. It shows the structure we have just selected selected for it.


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The Virtual Building Concept Now let’s select Generic Axonometry or Axonometry or General Perspective from Perspective from the Navigator and Navigator and using the previously described navigation techniques go to that part of the project, which includes the modified wall.

As you can see, the wall now shows the sur face material that has been set in the dialog box.

One of the major advantages of the BIM concept is that non graphical-information, such as quantities, element inventories and schedules, can be automatically extracted from the 3D


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The Virtual Building Concept model. Let’s Let’s check if all aspects of the Virtual Building really are covered: double-click Wall List in List in the Element Schedules section of the Navigator. Navigator.

Instantly, an interactive list appears of all the walls placed in the project so far. We can quickly find the wall on the first floor that we have just modified. Here some parameters (like the height or the


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The Virtual Building Concept composite structure of the wall) can be changed again. These changes will be reflected in all views (Floor Plans, sections/elevations or in 3D).

Let’s Let’s get back to the initial Floor Plan again (double-click 1 Floor in in the Navigator). Zoom out in order to see the entire Floor Plan. Having a Virtual Building also means that we don’t have to set up complicated layer sets for the different stories within the project. Stories, sections and elevations are just separate views of the virtual building model. In ArchiCAD, the Navigator window makes it easy to toggle between different views and representations of the BIM model.


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The Virtual Building Concept In the Navigator, double-click Navigator, double-click on the different stories (2 (2 Floor, Floor, 3 Floor, Floor, etc. in the Stories part) and on the different sections in the Sections/Elevations part or in the Details part.


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The Virtual Building Concept

All these views are merely derivatives of the Virtual Building. Building. Any number of them can be generated and they are all linked together, together, so if anything changes in i n one view, not only is that particular view modified, but the changes are also reflected in all the views throughout the entire project. This is a huge advantage compared to the traditional 2D drawing based documentation method where coordination of the drawings had to be done manually. It is not just more productive but also more reliable, as it reduces the risk of coordination issues to the minimum. Let's see how we can work with the different views linked to each other. The revolutionary Virtual Trace technology in ArchiCAD allows you to see and compare two different views views of the BIM model. Return to the Floor Plan of the 0.1 floor. Right-click on 06 East Elevation in the Navigator Trace Reference” from the context menu. and choose “Show as Trace


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The Virtual Building Concept The elevation appears on the referred referred side of the building Floor Plan.

The “Trace” icon becomes active in the Standard toolbar. Click on the small arrow next to the “Trace” icon and choose “Drag Reference” from the menu.


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The Virtual Building Concept Drag the elevation view to the right.


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The Virtual Building Concept Arrange the Floor Plan so that the windows on the first floor of the building become clearly visible next to the Floor Plan view.


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INT_AC Training Series Vol.1

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