William
Sutherland
Architect |
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Allplan FT
Users Page 1
Office
Address Cluan
Rydal Road
Ambleside
LA22 9BA
015394 34489
For
location plan
see Local Links
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Tips
& Tricks...
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User
Pages for
Allplan FT |
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If
autolayers stops working... |
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Not
sure why, but sometimes the 'Auto-select layer
with menu' function stops working (on the 'Format->Select,
Set layers' dialogue). To re-enable it I uncheck the tick
box, then 'Apply' and then recheck the tick box, and 'Apply' again,
'OK' out of the dialogue. This seems to make the 'drop down' layer
list box in the Format toolbar work
properly again so that it offers the full range of layers appropriate
to the tool chosen.
If you now assign a layer manually then most of the tools will thereafter
auto-assign a layer. However, some - like 2D lines - seem to require
a layer to be assigned manually and thereafter it will be autoassigned.
It is quite important not to have elements put on the 'default'
layer as you cannot do much with this layer.
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Save
toolbar & other user settings... |
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You can export the toolbar settings from the 'Tools->Customise'
dialogue. Click 'Export' at the bottom
of the dialogue and the default location offered is on the drive specified
at installation for the program files 'x:\nem\Allplan\Usr\Local\*.*'
Now to backup this file you need to use the services application and
click 'Data Backup->Backup->Private Local->Full'
- there are some specific options but I suggest 'Full'
is the safest as it backs up subdirectories as well.
Remember of course to in turn copy the zipped backup files somewhere
safe - you never know when you are going to need them!
A related matter I have discovered is that the drawing files in the
empty default project in Allplan - the one that has no name - do not
reside on the data drive (as defined at installation) but are actually
on the program files drive in the 'x:\nem\Allplan\Usr\Local\prj'
directory. Thus the above backup of user settings may also pick up
these drawings.
If you are ever in any doubt as to the real location of drawing files
then the full path is given when you look at the files from within
Project Pilot (in the title bar at the top of the window).
Update - correction 3/02/02
- all projects have the same behaviour - number of files grows and
diminishes as created or deleted - there are not 3,000 files actually
created when first setting up a new project - I count 22 in a blank
new project.
Allplan v2004 -projects are now saved with the name of the project rather than just a number which makes them easier to recognise within Windows Explorer.
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You
can make wall axis markers visible from
Tools->Options->
Architecture and then choosing the 'Axis'
button |
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Update
May 2003 Allplan 2003 allows axis to be chosen from
the dynamic toolbar when entering walls.
Allplan 2004 - they have refined the axis options further as a toggle to flip sides but it can also be specified anywhere in the wall depth via the new and extensive wall properties dialogue.
The axis position is determined by where you click when the wall is
created - if you click directly on the line drawn before the wall
thickness is generated then the axis will be central (only available
to single thickness walls). More commonly you tend to click away from
the original line and this is important because Allplan always seems
to put the outer layer of a multi-thickness wall touching the axis.
As shown above I usually apply different fills to multi-layer walls
so that the wall lines appear in 2D plan and so that you know which
is the outside but the axis if displayed also indicates this - note
the square boxes at axis 'nodes' which seem to have no function other
than indicators of the end of an axis. Note that you can manually
edit the pen weights of the lines of the wall layers but unless you
save the wall as a symbol they are not 'remembered' if you store away
the wall as a 'type' (this is supposed to be fixed in the next version
v17
The 'Fold Line' tool acts differently depending on whether the axis
is displayed or not.
With the wall axis ON, a single or multi-thickness wall will be broken
and a new wall section added creating a 'kink in the wall line but
maintaining the wall thickness. A single thickness wall with a central
axis does not do this but has its thickness altered.
With the wall axis OFF, all walls or layers have their thickness altered.
Here is an illustration of what happens with the wall axis turned
ON...
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Axis
turned ON in Tools->Options->Architecture...
3 layer wall with axis at the top |
using
the 'Fold Line' tool you can drag out any side of the wall or
a layer |
using
the 'Fold Line' tool on the axis side not only kinks the entire
wall but reasserts the original layer thicknesses too! |
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always finding new areas of Allplan - in the 2D Architecture symbol
library there is an extra option - number 4 - which just says 'Bathroom
Fittings' - unlike the other options which mention a scale.
Within this particular library there is a wonderful range of things
like a towel on a rail in elevation (honestly!) - well worth a browse
for all manner of objects useful for embellishing 2D interior elevations
and sections.
Update - Choosing 'Custom' when installing Allplan gives you access to a couple of options about installing some libraries.
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Convert
Fills, hatches, patterns... |
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Here is a curious but useful tool - it is fairly self explanatory
'Hatch to Pattern to Fill' - available
from 'Modify->Draft'.
As I seldom use hatching or patterns my main use for it is to change
the colours of fills on a 2D drawing globally, or within a part of
the drawing. (For architectural elements of course you would use 'Change
Archit. Properties').
Just use the
double chevron button to pick up the current parameters from a fill
(or hatch or pattern) or click one of the 'to'
buttons on the right and then set relevant parameters. Allplan will
then prompt 'Select hatching/pattern/fill to
convert to ...' and you can then just point at fills or enclose
them in a selection rectangle to change the colour... or as implied
in the name of the tool you can convert fills to hatching or to patterns
in a similar manner. It just seem easier this way than using the 'proper'
tool -
'Change Fill' which I find very awkward to use.
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Yet
more fun with text... |
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Not
really a tip as such - just a feature that makes me smile every
time I see it in action!
If you select some elements in plan view along with some text, rotate
it 180°... and the text still reads from left to right! - and
unlike some other CAD systems the parameters have not changed. Very
clever... :)
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Mount
3D Model in Image... ??? |
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Just started using this tool to place a model in a photograph and
an error message kept appearing 'The Current
View is not a Central View' - which is certainly one of the
more obscure error messages I have seen!
What it actually means is that you need to click the '3D view' button
on a window control bar and select 'Perspective'
instead of 'Isometric'.
Allplan 2004 has more options when clicking this button but I have not explored them yet (although they seem to be fairly self-explanatory).
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Exporting
model to Cinema 4D... |
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OK,
so you have exported your amazing Allplan model in C4D format, fired
up Cinema 4D and Opened the file...
so far so good. You can't wait to try out a test render... but...
when you do, you get an error message with a list of all the missing
textures! The answer is quite simple - in Cinema 4D click 'Edit->
General Settings' and then choose the 'Texture
Paths' tab. Here you can browse to all the directories that
contain your textures - there is room for many directories - and
now C4D can find all your textures no problem :)
Allplan 2004 has a new link method available - a plug-in to C4D which is installed when you install Allplan if Cinema 4D v8.5 is found on your PC.
Texture and surface files are now stored in the project file in Allplan and C4D seems to find them there by itself. (The materials still need tidying up in C4D but Allplan 2004 is much improved over earlier versions in this respect).
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Assign
surfaces locally...? |
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[pre Allplan 2004 makes life simpler by including assigning surfaces to walls within the wall properties dialogue]
It is much better to use the 'Assign Custom
Surfaces to ...' tool to apply textures to objects locally
rather than the 'blunt instrument' of the older tool -
Update
May 2003 Allplan 2003 allows surfaces to be assigned
from the Properties dialog boxes - not enabled by default you need
to check the option.
'Assign surface properties'. The simplest
method in v16.2 is to save a 3 way window split with the top left
window being the animation view, the bottom left being an isometric
view and the one on the right the plan view. Right-clicking on an
element edge within the isometric view includes the 'Assign
Custom Surfaces... ' tool in the shortcut menu but only if
Allplan identifies the arch. element - this is why you seem to need
to right-click on an edge of the element you want to apply the texture
to. One benefit of this method is that the texture only seems to be
linked locally and so avoids the slowdown that seems to occur gobally
(i.e. in every project) when first opening an animation view when
a texture is assigned to a colour by using 'Assign
surface properties' - not sure about this but I guess it's
the OpenGL buffer being set up and the texture being loaded into it.
Also of course it keeps the textures separate for every project rather
than acting globally.
See also page
on elementary rendering for more on this tool. |
Change
dimension properties... |
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Obvious really but it never occurred to me until now that you can
change the properties of individual dimensions by right-clicking
on them and choosing 'Properties' from
the bottom of the shortcut menu. Just change the parameter you want
- e.g. mm to
ft and ins and then OK out of the dialogue using the green
tick button to implement the changes. As usual in dialogues note
the the 'double chevron' button (>>) which allows you to pick
up properties from an existing dimension by pointing at it.
Update Aug 2005 Allplan 2005 has completely revised the Dimension module.
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Measure
tool works in 2D & 3D... |
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The measure tool will now work in all views - i.e. select 'length'
option and you can measure heights in elevation or diagonals in
the isometric view and the distance is returned as 'L=' with the
coordinate values also given.
Note also that you can take successive measurements and a cumulative total is stored as the value of 'L='
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Rendered
elevations, plans... |
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Here is
a neat trick since v16.2.
Tick the option to 'Get
image from active viewport' after clicking 'Render'
from the animation menu. The animation is then taken from the active
orthogonal view - i.e. elevation or section or even plan if you have
created a horizontal section above the level of the top of the model.
If you also select 'Quick Ray' or 'Raytracing'
from the 'Method' option in the 'Render'
dialogue you will see shadows cast by the sun and/or lighting (set
up in the 'Setup Lights' tool.)
Update 26.09.01 - if you want
to be really clever click the 3D view button..
before doing the render and choose 'perspective'
instead of 'isometric' from the options
and the elevation or section will show up in perspective rather than
true elevation - pointless but neat! :)
Update
May 2003 Allplan 2003 has further improvements to bitmap
export and handling generally.
Update Sept 2004 Allplan 2004 has further improvements to editing bitmaps
.. but still no simple way to have scaled and rendered elevations .
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Delete/Modify
all constrn lines... |
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A little feature that I like is that
construction lines always seem to be assigned to Group 0 (zero).
You can see this by right-clicking on a construction line and choosing
'Format Properties' from the bottom
of the shortcut menu that appears. Group 0 (zero) seems to be reserved
for construction lines. Groups are similar to 'blocks' or 'patterns'
in other CAD systems but Allplan makes life easier for the user
by automatically assigning a new Group number to each new entity
- except construction lines it seems.
Therefore to delete all construction lines (a command that seems
to be missing from Allplan although using the filter assistant will
do it) just click Delete and then use
the middle and left mouse button combination to click on one construction
line and they all go!
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Match
wireframe to animation... |
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Here
is a neat feature.
Set up an animation view, switch to another viewport (window),
click the '3D View' button on the window to bring up the dialogue
(left), click the double chevron button to match the isometric to
the animation.
I have seen this facility used to help create an illustration with
an animation part overlaid on a wireframe isometric so that you can
see rendered model and a bit of the underlying construction together. |
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