Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

modeling shape (side screening)

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hello everyone,

I need some help with modeling a funny shape side screening. I'm using Archicad 9. I'll try to attach some images so you can better understand what I'm after. If anyone could help, it would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Regards,
Danivici
21 REPLIES 21
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Danivici,

Make two profiles, one of the cross section of the screen (profile 1), and one of the cross section of the curved shape (profile 2 - perpendicular to the screen). Use SEO to subtract one away from the other. Leave the carving shape in place but put it on a hidden layer.

I've used the complex profile tool (in AC10 and above), but you will have to use the profiler goodie as AC9 doesn't have this. There is probably a link on your 'Help' menu to the goodies if you don't have this installed already.

Hope that helps!
profiles_subtraction1.jpg
Anonymous
Not applicable
Fantastic Peter, A very very good idea. Works like a dream.
Thanks a mill for this!!!
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
That is a very nice Tip, Peter.
I put a copy of it in the Tips &Trick Forum.
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27
Anonymous
Not applicable
Glad it was useful!

To be honest, it is pretty much the same technique that Dwight posts up, on an almost daily basis! I can't really take any credit for it!
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
Just another comment on this, depending upon what Danivici really wanted...

The illustration that Peter gives will provide the cut shown in the original elevation, but this may not be the cut desired for construction.

Given the curvy cut of a curved surface, and assuming the construction materials are metallic skins, I would think that the desired cut would be perpendicular to the curve tangent at all times, giving a 90 degree edge at all cut surfaces. This would allow pieces of rolled material of a fixed width to be attached (welded?) for the edge.

Unfortunately, we cannot model this in ArchiCAD. We can take a profile similar to Peter's and apply it to a column or beam and anchor the profile at the origin of the circle defining the curved wall to approximate it. But, there will only be a true 90 degree cut for that one anchored point - all other parts of the cutting curve will be at other angles.

Dwight's tips on combining profiles with profiled cutters are really very helpful though!

Cheers,
Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Dwight
Newcomer
Of course it would be normal to expect that curved panels would have perpendicular sides in the real world of building, but TWYGWTTSU don't care.
[TWYGWTTSU = The Wacky Young Guys Who Think This Stuff Up - Pronounced "Twig-whit-soo"]

In fact, I've been seeing a lot of real architectural form that is obviously based in naive sketch modeling - along the lines of the Einstein Tower

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressionist_architecture

As to whether curved walls with perpendicular sides can be modeled in Archicad, here's your answer - its an add-on of course, and not widely available since the author thinks it is bested by ArchiForma tools, but it does curve the walls and keep the sides perpendicular like old guys think they should be.
Dwight Atkinson
Anonymous
Not applicable
Karl/Dwight,

Thanks a lot for your input guys,

The model will be used for a construction sequence so it won't be a case of accurate/precise construction elements. It just needs to look right
(Hopefully this won't make me a WYG [Wacky Young Guy] )

Thanks again

Cheers,
Danivici
Anonymous
Not applicable
The funny shape has curved bottom too.
It's more like this - a thue curved funny shape.
Custom profile again.
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Kliment,

Thanks for your help.
It looks like the bottom of the shape is curved too but it's actually straight. The canopy below is the one curved. The image I've attached is not too good quality unfortunatelly.

Cheers,
Dan