creating footings for columns

creative wrote:
What is the best way to create footings for a column.

Try OBJECTiVE - it's free for educational use. You can make your footing quite easily by cutting and rotating a simple block shape (referring to the attached image):

• 1. Place a simple block object with the required bounding size (you could used the Rectilinear object bundled with OBJECTiVE).
  2. Use OBJECTiVE > Tools > Rotate to rotate the clock over onto one side
  3. Use OBJECTiVE > Tools > Split to cut tapered sides
  4. Use OBJECTiVE > Tools > Rotate to swivel the block around 90 degrees, followed by OBJECTiVE > Tools > Split to cut the remaining tapered sides
  5. Use OBJECTiVE > Tools > Rotate to rotate the finished footing back onto the flat again

This doesn't add any new objects, renders well (and quickly) in 2D and 3D, and is fully snappable.

creative wrote:
If you are stuck on anything you can ring GSNZ on 09 4893235 and get an answer straight away. The quickest way to learn.

Your local reseller should offer the same service for educational users

Drawing a wall from 'a' to 'b' will be fine if your footings are solid meshes as the mesh will hide the ends of the wall.
But as you say volume calulation will not be accurate.

You could try doing a Solid Element Operation to subract the footing area from the wall.
This will give you an accurate model in 3D (not necessarily in plan as SEO does not affect the plan view).
You would need to check your calulations before and after to see if it makes a difference.

Barry.

Hi there,
following on the lateral thinking way of re-purposing AC tools, you could either:

- in AC 12 or older, use horizontal roofs and set the edges to the desired custom angle... or
- in AC 13, do as above but using the slab tool.

Both methods should return correct values during calculations.

Cheers
Francois

Having said that, you can apply the same method to your column footings, using angle values greater then 90deg for "negative" slanting

creative wrote:
How to draw footing wall for walls between 2 such footings.The footing is drawn using mesh tool which does not have priority options.
Will it effect volume calculations if i draw a wall froM column to column(a to b in fig)?

Try OBJECTiVE as noted above. It's free for students and will make the shapes you want in seconds. In this instance:

• 1. Draw a cross-section of the footing and make a profiled object with OBJECTiVE > Component > New Profile
  2. Place the object between the two existing footings
  3. Use OBJECTiVE > Tools > Split to cut the footing ends
  4. The result in 3D
  5. A schedule of the 3 footing objects - note the volumes are all correct.

Hi CM,
you know, since I use AC exclusively for modelling (no documentation or bill of quantities), I'm always trying to provide modelling solutions that rely as much as possible on the tools at hand and the "tweaking" of their attributes.
So for me it's not a problem to create a shape made out of 3-4 different bits, even if I have to amend the model later on.
I try to avoid SEO as much as possible since they imply extra layer management, and that one might easily loose track of them when they're all over the place. Not even talking about the way they display on plan 😉
Having said that, my models can still easily be used to produce DA documents because I keep them very tidy, by using the best tools AC has to offer, layer combination and storeys.
Add to that a few subtleties like the fact that 2 different elements (say a wall and a slab) having the same fill will be combined in section, or that if they use the same material their adjacent edges (provided they're on the same plane) will not show in elevation, then you'll begin to grasp the number of options one has in order to achieve the desired result.
So to answer your question, if drawing each step of the footing as separate elements doesn't go in the way of your workflow, please do so. This will probably help you understand ArchiCAD's vast possibilities.

Cheers
Francois

PS: please note that any subsequent answer of mine will be more on topic