How to add FRP panels to walls

[Shortnort]

How do you add 1/8" thick FRP panels to walls? I tried making wall types with them, but when there are set heights, such as 4', it gets messy when the walls clip to the roof above.

 

I have tried creating a wall that is only 1/8" thick, but when I place the wall against a wall, when I hit an intersection, the original wall vanishes.

So, I created an offset for the finish, but the same thing happens.

 

It would be nice to automate the FRP panels, since all restrooms, etc. must have a minimum 4' high hard finish.

[Pat Stanford]

How about adding a component to the wall to represent the FRP and bound it 4' from the layer wall height and don't follow wall peaks.

 

 

I used a brick texture just because it was easy.

 

[Shortnort]

Excellent suggestion.  I didn't think about restricting the height in components.  

 

Let's say I need FRP on just a couple of the exterior walls.  How do I start and stop the FRP without actually cutting the wall? The redline indicates walls to have FRP.

 

[Tom W.]

1 hour ago, Shortnort said:

Let's say I need FRP on just a couple of the exterior walls.  How do I start and stop the FRP without actually cutting the wall?

 

You will need to have two different Walls: one with the FRP component + one without. This can get a bit fiddly at the T junctions with internal walls...

 

Or you can have a separate Wall just for the FRP that you insert in front of the main Wall. This is what I do when I have tiling. A bit like when you have a floor finish Slab over the top of a structural Slab. But when you do this make sure that Auto Join Walls is disabled () otherwise you will get what you described above i.e.:

17 hours ago, Shortnort said:

I have tried creating a wall that is only 1/8" thick, but when I place the wall against a wall, when I hit an intersection, the original wall vanishes.

So, I created an offset for the finish, but the same thing happens.

 

[TomKen]

Rather than breaking the exterior wall into separate wall types I will use one wall type.  Then I create another wall type for the FRP panels.  If you create a group from a wall it won't interface or affect  other wall types around it.   I do this all the time for bathroom finishes or adding curtain walls into wall openings.  See attached example

438807149_WallSample2.vwx

[Shortnort]

Excellent suggestion.  I didn't think about restricting the height in components.  

 

Let's say I need FRP on just a couple of the exterior walls.  How do I start and stop the FRP without actually cutting the wall? The redline indicates walls to have FRP.

 

[Shortnort]

Thanks so much!!!  I will try those approaches.

[Pat Stanford]

Another option might be to use Wall Projections so you can have a single wall and just put the FRP where you need it. But I have not worked out how to have a different (or any) texture on the projection than the main part of the wall.

[Shortnort]

I tried the 2 suggestions above.  I did not have link walls turned on but the walls vanished as before.

 

When I tried grouping the walls, the walls vanished and "The constraint is not valid" error occurred numerous times.  However, it did finally group the walls and I was able to insert the FRP.

After ungrouping the walls everything seemed to be okay.

 

It seems that there should be a simpler solution to this issue.

 

 

[TomKen]

@Shortnort You only want to group the wall that you want to isolate, not the other walls.  in your case the FRP.   See the example I sent you.

[Tom W.]

14 hours ago, Shortnort said:

It seems that there should be a simpler solution to this issue.

 

I draw Walls in front of other Walls all the time - to represent tiling, internal framing or thermal plasterboard over an existing wall, etc - and have never experienced what you describe... I also have never needed to Group the Walls when doing this although I do know this is a good solution in other cases. Maybe you should post a movie or a file showing what you're experiencing because it should be a very simple operation (as long as Auto Join Walls is disabled).

[Shortnort]

I tried the 2 suggestions above.  I did not have link walls turned on but the walls vanished as before.

 

When I tried grouping the walls, the walls vanished and "The constraint is not valid" error occurred numerous times.  However, it did finally group the walls and I was able to insert the FRP.

After ungrouping the walls everything seemed to be okay.

 

It seems that there should be a simpler solution to this issue.

 

 

[Shortnort]

As a workaround, I have created a new layer for Finishes.

 

I created a walltype for FRP with a 4" base which is placed on the new layer. The only problem with this is that the door and window openings on the Design Layer do not break the wall. So, an opening must be placed into the wall.

 

Perhaps someone knows how to create the wall breaks without inserting new ones?

 

 

[Tom W.]

1 minute ago, Shortnort said:

Perhaps someone knows how to create the wall breaks without inserting new ones?

 

I don't know any other way unfortunately. There is a Wishlist item posted by @Christiaan asking for the capacity to 'link' parallelly-placed Walls so that they will move together + accept the insertion of single objects which you should vote up if you can find it. I tend to Shift-drag the Door/Window from the first Wall then reinsert it into the second Wall then change it to an opening so at least it's a fairly quick operation to create the second opening with the correct width + sill/head heights.

[Tom W.]

Voila: