VW2012 - Set Door Size by Wall Opening

[Chris D]

Maybe in the US, you order your doors by leaf size. Maybe it's something to do with the wider use of timber frame instead of masonry over there...maybe the wall opening size isn't so important.

Well, in the old world, we use doorsets*, and we specify them by the wall opening size in which they fit. Almost exclusively. No, exclusively. I've never seen it done any other way.

*Doorset = door and frame bought together. Google results persuade me this is a UK term.

Now, you CAN buy door leafs separately from their frames, but you wouldn't find this approach on any project where an Architect was involved...hence you would never need it in a CAD system. You see what I'm getting at.

VECTORWORKS ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO SPECIFY DOORS BY THEIR LEAF SIZE. IT DRIVES ME NUTS, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER UK VECTORWORKS USERS.

This has not been fixed in VW2011.

I don't really care about Leaf Size. Leaf size varies by manufacturer, depending how thick the frame is, how much shim gap they allow, etc etc. What I do care about is Wall Opening Size. (We refer to this as the 'Structural Opening', regardless of whether the wall is structural, or even if it is a stud partition).

I want to pick the Door Tool in Vectorworks 2012, and it offer me a metric '910 door' (910mm wide wall opening). This would fulfil 90% of my needs for doors on any given project (well, housing at least).

Then, I'll know you're listening.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Chris D

[VincentCuclair]

As is the case for Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, etc etc

[Dieter @ DWorks]

Here in Belgium, we also work with the opening instead of the leaf size, but another thing is also true here: the leaf size is always the opening - 7. So an opening of 90 means a leaf size of 83. That's how we work here and how the standards are.

[Christiaan]

I'd rather this was done as part of a point update to v2011. I'm surprised this request keeps slipping through the cracks.

I've also submitted a feature request (for a point release of v2011) at http://www.nemetschek.net/support/bugsubmit.php - I don't know any other way to submit a formal feature request.

[VincentCuclair]

.......and if all this is so difficult to do why not just put the data (rough opening) right there under the door width and height in the OIP so that we don't have to go to the Data section of the window/door dialog and scroll down just to see if we've done the maths correctly.......that data is already available!!

I'm assuming this it not so in 2011 either

Edited September 16, 2010 by Vincent C

[mike m oz]

I agree with Vincent. The user should have the option to do it either way.

Personally I find it is much easier to do it by the overall width and height dimensions.