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Multi-Storey Curtain Walls


emilie

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Hi, 

 

How do VW users deal with window objects that extend more than one storey?

 

I'm working on a building with a number of multi-storey curtain walls. I want to create one curtain wall object so quantities appear correctly on the schedule. Currently, I have a layer called "Multi-storey" on which I'm drawing my curtain walls. This layer is turned on for most of my floor plan viewports. It doesn't display correctly on the upper floors. These curtain walls have doors on the ground floor that are showing on all my floor plans because you can only select one cut plane (which is currently set to 4')

 

It would be really helpful if you could adjust a layer's cut plane within a viewport. That way I could use the same layer for multiple viewports and cut at multiple locations. This is getting in to Revit territory which doesn't really use design layers. You simply create the building "skin" and create cut planes as needed.

 

This is a huge drawback for me and this problem extends to other multi-storey objects as well. Will VW ever implement something like this?

 

Thanks!

Emilie

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I think it is possible to avoid specific top/bottom/side Bars.

This way you could divide your Curtain Wall more or less over your Stories

in parts and they might look right in Floor Plans (and Sections).

 

That may need some acrobatics in your calculation sheets if you want to count

only one Curtain Wall.

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Hi Zoomer, 

 

Thanks for chiming in. 

 

That's what I was afraid of. This method is fine for small buildings but when you get in to high-rise you could easily end up with hundreds of curtain wall objects. Editing them on each floor would be a nightmare. 

 

Also, when you stack curtain walls in this way, you end of up with a line where they meet.  

 

I really think VW needs an option that isn't reliant on design layers, so that you can essentially create the entire skin of the building on one layer. Or even a layer cut plane override in the viewport...

 

  

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2 hours ago, emilie said:

It would be really helpful if you could adjust a layer's cut plane within a viewport. That way I could use the same layer for multiple viewports and cut at multiple locations. This is getting in to Revit territory which doesn't really use design layers. You simply create the building "skin" and create cut planes as needed.

 

From the Vw 2018 Help File, Architect allows you to enable a cut plane for the Design Layer, and it should cut through the Curtain Wall Objects. HTH.

Quote

The Vectorworks Architect program allows a cut plane elevation to be specified for a design layer. When the cut plane is enabled for the layer, the auto hybrid objects, the structural members, the walls and curtain walls (including the objects, like windows, that are within the walls), and the wall features all display with their cut plane appearance, which is set by class or specified in the object settings.

 

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2 hours ago, zoomer said:

But she would have the same multi story Layer in each Story‘s Plan Viewport.

And would like to be able to control that Layer‘s cut plane height from each

Viewport.

 

Exactly. Just like we can override classes, I want to be able to override the cut plane elevation for a specific layer within a viewport. This way I don't need to split up the geometry by layer.

 

I would use this function so much since I'm often having to create really complex building skins. The inside stuff (partitions, fixtures etc) can live on their own layers but it would make my life so much easier if I could just create one "shell".

 

Edited by emilie
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I also tend to separate the whole facade or even exterior Walls from

the rest of the story based layer system, even for smaller buildings.

 

But I have no need for proper floor plans.

If I had, I think I would try horizontal sections for construction plans

and maybe an extra presentation/selling plan set with the nice and fast

Top Plan Illustration.

Maybe one could combine both and overlay real Section Viewports for

the multi story Facade Layer + standard Top Plan Viewport for interiors.

 

Of course less tedious in Apps that have an "show in all "related" Stories"

option and always calculated Sections.

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Real curtain walls are panels that do attach to each floor. If you have strong consistency then you might only have a hand full of panels. Many like your doors could just be drop in replacements.  

 

The alternative approach would would be to not use the tool( it’s not good when you edit it anyway) but use symbols layout your basic walls and corner junctions. Repeat up all floors using any number of tricks. Replace symbols were they need to be less common panels. 

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Hi Matt, 

 

Thanks for the comment. I'm currently trying to use the curtain wall tool but I'm finding many limitations (a rant for another day). 

 

I would like to persevere with the BIM tool but I can understand why it may be faster to resort to solids modelling. 

 

I just wanted to throw it out there that splitting up curtain walls (and other objects) by storey can sometimes be very limiting. In my case, the curtain wall panels and vents vary from floor to floor. We've had to buy a few seats of revit in our office for this exact reason on another project. In that case, the building skin is one parametric object that can't be split up by design layer.

 

 I figure that it can't hurt to have more ways of working at our disposal. :) 

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I don't use VW Curtain Walls either.

Much too slow, too complicated to set up, too user-error prone to destroy the fragile

assembly when customizing, wrong aspects of parametric and graphical edit-ability

of the grid, too complex 3D geometry for how the result looks - for my purposes.

 

I use another BIM CAD based on Solid Geometry that has no story based or detail

limitations at all. For Stairs and Curtain Walls you would use parametric Arrays.

 

Nevertheless I have to admit that even some of the basic Tools behavior that I always

criticize VW for, can be designed even worse.

VW's BIM PIO's work very well in (80%) standard cases.

The Visibility control by Classes/Layers + Modify/Gray/Snap, the ability to always

check and edit Objects Dimensions and Locations in OIP, PIO Styles and Joins kept

when manipulating makes VW very fast in producing accurate 3D models.

 

 

So if it is ok to separate the multi-story Facade completely into a single extra Layer ....

Maybe there is a way use it for all repeating elements only,

while all individual Elements like unique Panels or opening elements get added by

PIOs or Symbols on their standard Story Layers.

This way, or maybe by the help of Hybrid Objects for the main Facade elements, should

allow still proper Top Plan View Illustration SLVP combinations on individual Story's Plans.

 

I once did a similar Facade (without any PIO usage at that time) by Solids Geometry

and clever(*) use of nested Symbols.

(* while clever can end in not so smart and tedious depending on the way which kind of

changes or versions the designer has in mind)

 

If multi story Facade or divided by Story I tend to use single Extrudes for all horizontal

and one for all vertical Elements, containing all Bars.

This allows go back to full VW 2D multi-element-edit power for adapting Bar's Grids or

Dimensions in detail, while overall Facade Dimensions can still be edited by

Extrude's handles.

But could also be Arrays of single Bars (like VW CW produces) by Symbols if needed

for calculations.

 

 

 

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