to decompose a wall

[Eoin R]

I am tracing over an existing survey drawing and for the first time I have used the wall tool and dropped in windows and doors. All well and good so far but I would now like to explode what I created to start working in more detail. The wall tool seems fine for simple shapes but will not form the complex junctions that I require.

The problem I am having as I cannot seem to explode the wall without the windows and doors dissapearing as well. The windows seem to be locked into the wall and are not easily separated.

On a general note are there many architects out there that actually use the wall tool. My brief experience so far is that it is fine for very simple plan forms but as soon as you run into any complex geomety or junctions where different wall types meet the going gets very difficult

[CipesDesign]

John, I use the wall tool, and wall type toll al the time - with some pretty complex intersections. While there are still a couple of nagging (and thankfully fairly minor) joining glitches, for the most part it works quite well. Are you sure you are using the join tools appropriate for the wall joins you wish to acheive? And, I'm not sure what you mean when you say you want to "explode" the walls. Are you trying to derive sections? Could you explain in more detail?

[Eoin R]

What I am trying to do is break the wall back down to its constituent lines. However when I try do this I lose the windows and doors that are inserted in the wall.

The problems I have in joining relate to the fact that a lot of walls are non orthogonal. What I cannot get to join for example is a 45degree joint between walls of different thickness

[CipesDesign]

Why do you want the lines (ie what is your goal- elev's?) I think there is a better way. Try rendering the wall in Hidden Line and then Convert Copy to Lines (in the TOOL menu) or Convert copy to Poly's...

I can usually get a 45? join to work. Try healing the walls with teh wall heal tool, then use the wall join tool -in the appropriate mode - for the joins. Hint: do the corners "L's" first, then the "T's"... HTH's

[Travis]

John,

You will have problems joining walls with different cavities, regardless of angle. You also won't be able to join walls of different heights.

We use the wall tools extensively and try to avoid breaking things down to their constituent lines at nearly any cost. Are you, by chance, a former A-Cad user?

Often, with a little thought, I can decide which wall is likely (in construction) to butt to the other. Then I simply let the one "end" against the other without trying to have open cavities all the time.

Having said that, I'm presently drawing a footing plan that has three different widths of footing for which I'm using the wall tool with only one cavity (set to the appropriate width for the footings; they're all the same depth). This plan has some pretty wierd angles and I'm not having any problem with joining/healing--as Peter described--regardless of the various angles.

Good luck,

[Eoin R]

Peter & Travis

Thanks for your advice. I have been working on Vectorworks for over a year now and am very happy with the programme. My experiment on this job is my first go at using the wall tool. At this stage deadlines looming I want to break everything down to constituent lines as that is at this point in time the fastest way home.

When I have some more time I plan to tinker with the wall tool to get the best out of it.

One last general question for the two of you (or anybody else out there). Do you use the wall tool to create a 3D model? My needs are for 2D drafting (we use Sketchup for 3D work) and I suspect that the complexity of the wall tool is more aimed at someone creating a 3D model.

[Jonathan Pickup]

I recommend that you DO NOT decompose the walls. Leave then as walls, even at the end of your project. Decomposing the walls will cause you a lot of trouble, it could change the graphic style of the walls, and if you have to move a door or window, it will be a hassle to move it.

And yes, use the 3D model to create your elevations and sections...

You may find some advantage in reading my manuals:

https://vesta.safe-order.net/archoncad/manuals/manuals.php

[Delmer]

John, I don't disagree with anything said here, the wall tool is perhaps THE most used and most useful tool in my repertoire.

However, to decompose it simply "ungroup" it. You shouldn't lose your windows & doors. You'll be left with lines and fills. Delete the fills and you're good to go.

[CipesDesign]

JOHN, yes I use the whole program to create a 2d/3d hybrid model which (with a few notable exceptions) then goes on to become the working drawings. I still strongly suggest you try to render and convert to lines, as I thinkh it will give you the exact result you are looking for...

[ErichR]

Have to jump in and comment: We had a consultant come to the office. He is proficient in all of the popular cad apps. He characterized ACAD as 'manual drafting on a computer'.

Don't decompose the walls, or you might as well be doing manual drafting on a computer. That aint VectorWorks!

[ 04-28-2005, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: ErichR ]