Curtainwall Wallarea_Net Values aren't returning Net Areas

[Samuel Derenboim]

Hi everyone,

Noticed that WallArea_Net for Curtain walls with windows / doors returns the same area as Wallarea_gross. Is this intended to work this way? Or do the doors have to be 'curtainwall' doors in order to get true net area?

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited May 5, 2020 by Samuel Derenboim

[thinkingpencil]

Hi Samuel, I got the same problem. I tried a "curtain wall" door type. And also a plug-in object from a manufacturer. Neither made any difference. I think there may be a separate worksheet function for the net area of curtain walls. But I can't find one! (Only one for net area of panels.) Pat Stanford , a veteran and moderator of this Board, is probably the go-to person for help on this. He has helped me with worksheet functions in the past. I'd be interested to hear more. Best, Mark

[Pat Stanford]

I rarely (never) use Curtain Walls. But I just did a quick play.

 

It looks like when you drop a door into a Curtain Wall that the door simply overlays the existing frames and panels and does not force the wall to recalculate around the door.

 

To get the calculations to work properly you will need to go in and edit the frames and convert the panels to type None so there is a space for the door.

 

Perhaps someone who actually uses them will provide a better answer.

[thinkingpencil]

Thank you Pat. For experimenting and providing this logical analysis. Makes perfect sense. Incidentally...My work-around was to create a new wall type, whose components are those of an insulated composite wooden door leaf. This wall is actually a fixed panel and large floor-pivoted door (door height =panel ht.=wall ht). The new wall with the curtain wall is an entrance screen. So Vectorworks shapes the architecture through the workaround. It is the logical performance of Vectorworks which enables this. Making it such an intuitive joy to work with.