How Can Using A Template In Archicad Enhance Standardization?

Workplace principles establish the graphic form and design of files created by a firm. You must be confident that the projects your organization produces have a consistant framework, your workplace standards will help that and increase overall performance. Embedding your office criteria into your template projects is a simple way to help make this occur.

ArchiCAD has a wonderful file type known as a template or TPL file. By default, ArchiCAD makes an untitled template file whenever you start a project. One fantastic thing about ArchiCAD is that when you're saving a project for the very first time it will instantly ask you for a new file title and location. This helps avoid mistakenly overriding a earlier venture..

Beginning template files are just like empty sheets of paper in most cases. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to create templates containing a rich collection of attributes, a pre-defined structure and useful guide elements.

This write-up will check out a number of different ways in which template files will help streamline and accelerate the workflow, as well as assisting company standards. ArchiCAD MasterTemplate (www.actemplate.com), a commercially made product that my firm has developed, will be used as an illustration to show what lengths one could take this kind of strategy.

Building a Collection of Construction Documents

There are four areas that converge in concert that lead to a successful and well structured ArchiCAD template. In the big picture, you need these for any CAD or BIM project.

Geometry - The real construction layout as embodied in its shape and composition

Drawings - The representation and annotation of the design in a series of viewpoints from different orientations and levels of detail.

Attributes
- Visual types of rendering including types of lines and fills
- Complex combinations of these such as composite walls, slabs and roofs
- Libraries of items, doorways, windows and markers
- Classifications of pens / lineweights and components
- Organizational tools such as layers and layer combos

Structure - The outlined inter-relationship of sketches and layout sheets; Definitions of views and hierarchies of related views in directories; Setup of schedules to report quantities and tabulate data; Master layouts that serve as title-block backdrops for the sheets

The first two, geometry and drawing, are fundimental to any architectural sect, dating back to the very beginning of CAD roots.

Attributes and structure (in the manner I use these terms) are much more recent, part of the digital representation of building designs.

When a brand new project file begins, even though it is figuratively a blank canvas, two of these four areas are undoubtedly present.

Obviously, there are no drawing and geometry when you start a new project.

However, attributes and structure are already present - there are line types, layers, materials, and other basic attributes, and some views, layouts and master layouts may be defined.

To help you start out on the proper foot, use a template that has a large selection of attributes and structure sets. Graphisoft supplies an ArchiCAD template with a simple structure and a common set of attributes that is easy to comprehend and widely functional. This is what you get when you first install ArchiCAD and start up the program. You can open it again by selecting File and New. Select "Use a Template" and choose your ArchiCAD Template.

The original Graphisoft template gives default options for all of the tools so that as soon as you activate any tool and start to draw, you get something normal and realistic for the country you live in.

If you're developing in the USA, as an example, when you draw a wall it'll have a 10 foot height and a 9 inch width;When you use the slab tool, it'll have a standard thickness of 12 inches and a surface of 0. Whenever you set a marker, it'll set a marker for the typical marker most commonly used in your country.

Part 2 continues on, http://www.bobrow.com/archicad-tutorials/archicad-tutorial-archicad-office-standards-templates/ or view the Author Resource Box for links.