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Calculation/Schedule - Troubleshooting Guide

Ed Brown
Graphisoft Alumni
Graphisoft Alumni

Known issues

Incorrect results in the surface schedules if the composite of a wall is changed

Affected version: 19,20 | Severity: workaround applicable | ID: 190411
 
Issue
If the composite of a wall is changed in the Interactive Surface Schedule to another composite which has fewer layers, empty lines are created.
wp-content_uploads_2015_06_Surface-schedule-before-composite-change-1024x244.png
wp-content_uploads_2015_06_Surface-schedule-after-composite-change-1024x244.png
Solution
Workaround: Change the composites from the settings dialog of the walls, or after changing in the Interactive Schedule, refresh the list (CTRL-SHIFT-ALT-R on windows,CMD-SHIFT-ALT-R on Mac).

Area (by story) for Morph elements is not listed properly

Affected version: 19 | Severity: no workaround applicable | ID: 198921
wp-content_uploads_2016_06_Info_18x18.png NOTE: Fixed in ARCHICAD 19 Update Build 5005.

Issue

Area (by story) for Morph elements doesn't show the proper results in Element list.

Old Listing Unsaved Zone Component List

Affected version: 17 | Severity: workaround applicable | ID: 167825
wp-content_uploads_2016_06_Info_18x18.png NOTE: Fixed in ARCHICAD 17 Update Build 6004.

Issue

Old Listing: In case of Set Up List Schemes / Duplicate or Create new a "Cannot write Output File. Write Permission Error" message appears and the save fails.

 

Cause

There are two possible scenarios, both presenting problems. * If editing a list scheme that is loaded in the library, the new list is attempted to be added to this file.
  • .lis or listset.txt files are placed in the Program Files, where Ac does not have overwriting permissions, thus the overwrite fails. If the files are moved elsewhere on the computer, the problem does not persist.
* if there is no loaded list scheme (we are editing a default file) a default listset.txt is created in the embedded library and the new list is added to this one.
  • The error message does not come when the first listset.txt is created. When the file is reopened however and the scheme is edited the same error message comes as in the first case scenario.

Solution

  • Create a folder outside of the Program Files Folder
  • Set Up List Schemes / Duplicate or Create new
  • Choose the created folder to save the files into
  • If the "Cannot write Output File. Write Permisson Errors" message comes up, disregard it
  • Load the folder as a linked library in the Library Manager
  • Open the Set Up List Scheme dialogue
  • The desired list can be dragged into the new set
  • Hit ok
  • If the "Cannot write Output File. Write Permisson Errors" message comes up, disregard it, the message will not appear again with the newly created file.

Fire Rating Listing Parameter

Affected version: 14 | Severity: workaround applicable | ID: 120705

 

In the Door and Window setting you have two options to show the Feuerfestigkeit and Feuerwiederstand. In the schedule the prefix will not be visible.

wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_fireratinglistingparameter--011.jpg
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_fireratinglistingparameter--11.jpg
If you wish to see both parameter in one filed, there is a listing parameter called: AC_? MarkerText _5.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_fireratinglistingparameter--003.jpg
If you add this parameter to the list, you will see number with prefix in the schedule.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_fireratinglistingparameter--04.jpg

Good to know

What is the difference between the component skin area and surface area?

wp-content_uploads_2015_07_SkinVersusSurfaceArea-1024x384.png
  • For the skin area we can say this means what we buy in square meter. (e.g. insulation).
  • It is a projected area, doesn’t exist in reality.
  • Doesn't depend on visibility settings.
You can find the detailed description on how each Basic and Composite Element types  is calculated here.
  • Surfaces area can be used for calculating the area of the facade, for painting, for cleaning, exposition to sunlight, air or water etc. It is based on the surface material and the building material attribute.
  • As any quantity in the IS visibility settings will not take an effect on it's value, you have to setup the criteria of the schedule according to the preferred visibility. E.g the actual view’s Layers and the newly introduced Layer combination criteria. In case of the exposed surface value, you need to use the Layer combination criteria at this values own settings to have the preferred visibility model that you want to schedule.
See more info on Surface schedules at: the 'Create Schedule of Surfaces' section or at 'Calculation of Skin/Component Area' section. Important notes for both areas:
  • Do not work in Legacy mode (PBC only) link.
  • The „Old” listing doesn’t work.
  • It doesn’t work for GDL scripting or ODBC
  • Membranes/zero skins are not supported because it is against the BIM rule: you have to set at least 0.01mm for a skin width.
  • For thin elements: both sides will be considered.
  • No visual feedback on considered surfaces in Schedules, so you have to set up the layers there also.
  • Airspace is considered as a building material.
  • Layer Combination is a MUST HAVE.
  • Exposed area setup: this is a new item from ARCHICAD 19 on, the first field that has a setup.

Why do I get incorrect results for my complex profiled wall surface schedule?

 

Issue

You want to calculate the surface of your complex profiled wall but don’t get the expected result.

 

Solution

The followings should be checked:
  • If the needed component surface of your Complex profile doesn’t appear, you have to select the appropriate component in the Profile Manager and enable the List Component Area by checkbox. (Also if you don’t want to list a component e.g. :Air space you have to uncheck it)
  • If the surface that you want to calculate is not parallel to the base line of your profile, you have to rotate the base line
wp-content_uploads_2015_07_ListCompAreaChecked.png
You can find the description of this function more detailed here.

Where can I find the Available parameters for Scheduling Fields?

 

Issue

It is possible that you don’t find the Additional Parameters for setting the needed fields in your schedule. The dialog that lists all parameters that can be used as fields for the schedule.

 

Cause

This part has changed in ARCHICAD 19.

 

Solution

Click the Add button to access the Available Parameters dialog.
wp-content_uploads_2015_07_AvailableParameters.png
You can find the description of this function more detailed here.

How to set the Exposed area correctly?

  • You can set exposed area by clicking in this little box with three dots on.
wp-content_uploads_2015_07_ExposedArea-1024x443.png
  • All elements have to be listed that are considered to cover surfaces.
  • Layer combination has to be set first, because the layer combination set at the views doesn’t count here!

The exposed surface is more than expected in the Surface schedule

 

Issue

The exposed area contains the reveal of the openings as well, but it is not correct based on GER or AUT norms. Extra surfaces are coming from the area above the frame, and returning areas of the reveal (see yellow contours on the picture)
wp-content_uploads_2015_07_DoorExposedArea.png

 

Solution

In ARCHICAD 19 it is calculated this way, it is not possible to set criteria for top/bottom/edge/end/inside/outside surfaces. As a workaround you have to set the openings so that it has no reveal. And make the calculation based on that model. Our development is working on a solution for the future releases.

Surface Schedule displays the name of the Renovation Override surface

 

Issue

If you open a Surface Schedule, it displays the Renovation Override Surface's name and color, instead of the element's actual surface's.

 

Cause

Schedules usually have a different Renovation Filter applied. If the Renovation Filter of the Schedule has an override, it will display that override surface in 3D, and so ARCHICAD will use that surface during scheduling.

 

Solution

After opening the schedule, change the Renovation Filter to one without Renovation Overrides. We plan to fix this issue with the next regular update of ARCHICAD 19.

Wall Area Calculation in ARCHICAD17 with PBC

 

Issue and Cause

With Priority Based Connections in ARCHICAD 17, the calculation of wall areas has changed.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-wallareacalcmethod17--1.png
  • Up to AC16, an L shaped connection created a 45 degree mitered joint at the corner. This resulted in the two outside surface areas to be equal.

wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-wallareacalcmethod17--2.png

  • In AC17, in an L shaped connection one wall will be prioritized over the other (more similar to a real life building environment) and the edge of the wall is not counted into the areas. Thus the wall areas are unequal and seem erroneous.

Solution

  • Through the development of a design, a thin layer of paint can be applied to the composite material, thus the area calculations will be accurate. As in the image above, the thin edge area is small and insignificant in the calculations.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-wallareacalcmethod17--3.png
There are 2 important points to consider:
  •  
  • The decimals have to be set to 1 in the "Project Preferences"
  • The minimum layer thickness for the calculations to work is 0.1mm.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-wallareacalcmethod17--5.png

How to get back the old legacy intersection and Surface methods for model elements (as in ARCHICAD 16 and before)

 

Issue

Sometimes it can come up that you want to use the old functionality: The Legacy Surface method means that Surfaces are set only at the element level (they do not come from Building Materials, which were introduced in ARCHICAD 17) – except in the case of Profile elements.

 

Solution

To access this functionality, go to Options > Project Preferences > Legacy. Check the Use legacy intersection and Surface methods for model elements
wp-content_uploads_2015_06_PreferencesLegacyIntersection.png
However if you enable Legacy Intersection mode, the following ARCHICAD features (new features in ARCHICAD 19) are NOT available:
    • Surface Painter
    • Surface Schedules
At Info button you can see how these old legacy intersections work:
wp-content_uploads_2015_06_Info.png

Unexpected Labeling/Scheduling of Openings on Floors Offset from Project's Story Settings

 
Issue
Sometimes a region of a building needs to be offset vertically from a standard floor. This happens commonly with a split floor, or when an architectural job consists of two or more towers/buildings. Labels for doors residing on these offset floors might not produce expected results. Door/Window schedules might not group elements in the correct zone or floor for elements in these offset floors.

 

Cause

Prior to Hotfix 4 of ARCHICAD 15 openings, such as doors and windows, determined the floor they belonged to by geometry alone. That is, the opening’s height was compared against the story settings. The opening’s geometric center determined the floor it belonged to. Below is a simplified example of the old behavior using two 2-story blocks. The one to the right is offset lower than the defined story settings. The top most walls are on story 2.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--wallheight1n2_80.png
But the opening on the lower block has determined that it is one story lower on floor 1 instead of floor 2.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--dooronstory1n2_80.png
The rule describing the story the opening belongs to becomes more clear when we look at an elevation.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--storyelevaton_80.png
This behavior can pose problems for labeling and scheduling. Below I have used a dimension marker I modified to show the zone that the door belongs to. The expectation of the user most likely is that both doors should return "Ground Zone" as the zone that they belong to. The building block that is lower than the story setting is actually returning the zone name of the floor below it. A schedule that groups doors by zone will show one door in "Ground Zone" and one in "Basement Zone." More than likely this is not the intention of the Architect.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--doorwrongzone_80.png
The door determines the zone that it belongs to by examining its floor and what zone borders it. As we saw in the above 3d perspective window the door believes itself to be on Story 1. This is the reason it believes that its associated zone is “Basement Zone” and not “Ground Zone.”

 

Solution

The solution is for the door to get its floor information from the wall that contains it. If the containing wall has a home story of 2, then the door considers itself to be on floor two. To coerce this new behavior in ARCHICAD 15 you must add a registry key and also you must make sure your version is at least Hotfix 4 build 3898. Below is an example of what your registry would look like if you were an Australian user.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--usestoryofsinglestorywallforopenings_80.png
wp-content_uploads_2016_06_Info_18x18.png HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GRAPHISOFT\ARCHICAD-64\ARCHICAD-64 15.0.0 XXX R1\Modeling Freedom. Where "XXX" is your localization. The key that needs to be added is UseStoryOfSingleStoryWallForOpenings. This key should be a DWORD and its value should be set to 1. In ARCHICAD 16 this new behavior is the default mode. If you prefer the older behavior you can create a registry key (DWORD) in the Modeling Freedom folder called “DoNotUseStoryOfSingleStoryWallForOpenings” set it to “1” and the default ARCHICAD 15 rules will be used.

 

Solution (an important caveat)

The default behavior in ARCHICAD 16 is for an opening to use its containing wall for information about which floor it belongs to. Likewise in ARCHICAD 15, if you have added the registry key mentioned above and set its value to "1", ARCHICAD 15 will also report opening floor values based on its containing wall's home story. Now comes the caveat. A multistory wall has one home story, but the openings within it can span several stories. So it is important to address areas where openings should calculate their relevant story geometrically as was the case before this new behavior was introduced. Two Floor Plan Display options are important to how an opening's floor value is determined:
  1. Show on Stories
  2. Floor Plan Display
A multistory wall most likely will have the Floor Plan Display option Show on Stories set to “All Relevant Stories”. This for most cases is the sensible setting. This setting is enough to guarantee that openings will calculate geometrically which floor an opening is placed. Precisely, if you want the opening to take story information from its containing wall, that is use this new behavior, then you have to use “Home Story Only” for Show on Stories and “Symbolic Cut” for Floor Plan Display. Here is an example of when the wall's home story determines the opening story.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--homestoryonlysymboliccut_80.png
Using the same model we can coerce ARCHICAD to use the geometric rule. By changing either or both options the geometric rule will be followed. Indeed with these changes made, ARCHICAD makes it visually clear to the Architect that, given the current story settings, the door does not belong to the ground floor but to the basement.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--allrelevantstories_80.png
Sensibly, the door correctly grabs the expected zone information too.
wp-content_uploads_archicadwiki_troubleshooting-doorinfowithsplitlevel--allrelevantstoriesbasement_80.png

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