To display your plan realistically, you can apply surfaces to your elements. Surfaces contain color, texture and light effects. Surfaces can be displayed in the 3D Window, Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, and in PhotoRenderings. You can also use their color and texture attributes in 2D Fills.
The ARCHICAD Library contains hundreds of preconfigured surfaces for every need. You can also access additional surfaces on BIM Components, using the Surfaces dialog box.
See Create, Load and Share Surfaces (All Engines).
Surfaces can be created or modified in the Surfaces Dialog Box (Options > Element Attributes > Surfaces). Surfaces defined here are then assigned to construction elements through Building Materials (which include a Fill and a Surface).
Note: Surface definition is also available in Attribute Manager: See Surfaces (Attribute Manager).
Once you assign a Building Material to an element, it will use the Surface of the Building Material. You can, however, override the Surface at the element level (use either Surface Painter or the Override Surface controls in the Model panel of element settings).
See Override Surfaces With Surface Painter and Override Surfaces in Element Settings.
Some surfaces have a cover fill and/or textures as part of their definition, as indicated by icons. This surface, for example, can display either a cover fill or a texture:
For information on using textures with Cineware surfaces, see Textures (Cineware Surfaces).
To edit the display of visible Textures in the 3D window, see Align 3D Texture.
See also Default Texture Alignments/Reset Texture.
How to Display Cover Fill or Textures in 3D Window
To display a Surface Cover Fill:
•use the Vectorial Engine (View > 3D View Options >3D Styles)
•the Vectorial Hatching checkbox in 3D Styles must be On
To display Surface Textures:
•use the Hardware acceleration engine (View > 3D View Options >3D Styles)
•make sure the Textures box is checked in Hardware Acceleration Options (click Advanced Options from 3D Styles).
Note: You can customize the orientation and origin of textures in 3D views.
See Align 3D Texture.
Note on the GENERAL Surface
The GENERAL Surface is only available for Building Materials, Element Surfaces and GDL. When a Surface is defined as “GENERAL”, it will display a solid color based on an Elements’ Uncut Line Pen.
By default, this General Surface will be assigned to new Building Materials and to new Surface parameters added within GDL. It is used to avoid assigning to an incorrect Surface or creating a missing attribute. It is hard coded into ARCHICAD and is not available in the Surfaces dialogue or Attribute Manager.