Solid Operation Types

Five types of operations can be performed. The illustration below shows the effect of each: the starting Wall shape is shown at far left, followed by each of the five operations. The Operator element is shown in Wireframe mode.

https://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/wp-content/uploads/archicad-25/040_elementsvb/FiveOperations.PNG 

Subtraction cuts out the shape of the Operator from Target.

Subtraction with upward extrusion cuts out both the shape of the Operator from the Target and its vertical projection from the bottom of the Operator shape to the top of the Target.

Subtraction with downward extrusion cuts out both the shape of the Operator from the Target and its vertical projection from the top of the Operator shape to the bottom of the Target.

Intersection keeps only the common part of the Target and the Operator.

Addition adds the shape of the Target to the shape of the Operator.

Solid Operations: Element Display and Calculation

The solid operation affects the model shape, that is, the 3D view and the generated Section/Elevation/IE model and Detail Drawing view. Below is the Section view of the elements shown above. The Operators are shown in Wireframe, above, and their layers are hidden, below.

https://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/wp-content/uploads/archicad-25/040_elementsvb/SectionWireframe.PNG     https://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/wp-content/uploads/archicad-25/040_elementsvb/SectionHidden.PNG

The Floor Plan view of both Target and Operator elements is unaffected. Putting the Operator element on a Wireframe layer does not affect its display. If the Operators’ layer is hidden, then they will not appear in the Floor Plan, but you will not be able to edit them until you make the layer visible again.

Note: If you select only the Target on the Floor Plan and display the selection in 3D view, the modified shape will be shown, but without displaying the Operator.

If you perform a Solid Operation on a Section/Elevation/IE view, you need to rebuild the window’s contents to see the results.

Solid Element Operations in Interactive Schedules

Element lists display elements according to the parameters you specify in each Schedule’s Scheme Settings. Many elements include separate listing parameters for “Net” and Gross” values: for example, the Net volume of a column vs. the Gross volume of a column. As a rule, “Net” and “Gross” in these element listing parameters means:

Net: takes any Solid Element Operations into account.

Gross: does not take any Solid Element Operations into account.

See Element Parameters for more information.

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