3D Architectural Tools

Laminate wall structures Construction of walls is one of the basic tasks of architectural design. For drawing detailed construction plans it is a must to use laminate wall- structures. The architect can freely create individual sets of these structures, can define sizes, composition materials, representation of laminates. These sets can be simply saved and activated when a structure is needed. It is easy to assign to walls external values from bill of material programs which items provides later code and quantity input to bill of material software. You can draw walls along any path, defining straight or arc walls. The walls can have either regular shape with constant thickness or irregular shape with variable thickness. The walls can be modified on the floor plan so that recesses can be created. Additionally, you can define profiles for wall facades and cross sections. You can create oblique wall by specifying the angle of inclination, where you can insert openings into. The inserted openings fit into the wall and adopt the angle of inclination of the wall, of course. In case of oblique wall the wall status must be Wall not connected, this no connection will be established with the adjacent walls. The positive direction is specified by the wall reference line. Oblique walls are displayed on the floor plan with their section view at the height of 1 m.

ARCHline.XP® supports the drawing of curtain wall. Divisions of the curtain wall can be created. It is possible to define unequal divisions, too. You can create curtain wall on oblique wall too.

Structural elements like columns and beams can be connected to the walls and represented as separate elements in the lists.

The modelling of continuous footings, pier foundations, beam foundations and beam grid foundations can be made by slabs. Simple slab foundations and counter-slabs can be created, too, of course. In case of sloped slab the slope can be defined either by the angle of inclination or by three points. Ceilings, annular vaults, cross vaults and irregular shapes can be defined by defining their profiles. Layered slabs can be selected from predefined sets. Each layer of a slab can be freely modified so correct cross sectional nodes can be created by applying the appropriate layered wall.
It is possible to define slab with beams. You can represent the beams in 2D and 3D. Beams are connected a slab active layer. The bottom of beam can be lower, then the bottom of layer, in this situation the beams will appear below the slab layer. As a cross section, you can choose any profile. You can specify the distance between slab and beam ends. You can design the beams in the already placed slab.

In case of new building projects it is very handy to use predefined stair types first. The program monitors continuously the adherence of stair standards at the parametric stair you use from the stair library. Going over the limits are denoted automatically but it does not mean limitation in the stair creation. Starting from a predefined stair and making modifications the creation of irregular stair geometries are available, too. The method of stair by threads can be used for special stair geometry of for modelling an existing stair in a reconstruction. The program enables to select slabs above a stair and to cut them automatically according to the "free height" value assigned to the stair. Balustrades for stairs follow the slope of the stairs automatically.

You can design the balustrade several way. Apply any kind of 3D object or profile as a balustrade, or handrail. You can modify the elements of the prepared balustrade, so it can form according to individual needs.

You can create roof automatically with minimal user interaction by defining the contour line of the roof. However, it is also possible to define roofs by its planes or cross section profiles for mansard roofs and imperial roofs. Projected roofs defined by their whole section can be also attached to a ready made roof structure. Typical projected roof applications are the roof structures for vertical roof windows like the so called "bull's eye roof" or "dog's house roof". The height of the reference line of the roof is defined by the height of the eaves purlin. The user defined details of the roof structure is built on this. By defining tile thickness it is available to put roof tiles onto the roof structure so the roof layers can be represented correctly in sectional view.

"Actually ARCHline.XP® makes not the appearance in 3D, than the approach with completeness. The plans revive, become building from the plan sheets, settlement from the key plan, architecture from the design."