Hello,
I am an architect and new in visualarq and BIM. I would like to ask, how can we have accurate (mm wise) intersections with visualarq beams, columns etc? I am not talking about modelling accurately from scratch but using ready beams (with standard profiles) and having accurate connections.
I am open to suggestions about working on grasshopper ( basic level) or other plugins. I expect suggestions on workflows of yours.
Thanks in advance
I have no replies in this topic. Is it too generic?
Hello,
Beams only solve their connection at ends. In the property panel you can change Start/End Cut plane to Auto if you want two beams to solve their connection at their end points. But a beam does not connect in the half path of another.
It does not solve either the connection between more than two beams or with columns.
Anyway, I add your vote for this request in our wishlist.
As a workaround, you can make the beam a little bit longer, and use an auxiliary solid and the vaSubtractSolids command to trim the beam and simulate a join.
Okay, thank for your reply.
In regards with the workaround you suggest, is there any way to copy a va component (such as beam) and convert it to a solid, without the use of grasshopper? I am talking about a super fast workaround and not modelling again the aux solid (creating vertical rectangle, extruding and then substracting solids).
Also, I have noticed the “bug” below. It shows traces of the auxilliary object. How can we avoid this?
A final note (maybe a personal concern). When designing a building with the information of BIM I expect it to be super accurate (for instance intersections between columns and beams. So I wander myself where should I “trim” the column so that I do not have mis-displays while orbiting or in rendering in real time when we have overlapping elements such as column-beabs intersections. So in my opinion accurate intersections is very important.
Thanks again!
Hi @zabrielza, if you explode a VisualARQ object, like a beam, it will turn into a polysurface (actually, into an extrusion, in the case of beams)
This is not a bug. This is how objects with solids subtracted are displayed when they have their control points activated (control points on objects are automatically selected when you select one object only). There is a control point on the centroid of the volume used as a solid of subtraction, that can be used to move it. To do not see that auxiliary volume, just turn the beam control points off.
The best way to accomplish this is by duplicating the beam or column, exploding one of the copies, so it turns into a solid, and using it as a solid of subtraction on the other VisualARQ object, witht he vaSubtractSolids command. In future versions, we expect to detect intersections of beams with columns, slabs, walls, etc… so you don’ thave to do all this manual work.
Thank you @fsalla . The tip about exploding and turning into a polysurface is very helpful.
Could I ask which is the usability of this feature? I mean we could have the control point at one end of the shaped beam, for instance top-middle, center or bottom-middle.
Hi, the beam control points are still visible at their ends (even if they have a solid subtracted). There is a control point at their end, so you can move it freely to any position, and an extension arrow to strech the beam in the same direction. So you can still use any of these control points and pull them to extend or shorten the beam, and the solid of subtraction will remain in the same position. They are visible when you select a beam in order to have the same behavior as other Rhino objects when they are selected individually, like a polyline.
Thanks for the reply!
Hi @zabrielza I let you know that in VisualARQ 3 it is possible to subtract a VisualARQ object from another VisualARQ object. This is possible with the vaAddInterferences command.
