Creating Roof Components

Roof components define the sections that make up a roof. For example, to indicate that a roof is made up of gypsum board ceiling, wood framing, insulation, and asphalt shingles, define a component for each of these items to illustrate their location. Roof components can be offset from the edges of the walls (automatically bounded roofs) or the edge of the roof (manual roofs); their appearance can be specified for cross-section views, especially where they intersect with walls. They can be textured (Renderworks required), creating realistic section views and rendered views, as well as accurate roof material estimates. The area and volume of roof components (minus any holes cut) can be calculated in worksheets; see Worksheet Functions). The overall thickness of a roof is equal to the sum of its components; therefore, for a styled roof, the Thickness parameter is not available.

Component fill and pen style are only displayed in section viewports.

Defining Components Prior to Creating the Roof

To define roof components prior to drawing the roof or roof face:

1. Select Roof Preferences from the Style list in the Create Roof or Create Roof Face dialog box.

The Roof Preferences dialog box opens.

2. From the Definition tab, click New.

The Roof Component Settings dialog box opens. Specify the component name, thickness, edge offset, and appearance in section views and rendered views.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Definition
Name	Provide a name for the component, which displays in the Components list in the Roof Preferences dialog box
Class	To control appearance and visibility, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Object Class> to place the component attributes in the same class as the roof object.
Thickness	Specifies the component’s thickness; the thickness of a roof is the sum of its components. A component must have a thickness greater than 0 (zero).
Edge Condition	The method of offsetting the component from the edge of the roof depends on whether the roof is an automatically bounded roof, associated with a set of walls, or a roof bound manually (independently from walls). The edge condition of for each component displays in the component list on the Definition tab of the Roof Preferences dialog box.
Bound	When the roof is associated with a wall, binds the component edge to the roof edge or roof axis line, or the inner or outer face of the wall, outer face of the inner wall component, inner face of the outer wall component, or inner face/outer face/center of the wall component designated as the core component
Section Fill Change Point	For Roof Edge or Roof Axis Line bound components, sets a transition point to display a different section fill for the component; specify the fill attributes in Alternate Section Fill
Modification	Determines whether the roof component clips the wall, or if the wall clips the roof component
Manual Bound	When the roof component is not associated with a set of walls, the roof edge can go all the way to the overhang (Roof Edge) or stop at the slope line (Roof Axis Line)
Bound Offset	Specifies the offset of the component from the edge of the roof
Energos	Specifies energy analysis calculation parameters for the roof component. Vectorworks Architect is required to conduct an energy analysis; however, energy-related parameters can be specified here for informational purposes.
Lambda Value	Indicates the lambda value for the roof component; for convenience, lambda values are provided for typical component materials. Click Look Up to find and select a typical lambda value from the Look Up Lambda Value dialog box; click Edit List to enter the value manually.
R-Value/U-Value	Based on the component thickness and lambda value, displays the roof component’s R-Value/U-Value
Section Fill	Specifies the component appearance in section views
Style	Specify the roof fill attributes. Select None for no fill, or Class Style to set component fill attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Roof Component Settings dialog box. Selected hatch, gradient, or image fills, if not already present in the file, are imported and added to the Resource Browser. See Resource Libraries and Fill Attributes. Use a tile fill with Fit to Wall selected, to represent insulation fill. See Defining Tiles.
Alternate Section Fill	When the roof component is bound to the Roof Edge or Roof Axis Line, specifies the component appearance in section views after the change point
Style	Specify the roof fill attributes for alternate section views. Select None for no fill, or Class Style to set component fill attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Roof Component Settings dialog box. Selected hatch, gradient, or image fills, if not already present in the file, are imported and added to the Resource Browser. See Resource Libraries and Fill Attributes. Use a tile fill with Fit to Wall selected, to represent insulation fill. See Defining Tiles.
Section Pen	Specifies the component appearance in section views
Style	Specify the roof pen attributes. Select None for no pen, Line Type to select a complex line type, or Class Style to set component pen attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Roof Component Settings dialog box. Selected line types, if not already present in the file, are imported and added to the Resource Browser. See Resource Libraries and Pen Attributes.
Thickness	When a pen style has been selected, specify the line thickness; see Line Thickness Attributes. If Line Type is selected as the pen style, also select the line type to use.
Texture (Renderworks required)
No Texture	Does not apply a texture to the component
Class Texture	Sets the component to use the texture specified by the component’s class. The class texture is set from the Other tab in the Edit Classes dialog box; see Setting Class Properties.
Choose Texture	Select a texture for the component from a library or the current file

3. Click OK to create the component and return to the Roof Preferences dialog box.

The roof’s Overall Thickness value changes to be determined by its components. As components are defined, they display in the preview. Click and drag a component in the # column to change its order. Determine which component is the datum component by clicking in the Datum column. Set the datum to the top or bottom of the component.

4. To save the component settings with the roof settings as a roof style, click Save Preferences as Roof Style.

5. Click OK.

Once created, the components of a selected roof can be edited by clicking Components from the Object Info palette.

Defining Components for Existing Roofs

To define or edit roof components for an existing, unstyled roof or roof face:

1. Select the roof.

2. From the Object Info palette, click Components.

Since the components are part of a roof style’s definition, if the roof is styled, its components cannot be edited unless Edit Style or Convert To Unstyled Roof is first selected from the Style list.

The Roof Components dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Preview	Displays a preview of the roof structure, including the defined components
Overall Thickness	The thickness of a roof with components is defined by the sum of the component thicknesses
Components	Lists the components that form the structure of the roof, in order from top to bottom as displayed in the preview. To change the order of a component, click and drag within the # column.
Datum	One of the roof components is designated as the datum component by clicking in the Datum column. An indicator in the column either points towards the top or bottom, to show that the datum is placed on the top or the bottom of the component. To change the datum to be at the top or bottom, either click on the indicator to switch the placement, or click Top of Component or Bottom of Component under Datum at the bottom of the dialog box.
New	Opens the Roof Component Settings dialog box to define the components of the roof as described previously in this section
Edit	Opens the Roof Component Settings dialog box to edit the selected component’s thickness and attributes (you can also double-click a component to open the Roof Component Settings dialog box)
Duplicate	Duplicates the selected roof component; the duplicate is added to the component list right below the originally selected component; the roof thickness is adjusted accordingly
Delete	Deletes the selected roof component; the roof thickness is adjusted accordingly
Datum	Select whether the datum is applied to the top or bottom of the designated component; the indicator in the Datum column updates accordingly

3. Click New or Edit, and define or edit the components as described in Defining Components Prior to Creating the Roof.

4. Click OK to return to the Roof Components dialog box.

5. Click OK. The new component definition is applied to the selected roof.

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Using Roof Styles

Creating Roof Faces

Creating Roof Objects

Resource Libraries

The Attributes Palette

Defining Tiles

Setting Class Properties

Energos Energy Analysis Module

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