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, 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
Function	Specifies a function for the component, to be included in IFC exports
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. Roof component class textures are set from the Textures pane of the Edit Class(es) dialog box (see Applying Object and Component Textures by Class).
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).
Lambda	Indicates the lambda value for the roof component. The lambda value participates in 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.
Look Up	Opens the Look Up Lambda Value dialog box, to specify the lambda value. The value can be calculated based on the U-value or R-value and the component thickness; the calculated value is displayed. Alternatively, lambda values are provided for typical component materials; select the component material with its predefined lambda value. Filter the displayed list by entering a filter term; click Edit List to enter the value manually.
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
Section Fill	Specifies the component appearance in section views. Select a fill style, or Class Style to set the fill attributes by class. Depending on the Style selected, select a fill color, pattern, or resource (hatch, image, gradient, tile). 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
Section Pen	Specifies the component appearance in section views. Select a pen style, or Class Style to set pen attributes by class. Depending on the Style selected, select a color, pattern, or line type resource.
Thickness	Select the line thickness; to use a custom thickness, select Set Thickness from the line thickness list (see Line Thickness Attributes)
Texture	Applies the selected texture to the component. Class Texture sets the component to use the texture specified by the component’s class; see Applying Object and Component Textures by Class. If Texture is chosen, this setting overrides the object class texture; from the Resource Selector, double-click a texture to apply it.
Make All Attributes By Class	Sets all fill, pen, and texture attributes by class
Remove By Class Settings	Removes all class settings for fill, pen, and texture attributes

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
Datum	Select whether the datum is applied to the top or bottom of the designated component; the indicator in the Datum column updates accordingly
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. If multiple components are selected, changing the order moves all selected components to the new location.
Datum	Click in the Datum column to designate the datum component. An indicator in the column shows whether the datum is placed on the top or bottom of the component. To change the datum position, either click on the indicator to switch the placement, or click Top of Component or Bottom of Component.
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 attributes of one or more selected components; changes are made to all selected components. Alternatively, to edit a single component, double-click the component to open the Roof Component Settings dialog box.
Duplicate	Duplicates one or more selected roof components; the duplicates are added to the component list right below the originally selected components; the roof thickness is adjusted accordingly
Delete	Deletes one or more selected roof components; the roof thickness is adjusted 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

Concept: Resource Libraries

The Attributes Palette

Defining Tiles

Setting Class Properties

Energos Energy Analysis Module

Concept: Applying Textures by Class to Objects and Components

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