Architect or LandmarkCreating a massing model

Tool

Tool set

Massing Model

MassingModel_tool03039.png

Site Planning

The Massing Model tool creates a building shell for illustrative purposes. This is an easy way to create a representative or context building when a detailed building is not required. Building models can also be created by drawing a closed 2D shape and then selecting the Create Objects from Shapes command (see Creating objects from shapes). A massing model can be a site modifier.

MassMod_ex.png 

To create a massing model:

Click the tool.

The Massing Model tool and Campanile tool share the same position on the tool set. Click and hold the mouse on the visible tool to open the Pop-out tools list and select the desired tool.

Click to begin drawing the outline of the building. Continue clicking to draw the shell polyline. Double-click, or click once at the start point, to end the polyline. The first time you use the tool in a file, a properties dialog box opens. Set the default parameters. The parameters can be edited later from the Object Info palette.

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Click to show/hide the parameters.Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter

Description

Name

Enter a building name for labeling

Show in Plan

Select whether to show the building roof or footprint in Plan view

Label

Select a text label, if any, for the building shell in Plan view; move the text control point to reposition the text

Mass_draw3.png 

Height

Specifies the building height (to the eave)

Floor Count

Specifies the number of floors in the building

Floor Usage Data

Opens the Floor Usage Data dialog box, for reporting the usage of massing model floors. This is useful in worksheets, for example, when reporting the usage data of the floors using the 'FloorUsageData' parameter (see Worksheet functions). The number of floors listed depends on the Floor Count (if the Floor Count is reduced later, floor usage data will be lost).

By default, each floor’s usage is "Unspecified." To specify the floor usage data, select each floor and enter the Usage Data for that floor.

A semi-colon cannot be used in the usage data, because this is the delimiter for the FloorUsageData function.

Wall Class

To control appearance, select a class to use for wall style attributes from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class

Use Custom Roof from Profile

Creates a custom roof. The first roof created by the object is used as the default custom roof; if the number of stories has changed, the height of the custom roof needs to be manually adjusted.

Roof Overhang

Specifies the distance the roof extends from the building

Roof Thickness

Indicates the roof thickness

Roof Class

To control appearance, select a class to use for hipped roof style attributes from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class

Pitched Roof

Adds a roof to the building shell

Eave Style

Select an eave style from the list

Roof Slope

Specifies the roof pitch angle in degrees

Draw Floors

Draws floors in the building

Slab Thickness

Specifies the floor thickness

Display Shadow in Plan View

Displays a shadow based on the roof outline in Top/Plan view. Document-wide settings from the Plan Shadows pane on the Document Preferences dialog box are applied. Click Shadow Settings to open the Document Preferences dialog box to review and edit the settings (see Document preferences: Plan Shadows tab).

Use Site Modifiers

Adds a pad and grade limits to the base of the building and allows the building to modify the site model

Use Grade Limits

Uses grade limits to define the site modifier modification area

Grade Limits Off.

Sets the offset of the grade limits from the massing model

Gross Area

Displays the gross area value for all the floors

Vertex parameters

Edits the object vertices. See Editing vertex-based objects.

If the massing model is used as a site modifier, the proposed site model requires updating. Select the site model and click Update from the Object Info palette.

Creating a custom massing model roof

Updating a site model

 

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