Window settings

Use Style

From the Resource Selector, double-click a resource to activate it, or click Unstyled. If a styled object is converted to unstyled, the current values are retained, but all parameters are set to By Instance to allow editing.

By Style/Instance/Catalog

A graphic indicates whether each parameter within the style is set to By Catalog and defined by the catalog item, set to By Style and given a fixed value by the user, or set to By Instance and editable in the dialog box. An object style may have a combination of all three of these settings, to balance the need for consistency and flexibility.

By Style/Instance/Catalog settings are established by the style and cannot be changed from the settings dialog box.

To edit the object style, see Editing plug-in object styles; editing the style modifies all plug-in objects in the file that use the style.

Select from Catalog

If the catalog item is set by instance, opens the Catalog dialog box for Selecting catalog items for plug-in object styles. If a current catalog item is associated with the style, static text displays the item’s description.

The catalog item itself can be set to By Style (to ensure that all objects using that style use the same catalog item) or to By Instance (if, for example, different sizes of the otherwise identical object require different catalog items).

3D Preview

Dynamically displays a 3D preview of the window with the currently selected parameters; the window's exterior side faces the Front view

View

Select the standard view for the 3D preview of the window

Render

Select the render mode for the 3D preview of the window

Detail

Select the detail level for the 3D preview of the window

Top/Plan Preview

Dynamically displays a Top/Plan preview of the window with the currently selected parameters; the window's exterior side is toward the bottom

Detail

Select the detail level for the Top/Plan preview of the window

Window Shape

Select the window shape.

All window shapes other than rectangular are fixed glass; only the appropriate parameters on each pane of the Window Settings dialog box are available for these fixed glass shapes.

Top Shape

Select the shape of the top of the window as viewed from the exterior side

Include transom

Adds a transom above the window; transom parameters are set from the Transom pane

Rise

When applicable for the selected Top Shape, enter the distance between the start of the top shape to the top of the window

Spring

Enter the distance traveled above the bottom pane before the top shape starts; if Square is selected as the Top Shape, the spring is the total height

Use symbol geometry

Select Use symbol geometry. From the Resource Selector, double-click a symbol to apply it.

The symbol name displays and the preview is updated with the selected symbol.

When a symbol is selected, all fields pertaining to the window’s geometry are overridden by the symbol geometry; however, parametric values are still available for scheduling and reporting purposes only.

Size Reference

Select the appropriate option to define the window width and height; the Size Reference selection automatically updates the Width and Height fields, but does not change the size of the window:

Sash Opening: this represents the window opening including the sash and glass, but excluding the transom and frame; this is typically used to show the window opening for emergency exit purposes.

Unit Size: this represents the current overall window width and height, including the transom and sash; this is the default setting for imperial units.

Rough Opening: this represents the current overall window width and height, including the transom, sash, and shim gap (for the Opening Configuration, the Size Reference is automatically changed to Rough Opening); this is the default setting for metric units.

Width/Height

The width/height of the window is measured based on the Size Reference selection:

Sash Opening: width/height is measured at the outside of the sash.

Unit Size: width/height is measured at the outside of the frame.

Rough Opening: width/height measures the rough opening.

For circle, half circle, hexagon, and octagon shaped windows, the height parameter is disabled, and the parameter is automatically calculated based on the window’s width.

Elevation in Wall

Enter the window elevation

Elevation Reference

Select either the sill or the head of the window as the elevation reference point

Insertion Relative to

Specify whether the insertion point is relative to the exterior face, center, or interior of the frame.

Additional wall insertion options are available, as described in Additional plug-in object style and instance options.

Curtain wall window

Indicates that the window will be placed in a curtain wall, where its width and height are based on the surrounding panel size and the bottom frame where it is placed. A curtain wall window does not have as many available parameter options as a standard window. Configurations are limited to those that apply to curtain wall placement.

Create niche for space objects

Creates niche geometry that space objects can include in their net boundary areas; see Space settings: 2D Boundaries and Area pane

Draw wall lines

Displays wall lines at all times.

Regardless of this setting, wall lines are always drawn for the window in the Header visibility class (which is set to Ceiling-Main by default), to easily create reflected ceiling plans.

Set Attributes By

Select whether to set the 2D graphic attributes and visibility of the listed window parts by Object, Line Style, or Class.

Object: disables line type and weight controls for individual parts, and uses the line type and weight settings for the window object.

Line Style: controls line type and weight for the individual parts; these settings override the window object’s settings.

To change the Direction Marker for Folding and Sliding windows, choose the desired style from the marker list, or select Custom to create a custom marker. Select Edit Marker List to open the Edit Marker List dialog box; see Editing the marker list.

Class: sets the line type and weight of individual parts by class. To control appearance and visibility, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Window Class> to place the part attributes in the same class as the window object.

Visibility Classes

To control appearance and visibility, select a class for each part from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Window Class> to place the part attributes in the same class as the window object.

3D Hinge Direction Marker

Show interior/exterior marker

Draws lines representing the hinge direction of the window sashes on the interior/exterior side of the window in 3D

Use hinge marker class attributes

Sets the hinge direction marker’s attributes by class

Hinge Direction Marker Class

To control visibility and, if Use hinge marker class attributes is selected, appearance, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Window Class> to place the hinge marker in the same class as the window object.

Marker Points Towards

Set the hinge direction marker to point toward the hinge or toward the handle

Show 3D open

Draws 3D window sashes as open at the specified Open Angle

Clerestory

Draws the window as dashed in Top/Plan views if the sill is higher than the specified elevation and draws the window as non-breaking (solid) if the sill is below the specified Cut-plane Elevation.

For correct clerestory display in horizontal section viewports, whether above, below, or cut by the viewport’s cut plane, the window object automatically creates 2D components for the Top and Top and Bottom Cut views (see Creating 2D components for symbol definitions and plug-in objects). If the Top/Plan Clerestory setting is set By Style, the instance will override it for horizontal section viewports.

Cut-plane Elevation

When the design layer cut plane is enabled (Vectorworks Architect required), the elevation of the window cut plane is set to the same value as that of the design layer, ensuring a uniform cut plane appearance for the layer.

When the design layer cut plane is disabled, or for the Vectorworks Spotlight or Landmark products, specify a cut plane elevation for the window when Clerestory is selected.

3D Detail Levels

Vectorworks automatically produces window representations in low, medium, and high detail levels for display at different scales, but some window parts are left for you to determine. Set the detail levels for the listed window parts to display in a design layer view or viewport.

The Muntins list item controls the display for all muntins in the window; Trim controls interior and exterior window trim.

Vectorworks can automatically display the desired detail level based on the design layer’s scale; see Document preferences: Display tab. Different levels of detail can also display for different scale viewports. Once the window parts’ detail levels are established, set each viewport to display the desired Detail Level when creating the viewport, or set this from the Object Info palette.

Include on schedule

Includes this window’s information in the window schedule; see Creating window schedules

Show tag in 2D

Displays the ID tag in Top/Plan view

ID Prefix

Places a prefix before the label value

ID Label

Enter a label to identify the window

ID Suffix

Places a suffix after the label value

ID Class

To control visibility and, if Use ID class attributes is selected, appearance, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Window Class> to place the ID class attributes in the same class as the window object.

Use ID class attributes

Uses the ID class attributes for the bubble line, leader line, and leader line marker

Keep ID horizontal

When selected, automatically rotates the ID so that it is horizontal

Bubble Shape

Select the ID tag bubble shape

Bubble Size

Enter the minimum bubble size (this value represents the bubble size times the layer scale; the bubble shape is maintained relative to the text inside it for ID bubble uniformity throughout the drawing file)

Bubble Line Attributes

Select the bubble line attributes and weight, or select Set Thickness to open the Set Thickness dialog box for creating a custom line thickness

Show leader

Draws a leader line from the ID tag to the window object

Line Attributes

Select the leader line attributes and weight, or select Set Thickness to open the Set Thickness dialog box for creating a custom line thickness

Include marker

Includes a marker for the ID leader line and choose the desired style from the marker list, or select Custom to create a custom marker. Select Edit Marker List to open the Edit Marker List dialog box; see Editing the marker list.

Show tag in 3D

Displays the ID tag in 3D views

Horizontal Offset

If Show tag in 3D is selected, enter the horizontal offset of the 3D ID tag relative to the bottom left corner of the rough opening when looking at the exterior side of the window (a positive value moves the tag inside the opening relative to the starting corner; a negative value moves the tag outside the opening relative to the starting corner).

The ID tag is offset slightly from the outside face of the window sash. The size and shape of the text and bubble, if present, will match the plan settings, and the text will always be right reading from the outside of the wall. The bubble will scale with text scaling in viewports.

Vertical Offset

If Show tag in 3D is selected, enter the vertical offset of the 3D ID tag relative to the bottom left corner of the rough opening when looking at the exterior side of the window (a positive value moves the tag inside the opening relative to the starting corner; a negative value moves the tag outside the opening relative to the starting corner)

Hang Position

Select how the sashes are hung from the track

Show sashes in both open and closed states 

Shows both the open and closed representations of sashes in Top/Plan view. This option has no effect when the Open Angle is set to 0°.

Show in Alternate Path Class 

When Show sashes in both open and closed states is selected, specify which Top/Plan representation to display with attributes of the Alternate Path class. 

The Closed Sashes option always displays sashes as single lines.

Corner window

Redraws the current window as a corner window.

Settings that do not apply to a corner window may be disabled or changed when the corner window option is selected.

When you click OK to exit the Window Settings dialog box, the window is moved to the corner of the wall to which it is most closely located. To complete the corner window, insert another one into the adjacent, attached wall.

Corner windows do not work in tandem with one another. When you make adjustments to one window, you also need to update the other. This can be accomplished quickly with the Eyedropper tool or from the Object Info palette. When you make adjustments to the wall containing a corner window, the window moves along with the wall and remains locked in the corner position. When adjusting the angle of the wall, the miter is automatically adjusted in most cases; if a corner window object does not automatically update, temporarily change a parameter from the Object Info palette to force a reset of the window object.

Span wall

Automatically adjusts the width of the window to match the span of the wall, and miters the window edges to the wall corners; therefore, the Width parameter in the General pane and Object Info palette is grayed

Corner Condition

Select the type of corner window:

Opening: creates a simple opening in a wall for defining a window break without creating any geometry to represent the window (the Configuration also changes automatically to Opening).

Cased Opening: creates a simple opening in a wall with geometry outlining the window break. Configuration is set to Cased Opening.

Flush Glass/Flush Glass - No Sash: draws the glass right to the edge of the wall and wraps it around the corner, and sets the Configuration on the General pane to Fixed Glass.

Mitered Sash: draws the window with a mitered sash in the corner.

Corner Post: draws the window with a post in the corner; specify the Size of the post and its Offset within the wall.

Frame Width

Enter the face width of the window frame (parallel to the wall)

Frame Depth

Enter the depth of the window frame (perpendicular to the wall)

Use wall depth

Sets the frame depth to the overall wall depth

Use frame extension

Select this field to specify a frame extension to fill any gap between the interior face of the frame and the interior face of the wall; enter the desired Frame Extension Width.

In 2D views, extensions use the Frame line types and weights; in 3D views, the extension fill color and/or textures and visibility are controlled by the Interior Frame class.

Shim Gaps

Sets the distance between the frame and the rough opening for each side of the window

Masonry Module

Enter the masonry module dimension

Include sill

Includes a sill

Sill Type

Select the sill type and specify the measurements; sill measurement options depend on the Sill Type selected.

Timber sills align with the wall as follows:

In a wall with a core component, the rear of the sill is aligned with the interior face of the core component.

In a wall without a core component, the rear of the sill is aligned with the interior face of the window's frame.

Masonry or brick sills align with the wall as follows:

In a wall with a core component, the rear of the sill is aligned with the exterior face of the core component.

In a wall without a core component, the rear of the sill is aligned with the exterior face of the window's frame.

Replace glazing with louvers for

Replaces the glazing in the Transom and/or Sash with louver vents

Louver Type

Select the louver style and specify the measurements

(1) Blade Spacing

Enter the center to center distance between the blades

(2) Blade Angle

Enter the angle of the louver blades

(3) Blade Lip/Thickness

Enter the height of the visible lip/thickness of the blades

(4) Louver Depth

Enter the depth of the louvers, typically the same as the Sash Depth on the Sash pane

Sash

Sash Width/Depth

Enter the transom sash width/depth

Sash Offset

Offsets the sash from the center of the frame. A positive value moves the sash toward the exterior of the window, and a negative value moves the sash toward the interior of the window.

Mullion

Mullion Width/Depth

Enter the transom mullion width/depth

Use frame depth

Overrides the transom Mullion Depth with the frame depth.

When this field is selected, Mullion Depth is grayed.

Muntins

Include muntins

Adds muntins to the transom

Pattern

Select the transom muntin pattern

Vertical/Horizontal Bars

For colonial muntins, enter the number of vertical/horizontal muntin bars.

Prairie and renaissance muntins come with pre-set configurations; therefore, any number of Vertical/Horizontal Bars specified are disregarded.

Bar Width/Depth

Enter the transom muntin bar width/depth

Bar Offset

Enter the transom muntin bar offset

Number of Rays

For sunburst patterns, enter the number of muntin rays

Glazing Thickness

Enter the glazing thickness for the transom

Include interior/exterior trim

Includes interior/exterior trim

Width/Depth

Enter the interior/exterior trim width and depth

Include trim under stool/sill

Includes interior/exterior trim along the window bottom

Include lintel

Adds a lintel above the window or transom

Interior/Exterior Protrusion

Enter the interior and exterior lintel protrusion

(1) Thickness

Enter the lintel thickness

(2) Angle

Enter the lintel angle

(3) Drop

Enter the length of the lintel drop

Top sash/Bottom sash

Adds top and/or bottom sashes to the muntins

Pattern

Select the muntin pattern

Vertical/Horizontal Bars

For colonial muntins, enter the number of vertical/horizontal muntin bars.

Prairie and renaissance muntins come with pre-set configurations; therefore, any number of Vertical/Horizontal Bars specified are disregarded.

Bar Width/Depth

Enter the muntin bar width/depth

Bar Offset

Enter the muntin bar offset

Number of Rays

For sunburst patterns, enter the number of muntin rays

Custom top sash muntins

For a double hung window with an unequal sash and colonial muntins, customizes the top sash; enter the desired number of Horizontal Bars

Include interior shutters

Includes interior shutters

Use custom width

If Square is selected as the window’s Top Shape, creates interior shutters of a width other than the default value (1/2 the width of the window); enter the custom width

Frame Depth

Enter the depth for the interior shutters

Offset from Frame

Enter the offset distance from the interior edge of the window frame that shutters will be positioned when fully opened

Panel shutter

Creates paneled shutters

Panel Frame Width

Enter the rail and stile width of the paneled shutter

Number of Panels

Select One panel per sash to divide shutters at sash divisions or select to divide panels equally by the Custom number of panels specified

Include exterior shutters

Includes exterior shutters

Use custom width

If Square is selected as the window’s Top Shape, creates exterior shutters of a width other than the default value (1/2 the width of the window); enter the custom width

Frame Depth

Enter the depth for the exterior shutters

Offset from Frame

Enter the offset distance from the interior edge of the window frame that shutters will be positioned when fully opened

Panel shutter

Creates paneled shutters

Panel Frame Width

Enter the rail and stile width of the paneled shutter

Number of Panels

Select One panel per sash to divide shutters at sash divisions or select to divide panels equally by the Custom number of panels specified

Centerline marker

Displays a centerline marker in Top/Plan view

Size

Set the size of the centerline

Class

To control visibility, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Window Class> to place the centerline marker attributes in the same class as the window object.

Line Attributes

Select the line attributes and weight, or select Set Thickness to open the Set Thickness dialog box for creating a custom line thickness. If Use class attributes is selected, the line attributes are set by the part’s class.

Include marker

Includes a marker at the end of the line; choose the desired style from the marker list, or select Custom to create a custom marker. Select Edit Marker List to open the Edit Marker List dialog box; see Editing the marker list. If Use class attributes is selected, the marker attributes are set by the part’s class.

Use class attributes

Sets the centerline marker’s attributes (including marker style) by class rather than the parameters in the Window Settings dialog box

Window parts

Lists all parts that can be assigned an individual material, class, and texture. Some parts are divided into interior and exterior sides, that can be set separately. Two By Style columns indicate whether the part's material is set by style or instance, and whether the class and texture are set by style or instance. 

Select one or more rows, and do any of the following:

Select a material from the Resource Selector. 

To control appearance and visibility, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Window Class> to place the part attributes in the same class as the window object.

Select a texture from the Resource Selector, or click one of the buttons to use no texture, to use the class texture, or, if the selected item's material texture was previously overridden, to revert to the material's texture.

The material, class, and/or texture of all selected parts are assigned.

For windows with an Opening Configuration, in a 3D view, a no fill/no pen weight extrude completely fills the wall in place of the window; this extrude is placed in the Interior Frame class and is filtered out in IFC export operations. Change the class settings to control the visibility of the extrude.

Include in calculations

When selected, the window is eligible to be included in energy calculations, depending on the energy analysis settings for layer/class, element inclusion, and so on

R-Value/U-Value

Automatic Calculation

Based on the frame and glazing parameters, the window R-Value/U-Value is calculated and displayed. This value, along with the window shading factors, is critical for a correct assessment of the building envelope in energy calculations.

Manual Input

Select this option to override the calculated R-Value/U-Value and enter a manual value for the window instead. For complex or detailed window designs, enter results from a third-party calculation here.

Frame

Select the thermal properties of the frame. Sets can be created and edited; see Specifying system sets.

Glazing

Select the thermal properties of the window glazing. Sets can be created and edited; see Specifying system sets.

Shading

Select the level of shade for each type of shading near the window, or select Custom from any of the lists. The Edit Shading dialog box opens, to manually enter a percentage for when the window is in the shade.

General

Select the general shade conditions where the window is located

Surrounding

Specify surrounding shade conditions that might affect the amount of solar radiation reaching the window

Summer Shading

Specify special shade conditions that apply during the summer months (for example, when nearby deciduous trees shade the window)

Additional Shading

Select any mechanical or passive shading mechanisms in place, or select Custom and enter a shading percentage in the Edit Shading dialog box

Summer Ventilation

Opens the Summer Ventilation Settings dialog box, to specify summer ventilation options for when the window is typically open.

Type of usage: (ground floor, upper floor, night): Select the type of ventilation system usage, if any, for the window.

Operable opening width: Indicates the width of the window opening gap for an operable window (which affects the amount of ventilation).

Field Name/Field Value

Data fields are listed under Field Name. Click the Field Value column to enter data for use in the window schedule, as needed.