Set Up Your Design | Return to Index | Adding your units

Drawing your room.

This section will explain how to draw in the "Walls" layer of your design.

Select the "Walls" layer of your design by clicking on the "Walls" button in the top-left of the ArtiCAD design screen.

In the bottom-left corner of the planning area you will see a green cross. This is your starting point. Your design will always start bottom-left. The outline of your room will draw from the bottom-left towards the top-left of the window. You will then draw the outline clockwise around the design area until you return to your starting point.

It helps to imagine yourself stood in the bottom-left corner, facing the top-left corner, then "walking" around your design, leaving the walls behind you.

You add to the layout of the room by pressing the relevant toolbar button.

An example room can be found here.

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The Measurement Marker

The green cross in the bottom left is actually a red cross and a blue cross on top of each other. The red cross will stay at your starting position and the blue cross is your current position on the plan. At the bottom of the design screen it shows the distance between red and the blue cross, broken down into a horizontal and vertical measurement. Distance is the direct distance between the two crosses. The angle is covered in CHAPTER X - ADVANCED STUFF.

Example 1

In this example the horizontal distance is 3000, vertical is 1000 and the direct distance is 3162.28.

When the cross goes green you know you have returned to your starting point.

NOTE - the measurement marker only works in Normal Mode. You can still create you room in Drag and Drop mode, but the measurement marker does not update as you draw.

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Some ArtiCAD Conventions

A full list can be found in Appendix 5. ArtiCAD Conventions.

Measurements
All measurements (widths, depths heights etc) are in whole millimeters. Angles are measured in whole degrees.
Edit
This applies to all items in your design, not just Wall items. Highlight the item you wish to edit by left-clicking on it, then press the "F1" key on your keyboard. This will bring up the properties of the selected item which you can then change. Click "OK" to accept your changes, or "Cancel" it revert to the previous settings.
Undo
You can undo the last change you made to your design by clicking "Edit" - "Undo" or pressing CTRL and Z on your keyboard. NOTE - you can keep undoing changes back to the last 3D view or the start of your design.
Left and Right
Usually used with regard to hinging. Imagine yourself in the room looking at the item in question. Left is to your left, right is to your right.
In and Out
In means the item will open or move into the room. Out means the item will open or move out of the room.
Default Sizes
Certain properties will have a "*" either side e.g. "*2400*" or "*600*".. This denotes a default size, usually defined under "This Design" - "Room Settings". If you wish to alter a default value make sure you delete both "*"'s. The change will only affect the current item. For the change to affect the entire design, change it under "This Design" - "Room Settings". If you wish to return a value to it's default, enter a single "*" in the box.
External
Select this option for external walls. The wall section will be drawn thicker e.g. in the kitchen room system external walls are drawn 300mm thick, with regular walls 100mm.

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Wall

Creates a straight section of wall in the current direction.

Example 1

1000 wide wall, turn, 1000 wide wall (external).

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Join

Creates a special section of wall that runs from your current position on the plan back to your starting point.

Should be the last item added to your walls layer. Only one "join" is required.

Example 1

Bottom-left corner of a design without a join and with a join.

NOTE - the green cross. This indicates we have returned to our starting point. However, the bottom corner is missing as we have not joined the walls together.

NOTE - the Join cannot be selected for editing by clicking on it whilst in "Drag and Drop" mode. You must enter "Normal Mode" by either clicking "Mode" - "Normal" or clicking on the "Normal Mode" button on the Utilities Window.

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Door

Creates a single doorway. Two doors can be entered side-by-side to create a double/french door.

Width
The total width of the doorway, including architrave
Height
Total height of the doorway, including architrave. If the ceiling height is higher than the door height, a lintle will be drawn in above the door, along with coving (if specified)
Height Off Ground
Distance from the bottom of the doorway to the floor level. Used when creating a step-down into a room. See Cubes and Wedges for details
Width of Architrave
Width of architrave around the door. Can be set to "0" if no architrave is required.
Style
The type of door.
Hinged and Opening
The side the door is hinged and the direction it will open
View
The view seen through glazed doors. For details on specifying the view, See Changing colours in your design for details
Tiled
If selected tiling will be applied to the doorway (if the tiling is high enough to be seen)

To select a door that is on your design, left-click between the door jams (the green area on the image above).

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Arch

Creates an archway.

Width
Width of the arch.
Height
Height of the arch. If the ceiling height is higher than the arch height, a lintle will be drawn in above the door, along with coving (if specified).
Arch Option
"open" will allow you to see through the arch to whatever is behind it. "screened" will fill the archway.
Arch Style
"square" will draw a square arch, the top of the arch being the arch height. "curved" will draw a curved arch, with the "peak" of the curve being the arch height. Lowest point of the curve will be the arch height minus the curved arch height.
Curved Arch Height
Height of the curved section of a curved arch. Not used if "sqaure" arch selected.
Tiled
If selected tiling will be applied to the arch (if the tiling is high enough to be seen).

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Window

Width
Width of the window, including frame
Height
Height of the window opening
Height Off Ground
Distance from the floor to the bottom of the window opening
Style
The type of window
View
The view seen through the window. See Changing colours in your design for details
Mullions
How many mullions across and down the window. NOTE - you must select "Add Mullions" for them to appear
Depth of Reveal
The depth the window is set into the wall
Tiled
If selected tiling will be applied above, below and on the reveal of the window

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Hatch

Creates a serving hatch.

Width
width of the hatchway
Height
Height of the hatchway.
Height Off Ground
Distance from the floor to the bottom of the hatchway
Tiled
If selected tiling will be applied above and below the hatch (if the tiling is high enough to be seen)

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Turn/Back

Changes the direction of your run of wall items by 90 degrees. A turn/back can be proceeded or followed by any other wall item.

Turn
Changes direction 90 degrees to the right, or clockwise
Back
Changes direction 90 degrees to the left, or anti-clockswise

Example 1

Starting from the red cross - 1000 wall, turn, 1000 wall, back, 1000 wall.

Example 2

Starting from the red cross - 1000 wall, back, 1000 wall, turn, 1000 wall.

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Rotate

Changes the direction of your run of wall items by a specific angle.

Rotation - the angle through which you wish to turn. Positive values turn clockwise, negative values turn anti-clockwise.

Example 1

Starting from the red cross - 1000 wall, rotate 45, 1000 wall, rotate -45, 1000 wall.

Example 2

Starting from the red cross - 1000 wall, rotate -45, 1000 wall, rotate 45, 1000 wall.

Example 3

A shallow bay window. Starting from the red cross - 500 wall, rotate -30, 500 window, rotate 30, 500 window, rotate 30, 500 window, rotate -30, 500 wall, turn, 2000 wall.

Alternatively you can use the Bay Window wizard. See Bay Window Wizard.

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Point

A Point allows you to draw a wall, door, arch or window by specifying the distance along and out of the room. This can be useful if working from scale drawings.

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In/Out

Creates a projection into or out of the current run of wall e.g. a stud wall, pipe boxing, chimney breast..

Example 1

Starting from the red cross - 500 wall, 500 in, 500 wall, 500 out, 500 wall.

Example 2

Starting from the red cross - 500 wall, 400 out, 600 wall, 500 in, 500 wall.

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Space

Creates a gap in the run of wall. Different to an arch in that there is no lintle or coving drawn across the top to the space.

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Save

Stores the current position for use when positioning items. Not required when using Drag and Drop - see Postioning Units With DND.

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Round Wall

Creates a curved section of wall.

Radius
The radius of the curve
Steps
The number of sections of wall that will make up the curve. The more steps, the smoother the curve will look.
Angle
The number of degrees the curved section will arc through. Positive values curve clockwise, negative values curve anti-clockwise.

Example 1

Starting from the red cross - 500 wall, curved wall (radius 1500, steps 5, angle 90), 500 wall.

Example 2

Starting from the red cross - 500 wall, curved wall (radius 1500, steps 10, angle 180), 500 wall.

NOTE - the more steps you use, the more rounding errors will occur. Notice the end of the wall (blue cross) is lower than the starting point (red cross). Adjust the length of the last piece of the curved wall (the 213 wide wall) until they line up.

Example 3

Starting from the red cross - 500 wall, curved wall (radius 1000, steps 5, angle -90), 500 wall.

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Flag-style Door and Window - Kitchens Only

Add a flag window to your design in the same way as you would add any other wall component.

The majority of the options will be familiar from either the Wall or Window components. However there are a few extra options.

Window
Specifies which side of the door the window will appear
Door and Window Width
The total width will be the sum of the door and window width.
Top Window & Top Window Height
If Top Window is selected, a window will be drawn across the top of the window and the door using the height specified (see the example image above).

The flag window is only available as a wall component within the Walls layer, not as an internal wall.

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An Example Room

Make sure you are in "Normal Mode" - click the "Normal Mode" button on the Utilities Window, or click "Mode" then "Normal".

To draw this room, the sequence of events would be:

Click the "Walls" layer button, top left of the screen.
Wall. Change the width to 700. Click "OK".
Door. 800 wide (default). Left-hand hinged, opening in to the room. Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 800. Click "OK".
Window. 1000 wide (default). Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 800. Click "OK".
Turn. Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 3850. Click "OK".
Turn. Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 1250. Click "OK".
Arch. Change the width to 1600. Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 1250. Click "OK".
Turn. Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 300. Click "OK".
Door. 800 wide (default). Left-hand hinged, opening in to the room. Click "OK".
Wall. Change the width to 2750. Click "OK"
Join. Click "OK".

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