progeCAD EasyArch

Summary

CADDIT

7/27/2011

Note: Download a Free 30-Day Trial of

progeCAD Professional (including EasyArch) at:

www.caddit.net

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Settings ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Openings Centreline Dimensions ......................................................................................................... 4

Label Template and Units .................................................................................................................... 5

Layer Colors ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Quantity Survey Preferences ............................................................................................................... 7

Scale Factors........................................................................................................................................ 7

Walls ....................................................................................................................................................... 8

Draw Walls .......................................................................................................................................... 8

Create Niche / Pilaster ......................................................................................................................... 9

Remove Walls .................................................................................................................................... 10

Remove Openings.............................................................................................................................. 11

Cleaning ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Double Lines ...................................................................................................................................... 12

Openings ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Net Opening ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Windows and Glass ........................................................................................................................... 14

Doors ................................................................................................................................................ 15

Curved Openings ............................................................................................................................... 16

Stairs ..................................................................................................................................................... 16

Roofs ..................................................................................................................................................... 17

Hip Roof ............................................................................................................................................ 17

Single Pitch ........................................................................................................................................ 17

Pitches Hatches ................................................................................................................................. 17

Furniture ............................................................................................................................................... 18

Dimensions and Calculations ................................................................................................................. 18

Room Dimension ............................................................................................................................... 18

Dimensions ........................................................................................................................................ 19

Move Opening Text ........................................................................................................................... 19

Quantity Surveying ............................................................................................................................ 19

Insert from Selection ............................................................................................................................. 20

Object Editing ........................................................................................................................................ 21

Introduction

A new feature of progeCAD 2011 Professional Edition called EasyArch has been implemented. It features

the ability to dynamically insert both walls and common predefined blocks of architectural symbols such

as windows and doors with parameters allowing easy dimensioning and settings definition on creation.

Along with each category of blocks come many functions appropriated to each for advanced settings

and integration with other components of EasyArch and with your drawing. EasyArch is available to ease

the process of inserting simple blocks from external libraries into progeCAD and having to scale and

relocate such blocks, rather being dynamic on creation, saving much time when requiring necessary

blocks of symbols in your architectural drawing.

EasyArch also features a continuation function allowing one, for example to create multiple of the same

block object at the same time in different locations. It also allows increased functionality and aid of

dimensioning for its own objects.

EasyArch can be accessed in the main menu and toolbars for each function can be displayed by clicking

View > Toolbars and choosing EA-<function>.

Settings

Before you start using the functions of EasyArch or at any time you wish, you can modify the settings of

any EasyArch component. It is best to apply the settings desired at the beginning as changes to the

settings made later on in the drawing will not apply to already added components.

Openings Centreline Dimensions

EasyArch allows inclusive adjustment of the dimensions and the centreline for openings. Including

adjustable centreline offset and length (A and B), the amount of decimal figures for the dimension (C),

and the text distance (D), each from the opposite wall (green lines).

Figure 1a

Label Template and Units

EasyArch comes with a function allowing the insertion and editing of a quantity survey table and labeling

(see Quantity Surveying under the Dimensions and Calculations section). The settings dialog allows

preference of quantity surveying in a table or in labels as shown in the picture below.

Figure 2a - Quantity Survey with Table

Figure 2b - Quantity Survey with Labels

Measurements for dimensioning and centerlines for EasyArch components can be changed to suit your

liking, Meters, Centimeters or a custom unit of measurement.

Layer Colors

The layer colors function in the settings allows users to predefine the colour in which the layers which

the EasyArch components are lying on, similarly to the BYLAYER property of each layer. Note, each

component adds its own layer to the drawing (see Figure 3b.) This allows each component whether yet

to be drawn or already drawn to have its colour changed by using the Layer Properties Manager

((Format > Layer…), see Figure 3c, compare Figure 3a.)

Figure 3a

Figure 3b

Figure 3c

Quantity Survey Preferences

Misunderstood.

Scale Factors

The scale factors function allows for a dynamic change in the size of dimension text, room text size and

the roof hatching scale (see Hatching in the section Roofs). As stated this can be done dynamically,

meaning, changing of the factors even when dimensions have already been created will result in an

updated change of each of the existing dimensions in your drawing.

Figure 5a

Walls

EasyArch allows for the easy creation of walls in the drawing by having the user input a line and

duplicating it with a given width and calculating corners based on the width. This makes is extremely

easy to draw walls for your drawing and editing them as single lines which are integrated with the

corresponding lines in their corners. There are many intelligent functions which are incorporated with

the wall feature.

Draw Walls

The Draw Walls function allows you to specify the thickness (or width) of your wall disregarding the

initial and final thickness as it seems to only change to equal each other.

You can choose your justification of your drawing line of your wall bearing in mind the width of your wall

and the sizing when it comes to the corner. At the corner, progeCAD automatically generates the next

lines coming off the corner of the wall taking into account the width and justification of the drawing line

(Figure 6b). This makes it extremely beneficial and easy to create walls for your drawing.

The command line features many helpful functions for your wall including:

• Arc (A): defines an arc for your wall with input angle.

• Closing (C): completes the wall automatically for you when progeCAD can recognize the

opportunity to.

• Header (H): closes the last drawn length of wall much like a niche.

• Triangle (T): creates a triangular piece of wall for you.

Figure 6a

Figure 6b

Create Niche / Pilaster

progeCAD allows existing walls to be edited by means of the Niche / Pilaster function. The software will

ask you to select a wall or any line for that manner and will ask for the first point of the distance and the

length of the niche or pilaster and redraw the line accordingly to show a pilaster or niche of desired

length.

Figure 7a – Editing.

Figure 7b – Result.

Remove Walls

The remove walls function is a very useful tool as it doesn’t break the entire drawing as one may expect

it to. It simply means selecting an existing wall you have made using EasyArch and it is simply removed

while the remaining walls stay closed and intact.

Figure 8a – Selecting the wall.

Figure 8b – Wall Removed.

Remove Openings

Refer to the section Openings for information on openings. This option allows users to select any

existing EasyArch opening block and remove it from a wall, thus redrawing the wall again. This is a

wonderful tool that really simplifies the task of removing and relocating blocks of doors or windows for

example.

Cleaning

Misunderstood.

Double Lines

Double lines in walls can be shown if desired by the user with the parameters of an outer line distance, a

minimum thickness and a maximum thickness of the lines. Thus allowing users to specify which wall

thickness may be required to be emphasized specifically while allowing others to remain without double

lines (See Figure 9a).

Figure 9a – Double Lines Option Dialog.

Openings

Net Opening

Net openings are simply openings in the walls such as a walkway or entrance to another room made

easily by selecting the function, selecting the wall face, specifying the width and height of the opening

and then placing it on the wall wherever desired, in which the wall is cleaned up to show a nice opening.

Figure 10a – Net Opening 50 units wide and 250 high.

Windows and Glass

Windows and glass walls can be added as architectural blocks to and existing wall or even line with

much ease. Available windows include generic windows, glass walls and French windows. The software

asks for the:

• Width: how wide the window will be.

• Opening Frame Distance: where the frame is located in the wall.

• Height: of the window (3D only).

• Angle: Direction of window frame outwards.

• Windowsill projection: the measurement of definition of the windowsill.

Figure 11a – Dialog for window selection.

Figure 11b – Example windows with yellow outline layer off.

Doors

Doors are a very common necessity for architectural drawings, and therefore EasyArch makes it simple

to add a door to any wall or line. progeCAD simply asks again for input parameters such as width, the

interior hinge wall (0 for exact edge), the height of the door, and where to place the door. Available

doors include hinge, sliding and garage.

Figure 12a – Available Doors.

Figure 12b – Door with interior hinge at zero.

Curved Openings

EasyArch also works for curved openings by allowing the opening to be placed on a curved wall (see

Draw Walls – Command Line Arc under the Walls section). Each available curved opening is the same as

the generic ones available shown above.

Figure 13a – Generic curved openings.

Stairs

EasyArch also incorporates staircases into the list of available architectural blocks for customization and

dimension editing. The available blocks of stairs include spiral-helical, corner step, flights and angle flight

staircases. All required variables are asked for in the command line upon creation.

Figure 14a – Available stairs.

Roofs

Roofs can be added to rooms and drawings as desired too by means of EasyArch. These can be viewed

with hatching or no hatching. There are two available styles of roofs included: Hip roof and single pitch

roof.

Hip Roof

A hop roof can be drawn and edited by EasyArch. It features 2 helpful functions: Osnap endpoint and

hatching. The osnap endpoint function allows a hip roof to be auto completed to maintain proper

structure (see Figure 15a). The hatching function automatically adds a roof like hatch to the roof for

visibility; the hatching layer can be turned on or off.

Figure 15a – Hip roof with osnap on and the hatching layer on.

Single Pitch

Misunderstood.

Pitches Hatches

Misunderstood.

Furniture

A variety of fully customizable furniture items can be added to your drawing. These include kitchen,

living room and bedroom, bathroom and parks. Each of which can be easily selected, added and

modifying to suit your needs in the drawing.

Figure 16a – Sample Furniture.

Dimensions and Calculations

Room Dimension

Opens a dialog box allowing the dimensioning layer for rooms, walls and openings to become active

showing all of which and which symbol the user would like to display, also allowing margin for the offset

from the wall and decimal rounding.

Figure 17a – Room Dimension Dialog.

Dimensions

This function, much like the main dimension function of progeCAD, lets users display a dimension of a

specified line length for EasyArch components with many optional displays.

Figure 18a – Dimensions Dialog.

Move Opening Text

This option allows users to select an opening dimension and relocate it orthogonally relative to its

existing location.

Quantity Surveying

Misunderstood.

Insert from Selection

This function acts much as a duplication function with which objects can have simple moved, rotate and

scale properties applied, making it quicker than the copy and paste function, then rotate, then scale

which involves too much work. This function is done in simple steps and integrated all together to allow

easy duplication.

Fig x – Table duplicated, double size, moved and rotated.

Object Editing

This function allows for editing of block obects by opening a simple to use dialog displaying input fields

for a list of parameters displayed for objects created by EasyArch. It is beneficial in a practical situation

in which minor or major changes are to be made to an aspect of the drawing and this is done so simply

with this dialog.

Figure x – Editing Corner Step Stairs.

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