Where to find: OPTION + G to toggle between grouped and suspended groups modes.
You will interact with grouped drawn elements differently depending on whether you are in group or suspended group mode.
Watch out for: Stating the obvious, in group mode, if elements to be edited are grouped then they will be edited as a group. Even if they are off screen or on different stories.
In suspended group mode you will notice many more options to edit your selection.
INFO > The grouping mode has an essential effect on any of the ways to edit your elements as described in the next paragraphs!
TIP > To check what is in the group, and thus what it is you are editing as a group press COMMAND + OPTION + T. The pop up window will show a list of all selected elements. Check if there are elements that should not be there.
The second thing to do is to zoom to selection: COMMAND + SHIFT + ‘.
Where to find: COMMAND – key
With the Arrow tool activated: holding the COMMAND – key lets you trim a linear (wall, beam, line, arc) element.
To add additional dimensions to a dimension string hold down the COMMAND key and click relevant elements or nodes.
With the relevant tool activated: Holding the COMMAND – key lets you split or extend the active object.
TIP > Select elements to use as the boundaries for splitting, cutting or extending. With nothing selected Archicad will find the next intersection to split, cut or extend to.
Where to find: Pick up parameters:
OPTION + click
Inject parameters:
COMMAND + OPTION + click
A quick way to match elements’ parameters if you know what you are doing.
CAUTION > ALWAYS REVIEW SETTINGS BEFORE INJECTING PARAMETERS!
Until you change it, the picked up parameters will become the standard for any following drawn object of the respective tool.
(E.g. picked up parameters for the wall tool will be standard for all subsequently drawn walls.)
Where to find: Edit>Reshape>…
How to use: Reshaping an element can be done in two ways:
Clicking a node or edge of a selected element will bring up the pet palette with all the available options. Note that there are different options for node or edge!
Using shortcuts listed below. The most used commands should have shortcuts set up as part of your office template.
Shortcuts
Drag COMMAND + D
Rotate COMMAND + E
Mirror COMMAND + M
Multiply COMMAND + U
Resize COMMAND + K
Split ⌥ + CTRL + S
Intersect COMMAND + J
Adjust COMMAND + –
Offset U
Explode COMMAND + =
TIP > The Axis tool allows you to re-orient the default red, green and blue axis. This is helpful when you want to draw elements in different orientations, for example part of your model is rotated by a certain angle versus the rest of the model. Note that the Axis orientation within groups or components can be different to the axis orientation outside of groups or components.To make a copy with these shortcuts hit the OPTION key simultaneous or by itself afterwards. A tiny “+” will appear next to your cursor to indicate you are about to make a copy.
For a full list of all cursor symbols refer to chapter “The Intelligent Cursor” in the Archicad Reference Guide available from the help menu within Archicad.
Mainly draw or edit in plan, elevation or section as you will have more and better references in regard to the accuracy of the edit.
Even now that it is possible to have reference planes in the 3D window, you can easily mess up your 2D drawing by accidentally dragging elements out of view or to another story in 3D. I.e. It might look okay in 3D, but look wrong or disappear completely in 2D.
As usual review what you have done in the 3D window.
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