How to FIX the textures of 3ds objects in archicad

In Archicad we can import 3ds objects in a very easy way. We only need to have the goodies installed, and use the option to import 3ds object.. However, there is a problem in the process. The problem has to do with the textures of the materials. since the script that is generated automatically does not adapt the textures to be used with the cinerender rendering engine. This is the reason why textures do not appear when we render imported 3ds objects

Correcting this problem is simple. For this we must open the object and edit the gdl script, correcting the reading instructions and adding content for texture and material to work with the cinerender rendering engine. Ok… Very well let’s see how to do it

Converting 3d max Objects in 3ds objects

In the market there are 3d objects in 3dsmax format of high quality.  If we have installed 3ds max, we can export them in 3ds format to use them in archicad.

But we must have the following considerations.

• The 3ds format contains a limited number of polygons – only 65,535 polygons.
• The textures of the objects require to be converted into jpg format. I recommend you use photoshop to edit them and save them as jpg.

Taking into consideration the size you should evaluate if you need to divide the object in parts or reduce its polygons.

To reduce the polygons we must use a modifier called ProOptimizer.
To use it:

1. we select the objects
2. in section modifiers we display the list of modifiers
3.  looking for ProOptimizer
4. in the Materials and UVs section we select Keep Material Boundaries and Keep textures.
5. We click on calculate
6. At the beginning of the calculation nothing happens
   
7.  since it is 100%, what we do is to check the amount of polygons that should not be greater than or equal to 65,535
8. If this is the case it occupies the percentage value of vertex reducing it until the object covers this condition
9. Later we will export our object in 3ds format, for this we use the export menu, and the 3ds format -we must keep the objects to be selected- a window will appear that indicates that if we want to preserve the coordinates of the textures, by default answer is yes.
10. Now check the folder of your max file, find the texture files, open them in photoshop and save them as jpg. Save them preferably in a folder together with your 3ds file.
11.  Okay. Let’s leave the dark side.
    Congratulations Jedi , you are ready and happy to go to the archicad.

Using 3d studio In

Which once we have it installed you will find it in Interoperability> 3ds Studio> Import 3ds as GDL Object. To use it you need open a floor view.

When using it, a search window of the file is displayed, you must locate it, you open it.

Next, a window will appear that tells you information about the number of points, faces, and objects that the file contains.
In this window we configure the dimensions that we want to give to the object. Being able to manipulate the dimension X, Y and its height (z). In this case we must consider the units that we use in archicad and in this way properly scale the object.

Once the process is finished, the object will be saved in the embedded library.

That easy.

Now let’s insert Darth Vader in floor plan, select and open in 3d view.

Maybe the textures are correct in the 3d view, but when doing a render using cinerender the object will not show them properly.  OK.
First using the library manager we will load the folder where the jpg textures are.To correct this we will have to activate the toolbar for editing library objects.

Let’s go to the window menu and look for toolbars> edit gdl library parts
Select the object and from the edit bar use open the gdl object.

Download and open this text file LINK , in the scripts section click on the master button.
Copy and paste the contents of the text file.

Find where it says define texture.
In this part of the script the texture is defined. You can check the gdl reference guide to better understand this instruction.

What will be done with this script is to create a material that will occupy a certain texture.

What we will do with the define statement will be to use a texture name that corresponds to the texture number . And that will occupy a texture name, which corresponds to the name of texture file jpg.

In this case “Texture1″   and  ‘b68a039f’  .  It is necessary to occupy the sign ”  before and after the texture name,  and the sign ‘  before and after the name of the texture file.

We do something similar by replacing the name of the material. For practical purposes I will use same name of texture – “Texture1”
I also replace the value of the line
C4D_ShImage_File_3 = `NAMEOFTEXTURE` by C4D_ShImage_File_3 = ‘b68a039f`.

Now we review the 3d script.
Note that there is a part of the script that defines a texture and material for the same jpg file.
We are going to select that part of the script and we click on the admin sign that is at the top of the window. In this way, the sign will be added at the beginning of each of the selected rows. Archicad will omit the reading of the code of the lines that have that sign.

To finish the replacement of the script, we will look for the name of the old material
“mSpt_Texture_08”
and we will replace it with the new “texture1”
We can use Ctrl + F to perform the search and replacement

Ready. We can review the object by clicking on the 3d view button.

Now we repeat copying and pasting  master script for so many textures that exist in our object. What we are going to be changing is the name of the texture for the consecutive …. TEXTURE2 … TEXTURE3 …. etc. and repeat workflow to REPLACEMENT in 3d script.

I use  this text to separate scripts
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!END TEXTURE 1

It is important to check that in the copies of the script the change of the texture name is correct.
in the lines

define texture “Texture2” `b68a039f`, 1, 1, 512, 0

define material “texture2” 20,

ind (texture, “Texture2”) ADDITIONAL_DATA C4D_VER_MAIN = 1, C4D_VER_SUB = 1,

C4D_ChCol_Texture = “2”, C4D_ShLayer_BlendMode_1 = “Normal”,

just like the name of the jpg file

In the object that I share you can read the script that has comments.

To finish open the 3d view.
Click on a corner of the view and then diagonally click on the other end. The cursor becomes a trident. Press Ctrl + c.
Click on the preview button. Open the blank window. Press Ctrl + V and the image will be pasted in this way. 

Our library object is ready. Close the object and save it.

Now repeat the render.  Darth vader looks much better.

You can download the gsm file for ac21, the text file and the folder that contains the 3ds file with the textures here.

Conclusions

Fixing 3d objects for use in our 3d views and renders can be a task that demands significant time. So we must keep this situation in mind. However, if it comes to libraries that we are going to use, it is often worthwhile to make an effort.

I hope this tutorial encourages you to explore a little more in the GDL.
And may the force be with you.

 

 

 

 

 

How make a street in ArchiCAD 21

ArchiCAD is a software for Architects made by Architects, is a slogan that from the beginning has marked the development of its tools. And although ArchiCAD is an excellent program for modeling our buildings, modeling the environment where they are located is important, especially when our designs are developed horizontally and not vertically. That is why we often need to design access roads, an issue in which we are extremely limited.

Although there are external addons such as Architerra that enable the creation of roadways as a user I have always sought to model everything with native tools. My workflow included manual modeling using meshes and solid operations.

Now in the new version 21 the handrail tool is introduced, which revolutionizes many conceptual aspects since it makes it possible to use complex profiles in longitudinal paths, a mixture of wall and beam for their behavior and is an opportunity to test their application in the modeling of Streets.

The workflow is as follows:

1. Create the street profile, use construction materials to distinguish the materials that participate in the pavement structure.
2. Configure the railing tool using the profiled rail type 21, use your street profile. The node made invisible and delete the segments leaving only the rail. The height values of rail and rail width set them to 0 and disable the visualization of the fixings.
3. Now trace path of street with lines and you create the path of the street on the floor. In 3d view you can also do it. I recommend that you use 3d lines created with form to place vertical control points, these points you occupy in the 3d view to create the vertical deflections that your street requires.
   

   
4. If the visualization in plan is not correct, consider creating a 3d view in plan and create a 3d document, or convert the rail to morph. I keep in a dedicated layer the original railing and make a copy that I convert to form, this helps to prevent future changes.
5. Now active groups, select the shape elements of the street and activate the 3d view with that selection. I correct the type of edge to hidden. This helps improve the view on the floor. I also adjust the visualization of the elements in the floors. Depending on the level of the street some elements are below the current floor and you have to adjust your visualization in floor.In my case Show on stories = Home & One Story Up.
6. If you have sections in curve check the tip of the route and make sure to solidify the elements.
7. Use the search tool to find the elements of the street by surface to fix your construction material, as the materials of the original profile change to generics as soon as you explode the railing.

8. Now uses schedule to report the quantification of volumes.For this example occupy components by layer.

9. If you want the classic report by station. Creates a section perpendicular to the aligment of the street. Set Horizontal Range: Zero depth and  Use the original reference axis line and use multiply, spread ajusting spacing of stations, and use Pick Path before input, rotate to Path. This is new option in AC21. It’s a very cool option.

 

10. Adjust the stations that you consider necessary, and modify the ID of the sections with the nomenclature of distance. In my case 0 + 000

11. Create a list of items. In List fills and objects included in: select Viewpoints and select Sections – All. In properties & parameters – Global elements Parameters Select:
Building Material / Composite / Profile Name
Surface area
Story Name / Viewpoint Name
Components = None
Descriptors = None
Library parts = None

In List Format change to Text List and use this order.
01 Story Name
02 Building Material
04 Surface Area

12. Now open each section and change settings > Status of Section View > Drawing.
With this change the elements change to Fills.

13. Generate list report you can save this report as file txt and open in Microsoft Excel.

Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Archicad is a program that could have tools to design roads, workflow, code, its workability makes it ideal candidate for that. Although we do not have dedicated tools we can generate efficient quantifications if the challenge of having to model the environment is presented to us.

I live in Latin America and the developers, designers and builders demand such tools since it is not enough to design a building, a house or a condominium. I believe that having such tools would increase and strengthen sales in places like mine.

 

 

Correcting imported library objects

On several occasions we need to download objects from 3d warehouse to later convert them. Although the process is automated, the 2d display is usually not satisfactory, since fills appear transparent.

I’m going to share some tips to improve it.

Open the object by selecting it and typing Ctrl + Shift + O.
You can also enable the toolbar for editing GDL Library parts.

Once opened, go to the 2d script

Now select the content that appears with LINE2.

Then click on the icon of the admiration symbol
OnThis way the reading of code will be omitted.

Now copy and paste the following script.

PEN gs_cont_pen !!!!!!!!!! Contour Pen
SET FILL gs_fill_type !!!! type of Fill

PROJECT2 {2} 3, 270, 3 + 16 + 32, gs_back_pen, !! view from 3d  with Back Pen
0, 0, 0

PROJECT2 {2} This is an instruction for the 2d view to correspond directly to the 3d model. – See GDL Reference Guide –

Now click on Parameters
Select a line of the parameters and click on New. Creates 4 parameters.
The first one will be of Title-type in Name put 2d View.
The second one will be Fill type – later Select the type Background
The third and fourth will be Pen, one for the Contour Pen and one for the bottom pen.

Finally open the 3d view.Place the cursor in a corner and left click, now place the cursor on the opposite diagonal corner and click- Like Marquee window selection- Press Ctrl + C, this way the 3d view is copied. Now return to the object parameters view, click on previous image and press ctrl + v to paste the 3d image of the model.

Now close the library and check your corrections.
Background it´s Good .

I hope you serve them in their works.

First blog post

I hope to share my experiences in using Archicad.
For almost 5 years I have been doing it through Facebook.
Now starting on WordPress