Series Index - Setting Up in the Real World
AECOsim Building Designer CONNECT Edition Update 4 introduced new tools relating to the Solids Working Area (SWA). The importance and use of the SWA has been discussed in detail in previous articles in this series. The new tools highlight the importance of the SWA when working with OpenBuildings Designer and will help to avoid some of the problems that arise when working outside the SWA.
When a file containing elements that lie outside the SWA is opened this warning will be shown (if all elements are within the SWA then it will obviously not appear):
A new Ribbon Group, Solids Working Area, has been added to the View tab of the OpenBuildings workflow containing tools that will help to identify and manage SWA issues:
Toggle SWA Display shows a cube outlining the SWA that is interactively toggled on/off. The colour of the cube indicates whether any elements lie outside the SWA, if they do it is displayed in red. When they all within the SWA it displays in green:
Clicking SWA Info shows a dialog with information about the SWA extents and about any elements that lie outside the SWA:
The pop-down reveals tools to select elements outside the SWA; either all elements or individually, one after the other.
The action of Zoom SWA Extents is self-evident.
Selecting all elements will be useful for mass move or clean up of misplaced/unwanted elements; the individual mode will help track down rogue elements that are hard to find visually.
See the OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition help topic "Solids Working Area" for more information .