Creating Walls in Architect

VectorWorks Architect uses the same straight and round wall tools that are part of VectorWorks Fundamentals, but with expanded capabilities. Additional wall parameters are available only in VectorWorks Architect. Architect also adds the ability to create, save, and use wall styles and to create new wall or component classes during wall creation and editing. See Creating Walls

Walls in Architect can also be created by drawing a polyline and then selecting the Objects from Polyline command (see Creating Objects from Polylines).

 

To create walls in VectorWorks Architect:

1.	Click the Wall or Round Wall tool from the Building Shell tool set.

2.	To draw with an unstyled wall, select <Un-Styled> from the Wall Style list on the Tool bar. If the desired styled wall resource has already been created, select it from the Tool bar list or double-click on the resource in the Resource Browser. Proceed to Step 7.

3.	To create or edit a wall style, or change the parameters of an un-styled wall, click the Wall Preferences mode button.

The Wall Preferences dialog box opens. This dialog box can be accessed any time afterward to modify default wall settings. Walls can also be drawn first, and then the parameters can be set later from the Object Info palette. Most of the parameters in the Wall Preferences dialog box are documented in Creating Walls. Only the parameters that apply to VectorWorks Architect are described here.

 

Parameter	Description
Wall Style	Select a wall style for the wall; see Using Wall Styles. Alternatively, select <Un-Styled> to create the wall without linking the parameters to a wall style.
Save Preferences as Wall Style	Opens the Assign Name dialog box; enter a wall style name and click OK (see Creating Wall Styles)

4.	Click New to specify wall components.

In Architect, wall components can be assigned to a class; this allows maximum flexibility since the component classes can be shown or hidden separately from the wall class. By default, components are assigned to the wall class.

When a component is in an invisible class, its fill and lines are hidden. Invisible components on the interior and exterior of a wall cause the wall’s lines and fill to adjust to the visible components only, making the wall appear thinner than its actual width. This allows walls to show only their structural components, for example. If all components are invisible, the wall displays at its full thickness, without components.

5.	Click the Data Fields tab to specify wall record information, which can be included in a wall style schedule. These fields are optional; enter text only where desired.

6.	When the wall parameters have been specified, and any changes saved as a wall style resource if desired, click OK.

7.	A saved or selected wall style is saved as a resource in the file, and appears in the Resource Browser and in the Wall Style list on the Tool bar.

8.	Click at the desired location to start drawing.

9.	Click to end the segment and begin another, or double-click to end the wall.