Curtain Wall Manipulation
Curtain walls are programmed with several contextual edit handles and tools in respective mini toolbars, based on active element of a curtain wall. Each of the grip handles on frame, edit handles on selected mullion and on panel have intrinsic function that can be used interactively manipulating curtain wall system.
Manipulation Aids
Curtain Wall elements can be selected as a whole assembly, and when the mouse hovers on the mullion panel, it displays the edit (grip) handles. The default edit handles for an active panel count five; one at center and four at sides. Each mullion panel is provided with a toolbar equipped with edit tools used to manipulate a curtain wall assembly. You can thus easily add or remove the entire mullion after placing, or partially omit individual, vertical or horizontal mullions.
There are toolbars that appear for mullion edits handles too. The tools within each group vary for edit handle at intersections, at edge and at corner. These tools are used to manipulate the mullion intersection and how it should be joined with the curtain wall frame.
- Mullion center point (blue diamond): move
- Mullion end point (yellow diamond): Nothing. Keep mullion selected
- Panel center point (blue diamond): show/hide toggle
Mullions on the frame boundary of curtain wall are stable, so no corner frame be moved. Trying to move mullion beyond the frame will restrict the move operation with proper message in message center. Though you can copy border mullions inside the frame, on the panel.
Curtain Wall Edits -mini toolbars
The mini toolbar is relative to the edit handle in focus; the center edit handle for a selected panel activates 3 tools, whereas rest of edit handles on sides, and including the middle edit handle for selected mullion segment provides additional set of tools:- Toggle Visibility – makes the current panel of curtain wall invisible, effecting a clear opening.
- Toggle Line Visibility – makes the entire line of mullions invisible, thereby the side of the panels of the selected mullion turn invisible.
- Toggle Base Curve Visibility – makes the base line, curve/arc the curtain wall is drawn visible, selectable to manipulate.
- Delete – removes the selected mullion panel boundary, thereby merges it with the adjacent mullion panel.
- Delete Line – removes the mullion panel boundary of entire line (row or column, depending upon what segment is selected), thereby merges pair of adjacent panels into single panel.
- Move – moves the selected mullion panel to the data point defined on other segment of curtain wall.
- Copy – copies the selected mullion panel to the data point at destination dividing the mullion panels.
- Move Line – moves the entire line of selected mullion panel to the data point defined on other segment of curtain wall.
- Copy Line – copies the entire line of selected mullion panel to the data point defined on other segment of curtain wall.
- Properties – opens the Modify Curtain Wall dialog for selected panel or selected mullion. Based on context of grip handle, the Modify dialog displays the properties for catalog type Panel or Frame respectively.
- Flip Orientation – flips the orientation of the selected curtain wall. Used to control whether the curtain wall you are placing to be facing inside the building or outside the building.
- Move Axes – moves the mullion axes on curtain wall. The whole assembly of panels (within frame) moves in the direction of movement; both along vertical and lateral axes. The panels in the new pattern readjust their sizes and number within the frame boundary.
Whenever a manipulation tool from the mini toolbar is run, the selection of member is retained active until you exit the tool. Meaning, if you have moved a mullion to a wrong location or picked a wrong joint option, you can always refine it.
- Move – keeps the original selected
- Copy – selects the new copy
- Hide – keeps the member selected
- Delete – selects nothing
- Any other joint cleanup option – keeps the member selected.
Mullion Edits - mini toolbars
The toolbars for manipulating the joints, corners and ends appear when a mouse hover one of the respective mullion edit handles.
The toolbar activated for edit handle at edge provides tool that control the connection of the mullion with the adjoining frame.
Similarly, the toolbar activated for edit handle at corner provides tool that control the corner conditions of the mullion.
The corner conditions keep the curtain wall frame within the start and end points selected for Curtain wall, and it will not intrude beyond initial placement limits.