Modifying properties of architectural components in the Properties palette

Modifying properties of architectural components

By means of the Properties palette, you can easily edit the most important properties of architectural elements.

In the case of multilayer architectural components of the same type, you can find various options for selecting the entire object and construction layers in the top part of the palette:

• To change the properties of the entire wall, select the Wall tool or select one ore more walls and choose the Entire object option in the Selection mode for layers list box. As a result, you can see the Preview and Style in the Properties palette.
  
  Note: When you select a wall by clicking it once or when you select several walls by enclosing them in a selection window, Selection mode for layers automatically changes to Entire object.
  • The Preview displays the cross-section of the wall with the wall axis and its position. In addition, you can see the number of wall layers, the thickness of each layer, and the overall thickness. You can change the position of the wall axis in the graphic: Drag the wall axis to the center or to the boundaries of the layers. By entering offsets, you can place the axis anywhere within the wall cross-section.
  • Use Style to assign a style to one or more walls (further objects are in preparation). The style will be saved with the object. When you assign a different style, the object changes. So, a style behaves like a resource (for example, hatching). Styles used in the project will be saved in the project.
• To change the properties of individual construction layers of a wall, use the Selection mode for layers list box to define which construction layers are visible in the palette and how changes affect these layers.
  
  Note: When you click (second click or further click) a wall layer of one or more walls that you have already selected, Selection mode for layers automatically displays the properties of the layer clicked.

  

  • When you select Current layer for Selection mode for layers, you can use Previous layer and Next layer to switch between the construction layers. So, you can edit each layer individually.
    
    
    
    In this case, you can also select the construction layer that you want to edit directly in the Select the current layer list box.
    
    
    
    As an alternative, click the required wall layer in the workspace.
  • When you have selected the All layers option in the Selection mode for layers list box, you change the common properties of all wall layers but not the properties of the entire wall. If the individual layers have different properties, you can see the text *varied*.

In the Format area, you can directly change the typical format properties (for example, pen thickness, line type, line color, or layer) of most architectural components and their construction layers.

In addition, you can edit the properties controlling how architectural components look in visualization and the properties defining the qualities of architectural components. This applies to the following architectural components: foundations, wall (including profile wall), upstand (as a wall), flush pier, slab, downstand beam, upstand beam, column, chimney, room (without finishing surfaces), facade, railing (placed as a smart symbol or SmartPart), user-defined architectural element, and converted user-defined architectural element.

You can find these properties in two separate areas:

• Visualization
• Attributes

In the Geometry area, you can edit some geometric properties of appropriate architectural components, such as the drop-in point, angle, and resizing factor of smart symbols or SmartParts placed.

If you want to change object properties other than the ones in the Properties palette, you can use Change the properties of the selected object (toolbar at the top of the palette) to open the Properties dialog box for a single object. This is the dialog box in which you define the object properties when you create the object. If several objects of the same object type are selected, you must reduce the selection to the required object first.

Note: Use direct object modification or the conventional modification tools to change the properties defining the geometries and positions of architectural components.

To modify component properties in the Properties palette

• The Properties palette is open.

1. Select the required components.

   To do this, use the conventional options to select elements or filter the components by using Filter Step by Step (toolbar at the top of the palette).

2. If the selected components consist of several elements:
   Use the Elements list box to select the elements whose properties you want to modify.

   Note: The properties of grayed-out elements cannot be changed directly in the Properties palette. To change a single element, select the required element and click Change the properties of the selected object on the toolbar at the top of the palette.

3. If you want to change the properties of a wall or assign a style to a wall:
   Select the Entire object option in the Selection mode for layers list box.
   Assign a Style to one or more walls or change the position of the wall axis in the preview by means of drag-and-drop editing. Change the setting of the total wall in the Format and Attributes areas.
4. If you want to modify the properties of multilayer components:
   Select the required layer in the Selection mode for layers list box. With the Current layer setting, you can select the layer by means of Previous layer, Next layer, or in the Select the current layer list box
   
   As an alternative, click the required wall layer in the workspace.
5. Change the component properties (grayed-out properties cannot be changed).

   Click the required property and change its value.

   Or:

   Use the Match button to take the value from an existing component.

   Note: You can show or hide the Match buttons by using the shortcut menu of the Properties palette.

6. If you want to change the way the component looks in visualization:
   To assign a surface, click Surface and then in the Visualization area.

   You can assign a custom surface to the component in the Surfaces palette as you would do this by using the Assign Custom Surfaces to 3D, Archit. Elements tool.

   In the case of 3D objects, you can also change the Mapping mode, Resizing factor, Offset, and Phong angle of the texture.
   In conjunction with walls, you can see the Visualization area only when you have selected the Current layer or All layers option in the Selection mode for layers list box. In this case, the Preview area is not visible.

7. If you want to change the attributes defined for the component:
   In the Attributes area, click the required attribute and change its value.

   Or:

   Click More attributes to the right of Attributes.

   In the Modify Attributes dialog box, you can assign new attributes to the component or change the values of attributes assigned. This works just like the Modify Attributes tool.

   Tip: Click or Show read-only attributes to show or hide these attributes.

8. If you want to assign a one or more new attributes to one or more selected components:
   Click Assign new attribute to the right of Attributes.

   In the Attribute Selection dialog box, you can select one or more new attributes and assign them to the components selected.

9. To finish, select Esc or click in the workspace.