Openings

General Information on Architectural Elements

Windows and doors

Like the tools for creating walls, the tools for creating openings ( Door or Window, for example) save a lot of time and effort. Instead of drawing an object or lines, all you have to do is position and insert the elements in question.

In order to draw an opening a wall is required. Openings cannot exist on their own; they are always inserted in walls.

To define the position of the opening, click the wall roughly where the first side of the opening is to be located. Allplan will now display the distance to the nearest reference point (e.g., the nearest corner). A preview of the opening is displayed attached to the crosshairs. The distance to the reference point is displayed in the dialog line. You can accept this distance by pressing ENTER, or you can enter another desired value and press ENTER to confirm. You can also move the reference point by clicking a different corner, the side of a window, etc., so that the desired distance is based on this new point instead. Windows and doors can thus be placed exactly.

For detailed information, see

Entering architectural elements using reference points

Like with the Wall tool, now enter the properties of the window by clicking Properties. The thickness of the wall and the wall setup are automatically taken from the wall and entered in the dialog box. You assign the other properties like height, building trade etc. Here, too, the height of the door or window can easily be defined using reference planes. This is also where you define the shape of the window: rectangular, diamond-shaped, arch or custom. In the case of walls with multiple construction layers, you can also select different reveals and different types of facing.

During this step, you can already select a smart door or window symbol. This will then be inserted in the opening automatically when you place the window.

Once you have made the settings for the opening, you can draw windows of the same type (even with different widths) without having to make additional entries. If you plan to use the window type a lot, you can save it and its properties as a named favorite file. This way, you can bypass the process of repeatedly making settings in the dialog box and retrieve the style with a mouse click.

Designing smart window and door symbols

Using Smart Window and Door Symbols you can define smart door and window symbols in a form. Simply click the opening to transfer its geometric data. Here, you can then define the frame, posts, muntins and sashes with any rectangular cross-section as well as place door leaves. The result is always displayed immediately in the viewing area.

At the same time, and fully automatically, a representation of the element for different scale ranges in plan is generated. The door and window elements created will also adapt automatically to different opening sizes whereby only the size of the panes will change while the profiles remain constant. Smart door and window symbols can be saved in a library after being created and retrieved whenever required. This can save a lot of time!