Interaction between architectural elements

What does interaction between architectural elements mean?

Interaction defines how architectural components behave when they intersect.

You can control element interaction in many ways.

Basics

• Only architectural elements in the same drawing file/document can intersect.
• Interaction only occurs with architectural elements of the same building group.

Types of element interaction

• Architectural elements can interact in the following ways:
  • Off:
    elements do not interact.
  • Dynamic:
    elements intersect. If an element that cuts through another element is deleted, the intersected element will 'heal'; in other words, the 'hole' left by the deleted element will close automatically.
  • Static
    elements intersect. The difference is that the intersected element will not 'heal' but will have a 'hole' in it.
• Depending on the architectural element, Allplan provides different options for defining element interaction:
  • For most architectural elements you can enable element interaction directly in the Properties dialog boxes of the relevant architectural element. This applies for the Wall, Upstand, Strip Foundation, Block Foundation, Profile Wall and Plumbing Component tools.
  • For all other architectural elements, you can specify how elements are to interact using the Options - Components and architecture page - Architectural settings across modules area - Element interaction setting. This applies to the Column, Slab, Freefrom Wall, Flush Pier and Slab Foundation tools.
• Each architectural element retains the intersection type with which it was created.
  When you change the setting in the Options - Components and architecture page - Architectural settings across modules area later, the new setting only applies to elements you create afterwards.

Changing element interaction of architectural elements

• You can change how elements interact as follows:
  • You can use Properties on the shortcut menu of an element to change the setting. This applies to all architectural elements for which you can enable/disable element interaction in the Properties dialog box.
  • You can use the Change Archit. Properties tool for all elements.

You can control how elements interact as follows:

• The priority rating controls the manner in which two architectural elements of the same type intersect:
  • With the Dynamic and Static settings, elements with a higher priority will cut through those with a lower priority (relevant to quantity takeoff operations).
    Interior walls, for example, should be assigned a lower priority rating than exterior walls. This way, you can ensure that exterior walls cut through interior walls and that interior walls are analyzed and evaluated correctly.
  • If the two elements have the same priority, the element entered later will cut through the element you entered first.
• You can control how elements interact based on the bottom level:
  • By default, only elements with exactly the same bottom levels intersect.
    In other words, when the bottom levels of the two elements have been associated with the lower reference plane (so that they are flush with the plane!) or when you defined the bottom levels as absolute values, the components intersect in accordance with rules mentioned above.
  • If the bottom levels of the two elements differ, for example, you have associated the bottom level of the first element with the lower plane and entered an absolute value for the other one, the two elements will not intersect even when the elements appear to be at the same height.
    This can also be used to prevent elements from intersecting; for example, when slabs overlap or several several stories are created in the same document.
    Example
  • You can control this behavior using Intersect architectural elements despite different height settings in the Options - Components and architecture page - Architectural settings across modules area.
    Changing this setting affects all architectural elements that have already been placed as soon as you update the components using Restore 3D View, for example.
• Making rooms and beams intersect:
  If the Rooms and downstand beams intersect option is active in the Options - Rooms page - Create area, downstand beams are included in room analyses.

Tip: You can solve priority conflicts using Restore 3D View.