Modify Blocks

Modify-Blocks

This menu item displays a sub-menu, which provides a set of commands allowing you to manually insert and adjust the blocks. If you currently have blocks turned off, they are automatically turned back on.

Insert-Rect

This command lets you insert a block by digitizing two points.

After you select this command, you first select a line which orients the block correctly. Then you enter the storey to which this block relates then the pitch for the block. Then you digitise 2 points which define the block extents. After you have located the second point, the block is drawn.

Now you are to select the side (line) which defines the coverage direction. Once you have done that, the number of sheets, sheet length and pitch is annotated on the block. The coverage direction defines the direction the sheets are to run, and therefore the number and length of sheets for this block is totally dependent on the orientation of the coverage direction line.

Normally, the block orientation is square to the screen. In actual fact it is square to the construction plane (CPL). The CPL defines which direction is x and which is y. If you need a block to orient itself such that it is not square to the screen, you’ll have to change the CPL orientation using Drawing CPL Change 3-Points.

 

 

 

C:\My Documents\Graphics\Applicad Logo 2015\applicad-globe-small.png

Remember: the size of the text that annotates the block can be changed by using the View > Plot-Scale command. The larger the value, the larger the text will be – most residential plots are best viewed at 1:100.

 

The following diagram shows the insertion of a block as a rectangle. The first digitise defines the alignment, d2 and d3 define the extent of the rectangle, and d4 defines which side of the block is the coverage direction.

This second example shows how you can insert the block, aligned to any direction.

Insert-Line

This command lets you insert a block by selecting a line. The line defines the bottom left and top right hand corners of the block. Normally you would select a hip or valley line to insert the block.

After you select this command, you first select a line which orients the block correctly. Then enter the storey to which this block relates then the pitch for the block. Then you locate the line which defines the extent of the block. After you have located the line, the block is drawn.

Now you select the side (line) which defines the coverage direction. Once you have done that, the number of sheets, sheet length and pitch is annotated on the block.

The following 2 examples show the same result as above but select the hip line as the basis for the block.

Extend-Edge

This command allows you to move an edge of a block, in effect re-sizing it. To extend an edge, simply click on the edge to move, then snap onto a point. After that, the edge is moved so it goes through that point, and the annotation of the block is updated.

Rotate

This command allows you to change the edge which defines the coverage direction.

Simply click on the block and you will notice, the coverage direction rotates to the next edge.

C:\My Documents\Graphics\Applicad Logo 2015\applicad-globe-small.png

Note: There is no difference if the coverage direction line is the line on the opposite side of the block.

 

Change-details

This command allows you to change the details for selected blocks without changing the physical size of the block. After selecting this command, you are then prompted to locate the blocks to change. You locate the block by clicking on the hatch lines which cover the block or by selecting a window around the blocks.

Then the block details dialog box is displayed.

Here you can change the number of sheets and the sheet length for that block.

When you click [OK] the change you made is annotated on the blocks you selected.

If you modify the block with another command (such as Extend-Edge or Rotate), the original values are restored.

C:\My Documents\Graphics\Applicad Logo 2015\applicad-globe-small.png

Note: The values you see annotated on the block are the actual values accumulated to form the final sheet list. You can therefore use this command to alter your sheetlist if you desire.

 

Change-Lengths

This command allows you to change the lengths of selected blocks. After you select the blocks you want to change, the Change Block Length dialog is displayed.

When you click “[OK]”, the length you enter is applied to the selected blocks.

Add-to-Verandah

This command allows you to apply a block to a bullnose verandah easily.

After you draw the bullnose verandah, you then insert a block to cover each segment. At the moment, the block has not taken the curve of the bullnosed into account.

Then, to take the bullnose into account, you first select the verandah in question, then the block to effect. The block sheet length changes to take the curve into account. You should only perform this once, as it simply adds the difference between the straight length and the curved length.

Change-Pitch

This command allows you to change the pitch of block. After you have changed the pitch, the effective length of the sheets is changed to suit.

To change the pitch, select the Change-Pitch command, then the particular block. Then you are prompted to enter the new pitch. After you click [OK], the effective sheet length is recalculated and annotated on the block.

Show/Hide-Pitch

This command allows you to turn on or off the reporting of the pitch for the blocks.

Show-Blocks

This command simply applies a hatch pattern to all the blocks in the model. You would use this to be able to visualize the blocks as well as being able to select the blocks easily.

Hide-Blocks

This command simply turns off the hatching from the blocks.

Delete-One

This command lets you delete blocks one by one.

Delete-All

This command deletes all the blocks in the model.

Verify

This command reports information about a selected block in the prompt area of the screen.

Merge-Blocks

This command automatically merges (combines) 2 or more blocks which share a common edge as well as having the same coverage direction. This process automatically checks all blocks in the current model.

This is performed automatically in the Auto-Block command and you should perform it if you have inserted any manual blocks.

Reduce-Runs

This command removes sheets from blocks based on proximity to other blocks.

It does this by first creating runs of blocks. A run is a set of blocks which abutt each other. Then it determines the overall physical length of the run and calculates the number of sheets required for this run. It then compares this value with the sum of the sheets associated with the blocks.

If there are more block sheets than run sheets, that number of sheets is removed from the annotations starting with the shorter length sheets.

This is performed automatically in the Auto-Block command and you should perform it if you have inserted any blocks manually.

Mirror

This command lets you mirror a block around a line. After selecting the block to mirror, you then select a line to act as a mirror axis. After selecting a line, the new block is drawn. Keep in mind that the new block will display the number of sheets and length of each sheet as per the physical size of the block. Therefore, if you had changed the details the original block they will not be the details displayed on the new block.

Copy

This command lets you copy a block to a new position. After selecting the block to copy, you then select two points which define the amount to move the block. After selecting the points, the new block is drawn. Keep in mind that the new block will display the number of sheets and length of each sheet as per the physical size of the block. Therefore, if you had changed the details of the original block they will not be the details displayed on the new block.

Move

This command lets you move a block to a new position. After selecting the block to copy, you then select two points which define the amount to move the block. After selecting the points, the new block is drawn. Keep in mind that the new block will display the number of sheets and length of each sheet as per the physical size of the block. Therefore, if you had changed the details of the original block they will not be the details displayed on the new block.

Tally Blocks

See description below.

Measure

This is a short cut to the Tools > Measure dialog to save time jumping in and out of main menus.