Special: Walls, Openings, Components module, overview

Icon	Function	Use
	Opening Designer	You can use this tool to design door and window openings by entering parameters for facing blocks, rabbet shapes, roller blind housings, lintel and header elements, etc. These openings can be saved and retrieved when needed.
	Profile Wall	You can use this tool to draw profile walls; in other words, single-tier walls with any cross-section.
	Freeform Wall	You can use this tool to draw freeform walls.
	Upstand	You can use this tool to draw masonry on the bearing surface of a slab on a wall. The top level of the wall below serves as the bottom level of the upstand. The options available for entering the element are the same as those for the Wall tool. For the upstand, always use the option with which the wall below it was created.
	Flush Pier	You can use this tool to insert flush piers in walls.
	Lintel/Header	You can use this tool to place a lintel/header above an opening in the wall.
	Roller Blind Housing	You can use this tool to place a roller blind housing above an opening in the wall.
	Joint	You can use this tool to insert joints in walls.
	Rabbet	You can use this tool to draw rabbets on the left, right and at the top and bottom of a window opening. In the case of walls with multiple construction layers, a rabbet can be inserted on a side of the opening or in individual construction layers.
	Facing	You can use this tool to draw facing.
	Plumbing Component	You can use this tool to draw linear or polygonal-bounded plumbing components like masonry and plumbing walls, for example. Note: Plumbing components can be subject to special conditions in quantity takeoff operations and area calculations. For example, the base area of masonry is included in the floor area but when it comes to calculating the floor surfaces for the room finish, masonry needs to be subtracted. You can control these conditions in the Properties dialog box of the plumbing component.

	Elevation Point	You can use this tool to determine the height of an architectural component and place an elevation symbol with a label.
	Label	You can use this tool to label all architectural elements, advanced elements, instances of smart symbols and objects created in the Object Manager module at a later stage.
	Component Number	You can use this tool to give a unique component number to architectural elements.
	Dimension Walls	You can use this tool to automatically create dimension strings for one or more walls. It is possible to create several dimension lines in a single step. The dimension lines are associative. Example: A dimension string centered on openings is placed for a wall with a window. When a new window is inserted in the wall, the dimension string will update automatically to include the new opening. The dimensioning information will also update automatically when the opening in the wall is moved or deleted, or if the width of the opening changes.
	Sill Height	You can use this tool to determine the height of an architectural opening.
	Reports	You can use this tool to generate reports of architectural elements, objects and 3D solids with architectural attributes. Reports can be sent to the printer and imported as PDF files. Reports are used for analyzing data in Allplan. They are saved as templates in RDLC format. Reports can be printed, placed as PDF files in documents and exported to Excel and other formats. You can change the layout of reports and save the result as a new template.
	Legend	You can use this tool to create legends for objects and architectural components. The legends are placed in the (drawing) file. Legends can update automatically (depending on the settings you make).
	Convert Elements	You can use this tool to convert architectural elements to different types of elements. In general, the architectural information like material, calculation mode etc. is lost in the process. Below is a list of tools from other modules that can be applied to architectural elements; it is not necessary to switch to different modules.
	Copy, Convert Elements Across Drawing Files	You can use this tool to convert architectural elements to different types of elements. The selected elements are copied to a different drawing file before they are converted.
	Create Walls from Rooms	You can use this tool to automatically create walls on the basis of rooms you have already defined. The system automatically scans the drawing files for adjoining rooms and creates a wall where the offset distance between rooms matches the thickness of one of the defined interior walls. The Create Walls from Rooms tool is particularly useful when you have scanned in the plan of an existing building and have displayed and modified it using the tools in the Scan module. You may already have created rooms in order to calculate the floor area or perform other analyses. If you now want to work with three-dimensional walls – simply use Create Walls from Rooms!
	Creating walls from 2D plan	You can use this tool to generate three-dimensional walls based on two-dimensional lines (with any offset). This way, you can quickly convert 2D floor plans to volumetric models.
	Creating walls from lines	You can use this tool to automatically generate walls from existing lines.

Icon

Function

Use

You can use this tool to design door and window openings by entering parameters for facing blocks, rabbet shapes, roller blind housings, lintel and header elements, etc. These openings can be saved and retrieved when needed.

Profile Wall

You can use this tool to draw profile walls; in other words, single-tier walls with any cross-section.

Freeform Wall

You can use this tool to draw freeform walls.

Upstand

You can use this tool to draw masonry on the bearing surface of a slab on a wall. The top level of the wall below serves as the bottom level of the upstand.
The options available for entering the element are the same as those for the Wall tool. For the upstand, always use the option with which the wall below it was created.

Flush Pier

You can use this tool to insert flush piers in walls.

Lintel/Header

You can use this tool to place a lintel/header above an opening in the wall.

Roller Blind Housing

You can use this tool to place a roller blind housing above an opening in the wall.

Joint

You can use this tool to insert joints in walls.

Rabbet

You can use this tool to draw rabbets on the left, right and at the top and bottom of a window opening. In the case of walls with multiple construction layers, a rabbet can be inserted on a side of the opening or in individual construction layers.

Facing

You can use this tool to draw facing.

Plumbing Component

You can use this tool to draw linear or polygonal-bounded plumbing components like masonry and plumbing walls, for example.
Note: Plumbing components can be subject to special conditions in quantity takeoff operations and area calculations. For example, the base area of masonry is included in the floor area but when it comes to calculating the floor surfaces for the room finish, masonry needs to be subtracted. You can control these conditions in the Properties dialog box of the plumbing component.

Elevation Point

You can use this tool to determine the height of an architectural component and place an elevation symbol with a label.

Label

You can use this tool to label all architectural elements, advanced elements, instances of smart symbols and objects created in the Object Manager module at a later stage.

Component Number

You can use this tool to give a unique component number to architectural elements.

Dimension Walls

You can use this tool to automatically create dimension strings for one or more walls. It is possible to create several dimension lines in a single step. The dimension lines are associative.

Sill Height

You can use this tool to determine the height of an architectural opening.

Reports

You can use this tool to generate reports of architectural elements, objects and 3D solids with architectural attributes. Reports can be sent to the printer and imported as PDF files.

Legend

You can use this tool to create legends for objects and architectural components. The legends are placed in the (drawing) file. Legends can update automatically (depending on the settings you make).

Convert Elements

You can use this tool to convert architectural elements to different types of elements. In general, the architectural information like material, calculation mode etc. is lost in the process. Below is a list of tools from other modules that can be applied to architectural elements; it is not necessary to switch to different modules.

Copy, Convert Elements Across Drawing Files

You can use this tool to convert architectural elements to different types of elements. The selected elements are copied to a different drawing file before they are converted.

Create Walls from Rooms

You can use this tool to automatically create walls on the basis of rooms you have already defined. The system automatically scans the drawing files for adjoining rooms and creates a wall where the offset distance between rooms matches the thickness of one of the defined interior walls.

The Create Walls from Rooms tool is particularly useful when you have scanned in the plan of an existing building and have displayed and modified it using the tools in the Scan module. You may already have created rooms in order to calculate the floor area or perform other analyses. If you now want to work with three-dimensional walls – simply use Create Walls from Rooms!

Creating walls from 2D plan

You can use this tool to generate three-dimensional walls based on two-dimensional lines (with any offset). This way, you can quickly convert 2D floor plans to volumetric models.

Creating walls from lines

You can use this tool to automatically generate walls from existing lines.

Icon	Function	Use
	Change Archit. Properties	You can use this tool to display and modify the architecture-specific properties of any architectural element. You can also change different architectural elements in a single operation.
	Apply Archit. Component Properties	This tool transfers properties of architectural components to other components of the same type. You can also use this tool modify the element-specific properties of architectural elements (analogous to creation method). When, for example, you click a wall, the system displays a dialog box for defining the wall parameters. The properties can only be transferred to walls. In conjunction with the possibilities afforded by the component axis, you can thus simultaneously convert several single-tier walls to multi-tier walls or change the thickness of walls, upstands or downstand/upstand beams - in this case the component axis serves as a reference line.
	Join Linear Components	You can use this tool to join two freestanding linear components (e.g. walls, beams, upstands, strip foundations) in plan view. In the case of T-connections, the first component you click is lengthened or shortened as appropriate; the other component does not change. In the case of corners, either linear component can be lengthened or shortened. The component you click second is given a higher priority.
	Join Linear Component with Line	You can use this tool to join linear components (e.g. walls, beams, upstands, strip foundations) with lines (or their virtual extensions) in plan view. The components are shortened or lengthened as appropriate; the lines do not change.
	Show/Hide Junctions	You can use this tool to show or hide junction lines (for example, the lines where walls intersect).
	Delete Section of Linear Component	You can use this tool to remove sections from walls, beams, upstands, strip foundations and vertical surfaces. Elements inserted in these sections (such as windows, doors, etc.) are also deleted.
	Update Labels	You can use this tool to update the labels for all the architectural elements in the loaded, active documents. In the case of large circular spaces (e.g., rooms based on a 2D circle), the area is calculated according to pi and labeled.
	Delete Component Number	You can use this tool to delete the component numbers assigned to architectural elements.
	Restore 3D View	You can use this tool to restore the three-dimensional view of architectural elements.
	Find Elements	You can use this tool to define selection criteria for finding objects and architectural elements in the active, loaded documents. The elements found are highlighted and can be further processed.
	Replace Label Style	You can use this tool to replace one or more label styles of the same type with another label style. Note: You can only replace label styles consisting of one foil or label styles whose foils can be selected together.
	Reshape Surface Element, Architectural Area	You can use this tool to reshape areas with hatching, patterns, fills, bitmaps or architectural elements (walls, columns, slabs, beams, upstands, rooms, net stories, floors and ceilings) or to remove such areas.
	Split Surface Elements, Archit. Elements	You can use this tool to split hatching, patterns, fills, bitmaps and architectural elements (walls, columns, slabs, beams, upstands, rooms, net stories, floors and ceilings) into 2 parts. This can be useful if you need to split up the 3D plan while creating the layout.
	Merge Surface Elements, Archit. Elements	You can use this tool to merge two areas of hatching, patterns, fills, bitmaps and architectural elements (walls, columns, slabs, beams, upstands, rooms, net stories, floors and ceilings) to form a single element.
	Fillet	You can use this tool to fillet elements.
	Define, Modify Reveal	You can use this tool to define or modify reveals. Facing on the right and left is taken into account.
	Modify Exterior Wall	You can use this function to change the settings, attributes and orientation of construction layers in exterior walls (with a closed geometric outline) in a single operation. The system will automatically detect the exterior wall in the model. This tool is particularly useful for converting single-layer walls to walls with multiple construction layers.

Icon

Function

Use

Change Archit. Properties

You can use this tool to display and modify the architecture-specific properties of any architectural element. You can also change different architectural elements in a single operation.

Apply Archit. Component Properties

This tool transfers properties of architectural components to other components of the same type. You can also use this tool modify the element-specific properties of architectural elements (analogous to creation method). When, for example, you click a wall, the system displays a dialog box for defining the wall parameters. The properties can only be transferred to walls.
In conjunction with the possibilities afforded by the component axis, you can thus simultaneously convert several single-tier walls to multi-tier walls or change the thickness of walls, upstands or downstand/upstand beams - in this case the component axis serves as a reference line.

Join Linear Components

You can use this tool to join two freestanding linear components (e.g. walls, beams, upstands, strip foundations) in plan view. In the case of T-connections, the first component you click is lengthened or shortened as appropriate; the other component does not change. In the case of corners, either linear component can be lengthened or shortened. The component you click second is given a higher priority.

Join Linear Component with Line

You can use this tool to join linear components (e.g. walls, beams, upstands, strip foundations) with lines (or their virtual extensions) in plan view. The components are shortened or lengthened as appropriate; the lines do not change.

Show/Hide Junctions

You can use this tool to show or hide junction lines (for example, the lines where walls intersect).

Delete Section of Linear Component

You can use this tool to remove sections from walls, beams, upstands, strip foundations and vertical surfaces. Elements inserted in these sections (such as windows, doors, etc.) are also deleted.

Update Labels

You can use this tool to update the labels for all the architectural elements in the loaded, active documents. In the case of large circular spaces (e.g., rooms based on a 2D circle), the area is calculated according to pi and labeled.

Delete Component Number

You can use this tool to delete the component numbers assigned to architectural elements.

Restore 3D View

You can use this tool to restore the three-dimensional view of architectural elements.

Find Elements

You can use this tool to define selection criteria for finding objects and architectural elements in the active, loaded documents. The elements found are highlighted and can be further processed.

Replace Label Style

You can use this tool to replace one or more label styles of the same type with another label style.
Note: You can only replace label styles consisting of one foil or label styles whose foils can be selected together.

Reshape Surface Element, Architectural Area

You can use this tool to reshape areas with hatching, patterns, fills, bitmaps or architectural elements (walls, columns, slabs, beams, upstands, rooms, net stories, floors and ceilings) or to remove such areas.

Split Surface Elements, Archit. Elements

You can use this tool to split hatching, patterns, fills, bitmaps and architectural elements (walls, columns, slabs, beams, upstands, rooms, net stories, floors and ceilings) into 2 parts. This can be useful if you need to split up the 3D plan while creating the layout.

Merge Surface Elements, Archit. Elements

You can use this tool to merge two areas of hatching, patterns, fills, bitmaps and architectural elements (walls, columns, slabs, beams, upstands, rooms, net stories, floors and ceilings) to form a single element.

Fillet

You can use this tool to fillet elements.

Define, Modify Reveal

You can use this tool to define or modify reveals. Facing on the right and left is taken into account.

Modify Exterior Wall

You can use this function to change the settings, attributes and orientation of construction layers in exterior walls (with a closed geometric outline) in a single operation. The system will automatically detect the exterior wall in the model. This tool is particularly useful for converting single-layer walls to walls with multiple construction layers.