Best Practices for Intersections: Conceptual Design Phase

In this phase, you often can only estimate what the final structure will be. For maximum flexibility, and to avoid modeling errors as the design undergoes changes (e.g. structures are replaced or composite layers are edited), try the following:

Use Composite Slabs with At Least Two Skins

This way, you can add finishes to the structures on either side, without the details falling apart.

Note: In the early design phase, a composite that consists of a single skin will also work well, if the top of the monolithic structure is considered as the core top)

Use Wall Reference Lines Consistently

•Flip Wall along Reference Line: This command flips (or mirrors) a selected Wall along its reference line. The reference line stays in place, but the body of the Wall flips to the other side. The openings do not change their opening direction.

For example, you may use this command if you initially modeled the project using single-skin Walls to represent core structures, then start adding additional skins at a later design phase.

See Flip Wall Along Reference Line.

•Modify Reference Line: This command moves the reference line without changing the Walls’ position on the Floor Plan.

For example, use this command if you are migrating an older project in which a Wall Reference Line was set to Outside Face: modify the reference line to Core Outside, without moving the geometry of the Wall itself.

See Modify Wall Reference Line.

Anchor Door/Window Reveal to Wall Core

Anchor the Door/Window reveal to either the Wall face or the Wall core.

For example, you anchor a window to a composite Wall’s core. If you later make changes in the composite structure (e.g. thicker insulation), the reveal depth will automatically adjust to maintain the window’s distance relative to the Wall’s core skin.

See Anchor Reveal.

On the right, the window position adjusts automatically to the change in Wall thickness, because it is anchored to the Wall core