Whilst we might use hotlinked modules and x-refs for different items, there are times when we want to liberate information from this locked state.
Typically x-ref's are used to deal with traditonal 2d consutant data from 3rd part software. In turn we will want to reuse this information to enhance our documentation output and inform our design models.
Hotlinked modules on the other hand are used to insert repeated building assemblies or subassemblies created natively within ArchiCAD. As a design progresses it may become clear that some assemblies will evolve into "one off" instances.
In both cases the method will be largely the same.
Firstly suspend groups. This will allow you to select only the relevant information.
Eg: in a survey you first want to only select the boundary information. For a complex selection use the find & select tool.
Next open the layer dialogue box to ensure that no layers are locked. Locked layers may cause interference in the process.
Select the items you want (preferably using for Find & Select for a large selection).
Tip: do this for all items you want to copy to one layer. Eg: lines, arcs, polylines, fills from several layers form the information for a road.
Copy & paste. (<Crtl> C & <Ctrl> V)
Undo & redo so all the items are now selected. (<Crtl> Z & <Ctrl><shift> Z)
Use edit selection set to allocate all items types to a layer in one action
One of the biggest problems we have faced when incorporating 2D information from consultants is the additional layers, line types and fills that come with it. Importing this information via the Xref function manages this issue very well.
Layers associated with the xref file appear in the Layer Settings list below to the line.
These can be hidden altogether by using the filter option to Hide Xref layers .
Of course when you are finished coordinating/incorporating the Xref information you simply detach it in the Xref Management box. This will result in the option to Remove Xref's Attributes.
It is not uncommon to see bored faces and blank looks on the faces of people visiting archeological and historical sites. More time than not, the reason is simply because there’s not much there. Despite how broad the tourists’ imagination might be, it is difficult to be impressed with the time-worn ruins.
Now Architip, a recently founded Israeli startup, has a promising way of transforming this experience with their augmented reality app. The new app offers visitors a unique window into the ancient world that lets tourists see what the sites looked like in their glory days.
Seeing things as they were — there’s an Israeli app for that
Using advanced augmented reality technology, Architip lets users visualize ancient sites in their original form
by David Shamah June 15, 2013, 6:47 am
Tel Lachish, as seen by Architip (Photoe credit: Courtesy)
Visitors to Israel’s many archaeological sites are often told to come equipped with a camera, and an imagination. The camera is to take photos of themselves and their companions at these famous sites — and the imagination is supposed to help them visualize what many of the faded, ancient, and time-worn places looked like during their heyday.
There are loads of aids to help prompt those imaginations, from guidebooks to audio recordings to professional guides. But Architip, a new app created by a team of image and archaeology professionals, takes a decidedly high-tech approach to the issue. Using augmented reality (AR) technology, the app lets users see what sites actually looked like long ago, bringing to virtual life a view of the ancient world.
Augmented reality is a technology that uses mathematics, models, location services, camera technology, and advanced algorithms to impose a virtual image that melds into a real-life one. “For example, you might look at an ancient mosaic on the floor of a synagogue or church, and barely see the decorations on it because of the fading,” said Yaron Benevisti, CEO of Architip, which is located in Jerusalem and has been operating for about six months. “With Architip, you would see the mosaic in full color, with all its drawings intact.”
Because each site needs to be mapped and augmented separately, Architip is being marketed as a “white label” engine, which will be used at specific sites. As a pilot, the Architip R&D team, led by Israeli AR and computer vision pioneer Sagiv Philipp, has mapped and “virtualized” the Tel Lachish archaeological site in central Israel. Tel Lachish was a fortified city surrounded by towers, and had many stately buildings, but looking at the site today, it’s hard to visualize the city as it was. With Architip, users can see the site in all its ancient glory just by holding up their smartphone’s camera at the location and looking at the screen.
“With Architip, you can see Tel Lachish as it was,” Benevisti said, “walking through its streets and seeing the reconstruction through your device.” All a user has to do is point their device at a specific point, and Archtip’s technology does the rest.
AR technology, of course, has a million and one uses, and the engine developed by the team does as well. But Benevisti has a soft spot for archaeology — one of the reasons he convinced the team to gear their first commercial application to it. “Archaeology is my passion,” said Benevisti. “We wanted to help bridge the ‘imagination gap,’ between what you see and what’s behind the plain view. People want to experience more, and our technology is perfect for that.”
Archaeology — applied to sites that attract tourists — is also the basis of Architip’s business model. “Sites will want to use our technology to enhance the visitor experience. They can offer the download for a few dollars, or make it a part of the admission package, and give every visitor the experience of having a personal guide.” Adding voice to the app would also be possible, he said, so the Architip app could be used as a substitute for real-life tour guides.
Philipp has been working in the AR area for a decade, and on Architip’s technology, but the company started marketing the app only late last year. The company, so far self-funded, recently got its first customer, a tourist site in Jerusalem — Benevisti declined to identify the site – and the app will be available in the summer. “We have been talking to other sites, and other cities as well,” Benevisti said. “Countries all over the world are working on ways to enhance their offerings to visitors. This app is definitely going to help them.”
