[SOLVED] How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

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Moult
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[SOLVED] How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by Moult »

I have been using a draft wire to create a wall. This creates walls which have good clean wall joins that are great for conceptual design. I would like to then delete just a single line (i.e. a single wall) of the draft wire that parametrically creates the wall. I don't know how to do this. I have experimented with the following approach.

Copy the draft wire, then explode (DN) into a non parametric shape, then explode again (DN) into its individual non parametric edges, then convert to sketch objects, then delete the original edges, then convert the sketches into draft lines, and then recreate the walls again. I have to recreate the walls from scratch because I cannot just "replace" the original wire with my new multiple split wires. I have tried double clicking the wall in the tree but I cannot "add" more wires to the base component. I guess it only accepts one.

This sounds like a very tedious approach. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the intended workflow.
Last edited by Moult on Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by chrisb »

Moved to Arch forum.
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Roy_043
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by Roy_043 »

There is a strange issue when you explode a Draft wire. Probably related to the double function of the Explode button.

Scenario A:
Select a wire, a rectangle and a line.
Click the Explode button.
Result: only edges.

Scenario B:
Select only a wire.
Click the Explode button.
Result: A non-parametric copy of the wire (but the original wire is not parametric? And the original is gone, so this is not a copy action?)
You have to use Explode again to get edges.

Scenario C:
Select only a rectangle.
Click the Explode button.
Result: only edges (why not an intermediate 'copy' item here?).
paullee
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by paullee »

Can't help on 'parametrically' splitting a wire.

For 'replacing wire' of an Arch Wall, pls see

https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 28#p279928
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Moult
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by Moult »

I think there is a misunderstanding here. Here is a closed rectangle draft wire that I have used to create a wall object from. As you can see, it joins together as is expected. How do I now delete just one edge of that wall, but keep the other 3 edges?

With a sketch object, it is easy - I just edit the sketch and delete one line! With a draft wire ... if I double click it to edit I can only move vertices?
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Roy_043
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by Roy_043 »

A wall seems to accept only a single Draft base object. But you can replace that object.

I don't know if this is the best solution for your case:
1. Explode the rectangle.
2. Select the edges that have to remain and click the Draft Upgrade button to create a new wire.
3. Change the Base property of the wall to the new wire.

But I am beginning to think that for this kind of flexibility basing walls on sketches is the obvious choice.
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by yorik »

Yes, two different directions:

- Sketches are very powerful, complex, you can edit them at will, constrain, remove pieces, etc. But they are also more subject to toponaming problems
- Draft objects are way more simple, less editable, but more solid against toponaming issues

Some cases require one type, other cases are best with the other.
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by regis »

indeed at this point your best solution would be to replace the base draftwire line you used to create the wall. So I would not worry about explodes features, if need to redraw the wire even ontop of the regrouped exploded wire so that you have a clean shape that has a simple clean name and have all nodes of the draft wire reconnected properly, which will avoid confusing the wall.
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by regis »

Now if you put things in the wall, and change the wall, it will not delete things in that part of the wall that is missing from the updates. And by defaut the windows are set to move with with host, so if you move the wall the windows will also move with the wall, except there might be some unexpected behaviour aswell.
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Re: How do I split / explode a wall / draft wire?

Post by Moult »

I see. It sounds as though if I use sketches, I can indeed easily modify just a portion of the wall. However it seems as though if I use draft lines, I have to replace the base wire.

I'm quite puzzled. Replacing the base wire is not a speedy operation. When doing architectural modeling, deleting a single wall, shift a single wall, split a single wall, or rotate a single wall is something we do all the time. Literally hundreds of times a day. Designs change and sometimes we have to experiment in 3D. Having to redraw and replace a base wire each time is not practical.

In Blender, it is easy to grab a portion of a mesh and cut it, move it, or rotate it. In Revit, I can trim, extend, rotate, move, delete, and join a portion of a wall. I have seen co-workers do similar in ArchiCAD.

In FreeCAD, I notice that although Sketcher WB allows for quick drawing and deleting single lines, it is missing tools like trim / extend and rotate. These tools are vital! It is also missing the ability for me to grab a single line and move it say 5000mm up the page.

With draft lines, I have this flexibility but only if I split each line segment into its own wall object. And once I do that, I do not get clean wall joins.

Can somebody please upload a brief video demonstrating how they rapidly create, move, rotate, join, and split walls? Perhaps that might clear things up and help me understand the intended workflow.
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