How to subtract a window sill?

[Roy_043]

I am trying to create an abstract window sill. Basically I want to subtract an extrusion from a wall, but the subtracted solid has to stay visible. The Arch_Remove tool does not seem to be the right choice in that case. How should I approach this?

[bitacovir]

The Arch_Remove tool does not seem to be the right choice in that case.

Why not?

[paullee]

A few idea, haven't tested...

1. Use ArchWindow tool to draw the sill (as panel?)
2. Put the extrusion in an ArchWindow object

Then, in ArchWindow object select the Wall object as host.

[Roy_043]

Why not?

1. The extrusion is made invisible (not a big problem of course).
2. The colors and transparency of the extrusion are changed (also not a big problem).
3. The extrusion does not move with the main wall.*
4. If the extrusion is made visible again, it will not obey the visibility of parent containers.

*In a different topic @vocx wrote:

Mixing in Part Workbench operations is going to mess your design.

But subtracting a wall in stead of a 'dumb' Part solid shows the same problem.

[Roy_043]

A few idea, haven't tested...

1. Use ArchWindow tool to draw the sill (as panel?)
2. Put the extrusion in an ArchWindow object

Then, in ArchWindow object select the Wall object as host.

Thanks. I'll experiment with those ideas tomorrow.

[Roy_043]

A couple of interesting discoveries:

1.
The depth of the hole created by a window depends on its largest dimension (width or height). This means that a small window may not create a through-and-through hole in a wall. F. e. a single glass brick window (140mmx140mm) will not fully puncture a 300mm wide wall. The volume that is subtracted from the wall is 140mmx140mm with a depth of 280mm (140mm on both sides of the wire defining the hole). This surprised me.

With this knowledge it is possible to create a window from a rectangle and get the desired 'window sill' result by carefully coordinating the width of the sill, the position of the rectangle and the thickness and offset of the window component. But on the whole this is too convoluted. See "Wall" in the attached file.

2.
A window has a 'Subvolume' property: An optional object that defines a volume to be subtracted from hosts of this window.

My initial interpretation was that this volume would be added to the default window hole. But this is not the case: it replaces the default hole. See "Wall001" in the file.

3.
You cannot create a window from an extrusion.

[paullee]

A couple of interesting discoveries:

1.
The depth of the hole created by a window depends on its largest dimension (width or height). This means that a small window may not create a through-and-through hole in a wall. F. e. a single glass brick window (140mmx140mm) will not fully puncture a 300mm wide wall. The volume that is subtracted from the wall is 140mmx140mm with a depth of 280mm (140mm on both sides of the wire defining the hole). This surprised me.

With this knowledge it is possible to create a window from a rectangle and get the desired 'window sill' result by carefully coordinating the width of the sill, the position of the rectangle and the thickness and offset of the window component. But on the whole this is too convoluted. See "Wall" in the attached file.

2.
A window has a 'Subvolume' property: An optional object that defines a volume to be subtracted from hosts of this window.

My initial interpretation was that this volume would be added to the default window hole. But this is not the case: it replaces the default hole. See "Wall001" in the file.

3.
You cannot create a window from an extrusion.

1. There is a Hole Depth attribute in Window object that you can play with

2. This seem to be the design ... I can get additional volume added to Window, but the 'resultant' volume is not subtracted from the wall, but the 'original' Window object's volume - seem to be a 'bug' or 'feature not implemented', or at least inconsistent behaviour

3. I can't do this either

The closet scenario I test is to put the extrusion in an ArchComponent, put this in Subtraction of the Wall - the only problem to me is that turning on / off the wall would turn on / off a Window, but would not the ArchComponent.

I still think it is better to do the sill by Window object itself ...

Screenshot from 2019-09-17 23-07-51.png (224.21 KiB) Viewed 1749 times

Screenshot from 2019-09-17 23-08-02.png (222.04 KiB) Viewed 1749 times

[paullee]

This version use Window to do a Window Cill, now turning on / off Wall, turn on / off the Window + the Window Cill objects.

(Set the Hole Depth in WindowCill object to do the right subtraction)

Screenshot from 2019-09-17 23-27-55.png (220.49 KiB) Viewed 1744 times

Screenshot from 2019-09-17 23-28-26.png (229.68 KiB) Viewed 1744 times

[Roy_043]

@paullee:
Thanks for mentioning the 'Hole Depth' property. I completely overlooked that. With that property creating a window object for the sill is much more feasible.
Can you explain your reasons for nesting the extrusion in an ArchComponent in Subtract_Window_Sill_ v1.FCStd? What benefit does that extra nesting level have?

[paullee]

@paullee:
Thanks for mentioning the 'Hole Depth' property. I completely overlooked that. With that property creating a window object for the sill is much more feasible.
Can you explain your reasons for nesting the extrusion in an ArchComponent in Subtract_Window_Sill_ v1.FCStd? What benefit does that extra nesting level have?

Arch Objects are said to be able to 'house' other objects created by other so there is lots of flexibility on shape to be created.

I try to 'house' your extrusion in a Window Object, then Arch Components to try the result....

Result with Window is not very good - its Base do not accept thing other than sketch probably, Addition/Subtraction accept but problem is Window do not subtract this volume from wall.

Arch Component accept the extrusion. But if if is Subtracted from a wall, this volume turns off - a Window object stay turns on.