How works Arch Floor Level Offset?

[Geoplace]

Hi

I'm looking in the Arch workbench, the arch floor object.

In its properties data tab is the called "Level Offset", when I hover above it with the mouse it shows in its tooltip:
"The level of the (0,0,0) point of this level."

I put a wall inside the Floor Object so I expected that the wall base would rise by the value entered in this field (200cm for example). But nothing happend.

Level Offset parameter

Floor level offset parameter.PNG (167.08 KiB) Viewed 420 times

¿What is the intended use of this parameter?

OS: Windows 8.1
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.18.16110 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: (HEAD detached at upstream/releases/FreeCAD-0-18)
Hash: f7dccfaa909e5b9da26bf50c4a22ccca9bb10c40
Python version: 3.6.6
Qt version: 5.6.2
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0

[vocx]

...
¿What is the intended use of this parameter?

The level offset controls how the level information of the Floor object is shown. It is a text label. It does not control the offset of the objects inside of it.

To view the level information, you probably need to make the font size larger.

Code: Select all

App.ActiveDocument.BuildingPart.ViewObject.FontSize = "250 mm"

A Floor object is just an Arch BuildingPart, so it shares all properties of it.

[yorik]

That Offset property is indeed just visual. Use it for example, if you want to draw your objects at the ground level (0,0) but you want your level to display as if it was for ex. 900m above sea level. (It would be annoying to have to draw everything 900m high)

If you want to raise your level up, just move it upwards (or change its Placement->Position->Z coordinate). All objects inside that level, that have their "Move With Host" property set to True, will move together.

[Geoplace]

Now its more clear.

I make a little experimentation to understand better.

I make the font size of the Floor Object 1000 cm. The text show in the X-Z plane so it couldn't be viewed when in Top View. (I don't know if this could be change)

Then, I put 280 cm in the Level Offset parameter. The text shows NAME +280cm.
(NAME is the Floor object name Text)

Then I change its "Placement->Position->Z coordinate" to 280cm now the text shows NAME +560cm

Use it for example, if you want to draw your objects at the ground level (0,0) but you want your level to display as if it was for ex. 900m above sea level. (It would be annoying to have to draw everything 900m high)

Well, When i think about the Arch Floor I have the idea of helping to define storeys or Levels in a building. Maybe the use to define where in the Earth the building is located would be more intuitive in the Arch Building or Arch Site objects.

It would be confusing at first to see NAME +902.80m as the Level 1 reference.

I've read that there is also Arch BuildingPart that is an all in one dummy container that could adopt any IFCRole.
I feel that is still important to have at least the most common IFC containers with a direct access shortcut to help the newbies start easier with that concepts(usability). The Arch BuildingPart I see it for more experienced or power users.

When the things are more abstract or general need more explanations. For example all the all the IFC Roles or entities must be defined.
Here is the building entity explanation http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/I ... /index.htm

There they state:

The ElevationOfRefHeight is used to give the height above sea level of the internal height 0.00. The height 0.00 is often used as a building internal reference height and equal to the floor finish level of the ground floor.

Thank you very much for your help, great work.

[yorik]

I make the font size of the Floor Object 1000 cm. The text show in the X-Z plane so it couldn't be viewed when in Top View. (I don't know if this could be change)

Yes, check the view -> Display Offset property, it has a rotation of 90°, that you can set to 0°

I've read that there is also Arch BuildingPart that is an all in one dummy container that could adopt any IFCRole.
I feel that is still important to have at least the most common IFC containers with a direct access shortcut to help the newbies start easier with that concepts(usability). The Arch BuildingPart I see it for more experienced or power users.

What we're trying to do in FreeCAD (at least in Arch/BIM), basically, is to have tools that are as powerful and flexible as possible, and then do all the work to make them easier and friendlier to use in another UI "layer", on top of it. That way, advanced users can use the "bare" tool with all its possibilities, while newer users get a more traditional and simpler feel. This is basically the reason of the split between arch and bim workbenches. Arch contains the bare-metal tools, while BIM adds user-friendliness on top of it (this is still a work in progress).

The idea is right there: The BuildingPart is a generic container, that can be a building, a level, or even an assembly. If you are an advanced user, you use it as is. If you are a newcomer, in the BIM workbench, you will still see a building tool, a building level / floor tool, etc. And you don't need to care about BuildingParts, until the day you learn about it

About specific properties like ElevationOfRefHeight, in 0.19 we now have a new system where these type-specific attributes are now automatically added, and bound to other built-in properties, so they work kind of automatically.