Introduction

Introduction_POnL

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Placed Objects and Libraries

Any ARC+ model can be placed within another model. The model that you are placing is called an object. When placed, it is called a placed object.

A placed object may be a simple entity—a chair or table for example—or it may be as complex as you like—a room, a whole floor, or a wing of a building. The object behaves as a single entity in your model. For example, selecting any part of a placed object selects the entire object, irrespective of its original complexity and number of component entities.

When you place the object, you can change its location, orientation, and dimensions:

You can locate the object at any position in your model, rescale its overall size in the xyz directions, and rotate it to any orientation.

You can define the object as aparametric object, and then set or change its internal dimensions when you place it in your model.

ARC+ provides libraries of predesigned objects, such as furniture, trees, human figures, vehicles, appliances, and symbols, which you can place in your models. You can add objects that you design to the libraries, or you can define new libraries. In this way, you can create your own collection of elements for use in current or future projects.

For objects that you store in libraries, you can optionally define presentations of the objects, such as:

Detail levels–simplified versions of the object suitable for display or plotting at a predetermined scale

Sections of the object

Views–two-dimensional projections (plan, elevation, etc.) suitable for placing in construction drawings

You can place a presentation of an object in your drawings as an alternative to the full three-dimensional object design.

Each object has a source file– the ARC+ model file in which the design is stored. When you place the object in a model, its address–the name and directory path of the source file—are stored in the model file. The source file may contain any types of entities, including nested placed objects—additional objects that are placed within the overall object design.

Uses of Placed Objects

You can use placed objects, for example:

To build your designs in modular fashion, using components that you design and store separately or using predesigned library objects supplied with ARC+.

To insert repetitious elements or details into your designs. You can create and store the element once, and place it as many times as you like in any ARC+ model.

To control the dimensions of a standard element in your models. If you insert the element as a placed object, you can specify its overall size and orientation while placing. If you define the element as a parametric object, you can set its internal dimensions as well.

To insert an element whose design has not yet been finalized. When the design is completed the changes to the original are reflected in all models where the object has been placed.

To reduce the size of your model files. The data for an object is stored only once, in the original source file, no matter how many times you place the object in your models. This saves a large amount of memory and disk storage space and enables your computer to work more efficiently.