• TechNotes
• Creating Walls with Real Cavities

Winning Techtip of February, 2007

Creating Walls with Real Cavities/More Than 8 Skins - by fuzzytnth3, Scotland

Original thread: http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=15019&highlight=tip

In ArchiCAD10, walls can be merged by using the Merge Walls command.

This method can be particularly useful when creating walls with “real” cavities. “Real” cavities mean, the cavity is not a simple layer in the composite wall, but is modelled in the Virtual Building as a real cavity. Of course it is possible tu use an “air” layer in composite walls (available since several versions of ArchiCAD). However, the advantage of using the Merge Walls method is – beyond the “real” cavity that it creates, also the fact that walls with more than 8 skins can be created and used.

To build walls with real cavities, follow the below simple steps:

• Draw two types of walls that would compose the two “skins” of the wall (eg two stud walls that together are used to separate flats), offset from each other by the distance of the planned cavity. These walls should be aligned and straight.
• Select both walls.

• Use the Merge Walls command from the Design>Complex Profiles menu.

• Choose the Capture Element Profile from the Complex Profile palette.

• Then click on the Store Profile button.

• Name the newly created complex profile and use it in the project where needed.

Advantages of this method include:

• “real cavities” – means no second empty openings are needed (that would need to be excluded from the door schedules, too)
• Using this method, walls with more than 8 skins become a possibility
• Unlike composite walls, a true 'air space' gap will show up in 3D hidden line mode. (But, unfortunately, as with composites, adjacent skins with defined fills simply merge into one large mass in 3D.)
• Door trims will close in properly from one side of the wall to the other – no need for special solutions.

Note: Complex Profiles only work with straight walls

Note2: To modfiy the wall, you have to modify the Complex Profile.