Custom Door Symbol

[Chopsaw]

After searching for a CA training video and finding nothing looking through the Help files and finding nothing. I was able to piece together information from about 5 posts in the forum and create a door that should be in the Core Catalogue but is not.

After finally figuring out how to create the door I need, I realized there was a problem that the symbol creation process has lost the majority of the definition of the panels and trim.

Can anyone help me out with this? Have I missed a step or setting?

[johnny]

When you are in 3D view can you see everything "on"....that is what I would double-check....perhaps when you go to the 3d view some of the layers are turning off?

[Chopsaw]

No everything looks good in the 3D perspective view before converting. It seems like it could be a lighting issue but I did not think that was a factor when making a symbol.

[yusuf-333]

No everything looks good in the 3D perspective view before converting. It seems like it could be a lighting issue but I did not think that was a factor when making a symbol.

"SMOOTHING ANGLE" should be lower in the create symbol DBX. by default it is 45°, so put a value of 1° instead, and your panels should look like the origional.

[yusuf-333]

Here is what hapens when you change that angle in the symbol create DBX.

[Chopsaw]

Yusuf, Thank you so much, that was exactly what I missed. 1deg. gave me more "edge lines than the original and 20deg. is just about right. This is a very common door in my area so if anyone else would like a symbol for their library please help yourself. Tested and working from 2/0 to 6/0.

E03 w 9 Lites .calibz

[Dennis_Gavin]

Thanks for sharing.

[CJSpud]

It is too bad that the entry door E06 from Chief's library has such thick muntins or it would work:

 

    

 

And if you think the Chief folks don't know how to size muntins, we have entry door E16  from the library with 8 lights which looks good to me:

 

 

There's another similar one in the library (E02) with narrow muntins but a different glass configuration.

 

 

I wish someone from Chief would fix E06 so it looks better.  I have used it, but the render views would look more relistic with narrower muntins.  Overall, I am very pleased that most of Chief's library symbols are sufficient for my needs and for the most part look pretty good in 3D camera views.  I appreciate that we are receiving more library content on a regular basis.  Thank you Chief Architect.

[CJSpud]

Chopsaw:

 

Thank you for the symbol .... looks great.

[Chopsaw]

CJ, Thanks for the informative overview summary, and the complements.  Just a quick edit that you could do to help others, I referred to my door as a 9 lite, so I think the E16 should be referred to as a 12 lite.

 

Would it be helpful for me to summarize the procedure here so others can create their own custom doors?

[SNestor]

CJ, Thanks for the informative overview summary, and the complements. Just a quick edit that you could do to help others, I referred to my door as a 9 lite, so I think the E16 should be referred to as a 12 lite.

Would it be helpful for me to summarize the procedure here so others can create their own custom doors?

Yes...summary would be very helpful. Thanks.

[Chopsaw]

Hi Steve and others,


Hope this is helpful for any custom work that you do in the future. This will be an intermediate level summary that is designed to place custom muntins in Core catalogue doors that have windows but do not allow automatic lights in the DBX or cad blocked "Custom Muntins" with this tool, .


Open new plan and place a short section of wall in your floor plan.


Place a door from the Core Catalogue, convert wall type to "Room Divider".


Open door DBX and remove Casings, remove Hardware by setting handles to "None", Locks "None", and Hinges to "Hidden".


Open and elevation view and place cad lines on glass and convert them to "3D Molding Polylines".


Open DBX for 3D Molding Polylines and set your height, width and material for the Muntins ( 3D Molding Polylines ) and use the Profile Offset to keep them centered over your cad lines.


Center Muntins in glass with Transform & Replicate tool.


Open Perspective Full Overview with only door ( & invisible room divider ) in plan.


Create symbol as "Door" and give name and use Smoothing Angle of ~20 deg. for similar quality to original.


This method should also allow for more creative grill patterns and could also be combined with using polyline solids for stained glass as I discussed in post #5 here: https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/9412-special-window/



I have tested this method but would be glad to hear if anyone has a more efficient method that produces the same result. I created an E03 door with Prairie grills while composing this post so if you would like one of those for your library please help yourself and if you use this method successfully please feel free to share some of your creations here.


Enjoy, Chopsaw  

 

E03 Prairie.calibz