Arch Grid

Other languages:

AxisSystem

SectionPlane

BIM

THIS COMMAND IS PART OF THE INTEGRATED BIM WORKBENCH IN V1.0
This page has been updated for that version.

Menu location
Arch Grid
Annotation → Grid
Workbenches
BIM
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
-
See also
Arch Axis, Arch AxisSystem

Description

The Arch Grid tool allows you to place a grid-like object in the document. This object is meant to serve as a base to build Arch objects that need a regular but complex frame, such as windows, curtain walls, column grids, railings, etc. The Grid object is editable like a spreadsheet, where you can add or remove columns and rows, define their size, and merge cells.

The Grid is a 2D object, and can therefore be used anywhere a 2D shape such as a Draft or Sketch is needed, but it can also behave as a Arch AxisSystem, and be used to propagate the placement of other Arch objects.

An array of columns, a railing system, and a window, each based on an Arch Grid object.

Usage

Press the Grid button.
Set the Width and Height of the grid in the properties.
Enter edit mode by double-clicking the grid object in the tree view.
Add rows and columns.
Set the desired width and height of rows and columns by double-clicking the row or column headers.

Options

A column width or row height of 0 means its size will be adapted automatically to fit the total width/height of the grid.
Cells can be merged and unmerged by selecting them and clicking the appropriate button.
When used as the DataAxis property of other Arch objects, the grid will drive the positioning of these objects. The DataPoints Output property defines how the other objects are placed on the grid: At vertices, edge midpoints or face centers.
By setting the DataAuto Height or DataAuto Width properties to a non-zero value, the total number of rows/columns and their individual heights/widths is ignored. Instead, the maximum number of columns or rows of the given auto width/height get automatically created.

Properties

DataRows: The number of rows
DataColumns: The number of columns
DataRow Size: The sizes for rows
DataColumn Size: The sizes of columns
DataPoints Output: The type of 3D points produced by this grid object
DataWidth: The total width of this grid
DataHeight: The total height of this grid
DataAuto Width: Creates automatic column divisions (set to 0 to disable)
DataAuto Height: Creates automatic row divisions (set to 0 to disable)
DataReorient: When in edge midpoint mode, if this grid must reorient its children along edge normals or not
DataHidden Faces: The indices of faces to hide

Scripting

See also: Arch API and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.

The Grid tool can be used in macros and from the Python console by using the following function:

Grid = makeGrid(name="Grid")

Creates a Grid object.

Its Width, Height, Rows, and Columns attributes can be changed directly to define the appearance of the grid.

import FreeCAD, Draft, Arch
Grid = Arch.makeGrid()

Grid.Width = 5000
Grid.Height = 5000
Grid.Rows = 4
Grid.Columns = 6
FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.recompute()

Structure = Arch.makeStructure(length=200, width=200, height=100)
Draft.move(Structure, FreeCAD.Vector(-100, 0, 0))
Structure.Axis = Grid
FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.recompute()