A Practical Archicad 27 Workflow for Consistent Views and Layouts

Graphisoft’s official Archicad 27 Help documentation describes built-in tools for managing saved view settings, visually classifying elements with Graphic Override rules, and using project information through autotexts. This guide presents these tools in a practical sequence for organizing project documentation. Menu names and options are based on the Archicad 27 Help documentation.

1. Choose the settings to include in a view

1. Open View Settings from the context menu of the open view’s tab or the view item in the Navigator. You can also access the same settings through the Navigator Palette or Organizer. In the View Map, select the relevant item and click the “Settings” button at the bottom to open the window.

2. In the General panel, you can choose the Layer Combination, Scale, Model View, Pen Set, Model View Options, Graphic Override, and Renovation Filter for the view. Saving these settings with the view helps preserve separate preferences for different documentation needs.

3. You can enter a custom ID and name for the view, or select “By Project Map” to inherit the ID and name of the corresponding viewpoint in the Project Map. The Source field provides information about the view’s source viewpoint or the path to the source file.

4. Use “Get Current Window’s Settings” to transfer the settings in the open window to View Settings. The “Save View” and “Save as View” commands also open the settings window when saving a view.

For 3D views, the “Generate in” option determines whether the view is generated in the 3D window or the PhotoRendering window. A saved scene can be selected for a PhotoRendering view, and the view’s size can be displayed and edited. The “Redefine Image settings with current” option transfers the current window’s 3D and rendering settings to the saved view. These image settings include 3D projection, zoom and sun settings, as well as 3D Styles, cutting planes, 3D cutaway, and photo rendering settings.

The result of this transfer matters: when the option is enabled, the saved definition may also be affected by a 3D view limited to filtered or selected elements in the current window. The settings window also indicates whether a filter or marquee is being used in the window’s 3D view and whether Render Safe Area mode is on. Check the current view’s scope before redefining it.

2. Set up Graphic Override rules

1. Open the Rules window via Document > Graphic Overrides > Graphic Override Rules. Alternatively, use the “Manage Rules” button in the Graphic Override Combinations window or the relevant link in Renovation Filter Options.

2. To add a rule, click “New” at the bottom of the window, or use the context menu of a rule or rule group. The first row in the criteria list is always Element Type; choose the element types to which the rule should apply.

3. For more detailed matching, click “Add...” to open the Parameters & Properties list. The search field helps you find the parameter you need. The availability of additional criteria depends on the element types defined in the rows above. IFC properties cannot be used as criteria in this window.

4. In the “Override Style” section, choose the visual properties to apply. For fills, you can select Drafting Fill, Cover Fill, or Cut Fill categories; for surfaces, you can apply Cut Surfaces, Uncut Surfaces, or both.

5. When you have more rules, create groups with “New Group.” You can organize rules by dragging them between groups and search by name.

When you use a Layer or Layer Combination criterion, the rule affects elements visible in the specified Layer Combination. Check the layer setup in the view where you plan to use the rule. The criteria for the first three rules corresponding to renovation statuses cannot be changed; renovation status is assigned separately to model elements.

3. Match rules to view settings

When preparing a documentation view, first choose the appropriate Layer Combination and scale. Then, in View Settings, select the Graphic Override combination to use. Rules define which visual override is applied to elements that meet their criteria; View Settings lets you choose the Graphic Override combination for that view. These two steps help ensure that the right rule set is used with the relevant view.

You can also select the Floor Plan Cut Plane settings and dimension standard in the corresponding section of View Settings; the documentation notes that these preferences apply only to that view. For zoom, you can save the current view, fit it to the window, or choose a previously saved custom zoom. The saved zoom also includes panning and rotated view information, if applicable.

If “Ignore Zoom when opening this View” is selected, the view is displayed using the zoom of the last-opened Archicad window instead of its saved zoom. However, the saved zoom value still applies when the view is placed as a drawing or published. Keep this distinction in mind when comparing the view on screen with its layout or published output.

4. Use project information with autotexts

The Archicad 27 documentation lists autotext keywords for fields such as project, site, building, contact, client, layout, and drawing information. Keywords can be used with autotext commands; the documentation also describes how to add them to GDL scripts. Example keywords:

<PROJECTNAME>
<SITEFULLADDRESS>
<BUILDING_NAME>
<CLIENTCOMPANY>
<LAYOUTNAME>
<DRAWINGNAME>
<LONGDATE>
<FILENAME>

In these examples, the keywords represent information such as the project name, full site address, building name, client company, layout name, drawing name, long date format, and file name, respectively. The documentation also lists other fields, including project number, project status, site city, building ID, and contact information. Some custom fields are generated dynamically.

File-dependent system autotexts may remain undefined until the project file has been saved at least once. Check any output that relies on these fields before the first save, and make sure the keywords return the expected information. Autotexts provide a way to use supported fields; the source documentation does not say they automatically populate every project detail.

Impact on architecture and visualization workflows

These tools can benefit architecture and interior design teams that need different layer setups, scales, or visual classifications in the same project. Saved views can preserve documentation preferences, while Graphic Override rules can visually distinguish specific elements based on criteria. Autotext keywords offer an option for using the project and layout information listed in the documentation.

The Archicad 27 Help documentation does not state hardware requirements, licensing conditions, or specific performance gains for these features. Offices should test views, layer combinations, and rules in their own files to confirm that they produce the expected results. In particular, check layer visibility, the effect of redefining a 3D view with current settings, and autotexts before the file’s first save.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a rule with a layer criterion will affect the same elements in every view; the result is tied to the elements visible in the relevant Layer Combination.

• Overlooking that the view is limited to filtered or selected elements when transferring the current window’s image settings to a saved view.

• Expecting file-dependent system autotexts to be defined before the project file has been saved for the first time.

• Trying to change the criteria of the first three rules corresponding to renovation statuses; these criteria cannot be edited.