Step 6.4: Elevations > Openings

Openings

Purpose – to identify all windows, doors and other openings in the facade that will be used for panelization.

• Select – allows the user to pan the elevation or select an opening.
• Manual Openings
  • Click the Manual Openings button to draw individual openings to be used for panelization.
  • Draw a rectangle to define the size of the opening.
  • Click Enter, then continue to left-click to place the same size opening (you will "carry" an opening) and click Enter when finished.
• Auto “Detection” Openings
  • Click the Auto Detection button to draw individual openings which will be used for panelization.
  • Draw a rectangle, and click Enter. The Panelizer will try to detect other similar openings.
    • Note: It is best practice to start with larger openings when using the auto-detection.
    • Note: It may be helpful to draw the area just a little outside the window so that the Panelizer can “see” what to look for.
  • Depending on how well the Panelizer detects openings you can then use the slider bar on the right to make adjustments to better detect openings. 
    • (left) the detection will be less accurate
    • (right) the detection will be more accurate

• If there are marked openings that missed the mark, you can left-click and hold to drag/drop or left-click and delete to make quick adjustments.
• Note: If a window/opening is hidden by a parapet, select the entire opening as shown below.  The Panelizer will display the parapet, opening and hidden face correctly.
• Note: When you work in a tab, your changes are only saved locally until you click somewhere else. After that, they are sent to the server (for outlines, changes are sent after they are completed). If you stay in that tab and click "Calculate" or "Force update", the changes from your current tab will not be sent first.
• Once an elevation has been edited (openings added), you can use the “Find already detected openings” button to automatically detect openings on other elevations.
• The panelization algorithm will try to integrate these openings into panels by cutting out a hole, while maintaining a distance to the panel edge of 15cm / 6inches (default settings).
• Note: If the opening is too large, the Panelizer will build the panels around it.

Shortcuts

• Backspace or Delete – deletes the last placed opening.  Or, if openings are selected, deletes the selected opening.
• Hold Shift – forces snapping to the orthogonal axis.
• Hold CTRL – ignores all snapping to the orthogonal axis.
• “D” – if you select your first opening and then place your second opening, you can click “D” and the Panelizer will add duplicates based on the distance to the last opening.
• ALT (Drag) – press and hold ALT while selecting an opening with the left mouse button, you can then drag a copy of the opening to place it, releasing the left mouse button will drop the opening.
  • If you hold down ALT and click the left mouse button once, you will create a copy directly on top of the original, making it appear darker in color. You can then drag the copy to where you want it to go.
• Enter – confirms a drawn opening.
• Esc – cancels the current operation.