How to create a Curtain Wall Schedule in ArchiCAD

A how-to multi-way guide to schedule Curtain Walls in ArchiCAD

Let me show you how!

ArchiCAD has come a long way since it first launched and undoubtedly it has been evolving and implementing all the users' wishes with every new update. However, one thing still has not been tackled yet – the Curtain Walling. Being a highly sensitive library part, when working with the Curtain Wall tool in ArchiCAD in the past, I encountered glitches that ranged from displaying a different view from the panelling in the model or messing up the entire model to the point of affecting hotlinks updates. Daunting, I know, but there is hope still!

Example of various Curtain Wall with custom panels placed in the model

What is the Curtain Wall Tool?

As the name suggests, this tool does what it says on the tin, helping the users create custom panels that can span floor to ceiling and run along the entire length of a facade, being part of the external envelope of a building. Notoriously known as a challenging and sensitive tool to work with, the Curtain Wall Tool in ArchiCAD has been improved, making easier to control the configuration of the custom panels to suit the design. However, there are still limitations for which there is no sign of improvement, not in the foreseeable future anyway, with Graphisoft being more concerned with AI implementation than improving the basic existing tools. Therefore, as with many other tools that ArchiCAD does not have, some keen users - myself included – are choosing alternatives for obtaining the desired results. 

ArchiCAD is a great CAD software when it comes to scheduling building elements, such as windows and doors, but there are some missing pieces when trying to schedule a curtain wall panel. Currently, the only options for the Curtain Wall drawn schedule are plan and section views, together with a – rather misleading – 3D view of the panel. This can be generated using 3D Axonometry option from the General Parameters & Properties in the schedule scheme settings, but as you can see from the picture below, the generated 3D axonometric view in the schedule and the actual CW panel in the model have very little in common. The good news is that there are several ways to resolve this and generate a workable and accurate drawn schedule from the ArchiCAD model, as described below. For a more visually comprehensive guide, scroll down to the video at the bottom of this page.

Custom Curtain Wall Panel in the 3D model and its corresponding 3D axonometric view in the schedule

1. The 2D line & fill drawing method

The most obvious way to resolve this is to draw the curtain wall panels in 2D, but this involves a lot of ‘manual’ work and defeats the purpose of a BIM model. The curtain wall already exists in 3D, so a 2D view should be easily generated. Re-drawing a 3D element in 2D is time-consuming and pointless since it can become outdated the very first second the 3D model is updated. Some may be comfortable with this option, as you can have better control over the drawn view of the panel and the design will remain frozen until someone amends it. This way, there is no worry about someone accidentally changing the panel design in the schedule.  

Curtain Wall Panel in Elevation (above) and its corresponding 2D drawing (below)

Quick tip: You can Copy + Paste in Section/ Elevation View or Explode into Current View to generate a 2D Line & Fill Drawing from the 3D model without the need of drafting each panel, one by one. Use this to avoid any laborious work and save yourself some time.

2. The Save as Object method

A second option is saving each Curtain Wall element as an object and generating a drawn schedule to obtain an automated 2D view. This method calls for an extra step in the scheduling process.  Once all the curtain walls in the model have been created, one will have to save each CW as an object, place it in the model and schedule it, but once that’s done, the next steps are easy to follow. The newly created GDL object views can be listed in ArchiCAD’s schedule by choosing 3D Front View, so the elevation of the curtain wall-turned-object can be included in the Curtain Wall schedule and be annotated, as usual. Change management can be controlled by simply resaving the CW object under the same name, so that will be automatically updated in the schedule and - fingers crossed – any annotations will be preserved.  

This option is better suited for a frozen design when the Curtain Wall panels/ types have been agreed and there are no forthcoming amendments. Under these conditions, I believe it is worth the hassle since it lends itself well to generating an automatic schedule, as you would get for the generic windows and doors. Automatic is the key as this minimises the risk of human error and it is always –in my view - a good idea.

Saving a Curtain Wall as an Object - view tab map

3. The clipped Elevation method

The third and the overall preferred method is to create custom elevations views and dutifully crop and array them on the layouts to mimic the auto-generated schedule. This option did not appeal to me at first, because of the additional work required upfront for setting up the views. However, this certainly pays off as changes can be very easily managed. When changes occur (and trust me, all designs change, so no one is spared), all it takes is a few minutes to update the views on the layouts, since the elevations will always display the true representation of what's in the model.

Adding an elevation marker to generate the 2D front views of the Curtain Walls placed in the model

In a nutshell

Having considered the options of obtaining a drawn schedule of the curtain walls in the ArchiCAD model, I think I have a winner. Creating custom elevations to generate the 2D view of the Curtain Wall panels is the quickest and most straightforward way to complete the Curtain Wall Schedules in ArchiCAD, especially for a project that is still in the developing stage and the design is not frozen yet.

I am aware this may not be the best solution, but it ticks some boxes and quite honestly this ranks high in my preferences for obtaining quick and reliable results in my ArchiCAD workflow. What are your thoughts? How do you overcome such issues?