ARCH 3691
Advanced Design &
Building Information Modeling
How to Create a Space Frame
Creating a Mass (Family) for the
overall Space Frame
Professor Paul C. King, RA, AIA, ARA
Pking@CityTech.Cuny.Edu
Prof.Paul.King@Gmail.com
Oscar Morales
Oscar.morales.11992@gmail.com
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
CREATE A NEW FAMILY
FOR THE SPACE
FRAME
SELECT THE “CURTAIN PANEL
PATTERN BASED” TEMPLATE
FILE
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
GO TO THE LEVEL ONE FLOOR
PLAN VIEW.
WORKING IN THIS VIEW WILL
BE THE EASIEST.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
CREATE A REFERENCE LINE
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
SELECT THE OPPOSITE
CORNERS TO CREATE THE
REFERENCE LINE
COPY ONE OF THE ADAPTIVE
POINTS TO THE MIDDLE OF THE
REFERENCE LINE
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
DELETE THE PREVIOUS
REFERENCE LINE AND CREATE 4
NEW REFERENCE LINES, EACH
STARTING FROM THE OUTER
ADAPTIVE POINTS TOWARDS THE
CENTER.
CREATE 1REFERENCE POINT
EACH ON 2 OF THE REFERENCE
LINES
MAKE SURE 3D SNAPPING IS CHECKED
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
SET A WORKING PLANE ON THE
CORNER ADAPTIVE POINT TO
CREATE THE SPACE FRAME.
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
USING THE SAME STEPS CREATE
A WORKING PLANE ON THE
REFERENCE POINT AND CREATE
A REFERENCE CIRCLE FOR THE
SPACE FRAME.
ON THE SURFACE PLANE,
CREATE A REFERENCE CIRCLE.
THE DIMENSION WILL DETERMINE
THE SPACE FRAME.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
1
2
3
4
SELECT THE REFERENCE CIRCLE AS
WELL AS THE 4 OUTER REFERENCE
LINES.
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
SELECT “CREATE FORM” AND “SOLID
FORM” TO CREATE THE SPACE FRAME.
USE THE
SAME
STEPS TO
CREATE
THE FORM
FOR THE
INNER
FRAME.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
SET A WORKING PLANE ON
CENTER ADAPTIVE POINT.
CREATE A DISTANCE LINE FROM
THE CENTER ADAPTIVE TO AN
OUTER ADAPTIVE POINT.
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE
TWO CAN BE MANUALLY
CHANGED.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
SAVE THE SPACE FRAME AS A
FAMILY TO LOAD INTO A PROJECT
FILE.
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
OPEN A NEW PROJECT FILE.
LOAD THE SPACE
FRAME FAMILY
INTO THE
PROJECT.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
CREATE A 20’x 20’ SQUARE FROM
MODEL LINES TO USE AS
REFERENCE.
OFFSET THE LINES BY 2’ TO
CREATE A 2’x’2 GRID.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
CREATE AN IN-PLACE MASS AND
NAME THE MASS. MAKE SURE
NOT TO NAME THE MASS THE
SAME NAME AS THE SPACE
FRAME FAMILY
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
USING THE MODEL LINES AS
REFERENCE CREATE THE
MASSING AND SELECT CREATE
FORM.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
SELECT THE TOP FACE OF THE MASS.
DIVIDE THE SURFACE
TO FOLLOW THE
GRID OF THE MODEL
LINES.
ONCE THE SPACE FRAME FAMILY
IS LOADED, WHILE STILL HAVING
THE BOTTOM FACE SELECTED,
CHANGE THE PATTERN TO THE
SPACE FRAME FAMILY.
Oscar Morales
Arch 3691
Space Frame
Family Editor
 Reference Lines
 Working Plane
 Solid Form
Load Into Project
 Model Lines
 In-Place Mass
ONCE THE PATTERN IS CHANGED THE SPACE
FRAME SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE DIVIDED
SURFACE
TO REMOVE THE MASSING OUTLINE GO
TO THE VISIBILITY/GRAPHICS MENU
UNCHECK THE “FORM” BOX
TO REMOVE THE BOX FROM THE VIEW