Documentation

Buildings

Graphite4D's architectural tools build a multi-story design with the graph closed. Find them in All tools (⌘ K on a Mac, Ctrl K on Windows). Most work in a level's floor plan, with options in Properties.

Create floors

In Build, choose Building levels.
Choose Create floors, set the Number of occupied floors, the Base elevation and the Typical floor-to-floor height (for example 13'4"), and choose Create floors and plans.

Graphite adds a Levels step with the floors, a roof above them and a plan for each level, and selects it. Its level cards are in Properties; choose Building levels again at any time to return to them.

Add a level

Choose Add level below the cards. A new card appears above the top level: name it, enter its Height above the current top level (for example 12' for a penthouse above the roof), and press Enter. The card shows the resulting elevation as you type. New levels always go on top. Choose Open Ground floor plan, or the plan for any level, to draw on it.

Change a floor-to-floor height

Choose a level's edit button, such as Edit Ground floor. The card's name and heights become editable where they are. Typical beside the height means the level uses the typical height; select it to give this level its own height, such as 18' for a tall ground floor. Press Enter or choose the check mark to apply, or Esc to cancel. Levels above, walls, slabs and plans follow. The trash button removes the level.

In a plan, the toolbar button Floor-to-floor (for example, Floor-to-floor: 11' 0") opens the height of the story above that plan. On narrow screens it reads Floor heights.

Draw walls

Walls need two levels: one for the base and one for the top.

Open a level plan and choose Draw wall.
In Properties, check Base level, Top level and Thickness (8" by default).
Click each corner. For an exact length, point in the wall's direction, type a length such as 12' and press Enter.
Click the first corner to close the loop, or press Esc to end an open run.

Hold Shift to lock the X or Y axis. Points snap to endpoints, midpoints, intersections and column grid lines. Corners within one run join automatically.

Edit a wall

Click a wall in a plan to select it.

Drag its center handle to move that segment sideways, or drag an endpoint. Esc cancels a drag.
Choose Edit wall position and size to type a name, Wall thickness, coordinates or a Move X and Move Y distance, then choose Apply wall changes. Thickness applies to the whole run.
Press M, click a base point, then click a destination or type a distance and press Enter.

Segments in the same run keep their shared corners, and hosted doors and windows move with the wall.

Make a floor slab

Choose Slab, check Base level and Thickness, and choose a Footprint:

Rectangle: click two opposite corners. For an exact size, type the width and depth after the first click, for example 40', 30', and press Enter.
Outline: click each corner of any shape, such as an L, then the first corner again to close it.
Selected: select a room or a closed outline before choosing Slab, then press Make slab. A slab made from a room follows the room when its walls move.

The slab's top follows its level.

Place a door or window

In a level plan, choose Place door or Place window.
In Properties, set Width, Height and Sill, and for a door its Door swing. A door's sill stays at 0.
Point at a wall. The preview is blue where the opening fits and red where it would cross a wall end or join, overlap another opening or not fit the wall.
Click to place it, centered on the pointer. Keep clicking to place more, then press Esc.

Defaults are 3' × 7' for doors and 4' × 3' with a 3' sill for windows.

Edit a door or window

Click a door or window in the plan to select it, then drag it along its wall. Properties shows Offset from start, Width, Height, Sill above wall base and Plan symbol. Changes stay a draft until you choose Apply opening changes. With a wall selected, Doors and windows also offers Add door and Add window.

Move things with plan dimensions

Select a wall, door or window in a plan. Blue dimensions show its clearance to the nearest wall faces. Click a value, type a distance and press Enter, and the element moves to match. Esc cancels. Wall clearances run face to face; door and window clearances run from the jamb to the crossing wall's face. These are temporary editing aids, not saved annotations.

Connect walls

Walls drawn in separate runs, such as a partition added after the exterior, do not join on their own. Open All tools, choose Connect walls, pick First walls and Connect with, and choose Connect walls.

The walls must touch, share bottom and top levels, and have no door or window where they meet. Thicknesses can differ: a thinner partition stops at the thicker wall's face. Each wall keeps its own path and openings, so you still click it in the plan to edit it.

Create a stair

First make a slab on the arrival level with Slab.

Open All tools and choose Create stair.
Choose Bottom level, Arrival level, Arrival slab and a Layout: Straight or U-shaped.
Adjust Flight width (4'), Tread depth (11"), Target riser (7") and Tread thickness (2").
Choose Place in plan, click the start, then click to set the direction. Or type Start X, Start Y and Direction (degrees) and choose Create stair and floor opening.

Graphite cuts a matching opening in the arrival slab. The stair follows later floor-to-floor changes.

Name rooms

In a level plan, choose Room.
Point inside an area enclosed by walls. It is tinted with its floor area.
Type a name in the toolbar box, or a Name, Number and Program in Properties, then click. A blank name gets a default such as Room 1.
Name every remaining area names the rest of the level at once. Press Esc when done.

Each room gets a plan tag with its name, number and area. The area follows the inside faces of the walls; doors do not open a room. To edit a room, click it with the Room tool, or click empty floor inside it when nothing is selected.

Add a column grid

Open All tools and choose Column grid. Set Grid origin X and Grid origin Y (or choose Fit to the design), then type Bays along X and Bays along Y, such as 20', 20', 30' or 3 x 24'. Choose Add grid lines.

Lettered lines are spaced along X and numbered lines along Y. Every plan draws them with bubbles, and walls, slabs and openings snap to them. Relabel or shift a line in the panel. In a plan, click a grid line to select it, drag it sideways, or press Delete to remove it.

View schedules

Open All tools and choose Schedules. The rooms tab lists number, name, program, level and area, and a row click selects that room. The doors and windows tab lists mark (D1, W1 and so on), type, width, height, sill, level and wall. Both update as you edit. Choose Download rooms CSV or Download doors and windows CSV for a spreadsheet.

Known limits

Rooms are bounded by walls only. There is no room separation line tool, so an open plan reads as one area.
Walls are straight. Wall types and layered assemblies are not available.
A wall's base and top levels are set when you draw it.
Connected walls must share bottom and top levels, so they match in height.
Unequal thicknesses join cleanly at T junctions, crossings and right-angle corners; at other angles, walls meet with a bevel.
Moving a wall does not stretch separate walls that meet it.
A stair cuts an uncut slab made with Slab, one opening per slab.
Column grids do not appear in sections or elevations.

See Drawings to annotate and export your plans.