Archicad 27 (UKI)

Template Guide
September 2023

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Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Standards .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Online Template Delivery ............................................................................................................................ 5
Project Preferences ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Working Units ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Dimensions ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Calculation Units..................................................................................................................................... 6
Calculation Rules .................................................................................................................................... 6
Zones .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Reference Levels .................................................................................................................................... 7
Stair Rules and Standards ....................................................................................................................... 7
Structural Analytical Models ..................................................................................................................... 7
MEP Route Preferences ........................................................................................................................... 7
Location Settings .................................................................................................................................... 7
Attributes .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Layers ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Lines ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
Pens and Colours.................................................................................................................................... 9
Fills ..................................................................................................................................................... 10
Surfaces .............................................................................................................................................. 10
Building Materials ................................................................................................................................. 10
Composites .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Complex Profiles ................................................................................................................................... 11
Zone Categories ................................................................................................................................... 11
Operation Profiles ................................................................................................................................. 11
MEP Systems ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Data Management .................................................................................................................................... 12
Classifications ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Properties ............................................................................................................................................ 12
IFC Translators..................................................................................................................................... 12
DWG Translators .................................................................................................................................. 12
Display Options ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Layer Combinations .............................................................................................................................. 13
Pen Sets .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Model View Options .............................................................................................................................. 13
Graphic Overrides ................................................................................................................................. 14
Renovation Filters ................................................................................................................................. 14

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 Design Options ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Floor Plan Cut Plane ............................................................................................................................. 15
Project Structure ...................................................................................................................................... 16
Storey Settings ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Project Map ......................................................................................................................................... 16
View Map............................................................................................................................................. 16
Layout Book ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Publisher Sets ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Project Indexes .................................................................................................................................... 19
Usability .................................................................................................................................................. 20
Tool Default Settings ............................................................................................................................ 20
Favourites ............................................................................................................................................ 20
Find & Select........................................................................................................................................ 20
Annotations ............................................................................................................................................. 21
Text .................................................................................................................................................... 21
Labels ................................................................................................................................................. 21
Drawing Markers .................................................................................................................................. 21
Storey Levels ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Window and Door Markers .................................................................................................................... 22
Zone Stamps ........................................................................................................................................ 22
Title Blocks .......................................................................................................................................... 22
Drawings and Drawing Titles ................................................................................................................. 23
Legends............................................................................................................................................... 23
Libraries .................................................................................................................................................. 24
Appendices .............................................................................................................................................. 25
Appendix 1: View List ........................................................................................................................... 25

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Introduction
The UKI template has been specifically developed to assist customers in the UK and Ireland by offering an out-
of-the-box solution to facilitate working to recognised local standards, protocols, and workflows. Although these
can be adapted to your studio's specific requirements, the template aims to produce a standard sets of drawings
for various stages of the RIBA plan of works without the necessity for substantial customisation.
The template also seeks to be compatible with international approaches and in particular be compatible with
Graphisoft’s international (INT) template in certain key areas, to allow objects from any source to be utilised
without requiring separate localised content.
This template guide provides detailed information on the content of the template, its proposed use, and
suggestions for further adaptation to meet specific project requirements.

Standards
The UKI template has been developed in line with recognised UK BIM standards, protocols, and workflows. The
following standards and documents have been referenced in part during the development of this template:
• AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For ARCHICAD v2.0
• AEC (UK) Protocol for Layer Naming v4.1
• BS 1192:2007 Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information - code
of practice (+A2:2016)
• BS EN 1990 Basis of structural design
• BS EN 1505:1998 Ventilation for buildings - Sheet metal air ducts and fittings with rectangular cross
section - Dimensions
• BS EN 1506:2007 Ventilation for buildings - Sheet metal air ducts and fittings with circular cross-section
- Dimensions
• ISO 128-1:2003 Technical drawings — General principles of presentation
• ISO 128-23:1999 Technical drawings — General principles of presentation — Part 23: Lines on
construction drawings
• ISO 13567-1:2017 Technical product documentation - Organization and naming of layers for CAD
• ISO 19650
• RAL Colour Standard
• Protection from falling, collision and impact: Approved Document K
• Uniclass 2015
See specific sections below for details on where these documents have been referred to.
This template and documentation has been provided as guidance only and it is still the responsibility of users of
Archicad and the template to ensure that projects satisfy to all applicable standards and regulations.

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Online Template Delivery
Localised Archicad templates are hosted online, unlike in previous versions of Archicad where they formed part of
the default Archicad installation.
Available local templates are downloaded automatically and listed in the drop-down menu in the New Project
dialog. The templates do not need to be downloaded or located manually; in fact the default UKI template
should be automatically selected the first time you launch Archicad.

The online delivery of templates allows any changes or updates can be made available much more quickly
without having to wait for new Archicad versions or updates to be released. Archicad checks and downloads any
updates to the templates automatically when connected to the internet.
Please note that an internet connection is required to access any online templates. If you plan to work offline a
copy should be saved locally.
When using an online template for projects containing multiple files, it is recommended to save a project-specific
copy of the template for use across each project file. This will help ensure consistency in case the online
templates are updated during the delivery of the project.

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Project Preferences
The Project Preferences tab pages provide a set of standards and working methods specific to the project its
location.

Working Units
Working Units control the values displayed in dialog boxes and during input (e.g. in the Tracker and the Control
Box palette).
Linear dimensions are set to millimetres and areas and volumes are set to metres with 2 decimal places
according to typical local standards.

Dimensions
The Dimensions preferences affect the dimensions and their units as displayed in the project, and in exported
drawings and documentation. This includes values displayed in the dimension tools, zone stamps, fill text,
markers, symbol labels (not autotext labels), and fundamental element parameters in schedules.
The UKI Template includes 3 Dimensions preferences;
• Millimetres (with levels and areas given in m and m²)
• Metres
• Imperial
The Dimensions preferences are named with a two-digit number followed by a description. This is in accordance
with recommendations given in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For ARCHICAD v2.0. The non-mandatory
“ProjectPref” tag has been omitted (00-ProjectPref-Description) to reducing naming length, avoid truncation, and
aid quick selection and checking for output.
Dimensions preferences are included as part of Views’ settings, so the display of dimensions can be controlled on
a drawing-by-drawing basis if required. All predefined Views are set to “01-Millimeter” by default as per typical
local requirements. Also see View Map.
Note: the thousands separators (i.e. commas) appearing in large numbers are controlled through the operating
system, not within Archicad.

Calculation Units
Calculation Units are used to control the display of values in schedules (calculated values only) and autotext
labels. These settings are used through the overall project (all schedules and annotations where relevant). The
Calculation Units are set to metres by default and should be customised based on project requirements.

Calculation Rules
Use these settings to control certain elements and components calculations in schedules.
The Special Skins in Elements settings define which building materials (components of composite elements)
should be recognized as “insulation” or “air fill” for listing purposes. The building materials included in the UKI
template have been defined as insulation or air where relevant. Any custom Building Materials should be defined
appropriately.
The Ignore element holes… settings specify which holes are subtracted from elements’ areas and volumes based
on the holes’ dimensions, affecting the “conditional” area and volume parameters in schedules. This is not
required in the UKI template, but customise these settings if required.

Zones
The Zones preferences define how zones are calculated in zone lists. These settings have not been customised in
the UKI template, but should be set according to the project requirements where the “calculated area” fields are
used.

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Reference Levels
The Reference Levels preferences provide two additional reference levels alongside the project zero level and sea
level. These are project specific and should be customised where required.
Caution is advised when using negative values for levels, which may not be compatible with some library parts
used for level referencing.

Stair Rules and Standards

The Stair Rules and Standards preferences show and hide particular rules for the stair tool across the project.
Any item that is set to be hidden in the preferences will not appear in the Rules & Standards panel of stair
settings, provided that the rule is not in use.
In alignment with Approved Document K, rules for minimum and maximum riser heights, goings, and “2 riser +
1 going” have been enabled in the UKI Template. These rules are therefore displayed in the stair settings.
Additional rules may need to be enabled depending on the project and it location, so should be adjusted where
required.

Structural Analytical Models

The default settings are compliant with BS EN 1990 Basis of structural design standard.

MEP Route Preferences

The Route preferences define dimensions for the duct, pipe, and cable carrier segments in your MEP model. The
segment lengths for ducts and pipes are based on dimensions from EN1505/EN1506. Additional standards should
be added to the Route preferences as required for use in the relevant MEP tools.

Location Settings
The default time zone is set to Greenwich Mean Time and location set to London (Uxbridge). These settings
should be updated to the project’s location.
North is set to 90° (up the screen/page) as per typical drawing conventions. Adjust this to the project’s
orientation if required.
The Survey Point should be configured to the project’s requirements for coordination.

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Attributes
Archicad’s attributes are groups of defined settings available to your project, covering 2D representations (Line
Types, Pens, Fills…), 3D structures and representations (Complex Profiles, Composites, Surfaces…), and the
operation of the building (Zone Categories, Operation Profiles, MEP Systems). The attributes in a project
determine the options available when using Archicad’s tools, affecting the display of the resulting model and
drawing output. It is recommended that the attributes are consistent across all files in a project with consistent
attribute IDs.
The UKI template includes a customised set of attributes, as detailed below, but this is expected to be further
refined to suit your studio’s projects and requirements.

Layers
The list of Layers is centred around the preparation of various documentation sets for output and, rather than
focussing on specific Archicad tools, it establishes a structure for controlling the visibility of elements depending
on the intent and detail level of each drawing.
In previous templates, separate layers were included based on the type of tool, such as for beam, column and
wall elements. In the current UKI template these elements can instead all be drawn onto the Walls and columns
layer (including beams that are supporting walls). There is a generic layer (A-EF2510__M- Walls and columns)
for early design stages or where the model and output is relatively simple and more specific layers designated to
structural elements, partitions, insulation, and finishes, where these have been modelled separately.

Similarly separate layers for dimensions and annotations are included for different presentations (e.g. site plan,
GAs, details, RCPs) enabling the display of different annotations in each set of documentation.
Take care to select the appropriate layer when modelling, drawing or annotating in Archicad, for quick and
consistent drawing output. The Layers are divided into subfolders creating logical groups to assist with browsing
the list, with the layer extension also used for this purpose. Also see Favourites to assist with layer selection.
The set of layers included in the template should be considered a starting point and you are encouraged to
simplify the content, customise it further, and introduce additional layers considering the project typology and/or
existing office requirements.
The naming of the layers is in accordance with AEC (UK) Protocol for Layer Naming v4.1 in the following format:
Role: one or two characters defining the discipline, in alignment with BS1192:2007+A2:2016 and ISO13567. In
this template, the architectural layers are prefixed with A (architects), whilst layers for reference data are
prefixed with the discipline code depending on the originator of the data; G (surveyors/GIS), L (landscape
architects), M (mechanical engineers), and S (structural engineers). Where the prefix is a single character, a
hyphen represents the second character.
Classification: eight characters identifying the content of the layer corresponding to the Uniclass 2015 system.
Underscores are used where the classification requires fewer than 8 characters.
For more information on the classifications, see Uniclass, delivered by NBS (thenbs.com). Note that the
additional underscores within the code have not been used in the UKI template (e.g. Zz_35_40_80 Structural
grid is reduced to Zz354080).
Presentation: one character indicating the type of data associated with the layer to comply with
BS1192:2007+A2:2016, followed by a single numeric character as required.

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Description: a description of the layer corresponding to the Uniclass 2015 definitions where possible.
View: defined as non-mandatory by the standard and omitted from the UKI template.
Where your studio has a different naming convention then this can be incorporated into your template in place of
the above.
Note that the Archicad Layer is a special layer that cannot be deleted, hidden or locked. It is not recommended
to place elements on the Archicad Layer as the elements’ visibility cannot be controlled. The exception is
information on the Layouts, including drawings and title blocks, which should always be visible.
Also see Layer Combinations.

Lines
Line types have been kept consistent with the ISO 128-23:1999 Technical drawings — General principles of
presentation — Part 23: Lines on construction drawings.

Pens and Colours

The first six rows of the pen tables are reserved for Archicad tools providing consistent mapping of pen colours
and weights across the project by element type. The working pen set displays each element type in a different
colour for ease of working, whereas the print pen sets use black pens for output.
The pen weights were adjusted for most common documentation scales (1:5, 1:20, 1:50 and 1:100).
The next six rows of pens (rows 7-12) provide a selection of colours for graphical presentation and have been
mapped to RAL Classic colour chart for graphical presentation. These pens output in a 0.13mm weight.
The final row of pens is reserved for, providing a contrasting selection of RAL colours to visually highlight or
colour-code elements for particular documentation or QA purposes. Also see Graphic Overrides.
For compatibility, pen 19 should not be adjusted and must be left white where elements are using this pen as a
background colour.
Pen Set structure (working pens):

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Pen Set structure (print pens):

Pen thicknesses comply with ISO 128 for general principles of graphical presentation in technical drawings.
Pen weights:

Also see Pen Sets.

Fills
The Fills have been kept aligned to the international (INT) template to ensure compatibility where they have
been used in objects. There has been some renaming to make the type of fill clearer and to align more closely
with local terminology. The number of fills has also been consolidated for a more concise set of attributes.
Fills relating to Building Materials’ cover fills (e.g. brick and block cover fills) are customised to standard local
dimensions.
Fills have been arranged into the same folder structure as Surfaces and Building Materials where possible.
Care should be taken when importing attributes, including from other projects and from the Additional Surface
Catalogs, to ensure the dimensions and alignment of imported fills are consistent and to avoid unnecessary
duplicates. Likewise, avoid deleting fill types that are used in objects’ default settings to avoid MISSING
attributes. Also see Views and Find & Select.

Surfaces
To ensure compatibility the standard international (INT) template, Surfaces have been retained, with new ones
added, and some modified to local standards (e.g. Brick appearances to BS EN 771-1:2011). Some surfaces have
been renamed.
Surfaces use pen 101 (generic fill) for the display of their associated cover fills, displaying the fills with a finer
weight pen than the elements’ outlines.
When creating or importing surfaces, including from the Additional Surface Catalogs, ensure their associated
textures and cover fills have the correct dimensions and are consistent, and avoid unnecessary duplicates.

Building Materials
The standard Building Materials have been retained from the international (INT) template, with some renaming.
This list has been extended to try and cover standard building materials in use.

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Building Materials use pen 101 (generic fill) for the display of cut fill foregrounds and pen -1 (background) for cut
fill backgrounds.
The intersection priorities have been adjusted to assist with priority-based connections between elements.

Composites
The list of Composites has been updated to reflect UK requirements with some additional composites. There has
been no attempt to create a definitive list and these composites should be seen as examples.
Where you have commonly used structure types across multiple projects they should be incorporated into your
own studio template. Project-specific structures can otherwise be created project by project.

Complex Profiles
The Complex Profiles in this template should be viewed as examples of what can be achieved and do not
represent a definitive list. As with composites, you should update your own template based on your studio’s
requirements.

Zone Categories
An extensive list of Zone Categories has been created, all of which have their Uniclass 2015 reference added.
These can be customised as required.

Operation Profiles
The operation profiles are consistent with the international (INT) template and have not been customised.

MEP Systems
The operation profiles are consistent with the international (INT) template and have not been customised.

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Data Management
Archicad offers a flexible way to classify elements according to national or company standard classification
systems. This is fundamental in associating properties to elements, and the mapping of data for IFC
import/export.

Classifications
The UKI template uses the default Archicad classification system (Archicad Classification - v 2.0) at both the
element and component levels. These classifications are utilised to enable the appropriate properties for
elements and their components, and also the mapping of elements to IFC types.
Additional classification systems can be downloaded from the BIM Content Packages page of the Graphisoft
website where needed. (See the Classification Manager dialog.)

Properties
The UKI template contains the basic building industry properties used in the UK and Ireland. They are used to
control and display element data through the use of annotations, schedules, and IFC coordination. Properties can
be assigned at both the element level or the material (component) level.
The properties implemented in the UKI template include:
• Essential Element Properties: generic set of element properties including references, IDs, ratings,
finishes and “types”.
• Windows & Doors: additional element properties specific to window/doors for inclusion in window and
door schedules.
• Materials: names, descriptions and costs for material-specific data.
Any further properties required in your studio’s output can be added to your own customised template.

IFC Translators
The UKI template includes a concise list of IFC translators for common import and export requirements.
Translators for import:
• General IFC Import: elements are imported as native construction and MEP elements where possible,
otherwise imported as Objects. Layers are created with “IFC” extension.
• Revit MEP Import: as above but layers contain “Revit MEP” extension.
• Revit Structure Import: as above but layers contain “Revit Structure” extension.
• Tekla Structures Import: all elements are imported as Morphs, to avoid coordination issues with
attributes and library management. Layers are created with “Tekla” extension.
Translators for export:
• IFC2x3 Export: general IFC2x3 export for coordination (reference). All elements are exported with their
BREP geometry, which represents element geometry with intersections, connections and SEO
operations.
• IFC4 Export: general IFC4 export for reference. All elements are exported with their BREP geometry,
which represents element geometry with intersections, connections and SEO operations.
• Solibri Export: export for Solibri, containing extruded/revolved geometry, along with Archicad and IFC
data, for model checking.
The translators do not necessarily provide a “one size fits all” solution to model and data exchange and should
be customised based on the requirements of your studio and other project stakeholders.

DWG Translators
DWG Translators form part of the standard installation and not Archicad project templates. However these
should still be customised as required according to your studio’s required output.

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Display Options
The display options control the visibility of elements and subcomponents, their level of detail, and visual effects.
They control the display of the model and drawings on-screen, in saved views (view options) and in drawing
output.
In the UKI template, the naming and numbering of preconfigured display options is determined by which Views
they affect. See View Map for more information.

Layer Combinations
The UKI template includes an extensive list of layer combinations controlling the visibility of elements, filtering
the content being displayed to correspond to drawing output at different design stages and to adapt the output
to the type of drawing.
All architectural layers are set to intersection group number 1 to enable element intersections between different
layers, with the exception of the A-EF2510__M5 Walls and columns-Finish layer in group number 2 to enable
separate modelling of internal finishes. External references use subsequent intersection groups (numbers 3-6).
These intersection group numbers are consistent across all Layer Combinations.
The Layer Combinations reflect the most commonly used deliverables of project documentation and are in line
with AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For ARCHICAD v2.0.
The following naming convention is used:
Role: “A” to denote architects.
Number or classification: the ID of the corresponding View(s) referring to the layer combination.
Description: the name or function of the Layer Combination and View(s).
Each field is separated with a hyphen. However, unlike the guidance in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For
ARCHICAD v2.0, camel case has not been included for better legibility.
Each Layer Combination’s number corresponds to the exact Views referencing it, e.g. the A-44-RCP layer
combination is referenced by the 44-RCPs cloned folder in the View Map.
The 00-All layers layer combination, which is not intended to be used for output, displays all layers with the
exception of any “hidden” layers. It shows all model and drawing information while working and is used by the
Generic Working views.
Also see Layers.

Pen Sets
The UKI template includes five pen sets; the Working pen set where elements are displayed in colour dependant
on the type of Archicad element and four Print pen sets designed for output at different scales. The Print pen
sets display elements with black pens and use weights adjusted according to the corresponding drawing scale
(1:100, 1:50, 1:20, 1:5).
The naming of the Pen Sets conforms with AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For ARCHICAD v2.0:
Number: sequential two-digit number. The Working pen set is prefixed with 00 (consistent with the other
Generic Working display options) and the Print pen sets numbered sequentially from 01.
Description: a description of the pen set; either “Print” followed by the intended scale, or “Working”.
Each field is separated with a hyphen. However, unlike the guidance in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For
ARCHICAD v2.0, camel case has not been used for better legibility. The non-mandatory Role and “Penset” tag
fields have not been included to reduce the length of the name and avoid truncation.
Also see Pens and Colours.

Model View Options

Model view options (MVOs) affect the display of construction elements and GDL objects throughout the project.

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The UKI template includes MVOs to control the output display at different design stages, for different drawing
types and for external coordination. The naming follows guidance in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For
ARCHICAD v2.0:
Number: two-digit numeric prefix. Unlike the guidance, the prefix is not sequential in the UKI template and
instead follows the numbering convention from the View Map.
Description: a description of the MVO/corresponding Views.
Each field is separated with a hyphen. However, unlike the guidance in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For
ARCHICAD v2.0, camel case has not been used for better legibility. The non-mandatory Role and “ModelView”
tag text fields have not been included to reduce the length of the name and avoid truncation.
The prefix number and name either matches a top-level folder in the View Map (e.g. 40-Technical design) or is
customised in more detail for specific views within the folder (e.g. 44-RCP). The 00-Working MVO avoids filtering
construction elements detail while working in the project.

Graphic Overrides
Use Graphic Overrides (GOs) to apply a predefined appearance to model elements to convey information
graphically. The Graphic Override Rules define criteria to be used in determining which elements are affected by
the override, and the style of the override to be applied, including changes to their pen colours, fills, and
surfaces.
GOs included in the UKI template serve a number of purposes:
• To hide construction detail in early design stages, e.g. by setting all cut files to a solid fill type.
• To control the resulting appearance where multiple elements are overlayed, e.g. where slab cover fills
(floor finishes) obscure zone category colours.
• To highlight elements based on their data, e.g. fire ratings.
• For QA purposes, to highlight modelling inconsistencies or missing information.
The following naming convention is used for GOs:
Number: two-digit numeric prefix, following the numbering convention from the view map. GOs for QA
purposes are instead prefixed with “QA” followed by a sequential two-digit number and are grouped with the
same number where forming part of the same check.
Description: a description of the GO/corresponding Views.

Renovation Filters
The Renovation Filters provide visual feedback on the status of each element at a particular stage of a
renovation project based on the their renovation statuses. Renovation Filters contain a number of display
settings for each revision status along with options to apply preset graphic overrides. Note that Graphic Override
Combinations take priority over Renovation Filters. Also see Graphic Overrides.
The default renovation status is “new”. When working with existing buildings, use the renovation palette to
choose the relevant status for the following elements.
The naming follows guidance in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For ARCHICAD v2.0:
Number: sequential two-digit number. As the Renovation Filters are used during different design stages and
across all views, the numbering system does not correlate to the structure of the View Map.
Description: a description of the renovation filter/corresponding views.
Each field is separated with a hyphen. However, unlike the guidance in AEC (UK) BIM Technology Protocol For
ARCHICAD v2.0, camel case has not been used for better legibility. The non-mandatory “Renovation” tag text
field has not been included to reduce the length of the name and avoid truncation.
Use the All override renovation filter to show all elements and check the renovation status for each element has
been set as expected. Pay particular attention to elements migrated from Archicad 14 or before, projects with
hotlinks migrated from versions prior to Archicad 18, and to elements imported from other file formats that do
not have translators (e.g. Sketchup, STL, etc.).
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Design Options
Design options are project-specific and should be configured to your project requirements. Also see View Map.

Floor Plan Cut Plane

The Floor Plan Cut Plane is set to 1100mm. Views can retain different Floor Plan Cut Plane settings.

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Project Structure
Storey Settings
The storey should be customised according to project specific requirements.
Storey numbering and naming complies with ISO 19650 with numbering set to two-digit coding.

Project Map
The template includes a single section (S-01) and single elevation (E-01) viewpoint, positioned and aligned to the
Archicad zero point. Additional sections and elevations created will be numbered sequentially. Update the naming
and numbering format as required.
Two independent worksheets have been included for the location plan and site survey drawings. Further
worksheets should be created for any other reference data.
Basic schedules and lists have been included to address listing and scheduling of openings, FF&E, zones, walls
and finishes. Again these should be customised and fine-tuned to your own requirements.
The template does not include any default interior elevations, details or 3D documents.

View Map
The View Map is structured around drawing production through the RIBA Plan of Works, with further folders for
data exchange and QA processes. It is organised into the following sections:
Generic Working (00): not intended to be used for output, instead aiding the design and modelling processes by
displaying all layers and avoiding elements from being otherwise filtered or overridden. The Views’ associated
display options all share the 00 prefix.
Drawing Production (10-40): organised around the RIBA Plan of Works with distinct folders for each stage
(stages 1-4). Each of these folders contains a set of Views to create a basic set of drawing output appropriate for
that stage.
The drawing production Views focus on the actions and deliverables of the given stage, effectively providing
three levels of detail and styles of drawing output, as well as the site drawings. Drawing output will likely contain
views from multiple folders, e.g. a site plan from the 10-Preparation folder along with floor plans, sections and
elevations from the 30-Spatial Coordination or 40-Technical Design folders.
This generic approach referring to the Plan of Works should provide an easy to use and comprehensible structure
for the View Map rather than aligning highly variable company-specific folder hierarchies and drawing series. The
naming of the folders, views and associated display settings can be customised further to align with your own
deliverables.
Coordination and Export (50): Views for export to BIMx and IFC to assist with consistent model export. This
folder also contains the Project Indexes.
Visualisation (60): reserved to save any Views for rendering and visualisation purposes.
QA: Views for model checking and data validation purposes intended for internal QA processes, highlighting
issues found graphically. The QA Views included in this template assist in checking for consistency in layers and
classifications used, missing properties, design options and attributes, and static (non-associative) labels and
dimensions. Note that these Views refer to the 3D window and floor plan (storey) viewpoints so consider saving
further Views or Cloned Folders to check other viewpoint types as required. Also see Find & Select.
The naming of the View Map’s top-level folders is in the following format:
Number: two-digit number. For views relating to the Plan of Works, the number consists of the design stage
followed by “0” (e.g. stage 2 is “20”). The contained subfolders are then numbered sequentially (e.g. 21, 22…)
Description: a description of the set of views or name of the design stage.

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The view map includes a combination of individually saved views and cloned folders. Cloned folders are used for
storeys (floor plans, RCPs) and interior elevations to automatically create a View of each new viewpoint in the
model, e.g. Views are automatically added when creating a new storey. This methodology promotes consistency
between drawings.
Cloned Folders have not been used for other types of viewpoint, such as sections and elevations, which are
instead saved as individual views. This gives full control over which viewpoints should be included in output for
each design stage and avoids having additional views listed unnecessarily that either aren’t required for that
stage, or even where viewpoints have been created temporarily to check the model.
The structure of the View Map should be updated depending on your preference of Cloned Folders or individual
Views. If your inclination is towards cloned folders then a quick method to introduce these is to open a single
saved View (and therefore its display settings) and immediately create a cloned folder using these same settings.
If deleting the views then remember to relink any Drawings on the Layouts.
You should update your studio’s template to accommodate your preferred use of views and cloned folders.
The views included in this template use the following scales:
• 20-Concept Design: 1:100
• 30-Spatial Coordination: 1:100
• 40-Technical Design: 1:50, except Interior Elevations at 1:20, and Floor Finishes, Wall Finishes, Acoustic
Strategy and Fire Strategy at 1:100
It is expected that the scales are changed to reflect the size of the project and layouts used.

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The UKI template does not include any predefined Design Options, which are project-specific and should be
created as required during the design process. All default Views are therefore displayed using the Main Model
Only display setting. Where your projects do have a requirement to produce output based on multiple Design
Options, make copies of Views (or entire folders) with the duplicate command from the right-click context menu.
The duplicated Views can then be updated to display alternative Design Options by updating the view settings.
For a full overview of the default structure of the view map, see Appendix 1: View List.
The View List in the Project Indexes can assist in checking the display settings of each View, to locate any
inconsistencies and update their display settings. However where Cloned Folders are being used it is advisable to
update the settings of the entire Cloned Folder in the Navigator. Otherwise, changing the setting of one such
View from a Cloned folder, either in the View Map or through the project indexes, will result in overridden display
settings for the individual Views, potentially resulting in inconsistent output.

Layout Book
Whereas the structure of the View Map is detailed and comprehensive, the default layout book is minimal
providing an example folder structure and a few layouts only. The structure of the Layout Book should be
developed further according to your studio’s workflows and drawing series. The folder hierarchy included in the
template aims only to serve as an example due to the highly variable drawing series between different studios.
The Layout Book contains initial Layout sheets for site plans and concept stage design drawings with drawings
linked from the 10-Preparation and 20-Concept Design folders in the View Map. When developing your custom
template it is recommended to include the Layouts typically included in the first transmittal, with additional
Layouts created as required during the subsequent drawing transmittals. This approach, rather than including a
full set of Layouts in the template, assists with use of Archicad’s change management tools.
Each subset folder has an example drawing series number with its contained layouts numbered sequentially
based on the order of the layouts as seen in the subset. (Avoid reordering the Layouts after publishing!)
To update the drawing series number of a subset, open its Subset Settings and change both the ID (for the
subset folder’s ID) and “start at” number (for the layouts’ IDs).

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Drawing numbering complies with ISO 19650 and forms part of the title block and document naming on export.
Autotext has been used wherever possible. Also see Title Blocks and Publisher Sets.

Publisher Sets
The Publisher Sets specify sets of documents to be exported, their file formats, publishing location and document
naming options. This enables automated file and document communication such as PDF, DWG and IFC exchange
workflows with consistent use of translators.
The DWG and PDF Publisher Sets include a shortcut to the entire layout book hierarchy, so all Layouts are
therefore automatically included in these Publisher Sets. The “sets to output” button in the Navigator can be
used to filter the export to include only the current transmittal or current selection.
The template includes two versions of the PDF and DWG Publisher Sets with different drawing naming
conventions. The “01 PDFs” and “02 DWGs” Publisher Sets use a short naming convention consisting only of the
project code, layout ID and revision ID, whereas the “05 PDFs ISO19650” and “06 DWGs ISO19650” Publisher
Sets use naming compliant with ISO 19650, also corresponding to the drawing numbering in the title block. See
Title Blocks.
Autotext fields automate the drawing naming without manual input. Use “rename items” from the right-click
context menu to update the naming convention used using a combination of static text and autotext fields.
The IFC Publisher Set includes the applicable 3D view and by default exports with the IFC2x3 Export (BREP)
translator. Change the default translator as required.
The BIMx Publisher Set includes the BIMx 3D View, as well as shortcuts to each layout subset folder, but does
not include a shortcut to the entire Layout Book. (The transmittal sheet is not included.) Any new subsets
created in the Layout Book must therefore be added to the BIMx Publisher Set to be included in the exported
BIMx files. Use the Organiser palette to either add shortcuts to these subsets or manually drag across
layouts/folders without creating shortcuts.

Project Indexes
Example Project Indexes are included to document Views, Layouts, Changes and Transmittal Sets.

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Usability
Tool Default Settings
All Archicad tools’ default settings have been configured to align to the template’s attributes. Each tool maintains
its own distinct default settings, including the default layer (with the exception of some of the 2D documentation
tools, where the Uniform Settings for Line Tools option is active).
The default settings of the design tools are set to a simple, concept level of detail where applicable, with a basic
structure type and concept building material. The Archicad classification and layer is set accordingly. For
example, the slab tool defaults to the Floors layer and is classified as a Slab. It is expected that the layer and
classification will be updated for the modelling of other building elements such as floor finishes or ceilings.
It is essential that elements are drawn onto the correct layers for consistent drawing production and classified
appropriately for data management and external coordination.
Likewise, care and attention should be taken for the annotation tools (dimensions, labels…) ensuring that they
are associated with the appropriate construction elements and drawn onto the appropriate layer. This template
includes multiple layers for annotations to filter content depending on design stage and type of drawing.
By default the annotation tools are set to hide with associated element and use the GA annotation Layers, e.g.
the label tool defaults to the Notes and labels-GAs Layer and the dimension tool defaults to the Dimensions-GAs
Layer. Change the tools’ Layer setting to annotate different drawing sets (e.g. use Dimensions-Details for
inclusion in detailed drawings in the technical design stage).
Also see Layers and Layer Combinations.

Favourites
A number of Favourites have been included in the UKI template to assist in getting started with Archicad. The
design tools generally have a concept Favourites for early design stages (and to reset the tool if you have
customised the settings) and an example of a more detailed structure (i.e. Composite). Favourites are organised
in a folder tree structure reflecting commonly used workflows.
To assist with more detailed design elements, such as stairs and railings, the template includes multiple
examples to demonstrate different usages of these tools, which can be customised further as required.
For documentation, the template includes Favourites for the dimension, text, and label tools, with separate
versions of the favourites mapped to the appropriate layers.
It is expected that each studio will create and update their own set of Favourites according to typical project
requirements. Use the favourites palette to import/export Favourites between projects or to import back into
your studio’s template.
The element transfer settings control which optional parameters are applied from a chosen Favourite. Take care
to ensure that the parameters are transferred as expected, e.g. layers could otherwise be ignored when selecting
a favourite, resulting in elements or annotations being excluded from drawing output unexpectedly or appearing
in the incorrect documentation.

Find & Select

The UKI template includes Find & Select criteria sets to assist with QA processes in addition to the QA Views
provided. (See View Map.)
The QA criteria sets aim to assist you in checking the model and documentation for consistency, in identifying
missing classifications, properties, attributes and design options. Customise as required.

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Annotations
Text
The default text style is consistently set to 2.5mm Arial throughout the tools’ default settings (with the exception
of the Drawing Markers). The template includes text Favourites at 2.5mm and 3.5mm print size. Text favourites
can also be activated through the text settings of other tools (dimensions, zones, labels…) where relevant to
maintain consistency.
To ensure that the correct text is displayed in drawing output, the template includes multiple layers to filter the
content for each View. Various versions of Favourites defaulting to different layers have therefore been included
in the template. See Favourites.

Labels
The label tool shares the same set of layers as the text tool and is also set to 2.5mm Arial.
The template includes a large selected of label favourites for quick placement but can be customised as required.
They include:
• Simple text labels
• Finish tags
• Element ID labels/tags
• Step index number (stair treads)
There labels include autotext fields to populate the IDs, surface data, etc.
Try using annotate selected elements to quickly apply the selected Favourite to multiple elements
simultaneously.

Drawing Markers
Section and elevation Favourites have been provided for both GAs and Details, defaulting to the appropriate
Layers and updating the display of the drawing markers. The GAs Favourite displays the reference ID in 3.5mm
Arial text and the Details Favourite displays both the drawing ID and layout ID in 2.5mm Arial. The section and
elevation tools’ default settings correspond to the GAs output style.
The interior elevation markers are set to a GA output with the reference ID in 3.5m Arial text, with 2.5mm
custom text for the individual drawing numbers. The Details favourite instead displays the layout ID in place of
the reference ID.
Also see Favourites.

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Storey Levels
The Storey levels are set to display only in the section and elevation tools. Change to display and output if the
markers should be included in drawing output.
Additional storey marker objects are available in the UKI Essential Library with further options to configure the
style of the marker symbols.

Window and Door Markers

The door and window tools’ dimension markers have not been enabled in the default settings or in the saved
favourites.
If you activate the dimensions markers for windows and doors then they will be displayed in the 00-Working, 40-
Technical design and 46-Strategy model view options, but will be hidden with other Views.
Labels can also be associated with window and door elements to display other data relating to the design
elements. See Labels.

Zone Stamps
All zone categories are set to display zones with the Zone Stamp 02 27 zone stamp library part. The zone stamp
used is determined by the zone category with the precise display configured in the zone tool’s settings, and the
visibility controlled through the Model View Options.
The zone stamp is set to a scale-dependent display, with the following default information:
• 1:200: zone name
• 1:100: zone name, zone number, measured area
• 1:50: zone name, zone number, floor finish, measured area
If you are using zone stamps and have a requirement to display different data then update the zone’s default
settings and the favourites accordingly.
In addition to the zone stamps, zones can include a label automatically on placement. Either turn off the place
label setting in the info box if the label is not required, or select the preferred label Favourite to be used from the
drop-down. This selection will be remembered. If using labels in place of zone stamps, the zone stamps should
be hidden by unchecking show zone stamps in all Model View Options.
Labels can also be associated with zones in sections and elevations. See Labels.

Title Blocks
Examples of title blocks have been included for different Layout sizes and presentations, containing autotext
wherever possible.
The title blocks include full drawing numbering in compliance with ISO 19650 in the following format:
Project Code: unique code for the project, between two and six characters, set in the Project Info.
Originator: code to identify your studio, between three and six characters, set in the Project Info.
Volume: two characters identifying the part of the model (or “XX” if the project hasn’t been divided into
volumes), set in the Layout settings.
Level: two characters identifying the level, set in the Layout settings.
Type: two characters identifying the type of information, set in the Layout settings.
Role: code identifying the discipline of the originator, set in the Project Info.
Number: four-digit sequential numbering referring to the Layout ID.
Revision: the current revision of the document using the revision ID of the layout in the most recent transmittal
set.

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The text fields are separated with hyphens, with the exception of the revision ID, which is positioned to the
right-hand side of the title block.
The non-mandatory field for suitability has not been included in the title block but an autotext field is available
for this if required (layout status code) through the Layout settings.
The revision history object displays detailed information on the Layout’s revisions, displaying the revision ID,
transmittal ID (issue), transmittal name (description), issued by and checked by fields, and the transmittal date.
It is anticipated that the title block, layout naming and numbering, and change management/revision tools will
be customised based on your own studio’s workflows and documentation.
All elements included in the title block (lines, text, revision object…) are placed on the Archicad Layer to prevent
them from being hidden during export.

Drawings and Drawing Titles

All drawings are placed on the Archicad Layer and are displayed without a drawing title.
The template includes two drawing tool Favourites for use when placing further drawings onto the layouts;
layout drawing with title and layout drawing without title. The version with the title includes the linear drawing
title with a circular marker containing the drawing number and right-aligned text for the name and scale.
Although the drawings are set to automatic update, you might prefer to use manual update to give more control
over the drawing review and change management processes.

Legends
The template include examples of drawing legends, which can be customised as required, including:
• a fire strategy legend displaying symbols and fire rating data of walls containing a fire rating value and
zones with fire compartmentation set to true,
• an acoustic strategy legend displaying symbols and acoustic rating data of walls containing an acoustic
rating value, and
• a floor finish legend displaying symbols and surface data of elements classified as flooring.
Where the legends should be colour-coded, use saved views with the appropriate graphic overrides.

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Libraries
This template contains only the standard linked libraries for the Archicad installation (Archicad Library 27 and
MEP Library 27). The UKI library release is fully compatible with the international (INT) version.
When migrating a project to Archicad 27 it is recommended to migrate your older-version library using the easy
and automatic Migrate Archicad Libraries function. This will add the Migrations Library folder to the linked
libraries.
Additionally the Archicad UK Essential Library can be downloaded from the BIM Content downloads section of
the Graphisoft website (Forward customers only). See BIM Content and Add-ons from Archicad’s Help > Online
Resources menu.
The Embedded Library is empty by default. Only small project specific objects and images should be stored in
the Embedded Library and it is not recommended to be used for any contents of your template.

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Appendices
Appendix 1: View List
Structure Graphic Override Design Option
Folder View(s) Layer Combination Scale Pen Set Model View Options Renovation Dimension Set
Display Combination Combination
10-Preparation
11-Site Location Plan A-11-Site plan 1:500 01-Print 1:100 10-Preparation 10-Preparation 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
11-Site Proposed Site Plan A-11-Site plan 1:200 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 10-Preparation 10-Preparation 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
11-Site Site Survey A-11-Site survey 1:200 01-Print 1:100 10-Preparation 10-Preparation 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
20-Concept Design
21-Floor Plans Existing Plans A-21-Concept plan 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
21-Floor Plans GF-Ground Floor A-21-Concept plan 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
21-Floor Plans Grid Layout A-21-Grid 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
22-Sections Existing Sections A-22-Concept section 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
22-Sections Proposed Sections A-22-Concept section 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
23-Elevations Existing Elevations A-23-Concept elevation 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
23-Elevations Proposed Elevations A-23-Concept elevation 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 20-Concept 20-Concept 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
30-Spatial Coordination
31-GA Plans Existing Plans A-31-GA plan 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 30-Spatial coordination 30-Spatial coordination 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
31-GA Plans Proposed Plans A-31-GA plan 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 30-Spatial coordination 30-Spatial coordination 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
32-GA Sections Existing Sections A-32-GA section 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 30-Spatial coordination 30-Spatial coordination 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
32-GA Sections Proposed Sections A-32-GA section 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 30-Spatial coordination 30-Spatial coordination 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
33-GA Elevations Existing Elevations A-33-GA elevation 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 30-Spatial coordination 30-Spatial coordination 01-Existing Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
33-GA Elevations Proposed Elevations A-33-GA elevation 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 30-Spatial coordination 30-Spatial coordination 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
40-Technical Design
41-Detailed Plans Demolition Plans A-41-Detail plan 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 40-Technical design 40-Technical design 02-Demolition Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
41-Detailed Plans Proposed Plans A-41-Detail plan 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 40-Technical design 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
41-Detailed Plans Room Layouts A-41-Detail plan 1:20 Entire Model 03-Print 1:20 40-Technical design 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
42-Sections Proposed Sections A-42-Detail section 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 40-Technical design 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
43-Elevations Exterior Elevations A-43-Detail elevation 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 40-Technical design 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
43-Elevations Interior Elevations A-43-Interior elevation 1:20 Entire Model 03-Print 1:20 40-Technical design 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
44-RCPs Reflected Ceiling Plans A-44-RCP 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 44-RCP 44-RCP 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
45-Finishes Floor Finishes A-45-Floor Finishes 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 45-Finishes 45-Floor types 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
45-Finishes Wall Finishes A-45-Wall Finishes 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 45-Finishes 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
46-Strategy Acoustic Strategy A-46-Strategy acoustic 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 46-Strategy 46-Acoustic strategy 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
46-Strategy Drainage A-46-Strategy drainage 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 46-Strategy 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
46-Strategy Electrical A-46-Strategy electrical 1:50 Entire Model 02-Print 1:50 46-Strategy 40-Technical design 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
46-Strategy Fire Strategy A-46-Strategy fire 1:100 Entire Model 01-Print 1:100 46-Strategy 46-Fire strategy 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
47-Details Details (plan) A-41-Detail plan 1:5 Entire Model 04-Print 1:5 40-Technical design No Overrides 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter
47-Details Details (section) A-42-Detail section 1:5 Entire Model 04-Print 1:5 40-Technical design No Overrides 05-Proposed Main Model Only 01-Millimeter

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