The Marquee is a frequently under-utilised tool within ArchiCAD, with three different functions with which it can be used.
The Marquee has two selection modes:
- Single (Current) Story - the thin line option in the InfoBar
- All Stories - the thick line option in the InfoBar
The Marquee tool has three geometry method options (shown below)
- Polyline
- Rectangle
- Angled Rectangle
3D Display
The Marquee Tool is predominantly used as a visual aid, allowing models to be cutaway and displayed in 3D.
By drawing a marquee around an area in Floorplan, it is possible to display this area only in 3D (example show below):
- Place the Marquee in Floorplan
- Right-click in empty space in the Floorplan
- Choose "Show Selection/Marquee in 3D"
- Navigate in the 3D window as normal
- Result: Everything that was inside the Marquee area will only be shown in 3D
Depending on whether the Marquee is the thin/thick mode, this will dictate whether one or all stories of the model are shown in 3D.
To return to showing the full model in 3D:
- Right-click in empty space in the Floorplan
- Choose "Show All in 3D"
Reposition
Another very useful feature of the Marquee tool is the use of 'Reposition' commands on the Marqueed area
- Place the Marquee in Floorplan
- Do not select any elements
- Goto: Edit > Move > Drag / Rotate / Mirror etc.
- Left-Click on a base point (on the geometry) to move
- Left-Click on a reference point to move to (or enter a distance in the Tracker)
- Result: Everything that was inside the Marquee area will move that distance
This may not seem extremely useful until you realise that if the Thick Marquee mode is on, elements inside the Marquee on ALL STORIES will have moved also.
Stretch
The last major use for the Marquee tool is the Stretch option
- Place the Marquee in Floorplan
- Do not select any elements
- Do not choose any Reposition commands
- Left-Click on a base point (on the geometry) to move
- Left-Click on a reference point to move to (or enter a distance in the Tracker)
- Result: Everything FULLY-ENCLOSED by the Marquee will move but everything PARTIALLY-enclosed will be stretched
This is very useful when you wish to extend a portion of the model by a certain distance - it means you can edit all the individual elements in one procedure, rather than have to edit them individually
This option becomes even more useful when the Thick Marquee mode is on, as (similar to above) appropriate elements on all stories will be stretched.