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The contents of tables that are created and arranged on the Floor Plan can be updated at any time without losing the formatting. The elements placed on the Floor Plan are library parts and maintain a dynamic link to their data files. This means that any time the document of origin is modified, the corresponding data is automatically updated in ArchiCAD.
To begin working with ArchiTabula, first the Tool Palette must be activated. To do this, just open the ArchiTabula menu and select the View ArchiTabula Palette option. The command is available from any 2D window (Floor Plan and Section/Elevation).
The Tool Palette contains six buttons, each of which performs a different function. The first tool, “Create/Modify Spreadsheet,” allows electronic spreadsheets to be created for entering text, numbers or mathematical formulas.
ArchiTabula spreadsheets are similar to normal spreadsheets; the only difference is that, due to restrictions imposed by the API development environment, the dimensions are limited to 128 rows and 64 columns.
ArchiTabula allows files to be opened in either tabulated text format or in the ArchiCAD Calculation Lists format. After processing, they can be saved in .SLV format and placed on the ArchiCAD Floor Plan Worksheet as Objects.
ArchiTabula also has its own “calculator”. This handy tool is similar to regular calculators but has a number of added features that make it especially popular among users. First of all, up to eleven numbers can be stored in memory, for easy retrieval and viewing in the lateral extension of the calculator. Additional functionality is provided by the Read Length and Read Area buttons, which can be used to read the dimensions of 3D and 2D elements in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation.
The measurements can be read in two ways: either by selecting the elements on the Floor Plan and then clicking on the read commands or by selecting the commands first and then the elements. Of course, these values can also be memorised in the calculator’s display area. ArchiTabula also allows spreadsheets to be created using the “Spreadsheet Object” tool. Files previously created in .SLV format are used as reference files and are opened directly in the dialog window. Elements such as the background colour of the spreadsheet and font can also be customised in the dialog window. Spreadsheets placed on the Floor Plan are ArchiCAD Objects, which means that they can be reopened and modified as desired.
Native .SLV files can also be used to create graphs with the “Graph Object” tool. A series of icons in the Settings dialog window allows quick and easy selection of the type of graph to display. As with spreadsheets, elements such as font, dimensions and display colours are customisable.
The “Caption Object” tool allows creation of a caption using a predefined structure divided into various boxes that change size to accommodate the data entered. Even a company logo can be displayed, with the size and position desired. The font type can vary from box to box. Once the caption has been completed, it can be saved and placed on the Floor Plan as an Object.
