Curtain wall "screen" with gap between panels

[t1.shep]

Hope the title makes sense...
I'm trying to create a screen that hangs off the face of the building. I'm using a curtain wall to create the screen panels. However, we plan on the panels being mounted from the back-side and therefore, won't have a frame/mullion surrounding it. Now what I want to do is show a space between each panel and still no mullion.
But now that I'm writing this and thinking about it...I'm going to be creating a custom panel regardless, so I assume that if I create an offset in the panel family from the default ref. planes to accommodate the gap I'm seeking, that should work. Right?

[Dave Jones]

Hope the title makes sense...
I'm trying to create a screen that hangs off the face of the building. I'm using a curtain wall to create the screen panels. However, we plan on the panels being mounted from the back-side and therefore, won't have a frame/mullion surrounding it. Now what I want to do is show a space between each panel and still no mullion.
But now that I'm writing this and thinking about it...I'm going to be creating a custom panel regardless, so I assume that if I create an offset in the panel family from the default ref. planes to accommodate the gap I'm seeking, that should work. Right?

setting the offset works here for screens or shade panels but I'm offsetting them from a curtain wall face. Don't know how that would work offset from a wall face

[Dimitri Harvalias]

You're right. The panel offset at the perimeter will pull the edges of your curtain panel away from the curtain grid.
If the mounting is just vertical elements at specific spacing or numbers, per panel I would probably model it as part of the curtain panel itself. the curtain wall type would then just include the panels and no mullions.
If the support is a grid with reveals (both vertical and horizontal at the panel joints a la Alucobond) then I'd create it as mullion profiles.

Dave, the panels would be offset within the curtain wall. That wall would be placed on the exterior of the structural wall (mounted on the wall if you will). The distance to the face of the panel cladding could be controlled by the location line of the curtain wall or an offset parameter in the panel family.

[gbrl.frdmn344420]

Dimitri, can you explain how you create the panel offsets? I have reveals in both vertical horizontal axes and I am not sure how to go about modelling this properly via a curtain wall system

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Welcome to the forums.
In the curtain panel family template there are ref planes that define the outer boundaries (the curtain grids in your curtain wall) of the panel. Just add ref planes inside (or outside) those lines, add parameters to control their location and then create your panel geometry relate to those planes.
I've attached a really quick example that includes controls for the jamb inset, head/sill inset and the location of the panel face relative to the curtain wall location line.
Have a look and reverse engineer it to see how it works.
Re-post if you still have trouble getting what you want.
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