How to edit a composite wall assembly?

[Gadget Man]

Hello All,



I have a problem with editing a composite wall assembly (Edit Assembly dialog box). It was mentioned to us during the course, but so many things were mentioned then - I simply can't recall the procedure. Watching some of the threads here, I found references to this issue, but when I try to follow them I'm stuck.



After I open a composite wall properties dialog box (Element Properties -> Edit/New -> Edit (Structure)) I have a following wall composition (see picture 1): Core boundary, Structure [1], Core boundary, Finish 1 [4].

I want to achieve a very simple thing: that my "Finish 1 [4] " layer will extend 450mm below my "Structure [1]" layer, hiding a flooring system.

So, I open the preview window, go to "section: modify attributes" view, "un-lock" both bottom edges (both layers) - as advised in one of the threads here - and then what?

When I try to "drag" any of the edges - nothing happens... Splitting any of the layers (regions) is not what I want (I think ...?) nor is joining them... Obviously I don't want to include any reveals or sweeps and I run out of options!

I tried to find an answer in the "Help" but wasn't very successful.

How should I do it?

Jerry. :-(

[Wes Macaulay]

Once you've unlocked the material, you can drag it independently of the other materials in section. Is this what you're talking about?

[Gadget Man]

Ah, in the SECTION...!!! Here we go!

Thanks a lot!

I always tried to do it in the Wall Assembly Edit window to have it simply defined as such. No wonder it didn't do anything then...

Thanks again,

Jerry.

[bclarch]

You can also set the offset to an explicit number by going into the properties dialog box for the wall and typing in the value for the base extension. This is helpful if you are doing a large number of walls. You can select all of the walls that need extending and type the value in once and you're done. Negative values extend downward.

[tamas]

The key concept here is that the extension distance is an instance parameter and can be varied for wall instances of the same type.

You were trying to set it as a type parameter. That would apply to all walls of this type.

[Wes Macaulay]

You can also set the offset to an explicit number by going into the properties dialog box for the wall and typing in the value for the base extension.That is a very good point and more than qualifies as a tip!