About Working With Slabs and Roof Slabs

Slabs and roof slabs are AutoCAD Architecture objects that you use to model floors, roof faces,
and other flat surfaces where edge conditions need to be specified. The slab or roof slab object is
a three-dimensional (3D) body bounded by a planar polygon (perimeter) of any shape, and has
multiple edges. The object is defined by its perimeter, edge conditions, and style. Though they
share many of the same properties, slabs and roof slabs represent separate style categories and
tool types. For instance, you cannot apply the properties of a slab tool to an existing roof slab
object.

Roof Slabs
A roof slab models a single face of a roof. Roof slab objects also differ from roof objects in that
each roof slab is a separate entity with no direct connection to other entities. When you use
multiple roof slabs to model an entire roof surface, you have more flexibility in editing the roof,
but the combined topology (3D geometry) of the roof is not calculated automatically. For this
reason, it is recommended that when you design complex roofs, you start with a roof object.
Then, when the design is substantially complete, but you need more flexibility for customizing
edges and other details, you can convert the roof to individual roof slabs.

While roof slabs do not dynamically interact with each other, they do allow significant control
over the roof geometry. For example, you can trim roof slabs individually, extend them, and
miter them with other roof slabs. You can also cut holes in roof slabs, add or subtract mass
elements, and apply detailed fascia and soffit profiles to any edge at any angle and orientation.
Like slabs, roof slabs are style-based, so you can apply design changes globally.

Methods of Creating Slabs/Roof Slabs

Using slab and roof slab tools, you can create slabs and roof slabs independently, or you can
create them from existing objects, such as walls and polylines. Slabs and roof slabs created from
other objects do not maintain a link to the original object.

Pitched roofs are usually designed by specifying a plate line and a slope angle. Roof slabs are
designed so that you can use the same approach in laying them out. To add a roof slab, you
simply specify two points and an angle.

If you have a traditionally designed roof created from a two-dimensional (2D) plan showing
ridge, hip, and valley lines, you can trace over that plan with roof slabs, specifying the desired
height and slope. From these values and the specified points, the software creates the correct
three-dimensional (3D) model.
Slab/Roof Slab Bodies
The body of a slab or roof slab is an extrusion perpendicular to the plane of the perimeter and is
defined by the following geometry:

The perimeter of a slab or roof slab is a planar polygon defined by the X,Y,Z coordinates
of its vertices.
A slab or roof slab has 3 or more vertices, with the ability to add or remove vertices. Each
pair of vertices defines an edge.
The thickness of a slab or roof slab extrusion is specified either in the object style (when
it has a fixed thickness) or for the individual object.
The position of the slab or roof slab bottom, relative to its perimeter plane, is controlled
by the thickness offset value in the style.
The baseline of a slab or roof slab is defined by the first two points you select when
defining the vertices.
The slab or roof slab insertion point, by default, is the first point on the baseline. You can
offset the baseline either horizontally or vertically from the insertion point to allow for
precise alignment with walls or structural elements.
A slab or roof slab has a slope (pitch), which you can specify either as an angle or as a
rise-to-run ratio. If you change the slope, the slab or roof slab rotates around the slope
pivot point.
The pivot point is initially the first vertex of the baseline, but you can move it to any
other point, either on or off the slab or roof slab. A small pyramid-shaped marker
represents the pivot point.

An imaginary line passing through a slab or roof slab at the perimeter line (in section) is
called the slopeline. The slopeline aligns the slab or roof slab with the wall base height.
The slopeline is the position of the slab or roof slab baseline relative to its bottom face.
The value you enter for the thickness offset in the slab or roof slab style determines the
distance between the slab or roof slab baseline and the bottom face of the slab or roof
slab.
 Geometry of a roof slab

Slab/Roof Slab Edges

The following parameters define a slab or roof slab edge:

edge cut orientation (plumb or square)

angle (relative to the orientation)
edge style (fascia and soffit)
overhang (defines the point at which the fascia begins)

You apply a fascia and soffit to slab or roof slab edges with styles that define edge conditions

The fascia is defined by a profile, with its insertion point located at the top of the slab or
roof slab edge. The local Y axis of the profile polyline aligns with the slab or roof slab
edge angle.
 The soffit is also defined by a profile, with its insertion point positioned at the X and Y
offsets from the fascia insertion point.

Roof slab with fascia and soffit components

Edge Control
You can customize each slab or roof slab edge individually, applying styles and making other
adjustments as required by your design. A slab or roof slab edge style defines the fascia and
soffit design from profiles that you create for these components. You can specify whether the
style uses a fascia, a soffit, both, or neither. You also specify how the fascia and soffit are
positioned relative to the slab or roof slab.

Slab and Roof Slab Styles

Slabs and roof slabs have their own distinct style categories in which individual styles specify
the default properties for specific types of slabs or roof slabs. These properties include
dimensions, edge styles for the fascia and soffit, and entity properties for layer, color, and
linetype. Slab and roof slab styles allow you to use a different edge style for each edge.

Materials in Slabs and Roof Slabs

You can assign materials to a slab or roof slab. For example, a floor slab can be assigned a
material representing tiles with concrete edges. These materials are displayed in wireframe or
rendered views. Materials have specific settings for individual components of slabs or roof slabs,
such as the body, fascia and soffit.
Slab appearance in different views

AutoCAD Architecture provides predefined materials for common design purposes. These
materials contain settings for slabs or roof slabs that you can use as provided or modify for
special designs. You can also create materials from scratch. If you create a material to use only
for slabs, name it accordingly; for example, SlabCeramic Tile or Slab EdgeConcrete. This
will help in organizing your material definitions.

To Create a Slab or Roof Slab from Walls

Use this procedure to create a rectangular slab or roof slab from one or more walls. This is useful
when you want a specific alignment between the slab or roof slab baseline and the wall baseline.
When you create a slab or roof slab from a single wall, the base height of the wall defines the
baseline edge of the slab or roof slab. When you create a slab or roof slab from multiple walls,
the top of the first selected wall defines the baseline edge of the slab or roof slab.

You can create a flat slab or roof slab that follows the outline of multiple walls by specifying a
zero slope. If you select multiple walls and a non-zero slope, multiple slabs or roof slabs are
created.

If the closed polyline intersects one of the selected walls, the slab or roof slab is invalid and you
must select the walls again.

Tip: This procedure is useful to place roof slabs on top of existing walls. The Convert command,
accessed from an existing roof objects contextual Roof tab, is useful when you want a specific
alignment between the slab baseline and the wall baseline.
Creating a roof slab from a wall

Note: When selecting multiple walls, if your walls are not properly cleaned up, the slab or roof
slab conversion is unpredictable.

1. Open the Design tool palette, and select the Slab tool or the Roof Slab tool.

(You may have to scroll to display the desired tool.)

2. Right-click the tool, and click Apply Tool Properties to Linework and Walls (or
Linework, Walls and Roof, in the case of roof slab tools).
3. Select one or more walls, and press Enter.
4. Enter y (Yes) to erase the walls, or n (No) to keep the walls in the drawing.
5. Specify a slab justification method:
 If you want to align the Then
top of the slab or roof slab with the first enter t (Top).
specified point
center of the slab or roof slab with the enter c (Center).
first specified point
bottom of the slab or roof slab with the enter b (Bottom).
first specified point
slopeline of the slab or roof slab with the enter s (Slopeline).
first specified point

6. Note: This justification is used only for inserting a slab or roof slab and is not retained as
a parameter of the inserted object.
7. The slopeline is the position of the slab or roof slab baseline relative to its bottom face.
The thickness offset in the style determines the distance between the baseline and the
bottom face.
8. Specify the wall justification for edge alignment:

If you want to align the baseline edge of Then

the slab or roof slab to the
left side of the wall, based on the enter l (Left).
direction the wall was drawn
center of the wall enter c (Center).
right side of the wall, based on the enter r (Right).
direction the wall was drawn
baseline of the wall enter b (Baseline).

9. To specify the slope direction, enter l (Left) or r (Right).

This is based on the direction the wall was drawn.

 Creating a slab based on walls

10. Edit the properties of the slab or roof slab in the Properties palette, if needed.

About Editing Slabs and Roof Slabs

After placing a slab or roof slab object, you can change its style, location, size, shape, slope,
edge styles, and other characteristics. You can miter its edges and trim or extend it using another
object as a reference. You can also modify slabs and roof slabs using other objects as
interference conditions or body modifiers.

Depending on the type of editing you want to perform, various methods may be available:

After selecting a slab or roof slab, you can click any non-grip point along the perimeter
and drag the entire object to a new location. You can also move the object by clicking a
grip, pressing the Space bar, and then moving the object to the new location and clicking
again.
You can drag the grips that are displayed on a selected slab or roof slab to reorient it,
resize it, or change other physical characteristics.
 For grip edits where you are changing a dimension or an angle, the Dynamic Input
feature lets you enter a precise value instead of dragging a grip. (This feature is activated
by default; you can toggle it on and off by clicking DYN on the application status bar.)
You can apply the properties of a slab tool to an existing slab or the properties of a roof
slab tool to an existing roof slab.
You can change settings on the objects Properties palette. You can also use the Display
tab of the Properties palette to change the display property settings for a selected object
display component in the current display representation.
You can use editing commands from the objects contextual ribbon tab.

About Using Tools to Create Slabs and Roof

Slabs
Tools provided with AutoCAD Architecture let you quickly place slabs or roof slabs by selecting
a tool with a specific slab or roof slab style and other predefined properties. You can use the tool
with all of its default settings, or you can change any properties that are not controlled by the
style. You can also use slab or roof slab tools to create new slabs or roof slabs by applying tool
properties to existing linework, walls, and spaces.

The Design tool palette contains sample slab and roof slab tools that you can use and customize
as needed. Custom palettes created by your CAD manager or other users may also contain slab
or roof slab tools with styles and properties that are customized for your projects or office
standards.

Tool palette containing slab and roof slab tools

Slab and roof slab tools are also included in the Stock Tool catalog supplied with the Content
Browser.
To Create a Roof Slab From a Roof
Apr 26 2016In-Product View
Applies to AutoCAD Architecture 2017, & AutoCAD MEP 2017
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Use this procedure to convert the faces of an existing roof object to individual roof slabs that
have the properties of the roof slab tool you select. You can then edit the roof slabs and their
edges individually.

You can also convert a roof to roof slabs from the contextual Roof tab.

Tip: When you convert a roof to roof slabs, the roof slabs will have the same overhang as the
roof.

1. Open the tool palette that contains the roof slab tool you want to use.

(You may have to scroll to display the desired tool.)

2. Right-click the tool, and click Apply Tool Properties to Linework, Walls and Roof.
3. Select the roof to convert, and press Enter.
4. When prompted to erase the original geometry, press Enter to keep the existing roof, or
enter y (Yes) to erase it.
5. Edit the properties of the roof slabs on the Properties palette, if needed.