Notes on Merging Documents

The Merge command allows you to paste the elements of another Project, a Module or a picture file into either the current Floor Plan, the currently open Section/Elevation or Detail Drawing window.

The Merge command can be found in the File menu as shown below…

Merging another Project or a Module is a complex procedure since ArchiCAD has to match the stories of the merged (imported) file to the current (open) one. When you merge a multistory building into your current plan, ArchiCAD will ask you to define which story from the imported file will match the story you are working on, and it will also suggest a possible match. If you do not have enough stories in your current plan to accommodate all the merged ones, ArchiCAD will automatically create the missing stories.

Since attributes (Layers, Materials, Line Types, Fill Types, etc.) are identified by their names, the following rules are observed:

• If the name of the attribute is the same in the two Projects, the merged (imported) elements will inherit the attributes of the current Project.
• If the name of an attribute for the merged Project is not present in the current one, this attribute is appended to the current Project's attribute set to accommodate the new names.

When merging a Project or Module, you can drag, rotate and mirror it before placing it to the final location. The elements will be surrounded by a dashed rectangle. Click within the rectangle to move the elements to the desired position. Click outside the rectangle or click OK in the Control Box to place the elements.

The elements of the merged files will become independent of each other after being placed. You can place the same elements repeatedly with the Paste command.

Note: When merging a Module into a Section/Elevation Window, only 2D Elements will be pasted.

Choosing from the image file types in the Merge dialog box gives you access to:

• Documents created in other drawing or graphics programs;
• 3D views and elevations saved in picture format;
• PhotoRenderings saved only in picture format.

If you merge a document created with a graphics program, you will be prompted to choose whether to paste its contents as drawing elements or a unified bitmap.

• Choosing the drawing elements option means that you will obtain separately editable ArchiCAD drawing elements (Lines, Arcs, Texts and Fills) that are scaled according to the current Floor Plan Scale chosen in the Options menu. For example, if the scale is set to 1:100, a 10 cm long line of the picture file will be interpreted as 10 m long by ArchiCAD's world coordinates. The merged elements are placed by default on the appropriate tool's default Layer. This format is recommended when importing architectural drawings or symbols created in a drawing application.
• Choosing the single Figure option will insert the merged picture as a unified bitmap. It will be pasted pixel by pixel in the current zoom of the ArchiCAD window, regardless of the current scale. The merged element is placed on the Figure tool's default layer. This format is recommended for illustrations.

Before choosing Merge, you can define the size of the figure on the worksheet in advance by choosing the Marquee tool and drawing a selection rectangle of the desired size and position. The figure will fit into this rectangle.

Note: Be careful to draw the rectangle with the same proportions as the original picture, otherwise the figure will be distorted.

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