CONCEPTUAL MASS : This utility allows us to create objects in a fast and easy way, with the goal of obtaining an abstract object through which we will be able to conceptualize a project. Thanks to conceptual masses, we can have a much closer idea of which shape our construction will have.

6.1 TYPES OF MASSING

In-Place Mass

An In-Place Mass is located on the ribbon under the Massing & Site tab by selecting the In-Place Mass icon. This massing is used to create large-scale building masses where floors, walls and roofs can be added quickly. The items created in a project through this method are only available in this project and will not be saved as an individual family file.

Model In-Place

The model in-place is located on the ribbon under the Architecture tab by accessing the Component icons drop-down menu. This massing is used to build a small-scale element that is specific to the project such as countertops shapes, wall details, or shading systems, where the project’s geometries are available to build from. The items created in a project through this method are only available in this project and will not be saved as an individual family file.

Conceptual Mass

A conceptual mass can be created by navigating through the File tab, New sub-menu, and selecting Conceptual Mass. When working in a conceptual mass file, the project does not contain other project geometries to work from. A Conceptual Mass file is different than a Family file because massing can be quickly modeled, there is not a list of categorized model types to choose from and it is typically used for large-scale massing. This massing is saved as separate files and can be loaded into any project.

6.2 CREATE IN-PLACE MASS

1. Open a New, Architectural template project
2. Save the project as “Class Project 2”
3. Open the 3D view by clicking the Default 3D View
4. Open the North Elevation from the Product Browser
5. On the ribbon, under the Architecture tab, click the Level Icon
6. Place 3 levels at 20ft, 30ft, 40ft, and 50ft from the ground plane
7. Close the North Elevation
8. Under the View tab, click the Tile Views icon
9. Click the Massing & Site tab
10. Click the In-Place Mass icon
11. Name the mass Main Building
12. Click OK
13. On the ribbon, click the Model icon
14. Use the Line tool to draw a 60ft X 60ft square as shown in Figure 6.1
15. Select the square
16. On the ribbon, click the Create Forms drop-down menu and choose the Solid Form option
17. In the 3D view, select the top face of the cube and use the witness lines to adjust the height to 20’0” as shown in Figure 6.1
    
    Figure 6.1 Massing dimensions shown in the Level 5 plan and the North elevation view
18. Repeat steps 13 through 16 until all three masses have been created as shown in Figure 6.2
19. Click the green checkmark to finish the mass