Basic buildings in Forma
Understand how to create a basic building.
Step-by-step guide
In Forma, the Design toolbar offers tools to create elements in the canvas, such as basic buildings. Quickly run volumetric studies and access important metrics.
- Open a project with site limits already applied.
- From the Design toolbar Select Buildings > Basic building.
The toolbar updates.
- In the canvas, zoom and pan to where the building is to be placed.
- In the Design toolbar, select Cube.
- In the canvas, pick the perimeter of the building to design.
Once the perimeter is selected, a dimension field tooltip displays at the cursor.
- Enter a height value for the building, and then click to place it.
A basic building displays, complete with floors.
- Create another basic building.
- From the left panel, Navigator tab, under Layers, select Hide Constraints.
For each floor, its height can be assigned, functions assigned, and footprint changed. Internal content can also be added to each floor, for example, a parking layout or interior floor plans.
To review the height of a floor in one of the buildings, select a building:
- From the right panel, under Building, adjust the floors, including how many floors are in the building and the height of the floors.
- In the Height field, change the value of the floor height.
Change the function assignment of the building:
- Select the currently assigned function and, from the Swap Function flyout, select from one of the available, pre-made functions, such as Commercial.
- Select another building and change that function assignment as well.
- Select Area metrics.
Each floor will have its gross area calculated in Area metrics, giving live feedback on the area stats of the project. To review the metrics:
- Expand the area options in the Area metrics tree.
