# Curtain Wall Workshop · Common Problems
Condensed English edition.
# Quick reference
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Command says it can't be used on this type | The curtain wall type has a default grid | Must have no default grid |
| Random grid has no effect / wrong result | A grid is still on the curtain wall | Start from an empty curtain wall |
| I-beam split produces wrong cell sizes | Division rule isn't sized for the target (2×) | Rule must match the large cell |
| Gradient panel won't work | Not exactly two panel types on the wall | Gradient prerequisite |
| Tile joints are skewed / don't line up | Grids always divide square to the screen | Sloped glazing align |
| Paving start lands on a half tile | Start point isn't at a corner/midpoint | Grid line align |
| Cabinet doors reversed / offset wrong way | Mullions protrude from the wall | Check mullion protrusion first |
| Panel numbering misses cut tiles | Width/height values are void after cutting | Use "number all" |
| Gradient / random generation takes ages | Panel sizes too small — too many cells | Increase the sizes |
| Curtain wall text comes out garbled | Placeholder clashes with the text content | Placeholder |
# The curtain wall type must have no default grid
Prerequisite
The curtain wall type must be set to "no default grid division". Most Curtain Wall Workshop commands fail outright on a type with a default grid.
# Random grid: start from an empty curtain wall
You must work on an empty curtain wall — delete all the grids first; a fixed spacing prevents randomisation.
Key steps:
- Set the min / max spacing for the joint direction (setting both to the same value fixes that direction, e.g. 1.2 m)
- Add the sizes you want (e.g. 300 / 450 / 900 / 150)
- Click "Random", then pick the curtain wall
- For a horizontal joint: switch the public parameter's UV direction to U and randomise again
- Re-randomise as many times as you like — each result differs
Don't set sizes too small
Small sizes on random/gradient tools explode the cell count and make responses very slow.
# I-beam split: rule must match the large cell
Principle: breaks a regular dense grid every other cell, producing an "I" pattern. Widely used in cabinet design and also for floor tiling layouts.
The easiest mistake
The division rule must be sized for the large cell you want (i.e. twice the target size). For a 500×500 target cell, the original dense grid must be 1000×1000.
Wrong direction? Click once to swap.
# Gradient panels require two panel types
Prerequisite: exactly two panel types on the curtain wall (lay one type down, then swap any single panel to the other).
- Limited to two panel types
- Coefficient defaults to 0.5 (mid-gradient); adjustable
- Clicking again flips it left/right
- For a vertical gradient, switch the public parameter's UV direction from U to V
Difference from "random panels"
Gradient is limited to two types; random panels has no limit — it distributes however many types exist, producing a new result each click.
# Sloped rooms and wall-to-floor joint alignment
Grids always divide square to the screen, but real tiling needs at least one edge aligned to a reference line. Two commands solve this:
Sloped glazing align (fixes "skewed")
- Run the command
- Select a grid line
- Select the geometric edge to align to → the whole grid rotates parallel to it
- Adjust grid offset and paving start if needed
Commonly needed for ceiling tiles and floor layouts; most often hit when generating from roofs / glass sloped glazing.
Grid line align (fixes "start point on a half tile")
- Select the reference line to align to
- Click the grid line nearest the tile joint → the grid shifts over
Wall-to-floor joint alignment
Align the floor to a reference line, then align the wall the same way to the same line — that gives you matching joints between wall and floor.
# Cabinet door offset direction
- Door panels treat all selected geometry as one bounding box and offset left/right/up/down from its edges
- Offset values are a matter of preference (default left/right 18, up/down 9)
- ⚠️ Before box-selecting, check in 3D whether the mullions protrude — if they do, the vertical offset direction is the opposite of what you expect
- "Mullion connect" joins mullions on the same side; switch the panel connect order so top/bottom boards that should be one piece actually are
# Panel numbering
Prerequisite (once only; best put into your project template): create three project parameters — panel width, panel height, panel number (text type) — grouped under "Model properties".
Usage: click "Edit panels" → select one or several walls → Enter. Numbering starts at 1 (a prefix such as N can separate zones).
WARNING
Cut panels lose their width/height values — use "number all" so non-standard sizes are numbered too, letting the schedule report standard 600×600 and cut panels together.
Panels can also be annotated directly on sheets with size and index (typically at 1:25 or 1:20).
# Curtain wall text (3D lettering)
Generates 3D lettering on a curtain wall — far faster than placing individual 3D letters.
- The placeholder is required: it splits the whole string before substitution (default is the em-dash "—", which is rarely used in Chinese)
- ⚠️ If the text itself contains the placeholder, you must switch to a character that doesn't appear
- Materials can be pre-assigned; otherwise the default is used
- Adjustable size, depth and font; layouts include horizontal / vertical-left / vertical-right
- Long passages rely on curtain wall cells to "wrap": create a curtain wall divided into cells (e.g. 200×200) across the required area; text wraps automatically by cell
