Creating new storeys

You can create a new storey either above the topmost existing storey or below the lowest existing storey, i.e., a basement. Use the Add New Storey Up button to add a storey above. To add multiple storeys, type in the number of storeys you wish to create, and then click on the Add New Storey Up button. Similarly, type in the number of basements and click on the Add New Storey Down button to add basement storeys below.

Note that the storeys created in this way are empty. If you want to create typical storeys, i.e., storeys that are the replicas of other storeys, you can skip this step and replicate the typical storey straightaway.

Creating typical storeys

Select all the objects you want to duplicate across storeys using:

1. Select All on Storey tool. In the Storeys tab on the right panel, click on the select button next to a storey name to select all the objects (rooms, walls, fenestration, furniture, slabs, etc) on that storey.

2. Marquee selection to select objects from one portion of the project

3. Ctrl + Select to select specific objects

4. Use Shift + Select to deselect any objects you don't want to duplicate upward.

Type in the number of storeys you want to create. Click the Copy Selection Up button to replicate the selected objects on top of existing objects. Click the Copy Selection Down button to replicate the selected objects as basements.

Copying walls, slabs, doors, furniture etc to upper storeys

Select the storey to duplicate using the Select All on Storey tool. Use Shift + Select to deselect slabs of this storey. Use Ctrl + Select to select slabs of the immediate upper storey.

Type in the number of storeys to create and click the Copy Selection Up button.

Copying walls, slabs, doors, furniture etc to basements

Select the storey to duplicate using the Select All on Storey tool. Type in the number of storeys to create and click the Copy Selection Down button. The plinth is automatically converted to a regular slab, and basements are created.

Please note that to create basements, you do not need to deselect slabs, as the appropriate ones are already selected.

Cloned versus atypical copied storeys

Cloned typical storeys are storeys that always remain identical. When a room on one storey is edited, it is edited on all the other storeys as well. Unique or atypical copies of storeys are copies that are the same when replicated, but can be edited independently, without affecting each other.

To create cloned copies, create duplicate storeys as described above. You can change cloned objects to unique at any time using the Make Unique tool in its Object Properties.

To create unique copies, select the objects to copy, turn the unique check box on in the Storeys tab, type in the required number of copies in the Copy Selection Up or Copy Selection Down input box and press the appropriate Copy Selection button.

Copying floor plans using the Copy/Array tool

You can also copy storeys using the Copy/Array tool.

Select the objects you want to copy, and use the Copy/Array tool to copy objects vertically. You can do this in Massing as well as BIM modes. New storeys are automatically created where needed.

Check out these articles to understand how storey replication works for balconies and other low walled spaces, for mezzanines and for double and triple height spaces.