Menu path
Walls > Draw Single Wall
🧾 What it does
This command allows you to digitise or trace around the outline of a single wall in elevation. This is typically used to create a wall using an underlay image from the Microsoft Windows clipboard, a PDF document, or a scanned image of a wall elevation drawing.
🔧 How to use it
Prepare your wall elevation image by clipping it from your source document
Import the image into your workspace
Go to Walls > Draw Single Wall
Digitise around the wall outline, making sure to digitise the wall base last (the software will remind you in the prompt area)
Generate the wall panel cut list using Walls > Apply Wall Set-Up > Generate Wall Panels (requires AppliCad Roof Wizard module)
💡 Key digitising tips
Wall base must be digitised last: The software requires you to digitise the wall base last so that panels are aligned correctly relative to the wall base. If you digitise in a different order, the software creates a wall corner instead of a wall base.
Fixing incorrect line types: If you digitise in the wrong order, use Tools > Change Line Type (or double-click the line) to change each line to the correct attribute. This ensures panels align properly.
Panel alignment: If the wall base is not 100% horizontal, the software uses the wall top line to align the panels.
🛠 Working with crooked walls
For walls that are 'crooked' on both top and bottom, but you need vertical panel alignment, add a short horizontal piece of wall top line. Any short horizontal length will work (e.g., 50mm/3" length).
Remember to still digitise the wall base last, and all lines will be correctly identified according to construction rules.
🔧 Corner handling
The software automatically tags wall corners as 'External Corner' by default. To change corner types:
For internal corners: Walls > Define Int Corner
To switch back to external: Walls > Define Ext Corner
The software uses the wall top to align the cladding panels, so if you need the panels to be aligned vertically on a wall that is ‘crooked’ top and bottom, you need a short piece of wall top that is horizontal – like this example:
where we added a 50mm/3″ length of wall top line. Remember to still digitise the wall base last and all lines will be correctly identified according the construction rules.
🛠 Panel realignment options
When the wall outline doesn't allow correct panel orientation (such as sloping wall-top lines), you can:
Digitise the exact outline required
Use the Modify Wall Cladding/Siding option to realign panels to the required wall line
Select the wall plane to change, then select the line to align the cladding panels with
This method works for both vertical and horizontal panel orientations.
🔧 Creating alignment lines
To align panels through a location where no line currently exists:
Use Smartlines > Copy Line to copy an existing line to the required location
Snap the line to the desired position (e.g., apex of gable end)
Use the Modify-Panels function with Realign Panels
Select the new line
Delete the copied line if it has attributes to avoid adding to quantities
Alternatively, you can use CAD > Insert > Line > Vertical Length, but copying an existing line is quicker.
⚠️ Important notes
These functions are easy, quick and accurate (as accurate as the source images permit)
Wall panel generation requires the AppliCad Roof Wizard module
Always delete copied lines with attributes after use to prevent incorrect quantity calculations