The Item Settings panel contains general settings that control the behavior, representation and performance of various ARCHLine.XP elements and functions.

The settings are organized by element type or functional area, including point clouds, rooms, walls, openings, tiling, stairs, MEP pipes, hatches, 3D work planes, text, plot layouts and objects.

Location:
File > Options > Item settings

Location information

North symbol

Defines the North symbol used to represent the project orientation.

Select the required North symbol from the available library items.

The North symbol provides a graphical indication of the project orientation on drawings.

Raster image general properties

These settings control the handling of raster images used in ARCHLine.XP projects.

Select Raster images by their frames only

When enabled, raster images are selected by clicking their boundary frame instead of clicking anywhere inside the image.

To select the image by clicking inside it, use:

SHIFT + Left Click

This option is particularly useful when raster images are used as backgrounds or underlays because normal drawing operations can be performed over the image without accidentally selecting it.

Maximum texture resolution when saving

Defines the maximum resolution of textures stored when saving project data.

For example:

4096

allows textures to be stored up to the corresponding maximum resolution.

Higher values preserve more texture detail but may increase project size and memory requirements.

Snapshot / Wall view file format

Defines the raster image format used when saving supported snapshots and wall-view images.

For example:

.jpg

JPEG provides good compression and is suitable for most general-purpose image output.

Point cloud

These settings control the amount of point-cloud data used for different representations and operations.

ARCHLine.XP supports point-cloud workflows in both floor plan and 3D views. Point clouds can also retain their real-world position when Use Geolocation is enabled. 

Maximum point count for floor plan representation

Defines the maximum number of point-cloud points used for floor plan representation.

For example:

1,000,000 points

A higher value can provide a denser representation but requires more processing resources.

Maximum point count for 3D representation

Defines the maximum number of point-cloud points displayed or processed in the 3D representation.

For example:

2,000,000 points

Increasing this value can improve visual density but may reduce performance on large point clouds or less powerful hardware.

Maximum number of point cloud points per voxel

Defines the maximum number of points retained or processed within an individual voxel of the point-cloud representation.

This setting helps control point density and performance.

Disk space saving mode

Enables a storage-saving mode for point-cloud data.

Use this option when reducing the disk-space requirements of point-cloud projects is more important than retaining the maximum amount of processed point data.

Point cloud: Use geolocation

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP uses the geographic positioning information available in the point-cloud file.

With the default placement method, ARCHLine.XP places the center of the point-cloud bounding box at the global origin. With Use Geolocation, the point cloud is placed according to its real-world geographic position. 

This option is particularly important when the point cloud must remain coordinated with survey, GIS or other georeferenced project data.

Schedules

Automatically update schedules on drawing

When enabled, schedules placed on drawings are automatically updated when the related project information changes.

This helps keep drawing documentation synchronized with the BIM model.

Image resolution (pixel)

Defines the image resolution used by supported graphical content in schedules.

For example:

500 pixels

Higher values can provide more detailed images but may increase processing requirements and drawing size.

Room

The Room section contains settings related to automatic room calculation and net-area calculations.

Rooms in ARCHLine.XP are associated with room-bounding elements such as walls, floors, roofs and ceilings, and can follow modifications of their associated walls. 

Automatic space recalculation

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP automatically recalculates room/space information when relevant model geometry changes.

This helps keep room areas and related information synchronized with modifications to the building model.

Embedded wainscotings

Controls how embedded wainscotings are interpreted in relation to the room.

The UI indicates the following convention:

ON: Inside wall
OFF: Inside the room

This option therefore determines whether embedded wainscoting is treated as part of the wall or as occupying part of the room space for the relevant room calculations.

Use Superscript2

Enables the corresponding superscript notation used in room-related numerical output.

Use Superscript3

Enables the corresponding superscript notation used in room-related numerical output.

These options are typically relevant to the graphical formatting of area and volume units, such as m² and m³.

Net area calculation parameters

The following parameters control how ARCHLine.XP determines the net room area according to supported calculation rules.

Minimal height belonging to the net area (Norm I - SU)

Defines the minimum clear height required for an area to be included in the net-area calculation according to the Norm I – SU rule.

Example:

1500 mm

Minimal height belonging to the net area (Norm I - SNR)

Defines the corresponding minimum height for the Norm I – SNR calculation.

Example:

1400 mm

Minimal height belonging to the net area (DIN 277)

Defines the minimum height used for the corresponding DIN 277 room-area calculation.

Example:

1900 mm

Minimum height for net area (WoFlV)

Defines the minimum room height used for the WoFlV area calculation.

Example:

1000 mm

Secondary height for net area (WoFlV)

Defines the second height threshold used by the WoFlV calculation.

Example:

2000 mm

% multiplier between minimum and secondary height for net area calculation (WoFlV)

Defines the percentage of floor area counted when the available height falls between the minimum and secondary WoFlV height limits.

Example:

50%

% multiplier above secondary height for net area calculation (WoFlV)

Defines the percentage of floor area counted above the secondary height.

Example:

100%

Together, these settings allow different portions of a room to contribute differently to the calculated area according to available headroom.

Subtract from room area the columns, chimneys whose floor area is greater than or equal to

Defines the minimum footprint above which columns or chimneys are deducted from the room area.

Example:

0.1 m²

Subtract from room area the columns, chimneys whose height is less than or equal to (Norm I v. WoFlV)

Defines the height criterion used when determining whether columns or chimneys are deducted from the corresponding room-area calculation.

Example:

1500 mm

Add to floor area opening niches down to the floor if depths exceed (Norm I v. WoFlV)

Defines the minimum niche depth above which an opening niche extending to floor level contributes to the calculated floor area.

Example:

130 mm

Take off the staircase areas of the stairs are higher than (DIN 277)

Defines the stair height criterion used when determining whether the corresponding staircase area is deducted from the floor-area calculation.

Example:

2000 mm

Note: The room calculation parameters should be configured according to the applicable national standard and project requirements.

Wall

SSkip slab cuts below walls and columns (improves performance)

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP skips certain slab-cut calculations at the bottom of walls and columns to improve model-processing performance.

This is primarily a performance optimization for projects where these calculations are not required.

This option was introduced specifically as an acceleration setting in ARCHLine.XP. 

Marker on screen to identify wall reference line

Displays an on-screen marker identifying the reference line of a wall.

The wall reference line is important for wall placement, alignment and dimensioning. ARCHLine.XP wall properties use a defined location/reference line to determine the wall's positioning. 

Door Lining and Mounting gap visibility

Controls whether door-lining and installation/mounting gaps are visible in the relevant drawing representation.

Disable the option when a cleaner architectural representation is preferred.

Wall color when wall joins are disabled

Defines the display color used to identify walls for which automatic wall joining is disabled.

This provides visual feedback that the wall uses a special join condition.

Distance of first dimension line from wall

Defines the default distance between the wall and the first automatically generated dimension line.

Example:

400 mm

Automatic wall dimensioning settings

Click Edit to configure the rules used by automatic wall dimensioning.

These settings determine how ARCHLine.XP generates dimension chains and which wall-related points are included.

Openings

This section controls the floor-plan representation and interactive behavior of doors and windows.

Window symbol with opening direction marker on the floor plan

When enabled, windows are displayed with an opening-direction symbol on the floor plan.

Disable this option when a simplified window representation is required.

Mirroring the opening direction symbol

Mirrors the graphical opening-direction symbol used for supported openings.

This changes the symbol representation without changing the physical opening itself.

Opening direction symbol color

Defines the color used to display opening-direction symbols.

Display opening direction symbol with dotted line

When enabled, the opening-direction symbol is represented using a dotted line.

This can help visually distinguish the opening indicator from the actual geometry of the door or window.

Door opening animation enabled

Enables interactive door-opening animation in supported views.

This allows the door leaf to be displayed interactively in different opening positions.

Show opening direction on openings with custom 2D symbol

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP also displays opening-direction information for openings that use a custom 2D symbol.

Slab

Display slab beam with 2D symbolic representation

Controls whether slab beams are displayed using their 2D symbolic representation.

When enabled, the symbolic representation is shown in the relevant plan views instead of relying solely on the model geometry.

Cabinet

Mirroring the opening direction symbol

Mirrors the opening-direction symbol used for supported cabinet doors or fronts.

This allows the symbolic representation to correspond to the required graphical convention.

Tiling

ARCHLine.XP tiling can be applied to wall and slab surfaces and can be represented in both 2D and 3D. 

Maximum number of tiles per area

Defines the maximum number of individual tiles that can be generated for a tiled area.

Example:

25,000

The limit protects performance when very small tiles are applied to very large surfaces.

Placement of slab tiling layout on the floor plan at any place

When enabled, the graphical representation of a slab tiling layout can be placed at a user-defined position on the floor plan.

This is useful when the expanded or documented tiling layout should be positioned separately from the actual slab.

Representing the tiling layout with colors

Displays the tiling layout using the defined tile/material colors.

This makes different tiles or patterns easier to identify in the graphical layout.

Opening dimensions

Parapet title and value are placed equally on left and right side

When enabled, parapet information is arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides of the opening annotation.

Parapet dimension line overlapping

Defines the permitted overlap/offset associated with parapet dimension-line representation.

Example:

0 mm

Stair

Stair standards

Click Edit to configure the standards and rules used for stair design.

These settings provide the criteria used by supported stair calculations and validation functions.

Pipe

Representation in 2D

Defines how pipe elements are represented in floor-plan/2D views.

For example:

Polyline

provides a simplified line-based representation of the pipe system.

Cutting walls, slabs, ceilings with MEP elements

When enabled, supported MEP elements can create the required openings/cuts in walls, slabs and ceilings where they pass through building elements.

Gap

Defines the additional clearance between the MEP element and the generated cut/opening.

Example:

10 mm

This allows the penetration to be larger than the pipe or other MEP element itself.

Cutting out underfloor heating pipes from the slab (acceleration)

Controls whether underfloor-heating pipes are geometrically cut from the slab.

Disabling such detailed geometric processing can improve performance in projects containing a large number of heating-pipe segments.

Hatch properties

ARCHLine.XP supports solid, pattern, gradient and material hatches and can apply hatching to both 2D areas and supported 3D planes. 

Show alarm message when a hatch exceeds the maximal number

Displays a warning when hatch complexity exceeds the defined maximum limit.

This helps prevent the creation or processing of extremely complex hatches that could negatively affect performance.

Highlight gaps between boundary nodes

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP indicates locations where a boundary chain contains a gap or discontinuity between nodes.

This can help diagnose why a closed hatch boundary cannot be generated correctly.

Maximum number of hatch component lines

Defines the maximum permitted number of component lines used to represent a hatch.

Example:

500,000

Complex or very dense hatch patterns may require a large number of graphical components.

Omit hatch behind texts

When enabled, hatch graphics are omitted behind text to improve readability.

ARCHLine.XP supports creating clear areas around text within hatch patterns so that annotation remains legible. 

Omit wall hatches behind texts

Applies the same readability principle specifically to wall hatches located behind text.

3D Work Plane

The 3D Work Plane provides a local coordinate system for creating and editing geometry in 3D. ARCHLine.XP can define work planes from the WCS, a selected face, three points, vertical/horizontal planes or a relocated origin.

Grid colour

Defines the display color of the 3D Work Plane grid.

Delta X

Defines the spacing of grid divisions along the local X direction.

Example:

250 mm

Delta Y

Defines the spacing of grid divisions along the local Y direction.

Example:

250 mm

Scale X

Defines the display/grid scale in the X direction.

Example:

10

Scale Y

Defines the display/grid scale in the Y direction.

Example:

10

Together, Delta X/Y and Scale X/Y determine the graphical organization of the work-plane grid.

Text

High detailed display

Enables a more detailed graphical representation of text.

Use this option when maximum text-display fidelity is preferred. Disabling it can be advantageous when display performance is more important in complex drawings.

Keep readability when rotated between

Prevents text from appearing upside down when its orientation falls within the specified angular range.

For example:

120° – 300°

Within this range, ARCHLine.XP adjusts the text orientation to maintain readability.

This is useful for dimensions, annotations and other text associated with rotated drawing elements.

Plot layout

Place drawing names automatically on plot layout

When enabled, the name of an inserted drawing/view is automatically placed on the plot layout.

Place viewport scale automatically on plot layout

When enabled, the scale of the placed viewport is automatically displayed on the plot layout.

This reduces manual annotation work and helps keep drawing information consistent with the viewport.

Tracking changes on the drawings on the plot layout are updated when the original drawing changes

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP tracks changes to source drawings used on plot layouts.

When the original drawing changes, its corresponding plot-layout representation can be updated accordingly.

Room Marker

Minimum wall length

Defines the minimum wall length considered by the Room Marker-related process.

Example:

100 mm

Minimum wall height

Defines the minimum wall height considered by the Room Marker-related process.

Example:

500 mm

These thresholds help exclude very small wall fragments from the corresponding room-marker calculations.

Objects

This section contains performance, import and representation settings related to ARCHLine.XP library objects.

Enable 3D cache for generating KBB elements in 3D

Enables 3D caching when generating supported KBB (Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom) elements.

Caching can improve performance by reducing unnecessary regeneration of complex object geometry.

Recalculate texture coordinates automatically when replacing a material of an object

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP automatically recalculates texture coordinates after an object's material is replaced.

This helps the newly assigned material appear correctly on the object's surfaces.

ARCHLine.XP materials contain appearance and texture-related properties that determine how materials are represented in 3D. 

Clear 3D acceleration cache

Clears the stored 3D acceleration/cache data.

Use this command when cached object data needs to be regenerated, for example after display or object-generation problems.

Enable XML acceleration

Enables optimized processing of supported XML-based object information.

This option is intended to improve the loading or processing performance of library/object data.

Warning if the number of textures during SKP import exceeds the limit value valid for object import

Defines the texture-count threshold above which ARCHLine.XP displays a warning during SketchUp (SKP) object import.

Example:

50

Warn when the number of mesh faces exceeds the limit during object import

Defines the mesh-face count above which ARCHLine.XP warns that the imported object is geometrically complex.

Example:

50,000

This helps identify objects that may negatively affect model performance.

First warning limit when the sum of 3D surfaces exceeds the given value

Defines the first complexity warning threshold based on the total number of 3D surfaces.

Example:

2,000,000

Second warning limit when the sum of 3D surfaces exceeds the given value

Defines a higher-level complexity threshold.

Example:

5,000,000

These limits help warn users when imported or generated object geometry may become excessively complex.

Warning limit when the number of project materials exceeds the given value

Defines the number of project materials above which ARCHLine.XP displays a warning.

Example:

1,000

A very large material library can increase project complexity and resource requirements.

Specify lighting fixture type during 3DWarehouse downloads

When enabled, ARCHLine.XP asks for or assigns the appropriate lighting-fixture classification when downloading supported objects from 3D Warehouse.

This helps distinguish actual lighting objects from general-purpose 3D objects.

Floor plan representation mapping

Click Edit to configure the vocabulary or mapping used for supported object floor-plan representations.

This controls how the corresponding object information is interpreted for 2D representation.

Network settings

Delete built-in browser cache, history and cookies

Deletes locally stored cache, browsing history and cookies belonging to the built-in browser used by ARCHLine.XP.

This can be useful when:

• web-based content does not refresh correctly,
• cached pages are outdated,
• login/session information must be reset,
• troubleshooting browser-based ARCHLine.XP services.

Note: This affects the ARCHLine.XP built-in browser, not the user's external web browser.

Options saved with the project

ARCHLine.XP distinguishes between settings stored with the project and settings stored at application level.

Options marked with an asterisk (*)

Sections marked with an asterisk (*) are saved into the project.

In the displayed Item Settings panel these include, among others:

Schedules, Room, Wall, Openings, Opening dimensions, Stair, Pipe, Hatch properties and Objects.

Consequently, these settings remain associated with the project when it is saved and reopened on another workstation.

Other options

Settings without an asterisk are stored as application/user settings and can therefore affect other projects opened with the same ARCHLine.XP installation.

Performance considerations

Several options in Item Settings are specifically designed to balance model detail and performance. This is particularly important for large point clouds, complex hatches, detailed imported objects, extensive tiling and geometrically complex MEP models.

ARCHLine.XP also provides separate controls for the level of geometry generated in 3D views, allowing model detail to be adapted to the purpose of the active view. 

For large projects, avoid increasing point-cloud, hatch, tile and object-complexity limits unnecessarily. Higher limits may provide more detail, but they can also increase memory usage, model-generation time and graphical workload.