Use this procedure to create a space tool add it to a tool palette. You may want to create your own tools if you frequently place multiple spaces of specific styles that have the same properties.
For example, you might create an office plan with spaces for cubicles. Although all cubicles use the same space style in your floor plan, the cubicle walls in administrative areas are lower than the walls in office areas. To work efficiently, you can create a space tool for each space height. You can then select the appropriate tool to place the cubicles with the correct height in each area of the floor plan.
Tip: Space tools can be created for associative and non-associative spaces. When a tool for associative spaces is started, the initial processing of valid boundaries in the drawing can be a lengthy process, depending on the size of the model. Therefore, it is recommended to clearly name your space tools regards to their associativity.
- Open the tool palette where you want to create a tool.
- Create the tool:
If you want to… Then… create a tool from a space in the drawing select the space, and drag it to the tool palette. create a tool from a space style in the Style Manager click 
. 
Locate the style you want to copy, and drag it to the tool palette. Click OK to close the Style Manager. copy a tool in the current tool palette right-click the tool, and click Copy. Right-click, and click Paste. copy a tool from another tool palette open the other tool palette, right-click the tool, and click Copy. Reopen the palette where you want to add the tool, right-click, and click Paste. copy a tool from a tool catalog click 
, and locate the tool you want to copy. Position the cursor over the i-drop handle, and drag the tool to the tool palette. - Right-click the new tool, and click Properties.
- Enter a name for the tool.
- Click the setting for Description, enter a description of the tool, and click OK.
- Click Basic General.
- Click the setting for Description, enter a description displayed for all spaces created from this tool, and click OK.
- Select a space style.
- Select the drawing file containing the style used for this space tool.
- Enter a name for spaces inserted with the tool.
- Select a space tag.
- Select the drawing file containing the tag used for this space tool. Note: The Associative property is interlinked with the Create type. If the Create type is Generate, the Associative setting can be edited. You can use the default setting of Undefined (--). If the Create type is Insert, Rectangle, or Polygon, the Associative setting defaults to Undefined (--) and becomes read-only.
- For Offset boundaries, select how the 4 space boundaries (base, net, usable, and gross boundary) are calculated.
- Manual: The net, usable, and gross boundaries can be manually edited with grips.
- By style: The net, usable, and gross boundaries are offset from the base boundary by a value defined in the space style.
- By standard <Standard Name> (associative spaces only): The net, usable, and gross boundaries are defined by the area calculation standard listed.
- Select the Create type of the space. You can choose one of these options:
- Insert: Inserts a space according to the target dimensions in the space style.
- Rectangle: Inserts a rectangular space with user-defined length and width.
- Polygon: Inserts a polygonal space with user-defined segments.
- Generate: Inserts a space associative to boundary objects.
- If you selected Polygon for Create type, define the shape of the first space segment for Segment Type.
You can select a line or an arc segment.
- If you need to generate spaces within boundaries that already contain a space, select Yes for Allow overlapping spaces.
By default, you cannot generate a new space in a boundary that already contains an existing space. However, a situation can arise where you want to establish an interference between 2 spaces and therefore need to generate a space within a boundary that already contains a space.
- Expand Component Dimensions and specify the geometry type of the space tool:
If you want to… Then… create a 2D space tool select 2D from the list. create an extruded 3D space tool select Extrusion from the list. create an associative 3D freeform space tool (associative spaces only) select Freeform from the list. create multiple space types with the tool select Undefined (--) from the list. - If you are creating a space tool for a 3D space, you can enter parameters for the space height. Note: If you want to create spaces of different heights with this tool, you can leave all the settings as Undefined (--).
If you want to… Then… specify the overall height of the space, including floor to ceiling height, ceiling and floor thickness, and space above ceiling and below floor enter a value for Overall space height. specify the ceiling height of the space enter a height value. specify a floor thickness enter a value for Floor thickness. specify a ceiling thickness enter a value for Ceiling thickness. specify the distance between the top of the space ceiling to the top of the space enter the appropriate value for Height above ceiling. specify the distance between the bottom of the space floor and the bottom of the space enter the appropriate value for Height below floor. specify the combined height of ceiling height, ceiling thickness, and height above ceiling enter a value for Default surface height. - Select one of the following options for Justification to specify the vertical position of the space insertion point relative to the space:
- Top of floor
- Bottom of floor
- Bottom of space below floor (available only if the height of the space below the floor is bigger than 0.)
- Expand Actual Dimensions. Note: The settings for target dimensions of a space are visible only if you have selected Insert as the Create type. Rectangular and polygonal spaces do not observe target dimensions. The range of values allowed here depends on the target dimensions defined in the space style.
- To specify the geometry of the space within the boundaries of the target dimensions on screen, select Yes for Specify on Screen.
- To specify the geometry of the space by entering values in the Properties palette, select No for Specify on Screen.
- Specify which dimension of the space should be constrained during insertion:
If you want to… Then… fix the area value during insertion select Area for Constrain. This lets you change the length and width of the space, but only within the range of the target dimensions. For example, if you constrain the area to 9m 2 , you can still choose to make both length and width 3m, or to make the length 4m, and the width 2.25 meters, as both combinations result in an area of 9 m 2 . fix the length during insertion select Length for Constrain. If you constrain the length of a space, then any change to the space area will only change the width dimension of the space, and vice versa. fix the width during insertion select Width for Constrain. If you constrain the width of a space, then any change to the space area will only change the length dimension of the space, and vice versa. do not fix a specific dimension during insertion select *NONE* for Constrain. In this case no individual dimension is constrained, and you can specify any geometry as long as it is within the target dimensions. - If you selected No for Specify on screen, enter values for the non-constrained dimensions for Base Area, Length, and Width.
- If you have selected to generate a 3D freeform space, define the 2 calculation cut planes under Advanced Dimensions.
- Click OK.
Note: If you do not want to use the layer assignments specified in the layer key style used in the drawing, specify a layer key and any layer key overrides.