Technical Theatre “The Caine Mutiny Court

Set Design
Technical Theatre
“The Caine Mutiny
Court-Martial
ArchiCAD
Quickstart
Permission to Copy
The CAD Academy
Set Design:
Set design is all of the scenery, furniture and props the audience sees at a
production of a play. It is the set designer’s job to create the physical
surroundings in which the action will take place. The set suggests the style & tone
of the entire production and creates the mood & atmosphere. It also gives a clue
as to the time and place of the play.
The Set Designer will read the script many times and collaborates with the Play
Director. From this information the Set Designer will make a rough sketch and
then a scaled drawing showing the floor plan. The Set Designer will then create
front and back elevations of the set plus a 3-D model of the set to show how it will
look when finished.
The proposed play is:
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
ACT ONE
The Prosecution
THE SCENE: The Curtain is up when the audience enters the theater. Dimly visible is a graydraped stage barren except for chairs, tables, and a witness box of a court-martial. The big raised
curved judge’s bench, Stage Right, is covered with green baize and behind it on the draperies is a
large American Flag. Upstage, is the witness stand: a chair on a raised round platform which rolls
on casters. There is a chair for the orderly, Stage Center, by the end of the judge’s bench and a
chair and small desk for the Stenographer. Downstage Right, below Captain Blakely’s place on a
bench. The single entrance to the stage is through the curtains, deep center Stage.
The start of the place is marked by the dimming of the house LIGHTS and the brightening of the
stage. The ORDERLY and STENOGRAPHER, two sailors in dress blues, enter. They pick up
GREENWALD’S desk and chairs, carry them Downstage Left, and put the chairs in place.
GREENWALD enters, as the ORDERLY and STENOGRAPHER roll the witness stand into
place as the play begins . . . .
The overall size of the stage is 40’ x 20’. The printed sheets will be at ¼” = 1’
scale. Heights of flats should be 12’. Doors are 7’ tall and 3’ wide. Windows are 4’
x 4’.
Locate and execute the ArchiCAD program. Your ICON may differ from this
one, but will work for this Quickstart.
Page – 2
This is the STARTUP screen for ArchiCAD.
Be sure to SELECT CREATE A NEW PROJECT
and to select STANDARD PROFILE.
Then select NEW.
This is the drawing
screen.
“Home” up the
screen by selecting
the ZOOM all icon
at the bottom of the
screen.
Notice we are
drawing ¼”=1’.
You actually
draw 1=1 in CAD
and SCALE when
you print or plot
the drawing.
Page – 3
The SLAB tool is
used for many
things. We are
going to create
the 40’x20’ stage
using the SLAB
tool.
Double click on
SLAB to bring up
the SLAB
DEFAULT
SETTING
DIALOGUE box.
The play states
the stage is
draped in grey so
change the top
color to grey.
Select OK.
Make sure to select the option on the RIBBON at the top of
the screen. Change t on the RIBBON to read 6 or six feet.
Pick a point in the lower left quadrant of the drawing
screen and move your mouse to the right. When you see
the GUIDE Lines you will be STRAIGHT. Type in 40 and enter for the width of the
stage.
Page – 4
Head up with your mouse and
when you see the DISTANCE box
appear type in 20 and press enter.
If you make a MISTAKE you can undo and start again. Undo is at the
top of the screen.
In the
NAVIGATOR on
the RIGHT
HAND side of
the SCREEN
look for 3D and
then select
GENERIC
PRESPECTIVE.
Use the ORBIT
tool to rotate
the stage
around.
Double click on
1ST floor in the
NAVIGATOR to
return back to
working on our
set design.
Page – 5
Select OBJECT from the
TOOLBOX. Arrow down on
FOLDER VIEW and change
to FIND LIBRARY PARTS.
Type in PART short for PARTITION. This is a quick
way to find what you need in ArchiCAD. PRESS
ENTER or select FIND.
Select this partition. We can create a wall for
our set that has wood on the bottom and
painted wall on the top.
All OBJECTS in ArchiCAD are parametric,
meaning we can change anything about them.
Page – 6
Make changes as shown at
right. We are changing the
height to 12’ or the specified
height of the FLAT. We are
changing the elevation to 6’ so
the FLAT will be on top of the
stage.
Go to MATERIALS
and change to
desired colors for
proposed WALLS.
As a REVIEW – make sure
your FLAT will insert 6’ or on
top of the stage, will be 2’
wide and 12’ tall. Press OK
Page-7
To INSERT the first FLAT. Align your
MOUSE to the LOWER LEFT-HAND corner
of the STAGE and type in Y and then 4+ to
move our first FLAT up to 4 feet from the
edge of the STAGE.
Press ENTER.
After INSERTING the FLAT
goto GENERIC 3D and look
to see if FLAT IS IN
POSITION and then return
to 1st FLOOR.
Select OBJECT from the TOOLBOX. Change the
width of the FLAT to 5’.
Page – 8
Select this option to see FLAT in 2D.
Type in 90 to change insertion angle.
Select OK.
Select this CORNER of our FIRST 2’
flat to INSERT the 5’ FLAT. The
FLATS will be connected with hinges.
Go back to OBJECT in the TOOL BOX.
Next FLAT is 2’ ANGLE IS 45
DEGREES.
Page – 9
Change the insertion point to the LOWER RIGHT
HAND SIDE by PICKING it or SELECTING it with your
MOUSE.
Select OK.
Select the UPPER RIGHT HAND corner of the 5’
FLAT and insert the 2’ FLAT.
Select OBJECT from the TOOLBOX. The next FLAT is
5’ at a 45 degree angle.
Use insertion point as shown at RIGHT.
Page – 10
The next FLAT is 9’ ANGLE is 0.
Insertion point shown at right.
Insert the next FLAT with the following parameters.
Enter the width in the following format: 3’9.75”
and then INSERT the FLAT.
When you want to
CHANGE or EDIT anything
you SELECT the ARROW
from the TOOLBOX.
Select ARROW from the
toolbox. Select one of the
FLATS. Then hold down
the SHIFT key to add
FLATS until ALL THE
FLATS ARE
HIGHLIGHTED.
Page - 11
Go to the EDIT pull-DOWN
menu and select MOVE and
then MIRROR a COPY.
SELECT the pink grip
shown to the right. Head
down with the mouse until
you see the GUIDE LINE
and DO A SECOND PICK to
finish the MIRROR.
Checkout the FLATS in GENERIC
PERSPECTIVE.
Page 12
Go to OBJECT from the
TOOLBOX. Arrow down on
FOLDER VIEW and select FIND
LIBRARY PARTS.
Type DESK as the keyword.
Select the DESK shown
at RIGHT. Change the
width and length as
shown and the rotation
angle.
To make position the chair easier change the insertion POINT
as shown at RIGHT by PICKING or SELECTING the point.
Page – 13
SELECT ARROW
and use the
MAGNET mode.
SELECT the MOVE
from the PAL.
Move the DESKS
into position using
a GRIP.
I used a column for the base of the
witness stand. Here are the parameters.
Here are the parameters I used to
insert chairs found under
OBJECTS.
Page – 14
Here is an updated set design
For the Judges desk I used the wall tool
Change the PAL to the option shown. It is a 3 pick
arc.
Page – 15