topic Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel in Modeling

Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 03:12:37 GMT

Hi all, I am wondering how I can save a custom metal fence panel created with the complex profile extruder into the library. I want to be able to access this custom panel from the railing UI to add it into my railing design. Is it actually possible without using any GDL scripting ?

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:25:24 GMT

Nope, BUT there was another post around here somewhere which could work if you are using a narrow sheet pattern and do not slope much. I think it was about setting the sheet profile as balusters.

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Modeling/Using-AC21-Railing-for-Metal-Fence/m-p/219845#M119171
https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Modeling/Colorbond-panel-fence-created-with-editing-a-preset-railing-in/td-p/364365/page/2

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Barry Kelly — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:29:05 GMT

You can save a custom railing panel.

But from my experimentation, you must model it standing up and exactly the size you want the panel.

It will not re-size to suit the railing, like a custom door leaf does for a door frame - unless I have missed something.

So it is only good for a railing with a fixed panel size - i.e. fixed post to post distance and top and bottom rail heights.

Barry.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:44:16 GMT

Hi @Lingwisyer, yes I found that post and read through it and I certainly could do it that way but I was hoping for a bit more accurate if possible ?

Thank you.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:43:45 GMT

Hi @Barry Kelly, Yes I will have a fixed panel size for the main part of the fence. I can always make different sizes for odd parts of the fence panels. I might have to use the CI Objective tool to stand the complex profile sheets up or find some other way to do it ? I have created the railing already I just want to insert the custom sheet profile into it.

Thank you for the library saving method above.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Barry Kelly — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:53:28 GMT

@mthd wrote:

I might have to use the CI Objective tool to stand the complex profile sheets up or find some other way to do it ?

Or convert to a morph and rotate in 3D.

Barry.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:05:00 GMT

The issue with using static panels is that your post to posts needs to almost perfecty match your panel size as as far as I know, you can only have 1 panel type per segment(?). So it will often not work, unless you are doing flat greenfield? My sites are never regular or flat...

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:23:46 GMT

True for flat sites. I do have some sloping parts to model but I may have to cut separate sheets for that. As you know a railing is supposed to slope because they are used for stairs and that is the next phase after doing the flat main area. I will post my results here if I succeed that is ?

Edit: I am using modular kit fencing that has fixed panel sizes for the main part of the fence. I only need cut sheets for the odd parts and the gates. Many colorbond sheet fencing types come in kits 2.4m long x 1.5m high etc.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 03:48:44 GMT

Though while the sheets come as 2.4m, rarely is the fence a round mutiple of that so you end up cutting sheets to fit, which AC will not allow you to do, all or nothing... Most of these sheets can be reduced to a smaller pattern though which increases the chance that it will form a round number of sections, or at least close enough to not be noticable. If you need to schedule the number or sheets, schedule Inner Posts instead.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 04:05:12 GMT

In the railing dialogue you can specify how the spacing options will work and hopefully the panel should follow those rules ? If it doesn’t, I can just place my odd size ones in manually.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 04:30:43 GMT

The panel will follow those rules, but it will not trim the last panel to fit, unless there was a minor update to it in 27... So if your length does not match your panel width, you either end up with a gap or a panel overshooting the post.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 07:48:16 GMT

Yes that’s exactly what happens. I turned a post (Column) into a CP of TL5 metal sheet and overlapped 3/760 wide sheets to get a 2360mm wide panel. I left the railing panel off with zero defaults and placed the CPC into the gaps. It almost worked but for some strange reason my railing was sloping slightly near the end. I couldn’t figure out why ? I keep asking why why why ???

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:09:16 GMT

Sloping near the end?

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 09:00:23 GMT

It appears to be sloping slightly over the span of about 18m or so. I will have a closer look tomorrow to try figure out why that is the case ?

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 09:07:00 GMT

If it was me, I probably snapped to a slab at one end...

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 03:05:21 GMT

Thanks @Lingwisyer, I do have a driveway slab that might be affecting the railing. I will see if that fixes the problem ?

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 04:56:39 GMT

Still trying to figure out how I can get my complex profile TL5 metal sheet panels to follow the slope of an associative railing. Can I edit the complex profile panel in the settings to work with railings and objects, will that make a difference ? I tried a few things but I cannot get it to play nice. I even opened the library part editor and had a look at its settings and changed some, all to no avail.

looking for a way to do it without GDL scripting if at all possible ? The built in panels follow the slope and it looks like I have to save sloped panels in order to make it work. I can get the top of the panel to slope but the bottom needs a SEO to cut the bottom. Can I save this panel to the object library and will it work ?

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Barry Kelly — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:27:22 GMT

As I think it was mentioned before (without re-reading all the old posts), a custom railing panel will not resize or rake.

If you know the exact size and angle, you could edit the shape of the panel before you save it as a custom panel (i.e. convert it to a morph and re-shape it).

But the railing must have a fixed post spacing and rake.

Another thing you could try is to just use the standard built in panel but apply a surface material that has a hatch and texture image that looks like the profiled sheet.

It won't be actually profiled in 3D, but it will appear as a profile.

Barry.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

mthd — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 07:34:22 GMT

I was able to go along with your first method but I didn’t need to convert it to a morph. I was able to slope the bottom because it is a CP column.

I will try method 2 as well because in the conceptual stage it’s not that critical unless you are doing a 3D fine tuned render.

Thank you for your reply.

Re: Saving a custom profile metal fence profile as a railing panel

Lingwisyer — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 08:23:17 GMT

If you are doing renders, you could use Displacement Maps to create the ridges, if you are too close for Bump Maps to be convincing enough.