topic Re: mesh contours in Modeling

mesh contours

Ben Cohen — Tue, 23 May 2023 13:45:04 GMT

hello

Is it possible to create contour lines on meshes, at a nominated height? Similar to the way you can create roof level lines. From what I know it cant be done.

I imagine being able to input heights from a site plan at measured but random points then have archicad do the interpolation to find the contours
Might be one for the wish list if there is no work around

any thoughts or suggestions??
Ben

Re: mesh contours

Richard Morrison — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 06:03:15 GMT

Yep. Buy ArchiTerra as an add-on.

Re: mesh contours

Ben Cohen — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 06:38:23 GMT

Really!!, it seams like such a basic thing that archicad should do it out of the box. If it can do the roof level lines surely "mesh level lines" are the next logical tool to add instead of forcing the purchase of 3rd party software

Re: mesh contours

Richard Morrison — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 07:24:30 GMT

Well, there IS a mesh to roof tool. So maybe you could get contour lines that way?

Seriously, though, thinking this way will only lead you to aggravation, ulcers, and hair loss. (I, for example, think AC SHOULD be capable of *easily* producing a door or window schedule. But that's just my wacky, far out thinking.) Pretty soon, you give up, pay the $175 for a useful tool, and move on. It's just part of the total cost of ownership that isn't really, ahem, mentioned up front. Sort of like, you buy an expensive sports car, and then discover that you actually have to pay money for gas, oil, and maintenance, too? (Well, same with a cheap car, but you get the point...)

Re: mesh contours

Ben Cohen — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 11:17:29 GMT

yes yes, I suppose AC can't be all things to all people but..... doesn't everyone create site plans and need contours??

(I, for example, think AC SHOULD be capable of *easily* producing a door or window schedule. But that's just my wacky, far out thinking.)

interactive schedule isn't THAT bad is it ?

BTW I am resisting the temptation to enter into the old TCO argument that has been bandied around sooooo many times , I think archicad is great, the best. But it is expensive (you want the best you have to pay for it) and therefore it hurts when you have to justify more money for CAD purchases.

Re: mesh contours

Djordje — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 14:35:43 GMT

Ben wrote:
Is it possible to create contour lines on meshes, at a nominated height? Similar to the way you can create roof level lines. From what I know it cant be done.

Do you have the survey DXF or DWG? Are the contours splines or at least closed? Is it 2D only?

If it is 3D, or if you get XYZ list, you are MUCH better off with ArchiTerra (especially for the roads, plots, plateaus, water bodies, not to mention the library of greenery etc). If not, trudge on.

Open it, place your mesh on top.

Set the Magic Wand tracing as desired, activate the mesh tool, select the mesh, space click/magic wand the contours into new mesh points.

Click and hold on each contour, specifying the new level, making sure you check "Apply to all" - that is for the contour only.

Should be OK.

Look for the advice and articles on ArchiGuide re the meshing - a few Tips of the month have been won on this, and there is extensive information.

So, you can do it in ArchiCAD (ArchiCAD on its own can't do anything, as any other software - you have to use it!) but IMHO ArchiTerra is really worth it!

Re: mesh contours

Richard Morrison — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 19:55:20 GMT

Oh, I thought Ben was asking if AC could create automatic contour lines from a mesh that had been created from elevation points alone.

Re: mesh contours

Ben Cohen — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 03:17:25 GMT

Yes, thanks but I have read the archiguide tips on contours (which are great), but as Richard said, I was after mesh level lines.
I am sure that Architerra is a great product, but I am concerned about the backwards compatability of all these 3rd party applications. In five years time when I am using archicad r14 (pun intended) I will have to upgrade to architerra r7,archiforma,door builder etcetcetc, just to be able to open old files correctly. ie once you commit there is no going back!!

Re: mesh contours

Richard Morrison — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 03:27:13 GMT

Ben:

I may not be the best one to answer this, but my understanding is that ArchiTerra is just creating native AC meshes, so there shouldn't be any future compatibility problems. Similarly, most other add-ons create native GDL objects and the like.

Re: mesh contours

Djordje — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 17:00:27 GMT

Richard wrote:
Ben:

I may not be the best one to answer this, but my understanding is that ArchiTerra is just creating native AC meshes, so there shouldn't be any future compatibility problems. Similarly, most other add-ons create native GDL objects and the like.

Sorry, I misunderstood the question ... duh ... maybe I should start sleeping, too?

As for the compatibility - the objects created are native, so forward compatibility is ensured. Backwards was never a strong point of any software I know ... and the logical development oof ArchiCAD's API and GDL makes sure that you will need a fresh AddOn version for each fresh ArchiCAD.

We also upgrade computers, cars, mobiles, DVD players (anyone still running a Beta video?) etc ... that's life.

PS Still using the calculator I bought when starting university in 1980 😉

Re: mesh contours

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 22:17:09 GMT

To find the mesh contours:

1. Magic wand a slab to the mesh outline

2. Multiply vertically at the contour interval

3. Subtract the mesh from the slabs

4. View the slabs (only) top down in 3D wireframe

5. Copy and paste the lines

6. Clean up the excess lines

Not as quick as a pupose built command, but not bad if you don't have to do it too often. (If you do have to do it often use ArchiTerra.)

Re: mesh contours

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:02:43 GMT

Matthew wrote:
To find the mesh contours:

1. Magic wand a slab to the mesh outline

2. Multiply vertically at the contour interval

3. Subtract the mesh from the slabs

4. View the slabs (only) top down in 3D wireframe

5. Copy and paste the lines

6. Clean up the excess lines

Not as quick as a pupose built command, but not bad if you don't have to do it too often. (If you do have to do it often use ArchiTerra.)

Strangely clever, Matthew. I had to try it, and agree, it doesn't take much time at all for steps 1 through 5 ... but step 6 is a real pain.

See the attached images. I made the slabs 1' thick and set for 5' contours. The SEO subtract leaves a angled/beveled edge to the slab - which results in parallel lines as well as all kinds of internal facet lines. Shame. Making the slab very thin makes these seem to go away, but of course they're still there. (Good enough though, probably.)

I thought: hey, when you trim a slab to a roof, you get a plumb cut edge (and so there would be no duplicate lines in wireframe top view). So, I repeated your steps with 0 pitch roofs - did the SEO subtract on them - then multiplied slabs - and tried to trim the slabs to the roofs - but trim-to-roof does nothing when the roof and slab are coincident. Oh well.

Good tip.

Karl

Re: mesh contours

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 07:43:40 GMT

See the attached images. I made the slabs 1' thick and set for 5' contours. [/quote wrote:

I think it would work better if you make the slabs as thick as the contour interval!

Re: mesh contours

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 14:14:14 GMT

HANIEL wrote:
I think it would work better if you make the slabs as thick as the contour interval!

This works well as long as you dont mind the duplicated lines. Maybe delete duplicates would do the trick.

Hey, wait a minute, if the slab thickness is equal to the contour interval and they are spaced at twice the interval then there should be no clean up necessary.

Re: mesh contours

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 17:07:42 GMT

Matthew wrote:
HANIEL wrote:
I think it would work better if you make the slabs as thick as the contour interval!
This works well as long as you dont mind the duplicated lines. Maybe delete duplicates would do the trick.

Hey, wait a minute, if the slab thickness is equal to the contour interval and they are spaced at twice the interval then there should be no clean up necessary.

Well boys, that just doesn't do it as the attached image demonstrates. If the slabs are the thickness of the contour interval (5 feet for the site attached and in the message further back) - you basically get something worse than the original mesh! Because the entire mesh is now modeled onto the full mass of slabs, you get all of the original mesh contours and facets...as well as additional lines for the new slabified contours.

I think Matthew's original idea is a quick and dirty workaround, but using the thinnest slabs possible and saying to heck with the duplicate lines and the teeny tiny contour lines (exagerated in my previously posted screenshots). They'll increase the file size a small amount, but you'll never see them when printing if the slab is thin enough.

Another, more tedious way would be to change the end of Matthew's method. Instead of using wireframe, top down view, reverse the order of all of the slabs (rearrange vertically in 3D window), and use hidden line, top down view of that - and you'd have just the contours and nothing duplicated.

Karl

Re: mesh contours

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 18:32:28 GMT

Good points Karl.

I think we have pretty well explored the limits of this work around.

Re: mesh contours

Ben Cohen — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 11:00:16 GMT

great work around mathew, this will have to do until we get "mesh level line" saves me 175 euro as well
thanks guys, this forum is cool!!

Re: mesh contours

Ben Cohen — Mon, 12 Jan 2004 07:19:33 GMT

4. View the slabs (only) top down in 3D wireframe

5. Copy and paste the lines

6. Clean up the excess lines

Hi guys, me again. I got around to trying out mathew's method but I have had trouble with the last 3 points.
on point 4. do you mean view the MESHES only??
on point 5. copy and paste, this creates a picture yes then clean up the excess line in photo editing software??

or am I missing something

cheers

Ben

Re: mesh contours

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jan 2004 22:09:37 GMT

Point 4: View the slabs top down in 3D. This will provide the contour lines.

Point 5: Use the 2D marquee to select and copy the linework from the 3D into the plan view. Chose to copy as scaled drawing in the dialog so you get editable lines rather than a bitmap image.

The clean-up is necessary because the 3D view will include more lines than just the contours.