topic Re: Detailed kerb Modelling in Modeling

Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:20:24 GMT

Hi there,

what is the best way to model detailed kerbs (using profiler as example) in ArchiCAD on a sloping terrain along a winding road? Is Architerra 3 any good for this? Any other software we should be looking at?

Cheers Carsten

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:13:52 GMT

Carsten,

I use a mesh for that. On my site models (residential home sites in a hilly area!) I use a mesh for the street paving, a mesh for the gutter, a mesh for the curb, another for the sidewalk and finaly one for the existing earth. When you're all finished, it looks like a chunk sliced from the crust of the earth. All my mesh points are derived from the topographic survey or my own poor-man's survey with the construction level!

I like to make the street, gutter, curb and sidewalk seperately because it makes them less confounding to manipulate AND it leaves a 2D representation that looks correct. Set your meshes with smoothed, hidden user ridges and they'll look dynamite in elevation views.

Good hunting!

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Ralph Wessel — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:00:57 GMT

Carstene wrote:
what is the best way to model detailed kerbs (using profiler as example) in ArchiCAD on a sloping terrain along a winding road? Is Architerra 3 any good for this? Any other software we should be looking at?

Take a look at OBJECTiVE - it provides tools to create profiles and bend the to curves in both plan and elevation, which is perfect for shaping kerbs to sloping & winding edges. If you refer to the attached example, I have selected one object (out of many) created and shaped with OBJECTIVE that does exactly this (and also acts as an SEO operator for the wall below).

For more info, point your browser to: http://www.encina.co.uk/objective.html

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:12:57 GMT

HI Dave,
The way you described your use of mesh tool sounds interesting to me.

Would you mind posting a 3d image of what you described?
It would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Bier

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:59:55 GMT

Hi guys,

Here's a very basic example per Bier's request.

All the entities are meshes. The black part is the street.. In this case, I've modeled it to the centerline. The corner at the lower left is a hair higher than the corner that touches the gutter. The grey parts are the gutter and curb meshes. The part that's tan on the sides and green on top is the earth. I set all the meshes with a consistent reference plane on the site story, such that I've got a meter or two of thickness at the site's lowest point. The top surfaces of all these meshes can be edited at will, of course.

Here's another trick I use for flatwork (paving) on significant slopes.. I model the paving as a mesh, put in all the slopes, edge elevations, drain inlet low points, etc. then copy it. Lower the copy a few inches, subtract the copy from the original using a solid element operation, then put copy on a 'scratch' layer that stays turned off all the time (unless I want to see it). Similar idea to what's shown here, but with the mesh's lower portion cut away to turn the top surface of the mesh into a 'warped plate' with thickness of my choosing (difference in elevation of the two mesh entities used).

My site modeling method is sort of like making a base for a physical model. As a matter of fact, that's how I approach Archicad... I'm making a very detailed physical model in the traditional sense. Now if I only had a rapid prototyping machine......!!

Hope that helps

Warm regards

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:06:34 GMT

You might also want to try Profiled Walls/Beams for the purpose. Beams can be inclined, that's a good thing.

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:49:45 GMT

Hey,

thanks for all the feedback. I have been modeling with the terrain for a long time, but now we need more detail in some cases ( close up ) while rendering animations.

- the beam tool would be great if you could do curved beams....
- OBJECTIVE looks very interesting I think I will investigate this further.

Cheers Carsten

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Laszlo Nagy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:07:53 GMT

Carstene wrote:
- the beam tool would be great if you could do curved beams....
Cheers Carsten

You cannot do curved Beams but you can approximate them with linear segments. Maybe the Radial Multiply command is what you need with some vertical offset applied during the multiplication.

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:48:42 GMT

thanks mate but that's just not "nice" enough. Plus it would be very hard depending on the road sloping, the beam pices would have to have different degrees.
It would be easy solved by Graphisoft if you could "tell" the terrain tool to slope the same at the bottom as on top and then convert this to a profile!

Cheers Carsten`

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Link — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:04:40 GMT

Carstene wrote:
It would be easy solved by Graphisoft if you could "tell" the terrain tool to slope the same at the bottom as on top and then convert this to a profile!

You can use the Mesh to Roof add-on, but it's still pretty messy. Otherwise you have to use other 3D profilers, such as Objective, ArchiForma, and I think CadImage have one.

I agree mate, GS needs to include one with the package. It would help everyone who wanted to put fascias on their buildings too!

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:27:39 GMT

Carstene wrote:
Hey,

thanks for all the feedback. I have been modeling with the terrain for a long time, but now we need more detail in some cases ( close up ) while rendering animations.

- the beam tool would be great if you could do curved beams....
- OBJECTIVE looks very interesting I think I will investigate this further.

Cheers Carsten

I just made a curved beam. Made it with the slab tool then saved it as a library part with the subtype beam. It's not parametric but it could be for someone with more gdl prowess. I figure it will at least show up in lists as a beam instead of a slab.

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

rocorona — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:57:03 GMT

Wrathchild wrote:
I just made a curved beam. Made it with the slab tool then saved it as a library part with the subtype beam. It's not parametric but it could be for someone with more gdl prowess. I figure it will at least show up in lists as a beam instead of a slab.

I'm sure it doesn't show up as a SLAB.
I think it shows as on OBJECT ...

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:02:18 GMT

rocorona wrote:
Wrathchild wrote:
I just made a curved beam. Made it with the slab tool then saved it as a library part with the subtype beam. It's not parametric but it could be for someone with more gdl prowess. I figure it will at least show up in lists as a beam instead of a slab.
I'm sure it doesn't show up as a SLAB.
I think it shows as on OBJECT ...

Oh well.....gotta try new things. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

Re: Detailed kerb Modelling

Dwight — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:17:04 GMT

Parametric elements rarely start with drawn shapes as you have done.

For instance, your curved beam-made-from-a-slab is not extruded along its length, but from the top down, making a series of nodes approximating a curve along each face.

This data has no "intelligence," since it isn't related to the parameters we use to control beams.

A curved beam would be made in GDL by describing the section and then applying a SWEEP [described by a radius and arc length] or TUBE [described by lateral path nodes] command.

Today, the best bet for curved things that change elevation is the wonderful OBJECTIVE Add-On. The attached shows an arcing sweep made from a complicated section shape via OBJECTIVE. Yay, Ralph!!