Applying complex profile to slab?

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody,
I'm creating the complex structure of a terrace slab, and I need to add a slope to the upper surface (to have water run off properly). Is there a way I can edit the profile of the layers of the slab, like I can do with walls?

Thanks!

Enrico

[Anonymous]

Enrico!

Best to use a mesh rather than a slab if you want a sloping top surface. This is also true for ramps.

If you need to show layers, use a slab (or complex layered slab) for the level layers, then a mesh for the sloping or wedge-shaped part. If you need another layer on top of this you could use a roof.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Samovar wrote:
Best to use a mesh rather than a slab if you want a sloping top surface. This is also true for ramps.

Agree. Although, often just using roofs works for easy situations.

In the case of modeling complex draining surfaces with a mesh ... depending on how complex ... you might become unhappy with the thickness in section. In that case, download the 'goodie' (via Help menu link) Mesh to Roof which will generate roof bits corresponding to the mesh surface. You can then apply a composite, if desired, to these roofs as Samovar suggests to get more detail in your sections.

Cheers,
Karl

[owen]

Karl wrote:

Samovar wrote:
Best to use a mesh rather than a slab if you want a sloping top surface. This is also true for ramps.

Agree. Although, often just using roofs works for easy situations.

In the case of modeling complex draining surfaces with a mesh ... depending on how complex ... you might become unhappy with the thickness in section. In that case, download the 'goodie' (via Help menu link) Mesh to Roof which will generate roof bits corresponding to the mesh surface. You can then apply a composite, if desired, to these roofs as Samovar suggests to get more detail in your sections.

Cheers,
Karl

I tend to use the Mesh-to-Roof tool Karl is refering to (keep your mesh on a hidden layer for later editing), although another workaround is to vertically offset a duplicate of your mesh by the thickness you want your slab and then use SEO to subtract this copy from the upper slab - leaving just the section of mesh you want to show as the slab.

There is a bleedingly-obvious-feature wish somewhere to give us this thickness option built into the mesh tool. I think the slab tool and mesh tools should be rolled into one tool - everything starts as a simple horizontal slab and then you can add points, raise their Z height, etc.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Enrico wrote:
Hi everybody,
I'm creating the complex structure of a terrace slab, and I need to add a slope to the upper surface (to have water run off properly). Is there a way I can edit the profile of the layers of the slab, like I can do with walls?

Thanks!

Enrico

If you just want a simple sloped edge for your Slab, ArchiCAD 13 has that as a new feature.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everybody, as always!

I'll try and use a combination of slab (horizontal bearing structure+insulation) mesh ("wedge" part between horizontal part and the sloping one) and roof (top finish).

I'll also try the mesh-to-roof tool you've mentioned...


Once again: thanks a lot!



Enrico

[SeaGeoff]

In most cases a roof over a slab followed by an SEO (subtraction of the slab from the roof) will give a good result. The Fit to Skin option on AC13 will aid in proper display of directional fills if they are used in the roof part.

[Anonymous]

funny, I used my revit background and concluded that the subtraction tool would do the job. its. revitalizing has the ability to slope the top layer of a slab while keeping the underside flat. I would like to see something like this in AC. So in AC, is the roof used interchangeably with floors? I want to make sure I know my options now that I am converting back to AC and actually learn it well.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Profoxcg wrote:
funny, I used my revitalizing background and concluded that the subtraction tool would do the job. its. revitalizing has the ability to slope the top layer of a slab while keeping the underside flat. I would like to see something like this in AC. So in AC, is the roof used interchangeably with floors? I want to make sure I know my options now that I am converting back to AC and actually learn it well.

The Roof can be sloped, the Slab cannot.
Now it is possible to have sloped edge for Slabs, just like Roofs.
But with Roofs you can also define what kind of edge and edge is: eave, valley, gable, ridge etc. That can be useful when listing/scheduling Roofs.

[David Maudlin]

Profoxcg wrote:
...revitalizing has the ability to slope the top layer of a slab while keeping the underside flat. I would like to see something like this in AC...

The Mesh Tool does this.

Profoxcg wrote:
So in AC, is the roof used interchangeably with floors? I want to make sure I know my options now that I am converting back to AC and actually learn it well.

As you get back into ArchiCAD, you should start to discard the tool names and just think of the geometries they are capable of. A ramp might be best done with the Roof Tool or Mesh Tool, depending on the situation.

You should add a Signature to your Profile (click the Profile button near the top of this page) with your ArchiCAD version and operating system (see mine for an example) for more accurate help in this forum.

David