Composite wall with adjusting thickness

[Zendrix]

Hi! 

Lets consider a stone wall, like in old houses, where the thickness of it would vary and you would have 20mm plaster inside and outside:

Is there a way to have a composite wall like this, where the inner core keeps adjusting its thickness and the outter and inner endings are always 20mm plaster? If there is no direct way, whats the best workflow? I have seen the option of creating pilars, but if you have a skewed wall its not practical.

Or are you better of just drawing a simple stone wall? But then how could you represent the plasters thickness?

Thanks

[Zendrix]

By the way, even doing a simple non composite polygonal wall gets me in trouble cause when i reach the end it closes itself in a solid shape filling the entire footprint of the house. Do i have to make it 4 different sectioned walls, like in the attached pic? Or is there a simple way that im missing?

Thanks

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

Firstly, poly walls are best done to one side of the building at a time, or you could get away with 2 sides if the corner is 90°.

If the wall forms a "U" shape, then a door or window on one side wall will cut a hole in the opposite side wall.

And you can't have skins on a poly wall.

You can use composite walls, but not a single one for varying thicknesses.

You need to join different walls end to end.

You need to create a new wall for each thickness.

If the wall skins are not parallel, then you could use the 'trapezoidal' geometry, otherwise you are back to poly walls is the thickness is not evenly changing from end to end.

Or you could use Complex profile walls.

These can have 'modifiers' associated to the skin thickness.

You will only need one wall type (complex profile), but you still need to join lengths of walls end to end where the thickness changes.

The thickness of each length can then be adjusted by the modifier in section or 3D or in plan via the modifier settings.

The plaster skin will not wrap around the ends of the walls where the thickness changes.

So there you need to add a separate plaster skin wall (can be fiddly), or you could try a wall end maybe (if one allows you to stretch the amount wrap around the end - I am not sure if that is possible) or use the complex profile columns.

In the corners it is sometimes best to still use complex profile columns.

Barry.

[Zendrix]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for your quick answer!

So the best way to go about the above example would be to make those for walls independently (1,2,3 & 4) as poly walls? And maybe add an independent plaster layer to each side after that?

Thanks,

[Barry Kelly]

If poly walls, definitely 4 separate walls.

Do you need to see the plaster skin in plan or section?

Sure, in a large scale detail you will want to see it but then it could be added as a fill.

But if you do need to see the plaster skin, it will have to be a separate wall which means cutting separate openings.

Your walls look a constant thickness except at the corners, so I would use a composite or complex profile with columns in the corners.

Barry.

[Lingwisyer · Accepted solution]

For your corners, place a Column of the Building Material from the side you want to have protrude into your Composite Wall and turn on the Finish Wrapping setting. Why is this not practical for skewed walls?

Ling.

[Zendrix]

Hi guys,

Thanks again for your inputs.

Barry:

"But if you do need to see the plaster skin, it will have to be a separate wall which means cutting separate openings" : with this you are just meaning a window will have to be protruding the wall and the plaster, is that it? I would like to represent the plaster because of 2 reasons: 1) i will need it at 1:20 or 1:50 scale; 2) i would like to have quantities of this element coming out as data; It is also because i am starting to learn the program and would like to explore how accurate can we take it without making it too complex;

Ling:

What if besides my pilar insertion, as you suggest, i also have the problem of some walls having different thicknesses in both ends (i guess trapezoidal - see attached pic)? You would still go about making it a composite?

Thank you for your time,

Cheers

[Zendrix]

I just see a lot, or some, impratical things working with composites here: for instance, check the attached picture: i would have a problem in the back of that corner, cause the end of the wal is not aligned with the wall that joins with it at a 90º angle. How would i fix these stuff practically with composites?

[Barry Kelly]

Windows and doors can only belong to one wall.

If you use poly walls, you can not have a plaster skin.

So, you would have to model that as a separate wall and then place openings to match your doors and windows.

Trapezoidal walls can be composites, but only one of the skins will change in width - the one opposite the reference line.

Barry.

[Barry Kelly]

A complex profile column with plaster skins does not have to be rectangular.

It can be any shape you want to match the angles of your walls.

This is not something I have ever had to model though, so I may not be giving the best information.

Barry.