LEC,
I dunno if I'd do that... You'll end up with HUGE file sizes!
Especially if you've got lots of tile walls!
Here's my approach to tile wainscots (not the ONLY approach, just AN approach):
I use the wall tool for the main body of the wainscot. It's on a layer that has an intersection priority that prevents 'healing' to my ordinary wall structures. It's assigned a material that has a fill attached that makes the tile pattern visible in an elevation. Super simple.. the easy part. In AC9 (what I use), I sometimes need to create fills that align the fill pattern correctly on the Z axis... Not to tough assuming you've learned how to create a custom fill (which I do frequently). In AC12, I think you can actually set the fill's origin point.
Now for the trimmy parts.. Base and rail courses. For those, I use either walls, slabs or objects. I have layers setup for rail and base mouldings, again with intersection priorities that prevent them healing to any other layers (in case I use wall elements). If your base and / or rail tiles have any complexity at all, you'll want to use complex profile walls (AC12) or objects for those. They're assigned a material that in turn has a fill attached that will make the vertical grout joints show up in an elevation... that fill is just vertical lines spaced to equal the length of the individual tiles. That way, no matter what elevation your base and rail courses are set to, it just shows the vertical joints. Sometimes, you'll have a rail tile turn vertical... I wrote my own customizable moulding GDL that does this, OR, you can get Ralph's awesome Objective Add-On to do same, OR just use slabs for those conditions. For those vertical runs, you'll need another material similar to your rail material, except with a horizontally oriented line fill to show the joints going the other direction. Some minor 2D patching will likely be required at the corners of the vertical turns in your elevations if you're using slabs. If you use an object, however, you'll be able to mitre those corners (which is why I wrote a GDL to do it). That's a minor, 'forgivable' 2D patch, in my opinion.
If you're still stumped, just shoot me a phone call (Note to community - LEC and I know each other!). It might be easier to describe on the phone, as I'll be able to gauge if you 'get' what I'm saying here! Hopefully, that un-sticks the process.
Bottom line is this... Using the curtain wall tool will make one heck of a complex situation to do a 'simple' task. BUT... I must applaud you for looking at the CWT and seeing it's potential to do something that doesn't exactly fit it's job description, and COULD serve a similar function for something nominally un-related. You're on the right track with that thinking for solving many other situations in the AC workflow. sometimes it's a good idea, sometimes not, but it's always worth considering the possibilities.
Hope that helps... Let me know if you need more info.
I dunno if I'd do that... You'll end up with HUGE file sizes!
Especially if you've got lots of tile walls!Here's my approach to tile wainscots (not the ONLY approach, just AN approach):
I use the wall tool for the main body of the wainscot. It's on a layer that has an intersection priority that prevents 'healing' to my ordinary wall structures. It's assigned a material that has a fill attached that makes the tile pattern visible in an elevation. Super simple.. the easy part. In AC9 (what I use), I sometimes need to create fills that align the fill pattern correctly on the Z axis... Not to tough assuming you've learned how to create a custom fill (which I do frequently). In AC12, I think you can actually set the fill's origin point.
Now for the trimmy parts.. Base and rail courses. For those, I use either walls, slabs or objects. I have layers setup for rail and base mouldings, again with intersection priorities that prevent them healing to any other layers (in case I use wall elements). If your base and / or rail tiles have any complexity at all, you'll want to use complex profile walls (AC12) or objects for those. They're assigned a material that in turn has a fill attached that will make the vertical grout joints show up in an elevation... that fill is just vertical lines spaced to equal the length of the individual tiles. That way, no matter what elevation your base and rail courses are set to, it just shows the vertical joints. Sometimes, you'll have a rail tile turn vertical... I wrote my own customizable moulding GDL that does this, OR, you can get Ralph's awesome Objective Add-On to do same, OR just use slabs for those conditions. For those vertical runs, you'll need another material similar to your rail material, except with a horizontally oriented line fill to show the joints going the other direction. Some minor 2D patching will likely be required at the corners of the vertical turns in your elevations if you're using slabs. If you use an object, however, you'll be able to mitre those corners (which is why I wrote a GDL to do it). That's a minor, 'forgivable' 2D patch, in my opinion.
If you're still stumped, just shoot me a phone call (Note to community - LEC and I know each other!). It might be easier to describe on the phone, as I'll be able to gauge if you 'get' what I'm saying here! Hopefully, that un-sticks the process.
Bottom line is this... Using the curtain wall tool will make one heck of a complex situation to do a 'simple' task. BUT... I must applaud you for looking at the CWT and seeing it's potential to do something that doesn't exactly fit it's job description, and COULD serve a similar function for something nominally un-related. You're on the right track with that thinking for solving many other situations in the AC workflow. sometimes it's a good idea, sometimes not, but it's always worth considering the possibilities.
Hope that helps... Let me know if you need more info.
Still looking?
