How to model complex tubular forms in Archicad

[Anonymous]

Here's an example rendering of what I'm trying to model:

[Steve Jepson]

Calgary’s Peace Bridge. Cool Bridge. But what a disaster (in terms of construction).

There is noting I see in the picture that could not be modeled with ArchiCAD. There are many ways to do it.

Are you Modeling for the sake of generating Construction Documents for a similar bridge and all of the parts you model with need to be anatomically correct, or is this just some free-form approximation being used to generate a conceptual image? Will it be a real project model, or not?

This will make a very big difference in how you go about modeling something to generate the image you want.

Also, it makes a big difference in what sort of data ( if any) you need to extract from the model.

Another important difference in how you might go about modeling this depends on if your going to export the model to another program for rendering or not. Will you be needing to collaborate with others sending files back and forth? That sort of thing is also part of deciding how to model it.

And of course, it depends some on what version of ArchiCAD you are using.

You can model the tube and cut the holes you need in it with Solid Element Operations if your version of ArchiCAD has that feature.


You need to provide a little more specif information in order to provide you with more specific tips on how to do it.
Something that help people know how to give you some advise is to put the version of ArchiCAD you are using in your Profile Signature.

[Anonymous]

Hey Steve,
We are working in archicad 18, we need to create documents from the model, but it is merely for elevations, sections and rendering afterwards in artlantis 5.
Cheers

[Steve Jepson]

vjdonoso wrote:
Hey Steve,
We are working in archicad 18, we need to create documents from the model, but it is merely for elevations, sections and rendering afterwards in artlantis 5.
Cheers

Cool!

So it is the curved and tilted I-Beams that might give you some trouble.
And how to get the curved glass that fits the openings perfectly. No problem!
ArchiCAD is perfect for this kind of thing.

Where would you like to start? I like to model in the same flow as the real construction process. This bridge went up in prefab sections and that is a good way to model it.

I would love to give you some tips on how to model any part of it.
What do you want to model first?
Being ArchiCAD users already, you are probably already well under way.
Are you stuck on something?

[Steve Jepson]

.

[Steve Jepson]

crude example but i-beams can be tilted like this:
http://screencast.com/t/9Kuaz7hVXC
and you can edit the profile of the beam as a Complex Profile.

[Anonymous]

Steve, well basicly what complicates us is the modeling of that curved beam and making de rounded glass to fit it, im guessing that giving that glass some kind of spider joint is impossible right?
Thanks for everything!

[Steve Jepson]

It is much easier to do than say

I will give it a try with words. A beam profile is selected( you will want to make your own as a complex profile) and using the magic wand click on a curve of the radius you need.

Now you have the beam but it is in the regular vertical position. In the 3D Window you can convert that beam to a Morph and rotate it the angle you need and you will have a tilted and curved i-beam. ( Several other ways to do that part)
Mirror that one and you will have tilted intersecting curved i-beams.

The curved glass to fit the hole ( for lack of a better term) is also done many ways. I did it with the Elipsoid 18 object.
Place the Elipsoid in plan view centered top to bottom and right to left with the tilted i-beans. The in section views stretch it to fit the window opening.

like so. http://screencast.com/t/jUQgw3pK

Copy a second ellipsoid down the thickness of the glass. Use it as SEO on the other on. Convert to morph, Split whats left away from the beam and delete. Change to glass. Done. I will show more later but I am on my way to 4th of July picnic.

http://screencast.com/t/N4LqoXJ927lw

Another important part of modeling something like this is that you will need to make objects that are simply for the sake of having snap points or boundaries of some kind that you will use to adjust the model to fit. Little roofs off to the side you can use with the Look Perpendicular tool with to display things at some specific angle, save as an object, place back in the model, convert to morph, adjust for precision fit...

[Steve Jepson]

holes/windows are easy to cut in a tube-wall complex profile.

To make the complex profile wall is just a matter of pasting a fill in the shape of the tube you want.

These are Rhombus Openingh 18 windows placed in a tube/wall. The opening on the top is just a matter of giving it a different height from the others.

You may want to make some custom windows or try some others. ?

Easily adjustable from plan view for spacing.

[Anonymous]

This is my problem, making the tubular shell folow this path, any idea how that can be done?