Roof Tiling

[Emre Senoglu]

heya - I've been trying to find a good way of creating roof tiling for quite a while now: a solution that could let you select a type of tile, be able to adjust to any roof shape, include cuts and even be able to handle ridges. So basically something like a scatter tool specialized for roof tiles.

The past year or so, I've been using the roof accessories, and while this works okay, it isn't realistic or as reactive as I'd like it to be. Now I know there are other plugins that do this function, however they are either outdated or lack functionality / realism. So I'm looking for a solution that can create realistic looking tiles that are also built realistically.

I was maybe thinking Grasshopper could be used for this sort of task. However I haven't started using the connection yet, and I will need to sharpen up my GH skills. But perhaps GDL scripting is more suited for the task? Or if any of you know a easier / better suitable way to get this done it would be great to hear some suggestions.

Many thanks. 

[Miha_M]

Another thread on this subject:

https://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=67060&p=298369#p298369

[Erwin Edel]

To not end up with a very high amount of polygons, I would suggest using a displacement map on your surface for rendering.

We model our roof tiles as part of the composite with a thickness of about half the 'thickness' of the tile (since it's a curved shape that overlaps). We have some 2D stretchable objects from our local reseller for most of the typical shapes / types available locally that you can use in sections / elevations if needed.

Even without displacement a good texture generally does the trick. That also means you can use a less busy vectorial fill for your elevations / sections.

[Emre Senoglu]

Thanks for the replies - Miha and Erwin. I've checked that thread, and here are some thoughts about the existing plugins out there.

Eptar Terran: Does an okay job of creating a realistic 3d model, with ridges and accessories. Looks okay when rendering, and gets close to a realistic result. The auto ridge creation is a big plus. It however lacks flexibility as it doesn't allow you to pick a custom tile style. Also, very limited in its settings, as it is impossible to change the tile type after creating the object.

Goodies Roof Accessories: This has been my go to method for quite a while. While it is easy to use and somewhat configurable, the limited amount of tile options and not being able to set a starting point (to avoid half tiles etc) has been great annoyances.

Using displacement map / textures: While this works good for rendering, it is not a BIM solution, as it is far from being a realistic way of building a working model. The current composite function of ArchiCAD unfortunately doesn't work that well with roofs, as you might have experienced as well.

Ideally I would like to have the ability to count the amount of tiles used, dynamically change tile sizes or types, along with other types of interactive edits. I probably sound so nitpicky right now, but it's an issue that has long been on my mind So I've started looking into grasshopper for now, and will come back with an update when I've reached a satisfying result.

[Erwin Edel]

Number of tiles is not that hard to grab with a property expression of amount of tiles in m², though?

The contractor isn't likely to order them down to the exact number, since they will arrive per pallet of X-amount.

We have surfaces set up for our most used tiles, with correct scaling of the texture and spacing for the vectorial fill. These are then used for dedicated Building Materials, so they are easy to swap in and out on composites and allow for using different tiles on different composites easily.

[Emre Senoglu]

True, Erwin - this also the current method we're using to calculate costs. Sounds like setting up materials / textures as you describe is a viable method for now.