Modeling
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Shell Tool Curved Geometry

Josh Verran
Advisor

I'm trying to create the below geometry using the Shell tool.

Screenshot 2023-06-26 133317.jpg

I can almost get the shape I'm after, but cannot curve the two longest sides as dashed below.

Screenshot 2023-06-26 133244.jpg

Hoping someone can please give me some guidance. 


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6 REPLIES 6
Lingwisyer
Guru

As far as I know the Shell Tool iteself cannot do this. You can only curve and pitch the two ends. I would just SEO it with another shell.

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DGSketcher
Legend

This tutorial in the help may offer a solution...

Edit Shell Contour Polygon

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Fermat
Participant

You can just select the shell, right click and choose "Create Hole in shell".

 

Once that you placed the hole you can even select the hole by Shift + clicking on the edge generated by the hole itself:

this way you can Edit the perimeter of the hole, rotate the geometry or even modify the "Extrusion Depth" of the cut volume.

 

Schermata 2023-06-26 alle 14.33.12.png

 

Unfortunately you can't do everything you can do with Rhino, for instance, but probably this could work for your case!

Lingwisyer
Guru

But holes and the contour are vertical crops? Given the plan and elevations given, we need a horizontal crop... or can those be rotated too?

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I think the top perimeter crop in this case is fine.

 

The problem with Josh's model is that it seems to curve along 2 axii.

From A-A to B-B is a simple 'ruled' shell, transitioning from a flattish curve to a deeper curve along a flat (but sloping) axis.

That bit is fine.

But from the axis to each side it is transitioning from a flat profile(the axis) to a curved profile.

This could be done with 2 shells joined end to end at the axis.

 

The problem is, you can't combine both of the transition (from left to right and side to side) at the same time.

So there is a double curve in the element that I don't think Archicad can do.

Well it probably could as a morph, but I am not sure how you could manipulate it easily.

And there are also 'Nurbs' but this has to be programmed in GDL.

Or use a mesh and set the top heights as desired, duplicate it, drop on slightly and Solid Element Operation with subtract to get the thickness.

 

Possibly it could be modelled in another software and then imported into Archicad.

 

Barry.

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Josh Verran
Advisor

Thanks for the tips and guidance guys.
I have some paths to consider.


I'm getting some usable results from the Rhino-Grasshopper connection, once/if I resolve it, I'll post results here.


GRAPHISOFT Certified BIM Manager | Senior BIM Specialist | LinkedIn


ARCHICAD 18-28 | BIMcloud | CI Tools | Grasshopper - Rhino | CloudCompare | Bluebeam


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Windows 11 Business | Intel Core i9-13950HX @2.2GHZ | 64Gb RAM | 2x Samsung S27F350 1920x1080 60Hz | Nvidia RTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU (12Gb)