Hello,
After personal research without finding a good enough solution I come here asking:
How to model a terrain that has some contours overlapping (meaning they have same x,y but different z = the terrain has a vertical cut)??
Example diagram here:
...If this is modeled the "correct way" = creating mesh > creating the contours on the mesh > elevating each contour to the correct Z, then the outcome will be this one:
The problem is that the points that belong to the both contours cannot be the one above the other, they are merged...
And the solution cannot be to "cheat" the modeling by moving the one contour 1mm so they are not overlapping. Nor can be to create morph to adjust it manually.
And this beacause the terrain-modeling is the beggining of the design and really should be an automated process like in other programs - you import the contours in 2D and in correct elevation and the mesh is automatically generated. You cannot just scan each milimeter of your generated mesh if there are parts that overlap and be unsure if the quality of the mesh is not correct in 3D or in the sections.
How people deal with this? Am I the only one that uses archicad in projects that are not just 1 plane mesh with maybe 3-4 contours..
Any ideas are welcome.
Thank you in advance.
(this is in Norway btw)
The mesh tool is very old and pretty inflexible in this regard, your only option is the A solution you have drawn. I get this all the time when I get terrain models with retaining walls.
In fact the whole process of modelling complex terrain on large sites is poor. Importing meshes from surveyors's data gives randomised (non-weighted) triangulation. Terrain maps from surveying software have weighted geometry. This means that points identified top of wall or top of kerb or top of bank are all connected, so the triangulation is pretty representative of the actual terrain.
Except you can't import these types of terrain models, because they are typically in dwg form, and they can't be imported as meshes.
I have been told that the options are to use something like Rhino and import into Archicad, or use something like Land 4.
It's not clever, and I almost never have flat sites in my part of the world. I don't think the 'solution' of drawing walls onto your terrain map is a good one because existing walls will be different heights, widths, and the tops won't be horizontal. It's fine if you are going to replace them, but if not it's awful and time-consuming. I've done this for the model in the attached image below and it took days!
That was in addition to modelling the actual terrain itself which took even longer.
The only solution is to redraw the contours, adjust where necessary to avoid coincident Z points and model the terrain manually by elevating contours and intersecting them.
Vectorworks does a much better job with this. You define a shape, select some 3d polylines, define the height intervals and it creates the terrain automatically. It's kind of like the Archicad process, but automated and much easier!
As David has said, you can convert your mesh to a morph, but you lose all the benefits a mesh gives you, and you may as well not have the tool at all.
Terrain modelling with the mesh tool is one of my biggest gripes with Archicad.
This tool is too simplistic, and the import options for meshes are way too limited and crude.
I had a little think about this.
Why not just use 2 meshes.
The edges (or skirt) of the mesh is always vertical.
Create the main mesh with the contours and set their heights.
On the contour where you want the vertical face, cut a hole.
On the edges of that hole on the faces you want to be vertical, ensure the node heights are at the lower contour level.
Now add a new mesh and elevate the perimeter heights to the upper contour level.
Add more contours on top of this if you need.
Repeat if you happen to have more vertical surfaces.
Barry.
This is not working btw, you cannot select the whole polyline..
Still looking?
