Tips on handling site models, DWG contours, mesh and SEO
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‎2007-11-17
12:06 PM
- last edited on
‎2023-05-23
05:04 PM
by
Rubia Torres
These links are all related to the creation and manipulation of site and terrain model s:
- import and simplifying of DWG contour maps
- creating solid site models with the mesh tool from the contours
- handling local levels vs. actual sea level
- modeling of excavations, foundtions, roads, paths etc using SEOs and other methods
I'd appreciate if others fill in with more links before the moderators lock the thread into the tip section!
These tips might be helpful:
- Archicad WIKI: Handle huge surveyors' drawings
- DigitalVis.com: Modeling Terrain with Archicad (pdf)
- Archicad East: Sidewalks, Roads and Paths on Uneven Terrain Using Mesh Hacks!
- Tip from Archicad-talk: Modeling Roads on a 3D site
- AECBytes: Solid Element Operations in Archicad 10
- Archicad East:Accurate Sea Level - or - benchmark relative dimensions in sections, elevations, meshe...
- Model roads with complex profiled walls
Dwight's
Here and here
If you didn't create your terrain mesh from contour lines, perhaps you would like to add them afterwards. In this thread David Maudlin describes an interesting method, and Roberto Corona describes a GDL object to help.
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‎2007-11-17 08:34 PM
I'm thinking it might be one of the following problems, but could use some advice:
1) my mesh is too big (its 2.14 sq miles) -or- i have my mesh settings wrong
2) my network of roads is too big. there are lots of curving roads and parking lots, and rather than use a bunch of seperate slabs, i only used one.
other than the mesh and the slab, nothing else is in the model. any ideas?
Brian
![Thomas Holm Thomas Holm](https://community.graphisoft.com/legacyfs/online/avatars/actalk/a27517d178c246abb0dd17b6f4f6758a_32.jpg)
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‎2007-11-17 08:53 PM
With complicated sites i think it's important to simplify the model as much as possible. The tip from the Archicad wiki is very useful, even if old. Contours from DWGs often carry much more detail than is useful in your project.
If no other option is usable, it might help to divide a big site in smaller chunks (Split tool) and hide those you don't need at the moment on hidden layers.
But the problem you describe might also come from some corrupt object and not the mesh at all. Check by turning object layers off.
![Thomas Holm Thomas Holm](https://community.graphisoft.com/legacyfs/online/avatars/actalk/a27517d178c246abb0dd17b6f4f6758a_32.jpg)
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‎2008-05-02 09:54 PM
![Dwight Dwight](https://community.graphisoft.com/legacyfs/online/avatars/actalk/a27517d178c246abb0dd17b6f4f6758a_49.gif)
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‎2008-05-02 09:55 PM
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‎2009-04-11 03:20 AM
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‎2010-09-14 04:22 PM
your help is much appreciated. I'm studying carefully all your links and hope to get a better understanding of ArchiCAD and start to work using it.
![Erika Epstein Erika Epstein](https://community.graphisoft.com/legacyfs/online/avatars/actalk/a27517d178c246abb0dd17b6f4f6758a_297.jpg)
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‎2010-09-14 09:17 PM
Please add your version of AC and Operating system to your Profile.
In AC14 you can import an XYZ file which will create your topo in seconds.
Architect, Consultant
MacBook Pro Retina, 15-inch Yosemite 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Mac OSX 10.11.1
AC5-18
Onuma System
"Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling"
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‎2010-09-15 01:26 PM
Erika wrote:Hi Erika,
Hagith,
Please add your version of AC and Operating system to your Profile.
In AC14 you can import an XYZ file which will create your topo in seconds.
Thanks, but actually, I'm new to AC,(13) just struggling to learn the program,seeking any help possible ( Since in Israel there is no organized schooling I am interested in finding a webinar for beginners) .Only then will I consider upgrading to AC 14
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‎2010-09-15 03:05 PM
All the more important to include your AC version and OS in your signature.
There are number of videos on the Graphisoft site as well as on youtube.
Architect, Consultant
MacBook Pro Retina, 15-inch Yosemite 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Mac OSX 10.11.1
AC5-18
Onuma System
"Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling"