A Quick Way To Create Driveways, Footpaths etc.

[gpowless]

Hi,

My method involves making the entire terrain, first. Then I layout the lines where I want my walkway or driveway paving, and cut out a 1' band around the perimeter of the driveway. Once the driveway mesh is completely detached from the terran mesh I then change the material and elevate the mesh by a couple of inches. Last step is to offset the meshes so that their edges touch. It works in most situations where the drive or walk follows the contours of the terrain.

Good luck!

Gregg

[Anonymous]

gpowless wrote:
Hi,
My method involves making the entire terrain, first. Then I layout the lines where I want my walkway or driveway paving, and cut out a 1' band around the perimeter of the driveway...
Gregg

My Tipp is: do that all with "Solid Element Operations...", using substruction tools.
So you will spend a time. Also with "SEO" will be easier to modify in future.

[Anonymous]

A great idea but how do you cut a mesh to the shape of a driveway but still keep the "driveway" section of the mesh?

[gpowless]

Hi again,

I don't cut out the entire driveway mesh. I just cut a band on either side of it to separate the mesh in much the same way that a cookie cutter separates dough. Then after I have made adjustments, I use offset to slide the edges over until they touch.

For accuracy I often draw a series of lines and then cut out about a 1 fot section along the line. If I need to radius the corners I do it when the mesh is back touching and then apply a node radius (pet pallet) with the same dimension on both the terrain and the driveway at the same point.

Regards

[Anonymous]

gpowless wrote:
I just cut a band on either side of it to separate the mesh in much the same way that a cookie cutter separates dough. Then after I have made adjustments, I use offset to slide the edges over until they touch.

For accuracy I often draw a series of lines and then cut out about a 1 fot section along the line.

Sorry to be a bit thick.
Could you tell me what tools you are using to do this cutting of the mesh?
1" wide walls to make a solid model cookie cutter?

Thanx, gpowless
Walter

[gpowless]

Not a problem.

I use the mesh select.left click.pet pallet.subtract (-) and draw a line around the driveway. Then I use mesh select.left click.pet pallet.offset edge.

[Anonymous]

I have found that often solid operations performed on meshes are lost; I have to frequently re-do solid operations - especially ones done with a meshes as both targets and operators. Anyone else see this problem?

Don

[Aussie John]

Walter wrote:
A great idea but how do you cut a mesh to the shape of a driveway but still keep the "driveway" section of the mesh?

You could have a second mesh which is intact. It could be lowered to give the kerb setdowns

[Anonymous]

You could have a second mesh which is intact. It could be lowered to give the kerb setdowns

I had no patience for the double line cookie cutter so "excavated" the mesh in the shape of the drive as gpowless suggests with the "-" pet tool after copying the mesh, lowering the copy & changing it's material.

I will likely trim the "driveway" mesh after the project is more set to keep the data down to a minimum.

But the drive does look great & I see garden paths, trails...

Thanks 4 the tip!