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Landartma

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Posts posted by Landartma

  1. Yes I need to get a handle on all the tools.  You simply use the grade tool along the outer limit of your walk.  Does that affect the walk or the site model.  I have everything laid out pretty much how I want it with tweaks to textures needed and finished planting ETC.  Where I'm stuck is the process to get the existing grade to meet with proposed grade hardscapes and landscape areas.  My retaining wall modifier is doing weird stuff too.  It all boils down to skill so I'll drill for skill today with a bunch of tutorials on that.  Any links or advice on the A-Z of site grading in VW are appreciated.

     

    The question for the walls is that they won't join.  I suspect its because they are stepping up and can't join from top to bottom.  But stepping up an SRW is the way its built.  Do I need a Retaining Wall Modifier for each wall or is there a way to do one for all the walls?

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  2. Yea I did that with little luck then like magic on my 75th try I got it to work.  It still didn't line up perfectly with the patio so I left it level and it looked ok...as a sales tool.  Then I put my 2% grade on it and selected the patio to align surface.  It did so but aligned with some site model existing grading and bent in two.  The menu wouldn't allow me to select layers.  When I selected that option the screen just blinked.  So I shut off all other layers chose Align to Visible Layers Only and then aligned and it worked.  I still have some wonky stuff going on with other site modifiers which I'm guessing is user error.

  3. A few questions.  I have read through what your all doing here.  My solutions are normally less complex than what I see here.  What I was getting with align surfaces was one surface or the other but not both.  As if you want to align one hardscape surface with two on either side especially is there is a twist.  I've been working on that for a while now.  I see how @Benson Shaw did it.  It makes sense.  How did you render it.  I have four known corners and I simply need to connect them on a slope that runs along a curve...literally 10'.  I have messed with everything.  There seems to be no easy solution.  

  4. Gave this a shot and got it to align to my steps but will not align to both the steps and patio.  I'm looking at some of the posts on the grading thread you sent.  Thanks for relaying that.  I'll keep pushing on.  It would be great to see a youtube or VW video on just how to accomplish the complex grading...I have a 10' length of sidewalk that wants just the slightest of twist.  Anyone who knows of a Video that explains how to do that it would be helpful.  I'd hate to think I'd have to model it...This is basic stuff we do in the field with rake and shovel on a daily basis.  Although @Benson Shaw seems to have it down.

  5. I'm laying out a fence/railing above a retaining wall and all settings between the two fences are the same but on one side I am not getting the option to Place Post at Corner so I am missing two sections of fence in isometric.  Why is that?  The odd thing is that I switched to another style I created and now I have the whole fence and looks as drawn in 2d when put into isometric.  

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  6. I did the core certification very helpful but its really just a start.  VXU is really the same.  I get into situations where I get stuck just don't know what to do.  I go back to the videos frequently but its time consuming.  I imagine its not everyone but its a steep learning curve for me as I can't be on the machine everyday.

     

    Here is what I just posted.  

     

  7. I've been using VW for about 2 years.  I have the 2d components down pretty well but have gaping holes in my 3d knowledge base.  I got VW certified this year and have about 9-10 hours of 121 training, watched a ton of videos and there are a ton of very generous people on the forum.  I'm going to fill in those holes so I can become proficient in the 3d realm.  So far I see a few training sessions coming up for about $700.00 but they look basic.  The 121 is effective as well especially when specific issues arise.  My issue is timing.  When I'm stuck on something I need answers as fast as possible so I can get the work out.  I can't afford to muddle through multiple videos and maybe figure out the answer.  My question to the community is what training systems are they using for general skill development?  Does anyone have a solution for the quick turnaround on specific questions?  My guess is that to become expert time in is in the hundreds of hours if not more.  I'm all in but I need a point A-B training solution and some sort of tech support when I hit a roadblock.  What have you VW pros done to get to your level of proficiency?  What do you do when your down due to a knowledge gap?

  8. Check this one out.  It looks like you are already using your i phone.  But these guys are bringing it to a new level.   I'm not sure if there is a way to get that kind of accuracy except with a tape measure.  I have the same question I still measure manually and shoot grades with a laser although I know there are better ways.

     

  9. Jeff I struggle with a ton of stuff and it seems as if you can get bits and pieces VWU and help but its tough to get the full picture on any one thing. The various functions of VW are complex.  I always search you tube too.  The thing that's helped me the most is one on one training.  VW has some good trainers that can walk you through the nuance.  This is coming from a technological novice so none of this is intuitive to me.  I use novice generously.  I bought a block of ten hours and will likely buy another block soon.  There are also a few trainings coming up...of course it all costs $$$.

  10. So you can scan 100 acres in 30 minutes with an I Phone?  Using the 3d modeling functionality?  It gives elevations?  Locate individual trees and I imagine rock house corners?  How accurate is it?  

  11. I have a hardscape coming down hill at a 2% grade.  It meets up with the steps but maintains a consistent slope plane. When it meets the steps, which are level across, and are connected to the lower walk it is raised to one side.  I was able to just use the reshape tool to join the lower walk and step.  When I tried that with this hardscape it deleted the image from the screen.  I'm not sure if it actually deleted it or what happened but it appeared to be gone.  What's the function to get the walk to bend and fit the steps and still meet the patio.  Do I need to start over with two hardscapes one for the patio and one for the walk?  Is there a way to split the two and create a new hardscape?  I tried to Enable Aligned Surface but it just changed the elevation of the entire hardscape.   I've been messing with this for a bit and know its likely pretty simple but I'm stumped.

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  12. I'm recreating yesterdays site model which got lost in cyberspace due to back up failure so be sure to check your back up settings.  I'm creating a site model using the stake tool.  I have an area which has approximately 2% grades (based on the eyeball method).  Can the grade tool be used to create Source Data for the creation of a site model?  I'm seeing it can be used once the site model is done but can it be used before?  I'm sitting here with a couple knowns...top of foundation interpolated FFE assuming 2x12 rafters and 1.5" sheething and flooring.  Maybe should add in for a sill plate but....it will be accurate enough.   I'm taking grades I shot and calculating the grades around the house in reference to the FFE with a calculator.  I'm doing the calculations from my station to individual spots where I don't know slope exactly.  If I can avoid calculator work that would save me some time.  Thoughts anyone.

     

    BTW check out @jeffprince is doing with Drones and Lidar. 

  13. I had a client who did the same kind of thing professionally with drones.  I believe he works for a big civil company or real estate developer.  I met him last year he was saying they produce some pretty accurate stuff.  I'm not sure what systems they are using but I'm guessing they are high end systems.  

     

    • Like 1
  14. Thanks for turning me on to this string.  Really cool stuff.  Is the drone work profitable for you or are you in hobby mode with it.  I have a realtor friend who uses it and had to get a license.  But I'm in Massachusetts the land of licenses.  So I'm not sure if it federal or state.  I've started with VW from Dynascape in 2020 and with limited time to really dig in I'm finally getting into 3d modeling.  It would be really cool to make measuring more efficient.  Psyched to hear about the tools your using can't wait to get there.

     

    BTW your real generous with info here...Just wanted to give you a shout out...Thanks!

    • Like 3
  15. I lost yesterdays work because my back up was turned off.  The software crashed this morning as soon as I opened it up.  I specifically went it and made sure back up was on when I did the upgrade to 2022.   Is there a bug or do I need to set it for each project.  Prior to this everything else was backing up fine.  My cache gets cleaned up regularly and the machine gets rebooted daily...except last night.  I know it happens but I'm not that into doing entire plans twice.  I'll be checking for bugs on the machine today just to be sure.  Any known VW hackers out there to look for who might have malware floating around out there.

  16. For many of my projects I don't have professional surveys so I shoot my own grades and do a bit of ocular estimating.  I am working on becoming more efficient in site modeling so I'm looking for opinions on the best way to go about laying out those grades in preparation for creating a site model.  So far I have laid them out using the stake tool as source data and the boundary tool.   Opinions?   

  17. I had it set to layer only for an operation I was doing.  Then set it a few other times for other particular situations.  I must have set it to Current Selection Mode and that explained part of the issue.  But when I put it back in Select Any Mode the functionality returned but only when I had a limited amount of attributes selected.  For example when I went to select my walls it would only select when I had Layer Class and Object selected it would also work with wall slab roof all selected.  As soon as I selected I selected any of the font attributes it would not select the foundation but would still select my spot grades.  Is the select similar tool not expected to select certain objects if everything is selected for example.  My understanding is that unchecking boxes just limits what it will select for and if all attributes are checked it will pick up just about everything on the drawing.  Am I missing something here.

  18. That's what I did.  The door tool worked fine. However, it will not automatically remove and reconfigure the fence posts and panels.  So essentially the doors must be placed in the desired place and fence be drawn to it from both sides correct?  As far as rendering, texturing etc.  I have the fence in shaded mode and that will work for now.  The gate symbol I created from the door tool won't show its in shaded mode.  In fact I can't get any color to apply to it.  I'm not sure if I'm having a class issue or an object issue.  The class dropdown at the top of the OIP is grayed out, indicates its in the none class but so is the fence and the fence is shaded.  The difference I see is that one is a door symbol and the other is a railing fence symbol.  What setting am I missing?329689193_Screenshot(74).thumb.png.28a578a3e9030d5684e52277c6873ab2.png

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