Site Model and Grade Limits -- Grade limit / Define by contours keeps crashing

[twk]

Has anyone successfully used 'define by contours' for the new grade limits modifier?

I have tried in fresh files and old files and vectorworks keeps crashing.

Attached example

 

SiteModelGradingTest.vwx

[twk]

Can I ask for your confirmation if this has been working for you @jeff prince, @Pat Stanford, @Katarina Ollikainen?

 

Please and thank you

[jeff prince]

I avoid contours like the plague and build my sites from point data, so I have not tried this new feature yet.  Contours are so heavy.

[Pat Stanford]

I have not tried anything with site grading.  Sorry.

[Phillip Tripp]

I too have avoided the built in contour edit methods.  I use the grade tool, pads, grade limits because you visually see a direct relationship between the objects representing your intentions and the results in the site model updates.  If a civil engineer shares contour lines from their scope of work, we will add those to our file and convert to contours to assign a z elevation which also works fine.  The trick to any of these is adding a grade limits line so the grading instructions are not carried out across the entire model in a strange way.  Using these ways also lets you have multiple versions of grading concepts on different design layers in the same model and then you can pick can and choose which design layers the site model listens to.

[Katarina Ollikainen]

Yes, I've worked with it quite a lot and I haven't had any issues with it.  It's good for situations between other modifiers where you want to be able to fine-tune contours. Below is a simple example where I have adjusted the contours between the two pads - instead of having them perpendicular to the pad edges, I've added a slight bow to get a more rounded, softer form.

Of course, there are many other ways to achieve this, but this is a good way for those awkward areas around other modifiers.

If you have a file crashing, can you either post it here or send it to me directly so we can see what's happening. It should definitely not do that.

[twk]

Thanks, file in first post.

[jeff prince]

On 5/23/2023 at 5:43 PM, twk said:

Has anyone successfully used 'define by contours' for the new grade limits modifier?

I have tried in fresh files and old files and vectorworks keeps crashing.

Attached example

 

SiteModelGradingTest.vwx 2.58 MB · 6 downloads

 

Ah, I misunderstood what you were talking about and just tried that on your file.

I'm actually excited by this feature as I often want to adjust the placement of contours.

 

I was able to edit the contours with this new workflow using your example file without issue.

 

I increased the size of your grade limit and straightened up some contours

 

Switched your model to proposed, turned off smoothed contours and updated the site model.

 

 

No problemo.

[twk]

Much appreciated. I think there must be something up with my install. I shall try a fresh reinstall 

[Katarina Ollikainen]

Please do, and if you still have issues with it, let me know and we'll file a bug on it.