How do I Make a Curved Wavy Wall (Curved in Plan and Elevation)?

[Jack2022]

Hi All,

 

Ive seen images of lots of complex wavy extrudes and curved entities while learning Vectorworks but I am struggling to make a simple curved wall (actually a thin metal edge) that curves in plan and in elevation. Screen shot below of intent. I want the bottom of the wall to be flat but the top to gently rise and fall.

 

Is there an easy way to do this?

 

I've come close by making a curved wall and pulling the end vertices up and down but this tends to affect the whole length of the wall and if you split the wall it results in a pointed peak. 

 

Thanks all

 

 

 

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

You can use subtract solids on a surface.  Make a shape that removes what you want, intersect the two and subtract solids.

[Jack2022]

Thanks for this.

 

Was hoping to avoid subtract solids as its a bit of fiddle making the curved solid to subtract from the wall. Will give it a go to see. 

 

Any options where I can pull vertices up and down? even if not perfectly accurate?

[E|FA]

If you want to use the Wall tool, you can draw the curved form in plan using the polyline mode.  

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls/Creating_walls.htm

 

You can ADD and pull vertices up & down using the Edit Wall tool.

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls_edit/Reshaping_walls.htm

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls_edit/Adding_a_wall_peak.htm

 

Another option is to create an object that defines the top of the wall (which can be hidden or deleted later) and use the Fit Walls to Objects command.

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls/Fitting_walls_to_defined_geometry.htm

Edited January 11 by E|FA

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

There are quite a few ways to make this as pointed out.  Another way would be to simply extract two curves, top and bottom.  Lower the top curve end points down and loft.  There are probably more ways to do this besides those already mentioned.

[Jack2022]

this sounds promising it doesnt let me move the end points down though? 

 

the two curves I have drawn are 2D one above the other. 

 

toothy need to be a particular type of curve?

 

honestly not that much or a rookie but this I haven't done before. 

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

If you can wait until tomorrow, I will make a little video showing the various ways to make this.

[Jack2022]

That would be amazing thank you.

 

I feel it must be a simple thing to do considering the power of VW. Just I am struggling to find the methods.

 

 

[line-weight]

If you want to be able to easily edit/adjust the object after you've created it, I would avoid using a loft (because if you want to change it, you have to start again. You can save the source curves on a hidden layer/class to make this a bit easier, but I find this a rather fiddly approach).

 

I would first have a go using the methods @E|FA suggests above.

Edited January 12 by line-weight

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

@line-weight

Perhaps you can do the video instead

 

[Jack2022]

All sorted. Save your time instead of making a video.

 

I finally got to grips with Nurbs curves and shell solids. exactly what I wanted and painless once I got a routine method and found the pitfalls. 

 

Accurate polyline curve in plan view, convert it to nurbs, gave it a z value to locate in model, pulled nurbs curve handles in the Z axis to create the top curve. Added a bottom nurbs line and lofted the two. The loft is perfectly vertical unlike creating surface from curves command.

 

Then shell solid to create thickness. 

 

Thanks all for helping isolate a solution.

 

[Jack2022]

Was considering the wall method from @E|FA but wanted a smooth line instead of straight wall sections making a curve. 

 

Thanks again all.

[Jack2022]

2 hours ago, E|FA said:

If you want to use the Wall tool, you can draw the curved form in plan using the polyline mode.  

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls/Creating_walls.htm

 

You can ADD and pull vertices up & down using the Edit Wall tool.

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls_edit/Reshaping_walls.htm

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls_edit/Adding_a_wall_peak.htm

 

Another option is to create an object that defines the top of the wall (which can be hidden or deleted later) and use the Fit Walls to Objects command.

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/eng/VW2024_Guide/Walls/Fitting_walls_to_defined_geometry.htm

 

I will also explore the last option here. if I can set it to match the hardscape surface and offset it to the edge of the hardscape then it should be a good solution.

[Tom W.]

4 hours ago, Jack2022 said:

if I can set it to match the hardscape surface and offset it to the edge of the hardscape then it should be a good solution.

 

You should be able to do this.

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hello,

Don't forget that you can draw any shape you like and right click and choose the 'Create Objects by Shapes' command and choose 'Walls'. It's a really useful command.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[line-weight]

7 hours ago, Peter Neufeld. said:

Hello,

Don't forget that you can draw any shape you like and right click and choose the 'Create Objects by Shapes' command and choose 'Walls'. It's a really useful command.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

It's a shame this can't be used to define a wall's shape in elevation (rather than in plan).