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Elevations that REALLY function


Taproot

Question

In my opinion, VW needs to make the model usable for projecting live Elevations (and hopefully one day sections). The viewports coupled with Artistic Renderworks make this ALMOST possible.

Currently, a model rendered in Cartoon setting or Lines and Shadows will render a fully functional elevation EXCEPT all stacked and butted wall seams are highlighted. There must be a way to roll over these seams in the same way that Final Quality Renderworks does. Unfortunately, Final Quality Renderworks does not adequatelly punch out the lines for Construction Drawings. So, we are having to resort to all kinds of work-arounds to try and achieve what should be a core-feature of the program.

With a little fine tuning, it seems like the capability already exists within the program to bring this about.

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I overcome the issue of the wall join lines by setting my 3D walls so that they always finish at either the FL or CL. The join lines then coincide with the horizontal datum lines I draw to delineate the floor level and ceiling level. It would be better if they weren't there but I can live with them.

The big issue I have is that there is usually a point in the working drawing cycle at which you have to convert the elevations into linework in order to finish them off. If NNA can get the HIdden Line rendered elevations to a standard where this is no longer necessary I will be happy.

One thing that both Elevations and Live Sections will need in my opinion is a 'Depth of Field' parameter that allows us to select how much of what is beyond is visible in an elevation or section.

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This is where I think it would be hard but achievable maybe.

The ablity to reduce linewieghts % or thickness per so many meters or yards of depth back from the cut would speed up the final drwings a lot.

Problem being when you have a line that is one length but in perspective going away from you.

Regards Brendan

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Taproot

You either:

- Have to put a zero thickness solid fill polygon mask over them (okay for you but confuses recipients when you export)

- Or resort to Converting a Copy to Lines with Hidden Line Rendering mode

Because of how long tidying up the latter takes (I usually end up swearing a lot) I accept the compromises of the former.

PS dont ever use the Convert Copy to Polygons routine (particularly if you have curved surfaces) as you will end up with tens of thousands of polygons. You may be able to fudge it so it looks okay for you, but if you then have to export it to DWG for an Engineer or the like the result for them will be an absolute disaster and unuseable.

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MIke,

Using a datum line to cover up the seam is an interesting work around. I don't find it that attractive, but it is remarkably clever on your part. What do you do for butt joint walls i.e. where you have two walls of differing heights next to one another thereby leaving a vertical seam?

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Mike

Perhaps I am over simplifying here

Cant you do that by cutting the 3d section twice.

say you do your section thru the center of the building you could then do another say 1 meter back and keep the 1 meter wide section piece to do youre thing on.

Sure it makes a few extra layers but may get rid of all the background stuff.

I dont think my previous post is that ridiculous taking into account what you have just said.

I have the same hassel to get good quality elevations convert to lines is the only way but extremly time cosuming imagine if we could just use our viewports to do this.

There must be enough really sick programmers out there that coud do this

Dont forget its a wishlist forum here.

We all hope for things that may work one day .

Regards Brendan

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I can find no references to the terms 'FL', 'CL' & 'datum line'. Can someone clarify this?

As a designer I often use nurbs surfaces and rounded edges.

The seams of adjoining nurbs surfaces sometimes show up in hidden line & artistic rendering modes, but not always.

Rounded edges are messy in hidden line and do not seem to follow any clear principle.

Short of a perfect solution, it would be nice, if I could invoke a dialog in rendered viewports, where I could identify unwanted & missing lines, and get a corrected representation.

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Kaare

I naively assumed that my acronyms where self explanatory:

FL = Floor Level

CL = Ceiling Level

Datum Line - my terminology for the line you draw horizontally across elevations and sections to show the builder where the floor and ceiling levels are. They are usually associated with dimensions, levels and descriptors like FL and CL. In our local context we also show brick course numbers, though I gather this annotation is fairly unique to us.

Apologies for any confusion I have caused for you.

[ 02-25-2005, 06:18 AM: Message edited by: mike m oz ]

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I find I can't be bothered using the 3D sections of my models (result= a memory hogging mess) OR viewports (better but not enough control). I always end up redrawing or tracing the model to get a clean, lightweight editable drawing that I dont lose patience with. SO, (thinking laterally) what if there was an auto-trace function that could interpret a rendered model and QUICKLY produce a line/polygon drawing that you could further edit. Graphic programs (eg CorelDraw) have these so its not new technology. If it was quick to use you could just do a new one if the model updates. I find I use the model in the early conceptual stages and leave it behind as I get into my working 2D drawings. Making the transition from 3D to 2D is something Vectorworks is not good at.

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