add 3-d extruded solids to walls

[Heather S]

Can one add a 3-d solid to a wall without the wall hatch dissapearing?

[Robert Anderson]

You can'to perform solids operations on walls without changing them into solids. You can add 3D stuff to walls if you make them into symbols.

[Heather S]

I have created 3-d symbols and I want to add them to my walls. I joined them together by using the add solids tool. Which in return it joined but my hatching dissappeared in plan viiew. However, if i double click it, my hatch comes back. Whats up with that?

[panthony]

hmv,

If you have a 3D symbol all you need to do is place it on the wall in 2d making sure you have turned off "WALL INSERTION MODE". This will place the symbol as an objecct wherever you want...adjust the position in 3D space and you should get what you need. No need to "ADD SOLIDS" as this will destroy the wall data as you have described.

Pete A.

[Heather S]

Well I would like the "look" of the two (wall and symble) to be joined as one. Without the ojects lines in between the two. However, things are not looking so good.

[Robert Anderson]

Set your wall break options to be "full break without caps" and draw the 2D portion of your symbol accordingly (without lines where it touches the wall.)

[Petri]

I think we have here a profound communication problem, combined & accentuated with a conceptual problem. The current line of inquiry is not going to lead anywhere. The esteemed "hmv" cannot articulate the problem in a way we would like to. I'll definitely applaud to that: if "we" cannot understand hmv's problem, we are all just a bunch of self-important nerds! (Or maybe just arrogant and ignorant anglos, but that, luckily, does not apply to me.)

The esteemed "hmv" should, however, make an effort, too. I have no idea what he/she is talking about.

[Heather S]

I am trying to draw an exterior wall consisting of prestressed concrete double tee wall panels. The double tees are 3" thick with reinforcing "legs" at 48" centers .....ascii thus.... __!____!__ The "legs" are 10" deep and taper from 4" to 6" where they join the wall panel. I know that I could approximate the look I want by constructing short 10" wall segments at 48" o/c joined to a 3" wall...but that doesn't get me the taper I need. I also need the wall to still function as a wall object as I need to insert doors and windows into it as well. Clearer?

[Christiaan]

Polygon > Pillar command?

[Petri]

Clearer?

Not a bit. Or maybe yes. You refer to feet and inches, so you must live in the U. S. of A, the proud herald of obsolete dimensions. Fine, good, excellent! That explains at least the language.

[Petri]

I also need the wall to still function as a wall object as I need to insert doors and windows into it as well. Clearer?

Let me see. First you convert a wall to something else. Then you want it to be a wall again, for your current needs.

Clearer? Sure!

[Heather S]

Petri

If you are not going to help me with this problem then please desist with your condescending replies.

[mike m oz]

hmv- you are expecting a bit much of the wall tool for it to be able to model the type of wall you have described.

I can think of two ways you can model what you want:

• Model one precast unit using an extruded 2D profile and duplicate this as required to form the walls. Use Solid Subtract to form openings where you need them, and to create end and corner conditions. Doors and windows can then be inserted into these 3D openings. Make them hybrid symbols and add the required 2D linework so they look correct in Top/Plan view. Use Send to Front to ensure they mask the panels below in Top/Plan View.
  
• Draw a 13" wall and after inserting your doors and windows use Solid subtract to remove the portions of the walls you don't want (see Niches 2 in this thread http://architoshforums.forest.net/showthread.php?t=1621 ). Make sure your doors and windows are located correctly in the wall so they still look correct after you have done the solid subtraction. If you enter the Solid Subtraction Group the walls will still have their intelligence and the doors and windows can be edited. You can also refine the Solid Subtractions if needed.

[Heather S]

The 2nd option works pretty good. How can I get the wall hatch to show up in plan view? Great tutorials!!

[mike m oz]

Go back into the Solid Subtract Group and apply the hatch to the walls as you would any other walls.

Before you do though just make sure you have made a copy of the file in case anything disastrous happens - I haven't tried replacing Styled Walls inside a Solid Subtraction. A bit of caution might be prudent.

The other option would be to Ungroup the Solid Subtraction to go back to the separate elements. You could then make the required changes and then redo the Solid Subtraction. If you make your subtracting elements a different class to the walls you can temporarily make them invisible.

[Heather S]

It seems no matter what I do I cannot get the hatch to show in plan view. After I do a solid subtraction the hatch dissappears. Unless I double-click on the solid subtraction to enter the solid subtract group the hatch reappears. I think this is one of those unsolved mysteries.

[Andrew Bell@NV]

Once the object becomes a solid, it is a 3-D object, and doesn't have the hybrid behavior where it has a hatch in plan. The solids code isn't smart enough to intuit exactly how you would want the hatch to behave in the general case, and I'm not sure that there's always a situation where it would.

One possibility is to extract a curve from the solid that is the upper perimeter, convert it to a polygon, apply the hatch to that, and then combine the polygon plus solid into a symbol. (Or you can simply trace the upper perimeter with the polygon tool and hatch what you create.) In Plan view it will show the polygon, while in 3-D views it will show the solid.

[mike m oz]

Andrew, thanks for the advice on this problem. After having tried it and discovering exactly what Amy's problem was I couldn't think of an easy way around it. Your method works well.

[Heather S]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Andrew your method works great.

Heather

[P Retondo]

Heather, one other solution I would try: since the perpendicular leg of the T goes the full height of the wall, it would be possible to create a symbol that consists of an extrusion that goes ALL THE WAY THROUGH the wall. Then make a 2d polygon with the desired fill as the 2d component of the hybrid symbol.

In 3d this will model correctly, though on the interior wall you may get a couple of lines where the T leg is inserted. Also, note that you must use a fill pattern rather than a hatch in order to get the hatch lines to line up properly, and that the insertion point for your symbol should be set up to occur at the wall midline. Also, you have to follow Robert's advice above about the insertion mode.

[P Retondo]

Okay, got rid of the interior lines in hidden line by editing the 3d extrusion ONLY so that only the 2d goes all the way to the other side of the wall:

Still looks the same in Top/Plan view.

[Petri]

Petri

If you are not going to help me with this problem then please desist with your condescending replies.

Your wish is my command.

Ignore this user... Poof! You're gone!

[Heather S]

These are the steps I took.

[mike m oz]

Pete and Heather I like both of your solutions. Theses are now stored away in the grey matter for when I have a similar problem. Thank you.

[matto]

Hey all,

neat idea certainly one to keep in the memory banks.

Just wondering if it would be worth making a PIO(plug-in object) to do this?

That way the PIO could take a symbol or path polygon in plan, as well, as information about the wall like width and height to produce the 3d parts.

save lots of work especially for raked walls. That is if you do this enough.