Site Model Problems: Irregular Heights, Broken Contours

[Greenfrog]

I am having 2 problems when trying to create a Site Model. Admidetly, I'm still learning and hope there is something simple I'm missing, but I can't find anything relevant online and figured it was time I asked.

I converted DWG site topo lines into Polys, then Composed them each into a single 3D-Poly, then set each one's elevation manually. I then create a site-model from them and cannot resolve the following

1) The actual elevation numbers that get put on the Site Model are a decimal or two off from what they should be (350' becomes 349'11.998") They vary in how wrong they are.

2) There are 2 topo/contours that "cut a corner" and don't follow the original 3D-Poly, instead cutting a few curves out of the final product and just drawing a straight line to connect the points. I've redrawn these topo lines many times, checking from breaks in the continuity, which I assume is what is causing these, but I cannot get them to be fixed no matter what I do. Maybe there is something else I'm missing, or an easier way to get rid of the breaks?

Any ideas?

Thanks

Aaron

[Benson Shaw]

Create a simple site model in a new blank drawing to test whether these are problems from your software and hardware, or whether the import is involved.

Re irregular heights -

You might consider changing the drawing units to a precision much coarser than .001 inch. Did things get nudged or dragged at some time during contour manipulation? A nudge of a contour in any view but Top will change the z value. Perhaps the imported contours are not perfectly planar or perfectly parallel to the ground plane? You have probably discovered that Edit Group reveals the Site Model contours, and that the z value of entire contour or of individual vertices can be changed in the OIP. Are you finding that if you reset a contour to desired z, it reverts to incorrect z after other operations & saves?

Re broken coutours -

I have found more than one broken contour in ACAD imports. (VW translator problems? ACAD operator error?) Decompose/Recompose did not help. Trace with VW Polyline Tool and delete all parts of orig contour was only remedy.

Good luck.

-B

[monkey]

If it helps, i have a script that creates spot heights from text, basically if you have levels on your 2D topo plan you can use the script to create spot heights (stake objects) which can then be used to create a site model. you can then even turn your spot heights into 3D loci. this should give you a good site model.

let me know if you want it and i can email to you

[Greenfrog]

Thanks for the tips. I think I tried retracing the problem-contours before, though I'm not sure. They aren't critical, so I'll try again when I have some spare time.

Adjusting the document decimal-precision fixed my 450'11.999" problem. Thanks!