Complex Streets along SIte Model

[barnes2000]

So, I have read some of the posts about streets along an uneven site model. I tried the Road NURBS, but the streets and intersections are a bit to difficult to do with these. I created a flat polygon of the streets and added a nice texture map to it. Now, when I try to make a version of this street that lays across the terrain, my texture map doesn't work any more, and I can't convert my new street to a NURBS surface to allow me to apply the map. My visual aide will better explain.

[CipesDesign]

You might have better success if you use your original 2d polygon to create a Texture Bed. Select the poly, then run the command Modify/Convert/Objects from Polyline and choose Site Modifier as the object type. In the next dialog choose Texture Bed as the Site Modifier type.... Hope this makes sense - typing fast....

Texture beds will sit right on the site model and can be textured as desired.

[barnes2000]

Not sure if I am doing Texture beds correctly. Even if I make one using the site modifier tool, I see the shape in Top/Plan view, but in 3D all I see is a 3D locus that says its a Texture Bed modifier. I'm just not seeing this do anything. What am I doing wrong here?

[CipesDesign]

Hi Scott, There are a couple things about texture beds that you should be aware of. First, since they are a type of "Site Modifier" I believe they must be surrounded by a "Boundary" (formerly called a "Fence" in versions prior to 2010); second they can be applied to the Existing or the Proposed Site Model; and third and most important, there is a second "Class" field for these objects (don't ask me why b/c I think it's quite odd, and quite wrong) which MUST be used if you want to apply a texture by class to the object and have it work as expected. (which, duh, is the only reason I can see for using it, and also strangely enough the only way that I know of to apply a texture to it). So try this: type a class name in the second Class field (see attached) and then give that class a texture (in your class set up dialog), then regen the site model and re-render and see if that works... Let me know ;-) Peter

[barnes2000]

Peter,

First, thank you for your time.

Okay, still not working. Let me go over what I've done. First, I should tell you, I am trying this with a simple four sided Texture Bed before I attempt to do the roads. With that said, here's what I've done.

-I have a site model created. ( Layer=Site Model, Class=None)

-I have drawn a Fence modifier on top of a portion of the site model.

-Within that fence I have drawn a four sided Texture Bed modifier and typed in "Bed Class" under the additional class. (Bed Class is the extra class I created with the texture selected)

-I then select the site model and hit Update.

I'm getting no results.

[barnes2000]

Here is a screen shot....

[CipesDesign]

If you want you can send me the file Off-List. I've sent you a Private Message with info...

[barnes2000]

Peter,

I don't see any messages.

[CipesDesign]

Sorry I guess I never actually hit send, look again when you can....

[barnes2000]

Since this is a teaching forum. I wanted to post the results of this particular part of this project. I'm still working on the rest of it.

Many thanks go out to Peter for taking time to help me with this. I have been learning a lot about site modifiers and texture beds.

For this, I basically created a Texture Bed using the original 2D polygon of the street layout. In order to use my custom texture map of the street, I couldn't apply this to the Texture Bed because you cannot edit the mapping of a Texture Bed the way you can with other 3D objects, I had to do a Drape Surface to the Site Model with the Texture Bed. Ten I punched out the street layout using Solid Subtraction. This gave me a NURBS Surface that laid right on the Texture Bed. It required a little bit of tweaking on the Z height of some of the points. Then I applied the texture to the NURBS surface for the final results.