Modelling rainwater pipes

[Christiaan]

How are people modelling rainwater pipes generally? Simple extrude? One section of pipe per floor?

Edit: looking for the quickest cleanest way to intersect extrudes/pipes too, where pipes have a change in direction.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Christiaan

[Christiaan]

This query also applies to soil vent pipes, dry risers, etc.

The thing is we usually label our RWPs and SVPs on floor plans with a unique identifier too. And we typically label RWPs with the size of pipe.

How do we do all of this but do it in 3D? Symbols aren't particularly useful because the pipes vary so much in height, so we'd end up with a proliferation of symbols. They also wouldn't deal with offsets, changes in direction, etc.

[Chris D]

There are more questions than answers

[Christiaan]

I wondered about using the column tool (which lets you add an ID label) but how would you do offsets? IFC export data would be wrong too.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Christiaan

[Christiaan]

I'm thinking we're just going have to model the pipes then overlay the 2D symbol and data separately.

Typical VW BIM fail. :mad:

[Dieter @ DWorks]

I made our own plug-in, I'll look into it if it's possible to share it.

[Damon Design]

How are people modelling rainwater pipes generally? Simple extrude? One section of pipe per floor?

Edit: looking for the quickest cleanest way to intersect extrudes/pipes too, where pipes have a change in direction.

I've made a few typical profiles for the gutters and pipes and either extrude along path (around the roof perimeter) or just do a straight up extrudes of the pipe along a wall, size accordingly. For areas of changes in direction or around other objects, you'll create a path and extrude along path the same profile as the connector or elbows etc... I've also created a few typical brackets>created symbols for the attachment pieces.

As far as imparting and extracting BIM data I'm not sure how much you would want; Collision Control? etc...

You can create symbols for most of the connectors or elbows and pretty easily count those out and the rest would be mostly the linear length of sections for cost estimates.

It would be nice if there was a Gutter Roof Object available like the facia option and choose a couple different profiles- I know that some other programs have that, but once you get pretty good in accurately creating the path objects it can be pretty quick work (at least for my, smaller residential sized projects)

[AFDesign]

Hi everybody!

My free "Pluviali" plugin allows the creation of very simple downspouts in Vectorworks. Check it out

www.andreafacchinello.it

[Christiaan]

Yes I like. Thanks Andrea.

[VincentCuclair]

Hi everybody!

My free "Pluviali" plugin allows the creation of very simple downspouts in Vectorworks. Check it out

www.andreafacchinello.it

Really nice Andrea, thank you for sharing!

I customized it a little (I removed the italian in the dialog and changed the tool icon) I hope you don't mind.....for those of you that are interested:

Edited December 7, 2012 by Vincent C

[Kizza]

That's great!

For the "Pro" version, it would be nice if you could change the profile of the downpipe.

better still, an all in one downpipe and gutter tool! I would be willing to pay a fair price for it as well.

Bring on the plug-in store.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Kizza

[djb]

I use hvac vertical duct tool. elbows are hvac elbows. For symplisity I made a symbol for downspouts (leaders) and for gutters I made a symbol and use extrude along path. Works great.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

That's great! I would be willing to pay a fair price for it as well.

Are you sure about that?

And what do you consider a fair price?

[AFDesign]

Really nice Andrea, thank you for sharing!

I customized it a little (I removed the italian in the dialog and changed the tool icon) I hope you don't mind.....for those of you that are interested:

I'm happy you appreciate it, thanks for customization. If you send me the icon I can change mine too. I will update it in the future with a rectangular profile.

I started creating this tool with the idea to create a gutters tool too, but I haven't so much time. If somebody wants to create it and share It would be great!

[VincentCuclair]

If you send me the icon I can change mine too. I will update it in the future with a rectangular profile.

I couldn't find your personal email Andreas so I'll just post it here:

I started creating this tool with the idea to create a gutters tool too, but I haven't so much time. If somebody wants to create it and share It would be great!

I would if I could but I'm afraid I'm not at all good at scripting .......customizing your plugin is probably as complicated as I can deal with :grin: .....

If I may submit a little wish for future development, it would be nice if we could change the line type of the first piece of pipe and add a label in Top/Plan view, like this:

Edited December 8, 2012 by Vincent C

[Kizza]

That's great! I would be willing to pay a fair price for it as well.

Are you sure about that?

And what do you consider a fair price?

I think that would very much depend on the functionality of the downpipe/gutter plug-in and how it would work. Will it work as an additional component of the roof? Or will the user apply the gutter using the set working plane tool on the roof's edge? Will the corners auto-join? Will the user be able to load his/her own profiles?

Are you thinking about developing one?

[Christiaan]

I'd say between ?10 to ?30 is probably about right for a rainwater system plugin, depending on its feature set.

[VincentCuclair]

I'd say between ?10 to ?30 is probably about right for a rainwater system plugin, depending on its feature set.

Provided the developer is open to a certain amount of customization to suit different local building standards......

Edited December 9, 2012 by Vincent C

[Christiaan]

If I may submit a little wish for future development, it would be nice if we could change the line type of the first piece of pipe and add a label in Top/Plan view, like this:

Would be handy to be able to turn off the 2D display of the elbow too.

[Christiaan]

Would be handy to be able to turn off the 2D display of the elbow too.

Although I've just noticed if you turn off the 2D display you can create an auto-hybrid out of it instead.

In fact you should be able to achieve the look you want in this way too Vincent.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Christiaan

[VincentCuclair]

Would be handy to be able to turn off the 2D display of the elbow too.

Although I've just noticed if you turn off the 2D display you create an auto-hybrid out of it instead.

In fact you should be able to achieve the look you want in this way too Vincent.

Another reason the auto-hybrid needs to have multi DL capabilities. In this case if the drainpipe spans more than one floor it needs to be visible on all respective DLs.

[Kizza]

We should poll it:

Who would be interested in a functional, well designed downpipe and gutter plug-in for Vectorworks?

+1

[Christiaan]

Another reason the auto-hybrid needs to have multi DL capabilities. In this case if the drainpipe spans more than one floor it needs to be visible on all respective DLs.

There is a workaround of sorts for this. Display it in 2D/3D on one layer and then copy paste it to the others but change it to 2D only for those layers.

[VincentCuclair]

Yeah, or create separate DLs for all objects that need to be represented on more than one Plan/Floor (ie. drainpipes) then just show and hide the DLs in VPs and use class overrides to get them to look correct...this way at least you only need to have them present once in the file?!

Edited December 10, 2012 by Vincent C

[AFDesign]

When I created the tool I included "Enable 2D" option to allow the auto-hybrid command.

I will take in consideration your suggestions, thanks for your feedback !