3D Driveway

[Ozzie]

Hi,

I have been doing a bit of modelling in 3D mostly successfully but only with pillars walls, floors etc

As a landscape designer I wish to be able to learn how to model free form elements for landscape design such as this driveway attached to render it ? 3D Locus are heights

I saw these videos on Youtube by Archimodul ? problem is they are in German I think

http://www.youtube.com/user/Archimodul/videos

This one particularly ? seems what I want to do is possible

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGipN0d7eM

Can anyone help?

D

[CipesDesign]

Yes it's possible. Start by learning about the Site Model and Site Modifiers...

[Ozzie]

Hi Peter,

Thanks but I know about site modelling - I think - attached file ? VWSiteModelling came from a project I did some time ago

If I am correct I think it is limiting

As an example a driveway with say a garage door ? opening level of course, falling to a footpath that falls left to right on a steep site looking from the footpath to the garage door means often you have to roll the driveway from foot path to garage say in from the footpath and again into the garage

So I want to learn how to model something like that

Using Texture Beds in a site model - they can get lumpy and can only fall in one direction or is there another method?

I can use Nurbs with say a level one for the garage entrance and a sloping one for the footpath with a curved one to either sides where I can select the points to adjust heights loft and then Shell Solid but I am struggling and the one I originally attached I have no idea

That is why I mentioned

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGipN0d7eM

Darrell

[Tamsin Slatter]

I would look at the Grade tool to get the driveway to fall as you wish and then create a texture bed over the top. Texture beds will only be lumpy if the terrain underneath is lumpy. They don't actually change the terrain - they just lie on top and "paint" the triangles with a different colour or texture. A network of grade objects may help with the cross falls.

If you may the driveway with modelling (such as a NURBs surface or a 3D Polygon), you can put it in the Site-DTM-Modifiers class and it will become a modifier.

[ray isaacs]

ozzie,

in my experience, nurbs, roads tool, etc are good for design studies. but, once i have a some idea of what the grading situation is going to be, the grade tool is my favorite way to do complex terrain modeling. it can be teduous, but you can set the slope and direction in increments (as short as you want until you hit the memory wall). and the visual effect seems to be the least lumpy in both 2d and 3d.

see the thread below on roads and polylines for an example.

cheers,

ray

[Ozzie]

Okies,

Thanks Peter, Tamsin and Ray ?.. so far

Perhaps I should have labelled this thread as Shell Solid ? Best Way

I know how to create Site Models, Pads, Textures etc and have been playing with the Retaining Wall Site Modifier and very basic rendering ? drop box link attached ? little downsized Quicktime movie for Mac Users of a project that has nothing to do with a Site Model

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12605069/Movie_x264.mov

To put it bluntly ?. Site Models are wonderful for certain things ?. But sometimes I do not want to use them as they are limiting, time consuming and for 3D stuff perhaps not at all necessary if I can learn to model surfaces in 3D

the grade tool is my favorite way to do complex terrain modeling. it can be teduous

Same as the Hardscape Tool

In the ? image - attached as an example for the driveway it does not draw the corners of the header (border) properly so if I wish to present things well I do not use it

Also in the image the slate paving to the rear is a symbol repeated and in areas (edges) ungrouped etc with a background color cut around the slate ? the Hardscape Tool will not do this

BTW we need to be able to snap to line work in Hatches, the Hardscape Tool needs to do corners in borders properly and if complex hatches are used like my slate, the Hardscape should be able to clip its edges to the hatch within it and even offset from them ?. Oh and slope in multiple directions also ? one day maybe ? then we will be cooking!

So ?.. I am asking for help to learn how to model this shape - Shell Solid - in 3D say 100 mm thick ? and not use a Site Model. It has 3D loci in it set to heights and a poly outline

As in this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGipN0d7eM

?anyone?

Or perhaps watch this movie again and try to work out what tools are being used to do what he does

Edited February 17, 2013 by Ozzie

[Benson Shaw]

Ozzie - I hope this description is what you are asking for. Post again if you meant something else:

That German YouTube uses a basic Vectorworks lofting process. It's pretty well documented in Vectorworks Help>Loft Surface.

1. Several 2d polyline splines were drawn in plan view.

2. They were converted to NURBS curves in Plan View (Modify>Convert>Convert to NURBS).

3. The view switched to Front meaning that the NURBS curves were shown as several straight "lines" representing the end views of the curves.

4. Each NURBS curve was then dragged and rotated, in end view, so the group of them made a sort of radial, tent-like arrangement.

5. The view shifted in Flyover to show the extent of all the curves.

6. The Loft tool was engaged in Loft Surface mode (the 1st one, not one of the rail ones).

7. The near-to-screen endpoints of the curves were clicked in sequence. The red rubber band showed the progression from click to click. (as if clicked with the NURBS curve tool).

8. When all the curves were clicked, as indicated by the red rubberband, it's time to press return or click the green check mark to form the NURBS surface.

9. A color fill was added to the new NURBS surface and the render mode was changed to OGL.

10. The Flyover tool was employed to display a mouse controlled rotating display of the tentlike surface.

The video did not Shell this NURBS surface, but it would probably Shell successfully.

The jaunty sound track made it all fun.

Try it! It's easy.

-B

[Ozzie]

Thanks so much Benson

Will give it a whirl

Loved the sound track used

D

[Benson Shaw]

Just looked at the video again and have a very slight refinement - those original 2d polys were made in Bezier mode, not spline mode, but this makes no difference to the rest of the process or the final surface. The video creator could also have started with the NURBS curve tool instead of the 2d polyline.

If you are trying to make a driveway or walkway surface with edges that slope and bend to match the adjoining terrain, there are several ways.

One way is to draw or extract the left and right edges of the driveway, Convert to NURBS, adjust the z values of the vertices, and Loft the two curves. Try the Ruled option in the Loft dialog - this is equivalent to screeding concrete with a straight board perpendicular to the form walls.

Another way is to start with the 2d plan projection shape, convert that to a 3d surface and Shell that for the slab thickness. Start object could be a rectangle, or a 2d Poly. Convert the 2d shape to a 3d Poly or a NURBS curve, and adjust the z values of the corners. Add points along the edges as needed for proper z curvature. If 3d poly it can be shelled directly, but the paths btw vertices will be straight segments. If working with a NURBS curve (edges with internal vertices are curved), convert it via Model>3dPowerPack>Convert Curves to Surface. Then Shell the NURBS Surface.

If the conversion to NURBS Surface results in a group, the Shell tool will still work, but requires another step: Engage the Shell tool, then shift click each surface in the group until all are highlighted. This can be done without dbl clicking to enter the group.

In the Loft dialog, I usually choose the Keep Curves option. The original curves will be interposed with the surface, but can be moved to another layer or made invisible with class settings.

If the Loft tool returns an error, or creates a crazy surface, this is often because the profile objects were not same direction. Select one of the profiles, checkmark the OIP box for Show Direction and note the red arrow. Select the other profile(s), and if needed, click the OIP Change Direction button so the curves are same direction. Loft again.

Good luck!

-B

[Ozzie]

Thanks Benson for being so generous with your time

Will post back to let you know how I go

D

[Ozzie]

I played with this and of course it did my head in but ? only way to learn

The Nurbs Curve in the red circle in the attached file I could not get to loft no matter what I did and 3D Power Pack - Create Surface from Curves ? no go ? perhaps I was doing something wrong

What I did discover was if I turned it into a Mesh and went into the Group there was a 3D Poly which can be used

A question I suppose - is it possible to Loft the Nurbs Curve in the red circle or did I do something wrong

In the attached file the geometry on the left side, bottom is a Shell and top a 3D Poly, the Shell is not as smooth and can I assume a 3D Polygon has a series of straight sections for its boundary?

Also when using Nurbs Curves what is Weight and Degree?

Any comments, guidance, help appreciated

D

[Benson Shaw]

Ozzie - That's a rather complex outline, so conversion from NURBS curve to surface is dicey. One approach is to take a page from Peter's book- Draw it like it is constructed. In this case, divide the shape it into sections representing the construction joints (my heavy black lines in plan) and loft or convert the sections. Delete the two straight ends (bottom of driveway and top of drive). That little corner near top will need to be split out as a triangle for the loft, but does not need a construction joint.

Several of these lofts result in a group (the light lines or "folds" in the iso view)

I put contours over the surfaces to better show the undulation.

A few of the loft surfaces near the bottom are shelled

That hull was added by duplicating the perimiter NURBS curve (the full version, prior to deleting the top and bottom edges), moved the z value of the duplicate down, and lofted between them. Then a cut with the Spilt tool through Front view of the new loft to give it a flat bottom.

Degree is number of segments in a simple NURBS curve. Weight is curvature parameter around a curve vertex. Draw a simple, two point NURBS with the NURBS curve tool. In the OIP, change the Degree field from 1 to 2 and see that a third vertex is added, dividing the curve into two sections. Change it to 3 and see that the NURBS has 4 vertices/3 segments. Now drag one of the new vertices off the line to curve. Click the OIP arrows in Move Vertex mode to activate the vertex you just moved. Adjust the OIP weight value to see the curve at this vertex get taller or shorter.

-B