Combine unified layers into single contiguous layer?

[Jezza]

Hi Everyone

I have regularly work with terraced buildings where I will model the building itself and then want a copy of that buildng that can be simplified (sometimes just rendered white), placed on a separate single layer and repeated in a linear array to represent the surrounding buildings.

Is there a simple way to combine the floors from separate layers onto a single contiguous layer without having to re-assign elevation heights?

Also is there a quick & fast way of creating a shell of the building, like it's possible to use the 2D polygon tool to creat an outline of shapes?

[mar schrammeyer]

use design layer viewports

[Jezza]

How do you mean? - I want to copy my unified 3D layers and combine them into a single layer so that the floors copied from each layer stack on a single layer as they were in the original unified layers (normally when I copy & paste into a layer each object picks up that layer wall height, so the floors all appear on the same elevation). Once I have a copy of my whole building on a single layer, I want to shell (my next question) or turn into something like a generic solid where I can strip out all fomratting & just have the pure white outline.

The main reason for this is to create a street scene, or to place cameras & conduct line of sight analysis, etc.

Is that possible with DLVPs?

Edited December 11, 2014 by Jezza

[ray isaacs]

jezza, sounds similar to what i just got through doing. i simply turned on all the layers, and with snapping on, created some quick extrudes and combined them into a solid addition, then turned off the floors. the floors remained in their own layers and the extrudes were made in one layer together, snapping to the floors. this took only a few minutes.

ray

[Jezza]

Thanks Ray

To be honest, that's the way I've been doing it - I normally stick it in plan & use the 2D polygon tool to draw a quick outline & extrude it up. I just wondered if there's a way to do it that retains the outline of the windows/doors/etc to give a slightly more detailed look to the other buildings. Now that 15 has gone 64 bit, it means I can output more renders more easily & I thought it might be time I started making the street scenes look a bit more civilised!