Creating a Solid Section from Grade Objects

[AlanW]

Hi,Am having trouble with this. It calls for a closed objects, so I am drawing grade objects but they don't seem to create a closed item and won't create a solid object.

Any Hints???

Want to use it to place slope on top of a slab object. (Well that's one of the things it is used for as you can't slope a slab.)

Edited October 9, 2015 by Alan Woodwell

[ben.jamin]

Hi Alan, I have some experience with site models. I can try and help. Are you wanting to create sloping slabs with thickness?

[AlanW]

Hi,

Yes I think this is what this is used for. So you can create a slab but can't put any slope on it, so I thought this was what it is used for.

I couldn't get it to work.

Thanks

[ben.jamin]

Mmm...there are a few posts on this subject. Some people use the roof tool to create sloping slabs. I think that's a bit tedious for all but the most simple external works pavement. I've used the road tool - because you can slope a road...but only one direction. For modeling more complex external pavement/ slabs I've settled on the pad tool. You need to build a series of pads with slopes as necessary to describe the actual edges of the area you're trying to model. Rise/run*100 will give you the percentage slope and drag the handles to suit. It takes some brain power as the number of pads required to describe a complex area can be only a few (ie; sloping edges between known levels). Pads incidentally do not need to be closed polygons - in fact they are more powerful as open polygons (often single lines). When you update the site model VW will resolve the geometry and triangulate between your pads - just like our concrete guy onsite - you only need to worry about absolutely critical spot levels and edges. Once I have my site modifiers (pads) if I want a thickness for my pavement I either draw it in 2D (cheat) in the sections where it appears or extrude a series of 3D polygons (triangles). I'm finding the first method works best especially when combined with a texture bed. That way the site model renders correctly with an (asphalt?) textured look to the pavement whilst having a manageable method of editing the control levels via the pad tool. The second method adds WAY too much time to the model for really residual return. I would like to see more control with slabs - so much of our work is external with falls. With my preferred method you need to set the pads to the finish level. If you add extruded polygons on top you'll need to set your pads down accordingly. Let me know how you go and what you discover...external works is often the poor cousin to the building but it's amazing how often our colleagues miss critical levels with disastrous results. Good luck. Cheers, Ben.