Contours are very choppy

[benboggs]

I was wondering how I can get the contours to look the way I want them. The first image shows how I want the contours to look - the second how they actually look. Is there a way to make them not truncate? I have added spot elevations and used the grade tool to get some to work but others do not. When I do not use spot elevations or grade tool - then the contours truncate even worse. The tolerance is set to 0. I have tried different tolerances.

Does anyone have a good video showing how to properly use contours? maybe I am doing something wrong?

I like my contours on my plans to look a certain way - just trying to achieve this - or is this something I am going to have to learn to accept as apart of VW?

Thanks

[ericjhberg]

Are you trying to use the contours generated from a site model?

If so, then I'm sorry to say that you will have to deal with it for now. I have similar desires for the site model tool, but unfortunately VW has not quite gotten it right. I have been told that this is something there are trying to correct. As a workaround we use the "smart" contours generated by the site model as a base, and then re-draft our "dumb" polyline contours to achieve the desired result. If you choose to do this, wait as long as possible before drafting your correct contours, just in case your design changes.

[Benson Shaw]

Try this:

Near each of those choppy places, add some vertices or short 3d poly half way between the contours. z value half way between, too.

More about it here:

https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=41465&Number=206240#Post206240

-B

[benboggs]

Again thanks for the comments folks. I do appreciate the help. I will give this a go.

Ben

[Art V]

There is another option.

Depending on how the contours were generated (i.e. what kind of source you used) you may want to consider using a GIS program to generate the contours (e.g. QGIS or Global Mapper or another GIS program, QGIS is free).

Then you can import the contours into Vectorworks through shape files.

[Rossford]

Have used the technique of inserting small segments as described by Benson and the video capture.

Would note that it seems just as important in the proposed design as well. If we just draw contours in 2D polylines, convert, simplify, etc., we never get the results we want where there is a ridge or a valley. We always need to add a spot, or small line with an "XX.50" or similar elevation between 2 contours to get the proposed contours to read the way we are used to seeing them.