Site Modifiers-Contours Mode Challenge

[Hammerhead]

I am trying to modify my site plan to show new contours to work with my building plan. I followed Jonathan Pickup's SST-Issue 1506 unfortunately without success. The original section of existing contour line between the ends of the new (red) contour line remains in place after updating giving me wonky results in 3D. In Jonathan's example the existing lines go away after updating.

The techs at VW do not seem to have an answer for me. Any thoughts out there. I have attached both a 2D and a 3D drawing to help explain my situation.

Thanks as always for the help!

[Jonathan Pickup]

Do you also inlude a grade limits?

Did you get any error messages on the site model?

[Hammerhead]

I did not build a pad, or set grade limits as I am simply building a stepped foundation matching the existing contours.

Is there something in the programming VW that requires me to set a grade limit before I can modify contours ending up with only the modified contour line without keeping the section of existing contour line?

No error messages.

BTW, although the bottom of the page shows SST-Issue 1506, I actually pulled your instructions from SST-Issue 1507 starting on page 24.

Thanks!

[Hammerhead]

In the attached scan you will see green highlighted existing contour lines. The red contour lines are the new contours, the green contour lines are the old (existing) contour lines that should go away when updating, but are not. There should not be multiple contour lines at the same elevation.

Bottom line, we need to get rid of the contour lines shown in green.

[Benson Shaw]

@Hammerhead -

First, it's cool to see this project emerging. Thanks for showing the drawing as it progresses.

The site model interprets your new contours as linear pads (even though they are labeled Contour) unless they are surrounded by a grade limiting polygon. The existing contours will try to connect up or down to the new ones resulting in those holes and mounds.

If surrounded by a Grade Limit, the site model connects the new contours to each other in the normal way, ignoring any original contours inside the poly, and connects nearest new contour to surface of the site model at the grade limit Outside the grade limit, the site model connects the existing contours to the Grade Limit projection onto the surface.

Try a simple grade limit to see what it does. In same layer as your new contours, draw a poly surrounding them. Then AEC>Objects from Shapes>Site Modifier. Accept the defaults, and in OIP change the type to Grade Limits.

Update the Site Model and switch the 3d display between existing and proposed to see the difference.

A more refined grade limit might be shaped to match nearest unchanged contours. It can take some effort to get the proper Grade Limit shape when the site is changed radically like this one.

-B

Edited June 10, 2016 by Benson Shaw

[Jonathan Pickup]

I have found that without grade limits the site model doesn't always update the way you expect. The reason I asked about the errors was when I have errors with overlapping contours or overlapping grade limits I often get errors like you showed on your site model

[Jonathan Pickup]

Also, I went back and had a look at page 24 of my 1507 manual. You might notice that I when I demonstrated the contour mode, I had left a previous grade limit in place.

[Hammerhead]

Thanks guys, and thanks for your comments Benson! I have learned a bunch in pulling this project together and wouldn't have gotten this far without everyone's help in the community board forum! I go back way back to the Minicad days and am finally designing in the way the program was intended, in 3D!

I will give your thoughts a try tomorrow, but in the meantime attached is another screen shot showing more of my project...

[Jonathan Pickup]

looking good...

[Hammerhead]

Hey Guys.

I backed up and used a pad with grade limits without using the contours mode and got the results I was looking for.

Thanks again for all the help!

[Benson Shaw]

If you have the time and inclination (insert Tower of Pizza with a clock joke) post some images of future development of this project.

-B