Roof Tools - Flashings

[Guest BillV]

I am seeking feedback on the demand for a tool to create roof flashings. Typically for tiled roofs there would be tiles along the hips and ridge, in metal roofs there would be metal flashings. In gullys there would be a variety of solutions such as metal or butynol rubber.. To draw these takes a lot of time  and a tool to do this would appear to belong overdue.  Our competitors have this facility.

[AlanW]

@BillVHi i agree this is needed, As a way to do it you can use my method in this video. HTH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqh0692yaAc

 

[Guest BillV]

Thanks Alan  for your input in agreeing it is needed,   but thanks also for the video.

[Ross Harris]

Plus 1 from me too.

[Guest BillV]

I am surprised that this topic has generated so little comment. Attached is a composite image of residential homes in Australia, UK and Germany. One thing they all have in common is roof flashings  in the form of tiles or steel on ridges and in valleys. Why does Vectorworks not address this as part of the Roof Tool or as an AEC Plug in. Having to manually draw these features is complex and time consuming. Surely the point of the software is to improve the workflow. 

[PVA - Admin]

Moved to the wishlist.

[Markvl]

I'd use it all the time.  Gets my vote.

[David S]

Totally agree. Will also watch Alans video when I have time. I made my own tiles but have continually struggled to place then in place 

[Ross Harris]

While they’re at it, could they squeeze in a valley gutter tool that subtracts from the roofing/tile and purlin/batten components of a styled roof? That would be great 😁

[Matt Overton]

Procedural Components would be useful here. I mean we normally fake these if we need from by duplicating the roof to create a thin roof above and replacing the shape with a double line polygon along the required edges.

 

If we had Components that say allowed an x mm wide band on selected edges or y mm wide bands every z mm in a certain direction. We could build maybe 80% of this function in to Roof (,wall and slab) Types. Very few components are monolithic as implied by the current system.

[Jim Smith]

Agree with the comments, perhaps because so much of North American roofing is either BU asphalt shingles or flat roof systems (PDO or EPDM) we tend to fake it. Having said this, we could use roof ridges vent flashing systems, vented soffits, & built up roof systems. We rely on 2D details we keep as symbols for these as well as ice & snow guards & rails, eave flashing, drip edges, and ice & water shields. 

 

Not to hijack this thread, but eavestroughs & down-spouts?! Why no PIO for these as they are needed on EVERY Building without a flat roof, roof drain?

 

  

[Guest BillV]

Jim

Thanks for your comments. The more contributors to this dialogue the better chance we have to initiate some action from NVI.

In respect of downspouts use this link to download Andrea Facchinello's Free downspout tool:

https://andreafacchinello.wordpress.com/downspouts-free/

He wrote the Foliage Plug In that is now in Landmark. I understand he is working on a guttering tool. If he can do it and still pursue his Architectural career what is stopping  Vectorworks !

[Jim Smith]

Nice thanks!

[Guest BillV]

 

Andrea has asked me to test his latest plug in which is for gutters. So far it's looking really good. Check out his site for his other plug ins as well: https://andreafacchinello.wordpress.com/summary/

 

The gutter tool is not available yet,  but from the look of things it will be soon.

[BG]

Hi Bill

Sounds good. Will there be an option for gutters to follow sloped roofs, or just horizontal?

Brett

[Jonathan Pickup]

@BG we need a tool that creates all the flashings, coverings, boards, gutters, and downpipes in one go.   

 

[Guest BillV]

Hi BG

I will be talking to Andrea. At the moment it does not follow a sloping roof.  I think the tool also needs to connect to his downspout tool. Watch this space.

[Ross Harris]

Does it do brackets? That would be a nice bit of detail if it can 🙂  If it could include the downspout tool but work from the gutter level down would make it easyier to use for setting the heights, elbow positions and bracket spacings.

 

Like Jonathan has mentioned - we really need the functionality of the coverings tool. Andrea's Elements plugin can be used to replicate sidings with a bit of work. In a sense its a bit of a double edged sword - community input is a great thing, but at which point does it become a bit embarrassing when  the 'tools Architects need' are add on's from part time developers?

[BG]

Hi Jonathan. yes we do. That should be high on the priority list - up there with an improved stair tool etc 🙂 Along with automated "architects tools" like automatic floor level lines on sections/elevations, automated grid lines on sections/elevations etc etc

[BG]

1 hour ago, BillV said:

Hi BG

I will be talking to Andrea. At the moment it does not follow a sloping roof.  I think the tool also needs to connect to his downspout tool. Watch this space.

Hi Bill. This is where tools fall down IMO.  All good adding a new tool, but if it can't cater for most of the common scenarios, then it is not really ready for release.

[Ross Harris]

A local practice that was a longtime vectorworks user has just gone fully archicad for this reason...

Edited September 16, 2018 by Aspect_Design

[Ross Harris]

Just now, BG said:

then it is not really ready for release

I can only imagine it is difficult to code a tool that would cover all scenarios if you aren't a NVW employee with access to all the code. The foliage tool is probably a good example where it was acquired and integrated to a higher level than could have been otherwise?

[BG]

1 minute ago, Aspect_Design said:

I can only imagine it is difficult to code a tool that would cover all scenarios if you aren't a NVW employee with access to all the code. The foliage tool is probably a good example where it was acquired and integrated to a higher level than could have been otherwise?

Totally agree. NVW should be developing some of the tools mentioned and making them suitable for 'most' common situations.  eg. a spouting/gutter that follows a roof slope would be a fairly common situation I would have thought?

[Ross Harris]

I absolutely agree... Its awesome that someone is out there plugging the gaps (that downspout tool is a godsend!!), but VW need to seriously come to the party on the 'small' stuff

[Guest BillV]

BG

 

I have to stress that the tool is a beta version only.  Both Jonathan and I had input in the same way with the foliage tool.  Your feedback is important though as all the comments so far are very relevant relevant and appreciated.  Please bear in mind the value of Andrea's contribution these things start off as a hobby for him  and he still provides the downspout for free. 

What is important I feel is that if we make enough noise someone at NVI will wake up and take notice. Surely roofs in the US have gutters, flashings and downspouts  or maybe none of the homes owned by NVI employees have those items!  

 

In answer to the question about brackets the answer is yes and the spacing is variable.

 

Aspect Design -  I don't regard what we are asking for as small stuff. It is fundamental to virtually any building!

 

[Ross Harris]

That's looking very cool!

Andrea's tools are excellent - I happily pay for them and the contribution for me anyway, is hugely appreciated and can't be overstated; but why should someone have to come up with a solution for a standard feature on buildings? I'm not fussed if its not an all encompassing tool but does most of what I'd like to achieve; anything that helps is better than the status quo!

@BillV - certainly not small, hence the quotes. It seems that these things fall into the bracket of 'there's a way to do it so its OK'. Just looking at the comments related to 2019, people (especially longtime users) are getting considerably more vocal about some of the official buzzwords for this release in terms of the tools and delivering on customer feedback... I'd prefer this gutter and downpipe tool in a roof tool that could deal with roof overhangs properly over fluff like the new image features i'll probably hardly use...