lisagravy Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I have a long, very curvy path drawn in 2d in plan form, which I want to convert to a 3d polygon that I can apply as a pad modifier to an existing site model. However, it is not a flat path in terms of height - it has a crossfall in level and also varies in gradient along the length of the path. I had thought the best way for me to do this would be to convert both long edges of the path to 3d polyline, set the levels for each loci point and loft between the two lines... is this the most efficient workflow? I don't particularly want to have to set levels for each loci point - if there's a way I can set a few and ask vectorworks to interpolate that would be better, but I can't find any tool that might do this? Any comments / ideas? Quote Link to comment
lisagravy Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 I found this really old thread (2004!) which appears to be the same problem. Surely this is a common workflow? Is there a better way to do this than me having to set a million points to create a nurbs path... Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Doesn't a "send to surface" cut long segments of 2D elements automatically at each crossing with an edge of the site model mesh (?) But I did not know that I can have non planar pad modifiers (?) Thought these have to be flat and have a slope at best. Quote Link to comment
lisagravy Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 4 minutes ago, zoomer said: Doesn't a "send to surface" cut long segments of 2D elements automatically at each crossing with an edge of the site model mesh (?) But I did not know that I can have non planar pad modifiers (?) Thought these have to be flat and have a slope at best. Argh! I think I am creating pads from 3d polygons (in the true sense of them being 3d polygons, with vertices with varying z values) and vectorworks is assigning the pad itself a standard uniform height. This is not what I want!! How do you work with vectorworks if you have a top of bank line at varying height along the line if you can't set it with a pad? Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 So my assumptions about Pads were right. I am a Site Model beginner. So far the only thing that I (!) can imagine that does something like this is a retaining edge ? But I have the architectural VW so not all landmark features. Quote Link to comment
lisagravy Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 I am a site model beginner too and working to a deadline. Site modelling in landmark seems completely geared towards performing basic tutorial exercises and not real life terrain... Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 I will have to do some streets on my site too. Those are mostly doable by sloped Pads. But there are some walkways that I decided to do by texture beds only. As I want them, like streets, level perpendicular to their flow line, I decided to do this by modeling the contour lines so far. I too would like to have a 3D non planar Pad option. Quote Link to comment
lisagravy Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 Hmm. My roads vary in gradient along the length of the road, so a sloped pad won't work. And I need the road level to modify the site model, it's quite a difference so not straightforward to do this via contours. This is a standard workflow for me, I can't quite believe there's no tool for it and I'm not sure what the workaround is?! Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 The Road tool uses sloped pads. If I got that right, you can create a complex 3D Polygon path and it will create small road segments to follow the radii in top plan and the heights. But I found no option create the borders tops at terrain level and so the street is sub terrain. I tried to use extra wide borders to fake walkways Quote Link to comment
Art V Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Did you try using a NURBS Road and stakes to simulate what you want? It is buried way deep down in my memory but there is probably a video that shows you how to create roads on a hilly terrain using stakes and nurbs roads, but I could be mistaken if my memory is incorrect. If it can be done that way then you could size/shape the road to match what you want. It might be a workaround for now until someone with more experience comes up with the proper answer. Quote Link to comment
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