Can I Turn Off Renderworks For Certain Layers

[Jezza]

We often work on models where we are working on one floor of a building, for instance roof extensions and loft conversions.  As we will often need the lower floors for presentation in planning drawings, we normally work up all the floors into a full basic Bim model using our tool sets with surface hatches/renderworks textures, etc, in place, and then concentrate on the floor we are working on. 

 

I would like to be able to create an OpenGL orbital animation, showing Renderworks textures ONLY on the levels we are working on, showing the rest of the building in white, so it effectively looks like part of a massing model.

 

Is it possible to switch all Textures/rendering off on individual design layers?  If not, what is the quickest way to achieve this look?  I can see a number of applications for this (not least creating slightly better massing models than the AEC tool allows) but I'm surprised I can't seem to find a solution to this anywhere.

 

Any suggestions anyone?

[PVA - Admin]

If you set your Layer Options to Grey Others, or I believe when you have Active Only enabled you can simply set the visibility of other layers to grayed, and render in openGL, it should only show full color and texture for the visible/active layer.

To get the other geometry to appear solid and white card instead of grayed out, I suspect you would need to use class textures, since you can't override attributes/textures on a design layer for renderings as you can on sheet layer viewports, which of can't be used to make animations.

[Jezza]

Thanks Jim

 

Well that's disappointing - it would be a handy feature!

 

In the absence of that, is there any way option to convert all the BIM objects on a layer into generic solids, or similar with no texture? - We often work on terrraced houses and the ability to be able to mirror the existing building to create the adjacent buildings/gardens/etc would make for a much more convincing massing model,.if we could retain window outlines, etc.  Unfortunately just greying out the surrounding buildings doesn't look so good.

 

Best

 

Jeremy

Edited October 4, 2017 by Jezza

[Gadzooks]

On 04/10/2017 at 8:35 AM, Jezza said:

is there any way option to convert all the BIM objects on a layer into generic solids, or similar with no texture?

 

Jezza - group all the additional pieces you have created to provide the 'street scene'. Helps to keep the process tidy I think.

 

Here I've chosen a piece of wall with a window to illustrate a degree of detail that I think you are wanting.

 

 

Change all the 'scene builders' into 3D polygons with Modify>Convert>Convert to 3D Polys

 

Some parts will split out, but I don't think this necessarily hinders the effect you want. This will have grouped all these elements and will have applied the fill and line colours presently chosen in the attributes pallet. If you set these defaults prior to conversion you may decide to choose (say) red fill for demolition. (Colours can obviously be chosen after as well) You can choose to render the scene now and the lines will smooth with Final Quality  RW or better.

 

 

However - to knock these elements back slightly - make your self a new texture (and include transparency) and apply to your elements. You may need to adjust the texture so that the balance of transparency shows the detail you require but leaves the street scene 'sketchy'.

 

Here I've placed another wall behind to see through to and the 'sketch element' is at 20%.

 

 

Bear in mind the model is now much bigger!! Depending on your scene you might want to knock back the level of detail earlier on in this process so the 'scenery' is appropriately sized.

 

There's probably other ways to achieve similar effects, but I hope this helps.

 

Out of interest - post the image if you use this process and like the result.

 

 

 

 

[bcd]

One quick idea that may work is to place a 3d seim-opaque mask over the neighboring houses.

Edited October 5, 2017 by bcd

[Gadzooks]

Yes - good idea for speed. I'm sure that would be a much easier way when the model/scene allows. Probably just the thing for Jezza's second image.

 

With the example houses from @JezzaI think this might need to be enclosing cube/cubes (certainly on the first image), which may be more work to construct and give varying degrees of success when rendered, as the cubes' various sides may be seen from some angles. (You bet it would be the most important one!). Plus you still have the original textures (washed-out) whereas I think Jezza wanted to have the scenic elements pass into the background a little - as if a white model.

 

A bonus of the way I have described is that the street scene is unaltered and 'scenic' elements can still receive shadows correctly and therefore can be used to provide solar analysis - how the new build might impact the neighbours.

 

 

[Jezza]

Thanks for the response chaps.

 

@Gadzooks - I did indeed want my model to sit within a white surrounding buildings & landscape model that could be switched on & off, dependant it the viewport I wanted to display.  I'm effectively looking for a massing model with a bit more detail, which I would have thought would be easier than this given I've already modelled an identical building in the terrace.

 

So are we saying the only way is to duplicate the existing model and convert it into 3D Polys? - of course the other problem with this is that when they're built over layers (ie G, 1st & 2nd) they will all collapse onto one another when combined into a single surrounding layer, as their wll heights and elevations will all coincide with one another, which presents its own set of time consuming problems! - I must say, I'm surprised there isn't a simple way of just stripping all the formatting out with one button.

 

@bcd doeswhen you mention placing a 3d semi-opaque mask over the neighboring houses are you suggesting I place an extruded solid over them?

[Art V]

On 10/3/2017 at 3:15 PM, JimW said:

If you set your Layer Options to Grey Others, or I believe when you have Active Only enabled you can simply set the visibility of other layers to grayed, and render in openGL, it should only show full color and texture for the visible/active layer.

To get the other geometry to appear solid and white card instead of grayed out, I suspect you would need to use class textures, since you can't override attributes/textures on a design layer for renderings as you can on sheet layer viewports, which of can't be used to make animations.

Why not have an option to render objects on greyed layers as white regardless of class settings? I would think that if it can notice greyed layers and not render them without colour it should then also be possible to have it render as white.

[Jezza]

2 minutes ago, Art V said:

Why not have an option to render objects on greyed layers as white regardless of class settings? I would think that if it can notice greyed layers and not render them without colour it should then also be possible to have it render as white.

Agreed - would be easy to execute as a 4th option on visibility. 

Still doesn't help with the option to place objects from layers with different elevations and wall heights and have them appear at the same height on a single layer!

[zoomer]

3 hours ago, Art V said:

Why not have an option to render objects on greyed layers as white regardless of class settings

 

That would be nice !

[Matt Overton]

You can use layer colour on distinct layers to force objects on the other layers to be white (or light-grey) not the same effect as the ghosting but still good for taking the eye off the context and keeping it on the project.