Curved curtain wall with curved elements

[zeno]

Hello everyone,

I need to create a curved curtain wall with curved elements.

At first I tried with the surface array tool, but it generate some non-curved elements. Same way with curtain wall tool.

I know that theoretically I can manage it with a simple 3D model, but I need to know if it is really the only way.

 

Specifically I need to create a portion of curved wall with few duplication

 

 

Muratura_vetro_curva.vwx

[Benson Shaw]

A workaround idea - Start with the curtain wall to make the desired vertical frame elements and locations of horizontal elements.

•Class the built in curtainwall glass to a "flat glass-hidden" class, and hide that class.

•Class the built in Horizontal frame parts to a "Straight Frame-Hidden" class and hide it.

•Model the curved panes and class them visible.

•Model the curved horizontals and class them visible

Easiest solution is for the curved glass & frame to be continuous as shown in your example.

Or they can be cut using duplicated or extracted frame elements as sectioning surfaces.

 

Even though they will be hidden, the POI curtain wall flat glass and straight horizontal elements are useful guides to help place the custom modeled curved elements.  The hidden straight/flat elements are controlled in the PIO dialog as the wall design evolves, then used as guides to reposition or replace the custom curved elements.

 

Might be useful to make a symbol for each vertical type/width of frame spanning several floors, placed as instances. Or symbols for each type/size of horizontal unit, eg to make prelim take offs for the openings.  But compared to continuous glass and horizontal frame elements, these symbols would be very time consuming to modify or replace when wall design changes.

 

-B

Edited February 18, 2018 by Benson Shaw
Sometimes I sits and thinks. Sometimes I just sits.

[zeno]

12 hours ago, Benson Shaw said:

A workaround idea - Start with the curtain wall to make the desired vertical frame elements and locations of horizontal elements.

•Class the built in curtainwall glass to a "flat glass-hidden" class, and hide that class.

•Class the built in Horizontal frame parts to a "Straight Frame-Hidden" class and hide it.

•Model the curved panes and class them visible.

•Model the curved horizontals and class them visible

Easiest solution is for the curved glass & frame to be continuous as shown in your example.

Or they can be cut using duplicated or extracted frame elements as sectioning surfaces.

 

Even though they will be hidden, the POI curtain wall flat glass and straight horizontal elements are useful guides to help place the custom modeled curved elements.  The hidden straight/flat elements are controlled in the PIO dialog as the wall design evolves, then used as guides to reposition or replace the custom curved elements.

 

Might be useful to make a symbol for each vertical type/width of frame spanning several floors, placed as instances. Or symbols for each type/size of horizontal unit, eg to make prelim take offs for the openings.  But compared to continuous glass and horizontal frame elements, these symbols would be very time consuming to modify or replace when wall design changes.

 

-B

 

Thank you Benson.

 

I was hoping for a better solution, like an option in OIP "create curved elements" or similar.

 

Ever more convinced that the wall object should be reviewed in Vectorworks.

 

For the moment, I will follow your suggest.

 

Z

[Guest Wes Gardner]

Hi All,

 

I think the decision was made in the design process of the curtain wall to purposely create segments as this is the way a large majority of curtain walls are built.  These days curved glass is a rare bird indeed...not unheard of but a bit spendy!

 

Modeling the required curves is probably your best bet...

 

Wes

[AlanW]

@ZenoHi you could always use the deform tool to bend the curve, but it becomes a generic solid then just add the textures back. Not ideal but gives you the result.

[zeno]

20 hours ago, Wes Gardner said:

Hi All,

 

I think the decision was made in the design process of the curtain wall to purposely create segments as this is the way a large majority of curtain walls are built.  These days curved glass is a rare bird indeed...not unheard of but a bit spendy!

 

Modeling the required curves is probably your best bet...

 

Wes

 

Hello Wes

 

I'm honored to receive an answer from you, I follow your webinars for almost a decade.

 

I understand the priority of construction process. But I think that in a design process the best way is creating what you need to create. If we were to draw everything that is already there, we would not be architects, do you think? And if I draw a curved wall I should have the chance to generate curved glass. I'm not a software engineer, but I do not think is something difficult to define. Of course, I can create an auto hybrid element and resolve my problem in my way. But these things are exactly the things that may you think "why others BIM softwares can do this?". We are talking about a curved glass on a curved wall, not generating a bim model by scanning a sheet of paper.