Landscape Area Tool on a slope?

[JamesC]

Hi, 

Was just wondering (and hoping) if it's possible to use the Landscape area tool similar to 3d poly and create planting areas on a slope rather than purely a 2d plane? Or if it's possible to explode the generated planting then send to surface maybe? Had a search but only found posts about glitches rather than about 2d/3d. Perhaps this could be a wish list item if it's not already been requested.

 

Thanks,

James

[Tamsin Slatter]

Hi James.Yes, this functionality is already part of the tool. In the settings for the Landscape Area, you'll find a 3D display option. It can display as a 3D Poly, or a texture bed, or as 3D Plants. Either way, the tool is "site model aware", so if you draw a landscape area on a site model, the calculation of plants will be correct for the 3D surface area not the 2D plan surface area.

[JamesC]

Hi Tamsin, thanks for your reply, big relief that I don't have to position them all by hand!

 

For anyone else's reference, I had the slopes modelled as 3d polys which is why the tool wasn't reading the slopes. I swapped them out for site models but then I had a problem with the plants generated by the Landscape Area Tool either not moving down at all, or moving down all at the same level when I used the send to surface command. I fixed this by making sure the shape I drew with the Landscape Area Tool was all within the boundary of the site model I was drawing on top of, then the plants corrected their heights automatically.

 

Thanks again,

James

[Tamsin Slatter]

No need to use the Send to Surface command for a Landscape Area or a Plant! It will just sit correctly on the surface. If it doesn't, just edit its settings, (without necessarily changing anything), and click OK. That will update it.

[Tamsin Slatter]

Also, another fab feature of the Landscape Area's slope awareness is that it calculates the number of plants based on the actual surface area of the slope. Not the plan area.

[CeciliaH]

Hi! If you don't have a site model to build upon, can you still achieve this with a texture bed that you want to slope? I am truly struggling with all slope effects at the moment. I have both plant beds and hardscape areas that need to be sloped, but no site model. I have to manually put in the levels myself and it's not working out for me at all. Think I have tried every setting there is but clearly not in the right order. // Cecilia 

 

[Benson Shaw]

I find that Landscape Areas are flat on the layer plane if not associated with a Site Model.  If the Texture Bed display option is chosen, the LA can have components above or below the layer plane depending on Datum setting. But still flat.  

 

Just a thought: Can you create a simple site model by placing 3d loci or stakes at known or desired grade points? Or based on end points of intended slopes? You seem to have some target grades for hardscapes and LAs.

 

Or if you have survey data - contours or points - start a new file and make a Site Model to start learning. The basics of creating a Site Model are really easy.  

 

Modifiers such as Pads and Grades and Hardscapes usually require a surrounding Grade Limits to make sensible grading schemes. Sometimes you want the Grade Limits tight around the modifiers, always at least slightly outboard.  Other times grade limits around whole site or big portion of it creates the desired effect.

 

Post here for loads of help getting a Site Model up and running.

 

-B