Site Model Contours Being Modelled Incorrectly

[Jainsworth]

Hi all,

 

I am having an issue with my site model. It is a simple model with only 7 3D polygons that have been used to create site model contours.

 

Unfortunately, the model is skipping some of the contours and drawing straight lines instead (see image attached). The red lines are the 3D polys I have used, and the dashed green is the models interpretation.

 

Is this simply the inherent VW 2019 model creation process doing this due to a lack of data, or is it a setting / something I can rectify?

 

Any ideas would be great!

 

Thanks

 

Joe

[Benson Shaw]

HI, Jainsworth

 

Sorry no one jumped in here.  Constant problem with site models through several versions. There are at least a couple things you can do in v 2018 and newer:

 

1.  Edit source data to add some 3d vertices or stake objects at correct z between the existing contours (not on the contours). About the only choice in older versions.

2.  Edit Proposed Contours (right click the site model)

 

Here is another recent thread outlining these techniques, including a video for 1.  and screen shot for 2.  Some advantages to each method. Neither very difficult.

 

 

 

 Post back if you can't get it to work.

 

-B

[Jainsworth]

@Benson Shaw

 

Thanks for this, helped a lot. I managed to get them to fit, although I had to use a ludicrous number of 3D loci to get it to actually site on the contours (aka surround the 70m island features with 68m loci in a circle. Therefore the space between the contours will be somewhat flat, but that should not be a problem for this exercise.

 

Thanks!

 

Joe

[Jainsworth]

@Benson Shaw 

 

I am now having the same issues with my propsed contours (as earlier it was just the existing set of contours). This time however it has gone a bit haywire.

 

In the image named 'capture', you can see that I have edited the contours to create a hole like feature. However, when I finished moving the contours in the edit proposed contours screen and it then calculates the new model, the contours are all over the shop at crazy angles.

 

The only thing that I can think of is that...

 

1. The contours are large and extend outside the grade limit, therefore I may need to make a larger grade limit around the whole area.

 

2. I have not used enough vertex / verticies when constructing the new contours and therefore the model doesnt have enough to work with.

 

Cheers.

[bozho]

2 hours ago, Jainsworth said:

@Benson Shaw 

 

I am now having the same issues with my propsed contours (as earlier it was just the existing set of contours). This time however it has gone a bit haywire.

 

In the image named 'capture', you can see that I have edited the contours to create a hole like feature. However, when I finished moving the contours in the edit proposed contours screen and it then calculates the new model, the contours are all over the shop at crazy angles.

 

The only thing that I can think of is that...

 

1. The contours are large and extend outside the grade limit, therefore I may need to make a larger grade limit around the whole area.

 

2. I have not used enough vertex / verticies when constructing the new contours and therefore the model doesnt have enough to work with.

 

Cheers.

Hi Joe,

The edits made inside the edit contour contexts (either existing or proposed) have lower priority than the edits specified by the site modifiers. In other words, if there are any site modifiers over the model which overlap the edited contours, they (the surface modifications they imply) will override all the contour edits they cover. 
Here is what the help says:

"Do not edit the portion of a contour that is within the bounds of a site modifier. The changes would be undone when exiting the editing mode, because the site modifier’s effects on the site model take precedence over the contour edits."
http://app-help.vectorworks.net/2019/eng/index.htm#t=VW2019_Guide%2FSiteModel1%2FEditing_Site_Model_Contours.htm&rhsearch=proposed contours&rhhlterm=proposed contours&rhsyns=

However, what I see in the image is: despite the fact that all the contour edits you do are inside grade limits, they are not overridden and what's more - the surface effects (hence, the visual contours effects) are strange. Note that a grade limit takes effect only if it contains at least one geometry modifier (pad, pad with retaining edge, etc.). From what I see, there is a pad inside the grade limit in your case, so the result you get is not what is expected and this sounds like a bug. Would be great if you could provide a test file with such bad contour edits!

Thanks

[Jainsworth]

@bozho Thanks for the great reply!

 

It is indeed frustrating as I perfectly design my proposed contour and then exit the editor to be shown not at all what I just drew. I have not actually applied any pads, only a grade limit and then the proposed contours. It would be great if you could take a look at the file for me! How would I go about sending it?

 

Thanks

 

Joe