Slab Grade Arrow Question

[hollister design Studio]

Does the grade arrow have to go from the point at which you are specifying the slab elevation to the lowest point (when specifying a downward grade)?

 

Or are the arrows independant of the input numbers and there to relative direction and contour angle?

 

I was watching some tutorials (VW university and others) and was left not quite sure.

 

 

Some presenters moved the arrow to the extends of the slab and seemed to imply this was important.

Others left the arrows more or less as one would annotated a drawing, somewhere that reads well graphically and implied that the numbers imputed define the high end, low end, and grade.

 

I tried with test geometry and couldn't confirm enough to make me comfortable...

[Tamsin Slatter]

When you say Slab, I assume you are talking about the Hardscape tool?

When sloping a hardscape, there are now two ways to do it. 

1. Set the 3D type to Slab, and then change Slope Def to the method you wish to use to define the slope. For example, downward grade rise/run.. Then enter the slope that you would like. The arrow that displays on the hardscape as a target symbol at one end and an arrow at the other. The target represents the position of the value in the elevation field. Move that to the relevant point. The arrow at the end represents the position of the value in the Elevation at End field, so should also be moved as appropriate to your design.

 

2. With this method, change the 3D type to Aligned Slab. Then, right-click on the Hardscape and add Surface Modifiers. Here you can use the Grade tool to create slopes that fall and cross-fall as you wish. You will end up with a non-planar surface. Again, the position of the end points of the Grade objects is important as they define the elevation where they are positioned. This method is much more flexible and gives you better control over the design. Be aware though, if defining elevation of hardscapes in this way, put them on a design layer that has an elevation of 0. The levels on the grades will always be relative to the elevation of the design layer, so if you want to represent real-world elevations, you need the layer to be at 0. For example, if the design layer is at 50m, and you add a grade that has an elevation of 50m, the hardscape will move to 100m.

 

Good luck.

[hollister design Studio]

Thank you @Tamsin Slatter 

 

Very clear descriptions.

 

I've been working with aligned slab hardscapes but was unsure as to how to make them 'do what I want'.

I did figure out the whole turn off "interpolate surface" all by myself!

[Tamsin Slatter]

You're welcome!

Yes, interpolate surface is rarely required. I guess it could be useful if you are representing small units of paving, such as cobbles, but for larger paving slabs, you will want to represent the area with the smallest number of triangles.