newbie floor hole help

[tommy banana]

hi

I need to cut a hole in a floor slab for a spiral stair. I can make a floor from a polygon. I can make two polygons (one for the floor and one for the hole) but I cant work out how to use one polygon to make a hole in the other. I can find the clip tool but that relies on the selection marquee (which is sqare) . My hole needs to be a polygon!. I am sure it is very simple...if you know it.

Help very appreciated.

Best Wishes

Tommy Banana

[Robert Anderson]

1. Select the floor slab.

2. Choose the "Enter Group" command off the Organize menu or type command-[

3. Do your clip in the poly that you see "inside" the slab.

4. Exit Group or type commmand-]

[CipesDesign]

TB, First create your floor (without any holes). Next, in top/plan view, draw a closed shape (rectangle, polygon, circle, whatever) which outlings the shape of the hole. Then, with this new shape selected go to EDIT>CUT. Next DOUBLE CLICK on the FLOOR object, which will give you the original shape from which it was created. Next go to EDIT>PASTE IN PLACE. Now, first select the original floor shape, then SHIFT SELECT to shape you just pasted in. With both shapes selected go to TOOL>CLIP SURFACE, then delete the leftover shape, then click DONE (in the upper right). This will return you to the drawing, and now your floor will have a hole. Hope that helps...

[tommy banana]

Thanks for the reply. I used the second method successfully. But when I do the double click it seems to go into some kind of working planes mode which mesans , for example, the flyover tool starts to move the plane not the slab. I couldnt see anywhere to clip DONE in tthe upper right - so I am nearly there but need a little more help.

Thanks

Tommy Banana

[Jonathan Pickup]

if you are still having trouble, this topic is covered in my Architect tutorial :

https://vesta.safe-order.net/archoncad/manuals/manuals.php

[CipesDesign]

Tommy, So what you are saying is you were able to create a floor, but then ubable to edit it (eg create a hole in it)? Did you follow the steps exactly? Try it again and let me know. [NOTE: when learning new things in VW's (and in other software as well) it is very helpful to open a new, blank file just to play around in. That way there no other objects cluttering up your screen and there is no chance of ruining an actual job you are doing. ]

[tommy banana]

No the floor and hole are beautiful! But VW went into a new display mode when I double clicked on the floor slab (which i think is something to do with working plane) so for example when I use the flyover tool the grid behind the floor moves not the floor. The only way I can get it to go back is to quit VW and start again... I will try jonathan's tutorial - thanks to all.

TommyB

[tommy banana]

Oh it's $124 dollars. I will see.....

[mike m oz]

Thomas

The Floor Object is 3D. To form holes you need to edit the Floor Object 2D shape:

- In Top / Plan View draw the polygon where you want the hole to occur.

- Cut it from the drawing.

- Double click on the Floor Object and this will take you to its 2D form. (or select it and then select Edit Group on the Organise Menu).

- Paste in Place the polygon.

- Select both the polygon and the Floor Object 2D shape and then form the hole by using Clip Surface on the Tool Menu.

- Delete the polygon.

- Exit Group (button on RH end of Mode Bar).

This will have cut the hole in the 3D slab.

Note: - Floor Objects can be reshaped at any time by Editing their 2D shape. Just Enter the Group and manipulate the 2D form using the 2D Tools.

PS NNA. The way holes can be placed in roof objects is really neat. It would be nice if floors could act in the same way.

[ 07-01-2005, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: mike m oz ]