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Creating a Mound


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56 minutes ago, Jack2022 said:

Is the only option to add more contours?

 

I generally avoid using contours and add points for my site models.

 

I'm pretty sure all Vectorworks does with a contour is look at the vertices and use those points to create triangular faces like any other TIN modeler.  Smoothing makes it look prettier in 3D, smoothed contours makes the 2D contours look prettier... but the data (points or vertices) is what ultimately counts.

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1 hour ago, Jack2022 said:

Hi All,

 

is there a way to create smoother site model? Screen shots below. Is the only option to add more contours? as you can see Vectorworks doesn't seem to want create smooth contours itself. I have site model smoothing selected. Maybe use a different surface type? I still want components though. 

 

If I attempt to modify the contours I get crazy geometry shooting down to Z:0 which I can't fix.

 

Thanks

 

image.thumb.png.d52e581944824c482931ce203dfee5d0.pngimage.thumb.png.ca77ceac5174e721c117d24b655de937.pngimage.thumb.png.3125fd4c8e146c99f39f1ac50ff49128.png

 

Could you go back to the earlier suggestion + create it as a subdivision object instead? This would give you probably give you far better sculptural control + you could still create your 'components', just by using solid modelling techniques rather than have them made for you automatically by the site model. 

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Thanks both.

 

Could you elaborate on subdivisions and doing it using solids? 

 

I  hoped this was simple thing to create a small smooth mound I can convert to a slab like structure/ site model/ landscape area?

 

Im going round in circles trying to find out via videos. 

 

Jack

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There's a section in this video at 40:10 that shows using subdivision to model a chair:

 

 

Basically you'd model your mound as a subdivision then convert it into a solid then duplicate it + stagger the duplicates on the Z axis the thickness of your 'components' then use subtract solids to create the separate components. Then you can report on their volumes as already discussed or use record formats to add your own data if required... Convert to hybrid symbol or auto hybrid to get the solid top/plan representation.

 

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Well I could see why that would be useful for rounding solids and extrudes but the mound I need to make needs to have set gradients hence the choice to use contours. 

 

Subdivision seemed very complex to control the control points.

 

Investigating NURBS surfaces. Early promise! Now need to find out how to give it component type layers / separate internal layers each with different depths

image.png.38dc1a7e143b161f1837c6f7cd1a00f2.png

image.png.b464cc75b99ec46248c813e3999cc3a5.png

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hi All,

 

I am returning to using the Nurbs Tools for this. Can anyone tell me how I made the above smooth dome shape? 

 

From memory it involved me having the path drawn then using a tool where I drew a curve and it automatically swept/span/ arrayed around the path to make the surface. 

 

Thanks

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@zoomer good idea. Some finesse is required, but might work. They can accept component strata. 
 

My limited experiments with those berm mounds proved them less than useful.  The initial numeric setup through the falloffs and percents is difficult to predict outcome. I think the perimeter shape is hard to control, too, if not impossible. And I found no predictable way to undo or edit. Probably more experience would help. 
 

-B

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