Z heights are all messed up - HELP!

[AlexanderWalker]

Hi All,

 

I have begun creating a design for one of my clients and I am having an absolute nightmare with the elevation (Z) heights in my file. 

 

I imported contour data (purchased from ProMap) georeferenced it (along with an OS Mastermap Topo layer) and created my site model. According to the data ground level is 33m. I have used this as the ground height and created each layer (with its associated geometry) to have the required elevation etc. However, as you can see from my model some of the geometry just doesn't 'sit' properly (Fence, Second Floor Walls (overlap First Floor Walls), both Bay Window Roofs, both garage Roofs (Pitched and Flat) and both Site Modifiers (Pad and Grade Limit)). I cannot for the life of me figure out why!!!!!! Please can someone help me figure it out?

 

I've attached the .vwx file for your reference. 

 

Thanks

 

Alex

V1.vwx

[Tom W.]

I have no idea how your first floor walls ended up like that but if you select them all (Select Similar Tool) then go to AEC > Delete Wall Peaks... + remove both the top + bottom wall peaks this sets them at the correct elevation (the layer elev of 33m) then set the 'Top Bound' for the Walls in the OIP to 'Layer Wall Height' + set the bottom offset to 0 they will be set up correctly. 

 

Do the same for the Garage Walls.

 

The ground level where you have placed the house is not at 33m it's 35m. Place a Stake Object there + you will see this. And change the contour interval for the site model to 1m instead of 3m to see it too. So you need to raise all your layer elevations accordingly. Unlike the walls your fence is at the correct elevation for the layer it's just you've set the layer too low relative to the site model.

 

You can just have a single site modifiers layer + set it at 0 the same as the site model.

 

I'm not entirely sure what's going on with your roofs but if you change their bearing heights to the same heights as their layer elevations it will bring them down to the correct level. The bearing heights for your roofs are showing relative to the ground plane whereas they should be relative to the layer elevation. Not sure why it's like this. Incidentally it's often easier to give your roof layer the same elevation as the slab below, then the bearing height is relative to the bottom of the walls rather than the top. 

 

Hopefully that helps you pull things back into line a bit!

[AlexanderWalker]

I literally cant thank you enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have done what you've said and its worked apart from the Bay Window Roofs!!!!!! Like said the House Roof and the Garage Pitched Roof were a little tricky but they worked out in the end. For some reason however the Bay Window Roofs (they aren't really roofs, just 3D objects I created) are set to the correct layer in the organization palette but are sitting low in the First Floor Walls. Why do you think this is? 

 

Also the Site Object have been set to the correct elevation (new ground elevation of 35000) and they still float in mid air? 

 

Again, thank you, I hope I know this much about VW one day 🤘👏

 

I've attached the new file for reference.

V2.vwx

[Tom W.]

Ha ha no worries looking at stuff like this helps me learn too which after two + a half years solid is still a daily thing.

 

The bay window roofs are drawn on a layer with an elevation of 37645 but if you hover the cursor over the bottom edge of one of the roofs + look in the bottom RH corner of the screen you will see it has an elevation relative to the ground plane of 37100 i.e. 545 below the layer elevation. Likewise if you place a 3D Loci on the bottom edge of the object you will see in the OIP it has a Z value of -545. So you just need to raise the object by 545: Modify > Move > Move 3D... (or Option-Command-M on a Mac) + 545 in the Z Offset box.

 

It might be better for you to have fewer layers + fewer layer elevations. Layers are often best thought of in terms of what you want to see at any one time in your plan drawings so in general terms, only separate something onto a different layer if you want to present it on a separate plan. And like I said before, I'd be inclined to give the roof layers the same elevation as the slab, then you are thinking in terms of their height above the floor not having to cross reference it against whatever you set as the layer elevation.

 

11 hours ago, AlexanderWalker said:

Also the Site Object have been set to the correct elevation (new ground elevation of 35000) and they still float in mid air? 

 

Do you mean the site modifiers? You currently have the pad on one layer + the grade limits on another, both with a layer elevation of 35000. The pad has an elevation of 35000 in the OIP which is its height on the design layer meaning that it's height above the ground plane is 70000. I'd put them both on a single layer + set the elev to 0. Then when you give your pad an elevation it is based on real world ground levels which is what you want. Likewise when creating a grade limits draw a 2D polygon in Top/Plan on the ground plane then convert to a grade limits site modifier using 'Create Objects from Shapes Command...' + it will automatically send to the surface of the site model.

 

As a side note I used to play on Boscombe beach as a kid it is near to where my nan lived. Might have been a bit quieter 40 years ago though if the news is anything to go by...!

[AlexanderWalker]

Brilliant! That has all worked like a dream! 😃

 

I like your idea re the layers, less is more in some cases isn't it and will simplify the model also. 

 

I'm struggling to get my head around the roofs, sorry. So basically to create the house roof I drew a polygon (with the second floor walls layer as the active layer to trace the shape out) and created a roof using the Landmark>Architectural>Create Roof command. I then moved this to the House Roof layer now set at 40290 (35000 + 2645+2645 for each wall height in the first and second floor). When you say give the roof layer the same elevation as the slab, do you mean First Floor Slab or the Ground Level (Site Model)? If I did that how do I then get it to sit up on top of the second floor walls? Sorry to be a pain 🥴

 

Yes sorry Site Modifiers. Ahhhh I see, so they automatically sit directly on the site model, so any elevation introduced will alter where they sit relative to the surface of the site model? 

 

No way! Yeah Boscombe is busy, tbh all the beaches down here are now as school summer holidays have just kicked off! Not that there is much swell on the south coast generally, but surfing the pier at Boscombe is fun if you can get in when its quieter!!!!!

 

Thank you again Tom, honestly you've no idea how much this has helped me out!

[Tom W.]

 

 

5 minutes ago, AlexanderWalker said:

 

Yes sorry Site Modifiers. Ahhhh I see, so they automatically sit directly on the site model, so any elevation introduced will alter where they sit relative to the surface of the site model? 

 

A grade limits will automatically send to surface. But a pad you need to specify the elevation. And the height of the pad will depend on the ground level. So if the ground level where you're building is 35000 + your ground floor level is going to be 35150 + the bottom of your foundation is going to be 34750, then you'd want to set your pad at 34750 as this is the level you're excavating down to. The point is that all these heights are measured from 0 so your site model + site modifier layers should all be at 0. You'd then set your ground floor slab layer to have an elevation of 35150 + this then becomes the zero elevation for the building.

 

Another approach is to create the building model in its own file where the ground floor slab is at 0 + the model is square to the x/y axis, then reference it into the site model file as a design layer viewport + raise it to the correct elevation + rotate it to the correct x/y orientation there. But that's a whole other discussion...

 

As for roofs, by all means specify the height you want them to sit at via the layer elevation if that's the approach you prefer. Just remember to enter a bearing height of 0 when you create the Roof. Which approach is best depends how many different roofs you have in the model, their different elevations + how many you want to see at the same time in your plan drawings.

 

 

[AlexanderWalker]

Ok great, that makes so much more sense regarding the Site Modifiers. It makes it so much easier to build off the ground floor slab as the datum height!

 

I went back and remodeled the roof using you previous advice and I actually prefer that way now too! 😆I wouldn't have ever known to do it that way but it does make more sense to me now.

 

If you are ever down Bournemouth way you'll have to give me a shout, I owe you a beer (or two) for your help, thank you very very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!