site survey - levels points

[sygboe]

hi. i'm trying to create a photo montage.

ive created my building already,and have now started trying to construct the site model.

 

i've been sent a CAD plan (the project is a block of flats with 2 surrounding houses onto a road).

it's on a hill.

the survey has no contours but it does have loads of point references indicating the above sea level heights.

 

so far ive been drawing lines on the z axis with the level amounts on, with a view to join them all up later with triangles and project the lines of the path onto the landscape later.

 

i was hoping to not have to go into this much detail but i just cannot line my building just yet to the perspective of the photos (ive been using the sketchup photo match (aiming to export to max later with camera).

 

how do or would you guys go about getting the levels info to create a terrain with this sort of info? i.e is there a quicker eaiser way?

[sygboe]

i can use the photo match tool, it's just i think my cad of existing is maybe slightly different to the ass built building to be demolished.

 

i'll try and put some pics up now to clarify

[andreg]

My best bet for joining all your different height splines together you can attach them all creating one big spline object and use the surface modifier.

 

Hope I was of any help

[sygboe]

thanks for that.

 

here are two pics just to show what im doing so far.

[sygboe]

the other one

[andreg]

what I meant about the splines was to draw the splines in the topview and then adjust the vertices of those splines to the desired height

[Charlie B]

I'm having the same problem here. I drew the lines the same way you have and then took them into sketchup and used the sandbox tool to create the contours, then brought the site into 3D Max. The only problem i found doing this was that i could'nt get a smooth surface onto the site. So with this technique you get your site, but its nots very smooth.

[Claudio Branch]

Ask the surveyor if they can create a set of 3D contours for you or if the elevation differences aren't too critical just Photoshop it using similiar terrain...try a golf course.

[BrianKitts]

Most the time when I'm doing site work you end up massaging the terrain to hit the building so I've found that trying to be 100% accurate isn't worth it, because you'll have to make adjustments, 95% is good enough.

 

With a document of just point I'll typically plot it out on paper, grab ye ole trusty pencil and figureout / draw the contour lines in myself. Once you get everything worked out take it into max or autocad to create the splines digitally and place them at the proper heights vertically. Attach all your splines, add a normalize spline modifier and then use max's terrain tool.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

Most the time when I'm doing site work you end up massaging the terrain to hit the building so I've found that trying to be 100% accurate isn't worth it, because you'll have to make adjustments, 95% is good enough.

 

I concur on this.

 

Typically when building sites I build all roads, streets, sidewalks, stairs, etc... separately from earth and grass. Then I go back and infill the grass patches by tracing the outline of the space, and converting it to an editable poly, then dropping to vertex mode, and sliding the pieces into place. I then use the cut tool on the editable poly face to sculpt the ground, and give it more shape.

 

This is a lot faster than following survey plans and such, and can be called 'sustainable geometry.' Meaning, if there is a change, I can just change that area, rather than remodeling that whole section of site. Saves a lot of time.

[Claudio Branch]

 

With a document of just point I'll typically plot it out on paper, grab ye ole trusty pencil and figureout / draw the contour lines in myself. Once you get everything worked out take it into max or autocad to create the splines digitally and place them at the proper heights vertically. Attach all your splines, add a normalize spline modifier and then use max's terrain tool.

 

 

This is a technique that I have employed more than once...Good advice if accuracy is not critical.