old FP support info

[Doug.S]

Anything you import from outside is fixed - it cannot be edited in any way except total size and the texture. If the building is part way down an imported slope for example, then the slope will be inside the building also, unless the original import already has the recess for the building. An imported object can also be very memory intensive.
Allan

A small addition....did this long ago, tedious but offers advantage of mesh for terrain:

Using older version of FP (don't remember which exactly....probably last one before TFP) you can create a terrain (including cutout for house shape/basement etc.) and then export just the terrain mesh as .obj or .3ds or .dxf (don't remember which is best/easiest/possible)....and import it into TFP and use as the terrain....and build the same house shape to fit inside the terrain cutout.

These are advantages:
- you can set terrain heights via various location heights rather than use new TFP terrain tools
- You can modify the terrain model in other 3D programs...which means you can smooth or adjust easily as needed.

Negatives are a lot of trial and error instead of operating just in TFP.

Of course you can blend exports from TFP and FP in another program or use gray-scale height-fields or import USGS files too if the scale of design is large.

[dianedebuda]

Thanks for pic, Jack. Did not recognize checkbox within a scroll box.  Odd programming IMHO.  Anyhow, this does give individual gable display on/off control for each end of roof.  However, still can't individually select materials; change to one end's gable material seems to change both.  I am making sure only 1 gable edge selection arrow is green before changing properties.

Doug, saw from other posts about the possibility of using old FP mesh & exporting to TFP.  In my case, the mesh settings that I had were from FP8 which may or may not xfer correctly.  They were for one side of the house only and not all that complicated.  The shed plan that I need to grab from FP10 didn't have a terrain def.  Does look like I'll just be able to use 3 slopes to get the job done.  But I'm still in test/learn mode, so that could change when I start on my real project.  Thanks for taking the time to comment.

You folks are great.

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Diane,

change to one end's gable material seems to change both.  I am making sure only 1 gable edge selection arrow is green before changing properties.

You are right on this one - I have never noticed before that this happened, presumably because normally all the gable ends would be the same (unless the wall was extending into the gable of course).

I can think of a couple of ways to get around it but the simplest may be just to 'cover' the gable end with a 'Triangle'.  The attached BIM file has a collection of "Useful Shapes", some already available within TFP but most that I have made to cover various situations.  Triangle1 should do what you want. You will have to resize it to fit, Elevate it (right click) of course and adjust the width and height to get the slope it fit but it should work although obviously not as easy as just changing the texture.

You may find some of the other shapes useful too for different things. To use them, just save the BIM file to your computer, go to File / Catalogues / Import BIM and follow the dialog box.  The objects will be added into a 'Shapes' folder in your Interior Accessories. Once imported, you will notice that most of these shapes can rotated vertically also. Unless you have V16 it may complain about being from a later version, but it should still accept it if you persist.  If not, let me know and I will post an earlier version.

Another alternative would be to create separate gables on a second location and position them a fraction lower and slightly in front of the main roof ones, so that the second gable surface in in front of the main roof one (or turn it off), but that could get messy too making sure the other parts do not show through the main roof.

Jack, Doug or others may have come across this before and have some other suggestions.

Re the Terrain Slopes tool. As with the Plateau, these also add to each other and they also extend across the whole terrain, so if you have three slopes at different angles, you could end up with 'steps' in the terrain at the sides. You may still find the Plateaus work best for multiple slopes.

They are fun to play with but essential to experiment first on a practice model!!

Allan

[dianedebuda]

Thanks for the gable material confirmation, Allan.  Beginning to think I’d "OD"ed on TFP immersion and completely lost it.  Still can’t quite believe I missed that gable checkbox.  I did have to do fake roofs & gables in FP8 to handle this.  Actually, I may be able to just use the extend wall stuff that I’d been stumbling around to my advantage.  Only 1 of the gables on the house and shop has a different material & setback, so I’m thinking that I could define the roof gables for that.  The other gables really are extensions of the stone veneer on the walls, so the “extend to roof” should work there.  The shed is standard: materials different from the walls, but the same on each gable.

Will look at your shapes later.  My purchased v15 should be here between now and early next week.  Thanks for offering them & I’m sure I’ll find uses for them.  Had to do a whole lot of object repurposing in FP8 & 10 and don’t really expect that I’m not going to need to do a bunch of it again now.  There a just a limit on how much the program can supply with available objects & tweaks.

I do realize that slopes are additive like plateaus. When I “test drove” the 3 slope combo with off-the-top-of-my-head values, the terrain edges looked about right.  But I still will probably need to add  plateaus for a couple of built-up areas.  You said a new terrain thingy might be in the works for a new version.  Kind of wish we knew generally how they were modeling it.  But since v16 is a recent release, it probably won’t happen anytime soon, so it’s a moot issue for me now anyway.

After sleeping on it, the mesh from FP8 or 10 may still be an option I should explore.  But it’s been s-s-o-o long since I messed with it and since all the old FP forum help is gone, it may be more of a pain than it’s worth.  I really would like to be able to just enter relative elevations at key locations and let the program do some magic.  Wish there was an elevation tool that could be used somewhat like a transit or depth measure to check terrain.  Guess I kind of did that in FP with foundations/columns at varying heights on one of my “guide” levels (locations).  Haven’t tried it yet, but suspect that if I populate a terrain with tree/plant/path objects and then try to change the contour, the objects won’t relocate automatically at the new elevations.  That would mean that getting that contour correct is critical before doing any landscaping..

Back to being a student…

[Jack Zimmer]

This may have been mentioned, posts are getting long and wordy and I don't have much time to read them all 100%....

But a 2nd wall in front of original allows for insertion of Gable window and different materials and Extend to Gable option makes it fit all roof pitches.

Jack

[dianedebuda]

"posts are getting long and wordy"
Funny.  I normally lean to terse.  Probably time to kill this thread.  I'll start new in Help area as needed.

Thanks to all!

[Jack Zimmer]

Sorry, not meant to say you should'nt continue Diane. This is a very good post for those having start up questions.

Just that I didn't have time to read everyones comments in detail and it may be that my comments are a repeat of others.

Please keep asking, this is good for everyone.

Jack

[dianedebuda]

Not planning to stop my questions.  I use the forums as tutorials and sure others do too.  And I know you're Mr. SuperHelp, Jack.  Just be easier for others later if threads are shorter and more specific, no?  This one has wandered quite a bit from the thread title - mostly my fault.