How do I shade the roof of a building? On my plot plan, I need to shade the existing structures so the planning committee can readily identify them. I couldn't find it in the "Help" section. Any suggestions?
When you say your "plot plan" I assume you mean the plan of the site, showing the buildings in relations to the site boundaries etc.
The Roof has (on the Appearance Tab) a 2D Surface Pattern. Select 2D Surface and in the Pattern section, select a pattern or Solid colour. This will not display in Plan view but if you select 3D Quick View and the Centre button (overhead view) it will display. Initially it won't (it will be rendered in colour) but if you select Patterned View you will see the Pattern on the roof. Unfortunately in this view however the Terrain shows as squares and triangles, but although you can turn this off you will find your text and dimensions also do not appear either, so this method is not practical for what you want. The Pattern is intended for the Elevation view.
There are a few options but all involve extra processess and some are not ideal for what you want:
1. The only practical way I can see to do this is to use the Plan view, so you get text etc, set the display to Patterned View (not Wireframe) and use the Floor (by Picking Points) to trace the roof outline. Set the Floor (2D Surface) to a pattern or colour you want and it will display. Make sure you insert this floor on the Foundation or even a lower level, if you want the roof ridge and valleys to show. If you dont want the walls and other things to show, then turn these off in the view filter.
EDIT: Doug has just suggested to me to use Surfaces and this will also display a Pattern or shade. Just be aware that using this method the roof will now be in separate sections that work independantly of each other - you may want to copy your roof to another location first (and turn it off) so you can go back to it later if necessary.
To try this:
1. Go to the Surfaces options, select a Roof, right click Edit and on the Properties / Appearance tab choose a Pattern you want to apply as a shade. Choose Solid if you want (black) but then on the Appearce dialog change the black to a pale colour.
2. Select the roof in your plan, right click and select Convert To Surfaces and choose the roof surface you just adjusted.
3. In Plan view select the Patterned display.
Other options:
2. Use the Rendered view, but this is in colour and hence the whole site is coloured not just the roof areas and dimensions and other text will not show either. You could of course just print it in black and white but everything will still be shaded and still be without text. You can set a Pattern (which can be a solid colour) for the 2D Surface of the Roof (as mentioned above) but this is realy only used in the Patterned view of the Elevations and does not display in the Plan view.
3. Use the plan view and add the shading in a photo editor such as Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop.
4. Use the Rendered view and add dimensions in the photoeditor - being a site plan there may not be much text involved but, depending on the size you want to print, the Rendered view may not have the quality you need either).
5. If your have Acrobat Writer, print the site plan to PDF and you may be able to add shading wiht Acrobat.
6. File/ Export the plan to a DXF file. Open the DXF file in TurboCAD or other CAD program and add the shading.
7. File/ Export the plan to a DXF file but this time, File/ Import/ Object Wizard and bring it back into a new blank project in TFP. You will now have the whole plan in a totally uneditable form. Turn the Terrain off in the View Filter and use the Floor set to pale grey (or whatever 'shade' they want) to 'fill' the roof area. The roof ridges and valleys should still show with this option - you would not have to redraw them as in the first suggestion.
Hope some of that helps.
Allan
Thanks. It looks a little complicated. But, I'll give it a try.
Try either of the two options in point 1. It is not hard once to get the hang of it. The option in red is probably the easiest (just one click) but essential to make a copy of the existing roof first just in case. Once you convert the roof to Surfaces each angle of the roof becomes a separate object. It still works as a roof, but making changes to the roof can then become complicated. If you keep a copy you can revert to that if necessary.
Keep a copy of you whole project too!!!!
Allan