I've spent hours mucking around with the landscaping tools like slopes, berms and hills but always end up with a landscape looking like a cratered moon surface instead of smooth flowing lines. As a result I've resorted to using ramps. Question is- is there any way to get a ramp sloping in 2 directions- for example sloping both down and across? Or any other way to achieve the same?
Thanks
EDIT: Ok I didn't realise you could edit terrain while in 3D mode. In this mode and using the 3d grid and berm/trench tool I could easily adjust the terrain in 3D, it was impossible in 2D view.
Hi Pluka,
By far the easiest way to get slopes in two directions is using the Plateau - in fact it is the only terrian tool I use (unless the whole site just slopes ONE way then I will use the Slope tool).
With the Plateau you can draw any countour you want and build up the whole site by adding additional Plateaus. Bear in mind that the Plateau does not have to stay on your Terrain. If the site remains high above your actual site, then take all your contour lines (Pleateau shapes) right off the terrain and complete the that edge ofthe plateau completely off the terrain.
If you have a site gently sloping in two directions, then draw the plateau countours so that half of it is on the terrain and the other half off. For example - if it is on the side of a 'round' hill, then draw a plateau that is round but with the Plateau 'circles' half off the terrain and half on. Do a series of them to gradually 'build' the plateaus (contours) to get a smooth continuously curved slope.
This post and the images attached, may help you to get the idea: http://forums.turbofloorplan.com/index.php/topic,1495.msg7334.html#msg7334 (http://forums.turbofloorplan.com/index.php/topic,1495.msg7334.html#msg7334).
Incidentally, the latest version of Envisioneer enables you to edit individual point heights, so hopefully a future release of TFP will inherit this functionality.
Allan
Thanks Allan,
I'll give the plateau a go next time although first time I used it got unpredictable results- I guess it just needs practice. Yes I agree adjusting individual grid point heights is what is needed (and strangely you could do in older versions of FP), however in 3D view with grid on I managed to "sculpt" the terrain using the hills/valley's tool which worked quite well.
Quote from: plucka on September 12, 2012, 05:54:57 PM
adjusting individual grid point heights is what is needed (and strangely you could do in older versions of FP.
Actually the ability to adjust grid points was not removed, although it looked that way. Actually what happened was that FloorPlan3D was totally replaced by TurboFloorPlan - a completely different program that was totally incompatible with FP3D and that did not have edit terrain grid point capability. Produced by Cadsoft in Canada for IMSI Design, TFP was a 3D only version of Cadsoft's Envisioneer which has very extensive 2D functionality that TFP does not have.
If my memory serves me correctly, FP3D was produced for IMSI by ex Russian space programmers. It seems Russia may have be ahead of Canada in the "edit terrain grid" race, as well as the space race! (but Canada is catching up it seems if the latest version of Envisioneer is anything to go by! ;) )
Allan
Quote from: plucka on September 12, 2012, 05:54:57 PM
Thanks Allan,
I'll give the plateau a go next time although first time I used it got unpredictable results- I guess it just needs practice. Yes I agree adjusting individual grid point heights is what is needed (and strangely you could do in older versions of FP), however in 3D view with grid on I managed to "sculpt" the terrain using the hills/valley's tool which worked quite well.
If you wish, you can export the terrain from previous version in which you used individual height points and import it into newest versions of TFP as an object....I did that quite a while back and posted an example. be sure to "cutout" around a bldg if you wish to preserve the terrain from intruding into a basement. Use the same building outline in both the old and new TFP versions and then align the imported terrain using the bldg as a guide. You may then wish to delete or hide the usual terrain in the new ver. of TFP.
http://forums.turbofloorplan.com/index.php/topic,248.msg1048.html#msg1048
QuoteIf my memory serves me correctly, FP3D was produced for IMSI by ex Russian space programmers
As far as I understand the FPlan development, Cadsoft (current developer of TurboFloorplan) also made FloorPlan3D (most likely as another company name). When they went on to other things, Software Development of Saint Petersburg Russia began working with the code/ adjusting things but most importantly created a 'bridge' by which you could transfer your work to TurboCAD and create working drawings.
Cadsoft, later, revisited and created the new version of TurboFloorplan based on an Austrailian product. The TFPlan Rendering engine is called Hellios and is a seperate enity. Trees / Plants could be considered todays' 'plug ins'.... bottom line is that the product is a mix of various other products just as are most CAD programs.
SoftDevelopment is still quite active in the TurboCAD program but not able to adjust TFPlans as CadSoft controls it's development.
Jack
Hi Jack,
Thanks for the additional background infornmation - it answered a few questions that had puzzled me, such as why TFP looked so much like FP3D if one came from Russia and the other from Canada. It also explains the simmilarity with the Australian house design program, why there is a separate Australian TFP catalogue but not one for the UK for eample and possibly why there are so many Australian users of Envisioneer.
Sounds like the software industry is a bit like the automotive, appliances and phones industries!
Allan