#Landscape modelling
10 messages in this thread
In order to situate the 3D image of a building, I need to create a realistic
modeling of the landscape. I have the contour map (bird's eye view). How can
I draw the landscape in Autodesk 3D Studio?
Are there any Usenet news groups devoted Audodesk 3D Studio?
Do you have Yost Group disk #7 IPAS Botique? If so you could use your
elevations to paint a map which could be used to "Displace" the surface.
Autocad and 3d surf. Works real good. You have good control for placement of
buildings. You also can try Vistapro. In Vistapro using ocean and lakes you can
create flat spots, also you can displace via PCX in.
Mike White [SDP]
Hi Mary,
->"I have the contour map (bird's eye view). How can I draw the landscape in
Autodesk 3D Studio?"
I just did this for a client who's building a large outdoor performing arts
theatre. It really depends on how much resolution you need. My client had a
difficult contour map (only had about a 50' variation over a 1/2 mile square
area). They only had a print hardcopy with the architectural plans and it was
combined with sewer lines, etc.. After my head stopped spinning, I did this:
1. Plotted a 50×50 grid over the drawing (that's 2500 points) 2. Recorded the Z
values (elevations) into a text file 3. Downloaded a utility from the Vistapro
bbs that converts a text file full of Z coordinates into a Vistapro DEM file.
4. Loaded the DEM into Vistapro and exported DXF to 3D Studio.
Was a pain but worked great and I had killer accuracy when it came down to
placing all the structures and landscaping components onto the mesh. The
Displace ipas was not an option in this case, and the original Autocad drawings
had text labels *embedded* into each contour line (flattened into the same
layer with the contour lines).
Good luck,
-Heinz.
Heinz,
>> The Displace ipas was not an option in this case, <<
Why?
– Steve Ormonde
Hi Steve,
->>" >> The Displace ipas was not an option in this case, <<
->"Why?"
An architectural grading plan (or contour plan) is generally just a bunch of
curvy lines with elevations labeled for each line. In this case the hardcopy of
the grading plan was combined with the sewer and road plans. And the original
acad drawing had the grading plan layer isolated, but had copious text labels
embedded into each line. This particular plan had about 500 different grading
lines drawn on it.
I did try converting the acad file to dxf, importing via illustrator into
photoshop, stripping out the text labels and creating a grayscale map suitable
for a displace operation. However, it was pretty much impossible to paint
smooth transitions between all the countour lines so that the gray shades would
be correctly interpreted to represent the correct elevation. Since my landscape
had Z extents between 18' and 70' over about a 1/2 square mile area, the gray
shading between elvations would have been very slight.
In the end, and considering the number of objects I had to place onto the
landscape (including lots of contour-aligned fences), I decided to go the other
route. I'm sure someone with more displace experience could've done this using
displace, but it just looked like a longer, less accurate road.
However, I do use displace for lots of other things. <g>
-Heinz.
Thanks, Heinz,
I'm kind of in the same boat right now. One of our projects requires a pretty
complex site plan model and all we have are the blue prints. The experience
you shared gives me a new angle of attack on this thing!
– Steve Ormonde
There is aprogram called Topo XYZ which will give you xyz coord for any data
set.
It is included with an autolisp program that converts this to autocad mesh file
– export as dxf into 3ds – this may be quicker if you have autocad.
Ryan @ IMI
Hi Ryan,
->"It (Topo XYZ) is included with an autolisp program that converts this to
autocad mesh file – export as dxf into 3ds – this may be quicker if you have
autocad."
Thanks for the info. When you say "Topo XYZ…will give you xyz coord for any
data set", I'm not sure what you mean. Are you talking about USGS data sets?
-Heinz.
Topo XYZ: Yes, it will take USGS data sets, but will also take any format in
xyz coord. It reads in data much like a database program and outputs a file for
the autolisp program. I Have found it to be very accurate.
What kind of data or coord are you using. XYZ can also read polar.
Ryan