T-Bar Ceiling

[capitaldesigns]

Does Chief do T-Bar Ceilings? I have a small TI project where the client would like me to provide 3D drawings.

The offices all have T-Bar ceilings. I looked in the library for T-Bar ceilings and found nothing.

 

Does anyone know how to model a T-Bar ceiling in Chief ?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[DRAWZILLA]

There are some t-bar textures in the lib. You can use those on the ceiling. There is a way but I don't do it-no commercial for me, but I have seen it. search the forum.

[keithhe]

Not sure if this helps, but attached is a quick plan I did for a client where grid was done primarily for calculation reasons for materials. Grid is typical 15/16 2x2 grid. You could copy and paste as required to fit you plan. Also attached is a 2x2 tegular tile.

Ceiling Tile.calibz

Grid.zip

[Alaskan_Son]

Hey Mike,

 

There are many many ways to do this type of things and it all depends on what exactly you're after. These are just a few ideas but...

 

• If you're after simple CAD work for reflected ceiling plans, try multiple copying simple CAD work.  I made a quick video on this a while back...
  You can further modify this technique by multiple copying a double line if you want to display the full width of your t-bars.
• Similarly you can also use polylines for a bit more 2D accuracy...
• If you want the grid-work for simple 3D views there are some materials in Chief's library for this. 
• If you want more accurate 3 dimensional textures you can use the polyline method above and then convert the polylines to polyline solids.
• If you want accuracy for section views and 3D views but the plan view accuracy doesn't have to be perfect you can use the line method from the first video and then convert the lines to molding polylines and then asign a T shaped molding profile to the polylines and set them at grid height.  You can also add an L shaped molding profile to the room for around the perimeter and then either multiple copy polyline solids for the ceiling grid or just use one large ceiling plane, solid, slab, or whatever.
• You can also build the required components out of solids, multiple copy them to fill the room and then use a larger solid to trim them all (kinda like I did with the polylines in the video).  This would be more time consuming but would result in a very accurate 3D model.
• If you want a method that provides a good balance of speed and accuracy for plan views, elevation views, and 3D views, you could create a very large solid with a criss-crossed T bar grid-work, add it to your user library and then whenever you need it, drop it into the model, position it where you want it and then trim it down using boolena operations.  YOu would then have to either use a similar method to place a large solid to represent all your ceiling tiles or simply use the multiple copy method to place a bunch of them using polyline solids. 
• You could also use the method in my first video to create moldings and combine it with the method in the second video to create the grids.  Then simply display the grids in plan view and only use the moldings for 3D and section views. 
• This list could easily go on.

 

Depending on your desired method, your desired level of accuracy, what style of ceiling grids you're using, etc. you could combine any of the above methods to get what you're after.  It really just depends.  I guess you would just need to prioritize and then choose the best solution but the main things I think you'll need to consider drawing..

-T bars (2D and/or 3D + plan views, perspective views, and/or cross sections)

-L around the perimeter (2D and/or 3D + plan views, perspective and/or cross sections)

-Ceiling tiles (2D and/or 3D + plan views, perspective and/or cross sections)

-Whether or not ceiling tiles have a dropped profile or sit above the grid.

 

And the main methods...

-Lines (2D)

-Molding lines (2D and 3D but 2D would be a little less accurate)

-Polylines (2D)

-Polyline Solids (2D and 3D)

-Solids (2D and 3D)

-Ceiling planes

-And don't forget you can utilize room polylines in the drawing process and can actually use a room molding for the perimeter L profile.

 

Hopefully that gets you started with a few options anyway.

 

Here are a couple molding profiles I made a while back for this very purpose.  Once downloaded the should be in your user catalog and titled "Grid L" and Grid "T".

Ceiling grid profiles.calibz

 

[dskogg]

Hey Michael, if one was to use the grid profiles to produce the most accurate 3d model, would you drop a bunch of panels inside the grid and then drop lights etc inside grid as well?

 

You have a number of options you suggest, what way do you usually do this?

 

I have a client does leasehold improvements and i want to show it both on plan and in 3d to reflect what is currently going on.

 

 

[Evolution]

I use a room poly line, convert to molding poly line, in the CAX11 library choose the "L" wall molding to assign to the MPL. For the "T"'s I first find the CL of the room both directions, in my case my clients prefer the 2X2 pattern, draw a line, full length both directions, convert to MPL, assign the "T" molding from the library; then I set up the 2X2 off the CL's, then multiple copy.  In the room DBX  I set the ceiling finish as the Lay in tile. Of course you set the offset from floor when you set up the first MPL's and that should replicate each time. You can place lay in lights, where needed then with little difficulty, but be sure to drop them about 1/2" lower than the ceiling off set, in my case it was the only way to get them to show in full camera view. If you do a full camera the issue that will show up is getting the lights to show properly placed in the grid pattern, and that takes some work (if it is important) you will have to adjust the "texture" by playing with the "X" "Y" offset. It hasn't been an issue with the clients I've worked with so far, so I don't spend the time. Once I got the routine down it worked pretty fast.