Terrain Tools - Taming the Beast


JKEdmo
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Good morning,

 

I've been using the terrain tools more and more and enjoying them, but still run up against terrain blips / squiggles at abrupt grade changes.

 

I suppose Chief is calculating grade and is freaking out a bit...

 

 

image.thumb.png.a3fc17af3a4b88a10e87b31227c439db.png

 

Couple of questions:

 

  • I understand Chief terrain is modeled realistically as a curved "drape" (for lack of a better term).  But, is there a setting that simplifies the terrain model and treats it more as "folded planes" with sharp creases rather than complex curves?  For my purposes, not having a complex curved terrain would be perfectly okay.
     
  • If not, does anyone just skip the terrain tools and use 3D solids?  I'd be interested if this is a passable technique.

 

Thanks again,

 

Jim

 

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Terrain modifier tools has a flat option. 

 

It works like a poly-line. That may cover up the jagged lawn you've got going on there. 

 

To answer about the band-aid question... yup.

 

Many grass textured poly-line solids have been made just to perfect the model.  

 

Terrain tools have gotten far easier to use with each version however.

 

Looks like you're taming it quite well. 

 

All the best. 

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2 hours ago, JKEdmo said:

Good morning,

 

I've been using the terrain tools more and more and enjoying them, but still run up against terrain blips / squiggles at abrupt grade changes.

 

I suppose Chief is calculating grade and is freaking out a bit...

 

 

image.thumb.png.a3fc17af3a4b88a10e87b31227c439db.png

 

Couple of questions:

 

  • I understand Chief terrain is modeled realistically as a curved "drape" (for lack of a better term).  But, is there a setting that simplifies the terrain model and treats it more as "folded planes" with sharp creases rather than complex curves?  For my purposes, not having a complex curved terrain would be perfectly okay.
     
  • If not, does anyone just skip the terrain tools and use 3D solids?  I'd be interested if this is a passable technique.

 

Thanks again,

 

Jim

 

Your terrain information is too close together.

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4 hours ago, JKEdmo said:

If not, does anyone just skip the terrain tools and use 3D solids?  I'd be interested if this is a passable technique.

There are times where this is suitable. If a solid is the simplest, then yeah, use it.

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4 hours ago, JKEdmo said:

 

Thanks.  Do you mean overlapping or stacked topo lines?

 

Jim

 

Too close together.  Put the different elevation lines or regions on either side of the retaining wall with a break in the middle of the wall.  Too close together will cause the spikes.

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You

8 hours ago, JKEdmo said:

 

Thanks.  Do you mean overlapping or stacked topo lines?  

 

 

You never want Elevation Data crossing each other, to help with that I make the line style Orange and fill Regions with orange at 95% transparency ( if the over lap it will look like 90% trans. etc) also pull the Regions etc PAST the edge of the Terrain Perimeter , don't let them "snap" to it, so YOU control the very edge not Cheif which can cause those spikes again. Regions etc outside the TP has NO effect on it  either.

 

With the wall Issue there, pull your Regions just inside the Wall Line and put a Terrain Break down the middle of the Wall and set the elevation Change distance to 0" ( default is 120") ,

 

try it elsewhere without the wall and see the sharp abrupt change in Elevation.....

 

Personally I stay away from point's if possible , but Elev. Lines are a necessary "evil" :) sometimes but I use Regions a lot for quick Topos...

 

M.

 

image.thumb.png.e332404bdaab44d55c281b75761f273c.png  image.thumb.png.0e92842050f1e246cd3c00e90cc79617.png

 

 

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18 hours ago, JKEdmo said:

 

image.thumb.png.a3fc17af3a4b88a10e87b31227c439db.png

 

Hi Jim, there are a couple of issues here that are very easy to solve.

  1. The elevation regions are too close to each other. Resize the lower elevation region to butt against the low side of the retaining walls. This will provide some space for the terrain to adjust between the two regions.
  2. You have (2) terrain breaks buried along the center of the retaining walls. These terrain breaks still have the default transition distance of 120". Lower that value to 1".

That should take care of the issue:)

image.thumb.png.dc849dd133b26ed7ace807dd494b73f9.png

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Jim, I see this is solved by a few others already.  Just highlighting what has been said:

  -never overlap terrain elevation data – especially if it differs in elevation

  -avoid using elevation points – as possible

  -your 3D solids for walls worked well; you might consider using the terrain wall tool; it will break terrain for you.  You may need to shape it in an elevation view

  -in the attached image, you can see that by moving the walls out of the way, deleting your 120” elevation lines, removing the   elevation overlap, the contours should be about what you are expecting.

 

BTW – we will have a live Terrain webinar Jan. 11, 2024.

 

elev.png

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