best practice for new plan with topo

[jimmyp]

Hi all,

it's been a while  

and I can see by this thread 

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/9494-house-sits-too-low-in-site/

that my question is still apropos lol

 

So...

I have a topo from the surveyor that I have imported with the correct layers, terrain lines, etc. The terrain builds correctly. The site will have two houses and a shared driveway and septic. an overhead electric service bisects where the two houses will sit and runs over the shared parking.

 

My question is:

in your opinions, what is the best way to "start construction" in chief. should I develop a floor plan in a different plan and import it? should I start in the plan with the terrain? 

 

I'm sure there are many different ways, so I appreciate everybody's input. 

Thanks

[javatom]

If you do the plan in the version with the terrain you made it can slow the computer down.  One way around it is to go into the 3d defaults and tell the terrain to NOT auto update.

[HumbleChief]

Great way to start any project like this is with the question you are asking IMO. If it were me, and not having the advantage of time to think it all the way through, I think I would have a Terrain Anno Set (or Layer Set) that had the terrain data shown and built (perhaps locked if you wanted to preserve it) and reading javtom's suggestion above set to NOT rebuild then start building your houses right in that same plan file.

 

Check for floor heights versus terrain heights, throw in an elevation region or 2 for your flat areas around the house (obviously have to unlock terrain data to do so.)

 

You can always use another Anno/Layer Set to show what you need for floor plans, site plan etc. but if you build right on the terrain data you'll have a model that actually works on the terrain, or at least looks like it works.

 

Some of this assumes you will be trying to produce a 3D model of the floor plans on the terrain. If not then you could start a separate floor plan for the houses (or even each house) and simply draw in their locations with CAD lines on the terrain map, no need to get all fancy with elevation regions etc..

[DavidJPotter]

It is quite likely that the two houses will not have the same floor level to each other even if slightly different. I would create the terrain plane and then build house one, setting the terrain to house one. Then draw the first floor of house two setting its floor level to the terrain plane surface. Once that is done I would then finish house two with its custom floor level, adjusted ceiling heights and roof placements.

 

The last time I did a multi structure development (nine buildings) I made ten plan files, exported each structure as a symbol and then imported those nine symbols into a terrain plane that matched the property. Each structure symbol had a different floor level on this property with connecting roads and parking lots. For two structures I do not thing this method is necessary but just mention it in passing.

 

DJP

[jimmyp]

Thanks both

The last plan I worked on (ca2010) was for a much more complex terrain. I can't really remember the order i did that one...

But I think it was somewhat like this: import topo, lay in the roads, rough in the pad, build plan.

I had gotten relatively proficient with the terrain tools after some Dr. Seuss like first attempts lol 

I do remember that it got kinda slow towards the end of the plan but that was a pretty complex house with funky roof lines.

I also remember that keeping the active file in a folder separate from my archives sped this up some (which struck me then, and still, as odd).

 

I already have a layer set for the terrain elements because I will be using this layer for the permitting process.

 

There will be two houses in this model eventually and I'm not sure if my machine is going to be able to deal with that.

[HumbleChief]

Good advice David but I'd like to mention one more time that an option is to not do any 3D work in regards to the terrain and houses, unless your agreement requires that 3D. That way you can draw your 2 house plans wherever/however you choose, create floor plans wherever/however you choose, then just note the terrain/siteplan with 2D CAD as far as house locations, floor heights etc.

 

Sometimes I think that just because Chief is a 3D program that everything has to be done in 3D but it really doesn't.

[HumbleChief]

Thanks both

The last plan I worked on (ca2010) was for a much more complex terrain. I can't really remember the order i did that one...

But I think it was somewhat like this: import topo, lay in the roads, rough in the pad, build plan.

I had gotten relatively proficient with the terrain tools after some Dr. Seuss like first attempts lol 

I do remember that it got kinda slow towards the end of the plan but that was a pretty complex house with funky roof lines.

I also remember that keeping the active file in a folder separate from my archives sped this up some (which struck me then, and still, as odd).

 

I already have a layer set for the terrain elements because I will be using this layer for the permitting process.

 

There will be two houses in this model eventually and I'm not sure if my machine is going to be able to deal with that.

jimmy, do you need 3D? It gets really simple if you don't, and won't put any strain on your computer..

[jimmyp]

thanks djp and the differing "height 0" was one of my concerns. 

I had considered making the plans in separate files and saving as symbols as per your multiunit.

for your multiunit, I'm guessing that some of the buildings footprints were done to reflect the site? how was this done?

 

can you please explain this for me?

"I would create the terrain plane and then build house one, setting the terrain to house one. Then draw the first floor of house two setting its floor level to the terrain plane surface."

 

So I already have the terrain. So I would make house one, floor one, and set it's height relative to the terrain using the floor height elevation. then build house two, floor one and set its height. then proceed with the plan. Is this a correct understanding of what you said?

[jimmyp]

I don't *need* 3d but it's nice. In this case, there's no contracts cuz it's for my parents (house1) and my sister (house2).

I would like to have an eventual 3d model to include landscaping.

but I could just as well do that by importing the houses as symbols and save my (aging) computer some...

but I also want to be able to adjust the floor plans to the terrain somewhat even though there is relatively minor grade on this site, and I want a before and after grading plan. some of this is going to include for example a hedgerow along the road. 

[HumbleChief]

but I could just as well do that by importing the houses as symbols and save my (aging) computer some...

but I also want to be able to adjust the floor plans to the terrain somewhat even though there is relatively minor grade on this site...

Symbols work great and their heights can be individually adjusted when importing into a 3D terrain so you can adjust heights relative to the terrain then. 

[johnny]

I think if you have multiple buildings symbols are best.