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Putting holes for objects in a 3D mesh

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Message 1 of 9
carter2
2893 Views, 8 Replies

Putting holes for objects in a 3D mesh

I am trying to replicate an existing (built) domed building and am finding the need to build it as a polygon mesh in order to get the smoothest surfaces in the final, rendered version. I am unsure, tho, how to create holes in the mesh structure for placement of items like windows, doors, skylights, as I would do if it was a 3D solid. Can anyone give advice on how to accomplish this or another direction to take? Thanks
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Message 2 of 9
Anonymous
in reply to: carter2

if you can create it as a solid and then convert to a masslement?
Of just keep as a solid?
There are some settings to keep things smooth. I would have thought the
latest solids are smoother than a mesh (and masselements for that matter!)

wrote in message news:6253613@discussion.autodesk.com...
I am trying to replicate an existing (built) domed building and am finding
the need to build it as a polygon mesh in order to get the smoothest
surfaces in the final, rendered version. I am unsure, tho, how to create
holes in the mesh structure for placement of items like windows, doors,
skylights, as I would do if it was a 3D solid. Can anyone give advice on how
to accomplish this or another direction to take? Thanks
Message 3 of 9
carter2
in reply to: carter2

I've tried creating the building as a 3D solid (extruded, swept, and mass element), using isoline settings up to 720, and it looks great in AutoCAD Architecture 2008. However, when I export it to Artlantis, which I use for rendering, the mesh version (built using revsurf) is far smoother than the 3D solid version, in which I get much larger plane surfaces and a lot of fragmentation - it looks terrible. I'm thinking that if I can't put holes in a mesh, I'll try doing everything as a solid and then somehow convert it to a mesh...but I'm stumped on that last part, too...any and all suggestions, for any part, appreciated...
Message 4 of 9
Anonymous
in reply to: carter2


carter2 wrote:

I've tried creating the building as a 3D solid (extruded, swept, and mass element), using isoline settings up to 720, and it looks great in AutoCAD Architecture 2008. However, when I export it to Artlantis, which I use for rendering, the mesh version (built using revsurf) is far smoother than the 3D solid version, in which I get much larger plane surfaces and a lot of fragmentation - it looks terrible. I'm thinking that if I can't put holes in a mesh, I'll try doing everything as a solid and then somehow convert it to a mesh...but I'm stumped on that last part, too...any and all suggestions, for any part, appreciated...


How about this: create the mesh with REVSURF, explode it into 3D faces,
erase the ones you don't need, insert the skylights, etc., then convert
the faces into a single polyface mesh so smoothing will work.



Software sources:



1) Geoworks and EasySite both include a face-to-polyface mesh
conversion utility.



2) Mesh4CAD2007 is a great shareware program that converts pretty much
any type of 3D object into any other type of 3D object. I just tried it
to be sure it worked to convert faces to a single polyface mesh. The 
ARX files doesn't work in 2010, but fine in 2008 versions.



-Bill

Message 5 of 9
ToanDN
in reply to: carter2

I would exported the meshes and the void masses to SketchUp then use the Intersection function to trim out the holes. Import back when done.
Message 6 of 9
mccann_consulting
in reply to: carter2

Hi Carter2

Try this:-

Create your mesh
Convert it to a surface
Thicken the surface
Convert the surface to a mass element or roof slab

Martin
Message 7 of 9
carter2
in reply to: carter2

Thanks, Bill...I tried the Mesh4CAD option, but the trial version limits you to 250 faces at a time (or maybe total) and my first attempt exceeded that pretty easily...I next added the 3dsout plug-in (available for free thru Autodesk) and was able to achieve pretty good - really quite acceptable - results in a small trial from a smoothness standpoint...the issue I have with that process so far is that when exported to 3ds, the layers from ADT are lost/changed into something 'arbitrary' and less functional...as a result, there is additional work required in Artlantis to get the layers back, which is tedious, annoying, etc. and would be a lot of redundant work for a 'large' project, but it does work...

To TeamSquid...I've avoided SketchUp for quite awhile, favoring the intuitiveness of AutoCAD (which drawings usually have to be done in either initially or eventually, anyway) - at least to me - and the higher quality renderings that Artlantis is capable of...

Martin...curved surface meshes are rendered in Artlantis much better that 3D solids are - planar elements are handled very well - and, and this is a downfall of the AutoCAD + Artlantis tie-in, the structural elements available thru the ACAD Design Center (like slabs and mass elements) are not handled by Artlantis without exploding everything (same with SketchUp, I'm told), which is doable, but something I try to avoid (unless it's something like curtain walls)...

Thanks for all the suggestions - I appreciate the help and am always trying to learn something new (so please keep them coming)...

Carter
Message 8 of 9
ToanDN
in reply to: carter2

I never said to use SketchUp to model or render, only as a tool to cut the holes in your specific questions. I've done this same thing for a church which I modeled in ADT and rendered in AccuRender some years a go.
As a side note, I am favoring building everything within ACA as well. Have you tried to change AECFacetDev value to increase the smoothness of the mass elements? Or convert mass elements to solids and adjust the Facetres value?
Message 9 of 9
carter2
in reply to: carter2

TeamSquid...sorry, I did understand your comment about using SketchUp in the limited fashion that you suggest, and I guess I over-stated my position on it - I should have said that I am not familiar or comfortable enough with SketchUp to utilize it for this process, preferring to stick with something in the same 'family' as AutoCAD + Artlantis...however, it may be a good tool to learn for something like this barring figuring out an in-family way to accomplish it...I will be trying the other approaches you suggest, as I have not made those mods yet...nice church...thanks for the input...Carter

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