Curved Column

[Barryfisher]

Hi

I am trying to model a column to a curved profile as shown in my sketch. I have opened the structural Column family and imported the curve profile i require it to follow om my required work plane and tried to model a sweep but i'm having problems...

The Sweep will not follow the line of the profile and the column is offset.

Please look at the images and reply if you can help

Cheers barry

[vector2]

That profile needs to be a revolve. Where the curve of the

column is the part of the profile that revolves around the

straight segment part of the profile. And the straight segment

part gets aligned to the revolve axis.

I can do it for you and post images if you can't get it from there.

[Joe.Charpentier]

A couple of things that may or may not be helpful:

- A loaded structural column family is designed to be straight: either vertical or slanted.  Even after you get your desired geometry into the family,  when it's loaded in the project you may not get what you expect.  You may want to consider making these in-place families.

- A sweep profile is always perpendicular to the path. I think you may be sketching the sweep profile in one of the level views, and that is the reason for the offset from the sweep profile.   Try using the workplane viewer to open a view parallel to the sketch plane of the sweep sketch (the green cross along the sweep profile.)

- Again, as sweep profile is always perpendicular to the path, the end of your column will not be perpendicular with the level because your sketch path is not perpendicular.  You could try:

    - putting a very small straight vertical line at the end of your path

    - extending your path past the level and using a void to cut it perpendicular

As I said, Structural columns are designed to be straight, so a loaded family may not work, but, if you make a slanted column the parameters are slightly different and have settings to control the end cut of a column: Perpendicular to the column, vertical, or horizontal.  I have no idea if these will work on a non-straight sweep.

Joe 

[Barryfisher]

thanks for that Joe

I did put a small straight in and extended it below my level and added a void former which worked but as you said i had problems when i loaded it into my project as it came up with an error so i will try doing it as an in-place family.

Thanks for you comments

Cheers Barry

[Alfredo_Medina]

Another option is to do it as a beam by sketch. From a floor plan, create a grid. From an Elevation that is perpendicular to the grid, set the grid as workplane. Start the beam tool, and you will have access to the drawing tools, such as the spline, which you can use to draw the custom shape of the column easily. When the detail level of the view is set to coarse, the column will look like a line, but if you change the detail level to medium or fine, you will see the actual thickness.

[vector2]

When the top of this thing bends over to a horizontal position,

it loses the definition of "column" or "pillar".. It also loses the

function of a column or pillar. 

[harding83]

How would I go about "using" a curved tapered gluman beam inlieu of the steel "I"

[barthbradley]

if you already have your profile lines drawn, @Alfredo_Medina's suggestion works by using Pick Line method as well. You just need workplanes associated with those profile lines (i,e. Grids, Named Ref Planes, etc). 

[harding83]

Beams are set as per Alfred_Medina's suggestion, I want to change the "I"'s to a "tapered" rectangular glulam  beam . wider at bottom and thinner at top

[barthbradley]

Do you have a tapered glulam family? 

[ToanDN]

@harding83

For tapered member using sweep blend to create the family.

[harding83]

Was looking for tapered column "component" similar to arcat

http://www.arcat.com/bim/divs/Architectural-Finish-Components-Columns.shtml

 except no plinth , tapered in 1 direction and control of slenderness ratio

[ToanDN]

I think you need to use beam, not column in order to created curved members.

[barthbradley]

@harding83: Are you asking about a tapered column or curved beam? The one on ARCAT looks to be done with a simple sweep-blend.  Easy enough to parameterize something like that with an adjustable angle of taper.

[harding83]

was doing it backwards, what I needed was an adaptive component and planes, was making building for column instead of vice versa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSm_Ye3yd6I