Mass in place into components

[msupron]

Hello, 

We are looking to create a set of manufacturing parts for a slide. Below are the steps we have followed so far:

1. Created In-Place massing

2. Created desired surface by connecting half circles

3. "Created Form" - surface connecting half circles

4. Divided the surface in "Modify|Divided surface

5. "Finish Massing"

6. in "Massing & Site" generated Wall from "Model by Face". 

The issue is after generating the wall the entire thing becomes one "Wall". We are looking to have each "Divided Surface" generate a separate element/wall. 

Any guide on what to do to achieve that would be greatly appreciated.

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

I suggest a different workflow:

1. "Family 1", with the generic model adaptive template, contains 2 arcs as model lines on the reference level. In Category and Parameters, set "Always Vertical" as Yes.

2. "Family 2" with the generic model adaptive template contains a reference spline of 3 points (or more as needed); that is the path of the slide. Divide the Spline as needed.

3. Load "Family 1" into "Family 2". 

4. From the Project Browser, find "Family 2", and do Create Instance. Use "Place on Face", and place one instance of "Family 1" on one of the nodes. Then select that instance and click on Repeat. Then click on Remove Repeater. Now you have individual instances, and each arc in each instance is selectable.

5. Select one arc of one instance of "Family 1", then select the next equivalent arc in the next instance. Then do Create Form > Solid Form. Then repeat the process as many times as needed.

6. Once all the forms are completed, load "Family 2" into a project. Do "Wall by Face" and select each face one by one. After that, only half of the walls will be oriented correctly. Adjust the location line property of each wall (Finish Face Interior vs. Finish Face Exterior) until all walls are aligned.

[ToanDN]

You use a curtain panel pattern based family or an adaptive family + repeat to populate the divided surface, instead of wall by face.

[msupron]

Thanks Alfredo, that is basically what we were trying to accomplish. This method means each segment is curving in only one dimension though (line between the arches is straight, rather than following the main arc set out by Family 2. Is there a way to keep the solids bicurvature planes respecting both the curvature of the arcs (Family 1) and the overall path (Family 2)?

[Alfredo_Medina]

You could increase the number of divisions, and then draw an arc between 3 instances of the arcs. And then do the forms in a different way. More work, but it is probably doable.