Terrain help

[lbuttery]

Very informative thread

I look forward to trying these methods when I get time to concentrate
on terrains

Thanks to all

Lew

[Allen42acj]

Hi Louis
If I place the terrain perimeter at 0 it goes even with my floor..
What is a "building pad"?
Think this is where your losing me..
I just put the terrain perimeter at 32"(example)then all my other data is based on that,but that would be 0 to all other terrain data..

[dparsley]

Good question Allen. I can see doing it Larry and Georges way when you want to really know on the "World" were does this house really set, and would love to know how to do it. I can do this out on the job but trying to get it on the screen and getting it to look right for the customer is a whole defferent matter.I do mostly remodeling and my renderviews are more for show than to build by and would like to know the simplelest way to acheive this in laymens terms.

[Glenn Woodward]

David,

Louis's way is a "simplified" way of setting the levels if you have no site elevation data and/or a relatively flat site - you enter terrain elevation + or - relative to the zero floor level - these levels bear no relation whatsoever to real world levels.

If you have a survey plan with levels and contours that you want to duplicate onto your terrain, then you have to use the "proper" way. :-)

To do this, build your house with the floor at the default level 0.
Enter all your terrain elevation information from the survey at the "real world" levels.
You can now use the Building Pad Elevation setting (Terrain Specification..General Tab...Building Pad...Elevation) to relate the zero floor height to the terrain.
Uncheck Auto Calculate Elevation and in the Elevation box, enter the "real world" level for your zero floor height.
This relates the zero floor height to the real world levels.

The help file says to enter your Building Pad Height relative to sea level, but this is not strictly correct unless all the terrain elevation data that you use also relates to sea level. It is common for survey information to be based on assumed datum - not sea level datum. In any case, enter the Building Pad Elevation relative to the terrain elevation data you are using.

[louis]

If I place the terrain perimeter at 0 it goes even with my floor..
What is a "building pad"?

This is where most get messed up. I teach it this way and will continue to teach it this way because I know it works.

Allen this is the building pad. The terrain is not moving at all when you place a value in that box. The building pad is moving. Positive it's moving up, negative it's moving down.

[Allen42acj]

Louis
Now I should remember what the building pad is..Just never noticed the name before..
Still don't understand how or why you start at 0..But if you say so and I will give it some thought.
Thank you..

[louis]

I start at 0 so that all the info is referencing the same point, no other calculations required.

[Allen42acj]

I set the terrain at how far I want the foundation showing,and then forget about that number..Any other terrain data is going off of that..
The building pad is my relative Z- 0 for other terrain data..
So far it works.. It took me some time to realize that..

[louis]

Please don't use my method. It's not the "proper" method.

[Allen42acj]

Louis
I might use yours if I understood,but it is just not clicking yet.
Only go by what has been working so far..
With this picture,I set the building pad at 32" and the high spot a 5'..
It is 32" below the top of the floor at 0...
The 5' is 5' above the building pad..
Don't think the plan will help anyone,but it is there..

[louis]

Allen,

Look at this.

[louis]

Did you get it Allen?

[m dalton]

Please don't use my method. It's not the "proper" method.

Louis have you gone premenstral on us?

[louis]

Michael,

I just having fun!

I was laughing as I typed that.

[m dalton]

Michael,

I just having fun!

I was laughing as I typed that.

Good... I thought I was going to have to email katy and have her give you some pamprin!