Swayback Gable Roof?

[Rich Winsor]

Any ideas how I can create a swayback roof. On our spread here we have a run down ramshackle shack that we euphemistically call the "guest cottage" (see thumbnail). Since I am endeavoring to create a site plan of the whole spread I thought it might be fun to try to add the soon to be demolished "guest cottage" to my plan. So far my feeble attempts to make a roof plane follow a curved path have been to no avail.

[David J. Potter]

Aside from that being a waste of time (IMHO), I would make it in manual roof segments using a 2D CAD path to align them.

DJP

[Glenn Woodward]

You can get an approximation (straight lines in lieu of curved) by using the Baseline Angle setting.
This will slope your roof baseline

[Rich Winsor]

Geez David, “a waste of time”? And here I thought we were good buddies. I was thinking I might even get one of those personalized YouTube videos on the subject and all I got instead was a rap on the knuckles with a ruler. Me thinks you are reacting more to the context of my question than the content. For example if I had stated that I have a structure on the property that was built in the late 1940’s as housing for the migrant farm workers who worked in the orchards here (all of which is true), and that I have a commission to do a rendering of the structure to show the squalid conditions the workers were forced to endure (totally made up on my part), would it then still be a waste of time? Hey, I’m just yanking your chain and trying to find out what is and isn’t doable with the software. I didn’t see it written in stone anywhere that all roof planes have to be flat. I just wanted to know if it was possible to produce a curved one.

[Rich Winsor]

Glenn, I said swaybacked, not broken backed. No seriously I will have to check out that approach. Is that Baseline Angle setting a one shot deal? Or is it possible to incrementally increase the angle working from the center of the roof towards the ends? Now that I know I will have to use some combination of linked flat planes I will see what I can come up with using that approach. Thanks guys.

[David J. Potter]

Geez David, “a waste of time”? And here I thought we were good buddies.

Rich, frank and forthright is, I think, a friendly demeanor. That was merely my honest reaction which I shared with you without equivocation. Telling someone less than the honest truth is far from any kindness me thinks. I also think that you probably have your tongue thrust squarely into your cheek in any case regarding this matter.

Glenn always amazes me due to the profound depth of Chief Architect understanding and acuity he shows in answering questions here, I see his name, I read the post, I learn.

DJP

[dgavin]

Rich,

Very easy to do. Take off glasses and squint! ;o)

Actually sometimes I think people create the roof using a terrain and then change the materials to shingles and create a symbol
and place on roof. Never tried it myself.

[dshall]

..........
Glenn always amazes me due to the profound depth of Chief Architect understanding and acuity he shows in answering questions here, I see his name, I read the post, I learn.

DJP

That is a very true statement. If there is a GW post, I read it, he knows more than anybody else........ except for my wife.... she knows more that Glenn.

[cache]

Yeah, if this will be a tear down, then all you really need is an exterior render of it. So you should simply use a symbol for it and place it on top of the walls. Could do it fast and realistic in Sketchup and import it. Another thing that popped into my head would work really well if you don't do your final renders in Chief.

I do the basic 3D render in CA and then use Thea/Blender/CrazyBumps for final renders instead of CA raytrace. If you go that direction, you can simply create a normal straight roof and create the sway in a program that is better suited for it.

Finally, if you aren't like me and prefer the less time consuming process, you can always create your raytrace and then import into photoshop and warp the roof. Obviously that won't work well if you are doing a walk-through or sitting down with someone and manipulating the view in real time.

[Rich Winsor]

Well, here is my proof of concept sketch with a roof I created in SketchUp. It's got a long way to go to make it as grubby as the actual structure but it's a start. According to the Time Tracker Log I wasted 1 hour 6 minutes and 44 seconds doing it (just kidding David ).

[dgavin]

Rich,

You know with the right textures and maybe using the blend with color option in Chief to gray out a little you might just
get what you want!

[lgswe]

Now it you really want to work on the 'correct" look.... the more ridge drops the more the walls have to bow out from bottom to top and this of course will make the roof eaves bow out and look wider in that area also when looking down from above. And you just wanted a dropping bowed ridge.

[Rich Winsor]

Rich,

You know with the right textures and maybe using the blend with color option in Chief to gray out a little you might just
get what you want!

Dennis,
I haven't done a lot with manipulating textures and materials. I was a little peeved that I couldn't find simple board & batten siding in a search of the core and bonus library catalogs. I need to get a handle on just how much you can edit these features. There are a lot of quirky little touches I would like to include. For example it would be cool if I could edit the roof material to turn several random individual shingles to transparent so that they would display as holes in the roof. Same goes for knot holes and cracks in the siding. Somehow I get the feeling that the software designers wouldn't put accomplishing such features very high on their to do lists.

[Rich Winsor]

Now if you really want to work on the 'correct" look.... the more ridge drops the more the walls have to bow out from bottom to top and this of course will make the roof eaves bow out and look wider in that area also when looking down from above. And you just wanted a dropping bowed ridge.

Larry, the bowed roof ridge is just the tip of the iceberg. To really capture the feel I need to make the sides of the building sag too. The structure has no footing or foundation which is why it seems to float above the terrain. It looks like they crisscrossed some old railroad ties at each end and then ran some floor joists lengthwise with no supports in the center. Actually the walls are surprisingly plum all things considered, but the whole structure sags in the center like a swaybacked boxcar. The next challenge will be to create U shaped side walls. I can make the side edges of the roof mimic the curve of the top ridge but then I can't set it on the walls without having it teeter-totter on the top plates of the side walls. And of course there is the issue of rafters, eaves and fascias or the lack thereof. Presently my roof is just a plane with no thickness and there is no structure supporting it. I'm not completely crazy. I do have ulterior motives for seeing how close I can come to creating a swaybacked structure. If I am successful I will share the results sometime down the road.

[lgswe]

Rich................To do what you sound like you want to do I think (know) you are using the wrong program. I "think" this is all possible to be completed in SketchUp, depending on your skill with using that program. CA is a great program but it was in no way designed to accomplish what you're asking it to do. You might get "sort of" the look, but the time spent trying to get it----well, one would have to ask if it is really worth it. Good Luck and have a great day.