A really dome question

[HeyIts007]

Hey thanks for that Don. So how does your i7 3.3 Ghz with NV 295 perform with CA X2 ?

[Don Randall]

Hey thanks for that Don. So how does your i7 3.3 Ghz with NV 295 perform with CA X2 ?

CAX2 performs great! Makes Light Speed seem slow.

The attached picture is how it feels when multi-tasking GByte CAX2 files, POV-Ray rendering in the background and listening to music.

[HeyIts007]

So Don, you are using Notebook / Laptop PC or Desktop ? I was told today by the guy at the PC shop that i7 was only for Notebooks / Laptops. Perhaps erroneously ?

[HeyIts007]

On another note on Domes, I guess getting a concave scoop out of the top of the dome with a convex transparent section covering it to then again complete the dome, might be asking too much of the software ? For instance somewhere to put solar panels, of varying kinds.

[Don Randall]

So Don, you are using Notebook / Laptop PC or Desktop ? I was told today by the guy at the PC shop that i7 was only for Notebooks / Laptops. Perhaps erroneously ?

The guy at the PC shop is wrong.
I'M running a desktop.

[Doug Park]

On another note on Domes, I guess getting a concave scoop out of the top of the dome with a convex transparent section covering it to then again complete the dome, might be asking too much of the software ? For instance somewhere to put solar panels, of varying kinds.

The convex portion at the top would need to be separate roof planes using a transparent material.

The concave roof planes would need to be constructed separately with their base lines toward the center of the building rather than to the outside. Then it's just a matter of getting the right curvature, height etc.

Or you could use solids. Make the top out of two concentric spheres with slightly different radii at the same center. Subtract the smaller from the larger. Then use a block to subtract off the bottom. Do a similar operation for the concave portion.

[HeyIts007]

Ahh ok thanks for that Doug. I have not finalized on the most effective design of this solar radiation capture housing section, but to know that it can be done with domes and curves etc... is impressive and offers some hope for a suitable CAD design eventuating.

Dave

[HeyIts007]

Are there any improvements in CA ability to model dome structures external and internal ? It's 2013 now, going on 2014.

[moak]

I'd speculate there are fewer people doing domes today than in 2004 when this thread started. I could be wrong...
Not that I don't think the challenge would'nt be fun.

[billemery]

Here is a dome done with roof planes and ridge caps.

notice that these two models are really the same dome, with different materials and and different ridge caps.

They are not too hard to make. Just work out the geometry in cad, and snap the roof planes to the cad. Once you've done one of each type of plane, they can be copied using the transform/replicate tool.

[Joe Carrick]

Bill,

If you wanted to make smaller triangles, I assume that you use a set of smaller angles in a cross section view to determine the circumscribed circles at each level. It appears that your example uses 30 degrees but that a 15 degree increment could be used to get a dome with about half the lengths of the triangle sides.

This is kind of a cool exercise. It could make an interesting play structure project. I recall that some of the students at Cal Poly back in 1959-1960 built one using steel tube (about 50' in diameter) that was in the central patio of the Architectural Department. I don't know if it still exists - we moved it at least once by having 75-80 students around the perimeter just pick it up and walk about 500 feet.

[Bradley Boltz]

Yo, ArchiJef,
there was a dome thread back in 2012 called: A Really Dome Tips, go to thread pg #3 and see posts #39 & #40 by Bill Emery. He actually gives you a Chief X5 built Geodesic Dome Model (built with roof planes) and a CAD 2d plan view diagram as well as a simple verbal "How To". The contents of his two posts should be put into the Chief Manual or on a How To Video as he really seems to know his Poo Poo on this one. See my attached copy of his zipped model.

Also, that Sketch-up/Chief Hybrid that Don Randall did in post #4 here is a really nice looking dome except for that entry which is no way elegant nor architectural enough for that clean looking beautiful Metal and Glass dome that he created. Hat's off to Mr Randall's expertise and abilities on creating that cool looking dome symbol.

Almost looks like he's good enough with Sketch-up that he could almost get by without Chief (I think Chief needs to integrate it's 2d and strong parts with Sketch-up-If I were a semi-retired Bill Gates, I'd purchase Sketch-up, Chief and Soft-plan and make an AutoCAD Killer of a Cad program.).-Brad