Spiral slide

[Gordon.Price]

I need a 720 degree spiral slide. K-12 school design can be a lot of fun from a Revit family stand point. The kids will actually use this 15' slide to get between floors!
Anyway, I have tried a swept blend that I sweep thru 360 degrees, with the second (identical) profile lower than the first. However, I am having two problems. 1: is getting a 360 sweep. Is there just no way and I will need to do four 180 sections? 2: I am having trouble getting a Join Geometry to work. Not a deal breaker, as the real thing is likely built as two or more sections and joined. But if I could get a single piece I would prefer it, especially if I have to do four sections.
Anyone have any advice they can offer?

Thanks!
Gordon

[dlister]

Here are some ideas.

I couldn't figure out how to make the path of a sweep go up in the Z direction so I did a spiral ramp and made the slide as a handrail. I did four sections of 180 degrees. I made the ramp small and it acts like the helical beam that would carry the slide.

If you didn't want to see the joins, you could use the linework tool to make them invisible lines, but I think you are correct that it would actually be fabricated in sections and the seam line is appropriate.

I would be curious to hear ideas from others about other ways to create something like this and have the ability to taper the cross section of the slide?

[bholmes]

You could use the conceptual mass tool....then import it.

[jeffh]

You can check this Blog post for another idea on how this might be done.

http://buildz.blogspot.com/2010/01/way-smoother-parametric-helix-tool.html

[dlister]

Thanks Jeff for sharing the link; that is some very amazing stuff that Zach has built.