Practices: Terrain/Landscaping in Revit

[mawi]

Hi all,

would like tips for landscaping / site modifications / terrain modeling in/for Revit.

I have a contour map of the site, scanned it, fixed it in acad. Got it in 3dmax, in Revit, okidok. Started using the edit tool of Revit - cumbersome.

Objective: To remodel the model and calculate the volumes needing to be filled.

* Recommendations?
* Best companion software? form-z? 3dmax? other specific terra soft?

My thought is to install a 3d modeler, edit the contour model A into B, import B into revit as well, and somehow merge it with A in phase new. Thus I can let Revit calculate the differences. Maybe that sucks, dunno.

I just want an approximation, for a go-ahead decision. More final calculations will of course be given to a pro in this area.

What have you used, do you know to be used?

/mawi

[SkiSouth]

Been a few months since I had to do the same. When you import points, I think you can isolate the layers from which the points are imported. Select existing contours the first time, proposed contours for the second (from the acad contours (with Z values). It might take two imports, one with existing one with proposed - I don't remember. Generate two surfaces and compare.

[christo4robin]

Mawi,

There is a Graded Region tool in the Site menu that allows you to do what you want to do. If you go to help and look up Graded Region, you will get specifics about how to.

If you use different software and import an existing surface and a proposed surface, it is critical that the boundaries match exactly, but my understanding is that you can work this way (although I haven't)

[hand471037]

Mawi, you're totally right, the point-style editing of toposurfaces is combersome and sucks. I wish Revit had some more automated and easyer to use grading tools, like being able to define contours using splines and tools for leveling little bits of selected topo along a slope or datum to help generating roads and such from an existing topo.

Try working with it a while and you might still get what you're after in terms of topo editing for cut-and-fill. The point style sucks, but works, and once you get used to it isn't too bad.

Also note that when you split a topo surface, it automatically generates a ton of points along the dividing line, which you can then select and copy and move and edit up or down, and then you can re-murge the two surfaces back into one for slightly-quicker editing of conters along a user-defined line...

[cphubb]

I found the topo tools initially frustrating because I was trying to draw a contour map as most software programs require you to do. However I have found that if you let Revit figure the contour locations placing known elevation points and then filling in with some SWAG points will get you a very close to reality countour map.

I wokr in the following manner.

1. Import any available contours.
2. Work off the corners of the building which are usually known elevations.
3. Place reference plans where I know grades have to be exact and place points relative to those.
4. Back check critical slopes and elevations.
5. Fill in points to make swales and promitories as required.
Render and enjoy.

One note about the 2 step import. My civil engineers seem to draw their new contours on a different layer inbetween the existing coutours so importing the second time can cause problems especially if there are any gaps in the contours. I have spent a couple of hours playing with such a model before finally copying the Acad countours and joining them up to make continuous contours.

Hope this helps

Chris