whats better - topo grading or pad?

[Justin Marchiel]

So what is the opinion out there? the issue that i am having is that i am doing a 5 storey building on a sloping site. at the back it is 3 storeys and 5 at the front. i would like to have exsiting grade plot thru the building, and have the cut quantity noted. but as many have written, grading a topo surface is a pain in the arse. using a pad to cut out the foudations is great, but you dont get the existing grade line, or the cut quantity.

Did i miss something? What is the better way of doing things. I think that pads are easier, but i dont think the end result is what i want.

Thanks

Justin

[patricks]

I was pretty sure that pads would report amount cut out of the topo. I know that it will still show the existing topo through the building, provided that you have your existing topo on a previous phase, then do a graded region and demolish the existing topo on the current phase.

*edit* yes I was right. My guess is you're not modifying the existing grade much, as your're buidling into the slope itself, and you probably have your toposurface on the current phase. In order to get cut/fill info, you have to move your existing topo to a previous phase, and then pick Graded Region, and click on that existing topo to grade. You can always copy internal points and not change them, and if you do that, it will report a net cut/fill of zero. Then you can put a pad into that graded region (essentially the same toposurface as your existing topo), and it will also report cut and fill data for that new toposurface as it relates to the old one on the existing phase.

[Justin Marchiel]

From what i see the pad will give you the volume and area of the pad itself, not the actual cut volume. and once applied to the topo it gets rid off all topo lines within its limits.

I was thinking the graded region would be better because it would show the old contours demolished (when cutting thru), but this could be a lot of work to get the topo surface to work correctly. that is why the pad is an appeally alternate (minus its display and cut downfalls).

Other methods out there?

Justin

[patricks]

You have to use graded region AND pad. You have to use the graded region tool in the first place (whether or not you actually alter or "grade" any of the contours) just to get the cut/fill data for your site.

So if you're not modifying the contours, then move your exisiting topo to the existing phase, select the Graded Region tool, click the box for Copy Internal Points, pick your existing topo, and that will create a NEW toposurface on your current (New Construction) phase that is exactly the same as existing. Finish the toposurface without changing anything, select the new surface, and open properties and you will see 0 and 0 for cut and fill. Then put in a pad, go back to the toposurface properties again, and you will see how much is cut, or filled, or both, from that new surface on the current phase.

I just tried it a few moments ago, so I know it works. :)

[Justin Marchiel]

OK I see what you are doing now. i missed a few steps in the middle. i will try this out and see if it gives me the desired results.

Thanks for clearing it up.

Justin

[Justin Marchiel]

OK I see what you are doing now. i missed a few steps in the middle. i will try this out and see if it gives me the desired results.

Thanks for clearing it up.

Justin


Ok i tried and and got 50% what i want. What happens is that the new surface has the pad cutting it, (and reports the cut as noted), and the existing lines still shows. the problem that i have now is that the existing site topo still show its fill below (from site settings). if i turn it off in the site setting pulldown, the existing demoed surface still "mask" the itmes beyond. and using any of the pahse filters i can't get the existing topo line to show dashed.

I appreciate all your help on this one.

Thanks

Justin

[patricks]

I assume on your site plan, you have wire frame turned on so that your existing topo lines will show through, correct?

In the section, it looks like your phase filter is probably set to Show All. Set it to Show Previous + New, or Show Complete and it should look fine.

[Justin Marchiel]

I assume on your site plan, you have wire frame turned on so that your existing topo lines will show through, correct?

In the section, it looks like your phase filter is probably set to Show All. Set it to Show Previous + New, or Show Complete and it should look fine.

I have my filters set up just like you noted. i can't get the desired result by change to other filters either.

any other pointers?

Justin

[patricks]

I have my filters set up just like you noted. i can't get the desired result by change to other filters either.

any other pointers?

Justin

If your existing (ungraded surface) is created on your existing (or previous) phase and demolished on New (or current) phase as it should be, then there is no way it can show up in section if you have the phase set to New and the filter set to Show Previous + New or Show Complete.

To recap:
Existing toposuraface - created on previous phase, demolished on current phase
New (graded) toposurface - created on current phase, not demolished
Pad - created on current phase, not demolished.

Check all those things. If all are correct and it's still not right, try to attach a stripped down model for us to look at.

[Justin Marchiel]

If your existing (ungraded surface) is created on your existing (or previous) phase and demolished on New (or current) phase as it should be, then there is no way it can show up in section if you have the phase set to New and the filter set to Show Previous + New or Show Complete.

To recap:
Existing toposuraface - created on previous phase, demolished on current phase
New (graded) toposurface - created on current phase, not demolished
Pad - created on current phase, not demolished.

Check all those things. If all are correct and it's still not right, try to attach a stripped down model for us to look at.

Ok to go back i bit, i did get the existing surface to show dashed. i just had to change the linetype because the dashes where too small. the only issue i have is that the surface hatch shows under the existing topo surface that is demolished by the pad. from other posts that i have read i dont think that i can get this to go away can i? if i turn it off in the site settings dialogue it goes away for every where. Now way around this but with a filled region?

Justin

[patricks]

Well I don't know... if you could post a stripped down model with just some of your walls, pad, and toposurfaces I think I could figure it out.

Here's a quick model I just did, with a toposurface on the existing phase, graded on the new phase, with a pad on the new phase and section view set to Show Previous + New (I'm showing it both that way and with Show All).

[Justin Marchiel]

i have gotten to what you are showing. the issue that i am having is that the hatch pattern under the existing grade still shows, everthough it is demolished. i read another thread this morning that might hold the answer that i am looking for. I could move the exsiting grade to a new fill and link it to my project. i could turn off the site material in the existing file, so that when i link it to my project, it would only display hatch under my graded surface, and not the existing surface.

How does that sound? I have yet to do it, but if and when it get around to doing it, i will post the results.

Justin

[patricks]

That could work, but you shouldn't have to do that. Unless the file is corrupted or something I don't see why it would be doing that.

[Justin Marchiel]

That could work, but you shouldn't have to do that. Unless the file is corrupted or something I don't see why it would be doing that.

Here is a stripped down surface that i created in a new file. I made a topo. created in existing, demo'd in new. new surface, created in new not demo'd. pad create in new, not demo'd.

you will see in the section (pad turned off) that the exsiting demo'd show the dashed lines (fine) but it has the surface pattern under it, which should not happen. the pad cuts away the new surface as expected. the only thing that is wrong is that there is a surface pattern under the demo'd topo. is this a limitation of the program?

Justin

[Justin Marchiel]

i contacted AutoDesk support and they said that this is infact a limitation in the tool. It has already been logged so they added my comments to there list.

it seems that the work around is to "draw" a line reprsenting the old grade and under filters just show complete so that the demo'd surface is not shown.

Not really what i wanted to here, but at least i know that it is not me and that this might be fixed in the future (hopefully).

Justin