Elliptical walls?

[tarch]

Just found out that there is no eliliptical tool available for wall creation. How do you guys do it?

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Create a mass object and create the wall by picking the face

[Brian Myers]

Create a mass object and create the wall by picking the face

That's always a good rule of thumb... if you can't create it any other way, try and use a mass to do it.

[tarch]

Thanks guys

[beegee]

If you can live with a shape that is not a true elipse, then just draw walls using arc by 3 points, mirror the arc and then fillet the ends. Approximates an elipse.

[ron.sanpedro]

If you can live with a shape that is not a true elipse, then just draw walls using arc by 3 points, mirror the arc and then fillet the ends. Approximates an elipse.

Given that the contractor is not likely to lay out two pivot points and run a long rope around them to scribe a true ellipse for layout purposes, I suspect the arc and dimensions every 4' from a common line would be as good as anything else. We worry so much about the purity of form and forget that it doesn't get built exactly that way.

Gordon

[sbrown]

I allways use Beegees method. I like it because we almost always seem to have elliptical stairs in these shape rooms and they are much easier to create as 4 arcs vs true ellipses. I'll usually draw the ellipse with a detail line, then trace over it with arcs so its as close to the design intent as possible.

[Scott Hopkins]

Given that the contractor is not likely to lay out two pivot points and run a long rope around them to scribe a true ellipse for layout purposes, I suspect the arc and dimensions every 4' from a common line would be as good as anything else. We worry so much about the purity of form and forget that it doesn't get built exactly that way.

Gordon
I have used many true ellipses over the years, both in plan and elevation. Once you explain the string method to contractors they really enjoy making them. I even had one contractor who, on his own initiative, purchased a special plastic string to minimize errors from the stretch in a typical string.

One thing I do wish - It would be nice if Revit could automatically calculate and display the foci points of an ellipse. This would make my job calculating and dimensioning them a little easier.

[tarch]

That's how I ended doing it. Thanks.

[robert.manna]

If you can live with a shape that is not a true elipse, then just draw walls using arc by 3 points, mirror the arc and then fillet the ends. Approximates an elipse.
Either its because I'm just dumb, or its Monday morning, but I don't understand how to get the correct arc form, and then how to do the fillet. I have an ellipse traced out with drafting lines, and I would love to use this method, because I think it is more applicable, etc, however I just can't seem to get it. Can you provide a little more instruction, screen shots, or hints?

Thanks,
-R (feeling stupid)

[patricks]

It would be nice if you snap to an ellipse line in more places than just on the quadrant points.