Curved Roof with Multiple Slopes

[phyllisr]

Attached is a SketchUp image of the design for a small office building that is structurally complex with some site and grading challenges as well as some unusual modeling challenges. We have solved it all except the roof at the curved section of the building.

Maybe add this to the Raise the Roof session at AU 2007?!?!

We have tried just about everything in our arsenal of tips and trick and work-arounds to no avail. The curve prevents using the new 2008 tools. Using the traditional slope arrows is a problem also because of the curve. We have tried mass elements and applying a roof to a face, we have tried in-place roof families, we have tried sweeps and extrusions and voids in many combinations and cannot seem to get this quite right.

If anyone has time and wants to tackle an interesting problem, we could use some assistance. At this time, we are using a combination of techniques to get close but we would like to create this correctly so we can give our structural consultants an accurate model that we know is right.

If a stripped copy of our model would be useful, I can post it. All we really want is a demonstration of any dimension or scale that works and that we can deconstruct for our project. Thanks in advance.

[sbrown]

You can use a void to cut out a rectangular roof that has used the new slope tools in 2008. so can you make it rectangularly, then in plan create a void(opening) and cut out the curve shape.

[sbrown]

Actually looking at it again it looks like a simple sloped ref. plan with a sweep thats path follows that ref. planes slope, then void out what you don't need.

[duvalsf]

the best way to accomplish this roof is by using a mass in an in place created roof family. after you create the mass with the right shape and slope you can do the roof by face command and it will work. we use this method for very complex shapes at my office.

[Tobie]

It would be nice to be able to do a sweep with curves in more that one plane. Still is a reminder that if it is hard to model in Revit, it will be hard (expensive) to construct.

[Scott D Davis]

Another example where a loft (sweep a changing profile along a linear or curved path) would really help.

[AP23]

Another example where a loft (sweep a changing profile along a linear or curved path) would really help.

Well Scott, you have your work cut out for you.

[Wes Macaulay]

I would create the loft form in AutoCAD and import it into an in-place roof family...

[Tobie]

We only have Revit in the office. Sounds wrong saying you need to use Autocad to do something you want in Revit.

[Wes Macaulay]

Well, it could be done with a slope arrow to get the roof sloping more or less in the direction you want to get the look you want. Lofts often create geometry that's expensive to build, though that should not keep us from using lofts if that's what the design really needs!

[dbaldacchino]

Maybe make the roof from a ramp? Ouch, whataworkaround!

[Andre Baros]

This seamed a little too straight forward and easy... about 5 minutes.

1. Draw a sloped work plane in elevation.
2. Pick that work plane in the roof plan as the active workplane
3. Create an in place roof, using a sweep.

I'm sure there's some part of this which doesn't work for you, so please do tell and I'll be happy to redo it.

[phyllisr]

I'm sure there's some part of this which doesn't work for you...
Just got back from San Diego. This is precisely what I ultimately did - good suggestion that I wish I had though of earlier. Thanks. My only remaining problem with this approach was the profile for the soffit. Since I was leaving for a few days, the team decided to include the soffit edge in the sweep and use detail components in the section until I got back.

Before I put any time into this, do you have a magic solution for that problem?

[Andre Baros]

I'm not sure that I understand the problem with the soffit. If including it in the original profile, and using detail components works, your done. If you really need to seperate it, you could copy the family in exactly the same place and then edit the profile differently in each one... one becomes the soffit (which you can change to a ceiling to host lights for example) and the other stays a roof.

[phyllisr]

I'm not sure that I understand the problem with the soffit.
The problem is the ends. The 3D views look dumb when we incorporate the profile in the sweep. We have found including isomteric views in our CDs is helpful to a contractor when we have a complicated detail. You are correct about the detail component and there is really no need for a separation in most locations. But getting the sweep path correct and getting the fascia/soffit on the ends is tougher. Particularly when one end is deeper than the other and we have multiple slopes. I can come close with a bunch of pieces but I would really prefer the in-place family host the sweep. Thanks for the followup.

[Andre Baros]

Ok, I think I understand the question.

Is this on the right track? This is a sweep created as part of the in-place family which follows the edge of the original slopped roof. You'll notice that there is one odd step. Before I could pick the curving front edge as the path I had to trim it with the in place void. This extra step subtly changed the shape of the front edge from a conic section to an arc segment... because Revit can't handle sweeps along conic sections.

For what it's worth, if you embed a detail component into the profile you use for the edge you won't see it because the sweep is following a non-planar path.