how to make a sloped and curved triangulated curtain wall?

[AP23]

I'm about to submit a wish to enhance the curtain wall tool drastically to be able to make curved and sloped traingle schaped curtain wall as the images. At this moment, you can't rotate curtain wall grids on a (double) curved surface and you can' t make triangle or multi edge curtain wall panels.

In the meantime, i would like to know how to make such a curtain wall form scratch in-place or in a family. The last image is a theater completely done in Revit, so it is possible. I just can' t figure out how to make it, as you can't set your work plane on a curved surface.

[dhurtubise]

You can use the curtain system by face to achieve taht kind of design

[AP23]

You can use the curtain system by face to achieve taht kind of design

Curtain system grids don't have an angle parameter on a curved surface.

[dhurtubise]

No but you can make your mass faceted.
You can build it in something like Max then import in a mass family and apply.

[Scott D Davis]

Make a Mass or Generic Model to apply a Curtain Wall by Face.

If you "split" the sketch lines when creating a blend for the Mass, when you apply the curtain wall by face, the mullions will "connect" the points from the bottom split line to the top split line, allowing one to make custom mullion panels that lean at angles.

[dhurtubise]

Here's to illustrate Scott's technique.

[twiceroadsfool]

I know the split lines in sketch method is technically sound... But this is weird: I cant get my computer to do it. The moment i hit finish sketch, Revit just infinetely hangs (not responding). Ive tried it three or four times now, and i only split the sketch in to ten segments each.

Weirdness...

[AP23]

Scott's method works good, but extremely tedious. You need to create multiple blends. Each blend has the height of one triangle segment. And if the geometry have different profile sizes in section like the third image, then it is not possible with this method. Furthermore, once you have created all blends and stack them up on each other and create a curtain system by face, some panels buckle at midpoint. So the triangle panel consist then of two smaller triangles. Also the mullions and panels don't clean up nicely. However, the curtain system do give you the work planes to create an in place curtain system. You can use reference lines and lock them on the curtain grids and sweep a mullion profile. And you can use the curtain panel as workplace to create blends or extrusion to create a custom panels.

It would have been much easier to be able to draw model lines at each panel height and connect these lines with other model lines to create the triangle shaped panel. However, you can't pick accurately the section border of the blend at each height. You can only pick the top or bottom lines. You can obviously make views of each segment and export them to AutoCAD and bring them back in as dwg’s and explode them. But then you might as well create the whole curtain system, if not the whole project in AutoCAD or any other 3d program.

The easiest way would be to have a curtain system where you have multiple grid pattern options. You can create a curtain system like the images within a few clicks.

[Mr Spot]

Here is something I've been working on lately. This netted Mesh form took about 15 minutes for me to create in Revit and is infinitely adjustable...

[rupertv]

i guess this is one of those little irritants in Revit....you CAN do a lot of things, but you do need quite a bit of experience in using the package....i've had one or two occasions where the curtain wall glazing that i've generated from masses do not react the way i want or expect it to....i guess more control without doing all sorts of "workarounds" is the real request...

[Wes Macaulay]

Alright Mr. Price -- how did you do it?

[Mr Spot]

Alright Mr. Price -- how did you do it?
Its actually not very exciting...

Basically there is a face based generic model component of an elliptical shape that I've added references to based on an algorithm that determines the two points where the adjacent element should be positioned and then placed the elements around the mass according to this location.

I started with a plan model line elliptical form (much quicker and easier to place that way) then once i had everything in place reloaded the family with additional detail.

As its a family I can just add additional detail to these elements as required. For instance in this particular case some of these elements are going to contain photovoltaic cells.

I've actually totally redesigned this building since I posted this image, as I felt the netting need to be a larger component of the design at ground level also.

Its supposed to represent a leaf like form that is netted together, hence the photovoltaics...

[Calvn_Swing]

...based on an algorithm that determines the two points where the adjacent element should be positioned...

You lost me at algorithms...

Care to share the family? This is one of those cases where I think almost anything can be accomplished using formulas and relatively complex families, but most people (like me) don't know quite where to start. I tend to fall apart once I surpass the capabilities of basic algebra and conditional statements...

If not, I can't blame you, but it sure would be nice. My clap-happy hat would give you hand just for good measure.

[L Wood]

Wow... totally envious of your mesh. Mucho props!

Went all cave man on my first curved space frame (Yikes).

[frosty]

Isumpter-

Care to share how you did it?

[Brian Myers]

You lost me at algorithms...


Same here...any time I read a posting that say's "it's a simple formula, all you need to do is..." I remember back to college where I had to drop 3 different math classes in 5 years (eventually to re-take and pass them with C's) in order to get my degree. It just doesn't come natural to me... I need to sit down and really study formula's to understand them and I have no idea where to start from scratch...

(I did do great in Geometry and Trig because I could visualize the shapes, Algebra and Calc were nearly hopeless causes...)

[L Wood]

Isumpter-

Care to share how you did it?


I was still a parametric zygote when I made this. No formula...

Had drafted the space frame prior to in CAD and used the DWG as a guide to make the module, then radial arrayed it. (Basically putting sticks together with hot glue)

I’m super excited about Mr. Spot’s image. It’s great to know results like that are 15 minutes away… err after a few years of practice :)
that's job security

[Merlin]

Nice one, Chris!

[AP23]

Some of you may have noticed this image on Revitcity fully modelled in Revit. The author created 3 domes, one glazed dome, one with a solid material and a third dome with triangle shaped voids which creates the net structure. Very labor intensive, but a nice workaround.

[cliff collins]

Use the Massing Tool.
Create a Mass, then convert the faces of the mass to a curtainwall.

Cheers.....

[iandidesign]

....i guess more control without doing all sorts of "workarounds" is the real request...

Maybe the infamous Dr. Aish (http://www.aecmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=224&Itemid=36) will come to our rescue.