Massing-Cannot keep joined

[mmiles]

Can anyone tell me why these geometry in the attached family will not join? I am trying to make an eyebrow roof (ala Shingle style). A roof by footprint gives me the shed roof I need, and I figured a massing solid (blend) could be used to make the eyebrow- which I could then select a face and create a roof from.

The attached is all massing, isolated from my project. I have tried numerous little edits, using both solids and voids, but I cannot get the solids to join- which I need them to so I can more easily define where my shed roof needs to be cut with an opening. Each time I try to join geometry an error is generated and the large element disappears.:cry:

from a 3D model point of view, I can get what I want (visually) but as soon as I try to do anything with roofs I run into problems. At this point I am totally frustrated.

Also, on a related note: Can I use a non-orthagonal plane to create a roof by extrusion? I have established a reference plane which is angle( or sloped, like a roof) but I cannot select that plane to create my roof extrusion.

thanks.

[lev.lipkin]

Join geometry (cutting one from another and cleaning edges) results in solid which is pretty problematic. One geometry ends with vertical faces, another with slanted faces. The resulting solid would have corners which tough each other and other complications which cause Revit trouble representing them.

I had edited the sketch of flat mass to supplement the blend's geometry, and attached resulting image.

[Andre Carvalho]

Matthew,

Instead of creating two masses, create just one. Then use voids and make sure when joining solids (or voids) that there's no small nibs or tinny little pieces of solids touching each other. Revit doesn't like it. Usually I stretch my solids to cross well over each other and then trim everything with voids. If you don't want the eyebrow fascia the way I've created, just edit the void to make it sloped too.

See the final result on the Revit file attached. Most of the complicated 3D shapes can be achieved with Revit. You just have to be patient, persistent and pay attention to the minimum details.

Best regards,

Andre Carvalho

[luigi]

Also, on a related note: Can I use a non-orthagonal plane to create a roof by extrusion? I have established a reference plane which is angle( or sloped, like a roof) but I cannot select that plane to create my roof extrusion.

thanks.
Have you tried "naming" the reference plane, and trying to select it when defining the workplane?

[tomnewsom]

Definitely create the roof from a single mass, rather than trying to join a footprint roof to a by-mass roof.

[mmiles]

Have you tried "naming" the reference plane, and trying to select it when defining the workplane?

Luigi, Yes, I have. I actually think there is something wrong with this file i a working on. I could have sworn that I created two different options some time ago. One utilizied a named reference plane. Now, when I try to use this plane it is not available as a plane to select when trying to create the roof by extrusion.

I will continue to play around with the issue.

Thanks, Andre, I will check out the file. I got this to work before- but then I made serious edits and the unjoining- not joining problems began. I am sure my impatience has stymied me.

[mmiles]

[quote=Andre Carvalho;842302]Matthew,



Most of the complicated 3D shapes can be achieved with Revit. You just have to be patient, persistent and pay attention to the minimum details.

Andre,

Now try making a roof by selecting a face. When I try - selecting top face- I get errors saying it cannot make the roof. And, this is where I get into trouble. As a mass it looks good, but if someone forgets to toggle the mass visibility setting to on during printing, the mass does not show and it looks like there is a hole in my (shed) roof.

So, I agree in prinicple that the most complex shapes can be made in Revit. I just feel perplexed that this relatively simple shape is causing me such grief. My own guess is that it has something to do with drawing ellipses in lieu of a series of arcs.

[Andre Carvalho]

That's weird.

I just downloaded the same file I uploaded to you a few days ago, went to roof by face, picked the mass faces and got it with no problems at all. The roof I used is the default 12" one.

I started by picking the curved one and then the flat one.
I can't show the model patterns over the curved roof because I don't have Revit 2009 in front of me right now. I did it with 2008.

See attached.

Andre Carvalho

[mmiles]

I am using 2008, too.

When i select the masses, I get errors when selecting to two smaller curved faces. The principal curve works fine, and so does the shed. But just not those two little side pieces- which are important to the eyebrow. Do you have any issues with them?

thanks.

[Andre Carvalho]

No. As you can see in my file from the previous post, I had no issues with them. I started selecting the top of the eyebrow, then one of the two small ones an then the other and lastly the main big sloped face.

The mass is still in my file, so you can check it there.

Andre Carvalho.

[mmiles]

No. As you can see in my file from the previous post, I had no issues with them. I started selecting the top of the eyebrow, then one of the two small ones an then the other and lastly the main big sloped face.

The mass is still in my file, so you can check it there.

Andre Carvalho.

But, I am looking at your file.:cry:
I select "roof by Face (in massing tab). then i select the top, the two side, and the main slope, then I select "create". I get error- cannot make roof. I have even tried just selecting one face at a time, then create, but I cannot get to other two to work.

....I closed you file and reopened without saving. If I select the faces individually, I can make the roof. When I tried selecting you the order you proposed, I still got an error. I checked where the roof was supposed to be place, top or bottom after the initial error. Does it matter which the setting is for it to work?

[Andre Carvalho]

If I select the faces individually, I can make the roof.

Humm. So why don't you just do that? Select one and create roof, then select other and create roof... Then join them. The results will be the same.

Andre Carvalho

[mmiles]

thanks, Andre.
I can get it to work. The selection order seems to be dictating my success- which I find confusing. But, I have gotten what I needed. Now, I just have to modify my own masses to avoid the overlapping nicks and things as you said.

I suspected there was something wrong with my geometries, and you seem to have confirmed that for me. thanks, again.