Topo lines - existing and proposed

[mmiles]

Hi all,

I have a basic understanding of the site tools and the phase tools but I cannot seem to get the contour lines of an "existing" topo-surface to display with dashed lines (as is standard practice). Is it possible to do this?

Currently, I am using a site plan with New Construction for the phase, and show complete with graphic overrides established for the existing (dashed line type, and gray color). the color works, but I don't really need that for my sheet, but the lines are solid, like the others. Also, I have established a few different split and graded regions- one of which is all "fill" and for preliminary design purposes set to one elevation height. When I use the phase filters the demolished portion does not showup under this new graded area (though it is important it be displayed) unless I set the view to wireframe - which creates other visual display problems.

anyone have some thoughts on this?

thanks.

[patricks]

I have seen posts like this before, and have wrestled with the issue myself, and there really isn't a way to get it to do what you want in Revit. Essentially what you're asking for is for Revit to display only the solid new topo lines of disturbed areas, while undisturbed areas remain with dashed topo lines. You can't make only portions of the lines in a toposurface show up while the other portions don't, so you really can't make it display that way.

I know it goes back to "how it's always been done" convention of existing topo lines shown as dashed, and then only the newly graded areas shown with solid topo lines. But if you think about it, that goes against the normal convention of showing existing, demolished, and new construction with regards to the actual building drawings. Normally only demolished building objects are shown dashed, so why show the entire existing topography as dashed?

We have been showing topography in Revit for years with solid lines throughout, and then the dashed lines only show to indicate the old topography at the newly graded areas. And you know what? Contractors still get it built just fine (usually, in most cases :p ). Many times we even export the grading plan to CAD and send that to the contractor, and it still gets built just fine.

And lately, I've seen a few grading plans from other firms NOT done in Revit, but still shown the same way with solid topo lines everywhere, and dashed lines only where there is a graded area to indicate the old topography. So I say to just do it the way Revit does it, and you'll be just fine. :)