How to model a waterslide....

[MTristram]

This may seem like a strange request, but has anyone got any ideas on how to model a water slide (hydroslide like you find at water theme parks) for a swimming complex? Will try and upload a sketch of what the path needs to look like.....

[brenehan]

Hi MTristram
I worked on a project 12 months ago, where we had two very large water slides. We didn't start to model the pool building in Revit until Contract Document. Back then I got the slide out of a sketchup model that was build during Design Development. I converted it to a dwg file and imported it as an in-place family generic model.
Soon afterwords we had the water slide consultants on board and they generated a 3D dwg file I used.
If you are using Revit 2009 you could use a swept blend and make it out of several different sections, but what could take a long time and still may not look very good. If I was doing it again, I would do it that same way. A simple programme like sketchup will create it quite easily, and just import it. I'm sure later on in the job you will also have slide consultants on board who will create their own model of it.

Brian

[clog boy]

I think you want to make reference planes and tilt them so they follow the slope of each segment (as viewed from the side), then make 2D paths on the workplanes.
This is your best bet unless you want to return to AutoCAD or a real freeform 3D program (such as Maya which is now also owned by Autodesk).

As pointed out by Brenehan, you're not making the production drawings for the water slide. Just a mock-up to fill the space. But you do want the footprint to be OK.

[Phil Read]

Option 1. The water slide sections could be "Face Based" families. This would allow them to "snap" to the section before it. Rotation, section diameter and radius would be parameters of the family. You need a curved and straight sections, as well as entrance and exit sections.

Being able to automatically schedule the proposed assemblage should help as well.

Option 2. Get the analytic path of the proposed water slide from your consultant and then use this to construct an accurate in-place sweep.

All the best -

Phil

[sbrown]

I actually used the ramp tool and created a profile of the slide shape, then ramp itself was just a small shape that the railing followed. Set levels for each segment and it gets pretty good. Now this is just for representation not construction.

[Andre Carvalho]

I actually used the ramp tool and created a profile of the slide shape, then ramp itself was just a small shape that the railing followed. Set levels for each segment and it gets pretty good. Now this is just for representation not construction.

Are these your private water slide and pool, Scott? :p

Andre Carvalho

[MTristram]

Thank you all for your responses - yes it is only for concept stage of the project to get some 3D perspectives. The project as it stands is not in 2009, however we played around yesterday with the swept blend and exported a 3D dwg and imported in to 2008 project - a bit of a long winded way but will achieve the desired result.

Again, thanks

Melanie

[dbaldacchino]

If the slope is constant, why not do a swept blend, use a spline to approximate the path and then offset the start and end profiles vertically (same profile)?

[dbaldacchino]

Here's a piece. You cannot do the whole thing with one spline as splines cannot self-intersect (bummer).

[brenehan]

I actually used the ramp tool and created a profile of the slide shape, then ramp itself was just a small shape that the railing followed. Set levels for each segment and it gets pretty good. Now this is just for representation not construction.

Hay Scott

You are smarter than the average Bear. :-)

Brian

[sbrown]

Hay Scott

You are smarter than the average Bear. :-)

Brian

I'm going to print this out to share with my wife. I'm sure she would disagree. But thanks!!!

If you like that one check out this trick for creating roof framing. I use a roof for framing then I can adjust the slope on the fly. See if you can figure it out. Note you can change the rafter tail ends.

[vgonzales]

One can use a freeform modeler, Autodesk Maya ($1,995), McNeel Rhino 3D ($995)(www.rhino3d.com) or MOI ($195) (www.moi3d.com) for this type of geometry.

Right now, Revit has all of its geometry restricted to workplanes. This shows the limitations of Revit with respect to free form geometry.

Regards,
Leo

[Andre Carvalho]

I'm going to print this out to share with my wife. I'm sure she would disagree. But thanks!!!

If you like that one check out this trick for creating roof framing. I use a roof for framing then I can adjust the slope on the fly. See if you can figure it out. Note you can change the rafter tail ends.

Opening cut tool.
Nice trick Scott. :beer:

Andre Carvalho

[rapavan]

Here's a piece. You cannot do the whole thing with one spline as splines cannot self-intersect (bummer).

How do you do the offset? When I try offsetting the end shapes, the slide stays level with no slope.

Roger