Modifying sites is a fundamental part of landscape and architectural design. It is one of the most common questions that I get asked about site modeling. We will look at the details of site modifying, starting with the basic concept of site modifying.
You can control the elevation of a massing model by setting the Z value in the Object Info palette. You can also use the Send to Surface command.
When you use Send to Surface command, Vectorworks will send the insertion point of your massing model to sit on the site model. The insertion point of your massing model is generally the corner of the polygon that you started first.
So, depending on where you started your massing model, your building will end up at different elevations. You might see a blue dot on your massing model when you select it in a Top/Plan view. Moving this blue dot has no effect on the Send to Surface command.
In this session, we covered a strategy for using Vectorworks on the go, showed how to place a building at the right elevation on a site model, reviewed how to use site modifiers and went over steps for taking care of site modifier errors.
In this session, we reviewed the primary site modifiers—Contour, Pad, Grade Limits, and Pad with Retaining Edge—discussed changing the User Origin and working with external reference points, showed how to place fences on the surface of a site model, and turned a sketch into an Image Prop for a conceptual presentation.
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In this session, we covered many of the commands in the Landmark menu and reviewed how to create a pool and a pool site modifier.
In this session, we covered how to prevent plants from rising to the surface of a site model, options for creating flat surfaces in landscapes, and options for vehicle turning circles.
In this session, we covered adding roadways to projects and resolving site modifier conflicts.
In this session, we briefly looked at counting impermeable surfaces, showed how to work with stepped site modifiers on a site model, and created a fence with columns instead of posts.
In this session, we looked at using 3D modeling to make various types of masonry blocks, how to make various arrays, and how to change their texture and color.
In this session, we looked at three main topics. We looked at how to create a car park area that slopes in two directions, we looked at creating a building project that does not use stories, and we looked at how to control the graphics of wall components.
In this session, we looked at retaining walls again. We used a site modifier in contour mode to create a straight retaining wall. We then adjusted the grade limits to change the retaining wall into a battered slope between the two levels of the garden, adding rocks, steps, and a landscape area with plants to go around the rocks.
In this session, we looked at creating a retaining wall area, selecting model snapshots, cut and fill calculations, site model sections, creating pads from grade limits, and creating grade limits from pads.
In this session, we looked at capping the end of a wall, and we looked at roading on a site model. We spent most of the time looking at roading, how to set the road in relation to a site model and how to make changes to the end of a Roadway object so that it matches the opening of a garage.
In this session we looked at the curtain wall tool and 3D modelling. The problem that we looked at was how to create the timber framing of a small building.
In this session we looked in detail at attaching tags to planting and hardscapes and how this relates to creating drawings using viewports and sheet layers. We also looked at the detail of using a hardscape as a site modifier.
In this session we looked at site modifies on a particular we looked at site modify conflicts. There are different reasons why site modifies might conflict with each other and we created examples where we could look at these problems and what the result was on the site model. In general terms if you have a site modify conflict you will not get an accurate site model. While this might not look too bad, it may cause errors in your cut and fill calculations.
In this session we continued with our Getting Started sessions for landscape. We looked at site models, site modifies, adding retaining walls, adding missing models and adding hardscape areas.
In this session we looked at creating a site model, creating site modifies, roads, site model snapshot, and site modifies.
In this session we tested several methods to see if it was possible to use a subdivision surface for site modifying (it was).
Many uses believe that the only place that you should store site modifiers is on the same layer as the site model. While this works very well, it is not the only place that you can locate your site modifiers. The site model settings dialog box allows you to choose where site modifiers can be located. They can be on the same layer as the site model, on any layer, on visible layers, or you can select which layers you want to put your site modifiers on.