Ditches and Swales

[bixelps]

What is the best way to create ditches and swales in HD? 

 

I have used terrain lines which work well for some things but these tools have only one elevation that I can see. 

 

A ditch has an elevation at one end and another at the other so that there is a pitch to it to cause the water to move.

 

Also a surface like a garage floor or parking area should have a pitch to it.  There must be a better way than creating a bunch of small terrain lines.  Can floors of buildings or parking lots be pitched?  If so how?

 

[DavidJPotter]

5 hours ago, bixelps said:

I have used terrain lines which work well for some things but these tools have only one elevation that I can see. 

 

Each "Terrain Elevation Object" has a "Dialog Box" to set its positive or negative height. To create a "Ditch" with slanted sides would require two splines or lines on either side of the ditch and then one or two lines or splines inside those prior splines or lines with a differing height (a lower value would tend to cause a depression or "Ditch" between the higher pare, height-wise. Take a look please for yourself.

 

5 hours ago, bixelps said:

Also a surface like a garage floor or parking area should have a pitch to it.  There must be a better way than creating a bunch of small terrain lines.  Can floors of buildings or parking lots be pitched?  If so how?

 

Home Designer and Chief Premier software will not do natively slanted floors, so you, in plan view add the text "Slanted Floor" and an "Arrow" indicating the direction of slope. For visuals you can place a "Wedge" from the "Library Browser - Shapes - Wedges" in your plan then then using its dialog box reshape it, dimension-wise to emulate a slanted floor.

 

DJP

[bixelps]

Hi Dave and thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.

 

Your idea of making a ditch with splines or lines would make a pond I think as there would be no pitch.  The water would just sit in the ditch. The ditch needs a pitch to cause the water to flow along its length.  So for terrain I still do not know how this could be done in HD.

 

Thanks for the tips on "Wedges" and notes in plan view.  Those could work for components of the structure.

 

-Paul

[DavidJPotter]

3 hours ago, bixelps said:

Your idea of making a ditch with splines or lines would make a pond I think as there would be no pitch. 

 

Incorrect, I have been a professional using this software since 1994, I did  not state "opinion" but rather fact.

 

3 hours ago, bixelps said:

The water would just sit in the ditch. The ditch needs a pitch to cause the water to flow along its length.  So for terrain I still do not know how this could be done in HD.

 

In your original post you never mentioned "Water". I think you need to be a little more succinct in terms of exactly what you need and want, perhaps post a picture, sketch or image. I suggestion will create a ditch or creek with NO water in it.

 

And a note on reality in this software. This software is for the purpose of communicating to clients or other building professionals visually, what is needed and wanted for a particular project. No one will ever live in the virtual realities we create, rather they just serve a purpose to guide others to a particular outcome. Only if you are planning to actually build from scratch a ditch, canal or river do you need to be perfect in its details. This software is for Architecture and not Civil Engineering.

 

DJP