Hey everyone,

I'm working on a big project in MoI (a train station + the surroundings)

I already made the building from scratch (based on floor plans and cutaways)

As you can see in that screenshot it's really big...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44982094/Capture%20d%E2%80%99%C3%A9cran%202013-03-27%20%C3%A0%2013.29.12.PNG

I received the 3D topography data + buildings around the train station area in DXF

I can export the buildings but I need to make a 3D terrain from the topography curves

Here's a screenshot

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44982094/Capture%20d%E2%80%99%C3%A9cran%202013-03-27%20%C3%A0%2013.26.50.PNG

And here's a screenshot of the 2D file I got for the streets

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44982094/Capture%20d%E2%80%99%C3%A9cran%202013-03-27%20%C3%A0%2013.32.31.PNG

Could anyone tell me how to do a terrain from splines ? Here's the file in DXF if you want to play :)

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44982094/CEVA_EAUX_VIVE_DXF_MULTIFACES.dxf.zip

Thanks a lot for your help :)

Oh and I got two other train stations to do for April (but they are a bit smaller in size)

Here's a smaller one I made (geometry is simplified for the public to understand the main volumes)

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44982094/vue%2001.jpg

Another screenshot for the scale, this is really huge haha

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44982094/Capture%20d%E2%80%99%C3%A9cran%202013-03-27%20%C3%A0%2013.38.15.PNG

Maybe that will more easy with Sketchup who has a system of components who reduce the size of the file of the buildings !
It's free and specialized in architecture!
http://www.sketchup.com/
Moi has not that replicated instance components yet! ;)

About your "big" DXF file ( 53 megas! ) you can reload directly it inside SKetchup but on my old (10 years) computer I have no result after a reasonnable time (30 minutes) !
Try it on your modern computer!

Buildings are not a problem I've got them perfectly imported in MoI, it's the ground that I don't know how to make from 2D curves :(

I use sketchup also but it's so buggy and slow versus MoI 3D haha

yes but maybe Sketchup will works for reload your DXF terrain!
then simplify it

Ps You can also directly reload a terrain from Google Earth inside Sketchup (level each 30 meters)
maybe it's sufficient for your project?

If you want to build the terrain inside of moi I would use the DXF file as a reference point (freeze it) and snap new curve lines to it in a square (or rectangular) grid and the create a network on that. It's a little arduous but works well and if you keep the curve lines you can modify the surface as you go.

""""""""""""it's the ground that I don't know how to make from 2D curves""""""""""""

It appears you would have to manually read the contour data contained in the file. Unrealistic. If the terrain contour data was 3d, there are programs that can create the terrain from those. Also, the dxf may have come from some type of engineering package that contains the "real data", but they just sent you 2d?

Can you attach a KMZ file of where this is?

Maybe I can make you a terrain if I can figure out where this is located. Although, uber detail doesnt transfer from poly's to NURBS very well, but maybe having that to reference, then a good poly terrain to combine it with later will be good for you?

Here it is,

http://goo.gl/maps/7jebc

The DXF is provided by the city of Geneva, I can ask for a 3D version maybe.. (polys)

Then I'll just have to match the two in C4D

.

I looked at the dxf file. it's done in layers and the topo lines are 3D. the layer with the lines is called courbe_I_3D. It's the typical kind of file one would get to create topo maps.

I translated the dxf file to a IGS file and imported it into moi. (I had to move the lines to 0,0,0 as they were at some ridiculous coordinates) I'm attaching the 3dm file of the topo lines. Hopefully that helps somewhat.

Seems many lines are broken ?

"""""""""(I had to move the lines to 0,0,0 as they were at some ridiculous coordinates) """""""""""""

Hi Val,
Would you be willing to generate the 3d contours at those original coords and put that here? I just got flat stuff in my dxf conversion, but I have generated a surface from the land coords that sits out in that "far off location". Because the Elevation data is very small, I am having an issue with matching the surface to your lines. I gets complicated when dealing with projection data and all the variables. I will be scaling my surface result in the Z value to match the contours you have, but I need them to be in the same place, or I cant tell if I have it close or not.

Hi DesuDeus, the Patch command in Rhino can be ok at generating a smooth surface through some terrain lines, but your current set of contour curves is possibly too complex to be used directly.

You might also look at Form-Z if I remember right it has some tools in it for doing terrain generation from contours.

- Michael

Never mind Val,
I opened the dxf as 3d in Punch. I'll take a look at that in a bit.

Pilou,

yes that is the way those type of file are. basically a mess. You work with what you get.


If need be I can spit out a 3D model of the terrain but it will be a mesh not a nurb.

Val

I use FormZ, for this kind of project, it's the good choice

I noticed that the terrain is really subtle, I'm trying to obtain a polygon file right now.

But the good thing if I can have a terrain inside MoI3D is that I can project the roads on it :)

I imported the lines in MoI 3D already, thanks for converting them for me !

Regards,
Sam

""""""""""I noticed that the terrain is really subtle,"""""""""""""

Thats kindof what I've been struggling with. There really isnt that much elevation in that small area. Here's a file with 1.5 arc elevation data for that part of Geneva. It's not based off of your curve data, but DEM data. I've converted it to a nurbs surface, so you can scale the z value to "exaggerate" it a bit for visual effect if that helps. I also put a topo image in it to give some reference to the surface/location.

The scale is a bit too small for what I was thinking. Maybe one of the form-z guys can make a terrain out of the actual contours in the file.

I am also fooling around with embossing topo or map data onto this surface, which may turn out to be something usable for buildings and such to be placed. I'll let you know if I get anything worth showing.