Topic: Rebuilding all corridors at once in C3D

[jugglerbri]

A long as he's not seeing this:

[mjfarrell]

I don't really use it for design to surface. I use it when I need like a bottom of bank profile to use as a baseline and I need it to be as long as some very curvy alignments up the bank.

I could use some advice on something though- I know you hate external links, but I wrote up the quandary here:

Scout, I'll want to go back and review my last stream realign project; as it has the vary items you described, meander banks, and a repeat pattern of riffle, run, glide, pool, etc...
And the challenge created by the "Profile MUST be a long as the Parent Alignmet, or the Corridor Section Goes to ZERO rule"

I think on that design the data was such that I had several hundred feet of stream centerline in the file, so I could use the CL profile for all layouts, without running afoul and ...

I think in the end for other steams,I've did a two step with a helper corridor, much as you described.  Let me see if any of the alignment widening, or offset tools in 2010 offer any help.

[mjfarrell]

This posses the question does Mr. Didack work for, or with autodesk on development of C3D, or is he working with a(n) Engineering Consulting firm. (one can't tell from his website)

And if he is working with autodesk, we should be having some chats about 'stuff'....

[StefanDidak]

This posses the question does Mr. Didack work for, or with autodesk on development of C3D, or is he working with a(n) Engineering Consulting firm. (one can't tell from his website)

And if he is working with autodesk, we should be having some chats about 'stuff'....

I can clear that up for you very easily. 

I've been in business for myself since 1989 and come from the 3D animation/visual effects field, originally, but have focused my business on development after I got fed up with doing production work for TV, Film, etc. Way back in the day I got involved with 3D Studio (DOS, v1) and have, over the course of that product's life, worked with it, on it, and indeed have been an external contractor for a division of Autodesk where I did work on 3ds max. But that's a long time ago, ancient history if you will.

I juggle many different clients which are small startups to some of the larger names in the software development world and I'm involved in various projects. One of those is Dynamite VSP. As part of that and the company behind it I have, indeed, worked on some bits for Autodesk and C3D but not "on C3D development", to use your reference there.  So, I don't actually work for Autodesk. The "with" part, well, I work with Autodesk products as part of the work I do on Dynamite VSP. 

[mjfarrell]

so to be even more clear, you have no ability to help mitigate existing defects, or omissions in the C3D application....right?

[StefanDidak]

so to be even more clear, you have no ability to help mitigate existing defects, or omissions in the C3D application....right?

That's 100% correct. The "rebuild all corridors" thing, if considered an omission (since it's been a wishlist item since sometime in 2007 it seems) is just something I hacked together because I learned of it the same evening I wrote it and that it would be very helpful to C3D users. Given the 12 minutes it took to write that... well, it fixes an omission of sorts but that's pretty much all. 

[mjfarrell]

Scout,


Another method I have used in Steam situations is using assemblies that are the typical section @ that station, (cross section).
This causes you to create a few more assemblies, however the software handles the 'transitions' from one cross section to the next quite handy without need to draw the profiles for same, so there is a trade off there.
For this method one need ONLY their CL (or thalweg) alignment and profile, then you switch out assemblies along that baseline as required remembering to add in the transition distance you want from one section to the next, and allow the corridor to do the hard work....
This was more work to do in say 2005/2006 before one could copy/mirror assembly components.
With the assembly editing commands now in 2010, this is made fairly easy to do.

[scout]

For this method one need ONLY their CL (or thalweg) alignment and profile, then you switch out assemblies along that baseline as required remembering to add in the transition distance you want from one section to the next, and allow the corridor to do the hard work....

Tell me about what you mean by "transition distance". I've tried this, and it works on streams that aren't terribly meandering, but on twisty ones it comes out too choppy. However, since I don't know what you mean by transition distance (likely I've missed something key) I am hoping it might be the solution.

[mjfarrell]

transition distance=distance between end of last template region, and the start of the next.

I think the way around this 'choppiness' is to have autodesk fix the problem, that the software stops following the baseline during transitions with or without  curves, and during transitions the software stops honoring the sample frequency as specified in the comand parameters for the corridor object...

because we are pushing the software to perform as we think it should and not as it is programmed to, we are exposing a weakness, (defect, omission whatever)

This is a flaw in the corridor object.

Now we need someone (hopefully more involved than the XDREF folks were) at autodesk to admit this is a 'problem' and to fix it.

I won't be sitting here NOT breathing....until this happens.

[mjfarrell]

I'm going to post script my post from above.

For any and all that might argue that there is NO DEFECT within the corridor object.  I ask you to ask yourself these questions:

Why does the corridor object allow the assembly to NOT follow the corridor Baseline alignment during a transition from one assembly to the next?

Why does the corridor object NOT continue to apply the desired sample frequency for the corridor during a transition from one assembly to the next, even when it is specified in the Command Settings for 'Create Corridor' to do so?

We might all think that the Assembly would continue to use the Baseline Alignment; otherwise why does the software require us to define one as such?  We would also think that the command specified frequency would be honored as well, because we are told that setting the command settings is the way to have C3D behave the way we want it to when we issue a particular command is to set the command and or feature settings such that it will.  Only in this instance it doesn't follow the command settings.

There is no confusion on my part that the application SHOULD honer the Basel line alignment, AND the frequency settings within a 'transition' area where the typical section transitions from one to another in 50 or 100 feet.  I could see this failing to work IF; I was changing over to a NEW baseline, or specifying alternate sampling within the regions.  However there is NO control for frequency or alignment switching provide should one need to transition from one assembly to the next.  The failing doesn't become apparent until the baseline has a lot of curve sections, and then it jumps right out as being DEFECTIVE for not following the alignment (baseline) and not honoring the frequency as specified in the command settings.

Try it yourself and you will see what I mean....and I'll be listing for the small whispered voices all saying..."oh..it really does FAIL to perform as expected doesn't it"

And the denials from autodesk and their defenders that the software isn't broken, if only I wouldn't use it that way...or some other excuse for the defectiveness.

[scout]

Why does the corridor object NOT continue to apply the desired sample frequency for the corridor during a transition from one assembly to the next, even when it is specified in the Command Settings for 'Create Corridor' to do so?

I need to mess with this, but I am not sure I follow. If I have:

Region 1 with Pool assembly applied from 0 to 0+10
Region 2 with Step assembly applied from 0+15 to 0+20

Even if the corridor kept the sample frequency from 10 to 15, what would it apply if I haven't assigned it any assemblies to "extrude"?

[George]

I don't follow the problem. I've got some time on my hands, so I'd like to see what you mean in terms of not following. I leave gaps in my corridors all the time to allow transition distance, and it just jumps between the gaps. This is what I would expect it to do, what am I missing?

Pictures, please?

[mjfarrell]

Why does the corridor object NOT continue to apply the desired sample frequency for the corridor during a transition from one assembly to the next, even when it is specified in the Command Settings for 'Create Corridor' to do so?

I need to mess with this, but I am not sure I follow. If I have:

Region 1 with Pool assembly applied from 0 to 0+10
Region 2 with Step assembly applied from 0+15 to 0+20

Even if the corridor kept the sample frequency from 10 to 15, what would it apply if I haven't assigned it any assemblies to "extrude"?

they transition to the next code within the sub assembly, it's really powerful when you can use it. (linear) only restriction.  In your Stream exercise, you are using the same point codes at your connection points (even if only Generic Link sub assembly objects are being used) so it connects the same point code to the coincident point code on the assembly ahead in the next region...its a smooth tool where one can use it.  Really handy for transitioning rock basket depths.

[mjfarrell]

I don't follow the problem. I've got some time on my hands, so I'd like to see what you mean in terms of not following. I leave gaps in my corridors all the time to allow transition distance, and it just jumps between the gaps. This is what I would expect it to do, what am I missing?

Pictures, please?

on ARC segments leave a gap section TOO large and you will see that the inside point (assembly baseline) follows a CHORD and leaves the baseline entirely. Quite undesirable when projecting anything more than a few feet of transition when one has meandering curvilinear alignments to follow [see image in post above]

The Baseline alignment being used in the bottom section is a series of arcs as shown in the image below.  Notice how the assembly leaves the curvy Baseline and just 'jumps' across  the chord, and yet all the while the baseline for the region is THE SAME, because we are specifying a new start/end station so the application can or will transition from one assembly to the next.  It does; only it only does so properly on linear alignment sections.

[jugglerbri]

I don't follow the problem. I've got some time on my hands, so I'd like to see what you mean in terms of not following. I leave gaps in my corridors all the time to allow transition distance, and it just jumps between the gaps. This is what I would expect it to do, what am I missing?

Pictures, please?

Here's a very obvious and unrealistic example: