10 replies to this topic

[Sam Morgan]

Not sure if this is a limitation with softplan or maybe I've just never learned how to do this correctly?

 

With complex roofs, you frequently have to draw multiple roofs to get things to look correct.  Sometimes the roofs you draw after you've drawn the main section don't tie in correctly.  The photo below is a good example.  To make this roof work I had to adjust until the ridge planes with the main roof, then draw a hole on both sides to get rid of extra roof material that wouldn't be there.  Many times this extra roof sticks through the interior so the interior renderings show roof that won't exist.  I don't mind the having to draw the holes, but how can you get rid of those areas after the hole is drawn so you don't see those triangular areas after the hole is completed?  Some of my really complex roofs look horrible on the roof plan sheet on the final drawings.  I'm sure some here have some tricks to making this go away or maybe tell me how I'm drawing things wrong in the first place!   

 

 

 

[Mike Miller]

Sam,

 

One way to get the roof to tie into the main roof is to edit the roof edge that you want to tie in and change it to intersect with an auto pitch.  Like everything Softplan...it doesn't always play nice!

 

If that doesn't work...

 

It looks like you make your roof plan, or birds eye view with roof mode.  Try the top annotated view (if you don't like live annotated, go to top view model mode and save it as a Softplan drawing).  I use live shaded mode and turn up the fog and lighting so it's barely shaded and then add notes for the pitches on each plane.  I do have to often add little pieces of lines to highlight a roof edge here and there because Softplan ain't perfect...

 

Hope this helps!

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[Sam Morgan]

Mike...thanks a million.  Almost 20 years on softplan and had no idea what that autopitch was for.  I tried it on this particular drawing and it fixed it to look exactly the way I wanted it.  This old dog learned a new trick today!!!

Sam,

 

One way to get the roof to tie into the main roof is to edit the roof edge that you want to tie in and change it to intersect with an auto pitch.  Like everything Softplan...it doesn't always play nice!

 

If that doesn't work...

 

It looks like you make your roof plan, or birds eye view with roof mode.  Try the top annotated view (if you don't like live annotated, go to top view model mode and save it as a Softplan drawing).  I use live shaded mode and turn up the fog and lighting so it's barely shaded and then add notes for the pitches on each plane.  I do have to often add little pieces of lines to highlight a roof edge here and there because Softplan ain't perfect...

 

Hope this helps!

[Derk Burgers]

This looks far more beautiful than what I usually send in for trusses. I usually send in some form of what Sam posted. Do you have to add the paint and pitch labels manually?

Sam,

 

One way to get the roof to tie into the main roof is to edit the roof edge that you want to tie in and change it to intersect with an auto pitch.  Like everything Softplan...it doesn't always play nice!

 

If that doesn't work...

 

It looks like you make your roof plan, or birds eye view with roof mode.  Try the top annotated view (if you don't like live annotated, go to top view model mode and save it as a Softplan drawing).  I use live shaded mode and turn up the fog and lighting so it's barely shaded and then add notes for the pitches on each plane.  I do have to often add little pieces of lines to highlight a roof edge here and there because Softplan ain't perfect...

 

Hope this helps!

[Mark Petri]

Sometimes I will just trace polygons and lines on the roof outline to show only the parts I want to have showing and turn the roof outline visibility off for my roof and roof framing plans. It is a bit of extra line drawing I wish I didn't have to do, but the mess that multiple roofs and roof holes makes is not good either. Something else I've been doing to get the lines between roofs to show better in top elevation mode and other views is to actually change the roofing material for each intersecting surface and then copy/paste the same texture if I want it to technically all be the same roofing material. SP figures it should blend surfaces with the same material selection in the edit menu, but does a better job of showing the intersecting lines if the material selections are different.

[Richard Rubinski]

You can also right click on the section of roof where you want a hole and you can select "Auto Hole", instead of trying to trace one.

[Sam Morgan]

You can also right click on the section of roof where you want a hole and you can select "Auto Hole", instead of trying to trace one.

Only if you're trying to cut the roof underneath.  That's not the case in the photo I posted

[Joseph Smith]

I've yet to have a plan Softplan cant manipulate the roof or show the roof plan properly.  Worst case is do the top view, explode and label your planes, very fast and easy and accurate.  want 3d to show proper get used to using lots of roof holes, ceiling and ceiling holes, planes riding atop other planes with intersect or intersect vertical at times if I'm cutting holes thru them.

 

have fun!

 

 

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[Bruce Donelson]

Can SoftPlan cut circular holes in roofs?

[Mark Petri]

Yes, draw a polygon and use edge or curved fillet tools. Sometimes it makes a mess of the roof, but it can be done.

[Joseph Smith]

Can SoftPlan cut circular holes in roofs?

yep circles and all sorts of crazy shape holes if you'd like.

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