Ground Cover

[glorybound]

Anybody looking for something to do? I have to complete a project in the next week and I need some ground cover added to an existing model. It's a large plan and will take someone with time and patience. There are 16 different ground cover types and I would provide that.

Here is what I am talking about: https://youtu.be/MQ6A3KNMjs0

[flino2004]

if you have the cad file instead of a bitmap it would be way faster... I usually like to clean up the landscape file and separated by trees, bushes and then depending on the amount I break it into pieces. In FB I replace the AutoCAD blocks with trees and bushes.

[glorybound]

I do have the CAD file, but it is a mess. There is so much information on it my head spins. I don't have AutoCAD and MAX sucks at AutoCAD lines. When I did the trees and bushes I did use the AutoCAD. I deleted everything but the trees and bushes, selected each type and replaced the AutoCAD block with the proxies. It took me a good day to do that because there are 60 different species. The ground cover, in the AutoCAD file, is hatch patterns, but they are not closed polygons. I have someone who is going to work on this for me, so I can breathe. I made a mistake of posting this on a freelance site and I am getting all kinds of people saying that they can do it in two days and for $100, Man, people must be hungry. Sounds too good to be true, so I am avoiding that mess. I can imagine waiting a week for something just to find out that they have disappeared on me.

[flino2004]

Get this https://www.3ds.com/products-service...-cad-software/
It's exactly like Autocad but way cheaper.

If it's a hatch it has a closed polyline.... select it, right click>generate boundary

[glorybound]

Get this https://www.3ds.com/products-service...-cad-software/
It's exactly like Autocad but way cheaper.

If it's a hatch it has a closed polyline.... select it, right click>generate boundary

I'll check it out, thanks. I'll also check out the boundary.

[glorybound]

I did download Autocad and for $185 a month, no thanks. It has become a mess. Every several seconds it'll stop responding and I'll have to esc out of my command. I haven't used plain AutoCAD in 15 years and it is a mess.

[flino2004]

Draftsight is 149 a year and 299 permanent....download the trail, It's exactly the same.
I have the subscription so I have Autocad but I wouldn't pay 185 a month....but for something like you need once in a while the other app is a good option.

[glorybound]

I haven't needed AutoCAD in years. I use their AutoCAD viewer. I will check out Draftsight.

[glorybound]

Question for you brainiacs. I have all my trees places by replacing AutoCAD blocks with proxies. Can I do the same with Forest Pack Pro? How would I select, let's say a 100 cad blocks and replace them with an FPP thing (whatever you call it)?

[flino2004]

Yes, you can....go to trees.reference objects...check pivot (Align & scale off) then create.... if you use fp for cars check align

[glorybound]

Not understanding, but I'll look into it. For the ground cover, I ended up creating boundaries from the CAD hatch and using Forest Pro. It took me all but a few hours.

[flino2004]

create a FP object...then you go to trees then there is an option to select reference objects for the distribution....select the autocad blocks and un-check the option Align and scale otherwise your trees will take the orientation and scale of the autocad block.... if you use FP to populate parking lots using autocad reference ...the block of the car has a orientation so you check orientation in FP so all the cars are pointing to the right place.

[JezUK]

I haven't needed AutoCAD in years. I use their AutoCAD viewer. I will check out Draftsight.

Another good option is BricsCAD - the AutoCAD killer....

Yes, a bit more expensive than Draftsight, but it does 3d and you own the software (none of this subscription, pay us or else, gun to your head crap).

If you know AutoCAD, you'll pick up BricsCAD in minutes (no joke).

[Morne]

A little off topic, but they now have an AutoCAD LT + Revit LT combo for $510 a year...

[glorybound]

A little off topic, but they now have an AutoCAD LT + Revit LT combo for $510 a year...

I don't know, I wasn't happy with how poorly AutoCAD ran when I tried it earlier this week. I haven't used AutoCAD in three years and it seems to be a bloated mess now.