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How to use levels properly for a real world scenario
Hi, I would like to accurately model our current house in SweetHome 3D, but I get confused about how to properly build the entire house. I already have modeled the inside 1st floor (and with less accuracy the 2nd floor) but when I try to think about getting the entire house right, I get stuck:
The front Yard is at a certain level (it is actually sloping up slightly but I am ok with ignoring that). The level of the actual 1st floor is about 2 feet higher. So there is about 2' of plain concrete before the 1st floor walls start and there are some concrete steps leading to the entry. The inside 1st floor is at that 2' level. There is also a second floor, and it does not completely follow the shape of the 1st floor. Lastly, I can't figure out sloping roofs at all, especially to add them so they do not obscure visibility of the inside floors--because if I add them on top of everything else, it all becomes hidden under the roof--the same problem occurs on the inside, where in some places the ceiling drops lower than the default ceiling height. most disconcertingly: In the back, the backyard actually is also not at the same level as the front yard, but is about 3.5' lower than the level of the 1st floor of the house.
I would really like to model that accurately so I can experiment with different yard configurations and decks.
If I start with the street level (=front yard), then the back yard would be at a negative elevation. Also, I can't figure out how I would wrap a deck around the house from back to front, because the deck has to be created on ONE level, but I need it visible in the front AND back.
I just can't figure it out. Do I start with the lowest elevation as the base level (=backyard?)
it's really easy to build anything on a given floor, but I can't figure out the exact logic of levels when dealing with real world situations that have different elevations and sometimes even slope.
The attached file gives a schematic of your house: - foundation level 60 cm = 2 ft - 1st floor - deck around 1st floor - 2nd floor
Check out the heights of the levels by double-clicking the tabs at the top of the 2D design window. In the 3d preview window, do a right-click and select Display ALL Levels or Display SELECTED Level to change between two views. This is what you need to see the house without a roof (once a roof has bee added on its own level).
Download and install the plugin Roof Generator to experiment with the roof.
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Hans
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Re: How to use levels properly for a real world scenario
Follow the advise from Hans but also check out my manual Levels explained. It will give you a better understanding of how levels relate to floors and walls. When you understand that it's easy to set the correct numbers on your levels.
For the front yard check out the Terrain Generator plugin and read more about it here. It allows you to create your sloping front yard.
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Re: How to use levels properly for a real world scenario
Thank you so much! I still have to play around with the roof generator plugin. I wasn't aware there were plugins to SweetHome 3D, so I have to figure out how the whole plugin architecture works, but I'm sure there is some info on that out there.
The one thing about roofs that tripped me up was: If I put them on their own level above the top floor, then I cannot really model them realistically, as slanted roofs usually extend downward, below the height of the ceiling of the room below (where they extend beyond the outside walls) Also, different parts of the house may have different roofs at different elevations, sometimes no matching the regular floors. See these roof examples The example also nicely illustrates how the roofs don't just exist above the floors but extend further down. (at least as long as this website doesn't change)
I know I can have multiple overlapping levels, but the exact way they interact confuses me somewhat.
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Re: How to use levels properly for a real world scenario
Thank you so much. Great tutorial!
It looks to me that ceilings (which always confused me) are on the one hand defined by the level, but on the other hand also by the rooms. Floors seem to be the same. In all the tutorials, I see people draw a room spanning the entire new level, in order to put a ceiling/floor in. However, in reality I will need separate rooms, so I can have different floor materials. So do I first put a ceiling/floor in for the entire level, so I can start working with it, then delete that room and create the individual rooms again?
My main issue was: How do I model areas where the ceiling drops down further, compared to the rest of the ceiling height on a given level? For example our open concept living/dining/kitchen on the 1st floor (=ground floor outside the US) has the ceiling above the dining area about a foot lower than the rest of the area. I used to model that by simply putting a box (furniture) on the top of that area at the height of the lowered ceiling and with a height of 1 foot, and the width and length of the dining area:
However, that is an ugly workaround and now I either can't see any of the furniture in the dining area in the 2D view, or I can't see the lowered ceiling in the 3D view (if I make the box invisible). So I constantly have to toggle visibility on and off, and with a long furniture list it becomes hard to find the ceiling box (unless I am super disciplined with naming conventions, etc.)
So: Is there a way to say: The ceiling drops down or the floor is thicker in this specific area?
(of course this problem goes beyond just dropped ceilings: If I have wooden beams running across the ceiling, they also obscure all furniture below in the 2D view and I have to group them and constantly toggle their visibility on and off, etc. How do I deal with these ceiling objects in a better way?
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Re: How to use levels properly for a real world scenario
Thank you so much! I still have to play around with the roof generator plugin. I wasn't aware there were plugins to SweetHome 3D, so I have to figure out how the whole plugin architecture works, but I'm sure there is some info on that out there.
First install the Plugin Manager plugin. (direct download: PluginManager-1.5.3.sh3p ) Now you can install, update, and remove plugins with a few clicks. Absolute must-have: Advanced edit.
The one thing about roofs that tripped me up was: If I put them on their own level above the top floor, then I cannot really model them realistically, as slanted roofs usually extend downward, below the height of the ceiling of the room below (where they extend beyond the outside walls)
Decrease the elevation of the roof level OR cut&paste the roof to the upper level and elevate it to the correct height.
I know I can have multiple overlapping levels, but the exact way they interact confuses me somewhat.
Levels don't interact. Basically a level sets the base elevation and height for walls, rooms, and furniture that is placed on that level. The only thing that could be considered 'interact' is the correct way to stack levels. Check the manual "Levels explained" again for an explanation with images,
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