Engipedia Topo Shaper, Revit® Add-in

Overview
The Engipedia Topo Shaper tool enables users to manipulate topography instances using model lines in Autodesk® Revit®. This tool adds additional topography points along selected model lines, allowing for precise topographical modifications. Line division can be based on either the number of points or the distance between points. If multiple topography instances exist, the tool will prompt the user to select only one.

Download

The tool is available for download on the Autodesk® App Store

Supported Model Lines
The tool supports all model line types, including lines, arcs, ellipses, curves, and NURBS. Please ensure that selected model lines are not closed loops; the tool will provide a warning and ignore them. If you wish to use closed loops (such as circles or ellipses), they should be split into two or more segments using Revit®’s Split Element tool.

Point Distribution Considerations
Topography is represented as a mesh object, so the division of points must be approached thoughtfully. More points do not necessarily yield better results.

Saving Current Topography
A key feature of the tool is the ability to save the current state of the topography. The state can be saved as a CSV points file, allowing users to revert to the original topography later using Revit®’s Massing & Site > Toposurface > Create from Import > Specify Points File tool. Please note that saved topography points will always be in meters.

User Interface
The Engipedia Topo Shaper tool can be found under the Add-Ins tab in the Revit® ribbon.

The user interface of the tool:

 

Example Workflow

Here’s a simple example illustrating how the tool functions with topography and multiple instances of model curves, lines, and arcs:

When user runs the tool the following will happen:

• Topography Instance Selection: If multiple topography instances are present, the tool prompts the user to select one to modify. If only one instance exists, the tool automatically selects it.
• Model Line Selection: Users are prompted to select one or more model lines to modify the topography. These model lines must be bound (i.e., not closed loops). If no lines are selected or if all selected instances are unbounded, the tool will exit. Any unbounded model lines among the selected ones will be ignored. To use unbounded model lines (such as circles or ellipses), users should split them into two or more elements using the Revit® split tool.
• Division Method Selection: Once the model lines are successfully selected, the main tool window appears. Users can choose to divide points based on either the number of points per line or the distance between points. The number of divisions must fall within the range of 2 to 999; otherwise, the tool will set an appropriate default. The distance between points must be greater than zero and less than the shortest line length among the selected lines. The tool will suggest the shortest distance, and any user input exceeding this will be ignored. The distance units will match those of the model.
• State Saving: Users have the option to save the current (unchanged) topography for future reference. The tool will create a timestamped CSV file, which is saved in the same directory as the model. All point coordinates are recorded in meters.
• Shaping Topography: By clicking the Shape Topography button, users can modify the selected topography by adding additional topography points along the selected model lines.

Important Notes

• The tool does not retain information about which model lines were previously used, allowing users to select them again if desired (including the option to add more points).
• Neither the tool nor Revit® will generate points with identical XY coordinates but different Z coordinates.
• The tool is not limited by the boundaries of the topography; it will add points even if the model lines extend beyond the toposurface limits.

 

Download

The tool is available for download on the Autodesk® App Store