Parametric Cross-Section Tool
Parametric Design, Point Cloud Processing, Drawing Automation
Cross-section sheets that regenerate rather than being rebuilt. A Grasshopper tool that slices any 3D geometry along an alignment and packages each section into a finished PDF with title block, legend and scale bar, without the geometry restrictions the standard section-view tools impose.
- Drawing title
- Sheet 02-15
- Organisation
- Role
- Year
- Sector
- Status
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Definition
In
Steps
Out
Note
Background
Section-view tools in Civil 3D and MicroStation restrict which geometry types can appear in a section, and require rebuilding views when the alignment or geometry changes. On a rail corridor generating hundreds of sections from point cloud meshes and track alignments, both constraints bite.
What I built
A tool that slices any 3D geometry along a user-defined alignment to produce cross-section views, then packages each section into a PDF with title block, legend and scale bar, ready for use.
How it works
Geometry can be broken up and recoloured freely, and legend entries update to match. The full set of sections regenerates parametrically as inputs change, rather than needing rebuild.
Outcome
Output sections can be brought into detailed design software and placed into standard project title blocks aligned with ISO drawing standards, which bridges the gap between rapid parametric output and formal deliverables.