Just a much needed vent...

tomsdesk · 10 Jan 2008, 13:13

...9 hours and counting (still need to finish the top of the chute), all from this photo and some sketchy net research (will be moving this custom to a different pool, but of course no money yet so no measurements..."just guess it so I can see if it will fit"...?)!

!!!

Thanks ("I'm feeling much better now" :`), Tom.

Will post when finished...with a hopeful request for some of the other pool elements I need and today hope not to have to draw.

Stu · 10 Jan 2008, 13:16

Tom,

Thats pretty impressive so far.
And better you than me doing it ......SU really wasn't built to do stuff like that, you know

Stu

boofredlay · 10 Jan 2008, 13:16

Sweeeeeet! My daughter just got finished going off one like that about 40 times this afternoon. Mmmm summer.

Gaieus · 10 Jan 2008, 13:17

Don1t spoil her Eric though!

Shaun Tennant · 10 Jan 2008, 13:17

Tom, I'm getting tired of saying "wow" when I see some of this stuff, so I looked up "Incredible" in the thesuarus Here are a couple of words about your slide: astonishing, astounding, awe-inspiring, extraordinary, fab, fabulous, fantasmo, far-out, glorious, great, prodigious, superhuman*, unreal*, wonderful
Perhaps a couple of those don't fit - but man, I think this is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing! - let us know if you get to use it or not!!
Ross - you should post your slide from the recent project here too.. this is a really neat application of SU's owers (and the problem-solving skills of the equipment manager (you-the modeller)

Alan Fraser · 10 Jan 2008, 13:18

I made a similar one last year...and yes...it was a bitch.
http://www.formfonts.com/requestFile.ph ... lide01.jpg

I found out very early on that Follow Me was going to be no use at all (that twisting thing)...so I decided that the best way was to actually make it modular, like the real thing, then join the modules together.

I made a profile, then arrayed it in a quarter circle at 15° intervals...rather like the ribs of a bent boat. Then I calculated the drop over a quarter turn and adjusted the height of each section accordingly, like a spiral stair. It was then a question of physically stitching all the nodes together to give a smooth surface.

Krisidious · 10 Jan 2008, 13:21

should I just pat your head tom or point out something I think is off? well I've never been one for head patting...

I think if this model is for visual use only and no plans will be made of it... it's beautiful and wonderful...

if plans will be made for it... I suggest that the vertical depth of the tube be increased... as you can see in your photo, it's a little deeper... and yours looks a little shallow for use... that's to keep the kids from shooting out... lol I have a nice scar on my eye brow from just such an example...

anyway sorry to pick, but I think we all want a little critique with our applause... and I think you definitely deserve applause, you make some beautiful models...

tomsdesk · 10 Jan 2008, 13:22

Thanks all for the support (sleeping on it does wonders for the frustration but this helps more!

I went through the same process with FollowMe, Alan, even looked at using a full circle chute, then how to cut the top off (but not very long)...glad I did though, 'cause that triggered what I did: instead of stitching the section cuts together, I FollowMe'd the chute profile around a flat circle (24 sided, same 15deg), then started Alt-Moving the chunks at the calculated slope. I realized (after doing a dozen :`) I only needed one of the center sections (grouped, rotated, moved vert) to build a curved component (the little bits ungrouped to smooth). It went pretty "fast" after that.

Trouble is (thanks Kris for pointing to my "beat you too it" morning's OCD nag : glad to know, really, that it really is noticeable...and yes, I always hope for knowing what I missed, what I can do to make it better, working at home alone it's mostly why I post) I used some info off the net for chute slope instead of first counting risers on the photo of the existing and guessing landing heights (also later found those slopes given on the USA Slide website didn't match their landing heights either So after I built the landing structure I had to scale the chute height down by several feet....thus the low profile.

That's okay, though. This city pool/park remodel (with a rec center addition next to it...new gym and/or indoor pool) was to eventually, probably(?), have a "study" model (you know, "just a quick massing model"; then, "could you add some materials to that"; then, "wow, needs more detail now, huh". So it takes twice the time than if you started with the right end in the first place...plus you burn more hours than you can ever charge for). My thought was to "wow" some of the known reused elements at the beginning hoping to change the model scope in time.

Best case scenario: this pic posted here will get my guy fired up to go measure and take more photos of all the stuff he can propose reusing (good architect, good boy...pat,pat)...and I can rebuild it correctly (quickly now educated) and charge something resonable (better than nothing :`)

Wish me luck! and thanks again! Best, Tom.

boofredlay · 10 Jan 2008, 13:22

Tom, you really should post this in the Gallery when you are finished tweaking it. It really is a nice model.