Creating a surface or solid from a Contour Map?

[Sian]

Hi,

 

I have a contour map in polylines in the correct elevation and I was wondering how I can make it into a surface? I have read many threads and searched the AutoCAD Architecture 2010 user documentation but cannot find a "drape" command which everyone seems to suggest from other peoples posts. The map is quite detailed therefore the Edgesurf, Rulesurf etc won't work or I can't seem to get it to work! Any help would be very grateful!

 

Thank you,

 

Sian

[ReMark]

I wonder if you could use the LOFT command?

 

Are the contours polylines, 3Dpolylines or splines?

[Sian]

They are 2D polylines but are in the correct z plane....I tried the loft command as you suggested thank you, but unfortunately it tells me that my selected entities are not valid. I simply clicked on two polylines and left it as "cross sections only". I have no idea what I'm doing wrong?!

 

Thank you for your prompt reply by the way.

 

Sian

[Cad64]

You have to select all of the contours, in the order you want them to loft, either from left to right or right to left.

 

Check your Autocad Help files for more information about the LOFT command.

[Sian]

I've looked at the user guides etc yet don't understand what you mean left and right. I understand there is an order, but is it because the 2D polylines are closed that it doesn't work? I still don't understand why I can't find the massing tools, the user guide for 2010 shows the palette and the drape tool. I can't see how to get the LOFT tool to work on a large complicated contour map which has closed and open polylines etc. I'm really stuck! Any further suggestions welcome!

Thank you!

 

Sian