Creating and Customizing Blocks in UrbanAna

Create and customize blocks in UrbanAna. Use Block Tools for automatic or manual city block creation, apply generative design for building generation, and manage land use and building parameters.

Knowledge Base

In UrbanAna, you can create and customize blocks using the Generative Block feature. This allows you to select different block designs and set specific parameters for each block.

Block Tools (Toolbar)

Interface showing the Block Tools button and options in UrbanAna's toolbar for creating and managing urban blocks

UrbanAna Block Tools

The Block Tools button provides different functionality based on what is currently selected in the viewport:

  • No Selection: Automatic Block Creation: This will analyze the street network and generate blocks from closed loops formed by intersecting streets.
  • Face(s) Selected: Converts the selected SketchUp faces into UrbanAna blocks.

Block (Tab)

Generative Design (Panel)

Generative Design panel showing building generation controls and options for populating urban blocks

UrbanAna’s Generative Design interface for automated building generation within blocks

Use the Generate button to quickly populate selected empty City Blocks with randomly generated buildings. This automated feature helps you efficiently fill urban spaces with diverse building designs and layouts.

Selected Block Parameters (Panel)

Land Use

Using the Default Land Use dropdown menu, you can set the Land Use that will be applied by default to each Building in the City Block. Land Uses determine important building calculations including:

  • Number of Primary units (shophouse, office,…)
  • Number of Secondary units (residents, employee,…)
  • Parking requirements

For detailed information about configuring land use parameters, please visit 5.6 Land Use.

Building (Tab)

The Building tab in the Block allows you to define default building parameters that will override the Project-level settings, following UrbanAna’s parameter hierarchy.

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