Welcome to BigScreenBiz.com

Can you use some of the popular building design software to help figure out what you're building?

---

Michael Hurley
Impresario

Re-phrase the question a little...

What your building? or how to build it?
Are you looking for something to design with, or something to visualize what your building?

Our Concessions/Projection Building for the drive-in was designed and drawn and modeled with Microstation J with the Triforma modeling package, then exported to Microstation V8 for final revisions and plots.

(Microstation is VERY similar to Autocad (which you've probably heard of before).

We basically designed the building as a flat floor plan, then extruded a 3D model from the plan. I then applied surface and material patterning to the model to give it a more finished look.

The actual construction plans, sections and details were automatically generated from the 3 dimensional data contained within the model.

The site plan was done the same way, but with Eagle Point surface modeling software. I plugged in the ASCII data file from the surveyor and it automatically generated the existing contours for the site. Then we designed the drive-in layout on top of it, then started laying out the proposed contours and grading. Once we had it "close" to what we thought would balance (Cut & Fill)we pushed the button and let the machine do the work. The machine and software can automatically re-adjust the proposed contours to balance the differences between cut and fill slopes and even take into consideration a given compaction factor.

Keep in mind... I've done this stuff 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for a consulting engineering firm in Nashville for the last 13 years. It's what pays the bills until the drive-in get's started.

"keep in mind"......I guess so! You sound like your day job really prepared you for your night job!

I was talking to a land developer from Florida yesterday and he said "Drive In's are really making a move. They're "in" again."

Barry/ thanks for taking a moment in the midst of your night and day work! When do you open? Do you have a firm date yet?

I bought a popular home design software package just for kicks and expect I'll be hitching up with Mesbur & Smith to do the finals.

Best/ Mike

---

Michael Hurley
Impresario

Mike... no firm date on the opening of the theatre yet. We're still waiting on the grading guy to get done. He said in February it would take him about a month and a half... he's still going. However, they are on the downhill side of it. The ramps are going in this week. Hopefully we'll be seeding and strawing by next weekend.

The screen went up Thursday and Friday of last week.

We got the bids on the Concessions/Projection building finalized and we are just waiting for the banker to release the money to turn him loose on the job. The building contractor said he could get us in between 45-60 days. I'm hoping more toward the 45!

I do have some more recent pictures of the construction at www.stardustdrivein.com - then click "Pictures"

---

Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Lebanon, Tennessee

Stardust Drive-In Theatre
Watertown, Tennessee