autocad 2015 3d drawing tutorial

Preparing an AutoCAD drawing for 3D

Introduction

It is extremely important to prepare an AutoCAD drawing taking into consideration two master issues

1. The cartoon should exist organised and drawn and then as not to compromise the production cartoon. This means that it should be drawn in a manner that benefits both the AutoCAD outputs and the 3D outputs. Correct layering, closed polylines created from a framework and simplified object positioning are examples of this process
2. The cartoon should exist organised to facilitate easy import / export with MAX/VIZ. Keeping a handle on what elements will need to be created every bit single objects in 3D and which will need to be created as ane object is very important. Besides, making the layer arrangement easily understandable and 'object focussed' is important

This tutorial explains the principal bug to consider when drawing in AutoCAD and preparing a cartoon for use in 3D work

Download Sample Data

In order to follow this tutorial, you may want to utilise the supplied files. Please read the sample information instructions before downloading.

kf301_files.zip (583kb)

Top of page

Layers and Drawing Methods

Organisation of all elements that are to exist used in 3D using layers is vital likewise equally a good cognition of clean, accurate drawing methods for 3D work. Remember that what looks acceptable in 2D may not work as you want in 3D and may await terrible. A expert case of bad drawing is the not-employ of arcs in the polyline command where a curved road section is represented by a series of line segments. When turned into a kerb line in 3D it will look like the prototype below:

The correct drawing method (which is easier) produces a good looking and accurate result in 3D

Clean and Simplify Drawing

Before using an AutoCAD drawing for importing into MAX/VIZ only those elements that are going to be used for 3D work need keeping in the cartoon. Extraneous lines and text should be removed and a 'buffer' cartoon used instead of a chief production cartoon. The post-obit checklist should as well be implemented before starting to utilise AutoCAD information:

• Purge the drawing of all items and nested items
• Audit the cartoon
• Prepare UCS to World if another has been used
• Bind Xrefs
• Detach Images
• Utilise Drawing Cleanup tools if using Autodesk Map to simplify linear features and remove duplicates etc

• Finally, display but those elements that are going to be used and Copy and Paste into a New Drawing. Use Edit > Re-create then Edit > Paste to Original Coordinates

Top of page

Layers

The main method of creating objects in MAX/VIZ outlined in these tutorials is to create objects from layers. This is a directly forwards process that allows you to think 'objects' right from the start

Open kf301_01.dwg in AutoCAD. This drawing contains an instance layer organisation used for easy import to MAX/VIZ

NOTE: Creating separate objects from one layer in MAX/VIZ is handled on the import options dialogs in MAX/VIZ

Top of page

Cartoon Methods

Good clean drawing techniques are essential to produce good looking scenes and do good the cartoon as a whole. Together with a comprehensive layer organisation based on 'objects' and the use of closed boundaries using a framework layer, and the boundary control, the use of advisable AutoCAD tools brand transition into 3D much easier. This tutorial explores some of the basic useful commands to create make clean, simple, accurate lines in AutoCAD

NOTE: The creation of airtight boundary polygons and comprehensive layer organisation is useful for other outputs from AutoCAD and 3rd political party applications. Export to CorelDraw or Mcolour for plan graphics, hatching areas in AutoCAD and listing of area quantities are good examples of extended functionality using these methods

TIP: Always draw lines using the Polyline control. Using the Line command produces fragmented and less managable drawings

• Open up kf301_02.dwg . This drawing contains some layers for a creating surfaces and a kerb for a simple landscape scheme (shown completed beneath)

Top of page

Building

Notice that a layer chosen 'Framework' has been created and there are building framework lines already fatigued. These have been created using the Commencement command. The landscape drawing is constructed past referencing the known positions of points and lines of the building - as it would be constructed on-site

• Make Edifice layer current
• Describe > Purlieus > Pick Points - pick a point in the eye of the building framework lines. This creates a closed purlieus for the building on the right layer

NOTE: If the Boundary control does not piece of work check the following points:

1. Elements such as blocks are frozen and not turned off (AutoCAD still includes off layers when searching for a boundary)
2. The boundary extents can be viewed on the screen (only graphics on the present screen display are included in the boundary search)
3. All existing polylines and framework lines are 2D at cipher height (ie not 3D polylines)
4. There are no gaps in any of the polylines

Top of page

Auto Park

• Make Framework layer current
• Draw a framework polyline from the lesser right corner of the edifice vertically up using Ortho On (F8 toggles Ortho on>off)
• Offset this line 30 metres to the right
• Turn OSnap On (Object Snap) and change the Snap Settings to Endpoint. Depict a horizontal polyline from the meridian right corner of the  building horizontally using Ortho On so that it crosses the previously drawn polyline
• Depict a ciclcle snapped to where these lines meet with a radius of 5 metres (this value can exist typed on the command line when creating the circle)
• Start drawing a framework polyline snapped from the top right corner of the building with the second vertex of the polyline snapped (intersection snap) to where the circle crosses the line. Then type A at the command line (this is a polyline sub-control - look at the command line - which allows you to describe an arc as office of a polyline). Snap the next vertex to where the circle crosses the vertical framework line. And so type L at the command line (this takes you dorsum to cartoon a normal line within the polyline). Using Ortho On elevate the polyline downwards and complete the polyline as shown below. This procedure accurately offsets the auto park border and gives a rounded corner of radius v metres

Peak of page

First Path and Road

• Delete the circle
• Extend the lesser horizontal building framework line to meet the new car park edge framework line and Kickoff the new car park border line left five metres to the left. This creates a framework line for the road
• Offset the extended framework line down two metres and the original correct hand vertical framework building line to the right 2 metres. This creates framework lines for the offset path
• Trim the lines and Delete unecessary lines then the framework looks like the image below. Using Ortho On draw a framework polyline that closes the road at the lower cease

Acme of page

Grassed Area and Planting Beds

• Using Grips with Ortho On drag the left building framework line downward and the line created to close the road beyond left so they cantankerous
• Using Ortho On describe a polyline line starting from the corner of the path downwards and using the Arc sub polyline command then Line sub polyline command draw the large planting bed

Notation: Arc sub commands must just be used later starting to draw a polyline in Line mode. Otherwise the arc 'balloons' due to it not having any direction

• In the left corner of the grassed area framework create a circumvolve snapped to the edge corner of the path framework to describe the small planting bed

Top of page

Second Path

• Draw a polyline using the Arc sub command and Line sub command to describe the centre line of the second path
• Offset this line 0.75 metres to the left and 0.75 metres to the right
• Delete the centre polyline to give an initial framework for the second path

• To splay the entrance points to the path Trim both ends of the path:

• Finally (to consummate the framework) Fillet the corners or the path entrances. Before filleting, Bring together the framework polylines using Pedit then utilise the Fillet command to create a fillet of radius ii metres at each corner. And so employ Snaps to snap a polyline to close the path ends
• Trim the circle for the small planting bed so the lines practice non interfere with the creation of boundaries

Summit of page

Create Surface Boundaries

Making each layer current in turn utilise the Boundary command to quickly create boundaries for each element
Plough the Framework layer off

Acme of page

Create Kerb Line

• Offset the Motorcar Park boundary by 0.fifteen metres
• Select the offset polyline and place on the Kerb layer past selecting the Kerb Layer in the Layer Dropdown List and then pressing Esc twice. This layer will be turned off before importing into MAX/VIZ as edges are created from the boundary lines using the Loft compound object

This small tutorial shows how uncomplicated the geometry should be when importing to MAX/VIZ. The cartoon should contain no edge information apart from the airtight boundaries that delineate all surfaces seamlessly (the subject of this tutorial). Secondly, objects such every bit trees, benches, lamp posts etc should exist represented by simple circle and rectangular blocks on the right layers. These simple 2nd blocks are replaced in MAX/VIZ with 3D objects, merely are positioned in AutoCAD. Thirdly, 3D landform data in the class of contours, 3D polylines (strings) or a triangulated mesh is needed in order to transform the 2D plan into a 3D scene

NOTE: This sequence of tutorial files has been saved every bit four drawings: kf301_02a/b/c/d.dwg for reference

Checklist of Commands

Become very familiar with the following commands which were all used to chop-chop and accurately create this simple landscape plan. More complicated plans only repeat these commands over and over again

Move
Rotate
Copy and Multiple Copy
First
Trim
Extend
Boundary
Fillet > Chamfer
Pedit
Manipulation of Vertex Handles
Snap Mode On>Off and Snap Settings
Ortho

Superlative of folio

Simplify Blocks

Complicated 2d blocks should not exist imported into MAX/VIZ if they are merely used as markers for 3D Objects or as objects for replacing with 3D objects. Replacing blocks with much simpler blocks earlier importing into MAX/VIZ is straightforward in AutoCAD using the Reference Edit dialog

• Open kf301_03.dwg. This drawing contains four detailed graphic blocks for trees which need simplifying by replacing them with circles

• Select 1 of the blocks (they are even so block reference) and double left click. This opens the Reference Edit dialog

NOTE: The Reference Edit dialog is a feature of AutoCAD 2004 plus. Replacing blocks in previous versions of AutoCAD entails 'redefining blocks'

• Press Ok to isolate the block and open it up for editing. A small toolbar appears and merely the block is available for editing. All other blocks of the aforementioned name disappear and all other elements in the cartoon turn gray
• Zoom to the block and draw a circle in the aforementioned position and at the same size as the tree cake

• Draw a circumvolve around the tree block on layer 0, then delete the tree block lines
• Printing the Save back changes to reference push to replace all references of the block with a unproblematic circumvolve

TIP: Another selection for replacing blocks can be constitute on the Express Carte du jour/Blocks. Employ Supplant block with another cake to quickly replace a block in the cartoon with another

Top of page

Import Options

Before importing data from AutoCAD into MAX/VIZ two issues must be addressed

1. If the drawing has been created far from 0,0 on the Ten and Y axes, the drawing data needs to exist moved closer to 0,0. This improves how MAX/VIZ handles the data in the subsequently stages and makes sure the modelling is accurate and any animation smooth
2. The human relationship between the layers and how they are configured to create objects on import needs to be understood. Then uncomplicated routines using one of two separate import dialogs tin be used to update the MAX/VIZ scene at whatever time

This section explains how to separate drawing data for MAX/VIZ from the production design drawings and how to configure the Import dialog for like shooting fish in a barrel update of the scene from AutoCAD

Note: If drawing units are in millimeters, then also re-scale the cartoon at this stage (it is not appropriate to continue in millimeters for a landscape scale project)

Top of folio

Motion to Zero

If AutoCAD geometry is created far from goose egg, then accuracy issues may occur when modelling this data in MAX/VIZ. This is due to the fact that AutoCAD is accurate to 64 decimal places, whereas MAX/VIZ is merely (only?) authentic to 32 decimal places. The trouble usually manifests itself when animative cameras along paths when 'camera milk shake' will occur. Large bounding boxes around objects are also a trouble if the AutoCAD information is far from zippo because the bounding boxes start at 0,0

AutoCAD drawings created far from nix are usually the result of using Ordnance Survey basemap data to start the cartoon process. Most basemap tiles are hundreds of thousands of metres away from zero on the X and Y airplane. Needless to say, mural drawings are ofttimes created far from zero

• Either move the basemaps to zero before creating the drawing and in the noesis that other information demand not be added in a 'mapped' environment or use a separate drawing for 3D piece of work with a known basepoint for moving geometry to nothing thus:

• Open and manage a new carve up drawing for importing into MAX/VIZ
• Import the following iii elements needed for visualisation piece of work into this new drawing: Closed boundary lines delineating all surfaces / Simple blocks for objects / Landform information in the form of Contours, 3D polylines (strings) or Triangulated Mesh or Grid

TIP: Use Autodesk Map 3D to attach the project design cartoon to the MAX/VIZ drawing and use uncomplicated layer property queries to add elements to the MAX/VIZ drawing at any time. This is a very effective method of filtering just the data needed for 3D piece of work whilst keeping separate from the production drawings. It allows the original design drawing to be inverse without having to worry about layers on>off and layers that are not relevant to 3D piece of work (cartoon for 3D work should be very straight frontwards and almost simplistic). Complicated blocks for copse, seats, lamp posts etc can even be replaced with unproblematic blocks as part of the process. Changing 2d plans using GIS functionality and visualising these scenarios in 3D is another reward of using Autodesk Map 3D with MAX/VIZ

• Open kf301_04.dwg . This drawing is an example of a drawing containing these iii elements. However, if yous wait at the coordinates of the data on the Satus Bar yous will notice that it is far from aught

Round these coordinates upwards to 320000,456000

• Zoom out and tape on a peice of paper the rounded upwardly coordinates preferably to the bottom left of the site. The rounded up coordinates would exist 320000, 456000 in this instance. This happens to be in the middle of the scheme, but this is Ok
• Turn on and unfreeze all layers
• Select all the elements in the drawing and use the Move control to move the information to zero thus:
• When prompted for the base point or deportation type 320000,456000 on the command line and then Return
• When prompted for the second indicate of deportation blazon 0,0 on the control line then Return. This moves the data from a known recorded point to 0,0

TIP: Another method involves cartoon a rectangle effectually the site (on a layer that can exist frozen) and using the bottom left corner of the rectangle every bit the motion base point

The drawing is now ready for import into MAX/VIZ without whatever problems connected to being sited far from goose egg. Repeat this routine to motility any new data from the original 2D design cartoon

Meridian of page

Import AutoCAD Drawing Dialogs

To control how AutoCAD information is imported into MAX/VIZ one of 2 Import Drawing dialogs is used depending on how the data has been organised in AutoCAD and how the objects need to be organised in MAX/VIZ

Importing using the Legacy AutoCAD dialog

This dialog is the 'former' version only does have some useful features

1. You tin import text
2. Objects are named the same equally the layer they were created on in AutoCAD to assistance with object organisation

• Reset MAX/VIZ
• File > Import. On the Select File to Import dialog alter the Files of Type to Legacy AutoCAD (*DWG). Select kf301_05.dwg then Open up
• On the Dwg Import dialog select Merge and press Ok

• On the Import AutoCAD Dwg File dialog check the post-obit:

• Printing Ok

• In the Select by Proper name dialog notation that all the layers have been turned into objects and that all the steps, for instance, are one object. This is Ok for some objects, but non others. Information technology is handy for the contours to be imported like this. So too the positioning blocks for landscape objects such every bit bollards, seating and lamp posts. All the same, objects such every bit the steps demand to be imported as divide objects. To import those objects that take been imported incorrectly delete the objects and re-import having changed the import settings as follows:

• Delete S teps bottom.01, Steps superlative.01, Sundial.01 and Wall.01

Importing using the AutoCAD Drawing dialog

This dialog is the most recent version and has other useful features

1. You tin can select objects on layers you want to import from a layer list
2. Objects, however, are not renamed but organised in layers in MAX/VIZ

• File > Import. On the Select File to Import dialog change the Files of Blazon to AutoCAD Cartoon (* . DWG ,*.DXF ). Select kf301_05.dwg then Open up
• On The Layers Tab choose Select from listing and select the following layers:

• On the Geometry Tab select the following options:

• Press Ok to import the objects into MAX/VIZ
• Notice that the all objects accept been named 'polyline' ie every bit the object 'type'. Apply the Layer dialog and Rename dialog to organise the objects farther:
• Open the Layer dialog and right click over Steps bottom. Choose Select from the correct click menu. This selects all the bottom step boundary lines

TIP: If the Layer dialog is not displaying right click on the main toolbar (not on an icon) and select Layers from the listing

• Tools > Rename Objects. On the Rename dialog type in the Base Name, check 'Numbered' and set the Base of operations Number to ane

• Printing Rename to rename all the objects selected

All objects are at present in the correct format and named correctly in order to make the modelling procedure easier

Pinnacle of folio

Donate to CADTutor

If yous found this tutorial useful, you might like to consider making a donation. All content on this site is provided free of charge and we hope to proceed it that way. Nonetheless, running a site like CADTutor does cost coin and you can help to improve the service and to guarantee its time to come past donating a small corporeality. We guess that yous probably wouldn't miss $five.00 only it would make all the departure to us.

davischately84.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials/3ds-max/prepare-autocad-drawing.php

Share this post