JHalton Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 I personally receive the DXF's, Import them into Illustrator, then into Max to start modelling. The reason I import into Illustrator first is to get rid of all the crap like text, cross section lines etc. I dont have or have knowledge of Autocad. In max I begin to snap to the lines and begin to modle up. The rest is obvious.... How does my technique compare to others? Do you import the DXF straight into Max? Start from scratch. I'm just interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IC Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 If I get dwg or dxf files, I build the full model in AutoCad and then export as 3ds. If I get paper drawings (very rare nowadays) or if the Cad drawings are badly drawn(not as rare as you'd think) or it's a curved/complex building etc., I just model from scratch. I much prefer modelling from scratch just because 3d modelling programs are more fun to use and have more options but if the model is to be used in other software or by someone else, AutoCad is far more accurate because you can't really go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STRAT Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Originally posted by IC: If I get dwg or dxf files, I build the full model in AutoCad and then export as 3ds. If I get paper drawings (very rare nowadays) or if the Cad drawings are badly drawn(not as rare as you'd think) or it's a curved/complex building etc., I just model from scratch. I much prefer modelling from scratch just because 3d modelling programs are more fun to use and have more options but if the model is to be used in other software or by someone else, AutoCad is far more accurate because you can't really go wrong. i do everything EXACTLY THE SAME as IC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Denby Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 I receive *.dwg file, clean them up in Autocad ( I only know enough to do this), then inport into Viz, position and freeze. Sometimes i get drawings which have been exported from Microstation or something to *.dwg files, but half of it goes missing when I try to import it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHalton Posted February 26, 2004 Author Share Posted February 26, 2004 Dibbers, Your pretty much usinfg the same tecnique as me, only I use illustrator in place of Auto cad. Do you then snap to the lines in the same way I do. ? Extrude, blah, blah I think I'm gonna invest in Autocad to the cleaning bit, It all works in layers does'nt it. And I obviously have scaling issues on importing Illustrator files. I have to make a box to the measurements from the drawing and then scale up the drawing. phew' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Denby Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Yep, snap to the drawing. although it would be nice if the plans matched the elevations!...are you listenening you architects! If you don't use AutoCad (like me) it's pretty easy and obvious to select things and delete. Turning off layers can sometimes be problematic as some drawings have things mixed up across layers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Denby Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Also, I often ask for a set of paper drawings too, as it's easier to have an overview of the scheme next to you whilst you work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHalton Posted February 26, 2004 Author Share Posted February 26, 2004 Originally posted by Dibbers: Also, I often ask for a set of paper drawings too, as it's easier to have an overview of the scheme next to you whilst you work. I could not agree more and I think this is fundamental, wheres my scale ruler gone? Heh. And I thought it was just my when I could'nt get floor plans to match. Oh god where gonna start some more arguments here. Disclaimer: We are no way insinuating Architects of anything, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Denby Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Heh. And I thought it was just my when I could'nt get floor plans to match. Oh god where gonna start some more arguments here. Garethace... leave it, leave it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivoli Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 i basically do the same as you, that is: import dwg plans, elevations and sections into max, then place them in the right position and freeze. while i work on the first floor, for example, hide the other ones and so on. of course, excately as you do, i need to clean up the dwg files from anything which is not useful before importing them into max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IC Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 If you can even get your hands on AutoCad LT it would be well worth your while if you deal with a lot of dxfs/dwgs. But if you have the full boona for modelling you'll find things like pitched roofs and staircases take seconds or minutes. It's quite easy to learn AutoCad (I would say that after 13 years using it for 2d, though) and LT is really cheap. I can't imagine trying to make head nor tail of drawings without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawyer Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 I do a simular setup but I often make a copy off the cad import lines and then freeze that. Then I have template lines that I can steal from without having to remodel everything. The house I am working on now was hand drawn and scanned to me. I took the scans in photoshop and pasted the three scans into 1 complete floorplan. Then I took that into Autocad and scale referenced it to real world units. Then I traced over that, drew elevations & brought that into max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Homeless Guy Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 i drafted for a firm when i was in arch school. it was nice because the projects were small enough that i could control the drawings enough to make sure everything matched perfectly. now i spend my time doing arch viz for a large firm. the cad drawings i get when starting a new project are bad enough that i won't snap to them. i start by taking the cad files into microstation to clean them up. they are created in autocad, but i learned microstation years ago, and love it for drafting. after removing the info i don't need, i export as dwg, and import into formz. there i lock the layer, turn off snap for that layer, ghost the layer, so it is a dark gray on my black background. then i start building, using the file as an underlay. i agree with having prints. before i start on a project, i look it over thoruouhgly so that i understand the design intent, and the planning of the building. this is useful when discussing the design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbr Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 I just make prints of each of the drawings, put them in a folder, and add rendered images as I go. This gives me a nice organized way of reviewing the project should I want to later on (like how many hours did that 40k office building REALLY take). I clean up the dwgs in acad, then import into Max or FormZ and build. Simplifying the drawings is so essential when you've got a large project! Just be careful you don't delete something important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh1587140445 Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 I have been modeling more and more in VIZ lately. But I do use AutoCAD to clean up all the drawings and line some things up. Also I always have a full size drawing of the elevations and floor plans on my desk for quick reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dp Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 tricky one i get sometimes is the "architects sketch" as long as these sketches are in proportion i scan into pc put into autocad blow to right size and trace the basics then import into max and model the hell of it some projects i get are so loose i end up as part of the design team still don't get a double fee for thinking twicw as hard though i'll make a note to add this into my next design led commission!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Walton Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Yep, snap to the drawing. although it would be nice if the plans matched the elevations!...are you listenening you architects!Just waiting for Gareth to get us on this one, but it's been true on my last 3 projects. Not enough to realize at first but then - Hey! My roof doesn't fit. Before I got ArchiCAD, I used to use the exact same Illustrator method you do. Whenever I brought the DWG straight into MAX it was a real pain trying to delete the uneccessary and keep what you needed. Ken Walton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Homeless Guy Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Originally posted by Ken Walton: quote: Yep, snap to the drawing. although it would be nice if the plans matched the elevations!...are you listenening you architects!Just waiting for Gareth to get us on this one, but it's been true on my last 3 projects. Not enough to realize at first but then - Hey! My roof doesn't fit. Before I got ArchiCAD, I used to use the exact same Illustrator method you do. Whenever I brought the DWG straight into MAX it was a real pain trying to delete the uneccessary and keep what you needed. Ken Walton not taking any side on anything, but at a lot of firms the architects are not the ones doing the drafting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzy Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 I used to model completely in AutoCAD Nowadays I do it in two ways.. If it is a AutoCAD file, I convert all the wall lines to polyline and froze unwanted text or dims. after that I give a extrude to polylines in MAx and the walls are ready. and add windows, details, furniture.. If it is a hand drawing.. I scan the plan and elevations.. Map to planes and use planes as reference images but this is not that much accurate If accuracy is important, I model in AutoCAD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archawhat Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Like most of everybody on this topic,I do the same thing: autocad to viz. If I am having a real difficult time, or know I can do it faster, Ido a boundary in cad and extrude it in viz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Walton Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Dibbers' quote: Yep, snap to the drawing. although it would be nice if the plans matched the elevations!...are you listenening you architects! My quote: Just waiting for Gareth to get us on this one, but it's been true on my last 3 projects. Not enough to realize at first but then - Hey! My roof doesn't fit. CHG quote: not taking any side on anything, but at a lot of firms the architects are not the ones doing the drafting. CHG - Good point - I shouldn't have been so broad in my statement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peakyfreak80 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 My methods seem to be along the lines of everybody else. What I'm wondering is if anybody has found advantages or disadvantages about modeling full scale buildings directly in Max or Viz (or whatever)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethace Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 Positioning the floor plans in 3D space in VIZ, Let me get this straight, first you would put them to the correct elevation in Z height, and then choosing some convenient wall corner or some other reference point common to all floors, you could just select by name, and using the TOP, use 2.5 D snap to align all the floor plans together wouldn't it? Did anyone here ever use ArchiCAD? It is very much organised around various floor levels. You quite literally are always working on a specific floor and modelling up or down in Z heights from that datum plane, called floor 1 or 2, or ground or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethace Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 CADENCE magazine had a great tutorial in their magazine archives online, about using the bevel spline modifier, with nice clean 2D shapes imported from AutoCAD into VIZ. But thanx to CADalyst web site, I can no longer link to that article! If you can even get your hands on AutoCad LT it would be well worth your while if you deal with a lot of dxfs/dwgs. But if you have the full boona for modelling you'll find things like pitched roofs and staircases take seconds or minutes. Specify exactly what you mean here - i.e. regions, 3d faces, Jeff's SMED tools like rface, solids subtracted or what exactly autocad routine you use here. But yeah, I would agree, you can have some real problems messing around with VIZ meshs to make roofs and not getting the texture coords right later on. That was why the bevel profile modifier in VIZ is so nice to use, since you can create beautiful clean meshs with it, from exact dimensionally accurate 2D shapes drawn in something like AUtoCAD. I like to have dual processors if possible for this though, and dual monitors helps too. With dynamic reload turned on in VIZ link manager. Shweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethace Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 I do a simular setup but I often make a copy off the cad import lines and then freeze that. Then I have template lines that I can steal from without having to remodel everything. The house I am working on now was hand drawn and scanned to me. I took the scans in photoshop and pasted the three scans into 1 complete floorplan. Then I took that into Autocad and scale referenced it to real world units. Then I traced over that, drew elevations & brought that into max. Then the Bevel Spline modifier would suit you down to the ground Sawyer, have you used it? If not, then make sure and check it out. Not everyone here uses 2D to the same extent that you do, and then perhaps would not get the same benefit or speed/accuracy increase as you would. Things like coving and gutters are much, much better done using Bevel Spline modifier than lofting I think. But most VIZ guys will just jump straight in for the Boolean and Loft objects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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