Challenge

Creating 3D Isometric view of various structural elements in AutoCAD

SShreelata Patil29 Oct 2022

Commands Used

Line
Rectangle
Trim
Move
Copy
Explode
Circle
Dimlinear
Dimcontinue
Boundary
3Dorbit
3D rotate
Extrude
Region
UCS
Camera
Block
Render RR
Sweep
Create Light

1)Aim: To draw the 3D Isometric View of the building as shown in the figure

Procedure:

Open AutoCAD
In Startup settings start from scratch select Imperial (Feet and Inches)
Open grid and snap settings
Change snap and grid spacing to 1’
Change major line every grid line to 10
Turnoff adaptive grid
Type ‘un’ in command box and press enter
Change units’ type to decimal and precision to 1’1/16” and insertion scale to inches
Change the workspace setting of AutoCAD from ‘drafting and annotation’ to ‘3D Modeling’

Step 1: Creating Layers

Open Layer properties and create new layers by clicking on new layer or right click on any layer and select new layer to create new layer
Layers are created as follows

Step 2: Creating Layers

Change the current layer to 3D_Wall

Create a rectangle of dimensions 10’9”X10’9” at any point on the screen
Offset the rectangle to inside to distance of 9” as wall thickness
Delete the left and bottom lines and extend them to the edges as shown in figure

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Frame

Draw the window with dimensions 3'2" at top and 3' on right side as shown in figure

Step 3: Creating 3D View

Change the view to 3d by clicking on home button of view cube
Set UCS as world
Create the boundaries for the walls using ‘BO’ command
Extrude the boundaries created to total height of 10’10”
Select all the wall and use group command to group then together

Draw rectangles at both windows and change them to boundaries using boundary command
Extrude both rectangles drawn to height of 3’4” as shown in the figure
Draw rectangles at top of both window openings and change them to boundaries using boundary command

Type UCS and click on face and select the face having 3’ wide window

Draw a rectangle from bottom part of window with dimensions @3’,4’

Type UCS and click on face and select the face having 3’2” wide window

Draw a rectangle from bottom part of window with dimensions @3’2”,4’

Change the ucs back to world

Extrude the rectangle drawn at top side to top edge of window
Group all the wall components together

Step 4: Creating Elevation Windows

Window at Elevation A

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Frame

Type UCS and click on face and select the face having 3’ wide window

Draw a rectangle of dimension @3’,4’
Offset the rectangle to inside to distnce of 3”
Offset the offset rectangle to inside to distnce of 4”

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window frame area and press enter

Start SUBTRACT command

Select the bigger region and then select the smaller regions to subtarct them

Follow the same procedure for all the three boxes as shown in figure

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Mulion

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window Mulion area and press enter

Start SUBTRACT command

Select the bigger region and then select the smaller glass region to subtarct

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Glass

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window glass area and press enter

All the layers are extruded to give window projection look as shown in figure

Window at Elevation B

Type UCS and click on face and select the face having 3’2" wide window

Draw a rectangle of dimension @3’2",4’
Offset the rectangle to inside to distnce of 3”
Offset the offset rectangle to inside to distnce of 4”

Change the layer for all the boxes respectively

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window frame area and press enter

Start SUBTRACT command

Select the bigger region and then select the smaller regions to subtarct them

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Mulion

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window Mulion area and press enter

Start SUBTRACT command

Select the bigger region and then select the smaller glass region to subtarct it

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Glass

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window glass area and press enter

All the layers are extruded to give window projection look as shown in figure

Step 5: Creating Views

Click on home button of the view cuble and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 1
Click on current view and press ok

Click on the NE isometric view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 2
Click on current view and press ok

Click on the Top view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 3
Click on current view and press ok

1. View 1(SW isometric)

2.View 2(NE isometric)

3. View 3(top view)

4. Windows

2)Aim: To draw the 3D Building Façade as given in the plan and elevation

Procedure:

Open AutoCAD
In Startup settings start from scratch select Imperial (Feet and Inches)
Open grid and snap settings
Change snap and grid spacing to 1’
Change major line every grid line to 10
Turnoff adaptive grid
Type ‘un’ in command box and press enter
Change units’ type to decimal and precision to 1’1/16” and insertion scale to inches
Change the workspace setting of AutoCAD from ‘drafting and annotation’ to ‘3D Modeling’

Step 1: Creating Layers

Open Layer properties and create new layers by clicking on new layer or right click on any layer and select new layer to create new layer

Step 2: Creating 2D Plan View

Create a rectangle of dimensions 6’9”X10’9” at any point on the screen
Offset the rectangle to inside to distance of 9” as wall thickness
Explode the rectangles drawn
Delete the top line and extend them to the edges

Change the current layer 3D_Window_Frame

Create the window opening of dimensions 3’ wide as shown in figure
Add dimensions are drawn using dimension layer

Step 3: Creating 3D View

Change the view to 3d by clicking on home button of view cube

Set UCS as world

Set the view style control as REALISTIC

Create the boundaries for the walls using ‘BO’ command
Extrude the boundaries created to total height of 10’10”
Select all the wall and use group command to group then together
Delete the window lines

Create a boundry region over the window lines
Extrude the boundary to aheight of 4’6”
Draw a rectangle on top of the window opening using rectangle command
Chanhe the rectangle into a region
Extrude the region to distance of 1’3” to below and then window openin is created as shown in figure

Step 4: Creating Elevation Windows

4’ Wide Window

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Frame

Type UCS and click on face and select the face having 3’ wide window

Draw a rectangle of dimension @3’,4’
Offset the rectangle to inside to distnce of 2”
Offset the offset rectangle to inside to distnce of 3”
Draw center line connecting midpoints
Offset the lines to both sides to a distance of 3”
Trim all the unnecessary edges

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window frame area and press enter

Start SUBTRACT command

Select the bigger region and then select the smaller regions to subtarct them

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Mulion

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window Mulion area and press enter

Start SUBTRACT command

Select the bigger region and then select the smaller glass region to subtarct it

Change the current layer to 3D_Window_Glass

Start the boundary command and click on pick points

Click inside the window glass area and press enter

All the layers are extruded to give window projection look as shown in figure

Step5: Creating Elevation View

The windows created in step 4 are placed at its positions

Group all the items to create the elevation view
Copy the block having 4’ height window and place it 3 times as shown in figure

Create the top part of the drawing using 4” wall with height 6’5” from top

Create a boundary for the wall
Extrude the boundary to 9” as shown in elevation

Step 6: Creating Views

Click on home button of the view cuble and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 1
Click on current view and press ok

Click on the Front view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 2
Click on current view and press ok

Click on the Top view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 3
Click on current view and press ok
All dimensions are in Feet and Inches
Text and dimensions are added with respective layers

1. View 1(SW isometric)

2. View 2(Front View)

3.View 3(top view)

4. Windows

3)Aim: To draw the 3D view of a stair with railing as shown in the plan and elevation

Procedure:

Open AutoCAD
In Startup settings start from scratch select Imperial (Feet and Inches)
Open grid and snap settings
Change snap and grid spacing to 1’
Change major line every grid line to 10
Turnoff adaptive grid
Type ‘un’ in command box and press enter
Change units’ type to decimal and precision to 1’1/16” and insertion scale to inches
Change the workspace setting of AutoCAD from ‘drafting and annotation’ to ‘3D Modeling’

Step 1: Creating Layers

Open Layer properties and create new layers by clicking on new layer or right click on any layer and select new layer to create new layer

Step 2: Creating 2D Plan View of Staircase

Change the current layer to stairs

Draw a rectangle of dimensions 3’X12’
Explode the rectangle
Offset the side edges to inside to a distance of 1”
Offset the bottom edge to upside 12 times to a distance of 1’ as shown in figure

Step 3: Creating Side View

Change the view to 3d by clicking on home button of view cube and chance the view to right view

Set UCS as Right

Start line command and draw a vertical line of length 6”
Draw a horizontal line of length 1’
Repeat the same process for 12 times to draw 12 steps
After reaching 12 steps draw a landing of length of 3’
Draw a line of 1’ at the bottom step
Draw a line of 6” at the top right edge of landing
Draw a line of 1’6” backwards
Draw a slab joining the lines

Step 4: Creating 3D View

Change the view to 3d by clicking on home button of view cube

Set UCS as world

Set the view style control as REALISTIC

Create a region from the side view of the stairs
Extrude the side view to a distacne of 3’ as shown in figure

Hand Rails

Change the current layer to Stair_handrails

Draw circle of diameter 1” with 2” offset from the top right edges of the first thread of staircase
Change the circle into a region
Extrude the region to a height of 3’ as shown in the figure

Change the current layer to Stair_handrails_Stand

Draw a handrail stand at the bottom with dimension 2” and extrude as shown in figure

Using copy command copy all the hand rail components on all stairs with same offset as shown in figure

Copy the same to the other side as shown in figure

Change the current layer to Stair_handrails

Draw a polyline connecting all the top edges of hand rails
Change the UCS to front
Draw a circle of diameter 2” on top of the first hand rail
Create a region of the circle drawn

Start Sweep command

Select the circle as object to sweep
Select the poly line drawn as path of sweep as shown in figure
Copy the same to the other side

Step 5: Creating Views

Click on the Top view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 1
Click on current view and press ok

Click on the Right view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 2
Click on current view and press ok

Click on home button of the view cuble and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 3
Click on current view and press ok

Click on the Front view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Go to visuvilise tab and click on new view

Set view name as VIEW 4
Click on current view and press ok

1. View 1 (top view)

2. View 2 (Right Side View)

3. View 3(SW isometric)

4. View 4(Front View)

4)Aim: To draw the 3D view of a Wall with spread footing as shown in the plan and elevation

Procedure:

Open AutoCAD
In Startup settings start from scratch select Metric (Meters and mm)
Open grid and snap settings
Change snap and grid spacing to 100
hange major line every grid line to 10
Turnoff adaptive grid
Type ‘un’ in command box and press enter
Change units’ type to decimal and precision to 0.00 and insertion scale to inches
Change the workspace setting of AutoCAD from ‘drafting and annotation’ to ‘3D Modeling’

Step 1: Creating Layers

Open Layer properties and create new layers by clicking on new layer or right click on any layer and select new layer to create new layer

Step 2: Creating 2D Plan View of wall with spread footing

Change the current layer to wall

Draw a rectangle of dimensions 670X7500
Offset the rectangle to inside to a distance of 120mm
Offset the offset rectangle inside to distance of 50mm twice.
Explode all the offset rectangle
Delete the top and bottom edges of the exploded rectangles
Extend all the rectangle to top and bottom edges of outer rectangle.
At the end select the individual lines and change their layers respectively

Creating Door Block

Draw a rectabgle of dimenson 50X100mm
Draw another rectangle with dimensions of 50X50mm
Draw a line of length 850mm from the edge
Draw an arc line of the door swing
Convert the door into block
Edit the block and add flip parameters
Create the door opening of 900mm at the middle
Add the door block by rotating the door
Add the door shade using respective layer

Step 3: Creating Elevaton view

Click on the Front view of the view cube and zoom for better view

Change the ucs to front

Change the current layer to G.L.

Draw a line of certal length
Offset the line to bottom 25mm
Offset the last offset line bottom to distance of 100mm

Change the current layer to Wall

Draw a rectangle of dimension 230X 3300 from the top left edge of Ground level

Change the current layer to roof level

Draw roof of thickness 150mm as shown in figure
Draw a Parapet wall of height 600mm as shown in figure

Footing Layers

Draw a rectangle of dimension 230X600, below the floor level as shown in figure
Draw a rectangle of dimension 330X400, below the first level as shown in figure
Draw a rectangle of dimension 430X400, below the second level as shown in figure

Change the current layer to Footing

Draw a rectangle of dimension 670X300, below the third level as shown in figure

Trim the unnecessary edges

Door

Change the current layer to door

Draw a line along the length of the door of 230mm at the ground level
Offset the line to belwo to distanc of 50mm below the ground level
Offset the line to distance of 2100 to above

Change the current layer to Door Shade

Draw the door shade as shown in figure

The end result of this step is as follows

Step 4: Drawing 3D View of section

For creating the 3D view initially boundaries are created
Each boundary is created with its respective layer as current layer as shown in the following figure

Extruding

The created boundaries are to be extruded to a distanc eof 7500mm
Select the boundaries by changing their respective current layer
Door opening is added by drawing a rectangle at the door locaton from the plan view
Then from the extruded part the door region is subtracted from the wall using SUBTRACT command
Similarly door shade is created with the opening above
After door shade remaining layer is extruded as shown in figure

Step 6: Rendering

Rendering is done by adding materials the 3D view

Material Browser is used for adding materials to objects
The materials added for the comonents from the material browser are shown below
Box mapping is done to adjust the texture of the wall

Lights

Torch light is placed infront of the door at certail distance with fall off angle as 50 and Hotspot angle as 80 as shown in figure
Distant light is also used