Hello! Welcome to this video dedicated to all 3D Tools and Objects in
AutoCAD 2016!
Leave us feedback to improve our future guides.
Before watching this video, make sure to know how AutoCAD works for 2D
Projects. In case you have problems, check out the related video in
our guide.
As long as you work in 2D, the 3D ViewCube in the top right corner shows
just the TOP face, and your pointer is a simple white cross. To switch to
a 3D environment, just click on one of the vertices of the cube. Such cube
will show all its faces, and your pointer will be a star, showing three
axes: the X axis in red, the Y axis in green and the new Z axis in blue.
X and Y axes compose the ground plane, where your 2D projects lay, and the
Z axis the height from such.
All 2D tools seen in previous videos do also work in a 3D environment. For
example, you can give height to a rectangular shape to make it a 3D object.
Just enable the Line command, and use ORTHOMODE to draw following the Z
axis easily. Then copy the segment on the other vertices to keep the same
height, simply dragging from the central node while holding CTRL down.
Then, you can close the figure with a Polyline.
Each 2D object has its own blue nodes already seen in 2D Projects, and
all the tools in Modify section do work the same. Nothing changes.
You can check your 3D work in any point of view. You can click on any
vertex or edge of the ViewCube, or its faces to check your project from
Front, Left, Right, Back, Bottom and Top. Those faces are very useful to
allign objects. Faces can be selected also from the white arrows on the
ViewCube. For example, from the Top and the Bottom faces you can't see the
objects height, while in all the other faces you can see their height but
not their base. To check your project, you can use the circumference around
the cube or the Orbit command on the extreme right. If you click and drag,
you will change your 3D point of view as you like. Use Escape key to exit.
However, there are some limitations in using the 2D tools in the Draw
section. When you use these, you draw objects on the X-Y plane (the ground)
or any plane parallel to it. If you want to draw through another direction,
you need to rotate the X-Y plane itself. Simply rotate the carthesian
system to do so. The only tool that can spread in any direction is the
Line tool. In this case the line can be drawn outside the ground plane.
You can also use 3D Polyline, that you can find inside the white arrow of
the Draw section. This is indeed a Polyline, so an object in one piece, but
differently from 2D Polylines, you can't make any curved side.
What about the Hatch command? Also this one works on any object that
spreads on the ground plane or any plane parallel to it only. The Hatch
tool won't work on all closed paths that lay on different planes.
You will never create a 3D object using the Line tool to give height.
AutoCAD has several 3D tools to create and edit very easily also in 3D.
Those are hidden by default, so simply go on top, and right-click on a
vacant space. If you go to Show Tabs, you can show or hide tabs on top. If
you click on 3D Tools, this appears in the list with all its 3D commands.
You can create your 3D objects through the tools inside the Modeling
section on the extreme left. There are five main tools you can use to draw.
The first button is used to draw regular 3D objects, like cubes, pyramids
and spheres from scratch. Click on the white arrow and choose the shape you
want to draw. You always have to define the base and then the specific
height or extrusion, a part from the sphere, that needs just two general
points fixed. As seen for 2D projects, also while drawing 3D objects you
can use the command line below or your Down Arrow key to choose the way
to draw. The base always lays on the ground plane or any plane parallel
to it. The height does spread always through the Z axis instead. If you
want to give to the object a different orientation, you need to rotate the
carthesian system using its rounded nodes, as seen before.
When you draw a 3D object, just its skeleton is shown on the workspace.
This is called Wireframe view, very useful especially for complex projects,
not to load your computer too much. You can change this view clicking on 2D
Wireframe in the top left corner. Use Realistic or Shaded to render your
objects fully, Shaded with edges to see both wireframes and volume, or
X-Ray to have some transparency, important to check an object also
internally. Just 3D objects made with 3D tools are filled in those 3D
views. 3D shapes made with 2D tools just show their skeleton and are not
recognized as 3D objects.
The second tool is the Extrude tool. This lets you create 3D objects adding
extrusion starting from a 2D base. Just select the base and decide the
height moving your pointer or typing the height. This works on any base,
parallel to the ground plane or any other plane.
The third tool is called Revolve, and creates a 3D object starting from a
2D base. Differently from the Extrude tool, where you define the height to
extrude, in this case you define an axis by fixing two points and then
rotate as you like. In order to make the tool work, make sure to fix the
axis outside the base itself, and on its same plane.
Loft creates a 3D conductor using 2D sections selected one by one. Make
sure that these selections are overlapped enough. Then use Enter key twice.
Sweep makes a conductor as well, but instead taking sections, you define a
2D object, used as a constant section, and a path, that will be the path
of the conductor. Select first the section to take, apply with Enter, and
then select the path. Make sure to make copies of the 2D objects used as a
section and path, because these will disappear when the 3D conductor
is made.
In the first group of tools, you also have the Polysolid tool. This is
useful to create personalized 3D regular objects. As you do with Polylines,
you just need to fix points to place blocks with constant width and height,
and the length defined by your clicks. Use Enter to finish drawing. You can
personalize these blocks as you like. Before drawing, type W to set the
width of each block, H to define the height, and while you draw you can
draw curved blocks typing A. Use L to go back drawing straight blocks. Use
C to close the path. Always check the command line below. The base of the
polysolid always lays on the ground plane as seen for normal 2D objects.
Let's see how to edit 3D objects. Select the object to edit. As seen for 2D
objects, this will be highlighted in blue and will show its blue nodes and
blue arrows. Blue nodes are used to stretch vertices, in order to deform
the object as you wish. Central nodes on the base are used to move the
object without changing it. Blue arrows are used to edit the extrusion
depth or any radius, through the same direction indicated by such arrows.
While you edit, it is better to use an X-Ray view, that shows objects with
some transparency, to make you see all the nodes available.
You can also use the 3D Gizmo, which is the cartesian system that appears
close to your object when you select it.
First of all, this system appears only in 3D views, so in all views except
the 2D Wireframe in the list. Then, its axes are the same ones of the main
carthesian system, indicating the same directions. Move it by dragging from
its central node.
If you hover one of the axes, this will be highlighted in orange. You can
click and drag to move the selected object following such axis only. You
can also hover a plane to move through such plane only. This tool is very
important if you want to allign objects.
This gizmo appears also in groups of selected objects of course.
This is a Gizmo used to move the object. There are also others to scale and
rotate: check in Customization and Gizmo for these.
There are also more advanced 3D editing tools, all in Solid Editing section.
These do require a selected object, as seen for the tools inside the Modify
section in 2D.
Presspull adds or reduces the extrusion length of a 2D face or base that
lays on a single plane. Simply select the face and then set the length.
Slice cuts an object in two. Just select the object and fix two points to
define how to cut it. Then click on one side to decide which part to save,
or select keep Both sides with your Down Arrow key to save all.
Fillet and Chamfer Edge edits the edge of an object. Just select it, use
Enter to apply, and then click and drag the blue arrows to fine the
editing.
Other 3D tools work with two or more 3D objects. Union creates a single
object starting from the objects selected. Make sure to check with X-Ray
view. Subtract removes from an object all parts that do overlap with other
objects. Select first the object to subtract from, use Enter to apply, and
then select all the objects that must be used to subtract.
Intersect saves just the parts of the selected objects that do overlap
instead.
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our guide to learn more about
AutoCAD 2016!