Hello people, welcome to this video! Let's see shortly and easily all
you need to know to start designing 3D projects with Autodesk AutoCAD
2018!
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guides for AutoCAD!
In the previous video of this guide, we have seen how to design and
draw 2D objects by using all the tools inside the Draw section, under
the Home tab. All these 2D objects always lay on the ground plane,
defined by the X and the Y axes, and checked from top to bottom through
a TOP view on the 3D View Cube. In the case of a 3D project, you have to
work in a 3D perspective view, where both the ground plane and the height
from it are shown. You can switch to a 3D view by clicking on a vertex
or a side of the 3D View Cube.
At this point, you won't have just the X (red) axis for the horizontal
direction, and the Y (green) axis for the vertical direction, as you
can see from the gizmo system. You will also have the Z axis, in blue
color, indicating the height from the ground. At this point, rectangles,
circles, arcs and polylines always lay on the ground plane with no height.
Indeed, the Line objects and the 3D Polyline are the only 2D objects that
are able to spread over the Z axis. The 3D Polyline works just like
Polylines, with the difference being that can't draw any curved side.
Inside a 3D view, the majority of the 2D Modify tools still work, such as
the Rotate and the Mirror tools, but always with respect to all that
lays on the ground plane.
Indeed, 2D drawing and editing tools always follow the X-Y ground plane.
This means that, if you rotate the gizmo system with respect to the X or
the Y axis, you will be able to draw and edit 2D objects by following a
different ground plane. Keep in mind that, when you rotate the gizmo,
also the 3D View Cube will be rotated with respect to the cardinal circle.
By using the 2D drawing tools, and rotating the gizmo system, you can
draw 3D objects, but this may be complex and time-consuming. For this
reason, AutoCAD provides several 3D drawing tools in order to create and
drop regular 3D objects in just seconds.
By default, these 3D drawing tools are hidden. So just right-click on a
vacant space on top, and go to 3D Tools under Show Tabs. This tab
lists all the main commands and tools to build and edit 3D objects.
For example, you can draw a simple box by enabling the Box tool, and
fixing three points on your workspace. While you draw, it is very
important to preview your 3D project in the correct way.
On the far right, you have the main visualization tools, such as the
3D View Cube and the Navigation bar. You can click on the vertices, the
edges, and the faces of the 3D View Cube to check any 3D point of view,
including main perspectives like TOP, FRONT, LEFT, RIGHT and so on. To
apply free 3D rotation instead, you can enable the Orbit command from
the Navigation bar, and click and drag on your workspace. Use the Escape
key to exit.
It is also important to choose the correct view for your 3D objects. All
these views are listed right below the project tabs. The default one is
called 2D Wireframe, and this is properly used for 2D basic projects, due
to its simple and essential representation. However, this may not be
suitable for 3D objects, since this view does not show any volume or any
object gizmo, that we will see later.
If you click on 2D Wireframe, you can open and choose another view, for
example Realistic, for a quick and simple 3D render, or X-ray, in order
to check both volume and the main 3D Objects points, such as vertices
and sides. Consider that all these 3D views do not affect 2D objects at
all, since these do not have any volume.
Let's now see the main tools to draw your 3D objects! All of these are
collected inside the Modeling section, under 3D Tools.
The first tool from the left lists 3D drawing tools used to draw the
main regular objects, such as Cubes, Pyramids and Cones. When drawing
Boxes, Cylinders, Cones and Pyramids, you have to fix two points first,
to create their base, and then a third point to define the object height.
Keep in mind that the 3D object base always lays on the X-Y ground plane,
or any plane parallel to it, as seen for 2D objects. The object height
follows the direction of the Z axis. So, if you rotate the main gizmo,
the 3D object will lay on the inclined ground plane.
Other objects, such as Spheres and Tori do not have an object base, so
these are drawn by fixing two or three points on your workspace, in order
to define radius and placement. Also these objects lay on the ground
plane, exactly at their half.
The other four tools listed are used to build 3D objects starting from 2D
shapes and polylines. Let's check them.
The Extrude tool creates 3D objects by extruding a 2D base through the
Z axis. Select the 2D object to extrude, apply with the Enter key, and
define the extrusion height. When you fix the height, the 3D object is
created. This tool also works on 2D objects inclined with respect to the
ground plane.
The Revolve tool creates a 3D object by rotating a 2D object around a
defined axis. Select the 2D object to use as section, apply with the
Enter key, and then fix two points to define the axis direction. Then,
just check the preview to define how to revolve the object. Make sure
that the axis does not intersect the 2D shape to revolve, or the tool
won't work.
The Loft tool is used to create a 3D object with a variable section.
Select, in order, all the 2D objects to be used as sections, checking the
preview. Then use the Enter key twice to apply. Make sure to have all the
2D sections aligned, or the tool fails.
Then there is the Sweep tool, used to create a 3D conductor with a
constant section, taken by a 2D object, and with a direction given by a
2D polyline path. Select first the object to take as section, and then
the path to follow. When the conductor is created, both the 2D shape and
path will disappear.
Besides the tools inside the Modeling section, you have other tools to
create customized shapes, like the Mesh or the Polysolid tool. The Mesh
tool is used to create complex and irregular shapes, starting from a
a regular one. To learn more about it, check out the next video in this
guide!
The Polysolid tool is perfect to create 3D walls in no time. As seen for
for 2D Polylines, the Polysolid is a simple series of consecutive boxes
with fixed height and width, which can be either straight or curved.
Enable the tool, and use either the Command Line or the dialog box to
fix the Height and the Width for each block. Type the value, apply with
the Enter key, and drop boxes by fixing points on your workspace. By
default, the blocks are straight, but you can draw curved walls by
choosing Arc, and draw straight boxes again by choosing Line. Use Close
to close the shape. Remember that also the Polysolid base lays on the
ground plane, with its height on the Z axis, as seen for the other 3D
objects.
Now, let's see everything you need to know to edit 3D drawings!
In order to edit correctly, it is better to use a 3D view that shows the
object skeleton, such as the Wireframe or the X-ray view. When using
these, you still find the same identical blue nodes on the selected 2D
objects, in order to move and stretch them as seen in the previous video
guide.
When selecting a 3D object, you will get several nodes on the object
base. Use the central one to move fast; use the vertex nodes to stretch
the base shape; and use the blue arrows to size the extrusion depth, or
any radius.
You can edit the Polysolid in the same way, by acting on its base, in
order to stretch vertices, or regulate any arc radius. Also, you can edit
the first block to size height, width and inclination over the whole
Polysolid.
When using a 3D view, a gizmo system appears on the selected object, with
all the main three axes. This is very useful to make quick and simple
editing on the object. By default, the gizmo system is used to move the
selected object. If you click and drag from an axis, you will move the
object according to its direction only. Or, you can move with respect to
an overall plane by clicking and dragging from a gizmo plane.
Furthermore, if you go to Gizmo under Selection, you can choose other
gizmo systems, for example the one to scale the object precisely, or
to rotate it with respect to the three axes.
Also, if you have multiple objects selected, the gizmo system will
affect all of these.
Let's now see how to edit the shape of your 3D objects.
You can apply almost all the 2D tools inside the Modify section also on
3D objects, but consider that these act on the object base only. But
you can find advanced editing tools inside the Solid Editing section,
under 3D Tools.
Presspull is used to regulate the extrusion depth of 3D faces. Select
the proper face boundaries, apply with the Enter key, and then regulate
its depth. Use the Escape key to finish with the tool.
Use Slice to split a 3D object with a 2D plane. Select an object, apply
with the Enter key, and then fix two points to define the 2D plane that
will slice the object. Then, click on the object side you want to keep,
or choose keep Both sides in the dialog box to keep both.
Fillet and Chamfer Edge are used to shape the object edges. If you use
Fillet Edge, select the 3D edges, and apply with the Enter key. Then,
you can fine the fillet by choosing Radius, or using the blue arrow you
see on the edges affected.
The Chamfer Edge tool works the same, with the difference that here you
do not set a unique radius, but you regulate the distances from the
original edge.
Other tools inside Solid Editing work with multiple objects that get
overlapped.
Use Union to unify several objects together, in order to obtain a unique
object.
Use Subtract to remove the overlapped volume from the first object
selected. Enable the tool and select the first object. Apply with the
Enter key, and then select all the objects to subtract from the first
one selected previously.
Use Interfere to check the overlapped volume between the first and the
second selected object. This will be highlighted in red color, with a
dialog box that allows to check it better. Uncheck the Delete option
below if you want to extract the overlapped volume without affecting
the original overlapping objects.
Use Intersect to extract the overlapped volume from the selected objects,
deleting both of them in the end.
This is all you need to know to start drawing 3D objects inside AutoCAD!
Have a look at the next video in this guide to start using 3D surfaces
and Mesh objects inside AutoCAD 2018!