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Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design

Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design: Take your AuotoCAD design skills to the next dimension by creating powerful 3D models.

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Profile Icon JOAO ANTONIO C DOS SANTOS
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Profile Icon JOAO ANTONIO C DOS SANTOS
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Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design

Chapter 2. Visualizing 3D Models

A fundamental aspect in 3D is visualization. This includes not only zooming, panning, and orbiting, but also returning to specific visualizations. We visualize the model as wireframe, shaded, or other visual styles, walk inside the model and divide the drawing area into viewports.

Topics covered in this chapter are as follows:

  • How to view a 3D model from different angles

  • How to save and restore particular views

  • How to simulate cameras

  • How to shade models and apply other visual styles

  • How to navigate through a 3D model

  • Dividing the drawing area into viewports

Zooming, panning, and orbiting


To correctly understand a 3D model, we need to view it from different angles, view it closer, from the inside, and so on. When creating or selecting objects, setting a correct and unambiguous view is fundamental. We are not scaling or rotating the model, just viewing it from a different perspective.

Zooming and panning

Zooming and panning are fundamental tools in AutoCAD and in 3D modeling. Nowadays, we all use a wheel mouse or other advanced input devices with scroll functionality. With a wheel mouse we can:

  • Zoom in / zoom out: By rotating the wheel forward we zoom in and objects get closer; by rotating the wheel backward we zoom out and we see more of our scene.

  • Zoom extents: By double-clicking on the wheel quickly, we see the drawing extents, that is, all the areas occupied by objects in the model get extented (including those areas that are visible when layers are turned off). This is quite useful in 3D and large models. Often, after orbiting, objects may...

Views and cameras


If we changed the view direction, how can we come back to the plan view? Or see the model from another orthographic view? And how to save that view so that we can restore it anytime? These operations and the creation of cameras are presented next.

Predefined views

Predefined in AutoCAD, we have six orthographic views (Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, and Right) and four isometric views (Southwest Isometric, Southeast Isometric, Northeast Isometric, and Northwest Isometric). There are several ways to access them; some may activate another coordinate system.

View cube

The view cube, available since Version 2009, is a navigation tool placed by default in the viewport's top-right corner. When inactive, it is partially transparent. With this tool we can click on a face to activate the respective orthographic view. For instance, if we want to come to the plan or top view, we click the top face. We can also drag the mouse over the view cube to orbit the drawing, click a vertex to activate...

Visual styles


In the previous pages, we already have seen some visual styles applied. Visual styles, introduced in Version 2007, specify the representation of the 3D model on each viewport, such as controlling edges, shading or wireframing, lighting, materials, and background.

Applying visual styles

AutoCAD comes with several visual styles already defined that cannot be eliminated and are available for all drawings. Since Version 2011, there are ten visual styles available. Previous versions have only five.

  • 2D wireframe: This visual style only displays edges and is the only one that doesn't accept the perspective mode or background

  • Wireframe: This visual style displays edges but accepts perspective mode and background

  • Hidden: This visual style only displays visible edges, giving the feeling of opaque faces (hidden edges not visible)

  • Sketchy: In this visual style, visible edges are displayed as if they were sketched by hand

  • Realistic: In this visual style, faces are displayed with a smooth...

Walking and flying in a 3D model


For complex projects or intricate mechanisms, it may be useful to walk around or inside a model using both a keyboard and a mouse, such as a computer game. Besides walking (the Z coordinate constant), we can also fly (the Z coordinate variable).

Walking and flying

There are two commands for walking and flying. Both can be found on the Walk and Fly toolbar, the View | Walk and Fly menu bar, and ribbon's Render | Animations panel:

  • 3DWALK: This command (alias 3DW) allows you to walk through or around the model while maintaining the Z coordinate

  • 3DFLY: This command (no alias) allows you to fly through or around the model while changing the Z coordinate

These commands only work in the perspective mode. When entering one of these commands, if the model is in the parallel mode, the activation of the perspective mode is requested. Then, a small green cross, which is the target, is positioned at the center of the viewport and the Position Locator palette is displayed...

Viewports


When starting AutoCAD, the drawing area is composed of a single viewport where we create, view, and modify the drawing or the 3D scene. As the project advances, it may be useful to divide the drawing area in more viewports so that we can simultaneously view different parts of the model (for instance, a bridge drawing, where we want to see both extremes) or view it from different angles. We can start a command in one viewport and end it in another. As against the layout viewports, viewports in model space never overlap and completely fill the drawing area. Any model modification will be reflected in all viewports but visualization tools are independent. We can have viewports with different zooms, pans, orbits, or orthographic views, with different visual styles, perspective, or parallel modes.

Viewport controls

The viewport controls, available in AutoCAD since Version 2012, are the three top-left menus for each viewport.

These viewport controls represent easy processes for controlling...

Summary


In this chapter, we analyzed all important aspects and commands for a correct visualization of 3D models. We started with zoom, pan, and orbiting, then we saw predefined and saved views and the creation of cameras and their parameters. We explored the perspective mode in order to get a more realistic visualization, and the visual styles that allow for viewing the model in the wireframe, shaded, shaded with materials (realistic), and other modes. We learned how to walk and fly through the model and we saw how to divide the drawing area in several viewports.

In the next chapter we will learn how to create coordinate systems, thus defining different XY working planes.

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Key benefits

  • Obtain 2D drawings from 3D models
  • Master AutoCAD's third dimension
  • Full of practical tips and examples to help take your skills to the next dimension

Description

AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. AutoCAD supports both 2D and 3D formats. AutoCAD is used in a range of industries and is utilized by architects, project managers, and engineers, among others."Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design" will take you beyond the 2D frontier and help you create accurate 3D models that simulate reality. This book is crammed full of creative and practical tutorials which will help you master the third dimension. From exercises on coordinate systems to creating solids and surfaces from 2D, you will wonder how you ever designed without this resource by your side."Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design" is full of hands-on studies and projects that will help develop your 3D skills. Starting from the assumption of only a very basic knowledge of AutoCAD, this book will help you master 3D visualization and coordinate systems, create 3D models from 2D drawings, and from basic shapes, measure volumes, and other information, obtain 2D construction drawings from 3D models as well as how to apply lights and materials to get photorealistic images.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for everyone who wants to create accurate 3D models in AutoCAD, like architecture, engineering, or design professionals, and students. Only basic understanding of 2D AutoCAD is needed.

What you will learn

  • Learn how to create basic 3D shapes and models
  • View and navigate 3D models
  • Apply user coordinate systems to define workplanes
  • Create 3D models from 2D drawings
  • Apply 3D basic shapes and modify 3D models
  • Master AutoCAD Lighting and materials effects
  • Obtain information from 3D models, like volumes and inertias
  • Create photorealistic images of your 3D models
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Publication date : Apr 25, 2013
Length: 374 pages
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Language : English
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Table of Contents

12 Chapters
Introduction to 3D Design Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Visualizing 3D Models Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Coordinate Systems Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Solids and Surfaces from 2D Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3D Primitives and Conversions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Editing in 3D Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Editing Solids and Surfaces Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Inquiring the 3D model Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Documenting a 3D Model Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Rendering and Illumination Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Materials and Effects Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Meshes and Surfaces Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

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Vedette Bianciotti May 02, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Written by an expert, this book is very practical and nice introduction to the world of 3D using AutoCAD. Personally I was interested in this book because I like AutoCAD for realistic 3D printing (Yeah i know about 123D etc. but that is just basic stuff!) for models etc.This book only requires very basic autocad knowledge but if you want to know how to use AutoCAD for 3D this book is the best bar none on the market! Seriously, the exercises, the authors' tone and explanations are really friendly and easy to pick up. Great book!
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Mr Devine Jul 05, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
When I first picked up this book I was a little skeptical as to whether there is a market for an AutoCAD 3D Design and Drafting guide given the number of dedicated 3D design / drafting packages out there, 3DS Max and Revit to name but two of Autodesk's own products, however, I'm glad I stuck with it as the book offers any AutoCAD user new or old the opportunity to develop their cad skills beyond two dimensional drafting, while negating the need to invest in additional pieces of software.The book is aimed at both the novice and seasoned user of AutoCAD, the format makes it easy for the former to get to grips with the 3D user interface and be drafting in the 3rd dimension very quickly. Seasoned users will find the book equally beneficial in developing more advanced 3D skills as they will see from the later chapters.The books format is exceptionally good, it introduces us to the basics of the 3rd dimension, progressing through the interface and onto developing solids and surfaces then into the more advanced functions like rendering, illumination, materials and meshes.Each chapter of the book concisely runs the user through the various commands with both B&W and colour diagrams supporting this, the conclusion of each chapter is punctuated with exercises allowing the reader to put the textual information into practice, this is a much welcomed feature as too few books offer this, merely allowing the reader to progress alone.While AutoCAD's 3rd dimension is no match for Revit or 3DS Max in a specialist 3D arena it does offer the user an opportunity to develop their three dimensional drawing skills and coupled with this book that process is greatly enhanced.I can wholly recommend this book to any would be AutoCAD user and sincerely hope that Joao Santos / PACKT release more Autodesk titles in the future in this format.
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Mr.Carbunkle Jun 23, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
This book is a great reference for anyone doing 3D work in AutoCAD. It will be most helpful to the beginner because it goes through the process from the start. It is very clear in what it is trying to teach-the basic steps for working with 3D models and surfaces. This way you will be up and running in no time. This book will not make you an expert-only practice will do that. But it will give you a solid foundation to build with. Perhaps its greatest strength is as a reference book. It goes through the commands needed one by one and explains each one in detail as it goes. AutoCAD has so much functionality, this book makes it so you do not have to remember every command, just look them up.I recommend this book to any beginner trying to break into the world of 3D. A great price for a good reference.
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John, Lynden, WA Jun 29, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I have used AutoCAD for over 20 years but mostly as a 2D drafting tool. I wanted to learn more about the 3D capabilities of AutoCAD.In general, the book does a good job of explaining how to use 3D in AutoCAD. Step by step instructions are included with exercises to supplement that. However, more detailed command explanations of some commands are not referenced in the text. For example, the DIST and ID commands are mentioned early in the book but the details found in chapter 8 are not referenced at all. This would have made the book more useful.All in all, the book is a good value and it should help someone who wants to learn the 3D tools in AutoCAD.
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Dutchtower Jun 07, 2013
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I have been using AutoCAD for over twenty years and am an AutoCAD Certified Professional. I had to figure 3D out on my own. If I would have had this book back then... The only reason I knocked one star off was because of minor grammar errors which are probably due to cultural differences.This is not an all-inclusive "Bible" on 3D drafting, but it doesn't cost ninety bucks either. Definitely worth the price. It has very easy to navigate table of contents and index and the go-to function works great.Definitely recommended.
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