Autocad 2d view to 3d.

[clarkus102]

Hi,

I run a rendering business in Australia working on various large residential and highrise projects for photorealistic rendering. I have staff in sri lanka which I train on vray to produce work for our Australian office. Generally most of our work is supplied with great quality and usualy over details to what we need, and I only deal with 3d DWG files supplied from revit or other. Generaly if they are not supplied in a format that's suitable I have that much work that I turn down the jobs, or charge for a CAD operator to redraw the job supply me the 3d model.

This has worked well in the past, but I am growing my staff in sri lanka and i'm being supplied with more and more 2d DWG's from clients using bizzar cad software yet still turning over 30mil a year, so I can hardley charge them to redraw or turn down the jobs simply becuase I simply don't have the ability todo something. These files are often autocad which obviously is not bizzar, but some are just autocad compitable dwg files. I can supply examples if need be...

I am, and never want to be an autocad person, so think what you will. I'm here to call on those experts, not to pretend i'm one, because i'm not. I want to know if I either . A. Can do this simply in autocad with supplied elevations, levels etc. Or a third party program that can do it. I don't see the point having 3d artists who don't understand our building methods trying to extrude everything in 3dsmax. I want them rendering, not becoming, hmm i dunno what you can call it, a lost cad operator? I love the idea of multiskilling, but i'm a big believer in roles, and I want my staff to be either Revit operators, or 3dsmax/vray visualisers. Especialy due to logistics.

I hope this makes sense, and I appoligise if this seems arogent, because its just business and nobody has the autocad knowledge due to the fact, most people I deal with use revit,revit structure, archicad etc...I know autocad has its place, and is different these days, but we just don't use it or want to use it.

Thanks in advance.

Clark
msn - clarkus102@hotmail.com

[ReMark]

Not sure I quite understand the question here. You're looking for the ability, in AutoCAD, to take a 2D drawing of, for example, an elevation and turn it into a 3D solid so it can then be rendered in another program?

[clarkus102]

I don't believe so. I have been supplied several files in DWG format. Elevations and floorplans. This particular client says they always supply this and people render them with no issue. Normaly I import a single dwg into max and off we go...These come in like exporting floorplans etc normaly, they are a slice, great for doing quick elevation renders, but for me I need it to be 3d.

He made a point of being rude and state all architect firms in Australia would do the same. But this is just not true, maybe in autocad terms, but since revit and archicad is what most of the non structural/mechanical clients are using, i'v never really had this problem.

Does this make sense? For all i know, you press a button in autocad or another program and you get 3d :) I would hope there is 3d data in these files, or a way to get it without extruding line for line. I wish everyone used parametric cad programs, its 2008...I'll get flamed for sure :)

[ReMark]

A little clearer...I think.

This particular client is providing you with elevations and floorplans in .dwg format and states they can be "rendered with no issue".

What program are you using to open these files with? When opened, are there model and layout tabs located at the bottom of the screen? Perhaps there is a 3D model that the elevations, etc. are being generated from but for some reason you have missed it?

There is no "magic button" for 3D in AutoCAD. If I draw a 3D solid in model space and want to depict the normal views (top, front, side and an isometric), in 2D fashion, I can use either "flatshot" or a combination of two commands (Solview and Soldraw) to to it. This method generates "hidden" lines and is quite handy for mechanical or structural drawings. If I just want to show, for example, the four elevations of a simple house (no hidden line generation required) I could set up four viewports and just use the 3D model itself. This usually requires a computer with 1) more than the minimum amount of RAM and 2) a good to very good graphics card (OpenGL compliant is best) to be able to manipulate the drawing file.

[Cad64]

There is no "magic button" for 3D in AutoCAD.

There is no "magic button" for 3D in any program that I have ever used. It might be a good idea for you to post one of these drawings here for us to look at. I'm still not sure what you've been given? :unsure:

[clarkus102]

Thanks for your prompt reply's. I really appreciate the genuine interest taken for my problem. If somebody would like to inspect the files, could they provide me with an email address or contact me via MSN as for privacy I don't wish to post the designs as I don't own them.

Even autocad from what i'v seen shows 3d views on top of the elevations which can be exported as a 3dview, even old crappy software can supply 3d models for 3d studio max. I don't unsterstand either where I am going wrong. Or why they can't supply me with a 3d model. I'm sure autocad for years even though its elevation based and shows 3d in 2d as apposed to revit, 3d data still exists? Am i wrong?

Cheers guys.

Clark - clarkus102@hotmail.com

[ReMark]

I'd be willing to take a peek. PM me and I'll give you my email address. No promises are made.

[Cad64]

Clarkus102 is a forum newbie. He can't send or receive PM's until he puts up 10 legitimate posts in the technical sections. If you want the file, you will need to send him an email.

[H_3dmax]

hsm4.3d@gmail.com

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