Boss wants me to draw a building on future site, help!

In a better way to show off our new project (a fire station lot and access road) my boss wants me to draw up from the architect's plans the new fire station in it's new proposed location and model it. I'm totally cool with that but I'm trying to find the easiest way to do it. It is 6,500sq. ft and has 5 different roof sections on it and it has varying exterior wall heights.

Should I use the 3D Modeling within Civil 3D or just do it in the civil 3D itself. I would like to make this look really great but I only have 4 days to get it all done before our big presentation.

Do you have the POLYSOLID command available in Civil 3D? If so, check it out. It is no problem to create polysolids with different heights. You just draw or select an existing line, having defined the height, thickness and justification, and a 3D solid looking very much like a wall will be generated. Later you can add doors and windows in 2D lines on a face of the wall, then use the PRESSPULL command to press the holes for them right through the solid walls.

If you already have a 2D drawing you can use PRESSPULL from that too, just go into an ISOMETRIC perspective in modelspace before you use PRESSPULL, the better to see and appreciate what you are doing.

You might want to watch this to help you get started.

I would be trying to get hold of the 3D model (in AutoCad form) from the architect (it is fairly likely they have one) rather than having to redraw it.

Civil 3D does have the POLYSOLID command.

I would be trying to get hold of the 3D model (in AutoCad form) from the architect (it is fairly likely they have one) rather than having to redraw it.

 

Civil 3D does have the POLYSOLID command.

That is the smartest post I've seen all day, by a longshot Dink!

The only reason I haven't got the model from the architect is because they want to charge a HUGE fee for it when I could (and can) make it from scratch at a fraction of the cost. I stil don't understand why/how architects can charge so much for their services. I'm obviously in the wrong field!

It probably wouldn't measure right anyway if you got it from them...a bunch of manually editted dimensions that don't add up to the manually editted total.

So I've been playing around with the Polysolid command as well as the Push/Pull command and I've gotten alright at changing my UCS to view correctly so I can create the correct angles needed. But I'm seriously lacking the ability to get any good level of detail from these methods. Is there any other way?

Is it possible to just draw it out using lines and hatch it? I really feel I'm making this out to be way to hard.

So I've been playing around with the Polysolid command as well as the Push/Pull command and I've gotten alright at changing my UCS to view correctly so I can create the correct angles needed. But I'm seriously lacking the ability to get any good level of detail from these methods. Is there any other way?

 

Is it possible to just draw it out using lines and hatch it? I really feel I'm making this out to be way to hard.

If you turn on your DYNAMIC UCS you won't have to work so hard at adjusting your UCS on the fly.

Another way is to use the VIEWPORT CONTROLS in the upper left hand corner of your modelspace to set your perspectives.

When you use them, they automatically change the UCS so that you can work on the view which is displayed.

Or you can set the UCSFOLLOW value at the commandline to 1.

Remember that if you draw it in 2D you can use that as the basis of your PRESSPULL commands.

Are you at liberty to post your drawing?

All you really need is the shell of the building along with the roof layout. It isn't as though you need the entire building (interior too) in 3D right? Did you convey this to the architect? Why should they charge your company? Aren't both companies working for the same client?

What level of detail are you looking for?

Normally, if you are going to create a 3D model of a building you would apply materials to it (like brick, concrete, etc.) rather than hatch it.

All you really need is the shell of the building along with the roof layout. It isn't as though you need the entire building (interior too) in 3D right? Did you convey this to the architect? Why should they charge your company? Aren't both companies working for the same client?

When this happens, a quick phone call to the client telling them what is going on usually fixes it up (they don't want to pay twice). Companies won't release data without the authorisation of the client (especially to a new/unknown partner who they do not have a previously established working relationship with).

It should be a collaborative effort and the architect's reluctance to share information is counter-productive.

Thanks so much guys for the support.

The level of detail that I need doesn't have to be "to the nut" but to really convey the correct building materials used (such as: brick, siding, grass, wood planks, etc. I don't need to draw drain spounts or gutters (at least not this project) but it needs to say to the client, "Yes, that's the building I'm paying a lot of money for, doesn't it look so great on that newly graded parcel of land!"

I can't upload a dwg yet as I'm still trying to tinker with getting used to building a building in 3 dimensions but I can post the photo of what the Fire station will look like. The image is mirrored since this is a replica of an existing building. I don't have to draw the interior, just the outer four walls so that I can do a "Fly over" animation movie.

When I draw using the "Push/Pull" method is there a way to trim the wall that I just created? An example would be a side view when the wall goes up to the roof and it creates a triangle. I haven't found a way to trim the wall yet so it looks totally wrong.

I'm sure I'll have more questions later. Thanks so much everyone for your responses.

Draw the elevation of the wall in question then use the PressPull command to give it depth. You don't necessarily have to draw everything in plan view.

If I were the city manager I would ask why we are paying to have the same building created as a 3D model by two different firms. One project = one 3D model.

Like Remark if you can get the elevations as drawings a quick and dirty is use "Rotate3d" to stand the elevations up and move and rotate to make building, the roofs as they are flat pitched you could do as pface which will draw a 3d face. use vpoint 1,1,1 as a simple to see where you are.

The easiest way is layout the elevations touching each other in a rectang then Rotate3d remember use X 90+ 90- Y 90+ 90- this shoudl produce something almost there, the pface when used with hide will make the roofs solid, you may need a pface or wipeout just behind the elevations also to create the solid feel of walls.

The right hand side of your previously posted image. Took about 10 minutes as it's my first day back and I had no dimensions to work from. No materials have been applied yet. The different colors were mainly to emphasis the different parts of the building. I could have left everything in one color.

ReMark,

Thanks so much for all your help! I was curious how you were able to get the wall to go up to the peak of the roof? When I try to extend my exterior wall up it intersects the roof but keeps going thru. How do you "trim" the exterior wall at the roof line? That's the only place where I'm getting hung up at.

I drew the elevation and used PressPull. You keep trying to attack the problem from the plan view up. That's the wrong approach.

Wow, I totally get what you're saying now. I feel dumb, but i guess that's how you learn.

I'll try this and see how it works,

Thanks again Remark, I'll keep you posted on my progress

Update time!

I'm almost finished with my building which I'll try and post here when I'm fully done. I just have to thank everyone so much who helped me thru this. Everyone in the office is totally thrilled By how it's coming along.

Sorry if I muddied the waters by introducing you to the POLYSOLID command.

It is a great command, but PRESSPULL gets the job done, including those endwalls

with a minimum of muss and fuss.

You have learned a few new skills and added DEPTH to your resume, congratulations.

Glad you have got it under control.