Best way to view and dimension out selections of complex geometry?

Say you have a 3D model of an office space. Walls, desks, casework, everything. You want four viewports of four different elevations from within the model, dimensioned out as a regular shop drawing.

In other words, you want to navigate to a certain place within your 3D model (say, an elevation of cabinets), view it in parallel at a certain scale, and be able to draw dimension lines in paper space. You don't want to view anything but that elevation.

You don't want to duplicate geometry, you don't want to create any unnecessary blocks, and you're absolutely done with hand-drawing every damn elevation you need.

Is this possible? If so, how? I've been messing around with DVIEW for a while, to no avail. There don't seem to be any tutorials online for this, even though this really strikes me as AutoCAD 101. This is driving me crazy, especially since it took me half an hour to figure this out on my own in Sketchup...

Hopefully you've made good use of layers so some of the clutter can be frozen in the viewport where it isn't necessary to see.

Will you be dimension 3D objects or will you first extract the necessary 2D views?

Viewports can be created in a layout using the MVIEW command.

Scales are assigned to viewports.

Is it really just a matter of managing layers? I can't select what objects to hide in a certain view, and have that show/hide information apply only to that view? Is there any way to use section or clip planes?

Ideally, I would be dimensioning directly off the 3D model, but I'm not sure what you mean by:

...or will you first extract the necessary 2D views?

What does this mean, exactly? Are you talking about creating a 2D block from a specific 3D view? That actually might be easier so I don't have to go vertex-hunting in wireframe, but how would that be done?

I would use the VIEWBASE command, select the one item I am wanting, continue from there.

Otherwise you will need lots of layers, create a viewport, freeze all layers but the one needed in that viewport, set the view for front, right, etc., what ever is the correct view, scale the VP, continue from there. Hopefully you have viewport controls showing on your screen, upper left, or if in a viewport the upper left of that VP.

Any good cad tech will utilize layers to their advantage. I do hope you did not draw everything on just one layer.

rkent has mentioned one of the more frequently used methods of extracting 2D geometry from a 3D object.

Wow, OK, so, I've been using AutoCAD in a work environment for close to a year now (self-taught), and before fifteen minutes ago I had never heard of the VIEWBASE and FLATSHOT commands, which completely answer all the questions I've been having since yesterday morning. If I weren't a grown-ass man, I'd be crying right now.

I think I'll be using FLATSHOT combined with some precise layer management (and maybe a little DVIEW to orient the camera), because I don't need the extra views provided by VIEWBASE and I think my geometry is too complex for that anyway. That should be a good start for me, but I'll report back with any weird questions.

And no, very little of what I draw goes to layer 0. I normally separate basic things, like walls, framing, etc, but I'm going to have to get a little more detailed with elevation-specific layers to really dial in my FLATSHOT blocks. It's what I have been doing, just more precise.

Thanks, rkent and ReMark, for taking the time to answer my questions and point me in the right direction. As suspected, I just needed to be exposed to some more AutoCAD commands

You can pick the 3D object(s) you want to create blocks of using Viewbase. There are a total of nine standard views available using Viewbase. BTW...the blocks are created in your layout and not in model space. Flatshot, on the other hand, creates the blocks in model space.

Interesting difference... I think I'd prefer my blocks to be in model space, but I'll play with both to see what works best.

You know that you can still place your text and dimensions in your layout correct? Not everyone does it this way but it is an option.

I basically always dimension in paper space, and the dimensions associate with an object in model space, so that I don't have to fuss around with scales or font sizes. I orient the object in the viewport, set the scale, and then dimension in the layout from there, so that my dimension lines are always accurate and readable. No way for a 24" dimension to somehow display 3-1/2", and no way for the font size to be different.

I've gotten a lot of crap for this method, though...

I basically always dimension in paper space, and the dimensions associate with an object in model space, so that I don't have to fuss around with scales or font sizes. I orient the object in the viewport, set the scale, and then dimension in the layout from there, so that my dimension lines are always accurate and readable. No way for a 24" dimension to somehow display 3-1/2", and no way for the font size to be different.

 

I've gotten a lot of crap for this method, though...

For drawings without a lot of detail I use the method you describe above. I don't know why you would be given grief for a perfectly reasonable method.

Forget the command DVIEW is even there, use the preset views instead.

Flatshot is not a bad way to go but the limitation is that it doesn't automatically update as the 3D model changes. With Viewbase the resultant views update as the 3D model is changed. Don't have obscured lines (hidden lines) show for a much better result, or freeze that layer created after the Viewbase command is run.

With Viewbase views you can quickly have different view styles, shaded, with hidden line, etc.

I basically always dimension in paper space, and the dimensions associate with an object in model space, so that I don't have to fuss around with scales or font sizes. I orient the object in the viewport, set the scale, and then dimension in the layout from there, so that my dimension lines are always accurate and readable. No way for a 24" dimension to somehow display 3-1/2", and no way for the font size to be different.

 

I've gotten a lot of crap for this method, though...

We have been using the same method for years now with no problems. I always suggest that newcomers to AutoCAD do a series of test drawings utilizing the various ways to add text and dimensions then choose the option that works best for their particular situation. I've never insisted that my way is the only (i.e. - right) way to do it.

Honestly, I love the idea of a view updating with a model (haven't really had that working for me since I stopped using Sketchup), but I'm not sure how what you described will help with what I'm working on right now.

Here's an example: say I have a 100' bar with a 60 deg. bend in the middle (two 50' sections meeting at 60 deg.). The owner is crazy and wants cabinets on both sides of the die wall. So, ultimately, I need four elevations - one for each side of each wall section.

So, right now I'm orienting the camera with DVIEW and using FLATSHOT to give me a block with which I can dimension. This is helpful since I can easily dial in that 60 deg. camera angle.

My point is, there's no preset view for that 60 deg. angle, and from the little I've seen VIEWBASE also gives you preset perspectives, so it doesn't seem like it would work. Maybe I'm wrong about this? I haven't had the time this morning to really dive into VIEWBASE, and the rest of my afternoon is pretty packed too. I'm very intrigued by views updating with the model, though. Maybe I just need more time.

You will need to change the orientation of the UCS to match the desired view, then set PLAN to the current UCS.

Finally you save the View so you can go back to that quickly without repeating the above. Repeat for the other side of the wall.

VIEWBASE will work off of the current PLAN view, so you can grab just the angled section and go from there with the base views, elevations, etc.