3D Cad and all that...

mjsmyth

I'm a simple CAD Monkey... I don't profess to be any more than that (although I am) and really do enjoy my job (I have lasted over 15 years in the industry, so it helps to like what you do). I work in both the Building Services and Architectural areas.

Over the years, 3D has always been the buzz term thrown around. I remember having dealers try and wow me with 3D studio running on a 386 with Dos... showing how we could render up drawings and blah blah blah (I used to fall asleep)

I have done some 3D drawings in my time, nothing special though, just quickies to make sure that a plantroom has enough room to fit the equipment or something similar, but have never needed to do a project in 3D.

I am trying to think back to projects we received in 3D from other members of design teams and to be honest, I can't remember ever getting a proper 3D drawing off any of them.

Sure some architects were using AEC or Arch. Desktop, but they never ever seemed to use it to its full extent. Mainly furniture blocks were the only things in 3D!!!

So... where was I, emm.. yeah. What are your opinions on 3D? Do you use it for all projects? Is it just something to blow the client away and then the real work is done in 2D? Do you bother at all with it??

Just curious, not trying to say 2D is better than 3D, but I have yet to see 3D make the kind of breakthough it promised all those years ago.

mj

risk

i work in the aerospace industry and have been designing for the last 6 years. It is the total opposite for me. All the important work is done in 3D and then the 2D is just used to let non cad ppl know whats going on. Components are machined straight from 3D models going from the designers computer straight to the CNC machine. Only real use for 2D is to have an few inspect dimensions after parts are made. I suppose its just different for each industry

mjsmyth

I can understand how it is of use in the Aerospace industry. After all, you guys are dealing with measurements and accuracy far beyond anything we would be used to. Also as you say, you create your components directly from the models, so I would imagine it makes life a hell of a lot easier to create the parts.

One Cold Hand

Is it AutoCAD you're talking about? AutoCAD only produces terrible 3d images, it's only really good for wireframes. You need to use a seperate rendering programme.

Archicad and Microstation do produce decent quality renders, but not as good (imo) as 3d Max, Maxwell, V-ray etc.

risk

No I use Catia V5 mainly and Pro-e for some of the quick and easy stuff. 3d Max, Maxwell, V-ray aren't used at all in high end design as far as I can see. They just aren't good enough.

Mellor

I don't think he meant AutoCad, in fact he specificly mentioned 3d packages. Which as you pointed out, autocad isn't

justsomebloke

actually as the IT guy for a building company I always thought that using 3d packages like archicad would be more benefical as you can then destruct the image and get all your 2d drawings from it, but it has always surprised me that most people in the company prefer working in multiple 2d drawings rather then using 1 drawing that will change all the dimensions in the corresponding 2d drawings as oppose to having to change multiple 2d drawings.

mawk

well ive used 3d drawings a few times esp for cnc work. also it looks cool for showing off models to people who dont understand the more technical aspects.

always used 2d for bringing to the workshop, seems easier for people

Slig

I use Archicad 12. Everything is done in 3d. If it has to be finished to a proper render then I use Art-lantis.
The biggest advantage is that the elevations always follow the floor plans so there is no such thing as a window placed on the floor plans and missing on elevations or windows in different placeds on the elevations and floor plans.
Also very handy for showing a client what their rooms will actually look like. In a complicated building a 3d steel drawing is very handy aswell.

Turbulent Bill

I work in 3D all the time (SolidWorks) - it wouldn't be practical to design using multiple 3D drawings.

whassupp2

I'm learning Archicad at the minute and i have to say its very interesting stuff after using autocad.

Rabidlamb

I've used both Inventor & Solidworks.

I think Autodesk missed a trick with Inventor when they didn't just use the standard 2D package to create a sketch before extruding to 3D.

It would have been far more familiar to people when making the switch.
I work in Steel design so we never use 3D unless we want to check a model with FEA.

Offy

I worked with AutoCAD in the early nineties for portal frames and structural steel, everything was done in 2D and most of that was inked. These days I use solidworks for mechanical design and FEA, Magnet for electromechanical simulations and PCAD for electronic design and PCB layouts. Mechanical component design is greatly simplified using 3D but to inspect the components 2D is essential. Producing 2D drawings from 3D models is a lot easier than it was in 1991 when I did my first 3D drawing, AutoCAD 10 didnt have any faculity to do that so there was no relationship between the 3D wireframe drawings and the 2D dimensional drawings. If I wanted to render a drawing back then I would start it as I was leaving for dinner and hope it would be nearly done when I returned an hour later. 3D has come a long way and for a mechanical design engineer I find it reduces the time required to design a component from days to hours.
Ive spent the last month trying to make an old design more efficient, because of 3D CAD I designed a similar part that is cheaper to produce and 680% more efficient. That took less than a month to do, without the software it would have taken me 5-6 months. So in the right environment it is a fantastic tool to have. JMO.

mr.stonewall

Hi

in the teaching game (tech drawing/ DCG at 2nd level) and have and still using both 2d and 3d cad. the biggest difference i find is that for the for pupils new to the drawing game they seem to find 3d (soildworks) easier compared to the teachers who find 2d easier. must be all that that elevation, plan and end view that they have drilled. from working in industry 3d wins out every day esp design with the exception of buildings IMHO.

RKQ

Whats the best program for 3d exterior views or interal walk-through? Simple 3d to help client visualise house?
(Revit of maybe Archicad)

li@mo

RKQ wrote: »

Whats the best program for 3d exterior views or interal walk-through? Simple 3d to help client visualise house?
(Revit of maybe Archicad)

Ive only used archicad and its pretty good but Im told if its something pretty simple you need to show then use google sketchup.

Of course they all take time to learn how to use

RKQ

Chief Architect seem fast and user friendly. Anyone using it?

Revit and Archicad look similar, both would seem to have a steep learning curve. Anyone used both, that might have a preference?

One Cold Hand

RKQ wrote: »

Whats the best program for 3d exterior views or interal walk-through? Simple 3d to help client visualise house?
(Revit of maybe Archicad)

The easiest programm is Sketch Up. There are tutorial videos on line and you'll be up and running in a few hours.
It won't produce the best images in terms of quality, but I'd imagine they would certainly be good enough for what you want.
You can import a CAD drawing and extrude it.

Daveq

We do nearly everything in 3D now. Between the different depts doing their stuff it works out as a mixture of Autoplant, AutoCAD, ADT and rendered in Viz if needed.

tommytee

risk wrote: »

No I use Catia V5 mainly and Pro-e for some of the quick and easy stuff. 3d Max, Maxwell, V-ray aren't used at all in high end design as far as I can see. They just aren't good enough.

huh? you are not comparing like with like buddy, thats like saying catia Pro E arent used in the movie business cos they aint up to it, they are simply not made for that.

Catia/Pro E/SolidWorks (cadds5 and SDRC ideas the two progs i earned my stripes with) are engineering design software, MAX/MAYA/Softimage/renderman (coupled with plugins like Vray, Brazil, maxwell etc) are purely visualisation progs, be they animations, Stills or VR. Max would'nt know what a tolerance stackup was if it bit it on its ass, similarly catia, pro e etc could not match max et al in effects or rendering technologies.
My 2 cents worth.

do the enginering design in Catia etc and import into Max etc to do your animations/effects from there, -prior to going to post of course
Tom