how to start 3d drawing in autocad 2016

Create a 3D Site Plan Using CADMapper and AutoCAD

Demand to quickly create a 3D site plan in AutoCAD?

Here'south how to do it.

This tutorial covers the following information:

1. Setting upwardly a 3D site in CADMapper

2. Converting Units: Metric to Majestic

3. External References: Separating Layers into Drawings

Disclosure:

CADMapper is a website that can save architects, designers, and planners tons of time past automatically generating three-Dimensional information for over 200 cities around the earth. CADMapper generates 3D models that tin can exist used with AutoCAD, Sketchup, Rhinoceros, and Illustrator. To generate information for topography, buildings, and streets, CADMapper pulls data from OpenStreetMap.

I should start by saying that my blueprint work primarily involves the schematic design phase of architectural pattern. I sympathise that site data should be field-verified by professionals in surveying, ceremonious technology, etc. to ensure accurateness. The intention of this tutorial is to use CADMapper to create a basis for architectural schematic designs.

Setting upward a 3D site in CADMapper

Step i: Detect your site - Showtime with Google Maps.

I similar to start by finding my site in Google Maps. Oftentimes, there is trivial information given that specifies coordinates or a physical accost of a site. Searching for the site in Google Maps gives me a ameliorate understanding of what my site looks like from an aeriform perspective.

Once you find your site in Google Maps, head over to CADMapper.com and type in the approximate address - or ii intersecting streets.

CADMapper only provides vector line information, and so information technology might exist cumbersome to try to search for your site starting in CADMapper. Look between Google Maps and CADMapper to hone in on your site, and create a box in CADMapper that captures the information you lot need from your site. CADMapper is gratuitous, but upwards to 1km of data.

Always attempt to capture more information than you think yous need. Y'all never know when y'all might need the information in the future. It'south better to have it and not need information technology, than to need information technology and non have it - I've had to stitch multiple CADMapper files together before because I left out some important data when I created my initial file, and information technology'due south a real pain to go through that procedure.

Step 2: Turn on 3D Buildings

If you want building height information, check the box for 3D Buildings. If edifice information is available (which it oft is in large cities), CADMapper will create mesh geometry of buildings in the CAD file. You can specify "False Height Data", in which CADMapper will generate buildings without height information to a value that you lot specify. Not a necessary footstep, but it can y'all save cartoon time.

Step 3: Select 3D Topography, topography contours spaced at 4 meters.

Information technology's good practice to just collect as much information as we can get, early in a project. The everyman spacing that CADMapper volition generate for profile lines is 4 meters, which should be enough of information to get you started in your blueprint.

Step 4: Road Geometry, Select "Outlines"

CADMapper provides options for generating road graphics. Roads can be depicted as unmarried center-lines, outlines, or mesh surfaces. If you intend on using this site file for fabrication, such as 3D printing or laser-cutting, I would suggest choosing an choice that best suits your needs. For this tutorial, selecting "Outlines" volition provide graphic separation betwixt types of roads, and allow piece of cake scaling of the cartoon in AutoCAD. Additionally, "Outlines" is a good option to choose for laser-cut site models.

Modify the route dimensions to specific dimensions: I recommend the following:

• Highways: 10 meters

• Major Roads: viii meters

• Minor Roads: vi meters

• Paths: 4 meters

Step 5: Generate the CADMapper File

If everything is set to your liking, click on "Create File". It will take a moment to generate the file.

Once the file is generated, you lot tin can examine the map in three views:

• 3D Axonometric View

• 2D View

• Topography

At this point, select download. The file will download as a unmarried .nothing, containing one .dxf file that you can open with AutoCAD.

Converting Units - Metric to Imperial

Past default, CADMapper exports units in meters. For our purposes, we demand to convert meters to feet.'

Stride 1: In the "Units" Menu, Modify 'Decimal' to 'Architectural'

Type in command, "Un" to open the Units menu. Change 'Decimal' to 'Architectural', and 'Millimeters' to 'Inches', respectively. Note that just changing the units will not alter the calibration the drawing. For example, two meters will be converted to ii anxiety, which is incorrect.

And then, we'll need to calibration the drawing later on changing the units from metric to royal.

Step 2: Verify the Distance of a Road

Use the command "DIST" to measure the distance of one of the roads generated past the CADMapper file. It should read as one of the measurements that was specified on the CADMapper website. For this example, the road is 6 meters.

Step iii: Scale the Cartoon

If the road distance is 6 meters, it will need to be scaled to nineteen.685 feet (because 1 meter = 3.28084 anxiety) after changing the Units from metric to regal.

Draw a polyline (command "PL") off to the side of your drawing in model space somewhere. Below that 6 meter line, draw a line of distance, 19.685.

Use control "AL" for 'Align', and select EVERYTHING in model space. Deselect the (19.685) line. We want to scale everything in the drawing except that line.

Select the first point of the (half dozen units) line, and the get-go betoken of the (xix.685 units) line. Then, select the 2nd bespeak of the (six units) line, and the second point of the (xix.685 units) line.

When prompted to 'Calibration', select Aye.

If done correctly, all of the elements in the drawing volition have scaled with the (vi units) line, which at present matches the altitude of 19.685. Then now, when the Units are set to "Architectural" and "Inches", all of the roads should read as the equivalent imperial measurement.

External References: Separating Layers into Drawings

CADMapper conveniently sorts drawings elements into split layers. This is useful in terms of system, nonetheless, we should set up upwards our drawings in a way that allows multiple people to piece of work on them. This may non be necessary for your particular projection, but it'due south good practice to learn the conventions of creating external references to continue file systems organized, and to allow the potential for multiple people to piece of work on a single projection.

Streamlined file systems = saved fourth dimension on drafting piece of work. And saving drafting time will open up upward fourth dimension for more important stuff, like designing!

Here's how to quickly create external references from layers:

Step 1: Open the Layer Bill of fare

Type "LA" to open the Layer Menu. Freeze all layers, then unfreeze the beginning layer that you want to catechumen into an external reference. In this case, we'll start the the layer called "buildings".

Side by side, type "Select" and "All" to select everything on that layer.

"Copy Base" with, CRTL+SHIFT+C, and then specify the origin point every bit 0,0,0 (x,y,z, respectively).

This is important, because copying the information with the origin point will allow you lot to bring all of the drawings into the new "Master Drawing" at the same point. This will ensure that the drawings are lined up correctly, maintaining accuracy in the information.

Step 2: Create the "Chief Drawing"

Open a new drawing. This will become the "Master Drawing", which volition hold all of the xrefs that we will be creating for each layer. The "Primary Drawing" will look exactly like the original file containing all of the individual layer information. The benefit of setting upwardly a master drawing this way, is that multiple people can work on individual files inside one project.

For instance, one person tin can work on the "Buildings" layer. Another person can work on the "Roads" layer, and and so on.

This is not only convenient for group drafting projects, just it will help y'all build a consistent file organisation that can be applied to a number of different programs outside of AutoCAD. Information technology'south but a organization of file linkage, and these types of systems offer the about flexibility for arrangement, and drafting workflows.

One last note: the "Main Drawing" should serve as a file for reference, and should not be drawn on or referenced to other drawings. Changes made on all of the other external references will reverberate on the Master Drawing, however, changes fabricated on the Principal Drawing will not reflect on the linked external references. Information technology'southward a one-mode street, and maintaining this system will ensure that your projection is clean and organized.

Good luck!

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Source: https://rascoh.studio/blog/3d-site-plan-cadmapper-autocad-tutorial