3D rendering from CAD

Cushtie

Hi,

I've been reading here for a while and see that there are one of two people that seem to know a bit about AutoCAD. I got the designs for our house on a CD from the Architect. the CD containes Files that have .dwg and .dng extensions. I downloaded a free dwg viewer from the web and can view them ok etc.

Is there any tool out there that will allow me to render any of them in 3D or does it need to be done from AutoCad (Which I don't have) or can it be done at all.

unfortunaltely I'm not sure which version of AutoCad was used to create the files and the Architect is no longer in a position to tell me.

dfitz1

Cushtie wrote:

Hi,

I've been reading here for a while and see that there are one of two people that seem to know a bit about AutoCAD. I got the designs for our house on a CD from the Architect. the CD containes Files that have .dwg and .dng extensions. I downloaded a free dwg viewer from the web and can view them ok etc.

Is there any tool out there that will allow me to render any of them in 3D or does it need to be done from AutoCad (Which I don't have) or can it be done at all.

unfortunaltely I'm not sure which version of AutoCad was used to create the files and the Architect is no longer in a position to tell me.

As far as I know Acad is the only tool for rendering a cad drg to a 3d viewpoint. It also depends on how he layered the drawing (ie walls a seperate layer to doors/windows etc.) Its not the easiest to explain, heights etc. need to be inputted, I'd say you'll need to get a person to do it for you.

Borzoi

Cushtie wrote:

Is there any tool out there that will allow me to render any of them in 3D or does it need to be done from AutoCad (Which I don't have) or can it be done at all. .

Pretty much has to be AutoCAD (Full version not LT, about €4K for the license), some other specilaist packages will also do it but they're even more expensive.

Furthermore as Custie says, you've got to input height etc, basicly it's more work then you'd think!

pauln

Are the drawings you have the standard 2D floor plans, elevations, side views, sections etc that would normally be done for a planning application?
If they are 2D drawings then it's a rather complicated and long process to re-draw them as 3D models of the house. AutoCad itself is pretty useless when it comes to creating realistic representations of the finished product, you can create the model alright but you can't get the right colouring or textures.
Other programs can take your 2D autocad drawing and you can then go about making it a 3D model, Chief Architect is one that springs to mind.
But either way these are professional software packages with the licence fees to match and a steep learning curve if your not familiar with CAD.
What exactly do you want to get from your drawings, maybe there is a simplier way to go about it?

prospect

Currently CAD is well over the €5K mark, per user.
Also as pointed out, it is no easy task to build a 3d layer drawing from a 2d one.

Your best option is to have a CAD draughtsman do it for you, or get an architect to do it.

I work with a team of 14 draughtsmen, i am sure some of them would be interested in helping you out so PM me if you want contact details.

kadman

Cushtie wrote:

Hi,

.

Is there any tool out there that will allow me to render any of them in 3D or does it need to be done from AutoCad (Which I don't have) or can it be done at all.

QUOTE]
Hi,

There are various packages that allow you to draw rendered house plans, as outlined by the previous posters.

There are two methods to achieve this, either draw it in Autocad in 2d, and extrude it into 3d elements. Or draw it in 3d from the outset in a suitable 3d modelling package. As correctly identified , either of these options from a software point of view, may be a costly endeavour from a single job point of view.

It really does not matter what the drawing file is, dwg, dxf as they can be worked in various formats.

What is your specific requirement for rendered views.

kadman

RicardoSmith

Why do you want it? I have a few friend who do 3D renderings and models of houses.

Cushtie

guys,

thanks for all the replies. I really only wanted to it so I could get a better idea of how the house will look and maybe do a bit of alterations to the inside. it is not all that important. A friend was going to let me have a lend of his copy of Autocad Lite just to have a mess around with it but I don't think I will bother.

thanks for all the replies.

kadman

If you post up cad/jpeg image of the room that you need in 3d cad, maybe we could have a look and advise or render it for you.

kadman

Cushtie

here is a quick jpeg of the elevations. I was hoping to be able to somehow render all that in 3d to get a better view of the whole thing but from what I the gather from the replies it is much much easier said than done.

Fudger

unless your arch drew the house in 3D and printed the drawings using the appropiate elevations through relevant viewports that is a 2D drawing which cannot be transferred into 3D without ALOT of work.

It would be very rare if your arch did do the entire drawing in 3D, Autocad can do it but you gotta have alot of time and patience Plus his invoice would have reflected same !!!!!!!! (expensive)

RicardoSmith

You'd get a student to do it for a few quid... Or someone with time on their hands building a portfolio.

Cushtie

I would imagine they were originally done in 2D alright. Oh well, it is not really that important. I was only going messing around with them anyway.

thanks for all the help guys

kadman

Hi,

As Fudger says, if your architect drew it in 3d in the first place, rendering it would be straight foreward. In order to give you the rendered views you require, it would need to be drawn in 3d first. You could overdraw your 2d elevations as regions and render them, but I dont know how they will look.

I don't know whether a student would do it for a few quid, it would be fairly labour intensive in Autocad, easier in Architectural Desktop, but that presuppose that a student has either package which is quite expensive, and I doubt that. And that he has been taught to draw in 3d in Autocad w, which would be rare.

Are you looking for the programme to draw it, or someone to do it for you

kadman

kadman

Can you post the cad dwg. file

kadman

RicardoSmith

It doesn't have to be AutoCad, you could import it into a 3D rendering app 3D Max, Viz most things can import a dwg. And knock up a decent approximation in couple of hours. Most colleges would have a this on a few machines. Most 3D packages are hugely quicker than AutoCAD for 3D stuff.

kadman

Agreed it could be imported in to a number of 3d modelling software packages, including 3d max, Chiefarchitect, Cabinetvision ect, Sema, and as I said Autocad 3d working is more labour intensive than other dedicated 3d packages. But it would have to be redrawn in 3d, using the 2d dxf layouts as your source of info. I agree a rough aproximation could be knocked up in a few hours.

kadman

Cushtie

It's probably best not as it has some personal info on it. If I get that copy of Autocad Lite and figure out how to remove the personal info I'll attach it alright.

As I said it is really only for messing about with so I wouldn't want any of ye lads wasting any of your time on it!!

kadman

Did your architect for get to put the apex roof over the double doors of the rear elevation, onto the side elevation showing the chimmney breast.

kadman

Cushtie

Kadman!!! you put the heart crossways in me there for a minute!! that drawing is not the final version. That apex over the double door was taken off for the final version and one or two other minor "errors" were fixed.

(It was submitted for planning last week so it might all have to change again, fingers crossed though.)

kadman

Ah yes..an eye for detail, that's me.


kadman

CADVantage Ltd.

If your just doing it for yourself!?!

*Download sketchup trial/demo from google.
*File->import (import the .dwg plan)
*Do the 10min tutorial
*extrude the 2D plans ino a 3D model. A beginner can still achieve a good representation. However you'll need something a bit better for accurate 3D.

I can provide these if needed.

Regards
CADVantage.

kadman

I reckon after nearly 2 years, the house is done , let alone the drawing.

RIP

kadman

Mellor

sketchup would of been a help two years ago,

BostonB

How did you "CADVantage Ltd" find the thread in the first place?

BTW Theres a Pimp my service forum over there...
http://www.adverts.ie/showcat.php?cat=38

Mellor

searched for 3D CAD or similar

dmck

AutoCAD Lite does not have 3d capabilities, you can view a drawing already produced in 3d and do a crude shade as opposed to a full render of the model, but that’s all.

kadman

Architectural desktop , probably the best all round cad package for any situation. Steel , timberframe, paneliser ect. Excellent rendering.

Autocad is good , I think ADT is better. Strucad , best steel design package, excelent walkthrough , rendering ect. Sema , best timberframe package, steep learning curve though , well worth it. Mitek timberframe, excellent.

Pytha 3d cad, excellent presentation, fabrication drawings. Walkthrough,s, untouchable.

End of rant

kadman