32
AutoCAD and Its Applications—Advanced
Sample 3D Construction Sample 3D Construction
The example provided here illustrates how you can move from a layout sketch to
an exact 2D drawing with parametric constraints, then quickly extrude the object into
a 3D solid model. Techniques illustrated here are discussed throughout the book. The
object shown is the plastic housing for a 24/15-pin cable connector. The final rendition fi
of this object would include internal cutouts, rounded edges, and holes, but are not
shown in this example.
Creating a 2D Sketch
A 2D layout can be drawn quickly using the
Drafting & Annotation
workspace. In
doing so, you can create a quick sketch without close attention to exact dimensions
or you can use direct distance entry and polar tracking for accuracy. If appropriate,
constraints can then be used to apply accurate dimensions and geometric relation-
ships, such as perpendicularity and parallelism, to the object. See Figure 1-20A. In this
example, only half of the object is drawn, since it is symmetrical. Then the
MIRROR
command is used to complete the layout. See Figure 1-20B.
Figure 1-19.
The 3D object snaps
can be set in the
Drafting Settings
dialog box.
Figure 1-20.
A—Half of the 2D object is drawn using geometric constraints. B—The object is mirrored to
create a full profile of the connector body. C—The object is now a “region” and is displayed
in the southwest isometric viewpoint.
B
A C