34
AutoCAD and Its Applications—Advanced
Guidelines for Working with 3D Guidelines for Working with 3D
Drawings Drawings
Working in 3D, like working with 2D drawings, requires careful planning to
effi produce the desired results. The following guidelines can be used when ficiently
working in 3D.
Planning
• Determine the type of final drawing you need and the manner in which it will fi
be displayed. Then, choose the method of 3D construction that best suits your
needs—wireframe, surface, mesh, or solid.
• If appropriate for the project, use 2D constraints to create a 2D layout or sketch.
• For an object requiring only one pictorial view, it actually may be quicker to
draw an object in 3D rather than in AutoCAD’s isometric mode. AutoCAD’s 3D
solid modeling tools enable you to quickly create an accurate model, and then
display it in the required isometric format using preset views. The
VIEWBASE
command can then be used to create a 2D drawing of the model.
• It is best to use AutoCAD’s 3D commands to construct objects and layouts that
need to be viewed from different angles for design purposes.
• Construct only the features needed for the function of the drawing. This saves
space and time, and makes visualization much easier.
• Use 2D or 3D object snap modes in a pictorial view in conjunction with UCS
icon manipulation to save having to create new UCSs.
• Keep in mind that when the grid is displayed, the pattern appears at the current
elevation and parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS.
• Create layers having different colors for different drawing objects. Turn them
on and off as needed or freeze those not being used.
Editing
• Use the
Properties
palette to change the color, layer, or linetype of 3D objects.
• Use grips to edit a solid-modeled object (see Chapter 11).
• Do as much editing as possible from a 3D viewpoint. It is quicker and the
results are immediately seen.
Figure 1-22.
The
Conceptual
visual style provides
a quick display of
the model using
shaded tones of the
object colors.