.....yet more notes!

Creating Shells

2010-04-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Shell Solid Tool:
Often you will want to edit an object by 'opening it up'. For example turning a cube into an open box, a hemisphere into a bowl or even an extruded polygon into a floor and set of walls!

To do this we can use the Shell Solid Tool. In the Mode Bar set the Shell Preferences to the desired thickness and also select either 'Shell Inside' or 'Shell Outside'.

Select the face to shell and in the Mode Bar select the Green Tick Button to complete the command.

We can always change the thickness of the shell in the Object Info. Palette afterwards.

We can shell very complex shapes but make sure that you save your work first just in case the computer cant take it and crashes!

We can also use the Shell Solid tool to add a thickness to 3D Polygons and NURBS Surfaces. We will look at this later though!

Filleting Edges

2010-04-25T13:40:00.001-07:00

Once we have created 3D objects there are many tools to edit and refine them further. These are also located in the 3D Modeling Menu in the Tool Sets Palette. There are too many to go through today but we will look at the main ones that I think you will need to use.

Fillet Edge Tool:
Most 3D objects do not have perfect sharp edges but are instead smoothed off with a fillet edge. Placing these onto objects will add extra detail and quality to your model and help the renders achieve greater realism.

Note that in the Mode Bar we can set the Fillet edge Preferences. Firstly set the fillet Radius and secondly whether to fillet either a single Edge or a whole Face.

Select the edge or face that you wish to fillet and in the Mode Bar select the Green Tick Button to complete the Command. Note that by holding down the shift key we can select multiple edges or faces to fillet.

It is a good idea to wait and go through your model at the end of a project and place fillets on the relevant edges.

You may also need to use the fillet tool more radically to alter the form of an object. We can turn a cylinder into a pill shape or even a sphere if we place a big enough fillet.

The Fillet Radius can be altered afterwards in the Object Info. Palette. To take a fillet off an object we need to select it and go to Modify> Ungroup.

3D Primitives

2010-04-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

We have looked at taking 2D shapes and giving them an extrusion value using the Model> Extrude tool. Vectorworks also has many 3D Primitives which does this process in one simple step. There are also tools which create 3D shapes not possible through Linear extrusion, such as cones, spheres and hemispheres.

To model using 3D Primitives go to the 3D Modeling Menu in the Tool Sets Palette.

Cylinders and Cones (By Radius Mode):
Select the view you require and click to determine the objects center point. The computer will then ask you to input a height value (this can always be changed later either manually or through the object Info. Palette). Next drag the mouse out to determine the radius of the Primitive.

Spheres and Hemispheres (By Radius mode):
Click to determine the objects center point, drag the mouse out to determine the objects radius, click again to complete the command. Hemispheres will be drawn with the flat surface at the base, to rotate go to the required view and use the Modify>Rotate> Flip Vertical /Horizontal Commands.

As with all tools, have a go at the different modes of drawing available in the Mode Bar.

Extruded Rectangle / Extruded Polygon:
Click to determine a corner point of the object, input the height value required and then drag and draw to complete the object. Remember to double click to finish Extruded Polygons.

Editing Primitives:
3D Primitive Rectangles and Cylinders act just like extruded 2D Primitives. we can double-click on them and 'go inside' the extrusion. We can now edit the shape, add surface, clip surface etc.

Editing Extruded Polygons is done slightly differently. You will notice that they are called 'Meshes', this means that instead of being one solid object they are made up of many seperate 3D Polygons. Double-click on the Mesh and we can now edit individual planes. Each plane can be given a different colour, or we can delete, resize or move individual planes.

Duplicate Along Path Tool

2010-04-25T13:27:00.001-07:00

We can also duplicate objects and symbols along pre drawn paths (any 2D object) by using the Duplicate Along Path tool.

In the Preferences Box we can decide to place the object at set intervals along the path or decide on the number of duplicates to be placed.

Select Tangent to Path to place the duplicates consistently at right angles to the path.

When modelling architectural schemes it is often useful to use the same path for more than one task. For example if we use a path to model a curved sofa we can use it again to place a set of tables in front of it.

For this to work however we must first off-set the original path to the required distance so that the tables will position themselves parallel to the sofa path.

It is always useful to keep copies of paths that you use as you may need them later on.

We can also duplicate Light sources along paths.

Exercise : Model of seating and table/ Model of Bar area.
Websites: www.designboom.com (Becks Bar Competition)

Multiple Extrudes

2010-04-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Another tool with interesting results is Model >Multiple Extrude.

By drawing a series of 2D shapes on top of one another (or by placing them in a specific hierarchy), selecting them and then using the command, an extrude of a particular height with varying cross-sections is created. These can be edited afterwards by double-cli

Extrude Along Path Tool

2010-04-25T13:21:00.001-07:00

So far we have looked at simple linear extrusions which keep a constant profile in one direction. Today we will be looking at a range of advanced modeling tools that extrude in all sorts of directions and have some great results!

These tools are all kept in the Model Menu.

Extrude Along Path Tool:

The ‘Advanced’ Extrude that you will probably use the most frequently is Model >Extrude Along path.

As the name suggests this requires at least two parts to complete the extrusion. It is made up solely of 2D shapes one of which acts as the path object and the other/others as the profile.

Paths can be either simple primitives (circles, rectangles, arcs) or Polylines/Polygons. When drawing paths it is often useful to construct one from a series of separate lines/polylines, this ensures a level of accuracy to the path. Make sure that the lines are connected at their end points and connect using Modify> Compose. This will result in a new single polyline.

The ‘Profile’ can be formed of single or multiple 2D shapes. Each shape can have its own colour- but not its own texture!. Note that the profile is positioned with its center along the path.

Extrusions along paths are always positioned flat on the ground plane despite which view you create them in. You will have to rotate them afterwards to position them vertically etc.

Also note that the center of the extrusion is placed at height=0. The Extrude Along Path will require moving up and re-positioning in an elevation view.

Both the Path and the Profile can be edited/added to by double-clicking on the extrusion and selecting the desired part to alter from the command box. Click on the 'Done' button to see the updated extrusion.

2010-04-22T02:49:00.000-07:00

CAD Session 10: ADVANCED 3d Modelling

2009-11-25T05:36:00.000-08:00

By far the most enjoyable tool to use for the first time is the Sweep Tool. Sweeps include tables, stools, glasses or bottles and even whole buildings!.

Sweep Tool :

This tool works by drawing the right hand half of an objects profile. Vectorworks then sweeps the half profile around the left hand edge.

It is often useful to draw a vertical line to act as a guide to draw to, this can be deleted later before activating the sweep command.

Sweeps can consist of individual lines, 2D Primitive shapes and collections of both.

Sweeps are made up of Segments, each segment has a degree value. By adding segments we can make them smoother in appearance (the smoothest being 0.1). By decreasing the segments we can turn them into sweeps of different shapes . Four segments of ninety degrees will create square sweeps!This makes the sweep tool ideal for quickly trying out different design ideas for say a table.

For more advanced sweeps we need to include what is termed a 2D Locus Point. We can place this wherever we want and this will now become the sweeps center of rotation. This creates sweeps with space at their centers (such as a bar counter or information desk).

The sweep tool can be set to rotate through any number of degrees (either less or more than 360). A sweep of 180 degrees will result in half a swept profile. A sweep of 330 degrees will produce a bar counter with an access point!

By adjusting the sweeps Pitch higher and the rotation above 360 we can create spiralling sweeps. For example if we sweep a circle with a diameter of 100mm and an off-set 2D locus we will get a dough-nut shape as a result. By changing the pitch to say 150mm and the sweep to 3600 degrees we will get a spring!

Finally we should look at editing sweeps.

We can double-click on a sweep to add to, delete from or edit the original. Click on 'Done' to see the updated result.

By un-grouping a sweep (Modify> Un-Group) made from multiple shapes we can then apply individual textures to each sweep as well as adjusting the settings for each one.

It is amazing how this tool will cut down the time needed for modeling complex schemes and how it can be used to make shapes that at first will not be obvious to you!

Session 15: Reflectivity

2009-11-23T15:27:00.001-08:00

Session 15: Applying Imported Textures

2009-11-23T15:25:00.001-08:00

Working out the correct dimensions:

When applying imported images as graphics in Vectorworks it is important to pay attention to the dimensions of both the image file and the object it is to be applied to.

The File above was used for the ITV Reception Area Graphic. Download the file to use in the exercise (Left-Click to open in a new window and then Right-Click to save as a jpeg).

The image is 31.25cm x 13.02cm. So that the image fits neatly onto the object we must apply the same proportions to both (or crop part of the image). It is unlikely that the object shares these dimensions. Here is a tip for working out the required dimensions in Photoshop:

Open the file and check the Image Size. Make sure Constrain Proportions is checked.
Change either the Height or width to match one of your desired dimensions (e.g Height=100cm).
This will automatically adjust the second dimension, keeping the same proportions!
Do not save the changes made however, it is not needed to have such a large file.

Setting the Texture Size by Image: (taken from Vectorworks 2008 Help)

For image-based shaders, the real-world size of each texture repetition can be set based on a segment of the image.

To set the size of an image texture based on the image:

1.	Select the image to use for the texture..

2.	In the Edit Texture dialog box, click Set By Image.

The Set Image Size dialog box opens. Red handles flash briefly to indicate the location of the line segment.

3.	Specify the image length to use for sizing the texture by dragging the line segment into position, and then dragging the ends of the line segment. If necessary, use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom into and out of the image, or click and hold the mouse wheel button to pan.

When the line is indicating the desired real-world length, specify the real-world size for the line segment in Feature Size.

4.	Click OK to exit the Set Image Size dialog box and update the Size value.

Applying the Texture:

Select the object
Double-click on the texture Icon in the Resource Browser Palette.
The Texture may have to be 'Flipped' either Horizontally or Vertically.
Make sure that the Horizontal and vertical off-sets are at 0.

To complete the application you can Un-check the Repeat Horizontally and Repeat Vertically boxes in the Object Info. Palette. The texture now sits on the front face of the object only. The other faces take on the objects fill colour attribute.

Session 15: Using Renderworks Textures

2009-11-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

The application of many of the most used textures is done through the Object Info Palette under the 'Render Tab'. Here we have among others several Woods, Metals, Concrete and two Glass texture resources.

To apply simply select a 3D object and then in the Render Tab select a texture from the pull down menu. Once you have used a texture Resource it will then be placed at the top of the 'Pull-Down' Menu for easy selection in the future.

Most of these pre-set textures come already scaled. For example a brick texture will map onto the surface of an object at its correct size without having to be scaled. For other textures we can use the scale bar in the Render Tab to adjust the size.

Note that we can also Rotate the Texture Resource as well!

A special case are Walls. We can apply a texture to either the Left, Center or the Right side of the Object. So we could have Bricks on the outside and a Wallpaper on the Interior.

Resource Browser libraries:

There are also a wide variety of textures in the Resource Browser Palette to choose from. From the Libraries Menu select the Category of texture required ( e.g Interior textures).

You are then given a full range of textures for that category. It is probably best to see these as Thumbnail Icons (right-click to select this option).

To apply one of these textures simply select the object and then double click on the required texture icon.

Note that once you have used a texture from the Resource Browser it will now be placed in the Object Info Palette Render Tab list for you to use.

It is often useful to work with texturing when in Open GL Render Mode so that you can quickly see the results of any changes made without having to re-render the screen.

Session 15: Using Lighting Tools

2009-11-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Session 14: Sheet Layer Examples

2009-11-23T15:21:00.001-08:00

Session 13: Stairs

2009-11-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

Session 12: Using Stack Layers

2009-11-23T15:14:00.001-08:00

Session 11: Doors and Windows

2009-11-09T07:22:00.001-08:00

Vectorworks has what are termed Hybrid Objects. These objects can look different in 2D and 3D, making them perfect for both architectural plans as well as visualisations. Vectorworks doors and windows are Hybrid objects, for example in plan view a door will show an arc for opening radius but act just like any other object in a 3D view.

Plug-Ins:

The Resource Browser contains many ‘Plug-Ins’ for your Vectorworks model.

Vectorworks has a huge library of pre-built door and window objects which correspond to real-life manufacturing standards. To activate a plug-in simply select it and drag into the drawing space.

If you know exactly which door or window you require then this is very useful, today however we will be looking at making our own from the default window and door symbols (These can also be found in the Building Shell Pallette).

Doors and windows can be snapped into walls and then repositioned in plan view by selecting the plug-in at one of its ends and moving it along the wall (make sure you use the double-headed angled arrow cursor).

Using the Object Info Palette we can now adjust settings such as height, width and configuration (along with the option of having a door open or closed in 3D). You can also adjust the elevation height of a window.

Extra editing controls are accessed by double-clicking on the plug-in object. This will open up a large box with a number of different tabs. Here you can adjust in more detail the makeup of the object (For example you can adjust the thickness of a sill or add a door threshold).

Session 11: Floors and Ceilings

2009-11-09T07:16:00.003-08:00

There is no 'Floor' Tool in Vectorworks as such, instead we draw the floor area using a 2D Tool and then give it a depth (usually a negative extrusion as discussed in session 2). In todays session we will look at two different ways in which to achieve this.

Drawing the Floor Area: It is often useful to draw the floor first and then use this as a guide around which to construct the walls. This is especially useful when modeling one room for visualisation. You may have done a site survey and have all of the internal measurements, in this case it is easier to construct an accurate 2D shape for the floor rather than straight away trying to determine the individual lengths of multiple walls.

The Image above shows a floor area made by adding together several rectangles using Modify > Add Surface.

General Tips!

When drawing walls around the Floorplan template make sure that you use the appropriate wall drawing mode from the mode bar. You do not want to have your walls sitting inside the floor area if you have spent time constructing it accurately!
The Floor shapes that you construct can often simply be duplicated and moved up to act as your ceiling object as well!

Advanced Floor Creation:
Vectorworks has even more advanced commands which can be used for quick and easy construction of walls and floors. They are located in the AEC>Architectural menu, found in the Standard Workspace (Tools > Workspaces > Standard Workspace).

The Create Polys from Walls command can be used to create flooring and ceilings from multiple walls. Select all of the walls that form contained spaces and access the command (Note that you must select wall objects only for the command to work). Select either Gross or net (room) Polys and see the results.

The Create Walls from Polys Tool takes a polygon and constructs walls around it. The polygon can include curved edges but the program may have trouble with excessively complex shapes. The curved part of the polygon will produce curved walls made up of many individual straight walls. This is different to the curved wall tool which is made of a single wall. This means that it is trickier to position symbols into the wall where desired.

These tools are very useful if you need to draw complex floor shapes and don't feel confident drawing using 2D tools!

Session 11: Drawing Walls

2009-11-09T07:16:00.001-08:00

Up to now we have looked at modeling walls using extruded 2D shapes (e.g Double Line Polygon Tool). Vectorworks however has a set of Tools to draw Walls without the need to extrude from 2D to 3D.

Walls are part of what we call 'Hybrid Objects'. They display different attributes when in Top/Plan view compared to any 3D view.

The Building Shell Sub-Palette (Green Roofed House Icon) is found in the Tool Sets Palette and contains all of the tools needed to construct and edit walls in Vectorworks.

Straight Wall Tool:
This tool works the same as drawing using the normal Polygon tool. Simply click and move the mouse to determine the direction to draw in.

To draw a single wall, click, drag and then double click to finish.

You may draw multiple walls at one time, simply click, drag click again and then continue to draw a second wall length. Double-Click as normal to finish.
All the walls will be selected once you have finished drawing them, this makes it easy to give heights and attributes quickly.

Image above shows a single wall and multiple walls viewed in Top/Plan View

Setting Prefernces and Drawing Modes:
Before drawing walls it is often best to set certain Preferences first and also to decide on which drawing mode to work with. These can all be set through the Mode Bar.

Drawing Modes are similar to those of the Double Line Polygon Tool. Each one has a different control method for where the computer places the two wall lines in relation to the mouse on screen.

Vectorworks has dozens of Pre-Set Wall styles to choose from in the Wall Preferences Box.

For now maybe just worry about using the simple 'default' Wall Style and Pre-setting the Wall thickness only.

Editing Wall Length:
The lengths of walls can be adjusted in two ways:

manually by dragging one end of the wall to a new position. Take care to select the correct cursor (double-headed 'angled arrow' cursor). Note that we can also change the angle of the wall this way as well.

or in the Obj Info. Palette. Adjust the L value, found under the polar co-ordinates settings. (Note that we can also change the angle of the wall here as well).

We can also Re-position both the end and centre points of a wall on the grid using the x/y settings in the Object Info. Palette.

Editing Settings with the Object Info Palette:
The Object info Palette also contains controls for these other settings:

+Z : Sets the overall height of the wall.
Bot Z : Sets the height that the wall starts at (Can be both positive and negative).
Thick : Sets the thickness of the wall (If changed the wall will alter from its center-line).
Caps : Draw lines to 'cap' the start and end of a wall. This is for 2D work only, wall ends will always be solid in 3D.
Type: Set the Caps to be either Round or Flat.

Curved Wall Tool:
This tool has many modes and requires a bit of practice to understand but acts just like the straight wall tool in many respects. We will cover this tool in greater depth at a later date!

Wall Join Tool:
We use this tool to join two walls together so that there are no gaps in our 3D model as well as 2D drawing.

There are five modes to this tool and each one corresponds to a particular situation, use the diagrams as clues.
They all work by clicking on one wall and then drawing a line to the wall to join to.
It makes a difference which wall is selected first so if the result is not what you expected try again in another order.

Remove Wall Breaks tool:

When splitting or moving walls away from one another a hole may be left in the side of one wall.
We can use the Remove Wall Breaks tool (Wall Heal Tool) to fix this. Simply draw a box marquee around the 'break' and it will be filled in.
This tool can also be used on walls which have mitred ends resulting from previously being joined to another wall.

Fillet Tool (Basic Palette):

Use the fillet tool to produce rounded corners to two walls that meet each other. Select the Fillet mode and Set the Fillet Preferences in the mode bar. In top view click on one wall and then on the second.

Try out the three settings for different results. The Fillet can be either 'external' or 'internal'.

General Tips!

Individual and multiple walls can be picked up and moved and you will find that it is often useful to nudge them into place by holding down shift and using the arrow keys.
Take care when editing walls, to lengthen, rotate and move walls requires different cursors. Get to know them and have patience at first when trying to find a particular one!

Session 11: Hybrid Objects

2009-11-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Drawing and Editing Walls:

Straight wall tool
Curved Wall tool
Joining Walls
Filleting walls
Editing Walls in Elevation

Floors and Ceilings:

Drawing a Floor Area
Extruding Floors Negatively
Using the AEC Commands.
Creating Ceilings

Plug-In Objects:
Placing Doors and Windows accurately
Editing Plug-in settings

Working with layers 2:
Layer Visibility settings
Using Snaps between layers
Stacking Layers

Applying Textures 2:
Texturing Walls
Using the Resource Browser Libraries

Session 10 : Case Study 1(Plans)

2009-11-09T07:11:00.001-08:00

The Plans above are from Zaha Hadid Architects.

They show three floors of the same building and are layed out so that they line up and are to the same scale.
They also use a key and colour codes to communicate the different areas and their different uses.
Also note the 'void' spaces on each plan where there is no floor area.

Follow the link below for more information....

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://news.msu.edu/media/photo/2009/10/38e375ba-02e6-4d3d-9adb-9f08d0d675a5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://broadmuseum.msu.edu/gallery/&usg=__Xq4NyVZ1BTrlw5XzUI_ONrDDsbY=&h=867&w=1400&sz=351&hl=en&start=422&um=1&tbnid=79YdG5vR0Be4CM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dzaha%2Bhadid%2Bplans%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1B3RNFA_enGB220GB221%26sa%3DN%26start%3D420%26um%3D1

Session 10: Layers and Classes

2009-11-09T07:08:00.001-08:00

This sessions exercise is designed to teach you how to set up and organize a model of a multi-story building. It shows how we can use duplicates and symbols to quickly construct the structure and layers and Classes to efficiently organize and present the outcome.

The aim is to follow the worksheet below and then to take the model on further by adding your own individual components.

Below are some renders of the model with the addition of a Renderworks background and a variety of Light sources.

Session 9: Duplicates and Symbols

2009-11-09T07:07:00.001-08:00

Single Duplicates:

You can make a single duplicate of a 2D/3D object by using the Edit> Duplicate command. This will create a duplicate and place it in the same layer as the original.

By Default the Duplicate its positioned slightly Up and to the Right of the original. It may be useful to turn off 'off-set duplications' first so that the duplicate is placed in exactly the same positionas the original. You do this through the Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences Menu.

When you edit a Duplicate it will have no effect on the Original Object!

Multiple Duplicates:

For more Advanced Duplications we can use the Edit > Duplicate Array Command.

The Edit > Duplicate Array command has three extra modes which all have their specific types of Duplicate Creation (Linear, rectangular and circular).

These all work by specifying the number of Duplicates to be created and imputing data for movement in x,y and z co-ordinates.

After carrying out a duplicate array it is often useful to Group the results so that they can be selected, moved etc with ease (Modify>Group).

It may be useful to Tick 'Retain Original Object' in the Duplicate Array dialogue box before carrying out the Duplication.

There are even more advanced Duplication methods such as the option of Re-Sizing and Rotating when Duplicating so try them out!

Symbols 1:

Any object that will be repeated throughout your model should be made a symbol (Chairs, tables, taps, floortiles, pillars etc.). You can even make symbols out of multiple objects (say a bedroom scheme for a 200 room hotel!). This way you can come up with large design schemes fairly quickly and update your scheme as your design develops with limited remodeling required.

When making duplicates it often makes sense to make a symbol (Modify> Create Symbol) out of the object first. We can create both 2D and 3D Symbols.

Creating Symbols means that you can now edit one symbol and it will automatically update all of the others.

When creating a symbol remember to tick the ‘Leave Instance in place box’ otherwise your symbol will disappear from the screen be placed into the Resource Browser Palette.

We will be using symbols in more detail in later sessions so do not worry too much if it seems confusing to begin with!

Exercise 03 : Duplication

-Draw out the simple Floorplan below using the Duplicate Array Tool (consider the different modes of Duplication).

-Before Duplicating create symbols out of each component part.

PROJECT TWO : Information

2009-11-09T07:04:00.001-08:00

BRIEFING NOTES

Additional information agreed the apartment project
Briefing on Monday 2/11/9.

The site is based on the street gallery, but dimensions can be rounded up to 10m x 10m. 6m is the max height but not the norm.

The aspect is the same ie. North is the student bar direction.

The entrance to the apartment is on the east wall and can be situated anywhere along that wall.

You may add any wall openings along all walls except the east entrance wall.

You may add openings / rooflights to the ceiling.

You may add balconies/ patios to a “reasonable” size.

Students are to draw a floorplan of the layout of the entire space, but focus their design on the living area and 1 other area.

Perspectives should be of the living area and 1 other area

The sample board should be actual samples where possible and one or two photos max. of the chosen areas ie living area and/ or 1 other area.

The design can be compartments or totally open plan (except for bathroom WC. which is compartmented)

PROJECT ONE SHOWCASE

2009-10-28T09:01:00.001-07:00

Session 8: Viewports 1

2009-10-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Once you have a model you will need to present it. Vectorworks has what are called Viewports and Sheet Layers in which to do this (like architectural technical drawing layouts).

Viewport Creation

To create a Viewport select the objects that are to be presented and go to View >Create Viewport. The objects are then re-presented on a new 'Sheet Layer' as 2D Images.

You can create a Viewport from any Standard View, in any scale,render or even in Perspective. You can take as many Viewports through to a sheet as you wish, although sometimes it is easier to simply take one through and copy it as many times as needed as we can always change their settings afterwards.

Editing Viewports

Once in the Sheet Layer, Viewports can be edited through the Object Info Pallette. We can change the view, scale, render and perspective of a particular viewport. The Viewport may need to be updated afterwards if a red line appears around it, to do this go to View >Update Viewports (or select Update in the Obj. Info Palette).

By double-clicking on a Viewport you can edit it further, either by adding annotations, dimensions or by cropping (useful for showing design details and framing perspective views).

Anotations can include all textual notes as well as any extra 2D line/shape work that needs to be added over the top of a viewport.
Dimensions should only be added within the viewport, adding them to the Sheet Layer will create them to the Layers paper scale (1:1) and not the viewports scale.
Crops are created using any 2D Shape (circles, rectangles or polygons/polylines etc). Sometimes you may wish to have a borderless crop, simply set the Pen Line setting to none for the Crop Object.

Arrange your sheet layers like architectural layout pages with your plan bottom left and elevation directly above. We can add a drawing border and title block in the bottom right hand corner (Tool Sets Palette > Dimensions and Notes).

As well as using Vectorworks own Page Layout Tools it is often a more exciting Graphic approach to add in your own layout elements. Try adding Text for Titles, 2D Shapes for backgrounds or even import Images and Photographs to use in your Presentation Pages.

Tip: The adding of text and Images from other packages (Word, Works etc, or even straight from the Web) can be done simply by copying and pasting into the Sheet Layer. This makes it quick and easy to anotate your work.

As you continue to work on your model the sheet layers will automatically update!

Session 7: Basic Lighting Setup

2009-10-20T02:21:00.000-07:00

2009-10-19T15:32:00.001-07:00

Session 7: Applying Textures 1

2009-10-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

The addition of textures and other graphics to your model will make a huge difference and help bring it to life. Today we will look at a few specific tools and tricks, however there are too many to mention here. the best way to learn is to experiment yourself with all the options and to have fun doing so!

Object Info Palette:

The application of basic textures is done through the Object Info Palette under the Render Tab. Select a 3D object and then in th Render Tab select a texture from the pull down menu. Most of these pre-set textures come already scaled. A brick will map onto the surface of an object at its correct size.

Resource Browser libraries:

There are also a wide variety of textures in the Resource Browser Palette to choose from. Select the type of texture required ( e.g Interior textures) and then you are given a full range of textures for that category.

To apply these textures simply select the object and double click on the required texture icon.

Note that once you have used a texture it will now be placed in the Object Info Palette, Render Tab list for you to use.

2009-10-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Session 7: Render Modes

2009-10-19T15:13:00.001-07:00

There are many types of Render that can be used but these are the 3 that you will use at first, and most regularly:

To activate a particular Render go to View>Rendering (or select from the Render style Icon in the Data Display Bar).

Open GL:
This is a very useful type of render which allows you to navigate through the model in real time whilst maintaining the render on screen. It shows colour and lighting attributes. The shadows and textures will be of a lower quality however.

Final Quality Render:
This is the best type of render available in Vectorworks and shows all textures, shadows, reflections and transparencies. It will take the longest time to render in Final Quality but makes it possible to achieve photo-realistic results.

Hidden Line:
This render produces very basic black and white forms without shadows. It can be used for producing plans, sections and elevations as well as simple 3D views that can then be sketched over.

Session 7: Rendering Outcomes

2009-10-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Session 6: Exporting from Vectorworks

2009-10-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

One way of getting your drawing/model from vectorworks is to print straight from the program. Alternatively we can export out the information as still images. these can then be printed, re-sized, emailed etc.

Exporting to Scale:

The best way to export to scale is as a PDF Document, go to File> Export> Export PDF

This will again export what is inside the page boundary only (the default resolution of 300dpi is used). PDF documents export line drawings at a better quality than other export file types and produce more accurate line thicknesses.

Another way to export your model to scale go to; File> Export> Export Image File

Now we can select 'Each Page as seperate Image'. This means that only what is inside the page boundary will be exported and that it will be exported at the pre-set page size automatically.

We still have to set the resolution and file type (for line drawings 240dpi should be sufficient).

Exporting in Perspective:

To export one of your saved views (or any other perspective view) go to;

File> Export> Export Image File

Here we can ask the computer to render and export 'Current view', this will export only what is contained with-in the viewing space. You should therefore compose the dimension of the export first and frame it on the screen using the zoom tools. Also note that it will export in whichever render mode you have on the screen.

Resolution:
Depending on the time available and the use of the render we can export out at any given resolution. For good quality renders I suggest at least 200dpi. for line work at least 150dpi.

The best thing to do is to test the quality for each model. the more lights and textures that you have the longer the render is going to take. it is not unusual for some renders to take as long as 1 hour!

Print Size:
Here we can set the export print size. As the ratio is already set in the saved view we only need to input a value for either width or height not both (e.g 420mm width for an A3 landscape export).

File type:
Select from a wide range of file types. I suggest jpeg or tiff for now.

When you have set all of the required fields, click save and give the render a name and select where to save to.

Session 5: Documenting Development

2009-10-14T01:22:00.001-07:00

Documenting Development:

Now it is time to apply what you have practised to your own design. Don’t think too much just try it out and then judge the results.

In the Tool Sets Palette there is a Visualisation Sub-Palette (Light Bulb Symbol). Here you will find the Render Bitmap Tool. This is your ‘digital camera’ which we use to take snapshots of our model at different stages of construction.

Simply drag a marquee around the area to render and it will take a picture (called Bitmap). These will never change. By default the Render Bitmap Tool uses the Open GL render Mode (this can be changed in the Mode Bar).

It is a good idea to store these pictures on a separate Layer. Make a new Layer and through the Object Info. Palette move the Renders between layers.

You should now arrange the Bitmaps on the new Layers page. They can also be re-scaled (remember to hold down the Shift Key to maintain proportions).

This page of Renders can now be printed or exported out of Vectorworks as a PDF or JPEG and used in your Design Development Portfolio to show the progression of your ideas. For Exporting read the Blog notes (Exporting / Printing)

Remember that the more material you get out of the program the more you will have to work with and show at tutorials.

Even ideas that don’t work are good ideas because they show the working out of an idea.

Session 5: 3D Boolean Operations

2009-10-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

We have looked at many ways of creating complex 2D forms from multiple 2D shapes using Add/Clip Surface. These are what we call 'Boolean' forms (made from adding / subtracting two or more shapes.

In Vectorworks you can also create Boolean objects by using two 3D objects as your starting point, this is what we term Solid Modelling.

Model Menu :

Solid Addition

Select two or more overlapping solids and use the Model >Add solid command to combine into one new ‘Solid Addition’.

Solid Subtraction

Select two overlapping solids and use the Model >Subtract Solid command to create one new ‘Solid Subtraction’.

Editing Booleans

You can edit a Solid Addition/Subtraction by double-clicking on the object. Once 'inside' you can move the individual objects around and also edit the forms of the individual solids.

To add to/subtract further from an Solid Addition/Subtraction it is not needed to repeat the whole process using the Model menu commands.

You can simply model the extra objects 'inside' the Addition/Subtraction and the computer will do the job for you.

Exit the Addition/Subtraction to see the results.

To cut a hole right through a 3D object make sure that the 'cutter' object extrudes completely through, past the edges of the other object. It does not matter how far past it extrudes just as long as it does!

Add Surface / Clip Surface Commands

2009-10-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

Modify Menu 1

When constructing 2D shapes it is often impossible or more difficult to draw them in one go. Therefore we must construct a new shape from two or more separate ones. Fairly complex polygons can be created in this way, either by adding or subtracting elements together. The commands required are located in the Modify Pull-down menu.

Add Surface
Select two or more overlapping (or touching) shapes and add together (Modify>Add surface). The resulting polygon takes on the attributes of the shape furthest to the back in the stacking order.

Clip Surface
Select two overlapping 2D shapes and use one to clip the other (Modify>Clip Surface). Notice that the top shape always acts as the ‘cutter’. The resulting polygon keeps its attributes. You can either delete, move or do nothing to the ‘cutter’. In the example below the 'cutter' has been moved away to show the resulting clip.

Session 5: Moving Objects in 3D

2009-10-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

There are a number of ways to move objects in Vectorworks, some are more accurate than others but all will prove useful at some time. To move efficiently it is important to have a clear understanding of three-dimensional space and its co-ordinate system.

Modify>Move (Ctrl M): To move an object or multiple objects accurately we can use this command. type in numerical distances for either x/y or both. We can use both positive and negative distances (to move an object up make sure you are in either a front, back or side view).

Manually with the mouse: Simply selecting and moving an object is useful but for more accuracy make sure that you select an object by the 'crosshair' cursor, this allows you to align that point with another point in your model (even when in an isometric view!).

Arrow keys: Select an object, hold down the shift key and use the 'nudge' arrows on the keyboard. This will move an object in one direction only. This is good for making small adjustments to an objects position (If you have to move objects over a large distance, try zooming out further so that the objects move quicker).

Object info. Palette: You can reposition objects using their x/y/z co-ordinate position on the drawing grid.

Session 5: Basic Extrusions

2009-10-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

Vectorworks has many extrusion tools each performing a different action which we will look at, but first we must get to grips with the simplest one, the Linear extrusion.

This is an Extrusion that has a single regular profile that has been extruded in one direction only (in a line).

1.Creating Extrudes

To create basic 3D objects we select a 2D shape and use the extrude tool (Model>Extrude) to give the object its height or depth, depending on which view you extrude from (front, side or top view).

Care must be taken to extrude in the correct view, we can always rotate the object around afterwards but it is better to get it right first time!.

Above: Circle extruded from Front, Right and Top Views

2.Editing Extrusions (Externally):

The resulting extrusion can be altered in two ways:

Manually with the mouse: Drag one of the objects corner or centre control points (make sure that you use the two headed angled arrow cursor). This method is especially useful when alligning an object to another point in your model using the Snapping method.
Through the Object Info Palette in the box titled 'Extr'

3.Negative Extrusions:

We can extrude objects both positively and negatively (e.g 200mm/-200mm).

Try extruding two shapes both + and - in plan view (0), now move to front view (2) and see how both objects were created from the same z height (zero), with one going up and one going down.

It is useful when creating floors to give them a negative extrusion so that any subsequent extrusions or objects such as chairs or tables will not need to be moved up in elevation but will sit at the right level.

4.Extruding Multiple 2D Profiles

We can extrude multiple 2D shapes at the same time resulting in a single extrusion. Simply select all the shapes prior to extruding.

The benefit of this is that the different shapes may have differing attributes but still belong to the same extrude.

If you want to split the extrusion up into individual 3D objects use the Modify >Ungroup command.

2D Shapes

Resulting Extrusion

5.Editing Extrusions (Internally)

Although now in a 3D state we can still edit an extrusion in its original 2D form. By double clicking on the object you can 'enter' the extrude and re-shape, add/clip surface etc. It is also possible to add extra 2D shapes or copy and paste in shapes from outside.

Edited Extrusion

Be careful to exit the extrude by clicking on the 'exit' button to the top-right hand corner of the drawing space. This returns you to the design-layer where you can continue modeling.

Not doing this is a very common mistake that new users make and can prove frustrating!

The trick to producing efficient extrusions is to work out which view to do the drawing in first, think ahead to what you may do to the object at a later stage.

E.g when drawing walls and partitions, this can be done in two ways

Top/Plan view and then extruded to give the object a height (Beige object).
Front view and then extruded to give the object a depth (Red object).

The view we draw in helps us when editing the object further...

By adding to the original 2D profile using Add surface command.
By subtracting from the original profile using Clip Surface command.

Work out if you are going to add windows/openings or alcoves/columns.

Copying and Pasting

Often in Vectorworks you will need to copy single or multiple objects, this is a simple and often used feature of most graphic packages and works generally the same.

In the Edit Menu you will find the Copy, Paste and Paste in Place commands.

Soon get into the habit of using the shortcuts for these commands however.

Once you have copied an object the computer will store the information until it has been told to copy something else. Once you have pasted the object you can carry on pasting the object as many times as you wish. It will place the copy on the screen fairly randomly.

The Paste in Place command pastes the object into exactly the same place as the original. This is especially useful when working between layers or even files. It is also useful when copying and pasting into and out of a 3D object or group.

A useful Shortcut for copying an object!
Simply hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key when selecting an object and when you drag the mouse away Vectorworks will create a copied version. This works for all objects whether 2D or 3D or multiples of both.

There is a more advanced way of creating copies (using the Duplicate commands), we will look at these in a future lesson dont worry. If you want though go investigate yourself!

Session 4: 3D Navigation

2009-10-07T03:49:00.003-07:00

Vectorworks is a highly powerful piece of 3D software and it is vital that you get the most out of your model, not just in terms of technical drawings but also in three-dimensional visualisations. Here are some of the initial steps to consider when visualising your model:

Views:
Using the View Pull-down menu or the keyboard shortcuts (0-9) we can navigate around the model in 3D. This can be done in Isometric and Perspective and in all types of Render. It is important to understand which number corresponds to which view. Think of your model as being number five surrounded by all the other views!.

0 : Top/Plan
1 : Left Isometric
2 : Front
3 : Right Isometric
4 : Left
5 : Top
6 : Right
7 : Left Rear Isometric
8 : Back
9 : Right Rear Isometric

Perspective:
The perspective is set through View>Perspective. It can be set to narrow, normal and wide. Once set you can edit the viewing space on the screen by pulling the black corner controls around. If the perspective of your model is too distorted try changing to a larger scale first.

Set 3D View:
To have more control over the Perspective view use this tool. We can now decide on the exact position, height and angle of view. Consider setting up views at eye-levels or entrances,

Fly-Over Tool:
Use this tool to move through 3D Space by orbiting completely around your model.

Once you have found a view that you like use the Saved View Command in the Views Menu. Give it a name that you will remember and perhaps save the same view in different types of render.

Session 3: 2D 2 (Trace Layers)

2009-10-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

Working with Layers 1 : Setting up a New Layer

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/02/drawing-and-editing-walls.html

Working with Layers 2: Layer Visability Settings

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/02/working-with-layers-2.html

2D Attributes

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/2d-attributes.html

Exercise 02: 2D Seat Section

The second exercise we will be doing aims to refine your 2D Drawing even further. Using the 2D Re-shape tool we will produce a very accurate trace of a scanned-in technical drawing.

Download the section above to use in the exercise

Using Trace Layers:
You can import plans, elevations, sections etc into Vectorworks and use them as guides to trace or model from.

To import go to File >Import >Import Image File, and select the file that you require. Remember to select an appropriate scale to work in before importing (e.g. if the section is scanned in at 1:10, set the scale in Vectorworks to 1:10 also).

Sometimes the source material will not be to scale or you may not know the scale. in this instance once imported the ‘Bitmap’ must be scaled. We do this by working from a stated dimension on the plan. Draw a line and enter the length in the Object Info Palette. Now select the bitmap and whilst holding down the shift key (to maintain proportion) drag out/in to desired size. Repeat this process until the line matches the dimension).

It is best to leave this plan in its own layer. Go to Tools>Organization >Design Layers, and create a new layer to model in (Trace). The old layer can be renamed Plan Layer.

Re-Shaping Polygon Notes:

Read through these notes to help you with the exercise, they can also be downloaded.

Part Two: 3D Modelling

Base Section =2400mm

Seat sections = 2500mm

Wall Section = 3000mm

At this stage save your work, make a new layer (Name 3D model), and copy and paste a copy of the complete 2D profile into the new layer.

With the profile copy we can now extrude each part individually to the correct length (First go to the left side view, number 4 on the keyboard number keys). Notice that all of the extrusions extrude from x=0.

In top view (0), select all the extrusions and align using Modify>Align.

This is how the seat looks in front elevation

Use the 3D Fillet edge tool (Tool sets Palette) to smooth the ends of all the seat sections.

Have a look at the model in 3D. Try out a few different types of Render!

Below is how the seat model will look after we have added some glazed panels to the top of the wall and applied a few lights to the scene.

Session Two : 2D Drawing Basics

2009-09-29T01:09:00.000-07:00

2D Drawing Primitives

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/session-2_26.html

Command and Data Entry

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/selecting-objects.html

Selecting objects

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/command-and-data-entry.html

Transformation Operations

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/transformation-operations.html

Exercise 01: 2D Floorplan

Session One : Getting Started

2009-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Vectorworks Screen Interface

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/vectorworks-screen-interface.html

Setting up a New Document (Document Settings)

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/setting-up-new-document.html

Moving Around a Drawing

http://dmae03.blogspot.com/2009/01/moving-around-drawing.html

Saving Templates

If you want to use VectorWorks efficiently, setting up a template to work from is important. You can use a template file to start a project and maintain your standard settings.

If you set up a file with your standard settings (Scale, Units, Paper size and Grid settings) this means that you can save time by using opening it and using it again and again.

A template file is like a pad of stationery; it's a file you can use to get a job started quickly. The template file can include your standard layers and classes; it can include common symbols (such as doors, windows, bathroom fittings), title blocks (even with the drawing names filled in); and it can also include settings for parametric objects (like window and door objects).

In VectorWorks, you can make up template files for different types of projects so that, when you start a new project, you can choose the file you want from a list of templates.

To save a Template File go to File > Save as Template

Save the Template in your H Drive and give it a name that you will remember (A3 1 50).

INTRODUCTION

2009-09-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your new Blog!

This is your free resource that can be accessed from any computer in college and at home. Although you have the Blackboard for official pieces of information and announcements this site is slightly less formal but I hope no less helpful.

In advance of each session I will let you know of any required resources that you may need to carry out the exercises so it will be a good idea to keep posted regularly for updates. These will usually go up on a Sunday or Monday each week.

For the first term I will be teaching you on both the Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Although both sessions will focus on Vectorworks as the software of choice they will have different aims and objectives.

Tuesday: These sessions will teach the basics of 2D Drawing and 3D Modelling through the learning of Vectorworks tools and processes. They will consist of individual exercises designed to instill professional, efficient working habits.

Wednesday: These sessions will be based on the design project that you will be undertaking at that time and will focus more on aiding design development and looking at ways of presenting your work and communicating your ideas. With this in mind it is important that you bring along any accompanying work (sketchbooks etc.)

As we progress through the year I will give you the opportunity to post your work up onto the site so that we can discuss it as a group and get feedback from your fellow students. So that you get the most out of the software and the course as a whole this is vital. Although I can give you a lot of information, from past experience it is by helping each other that you will learn the most.