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Home(http://www.augi.com)Library(http://www.augi.com/library)Basic3DObjectToolsforEvery
User

Basic3DObjectToolsforEveryUser

AUGIWorld
April2nd,2013
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/augiworld)

TechInsights
ThereisonethingforcertainintheworldofAutoCAD.Allusersseasonedveterans
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/tech
andbrandnewusershadabeginning.Gettingbacktoourroots,therearemany
insights)
basictoolswecanusetohelpuscreatesomecustom3Dobjects.Letsgooverafew
2013
solideditingtechniquesthatwilleitherlaunchyourAutoCADcareerorbrushupon
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/augiworld
thoseoldskills.LetsseewhattheUnion,Subtract,Intersect,ExtrudeFaces,Slice,
2013)
andShellcommandshavetoofferus.
April
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/augiworld
Letsstartbygoingoversomebasic3Dmodelingtechniques.Union,Subtract,and
2013april)
Intersectarethethreecommoncommandsusedwhencreatingcustom3Dmodels.
Youcanfindthesetoolseitherbytypingintheirfullnameinthecommandline,by
Language
usingtheiroutoftheboxshortcuts,orbycreatingyourowncustomcommands.The
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/Language)
outoftheboxshortcutcommandsareUnion=UN,Subtract=SU,andIntersect=IN.
English
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/English)
Startbydrawinga3Dboxwiththeseproperties:Length=12,Width=12,andHeight
Portugus
=12.Also,drawacylinderwiththeseproperties:Diameter=6andHeight=24.
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/portugues)
Thentakethebaseofthecylinderandplaceitontopofthebox,directlyinthecenter.
NowperformtheUnioncommandandselectboththeboxandthecylinder.Asyou
Country
willsee,younowhavea3Dsolidobjectthatisthecombinationofthecylinderandthe
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/country)
box.IfyoupressandholdCTRL,youcanusethefilterselectcommandtoselectthe
boxorcylinderifyouwanttochangethepropertiesofthatobjectwhileitisstillinits
Netherlands
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/netherlands)
combinedform.Giveitatry.HoldCTRLdownandselectthebox.Changethelength
Brazil
ofitto24andthenexitout.Youstillhaveyoursingle3Dsolidbuttheshapeofthe
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/brazil)
boxhasthe24lengthproperty.Thisfilterselectingtechniquecomesinveryhandy
India
whencreating3Dobjectswhenyouwanttochangepropertiesofbasicshapesversus
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/india)
startingoveragain.
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platform)
LetsworkwiththeSubtractcommandnow.Onceagain,createaboxandcylinder
2010
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/autocad
withthesamepropertiesastheoneswecreatedfortheUnioncommand.Now,place
2010)
thecenterofthecylinderdirectlyinthecenteroftheboxoverall.UsingtheSubtract
2011
command,selecttheboxfirst,hitenter,selectthecylindersecond,andthenhitenter
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/autocad
again.Youhavejusttakenthepartofthecylinderthatpassesthroughtheboxand
2011)
subtracteditfromthebox,leavingavoid.Usingthefilterselectiontechniquefrom
2012
before,youcanstillchangethepropertiesofeachentitywithouthavingtostartover
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/autocad
withyour3Dobject.
2012)
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About the Authors

ChrisAlexander
ChrisAlexanderlives
inBayAreain
California.Heworks
foroneofthetop
electricalcontractors
inthenationasaBIM
Lead.Hestartedoutasanelectrical
workerandhasbeenworkingwith3Dfor
thelastfiveyears.Heisfluentin
AutoCAD,AutoCADMEP,Navisworks
Manage,andMaya.Inhisofftime,he
enjoyslearningnewtechniquesfor3D
modelingandkeepingupwithnew3D
modelingtechniques/programs.When
heisnotinvolvedwith3D,hecanbe
foundinmanyenduranceraces
throughoutthenation,pushinghisbody
toultimateextremes.Runningbeyond
50milesishisspecialtytoshowhowfar
onecanpushbeyondlimitsandthat
anythingispossiblewhenyouputyour
mindtoit.

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NowontotheIntersectcommand.Createaboxandcylinderwiththesame
propertiesasyoudidintheSubtractsectionandplacethecylinderinthesame
2012
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/revit
location.Now,performtheIntersectcommandandselectboththeboxandcylinder.
mep2012)
Finishesbyhittingenterandyouwillseethatthenewshapewillbewheretheboxand
2013
cylinderintersect,erasinganythingelsethatdoesnot.Asbefore,youcanusethe
(http://www.augi.com/library/category/revit
filterselectiontechniquetoselecteachoriginalentityandchangetheirpropertiesto
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(/images/uploads/article_images/Chris_AlexanderAW021304.jpg)
Withenoughpractice,thesethreecommandscanhelpcreateanycustom3Dobject
youwant.Usingthefilterselectiontechniqueallowsyoutochangethe
properties/positionofthe3Dentityyouusedtocreatethecustomobjectswithout
havingtoredo/startover.Tryusingthemandseewhatkindsofcustomthingsyoucan
comeupwith.Overtime,thesewillbecomesecondnatureandtherewillbenolimit
onwhatyoucancreate.
Anotherreallyhelpful3DeditingtoolistheSlicetool.WithSlice,youcantake3D
objectsandslicethemindifferentwaysandanglestocreatenew3Dobjects.Touse
theSlicecommand,youcaneithertypeitoutinthecommandbox,usetheoutofthe
boxshortcut(slice=SL),orcreateyourown.
Startbydrawinga3Dboxwiththeseproperties:Length=12,Width=12,andHeight
=12.NowtypeSliceinthecommandboxandselectthe3Dboxthatyoucreated.
Selectthelowerlefthandcorneroftheboxandthenselecttheupperrighthand
cornerofthebox.Beforeyouhitenter,lookatthecommandline.Itwillgiveyouthe
optiontoeitherkeepbothsidesoftheobjectortoselectapointonthedesiredsideof
theobjecttokeep.Fornow,keepitatboth.Hitentertocompletethecommandand
youwillnowhavetwoseparate3Dobjectsintheformofa3Dtriangle.

(/images/uploads/article_images/Chris_AlexanderAW021305.jpg)
ThereareafewdifferentwaystousetheSlicetool.Thepreviouswaydescribedis
themostcommonwaytouseitin3Dediting.IfyouperformSliceandselectyour
object,youcanlookdownatyourcommandbarandseethevariouswaysyoucould
sliceyour3Dobject.Forexample,sliceintheXYaxis,YZaxis,ZXaxis.Letsdoa
fewdifferentexamplesofthis.Startwithyouroriginalboxasbefore.Performthe
Slicecommandandselectyourbox.InthecommandboxtypeinZXandthenhit
enter.Selectthecenterpointontheleftsideoftheboxandthenthecenterpointon
therightsideofthebox.Hitentertokeepbothsides.Asyoucansee,youhavea
slicerightdownthemiddleoftheboxfromlefttoright.IfyouweretousetheZX
SlicecommandandthenselecttwopointsintheYZaxis,theslicecommandwillnot
perform.Onceagain,createaboxasbeforeandthistimesliceitusingtheYZ
command.Asyoucansee,youwillhavetoselectpointsintheYandZaxisinorder
forthistowork.
WiththeSlicecommand,youcanfurtheredityourcustom3Dobjectbyslicingitin
variousdifferentways.Thisbecomesusefulwhenyouwanttoslicetheobjectintotwo
differentparts,butwanttokeepthesameshapeoftheoriginalobjectjustbeyondthe

slicepoint,orifyouwanttodeletejustonesideoftheobject.
ExtrudeFacesisausefultoolwhenyouwanttotakeafaceofa3Dobjectand
extrudeittoaspecificvalue.Youcanevenapplyatapertothefacethatyouwant.
Letstryit.
Createa3Dboxwiththeseproperties:Length=24,Width=24,andHeight=24and
thentypeSOLIDEDITintothecommandbox.ThentypeFintothecommandbox
andhitenter.Thiswillgiveyoutheoptiontoselectoneofthefacesofthebox.Type
inEtoselecttheextrudefacescommandandthenselecttherightfaceofthebox
(makesureyouareinanisometricview).Inthecommandbox,typein18tospecify
thedistanceinwhichthefacewillbeextrudedandhitenter.Thecommandboxwill
nowpromptyoutoaddataperintotheface,butfornowjustleaveitat0.Hitenter
againtocompletethecommandandyouwillseeyourfaceoftheboxwillnowgrowby
18.

(/images/uploads/article_images/Chris_AlexanderAW021306.jpg)
WiththeExtrudeFacestool,youcantakeoneormorefacesandextrudethemwitha
specificdistancethatyouspecify.Thiscomesinhandywhendealingwithmore
complexobjectsthathavemultiplefaceswhenyoujustwanttoextrudeoneface
withoutaffectinganyotherfaceontheobject.
TheShellcommandisausefultoolthatwilltakea3Dobjectandhollowitouttoa
determinedthicknessspecifiedbyyou.Letstryafewexamples.
Createa3Dboxwiththeseproperties:Length=12,Width=12,andHeight=12and
thentypeSOLIDEDITintothecommandbox.ThentypeBintothecommandbox
andhitenter.Thiswillgiveyoutheoptiontoselectthebodyofthebox.TypeinSto
selecttheShellcommandandthenselectthebox.Hitenterandthengiveyourshell
offsetdistanceadistanceof1.Hitentertocompletethecommandandwhatyouwill
seeisthatyourboxnowhasbeenhollowedoutwithathicknessof1.

(/images/uploads/article_images/Chris_AlexanderAW021307.jpg)
YoucouldbypasstypingSOLIDEDITbyselectingyourShellcommandofftheTool
ribbonintheSolidsEditingmenu.Ifyouwantedtoremoveoneormorefacesofthe
boxwhileperformingtheshellcommand,allyouhavetodoisselectoneormore
faceswhenpromptedandthenthatfaceselectedwillbedeletedfromtheshell
command.Letstryanexampleofthis.
PerformtheShellcommandasdescribedearlierallthewayuptoselectingthebox,
butdonothitenterafterselectingthebox.Ifyoulookdownintoyourcommandbox,
youwillseeitpromptyoutoremovefaces.Makesureyourviewisisometricand
selecttheupperfaceofthebox.Ifthecommandremovedthefacessuccessfully,the
commandboxwilldisplaythismessage1facefound,1removed.Nowhitenterto

giveyourboxashelloffsetdistanceof1andtocompletethecommand.Youwill
seethatyourboxnowhasbeenhollowedoutwithathicknessof1andthetopofthe
boxhasbeenremoved,creatinganopenbox.
Youcanusethistooltocreatehollow3Dobjectsthatareeitherclosedcompletelyor
haveone/morefacesremovedcreatinganopen3Dobject.

(/images/uploads/article_images/Chris_AlexanderAW021308.jpg)

Conclusion
Thesearesomeofthebasiceditingtoolsyouwillencounterwhenediting3Dobjects
inAutoCAD.ByusingtheUnion,Subtract,andIntersectcommands,youcanwork
withmultiple3Dobjectstocombine,subtract,ortakeacombinationofthetwoobjects,
resultinginanewlycreatedobject.TheSlicecommandallowsyoutoedityour3D
objectfurtherbyslicingitindifferentangles/ways.WiththeExtrudeFacestool,you
canselectoneormorefacestoextrudeoutwithoutaffectingotherfacesoftheobject.
Youcanevenaddatapertothefaceoftheobject.Onceyouhaveyour3Dobjector
evenjustapartofit,youcanusetheshellcommandtohollowitoutwithapre
determinedthickness.AsIstatedbefore,withpracticeyoucanusethesebasic
commandstomakesomeveryadvancedcustom3Dobjects.

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