Bringing Sexy Back to Civil When 2D Presentation Just Isnt Enough

Larry Young
Civil Consultant and Trainer

Larry Young Civil Consultant and Trainer

AutoCAD version 2 What Year? 15 Years Civil Drafting and Design 10 Years CADD consulting business Trainer for: AutoCAD DCA SoftDesk Land Desktop Civil 3D Map 3D Google Earth Pro

Agenda Bringing Sexy Back to Civil

2D vs. 3D Presentations Workspaces Visual Styles Links and Code Sets Feature Lines Materials Enhancing the View MV Blocks Move to Surface Cameras, Walkthroughs and Rendering Preparing for 3D Studio Max Importing to 3DS Max

Civil 3D


Civil 3D, as the name implies, will create three dimensional models as you are designing visually in two dimensions. The 2D or flat view is not always the best way to present a project to the client.

3D Views are better, and modeled, rendered with materials utilized make even better presentations.

Requirements for Corridor:



The basic requirement for this ability is that the design be done with Civil 3D objects, not AutoCAD primitives. For Corridors 5 items required. An existing ground surface A proposed alignment Existing ground profile Proposed ground profile Assembly (or typical cross section)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Create the corridor.

Create a 3D Workspace and View

3D view workflow  Create a workspace called Visualization.  Add the 3D Navigation and the Visual Styles toolbars to the AutoCAD work area.



TIP: To display toolbars, right click on any toolbar, or in a blank area in the top of the screen, in the list select the desired toolbar.

Rotate the drawing up to an isometric view:

Change to Realistic Style



Change the visual style to Realistic by clicking on the realistic button in the visual styles toolbar.

This is a bit more realistic looking, but additional modifications are necessary for more realism.

Create Visual Style



Open the manager visual styles dialog box by clicking on the button shown.

Copy the Realistic style:  Rename to Visualization  Change Settings to:



Shadow display: Full shadows  Edge mode: None  Apply the new style to the current view


New Visual Style Applied



This will remove the TIN (triangle) lines from the existing ground surface, leaving the corridor with links and feature lines displayed. These links and feature lines will need to be removed for our visualization style; this is accomplished within the properties of the corridor on the code tab.

Create Code Set and Link Style



First the introduction: Codes = Cross Sections

At Intervals along Corridor  Interval controlled by parameters


Links = Along Corridor

Flowline  TC  Sidewalk


Create Code Set and Link Style (Cont.)



Click the dropdown arrow for code set style action, and select Copy Current Selection

On the information tab, change the name of the code set style to Visualization, enter a description for the style.

Create Code Set and Link Style (Cont.)

Select the Codes tab.  Click the style picker button on any link.
 

This brings up the Pick Link Style editor box. In the Pick Link Style dialog box, select the action dropdown arrow, then select copy current selection.

The Invisible Link Style

Name this new link style: _Invisible  Turn off the link lines for viewing in 3D views  On the Link Style dialog box, make sure the view direction is set to Model.  Turn OFF the light bulb for the component link by clicking on the bulb icon in the visible column.


All Links set to Invisible



Select all link lines, click on any link style picker buttons, change the style to _Invisible and click OK. All links styles should now be set to _Invisible. Verify each of the links render material as these are what creates the render style. Change or set materials as needed.

Point Markers and Shape Styles



Set all Point markers to the No_Markers style. This will turn off the symbols at each of the intersections of link lines, and feature lines. Using the same methods, set all the shape styles to _No Shading. This will set the shaded cross section areas to invisible.

Turn Off Feature Lines

Feature lines still show in the 3D model view and must now be turned off.

TIP: When clicking the check mark to turn it off, this can take a few seconds so be patient.

On the feature lines tab in the corridor properties dialog box, select all feature line styles and click a checked box.

Profile Lines in Model View



Notice there are two white lines in this example, (they may not appear in your drawing). These happen to be the profile lines of existing and proposed ground. They need to be turned off in the model view. Note: Do Not turn the profiles off in the plan view. If a profile view of this corridor has been placed on the current drawing, then the profiles will not be displayed within that view.

 

More Realistic View

For a more realistic view, change the model view background to a blue color representing the sky.  TIP: this is done in the options dialog box.


Creating Surfaces from Corridor

To create items acceptable to 3D Studio Max, we must create surfaces from the codes in the corridor (IE: Pavement, C&G, median, ditch, etc.  Right click on the corridor and select corridor properties.  On the surface tab, create a surface for each code desired.  Set the style to triangles, and the Render Material as needed.


Creating Surfaces from Corridor

The surface will need to be trimmed. Create boundaries as necessary for each surface. Add the boundary to each surface definition. The surfaces are now ready for import to 3DS Max.

Enhancing the View

Add Trees and Objects from Tool Palettes MV-Blocks  Move to surface


Surface pulldown  Utilities  Move Blocks to Surface



Optional Put into 3DS Max

Enhancing the View

Trees go into 3DS Max note: do not always get color.  Some objects go into 3DS Max  Surfaces will import to 3DS Max



Need separate surface for each sub-assembly IE:

    

Pavement Shoulder Median CG Sidewalk

Create Detached Surface from Corridor

TIP: Each surface needs to have the material applied in surface properties.

Cameras and Walkthroughs

Insert Camera View
Type the word Camera at the command line.  Insert the camera location point. (Note: snap to triangle end points get you closer to realistic to start)  Select the camera by clicking on it.

 

Use properties to change Name To adjust elevations for:

Camera  Target


Lens Size (28mm good start) Location Field of View

Also drag Grips to edit

 

Cameras Preview

Live interactive - as you move camera by grips or properties the camera preview will update.

Set Visual Style to See rendered Visualization style we created earlier.

Camera More Settings

Type View at command line  Select Scene1  Set Visual Style to Civil Visualization


Set Background override to Image  Browse to Sky.tga



Camera View
Member of the 3D Navigation tool bar.  Select Scene1  Results - 3D View w/ materials, 3D blocks and sky background


Capture the image for use in presentation documents.

*

Creating Camera Path



Workflow suggestions:
Create Feature Line from Corridor  Use ETW and offset  Raise Feature Line  Explode back to Pline


Alternate method:
    

Sketch Pline Create feature line from Pline Move to surface Raise Feature line Explode back to Pline

TIP: If pline is in wrong direction, create an alignment from corridor, reverse direction, then explode back to pline. (Or lisp routines on internet)

Creating Movie


View Pulldown Motion animation path selection

Set Camera to a path or point  Select the path or point  Set Target to path or point  Select the path or point


Animation Settings:
Set the FPS, number of frames  Set the duration  Select Visual Style  Format:

 

WMV for computer file AVI for DVD storage and playback

Click OK to save the file

Importing to 3DS Max

File Pulldown - Import



May get message C3D Objects



Tip: try to ignore this works most of the time. The settings to the right work Other settings may, (I havent tried different configurations).

Geometry Tab
 

3DS Max Import

Geometry Tab
 

The settings to the right work Other settings may, (again, sorry, but I havent tried different configurations).

3DS Max Import

Geometry Tab
 

The settings to the right work Other settings may, (again, sorry, but I havent tried different configurations).

Please fill out your evaluations. lyoung@microdesk.com Further questions, please visit me at Microdesk booth near center of exhibit hall tonight 6-9 pm. CD up front Contains:  This power point.  Word Document of handout.  The dwg file used.


THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING !