Education_m_003 – Creating Drawings from a 3D Model

There are two effective ways to create drawings from a 3D model. The first method might seem slow compared to the second method, but you need to understand the concept of creating drawings before you use the quick method.

Plan Viewport
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Download Imperial exercise file. (Vectorworks 2013)
Download Metric exercise file. (Vectorworks 2013)

• Change you view to a Top/Plan view. Top/Plan will remove any perspective.

• Go to the Menu bar.
• Choose View > Create Viewport…

• Enter the viewport name.
• Enter the Drawing Title. This is the name that the drawing label will use when to annotate the viewport.

• Click on the pop-up menu to create a New Sheet Layer…

• Enter the Sheet Number and Sheet Title.

• Click on the OK button to return to the Create Viewport dialog box.
• Check the scale of the viewport.
• Change the Rendering to Dashed Hidden Line.

 

• Click on the OK button to complete the viewport.
• The viewport is placed on the sheet layer, in the middle.

• Use the Selection tool to move the viewport to a better location on the page.

• Right-click on the viewport, make sure you right click on the edge of a line in the viewport.
• Choose Edit Annotations.

• Annotate and dimension the plan.
• To exit the annotations, click on the Exit Viewport Annotation button at the top-right of the drawing area.

 
Front View

• Change layers back to the design layer for your model.
• Use the Active Layer button on the View bar, or double click on the design layer on the Navigation palette.

• Go to the Current View pop-up menu and choose Front.

• The view will change to a Front view.

 

• Go to the Menu bar.
• Choose View > Create Viewport…

• Enter the Sheet Number and Sheet Title.
• Check the sheet layer. It should be the same as the last viewport. If not, click on the Create on Layer pop-up menu, and choose the correct sheet layer.
• Check the scale of the viewport.
• Change the Rendering to Dashed Hidden Line.

• Click on the OK button.
• The viewport will arrive in the middle of the drawing.

• Go to the Basic tool set.
• Choose the Selection tool.
• Move the cursor to a corner of the front view.

 

• Click and drag the viewport.
• Move to the plan viewport.

• Move the cursor to a corner of the plan.
• Choose a point that will line up with the elevation viewport.
• Don’t release the mouse button.
• Move the cursor down, but make sure you keep the elevation viewport lined up with the plan.

• Release the mouse button.

• Right click on the viewport.
• Choose Edit Annotations…

• Add dimensions, notes and a label. If you have the correct Vectorworks preference, you can see the other information while you are in the annotation area, and use the other label to line up with.

• When you have completed all the annotation, click on the Exit Viewport Annotation button at the top-right of the drawing area.

 
RIght View

• Use the Navigation palette or the Active Layer button on the View bar to change back to the design layer.

• Change to a Right view.

• Go to the Menu bar.
• Choose View > Create Viewport…
• Enter the Sheet Number and Sheet Title.
• Check the sheet layer.
• Check the scale of the viewport.
• Change the Rendering to Dashed Hidden Line.

• Click on the OK button.

• Use the Selection tool to move the viewport to line up with the Front View.

• Right click on the viewport.
• Choose Edit Annotations…

• Add dimensions, notes and a label. If you have the correct Vectorworks preference, you can see the other information while you are in the annotation area, and use the other label to line up with.

• When you have completed all the annotation, click on the Exit Viewport Annotation button at the top-right of the drawing area.
• Some viewports have a heavy dashed line around them. This indicates that the viewports need updating.
• Select all the viewports.

• Go to the Object Info palette.
• Click on the Update button.

The viewports have been updated.

This is the first method for creating viewports. This is not the quickest method but it does explain the concept behind how to create and annotate viewports.
Here is a YouTube movie showing the concept of Orthographic Drawings

Create Multiple Viewports
The following technique is only available if you using the Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, or Designer workspaces. It’s an extremely quick way of creating viewports.

• Use the Navigation palette or the Active Layer button on the View bar to change back to the design layer.

The current view is not important, we can activate the command we need from any view, and it will create the viewports we need.

• Go to the Menu bar.
• Choose View > Create Multiple Viewports…

• This dialog box makes it very easy to create several viewports. The viewports will be automatically named and automatically created on their own sheet layer. There is nothing on the style of box that allows you to name the viewports or to choose their destination sheet layer.
• Choose Third Angle Projection.
• Choose the viewports that you want to create. Typically, Third Angle Projection uses Top, Front, and Right.
• Check the Scale. Depending on the page setup for your drawing you can use a scale of 1 : 1.

• Click on the OK button.
• Vectorworks creates your viewports and lines them up correctly.

• When you use this command you do not get the opportunity to choose the rendering style.
• Ensure that your new viewports are selected.
• Go to the Object Info palette.
• Click on the Background Render pop-up menu.
• Choose Dashed Hidden Line.

• Go to the Object Info palette.
• Click on the Update button to update all the viewports.

• Edit each viewport to add the annotation and dimensions.

The second method that of used here is extremely quick and can be used to create plans and elevations of buildings, landscapes, and 3-D models. But it’s still important for you to understand how to create your own viewports because this method has a limited number of choices.
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©Jonathan Pickup 2013