Building Visualization using Autodesk VIZ

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Eleanore Miller
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1 Building Visualization using Autodesk VIZ The biggest mistake is thinking that one must make a complete 3D model. One approach to visualization is to take a cue from Hollywood building only what is required for a particular view or scene. For the exterior of a building, for example, one might make a massing model and paste windows on the exterior. When modeling an interior, only the two or three walls in view need be placed. The more modeling you do, the more construction time it takes and the more computer processing time is required for rendering. No matter how powerful the computer, resources are always precious. If your scene takes 30 minutes to render, it probably isn t a good candidate for animation (30 pictures or frames = 1 second of animation). Regardless, there are many tricks that you can use to decrease rendering time. The following tutorial shows one method of quickly creating an architectural model from a CAD drawing. Although I show VIZ 4 and AutoCAD, the relatively same process can be done in Form Z with most CAD programs. The CAD Drawing (Using AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, and AutoCAD LT) The most important factor when using this technique is starting with a good CAD drawing. Using Object snaps is absolutely a necessity. A good knowledge of Layers is also helpful. Importing into VIZ 4 1. Start VIZ 4 (VIZ 2, and VIZ 3 will also work with this method). 2. Select Customize > Units Setup from the Main toolbar to bring up the Units Setup dialog box. 3. At the Units Setup dialog box set 1 Unit = 1 Feet and Display Unit Scale to US Standard. (Figure 1) Figure 1: The Units Setup dialog box

For the exterior of a building, for example, one might make a massing model and paste windows on the exterior. When modeling an interior, only the two or three walls in view need be placed.

2 4. In VIZ 4, select File >Import from the Main toolbar to bring up the Select File to Import dialog box. 5. At the Select File to Import dialog box set the Files of type: drop down list to AutoCAD [*.DWG], and get your Ground plan DWG. Figure 2: Import the DWG floor plan into VIZ 6. Save the file as a VIZ 4 scene file. Name it Base plan. Working with AutoCAD files 1. Open an Elevation file. (Figure 3) Figure 3: Open a CAD Elevation file

DWG], and get your Ground plan DWG. Figure 2: Import the DWG floor plan into VIZ 6.

3 2. In AutoCAD, create a new layer and call it VIZ South Elevation. 3. Turn off or delete all window or shading hatches, and extraneous lines. (Figure 4) Figure 4: At this point, we need to stop and Export the elevation as a BMP bitmap to be used later for mapping onto the model. 1. Select File > Export from the Main menu to bring up the Export Data dialog box. 4. Lock all layers except the VIZ South Elevation layer. 5. Make the VIZ South Elevation layer the current layer. 6. In AutoCAD, select Draw > Boundary from the Main toolbar to bring up the Boundary Creation dialog box. 7. At the Boundary Creation dialog box set the Object type to Polyline, Boundary set to Current Viewport, and press the Pick Points icon. (Figure 5) Figure 5: Use Boundary Creation to create polylines

Select File > Export from the Main menu to bring up the Export Data dialog box. 4. Lock all layers except the VIZ South Elevation layer. 5. Make the VIZ South Elevation layer the current layer. 6.

4 8. Select all the window and door openings, and press the Enter key. 9. Turn off all the layers except the VIZ South Elevation layer. (Figure 6) Figure 6: Polylines created You now have a layer with polylines for the openings. 10. Turn on the other layers, and unlock them. 11. Turn off the VIZ South Elevation layer. 12. Erase everything except the elevation outline (Figure 7) Figure 7: Trace elevation outline

(Figure 6) Figure 6: Polylines created You now have a layer with polylines for the openings. 10.

5 13. Turn the VIZ South Elevation layer back on, and place the outline on the VIZ South Elevation layer. (Figure 8) Figure 8: Windows and building outline on one drawing. You now have a drawing that you can import into VIZ. save this drawing as South Elevation. Importing Mapping and Merging in VIZ 4 1. Create a new file in VIZ 4 and name it South Elevation. 2. Set the Units to Feet. 3. Select File >Import from the Main toolbar to bring up the Select File to Import dialog box. 4. At the Select File to Import dialog box set the Files of type: drop down list to AutoCAD [*.DWG], and import your South Elevation DWG. 5. Select your imported file, select the Modify tab, and choose Extrude from the Modifier list. Extrude the South Elevation 1-0 (Figures 9 and 9a). Figure 9: Figure 9a:

Set the Units to Feet. 3. Select File >Import from the Main toolbar to bring up the Select File to Import dialog box. 4.

6 At this point, we need to stop again and edit the elevation we saved as a BMP bitmap. You need to use a bitmap editor such as Photoshop to crop the bmp so that it contains as little excess data as possible (the closer to the outlines of the elevation, the better the mapping fit. 6. Press the M key on the keyboard to bring up the Material editor. 7. Create a new material in the Material Editor using the elevation bmp that you saved and cropped. 8. Assign that material to the extruded elevation 9. Select the Rotate icon and rotate the Elevation 90 degrees around the X-axis. (Figure 10). Figure 10: Rotate the elevation 90 degrees 10. Save the Elevation as a VIZ 4 scene file. 11. Open the VIZ 4 Base plan. 12. Select File > merge from the Main toolbar. 13. Merge the South Elevation VIZ 4 scene file that you made in this section with the Base VIZ 4 scene file. 14. Using the 3D Snap Toggle, snap the South Elevation onto the Base floor plan. (Figure 11)

Press the M key on the keyboard to bring up the Material editor. 7. Create a new material in the Material Editor using the elevation bmp that you saved and cropped. 8.

7 Figure 11: Snap the South Elevation onto the Base floor plan. Repeat the above processes for each elevation until you have a completed building. (Figure 12) Figure 12: The completed elevations Place a Roof, sky environment, and ground plane.

8 Place a box inside the building and apply a reflection map to the box (here shown as blue with the South elevation removed). This will reflect the sky and adjacent buildings. (Figure 13) Figure 13: Place a box inside the building and apply a reflection map to the box Complete the Visualization by adding trees, people, cars, etc. (Figure 14) Figure 14: The completed visualization.

(Figure 13) Figure 13: Place a box inside the building and apply a reflection map to the box

An introduction to 3D draughting & solid modelling using AutoCAD

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