Vectorworks Drawing of a Screw Box
Creating 3D Objects in VectorWorks
28 Feb, 2003
By: John East. Wilson
The previous Third Dimension column described the interface and the components of VectorWorks, an $895 CAD plan from Nemetschek North America, suitable for both 2D drafting and 3D modeling. VectorWorks runs on computers using either Macintosh or Windows operating systems. For more information on VectorWorks, visit its Web site at www.nemetschek.net. This month's column will explore the program's tools and commands for creating basic 3D objects.
Working in 3D Infinite
Considering the movement of most estimator pointing devices is restricted to a plane, you lot tin simply specify points that are on a plane, or points on existing 3D objects, with them. (VectorWorks' Constrain to Working Airplane must be turned off in order to snap to points on 3D objects that are non on the working plane.) This is a universal problem with 3D modelers, and, like other 3D modelers, VectorWorks has the capability of moving and orienting the working airplane anywhere in 3D infinite. The Gear up Working Plane tool, for instance, prompts you to pick 3 points in establishing the origin and the orientation of the working plane, and the View>Rotate Working Plane command displays a dialog box for you to specify the coordinate system centrality plus an bending to rotate the Working Plane. (VectorWorks' tools are invoked from buttons in tool palettes, while commands are initiated from screen pull-down menus.) When the Working Plane is not the same every bit the Basis Plane, its grid lines are colored pink.
VectorWorks automatically rotates the Working Aeroplane to be perpendicular to the viewing direction when you choose i of the six orthographic views from the View>Standard Views carte du jour. For example, when yous select the Front view, the Working Aeroplane is on the ground coordinate system'southward xz plane, and when you select the Correct view it is on the yz plane.
As you lot are working with 3D objects, you can generally best visualize them from a viewing direction that is not ane of the six orthographic views. Select 1 of the six isometric views from View>Standard Views bill of fare to set a viewing management that has equal angles to all iii principle coordinate-arrangement planes, or use the Fly Over tool to dynamically change the viewing direction. Unless y'all have selected an OpenGL viewing fashion (from the View>Rendering>OpenGL menu.), the model unremarkably reverts to a bounding-box display when you use the Wing Over tool. To plant shading with the OpenGL viewing mode, you must create a light with the Light tool (in the 3D Tools palette). The location of the light and its direction are non important for creating working views of yous model.
Profile Objects
Fifty-fifty though VectorWorks can create some basic 3D objects directly--boxes, spheres, hemispheres, and cones--you will often create 3D objects by pushing (extruding) a profile object into 3D infinite or past revolving a contour object about an centrality. You can, for example, create a column by extruding a circle and a torus by revolving a circle. Generally, these profile objects will be second objects, such equally a circle or a polyline, created from tools in VectorWorks' 2D Tools palette. A unique property of these 2d objects is that they always announced in their truthful shape regardless of the electric current viewpoint. Thus, yous tin draw a circumvolve in the Height (or Plan) view, and if you so switch to the Front (or even to an Isometric) view, the circle automatically revolves to confront the view management. You will ofttimes observe the Prune, Add, and Intersect Surface commands, and the Compose control useful in creating 2D profile objects.
You can also apply tools in the 3D Tools palette, such every bit the NURBS Circle tool, to create profile objects. You lot depict these objects on the current Working Airplane, and they are non affected by the viewing direction. You can, for example, describe a NURBS Circumvolve on the ground plane within an isometric view. Withal, you lot tin can simply use these contour objects to create Tapered and Along Path extrusions. You cannot use the Sweep command with them to create a 3D object.
Extruding Profile Objects
The VectorWorks commands for creating extruded 3D objects are in the Model tab of the screen pull-down carte du jour. Of these, Extrude creates a 3D object by pushing a pre-selected second object in the viewing management. In using this command, VectorWorks displays a dialog box for you to enter the extrusion distance, with positive values beingness toward the viewer. If the 2D object is closed, the ii ends of the resulting 3D object will exist covered with a surface. Arcs likewise create a airtight 3D object, that is shaped like a pie piece if the arc bending is less than 180 degrees, when they are extruded.
Figure 1. VectorWorks' Multiple Extrude command spreads two or more 2D profile objects along the line of sight and connects them with surfaces.
If you have two or more second objects selected, y'all can use the Multiple Extrude command to create a 3D object. VectorWorks spreads the objects toward the viewer in the lodge of creation and connects them with surfaces. The extrusion altitude you specify is from the first to the last profile. The sides of the resulting 3D object are linear betwixt the profiles, as shown in Figure 1. For best results the profiles should all be the same object type. Using a rectangle and a circle, for case, volition result in a 3D object having gaps and holes in its surface. You can, though, include a second locus to have the extrusion taper to a indicate.
The Extrude Along Path command pushes a profile object along a path object. While the profile object must be planar, it can be a 3D object, such as a NURBS circle. The path object, on the other hand, can exist either planar or not-planar. Y'all must pre-select the two objects, and then specify which is to serve every bit the path. VectorWorks then moves the contour so that its centroid is on the stop of the path, orients information technology to be perpendicular to the path, and sweeps it along to the end of the path, every bit shown in Figure 2.
Effigy 2. The Extrude Along Path command of VectorWorks pushes a 2D profile object along a 2d or (equally shown here) 3D object.
The Tapered Extrude command works with either 2d or 3D objects, and the profile can fifty-fifty be a non-planar NURBS curve. VectorWorks will display a dialog box for y'all to specify the extrusion distance and the taper bending. When yous specify a positive bending the profile becomes smaller as it is extruded, and when you specify a negative angle information technology becomes larger.
Sweeping Profile Objects
The Sweep control transforms the space divers by a profile by revolving the profile most an axis into a 3D object. The contour must exist a 2D object. The axis is in the y axis management and it passes through the profile betoken that is farthest to the left or through a 2D locus. After yous select the profile, and if desired, a locus, VectorWorks displays the Create Sweep dialog box for y'all to enter the parameters of the sweep. These include the bending at which the revolution is to start and the angle through which the profile is to be revolved. Both of these angles are in a airplane that is perpendicular to the revolution axis.
You can also create helix-shaped 3D objects with the Sweep command. To do so, use a second Locus to institute the centerline of the helix and specify the pitch (the distance betwixt each coil) in the Create Sweep dialog box. The number of coils is controlled by the Arc Angle setting in the Create Sweep dialog box. Thus, to create a spring having two coils, you would set up the Arc Bending to 720 degrees.
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Source: https://www.cadalyst.com/aec/creating-3d-objects-vectorworks-2991
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