Creating 3D drawings from 2d architectural plans

[Winnie]

Hello! I'm pretty new at using Vectorworks, so this may be a very obvious process, but I can't seem to figure it out. I have been drawing in 2D in Vectorworks for a while, but my more complex drawings can end being extremely time consuming because every time I have to change something, I have to go through every section and view to alter that thing in each one. I'm looking for a way that I can edit a component of the drawing in one of my views, and have that change be reflected in all my other views without me manually having to change it. My thought is that the obvious way to do this is to create a 3D object rather than a collection of 2D drawings. So, what I'm wondering is how do I go about converting the elevations in my architectural plans into a 3D drawing? Thank you!

[E|FA]

Generating 2D drawings from a 3D model is the way to accomplish what you're looking for, but is a completely different workflow from drawing everything in 2D.  I made the transition a few years ago, and it took a significant amount of time to learn. My first step was building a 3D model of a completed project, as a learning exercise.  I then used 3D to generate illustrative images for a working project.  Only after that did I attempt to generate 2D drawings (Viewports on Sheet Layers) for my construction documents.  

 

Feel free to direct message me if you'd like to find a time to talk.

[Jeff Prince]

You should check out the classes on Vectorworks University and some of the case study/example projects Vectorworks offers.  You can learn a lot by looking at the case studies and simply navigate from sheet layer viewports back to the model to see how things come together.  @E|FA is right though, it's a completely different mindset.  I tell my training clients that working in BIM is like virtual construction instead of drawing because you actually build the building instead of drawing it, at least for all practical purposes.  There is still a bit of "drawing workflow" when it comes to sheet layout and documentation.

[E|FA]

To be honest, if your only problem with a 2D workflow is revision time, depending on how much longer you plan to stay in practice, you may find that making the transition to 3D takes you more time than what you'd save in revisions.  There are other benefits to 3D, but my office worked successfully for 20+ years using MiniCad/Vectorworks in 2D only mode.

[zoomer]

10 hours ago, Winnie said:

So, what I'm wondering is how do I go about converting the elevations in my architectural plans into a 3D drawing? Thank you!

 

Although VW and BIM Modeling offer some more sophisticated options to create

a 3D Model, like Story setups with Z reference Story Levels, which you numerically

enter into your BIM Plugin Objects so you do not need to care much about the third

dimension (Z) while drawing in a top plan XY plane and you can control your

Plugin Objects by PIO Styles in a parametric way so that you can update, change

and adapt your model later more easily .....

 

 

There is a basis of 3D modeling that hundreds of 3D App users (Max, Cinema4D, Blender, ...)

have done and are still doing.

You import or reference your 2D source files like plans, sections and elevations into your 3D App

(already there in your VW file), clean them up, rotate them 90° upright and position them

beside your plan drawings, which you vertically arrange to your Story heights in Z.

Then you draw a polyline e.g. for a Slab by snapping to the plan reference and finally extruding

it by snapping to the section reference.

 

I would first play with 3D geometry in that way just to get a feel for it.

 

Of course watch the 3D starter videos to get an overview of what it is possible and how it may

be achieved. On one hand VW has some pretty legacy modeling tools

(Move 2D/3D, Rotate, Scale, Extrude numerically, ...) on the other hand things like Auto Plane,

Multiple View Panes, PushPullTool, .....).

So the options are a bit overwhelming and usually there are multiple ways to achieve the

desired result.