The first step in creating an architectural model in Autocad 3D is to open any plans and elevation drawings we may have. We guide you through the whole modeling process in our Autocad 3d training courses.
We may have a few drawings contained within several files; this is typical of many architectural projects, especially where several drafters are working on the one project at different levels. These will be a set of DWG files, for example the ground floor plan, first floor plan, second floor plan, front and side elevations, and some section views. We want to bring them all together into a single file. So we first open say a plan view – this will be our master drawing where we’ll build the 3D model.
Inspect the layers panel to discover how many and what kind of layers are included in this drawing. There may be 30 or more layers here. We can use the Layers Walk button in the Layers panel to look at what’s on each layer individually. To bring in the the other drawings, go to Block > Insert > and navigate to the other drawings. Initially just lay them side by side – we’ll line them up shortly.
Next use a guide line to line the various elevations up, to make sure none need to be scaled. When you are happy with the result go to Application > Save As > and give it a name and increment number.
The next step is to arrange the elevations. We want to arrange them around the ground floor plan – this will make it easier to construct the 3D model. First explode the various sections, elevations and floor plans. Then we need to rotate some of the elevations by 90, some by 180 degrees. Line them up around the ground floor plan. Note that there’s sometimes a few coordination errors which become obvious only when you line the elevations up. And one of the reasons for creating a 3D model is to iron out those issues so that you have a single data set.
We then get rid of any text tags or dimensions – these are not needed in our 3D model. Also delete or hide any unwanted layers – we want to see the geometry only. Next type purge > and open the plus buttons to see the content > Purge All – this will get rid of any unused layers or styles. And then type overkill – this gets rid of any coincident objects like 2 lines on top of each other > choose All > OK.
We are now ready to start modeling our architecture in 3 dimensions.
The 3d interface in Autocad is user-friendly and easy to learn, and we take time to teach a broad range of applications in our classes including modeling, materials, lighting and animation. See many examples of our clients’ work on our Facebook page. For more information there are lots of resources on the web, but try the Autodesk site to begin with: www.autodesk.com. Support options and user forums are also available from the home page.
Other related Autocad 3d Blog Posts:

• Autocad 3d introduction
• Autocad 3d modeling
• Autocad 3d blocks
• Autocad 3d commands
• Autocad 3d basics