Transitioning from 2D to 3D AutoCAD drawings 104

Continuing, again, with my “Transitioning from 2D to 3D” series, I’ll move the beams to the correct location (the ceiling instead of the floor!)

As always seems to be the case in Auto Cad, there are several ways to accomplish the same drawing task. I’m going to focus on what I think is the most intuitive method, enabling you to take advantage of what you already know from working with 2D drawings.

The first challenge with moving the beams in this particular drawing, is selecting them. There are several ways that you can select the beams. You could, of course, select each beam, one at a time, by picking them. Or, if you created all of the 3D Beams on their own layer, you could use the Q SELECT command to select all objects on that particular layer. Another selection option, one that works particularly well in this case, is to change the viewpoint of the model so that you are looking at it more from an elevation view than from a top view. The Orbit functionality (Shift key and middle mouse button) enables you to transparently change the viewpoint of the model while you are in a command.

1. Begin the MOVE command.
2. Use the Shift key and middle mouse button to change the viewpoint.
3. Create a selection window that includes all the beams but does not include the columns.
   
   My selection window will include the single-line beams that I used for the sweep in my previous post. If I didn’t want those single-line beams to move, I could turn that particular layer off before starting the MOVE command.
4. Press enter to finish selecting objects.
5. Use the Shift key and middle mouse button to change the viewpoint so that it is more of a top view, making it easier to see the individual beams.
   
6. Use the middle mouse wheel to zoom into the end of one of the beams near a column.
7. For the basepoint of the MOVE command, select the midpoint of the top end of the beam.
8. Use the middle mouse wheel to zoom and pan to the top of the nearby column.
9. Ensure POLAR tracking is turned on (on the status bar) and the Midpoint object snap is enabled (Object Snap tab of the Drafting Settings dialog box).
10. Pass your cursor over the midpoint of the top edge of the column, which should be collinear with the midpoint of the beam.
11. Move your cursor so that polar tracking aligns along the Z-axis and the midpoint of the top of the column and then pick to place the objects. The tooltip will help assure that you’ve acquired the proper points.

Viola! The beams are now aligned with the top of the columns and I didn’t even have to type any values! Aside from using the orbit functionality to change the viewpoint, these are the same tools and methods (polar tracking and object snaps) that you use everyday (hopefully) when creating 2D drawings. Now you’re just applying those familiar tools to 3D space!

View Animation