3D Scene & Gaming Assets

Modeling scene and game assets in AutoCAD is very simple. Take My Autodesk University course 3D Modeling with the Best: AutoCAD to learn the basics of 3D modeling in AutoCAD.

In this quick tutorial, you will draw a 3D bottle as show below using a series of circles and ellipses.

    1.       Set the Workspace to 3D Modeling.

    2.       Create layers Bottle, Bottle-Cap and Guidelines.

    3.       Set System Variable DELOBJ to 0. This will retain the guideline objects when creating 3D objects.

    4.       Set the Guidelines layer current.

    5.       Turn on Ortho (F8).

    6.       Draw an Ellipse with a Center axis endpoint at 0,0,0.

    7.       Type a distance of 1 in the X Plane.

    8.       Type a distance of 0.5 in the Y Plane.

    9.       Change the UCS Z-Axis Vector along the Y Axis direction.

    10.   Set the View to Front.

    11.  Draw a centerline polyline (shown in red) from the center of the ellipse with a length of 6.25.

    12.   Draw a reference polyline (shown in blue) using Arcs to set the outer shape of the bottle.

    13.   Draw a series of polylines snapping to the endpoints and midpoints of the arcs drawn in step 8 perpendicular to the centerline polyline.

  

 

    14.   Set the view to SW Isometric.

    15.   Copy the ellipse from the center point to the endpoint of each line drawn in step 9.

    16.   Copy the bottom ellipse upwards a distance of 0.05 and another at a distance of 0.01.

    17.   Adjust the Major and Minor Radius of the two newly created ellipse to be smaller than the original ellipse.

 

    18.   Change the UCS to World.

    19.   Draw a circle just above the top ellipse.

    20.   Copy the newly created circle upwards along the Z-Axis with a distance of 0.4.

  

    21.   Click the Surface tab on the ribbon.

    22.   Set the Bottle layer current.

    23.   Click Loft.

    24.   Select the ellipses in order #1 through #10.

    25.   Click Loft.

    26.   Select circles in order #10 through #11.

    27.   Change the UCS Z-Axis Vector along the Y Axis direction.

    28.   Draw a half section of the cap (shown above in green) with a closed polyline.

    29.   Revolve the cap half section around the centerline of the bottle 360 degrees.

 

Finished 3D model. The model can be referenced/imported into the 3DS Max, Maya and other 3D software for rendering and texturing.

Autodesk Civil 3D Miscellaneous Files

Overtime, Civil 3D will leave various files in the project folder. I’ve created a list of files with descriptions that can be deleted to clean up the project folder.

 

*.dwl (Drawing lock) (File left when the drawing crashes)

*.dwl2 (Drawing lock) (File left when the drawing crashes)

The drawing lock files are hidden so the Show Hidden files and folders will need to be enabled. If the drawing lock file is currently in use, it cannot be deleted.

Acad.err (Drawing error logs) (File left when the drawing crashes)

Plot.log (Drawing plot logs)

Be sure Plot.log files are not needed for plot expenses.

hardcopy.log (Drawing plot error logs)

sav*.tmp (Drawing temp file) (File left when the drawing crashes)

*recover.dwg (Drawing recover files)

Be sure the recover file is no longer needed before deleting it.

*.adt (Drawing Audit Report log file)

*.bak (I usually delete or rename the BAK file after renaming a sheet through Sheet Set Manager.)

3D Street Section

A Civil 3D user can create compelling street section visuals from a Corridor Assembly Section. Here is a breakdown of this exercise.

⦁ Export a corridor to a solids drawing.
⦁ Link the solids drawing to 3D Studio Max for UV Mapping.
⦁ Export the 3D Studio Max to an FBX file format.

⦁ I will use Epic’s Twinmotion software for this exercise.

I’m going to assume the Civil 3D user can create an assembly and corridor.

Civil 3D Assembly and Corridor.

Exporting the Corridor to solids.

1. Select the corridor object.
2. Click Extract Corridor Solids on the Corridor Tools panel of the ribbon.

3. Click Next and then Next again.
4. Choose the Output Object Type. I've selected AutoCAD 3D Solid (swept solids).
5. Click the Add to a new drawing radio button.
6. Name the file and save it to the project folder.
7. Click the Extract Solids button.

The Exported Solids Drawing

I have added an underground solid then added underground utility pipes and duct banks using various AutoCAD 3D Solid tools. See my Autodesk University 2019 class on 3D modeling with AutoCAD.

https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/3D-Modeling-Best-AutoCAD-2019

Launch 3D Studio Max

There are a few paths you can go from here. Stay in 3D Studio Max for final rendering or export the model into another software. I'm going to export the model into Twinmotion so I'm only using 3D Studio Max for UVW Mapping, basic materials and exporting the model to an FBX format.

1. Click File > Reference > Manage Links.
2. Link the 3D Street Section Solids.dwg drawing to the scene.

A few options I like to set when referencing a DWG file in 3D Studio Max.

1. Set Curve Steps to 100.
2. Set Maximum surface deviation for 3D solids to 0.01.

3. Check Use scene material definitions.
4. Check Use scene material assignments on Reload.

5. Click OK.

Assigning Material and a UVW Map modifier to each object.

1. Select an object such as the pavement.
2. Click the Modifier List pull down on the right then select UVW Map.
3. Set the Mapping to Box.
4. Change the Length, Width and Height to 1.0'
5. Repeat for each object. Ground, curb, utility pipes and so on.
6. Add materials to the objects.
7. Press M on the keyboard to open the Materials Editor.
8. Click Modes on the upper left then select Compact Material Editor. Use Slate Material Editor if you like.
9. Right click on a Sample Window sphere.
10. Click 6 X 4 Sample Windows.
11. Click Get Material.
12. Double Click the Standard (Legacy).
13. Name the material such as Curb.
14. Drag the newly created material to the next Sample Window.
15. Rename the material to Asphalt.
16. Repeat steps 14 through15 for each object type in the scene. (Ex. Grass, Sidewalk, Dirt, Gravel and so on).

 

Adding a UVW Map modifier to each object.

1. Select an object such as the pavement.

2. Click the Modify button on Command Panel to the right.
3. Click the Modifier List pull down list then select UVW Map.
4. Once the Modifier is added to the object, click the Box Mapper.
5. Set the Length, Width and Height to 1.0'.

6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for each object type in the scene.

 

Export the model to an FBX file format.

1. Select the entire model.
2. Click File> Export> Export Selected...

3. Save the file to the project folder as Street Section.fbx.

FBX export options.

1. Leave Geometry as default.
2. Check Embed Media
3. Uncheck Animation, Light, Cameras
4. Click the OK button.
5. Click OK on any Warnings and Errors.

Launch Epic's Twinmotion

Epic's Twinmotion download link.
https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/twinmotion


Importing 3D models into Twinmotion.

1. Save the Twinmotion file to the project folder as Street Section.TM.

2. Click the Import button on the lower left.

3. Select the Street Section.fbx from the project folder.

4. Once imported, drag the Street Section.fbx into the scene.

5. Expand the object list in the upper right.

6. Select the Street Section.fbx then hit F on the keyboard. This will zoom to the model.

7. Select the default tan paver object then delete it.

8. Expand the Material and Asset browser list in the upper left.

9. Browse Materials for grass. (Materials> Ground> Nature)
10. Drag the Grass 1 material to the median of the street section.
11. Browse Materials for asphalt. (Materials> Ground> Manmade)
12. Drag the Asphalt 1 material to the median of the street section.

13. Repeat steps 9 through 12 for adding additional materials to the objects.

14. Browse the assets for adding trees to the scene. (Vegetation and landscape>Trees)

15. Repeat step 14 for adding additional assets to the scene.
16. Import other desired 3D objects from Revit, SketchUp and so on.


Setting up still and animation renderings.

1. Once the model is setup to your liking, click the Media button on the lower left to setup images and video renderings.

2. To setup still renderings, pan to the desired position.

3. Click Image >.

4. Click the Create image button to create an image snapshot.

5. Repeat steps 18 through 20 for addition renderings. (Image settings such as image size, visual effects, weather can be changed under the more button)

6. To setup a fly through animation, pan to the desired starting position.

7. Click Video >.

8. Click Create >.

9. Click Create clip.

10. Pan to the next animation point.

11. Click the + symbol to the right of the clip.

12. Repeat steps 10 through 11 for additional fly through points. (Video settings such as resolution, visual effects, weather can be changed under the more button)

Rendering the still images and fly through animation.

1.Once the still images and animation is setup to your liking, click the Export button on the lower left to export the images and video renderings.

2. Click Image and or Video then select the media to export.

3. Click Start Export.

4. Select the folder to save the media.

Enjoy the renderings and animations.

Electrical Duct Banks in Civil 3D

I often have to model electrical duct banks for utility layouts and conflict resolution. I do not have access to duct bank design software and Civil 3D gravity pipes and pressure pipes may not work in all scenarios. I came up with alternate solution that will generate a 3D model to utilize in the BIM world. Here is a fast and easy way to create and electrical duct bank utilizing Civil 3D Corridors and Storm Junction Structures. Since everyone has different Civil 3D styles, use your company's standard styles or create new electrical styles. I assume the user has a working knowledge of Civil 3D for this exercise.

In this exercise, I will utilize Civil 3D alignments, profiles, assemblies, corridors, pipe networks and surfaces.

Creating the Electrical Duct Bank.

1.      Create the electrical duct bank Alignment(s).

2.      Create Profile(s) from the alignment. Select the necessary surfaces. Existing and finished grades surfaces.

3.      Create the Profile View(s).

4.      Select the Profile View then create two separate top and bottom duct bank profiles using the Profile Creation Tool.

5.      Create an electrical duct bank Assembly for the bottom and sides. The assembly in this exercise is 3'x2.5'

a.     Use the Generic Link Width and Slope sub-assembly for the left and right bottom and sides.

b.    Set the left and right side wall sub-assemblies to a width of 0.01 and slope of 25000.00% to create the 2.5' tall duct bank.

6.      Create a duct bank Assembly for the top. The top is 3.02' wide due to the left and right side wall sub-assemblies slopes.

a.     Use the Generic Link Width and Slope sub-assembly for the left and right top.

7.        Create a corridor for the electrical duct bank bottom and sides.

a.       Select the duct bank alignment.

b.      Select the duct bank bottom profile.

c.       Select the duct bank bottom assembly.

8.      Create a second corridor for the electrical duct bank top.

a.       Select the duct bank alignment.

b.      Select the duct bank top profile.

c.       Select the duct bank top assembly.

9.        Adjust both top and bottom corridor frequency as needed. I set it to 5.00'.

10.    Create TIN surfaces from the top and bottom corridors.

11.    Create surface boundaries for each surface. Use Corridor extents as outer boundaries.

Creating Electrical Duct Bank Manhole Structures

1.    Create a Pipe Network, call it DUCTBANK.

2.    Select the 48"x48" Rectangular Junction Structure. (Change structure size as needed.)

3.       Delete the pipes as I'm only utilizing the structures from the network.

4.       Adjust the structure height as needed per specification. (Use Rim to Sump.)

5.       Draw/Add the structures parts to the electrical duct bank profile. (Label as needed.)

Notes:

• Other Assembly options are to create custom duct bank sub-assemblies.
• Data Shortcuts can be created of all objects for use in other drawings and profiles.
• The objects can also be exported to other software such as InfraWorks, 3D Studio Max and Navisworks.

The electrical duct bank surfaces referenced in a storm sewer profile.

Tip: Be sure to properly name all the Civil 3D objects.

Let me know if you have any questions.