Editing and Creating Objects

In AutoCAD, when line segments meet at a corner, they are usually joined with crisp, sharp angles. This may translate to an unappealing or unrealistic appearance in 3ds Max, as most real-world objects have some amount of curve or fillet on their edges.

In this lesson, you will prepare the drawing for import by breaking some of the extreme angles with fillets, creating a floor/ceiling shape and using 3ds Max AEC objects to build a 3D model.

Fillet the Column:

In AutoCAD, zoom in to the central column near the origin.
From the Modify menu, choose Fillet.
Press the R key and then press Enter so you can specify a fillet radius. Set the radius to 0.125 and press Enter.
Press the P key and then press Enter so you can select a polyline, and then click the square shape of the central column.

TipThis is the advantage to using polylines to create your drawings as opposed to individual lines and arcs. Since the central column shape is a 2D polyline, you can fillet all the corners at once. Otherwise, you'd have to repeat the fillet command three more times to break all the corners.

Create the Floor Perimeter:

At this point, the drawing doesn't contain an object that you can extrude to create the floor or ceiling. Next, you'll create a polyline that you'll later import into 3ds Max.

From the menu bar, choose Tools > Drafting Settings.
The Drafting Settings dialog is displayed.
On the Object Snap panel of the Drafting Settings dialog, make sure only Endpoint and Intersection are active, and then click OK.
This will snap the endpoints of your new polyline to the endpoints or intersections of the existing AutoCAD lines.
In the Layer Properties Manager, create a new layer named Floor and make that layer current.
Click the color swatch for the Floor layer to open the Select Color dialog and change the layer color to cyan.
TipEach object imported into 3ds Max retains its assigned layer's color rather than any color assigned to it. To avoid confusion, steer clear of using AutoCAD layer colors that are white, red or blue, as these colors are used by 3ds Max to designate selected objects (white), selected sub-objects (red), or sub-objects (blue), respectively.
Click OK to close the Select Color dialog and then click OK to close the Layer Properties Manager dialog.
Use the Polyline command to draw a polyline around the perimeter of the tenant space.
Include the balcony and hallway as shown below.
Save the file as my2Ddrawing2.dwg.

Import the Drawing:

Now that you have a polyline representing the floor or ceiling of the apartment, you can import it into 3ds Max and start building the 3D model. You can continue from the previous lesson and use your drawing or you can use the sample file that ships with 3ds Max.

Open or reset 3ds Max.
Choose File menu > Import. In the Select File To Import dialog, set the Files Of Type field to AutoCAD Drawing (*.DWG,*.DXF).
Open my2Ddrawing2.dwg from the previous section or ww_cad_drawings2_clean.dwg from the \tutorials\designviz folder.
If the Proxy Objects Detected dialog opens, click Yes to continue.
On the Geometry panel of the AutoCAD DWG/DXF Import Options dialog, turn on Rescale and set Incoming File Units=Inches to match the default unit size in the AutoCAD drawing.

NoteThis panel also controls what types of objects (hatches, points) are imported, and whether AutoCAD lights, views, and UCSs are converted to 3ds Max lights, cameras, or grids.
Switch to the Layers tab. By default, the Skip All Frozen Layers option is active, which allows the drawing to be imported just as it was last seen in AutoCAD. If a different layering scheme should be employed, the Select From List option allows you to select the layers to be imported manually.
Click OK.
The file is imported into 3ds Max.

Create AEC Walls:

Now that the floor plan is imported into 3ds Max, you can use it as a template to create a 3D model. You'll start this process by adding Wall objects. However, before adding walls you should review the scene and note the different types of walls you will have to build.

Three different types of walls.

You can see that there are at least three different types of walls used in the structure. You have heavy, exterior walls (A), medium weight walls (B), which separate the apartments, and the thinner, interior walls (C), which separate the rooms in each apartment.

You'll start this section by creating the medium weight walls that are highlighted in the following image. They run along the upper part of the drawing and wrap around to the lower left where they meet the exterior wall.

Build medium weight walls:

Continue from the previous section or open ww_cad_drawing.max from the \tutorials\designviz folder.
Click the Snaps Toggle button to activate it, then right-click the same button.
Right-clicking the button opens the Grid And Snap Settings dialog.
On the Snaps panel, make sure Endpoint is the only snap setting that is turned on. Close the dialog by clicking the X button in the upper-right corner.

TipSetting the snap options correctly helps considerably in the process of building walls.
Open the Customize menu and choose Units Setup.
The Units Setup dialog is displayed.
In the Display Unit Scale group, choose US Standard, set the units to Feet w/ Fractional Inches, and then click OK.
On the Create panel, open the Geometry list and choose AEC Extended.
Click the Wall button.
Set Width to 0'8 3/8”, Height to 9'0”, and Justification to Right.

When using a 2D drawing as a template for building a 3D model, you typically set the justification to Left or Right so you can trace the floor plan. In this case, the right edge of the wall’s baseline snaps to the right side of the line you're tracing.
Click the upper intersection where the master bedroom wall meets the exterior wall (inset), then click again where the wall turns at the outside of the closet. Continue following the floor plan until you get to the foyer. Right-click to finish the wall.

The inset shows the endpoint snap cursor at the first point of the wall.

TipWhile building walls, you can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out and use the I (letter “i”) key to pan the view.
Click the inside intersection where the second bedroom wall meets the exterior wall, then click again at the corner where the wall turns toward the foyer. Click at the intersection where the closet starts, forming an “L” shaped wall. Right-click again to end the wall command.
Save the scene as my_Walls1.max.
Next, you'll continue to use the Wall command to build the interior walls.

Interior wall construction:

The interior walls are the thinnest of the three types of walls you need to create. There are also many more of them, as highlighted in the following image.

Click the Wall button again and set Width to 0'5”.
Leave the Height value at 9'0” and the Justification setting at Right, for now.
Click the intersection where the fireplace wall meets the exterior wall (see inset), then click again where the wall turns into the master bedroom. Click again where the wall intersects the rear wall that separates the apartments. Disregard door openings and build walls right over them.

The inset shows the endpoint snap cursor at the first point of the interior wall.
Continue creating interior walls until you've filled the apartment.
If you notice that the justification of a wall is incorrect, change the justification setting after the wall is completed and it will align itself properly.

The complete interior wall
After you've created all the interior walls, save the scene as my_Walls2.max.

Exterior wall construction:

There are three exterior walls that you need to build to finish enclosing the apartment, as shown in the following image.

Click the Wall button again, set Width to 1'2”, and change justification to Left.
Leave Height at 9'0”.
Click the intersection where the second bedroom wall meets the exterior wall (see inset), then click again where the wall meets the angled patio door wall. Continue around to finish at the corner where the master bedroom walls intersects with the exterior wall.

The inset shows the first endpoint to select. (For clarity, the other walls are turned off.)
Right-click to finish adding walls.

All of the walls are built.
Save the scene as my_Walls3.max.

Adjust the walls:

You might sometimes need to adjust a wall that you've already constructed, or to combine all the walls you've created into a single object.

You'll notice that the angled wall where the patio door is supposed to go is supposed to be thicker than the other exterior walls. This section of the tutorial demonstrates how to adjust an existing wall and how to attach all the walls so they are a single object.

Continue using the model from the previous section or open ww_cad_drawing2.max from the \tutorials\designviz folder.
Select the wall along the balcony and switch to the Modify panel.
Open the Wall object in the modifier stack, highlight the Segment sub-object level, and then select the angled wall segment where the patio door should be located.
In the Edit Segment rollout, set the Width value to 1'5”.

The selected wall is now 1' 5” thick.
Go back to the Wall level in the modifier stack.
You cannot select another wall or object until you've exited the sub-object level.
Select the first wall you created; it separates this apartment from the one behind it. The wall is named Wall01.
TipYou can also select the wall by pressing the H key to open the Select Objects dialog.
On the Edit Object rollout, click Attach Multiple.
The Attach Multiple dialog is displayed.
Click the All button at the lower left to highlight all the wall objects and then click the Attach button.

The walls are combined into a single object.
Save your work as my_Walls_Complete.max.

Create AEC Doors:

AEC doors and windows, when properly created, generate their own openings in AEC walls, thereby eliminating the need to use Boolean subtraction or otherwise edit the walls to accommodate them. To do this correctly, the Edge snap must be used.

Continue using the model from the previous section or open ww_cad_drawing3.max from the \tutorials\designviz folder.
Ensure that the Snaps Toggle button is still active, then right-click the button to open the Grid and Snap Settings dialog.
Turn on Edge/Segment, turn off all other options, and then close the dialog.
Select the wall object, Wall01, right-click, and choose Properties from the quad menu.
On the General panel turn off By Layer in the Display Properties group and then turn off Backface Cull.
When adding a door, you need to be able to set two points for the width of the door and a third point to set the depth, corresponding to the wall thickness. Turning off Backface Cull lets you see the back edges of the wall for setting the depth.
Click OK to close the Object Properties dialog.
Right-click the Perspective viewport label and choose Wireframe from the pop-up menu.
Zoom in and pan to the doorway leading into the master bedroom on the fireplace wall.
On the Layers toolbar, open the Layer list and click the eyeball symbol to hide layer A-Wall.
In order for a door or window to open a wall properly, you must select the edges of the wall, not the lines of the floor plan. Temporarily hiding the A-Wall layer ensures that you select only AEC Wall edges when placing doors or windows.

A hidden layer shows a mask symbol instead of an eye.
On the Create panel, open the Geometry list and choose Doors. On the Object Type rollout, click the Pivot button.
Place the cursor at the base of the interior wall near the external wall, where the door opening begins.
With the Edge snap indicated, click and drag the cursor to the opposite side of the door opening (nearer to the fireplace), then release to set the width of the door.
Move the cursor over the inside-bottom edge of the wall until the edge snap indicator is visible. Click to set the depth of the door.
Drag the mouse upward, then click to set the height of the door.

You can tell a door or window is inserted into a wall correctly because there are additional edges in the wall object.
On the Parameters rollout, set Height to 7'0”, Width to 2'6”, and Depth to 5”. Set the Open value to 30.0 degrees and turn on Flip Swing so the door swing matches the direction shown on the imported drawing.
Click the object color swatch next to the name of the door to open the Object Color dialog. Select a new color for the door so it isn't the same blue as the walls.
Right-click to end the Pivot door command and then click the Quick Render button to render the scene.
If you see the Raytrace Messages dialog, click the Raytracer tab of the Render Scene dialog, and then turn off Show Messages.

Now you've added a door but it doesn't really match up with the floor plan drawing. Next you'll adjust the door.

Adjust the Door:

If you look closely at the blue door-swing symbol that was imported with the floor plan, you'll see that the door isn't wide enough. Also, the panel in the door defaults to glass, which isn't necessarily what you want for a bedroom door.

Open the Modify panel while the door is selected.
Change the width of the door to 3'0”.
Click the Quick Render button again.
The door looks better.
Scroll down to the Leaf Parameters rollout and change the Stiles/Top Rail setting to 6”, the # Panels Horizontal setting to 2, and the # Panels Vertical setting to 3.
Click the Quick Render button again.
The door is much more detailed.
In the Panels group, turn on the Beveled option.
Click the Quick Render button once more.
Save your work as my_Wall_Door.max.

Experiment by adding more doors to the model. Some of the closets use the BiFold door type.

Create AEC Windows:

AEC windows are created in much the same manner as the AEC doors.

Continue using the model from the previous section or open ww_cad_drawing4.max from the \tutorials\designviz folder.
Ensure that the Snap Toggle is still active, then right-click it to open the Grid and Snap Settings dialog.
Make sure that Edge/Segment is the only active snap setting and then close the Grid and Snap Settings dialog.
Right-click the name of the Perspective viewports, and choose Wireframe from the pop-up menu.
If necessary, use Arc Rotate, Pan and Zoom to display the exterior wall along the side balcony.
Just as you did for the previous Doors section, hide the A-Wall layer from the Layers toolbar, if it's not already hidden.

The A-Wall layer is hidden again.
On the Create panel, open the Geometry list and choose Windows.
Choose Fixed from the Object Type rollout.
Create a single fixed window as wide and deep as indicated in the template and nearly as tall as the walls.
Using the imported, blue window as a guide, place the cursor at the base of the wall at the side of the window nearest the angled, exterior wall.
With the Edge snap indicated, click and drag the cursor to the right (toward the second bedroom), then release to set the width of the window.
Move the cursor over the outside-bottom edge of the wall until the edge snap indicator is visible. Click to set the depth of the window.
Drag the mouse upward, then click to set the height of the window.
In the Parameters rollout set the Height to 8'10”, Width to 9'0”, and Depth to 1'2”.
Click the object color swatch next to the name of the window to open the Object Color dialog. Select a new color for the window so it isn't the same blue as the walls.
Right-click to end the Fixed window command and then click the Quick Render button to render the scene.

Now you've added a window into a wall. Next, you'll make some final adjustments.

Adjust the Window:

The window needs a little adjustment to its positioning and to some of the window characteristics.

From the main toolbar, click the Select and Move button and then right-click it to open the Move Transform Type-In dialog.
In the Offset:World group, enter 1” in the Z field.
By shifting the window 1” along the Z axis, the window creates its own opening and leaves a sill.

A floor to ceiling window centered in the wall.
From the Modify panel, in the Parameters rollout, set the # Panels Horizontal value to 3 to place three vertical mullions in the window.
Experiment by creating the floor-to-ceiling window on the angled wall. Set the same height and width and use the Move tool to shift the window along the Z axis as you did before.
From the Layer toolbar, open the Layer list and turn on the A-Wall layer.
You'll need it visible for the next part of the tutorial.
Save the scene as my_Wall_Window.max.

With the window additions completed, you can go on to build the floor, ceiling and column.

Create the Floor, Ceiling and Column:

Building the floor, ceiling and column demonstrates the use of the Extrude modifier to quickly create 3D objects using a 2D shape as a basis.

Continue using the model from the previous section or open ww_cad_drawing5.max from the \tutorials\designviz folder.
Press the H key, highlight the Layer:Floor object from the Select Objects dialog, and then click Select.

This is the floor perimeter object you created in AutoCAD at the beginning of this tutorial.
On the Modify panel, expand the Modifier List and choose the Extrude modifier.
On the Parameters rollout, set Amount to -1”.
This allows the template to remain visible while you continue to work.
Select the Layer:A-Wall object.
Go to the Spline sub-object level and select the column spline object.
In the Geometry rollout, click the Detach button and name the new object Column. Click OK.
Turn off the Spline sub-object mode and select the Column shape.
Open the Modifier List and apply an Extrude modifier to the Column. Set the Amount to 9'0”.
Select the Layer:Floor object, choose Edit menu > Clone. On the Clone Options dialog, turn on Copy in the Object group and name the new object Ceiling.
Move the Ceiling object 9'0” along the Z axis.
Make sure the Perspective viewport is active and press the C key.
This changes the Perspective view to a Camera view.

TipIf there is no camera in your scene, press Ctrl+C instead to convert the Perspective view to a new Camera view.
Click the Quick Render button to render the scene.
Save your work as my_Apartment.max.

From here, you can start adding materials and other objects to furnish the flat.