CAD User - 2003 article - " The Missing Link "

" The Missing Link "

Increasing productivity without increasing overhead is the key to success for any Architectural Practice - and as Michael Axon of CAD Limited explains, an increase in productivity and of course profit is simple with the right tools for the job, as demonstrated to David Chadwick!

According to some recent surveys, as few as 10% of architects are happy designing buildings using 3D CAD. Most small practices may even have acquired 3D CAD software, but the majority of them only use its 2D capabilities!

You can compare this to Germany, where 3D CAD has been integrated into design process far more effectively, and where architectural practices are quoting increased production of drawings and increased turnover for the practices of up to 250%.

Michael Axon, the Managing Director of CAD Limited, points to a number of reasons for the poor showing in the UK. The principal reason, he argues, is the overselling of the 3D aspect of the software by enthusiastic, but not overly practical salespeople. Potential users find it to be too far beyond their normal working practices, have little time available to spend learning the new techniques - and are, quite frankly, bemused by the whole concept.

As UK dealer for Allplan, the dominant German design software from Nemetschek in Germany, he ultimately realised that the recent poor take-up of 3D CAD software in the UK occurred because of a fundamental ignorance of the true nature of the software. He turned his demonstration on its head, and his fortunes, and those of Allplan, have since prospered.

Rather than promote the 3D design capabilities of the software, he emphasises its 2D base. Most of the input is carried out in 2D - in exactly the same way that architects have done for years - but let the CAD system produce - a full 3D model on the fly - including a real-time animation and an active window that displays a 3D model of the building under design, and elevations in plan or isometric and sectional views.

"The concept is simple" he explained - "Draw in 2D - and let the CAD system create the 3D model.

The Missing Link

The real purpose of Michael's visit, however, was not just to expand on the 2D to 3D concept - which we shall visit later on in the article, but to demonstrate, in his view, the true breakthrough in architectural design - the ability to measure a building on site using a Disto Laser device and within minutes e-mail complete CAD drawings of the site back to the office.

He explained it by describing current practices, which, traditionally involve many stages in the production of drawings by all of those involved in the practice - and which have to be brought together, both manually and digitally, during the process.

Assuming that many projects involve extensions, or modifications to existing buildings, we start, he says, with a technician, using a laser based measuring tools, taking measurements on site - drawing the building by hand on a notepad. These sketches have to be developed by the senior architect who outlines the design, and then passes the drawings to technicians to be worked up in 2D CAD. These days most of the clients are requesting 3D walk through's, so the 2D CAD drawings have to be converted into a 3D model usually at a high cost to the Practice. After showing the design to the client, a number of alterations may have to be made, and the process goes back into the loop. The Building has already been drawn four times at this stage.

"Compare it" he said, "to what can be achieved now - Whilst measuring the building with the Disto, the intelligent UDS- M2 software takes the laser measurements and instructs Allplan 2003 to construct the Building in 3D - That's it ! - The building is measured and drawn in one process. Using a digital camera, photograph the materials, drag them onto the model in Allplan, export this as a VRML file and e-mail directly back to the office from site using your mobile phone"

From laser measuring device on site to full 3D rendered virtual walk through, with plans and elevations - back at the office in an hour or so.

Stage 1

"The Missing Link" the Sitemaster 3 software runs equally as well with Allplan or AutoCAD as well and on the Windows CE platform. As we saw in the last issue of CAD User, laser measuring devices can be used to extract dimension of buildings and are already used extensively by surveyors. In this particular demonstration, we used the Disto laser, linked directly to a Siemens SIMpad SL4 panel . Onboard the SL4 was the UDS M2 software running within CeCAD, a full CAD system available for the Windows CE devices including the IPAQ, Using the Windows CE solution gives the user far greater measuring time on site due to the increased battery life of these CE devices.

The Disto, in combination with CeCAD, is capable of picking up, not only, simple dimensions, but, because of the UDS M2 interface on the panel computer, can produce an accurate representation of the building with elevations, skewed and tapered walls. Extensive triangulation and trigonometrical functions within the UDS M2 software enable any conceivable combination of shape, elevation and area to be accurately captured using the Disto device. Using the Disto on a tripod enables datum points to be captured from the elevations.

In a very short space of time a whole building can be measured - by the architect, because the process is so simple (no slur intended) - with the data already transmitted to the CAD application as a 2D drawing! Or if linked directly to Allplan 2003 as a 3D building model.

www.lazercad.co.uk

Stage 2

Back at the office, if the data was collected in 2D, Allplan can then be used to convert the lines and datum points to real objects. Allplan is an intelligent drawing package that can draw walls, windows, doors and other features as objects, either from within a library, or enabling the designer to easily create non-standard objects using configurable components from the same library. Any data collected in 3D of course does not need to be converted.

In the case of walls - when the Wall command is accessed, the type and style of each wall is built up, single, double or multiskinned and including the wall materials for each skin. All lines that require a particular type of wall are selected, and the drawing is updated. A particularly nice feature brings up all configurable elements for each object whenever it is selected.

Whilst this is in progress, a live virtual 3D animation is visible in a separate window. Being real-time (animations are simply rendered objects, as opposed to full scale renderings that would require some element of processing for display purposes and which would hinder the real-time element of the display). Modifications to the 2D drawings are immediately displayed in the window - no need to update the display - and the model is free for users to zoom in and around the 3D model. In the other active window, a selected elevation in 2D is also displayed, that can be converted to isometric drawings, with or without hidden lines, at will.

Irregular shapes, picked up by the accurate surveying of the Disto, can be picked up from their datum points and walls created, for instance, that very accurately reflect the true shape of the structure.

Stage 3

Doors and Windows - and other objects - are inserted from the standard library at the precise points measured by the Disto - or inserted, intelligently, within the structure. References can taken be from within or without the building, and the windows and doors being inserted will recognise, and adapt themselves to the wall types and thicknesses. The architect is then freed up from all of the time-consuming preparatory work on the design and can then indulge in a spot of creative designing.

Allplan is especially suited to this task. And, remember, all of this is being done in 2D - elevations, either inserted separately, or directly from the Disto/Sitemaster 3 input.

We looked at two types of windows that we wished to insert into one of the walls - an arched window with a fanlight that was not included in the library, and a freeform window with an irregular outline.

For the arched window we found a simple 2D shape that we extracted and placed in the wall. The elements within the window - the frames, and sashes, were similarly extracted and applied to the shape, and the fan inside the arch was configured from within the pop-up window by indicating the number of separate panes required. The sections were calculated and the window drawn - appearing immediately, of course, within the 3D animation.

Should, however, the window have been created for an existing opening, which on further investigation was found to be a couple of millimetres out, resizing of the window opening modifies the dimensions of the window. Each pane within the window is also configurable, so that individual sashes, glass types and other features added.

We also created an irregularly shaped window out of splines, using standard 2D tools within the drawing. That shape was transferred to the wall elevation, and a further opening created. Allplan enabled us to create a unique frame with whatever internal sections we required, to fit the shape. The new shapes can be subsequently added to the catalogue. An interesting alternative use of this feature is to trace existing windows from photographs of listed buildings, so that perfect simulations can be inserted. Production drawings can be produced of individual objects, and sections through these will give all frame shapes and dimensions. The Curamess package now available for Allplan, goes one stage further and automatically traces and converts the photograph directly into 2D elevations.

Production Detailing

A number of useful features within Allplan are designed to bring out maximum detail with the minimum of effort. Dimensioning drawings (also highly configurable) enables complete sets of dimensions to be drawn from, say, an exterior wall, with one click - in whatever convention the design office uses.

Schedules of objects, such as windows and doors are immediately available, producing a list and quantity of each type, together with a thumb nail sketch of the object, ready for printout on an A4 sheet. The irregular window that we created was included in the schedule. Typically 300 windows can be scheduled in under a minute.

Wall schedules calculate quantities for every skin of each wall, listing bricks, blocks and insulation. The data can also be exported and object linked to Excel spreadsheets.

Visualisation Detailing

The 3D animation is used to convey an accurate rendition of the building as it progresses. This can be used to good effect by showing the various stages to the client, so that he can assess, and comment on the development. To beef up the animation - and, remembering that we are still in 2D, a wide range of finishes can be added to walls, floors, ceilings and even glass panels. Producers of such finishes, such as wallpapers, are especially keen to supply samples of their products, as these are readily available for use with the software and can include ordering details. Drag and Drop a JPEG photo from your camera directly onto the object in the animated window, and Allplan will allow you to scale it then correctly display the texture even in perspective.

Michael has spent some time photographing wall types, and has included these in the surface library. These can be used to cover external (brick) walls in the same way, producing extremely realistic animation effects.

If the quality of the animation is not sufficient for the intended audience, full-scale rendering can be introduced, taking into effect external lighting conditions, using Cinema 4D, a rendering company now owned by Nemetchek. A nifty routine allows the longditude and latitude of the building to be inserted, the date and time to be set, and a scene rendered that will show the effects of natural light on the building over a given period - showing shadows and light penetration of transparent objects. Windows, of course, can be given reflectance and transparency indices.

Furniture, such as you will readily find on the e-interiors website, can be selected and dropped into each room on the 2D plan, and will be shown within the 3D animation, and also in the 2D elevations.

AVI Walkthroughs can be created within the 3D animated window, by positioning cameras throughout the site on the fly, using windows media player the client can view this format. The VRML (Virtual Reality Model Language) file is the most useful tool for producing a walkthrough, in 15 seconds the model is exported allowing a non technical client can walk through the proposed property live before it is actually constructed. As this format is exceptionally small (typically 500k) a complete rendered model can be e-mailed to a client in seconds.

With the German construction market levelling off, says Michael our recent visit to the Nemetschek headquarters in Munich was very interesting. The UK market is of great importance them, whilst most of the competition are cutting back on new development, the Allplan team are dedicating a lot of time and effort into enhancing the program for the UK, so we can expect many more exiting developments in the near future.

www.lazercad.co.uk

www.curamess.co.uk

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