3D Solid modeling Solid modeling is the easiest type of 3D modeling to use.

With the Auto CAD solid modeler, you can make 3D objects by creating basic 3D shapes, boxes, cylinders, spheres, wedges, and torus (donuts). You can then combine these shapes to create more complex solids by joining or subtracting them or finding their intersecting (overlapping) volume. You can also create solids by sweeping a 2D object along a path or revolving it about an axis. With Mechanical Desktop, you can also define solids parametrically and maintain associatively between 3D models and the 2D views that you generate from them. A solid object represents the entire volume of an object. Solids are the most informationally complete and least ambiguous of the 3D modeling types. Complex solid shapes are also easier to construct and edit than wireframes and meshes. You can create solids from one of the basic solid in this manner. You can create more complex shapes by combining solids. You can join solids, subtract solids from each other, or find the common volume (overlapping portion) of solids. Solids can be further modified by filleting, chamfering, or changing the color of their edges, faces on solids are easily manipulated because they don't required you to draw any new geometry or perform Boolean operations on the solid. Auto CAD also provides commands for slicing a solid into two pieces or obtaining the 2D cross section of a solid. Like meshes, solids are displayed as wireframes until you hide, shade, or render them. Additionally, you can analyze solids for their mass properties (volume, moments of inertia, center of gravity, and so on). You can export data about a solid object to applications such as NC (Numerical Control) milling or FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis. By exploring a solid, you can break it down to mesh and wireframe objects.

Creating a Solids Box: Solid toolbar You can use box to create a solid box. The base of the box is always parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS.

The rectangle or polyline command creates a rectangle or closed polyline from which you can create a box using extrude. The 3D command creates a box shape defined by surfaces only.

To create a solid box specifying corner Click box in solid toolbar. Specify the first corner of the base. Specify the opposite corner of the base. Specify the height. To create box with center Click box in solid toolbar. Enter CE for center. Specify the opposite corner of the base. Specify the height. To create a cube Click box in solid toolbar. Specify the first corner of box. Enter C for cube. Specify length.

To create a box with length, width, and height Click box in solid toolbar. Specify the first corner of box. Enter L for length. Specify length. Specify width. Specify height.

Creating a Solid Cone:

You can use cone to create a solid cone defined by a circular or an elliptical base tapering to a point perpendicular to its base. By default, the cones base lies on the XY plane of the current UCS. The height, which can be positive or negative, is parallel to the Z axis. The apex determines the height and orientation of the cone.

To create a truncated cone or a cone that requires a specific angle to define its sides, draw a 2D circle and then use EXTRUDE to taper the circle at an angle along the Z axis. To complete the truncation, you can subtract a box from the tip of the cone with the subtract command. To create a solid cone with a circular base Click Draw menu -Solids -Cone. Specify the base center point. Specify the radius or diameter of the base. Specify the height. To create a solid cone with an elliptical base Click Draw menu -Solids -Cone. Enter e (Elliptical). Specify an axis endpoint. Specify a second axis endpoint. Specify the length of the other axis. Specify height, and then press ENTER.

Create a Solid Cylinder

You can use cylinder to create a solid cylinder with a circular or an elliptical base. The base of the cylinder lies on the XY plane of the current UCS. If you want to construct a cylinder with special detail, such as grooves along its sides, create a 2D profile of its base with a closed plane and use extrude to define its height along the Z axis. Circle creates a circle from which you can create a cylinder using extrude.

To create a solid cylinder with a circular base 1. Click Draw menu- Solids -Cylinder. 2. Specify the base center point. 3. Specify the radius or diameter of the base. 4. Specify the height. Sphere

Creates a three-dimensional solid sphere

To create a solid sphere Click Draw menu- Solids -Sphere. Specify the center of the sphere. Specify the radius or diameter of the sphere.

Create a Solid Torus

You can use torus to create a ring-shaped solid similar to the inner tube of a tire. The torus is parallel to and bisected by the XY plane of the current UCS. A torus is defined by two radius values, one for the tube and the other for the distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube. To create a lemon-shaped solid, use a negative torus radius and a positive number of greater magnitude for the tube radius. For example, if the torus radius is 2.0, the tube radius must be greater than 2.0.

A torus may be self-intersecting. A self-intersecting torus has no center hole because the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of the torus. The 3D command creates a toroidal shape defined by surfaces only.

To create a solid torus Click Draw menu -Solids -Torus. Specify the center of the torus. Specify the radius or diameter of the torus. Specify the radius or diameter of the tube. Create a Solid Wedge

You can use wedge to create a solid wedge. The base of the wedge is parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS with the sloped face opposite the first corner. Its height, which can be positive or negative, is parallel to the Z axis.

To create a solid wedge Click Draw menu -Solids -Wedge. Specify the first corner of the base. Specify the opposite corner of the base. Specify the height of the wedge.

Create an Extruded Solid

With extrude, you can create solids by extruding selected objects. You can extrude closed objects such as polylines, polygons, rectangles, circles, ellipses, closed splines, donuts, and regions. You cannot extrude 3D objects, objects contained within a block, polylines that have crossing or intersecting segments, or polylines that are not closed. You can extrude an object along a path, or you can specify a height value and a tapered angle. Use extrude to create a solid from a common profile of an object, such as a gear or sprocket. Extrude is particularly useful for objects that contain fillets, chamfers, and other details that might otherwise be difficult to reproduce except in a profile. If you create a profile using lines or arcs, use the Join option of pedit to convert them to a single polyline object or make them into a region before you use extrude. Tapering the extrusion is useful specifically for parts that need their sides defined along an angle, such as a mold used to create metal products in a foundry. Avoid using extremely large tapered angles. If the angle is too large, the profile can taper to a point before it reaches the specified height.

To extrude an object along a path Click Draw menu -Solids -Extrude. Select the objects to extrude. Enter p (Path). Select the object to use as the path.

To extrude an object using height. Click draw menu-solids-extrude. Select object to extrude. Press enter. Specify the height of extrusuion. Enter angle of taper for extrusion. To extrude an object using tapering angle. Click draw menu-solids-extrude. Select object to extrude. Press enter. Specify the height of extrusuion. Enter angle of taper for extrusion.

Create a Revolved Solid

With revolve, you can create a solid by revolving a closed object about the X or Y axis of the current UCS, using a specified angle. You can also revolve the object about a line, polyline, or two specified points. You can use revolve on closed objects such as polyline, polygons, rectangles, circles, ellipses, and regions. You cannot use revolve on 3D objects, objects contained within a block, polyline that have crossing or intersecting segments, or polyline that are not closed.

To revolve an object about an axis Click Draw menu- Solids -Revolve. Select the objects to revolve.

 Specify the start point and endpoint of the axis of revolution. Specify the points so that the object is on one side of the axis points you specify. The positive axis direction is from the start point to the endpoint. Specify the angle of revolution.

Slicing and sectioning object slice section You can create a cross section through a 3D solid. The result can be a two-dimensional object representing the shape of the section, or it can be a 3D solid chopped in half. With section, you can create a cross section through a solid as a region or an anonymous block. The default method is specifying three points to define the plane. Other methods define the cross-sectional plane by another object, the current view, the Z axis, or the XY, YZ, or ZX plane. The cross-sectional plane is placed on the current layer. With slice, you can create a new solid by cutting the existing solid and removing a specified side. You can retain one or both halves of the sliced solids. The sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids. The default method of slicing a solid is to specify three points that define the cutting plane and then select which side to retain. You can also define the cutting plane by using another object, the current view, the Z axis, or the XY, YZ, or ZX plane. To create a cross section of a solid Click draw menu -Solids -Section. Select the objects to cross-section. Specify three points to define the cross-sectional plane. The first point defines the origin (0,0,0) of the cutting plane. The second point defines the X axis, and the third point defines the Y axis.

Note If you are applying hatching to the cross-sectional cutting plane, you must align the UCS with the cross-sectional cutting plane first. To slice a solid Click Draw menu -Solids -Slice. Select the objects to slice. Specify three points to define the cutting plane. The first point defines the origin (0,0,0) of the cutting plane. The second point defines the positive X axis, and the third point defines the positive Y axis. Specify which side to retain, or enter b to retain both sides.

Create a Composite Solid

You can combine, subtract, and find the intersection of existing solids to create composite solids. With union, you can combine the total volume of two or more solids or two or more regions into a composite object.

With subtract, you can remove the common area of one set of solids from another. For example, you can use subtract to add holes to a mechanical part by subtracting cylinders from the object.

With intersect; you can create a composite solid from the common volume of two or more overlapping solids. intersect removes the non overlapping portions and creates a composite solid from the common volume.

Interfere performs the same operation as intersect, but interfere keeps the original two objects. To combine solids 1. Click Modify menu Solids Editing Union.

2. Select the objects to combine. To subtract one set of solids from another 1. Click Modify menu Solids Editing Subtract.

2. Select the objects to subtract from. 3. Select the objects to subtract. To create a solid from the intersection of two or more other solids 1. Click Modify menu Solids Editing Intersect.

2. Select the objects to intersect.

3D Array, 3D Rotate, 3D Mirror

3D Array With 3DArray, you can create a rectangular array or a polar array of objects in 3D. In addition to specifying the number of columns (X direction) and rows (Y direction), you also specify the number of levels ( Z direction). To create a 3D rectangular array of objects Click Modify menu 3D Operation 3D Array.

Select the object to array (1). Specify Rectangular. Enter the number of rows. Enter the number of columns. Enter the number of levels. Specify the distance between rows. Specify the distance between columns. Specify the distance between levels.

To create a 3D polar array of objects Click Modify menu 3D Operation 3D Array.

Select the object to array (1). Specify Polar. Enter the number of items to array. Specify the angle that the arrayed objects are to fill. Press ENTER to rotate the objects as they are arrayed, or enter n to retain their orientation. Specify the start point and endpoint of the axis about which the objects are to be rotated (2 and 3).

3D Rotate To rotate 3D objects, you can use either rotate or rotate3D. With rotate, you can rotate objects around a specified base point. The axis of rotation passes through the base point and is parallel to the Z-axis of the current UCS. With rotate3D, you can specify the axis of rotation using either two points; an object; the X, Y, or Z axis; or the Z direction of the current view

To rotate a 3D object around an axis Click Modify menu 3D Operation Rotate 3D.

Select the object to rotate (1). Specify the start point and endpoint of the axis about which the objects are to be rotated (2 and 3). The positive axis direction is from the start point to the end point, and the rotation follows the right-hand rule (see Use World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D).

Specify the angle of rotation.

3DMirror With mirror3D, you can mirror objects across a specified mirroring plane. The mirroring plane can be one of the following: The plane of a planar object A plane parallel to the XY, YZ, or XZ plane of the current UCS that passes through a specified point A plane defined by three specified points (2, 3, and 4)

To mirror objects in 3D Click Modify menu 3D Operation Mirror 3D.

Select the object to mirror. Specify three points to define a mirroring plane. Press ENTER to retain the original objects, or enter y to delete them.

Understand Mesh Construction

The mesh density controls the number of facets on a surface, and is defined in terms of a matrix of M and N vertices, similar to a grid consisting of columns and rows. M and N specify the column and row position, respectively, of any given vertex. A mesh can be open or closed. A mesh is open in a given direction if the start and end edges of the mesh do not touch, as shown in the following illustrations.

There are several methods for creating meshes. Create a Ruled Surface Mesh With rulesurf, you can create a surface mesh between two lines or curves. You can use two different objects to define the edges of the ruled surface: lines, points, arcs, circles, ellipses, elliptical arcs, 2D polylines, 3D polylines, or splines. Pairs of objects to be used as the rails of a ruled surface mesh must both be either open or closed. You can pair a point object with either an open or a closed object.

You can specify any two points on closed curves to complete rulesurf. For open curves, construction of the ruled surface is based on the locations of the specified points on the curves.

Create a Tabulated Surface Mesh With the tabsurf command, you can create a surface mesh representing a general tabulated surface defined by a path curve and a direction vector. The path curve can be a line, arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, 2D polyline, 3D polyline, or spline. The direction vector can be a line or an open 2D or 3D polyline. Tabsurf creates the mesh as a series of parallel polygons running along a specified path. You must have the original object and the direction vector already drawn, as shown in the following illustrations.

Create a Revolved Surface Mesh Use the revsurf command to create a revolved surface, also called a surface of revolution, by rotating a profile of the object about an axis. Revsurf is useful for surfaces with rotational symmetry.

The profile is called a path curve, which can be any combination of lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polyline, or splines, closed polyline, polygons, closed splines, or donuts. Create an Edge-Defined Surface Mesh With the edge surf command, you can create a Coons surface patch mesh, as shown in the following illustration, from four objects called edges. Edges can be arcs, lines, polyline, splines, and elliptical arcs, and they must form a closed loop and share endpoints. Coons patch is a bicubic surface (one curve in the M direction and another in the N direction) interpolated between the four edges.

Create a Predefined 3D Surface Mesh The 3D command creates the following 3D shapes: boxes, cones, dishes, domes, meshes, pyramids, spheres, tori (donuts), and wedges. To view the objects you are creating with the 3D command more clearly, set a viewing direction with 3Dorbit,Dview, or vpoint. In the following illustrations, the numbers indicate points you specify to create the mesh.

Create a Rectangular Mesh With the 3Dmesh command, you can create polygon meshes that are open in both the M and N directions (similar to the X and Y axes of an XY plane). You can close the meshes with PEDIT. You can use 3DMesh to construct very irregular surfaces. In most cases, you can use 3DMesh in conjunction with scripts or Auto LISP routines when you know the mesh points.

In the following example of text on the command line, you enter the coordinate values for each vertex to create the mesh in the illustration. Example: Command: 3dmesh Mesh M size: 4 Mesh N size: 3 Vertex (0, 0): 10,1, 3 Vertex (0, 1): 10, 5, 5 Vertex (0, 2): 10,10, 3 Vertex (1, 0): 15,1, 0 Vertex (1, 1): 15, 5, 0 Vertex (1, 2): 15,10, 0 Vertex (2, 0): 20,1, 0 Vertex (2, 1): 20, 5, 1 Vertex (2, 2): 20,10 ,0 Vertex (3, 0): 25,1, 0 Vertex (3, 1): 25, 5, 0 Vertex (3, 2): 25,10, 0

Create a Polyface Mesh The pface command produces a polyface (polygon) mesh, with each face capable of having numerous vertices. PFACE is typically used by applications rather than by direct user input. Creating a polyface mesh is similar to creating a rectangular mesh. To create a polyface mesh, you specify coordinates for its vertices. You then define each face by entering vertex numbers for all the vertices of that face. As you create the polyface mesh, you can set specific edges to be invisible, assign them to layers, or give them colors. To make the edge invisible, enter the vertex number as a negative value. For instance, to make the edge between vertices 5 and 7 invisible in the following illustration, you enter the following: Face 3, vertex 3: 7 In the illustration, face 1 is defined by vertices 1, 5, 6, and 2. Face 2 is defined by vertices 1, 4, 3, and 2. Face 3 is defined by vertices 1, 4, 7, and 5, and face 4 is defined by vertices 3, 4, 7, and 8.

You can control the display of invisible edges with the Splframe system variable. If Ssplframe is set to a nonzero value, the invisible edges become visible and can then be edited. If splframe is set to 0, the invisible edges remain invisible.

To create a rectangular mesh Click Draw menu Surfaces 3D Mesh.

Specify the M size, using an integer from 2 through 256. Specify the N size, using an integer from 2 through 256. Specify the vertex points as prompted. Specifying the last vertex point completes the mesh.

Surfaces toolbar To create a ruled surface Click Draw menu Surfaces Ruled Surface.

Select the first defining curve. Then select the second. Erase the original curve if necessary.

Surfaces toolbar To create a tabulated surface mesh Click Draw menu Specify a path curve. Specify a direction vector. Erase the original objects if necessary. Surfaces Tabulated Surface.

Surfaces toolbar To create a surface of revolution mesh Click Draw menu Specify a path curve. The path curve, which defines the N direction of the mesh, can be a line, arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, 2D polyline, 3D polyline, or spline. If you select a circle, closed ellipse, or closed polyline, the mesh is closed in the N direction. Specify the axis of revolution. The direction vector can be a line or an open 2D or 3D polyline. If you choose a polyline, the vector sets the rotation axis from its first vertex to its last vertex. Any intermediate vertices are ignored. The axis of revolution determines the M direction of the mesh. Specify the start angle. Then specify the included angle. If you specify a nonzero start angle, the mesh is generated at a position offset from the path curve by that angle. The included angle specifies how far about the axis of revolution the surface should extend. Erase the original objects if necessary. Surfaces Revolved Surface.

Surfaces toolbar To create an edge-defined Coons surface patch mesh Click Draw menu Surfaces Edge Surface.

Select the four edges in any order. The first edge you select determines the meshs M direction.

Surfaces toolbar

3D orbit toolbar 3Dorbit The 3D orbit command activates an interactive 3D Orbit view in the current viewport. You use the pointing device to manipulate a view of the entire model or any object in the model from different points around it. Note Viewing the entire drawing may degrade the video display. The 3D Orbit view displays an arcball, which is a circle divided into four quadrants by smaller circles. When 3DOrbit is active, the target of the view stays stationary and the camera location, or point of view, moves around the target. The center of the arcball, not the center of the objects youre viewing, is the target point.

You can also shade the objects in your drawing while the 3DORBIT command is active. 3D adjust distance To adjust the camera distance in the 3D Orbit view Click View menu, 3D Orbit.

 Right-click in the drawing area. Click More

Adjust Distance.

The cursor changes to a line with one arrow pointing up and one pointing down. Click and drag toward the top of the screen to move the camera closer to the objects. Click and drag toward the bottom of the screen to move the camera away from the objects. Adjust Distance simulates the effect of moving the camera closer to the objects or farther away.

3D swivel 3DSWIVEL changes the cursor to an arched arrow and simulates the effect of turning a camera on a tripod. This command changes the target of the view. For example, if you were pointing a camera at an object and then turned the camera to the right, the object would move to the left in your viewing area. Or, if you pointed the camera up, the objects would move down in your viewing area. Swivel simulates this motion by using the cursor as the cameras viewfinder. Camera To change the camera and target locations On the command line, enter camera. The current camera and target positions are displayed. To set the camera location, use the pointing device or enter X,Y,Z coordinate values. To set the target location, use the pointing device or enter X,Y,Z coordinate values.

Rendering objects To import or export a material Click View menu Render Materials Library. In the Materials Library dialog box, the list under Current Drawing contains materials in the drawing; the list under Current Library contains materials in the library. Click Preview to see a rendering of the material on a small sphere or cube in the sample image before you import or export the material. To add a material to the list of materials in the drawing, under Current Library, select a material from the library list. Click Import. The material appears in the list under Current Drawing. Importing a material copies that material and its parameters to the list of materials in the drawing; it does not delete the material from the library. To export a material from the drawing to the library of materials, under Current Drawing, select a material from the list. Click Export. The material appears in the list under Current Library. To save the materials in the current drawing to a named materials library (MLI) file that you can use with other drawings, under the Current Library, click Save. Click OK. Render toolbar To attach a material Click View menu Render Materials. In the Materials dialog box, select a material from the list or click Select to select a material already attached to an object in the drawing.

Apply a material directly to an object, to all objects with a specific ACI number, or to all objects on a specific layer.

To attach a material directly to one or more objects, click Attach. Select the objects in the drawing. To attach a material to all objects in the drawing with a specific ACI number, click By ACI. In the Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog box, select an ACI number. To attach a material to all objects on a specific layer, click By Layer. In the Attach by Layer dialog box, select a layer. Click OK.

Render the model again to see the effect. To render a model Display a 3D view of your model. Click View menu Render Render. In the Render dialog box, set options or accept the defaults. Under Rendering Options, select Smooth Shading to smooth the edges between the polygon faces.

Related to Smooth Shading is Smoothing Angle, which sets the angle at which the program interprets an edge. The default angle setting is 45 degrees. Angles less than 45 degrees are smoothed; angles greater than 45 degrees are considered edges. Under Rendering Options, click More Options. Then, in the Photo Real Render Options dialog box select the options you want. To render the image to the screen, make sure that Destination is set to Render Window or Viewport. If you set Destination to File, the image is sent directly to a file; there is no screen display. Select a named scene or the current view. Click Render. Depending on the size of the drawing, after a short or long pause a rendered image of your model is displayed. Note If your objects are zoomed out past the limits of the drawing and you are having rendering problems, try scaling the scene or zooming in to at least the limits of the drawing. Render toolbar To merge a rendering with a background image 1. Click View menu Render Background. 2. In the Background dialog box, select Image.

3. Under Image, click Find File to specify the background image file to be used. 4. Click OK. Render toolbar Landscape Previews landscape objects, defines the geometry and height of new objects, and inserts a landscape object into a drawing. A landscape object is an extended-entity object with a bitmap image mapped onto it. You can manipulate the object directly in the drawing as well as in the Landscape New dialog box. The geometry of the object depends on whether you choose one or two faces for it and whether it is view aligned. You make these choices according to your rendering requirements. Each landscape object has grips at the base, top, and each corner. Use the base grip to move the object, the top grips to adjust its height, and the bottom corner grips to scale it and, if its not view aligned, rotate it. You can use all standard grip editing modes for stretching, scaling, and rotating landscape objects. With two related commands, LSEDIT and LSLIB, you can modify landscape objects and maintain landscape object libraries.
Landscape Objects

Lists landscape objects available in the current landscape library. Select the one you want to insert in the drawing.
Geometry

Specifies the geometry and alignment of the landscape object. The geometry of an object depends on its number of faces and alignment. A single-face view-aligned object appears in the drawing as a triangle. You cannot use grips to rotate it. A single-face fixed object appears as a rectangle that you can rotate with grips. This type of object also displays its name either forward or backward to indicate its orientation to the camera, which is helpful for signs. A crossing-face object always appears as two triangles intersecting at right angles. When view-aligned, they face the camera at 45-degree angles and you cant change their rotation. When the object is fixed, you can change its rotation. Single Face/Crossing Faces Specifies a single-face object or a crossing-face object. A single-face object is faster to render but not quite as realistic as a crossing-face object, especially for animation and raytraced shadows. View Aligned

Makes the object always face the camera. This is generally a good choice for trees and other nonplanar objects. When the View Aligned option is cleared, the object maintains a fixed orientation. This can be effective with planar objects like road signs that you dont want to view straight on.
Height

Specifies the height of the landscape object in current drawing units. The default is 20, and the height is always in the positive Z direction of the current user coordinate system (UCS). Use the scroll bar or enter a value.
Position

Uses the pointing device to specify a location in the drawing. The default position is at the origin of the UCS.

To plot a drawing Click File menu Plot. In the Plot dialog box, under Printer/Plotter, select a plotter from the Name list. Under Paper Size, select a paper size from the Paper Size box. (Optional) Under Number of Copies, enter the number of copies to plot. Under Plot Area, specify the portion of your drawing to plot. Under Plot Scale, select a scale from the Scale box. For more options, click the More Options button. (Optional) Under Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments), select a plot style table from the Name box. (Optional) Under Shaded Viewport Options and Plot Options, select any appropriate settings. Note Plot stamping happens at plot time and is not saved with the drawing. Under Drawing Orientation, select an orientation. Click OK. Standard toolbar