Book Image

Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design

By : JOAO ANTONIO C DOS SANTOS
Book Image

Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design

By: JOAO ANTONIO C DOS SANTOS

Overview of this book

AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. AutoCAD supports both 2D and 3D formats. AutoCAD is used in a range of industries and is utilized by architects, project managers, and engineers, among others."Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design" will take you beyond the 2D frontier and help you create accurate 3D models that simulate reality. This book is crammed full of creative and practical tutorials which will help you master the third dimension. From exercises on coordinate systems to creating solids and surfaces from 2D, you will wonder how you ever designed without this resource by your side."Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design" is full of hands-on studies and projects that will help develop your 3D skills. Starting from the assumption of only a very basic knowledge of AutoCAD, this book will help you master 3D visualization and coordinate systems, create 3D models from 2D drawings, and from basic shapes, measure volumes, and other information, obtain 2D construction drawings from 3D models as well as how to apply lights and materials to get photorealistic images.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Walking and flying in a 3D model


For complex projects or intricate mechanisms, it may be useful to walk around or inside a model using both a keyboard and a mouse, such as a computer game. Besides walking (the Z coordinate constant), we can also fly (the Z coordinate variable).

Walking and flying

There are two commands for walking and flying. Both can be found on the Walk and Fly toolbar, the View | Walk and Fly menu bar, and ribbon's Render | Animations panel:

  • 3DWALK: This command (alias 3DW) allows you to walk through or around the model while maintaining the Z coordinate

  • 3DFLY: This command (no alias) allows you to fly through or around the model while changing the Z coordinate

These commands only work in the perspective mode. When entering one of these commands, if the model is in the parallel mode, the activation of the perspective mode is requested. Then, a small green cross, which is the target, is positioned at the center of the viewport and the Position Locator palette is displayed...