AutoCAD Architectural
Desktop 3
Addis Computer Consultants' Reid Addis provides training for AutoCAD Architectural Desktop R3, released in December 2000.
The Architectural Desktop reaches a maturity
level not seen in previous releases. While R1 and R2 were “interesting
experiments”, Desktop 3 is a fully functional architectural program. While
there are still gaps to be filled in, the limitations of previous versions are
gone.
Desktop 3, while running in AutoCAD 2000i, is
not backwardly compatible with Desktop 2, or 2i, so keep that in mind when
upgrading. With that minor caveat, here are some of the great new and improved
features.
The length of the Architectural Desktop training classes varies depending on subjects covered. The following Courses are offered:
Basic
Architectural Desktop - 3 days
Advanced/New
Features (Roofs, Stairs, Elevations, etc.) – 2 days
Architectural
Desktop plus Details Module - 4 days
Architectural
Desktop for Production (without covering “Conceptual Features”) - 2 days
We provide training materials for all of the above courses.
Below are some of the changes in ADT3.
NEW FEATURES:
In Architectural
Desktop R3, the building model has been expanded to include new architectural
objects, including curtain walls, window assemblies, slabs and roof slabs, and
structural members.
A curtain wall
is a wall-like object that supports the creation of curtain walls or storefront
windows commonly used in commercial construction. Window assemblies allow you
to group doors and windows as one object and save it as a style for future use
and modification.
Roofs
have been greatly improved. Roof slabs can be customized to have any type of
edge style. These edge styles can be used to create roof fascias and soffits.
These edge styles can be easily created through the use of AEC profiles.
The
new floor slab object supports the creation of floors. Floors can be flat or
sloped. This object also supports custom edges.
Using
the new structural members in Autodesk Architectural Desktop, you can create
intelligent columns, beams and braces in 2D and 3D.
ENHANCED OBJECTS:
Stairs have been modified to show
more detail in components as well as to show better interaction with other
objects.
You can now modify stair runs and
landings separately. You can create nonrectangular stairs with tapered edges or
with a curved shape. Landings can have nonrectangular shapes. You can use
near-arbitrary profiles for the edges of flights and landings. In addition,
railings and stringers can be anchored to stairs and can follow the edges of
flights and landings.
Stairs can now easily be edited and
"re-shaped" by using grips. Stairs also support customized edges
based on projection to objects such as walls and AutoCAD entities such as
polylines. Stairs can also support sloping risers.
With
Railings, you can now specify custom blocks that can replace individual railing
components.
The wall object has undergone
significant changes that can improve your productivity. Changes include:
·
Zero Cleanup Radii Support: Applies a cleanup radius
to a wall start and end points.
·
Wall Merge: Manually merges multiple wall objects to
force wall cleanup.
·
Wall Body: Converts 3D solids to a wall object.
·
Wall Modifier: Easily draws polylines that modify a
wall surface.
·
Profile Sweep: Sweeps a polyline along the length of
a wall.
·
Shrinkwrap Hatching: Adds hatching to the shrinkwrap
interference condition.
·
Shrinkwrap Body Support: Sees the results of adding
an interference condition.
·
True Cut Planes: Sees true cut plane lines.
·
Multiple Cut Plane Support: Adds multiple cut plane
heights.
·
Graphline Toggle: Toggles the graphline of a wall to
the center or its justification.
Windows
have been enhanced to support the creation of parametric muntins. Parametric
muntins types include:
·
Rectangular
·
Diamond
·
Sunburst
·
Starburst
·
Gothic
Section/Elevation objects can now
created as 2D or 3D entities. The new objects can also display hidden lines
removed by the CreateHLR command. Section/elevation objects can be modified by
merging user-defined linework, such as Architectural Desktop objects, and
AutoCAD vector entities, such as lines, polylines, arcs, and circles.
Spaces have been enhanced. You can
quickly generate spaces based on walls, lines, arcs, polylines, and circles.
Similar to the way that AutoCAD hatch patterns are created, you can generate
spaces by defining a space boundary to create a selection set, and then select
an internal point.
You can attach property set
definitions directly to object styles. It is an easy way to attach property
sets in a single step to all objects with the same style. It simplifies the
creation of schedule tables and reduces file size. Attach a property set to a
style but not to each object individually. When you want to modify a property
set definition, you can do it once, and all objects connected to the style
update automatically.
USER INTERFACE IMPROVEMENTS:
There are two new utilities, the
Style Manager and the Display Manager, that provide central locations where you
can access style or display information. The Display Manager allows you view
and change display representations, display sets, and display configurations in
your current drawing, while the Style Manager allows you to work with styles
from multiple drawings.
Other
Enhancements:
You
can minimize all Architectural Desktop dialog boxes while you create or modify
objects. Select the Pushpin icon in the dialog box title bar. As you move your
cursor away from the dialog box, it is minimized to the title bar, freeing up
more space in your drawing area. To display the dialog box again, move your
cursor over the title bar.
The
Add Selected option enhances your productivity by allowing you to select an
object and draw it without having to use menus and dialog boxes.
The
Insert Object feature allows you to quickly insert doors, windows, openings,
and window assemblies into a wall. The Insert Object feature eliminates using
menus as you create walls. Select the appropriate object insertion options when
you right-click to display a shortcut menu.
AEC
Object Explode allows objects from Architectural Desktop to be converted or
"exploded" into AutoCAD basic entities such as lines, arcs and
circles. A number of settings give you optimal control over layer, color and
linetype properties of the exploded objects.
International
Features:
Don't let the name fool you. INSTALL USING THIS OPTION. When you install Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Release 3, you have the option of installing International Extensions. The Extensions contain extra features including:
Area
Calculation: This new documentation feature in Autodesk Architectural Desktop,
Release 3 allows you to calculate the areas in your floor plan. You can create
areas from scratch, from AEC objects such as stairs or columns, or from wall
boundaries. For example, you can assign calculation modifier styles to areas to
create, for example, an automatic plaster thickness deduction from walls, or to
calculate balcony areas at only 50 percent. Areas can be combined in area
groups to calculate construction or traffic areas.
AEC
Dimensions: You can now automatically dimension all AEC objects and create
intelligent AEC dimensions from logical points of building objects. You can
also create manual AEC dimensions that dimension the points you define in the
drawing. You can also convert AutoCAD dimensions easily into AEC dimensions.
The new AEC Dimension Style wizard makes modifying dimension styles quick and
easy.
There are also some other
surprises. While I keep telling my classes that the old Softdesk Details module
is “going away soon”, it is still there 3 releases into the product. So you can
still learn about it. I’m told this IS the last release for the old Details
software!
Please contact us at 1-610-668-8828 to
discuss course lengths, and customizing them to meet your particular needs.
Dealer inquiries are also
welcome!
