#ARCHICAD TUTORIAL HOW TO#

To look at the 3D model from a particular camera position, simply select that camera on the floor plan and go to 3D. The camera will remain on the plan until hidden or deleted, and you may have multiple cameras in the project if you wish. Select the camera, then go to 3D, and you’ll be looking from that camera position. Activate the Camera tool, click to place a camera and click again to set the target point. You may set the perspective viewpoint precisely by using the Camera tool. After hiding the layer(s), use the Redraw Preview option from the popup menu at the bottom right of the Preview window. You might also consider turning off one or more layers that have elements extending beyond what you need to see for example you might turn off the layer for the site terrain mesh. This will make the preview resize proportionately. You may enlarge the Preview window by undocking it (grab it by its title bar and move it away from the docked or snapped position) and resizing the window. The preview always shows the plan view with the currently visible elements (based on the current or last visited story, and what layers are turned on) zoomed out to Fit in Window.

TIP: Sometimes it is hard to see the building plan and camera clearly because they are so small in the Navigator Preview window. You may also adjust the view cone angle with the slider at the bottom of the Preview window. You may move either the camera or target with the mouse, and will see the 3D view change simultaneously. One may also change the rotation angle as well as the “height” using the Orbit command.įor a perspective view, the Navigator Preview will show a miniature of the floor plan, along with an indication of the camera position (where you are looking from) and target position (where you are looking towards). Standard angles are available from the popup, including isometric, top, side, and other less common projections.

The Navigator Preview window can be called up using the shortcut button that is second in the sequence in the bottom left of most windows.įor an axonometric view, the Navigator Preview allows one to manually rotate the view by dragging the camera icon in an orbit around the building icon. Option+F3) or from the 3D Window popup menu in the Toolbar.Īn axonometric view will automatically zoom out to include all of the current model, while a perspective view will show what is seen from a particular camera vantage point using a specific angle or cone of vision. One may also choose using keyboard shortcuts (PC: Ctrl+F3 vs. When either is chosen, the 3D window will bring up the appropriate view type using the last camera or reference position. The View menu > 3D View Mode submenu allows a choice of both axonometric and perspective views of the model. These renderings may be placed onto Layout sheets or saved for external use. ArchiCAD has built-in Photorendering tools to generate presentation-quality images of any 3D window view, with variations such as Internal, Lightworks and Sketch styles. One may interact with the 3D window to view the design from a different vantage or to edit the model.

Element filtering – controlling visibility by layer, selection, marquee, element type, story or cutaway.

Shading style – wireframe, hidden-line or shaded (with special mixed effects possible).

Projection type – perspective or axonometric.

There are many controls and options for looking at the 3D architectural model: Note that the black background is simply a black fill placed behind the construction elements and notes The figure below is an example of a 3D Document showing a building cutaway along with dimensioning and other annotation. We’ll end with a description of ArchiCAD 12’s powerful new feature that allows 3D views to be turned into “live” automatically updatable 3D Documents complete with dimensioning and annotation.

#ARCHICAD TUTORIAL HOW TO#

We’ll also discuss how to save these Views in the View Map for later reference. We’ll quickly go over the basics while sprinkling in some tips about little-known options that provide great variety, freshness and flexibility. This article will catalog the various ways a BIM model can be viewed in 3D in ArchiCAD.

Originally published in AECbytes Tips and Tricks Issue #35ĪrchiCAD makes it easy to create a Virtual Building, a 3D Building Information Model (BIM) of an architectural design while simultaneously developing coordinated 2D construction documents. 5 ArchiCAD Tutorial | ArchiCAD’s 3D Views and 3D Documents

Archicad tutorial