CAD – colored/rendered trees in plan and elevation and other blocks for graphics

[Wes Arola, RLA]

I am developing a library of blocks for graphics for colored renderings produced in CAD. Does anyone have any links or suggestions of places I can find these on the web before I start creating my own from scratch.

 

Thank you.

 

With ACAD 2010 there is a transparency setting which will allow you to do shadow effects and embossing like you would do in photoshop.

[Theodore Tegen]

CAD Block Exchange Network is a great free resource.  Users upload their own creations and download others’ creations.

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Do you already have your CTB (colors / pen weights) set up or are you just going to use the stock AutoCAD colors/line weights?

If you use existing (somebody else’s) symbols you will have to modify them so that they jive with your CTB file by changing the colors / line weights to match your CTB so that they print properly.

Here is a free CTB that might be a good start: http://cadd.den.nps.gov/standards.html#Release%202000%20Pen%20Settings%20Files

[Wes Arola, RLA]

We have a standard ctb, but if you leave everything on zero layer and assign true colors that seems to be the most efficient and easy way to get a rendered look and a ‘clean’ set of office standards for graphics atleast

[Thomas J. Johnson]

OK, you’re obviously messing with me… nobody leaves everything on the zero layer… funny. ha,ha…

[Wes Arola, RLA]

that is the appropriate thing to do in a standards library, once they are copied from the standards library they can then be placed on the appropriate layer. Are you currently working in an office that has their standards setup differently?

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood your first statement about everything being on the zero layer. I thought you meant “everything” was on the zero layer! lol i.e. your drawings are flat…no layer management. I see what you mean now…

I like the idea of having all symbols (standards) on the zero layer. That makes good sense. Then you place them on whatever layer they belong (trees, paving, etc. etc.). I’ve seen it done a lot of different ways… all within the same drawing! lol 

You could also have different aspects of the symbols on different layers. I.E. for trees, you could have the branches/canopy on one layer, the trunck (center dot) on another layer and the shadow on it’s own layer. You could also have a different, simplified, canopy symbol on it’s own layer. This way you can use the same tree symbol with shadows for concepts/renderings. Turn the shadow off for a cleaner look (reveal more detail under tree). Turn the shadow/canopy off and turn on the simplified canopy or turn off the everything except the trunk (center dot) to keep tree locations visible on an irrigation, lighting or paving plan where you wouldn’t want to confuse the drawing with canopy information.

I’ve never seen a really good symbol library. They have all looked like there have been 50 different people, all doing their own thing, different layers, names, aesthetics, etc. etc. (probably because there were) There is probably a better way to do it than I describe above but that’s the functionality I’d like to see. Maybe the “dynamic blocks” function could do it without adding all the layers to a drawing. It looks like Land F/X has really nice symbols but I haven’t played around with it enough to know what they can do.

With that kind of dynamic functionality you’re also starting to get into the BIM realm. If those symbols were tied to real plant data and propagated planting counts / schedules / watering needs / irrigation design / functionality check (ie red flag – you’ve got a cactus next to a papyrus or you’ve got sun plants on the north side of the building). Then you’d really have something… Efficiency in drafting / design is all about simplification. Fewer steps and more automation is the way to go…

Theoretically, irrigation software should be able to design itself if you tell it where the water meter is, what the pressure is and have the plants (with meta-data) on the plan. All it would need to do is create circuits, calculate pressures and space heads that are appropriate for the plants watering needs. It could be like google maps. If you don’t like the layout (like, it should go around a hardscape element) you can grab the irrigation line and drag it where you want it and the program with move the heads, recalculate the pipe lengths / pressure and update the irrigation schedule, just like rerouting in google maps… but I digress… I’m way-off subject now…

[Wes Arola, RLA]

A smart design software could be developed based on that pre programmed tags and info – it will be very interesting in to see where BIM takes its places in the landscape architecture realm..it will definitely start with the systems design like irrigation,drainage,and material takeoffs before it can start to do cut fill and more organic land modeling and information modelling.

[Wes Arola, RLA]

does anyone know how to do a sketchy look with in AutoCAD civil2011..?

[Steve Mercer]

I see BIM meeting a wall in Landscape Design.  Because there are so many different plants.  We all have trouble designing and rendering realistic looking 3D plant models now.  BIM will make this issue an even bigger problem.  Until someone steps up to the plate with an elegant solution I see landscape design participating only on the fringes of BIM.   Landscape Design does not fit well within a BIM environment.   Most of the work required occurs to early in the process to fit well with BIM.  Besides from a Landscape design point of view the real program that is needed is a Software simulation platform.   One that allows the plants to be modeled based on real plants.  Once place in the simulation software a designer could do design walk thus with the client and show how the design looks through all seasons and through all ages of the plants in the designs.  I am beginning to see this type of software being used in military applications now.  We will see this begin to filter down to the private sector in the next 5 to 10 years. 

 

s.

[Steve Mercer]

as far as you know…  Autodesk Impressions should work if you can save the civil3d file in dxf or dwg format.   And you should be able to call the dxf or dwg up in Impressions and save it to a new file name leaving your precision drawing untouched.  Remember Impressions is designed to be used as a presentation tool. 

 

s.

[Thomas J. Johnson]

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/civil_best_practices0.pdf

Page 16 – Conceptual visual styles should address what you’re looking for, contrary to Bryan’s self assured, obnoxious and incorrect response. 

Though, you won’t need to apply the “sketchy” (no, I’m not referring to you Bryan) visual style to the individual symbols. You’ll apply the “sketchy” style to the overall plan.

Hope that helps!

[Steve Mercer]

I like it… good job Thomas 🙂 !

 

s.

[Steve Mercer]

I don’t think CAD makes for a good rendering product to begin with.  I use Cad to import my land surveys(Carlson SurvCE, and Carlson Survey desktop 2010, and produce my Construction Drawings and Deliverables with BricsCAD and LandFX (LandFX is much easier to set tree shadows anyway.   I use SketchUP Pro for all my 3d Modeling and perspective work and then I export the model into Vue 9 Infinite to create 3D Rendered Models and walk thru’s. Can you do it all in CAD m…maybe.  But I like to use the strengths of each platform and not get bogged down in trying to accomplish things that can be accomplished faster and easier in another program and I think the end result is much better.  I look forward to the day (coming real soon I suspect) when I can accomplish the same task with just SketchUP Pro, LandFX, and Vue 9 Infinite.  And BIM?  Well If I can import their model into sketchUP pro Great.  But I see no need for BIM for LA’s

 

s.

[Wes Arola, RLA]

thanks for the help Bryan. Thomas also found the answer below. Visual styles, and sketchy. You can easily turn it on and off.

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