Course: GEN 0111L Section: 53009A/216

Name: PALOMO, ASHLEY KING C. Date Performed: 06/12/24

Instructor: CASUAT, CHERRY D. Date Submitted: 06/12/24

LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO.7

AUTOCAD 3D BASICS

1.Objective(s):

The activity aims to introduce the basics of 3D theory and operating in 3D space.

2.Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):

The students shall be able to:

1. Understand basic 3D theory
2. Navigate in and out of 3D
3. Draw 3D object
4. Apply different techniques in drawing 3D objects

3.Discussion:

3D is the ability to give depth to objects or to expand them into the “third dimension” from a flat plane.
This concept should be intuitively obvious, as we live in a 3D world. Everything has not just a length and
width but also a depth (height).
Concept 1: There exist in the Cartesian coordinate system a total of three axes, X, Y, and Z. these axes
intersect each other at the 0,0,0 point as seen in the left figure of 7.1 and by definition can
be positive or negative as represented by solid and dashed lines as seen in the right figure of 7.1

Concept 2: A plane is defined as an intersection of two axes. Therefore, the X, Y, and Z, axes can define three
unique planes: the XY, YZ, and XZ planes

Concept 3: A total of six faces of an imaginary cube can then be formed using the three planes. This
can be easily seen if we move the planes out and conn ect them edge to edge.
Figure 7.1 The X, Y, and Z
Y axes Y
(-X)
0,0,0 point (-Z)

Z X
Z X
Figure 7.1 The X, Y, and Z axes (-Y)

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AutoCAD simplifies your work in 3D by allowing you to switch to a 3D workspace. You will find the Ribbon
altered, in many of the needed 3D tools in one place. You have two choices, 3D Basics and 3D Modeling, as seen
in figure 7.2.

Figure 7.2 3D Basics and 3D Modeling Workspace

You see your AutoCAD screen change to 3D mode. It now has a full complement of 3D tools available under
multiple tabs while retaining some essential 2D tools. Using Tools Toolbars AutoCAD in the cascading
menus, bring up the toolbars seen in figure 7.3.

3D Navigation Toolbars

View Toolbars Visual Styles Toolbars

Figure 7.3 3D Modeling Essential toolbars

Figure 7.4 3D Modeling Workspace

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As shown in figure 7.4, your screen should look close like this. It is highly recommended that your
crosshairs are size 100 in 3D, as this helps a lot with visualizing what you are doing and where in 3D space you are. You
can change this by right-click in the drawing area, selects OPTIONS, then figure 7.5 appears.

At the 3D Modeling tab as

shown in figure 7.5, make
sure Show Z axis in
crosshairs option is
unchecked. The 3D
concepts are generally much
clearer when only two axes are
present in the crosshairs.

Figure 7.5 Options Dialog Box in 3D Modeling Tab

Entering and Exiting 3D

Entering 3D is any of the isometric views, though we use the SW Isometric View most often. Exiting
3Disany of the flat views (front, back, left, right, etc), although we use the Top View most often. The
toolbars used are shown in figure 7.6.

Figure 7.6 Top and SW Isometric Views Toolbars

Top View (Exiting 3D) SW Isometric View (Entering 3D)

Press the SW Isometric View icon.

What did you notice? The grid change on an angled shape.

Press the Top View icon.

What did you notice? The grid flattens.

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Try using the Ribbon under the Home tab View as shown in figure 7.7.

Figure 7.7 3D Isometric View (Ribbon)

Try using the Cascading menu View 3D Views SW Isometric (or Top) as shown in figure 7.8.

Figure 7.8 3D Isometric View (Cascading Menus)

4. Resources:

Computer with installed AutoCAD software

5. Procedure and Output

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Projecting into 3D

Your input device which is the mouse, by nature it is a 2Ddevice. It works by going forward-back and left but not
straight up. This obviously a bit of a problem for projecting and drawing into the third dimension. When you need
to go into 3D, instead of raising your mouse into the air, you simply switch for the “flat” plane you are on to a
vertical plane. The effect is immediate; you can now draw “up” relative to you, the observer. To go back to flat, you
switch the planes right back. You already did this when learning isometric drawing by pressing F5 and cycling through a
total of planes; top, left, and right. This will be similar to 3D. It is why isometric drawing was important to review in
AutoCAD

How to rotate these planes?

1. Draw a rectangle that is 10” x 6” as shown in figure 7.9.

Figure 7.9 Rectangle in 3D

Rotating planes is equivalent to rotating the UCS icon. Below are the different ways to rotate UCS:

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Keyboard: Type in ucs and press Enter
Keyboard: Type in ucs and press Enter
Cascading menus: Tools New UCS X or Y or Z
`

Toolbar icon: UCS toolbar or or

Ribbon: View tab or or

Step 1a. If you typed in ucs and pressed Enter, then,
2. AutoCAD says: Specify origin of UCS or
[Face/Named/Object/Previous/View/World /X/Y/ZAxis]<World>:
Step 1b. If you used icons, cascading menus, or the ribbon, then the process of choosing an axis is
part of the command right away (as you picked either an X, Y, or Z), and you can skip Step 2.
Step 2. Pick the axis which you want to rotate: X, Y, or Z.
Step 3. After the X axis is selected,
3. AutoCAD says: Specify rotation angle about X axis <90>:
Step 4. You can just press enter, as 900 (the default) is exactly what we need.

4. Using standard drafting techniques, finish your rectangle to create a box as shown in figure
7.10

Figure 7.10 3D Box

5. To bring your UCS icon back to the previous familiar state, as originally see in figure 7.11, you can any of the
following:

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 Cascading menus: Tools New UCS World
`

Toolbar icon: UCS toolbar

Ribbon: View tab

Figure 11. 3D UCS icon reset to World View

3D Dynamic Views

In 3D, you need to constantly spin the object around to get a good look at it from all sides. Remember that, even
though we say that we are rotating the object, really we are not, but rather rotating our view of it.

1. To do it, use any of the following methods:

Keyboard: Type in orbit and press Enter
Cascading menus: View Orbit Free Orbit
`

Toolbar icon: 3D Navigation toolbar

Ribbon: View tab Navigate

2. As soon as you click the Orbit icon, a green circle appears

3. Do the orbit by clicking down, holding the left mouse button, and moving the mouse around.
4. When done, just press ESC, and the new view is permanent.
5. To restore the familiar SW view, just press the SW isometric icon.

Try continuous orbit.

What did you notice? When the mouse is released, a motion occurs.

Is there any difference from the free orbit? Yes.

Extrude

Extrusion is the method most often used to quickly and easily create solid objects and, as such, is perhaps one of the most
important commands in 3D. As shown in figure 12, is the modeling toolbar where extrude is located.Extrude

Figure 7.12 Modelling Toolbars

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 1. Draw a 10” x 6” rectangle. Use only the rectangle command, not individual line.
2. Start the extrude command via any of the preceding methods

Keyboard: Type in extrude and press Enter

Cascading menus: Draw Modeling Extrude
`

Toolbar icon: Modeling toolbar

Ribbon: Solid tab

o AutoCAD says: Current wire frame density: ISOLINES = 4Select objects

to extrude:

3. Pick the rectangle and press Enter.

o AutoCAD says: Specify height of extrusion or [Direction/Path/Taper
angle]:
4. You can actually now move your mouse up and down and create a thickness in real time but it is more
practical to type in a value, so go ahead and type in 4 for the thickness. The output should be in figure 13.

Figure 7.13 Extruded box

This box is quite similar to the previous one you tried doing. However, there are some significant differences, the
extruded box is real solid model, not just collection of “wires” spliced together as you did in the previous box.

Visual Styles: Hide and Shade

Visual Styles is an important set of tools that allows you to view your design in a variety of useful ways.

Hide
The hide command simply hides wireframe linework that you would not see with a solid object.

Temporary hide – viewing a stationary design. The hidden view reverts to wireframe if you try to rotate it
or regenerate it.
Permanent hide – the design can be rotated while staying fully hidden.

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 Keyboard: Type in hide and press Enter
Cascading menus: View Hide
`

Toolbar icon: Render toolbar or Visual Styles toolbar

Ribbon: View tab Visual Styles

Figure 7.14 Hidden box, (Hide)

What is the effect of typing in hide command or pressing hide toolbar?

The lines inside the box disappear.

Figure 7.14 Hidden box, (3D Hidden Visual Style)

What is the effect of pressing the 3D Hidden Visual Style toolbar?

The grid on the object disappear.

Shade Keyboard: Type in shade and press Enter

Cascading menus: View Visual Styles Realistic
`

Toolbar icon: Visual Styles toolbar

Ribbon: View tab Visual Styles

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 Figure 7.15 Realistic shading box

Keyboard: None
Cascading menus: View Visual Styles Conceptual
`

Toolbar icon: Visual Styles toolbar

Ribbon: View tab Visual Styles

Figure 7.16 Conceptual shading box

Did you notice any difference? Yes.

If yes, what is it? Different shading.

View Cube and Navigation Bar

View cube as shown in figure 7.17 is primarily useful in 3D navigation. It is used

to dynamically rotate to the graphically shown views, such as top, left, or front. You
can click on faces of the cube its edges or its corners or you just manually rotate
it. Additionally, you can press the N, S, E, and W buttons.
Figure 7.17 View Cube in 3D

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Try to explore all the buttons in the navigation bar as shown in figure 7.18. Describe

how each button works?

Full Navigation Wheel – provides access to the general and specialized tools.
Pan – moves the view planar to the screen.
Zoom Extents – display the maximum extension of all objects.
Orbit – rotates the view in 3Dspace
Slow Motion – provides an on-screen display for creating cinematic camera animations.

Figure 7.18 Navigation Bar

Activity 1:

In 3D SW isometric Conceptual Visual Style (CVS), set your units to Architectural and draw a 10”x5” rectangle.
Extrude this to 8’. This is one of several ways to draw a wall. Zoom out to extents if necessary and alter the color if
you wish. (Difficulty level: Easy; Time to completion: <5 minutes)

Activity 2:

In 3D SW isometric Conceptual Visual Style (CVS), set your units to Architectural and draw a 4”x3” box. Extrude this
to 6”. Now rotate your UCS around the Y axis by 300 and around the X axis by 300 . Then, draw the same rectangle
with same extrusion. Change the color if you wish. (Difficulty level: Easy; Time to completion: <5 minutes)

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Activity 3:

In 3D SW isometric Conceptual Visual Style (CVS), set your units to Architectural and draw a 5” circle, extruding
this to 25”. Now rotate your UCS around the Y axis by 900 and draw the same extrude shape. Then, restore the
UCS position, and rotate it around the Y axis by 900 . Then, draw the same shape again. You should have the three
cylinders shown in the left image. Move two of them to center with the third one as shown in the right image.
(Difficulty level: Easy; Time to completion: <5 minutes)

6. Conclusion:

There are many ways to make a 3D representation of an object in AutoCAD. The ribbon

is the best way to work on 3D and it is much convenient taking less time. There are

shade in 3D for depth of the object for more realistic point of view. There are much more

To learn for making complicated object.

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7. Assessment (Rubric for Laboratory Performance):
Intended
BEGINNER ACCEPTABLE PROFICIENT
Learning SCORE
1 2 3
Outcomes

Was not able to finish Was able to finish Was able to finish
Draw 3D objects drawing 3D objects; drawing 3D objects; drawing 3D objects
needs supervision with the needs supervision with the without supervision of the
faculty member faculty member faculty member

Apply different Fails to apply different Was able to apply

Has difficulty applying
techniques in techniques in drawing different techniques in
different techniques in
drawing 3D 3D objects that lead to drawing 3D objects
drawing 3D objects
objects erroneous 3D object without difficulty
Other comments/observation:
TOTAL SCORE

RATING = (total score) x 100%

2

Evaluated By: Date:

Faculty Member

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Activity 1:

Activity 2:

Activity 3:

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