extract 2D wireframe linework off a 3D model

Tom Foster

I have a 3D model of a highly non-rectilinnear building, but I also want to make traditional 2D elevations/sections - which are arduous to constreuct for such a building, requiring much 3D trigonometry to determine offsets and angles as projected to the elevation plane. The 3D model has solved all that. So is there any way, having oriented the model to the desired elevation plane, of capturing the visible edges of the solids as 2D wireframe lines, true to scale, drawn in the 2D xy elevation plane in modelspace, which can be incorporated into the elevation drawing, ready for embelishment?

That is, a bit more automated than simply tracing over the model's edges?

Michael Mayer

Not sure if I really understood your wish.

You could select and Copy the Edges,
to another Layer and show them on Sheets for embellishment (?)
(I'm not familiar wit 2D design line weight and styles in generated plans)

You should be able to align Sections to any Face in Space, no matter which
orientation to WCS and maybe even rotate afterwards (?)

Hans De Backer

Not really clear to me what is desired, but anyway...

By default the result of a BimSection is stored in a separate drawing. If that would not be what you want, you could use the SectionPlaneToBlock command for that BimSection (which is in fact a normal Section Plane entity, to which some extra data has been added).
One of the SectionPlaneToBlock options is to save the result as a block in your model drawing.

If that is not what you're after, could you please try again and clarify?

Ian Johnson

Tom,
if you mean something like turning on the "Display Axes" of the structural profiles and then being able to turn the solids off and leave the axes displayed, then yes, this would be a great feature as sometimes a "Stick" view of a structure is easier to read than one that has all the profiles fully shown.

Also as a request feature, the ability to set the axis location (perhaps a pick point on the Linear Solid Profiles dialog) prior to inserting a structural profile would be of immense help rather than having to go back and use the "Add Eccentricity" command. Sometimes beams are not located on their centre, their axis maybe top of steel for example.

cheers

Roy Klein Gebbinck

My first thought was: _FlatShot.

Tom Foster

The 3D model oriented to the view desired for the 2D elevation. Then, extracting the visible edges of the solids, as wireframe lines, all Flattened to the xy plane of a 2D elevation in Modelspace.

FlatShot appeals - will take a look. Plus the other suggestions - thanks. Any more, having hopefully clarified?

Hans De Backer

Uhmm, I'm puzzled, what you describe sounds exactly like what BimSection produces? What am I missing?

Tom Foster

deleted

Tom Foster

Thanks Hans, one day soon I will get round to Bimsection, meanwhile just used Flatshot - magic, is exactly what I wanted, straight away transforms my ability to 2D-draw funny off-angle architecture, the only catch being the need to create a 3D model! Thanks to all.

Joe Dunfee

My memory is vague on this, but flatshot may (or may not) create overlapping lines. So, check for this. I know there are utilities out there to detect and fix overlapping lines, by deleting exact copies, and also the option to merge lines that partially overlap.

-Joe