Create a 3D Site Plan Using CADMapper and AutoCAD

Need to quickly create a 3D site plan in AutoCAD?

Here'south how to do information technology.

This tutorial covers the following information:

  1. Setting upwards a 3D site in CADMapper

  2. Converting Units: Metric to Imperial

  3. External References: Separating Layers into Drawings

Disclosure:

CADMapper is a website that can salve architects, designers, and planners tons of time by automatically generating 3-Dimensional information for over 200 cities effectually the globe. CADMapper generates 3D models that can be used with AutoCAD, Sketchup, Rhinoceros, and Illustrator. To generate information for topography, buildings, and streets, CADMapper pulls information from OpenStreetMap.

I should start by saying that my design piece of work primarily involves the schematic blueprint phase of architectural blueprint. I understand that site information should be field-verified by professionals in surveying, civil engineering science, etc. to ensure accuracy. The intention of this tutorial is to apply CADMapper to create a basis for architectural schematic designs.

Setting upwards a 3D site in CADMapper

Step 1: Find your site - Get-go with Google Maps.

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I like to start by finding my site in Google Maps. Oft, there is little information given that specifies coordinates or a physical address of a site. Searching for the site in Google Maps gives me a better understanding of what my site looks like from an aerial perspective.

In one case you notice your site in Google Maps, caput over to CADMapper.com and type in the approximate address - or two intersecting streets.

CADMapper merely provides vector line information, so it might be cumbersome to endeavor to search for your site starting in CADMapper. Look between Google Maps and CADMapper to hone in on your site, and create a box in CADMapper that captures the information you lot need from your site. CADMapper is free, but up to 1km of data.

Ever try to capture more data than you call up y'all need. Y'all never know when you lot might need the information in the hereafter. It'south better to take it and non need information technology, than to need it and not have information technology - I've had to stitch multiple CADMapper files together before because I left out some important information when I created my initial file, and it'due south a existent pain to go through that process.

Footstep 2: Turn on 3D Buildings

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If y'all desire building tiptop information, check the box for 3D Buildings. If edifice data is available (which it often is in large cities), CADMapper will create mesh geometry of buildings in the CAD file. Y'all can specify "False Height Information", in which CADMapper will generate buildings without peak information to a value that you specify. Not a necessary step, only it can you relieve cartoon time.

Step 3: Select 3D Topography, topography contours spaced at 4 meters.

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It's good exercise to just collect as much information as we tin can get, early in a project. The lowest spacing that CADMapper volition generate for contour lines is four meters, which should be plenty of information to get you started in your blueprint.

Stride 4: Road Geometry, Select "Outlines"

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CADMapper provides options for generating road graphics. Roads tin be depicted as unmarried center-lines, outlines, or mesh surfaces. If you intend on using this site file for fabrication, such as 3D printing or laser-cutting, I would advise choosing an option that best suits your needs. For this tutorial, selecting "Outlines" will provide graphic separation between types of roads, and permit easy scaling of the drawing in AutoCAD. Additionally, "Outlines" is a practiced choice to cull for laser-cut site models.

Change the road dimensions to specific dimensions: I recommend the following:

  • Highways: 10 meters

  • Major Roads: 8 meters

  • Minor Roads: 6 meters

  • Paths: 4 meters

Step v: Generate the CADMapper File

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If everything is set to your liking, click on "Create File". It will have a moment to generate the file.

Once the file is generated, you can examine the map in 3 views:

  • 3D Axonometric View

  • 2D View

  • Topography

At this betoken, select download. The file will download as a single .zip, containing one .dxf file that yous can open up with AutoCAD.

Converting Units - Metric to Imperial

By default, CADMapper exports units in meters. For our purposes, we demand to convert meters to anxiety.'

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Step 1: In the "Units" Menu, Modify 'Decimal' to 'Architectural'

Type in command, "United nations" to open the Units menu. Change 'Decimal' to 'Architectural', and 'Millimeters' to 'Inches', respectively. Notation that simply irresolute the units will not change the calibration the drawing. For example, ii meters will be converted to 2 feet, which is incorrect.

So, we'll need to calibration the drawing after changing the units from metric to imperial.

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Pace 2: Verify the Altitude of a Road

Use the command "DIST" to measure the distance of one of the roads generated by the CADMapper file. It should read as i of the measurements that was specified on the CADMapper website. For this example, the route is 6 meters.

Step 3: Calibration the Cartoon

If the road distance is six meters, it will need to exist scaled to nineteen.685 feet (because 1 meter = 3.28084 feet) after changing the Units from metric to purple.

Draw a polyline (control "PL") off to the side of your cartoon in model space somewhere. Below that half dozen meter line, depict a line of distance, 19.685.

Use command "AL" for 'Marshal', and select EVERYTHING in model space. Deselect the (19.685) line. We want to scale everything in the drawing except that line.

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Select the commencement point of the (six units) line, and the showtime point of the (nineteen.685 units) line. So, select the second point of the (6 units) line, and the second point of the (19.685 units) line.

When prompted to 'Scale', select Yeah.

If washed correctly, all of the elements in the drawing will have scaled with the (6 units) line, which now matches the altitude of xix.685. So now, when the Units are set to "Architectural" and "Inches", all of the roads should read every bit the equivalent imperial measurement.

External References: Separating Layers into Drawings

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CADMapper conveniently sorts drawings elements into separate layers. This is useful in terms of organization, all the same, we should fix our drawings in a mode that allows multiple people to piece of work on them. This may not be necessary for your particular project, only it's proficient practice to learn the conventions of creating external references to keep file systems organized, and to allow the potential for multiple people to work on a single projection.

Streamlined file systems = saved time on drafting work. And saving drafting time will open time for more of import stuff, like designing!

Here'south how to quickly create external references from layers:

Stride one: Open the Layer Menu

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Type "LA" to open the Layer Carte. Freeze all layers, so unfreeze the beginning layer that yous want to convert into an external reference. In this instance, we'll start the the layer called "buildings".

Side by side, type "Select" and "All" to select everything on that layer.

"Re-create Base of operations" with, CRTL+SHIFT+C, then specify the origin point every bit 0,0,0 (10,y,z, respectively).

This is important, because copying the information with the origin point will permit yous to bring all of the drawings into the new "Master Cartoon" at the same point. This will ensure that the drawings are lined upward correctly, maintaining accuracy in the data.

Footstep ii: Create the "Primary Drawing"

Open a new drawing. This will go the "Chief Drawing", which will agree all of the xrefs that we will be creating for each layer. The "Principal Drawing" will look exactly like the original file containing all of the individual layer information. The benefit of setting up a main drawing this mode, is that multiple people can work on private files within one projection.

For example, one person can work on the "Buildings" layer. Another person tin can work on the "Roads" layer, and then on.

This is not just convenient for grouping drafting projects, simply information technology will help y'all build a consistent file organisation that can be practical to a number of different programs outside of AutoCAD. It's merely a system of file linkage, and these types of systems offer the most flexibility for arrangement, and drafting workflows.

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1 final note: the "Master Drawing" should serve as a file for reference, and should not be drawn on or referenced to other drawings. Changes made on all of the other external references will reflect on the Master Cartoon, however, changes made on the Master Cartoon will not reflect on the linked external references. It'south a one-fashion street, and maintaining this system will ensure that your project is clean and organized.

Good luck!

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