Generating Plans and Sections

In this exercise you will be using your Rhino file to generate building plans and sections. Once you have generated the two-dimensional drawings, you will export the drawings as Illustrator files.

PS.1. Make a copy of your project file.

PS.2. Name your file with your name followed by Plan. For example, JohnSmith_Plan.

PS.3. The first few steps involve preparing your model for the process of making the plans and sections. Remove any cameras and artificial lights from your model. Select and erase/delete them. This is not necessary for generating the views, but it will make it easier for you to work.

PS.4. Reset the Perspective view to the default view.

PS.5. Ungroup any groups that you have in your model. To ungroup them, type Ungroup at the command line, and select the grouped item(s). You can make a window around all of the objects to more quickly select them.

PS.6. Turn off the Context layer. Create a new layer called Ground. The layer color and material are not important. Make that new layer the current layer.

PS.7. Offset your property line 5 feet toward the outside. Delete the original property line.

PS.8. Extrude the plane using the ExtrudeCrv command. Extrude the plane -5' (negative five feet). The top of the plane should be at 0'-0" on the Z-axis. Cap the extrusion.

PS.9. Turn off any additional layers that will not appear in the drawing. This includes layers from previous studies, context, streets, and property lines. NOTE: You can also erase objects on those layers. If you choose to do this, turn off the layers or lock the layers with objects you would like to keep. Erase everything else. Eliminating unnecessary objects will make it easier to work.

PS.10. Layers need to be on and unlocked and grouped elements need to be ungrouped to be part of the 2D model. Unlock all layers that will appear in the plan and section drawings. Ungroup the elements of your building. It is important that you do not explode elements to the level of surfaces.

PS.11. You will be making one plan cut through your project. In preparation for making the plan cut you will need to create a horizontal plane where you intend to cut your plan. This plane will be the location of your plan cut. It will be raised above the ground plane.

PS.12. Create a plane by tracing the corners of the ground plane. The plane can be drawn on any layer.

PS.13. Since the top of your ground plane is 0'-0" on the Z-axis, the plane you just made needs to be moved up. Typically a plan is cut about 4'-0" above the floor. I recommend a height of 14'-0" above the ground plane. This would place the plan cut at 4'-0" above the second floor. Please note that your project may be different, and may require a different height. If you do use a different height, enter a specific distance and make sure to remember the distance because you will need it later. To move the plane, select the surface.

PS.14. In the Front view click on green arrow and input the height. Turn the Gumball on if you don't see the green, blue and red arrows.

PS.15. The image below shows the new location of the plane from the Perspective view.

PS.16. Create a new layer called PlanCut, and make that new layer the current layer.

PS.17. The cut profiles will be generated at the height of the plane. Input the command IntersectTwoSets. Choose the plane and press Enter.

PS.18. You will be prompted to select the second set of objects. In the Top view select the building components and press Enter.

PS.19. In the Perspective view you can see the new lines that have been generated.

PS.19. While the selection is still highlighted use the Top view Gumball to move the lines over 200 feet. If those elements are no longer highlighted, you can turn off all layers except the PlanCut layer and re-select the lines. The reason for moving them over 200 feet is to see them and work with them more easily.

PS.20. From the Front view move the lines down to the level of the ground plane which is at 0'-0" on the z-axis. Your 2D drawing should drop down to the same level as the ground plane.

PS.21. The last few steps described how to create lines from the masses that the plane cut through. Next you will be showing the elements that are below the cut plane. To do this you will need to create a clipping plane at the same height as the plane used for the IntersectTwoSets command.

PS.22. Type in ClippingPlane at the command line. Click on the corners of the plane you used to generate the plan cut lines.

PS.23. Select the clipping plane. The clipping plane has diagonal lines from corner to corner. In the Properties window select the Clipping Plane icon and turn on the plane in the perspective and the top view by placing a check in the box next to Perspective.

PS.24. Delete the original plane so that you can see the lines that will be generated in the next step. For example, the lines of the stair should appear.

PS.24. While you are in the top view type Make2D at the command line. Select the entire 3D model. All 3D objects below the clipping plane must be selected. It is best to select from right (1) to left (2). This is known as a crossing, and it will include all objects inside or touched by your crossing window. If you select (2) and then (1), only objects inside your window will be selected.

PS.25. Make sure than you are in the Top view before you press Enter. Press Enter.

PS.26. Change the setting as shown below. By placing the drawing on the current CPlane it will be located on top of the model in Top view.

PS.27. While the objects are highlighted move them 200 feet to the right. They should be directly above your plan cut lines.

PS.28. Verify that the plans from the Make2D and IntersectTwoSets operations are on top of one another.

PS.29. In an architectural plan drawing, the convention is to show the edges of planes above with a hidden or dashed line, but the default direction of the clipping plane is downward, and so those objects above do not appear. To show the objects above, you must flip the direction of the clipping plane. To do this select the clipping plane and in the Properties window click on the Flip Direction button. After you use the Make2D command, the 2D drawing will appear on the ground plane below the building. Uncheck the Front box so that it is visible in the Front view.

PS.30. In the perspective view, the portion above the clipping plane is now visible, but all objects below the clipping plane are not. Keep in mind that the 2D drawing elements are not visible because they at a height of 0'-0" on the z-axis. To make them visible again, you can flip the clipping plane again or delete the clipping plane altogether.

PS.31. A plane has been shown at the top of the building to illustrate an overhead plane condition and the process for this operation.

PS.32. Use the Make2D command as you have previously and select items that have the overhead plane condition. You can select the whole model, but it will create a number of redundant lines that may need to be erased layer. Notice how the plan drawings do not appear. This is because the clipping plane is looking upward. If you know which items appear above, but do not appear below, you can select only those items as shown below.

PS.33. Make sure that the Top view is the current view. When you press Enter, it will appear that no drawing was produced in the Top and Perspective views. Because you unchecked the Front box in the Clipping Plane window, the new drawing should appear in the Front view. This time move your drawing 400 feet to the side. This will enable you to work with the layers before placing on top of the other plan elements.

PS.34. To see the 2D plan drawings, flip the clipping plane back to its original direction.

PS.35. Create a new layer called Plan-Above. Put your new linework on that layer. In illustrator you will be changing its linetype to hidden or dashed.

PS.36. Move the linework 200 feet to the left so it rests on top of the other plan drawings.

PS.37. Erase the square that represents the edge of the Ground plane.

PS.38. Next you will be exporting the 2D drawing to Illustrator. Type Export at the command line. Select the plan drawings.

PS.39. Save the file as shown below.

PS.40. Change the scale for to 1/8" = 1'-0" as shown below.

PS. 41. Note: if you open the file in Illustrator, don't be alarmed if you don't see the drawing. Just keep pressing Ctrl + - to zoom out. You will find the drawing outside of the sheet.

PS.42. Save and exit the Rhino file.

PS.43. Make a copy of the file and rename it with your name followed by Section.

PS.44. Open the new file.

PS.45. Erase the 2D plan drawing, the clipping plane and the horizontal plane.

PS.45. You will be repeating the steps above to generate a section through your model. Choose a location that is interesting spatially. The section illustrated below will cut through the stairs and will look toward the east.

PS.46. Go to the view that looks in the direction of your section and make a plane that is includes your entire building and the ground plane. For the section shown above, it would be the Left view. You may need to change the view depending on your choice for the placement your section.

PS.46. Begin by making a plane in that view. The plane should include the whole building and the ground plane.

PS.47. Go to the Top view and Zoom to the extents of your model. The plane will appear off to the side. Use the arrows of the Gumball to position the plane.

PS.48. Create a new layer called Section Cut and make that layer the current one.

PS.49. Use the IntersectTwoSets command to create the section cut lines. Choose the plane first, Press Enter. Then choose the entire model. Be sure to include the ground mass. In the image below, the lines of the section have been created. While the lines are still highlighted, move the section lines to the side using the Gumball. In the image below the lines are being moved 200 feet to the left in the Left view. Depending on the location of your section you may need to use a different view for this process.

PS.50. The image is visible to the left in the image below.

PS.51. Make a new clipping plane from the same view that you drew your plane for the previous steps. Trace the plane in that view. The clipping plane is will be square and will extend beyond the plane that you trace.

PS.52. Click on the clipping plane and make sure that the box is checked for the view. in the image below the box next to Left has been chosen because that is the view associated with the section.

PS.53. In your section view use the Make2D command to generate a two-dimensional drawing of the objects beyond. Select all of the 3D objects and press Enter. When the 2D Options window appears, make sure that the Current CPlane button is selected and that the Hidden Lines appear.

PS.54. The 2D drawing may not be visible in all of your views. Why? Because the Clipping Plane has been applied to some of the views.

PS.55. To make the drawing visible, select the clipping plane and uncheck the boxes next to the view. The drawing will appear, but it will not be on the plane of your clipping plane.

PS.56. Select the 2D drawing elements while you are in the Perspective view. Move them while you are in your section view.

PS.57. Delete the box representing the plane about your project.

PS.58. The IntersectTwoSets drawing (orange arrow) needs to be moved so that it is on top of the Make2D section drawing (red arrow).

PS.59. Find a common point on each drawing and make a circle at those points. In the image below a green circle has been drawing on the IntersectTwoSets drawing and a yellow circle has been drawn on the Make2D drawing. With the Center object snap turned on, you can move the IntersectTwoSets drawing so it rests on top of the Make2D drawing.

PS.60. ClickOnce you have aligned the two drawings, erase the reference circles, and Export the section as an Illustrator file. Name the file with your name followed by Section.

PS.61. Upload the two Rhino files and the two Illustrator files.

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