How to create blocks to use in an exploded view.

[ellioy]

Okay, so im pretty new to autoCAD. I'm using Architecture 2010.

I basically started drawing and by means of extruding, rotating and slicing, came up with this drawing (see image). Now, i basically want to create an exploded view of it. I want the exploded view to show the whole roof part like lifted a few feet above, the round beams to be separated, you get the idea.

 

I first just tried using the explode command, but when i do that parts of my drawing just disappear completely, and the rest doesn't explode. I did some reading and i'm thinking that i need to create blocks, and then the blocks will be what explode?

 

So my question is do i need to create blocks to do what i want to do?

And How do i create blocks from my drawing?

(Basically I want each beam to be able to separate and the roof to lift off in the exploded view)

 

[kencaz]

Explode is used for a different purpose then creating exploded views.

 

You will have to create the views by moving your items apart one at a time.

 

If they are 3d solids they need to separated in order to move them apart from one another.

 

Use "SOLIDEDIT" command to separate them.

 

KC

[ReMark]

I'm assuming the roof was not "unioned" to the beams and remains a separate entity, correct?

 

I'm also assuming that each column/beam/kneebrace has been unioned, correct? If so, the Separate command will not work on them. You would either have to Slice them, which would take some doing, or recreate them as individual entities.

 

Re: Explode command. From AutoCAD Help file:

 

"Explodes a compound object when you want to modify its components separately. Objects that can be exploded include blocks, polylines, and regions, among others."

 

3D Solid

 

"Explodes planar faces into regions. Nonplanar faces explode into surfaces."

[MikeScott]

I would redraw them.. It's better to plan for an exploded view, than try and slice all that up, especially since you're dealling with curved surfaces that would require some tricky slicing.

 

You could easily slice the roof off the supports, but the rest might be a challenge, unless release 2010 allows you to slice with objects, rather than planes?

 

When you redraw the cylinders though, you'll need to use the subtract command to get that curve in the tops of them where they interconnect with each other.. or they'll just look like uncut tubes... same with the rectangular pieces

 

Slicing off the roof:

SLICE (enter)

Select the roof (enter)

Select the three points that occur on the lower face of the roof.. Two can be on the same line, but the third needs to come from another line or endpoint.

B (enter)

 

That "b" leaves both sides of the slice in-place, so that you can delete the rest of the object, or move it around separately.

 

When you do the subtraction to the cylinders, basically align the three of them together like you are making one of the "stands". (Tip: I strongly advise you to copy the three of them to another location on the drawing.. so you've got a "master copy" sitting somwhere.. the one you perform the subtract on will have pieces missing)

 

Then select ONE cylinder or rectangular tube thatyou want the "cuts" in, hit enter, and select the item that's intersecting it, and then exit the command.

 

The second item you selected is now gone for good..

(Tip: The way this stand is set up, you might want to recopy any items after you cut them too, it in-case you have to subtract it from an adjacent part later)

 

Now, copy-in the missing part and do it again on another intersection, repeat until you get what you want.. a single finished stand that can be copied and positioned into the assembly, and then "exploded" by moving the pieces apart.

 

I wasn't sure HOW new you are, but I thought the step-by-step might help.. I'm old autoCAD though so there might be some improvements over this method, as found in Release 2010. The above info from the others is just as accurate.

 

BLOCKS don't do what you think they do. Blocks are groupings of entities that can be moved as a single unit, and can be re-used all over the place (including other drawings if you put them on the tool pallette.

 

EXPLODE also doesn't do what you think.. that'd used on blocks (and some other items, like plines) to break them into the separate part's they're made of. If you've "unioned" something (3d items).. they are not separate parts anymore, they are essentially one big piece.. cast together as it were. So when you explode that.. it sometimes breaks into faces, sometimes other stuff.. depending upon how they were created.

[nicnicman]

Yes, the subtract command will highlight the rounded detail of each joint. Especially when separated.

[ellioy]

Thanks for all the responses. I think I understand how to redraw all the parts separately so that they would all still fit together.

 

If i do draw them separately for this exploded view, will i want to keep the drawing i have now as the assembled view? Cause i will definitely want to show that as well.

 

@MikeScott: So could i define each type of beam as a block, and then insert 6 of those blocks into my drawing? Or isn't this a very efficient method? THen, if i had all those blocks and joined them, would the explode command do what i'm trying to do? Just wondering if i am understanding all this terminology..

[nicnicman]

You could keep the same drawing but IMHO the joints don't look realistic if they are not subtracted. Like Remark was saying if you used the union command on the individual pieces it would probably be easier to redraw but if each piece can be separated then it would be possible to use the subtract command on them as they are now. Or just alter one support truss and copy and paste it.

 

To use the subtract command the first thing I usually do is copy the item that will remain whole in the exact position as the original. Then, enter the subtract command. When prompted for "solids, surfaces, and regions to subtract from" pick the object that will have a chunk taken from it. Then when prompted for "solids, surfaces, and regions to subtract" pick the object that will remain whole. Because you made a copy of the whole object it remains unchanged only the copy is deleted.

 

These instructions are for AutoCAD 2010 so I'm not sure if they'll work in Architecture. My guess is that Architecture's subtract command will work in the same basic way, but I'm not really sure.

 

This process was and still is a little tricky for me and may take some getting to used to.

 

Hope that helps.

[MikeScott]

Thanks for all the responses. I think I understand how to redraw all the parts separately so that they would all still fit together.

 

If i do draw them separately for this exploded view, will i want to keep the drawing i have now as the assembled view? Cause i will definitely want to show that as well.

 

@MikeScott: So could i define each type of beam as a block, and then insert 6 of those blocks into my drawing? Or isn't this a very efficient method? THen, if i had all those blocks and joined them, would the explode command do what i'm trying to do? Just wondering if i am understanding all this terminology..

 

You'll be able to show them assembled or separated, or copy the whole thing into multiple locations and show both at once.. you'll just have to move the parts around manually to get them to do that.

 

You COULD make a block of a single stand, if you thought you might need to use it in several locations elsewhere. Like if this was part of a promenade deck or something. OR, you could attach all the items of the entire assembly, if you thought you might use it like that instead (or as well).

 

You said "joined" .. if you blocked the parts of a stand.. they'd be "joined". If you exploded it, it would revert back to being separate entities, rather than a group.. it wouldn't move them away from each other, they just wouldn't all respond as a group anymore.

 

Maybe this'll help:

 

I might BLOCK items like a Sink and its faucets. That way I could use that combination of styles/colors together in other locations. However, if I decided I wanted to use a different faucet in one location (but use the same sink), I'd insert the block, and then explode it.

 

That would permit me to erase just the part I want to remove, and put a different faucet selection on it.

 

If I wanted to do a "exploded view" of a set of items, as in an assembly drawing, I would have to "explode" any items that were in a block together, to turn them into separate pieces again, but then I would have to individually move each part away from each other.

 

I think 2010 might have a command to do that automatically, or there may be LISP files out there that will do it, I'm not sure and can't answer that... I just know that my AutoCAD would require me to move each part away from each other manually.

[nicnicman]

You could save one truss in one drawing and use the insert command to insert it 6 times. Just make sure to put the truss at 0, 0, 0 on the coordinate system for easy placement.