Which is better- 2D or 3D CAD?

[ReMark]

But that 2D floor plan could be generated from a 3D model.

 

3D is great for people like my wife because she has a difficult time putting all the 2D views (floor plan, elevations, and sections) together to get a clear view of what the house would look like. Show her a 3D model and she immediately starts moving things! "No, I like that window over here!" LoL

[Joeljoelb]

If you had a 3 dimensional walk through of the building instead of the 2D plans would this influence your decision? Or would you still prefer to see the floor plan? Bearing in mind that 3D renders would provide a more realistic feeling to the structure.

 

If you have time could you fill in the survey for me on the first post. It would be nice to record your opinion.

[Joeljoelb]

 

"No, I like that window over here!" LoL

 

My wifes the same lol

[ReMark]

The benefit to a 2D floor plan is if you have one with the dimensions on it. If I took you on a virtual tour of your future house would you have any idea if your furniture would fit in it?

[ReMark]

Perfect example of the use of 3D in the design process.

 

I am working on retrofitting a steel platform that is 20'x15' and it is 25' tall. We're adding an extra beam, six knee braces and two rather long cross-braces with a unique connection to a beam and an adjacent column. Since it is a chemical plant and there are pipes and equipment in, around and on the structure not to mention nearby tanks doing all this design and making sure everything fits the way it should would be a lot of work if done entirely in 2D. Now, given that the engineer I am working for has already changed his mind on the sizes of some of the steel and the thickness of some of the plate and how he wants the connections to be designed I'd be pulling my hair out by now if it weren't for 3D. Yes, I don't like changing something I drew yesterday but I only have to change it in one place. And he gets to check it all out in one 3D model. When and if he is satisfied then I'll generate the 2D views from the model, dimension and label them and then we send them off for fabrication.

[SLW210]

But that 2D floor plan could be generated from a 3D model.

 

3D is great for people like my wife because she has a difficult time putting all the 2D views (floor plan, elevations, and sections) together to get a clear view of what the house would look like. Show her a 3D model and she immediately starts moving things! "No, I like that window over here!" LoL

 

Still a 2D floor plan doesn't matter how it was generated. Have you even looked at the survey?

[ReMark]

My response was not directed at you. If it had been I would have quoted you.

 

No, I did not look at the survey. I have no interest in taking one.

[f700es]

All will want to see the 2D floor plan. Would you buy a house without seeing a floor plan? I certainly wouldn't.

 

Nor I but I am trained in see what a floor plan has. Most people are not trained in this and a rendered image can at times speak volumes to them.

[ReMark]

Still a 2D floor plan doesn't matter how it was generated. Have you even looked at the survey?

 

Maybe I should have qualified the statement by stating the 2D floor plan should be dimensioned. Obviously that does not happen by magic.

[SLW210]

You don't have to take the survey to see the images in question.

 

If you had a 3 dimensional walk through of the building instead of the 2D plans would this influence your decision? Or would you still prefer to see the floor plan? Bearing in mind that 3D renders would provide a more realistic feeling to the structure.

 

If you have time could you fill in the survey for me on the first post. It would be nice to record your opinion.

 

Survey mentions nothing of 3D type walk throughs.

 

Unless you had the room dimensions in the 3D walk through, most certainly, I would want the floor plan with room dimensions. I've done a few 3D walk throughs on Realtor sites, gives a nice visual, but at some point, you need the floor plan.

 

Best would be a physical walk through holding the floor plans.

 

Even constructing the house, you need dimensions.

[Joeljoelb]

Survey mentions nothing of 3D type walk throughs.

 

I know there's no talk of walk throughs but just trying to get across the different ways 3D and 2D can be implemented to influence the industry. 3D walkthrough with plans would be pretty useful actually. Maybe the plans could be mapped on as part of the walkthrough?

[James_SMI]

I built and remodeled houses for 20 years so let me give my two cents. 2D and 3D is comparing apples and oranges, which is better, a TV or a refrigerator? All the guys building the house are going to want 2D floor plans, you cant just guess what size the rooms are and how the inside of the house might be layed out. The insurance people, the building inspectors etc are going to want 2D also. Oh you want to sell the house, well you are going to need 3D. It's been my experience that women play a greater decision making role in remodeling and home buying and going 3D on house interiors is a dream come true for selling to a woman, especially for higher end stuff.

[cadvision]

How many contractors take a model out on site to build from? They take drawings on paper (maybe a pc or tablet). I don't care how you create your geometry, but please lay your drawings (layout/paperspace) as a proper 3rd angle projection drawings of the past. I'm a professional drafty, I started on drawing boards with paper and pen. Layout of the paper is everything to reading a technical drawing. Get that right and everyone is on the same page (pun intended) from engineer to tradesperson and customer

[neophoible]

I wondered though if 3D has changed the way the architectural industry works so much that 2D will become obsolete? Is 3D the way forward now? Because most architectural firms now employ some part of 3D CAD.

 

Interesting. Did you actually ask these questions in the survey? No? Not even close? Hmmm. I wonder why not. BTW, are your images really ‘plans’? It doesn't matter, though. I’m just not big on surveys. I don’t trust them. They lead to statistics. Mark Twain said it well. “Apples and oranges” is right. The survey seems to be setting up a false dichotomy. The answers here give a very clear picture, and without including obfuscating stats from a questionable questionnaire. 3D is already quite versatile and constantly improving, plus it can yield excellent 2D, which is still standard. You want both, because clients want both, and you need 2D for practical purposes. Will we one day eliminate the need for schematics and 2D plans, for example, by having easy-to-create, easy-to-use, fully scalable, fully interactive, fully manipulable holographics wherever and whenever we want, including on-site, all at a reasonable cost? I’m not so sure. In any case, it may take many generations for that. Star Trek, anyone?

[PotGuy]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]40974[/ATTACH]

How was the drawing created?

 

Am I right in thinking that's 3rd Angle projection?

 

More relevantly, software such as Autodesk REVIT allows a building to be built in a 3D format (ie: components used like piles for example can be set at a specific depth, as well as allowing the properties to be dynamically changed automatically update the model), allowing a person to 'walk' around (and fly) in the building they're designing. This allows the 3D application to be used to its full extent, while also having the ability to create floor plans, sections and elevations in a few clicks.

 

From a client's stand point, they want to see what the final building may look like, what the decor could be and how practical it is. For someone constructing it, using 2D views such as floor plans allow the builder to build, as unlike a 3D model notes and dimensions can be added, which are crucial. These are scaled to a construction standard to allow them to quickly and accuratly work off 2D designs and build that building.

Edited March 26, 2013 by PotGuy
Spelling and the like

[ReMark]

Am I right in thinking that's 3rd Angle projection?

That was not the point. I was demonstrating that 2D views could be generated from a 3D model. The model becomes the one source for all information.

[PotGuy]

That was not the point. I was demonstrating that 2D views could be generated from a 3D model. The model becomes the one source for all information.

 

Apologies; I did add useful information after initial post.