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CAD Forums => CAD General => Topic started by: DanB on November 17, 2017, 04:22:14 PM

Title: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 17, 2017, 04:22:14 PM
End day Friday - just a shot in the dark here..

I work for a civil engineering firm. We need to generate some very low detailed exhibits for a client for a project. These exhibits need to show a pier extension/rehab. The problem is our drawings always turn out to loot to "engineery" for the public review. The boss would like me to find some software that we may utilize to either convert or possibly start from scratch learning, to generate a more "cartoony" appearance. Kind of vague, just fishing for some suggestions...anyone? I very briefly looked at Infraworks, is this a possibility?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: ChrisCarlson on November 17, 2017, 04:32:21 PM
What software do you use? Most AutoDesk programs have a plot style resembling "sketching". I know Revit (potentially others) also do color sketches.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 17, 2017, 04:43:45 PM
Using AutoCAD Civil 3d 2018. I've inquired previously about the Napkin Sketch. I havent had much success getting this to look the way I envisioned on previous project. For this job I'm thinking the boss wants something in line with a rendering type drawing. I'm a little hesitant throwing that term out there though.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 17, 2017, 04:45:51 PM
For now I think it is just a plan view, it may grow into wanting a render/3d/isometric if that is possible.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: Rob... on November 17, 2017, 06:11:25 PM
The last time I looked at InfraWorks, it did what you are looking for, a pretty picture with minimal information fairly quickly.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: dgorsman on November 20, 2017, 10:38:27 AM
What is your presentation format - TV?  Projector?  Paper-on-wall?
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: MSTG007 on November 20, 2017, 10:45:45 AM
What we have started doing is utilizing parcel styles with solids. Works quick and easy for us and it looks like a render.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 20, 2017, 03:12:11 PM
All the presentation exhibits would be printed/mounted on likely 24"x36" Here's a couple of what we refer to as "cartoony" images. These are just quick images I grabbed from Google. Again, our first go through is for discussion of general items, not too much detail. 
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: mjfarrell on November 20, 2017, 03:15:22 PM
yup, Infraworks is excellent at that type of thing....
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: kirby on November 20, 2017, 05:12:52 PM
We often use Sketchup to create 'people friendly' presentation drawings.  Just convert C3D to autocad entities and export via dxf.  A lot of free 3D components (aka blocks) are available for populating your drawings (3D vehicles, trees, people, etc).
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 21, 2017, 08:27:42 AM
What are the printing options for Infraworks? Similar to AutoCAD with ability to plot to PDFs or directly to a plotter?

What would work flow be for Sketchup, layout some components in AutoCAD and export to Sketchup for creating finishing touches? What are print capabilities of Sketchup?

Appreciate all the replies.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: MSTG007 on November 21, 2017, 08:39:59 AM
For this... basically copy all the proposed line work to a new layer. Convert all those entities on the new layer to parcels and change the parcel styles.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 21, 2017, 09:32:44 AM
This is a really good start to what our basic plan view may have for an appearance. What software is this done in? Is this Civil 3d parcels - which I am familiar working with. How are you getting the variable green colors for the trees, and nice looking vehicles. All of this is new to me.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: MSTG007 on November 21, 2017, 09:37:07 AM
this is pretty basic. the blocks are images that I have traced and assigned hatches to them.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: nobody on November 21, 2017, 08:00:15 PM
You can do a lot with cad... use gradient hatching... tranparent hatching... import imagrs for things like clouds. . People... and trees... can get real creative. I personally use the adobe cc package... 60 bucks a month and get everything.... once you get the workflow down can create pretty contemporary and impressive stuff...just look up photoshop combined with any word like site plan..urban streetscape...etc
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: cadtag on November 22, 2017, 08:40:10 AM
Sometime early in 2018, Bricsys Shape should be out as a free package, might be a useful adjunct for  presentation...

http://aecmag.com/technology-mainmenu-35/1456-bricsys-introduces-sketchup-like-shape-for-aec-conceptual-design
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: MSTG007 on November 22, 2017, 08:42:51 AM
That's pretty cool for clean 3D type graphics...
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: DanB on November 22, 2017, 09:43:17 AM
That looks great, thanks for sharing cadtag. Not sure when the project is going to kick in (at early proposal stages now) - might be a good option there.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: dgorsman on November 22, 2017, 10:13:49 AM
Could be useful.  Does anyone know if that "free" is for personal use only, or does that include commercial use as well?  Or is it "free", as in included with a BricsCAD product license?
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: nobody on November 23, 2017, 01:59:57 AM
someone might have posted already but this is probably the most popular one in AEC:

https://www.sketchup.com/
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: MSTG007 on November 23, 2017, 09:57:12 AM
Hey what is typically your deliverables from Photoshop? Is it just a PDF? We stick with CAD. Easy for us to update concepts and recolor.
Title: Re: Presentation drawings/exhibits
Post by: nobody on November 25, 2017, 09:19:24 PM
Hey what is typically your deliverables from Photoshop? Is it just a PDF? We stick with CAD. Easy for us to update concepts and recolor.

Used for masterplans, site plans, etc.  Generally just a PDF they can print to pin up in their offices to track sales, help with sales, etc. Used it for higher end projects; tract home stuff I've never gone beyond cad itself.  Anything more than a hatch clients think they are getting ripped off for some engineer to color crap XD