Author Topic: shadows in autocad  (Read 21102 times)

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chrisdarmanin

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shadows in autocad
« on: September 18, 2011, 03:37:01 AM »
posted this in cadtutor also but here goes :)

is there a way to show shadowing just like in sketchup? i.e. not through a render but directly in the model and i can adjust the date and time and the model updates instantaneously 

just like its show here at 1:40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLK1zuxR9KY

currently i'm using sketchup more than autocad for this reason only and it creates problems especially when transmitting a drawing since autocad is the standard here in malta

also if it exists in later versions pls explain how it is done :)

thanks a million!!

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2011, 07:41:22 PM »
Not in autocad.
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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2011, 08:21:14 PM »
My preferred method:

Lightingunits: 1 (or 2, I believe)
Perspective: 1/ON (so you can use sun lighting, I think.  Might work in Parallel, but eh.. parallel projection looks silly in pictures)

Then go to SunProperties

Turn on the Sun
Turn on Sky and Background Illumination

Now turn on a Visual Style that has Shadows set to FULL.  You can start with the default REALISTIC and just turn shadows to "FULL" for that, if need be.

Play around with the SUNPROPERTIES to change the time.

Unfortunately there's nothing I know of for automating a sunlight study.  You'd have to do that painstaking part manually.

chrisdarmanin

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2011, 01:47:17 AM »
the shadow is not showing... am i doing something wrong?

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2011, 09:30:45 AM »
the shadow is not showing... am i doing something wrong?



No, Chris it isn't you.  It's Autocad. 

You are simply NOT going to get shadows WITHOUT using Render command.
Using the instructions as posted above....

See below for more detail of all that was omitted.


Edited for clarity
« Last Edit: September 21, 2011, 11:27:37 PM by Higgs Boson's Mate »
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chrisdarmanin

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2011, 05:10:51 PM »
i see... thanks

i thought that since i missed a couple of upgrades since 2009 they now might have included it....

oh well one of the things we should ask at the AUGI poll thingie whaterver it is000 :lol: :lol:

dgorsman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2011, 05:36:40 PM »
Basic AutoCAD is showing enough bloat.  I'd prefer that it not be turned into some Frankenstein'd pretender render, but rather the option is sold separately.
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.

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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2011, 11:57:51 PM »
No worries with the upgraded versions.  I was actually testing my settings in 2009 as well.

Do you have anything for the shadows to be cast UPON?

Unless you have a solid or surface set as the "ground" or at least a lower object, then there is nothing for the shadow to appear on.  Autocad won't draw the shadows on the imaginary z=0, XY plane like some software packages do.

See attached screenshot.  Notice Lightingunits setting at command line, shadows setting in the realistic visual style, and the sun and sky settings to the left.

Other than quickly putting in the base box and the cylinder, the above settings were -all- I changed after opening Autocad with the default acad.dwt template from the default install.  There -shouldn't- be any other saved settings, but sometimes I forget.  Those really oughta be the only things necessary to display such things.

ETA:  I just thought to check 3dconfig for any functions disabled due to graphics card compatibility.  Let me SS my gfx card settings and post again.

ETA 2:  Also notice the DATE and TIME properties for the Sun Settings.  This is where you can mess with all that fun stuff for a mock sun study, after picking your relative location on the globe.  There is no convenient, real-time slider like the video you posted has, but you can quick-enough pick various times of day.  In fact, I just tried it out, and so long as you keep focus on the drop-down box, you can use the up/down arrows to adjust the time of day quite quickly.  This works on DATE as well, but you can't adjust both simultaneously... though I don't know why you'd want to, that'd get confusing.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2011, 12:18:20 AM by JNieman »

JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2011, 12:02:13 AM »
As I expected... there are also additional factors/variables to the situation.

Type "3DCONFIG" to bring up the dialog in the middle, in my screenshot. Hit "Manual Tune" to bring up the dialog to the right.

Ensure shadow display is enabled.

JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2011, 12:06:13 AM »
Basic AutoCAD is showing enough bloat.  I'd prefer that it not be turned into some Frankenstein'd pretender render, but rather the option is sold separately.
Then don't turn on shadows.  This is nothing terribly new.  It's been in there since at least 2007 when the incorporated all the new fangled visualization GUI and rendering stuff they jacked from 3dsmax (guess).

Honestly, if you're doing 3D, you should be running hardware good enough to handle the loading of decent sized models, and rendering them, assuming that's also in the scope of your work.  Along with that comes a qualified graphics card that can handle the on screen presentation of your model.  If you have the hardware for that, then basic on-screen visualizations is a drop in the bucket, performance-wise.  Even if it becomes an issue for larger models, that's why there is adaptive degradation settings.

JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2011, 12:13:46 AM »
You are simply NOT going to get shadows WITHOUT using Render command.
Well, maybe you aren't.  I have no problem, however.

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2011, 08:56:34 PM »
You are simply NOT going to get shadows WITHOUT using Render command.
Well, maybe you aren't.  I have no problem, however.
yes, however those commands ARE a subset of the Render Panel of the Ribbon, Right?
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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2011, 09:53:49 PM »
You are simply NOT going to get shadows WITHOUT using Render command.
Well, maybe you aren't.  I have no problem, however.
yes, however those commands ARE a subset of the Render Panel of the Ribbon, Right?
Backtrack moar.

And I have no idea about the Ribbon, I don't use it, and these sysvars and palettes existed long before the Ribbon, and are independent of the render -command-.


mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2011, 11:24:06 PM »
In 2012 those commands are part of the ribbon panel.
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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2011, 12:00:49 AM »
In 2012 those commands are part of the ribbon panel.
I think it's time you go back to the Land Lubber section :P

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2011, 12:42:19 AM »
In 2012 those commands are part of the ribbon panel.
I think it's time you go back to the Land Lubber section :P
I think it's time you go back to the solid works section
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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2011, 11:17:23 AM »
In 2012 those commands are part of the ribbon panel.
I think it's time you go back to the Land Lubber section :P
I think it's time you go back to the solid works section
Did you lie to some other users about functions there too? ;)

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #17 on: September 22, 2011, 12:12:52 PM »
It's one thing to just be rude, it's quite another to impugn my character.

Lying to a user is something I would never engage in.

What do you want a gold star because you gave answer that was more correct than mine on a single topic.

Consider this that gold star.  Now go throw yourself a party Josh and move on.


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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2011, 05:41:21 PM »
So delicious. :D

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2011, 05:57:36 PM »
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Michael Farrell
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JNieman

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #20 on: September 22, 2011, 09:31:17 PM »
Want me to show you how that full moon can cast and display shadows without using the 'render' command? ;)

mjfarrell

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Re: shadows in autocad
« Reply #21 on: September 22, 2011, 11:14:31 PM »
Nope, I've seen enough to know what one looks like.

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