The beauty of simplicity:

AutoCAD® renderings in seven steps

Leonardo Casado, Associate AIA – Autodesk, Inc.

AU118-1L Whether you are an experienced AutoCAD user, or just recently learned to use
basic 3D modeling tools, when the time comes to present your architectural
designs, the workflow for creating renderings can be daunting.

AutoCAD has very powerful visualization tools, and understanding how to use
them systematically can help streamline your visualization workflow and create
beautiful renderings very quickly.

This lab session will discuss seven steps you can implement to transform your
model from a basic 3D construction into a final high-end rendering and cover
concepts such as modeling details, illumination, material creation, and
composition. Join us to learn how easy it can be to utilize the visualization tools
that are already at your fingertips!

About the Speaker:

Leonardo Casado is an architect with more than 12 years of Autodesk software experience. He is
the Product Support Manager for AutoCAD and other platform products in the Americas. Before
joining Autodesk, Leonardo worked as an architectural designer and CAD manager in the US and
Latin America. He also teaches several CAD classes at the Boston Architectural College.
info@leonardocasado.com
 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Introduction
Rendering in a 3D program is about transforming a 3D model into a static,
polished, 2D image. AutoCAD offers visualization functionality that can produce
very realistic renderings. These tools are often overlooked by the average user,
but with a little practice, can be quite powerful and easy to implement in a few
simple steps.

Basic 3D project geometry before

applying textures, illumination or
setting perspective views

In AutoCAD, the 3D modeling process is important for geometrical accuracy, but

to capture the essence of architectural projects, it is also important to select
proper textures and appropriate illumination.

Architectural project In this lab, we will review seven exercises that cover the basics of rendering a
rendered in AutoCAD 3D model and save the resulting image in AutoCAD using a sample
architectural project.

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

AutoCAD 2010
http://www.autocad.com
Resources
Architecture and Design Visualization
Webcast Series
http://www.autodesk.com/aec-architecture-
webcasts
Design visualization webcasts for
AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture and Revit
Architecture users

System Requirements
Intel Pentium 4, 1.6 GHz, or
equivalent AMD Athlon processor
VisMasters
Microsoft Windows Vista or http://www.vismasters.com
Ultimate; Windows XP
2 GB RAM
Architectural visualization community with
galleries, tutorials and resources for 3D
modeling and rendering artists

ArchVision
http://www.archivision.com
Maker of RPC (Rich Photorealistic Content) and
source for multiple 3D models and images of
people, trees, cars, etc.

Bionatics
http://www.bionatics.com
Maker of EASYnat and provider of
AutoCAD plug-in and content for
multiple species of plants

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Setting up the Stage for 3D Work

In this lab we will be working with a 3D model of a single-family house that was
created using regular AutoCAD solids.

The 2D elevations and floor plans used as a reference for creating the model
are inserted as 2D blocks in Layer 0. Note that the 2D blocks are aligned with its
correspondent elevation, which is good practice to validate consistency between
opposing elevations. This can also be done with external references from the
original 2D drawings, to allow for designers to modify the 2D drawings while the
3D model is being constructed.

2D Drafting Worspace 3D View with visible section box to reduce geometry

The default user interface for AutoCAD mostly consists of 2D drafting

commands. To enable 3D modeling and visualization commands, you can
switch the current workspace to the 3D Modeling workspace.

Changing the Workspace 
1. Open AutoCAD 2010
2. Switch Workspace to 3D Modeling

3. Open nantucket_house.dwg drawing (file found at: C:\Dataset\AU118-1L)

4. Right click the Ribbon and check Panels > Layers to turn on the Layers
panel
5. On the Home > View panel, select SW Isometric
6. Change the Visual Style to Conceptual

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Step 1 – Geometry
Most architectural 3D models drawn in AutoCAD contain the main building
components, but exclude geometry that represents the ground. This ground
plane is crucial for renderings, since it provides a horizon line in perspective
views and is also a place for shadows to be cast. The horizon and shadows are
an essential part of renderings as they suggest a three-dimensional volume and
define its silhouette.

The mesh box object provides enough flexibility to create a quick ground plane
that represents the contours of the site. The default settings will generate a flat
box, but by adjusting the elevation of the perimeter edges, it is easy to simulate
slopes.

The Mesh Modeling panel from

the 3D Modeling workspace

Mesh object used for ground plane

Exercise 1: Modeling the Ground Plan 
1. Zoom to the extents of the drawing
2. Change the Visual Style to 2D Wireframe
3. On the Mesh Modeling > Primitives panel, click Mesh Box
4. Draw a mesh box the size of the exiting rectangle and specify a negative
value for height
5. Hold the CTRL key and select the mesh box edges to adjust their height

6. Select the mesh box, right click and select Convert Mesh to > Smooth
Surface

7. Change the Visual Style to Conceptual

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Rule of thirds
Great renderings require more than
accurately linked models and
cameras that are properly placed.
With computer-generated
renderings, you are communicating
design ideas to your client, and
proper composition can help create
a balanced and interesting image
The rule of thirds in visual arts,
primarily in photography, states
that any rectangular image should
be divided in equally spaced thirds,
horizontally and vertically. The grid
lines resulting from these divisions
should be used to align the most
significant features of the image
This technique permits images that
are more balanced and
aesthetically pleasing
Photo composition using
rule of thirds
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The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps
Step 2 – Cameras
A good understanding of composition principles will allow you to generate a
variety of different and compelling images from the same 3D model. When you
place or move a camera, it is important to look at all the possible angles that
may capture different and important details of the building model. As you move
the camera or model, different elements will come to view and the illumination of
the building will adjust.
Cameras in AutoCAD can be saved by selecting the desired angle, and then
saving the view. This allows you to continue to edit the model in different views,
and then return to the saved view to restore a preferred image composition.
Exercise 2: Saving a Camera View 
1. Change the view to an isometric view, and the visual style to Conceptual
2. Turn off Layer 0
3. Right click the ViewCube and select
Perspective
4. Hold the SHIFT key and press the mouse wheel
to rotate the model in 3D
5. Zoom in/out and pan the model to adjust the
camera angle
6. On the Home > View panel, select
View Manager
7. On the View Manager dialog box, click New
8. Enter Street View for View Name and click OK
Once you have saved the view, you can switch to
2D Wireframe visual style and continue to model in
other views such as Top, Left, Isometrics, etc. At
any time you can switch back to the Street View
view to visualize the changes made to the model.
You can also adjust the camera angle by changing
its location directly in the drawing area.
9. Change the view to Top, and the visual style to 2D Wireframe
10. Change the CAMERADISPLAY variable to 1
11. Select the camera object and move its location in Top, Left or Front view
12. Change the view to Street View to update the drawing Model space
 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Step 3 – Visual Styles

The Visual Styles in AutoCAD can be modified to display shadows. It is always
a good idea to create a new visual style instead of modifying existing ones, so
you can always revert to the original settings. Visual styles are stored in the
DWG file and cannot be copied from one drawing to another.

Exercise 3:  Enabling Shadows in a Visual Style 
For full shadows to be displayed,
hardware acceleration must be 1. On the Home > View panel > Visual Styles, select Visual Styles Manager
used, and the option for Full
Shadow Display checked. The
command 3DCONFIG > Manual
Tune opens the dialog box in which
these options can be found

2. On the Visual Styles Manager palette, right-click the Conceptual visual

style and select Copy

3. Right-click and select Paste

4. On the newly created visual style, right-click

and select Edit Name and Description
2D Wireframe Visual Style
5. Change the Name to Shadow and click OK

6. On the Visual Styles Manager palette, under Environment Settings,

change Shadow Display to Full Shadows

7. Change the current visual style to Shadow

Conceptual Visual Style Note that there are no visible changes in the drawing and the shadows are not
visible. The reason for this is that the current illumination in the drawing is set to
Default Illumination instead of a single source of light. Turn on the Sun to
display shadows.

8. Select the Render menu

9. On the Sun & Location panel,

Shadow (Custom) Visual Style click Sun Status to turn on the
Sun

10. On the warning Lighting pop-up,

select Turn off the default
lighting

11. Adjust Date and Timer slidebars

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Step 4 – The Sun

The quality of the illumination used in a 3D scene is crucial to the success of a
rendered image. Without a defined source of light, AutoCAD uses default
illumination to give the illusion of 3D, but with this type of light, renderings result
in flat images.

The easiest way to illuminate the exterior of an architectural 3D model is with

the Sun. AutoCAD uses Mental Ray, which is the same rendering engine used
by more advanced program such as Maya and 3ds Max to accurately simulate
indirect illumination.

Exercise 4:  Enabling the Sun 
1. Change View to Top
2. Render menu > Sun & Location > Set Location
3. Change North Direction (Angle: 75)
4. Click Use Map
5. Select Nearest City (Boston, MA)
The Sky and Background
Illumination option can only be 6. Accept Updated Time Zone
turned on if the view projection is
set to Perspective and photometric After setting up the location and north
lighting is enabled. arrow parameters, the shadow
representation should provide a realistic
To enable photometric lighting,
change the LIGHTINGUNITS simulation of shadows for this project on
variable to 1 or 2 its current site.
The slide bars on the Sun & Location
panels, as well as the Sun Parameters
dialog box can be used to control with
precision the exact time and date before
the scene is rendered.
7. Sun & Location panel > adjust Time and Date slide bars

8. Open the Sun Properties palette for more precise adjustments

9. Switch to Street View view
10. Render

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Step 5 – Materials
Textures allow us to distinguish objects in a 3D model that are made of different
materials, such as gloss paint or unfinished wood. Once applied to the model
geometry and rendered, it gives us a better idea of what the final rendered
object would look like after it is constructed.

In AutoCAD, textures are created by the repetition of a

particular element, which is usually an image captured from a
photo of a real-life material. This image can be used to create
a Material Definition in the Materials palette and then applied
to 3D objects.

The Materials Palette 
A material is defined by a number of properties, and they are
specified in the Materials palette.
In the Materials Editor section of the Materials palette you can
select a type of material and a template to create your new
material. After you set these properties, you can modify new
materials even more by using maps, such as texture or
procedural maps.
The Global material is always available in a new drawing.
This material is applied to all objects by default until the
material is changed on an object. You can use this material
as a base for creating a new material.

Exercise 5:  Creating a New Material 
1. Select the Render menu
2. Under the Materials panel,
open the Materials palette
3. On the Materials palette,
create a New Material and
name it Shingles
4. Under the Template
pulldown, select Wood
Unfinished
The Materials Palette 5. Click the color swatch to change the color
dialog box in AutoCAD
6. On the Maps – Shingles, under Diffuse Map, click Select Image
7. Select white_shingles.jpg and click Open
8. On the Material Scaling & Tiling section, change the Scale Units (Inches),
and enter U Tile and V Tile values (60 and 60) and close the palette

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Material definitions can be directly assigned to objects or assigned By Layer,

this factor should be considered when first starting a 3D model. Assigning
materials by layer offers the advantage of making changes globally to all the
objects that use the same material in the scene. For example, you could quickly
replace shingles with clapboard for the wall objects without redefining the
material, or reassigning materials to individual objects.
9. On the Materials panel, click the Materials pulldown and select Attach by
Layer

10. On the Material Attachment Options dialog box, drag the Shingles
material from the left column to the 3D Walls layer on the right column

11. To display the materials in the scene, change the Visual Style to Realistic
Additional materials parameters can be defined, such as Opacity levels for
glass.
12. On the Materials palette, create a New Material and name it Glass
13. Under the Template pulldown, select Glass - Clear
14. Click the Checkered Underlay button to turn it on
15. Click the color swatch to change the color
16. Change the Opacity level (50)
17. Use the Material Attachment Options dialog box to apply the Glass
material to the layers 3D Door Glass and 3D Window Glass

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Step 6 – Environment
Modeling trees, cars, and people from scratch can be a time-consuming process
and a project in itself. A more practical option is to use plug-ins available for
AutoCAD with content that can be inserted in a drawing and adjusted to meet
the style required for the project.

For this exercise we will use the EASYnat plug in from Bionatics, which offers
species of trees that can produce a very natural appearance using complex
mesh geometry. This plug-in creates a tool palette from which you can insert the
specific trees, adjust their properties based on botanicals parameters, and then
render to obtain a very realistic image.

Exercise 6:  Adding Trees 
1. Change Visual Style to 2D Wireframe
2. Change View to Top
3. EASYnat menu > select English Names

4. EASYnat palette > click Cypress

5. Insert trees in drawing
The EASYnet plug in for AutoCAD
can be downloaded from 6. Change View to Front and move the tree to its final position
http://www.bionatics.com
7. Modify trees properties (Age: 25, Season: Summer, Render Level: Hybrid)
Bionatics is used in this exercise as
an example of a free plug-in that
ships with sample geometry. Many
other plug-ins such as RPC from
http://www.archvision.com, and
basic 3D geometric available on
the AutoCAD Design Center that
can be used to obtain similar
results

8. Switch to Street View view

9. Turn on the Sun, Background Sky and Illumination
10. Render

11

Consider rendering your image to
smaller resolution when it will be
viewed on-screen
Use higher resolution for printed
publications
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The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps
Step 7 – Rendering
File Format Considerations
The most common graphic formats for still images are TIFF and JPEG.
The TIFF format can be uncompressed, retaining the color integrity and
transparency values, and it should be your choice when sending renderings to
printing services or using them with desktop-publishing applications for your
printed presentations.
Options when saving TIFF images
The JPEG format can be compressed, and thus much smaller; however, if much
compression is used, there can be some loss of image quality. The JPEG
format should be your choice when you plan to send renderings via email or
publish them on the web.
Options when saving JPEG images
Image Resolution Considerations
When rendering an image, select the resolution size based on the final product
and the delivery method. If you are sending the image as an email attachment,
think about the screen resolution of your recipients, so the image is not too large
that they need to scroll in their browsers to see it.
If the images will be printed, consider the printing hardware resolution and the
image size. For example, if your image will be printed as a 4x6 postcard at 300
dpi, your image should be rendered at a resolution of 1800 pixels wide by 1200
pixels tall.
 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

Exercise 7:  Render a View 
The rendering process calculates how light interacts with materials and surfaces
of a 3D model, and produces a series of color pixels that result in a raster
image. The more complex the building geometry and material properties – such
as reflections – the longer the rendering process.

AutoCAD
Render window

In AutoCAD, the rendered output is displayed in a separate dialog box by

default. This frame window has controls to save the final image to a file by
specifying a file name, type, and location.

Before we import a DWG file, we need to change our user interface to use the
tools that are specific to Design Visualization. The DesignVIZ.mentalray setting
is appropriate for photorealistic render of architectural models. To change the
user interface to DesignVIZ.mentalray:

1. Select the Render menu

2. On the Render panel, click the Render icon
The first render most likely will lack proper illumination, and some of the colors
will look very bright. To adjust the illumination, it is required to turn on the Sun
and enable Sky and Background Illumination. The resolution of the final
rendered image can also be adjusted for final output.
3. On the Render panel, click the Render pulldown
4. Click the 640 x 480 pulldown and select Specify Image Size

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 The beauty of simplicity:
AutoCAD® renderings
in seven steps

5. Enter 800 x 600 and click OK

6. On the Render panel, click the Render icon
7. On the Render dialog box, select File > Save
8. Enter a file name and select the file format under Files of Type
9. Click Save

Final Image

 
 

Architectural project designed by CWA Architect. EASYNat is a product from Bionatics

Conclusion
AutoCAD offers advanced rendering tools that can make a significant difference
in your architectural visualization projects. Follow the seven steps of Geometry,
Cameras, Visual Styles, Sun, Materials, Environment and Rendering, and
you will be able to create high-end images that will impress your clients!

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