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Is there a way to upload a 2D drawing and turn it into a beautifully rendered 3D floor plan to effectively convey your ideas while allowing clients to visualize the completed project? The answer is yes, the famous Autodesk 3Ds Max software from Autodesk will help you do just that.
Latest Autodesk 3Ds Max download link:
How to Create 3D House Plans with Autodesk 3Ds Max
1. What benefits does Autodesk 3Ds Max offer?
- 3Ds Max provides a rich set of tools for editing and creating effects and 3D models by creating chains to remember stored values for processes and settings.
- 3Ds Max offers a preview of renders and ActiveShade tools to modify materials, objects, lighting..., while working interactively from the panel.
2. Importing 2D Floor Plans into 3Ds Max
An AutoCAD drawing can be imported into 3Ds Max with various units such as inch, feet, millimeter, centimeter... You choose a unit depending on the unit settings in your AutoCAD drawing.
- Open 3Ds Max.
- Choose the unit from the customize menu.
- In the Unit Setup dialog, select Feet w/Fractional Inches under US Standard and leave all other values at default.
- From the menu, select Import.
- Browse and select your file. Click Open.
- Click OK for default settings.
- Switch to the Group tab to set x, y, and z coordinates to 0.
- Right-click and choose Freeze selection.
In the Dialog box, select Inches because the AutoCAD drawing relies on Feet and Inches units. Therefore, if your drawing uses meters, first change the unit settings to the metric system and then select meters in the Import options.
3. Designing the 3D site plan model
* Constructing walls
To model the walls, the approach of using Spline modeling is employed. Before beginning, consider the position and angle of the camera in use. In the example below, focus is placed on the exit area. Hence, the front wall step measures 4 feet in height, while the rear wall exceeds at 8 feet.
- Press the T key to switch to top-down view.
- Press S to enable Snap 2.5 mode.
- Right-click on Snap Toggle and select Vertex from the Grid and Snap Settings dialog.
- Draw walls using the Line Tool from the top projection with dimensions of 4 feet or 8 feet.
The Snap Toggle tool is powerful for architectural drawing as the Vertex mode aids in accurately measuring lines. To create door thresholds and beam bottoms for windows, you utilize the same method.
* Floor
For the flooring, options include concrete for the patio, tiles for the bathroom, carpet for the master bedroom, and hardwood or other flooring types for the living area. When laying the floor, employ the same technique as above and set the thickness to 20mm.
* Entrances and Windows
Depending on individual client requirements, various sizes of windows and entrances are utilized.
Several door types are used in this blueprint:
- Bedroom entrance - 7ft tall, 2ft 8in wide, 50mm thick.
- Apartment entrance - 7ft tall, 3ft wide, 50mm thick.
- Toilet entrance - 7ft tall, 2ft 6in wide, 50mm thick.
- Dining room entrance - 7ft tall, 2ft wide, 50mm thick.
- Double window - 6ft tall, 2ft 6in wide, 50mm thick.
- Hinged window - 4ft 6in tall, 3ft 3in wide, 50mm thick.
Arrange all furniture such as beds, dining tables, sofas, TV cabinets, and various other furniture items in the house to make it more lively.
4. Creating structures for objects in the design
Texture plays a significant role in the overall design as it helps make the design more realistic and appealing. You should use comfortable materials and colors rather than overly contrasting or dull ones.
In this project, Vray materials are utilized. Click on the Material Editor tab from the toolbar or use the shortcut M, select Material > Standard > Vray Mtl from the Material/Map Browser.
Standard materials will be converted to Vray materials. Click on the small box next to Diffuse and choose Bitmap. In the dialog that appears, select the Bitmap you want to apply to the object.
5. Setting up V-Ray Physical Camera parameters in 3Ds Max
Changes in focal length, white balance, F number, shutter speed, and ISO values can impact your lighting and render at a higher level. So, delve into these details to understand what they are and why they affect the final outcome.
- Focal Length: Focal length is set in millimeters and works similar to changing lenses on a DSLR camera. The lower the value you input, the wider angle you get, and the higher the value you input, the narrower angle you get.
- F Number: Lens aperture is commonly specified as the F number. Lower values allow more light and increase the depth of field effect, while higher values reduce light with less depth of field effect.
6. Setting up Vray lighting for 3D architectural rendering
Vray lighting enhances the value of your project after completing the texture creation phase. This project utilizes two types of lighting: Vray Dome Light and Vray Sun.
Vray Dome Light assists in creating overall illumination. It fills in all the dark areas where light cannot reach. It functions as a skylight and makes your renderings appear brighter and softer.
To set up a Vray Dome Light, navigate to the Lights > Vray > Vray Light From Object Type tab, choose the light type, and click on Viewport.
Although the Vray Dome Light brightens the scene, it lacks shadow effects. A render without shadows appears very dull. You should incorporate interesting shadow effects to bring the design to life.
Experiment with Vray Sun using various angles and heights to achieve the desired outcome.
7. Configuring Vray Render in 3Ds Max
In Vray, the most magical aspect lies in getting the settings right. You can alter the overall look of the scene with the help of these settings. There are several preset configurations you can apply to achieve the best rendering results. Experimenting with different settings allows you to fine-tune or create a specific look for your project.
Finally, you can take your project into Adobe Photoshop to adjust contrast, color tones, brightness, and other aspects to perfect your project.
Additionally, you can refer to the Top Home Floor Plan Drawing Software here to choose the most effective technical drawing tool for yourself.
