3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

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Peter_D
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3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by Peter_D »

I have the construction plans of a house with 12 apartments and I would like to create a 3D model from them. In particular, the water and sewage pipes are to be drawn in here later.
The plans (jpg) are of poor quality and have to be drawn again. After importing the jpg-plans can be used as a template.
I have some experience in LibreCAD, Blender and now also in FreeCAD.

My question: What is the best way to achieve the goal mentioned above?

  • Import the construction plans to FreeCAD-BIM to create the drawings?
  • Should I better use Draft, TechDraw or Arch? Unfortunately, I do not have an overview yet to select the most suitable workbench.
  • Since FreeCAD is better able to work with few objects, it would probably be best to draw the small objects in LibreCAD and integrate them as 2D in FreeCAD.
I would be very grateful for any advice in this regard.

Many greetings
Peter
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bitacovir
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by bitacovir »

Peter_D wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 11:30 am My question: What is the best way to achieve the goal mentioned above?

  • Import the construction plans to FreeCAD-BIM to create the drawings?
  • Should I better use Draft, TechDraw or Arch? Unfortunately, I do not have an overview yet to select the most suitable workbench.
  • Since FreeCAD is better able to work with few objects, it would probably be best to draw the small objects in LibreCAD and integrate them as 2D in FreeCAD.
Welcome.
My recomendations:
Don't worry about BIM workbench, yet. Arch WB has all the modelling tools that you need. BIM WB is almost the same with additional management features for BIM industry workflows. But if you want, you can install it with Addon Manager. There is not conflict.
You can use the scanned drawings as reference if you want. The Image WB can help you to import the jpgs files.
There is a videotutorial done by Yorik about Arch WB. You can follow it to get and idea about Arch workflow https://www.youtube.com/user/yorikvanhavre/videos
Also, you can ask for help in the Draft- Arch BIM subforum.
::bitacovir::
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vocx
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by vocx »

Peter_D wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 11:30 am
  • Import the construction plans to FreeCAD-BIM to create the drawings?
  • Should I better use Draft, TechDraw or Arch? Unfortunately, I do not have an overview yet to select the most suitable workbench.
  • Since FreeCAD is better able to work with few objects, it would probably be best to draw the small objects in LibreCAD and integrate them as 2D in FreeCAD.
You don't need to import the drawings, you can just have them open and look at them.

Arch Workbench imports the tools of the Draft Workbench. So by using Arch you are also using Draft underneath.

What do yo mean able to work with few objects? FreeCAD can work with thousands of objects. Maybe try it first before thinking about adding objects from elsewhere. But it's up to you. You haven't mentioned what these 2D objects are.
Always add the important information to your posts if you need help. Also see Tutorials and Video tutorials.
To support the documentation effort, and code development, your donation is appreciated: liberapay.com/FreeCAD.
Peter_D
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by Peter_D »

Thank you both for your kind replies.

I had already installed BIM and recognized that Yorik uses BIM far more than Arch. But obviously one can change between the two workbenches without problems, so I take Arch for the beginning.
bitacovir wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 2:13 pm Also, you can ask for help in the Draft- Arch BIM subforum.
So, not only developers can post there?
vocx wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 5:59 pm You don't need to import the drawings, you can just have them open and look at them.
I imported the plan of one floor in "Image" as png with transparent background and I am redrawing (tracing) the plan in "Arch".
vocx wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 5:59 pm What do yo mean able to work with few objects?
Please hear this Yorik-Video from 0-38 sec:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9K9YJxroc4

I understand, that these many little objects are sanitary objects and furniture, e.g. and that FreeCAD it is more practical to work with few objects only. So I think it would be better to draw these little objects in LibreCAD and import them as one image per floor.
Last edited by Peter_D on Sat May 23, 2020 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bitacovir
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by bitacovir »

Peter_D wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 12:37 am I understand, that these many little objects are sanitary objects and furniture, e.g. and that FreeCAD it is more practical to work with few objects only. So I think it would be better to draw these little objects in LibreCAD and import them as one image per floor.
Yorik means little pieces of lines from a DXF file, that are interpreted as individual objects in FreeCAD. That happens with DXF file import. If your DXF is too saturated with lines, dots, hashes, etc. follow the recommendation of the Yorik's tutorial.
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by vocx »

Peter_D wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 12:37 am Thank you both for kind replies.

I had already installed BIM and recognized that Yorik uses BIM far more than Arch...
Yorik uses BIM because he's the developer of it, so somebody has to use it. He is also constantly testing it, and improving it in that way. But for a beginner, somebody who isn't a professional architect, maybe using BIM is going to be a bit complex to start. So, that's why starting with Arch is better. Eventually, new things developed in BIM could be migrated to Arch.
Always add the important information to your posts if you need help. Also see Tutorials and Video tutorials.
To support the documentation effort, and code development, your donation is appreciated: liberapay.com/FreeCAD.
Peter_D
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by Peter_D »

bitacovir wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 1:06 am Yorik means little pieces of lines from a DXF file, that are interpreted as individual objects in FreeCAD.
The same would be true, if I would import these objects (sanitary, furniture) which I have already drawn/used in LibreCAD. So the import of one image per floor would cost the lessest resources. Drawing these objects in 2D in FreeCAD will probably also be possible. In 3D it will probably cost too many resources, considering that the house is made up of twelve apartments.

Right now, my priority is drawing the walls. Here it shows that it is very tedious to draw them without snapping to the grid. My grid currently has a resolution of 10 cm and has the size of 30 m x 30 m. Unfortunately, the plan uses dimensions accurate to 0.5 cm.

Would it make sense to create a grid with a distance of 0.5 cm between the grid lines?
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Re: 3D House from Images (Plans): Best Strategy?

Post by bitacovir »

Peter_D wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 9:28 am

Would it make sense to create a grid with a distance of 0.5 cm between the grid lines?
If you feel comfortable following the grid, just try it.
::bitacovir::
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One must be absolutely modern.
Arthur Rimbaud (A Season in Hell -1873)

Canal Youtube Grupo Telegram de FreeCAD Español

My personal web site
My GitHub repository
Mini Airflow Tunnel Project
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