CHAPTER 1

Understanding Architectural Drawings

THE FOUNDATION OF ANY 3 D visualization is the linework found in its architectural drawings . Just like a
contractor needs drawings to erect a building , a 3 D artist needs drawings to create a visualization .
Understanding a set of architectural drawings is critical to efficient and accurate work in 3 ds Max , and
without knowing exactly how drawings are put together and what each component of a draw i ng
indicates , a 3 D artist is likely to spend a great deal of time trying to make sense of the madness that can
be a set of architectural drawings .
Today, nearly all building projects utilize CAD to create architectural drawings , and
more
specifically, AutoCAD. However, many visualization projects begin long before the final construction
drawings are generated . Construction drawings are the final set of drawings submitted to a city or
county building department and supplied to contractors that intend to bid on the project . These
’ f i n al ’ drawings often lead to addendums and on -site adjustments , but construction drawings will
always have a certain acceptable level of quality and engineering . The same cannot be said for the
drawings that those of us in the 3 D world are often forced to work with . Since our work often begins
at the design development stage or before final construction drawings are generated , we often
f ace the challenge of working with incomplete drawings containing numerous errors or conflicting
data . Whatever the case maybe, architectural drawings can be a difficult thing for many 3 ds Max
users to grasp , especially for those that haven ’t had the benefit of working as an architect , engi -
neer, or draftsman .
I d ecided to make the first few chapters in this book a discussion on architectural drawings and
AutoCAD because many intermediate level users in 3 ds Max do not have a solid background in
architecture or even a fundamental level of knowledge on AutoCAD, yet both of these areas are so
critical to our work . Not being able to create a roof plan , interpret a door schedule, or how to recog -
nize the difference between a block and an xref in AutoCAD are just a few examples
of the countless difficulties many talented 3 ds Max users face when working in the visualization
industry. Many students find learning 3 ds Max quite simple compared to the difficulties of learning the
funda -
mentals of architecture, and of course, many talented 3 ds Max users from other industries have
migrated to the visualization industry in recent years . There is very little documentation to guide
users in their progression and so these chapters are an attempt to help 3 ds Max users understand

1
1- 2 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

the very important stage of working with architectural drawings . As mentioned in the introduction of
this book , much of what is discussed about the architectural industry in this book can be applied to
the building industry as a whole, including other sectors such as civil engineering , structural
engineering , and landscape architecture .

The Architectural Design Process

Architectural drawings undergo a long and often tumultuous journey before landing in the hands of a
contractor who wants to bid on the project . While no two projects follow identical paths during this
journey, there are common phases that most projects go through as well as common road blocks
and obstacles that most projects will encounter. This section aims to illustrate the evolution of
architectural drawings from the time a project is conceived up to the point where the drawings are
government approved and ready for use.
All projects start with an owner who approaches an architectural firm with a concept in mind .
The architect ’s primary job is to take the owner ’s concept and design a structure with all the appro
priate engineering in place to satisfy local , state, and federal guidelines . When a design is complete,
architects then submit a set of construction drawings to local building departments for review and
approval . Figure 1 - 1 shows an example of a complete set of construction drawings for a commercial
building . Once approved and once a contractor has been selected , the project can proceed with
construction under the careful watch of the architect who makes sure that the construction con f
orms to the guidelines specified in the architectural drawings . That is , in a nutshell , the process of
architectural design . Needless to say, the actual process involves a little more work , and the follow i ng
sections briefly illustrate some of the most important details of this process . By knowing the basics
of the architectural design process , you will be much better prepared for the 3 D design process
and many of the obstacles and pitfalls that can hamper your workflow.

Figure 1 - 1 . An example of a set of construction drawings

 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 3

When a 3 D artist receives a project from an architect or an owner, it is absolutely critical for
the artist to know exactly what phase an architectural project is in . Without knowing the phase, the
artist has little chance of knowing just how likely a design is to change . Clients often leave out this
very important piece of information , and when asked directly, some clients may not always provide
a complete answer. If you at least know what phase a project is in , and understand what each phase
entails , then you at least have a good understanding of how likely you are to see changes coming . If
you don ’t iron out the specifics of how changes will be billed in your contract , then it ’s only a matter
of time before you run into a difficult situation . Fortunately, the sample contract provided with this
book provides the necessary protection against project changes . Feel free to adopt the wording in
this contract as your own .
According to AIA , the American Institute of Architects , there are five major phases of the archi
tectural design process . They are as follows :

• Schematic Design (SD )

• Design Development (DD )
• Construction Drawings or Construction Documents (CD )
• Bidding and Contract Negotiation (BID )
• Construction Administration (CA )

Schematic Design
The first phase of architectural design is the Schematic Design phase, or SD for short . The primary
objective of this phase is to develop a clearly defined , feasible concept and to present it in a form that
the client can understand and accept . Secondary objectives include clarification of the pro j ect ’s
program , exploration of alternative designs , and estimations of construction costs .
During this phase, an architect works closely with the client to determine the
appropriate program , or set of needs that a building must fulfill . The program includes the project ’s
functions , goals , design expectations , budget , and site requirements ( such as building code,
zoning , and accessibility issues ) . Preliminary construction costs are also estimated during this phase
so that the client can know as early as possible if the project is feasible from a financial standpoint .
I n the first part of the SD phase, the architect researches the project to determine what its cur rent
problems are and what kind of problems might develop in the future. Once a program has been
established through this research , the architect ’s focus shifts from figuring out what the problems are
to how the problems can be solved . In the course of solving a project ’s problems and fulfilling a project
’s need , a more practical schematic design is born . Architects often provide multiple ver sions of a
design that reflect different options that the client may or may not be willing to pay for, based on
preliminary cost estimates . Minor details are ignored in the SD phase, and instead , the architect
focuses on the overall big picture, making sure that no major problems exist in the pro j ect ’s design
before continuing with work in the next phase .
During SD, architects usually provide their clients with concept sketches , either by hand or
CAD, as well as feasibility studies based on site and building code restrictions . It is quite rare for an
architect or owner to request 3 D work at this early in the architectural design process , simply
because the architect can very quickly hand -draw low detail 3 D perspective renderings that would
satisfy the clients need for visual representation . Even if architects sub 3 D work out to an outside
source and 3 D work is desired during the SD phase, many architects can still produce this type of l
ow quality mass modeling 3 D work in house at this point .
I n recent years , city and county officials throughout the U .S . (and I presume other countries )
have placed a greater emphasis on the need for architects to provide more accurate illustrations of
1- 4 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

their designs as early as possible, so that officials can provide the architects with
preliminary
approval or denial of a design and prevent unnecessary work on a project that has no hope of being
approved in its current design . These preliminary illustrations usually include such details as land -
scaping because of its impact on the overall look of a project . Regardless , few 3 D firms are utilized
i n the SD phase for the reasons just mentioned . If approached by an architectural firm , 3 D artists
must understand exactly what the client wants and be careful not to waste time on details that the
client does not need .
The typical documentation developed by the end of the SD phase include :

• A site plan
• All floor plans
• All exterior elevations
• Building sections of critical areas
• Landscape plans
• Preliminary construction cost estimate
• Hand or CAD renderings

The final step in the SD phase, or any phase for that matter, is to obtain formal client approval of
the provided documents . Once an architect receives approval , the next phase of the design
process can begin .
I f a c l i e nt approaches you with a request for 3 D services on a project in the schematic design
phase, you should make absolutely certain that both of you come to a clear understanding about the
level of detail to be provided and the cost of making 3 D changes during later phases .

Design Development
The second phase of the architectural design process is Design De-3855velopment , o r DD for short . During
this phase, the design is refined into a clear, coordinated set of drawings covering all aspects of the
design . This set of drawings typically includes fully developed floor plans , exterior elevations , build -
i ng sections , and a fully developed site plan . For critical areas of a project , architects may choose to
develop interior elevations , reflected ceiling plans , roof plans , wall sections , and details .
These
drawings may or may not include dimensions and notes , and even when they do, they typically see
a great detail of refinement until the point at which the drawings are submitted to the
building
department for approval . The drawings produced during DD become the basis for the construction
drawings submitted for government approval .
I n the SD phase, most of the work is performed by the architect (s ) because almost all of the
work is design oriented and above the normal qualifications of a draftsman . During the DD phase,
however, the work is fairly evenly split between the architect (s ) and draftsman . At the beginning of
the DD phase, an architect will create what ’s known as a cartoon set of drawings , which is usually
nothing more than a set of hand -drawn letter size sheets of paper with a tentative layout of the full
working set of construction drawings , as shown in Figure 1 - 2 . Once that cartoon set is created , the
drafter will spend a great deal of time setting up the DD drawings per the cartoon set and adding all
of the generic information required , such as dimensions , scales , sheet titles , and building /wall sec -
ti on callouts .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 5

Figure 1 - 2 . An example of a cartoon set drawing

I n the SD phase, architects do not always utilize the services of engineers because at such an
early stage in the design , an architect is usually more than capable of determining the feasibility of the
overall design . For example, if the design calls for a 1 0 0 -foot roof span without any supporting
columns in place, the architect may not know what the ideal beams to use are, but would know
enough to know that a sufficient and affordable type of beam can be utilized to allow for the design to
progress . Once the DD phase begins , numerous engineers are usually needed for all but the
smallest and simplest of projects . Even though architects are experts in the design of buildings ,
with the exception of these simplistic projects , they are usually not legally permitted to sign and
seal a set of architectural drawings without the subsequent signature and seal of the appropriate
subcontractors . These subcontractors usually include civil , structural , mechanical , plumbing , elec tri cal
engineers , as well as landscape architects . Depending on the type of project being built and i t s l
ocation , a project may require a certified approval from one or more of these subcontractors . When
architects or engineers certify a set of drawings , they stamp or press their seal into each drawing
and sign on top of that seal , as shown in Figure 1 - 3 .
1- 6 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 3 . An example of a ‘signed and sealed ’ drawing

During the DD phase, architects usually provide these subcontractors with CAD files in their
most up -to -date form , and then based on these CAD drawings , the various subcontractors develop an
accurate design for their specific areas of responsibility and provide the architect with enough
guidance to proceed with construction drawings . Before developing construction drawings , the
architect must ensure that no major design flaws or issues exist that could lead to a redesign .
For many architectural firms , the typical documentation developed by the end of the DD phase can
appear very similar to the final construction drawings , although the DD drawings will typically not
contain as many details , dimensions , and notes . Unlike the SD drawings , the DD drawings will also
include initial material and color selections , selections for engineering systems (such as sprin kler
systems ) , and preliminary engineering drawings with all the information the architect needs to move
into the construction drawings phase. For example, structural engineers will include on their version of
the floor plans , the sizes of all beams needed to support the floors or ceiling above . With out this
information , the architect can not finalize the sizing of the wall components surrounding the beams or
the space between walls containing those beams .
Just like in the previous phase, the final step in the DD phase is to obtain formal client approval of
the provided documents . Once an architect receives approval , the next phase of the design
process can begin .
Beginning a 3 D project in the design development stage can be quite risky - even more so
than in the schematic design phase. In the SD phase, there ’s usually no doubt on anyone ’s behalf that
the project is going to undergo numerous and major design changes and that continuing 3 D work
into future phases can easily require starting over from scratch . In the DD phase, however, there is
usually sufficient detail provided to allow for a complete visualization , and clients often don
’t understand how even small changes in a building or site design can lead to
enormous amounts of work , or in many cases , starting over from scratch . Furthermore, the number of
hours needed to achieve the level of detail shown in the DD drawings is always going to be far
greater,
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 7

which means that starting over from scratch will require far more work . If a client approaches you with
a request for 3 D services on a project in the design development phase, you should make
absolutely certain that the client knows the costs and implications of making changes to the 3 D
visualization which are certain to come in the design development or construction drawings phase .
Depending on what the visualization is to be used for, the client may elect to use the visualization
provided in the DD phase, rather than paying for changes made in the construction drawings phase. I f
t h e vi sualization is to be used for marketing purposes , then a DD visualization will often suffice .
However, if the client needs to present the final building design to the city or county for its approval , the
visualization will usually need to be a highly accurate reflection of the final design .

Construction Drawings
The third phase of the architectural design process is the Construction Drawings phase, or CD for
short . This phase is often referred to as the Construction Documents phase, but for the purpose of
this book , I will usually refer to this phase as Construction Drawings . During this phase, additional
design issues emerge and the architectural team works to address these issues . Just like with the
previous two phases , there are numerous reasons why a project may undergo significant design
changes during the construction drawing phase. These can include city or county officials denying
certain aspects of a project ’s design , the realization that the cost of construction was underesti -
mated , a lack of funding for the design as it currently stands , and the client simply deciding that he
doesn ’t like the design any more. It is often this last example that best illustrates how the design
process never really stops but rather continues through construction and the everyday use of the
buildings and facilities developed .
Construction drawings ( CDs ) must include all details required per city, county, and
federal
guidelines . Every aspect of how a project is to be put together must be included in the CDs . These
are the documents to which the architect , owner, and /or government officials will hold the contrac -
tor responsible . Likewise, these are the documents that contractors use to determine construction
cost , so the importance of these documents being accurate can not be underestimated . This does
not mean that changes to designs can not occur after CDs are submitted . If changes are required ,
addendums are simply added to the CDs and those addendums are submitted to the building
department for approval . In most cases , changes at this point are usually quick to fix , even when
the scope of the change is large. For example, even with something as significant as a roof chang -
i ng from concrete tile to shingle, a few small changes to the notes found on the elevations and
sections will usually suffice .
I t i s e xtremely important to remember however, that some design changes that appear at first
to be simple, can in fact take much longer to correct than the example of the roof . In the rush to
meet deadlines , drafters or architects often decide to cut corners and a perfect example of a
change that can take an enormous amount of time to make properly, and one that is often cor -
rected with a quick fix instead , is a change to the length of a wall . If , for whatever reason ,
an
architect or drafter has to change the length of a wall by even a few inches , that change might be
seen on every major drawing to include one or more floor plans , interior and exterior elevations ,
sections , the foundation plan , and so on . The quick fix would be to simply change the dimension on
the floor plan without actually changing the linework that the dimension annotates . For
small
changes in length , this might not be a big deal , especially since contractors are required to build
per the dimensions anyway and other drawings like elevations are supposed to be for reference
only. However, if the change to the length of the wall is a little more substantial , then even an expe -
ri enced 3 D artist is likely to not know that the linework is erroneous and the resulting 3 D models
might be inadequate.
1- 8 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Bidding and Contract Negotiation

The next phase in the architectural design process is Bidding and Contract Negotiation , or BID for short .
When an architect submits a set of construction drawings to the building department , his work is
usually far from over. Although contractors are often pre -selected before a project even begins ,
most construction projects go through a bidding process , whereby the architect will serve as the
manager of the bidding . When contractors are invited to bid on a project , they pick up a set of CDs
and any addendums that may have developed , they study the project closely to determine their
cost of construction , and they place a bid on the project . Sometimes the project owner looks only
f or the lowest bidder, but in many cases being the lowest bidder doesn ’t ensure winning the proj -
ect . If an owner has a preference towards one firm and the bids are close enough , the lowest bidder
might not win the project .

Construction Adminstration
The last phase in the architectural design process is Construction Adminstration , or CA for short .
Between the time CDs are submitted to the building department and the project is fully con -
structed , numerous changes can be made to the design . As an example, many cities and counties
have a certain minimum type of landscaping that must be provided for a project . Landscape archi -
tects will often create landscape drawings that satisfy minimum landscaping code, but
when it
comes time to actually plant that vegetation , the landscape architect may, at the request of the
owner, completely change the landscaping . There are numerous reasons for this , such as the
owner not wanting to decide until the last possible moment how much money he wants to spend ,
how much he can spend , or the owner simply not knowing what he would like to see planted until he
sees the project nearing completion . As a 3 D artist , it is very important to understand how con -
crete a project ’s landscaping drawings are, and what the client wants . Even though landscaping is
usually not the focus of a project , it is nonetheless a critical component of a realistic 3 D scene. The
real landscaping that an architect or owner has in mind or the real landscaping that actually gets
planted on site is often so drastically different from the original landscape drawings , if one creates
a 3 D scene using these original landscape drawings without the client ’s express consent , problems
are bound to arise. Many clients are not experienced enough with 3 D to know to volunteer this type
of information . Therefore, you should always get clarification on such details .
Another example of a change that is often made after CDs are submitted and one that can
greatly affect the progress of a 3 D visualization is the changing of a building ’s colors . Architects or
owners often change their minds at the very last minute after having the opportunity to test real
color samples on a building as it nears completion . Figure 1 - 4 shows a commercial development
nearing completion and a newly developed paint scheme being tested with the benefit of real world
conditions . The paint colors being tested are relatively unorthodox for the location and without the
ability to apply actual paint samples like this , an architect or owner is often unsure about the selec ti on .
By utilizing the services of a 3 D visualization company, clients can often identify poor color schemes
before it ’s too late and so it is because of our work that clients often change design char acteristics like
this at the last minute . During the design development phase of the project shown in Figure 1 - 4 , an
initial color scheme was submitted by the architect and approved by the city planning board , but it was
not until the building was almost completely finished that the architect and owner determined that the
chosen color scheme was not appropriate. As always , you should try to deter mine as early as
possible how much something like a color scheme is likely to change, and you should reflect the
consequences of such changes in the project ’s contract .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 9

Figure 1 - 4 . A paint scheme created after CD submission

One of the biggest responsibilities an architect has for most projects is monitoring
the
progress of a building during its construction , hence the true meaning behind the term Construction
Administration . Throughout the entire construction process , there will always be questions or prob -
l ems that arise which require the architect ’s attention . Besides having to deal with these questions ,
architects are paid to ensure that the project is being built according to the plan . Architects make
site visits to observe the progress and quality of construction and notify the owner when problems
arise .
When a project is complete to the satisfaction of the architect , the architect will issue a certifi cate
of substantial completion Certificate of Substantial Completion and at that point , the architects
responsibility is usually over.

The Anatomy of Architectural Drawings

I f yo u have never worked in an architectural office before or never had formal training in the archi -
tectural field , then a full set of architectural drawings can be quite an intimidating sight . Even for
small projects a full set can easily contain over 1 0 0 individual sheets . For a very large project , sev -
eral hundreds are not unusual . The drawings shown earlier in Figure 1 - 1 were over 1 2 0 sheets in all
and that was for a relatively small building . The image in Figure 1 - 5 shows an example of Specifica -
tions that often accompanies a set of construction drawings . Specifications clarify in words many of
the important details shown in the architectural drawings . As you can see from the image on the
cover, the building is quite small , yet the specifications for this building are over 200 pages
in
l ength .
1- 1 0 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 5 . A typical set of specifications for an architectural project

Receiving this much information to decipher at the beginning of a visualization project can be
extremely difficult . Unfortunately, the flip side isn ’t much better. Receiving too little information usu ally
leads to even more problems . Fortunately, for the majority of what we do, we only need to rely on a
few critical drawings to do our work .
As I mention several times throughout this book , you should never price a job without seeing the
architectural drawings that you will have to work with . At the very least , you should price very
conservatively to account for the numerous different ways that poor drawings and missing informa ti
on can hinder your work . This is discussed more in later chapters . But unlike a contractor who
needs every drawing to know exactly how to put the project together inside and out , a 3 D artist
only needs to focus on the drawings that depict the physical structures that will actually be seen .
This usually means that the drawings most critical to a visualization are as follows :

• Elevations
• Floor plans
• Sections
• Site plans
• Landscape plans
• Roof plans
• Reflected ceiling plans

Of course in a perfect world , you would receive all of these drawings in complete CD form , but as
is often the case, much of this information will either be lacking or incomplete . Notwithstanding the
precautions mentioned earlier about beginning a project before receiving all the necessary
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 1 1

i nf ormation , once the necessary drawings are received and you decide to begin your work , the first
step in the 3 D creation process is the preparation of AutoCAD linework for importation into 3 ds
Max . Obviously many 3 ds Max users choose to model in other programs like Architectural Desktop
and Revit , in which case preparing this linework is not really a necessary step . If you do choose to
model in other programs , I highly recommend to at least explore the benefits of modeling solely in
3 ds Max . Regardless , the first step in the 3 D creation process is preparing the AutoCAD linework .
But before beginning a discussion on this subject , I want to delve into an in -depth discussion on the
various drawing types 3 D users typically work with during a visualization project . The remainder of
this chapter looks closely at how architects and drafters put each of the critical drawings together
so that you can better understand what you ’re looking at when inside one of these drawings and
better understand how to handle the linework . In Chapter 2 , we will explore the basics of AutoCAD
f or those that have little or no experience in the program so that they may become familiar enough
with the program to follow the procedures and techniques outlined in many of the remaining chap -
ters . However, the focus of Chapter 2 is preparing AutoCAD linework for importation in 3 ds Max and
this subject will be covered thoroughly in Chapter 2 as well as many of the tutorials throughout this
book .
Every architecture and engineering firm has their own standards for creating drawings and
working with so many different standards can be difficult and time consuming for even experienced
artists . What ’s more is that even when firms create their own standards , they don ’t always follow
them . If you assume the worse when you receive drawings , then you will probably be more likely to f i
nd any problems and inconsistencies that exist .
Most of what is discussed in the remainder of this chapter deals with problems you might run i
nto when working with architectural drawings and things that you should always be on the lookout f or.
Having spent several years as a drafter in architectural firms , I am aware of the numerous chal l enges
that drafters and architects face when trying to get a set of drawings out the door. These challenges
, if not dealt with properly in the architectural office, tend to migrate over to the desk of the 3 D artist
trying to make sense of what is sometimes an apparent mess of linework . So in the remainder of this
chapter, I will attempt to make understanding architectural drawings a little easier f or the less
experienced 3 ds Max user.

Sheet layout
Before discussing each of the important drawing types , I want to make a quick mention about the
paper architectural drawings are printed on and the way sheets are ordered .
An individual piece of paper on which an architectural drawing is printed is usually referred to
as a sheet . In the U .S . , there are 5 standard sizes used for the vast majority of all sheets printed in
architecture . They are as follows :

• ARCH A - 9 ”x 1 2 ”
• ARCH B - 1 2 ”x 1 8 ”
• ARCH C - 1 8 ”x 2 4 ”
• ARCH D - 2 4 ”x 3 6 ”
• ARCH E - 3 6 ”x 4 8 ”

As you can see from the dimensions shown , each larger drawing is exactly twice the size of
the previous drawing . Sizes A , B , and C are usually reserved for addendums , for showing small
areas of a project , or for showing large areas at a small scale . Very large projects often make use of
the E size drawings , but the most commonly used drawing size is the D size drawing .
1- 1 2 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

For all but very small projects , a set of construction drawings will contain drawings grouped
together in different sections . The drawings an architect creates in -house will be together in one
area of the set (usually towards the very top of the set ) , the structural engineering drawings will be
grouped together in another area , and the electrical , mechanical , landscape drawings , etc . will be
group together as well , as shown in Figure 1 - 6 .

Figure 1 - 6 . The title sheet of a set of construction drawings

Much of the information presented in the architectural drawings simply reiterates what is dis
cussed in other drawings and many times the architect will simply make annotations on a drawing telli
ng the reader to refer to another drawing . For example, if an architect decides that a column
should go in a certain location , he is usually not allowed by law to select a column without the
approval of a structural engineer. Not knowing what column type or size the engineer will ultimately
decide to use, and not wanting to worry about updating his plans if the engineer decides to change the
structural drawings , the architect will often just place a note on his floor plan that reads some thing like,
“Column - See Structural Drawings” . The architect still needs to show a column on his f l oor plan
and foundation plan , but he is not required to specify any pertinent information about it . Understanding
this relationship between the architect and all of the subcontractors that work for him , makes
reading a set of architectural drawings a lot easier.

Elevations
Elevations provide viewers a better understanding of the scope and complexity of a project than any
other drawing type. If this weren ’t true, then you wouldn ’t see elevations sitting in front of a project
sight , as shown in Figure 1 - 7 ; you would see other drawing types , such as floor plans or sec ti ons .
Although I always recommend reviewing all the important CAD drawings firsthand before
quoting a project , it is not difficult to estimate a project based on what is visible in the elevations
st st
alone. An elevation is one of the 1 drawings created for a new project , if not the very 1 , because with
it an architect can show a building ’s style, size, and complexity all at once. If an architect or owner
st
does not approve of the 1 elevation , then a new elevation can be generated without having had
wasted time working on floor plans or any other drawings .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 1 3

Figure 1 - 7. A 3 D rendering used to advertise a project under construction

When working on a building , a contractor can only use elevations as a visual aid . The contrac tor
will never take measurements from an elevation and use that to determine things like window sizes ,
wall lengths , and door types . Because of this , some architects place a minimal amount of i nf
ormation on elevations and specify the critical dimensions and notes on other drawings such as f l oor
plans and wall sections .
Since architectural drawings are printed in black and white, the only way to delineate differ -
ences in all of the lines on paper is by adjusting the line weight , or line thickness . In all drawings ,
heavier line weights usually indicate more important features in a project . For example in the left
i mage in Figure 1 - 8 , the outline of the standing seam roof is shown in heavier line weight than the
thin vertical lines that indicate the standing seams . But in some drawing types , such as an elevation ,
heavier line weights can also indicate objects that are closer to view. Since all elevations show
orthographic views , such as the left image in Figure 1 - 8 (rather than perspective views , such as the
ri ght image ) , line weights are the only way to show the viewer that objects are in the foreground or
background . For example, notice that in the left image of Figure 1 - 8 , there is a column just to the left
st
of the building entrance on the 1 floor. The lines that delineate the outside of the column are thicker
than the lines that delineate the same column just to the right of the door, because the column to
the right is farther away from the viewer. Without this change in line weight for the two columns ,
there would be no way to no from just this one view that one column was farther away than the
other. Regardless of what you perceive in this type of situation , if there is any doubt in your mind
whatsoever, a quick check of the floor plan should confirm or refute what you visualize in the eleva -
ti ons .
1- 1 4 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 8 . The difficulty in determining depth in an orthographic image (left )

As mentioned , elevations provide the viewer with the best overall look and feel for a project . But
just like all drawings , they have to be scaled down to fit within a sheet of paper, and because of this , the
elevations can not show every little detail that goes into a building ’s construction . For
example, the window elevations shown in Figure 1 - 9 only show one line to indicate window mullions . This
is because at the scale that elevations are printed , drawing lines for every bend or corner in a window
’s profile would only result in one very thick solid line being shown . It is common practice among
veteran 3 D users to limit the amount of detail placed in a structure to that which is shown in the
elevations . In other words , if it ’s an important enough feature for the client to want to see it in 3 D, then
it is usually important enough to place in the elevations . In fact , the contract that 3 DAS sends out
with every job indicates that all details shown in the architectural elevations will be i ncluded
in the 3 D model , and any detail not shown in the elevations will not be included in the 3 D model unless
expressly requested by the client . This kind of practice leaves little doubt for both the 3 D user and client
as to what will be included in the 3 D model .
Obviously, this way of thinking requires some common sense . For example, if the architectural
drawings show a single line to represent the mullions , then you clearly have to do a little research i
nto the section details of the windows to determine what the mullion thickness should be . Likewise,
when an architect can not draw all of the lines for every bend and corner of a window ’s profile, it ’s a
good indication that it ’s not necessary to model every bend and corner. In the left image below , you
can just barely distinguish separate lines indicating two major components of the window frame .
Seeing these separate lines would be a good indication that the window frame you create in 3 D
should have at least one bend in its profile, i .e . two different parts at different depths .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 1 5

Figure 1 - 9 . A typical elevation of a window (left ) and the more detailed section view (right )

Elevations often provide clues about an object ’s structure that might at first go unnoticed . For
example, in Figure 1 - 1 0 , it might at first appear that the vertical bars in the railing are completely ver -
ti cal , when in fact they are curved in two different places along their length . You can not see the
curvature in this single orthographic view but a clue to their true shape can be found in the tightly
spaced horizontal lines that run up the length of the bars . These lines indicate some sort of bend or
corner and since there can not be that many corners in such a small area , the only logical reason
those lines exist is to denote a curve to the shape of the bars . What makes these lines even more
i mportant is that another elevation from the side may not even show these curves because they
might be hidden from view by other parts of the building . In fact , the corresponding floor plan prob -
ably won ’t give any indication of these curves either, and therefore, whenever you see these types
of clues , it would be wise to look at the railing details or any building or wall section that shows a
section cut of these railings .

Figure 1 - 1 0 . An elevation that reveals a clue that there ’s more than meets the eye
1- 1 6 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

An additional point that I would like to make about the railings in Figure 1 - 1 0 is that unless you
l ook at a detail drawing of the railing , there ’s simply no way to know whether the various parts of
the railing have a square or circular cross section . In reality, it usually shouldn ’t matter because
even if you know the cross section is circular, you shouldn ’t add the extra polygons if you don ’t
need to, and unless your camera is extremely close to the railings , you would never be able to tell
anyway. For railings that are completely straight , i .e . do not contain bends and curves , it wouldn ’t be
too detrimental to build the railings with a circular cross section . But the railings in Figure
1- 1 0
clearly have a significant amount of curvature, especially the intricate design in the top section .
Adding a circular cross section to these railing could easily increase the polygon count 5 -fold or
more. Simply put , knowing how much detail to build into your objects is a critical part of scene
optimization .

Floor plans
The heart of any set of architectural drawings is the floor plan . From the drafter who labors over its
creation , to the engineer who uses it as a template for his or her drawings , to the builder who
methodically erects the building to its specifications , no other drawing type receives as
much attention and analysis as the typical floor plan . Floor plans show and delineate important
building components of a single floor as seen from a top view and as seen from a particular vertical
position between the floor and ceiling . The primary responsibility of a floor plan is to show precisely
where walls , windows , and doors are located , and depending on the type of project and drawing
practices of the architectural firm , may include other critical building components such as beams ,
columns , roof overhangs , and floor and wall finishes (or surfaces ) .
When a builder starts the construction process , the drawing that the builder will be most
f ocused on is the foundation plan , because you can ’t erect walls , windows , doors , etc , without a
f oundation in place . On very small projects , the information usually placed on a foundation plan
might be incorporated in the floor plan , but in most construction drawings , the foundation plan is a
self contained drawing that delineates important structural information . This critical
information
i ncluding footing sizes , slab thickness , beam and column locations , etc . , comes from a structural
engineer, but that information starts with a floor plan . During the design development stage, an
architect will provide the structural engineer with a floor plan , and using that floor plan as a template the
engineer can design the structural components of the building . If the structural engineer
decides that walls have to be moved or columns have to be changed , architects will then adjust the
f l oor plan within the construction drawings to accommodate the necessary structural
design
change. The same kind of process is repeated with each of the engineers (mechanical , electrical ,
plumbing ) involved in the design , so it should be easy to see how the floor plan serves as a central
authority from which all other drawings are generated .
On a floor plan , lines representing the exterior of a wall usually do not actually indicate the
exterior surface but rather the outside surface of the load bearing component within the wall . This
means that even if the exterior side of a wall contains a 1 -inch trim feature running along the bottom of
the wall , as shown in Figure 1 - 1 1 , the floor plan will still reflect where the main load bearing part of the wall
is (in this case the concrete block ) . The line on a floor plan representing the exterior of a wall will
still almost always represent the outside surface of the concrete block , or whatever load bearing
component the wall is made from . When you begin setting up your linework for importation i nto 3 ds
Max , I recommend aligning all the available elevations to the floor plan in this manner. If drawn
correctly, both sides of the elevation will align to the floor plan as shown in Figure 1 - 1 1 .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 1 7

Figure 1 - 1 1 . Projecting a floor plan onto an elevation

I f a p r oject involves creating an exterior visualization only, then you don ’t need to be
con -
cerned with anything inside the building , except for those elements that you want to see through
the windows . Therefore, you usually don ’t have to be concerned with something as insignificant as
the exact location of the interior surface of an exterior wall . When preparing the CAD linework for
i mportation into 3 ds Max , in most cases I will simply trace the linework representing the exterior
surface of the walls , and offset these newly created lines 8 inches . Tracing the existing linework
ensures that the linework I import is flawless and offsetting the linework 8 inches ensures that I
have a sufficient wall thickness to house all windows and doors . The fact that the walls may actually
be 8 . 5 inches , 9 . 2 5 inches , 1 0 . 1 inches , etc , really is an irrelevant thing that will never be noticed .
Perhaps if the wall thickness were as large as 1 2 inches , I would then offset the exterior lines 1 2
i nches .
This same type of mentality should also apply to a project where all you need to create is an
i nterior visualization . For an interior scene, you would obviously need to use the linework on a floor
plan that represents interior walls ; however, every architect has their own unique way of represent -
i ng interior walls . Some choose to depict walls with two lines showing a rough approximation of the
actual wall thickness , while some choose to show two lines representing stud thicknesses along
with an additional line on either side depicting a particular wall finish . Some choose to dimension
their walls and others choose to label their walls with an annotation that directs viewers to look at a
wall schedule to determine the exact wall thickness . Regardless of how interior walls are depicted
on a floor plan , 3 D artists should not be concerned with what ’s inside a wall , but rather that the
l i n ework is located in an approximately accurate location . Accuracy in 3 D is a difficult concept for
many users to prioritize, and it ’s important to understand how to prioritize the accuracy of the
l i n ework you prepare for 3 ds Max . For example, if you have a tiny one -quarter inch gap showing
between two walls that should be perfectly joined , that is a really bad thing because light can easily
seep through and the viewer will almost always see this kind of inaccuracy. However, if your wall
thickness is off by that same amount or if your wall placement is off by that same one -quarter of an
i nch , the viewer will never know or care .
1- 1 8 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Checking floor plans against elevations is an important part of preparing the CAD drawings for use
in 3 ds Max . In Figure 1 - 1 1 , notice that in addition to the side of the building being aligned properly, the
masonry openings are also aligned . If this were not the case, then the client will usually want you to
build per the elevations , since they best reflect what the client understands the building will l ook like .
One more point I would like to make about this image is that the windows have a substan ti al t ri m
feature around the top , left , and right sides of each window. It would be impossible to know f or sure what
the cross -section of this trim feature looks like for sure without referring to a section drawing or a detail
drawing that includes a section cut through the window.
Perhaps the most important feature found on a floor plan is the dimension . Engineers will
always use a floor plan ’s dimensions to design their elements and builders will always use dimen -
sions to guide their construction . 3 D artists have little need for dimensions , however, because as j ust
mentioned , the linework used in 3 D doesn ’t need to be as accurate as the linework used by the actual
builder. For example, if a drafter modified a floor plan dimension at the very last minute with -
out adjusting the linework properly, which happens all the time, this should be of no concern to the 3 D
artist . So after receiving a drawing from an architect , one of the very first things I will do is remove
all of the dimensions . Floor plans tend to also contain a great deal of notes , and while some of these
notes may provide important reference information that would be useful further along the 3 D creation
process , much of what is found can be removed along with the dimensions . The idea is to remove
everything from all drawings that is simply not going to prove useful in 3 ds Max . Import -
i ng hundreds of dimensions , notes , hatch patterns , etc . , will only slow your work down in 3 ds Max .

Sections
Section drawings provide a cutaway view of a building from the side to reveal what lays beneath the
surface of each building element the section cuts through . In a set of architectural drawings , there i s
usually one or two building sections that show a complete section view of the entire length of the
building , and several wall sections that provide a partial section view of areas that need special
emphasis , as shown in 1 - 1 2 .
The main purpose of a section drawing is to illustrate information that cannot be easily derived f r
om other drawings . For example, the left image of Figure 1 - 1 2 shows part of an elevation , but it can not be
determined from this elevation alone or any other drawing type (beside a section ) where the roof of the
building is located . If the elevation contained an elevation marker indicating that the roof i s l ocated , for
example, 1 5 ’ - 0 ” A .F .F . (above finish floor ) , then you would not need to refer to a build i ng or wall section .
However, as mentioned , every architectural firm has their own way of creating drawings and this is not
something you are guaranteed to find on a drawing . If such a note does exist on an elevation , then
that would be an example of a note that is worth keeping for later refer ence when the time comes to
create the roof . So if you want to determine where the roof is positioned in the elevation of Figure 1 - 1
2 , simply refer to drawing B on sheet A 5 . 1 and you would see the appropriate section and the true location
of the roof .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 1 9

Figure 1 - 1 2 . A section drawing revealing the location of the roof - information missing f r
om the elevation

I t ’s i mportant to note that while every firm has there own unique way of creating drawings
, there are some general guidelines that most firms follow in the creation of section drawings . First ,
when a section view cuts through an object , that object is usually shown with a hatch pattern . In the ri
ght image of Figure 1 - 1 2 , notice that the roof that was just discussed contains numerous horizon tal
and vertical lines . This is nothing more than a hatch pattern to indicate that the roof is not just some
object in the background of the section but rather is an object being cut by the section . Notice
also in this image that there are two rectangular areas that contain a solid hatch . This type of hatch is
usually reserved for beams or areas where concrete is poured into place.
As 3 D artists , we shouldn ’t be too concerned about what the inside of a wall looks like or what
materials make -up the floor or ceiling of our visualization . However, it is important to understand
what each component of a section drawing is depicting , so that we know where to find the missing i nf
ormation that we can not find on other drawings .
As an additional note about section drawings , they are often very helpful in the creation of lofts
or sweeps . As a matter of preference, I always create walls using the loft or sweep feature rather
than extruding splines or using the Edit Poly feature that some users prefer. If you want to ensure
that the shapes which you loft or sweep contain the highest level of detail possible, you might need
to generate your shapes using the section drawings . Due to the large scale that elevations are usu -
ally printed at , such as 1 / 8 ” = 1 ’ - 0 ” , there is only so much detail that architects want or need to put
i nto the elevations . Earlier I had mentioned that if the detail is not shown in the elevations then it
typically does not need to be seen in 3 D (except for close -up views ) . While this is a good rule of
thumb, when detail is needed , you might simply have no choice but to build your shape from a sec -
ti on drawing . In Figure 1 - 1 3 , you can see an elevation that doesn ’t contain as much detail about the
soffit and fascia as the section drawing . By using the section drawing as a guide, rather than the
elevation , you can trace a much more detailed shape to use for your loft or sweep , as shown on the
ri ght side of the image .
1- 2 0 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 1 3 . A section drawing used to create a more detailed shape than what the
elevation can provide

Site plans
I b el i eve that if there is any drawing type that 3 D artists struggle with understanding more than any
other, it would have to be the site drawing . This is primarily because site drawings are convoluted with
far more information than a 3 D artist would ever care to see or know about and while the infor -
mation is important and necessary to the contractor building the project , the
majority of i nf ormation found on most site plans only makes understanding the linework more difficult .
Figure 1 -
14 illustrates this problem quite clearly. The top image shows a large site drawing over 3 0 0 acres and
the bottom left image shows a close -up of one area . As you can see, there is an enormous amount
of linework that is simply unnecessary for the 3 D artist . The bottom right image shows the same close
-up with all of the unnecessary information removed . Taking this ‘dirty ’ site plan , as I call i t , a n d
turning it into a ‘clean ’ site plan can be quite a challenge for even an experienced 3 D artist if the he or she
does not understand some basic principles about how site plans are created .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 2 1

Figure 1 - 1 4 . An example of a ‘dirty ’ and ‘clean ’ site drawing

As mentioned earlier, architectural drawings reiterate a great deal of information presented by

the subcontractors . In the case of a site drawing , architects will usually always include their own
watered down version of a site plan that contains a fraction of the information provided by the civil
engineer that creates the master site plan . The primary reason for this is so that the
building
department and the other subcontractors involved in the project can see and understand the over -
all site concept without needing a degree in civil engineering . If an architect presented the more
convoluted site plan to the building department , some of the members deciding whether or not to
approve the project might have no clue as to what they were looking at . So the architect ’s job is to
take the civil engineer ’s drawing and remove all but the most important features that are critical to
winning approval by the building department and critical to helping the other subcontractors design
their respective areas of the project . Figure 1 - 1 5 shows an example of an architectural site plan with
j ust the most important information , such as setbacks , property lines , retention areas , new walk -
ways , etc . In this particular drawing , the fire protection plan is combined with the site plan because
of the simplicity of both individual drawings .
1- 2 2 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 1 5 . A typical architectural site drawing

Civil engineers use a different scale than architects and because of this , the drawings that you
receive from an architect may need to be scaled properly before they can be superimposed with
the drawings used to create the buildings in your project . Civil engineers use decimal units with 1
unit equally 1 foot . Architects , on the other hand , use architectural units with 1 unit equally 1 inch . It
should be mentioned here, however, that in most countries besides the U .S . , architects and engi -
neers both use the metric system . Regardless , civil engineers in the U .S . create their drawings with
1 unit equally 1 inch , which means that the drawings are created at 1 / 1 2 th the scale of the drawings
that an architect creates . This means that if you want to superimpose a building ’s linework on the
site drawing , you will need to scale the site drawing up twelve -fold in order for the footprints to
match .
Another thing that makes understanding site plans difficult for some users is that when an
architect sends a site plan for a project , it usually does not come with such details as the one
shown in Figure 1 - 1 6 . Many architects don ’t think to send this type of drawing to the 3 D artist and
many 3 D artists don ’t think to ask for it . But without this kind of detail , the 3 D artist is left to guess at
the details of key features . In this image, you can see a particular type of curb profile, and in this
drawing it ’s actually given the callout , ‘Type F ’ . This means that somewhere in the civil engineering
drawings , there ’s a detail drawing entitled ‘Type F ’ and if the 3 D artists creates anything other than this
curb type, there is a good chance that the owner or architect will have something to say about
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 2 3

i t . Whenever you work on a drawing (such as a site plan ) where it ’s impossible to know exactly
what is going on , it ’s better to ask the client for more drawings or more information . Otherwise, the
consequences could be costly and time consuming .

Figure 1 - 1 6 . An example of a site drawing detail

Landscape plans
I n the previous discussion about site plans , I stated that “I believe that if there is any drawing type that 3 D
artists struggle with understanding more than any other, it would have to be the site draw i ng . ” I certainly
believe this to be true, but if there is one drawing type that users actually struggle with conforming to, it would
without a doubt be landscape drawings . Landscape drawings present a challenge to many users
because vegetation is one of the most difficult , if not the most difficult type of visualization content to
create realistically. Just like poor lighting can ruin a perfectly modeled and textured scene, poor
landscaping can ruin a perfectly illuminated exterior. In my experience, I have found that landscaping
is rarely ever a focal point of a project . However, when not created realistically, it quickly becomes the
most distracting component of a visualization .
There are numerous reasons why landscaping is such a difficult part of architectural visualiza -
ti on . One reason is that many clients don ’t have a landscaping plan prepared at the time they ask
f or your services , and when asked about the landscaping , their typical answer might be, “just throw
i n something that looks nice” or “just make it tropical looking ” . But because most of us aren ’t land -
scape architects , these requests are easier said than done . Another reason is that there are tens
of thousands of plant and tree species in the world and if the client wants the same vegetation that
i s specified in the landscape drawings , it is often very difficult to find a suitable match in
one ’s
l i b r ary. Even if you own an extremely large library or own a plugin that allows you to create vegeta -
ti on from scratch , it is often very difficult to replicate the look of the actual vegetation specified in
the landscape drawings .
Before accepting or quoting a project , I highly recommend asking the client exactly what he
wants to see for landscaping . Specifically, it would be wise to ask the following questions at a
minimum :

• Are there landscape drawings? If so, are the drawings just temporary and made only to sat i sf
y code or will there be a new landscape plan designed down the road ?
• How closely does the vegetation in 3 D have to match the vegetation that will actually be
planted ? Can I , for example, use a Foxtail palm in lieu of a Queen palm .
• Do you w-4207ant to see fully matured vegetation or younger vegetation like the kind that will
actually be planted ?
• Are the hardscape elements (pavers , coping , etc ) finalized ? If not , when will they be?
1- 2 4 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

The answers to these questions can greatly affect the amount of rework you have to perform so it
would be wise to cover yourself by stating in the contract what the consequences are of the differ ent
possible answers you might receive. For example, if there are no landscaping plans , and the client
wants you to play the role of landscape architect , are you going to charge extra for this work and what
happens if the client doesn ’t like your design?
As indicated in the last question , landscape architects are usually responsible for designing hard -
scape elements like pavers , coping , pool decks , walkway patterns , etc . If you do not see these
details on the architects site plan , which in my experience is rare, don ’t assume that they will not be
needed . One of the great marketing advantages of working with a client on a 3 D visualization is that
you will often be asked by the client to contact the various subcontractors directly to obtain the
i nf ormation or drawings you need . Take advantage of this opportunity and place a call to the land -
scape architect (or any sub ) and ask them directly the type of questions just mentioned . You will
often find the landscape designer giving you significantly different and more accurate information
than the project architect . Of course this is true for any sub contractor that you deal with , so it ’s
always good to ask questions .
Landscape architects usually delineate their vegetation selections in one of two ways ; by placing
annotations next to groups of plant and tree symbols , as shown in the left image of Figure 1 - 1 7 or by
creating a legend of symbols and using those different symbols in the landscape plan to indicate the
different types of vegetation , as shown in the right image . In the left image, notice that there is a callout
for 4 Foxtail palms and that the callout is pointed to only one symbol . Since the annotation refers to 4
Foxtail palms , you should see 3 other identical symbols close by, as the image shows . Underneath
each callout in the left image and under the Specification header on the right image is the information
for the size of the vegetation to be planted . It is obviously important to create your vegetation at the
correct size, however, I find it easier and perfectly sufficient to just import the veg etation symbols and
use their canopy sizes to scale the vegetation to proper size .

Figure 1 - 1 7. Examples of landscape annotations

 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 2 5

As a final note about landscaping , the larger the vegetation , the more important it is to create
correctly. In the left image of Figure 1 - 1 7 , for example, it is far more important to make sure that the l
arge Foxtail palms look like Foxtail palms than it is to make sure that the very small African Iris
plants look correct . You should obviously try to match vegetation as well as you can , but when you
simply don ’t have the correct model in your library or when you don ’t have the time to create it from
scratch , it is far better to sacrifice accuracy on the smaller vegetation . In fact , as long as your cam -
era isn ’t too close to the vegetation in question , you can use the Scatter feature to very quickly
create vegetation that has the general look you need to achieve . For example, if you want to create a
large number of small hibiscus plants with white flowers , simply scatter an individual face with an
appropriate image of a green leaf around a volume that represents the location of the plants and
then scatter a face with an image of a white flower. By controlling the number of duplicates you can
easily control the density of the green leaves and white flowers and by controlling the size of the i
ndividual faces that get scattered , you can control the quality (or accuracy ) of the vegetation and the
shadows that get cast . Techniques like these are discussed throughout the rest of this book .

Roof Plans
Except for flat , simple roof designs , a roof can be another extremely difficult object type for 3 D
artists to create . With some programs like Revit or Architectural Desktop , you can create simple
roofs in literally just a few seconds . However, with roof designs of any degree of complexity, these
programs simply don ’t make things any easier. Once you start introducing curves , changes in ele -
vation , or unique frame structures , creating a 3 D roof in 3 ds Max becomes much more practical
and efficient .
I t h i n k i t would be safe to say that before you can create a roof in 3 D, you must know how to
create one in 2 D, and unless you ’ve worked in an architectural office doing just such a thing , this might
be quite a difficult undertaking . Having spent several years as an architectural draftsman , I ’ve probably
drawn over 1 0 0 roof plans for all types of buildings , but for very complex roof structures I still f i n d
myself struggling today. Unfortunately, roof plans are not always available when a client
approaches you for a 3 D visualization , and when this is the case, your only choice is to wait on the
architect to provide one or to create one yourself . Regardless , unless you know how to draw a plan i n 2
D, you probably won ’t have much success creating one in 3 D.
Relatively speaking , roof plans do not usually contain a great deal of linework because there are
really only a few critical things that the architect needs to delineate . The most important thing to show
is the location of roof ridges , hips , and valleys , but other important things include, roof pitches ,
gutter locations , roof surface materials (i .e . tile, shingle ) , and exterior wall locations , all of which can be
seen in the example in Figure 1 - 1 8 .
1- 2 6 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 1 8 . An example of a roof plan

Unless a very unique roof design is called for, two adjacent roof planes 9 0 degrees apart in
orientation , will always meet to create a hip at exactly 4 5 degrees , as shown in Figure 1 - 1 9 . When
one roof structure joins into a completely separate roof , a valley will be created , also shown . Notice
also in this image that the apex of this roof is labeled ridge and that the slope of the roof , known
also as pitch , is labeled as 4 : 1 2 . The 4 : 1 2 is also known as the rise over run because the roof rises 4
f eet for every 1 2 feet it runs horizontally. The only reason the hip lines would not be exactly 4 5
degrees in orientation is if the adjoining roof surfaces were not at the same slope . Because of the
annotation TYP (short for typical ) in Figure 1 - 1 9 , we can clearly see that all three roof surfaces have
the same 4 : 1 2 slope.
Knowing this basic information , you can very quickly create the 2 D linework for many simple
roof designs by drawing lines representing the roof overhangs (the distance from the exterior walls to
the edge of the roof ) , and connecting the various roof surfaces with straight 4 5 degrees lines and
horizontal /vertical lines representing the ridges .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 2 7

Figure 1 - 1 9 . An example of a hip and valley connection

Figure 1 - 2 0 illustrates some other features commonly found on a roof plan . Notice that the top
side of this image shows a horizontal line for the roof ’s edge rather than two valley lines where one
roof join into another. This is a clear indication that this particular roof is completely separate from
the main roof and in fact stands well above it . If this small roof ran into the larger roof , we would see
two valley lines at 4 5 degrees . Another indication that this smaller roof is independent of the larger
roof is the dashed line representing the exterior wall surfaces below. Dashed lines are used to
delineate structures below or above the view of whatever is being displayed . In this case, we can
see a completely separate set of lines for this roof , which would only be shown if this roof was ris -
i ng through and above the main roof . Yet another indication that this roof is elevated above the main
roof is the annotation of a building element known as a cricket . A cricket is a structure that redi -
rects rain water so that it runs off the roof rather than collecting behind a wall that rises through a
roof . Because we see a cricket callout on the roof plan , we know that there is a wall coming up
through the main roof .

Figure 1 - 2 0 . An example of a cricket

This section has highlighted just a few things to help make understanding roof plans a little
easier. Later in this book , we ’ll look at various methods used to create 3 D roofs from this
2D
l i n ework .

Reflected Ceiling Plans

The last drawing type that I want to discuss is the reflected ceiling plan . This drawing type, shown in
Figure 1 - 2 1 , gets its name from the idea that if you look straight down on a mirror lying on a floor, you
would see the reflection of the ceiling in the mirror. This drawing is usually only needed for interior
scenes , but without it , you would probably find yourself playing the role of an architect designing the l
ayout of important building elements such as light fixtures , ceiling fans , suspended ceilings , soffits , etc ,
all of which are found on the reflected ceiling plan .
1- 2 8 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s

Figure 1 - 2 1 . An example of a reflected ceiling plan

Like a floor plan , the reflected ceiling plan shows certain building elements cut through . But
unlike a floor plan , where the cut plane usually exists about half way between the floor and ceiling ,
the cut plane for the ceiling plan occurs just below the ceiling , thereby excluding windows and
doors from the cut . Notice in Figure 1 - 2 1 that no doors or windows are shown . However, the magni -
f i ed image in Figure 1- 2 2 gives a clear indication of columns along the covered walkway
being
i ntersected by the cut plane . The columns are shown with a bolder line weight while beams that run
between them are shown in a lighter line weight . This allows the architect to highlight the location of
i mportant building elements (like beams ) that might be excluded from the floor plan . The architect
could show the cut running through windows and doors , but this would serve no purpose and would
only convolute the drawing with unnecessary linework . Notice also in Figure 1 - 2 2 that other impor -
tant features like soffit panels can be detailed . With the exception of a section drawing , this kind of
i nf ormation could not be found anywhere else . One other important piece of information commonly
f ound on reflected ceiling plans is ceiling height . The plan shown in Figure 1 - 2 2 does not show ceil -
i ng height because there is only one ceiling height used throughout the entire building and this was
noted on the floor plan ; however, the reflected ceiling plan is often the main reference point for
specifying ceiling heights .
 Under s t a n d i n g A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r aw i n g s 1- 2 9

Figure 1 - 2 2 . An example of a reflected ceiling plan

Summary
The purpose of this chapter is to help 3 D users understand the process of creating architectural
drawings and some of the important characteristics of the most important drawing types for work
i n 3 D. Many visualization artists migrate from other industries and understanding architectural
drawings can be quite difficult . Unfortunately, being an expert in 3 ds Max doesn ’t help much when it
comes to reading architectural drawings or understanding how they are put together.
Without
knowing how to read drawings , there ’s really no way to create what you need to in 3 D and without
knowing the process of creating architectural drawings , you are far more likely to run into some of
the many problems mentioned in this chapter that can come up along the way. Hopefully, before
continuing on with the remainder of this book you have a thorough understanding of concepts dis -
cussed in this chapter. If so, the techniques described throughout this book will be much easier to
understand .