Using the UCS Command to Draw on 3D Walls

DO NOT DUPLICATE. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

You may wish, from time to time, to draw objects on your walls. For example, you may want to add signs, planking or hatch patterns.

In this lesson you learn how to use the UCS command to draw on any plane in 3 dimensional space.

1. From the Tools menu, choose New UCS, then 3 Point.
2. Select the lower left corner of the wall. You are defining the 0,0,0 for the coordinate system.

   

3. Select the lower right corner of the wall indicated in the image. You are defining a point on the X-axis of the new coordinate system.

   

4. Select the upper left corner of the wall indicated in the image. This is a point on the Y axis of the new coordinate system. Note the change in the UCS icon located in the lower left corner of the screen. This is showing you the orientation of the X, Y and Z axes.

   

5. From the Color list choose Red.

   

6. From the Draw menu, choose Polyline.

   

7. Select the point indicated in the image.

   

8. Type W to indicate that you want to specify a width for the polyline.
9. Type 2" to specify the starting width.
10. Press ENTER to specify the ending width.
11. Select points to define a rectangle as shown in the image.

    

12. Use the techniques just demonstrated to create rectangles around the windows.

    

13. From the Draw menu, choose Hatch.
14. From the list of hatch patterns, choose Brick.

    

15. Select Pick Points.
16. Click on the wall elevation you just traced in the area you want to fill with a hatch.

    

17. Right-click to finish the hatching process.

    

18. From the Tools menu choose New UCS, then choose World. This will return the coordinate system to its normal X,Y & Z orientation.
19. From the View menu choose Hide.

    

You will find our version of the finished drawing in 7602d.dwg.

TIP: The technique just demonstrated can be very useful for generating 2D elevations from a 3D model quickly.

TIP: Turning objects drawn on one user coordinate system into a block, then switching to another user coordinate and inserting them is a quick way to move objects from one coordinate system to another.

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