# 2D/3D CAD Isometric View



## DICKEYBIRD (Feb 20, 2009)

I have been drawing all my projects using 2D TurboCAD. When I needed isometric views, I manually drew them the hard way.

My version of TCAD is 3D capable and I'd like to be able to have it do the iso view instead of doing it the hard way. This is for a simple line drawing, no fancy shading, solid models or the like. Anyone have experience in this area that could comment?


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## Richard1 (Feb 20, 2009)

This might help http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/courses/phy315/turbocad11.html I can't try it myself as I use VariCAD.


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## DICKEYBIRD (Feb 20, 2009)

Thanks Richard, that looks like a very helpful link.  I have to figger out how to step across from the 2D world into the 3D. :


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## RonGinger (Feb 20, 2009)

I have used Turbocad for several years, and can do OK 2D work with it. I never was able to do 3D. I think their 3D is really just a stretched 2D

I bought Alibre and find its a real 3D modeler, and a totally different approach to drawing. Im not very good with it yet, but it has great promise. You work much more like you were making a part- take a block, put holes in it, knockoff corners, etc

I still use TurboCAD when Im doing simple 2D profiles to generate Gcode for my CNC mill.

I would forget trying to do 3D in Turbocad, its just not the right tool.


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## ianjkirby (Feb 20, 2009)

Hi guys,
 I have been using ViaCAD 2D/3D for a year now, and find it excellent. It costs only $99 and meets all my requirements for modelling purposes. In particular, it looks and feels like TurboCAD, so you will feel at home with it Dickeybird! Have a look at http://www.punchcad.com/products/viacad2d3dV6.htm and check out the demo videos. There is obviously a learning curve, but it is not all that steep.
 Usual disclaimer!
Regards, Ian.


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## DICKEYBIRD (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks guys. I'm not likely to be changing CAD programs at this point in my life and don't need to become a 3D artist as many of you are. I know it must be a rewarding hobby in itself being able to turn out the beautiful renderings I see posted here but I can't afford to invest the time needed to get to that point. I've seen many unbelieveably detailed and lifelike renderings that were created in TCAD so I know the program is capable, given time and desire.

I was hoping to bump into a TCAD user here that has successfully moved a bit past the 2D/3D "line in the sand" enough to convert a few very simple 2D drawings into 3D and generate an iso view. That may be impossible to do without becoming fully 3D proficient.


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## BAH101 (Feb 21, 2009)

I have used TurboCAD for quite a few years and really like it. I probably would not be too hard to convert your 2D drawings to 3D, but it would take a bit of time to explain. I bought the 3D training guide from TurboCAD a few years ago and it really got me going. If you look at this site: http://www.textualcreations.ca/Textual Creations Shopping Page.html
he has a lot of tutorials which will take you step by step through TurboCAD. I have done a number of them and they are very good. He did have some free tutorials on the site too.


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## DICKEYBIRD (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks for your response. There's a lot of TCAD info on the web and I'm looking into it now. I coincidentally found the site you've linked to...that guy's a guru!

Simple question: If I've previously drawn top, side & endviews of an object in 2D, basically I'll have to start another drawing in 3D mode, copy/paste a view into the new drawing and perform 3D ops (like extrude or whatever) on that view and work from there? I know there's a lot more to it than that but is that a way to get started?


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## BAH101 (Feb 21, 2009)

You could start in your 2D page, just right click anywhere on the drawing, you will see in the box "selector 3D or 2D" click on that and select Selector 3D. Your display will now show all 3 axis. Then select isometric SE view, select "plane by world" from the workplane toolbar, Next press Ctrl A to select everything on the screen, then select "Format" then "Place on workplane" this will put all your drawing on the same workplane or table and that is where you start. There used to be a bunch of free tutorials on that website, and one was about workplanes, that would be a good place to start if you can find it (I will keep looking), as your workplane is your tabletop that you build on. After you do this, "save as" a new file.
Bryan


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## BAH101 (Feb 21, 2009)

forgot to add, the Mechanical Illistration tutorial takes you through the process of converting a 2D drawing to 3D
Bryan


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## DICKEYBIRD (Feb 21, 2009)

Well, crapola.   I did some reading online, read your post Bryan and got all excited. 1st thing I realized was I hadn't installed the 3D tools initially. Drug out the disk, installed the tools and started playing around. Turns out most anything I need isn't included with the v9 "Deluxe" version I bought for cheap a few years ago. Ya gotta have the Pro version and I don't see even old versions of Pro online anywhere cheap. So, looks like no 3D for me!

Probably for the best anyway. The project I'm working on doesn't really need 3D anyhoo. I'll be better off just going to the shop & making some chips.


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## Noitoen (Feb 22, 2009)

Has anyone tried this http://sketchup.google.com/download/ to draw in 3D?


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## rake60 (Feb 22, 2009)

I have played with that a bit.
I do like their video tutorials.

http://sketchup.google.com/training/videos.html


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## DICKEYBIRD (Mar 13, 2009)

Update: I checked around a bit and corresponded with Robert Berry at http://www.cadcourse.net/ and asked if he had an older version of TurboCAD Professional. I have a very limited hobby budget for the foreseeable future plus I have older computers with less horsepower than would be needed to run the latest versions.

He was very helpful and I bought v9.2 Pro and he threw in a training course and FloorPlan v7 for $69.95. Sounds like a good fit for me & my requirements. Hopefully, I can soon wander into the world of 3D. Ya'll be nice if I start asking stoopid questions. ;D


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## DICKEYBIRD (May 16, 2009)

Well, it only took me 2 months since the original post but by golly, I think I can say I have finally stepped across the line (or should I say across the workplane) into the 3D world! The v9.2 TCAD Pro I bought is far more powerful than I'll ever need for hobby work and works great with my old computers.

I can't tell you how excited I am to have drawn the part in the attached picture. Simple stuff to many of you but quite a feat for me. I still have a long way to go as far as speed and productivity go but I'm ecstatic....Hoo-rah for TurboCAD! ;D


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## Maryak (May 16, 2009)

DICKEYBIRD,

Congratulations, :bow: :bow: I still can't get my brain around workplanes and on and off I've been playing for a year. Hopefully, one day the penny will drop.

Best Regards
Bob


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## DICKEYBIRD (May 16, 2009)

I feel your pain Bob. I still don't know how to use workplanes efficiently but found that I could at least make some sense out of things by just clicking "Workplane/By View" each time I changed the view of the object.  Also, a 3 hour waste of time agonizingly trying to figure why snaps weren't working was solved by making sure that Rendering was set to Wireframe. Most snaps wouldn't work on a rendered object.

Understanding (sort of) and using the Revolve, Extrude, Box, Cylinder, 3D Boolean Subtract and Slice tools really helped to get me going.

Good luck with your quest!

Milton


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## rickharris (May 17, 2009)

Maryak  said:
			
		

> DICKEYBIRD,
> 
> Congratulations, :bow: :bow: I still can't get my brain around workplanes and on and off I've been playing for a year. Hopefully, one day the penny will drop.
> 
> ...



I don't know if this is going to help any - We use Prodesktop at school and teach the kids that the workplane is like the drawing board you are drawing on. BUT because you are working in 3 dimensions, just like an orthographic, (3 view), drawing you have 3 workplanes - one for the plan (top) view, one for the front view and one for the side view.

Depending on which view you are using you select or draw on the relevant workplane. The currnt sketch is like a sheet of tracing paper on the drawing board ready for your drawings but you can still see the other sketches through it.

Some times you will find you don't have a work plane where you need to draw and to cope with that you can insert a new workplane but off set from the existing one for that view to where you need to draw. This ofset included changing the angle of the wrok plan if necessary.

All 3D drawing consists of drawing an outline or the object and then lifting or extruding that object into or out of the workplane to make it 3D. In actual fact the 3D element only exists in the computer only your outline is real so if you need to change the shape you need to go to the workplane and change the outline.


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## Maryak (May 17, 2009)

Rick H,

Thanks, it has helped a lot, :bow: :bow: now to go and try it. : ??? : ???

Best Regards
Bob


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## DICKEYBIRD (May 17, 2009)

rickharris  said:
			
		

> Some times you will find you don't have a work plane where you need to draw and to cope with that you can insert a new workplane but off set from the existing one for that view to where you need to draw.


 Thanks Rick, that's food for thought. I'm not sure TCAD has an option to insert extra workplanes along with the existing one but I'm sure going to look for it!


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## rickharris (May 17, 2009)

It should have some similar system or you could never draw anything except onto the existing object.

They may call it something else other tah off set or it may be a function of the higher priced professional system but I doubt it.

There are a lot of turbocad tutorial videos on Utube. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=turbocad&page=1


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## BAH101 (May 17, 2009)

in the workplanes toolbar there is "Workplane by Facet", it will put a workplane on any surface of your drawing. Just remember, when you are going to extrude from a 2D line, select it and in the Format toolbar, select "Place on workplane" to ensure it goes where it should. For some reason, turboCad will not always place your 2D item on the workplane. This can cause some problems down the road, and I have been there many times. 
Bryan


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## DICKEYBIRD (May 17, 2009)

Thanks Bryan, it was your encouragement and emails that helped get me to the point where I could do _something_ with 3D. :bow: :bow:


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## tup48 (May 17, 2009)

Hi DickeyBird;

Not sure which TC version you are using but will try to help you. I have been using version 11 Deluxe for some time to do 2D in and have found that the user guide that came with it was not much help. I would be reading about how to do some than only to find out you could only do it in the pro. Version so I never got into 3D. 

I now have Version 15 Deluxe and Im just getting into 3D. The workplanes seems to be needed when you are working in 3D. You need to find the workplane toolbar. You need to have the workplane displayed and it helps to have the UC (User Coordinate) showing.

In the workplane toolbar you can change the location of the workplane. 

In the version that I have I can set the workplane by World (World Coordinate System), by Entity, by 3 Points, by Z Axis, by UCS (User Coordinate Origin) and by Facet. When ever you draw something in 2D or 3D it is placed on the workplane that is showing, You can always move or copy it to a different workplane later.

As I said before I have just started work in 3D and have a lot to learn my self. 
Hope that I have not confused you to much.     

Richard

P.S.  Have a look at your disk, you may have a User Guide on it in a PDF if so load it on you computer, you will find it useful.


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## DICKEYBIRD (May 17, 2009)

Thanks Richard. I'm now using v9.2 Pro after having used various versions through the years only in 2D. When I got serious about 3D I found that _everything_ I needed for 3D was missing from the "Deluxe" version. I have older, slow computers and found it necessary to track down an older, (cheap) but full-featured Pro version. Many, many more tools and features are crammed into the Pro version. It does more than I'll need for quite some time; perhaps forever, at my age.  Hopefully your v15 Deluxe has enough to do what you need.

I'm now at the stage where I can draw what I need but sometimes funny things happen for what seems like no logical reason. I also need to refine my own personal Normal.tct file and my Desktop toolbars so I work with consistent settings. Amazing how software works better & better the more you use it. Of course it's not the user, the software somehow gets better.  ;D


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## tup48 (May 17, 2009)

For years I used Ease CAD 2D from Evolution Computing, I could make it sing. 
Then I up graded to Windows XP. Ease CAD and XP just did not like each other. That is when I when to TC 11. 
Before going to TC 15 I down loaded a trial copy of FastCAD from Evolution Computing to have a look at it and I do not like the looks of it very much, FastCAD will do 2D and 3D.
I believe that TC 15 Deluxe should be ok for what I do. But if I have a chance to lay my hands on to one of the TC Pro.s real cheap I may just go for it.

Richard


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