i'm trying to find an ideal workflow in the process of creating representative architectural concept drawings/plans/everything.
so, it would be great if you could share your experiences about your workflow, the software you use and how the programmes work together.
i, for example, use handdrawn sketches and models in the beginning, i use them for explaining the concept. so basically i take the scans and photos and use autocad to trace them and sketchup to draw small things in 3d (mostly isometric) without rendering, but with shadows activated. after that i import the stuff in photoshop, where i put on some backgrounds (ideally photos of the actual place i took) and materials. it then looks a bit sketchy, and i like that look for a concept.
for the plans i use autocad, i like to trace the outlines with a constant polyline, so u can use them for a cnc-lasercutter and in the 3d, that's not too detailled. for showing the 3d instead of a rendering i photoshop photos of the finished model into photos of the actual place the building is going to be.
for me the thing that bothers me the most is that with all that importing and exporting i end up doing the same thing more than one time and it also takes a lot of time. i wonder what your experiences are and how we can improve our workflow by sharing our experiences.
cheers
ann
bugsmetoo
Oct 19, 14 10:51 pm
Illustrator should make the flow easier. Especially if you're willing to forgo shadows and make artificial ones simply out of vector shapes. Eliminates CAD and SketchUp with easy file transfer between Illustrator and Photoshop.
toosaturated
Oct 20, 14 10:41 am
obviously did not read/understand the question ^
chigurh
Oct 20, 14 11:23 am
You could go straight from your model/hand sketch preliminary into a BIM software, which would give you working drawings and 3d. This is what we do in the office.
There is never an "ideal" workflow and depending on what you are doing you will re-do things many times (even if you are in a BIM environment) ...That is just the nature of the profession, nobody gets it right the first time. Also important to your question is if you are in an academic environment or not? Because if you are in school, you should be getting your work into as many different software packages as possible, not being overly concerned with efficiency, just see whats possible and play around...
It is good, you are starting off with a sketch/handmade drivers for the work...It is so hard to think outside of the tools built into some of the software we use...Never do schematics/concepts in Revit, otherwise your building is going to be the most boring box in the world. Certain software is created for blow and go big box crap....Part of the challenge is figuring that out sooner rather than later.
accesskb
Oct 20, 14 2:20 pm
tracepaper and pen/pencil to sketch, sketch, sketch until I need to prepare presentation drawings, create visualizations, or print a 3d model etc. I try to leave cad to prepare drawings only.. I even try to draw to scale and flush out dimensions on tracepaper first. Software is the last step for me.. I'm sure you know already it takes about 1 second to pick up paper and draw out a configuration/concept or trace over it multiple times as opposed to opening up the software to try flush out a concept which often turn out looking very mechanical.
AnnYo
Oct 21, 14 6:41 am
thanks everyone for your input.
i'm still in the university, but soon i'll get my degree and start in the real world. i think i'm lucky to know the importance of hand drawing and i'm working on that skill the most. i definitelly need to improve my illustrator skills, especially the pen tool.
hi everyone,
i'm trying to find an ideal workflow in the process of creating representative architectural concept drawings/plans/everything.
so, it would be great if you could share your experiences about your workflow, the software you use and how the programmes work together.
i, for example, use handdrawn sketches and models in the beginning, i use them for explaining the concept. so basically i take the scans and photos and use autocad to trace them and sketchup to draw small things in 3d (mostly isometric) without rendering, but with shadows activated. after that i import the stuff in photoshop, where i put on some backgrounds (ideally photos of the actual place i took) and materials. it then looks a bit sketchy, and i like that look for a concept.
for the plans i use autocad, i like to trace the outlines with a constant polyline, so u can use them for a cnc-lasercutter and in the 3d, that's not too detailled. for showing the 3d instead of a rendering i photoshop photos of the finished model into photos of the actual place the building is going to be.
for me the thing that bothers me the most is that with all that importing and exporting i end up doing the same thing more than one time and it also takes a lot of time. i wonder what your experiences are and how we can improve our workflow by sharing our experiences.
cheers
ann
Illustrator should make the flow easier. Especially if you're willing to forgo shadows and make artificial ones simply out of vector shapes. Eliminates CAD and SketchUp with easy file transfer between Illustrator and Photoshop.
obviously did not read/understand the question ^
You could go straight from your model/hand sketch preliminary into a BIM software, which would give you working drawings and 3d. This is what we do in the office.
There is never an "ideal" workflow and depending on what you are doing you will re-do things many times (even if you are in a BIM environment) ...That is just the nature of the profession, nobody gets it right the first time. Also important to your question is if you are in an academic environment or not? Because if you are in school, you should be getting your work into as many different software packages as possible, not being overly concerned with efficiency, just see whats possible and play around...
It is good, you are starting off with a sketch/handmade drivers for the work...It is so hard to think outside of the tools built into some of the software we use...Never do schematics/concepts in Revit, otherwise your building is going to be the most boring box in the world. Certain software is created for blow and go big box crap....Part of the challenge is figuring that out sooner rather than later.
tracepaper and pen/pencil to sketch, sketch, sketch until I need to prepare presentation drawings, create visualizations, or print a 3d model etc. I try to leave cad to prepare drawings only.. I even try to draw to scale and flush out dimensions on tracepaper first. Software is the last step for me.. I'm sure you know already it takes about 1 second to pick up paper and draw out a configuration/concept or trace over it multiple times as opposed to opening up the software to try flush out a concept which often turn out looking very mechanical.
thanks everyone for your input.
i'm still in the university, but soon i'll get my degree and start in the real world. i think i'm lucky to know the importance of hand drawing and i'm working on that skill the most. i definitelly need to improve my illustrator skills, especially the pen tool.