AutoCAD - Architectural and Structural 3D Blocks

[BillAllenSE]

Where is there a good resource for 3D architectural and structural blocks?
Thank you

[ The subject line of this post has been edited to include the product name by @handjonathan ]

[pendean]

Like what exactly? Be specific if you can please, if you are not sure or have nothing specific in mind, you can Google Search your topic to see what is out there.

TIA

[Kent1Cooper]

A little web searching will reveal many sources.  Manufacturers often have their products in various CAD/BIM formats.  Just a few other free sources I happen to be aware of [there are many others]:

CAD Forum's Library

CAD-blocks

CADblocksfree

[BillAllenSE]

I'm looking for things like basic 3D toilets, 3D lavatories, 3D sinks and 3D structural steel shapes such as wide flange beams. I'm expecting having to create my own doors and windows because I know there are many and I just need a fairly simple representation.

Thank you

[BillAllenSE]

Of course, that (Google) was the first thing I tried. What I found was a rabbit hole with many sources of mostly unhelpful blocks. I was hopeful to find a more concise list of sources from this forum from folks who regularly use them rather than being badgered. Sorry for the annoyance.

[pendean]

---

@BillAllenSE wrote:

I'm looking for things like basic 3D toilets, 3D lavatories, 3D sinks...

---

manufacturers provide those easily: look up all the major brands' websites.

---

@BillAllenSE wrote:

... and 3D structural steel shapes such as wide flange beams....

---

There are popular and free LISPs that automate a lot of that, as well as for-purchase libraries from developers on the Autodesk App Store. Or (see below reply)

---

@BillAllenSE wrote:

I'm expecting having to create my own doors and windows because I know there are many and I just need a fairly simple representation.

---

Perhaps you need to be using AutoCAD ARCHITECTURE instead of plain AutoCAD: free for all subscribers to download and use all day long.

HTH

[BillAllenSE]

Regarding blocks from manufacturers, in my experience, their blocks have more detail than I need which only clutter my drawings. I'm looking for Design Center level of detail.

I'm not going to get into lisp routines. I'll just extrude the 2D shapes I have.

Regarding AutoCAD Architecture, I've been down that rabbit hole (as with Revit and Revit LT). I'm not interested in working with objects. It would be too disruptive to my workflow.

My projects are small and unique where the customer or contractor at the direction of the home owner selects the fixtures. It would be a waste of time for me to go into too much detail. I just need a reasonable representation. Up to now, for my 2D drawings, Design Center has been enough for me. I do use (2D) dynamic blocks for doors and  windows. I guess I just need to make 3D versions of those. A 3D toilet seems like some work and I'm sure it's been done before. I can always export from a Revit library.

Thanks for your response.

[pendean]

---

@BillAllenSE wrote:

Regarding blocks from manufacturers, in my experience, their blocks have more detail than I need which only clutter my drawings. I'm looking for Design Center level of detail.

I'm not going to get into lisp routines. I'll just extrude the 2D shapes I have.

Regarding AutoCAD Architecture, I've been down that rabbit hole (as with Revit and Revit LT). I'm not interested in working with objects. It would be too disruptive to my workflow.

My projects are small and unique where the customer or contractor at the direction of the home owner selects the fixtures. It would be a waste of time for me to go into too much detail. I just need a reasonable representation. Up to now, for my 2D drawings, Design Center has been enough for me. I do use (2D) dynamic blocks for doors and  windows. I guess I just need to make 3D versions of those. A 3D toilet seems like some work and I'm sure it's been done before. I can always export from a Revit library.

---

You are still in the REVIT mindset I see my friend. Unless your PC is barely able to run AutoCAD, most content from manufacturers is what we all in AEC prefer to use all the time, and there is more 2D that 3D in DWG format, no REVIT Families or conversions required.

Same with AutoCADARCHITECTURE: the majority of users are creating only 2D production drawings for contractors day-in and day-out.

There is lots of simplistic free content on the web if that's all you crave, there was no need to post: someone in an earlier response linked you to the popular sites, just watch out for EDU-generated files, sloppy drafting/layering and scaling (mm vs inches vs meters vs feet) issues.

HTH

[BillAllenSE]

Thanks for your response.

My machine isn't the problem. It's the nut sitting at the keyboard.

I worked in Revit for 8 years and couldn't get productive enough to be competitive.

I tried AutoArchitecture. The workflow isn't any better (and in some case worse) than Revit.

I am hoping AutoCAD will fill my needs, but I am becoming disillusioned. Even if I create 3D "blocks", I don't think I can reuse them. I can't stretch them.

Any ideas?

Thank you

[pendean · Accepted solution]

LOL, we are all the same exact nuts at our own keyboards. You'll get the hang of it with practice.

BLOCKs are rigid: no stretching is by design.
If you need to edit a block, BEDIT command is good place to start.
If you cannot find 2D blocks, and using 3D in a 2D environment is not what you'd like to do, there is FLATTEN command you can use too.

Give it a shot.

[BillAllenSE]

Thanks for all of the responses and tolerating my frustration.

After sleeping on it last night, I awoke with an epiphany. I don't really need to do a lot of detailing or minutia. I am a structural engineer and not an architect. All I need to do is to replicate what I do in 2D into a 3D model. That is, define the architectural envelope including walls, roofs and fenestration. This acts as a container for the structural elements I am interested in. In my current (2D) workflow, I import the architectural plans and overlay the structural framing and foundation. Sometimes, I import a PDF. I'm doing this more often than not because I find it easier to trace over the architectural walls and fenestration than to convert the architectural elements to proper layers. Where 3D will help me is in the area of identifying unique structural problems due to the third axis. I only need to model beams, columns, footings, etc. which I will have no problem extruding 2D polylines to create. I will put these items on unique layers which I will turn off on my framing and foundation plans. I can also use this technique to build an analytical model if I choose to run the structure on a Finite Element program such as RISA, etc. I can also use the 3D skills in creating specific details which will better illustrate problems in framing where it's not clear in a 2D drawing. In this way, learning 3D will augment my current workflow instead of replacing it like Revit, Revit LT, AutoCAD architecture or Sketch Up would require. FYI, I am learning 3D via linkedin.com/learning. Very helpful.

Sometimes I need a good night's sleep to get over my own analosity.
🙂