How are you rendering 2d drawings?

[Ged_Trias]

How are people rendering 2d drawings in autocad? Are you solid hatching? Exporting as PDF's to Photoshop or Illustrator? Do people still render 2D drawings any more?

Just curious how people are doing this these days. Just went through a DWG to Photoshop process and found it excruciating, Isolating layers for line work, exporting pdfs and re compositing it in Photoshop just to color.

Thanks,

[Ged_Trias]

@RobDraw

Just because you can do it one way doesn't mean the other ways of doing things stop being relevant or useful.

I think that's why they can still sell AutoCAD

[john.vellek]

Hi @Ged_Trias,

Good point and I am in total agreement with your position. I would not see a lot of benefit in producing this type of site/landscaping plan in 3D just to get a rendered view. It would be an enormous file and very time consuming.  If there were other uses for such a model such as hydrology or lighting studies then it would make sense to put in that effort.

Some older methods make a lot of sense. Now, if we could find something like Impressions to make it easier and quicker...

[RobDraw]

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@Ged_Trias wrote:

@RobDraw

Just because you can do it one way doesn't mean the other ways of doing things stop being relevant or useful.

I think that's why they can still sell AutoCAD

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They still sell drafting tables and colored pencils, too.

I was merely suggesting that if the drawing had been done with a 3D program designed for this stuff, your options for rendering probably wouldn't be so limited.

[gotphish001]

@john.vellek I just watched the tutorial you posted on how to render with sketchbook. When I have to color these types of drawings that is exactly the level of detail I would need, so I was excited to find an easy way. I just don't understand that like the 3rd step in the persons process is to put the pdfs they made from cad into photoshop to make them a png and put that back into sketchbook. If I'm paying for photoshop why the hell would I render them in sketchbook? It would be like paying for autocad to print out a title block on a 24x36 sheet to then hand draw your design in pencil on that title block. haha 

Is there another way to make the pdf a png to get the transparency?

[john.vellek]

HI @gotphish001,

I agree that opening it in PhotoShop just to create a PNG is a little crazy. Of course you could just produce the PNG right from Plot in AutoCAD.

Also, depending on your PDF reader, you might be able to actually save to different formats from it as well. I know one reader that I use saves to over 14 different image formats.

There are also several good (free) photo editing applications on the Internet that will open PDF and then let you save or export to a different format.

[Anonymous]

M-Color. I use it daily.

[Anonymous]

I have earned my B.S.L.A. in Landscape Architecture @ Texas A&M University.....back in 1977.  I have had an extremely busy career....to the point where I never had the "time" to learn autoCAD.  I've been drawing Architectural plans (drafting) & graphic art since age 13.  So, I may be "old school", but "hand drawn" 2D graphics has served me well during my design career.

IMO......autoCAD (for the most part) is a "production" tool.......NOT a "design" tool.  I have learned first hand from some of the TOP Landscape Architecture Firms in the World.....that for every project, they all begin with "hand drawn" sketches and renderings too.  

I use BOTH colored markers and colored pencils on my 2D renderings.....to get a really rich look in the colors.  Shading and shadowing is very important to get the maximum effects.  How you render water and large lawn areas is important to the rendering.  Shadows....regardless of the sun angle work best (to the human eye) when those shadows go to the lower right at a 45 degree angle.  I believe my "hand drawn" 2D color rendering techniques give you close to a 3D look....makes the design ideas easy for my clients to understand.  AND, great color renderings (especially done by hand) give it all a "personal" touch that computers don't.

I've seen some outstanding computer color renderings......but, I have also seen some really BAD computer renderings.  IMO, too many designers just never learned HOW to draw by hand.....so, they lean on computer software programs.  I have had an outstanding 40 yr. design career.....and NEVER used any computer software.

[WarrenGeissler]

Good for you Bob, but honestly posting on an AutoCAD forum about how you never use AutoCAD (or "..any computer software") sounds like a waste of time and rather counter productive to me.

Enjoy the rest of your career as I am sure the people on this forum will enjoy theirs, using AutoCAD.

[Anonymous]

Hello Warren;

You should believe.....that I'm not the only professional designer who uses "hand drawn" graphics....sketches or color renderings.  As I mentioned, most of the TOP design firms in the World use "hand drawn" sketches...preliminary sketches before they ever go to autoCAD.

This is also true with most of those CGI blockbuster Movies we see.....like Star Wars, Prometheus, Guardians of the Galaxy.......and so many more!  They have many dozens of free hand illustrators to create the spacecraft designs, scenes, costumes, aliens, etc.....then, those "hand drawn" sketches and illustrations go to the CGI computer team who create the very realistic movies we all enjoy.  But, first......you have to know HOW to draw "freehand".

There is a 30 yr. old "hand drawing" workshop called "BELOOSE WORKSHOP".  Look it up.  This workshop (to teach designers how to draw better "by hand".....was created by the World famous Graphic Designer "Mike Lin".  His Son, "Brian Lin"...is an extremely talented Landscape Architect and Graphic Designer. Brian spends a lot of his time working with his Father running this workshop.

Also...many Universities are not getting back to teaching "hand sketching" in their Landscape Architecture Degree Programs. 

I totally realize the advantages of using autoCAD and other computer software programs......but, I have seen designers with 10 to 15 yrs. of professional experience who are really "terrible" at using autoCAD.  They don't understand proper line weights.  And, if you can't read and understand the autoCAD drawings.....they're useless to contractors who are trying to build from them. 

If I need autoCAD (because a client requests it....or if I have a project that is large enough where I feel it just makes sense to go with autoCAD rather than "hand drawing".....I have a couple of guys who can convert my hand drawings to autoCAD for me.....it's not a problem.  But, there are MANY young designers in my field....who are 5 to 10 years out of college....who just can't "design".......oh, but, they know autoCAD. 

Thanks, Warren.....my 41 year career has been doing just fine....and I'm planning on staying active for another 5 years or so.

Bob

[Anonymous]

Having read this thread, I plumbed for exporting a DXF into Photoshop and then colouring there.  I found you can 'hire' photoshop at a reasonable price from Adobe.

It didnt take long and the results are not too bad even if I say so myself.