How do I convert a 2D Cadd Drawing to 3D in Gmax?

bandopacific

New member
I have tons of drawings I have done over the last 15 years or so - rolling stock, buildings, trucks (bogies) and I would love to be able to see them in 3D. They are all done in Generic CADD (greatest Cadd program in the world!) and in .DWG format. (Not the Autocadd kind). They are very easy to convert to DXF. In GMAX I was able to import some of them and there they were - my 3 view drawing of my favorite trolley. (No, not a shopping cart.) some boat lines, you name it. But at that I was stuck. I tried drawing a simple box, 3 views and imported that, but all i could do was look at a box in 3 flat views. Where do I go from there? There must be a way. I am brand new at gmax and going through the tutorials.
Do I have to split them up before I import them? If you successfuly import 3 separate views how do you stick them together?
Any help would be appreciated

B & O Pacific
 
Not too sure if you can create a 3D model from them, but as you say, you can import and produce a plane. From that you can create using that plane as a guide.

What sort of rolling stock do you have drawn ? If you have a list please email to paulztrainzusa@peoplepc.com I would like a look see
 
Check out this thread from the content forum about similar subject:
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=20499

No magic button to press I'm afraid. The models will have to be constructed piece by piece in gmax. The drawing can be used as a background guide in gmax to assemble it on if converted to a raster image. Rich Blake's "Reference Box for Modeling" linked to in the thread above explains the basic idea if you have multiple views of the item.

A dxf version can be imported directy into gmax and you maybe able to use some of the lines as starting point for individual parts you have to make. I've done that some with my limited gmax abilities because I'm more familiar with 2d cad programs than the gmax interface. I usually end up making a lot of extrusions to form 3d parts. Though lately I've been using turbocad to construct 3d parts and import into gmax then assemble, texture and export the model to Trainz with it.

Bob Pearson
 
Is Generic CADD still available, or is this the one that became General CADD (at $500.00 a copy)?
 
2D CAD files are of very little use but 3D files can be imported into gmax for rendering. I've found 3DS to be a more useful export format than DXF.

All of my content is drawn in Autocad 3D, which has drawing capabilities far superior to gmax (where did I put my tin hat?), exported as 3DS and rendered in gmax.
 
Is Generic CADD still available, or is this the one that became General CADD (at $500.00 a copy)?

I'm not sure what you mean by Generic CADD. CADD is a generic acronym (Computer Aided Design and Drafting) and not a generic program. You'll find that most CADD programs worth their salt are fairly expensive (mine was over $2000), but any CADD program that will export a .dxf format will work and their should be some fairly inexpensive ones out there although 'inexpensive' is a relative term.
I find CADD programs much easier to develop my meshes in than gmax.
 
Andi,

I agree with you on this. The DXF format can be really nasty about polygons. I exported an object from Autocad for import into 3DS 4.0 (DOS version), and the object came in with a gazillion polys.

I tried the same format going into Max, and the same problem was there as well.

This was awhile ago so I'm not sure if this has been improved since then.

John
 
3D Objects from 2D drawings.

As a long time user of AutoCAD I find making 3d objects from 2d drawings relatively easy but very time consuming. Every object must either be made by manipulating primitive objects (boxes, cylinders, spheres etc) or extruded from drawn shapes. All done in AutoCAD.

The objects can then be exported as .3ds files to GMax, and textured and assembled to make the final object. I find it much easier to break things up into little bits that are easily textured and you can hide them in GMax until you want to export the finished article to Trainz.

If you can get your 2d creations into GMax it is possible to either trace them or make closed lines that can be extruded. It's a starting point.

Oh yes, and I agree with Andi, AutoCAD is much better for creating good 3d objects.

In GMax you can't split things into separate views. You are looking at the solid object from different directions. I guess if you make a box and put a view on three sides it may be possible to join the dots to make an object. I don't profess to being a GMax expert but I dont have many problems making complex shapes, and applying textures, but oh it's so fiddly.

Just a few thoughts,

Peter V
 
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Is Generic CADD still available, or is this the one that became General CADD (at $500.00 a copy)?
I don't know - the generic cadd i use is actually called generic cadd. i use version 6 and 2. 2 is REALLY early but i love it- the great thing is that everything is 2 letter commands:
ZA zoom all
NP nearest point
SM snap midpoint, etc etc

Long ago it was bought by autodesk and orphaned. There are a bunch of die hard supporters ("I'll give up my generic cadd when you pry it out of my cold dead fingers) of which i am one.

GCADD6 will convert to dxf, and from there could be reworked into whatever needed in some more sophisticated program

A couple years ago i heard of a modern program that uses those wonderful 2 letter commands, but i didn't follow up on it. I usually draw stuff in GCADD2 (It fits on a 3 1/4 floppie - remember those?) then move it over to GCADD6

Lloyd - B&O Pacific
 
It's also possible in AutoCAD to create your own list of one and 2 letter commands. I remember some Generic CADD diehards doing that some time ago. .. I must be getting too old....

Peter V
 
Are there any other formats that you can use?

I have a CAD program on my laptop and it is incredibly easy to use, even comes with rendering software and environments where you can put the parts together then make exploded views and everything and even simulate it working, But I can't use Gmax for ****. It is so fiddly and hard to use. I hate it.

The program I like is called Solid edge and we use it at school. But as I recall, it only saves in its own format. I will have to look at it again.
 
jdenm8,

You have to use GMax ($ free) or 3dMax ($ expensive) to be able to export the meshes in the correct format for Trainz.

However you can use any CAD progam (hopefully) that will export in either .3ds or .dxf formats, to put data into GMax. Then you texture it and use Trainz plug-in to create .im meshes. But you must build 3d objects in the CAD program. 2D CAD will only frustrate you trying to make it 3d in GMax.

Check out Phil Campbell's World of Trainz website for tutorials. His tut's got me started on content creation. It's a steep learn curve at first but (for me at any rate) it didn't take all that long to make some usable content.

You sound as if you have some CAD knowledge so that's a great start.

Peter V
 
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I already have Gmax (and I hate it) and I didn't see the option to save to .dxf as a part (lots of other ones: .igs/iges, .jt, .sat, .step/stp, .x_b/x_t, .xgl, .plmxml, .model (Catia V4 it says), .ems and .stl) and Solid Edge is a 3D CAD program. Does all of the 2D stuff as well if you want it to. It will save as .dxf as a draft but Gmax will only show up with a drawing of it.
I did a semester subject on how to use Solid Edge by the way.
 
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Gmax won't save to a .dxf format. It works the other way around. It will import .dxf files. Some CADD programs out there (but not all) will save into a .dxf format which can then be imported into Gmax.
 
jdenm8,
My point here is that you can create your object in your Solid Edge program, IF it allows you to save in either .3ds or .dxf formats.

You can then Import these formats into GMax. You MUST use GMax or 3dMax with the Trainz Asset Creation plug-in to create the .im mesh files and texture.txt files that the game requires.

If your CAD program does not save in these formats,
a new CAD program is needed,
or get a suitable plug-in to save to one of these formats,
or use a program called 3d Object Converter 4.0 that converts some 3d formats to others (It's not a freebie unfortunately.)
or use the much-hated GMax !!!!!

Gee this is fun isn't it.....
 
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Does anyone know of any simple tutorial, guide or some tips on how to get my feet wet with creating content with Gmax, CCP and 3d Canvas?

Thanks in advance.
 
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