Introduction to Autolisp:

AutoLISP is AutoCAD's inbuilt programming language. AutoLISP is used to create programs that will automatically generate drawings. User defined customized commands can be added to AutoCAD using AutoLISP. These customized commands will perform the activities that we want to automate. The very simple example can be creating parametric shapes of any complexity. These shapes will be generated considering the parameters defined and values provided at the time of generation.

It is very important to know what the most important element of the code is because it helps us create the structure to what we're intending to do in the software. It's the variable. It could be any letter but not a number since the latter is a constant.

To understand how Autolisp works, we're creating a code for a basic function which is the creation of a command that allow us to attach circular annotations with numbers to the different elements of a project. It is divided into two main parts: the first one defines the data and variables and the second defines the commands that are going to use the information in the first lines to generate a result.

(defun c:123 ()
(setq a 0.05)
(setq t 0.04)
(setq n 1)
(while
(setq p (getpoint "insert center of circle"))
(command "circle" p a)
(command "text" "j" "m" p t 0 n "")
(setq n (+ n 1))
)
)

This code is written in Notepad and saved as .lsp

while: Evaluates a test expression, and if it is not nil, evaluates other expressions; repeats this process until the test expression evaluates to nil. In other words, it allows us to continue the function as we click until we stop

(setq p (getpoint "insert center of circle")): Sets the point the we're going to establich by the first click

(command "circle" p a): Defines the next command which is the circle with its radius

(command "text" "j" "m" p t 0 n ""): Defines the text in the center of the circle with the preset height

(setq n (+ n 1)): Allows the fucntion to be continuous, so everytime the user click the action repeats itself by adding 1 to the previous number

There are two ways to execute the command: We copying and paste the code in the command bar. After, we press enter and we write the name of the command which is 123. The second method is by apploading th lsp file using APPLOAD and then it's possible to use it by typing 123 in the command bar.

Using the Autolisp programming language in creating a chair:

The original code for the chair gives the possibility to create a chair in AutoCAD with multiple variables and commands comprised:


(defun c:cadeira ()
(setq pontos2d (getvar "osmode"))
(setq pontos3d (getvar "3dosmode"))
(setvar "osmode" 0)
(setvar "3dosmode" 0)
(setq pt1 (getpoint "indique o ponto de inserção da cadeira:  "))
(If (= nil
(setq comprimento (getreal " indique o comprimento da cadeira (em x): ")))
(setq comprimento 0.50))
(If (= nil
(setq largura (getreal "indique a largura da cadeira(em y): ")))
(setq largura 0.50))
(If (= nil
(setq altura (getreal "indique a altura da cadeira : (em z): ")))
(setq altura 0.60))
(If (= nil
(setq esp1 (getreal "indique a espessura do assento:  ")))
(setq esp1 0.02))
(If (= nil
(setq esp2 (getreal "indique a espessura dos pés: ")))
(setq esp2 0.02))
(If (= nil
(setq costas (getreal "indique a altura das costas: ")))
(setq costas 0.5))
(If (= nil
(setq esp3 (getreal "indique a espessura das costas: ")))
(setq esp3 0.05))
(modelar)
(modelar2)
(setvar "osmode" pontos2d)
(setvar "3dosmode" pontos3d)
(command "ucs" "")
)
(defun modelar ()
(command "ucs" pt1 "")
(command "box" (list 0 0 (- altura esp1)) (list comprimento largura (+ altura esp1)))
(setq e1 (entlast))
(command "box" (list 0 0 0)  (list esp2 esp2 (- altura esp1)))
(command "array" (entlast) "" "r" 2 2 (- largura esp2) (- comprimento esp2))
)
(defun modelar2 ()
(command "box" (list 0 0 (+ altura esp1)) (list comprimento esp3 (+ altura esp1 costas)))
) When the code is entered in the command bar the software asks us to enter the values for the different dimensions of the chair, if we just click enter it gives the default dimensions that we include to the code.
 

Modeling always comes first, it is powerful, useful and even necessary in every project. Visualizing and rendering comes after to give life to the project and make it seem a lot more real. To do that we're going to be using another program from Autodesk which is called 3ds Max.

For architects, it is important to know and focus on four main things:

Light
Materials
Imported components
Cameras, video and render

3ds Max is capable of doing other things but let's not forget that it's not only for architects; it's used by designers, animators, cinema specialists amongst others.

Preparing the AutoCAD file:

It's recommanded to save the file to a DXF file (AutoCAD 2010) since it's a universal format.

Importing the file into 3ds Max:

Before the import, it's very important to make sure that the units used are all in meter and that the rendering engine is set to Arnold .When we're importing the file, a set of windows pop up lisiting the different layers of our file. We only choose the 3D files. The model appears in 4 windows: Top, left, front and in perspective.

Light:

Different types of light can be added to the project that we choose from the right ribbon:

                   Natural light:

It could either be a light generated by a Skydome, Sky Portal Illumination or a light which functions exactly like the sun. The Skydome simulates light from a hemisphere or dome above the scene, representing the sky. This is the node which is typically used for lighting exterior scenes. The Portal is a light object that gathers sky light (as opposed to direct sunlight) generated by a Daylight system. When a Sky Portal is applied to objects such as glass doors and windows, these objects become light sources. The Sunlight and Daylight systems use light in a system that follows the geographically correct angle and movement of the sun over the earth at a given location. You can choose location, date, time, and compass orientation. You can also animate the date and time. This system is suitable for shadow studies of proposed and existing structures. In addition, you can animate Latitude, Longitude, North Direction, and Orbital Scale.


It can be done using multiple ways: Spot, point or cylinder which need to be attached to a lighting Equipment.

Materials:

Textures:

Materials and textures are one of the most interesting and useful things for architectural visualization in 3dsmax. To make it possible for us to assign materials to each component/family, it's compulsory to have each category under a specific layer. To proceed, we use the shortcut M to open the material editor, we click on Physical Material, we double click on the chosen material, we rename it, we choose a preset, we modify the parameter. When  we're done we right-click on the tab of the new material and we click on Assign Material to Selection while having the layer selected. Now, we have our components with their new textures ready to be rendered.


Imported components:

We surely need furnishings, vegetation, lighting fixtures to make our space more lively and to do so we need to import files that we get by downloading them from the internet. We click on file, then import and we choose the file, then we check the Merge option and we resize and move it with help of the different views. Often, the imported object comes in different layers so it is important to gather them under the same group.

Cameras: 

Photo rendering:

To make our rendering possible and to take shots, it is necessary to position cameras at specific angles. We go to the right ribbon and we choose one of the camera types depending on what we're intending to capture:

Physical
Target camera

But the one that we commonly use is the Target camera, a target camera views the area around the target icon that you place when you create the camera. A target camera is easier to aim than a free camera because you simply position the target object at the center of interest. We choose the camera and then we select a point to position it and then another one to define the target. It's also possible to move it in all directions so as to choose the desired angle.

To visualize the view generated by the camera, we go to the 3D view and we change from perspective to our camera.

After going through a couple of basic commands and functions in AutoCAD, it was time to apply them directly to an architecture project. The main goal of this exercice was to create a 3D model of a studio to visualize it in 3ds Max. As usual, we'll go from the 2D plan to the 3D volume.

Creating the layers:



To organise the work and make it easier to navigate through, it's recommanded to create layers to each family. We go to layer properties and create layers with each one of them a specific color so that it'd be easy to read and understand and also to make it possible to assign different maetrials when working in 3ds Max.

Creating the plan:

To start, we use the command XLINE on the layer auxiliar to create the guidelines for our layout, and then we go to the 2D plan to draw it with its different components. After we finish that, we create other layers for the 3D which are going to help us draw the polylines that are going to be extruded to create the volumes.



Creating the 3D components:

We use polyline while having the assigned layer selected to make the extrusion, for example we draw the contour of all the walls under the same layer and then we EXTRUDE all of the polylines and we define the height. For the floor and the celing, we just draw a rectangle over the limit of the building and we define the thickness and altitude for each one. Most of the elements have a basic shape apart from the doors frames and handles.


                        Door frame:

They are created by using the command SWEEP. To do so we draw a section of the frame and a path using lines so that we obtain the whole volume.

                       Door handle:

For this one, we use the REVOLVE command and we recall the method we used to model the Oscar Niemeyer concrete structure. We draw half of the section using polyline and a central axis of rotation and we use ISOLINES, SURFTAB1 and SURFTAB2 to define the number of planes which is 36 so that we obtain the volume.

There are some elements/components that are supposed to be created according to the default coordiante system and then rotated to be attached to a vertical plan such as the windo frames glass or the sunshaders. In this case, we draw on an xy plan and then we use the command UCS 3P to change the Z axis so that we can have control over the rotation.