4 Principles for Creating 3D Architectural Drawings
Four core principles of 3D architectural drawing, scale, detail, perspective and lighting, plus tips on textures, colors and choosing the right software.
We write many articles on this blog to help you achieve quality in 3D architectural drawing. We believe that after reading most of them, you will be able to solve many issues in 3D architectural drawing on your own. Those who cannot, who find it confusing or who simply do not have time can contact us through our contact page and get 3D visualization services from us. Below are four principles of 3D architectural drawing to keep in mind.
In today’s architecture industry, having the best architectural software is very important. Because of the magnificent architectural structures that surround us, clients expect to see more than just plans, concept sketches and physical drawings.
Before starting 3D drawings and architectural visualization services, working out a few basic principles is a good way to decide where you want to go.
These are the 4 basic principles to follow when creating 3D architectural drawings:
- Accurate scale: When creating 3D architectural drawings, you need to use accurate scale so buildings and objects reflect their real dimensions. This is important for getting an idea of how the design will look in real life.
- Detailed design: 3D architectural drawings require structures to be built in detail. Combined with accurate scale, this makes the structures look realistic.
- Appropriate perspective: An appropriate perspective should be used when creating 3D architectural drawings. It helps highlight the structure’s key details and architectural features and gives an idea of how the drawing will look in real life.
- Good lighting: Using good lighting in 3D architectural drawings gives a more accurate idea of how the structure will look in real life. Lighting shows how the structure will look from different angles, how shadows will fall and how its details will stand out.
These 4 principles highlight the importance of accurate scale, detailed design, appropriate perspective and good lighting when creating 3D architectural drawings. Drawings made in line with these principles give a more accurate idea of how the design will look in real life and are useful to architects.
Detail: A Core Principle of 3D Architectural Drawing
Detail is a topic we have been talking about in architectural drawing for years. When users forget or overlook such an important topic, it affects their ability to achieve quality visuals.
To explain detail a little further:
Hidden ceiling lighting in the drawing
Baseboards
ceiling lights, curtains, wall sconces, wall decorations (if any), fireplace, coffee table, nightstand, pillows, duvet, roses, candles, outdoor and indoor accessories, ceiling details and many other items could be listed.
There is no limit to detail in 3D architectural drawing and modeling.
Design in Architectural Drawing
Creating a design specific to the space and letting the user feel the way of life there is one of the fundamental concepts of design.
You can use your own inspiration for your designs, and you can also look at example work on many different sites for more ideas.
This is one of the most important elements of 3D architectural drawing, and with different, interesting designs you can capture users’ attention.
Choosing Textures and Colors in 3D Architectural Drawing
Textures and materials are among the most important elements for an architectural drawing to stand out and for you to succeed with lighting.
In 3D architectural drawing, they need to be refined through experimentation. You can fill gaps in your knowledge of texture and color harmony with help from many websites.
For example, you need to know well where and how harmonious colors, contrasting colors and complementary colors are used.
Choosing 3D architectural drawing software
Choosing 3D architectural drawing software is a very important decision. It keeps you from wasting time, because fully learning a program can take years.
To save time, you should turn to the easiest and most flexible architectural drawing programs.
SketchUp is one of the most popular programs in the world for 3D architectural drawing. It is easy to use and has a wealth of resources.
It is the easiest program, with intuitive use. I do not compare it with other programs here, because in this area it has no real rival.
For support, Sketchup Türkiye has been providing free help for 12 years.
After that, you can choose 3ds Max, or the free program Blender; however, although Blender is free, it is not particularly suited to architectural drawing.
Although AutoCAD is mainly a 2D drawing program, you can also produce views with its 3D features.
After being used for many years, this program is now preparing to give way to Revit.
Programs with the following features will also be the best choice for you:
- BIM software
- CAD software
- Architectural modeling software
- Architectural drawing programs
- 2D and 3D modeling software
- Architectural drafting software
- Architectural planning software
- Architectural layout software
It is best to choose architectural design software that suits your needs and works best with your setup.
At the moment, Revit meets most of these requirements.