AFMG Network Forum

javinhood · Member

Hi all,

First time posting here, and quite unexperienced with EASE software. I need to do a simulation of sound coverage in indoor scenarios. My starting point is a 2D drawing from autocad. Normally, it is about houses with rooms. I save the drawing into dxf and import it to EASE. Here, I need to go one by one to every single line, extrude it (to create the wall in 3D), change to the apropiate material, create the floor and ceiling, place the speakers in each room and simulate it.

My question, since doing it this way is really boring and what is worse, very time consuming, is: is there an easier way of creating a 3D model from a 2D plan?
if not, is there a way to select all the walls and extrude them all at once?

I would really apreciate your help.

Thanks in advance!

Waldemar · Member

Hi,

you can "extrude" the 2D Lines easily in AutoCad already. Select them and use the CHANGE and PROPERTIES command to change the Thickness. Then draw a closed Polyline at the ceiling and one for the bottom.
If the Lines in 2D were orientated fine, you will get a room in EASE wich is closed and will prove the CHECK DATA with no faults. In the other case you have to change the orientation of some walls only.
Put the Lines and Polylines in AutoCad on different Layers, then it is easy to switch to the right materials in the Import to EASE.

Tim · Member

If the floor plan is the same as the ceiling, you could first draw the floor face then extrude this to the height of the walls. You'll need to invert the faces so they orient the right way.

Or if it's more complex, draw the 3D model in AutoCAD.

With a little time using EASE, you'll become familiar with the tools available to you and producing a model will become quicker.

javinhood · Member

Thanks for help!

True that with some practice it turned to be a bit faster than at the begining.

Extruding the 2D drawing in AutoCad did not help, since I had to do too many modifications afterwards when I am back in to Ease. What helped the most was to draw the 2D version in Autocad, import it in ease, and then extrude avery single wall. Afterwards, just duplecating the floor of the building was enough to create a closed area for simulation. It takes time to extrude every single wall, but it works.

Thanks for help!

Agustín Arias · Member

Hi!

The way that I employ to draw a 3D model from a 2D CAD is through Sketch Up... if you have installed Sketch Up, you can take a capture of the plane view of the CAD model. Paste it in Paint and save as a JPG or BMP image. Then, in Sketch Up you can insert that image in the X-Y plane (see this image: http://k37.kn3.net/7/E/E/F/F/6/898.jpg). Then you can start drawing all the boundaries following the CAD image, generating planes surface. Then extrude each surface to its correspond height. Finally, save as SketchUp 7 and import to EASE.

The reason that I use SketchUp is because it is very simple and fast to draw, but if the model is very simple (a few faces, shoebox type, etc..) it is highly recommended to draw directly into EASE. You just need to take the heights of the CAD model and practise with EASE... after a few drawings you will get familiar with the process

If you have any question about this procedure, ask me!

Best regards

Agustín