FormZ Session

Introduction to Computer-aided Architectural Design 3D

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A FormZ Design Session

Setting up

Select the desired units from the Working Units in the Options menu
Select Top from the Views menu (to work in plan).
Select 1-16' scale (or whatever fits you)

Creating the ground floor wall structure

Select 10' from the Heights menu.
Select the rectangle tools and the 3D enclosure modifier ( and )
Draw three square.
Draw and modify all the modules of the plan.
Select Union.
Start union-ing one by one all modules (make one big wall structure)
Select a 30-60 view from the Views menu

Saving the file

Goto File menu and select Save
Give the file a meaningful name
Save it as a .fmz file

Inserting openings/holes

Select face from the picking modifiers
Select Insert Hole from the creation modifiers
Select a negative height (-4'-0")
Click on the pick tool while holding the Ctrl and Shift keys (Option key if Mac)
On the dialogue box click on the Inside Boudaries option.
Exit the dialogue box
Select the rectangle tool.
Click on a face and drag the mouse to create the hole (note that the rectangle can exceed the boundaries of the face)
Do the same for all the holes (opening, doors, and windows) in the building

Save the file

Creating the ground floor ceiling

Change you view to Top
Select the parallel extrusion modifier
select the polyline tool.
Select a 1' height.
Trace the boundaries of the building
Change you view to Front
Select object from the pick modifiers
Pick the ceiling object
select the move tool
Move the ceiling object to the top of the wall structure.

Save the file

Ghosting the new objects

Select Ghost from the attributes menu.
Select all the objects you want to ghost (they will be visible but not pickable)
(To unghost them select the Unghost icon and pick the objects to unghost)

Save the file

Creating the first floor

Change your view to Top (plan)
Unghost the ground floor
Pick the ground floor (makes it active, shown in red)
Select Duplicate from the edit menu (makes a copy of the active object)
Change your view to Front (elevation)
Move the first floor on top of the ground floor.

Save the file

Do the same for the ceiling of the first floor.

Save the file

Adding pitched skylights

Change your view to Top
Select the convergence extrusion from the creation modifiers
Select the height to be 4'-0"
Select the rectangle tool
Draw the three pitched roofs
Change your view to Front
Move the objects to the proper height

Save the file

Creating a presentation

Choose a view that shows the whole building (30-60 for example)
Select Render Shaded for the Display menu to preview the building rendering
If happy go to Underlay in the edit menu
A dialogue box will appear
Choose Show Underlay
Then select a file (sky, clouds) or some other background file
(For a Mac you need a TIFF or PICT file
For a PC you need a .tif or .tga file
Check the notes on photoshop to handle that)
Get out of the dialogue
Select RenderZone for the Display menu
Save the file as a tif or pict view (it is in the save as.. in the file menu)

Creating an exploded perspective

Change the view to Front
Move the objects to be exploded (in this case the floors) in different heights
Select a 30-60 viewing angle
Select Perspective from the View menu
Goto "Creating a presentation" (see above)