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Production Drafting
Our team does all types of architectural drawings - floor plans, elevations, sections, details, door/window/finish schedules, framing/structural/HVAC plans, as-builts, site plans with contours, roof plans, and so on.
We can use whichever CADD software and version you specify, so that we can keep drawing coordination and layer standards as well as plot and line weight settings exactly the same as your office is using.
Our expertise: AutoCAD (13, 14, 2000, 2002, 2004, 200, or 2006), Architectural Desktop (2.1, 3, 2004, 2005, or 2006), DataCAD (7, 8, 9, 10, or 11), ArchiCAD (7, 8, or 9), VectorWorks, AllPlan, IntelliCAD, and MicroStation.
3D CADD Modeling
3D Modeling is one of the USPs of VectorShades: It forms the foundation for our rendering/animation/virtual environment visualization, and for our design work.
Our Expertise in 3D CADD modeling: 3D Studio Max, ArchiCAD, DataCAD, AutoCAD (ACIS solid modeling), and VectorWorks.
Virtual Reality - Quicktime VR Panoramas
Dynamic - see all around you - images are a fantastic way to show potential buyers future condominiums, or existing houses, to show zoning/planning boards how your development will improve their city, and to encourage visitors to your hotel or restaurant.
We can create these "virtual environments" by taking photographs of existing spaces (using our special equipment) and we can also create them of places that do not - yet - exist (by using our architectural CADD 3D modeling software) and can even do hybrid combinations where we have environments where some of the scene is existing and some is a possible idea for the future.
We can create files small enough to place on web sites, and can also create extensive "nodal movies" where you can dynamically jump around to different perspective vantage points.
Rendering and Walk-Through Animation
Visualization of what a building or interior space might look like in the future is key to architecture - and frequently the most important thing in selling a project - first to those who would pay for it, then to those who would approve it, build it, and, maybe most importantly of all - buy it and use it.
We have worked with many builders and developers, who tell us that our renderings and animations helped them sell all or most of the project before construction even begins - which has huge economic impact on whether a project will even get done at all. We frequently work with architects but we usually work for the project developers to create images, and walk-through movies that will bring the project to life.
We also frequently develop web sites for those images and animations. We can set up the web site, and, if you wish, show you how to modify it in the future without needing to always come back to us, or to any web designer to make simple changes.
Scan-to-CAD - Vectorization
Going from paper scans into a usable format in CADD is not automatic - the key being the term "usable" as auto-trace programs do exist. The best way, though, is to use a "CAD-Overlay" approach, where a draftsman essentially draws the drawing from scratch - but with the scan image immediately underneath for reference.
The CAD-Overlay approach has proven itself many times over a number of alternatives, and is the primary approach in most Scan-to-CAD vectorization service companies. CAD Overlay is also the name of an add-on program to AutoCAD which started the whole paradigm. We typically use AutoCAD 2004 to do such work. We also now use this technique with ArchiCAD and DataCAD. We find that this approach is particularly valuable if there are a lot of curves in the drawing - such as site contours.
What makes our Scan-to-CAD services stand out from the - sizable - competition, is that we, as architects who know a variety of CADD programs, can give you a drawing with your file/layer/pen standards in your particular CADD program, with usable objects in your particular smart architectural CADD software - such as Architectural Desktop, DataCAD, ArchiCAD, and so on. |
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