Creating Basic extrusions

Vectorworks has many extrusion tools each performing a different action which we will look at, but first we must get to grips with the simplest one, the linear extrusion.

Model Menu 1:

To create basic 3D objects we take a 2D shape and use the extrude tool (Model>Extrude) to give the object its height or depth, depending on which view you extrude from (front, side or top view). Care must be taken to extrude in the correct view, we can always rotate the object around afterwards but it is better to get it right first time!.

The extrusion can be altered in two ways:

1. Manually with the mouse: Drag one of the objects corner or centre control points (make sure that you use the two headed angled arrow cursor). This method is especially useful when alligning an object to another point in your model.
2. Through the Object Info Palette in the box titled 'Extr'

We can extrude objects both positively and negatively (e.g 200mm/-200mm).

Try extruding two shapes both + and - in plan view (0), now move to front view (2) and see how both objects were created from the same z height (zero), with one going up and one going down.

It is useful when creating floors to give them a negative extrusion so that any subsequent extrusions or objects such as chairs or tables will not need to be moved up in elevation but will sit at the right level.

We can extrude multiple 2D shapes at the same time resulting in a single extrusion. If you want to split the extrusion up use the Ungroup command.

2D Shapes


Resulting Extrusion

Although now in a 3D state we can still edit an extrusion in its original 2D form. By double clicking on the object you can 'enter' the extrude and re-shape, add/clip surface etc. It is also possible to add extra 2D shapes or copy and paste in shapes from outside. The benefit of this is that the different shapes may have differing attributes but still belong to the same extrude.

Edited Extrusion

Be careful to exit the extrude by clicking on the 'exit' button to the top-right hand corner of the drawing space. This returns you to the design-layer where you can continue modeling. Not doing this is a very common mistake that new users make and can prove frustrating!

The trick to producing efficient extrusions is to work out which view to do the drawing in first, think ahead to what you may do to the object at a later stage.

E.g when drawing walls and partitions, this can be done in two ways

• Top/Plan view and then extruded to give the object a height (Beige object).
• Front view and then extruded to give the object a depth (Red object).

The view we draw in helps us when editing the object further...

• By adding to the original 2D profile using Add surface command.
• By subtracting from the original profile using Clip Surface command.

Work out if you are going to add windows/openings or alcoves/columns.