Trace Floor Plans

 

This tutorial will show you how to import a digitized floor plan into plan3D, like the one shown below, and trace it to see how it looks in three dimensions.

 

 

Contents

 

Tracing a Floor Plan Step-By-Step

Tracing Upper Floors

More About Tracing Floor Plans


Tracing a Floor Plan Step-By-Step

The steps below show how to trace a floor plan from HousePlans.com. Read steps and watch animations to see how it's done.

 

If you want to import your own floor plans, see File> Import Trace Plan...

 

Part One: Import trace file image and scale it:

 

  1. In our example below, we drag in a floor plan from  www.HousePlans.com.
     

  2. When the house imported you need to orient it to north. This house came in facing north so we right-clicked it and chose Rotate>180° from the pop-up menu so it faces south.
     

  3. We need a reference dimension to scale the image. so we picked the 54' back wall. The right wall and other room dimensions could also have been used.
     

  4. Right-click the Trace Image and choose "Scale Trace Image..."

    a. Enter 54 feet zero inches.
    b. Click OK to close window.
     

  5. When you close the window, the cursor will change to a trace file cursor. Click-and-drag from the left edge of the back wall to the right edge so plan3D can scale the image so that distance equals 54 feet. After drawing the red line, the trace image is scaled and you'll be informed it was successful.

    Continue with Part Two after you watch the Part One animation.



    Part One: Trace File Example - click refresh to start over

 

 

Part Two: This explains how to add 3D walls, doors, windows, etc.

 

  1. Draw exterior walls around floor plan with Build>Draw Walls.
     

  2. The wall height for this house - as specified at  www.HousePlans.com - is 13 feet. Adjust exterior wall heights by either raising the top handles for the front and back walls or right-clicking on the front and back walls and choosing "Set Dimensions".


    Part Two: Trace File Example - click refresh to start over
     

  3. Set default wall height to 11' 6" using Edit>Preferences>Walls so interior walls are drawn at the proper height. Although the exterior wall height is 13 feet the roof is actually recessed below that a little.
     

  4. Press "2" key to raise grid to 11'  6". Walls, floors and other objects are drawn on the grid level.
     

  5. Choose Build>Draw Floor and draw a flat roof for the house.
     

  6. To lower the grid to ground level so interior walls draw there - press the 1 key or Page Down key. Also see Edit>Move Work Grid To.
     

  7. Add two exterior walls inside outer walls as shown. The one that separates the garage from the house and other one separates the porch area.
     

  8. Draw interior walls using Build>Draw Walls>Interior Walls.
     

  9. Add holes to front wall using Build> Cut Hole in 3D mode.

    a. Make holes 7 feet high by dragging upper blue handles.
    b. Go to blueprint mode and zoom in to a hole
    d. Click wall to select it
    e. Click the hole's center brown handle to select it
    f. Adjust blue handles to align holes to floor plan.
     

  10. Drag doors and windows from the Directory onto walls where indicated on the floor plan. Also drag in a garage door. Resize as needed by right-clicking them and choosing "Set Dimensions."
     

  11. Right-click doors and garage door and choose "Reverse Object Direction" or "Face Other Side" so they swing in the same direction as the floor plan.
     

  12. Drag in stucco material from the directory (or cement or plaster textures) to make a stucco texture on the walls.
     

  13. Go to the Paint category, check "Tint Surface" so paint colors dragged in "Tint" the texture, and then apply colors to the walls.



              Drawing of house from www.HousePlans.com.

 


Tracing Upper Floors

 

Here are the steps for tracing upper floors:

 

  1. Delete the first floor trace image.
     

  2. Import the trace file for the upper floor.
     

  3. Press the number key or Page Up key to position the grid on the floor you want to trace. See Edit> Move Work Grid for more information.

 

Note: Tracing upper floors is best done in blueprint mode.

 


More About Tracing Floor Plans

 

For more information about importing floor plans, scaling and tracing them see File> Import Trace Plan...