AutoCAD Scenery Design

Pre-visualizing Sets with 3-D Drawings

Some obvious advantages of working with CAD:

In addition to developing plan and elevation views, axonometric and perspective views can be monitored at the same time..

These perspective views simulate lenses of different focal lengths, ranging from wide-angle to telephoto, allowing the software to accurately predict views seen by cameras placed on the set:

All the views shown in the sample are from the same 3-D drawing. They can be viewed and manipulated simultaneously as the design is in development.  This set was realized in the image below.

Issues of goodness-of-fit on sound stages can also be worked out, especially if the set is drawn within a 3-D drawing of the stage itself. The drawing below is of the Broadway Sound Stage in Astoria.

I maintain a collection of drawings of commercial NYC sound stages. If you know of a stage that might want to commission this kind of drawing, they can e-mail me directly.

Here again, using 3-D stage drawings as a reference, a permanent kitchen set was designed within the virtual stage space of the Lee Rothberg television stage, maximizing the remaining space for other types of setups.

Drafting in 3-D CAD is a bit slower than conventional drafting, but there's a payback in the ease of revision and in the capacity to incorporate and duplicate many stock and pre-drawn elements.

CAD models also provide precise layout dimensions which aid construction.

Here are some samples of stock scenic elements that have been drawn as self-contained blocks and organized like a catalog. These can be inserted directly into sets as they're designed:

This catalog was prepared as an adjunct to pages about the JV III Shop @ Keystone.

Images of some JV III sets, most designed with computer assistance, can be found in a small portfolio.

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