Vectorworks Spotlight - Extrude a drawing in 3D

Beginners guide to starting out in 3D. Follows the six On Stage Lighting 2D Vectorworks Spotlight tutorials that get you started that can be found at http://www.onstagelighting.co.uk/training-tutorials/vectorworks-spotlight-tut...

This tutorial is a first step into working in three dimensions and shows you how to create a 3D model in Vectorworks Spotlight from a basic 2D theatre groundplan of poly lines using Extrude. Topics include:

The difference between 2D and 3D draughting
The benefits of 3D modelling in CAD
How technical drawings are created from a 3D model
Different working views in Vectorworks
Screen Plane Vs Layer Plane
Creating a 3D object from a 2D shape using Extrude
Unified View
Creating a venue model using Extrude with a closed polyline
Boolean operation: Cutting out doorways using Subtract Surface
Setting object height in 3D space and using Vectorworks as a calculator
Creating a complex 3D object using Add Solids

** Note: Make sure you follow good 2D line housekeeping before building solids from them. It's best if your polylines are closed properly or multiple lines are welded together to create a single line. This will ensure you model geometry is true and avoid problems later on.