Energy3D is a free design software that helps you to create 3D looking models of buildings, or house models, or whole community models. This 3D modeling app comes with a very basic selection of tools, but all of them are what you need to create highly realistic 3D models or buildings of all shapes and sizes.
Building models created can be printed, and developed in real-time for use in large-scale model representations in construction. Energy3D is a simulation-based engineering tool for designing buildings and power plants that utilize renewable energy to achieve sustainable development. Users can quickly sketch realistic-looking structures or import them from existing CAD files, place them on a map drawing (for example, Google Maps or lot maps), and then evaluate their energy performance for a given day and location.
Based on computational physics and weather data, Energy3D can quickly generate time graphs (similar to a data logger) and heat maps (similar to an infrared camera) for in-depth analysis. Artificial intelligence is also used to support generative design, engineering optimization, and automated assessment. At the end of the design, Energy3D allows the user to print it, cut the pieces, and use them to assemble physical scale models.
What you see in the image above is Energy3D’s default interface for creating building models. The 3D objects located in the menu just above the main work area are all that Energy3D has to offer. It’s not an impressive number of objects available for modeling buildings, but don’t be fooled. With enough practice, you can create very complex 3D models of houses and various other types of buildings.
Energy3D Key Features for Modeling Buildings:
- Easy to use and completely free.
- The camera has options for Top view or Side view.
- Show and animate the sun animation to see how the model will look.
- Selection of the most important objects – walls, doors, windows, roofs can be easily done.
- Print the created model onto paper and develop it in the real world.
- Portable Java applications created using the Java framework.
Since it is a Java application, you must have the Java runtime environment installed on your computer to run it. This also means that Energy3D is cross-platform software, which means it also works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The app is portable, which means no installation is required to create 3D building models.
How to Create a 3D Building Model with Energy3D
Here are some tips to help you get started with 3D-looking building models, or house models, or whole community models.
Immediately download the Energy3D software whose download link I provided at the end of this article, remember this software is portable, so there is no need for installation and immediately ready to use. If you want to change the view, select Camera from the top menu and change there, but I suggest the default view. Select the wall tool and start drawing.
When you select the Wall tool from the menu above, a grid will appear on the main worksheet. The snapping of the squares will help you to make the walls straight, and will also help you to make them parallel to each other. A very simple half-finished house in the picture above. Time to add a roof, and some more walls of course. Select a tool from the menu above and simply click on the building model you created to apply it.
Created buildings can be resized, select the second tool from the menu to do so. To play the sun to see how it reacts, simply select the Show sun Heliodon tool from the top, the yellow one of course and hit play, the button next to it. The sun will start rotating around your building and you will see where exactly the sunlight will fall. Change the color by selecting Edit, so that in this way you can create a professional quality building model.
Conclusion: The 3D building model, if you call it that, which can be seen above takes a little while to create. Energy3D is very easy to learn and you can easily create 3D building models with it. Give it a try, and create a 3D model of your own building.
