Architectural drawings to 3D handoff

Ridge House

A two-storey house drawn as a full set, then handed over the way a 3D team needs it: one coordinated model behind every sheet, schedules, a coordination log, and a build spec for Unreal Engine 5.

What this is. A self-initiated study I made to show how I read an architectural drawing set and translate it for 3D artists. It is not a client project and the building is not real.

4drawing sheets
26tagged openings
11rooms
21/25checks pass, 0 fail
121 m²net internal area

Explore the 3D model Read the drawings Download the PDF set

01 · Model

The drawings, built

Every wall, opening, slab, stair and roof plane in this model is generated from the same data as the sheets below. Click a window or door to see its mark, size and the sheets it appears on.

External wall
Internal wall
Slab
Roof
Frames
Stair
Colours apply in Modules mode

02 · Drawings

The drawing set

Four A3 sheets at 1:50 and 1:100, drawn the way a contractor expects to receive them. Opening tags are live: hover or click one and the schedule and the 3D model follow.

Cut at +1.300. Walls, openings with swing, stair, furniture for scale, three dimension strings per side and gridlines A to D / 1 to 3.

SVG

03 · Method

How I translate drawings for a 3D team

The same five habits whether the set is a house or a hotel lobby.

01
Fix the datum before drawing anything
Gridlines A to D and 1 to 3, level +0.000 at ground-floor finish, roof pitch 22 degrees, wall plate +5.700, ridge +7.397. Units and origin are agreed first so every later number means one thing.
02
Follow each opening across the whole set
A mark such as W11 has to agree on the plan, the elevation, the section and the schedule. Click any tag on a sheet, a row in the schedule or the opening in the 3D model and the other three light up.
03
Close the dimension chains
Room faces plus wall thicknesses must add up to the overall length: 300 + 6825 + 150 + 3225 + 300 = 10800. When a chain does not close it becomes a question for the architect, not a guess.
04
Write assumptions down as RFIs
Where the drawings are silent I record what I assumed and what it changes for the 3D team, so nobody builds on an unstated decision.
05
Hand over in engine terms
Opening families, wall pieces, materials and a DataTable of coordinates in Unreal units, with north and handedness converted once and documented.

04 · Schedules

Opening schedule

26 openings, each with a mark, size, sill, head, room, the sheets that show it and the Unreal mesh it maps to. Sizes are structural openings in millimetres.

Mark	Type	Level	Wall	W × H	Sill	Head	Room	Sheets	UE5 mesh
CW1	Curtain wall	GF	Ext S	5800 × 5250	150	5.40	R01	A-101, A-201, A-301	SM_CurtainWall_580x525
D1	Door	GF	Ext S	1000 × 2400	0	2.40	R03	A-101, A-201	SM_Door_100x240
W1	Window	FF	Ext S	1200 × 1300	900	5.20	R16	A-102, A-201	SM_Win_120x130
W2	Window	GF	Ext W	1500 × 1200	900	2.10	R02	A-101, A-201	SM_Win_150x120
W12	Window	GF	Ext W	1200 × 1200	900	2.10	R01	A-101, A-201, A-301	SM_Win_120x120
W3	Window	FF	Ext W	1500 × 1500	750	5.25	R11	A-102, A-201	SM_Win_150x150
G1	Gable light	FF	Ext W	900 × 700	+5.90	6.60	R01	A-102, A-201	SM_GableLight_90x70
G2	Gable light	FF	Ext E	900 × 700	+5.90	6.60	R03	A-102, A-201	SM_GableLight_90x70
W11	Window	GF	Ext E	900 × 3200	+1.20	4.40	R03	A-101, A-102, A-201, A-301	SM_Win_90x320
W9	Window	GF	Ext E	1200 × 1200	900	2.10	R04	A-101, A-201	SM_Win_120x120
W10	Window	FF	Ext E	1200 × 1300	900	5.20	R15	A-102, A-201	SM_Win_120x130
D4	Door	GF	Ext N	900 × 2100	0	2.10	R02	A-101, A-201, A-301	SM_Door_90x210
W4	Window	GF	Ext N	2400 × 1200	1050	2.25	R02	A-101, A-201	SM_Win_240x120
W8	Window	GF	Ext N	600 × 600	1700	2.30	R05	A-101, A-201	SM_Win_60x60
W5	Window	FF	Ext N	2400 × 1500	750	5.25	R11	A-102, A-201	SM_Win_240x150
W6	Window	FF	Ext N	900 × 900	1500	5.40	R12	A-102, A-201, A-301	SM_Win_90x90
W7	Window	FF	Ext N	1500 × 1300	900	5.20	R15	A-102, A-201	SM_Win_150x130
O1	Cased opening	GF	Int V1	1500 × 2400	0	2.40	R03	A-101, A-301	SM_Opening_150x240
O2	Cased opening	FF	Int V1	1200 × 2400	0	5.40	R13	A-102	SM_Opening_120x240
D2	Door	GF	Int H0a	900 × 2100	0	2.10	R04	A-101	SM_Door_90x210
DS	Door	FF	Int H0a	900 × 2100	0	5.10	R16	A-102	SM_Door_90x210
D3	Door	GF	Int H1	800 × 2100	0	2.10	R05	A-101	SM_Door_80x210
DM	Door	FF	Int M1	900 × 2100	0	5.10	R11	A-102	SM_Door_90x210
DE	Door	FF	Int E1	800 × 2100	0	5.10	R12	A-102, A-301	SM_Door_80x210
DB2	Door	FF	Int H2	900 × 2100	0	5.10	R15	A-102	SM_Door_90x210
W13	Window	FF	Int H0w	1800 × 1200	900	5.10	R11	A-102	SM_Win_180x120

Rooms

ID	Room	Lvl	Area m²	Height m	Glazing / floor
R01	Living	GF	26.1	5.40	125%
R02	Kitchen / Dining	GF	26.1	2.75	18%
R03	Entry / Stair	GF	12.3	2.75	28%
R04	Guest Bedroom	GF	7.0	2.75	21%
R05	Ensuite	GF	4.8	2.75	7%
R11	Master Bedroom	FF	16.9	2.70	35%
R12	Master Ensuite	FF	4.9	2.70	17%
R13	Gallery	FF	3.4	2.70	–
R14	Landing	FF	4.8	2.70	–
R15	Bedroom 2	FF	7.0	2.70	50%
R16	Study	FF	8.0	2.70	19%
Net internal area			121.5

Quantities

External face	Gross m²	Openings m²	Net m²	Glazed
South	58.1	34.4	23.7	59%
North	58.1	11.5	46.6	20%
East	55.0	6.5	48.5	12%
West	55.0	6.1	48.9	11%
Total	226.3	58.5	167.8	26%

Footprint90.7 m²
Roof area, two planes120.1 m²
First-floor slab, 250 mm49.4 m² · 12.4 m³
Internal wall length31.9 m

05 · Coordination

Checks run on the set

These run against the model every time the sheets are generated. 21 pass, 4 are notes for the architect, 0 fail.

Status	Rule	Result	Sheet
Pass	Plan chain along X closes to overall width	300 + 6825 + 150 + 3225 + 300 = 10800 (overall 10800)	A-101
Pass	Plan chain along Y closes to overall depth	300 + 3825 + 150 + 3825 + 300 = 8400 (overall 8400)	A-101
Note	First-floor partitions stacking on ground-floor walls	1 of 5 stack directly; the rest sit on the 250 slab	A-102
Pass	Stair 2R + G between 550 and 700	R 187.5 / G 250: 2R+G = 625	A-301
Pass	Stair rise 16 x R equals floor-to-floor	16 x 187.5 = 3000	A-301
Pass	Stair top nosing clears hall north wall	Top tread ends at y = 4080; wall face at 4125	A-101
Pass	Stair clear width at least 800	975 mm between wall face and wall face	A-101
Pass	Doors have at least 800 mm structural opening	8 doors, narrowest 800	Schedule
Pass	Door heads at least 2100	All doors 2100 or higher	Schedule
Pass	Every opening sits inside its wall extent with at least 100 mm return	26 openings checked	Schedule
Pass	No two openings overlap in the same wall	No overlaps	Schedule
Pass	Door swings clear of fixed furniture and stair	Arcs of D2, D3, DB2, DE, DM and DS tested against the layout	A-101 / A-102
Pass	R01 Living: glazing at least 10% of floor area	32.52 m2 / 26.1 m2 = 125% (CW1 + W12 + G1)	Schedule
Pass	R02 Kitchen / Dining: glazing at least 10% of floor area	4.68 m2 / 26.1 m2 = 18% (W2 + W4)	Schedule
Pass	R03 Entry / Stair: glazing at least 10% of floor area	3.51 m2 / 12.3 m2 = 28% (G2 + W11)	Schedule
Pass	R04 Guest Bedroom: glazing at least 10% of floor area	1.44 m2 / 7.0 m2 = 21% (W9)	Schedule
Pass	R05 Ensuite: glazing at least 5% of floor area	0.36 m2 / 4.8 m2 = 7% (W8)	Schedule
Pass	R11 Master Bedroom: glazing at least 10% of floor area	5.85 m2 / 16.9 m2 = 35% (W3 + W5)	Schedule
Pass	R12 Master Ensuite: glazing at least 5% of floor area	0.81 m2 / 4.9 m2 = 17% (W6)	Schedule
Note	R13 Gallery: no direct glazing	Lit from the living void and curtain wall CW1	A-201
Note	R14 Landing: no direct glazing	Lit by stair slot W11 across the open stair	A-201
Pass	R15 Bedroom 2: glazing at least 10% of floor area	3.51 m2 / 7.0 m2 = 50% (W10 + W7)	Schedule
Pass	R16 Study: glazing at least 10% of floor area	1.56 m2 / 8.0 m2 = 19% (W1)	Schedule
Pass	Roof plane passes through the wall top at both eaves	z(y=0) = 5700; ridge 7397 at y = 4200 for 22 degrees	A-301
Note	Curtain wall head leaves a structural band to the roof plate	Head z = 5400; wall top 5700; band 300 mm	A-301

Assumptions and questions for the architect

RFI-01A-301

Curtain wall CW1 leaves only 300 mm between its head and the wall plate at +5.700. Is a steel header or the eaves beam inside that band, and what is the finished soffit height?

Assumed: Assumed a 300 mm structural beam hidden in the band; head fixed at +5.400.

Effect on 3D: High: affects the CW1 module height and the roof support in 3D.

RFI-02A-101

Wall INT-V1 between living and hall is drawn full height. Is it masonry or stud? The 3D team needs the thickness at the O1 reveal.

Assumed: Assumed 150 mm plastered blockwork carrying the first-floor slab edge.

Effect on 3D: Medium: changes the opening reveal and collision thickness.

RFI-03A-102

Gallery edge at gridline 2 shows a balustrade symbol but no height or type. Glass or timber, and is 1100 mm the intended height?

Assumed: Assumed frameless glass, 1100 mm, fixed to the slab edge.

Effect on 3D: Low: one asset, but it controls sightlines from the gallery into the double-height room.

RFI-04A-201

Gable lights G1 and G2 are shown on the elevation but not on any plan, because the plan cut is below them. Confirm they are fixed rectangular panes and not circular.

Assumed: Assumed 900 x 700 rectangular fixed glazing with 200 mm reveals.

Effect on 3D: Low: two small assets, but they are visible from the double-height room.

RFI-05A-101

Landing R14 has no direct window. Is borrowed light from the stair slot W11 acceptable, or should a rooflight be added?

Assumed: Assumed borrowed light through the open stair void is acceptable.

Effect on 3D: Medium: a rooflight would add a new opening in the roof and change the lighting set-up.

RFI-06A-301

Roof overhang is dimensioned at the eaves (600) but not at the gables. Section shows about 400. Confirm.

Assumed: Assumed 400 mm gable overhang with a fascia of 270 mm.

Effect on 3D: Low: roof mesh extents.

06 · Unreal Engine 5

Handoff spec for the 3D team

This is the specification I would give the artists and the level designer. It is a document and a data set, not an Unreal project.

Coordinates and units

Drawing unitsmillimetres
Unreal units1 UU = 1 cm, so divide by 10
Originouter south-west corner of the ground slab, at +0.000
Axesdrawing east = +X · drawing north = −Y · up = +Z
Why −YUnreal is left-handed, so with +X east, +Y points south
Snapevery opening edge falls on a 25 mm grid
Opening locationcentre of the opening, in the wall plane
Door/window yaw0° on east-west walls, 90° on north-south walls

Naming

Static meshSM_Win_150x120, SM_Door_90x210
MaterialM_Render_White, M_Zinc_Roof
BlueprintBP_RidgeHouse, BP_Door_Hinged
Mesh keywidth × height in cm, one mesh per unique size
Pivotbottom-left of the opening, on the wall centreline
Collisionsimple box per wall piece, glass blocks, frames do not

Opening families

18 unique meshes cover 26 openings. Click a mark to find it in the model.

Mesh	Type	W × H mm	Count
SM_CurtainWall_580x525	Curtain wall	5800 × 5250	1
SM_Door_100x240	Door	1000 × 2400	1
SM_Door_80x210	Door	800 × 2100	2
SM_Door_90x210	Door	900 × 2100	5
SM_GableLight_90x70	Gable light	900 × 700	2
SM_Opening_120x240	Cased opening	1200 × 2400	1
SM_Opening_150x240	Cased opening	1500 × 2400	1
SM_Win_120x120	Window	1200 × 1200	2
SM_Win_120x130	Window	1200 × 1300	2
SM_Win_150x120	Window	1500 × 1200	1
SM_Win_150x130	Window	1500 × 1300	1
SM_Win_150x150	Window	1500 × 1500	1
SM_Win_180x120	Window	1800 × 1200	1
SM_Win_240x120	Window	2400 × 1200	1
SM_Win_240x150	Window	2400 × 1500	1
SM_Win_60x60	Window	600 × 600	1
SM_Win_90x320	Window	900 × 3200	1
SM_Win_90x90	Window	900 × 900	1

Wall pieces

Walls are cut into solid pieces at every opening column, which gives 33 wall meshes for the whole building.

Wall	Type, mm	Length m	Height m	Opening columns	Solid pieces
EXT-S	External 300	10.20	5.70	2	3
EXT-N	External 300	10.20	5.70	3	4
EXT-W	External 300	8.40	5.70	3	4
EXT-E	External 300	8.40	5.70	4	5
INT-V1	Internal 150	7.80	5.70	2	3
INT-H0a	Internal 150	2.25	5.70	1	2
INT-H0b	Internal 150	0.97	2.75	0	1
INT-H1	Internal 150	3.23	2.75	1	2
INT-M1	Internal 150	3.83	2.70	1	2
INT-H0w	Internal 150	4.58	2.70	1	2
INT-E1	Internal 150	2.25	2.70	1	2
INT-H2	Internal 150	3.23	2.70	1	2
INT-S1	Internal 150	3.83	2.70	0	1

Materials

ID	Material	Used on	Unreal asset
M01	White mineral render	South and north external walls	M_Render_White
M02	Vertical charred-timber cladding	East and west gable walls	M_Timber_Charred
M03	Standing-seam zinc	Roof, 22 degree pitch	M_Zinc_Roof
M04	Polished concrete	Ground slab, upper slab, floors	M_Concrete_Polished
M05	Plaster, matt warm white	Internal partitions and soffits	M_Plaster_Warm
M06	Low-e double glazing	All glazing	M_Glass_LowE
M07	Dark bronze aluminium	Window, door and curtain-wall frames	M_Alu_Bronze
M08	Oak decking	Front terrace	M_Oak_Deck
M09	Oak treads on concrete stringer	Main stair	M_Oak_Stair

Notes for the build

Build order. Slabs and wall pieces first, then roof, then the opening meshes from the DataTable, then the curtain wall which depends on RFI-01.
Double-height space. Living R01 is open to the roof, so lighting and reflection captures need to be set up for a 5.4 m volume with a glass wall to the south.
Stair. 16 risers at 187.5 mm, 15 treads at 250 mm, 975 mm clear. Build it as one mesh with the gameplay-facing collision as a ramp if characters will use it.
Interior walls. 150 mm partitions on the first floor sit on the slab edge, not on a wall below. They are separate meshes so they can move without touching the structure.
Scale references. The furniture in the model is for scale only and is not part of the architectural scope.

07 · Files

Download the package

The same files a 3D team would receive.

Want to see how I would run a real set?

I am happy to walk through this package on a call, including the questions I would raise with the architect and how I would agree the first week of the 3D build.

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