Sketching Complex Forms

Using the 3D Sketch Tool for Complex Forms

• Create and modify:
• Complex building shapes
• Pitched roofs
• Tilted walls
• Custom volumes and non-standard forms
• Work directly in a 3D sketching environment with snapping and alignment to existing site geometry
• Supports editing of:
• Existing 3D Sketch elements
• Basic Buildings, Volumes, Constraints
• Imported geometry (OBJ, IFC)
• Geometry from Rhino and Dynamo

Important Caveat — 3D Sketch Buildings Are Not Transferred to Building Design or Revit

• Buildings created using the 3D Sketch tool are not supported in Forma Building Design and Revit - tools that allow you to continue developing your design in more detail.
• So, if you want to transfer your building form into Building Design or Revit for further development, use the Basic and Line buildings whenever possible.
• You can model complex building forms in Revit (using Conceptual Masses) or import them from other modeling tools like Rhino.

When to Use the 3D Sketch Tool

The 3D Sketch tool is the most advanced modeling mode inside Forma Site Design.

• Use it when you need more geometric freedom than Basic Buildings or Generic Volumes provide. This includes complex building shapes, pitched roofs, tilted walls, custom volumes, and non-standard architectural forms.
• You can work directly in a 3D sketching environment that allows snapping and alignment to existing geometry while maintaining much more formal flexibility.

• The 3D Sketch tool is best used when the design requires customization beyond standard massing tools and when form itself becomes a key design driver.

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