Angel's Civil 3D Thoughts

NEW! Volumes Dashboard Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012

2011-11-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

Recently released at the Autodesk Subscription Center the "Volumes Dashboard Extension for AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2012" provides an easy way to keep track of earthwork volume calculations during the iterative processes of a project.

With this one interface users will be able to calculate, report and visualize surface volumes very quickly and painlessly.

So, visit the subscription center and download this extension in order to make earthwork volumes easier for yourself or your users.

BE BETTER! ...be calculated.

Corridor Solids for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012

2011-10-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

The technology preview Corridor Solids for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 has been available from the Autodesk Labs site. This allows Civil 3D users to create solids from corridor subassembly shapes that will span corridor regions. This is very helpful for better visualization of the 3d nature of corridors and for use in other products (i.e. Navisworks for construction timelining and clash detection).

Be sure to watch the videos on the page to get a good understanding of how to best use this preview.

BE BETTER!! ...do someone a solid.

Bridge Modeler for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012

2011-10-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Bridge Modeler for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 has now been made available at Autodesk Labs. This is an update to the previously available version for Civil 3D 2011.

I have often benefited from being able to quickly create a 3D bridge with the previous version and am happy that a new version is now available for 2012.

BE BETTER!! ...build bridges.

Civil 3D 2012 Is Now Available

2011-04-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Autodesk Subscription customers can now log on to the Autodesk Subscription Center and download Civil 3D 2012.

Civil 3D 2012 contains many enhancement. Among my favorites are...

Importing Styles and Settings
Where are Styles Used (Referenced)
Replace In-Use Styles with Another
Rotatable Labels
Sampling Multiple Baselines in Section Views
Creating a Pipe Network form Imported GIS Data
Superelevation Axis of Rotation Pivot Methods
The Catchment Object with Flow Path
The new On-Line Help

Be Better! ...learn new features.

Carlson Connect for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

2010-11-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

In the words of England Dan and John Ford Coley:

"Hello, yeah, it's been awhile. Not much. How 'bout you?"

Anyways, I was recently told that Carlson Connect was made available for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011. Click on the title of this post to get to the download page.

Be Better! ...Connect with others.

Civil 3D 2011 Update 1

2010-09-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Update 1 has been released for Civil 3D 2011. It includes all previous Hotfixes for Civil 3D 2011, AutoCAD Update 1.1 and Map Update 1.

This update addresses over 50 Civil 3D specific issues.

As always read the Readme file that accompanies the Update.

Be Better! ...Enhance things.

If Importing Google Earth Surface Stops

2010-08-18T08:46:00.001-07:00

I was recently contacted by a few Civil 3D users that were attempting to import a Google Earth surface into their drawings. The importation process would stop at about 49%. I made the following video to address their issue.

Be Better! ...get the settings sets.

Autodesk Documentation

2010-06-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent a link to a centralized page on the Autodesk website for the "Support & Documentation" for many Autodesk Products. From this page we can access the "Knowledge Base", "Documentation", and "Online Help" for those products. My first thought was "Wow, this would be helpful for quick access to this information". Then I figured that others might find this page useful as well, so thus this post.

The products for which there are links are...

AutoCAD

AutoCAD LT

AutoCAD Map 3D

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Autodesk Vault

Autodesk 3ds Max

Autodesk Revit Architecture

AutoCAD Architecture

Autodesk Inventor

AutoCAD Mechanical

Autodesk Alias

autodesk Maya

Autodesk Moldflow

Click here or the title of this post to get to that page.

Be Better! ...support others with you knowledge.

Working with DGN files in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

2010-06-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

James Wedding. Autodesk Civil Engineering Technical Specialist, has posted a video describing Civil 3D 2011's ability to work with and create dgn files in the following scanarios...

needing to work with legacy .dgn data
work with design teams using other applications/platforms
submit to an agency requiring dgn

If you have ever found yourself wondering how best to address those needs you should view this video.

Be Better! ...work well with others.

Civil 3D 2011 Hotfix

2010-06-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

On June 17th there was a hotfix released that addresses a few items including:

Creating a feature line from a closed polyline with assigned elevations no longer causes the program to exit.
Help now appears as expected when running Civil 3D as AutoCAD 2011.
Datasets containing large numbers of control and non-control points now open and import more quickly.
Figure prefix databases will now match lower case figure names.
You can now create parcels from multiple objects selected in a DGN underlay.
Application Product Interface changes are included that improve:

Point group import functionality
Custom draw issues with second command instances in localized Japanese builds

Most of the fixes relate to Survey, but a few do not. This should help.

Be Better! ...fix things.

Introducing James Wedding (a Video)

2010-06-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Many readers are already aware of what James Wedding has done for the Civil 3D community. Well, here he is in an exciting new role, as Autodesk Technical Specialist for Civil Engineering. I am looking forward to working more closely with James and know that this will lead to great things.

Click here or the title of this post to see James in an introductory video.

Be Better! ...always introduce yourself.

Optimizing Performance with AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

2010-06-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last year's version of this video was one of the Civil 3D YouTube videos that I referred to most often. It is great to see that the "Optimizing Performance with AutoCAD Civil 3D..." was updated for 2011.

This 15 minute video offers many tips and processes to increase the performance of Civil 3D. Additionally, metrics are sometimes provided to put the potential gain into perspective.

Covered topics include...

Subassemblies
Profile Views
Label Styles
Surfaces
Corridors
Layouts
Proxygraphics
Event Viewer and Tooltips
Data Management

I am sure that I will be watching this many times and referring to it in my interactions with users.

Be Better! ...plan to perform optimally.

AutoCAD Raster Design 2011 Object Enabler

2010-06-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

The AutoCAD Raster Design 2011 Object Enabler is now available for download here.

This will allow objects created in AutoCAD Raster Design 2011 (once available) to be accessed outside the Raster Design environment.

There is a 32-bit and 64-bit version.

Be Better!

Civil 3D 2011 Object Enabler

2010-05-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

For those that have been searching for a Civil 3D 2011 Object Enabler, one was recently posted.

Click here (or the title of this post) to get to the download page.

The object enabler allows access to objects created by Civil 3D 2011 in other applications (i.e. Navisworks, TrueView).

Be Better! ...enable others.

The Civil Visualization Extension is Available

2010-04-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

As of today, those with AutoCAD Civil 3D on subscription will be able to download "The Civil Visualization Extension" (previously know as Dynamite VSP).

This extension provides a process to take Civil 3D surfaces and corridors and easily incorporate them in 3ds Max Design in order to create compelling visualizations.

There are two plug-ins in this extension. "The Civil 3D Exporter" allow us to export the data we select, and the "3ds Max Design Plug-in" does the magic. These plug-in work for the 2010 and 2011 versions of these applications.

If you do not own 3ds Max Design, a 30 day trial can be download from the Subscription Center as well.

Be Better! ...visualize things well.

Earth Day and Sustainable Design

2010-04-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today Autodesk CEO Carl Bass annouced the launch of the new Autodesk Sustainable Design Center.

This site highlights 10 challenges to sustainability and how Autodesk software can help users make better, smarter, and greener design decisions.

Be Better! ...Be greener.

The Autodesk Seize the Opportunity Virtual Event

2010-03-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 19th, Autodesk is hosting a virtual event showcasing the 2011 products. Various sessions we be presented by Autodesk speakers.

The Civil session will be from 11:30 am-12:oo pm PDT and is titled:
"On the Road to Success: Autodesk Solutions for Roads and Highways"
and will be hosted by Jerry Bartels, a GREAT civil presenter.

The sessions that day will include sneak peaks at some of the upcoming product before they are available.

Registration is required. Please vist the event page by clicking on the title of this post for more information and to register.

Be Better! ...attend important events.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Clarification

2010-03-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

With all of the information about AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011, that is now appearing on the internet, it may seem that the product is now available. Unfortunately, that is not yet true. It has not yet been released. A release date has not been announced.

Yesterday, there were many media/blogger events and those that attended are now sharing what they saw. Also, as I posted yesterday that the Autodesk website has been updated to include information about the 2011 family of products.

AutoCAD 2011 is officially available and can be used.

For those that are waiting for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011, the wait must continue a little longer.

Be Better! ... Be as clear as possible. (Yes Angel, be clearer)

AutoCAD Civil 3D YouTube Videos

2010-03-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

There is a new YouTube channel which contains videos about AutoCAD Civil 3D. The seven videos that I saw there, as of today, were all about AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011.

Click on the title of this post to get to the channel.

Be Better! ...Stay informed.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

2010-03-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011 was announced today. The product website has been updated to provide information about it. Click here or the title of this post to visit the site.

Be Better! ... Stay up to date with the latest info.

Video Bar

2010-03-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am trying out the inclusion of a video bar across the top of this blog. Let me know what you think.

Be Better! ...Video is worth 10,000 words.

New Look

2010-03-22T15:13:00.001-07:00

Well, it was long overdue, but I have begun to update the look of this site.

Be Better! ...Update your look.

Autodesk University 2010 - Call for Class Proposals

2010-03-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

Currently, on the AU blog (BLAUG) there are posts regarding the requests for proposals for Autodesk University 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There is a checklist to understand what will be required, and considerations on what types of classes are sought. The deadline to submit proposals for classes is May 14, 2010.

I know many who have the ability to share their experience with others. This would not only elevate the entire Civil 3D user community, it helps build relationships which strengthens the community, as well. So, if you have been considering teaching at AU, I highly encourage you to start the process now. Follow the links, understand the requirements, and DO IT!

Be Better! ...TEACH!

I Forgot a Five Year Anniversary

2009-12-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, time flies. August marked the 5 year anniversary of this blog. I wish that I would have remembered and marked the event more formally (I feel like a bad spouse). Maybe a site face lift would be a good gift that I can give it.

One thing is for sure, over these five years, Civil 3D has evolved tremendously.

Thanks to all the visitors over the years. I particularly appreciate those that took the time to comment and to provide feedback.

I look forward to the next 5 years.

Be Better! ...remember anniversaries. ;^)

Civil 3D & Windows 7

2009-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

It is now official that Civil 3D supports Windows 7. The title of this post links to the "System Requirements" page for Civil 3D that now includes Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate/Home Premium.

Windows 7 and plenty of RAM help eliminate "Out of Memory" errors that some users experience.

There have been some users that have been waiting for this information.

For a list of Autodesk applications that support Windows 7 click here.

Be Better! ...open windows of opportunities.

Autodesk Guide to Sustainable Design

2009-11-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

It seems that just about every conversation that I have had recently involves either the subject of Sustainable Design or Building Information Modeling (BIM).

For those that would like a brief primer about Sustainable Design the Autodesk website includes a newly modified "Autodesk Guide to Sustainable Design for Architecture, Engineering and Construction".

This guide provides content and best practices for various phases of a "New Construction" project such as...

Requirements Development
Conceptualization
Detailed Design
Implementation Documentation
Construction
Operate & Maintain

or for a "Renovation" project like...

Existing Conditions
Preliminary Analysis
Detailed Analysis
Implementation
Operate and Maintain

...each phase contains detailed information with regards to "Design Decisions", "How to", and "Autodesk Tools".

This will provide a good understanding about how Sustainable Design can be accomplished during the life cycle of a project.

Be Better! ...be green by design.

Autodesk Labs Provides Bridge Modeler for Civil 3D

2009-11-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

Autodesk Labs, which provides access to previews of new technology, has made available "Bridge Modeler for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010". This preview add-on can be installed on Civil 3D 2010 and Civil 2010.

The overview states:

"Bridge Modeler for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 is a Civil 3D add-in module which can create simplified bridges directly from a Civil 3D corridor object. It is a technology preview project at Autodesk Labs derived from a subset of Bridge Extension for Revit Structure 2010, a part of Subscription Advantage Pack 2010, which provides more robust bridge modeling capability and works with Bridge Modeler for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010.

With this add-on, Highway Engineers and Bridge Engineers are treated separately to assume requirements for design practice and preference of technologies. For more information, see the Getting Started Guide (PDF).

The Bridge Modeler for AutoCAD Civil 3D expires on March 15, 2010."

The intention of a technology preview is for anyone, that wishes, to use the technology and provide feedback to help shape how it evolves.

Be Better! ...build bridges whenever possible.

New White Paper - AutoCAD Civil 3D - Technical Note - Harnessing the Power of AutoCAD Civil 3D

2009-10-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

While discussing White Papers and Skill Builders with co-workers today, I ran across a White Paper I had not seen before.

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2010
Technical Note
Harnessing the Power of AutoCAD Civil 3D

This 12 page document covers things such as...

Strategies to Enhance the Civil 3D Experience
Hardware Requirements for AutoCAD Civil 3D
Performance
Memory Primer
Operating Systems Primer
Optimizing Memory Usage
Operating System Recommendations
Model Optimization and Best Practices
More Strategies and Tactics

As users contemplate new equipment, changes in workflows (perhaps the adoption of a BIM workflow), and other company procedures, we should be well familiar with how to get the most out of what is in place.

Click on the title of this post or the title of the PDF file to get to this document.

Be Better! ...harness your potential.

Carlson Connect for Civil 3D 2010

2009-10-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

I often get asked if certain third party add-ons are available yet or not. Well, I was just informed that Carlson Connect for Civil 3D 2010 is available.

Here is the description from the Carlson site:

Add-on for AutoDesk Civil 3D 2010. A collection of routines for transferring and converting data between Civil 3D 2010 and several popular data collectors. Carlson Connect runs inside Civil 3D 2010 and uses the current project data. Free utility to any Civil 3D 2010 user.

Click on the title of this post to get to the download page.

Be Better! ...connect with others.

Subscription Advantage Packs

2009-10-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

It is likely that most have heard about the availability of Subscription Advantage Packs for various products that are now available for download from the Autodesk Subscription site. But, not everyone has heard yet.

These Advantage Packs provide new functionality to these products well ahead of next year's releases.

Subscription Advantage Packs are available for:

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010
AutoCAD Civil 2010
AutoCAD Map 3D 2010
AutoCAD 2010
Autodesk Navisworks 2010
Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010
Autodesk Revit MEP 2010
Autodesk Revit Structure 2010
AutoCAD Architecture 2010
AutoCAD MEP 2010
AutoCAD P&ID 2010
Autodesk Inventor 2010
AutoCAD Mechanical 2010
Autodesk Showcase 2010

The AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Subscription Advantage Pack adds most of the new features to the Toolbox tab of the Toolspace

So far, the initial reaction has been very positive. Many are looking forward to benfit from the new capabilities.

Be Better! ...take full advantage of your benefits.

AutoCAD Civil 3D Importer for Trimble Business Center

2009-10-16T12:59:00.001-07:00

I saw this a while ago and had not had the opportunity to mention it. This utility allows direct import of Civil 3D models data into the Trimble Business Center - Heavy Construction Edition software.

This extends the capabilities of TBC-HCE to read alignments, profiles, COGO points, and corridors, natively. This means, for some, the process will be more interoperable (no specific file creation for contractors).

Click on the title of this post to get to the Trimble download page .

Be Better! ... share.

AutoCAD Civil 2D 2010 Update 2 is Available

2009-09-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Click on the title of this post to get to the download page for the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Update 2 on the Autodesk website.

As always, it is very important to read the Readme file which will contain important information about the update.

This Update resolves over 30 issues, and contains the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Update 1, AutoCAD 2010 Update 1, and AutoCAD Map 3D Update 1.

Be Better! ...resolve issues.

Communication Center has Civil 3D 2010 Update 2

2009-09-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

On a hunch, after seeing a "tweet", by Matt Anderson, about Update 2 being available I checked my Communication Center...

and noticed that an update was available.

After clicking on the Comm. Center link, I was taken to the following page to install Update 2...

Notice that it says that the original product CD will be needed (it asked me for CD #2). After pressing the "Update" button and allowing the process to complete (maybe 5-10 minutes I did not keep track), my Communication Center then displayed...

And to confirm I checked "Help" > "About" which now displays as Version 3 (original plus 2 updates).

Be Better! ...update yourself.

Civil 2010 Update 2 Available (Not Civil 3D)

2009-09-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have AutoCAD Civil 2010 (not Civil 3D 2010) Update 2 has been posted and is ready for download.

Please read the Readme file to get the installation details and any known issues (None).

The update resolve over 30 issues and it includes Update 1 (for those that have not yet installed it).

Click on the title of this post to get to the download page.

Be Better! ...Update things.

Survey Regarding Help

2009-08-24T08:27:00.001-07:00

I have long felt that the help systems in AutoCAD Civil 3D is vastly improved over the help systems of many legacy Autodesk applications.

In my opinion as a former instructor, one the most important abilities for competent users, was the ability to find help from within the product versus asking others over the cubicle walls. Finding "official" help tends to provide the exact way to use, or do something, versus someone's belief of how something works. Sometimes, pressing the F1 button was my best skill.

I was made aware that we have created a survey that requests your input regarding Civil 3D's Documentation and User Assistance system (Help). If you would like to participate please click on any of the links in this post. Below is the official invite:

AutoCAD Civil 3D User Assistance Survey

You are invited to participate in the Civil 3D Documentation and User Assistance Survey.
By participating, you are helping us understand how you use the Civil 3D documentation and providing us with feedback on how we can improve future documentation.

Click here to take the survey

Be Better! ...help whenever you can.

Production Software Poll & Being Civil

2009-08-12T11:54:00.001-07:00

On the left edge of the screen you should be able to see a poll that asks about your primary version of civil engineering design software. Please take a moment to enter your vote.

This poll will be active until August 28.

This is the same poll that you might see on the "Being Civil" blog. If you have not visisted that blog you absolutely should. There is lots of great info there. Like the post about a video titled:

"Understanding Performance using Civil 3D".

That is a 22 minute video with great information about the different memory, video and operating system considerations that impact performance.

Be Better! ...always vote.

Field to Finish Screencast

2009-08-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Similar to the "AutoCAD Civil 3D: The Road Ahead" screencast there is a new screencast titled "AutoCAD Civil 3D: Field to Finish".

This screencast contains a few vignettes that describe AutoCAD Civil 3D's surveying capabilities when it comes to gathering survey information and having that information automatically create symbology, linework, etc. in a drawing, saving significant time in a project workflow. Also mentioned are more modern techniques that can replace certain legacy procedures.

I enjoyed watching the screencast to remind myself of a few processes that I may not interact with on a day-in, day-out basis. This screencast is also good for conveying AutoCAD Civil 3D's capabilities with individuals that may be involved in the decision making process on when to implement Civil 3D.

If you are unfamiliar with what AutoCAD Civil 3D can do in this segment of a project I encourage you to view this screencast.

Be Better! ...Finish what you start.

Civil 3D 2010 Update 1 Now Available

2009-07-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Update 1 for Civil 3D is now available on the Autodesk website.

As always please be certain to read the README file prior to installing for complete installation Guidance.

The README states that the update includes resolutions to over 70 issues.

Note: Make sure that the page you are on shows "Published date: 2009-Jul-31"

Be Better! ...be up to date.

Civil 3D 2010 Style Creation Wizard

2009-07-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Recently a new extension called the "Style Creation Wizard" was made available. It is intended for small companies (1-5 seats) in order to help them create fundamental styles, for the more commonly used object types (see image above), very easily.

The Style Creation Wizard will, in a simple interface, walk a user through a few screens that will generate a new simple style from their responses for layers, colors, fonts, linetypes, etc. A detailed understanding of the actual Civil 3D 2010 styles creation process is not needed, and many of the needed styles when starting with Civil 3D can be created by this wizard.

So if you or your organization...

...is having difficulty defining needed styles or

...can't afford to hire someone to create needed styles or

...does not want to use the out of the box layers (National CAD Standards based)

...then you should try this extension.

Instructions for use:

Download Setup.zip-1.zip

Installation:
Download the attached “Setup.zip-1.zip” file to your machine (some may have to remove the .txt extension depending upon browser).
Extract the files from the zip file to a folder.
Double click on the “Setup.exe” file to install

Execution:
Launch Civil 3D and type the command AeccXStyleWizard on the command line.
Follow the specific instructions detailed at each step of the style creation process.

Lastly, as users become more capable with the style creation process, these newly created styles can then be modified through traditional means and made more sophisticated.

Be Better! ...be a wizard at creating styles.

New Skill Builders Released

2009-07-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

There have been four Skill Builders made available since I last mentioned them here in this blog. They are:

1. Sharing Corridor Assemblies in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 (April 2008)

2. Adding Cut and Fill Conditions to a Corridor Assembly (August 2008)

3. Analyzing Storm Sewer Data with the Hydraflow Storm Sewers Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 (April 2009)

4. Using Dynamic GENIO Data with AutoCAD Civil 3D Shortcuts (? 2009)

If you are not familiar with Skill Builders, they help users increase their knowledge of Civil 3D by providing advanced, solution-oriented information that build on the foundation provided in the standard user documentation. They typically include a PDF file (instructions), and DWG file (practice data), and any other necessary files.

Clink on the title of this post to get to the AutoCAD Civil 3D & AutoCAD Civil Skill Builders page.

Be Better! ...build your skills.

Web-Based Civil 3D Documentation

2009-06-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I do not know how long this has been available but the entire set of Civil 3D 2010 documentation is available in a web-based version (not as pdf's which are here).

This means that web searches should include this information.

Be Better! ...offer choices.

Web-Based Map 3D Documentation

2009-06-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Previously, we have been able to get to on-line pdf versions of the Map 3D Documentation. just like we can get to on-line pdf versions of the Civil 3D Documentation.

But now we can get to web-based versions of the Map 3D Documentation. For some this may be an easier way to read this information. More importantly, this means that web searches will include this information.

I highly recommend that you specifically look at "GIS Skills for Engineers" (the bottom most book). This documentation set contains animations (the "Show me how to..." links). These can be very helpful.

Do not forget that we can get to two version of the Map ribbons by changing our workspace to either:

Tool-based Geospatial
Task-based Geospatial

Be Better! ...give options.

Civil Engineering Resource Center is Redesigned

2009-06-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

I must say, I like the NEW look, and feel of the Civil Engineering Resource Center. There is a great deal of information like How To's, Webcasts, White Papers, the Ask Lucy sections, and much more.

Some of the information is shown in three industry segments:

Transportation
Land Development
Environmental/Water

It is definitely worth a look.

Be Better! ...be more resourceful.

Tie a Ribbon around Civil 3D 2010 - the new user interface VIDEO

2009-06-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is linked to a 25 minute YouTube video about the Civil 3D 2010 NEW ribbon interface. It has some great explanations, tips and answers some anticipated questions.

I highly recommend the viewing of this video!

Be Better! ...learn how things are intended to be used.

Old Styles Are Back Again

2009-06-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

A friend just mentioned that...

AutoCAD Land Desktop Style Converter Extension for AutoCAD Civil and Civil 3D 2010

... was now available for download at the Autodesk Subscription Center.

This extension converts some Land Desktop styles and/or project settings for:

Layers and text styles

Line, curve and spirals

Points

Contours and surfaces

Alignments, profiles and pipes

and creates equivalent Civil 3D styles and settings via a wizard. I recommend that you download this extension and give it a try.

Be Better! ...learn about the tools you have available.

Which OS Is Best? This OS I Guess.

2009-05-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

There has been a great deal of sharing of Civil 3D tips and best practices lately. One that I recently became aware of is "Which operating system is best for Civil 3D 2010"?

As I understand it, the recommendations (in order) are:

Windows Vista 64 bit
Windows XP 64 bit
Windows Vista 32 bit with 3GB switch
Window XP 32 bit with 3GB switch
Window Vista 32 bit
Windows XP 32 bit (my new laptop has this)

I wish that I would have known this one month ago.

Oh, and 8 GB of RAM is suggested for Window Vista 64 bit.

Be Better! ...operate in the best environment.

A Little Birdie Told Me

2009-05-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not being able to recall who made the following suggestion, I believe on Twitter (I tried but could not find the tweet), but I found this tip to be a good one.

The first time that I select a ribbon tab other than the "Home" tab, I take a moment and select all of the tabs one by one. The reason for this is that Civil 3D puts the tabs in cached memory the first time that it is used, and it takes a second or three to do that. Once cached the ribbons change very quickly.

This has helped me by preventing any ribbon switching lag at unexpected moments. I control when that happens, and it is usually right at the beginning of a drawing session before I get engrossed with the design.

I hope that some of you find this helpful.

Be Better! ...Plan ahead in order to work faster.

Trimble Link Is Ready For 2010

2009-05-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

My co-worker Jerry Bartels sent me the link to download Trimble Link for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 and AutoCAD Civil 2010. Click here or on the title to download.

Be Better! ... Work very well with others.

Uncover the Mask

2009-04-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

I received an inquiry and a comment today pertaining to Civil 3D 2010 and the new setting possible to only mask the contour line with contour labels.

This breif video explains what is now possible.

Be Better! ...Hide only what should be hidden.

Civil 3D Quantifies

2009-04-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief video that shows a couple of portions from the tutorials for Civil 3D 2010's new ability to assign pay list codes to objects and then generate pay item quantity reports.

This can quantify individual objects, linear objects, areas, Corridor components via corridor codes sets, and Pipe Network components via parts lists.

Be Better! ...Learn to keep good track of things.

Autodesk Pitches In

2009-04-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

Today, Autodesk, Inc announced the Autodesk Assistance Program, designed to help displaced workers. I am sure that you will see and hear much more about this from multiple sources.

The title of this post is linked to the webpage where potential participants can sign-up and then download a 13-month student licence of AutoCAD Civil 3D (or other software), obtain free on-demand training (24-7) via Retrieve Technologies, Inc. vBooks, get information about reduced-cost (or free) classroom training at reseller facilities, and see info regarding getting a certification at an extremely nominal cost.

In this YouTube video Senior Vice President Steve Blum provides detailed information about this program. An FAQ pdf is also available.

Be Better!... Invest in yourself and others.

Take out the Trash

2009-04-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today, I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the -PURGE command in Civil 3D 2010. While attempting to fix a corrupt drawing that was sent to me, I used this command and found a couple of extra options that I had never seen before (see image below). So I tried the "Zero-length geometry" and "Empty text objects" on the drawing and sure enough it reported that it had in fact removed several such items.

My first thought was, I have to remember to use this on all drawings, one never knows what we have inherited.
Be Better! ...Clean thoroughly.

Now Where Is It?

2009-04-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

For most users one activity that must be addressed when a new version of any product is released is to understand how the user interface has changed. Where are our most commonly used commands?

Civil 3D 2010 now primarily uses a new user interface called the Ribbon. Users that wish to know where the command that they need is located have a new tool called "Where is My Command?".

We can get to this tool from either the "Help" icon pulldown in the extreme upper right hand corner of Civil 3D 2010...

or from within Help itself.

I did a search for the "Import Google Earth Image and Surface" command and was shown exactly where to find it.

The logic of the Ribbon is very user friendly and finding things the second time is very intuitive.

Be Better! ...know where to find things.

The Ribbon's Length

2009-03-31T16:52:00.001-07:00

I wanted to begin discussion about Civil 3D 2010 with a brief one regarding "The Ribbon". The Ribbon is a new user interface that provides a consistent look and feel for users across various products. Civil 3D 2009 had the AutoCAD 2009 ribbon (off by default), with no Civil 3D commands available on it.

The New Civil 3D 2010 ribbon contains a combination of Civil 3D commands and AutoCAD commands co-mingled to provide very logic groupings of these commands on Panels visible by selecting various Tabs. The Map commands are also available on a different workspace. There are quite a few YouTube Videos about the ribbon available for viewing already.

Today, I wanted to point out something that my co-worker Jerry Bartels mentioned during last Friday's Civil 3D webcast. That is that the Ribbon's appearance will change depending upon the resolution (or whether the application is maximized or unmaximized). Below is the ribbon I see by default when my screen resolution is set to my typical maximum resolution of 1400 x 1050.

Notice that some of the icons have desriptive text that assist with the identification of the proper button/command.

Next is the ribbon when my screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768 (I often project at this resolution).

Notice that there are fewer descriptive text. Some will see this and may be challenged to find things as fast as those that have more of the descriptive text.

That is all I wanted to point out today.

Be Better! ...find the best resolution for yourself.

AU 2009 Speaker Proposals

2009-03-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, it has already begun. The initial steps toward AU 2009.

There will be a few changes this year. Most notably, AU 2009 will be held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, December 1-4. There should be over 600 class sessions and there is confirmed space for over 9,000 attendees.

For those of you that are interested in submitting proposals to teach class sessions, you can learn more at the Call for Proposals webpage at the Autodesk University Online Website. The deadline for submitting proposals is April 30th. Speakers and sessions are announced in early July.

This is obviously a great way to share your industry and product knowledge.

Be Better!... teach a class.

Civil 3D "The Road Ahead"

2009-03-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

This post is linked to a webpage that contains a series of snippets about different portion of Civil 3D. It can help explain Civil 3D to those that are not very familiar with it. It can help provide some additional propective to those that are somewhat familiar, and it can provide some cool eye candy to those that are very familiar.

Additionally, the page has links to series of upcoming road design webcasts and to the Transportation page of the Autodesk Government Resource Center which contains many "How To's" videos to learn from. I have found these to be very helpful in learning portions of the software that I had not used a great deal.

Be Better!...get your message across.

Update 2.1 for Civil 3D 2009 is Now Available

2009-02-27T14:35:00.001-08:00

Update 2.1 is now available. The title of this post is linked to the download page.

As always please review the Readme file to see how to best install and use this update.

Be Better!...simply that

FEMA Flood Hazard Areas in Google Earth

2009-02-24T13:25:00.001-08:00

The title of this post is linked to a FEMA Mapping download page where we can download two KMZ files that show flood hazard areas and related info in Google Earth.

We have previously seen that Google Earth data (image and 3D surface) can be easily brought into Civil 3D.

Many will find this information very useful.

Be Better! ...Stay high and dry!

Dana's New Blog

2009-02-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

There have been many people that have, and that do, blog about Civil 3D. Collectively, everyone has shared a tremendous amount of knowledge, best practices, how to's, and much, much, more.

One of my favorite Civil 3D bloggers has been Dana Probert. She has always found creative and humorous ways to give her valuable insight to the rest of us.

Well, she has begun a NEW blog titled "BIM on the Rocks". I highly encourage you to visit this site and see what she has to say (and how she says it).

I particularly like the title because BIM is changing the way many leading companies are doing their work. (Oh, and the title is not "Bimonth eRocks" which was how I first read the address. Sorry Dana.)

I am currently subscribed to over 70 different Civil 3D related blogs. Unfortunately, quite a number of these are no longer active, but I do not unsubscribe because some of the info in the newsreader is still very helpful. I have not added most of the links to the list on the left (time limitations, sorry). If you know of a Civil 3D related blog that you would like Civil 3D users to know about add a comment to this post.

Be Better!... Share Knowledge.

2010

2009-02-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Today, Shaan Hurley and many other bloggers have been given permission to blog about AutoCAD 2010. click on the title of this post to get to Shaan's blog.

Look for his post from yesterday (February 4) to see a link for a sneak peek webcast for tomorrow (February 6) for AEC products (Civil 3D among other).

Be Better!... Look as far forward as possible!

Google Earth 5

2009-02-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

There are some interesting new features in the new Google Earth 5 Beta (click on the title of this post to get to the download page). One that I found interesting was the ability to use/load past imagery. I was able to see what the nearby vicinity looked like in 1994 as compared with today.

1994

The present

We can also now see underwater features. I was able to see the seabed between the coast and Catalina Island. I was able to import the seabed data into Civil 3D 2009 and the image was draped on the surface as expected.

Check the somewhat new "Being Civil" blog to see how to get this to work fine.

Be Better!...Remember the Past.

Civil 3D Interface Basics- A Bite Size Video

2009-01-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is my first test of posting a video via Blogger.

It is intended for those that wish to see the most basic information of the Civil 3D Interface.

Again, this is the first video and basically a test.

Be Better!...One Video is Worth...

AASHTO Promotes Automated Machine Guidance

2008-12-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is linked to a .pdf file provided by The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) - Technology Implementation Group (TIG) that promotes Automated Machine Guidance (AMG). The eight page file does a very good job of stating the benefits of AMG.

Be Better!...Increase Safety.

The National BIM Standard

2008-12-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

I found this document to be incredibly informative regarding BIM.

BE BETTER!...Be Understood.

What is BIM?

2008-12-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

There has been a great deal of discussion about Building Information Modeling (BIM). Most of the discussions revolve around understanding it.

The National BIM Standard is attempting to educate everyone on BIM and set the foundation for how BIM helps all sectors of the A/E/C industries.

Taken from the following page:

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/nbims/about.php

Here is one definition:

BIM is best thought of as "a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility...and a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life-cycle; defined as existing from earliest conception to demolition. Soon, nearly every piece of information that an owner needs about a facility throughout its life can be made available electronically.

Owners are finding tremendous benefits in having models of their facilities. Once educated about the use of BIM more and more owners are requiring its use on their projects. The benefits though do not end with the owner, many stakeholders gain from the existance of a model(s).

AutoCAD Civil 3D creates models and is a BIM product.

Be Better!...Be More Realistic.

AU Day 1

2008-12-01T22:44:00.000-08:00

Dana Probert, Jerry Bartles and I held a Land Desktop to Civil 3D Implementation Bootcamp. It seemed to go well and was a good way to start the AU 2008 week.

I am looking forward to the remainder of the week.

Be Better!...Explore Alternatives.

Paving in a New Direction

2008-11-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

My friend Scott McEachron has moved his blog to a new address. Click on the title of this post to get to it.

Scott's blog was one of the original Civil 3D specific blogs, and has always contained very helpful information.

Be Better...A Change of Address Can Cause Just That!

What's the Difference?

2008-11-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

There is a NEW interactive overview on the Autodesk website that will provide information about the differences between AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2009 and AutoCAD® Civil 2009.

This should help those that need to decide which to acquire.

Click on the title of this post to launch the overview.

You can also click to it from http://www.autodesk.com/civil3d.

Be Better...Determine What You Are Capable Of! It Is Always More Than You Thought!

AutoCAD See the Difference

2008-10-28T14:13:00.001-07:00

On the AutoCAD Resource Center there is now a new section titled "See the Difference". This section contains ten videos that demonstrate different abilities of AutoCAD in the past compared to how we do those actions now.

I know that this would be helpful for potential new users to evaluate what they may be able to do with AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD 2009 based products like AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009.

Additionally, some may look at these short videos (approximately 3 minutes) as learning opportunities.

I found them helpful to remind me of some of the improvements that I have overlooked, ignored, or forgotten. It made me a little bit more appreciative of the new stuff.

The ten videos are titled:

Working with Layers
Customizing AutoCAD
Updating Xrefs
Working with Blocks
Drafting Settings
Hatching
Text
Displaying Dimensions
Working with Tables
3D Design & Navigation

Click on the title of this post to visit the page.

Be Better...Remember and Learn from the Past!

Carlson Connect for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009

2008-10-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was just made aware that Carlson Connect for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 is now available for download.

Click on the title of this post to get to the download page.

Be Better...Because Times Are Tough And No Coasting Is Allowed!

Florida DOT selects AutoCAD Civil 3D

2008-09-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a few links to coverage of a press release regarding the Florida Department of Transportation, and their decision to implement AutoCAD Civil 3D for roadway Design.

CBSNews.com
MSN.com
Ten Links.com

Be Better...Have a Better Attitude!

Update 1 - Just Like Big Brother

2008-09-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Update 1 for AutoCAD Civil 2009 (not AutoCAD Civil 3D, whose update 1 was already released) was made available this past Thursday (Sept. 4th). Please review the readme file for proper installation information.

Click on the title of this post to get to the download page.

Be Better...Just Because!

Leica X-Change for Civil 3D 2009

2008-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Just about two weeks ago Leica posted a new download of Leica X-change that will install on both AutoCAD® Civil 3®D 2008 and AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2009.

Click on the title of this post to get to the download page.

Be Better...Be more flexible!

Trimble Link Is Civil As Well

2008-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

As of today, Trimble Link now installs on AutoCAD® Civil 2009, as well as AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2009.

Prior to this latest version it would only install on Civil 3D®, not Civil.

My co-worker Jerry Bartles provided me this info.

Be Better...be more accomodating!

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009® Update 1 Now Available

2008-08-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 was just posted for download.

It contains improvements in the following areas:

General
Alignments
API
Corridors Design and Subassemblies
Cross Sections Views
Grading and Feature Lines
Labels
Lines Curves
Parcels
Pipes
Plan Production
Points
Profile and Profile Views
Project Manager
Surfaces
Survey

The update also includes Hotfixes and AutoCAD Update 1.

Be Better...through continuous daily improvement!

Autodesk and Bentley JOINT Press Release

2008-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Interesting reading. Enough said.

Be Better... Work well with others!

Last Land Desktop

2008-06-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

The title of this post will get you to the official Land Desktop Page on the Autodesk website. If you now visit that page you will find information about the current version (2009) being the LAST version of Land Desktop (there will not be LDT 2010).

Some will welcome this news others obviously will not. Which ever the case it is now official.

Be Better...Try Something New!

Simply Civil

2008-06-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

In case you have not yet heard, we will be offering a NEW civil solution in July. AutoCAD Civil will be targeted for users that do not do Geospatial analysis, Hydraulic and Hydrology analysis, and do not need Land Desktop Companion. The title of this post gets you to the combined AutoCAD Civil and AutoCAD Civil 3D page.

The Features and Specifications page provides more details.

I have heard people refer to AutoCAD Civil as AutoCAD Civil 3D's lil brother.

Some groups will get everything they need for certain users with AutoCAD Civil, and at a lower price.

Be Better...Learn Something New!

Autodesk's WisDOT Official Press Release

2008-06-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we posted an official press release regarding the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's decision to implement AutoCAD Civil 3D to produce new roadway designs.

Click on the title of this post to see the press release.

Be Better...Teach someone!

New Scale List Cleanup Utility

2008-05-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

There was a point (early 2007) where drawings were misbehaving by inheriting the scalelist from their xrefs. Excess scales could eventually degraded performance. Service packs were created (mid 2007) to prevent this behavior from continuing to happen. We could then do a manual "SCALELISTEDIT" "Reset" to fix individually affected files.

The new "Scale List Cleanup Utility" repairs files that were affected before the necessary service pack was installed.

So, if you find drawings that contain more than their original scales, you should use this new utility to correct them in mass.

Be Better... Eat your veggies!

Think of the Possibilities - Dynamic Feature Lines from a Corridor

2008-05-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have heard by now that Civil 3D 2009 allows for feature lines that are extracted from a corridor to be dynamically linked to the corridor (see next two images).

This ability should lead to some very creative solutions to design challenges. I absolutely look forward to seeing the inventiveness of some users with this behavior.

To get the creativity ball rolling, I spent a little time on a proof of concept that others had suggested should be possible. Here is just one example of what can be done...

In the next image, first notice that the daylighting is accomplished via a grading as opposed to a daylight subassembly (top arrows). The orange objects are feature lines that have been extracted from the corridor, and made dynamic to it. The cyan arcs (curb return) are feature lines that I added manually, that are connected to the ends of the corridor extracted feature lines. Lastly, notice that the design profile (arrow in the lower left hand viewport) is below the existing ground profile.

The next image is the result of ONE change. That one change was editing the design profile (arrow in the lower left viewport) via a grip edit to be above the existing ground profile. the rest is the result of the corridor rebuilding, the feature lines dynamically remaining linked to the corridor and those feature lines updating the cyan feature line that I add by hand (because they share a common endpoint), and of course the gradings updating as well (2 top arrows) from cut to fill.

Big deal you may be saying. Well think about it. In previous versions I would have had to modify a curb return profile as well, to ensure that the curb lines stay aligned. In this example that was not necessary, as a matter of fact there are no curb alignments, nor profiles.

Talk about a game changer. This ability should also allow us to create cross-gutter flow lines that will auto-magically remain linked without the need for extra alignments or profiles. I also created four dynamically linked feature lines on each corridor, but I could have accomplished similar with only one feature line and gradings from that one, in the curb return area.

Where once I needed 12 alignments and corresponding profiles to do a full intersection with cross-gutters and spandrells, I can do it with only two.

Just Think of the possibilities.

Be Better... Don't do things the old way!

AU on an Ipod

2008-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can subscribe to Autodesk University 2007 audio podcasts at the iTunes store? These podcasts can then be synchronized and listened to on any iPod at convenient times. (I can hear you now, and YES, I do have a life. I also spend a fair amount of time traveling... you get the point)

As a matter of fact you can find session from 5 different tracks. They are...

AutoCAD
Architectural
Geostatial
Civil
Manufacturing

Unfortunately, this list is in popularity order as listed by iTunes. Apparently, there have not been many subscribers to the Civil Sessions. Let's see if we can change that.

The first podcast that I had available was Dana Probert's "Using Civil 3D 2008 for Stormwater Management Tasks Part I". It was a 1 hour 23 minute session.

The second session was Ian McGregor's "Civil 3D Vault & Design Review: A Workflow". This session was co-presented by Jack Strongitharm, Nick Zeeben and Pete Kelsey (talk about an allstar line-up). It was 1 hour and 20 minutes long.

I mention this because I have been exploring methods of learning that may not be so obvious, but would be very convenient, such as YouTube. There are lots of ways to learn. If you have other ways that you find helpful, may I impose upon you to share them with me. One method to do so is to add them as comments. I would appreciate it.

Be Better... than the competition!

Help Select Autodesk University 2008 Classes!!

2008-04-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

When I first read the following I thought this is awesome. What better way for Autodesk University attendees to benefit from AU than for them to have a hand in selecting the classes that will be presented.

Click on the title of this post to get to the Survey Monkey pages that list submitted classes for AU 2008. There we can select a track (Civil Engineering, of course) and then choose 15 from the approximately 185 classes submitted in this track that we would like to see.

Unfortunately, we only see the titles, application(s) covered, intended level of instruction, and the instructor's name. We may have to assume what some cleverly named classes will cover (makes me wonder if mine were clear enough). Either way, this is good.

Be Better... today than yesterday!

My AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 Top Five

2008-04-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Among the many enhancements, and new features of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 these are the five items that I think will have the most impact on users, procedures, or workflows...

Labeling objects through XRefs (some users will not even need to use shortcuts because of this)
Data Shortcuts in the Prospector (a cross between the vault interface and legacy shortcuts)
Memory Managed Surfaces (if over 2 million points, users get the option to save surface to .ssm file - external to drawing, freeing up memory)
Dynamic Feature Lines from Corridors (can be used as baselines for gradings, replacing daylight subassemblies in certain cases)
Criteria Based Design for Alignments and Profiles (displays warning markers if criterion is violated e.g. AASHTO values)

Deserving of honorable mention (due to southwestern US design requirements) is the "Stacked Profiles" or 3-Line Profiles (can actually stack upto 9 profiles). This has been a MUCH wanted ability around these here parts.

Honorable mention also goes to expansion and compaction factors in earthwork volume calculations and volume surfaces.

There are many other items, these are just what I think will rise to the top on user lists.

Be Better!

WisDOT's Thoughts

2008-03-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

I first saw a reference to this document at Louisa Holland's Blog "Civil 3D for Beginners" (Thank You Lou). I found it very interesting and thought that others might think so as well.

This 4 page report summarizes WisDOT's selection of AutoCAD Civil 3D as their design software replacement for the future.

Be Better!

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 Documents

2008-03-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

I ran across these today on the Autodesk website Civil 3D product pages. These are the first of many new bits of information that are becoming available.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 Product Brochure (6 pages)

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 Questions and Answers (13 pages)

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 New Features Workshop

Hey just found tons of 2009 documents (lots to read here e.g. Getting Started Guide, User Guide, Tutorials, and my personal favorite, Best Practices Guide, etc.).

I hope this will help those of you that have been curious.

Be Better!

AU Needs U!

2008-03-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again. The 16th Autodesk University (AU) will be held again this year at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada in November.

Currently, the event staff are accepting proposals from potential presentors. Anyone who wishes to submit a proposal to present a class for Autodesk University 2008 can do so by clicking on the title of this post.

AU is an outstanding event to learn, network, and to help advance our collective industries. If you feel that you have technical abilities combined with communication skills you should definitely consider submitting one or more proposals. Most presenters that I have talked to mention how very rewarding presenting at AU is.

The collective knowledge in our industry is growing in leaps and bounds. The number of civil engineering companies looking for AutoCAD Civil 3D knowledge is probably growing faster. The need for instructors willing to share that knowledge is substantial. Please take a moment to consider it.

Proposal Guidelines and Resources can be found here.

The deadline to submit is April 27 2008.

Be Better!

Northern Pacific Civil Consortium - Open House

2008-01-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Next Thursday, January 24, 2008, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm, the Northern Pacific Civil Consortium (NPCC) will host an "Open House" meeting in Sacramento, California. The NPCC's main focus is to "Educate, Enhance, and Enlighten its members in the effective application of Autodesk software products".

At the open house meeting there will be two primary sessions. I will be presenting "Civil 3D - Grading on a Dime" where I will demonstrate Civil 3d's grading capabilities that anyone can use with VERY LITTLE OR NO TRAINING! Additionally, there will be a CAD Manager's Tips & Tricks session, where knowledge to improve our AutoCAD productivity will be shared.

Pizza and soft drinks will be served and there will be door prizes. The grand prize is an iPod NANO (you must be present to win).

I encourage you to consider this opportunity to network and learn with our peers. This is a great way to start 2008, investing in improvement.

Contact Doug Matchell at dougmatchell@kennedyjenks.com to RSVP.

Be Better!

New Hydraflow Extensions

2008-01-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

I was told that beginning today, January 14th, subscription customers would be able to download both of the other Hydraflow applications, Hydraflow Hydrographs and Hydraflow Express, as extensions to Civil 3D 2008 from their subscription center sites.

Hydraflow Hydrographs give us the ability to do watershed analysis and detention pond design.

Hydraflow Express is a collection of calculators that solve hydraulics and hydrology problems for culverts, inlets, channels, and weirs.

Please inform the appropriate internal personnel to acquire these extensions.

Be Better!

User Groups

2008-01-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was at the Autodesk Civil Engineering Solutions (A.C.E.S.) User Group of Southern California.

The Hydraflow Storm Sewers Extension was review by a member, Dave Couch of Walden Associates, and there was a presentation about "Civil 3D Do's and Don'ts". The meeting ended with a very imformative discussion about Civil Engineering Industry Trends. Some very wise members shared their thoughts and advice about dealing with the current economic environment.

There are many groups that are being either being created or are experiencing growth in memberships at this time. Some of the interest is by those wishing to participate in the Civil 3D knowledge swap. Other growth is due to the downturn in certain market segments (i.e. Land Development) and companies and individuals are investing in themselves while they have some breathing space.

If you are interested is attending a user group you may wish to begin by contacting your reseller. You can also do a search for User Groups in the Civil Engineering Community website on the "Events" tab. Select "User Group" in the "Event Type" dropdown. You can also specify a "State/Province" and "Product" to refine your search.

A quick search for "User Group" "CA" "AutoCAD Civil 3D" returned the following groups:

Northern Pacific Civil Consortium (I happen to be presenting at their next meeting)
City and County of San Francisco Autodesk User Group

I am aware of, and try to attend meetings of the...

Hawaii Civil User Group
North Bay User Group
Civil 3D Users Group - Los Angeles
Inland Empire Civil 3D User Group
San Diego Civil 3D User Group
Orange County Civil 3D User Group
Palm Desert Civil 3D User Group

If you are familiar with a civil engineering related user group in California, Nevada, or Hawaii that you would like mentioned please let me know.

Be Better!

RECOVERALL Command

2008-01-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

I had not yet used the RECOVERALL command. Actually, it is a command I had forgotten about. I recently saw a it mentioned and was greatful for the reminder.

Here is how it works. When you type RECOVERALL at the command line the following dialog box appears.

Pressing the "Help" button provides further information.

If you run Civil 3D as AutoCAD or have generic AutoCAD this command can be found on the menu at "File" > "Drawing Utilities" > "Recover drawing and xrefs..."

Be Better!

Las Vegas Civil Users Group

2008-01-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Last night, I had the pleasure of presenting to the Las Vegas Civil Users Group. The members represent public agencies and private engineering and construction firms in the Las Vegas, Nevada area.

They are dedicated to...
An equal exchange of knowledge and experience for the benefit of all members and to Networking

The topic of my presentation was "Civil 2008 - Grading on a dime". I explained what can be done immediately, with VERY LITTLE training, that will help companies with their grading design challenges. Many in the group are Land Desktop users and were very surprised with what WE designed together in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

A secondary theme was "Don't Leave Money on the Table" by doing things in an inefficient manner.

I will initiate an "...On A Dime" series of posts that will help those that have not yet transitioned to full use of Civil 3D where they will find things that are possible with no, or very little, training.

I will close this post by thanking the members that were present yesterday. I had a GREAT time.

Be Better!

Two New Civil 3D Knowledge Base Entries

2008-01-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

These two entries recently were added to the Knowledge Base. I am sure that some will be helped by them...

Running Survey Link from Civil 3D

Adding Survey Link to Survey menu in Civil 3D

The second item is the same Survey Link that is launched by the C3D Extensions CUI that my co-worker Jerry Bartels created and has shared. Pete Kelsey recently blogged a link to Jerry's CUI and Tool Palette additions.

Be Better!

Skill Builder

2008-01-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

I am not certain when this particular Skill Builder became available, but there is one available titled:

Managing an AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 Project with Autodesk Vault

This Skill Builder is a 20 page .pdf file that demostrates how to set up a AutoCAD Civil 3D project using Autodesk Vault, how to modify project structure with Vault, and contains some best practices.

For those that are just starting down this road this can be very useful. For others this can be a good refresher.

Be Better!

New Storm Sewer Extension Workflow Whitepaper

2007-12-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

A new 20 page whitepaper has been published that is titled:

Using Hydraflow Storm Sewers Extension with AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008:
A Recommended Workflow

This whitepaper explains some of the basic functionality of the Storm Sewer Extension and gives some guidance on how to move data back and forth between the Extension and AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008.

If you have already downloaded the extension (available for Subscription customers only) this whitepaper can jumpstart your use of it.

If not, this paper can clarify what is being offer by the Extension.

Be Better!

Civil 3D, AU Online, and my Goals

2007-12-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

As a somewhat new Autodesk employee, my attendance of Autodesk University 2007 was a very different experience for me. I was not able attend as many classes as I thought that I would, but being there was ENTIRELY worthwhile.

Now to my goals. I have told myself that I will read every Civil 3D handout available (.pdfs and a few .docs) and watch every Civil 3D Screencast that is posted at AU Online.

Let me attempt to put this into perspective. By my count there were 61 different (non-repeated) Civil 3D related classes and labs available this year. 48 of those classes have their handouts available at AU Online (actually a couple I had to download at sites related to the authors). 43 of the classes have Screencast available to be viewed (I think all 43 can also be downloaded). I believe only one of the 61 classes did not have a handout available and did not have a Screencast. That means that I can virtually attend 60 of the 61 classes in one form or another.

Every AU attendee has access to AU Online as do Autodesk Subscription customers. So many of you can do similar. :^)

I have already had the opportunity to read three of the 48 handouts that I have (This has made for good bedtime reading). I can also say that I have learned some things that I did not know. I wonder how long this will take me?

P.S. This reminds me that I did not have a chance to get one of the cd's that contained all of the handouts from all of the classes. Oh well.

Bye for now. BE BETTER!

Storm Sewer Extension, Webpage, Discussion Group, and Recorded Webcast Available

2007-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

My Outlook Express informed me that a NEW discussion group was available among the Autodesk newsgroups today. It is titled Stormwater. Well, after a little bit of poking around I found all of the following

A webpage regarding the newly available Storm Sewers Extension.

The Storm Sewers Extension is now available for download from the Subscription Center by Subscription customers.

"The Civil 3D - Stormwater" discussion group (Web Browser version) can be found here.

The recorded webcast about this extension can be viewed here.

This is all a result of our acquisition of Intelisolve recently.

This should fill a need for many. I hope that this helps.

My Autodesk University 2007 Thoughts

2007-12-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

My primary thought regarding last week's Autodesk University was how relatively smooth things appeared to have run. Place about 10,000 people anywhere and there is likely to be some mayhem. Not so, from my perspective, last week. Although I know some things went wrong (I saw one class closed due to too many attendees), things seemed to run smoother than in previous years. There were not ridiculously long lines for meals or traffic jams at the escalators. The class I taught went as smooth as I could have hope for (thanks to all who attended it).

AU is a great event for many reasons. First and foremost, let me mention the learning of tons of information. This is done with both lectures and hands-on labs. The classes are taught by arguably the best of the best across the globe. We get to see friends that we have not seen since perhaps the last AU. We get to meet new friends. We get to network with both old and new friends, Autodeskers, resellers, new users, and experienced users for tips, tricks, recommendations, and thoughts. We get to rub elbows with the Civil 3D development team. The Venetian is a top notch place. There is all the food you can eat and the drinks you can drink. There are socials and parties to unwind at. We get four nights of accommodations. There is entertainment. There is an exhibit hall with vendors selling things and giving things away. There were competitions and puzzles to solve and prizes to win. And if all that is not enough, oh yeah, you are in Las Vegas (I heard that there may be a thing or two to do and see around town ;^) ). No wonder I returned home so tired.

If we missed anything, afterwards we can download ALL of the handouts from ALL of the classes with AU Online. We can watch many classes that were recorded with AU Online.

At around $1500 for early bird registration this year's event was WELL WORTH IT.

So, if you were not able to attend this year. You may want to start planning for next year.

Find out about the Storm Sewer Extension

2007-12-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

As announced on the Civil 3D Live Webcasts page, this Friday Dec. 7, 2007 Dave Simeone, Civil 3D Product Manager, will be demonstrating the NEW Storm Sewer Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008. He will also describe a recommended workflow and how to get it.

Registration is required. Register now.

What Commands In Civil 3D Do You Use Most?

2007-10-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

I recently saw some the results of a study of the most used Civil 3D commands. The top three were:

EditSurfaceProperties (by far)
GradingElevEditor
EditCorridorProperties

I doubt that anyone was very surprised. I just found the information interesting.