Civil 3D 2011 Update 1

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.

AutoCAD Civil 2D 2010 Update 2 is Available

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

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)

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.

Update 2.1 for Civil 3D 2009 is Now Available

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

Update 1 - Just Like Big Brother

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!

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009® Update 1 Now Available

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!

New Scale List Cleanup Utility

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!

Survey Link for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008

There is an extension now available for AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2008 customers on Autodesk Subscription. The extension is...

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 Survey Link

It allows raw survey data to be converted into an Autodesk field book file (.fbk) and then imported directly into Civil 3D 2008. No longer will we need to use Land Desktop in this process.

This downloadable extension requires that Civil 3D 2008 Service Pack 2 be already installed.

Login to subscription center to download.

Yes, it is the same as is available in Land Desktop, now directly available in Civil 3D 2008.

Service Pack 2 Update

If you receive a "1603 error" when installing Service Pack 2 for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008, download and install the Service Pack again. Some users were getting the error which involved custom profiles. A newer Service Pack was posted and will correct those particular problems.

If you installed the original Service Pack (the newer Service Pack was posted Friday about 4 pm EDT) without any error (my original SP installed fine), there is no need to reinstall the newer Service Pack.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 Service Pack 2 Available

Service Pack 2 was posted for download. This Service Pack includes the following:

Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD 2008
Service Pace 1 for AutoCAD Map 3D 2008
Over 70 updates for AutoCAD Civil 3d 2008

Also available is Service Pack 2 for Land Desktop Companion 2008.

Data Management Server 2008 Service Pack 1

OK, Let's try again from the top.

Service Pack 1 for Vault 2008 and Productstream 2008 has been reposted.

Service Pack 1 for Vault 2008 and Autodesk Productstream 2008 fixes a variety of issues pertaining to both of these products. As always, carefully read the Readme file (it is not very big), it provides installation instructions, details of corrections, and additional information.

By the way, this service pack does apply if your are using Vault 2008 with Civil 3D 2008, Civil 3D 2007 (with ADMS 2008 Support Patch), Civil 3D Land Desktop 2008 Companion(Subscription only), and Land Desktop 2008(Subscription only).

Data Management Server 2008 Service Pack 1 Pulled

Friday, we released Service Pack 1 for Vault 2008 and Autodesk Productstream 2008. Unfortunately, there was a problem for certain configurations. A newer service pack will be made available very quickly.

If you downloaded Service Pack 1 and have not yet installed it please wait for the newer service pack.

Check back for more information.

Custom Autodesk RSS Feeds

It is possible to create a custom RSS feed that notifies us when Updates, Hotfixes, or Service Packs become available for various products of our choosing.

Click on the title of this post to get to a page where we can select one or multiple products. Then press the "Create Custom Feed" button to be taken to another page where the custom feed URL can be aquired. This page also contains links to automatically subcribe our newly create custom feed into various desktop and web-based RSS feed readers.

It is interesting that Outlook 2007, Internet Explorer 7, and 2008 Autodesk products can now accomodate RSS feeds. This proves that receiving specific information of our choosing via the internet is a very import part of being in-touch with our world.

Note:
If we select multiple applications for the custom feed, and because Updates/Technical Solutions might be posted to various products simultaneously there may be some duplication of information. If our custom feed is for only one application, duplication of information typically does not occur.

Land Desktop Companion 2008 SP1

I had not yet mentioned that Service Pack 1 for Land Desktop Companion 2008 was made available earlier this month.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 Service Pack 1

Just posted on the Autodesk website is Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008. The Readme indicates over 125 fixes in 14 segments of the software were resolved by this service pack.

Civil 3D 2007 & ADMS 2008, Service Pack

Because Civil 3D 2007 installs Autodesk Data Management Server (ADMS) 5 and Civil 3D 2008 installs ADMS 2008, and because these two items can not co-exist on the same machine, Autodesk has released for Civil 3D 2007 - ADMS 2008 Support Patch. This will allow Civil 3D 2007 with Service Pack 3 to connect to ADMS 2008.

This will solve this challenges for those that are configured this way..

The Root of All...

I just reviewed an Autodesk document that reminders/warns users that after applying Service Pack 3 for Civil 3D 2007, four of the Templates (.dwts) that ship with the product will now contain 6 errors that will be found with an AUDIT command. The templates are:

_Autodesk Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS Classic
_Autodesk Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS Extended
_Autodesk Civil 3D (Metric) NCS Classic
_Autodesk Civil 3D (Metric) NCS Extended

This is a good time to point out that running the AUDIT command in Civil 3D drawings, or our custom templates, is ALWAYS a good idea. We should get into the habit of running this command often. Some companies have even automated the use of this command upon the opening of every file. Drawings with Gradings and Parcels are particularly sensitive to corruption and should be kept clean.

The AUDIT command is similar to visiting a doctor for a check-up. Preventative actions should contribute to the avoidance of Fatal Errors.

DWF Service Pack 1

Back in December, Autodesk released Service Pack 1 for Design Review 2007 and Service Pack 1 for DWF Viewer 2007.

I often create 3D DWFs with the 3DDWFPUBLISH command. I like the ability of making items (in the case of the image one of the two surfaces) transparent or perhaps hidden. I also like the small size for transmitting electronically.

Data Shortcuts Tip

I was discussing with a friend the use of Data Shortcuts. In an effort to minimize potential loss of shortcuts I mentioned the following VERY IMPORTANT steps:

1. Create your Data Shortcut.
2. Load the XML file into which you wish to save your Data Shortcuts.
3. Export Data Shortcuts to intended XML file.
4. Press "Yes" when prompted to overwrite existing file.

Steps 1 & 2 are interchangeable. Step 2 is critical, IT MUST BE DONE! Why, because if we do not load the shortcut file prior to exporting to it we will overwrite the file with only the shortcuts in the current DWG. Let me re-phrase that. Currently (Civil 3D 2007 w/SP3), exporting Data Shortcuts only writes the shortcuts in the current drawing to the XML file overwriting it with only those shortcuts present. It DOES NOT append to the shortcut file. That is how it functions TODAY (January 3, 2007).

There are other methods of shortcut management, such as maintaining multiple XML files (not currently recommended because of how shortcuts accumulate). These steps are critical for the K.I.S.S. method of all project shortcuts in one file.