Civil 3D Show

" How to make your first experiences with Civil 3D positive experiences" with Dana Breig Probert

" 1. CAD standards- gotta have ‘em.

Let’s say, hypothetically, you started your own engineering firm. Every day you come in to the office and see more and more papers EVERYWHERE. On the floor. On the desks. You can never find anything!!

So what do you do?

You run down to the Office Supply Store and the slick salesperson talks you in to the state of the art filing cabinet.

So you go back to the office and you dump all of your stuff into this cabinet.

The office looks GREAT.

But every time you open the filing cabinet you think that the sales person ripped you off because you still can’t find anything. The mess is just hidden inside.

Moral of my dumb little story- YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT A FILING CABINET TO WORK WITHOUT A FILING SYSTEM.

You would NEVER BLAME THE FILING CABINET.

Why do you expect your drawings to be produced effortlessly without CAD Standards?

And, why do you blame Civil 3D? (Or Map or Land Desktop or Whatever else you use?)

2. Clean up your inherited data! See inherited data checklist

You cannot help the data you get (unless you screen your subconsultants and hold them to your standards). But you can help what you put in to your drawings. What may be perfectly useful in your surveyor’s office could contribute to GIGO and corruption in your office. Know your data and know how to clean it up, translate it and make it good for YOU.

3. ALWAYS start with a Civil 3D Template

If you do not pick a Civil 3D template you will email me and tell me how much Civil 3D sucks. It doesn’t. You just have to pick a template. Until you create your own (or have me create it for you), choose the Imperial by Style template. Why? Because everything is mapped to layer zero to begin with, so that you can map it to your own layers when you are ready.

4. Start with Pilot Project

Save cold turkey for after Thanksgiving.

Pick your most gearhead, giddy about technology project team. You know the guys- they build their own computers. They never buy intel. They had CD burners in 1995. They watch Tech TV. They would stay up all night to figure out how to use Civil 3D and Viz to render a valley scene from Lord of the Rings.

These guys and gals will lay the groundwork for your firm’s Civil 3D standards and procedures.

Pick a relatively small project- good examples: shopping centers, straightforward subdivisions, stream restorations, etc.

If you do not have a team of gearheads, never fear. Civil 3D really isn’t that bad and the technology is no longer in Beta form. This is the release for everyman. Call me and I can help you through your Pilot Project and help you get your standards established.

6. If you remember nothing else- THE TOOLSPACE IS YOUR FRIEND

General>Show Toolspace

The Toolspace is your command center. When in doubt, go to the toolspace and right click on something.

5. Remember the DON’Ts

Don’t open a drawing created somewhere else besides Civil 3D. Why? Not because it won’t open, but because Civil 3D won’t understand its project data. You also won’t have any styles. Best bet? File>New>Choose a template. Insert necessary linework as a block. Then, use LandXML or Import Data From Land Desktop to get the project data

Don’t expect it to be Land Desktop. There are no Land Desktop style Project Paths, Projects and Databases. Layers take on a new meaning. Erasing objects actually erases them. There is much more to learn here. But the most important thing to learn is that Civil 3D is not Enhanced Land Desktop.

Don’t get bogged down in “knowing it all” and having it all perfect. Guaranteed I could show you menus in MS Word you have never seen let alone used, but that doesn’t stop you from opening up MS Word every time you need to type a letter.

Don’t explode anything. If you feel the itch to explode something EMAIL ME FIRST. Tell my why you want to explode it. Keep your fingers off of the mouse. Go for a walk. Go get a soda. Check out CNN.com.

Don’t give up! You have survived Engineering School. Or Tech School. Or Planning School. Or Landscape Architecture School. Or the School of Hard Knocks. You have survived DCA, Softdesk, R14, Many Releases of Land Desktop not to mention Betamax, VHS, Cassettes, CDs, DVDs and MP3s. Civil 3D is a whole lot more fun that any of that stuff. It is more visual and intuitive than Land Desktop. You will survive this and you will love this.

In a year, you will say things like “I can’t believe we used to have to build surfaces after adding data and we couldn’t see the contours change right away. Man, that was the stone age”

6. Keep your drawing clean

Audit your drawing regularly. Keep junk out. By junk I mean- Land Desktop points, softdesk points, HUGE contours (like aerial topo). Save the originals in their own file, use the data to create Civil 3D data and get rid of the junk!

7. Make sure you are asking Civil 3D to do things that are possible

The Parceling routine cannot make 5 acre lots with 100 foot depths and 50 feet of frontage. It will crash if you ask it to do that. It also cannot fillet intersections at 25 ft if you have drawn horizontal curve radii smaller than that.

Yes, Civil 3D should politely say “Does not compute” and leave you alone, but sometimes it gets angry and kicks you out. Worse yet, if you have a drawing full of junk and errors it may corrupt itself leaving you hoped. We’ll talk about backup in a minute, but it helps to think a little about what you are doing before you do it.

8. Create Backups in case you accidentally ask Civil 3D to do something it cannot do

This will happen. You are learning the right order of mouse clicks and what the parameters are. If you ask Civil 3D to do something it cannot do and it kicks you out, you will want a backup.

Exporting LandXML is a great way to preserve this data. It takes a second. It doesn’t cause confusion since it is not another dwg file. And if you are taking advantage of the Civil 3D objects, most, if not all, of your linework will be recreated from an import of LandXML.

I am recommending doing a LandXML export once an hour or so when you are in heavy object creation. For example: If you are subdividing a large site, creating a lot of alignments, creating a lot of points.

Autosave and I have a mixed relationship. I have never been able to do much with the .sv$ format if I can even find the file. Plus, autosave tends to kick in when I am in the middle of something and it messes me up. I’d rather get in the habit of hitting the quicksave button every 15 minutes under my control.

At critical junctions, save a copy of your drawing somewhere safe- locally or otherwise.

9. Seek intro training at the very least
Cadapult offers a one day quick orientation to Civil 3D that is designed to give you an idea of what is possible. I can also come to your site to do the Civil 3D Workshop. Also try tutorials that come with the program. Email me for more resources.

10. Make a project commitment and don’t go back "
Take it to Civil 3D and unless you absolutely must move it out- leave it there.


Trích lời : Dana Breig Probert -an author of Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008

Autocad Civil 3D

General

• The program no longer becomes unresponsive when using the Export to AutoCAD command.
• Issues with using the AUDIT command to repair errors have been resolved.
• Importing an .xml file saved in a previous version of Autodesk Civil 3D now returns the expected results when using the File menu > Import > Import LandXML command. Previously alignment data displayed in the drawing but it did not appear in the Prospector Site folder.
• Using the Convert Land Desktop Points command no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
  

Data Shortcuts

• References are automatically synchronized: When a drawing is opened in Autodesk Civil 3D, references created after installing Autodesk Civil 3D 2007 Service Pack 3 are now automatically synchronized to their source drawing. You are no longer required to reload the shortcut XML file(s) in the Data Shortcuts vista.
• Fixing broken shortcuts: An additional column (Source Drawing) has been added to the Data Shortcuts vista. This column enables you to browse to the location of source drawing to correct a broken shortcut. You click the cell in the desired row and the Select File dialog box is displayed where you can browse to the location of source drawing. When you click the Open button in the Select File dialog box (after selecting the drawing) the shortcut's XML File Name is updated.
  

Alignments

• 
  Creating a floating curve off a fixed curve with the endpoint osnap enabled no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• Creating an alignment from a polyline with a curve that is greater than 180 degrees between tangents now returns the expected results.
• Deleting a floating curve alignment sub-entity that was added to the beginning of a fixed curve alignment no longer leaves the remaining alignment geometry unsolved. Previously deleting the floating curve would remove all the alignment stationing on the remaining alignment geometry.
• The program no longer closes unexpectedly when you move the cursor in an open drawing that contains a large number of alignments.
  

Project Management

• Changing a name or path in Vault no longer causes broken links. When you rename a source object file in Vault, the reference drawing is repaired by the Rename wizard.
• An issue with possible name conflicts between shared Civil objects has been resolved. Previously source drawings that were removed from a project using Vault Explorer would still have shared Civil objects displayed in Prospector. This prevented adding any new shared Civil objects to the project if they contained the same name as the removed shared objects.
• The time needed to create a surface reference from a (Vault) project that has multiple surfaces has been significantly reduced.
• An issue with checking in project drawings to Vault has been resolved. Previously drawings that were checked out of Vault could become out of sync with the project and could not be checked in again.
• Style overrides for pipe network references are no longer lost when saving and reopening files.
  You receive a warning message if you attempt to check objects into Vault that have the same name even if the objects have different sources.
• Check out issues in Vault have been resolved. A checked out source drawing is no longer overwritten when you check out a reference drawing.
  

Cross Sections/Cross Section Views

• Importing new band sets into an existing section view lists the default sections for the Section1 and Section2 columns. You can also pick and set the desired sections. Previously after you imported a Band Set for an existing section view, the Section1 and Section2 columns displayed No Section Found.
• Section View bands with multiple surfaces will now accept secondary surface selection and display the correct content. Previously the bands would only reference the EG surface.
• Non-perpendicular sample lines now sample the alignment at the station of the intersection with the alignment. Previously the sample lines sampled the alignment at the station of the first vertex of the sample line.
  

Corridors

• Newly created detached surfaces are displayed as expected in the Create Sample Line Group dialog box.
• Clearing check boxes next to the surface name in the Surfaces tab of the Corridor Properties dialog box no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly. Select or clear the check box next to the surface name to specify whether or not a dynamic surface is added to the Surfaces collection on the Toolspace Prospector tab.
• Newly created detached surfaces are no longer deleted when corridor surface objects are deleted.
  In the View/Edit Corridor Section Tools dialog box, changing the Daylight Link value to Include Daylight Link no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• Deleting a corridor surface that was referenced in a cross section no longer causes the corridor surface to disappear in the section view.
• Creating Assembly Offsets now produces the expected results. Previously the offsets used raw station values instead of station equation values.
  

Grading

• 
  The program no longer closes unexpectedly when you move a grading footprint off a surface, and return it back to its original location (either manually or with the UNDO command).
• The program no longer closes unexpectedly when you use the Move To Site command on a selected grading object and clear the Gradings check box in the Move To Site dialog box.
• Using the Elevation From Surface option when drawing feature lines no longer causes the program to become unresponsive when no surface is present in the drawing.
• An issue that prevented grading infills from being erased has been resolved.
  Creating a stepped offset using the Stepped Offset feature line command no longer causes the program to become unresponsive.
• There is improved performance when creating a detached surface from a grading object.
• Surfaces created from benched grading objects now triangulate correctly. Previously these surfaces were missing some internal breaklines and this could cause the resulting surface to triangulate incorrectly.
• Modifying the elevation of a closed feature line using Lower Incrementally in the Elevation Editor no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
  

Inquiry

• Using the Inquiry tool to determine the elevation difference between two surfaces now displays the expected results. Previously only the station and offset information was displayed.
  

Pipes

• 
  When closing the program, you no longer receive an error message after deleting a part from the Network Parts List.
• A pipe network will no longer validate when parts of the network are undefined. Previously the program closed unexpectedly if you attempted to insert an undefined part.
• When exporting a group of pipe networks, a network that contains duplicate part names will no longer prevent the entire group of networks from exporting. Only the network with invalid names will be prevented from exporting.
• The Pipes and Structure Name template can be changed to allow for the addition of parts that have the same name as existing parts.
• Structure rim properties update appropriately when profiles are edited.
• Deleting a pipe network using the Prospector tab now deletes the part connector objects.
• Duplicate rules are no longer created when you cancel out of the Structure Properties dialog box more than once in succession.
• An issue with the sump depth and sump elevation being calculated without referencing the "Control Sump by" property has been resolved. The sump depth will only be calculated if you select Control Sump By Elevation and you set the elevation value. Conversely, the sump elevation will now only be calculated if you select Control Sump By Depth, and you set the depth value.
• Sump elevation and sump depth values are now accurately calculated when junction structures are resized.
  

Points

• An issue with Renumbering Points has been resolved. Previously there was a point numbering conflict after point numbers were edited from the Prospector tab.
• Changing the label style of multiple points no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• Deleting points or copying them into a new drawing no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• Point number offsets are applied as expected after importing points and resolving duplicate point numbers.
• Editing Description Keys in the Panorama list view no longer truncates the list after multiple openings.
  

Parcels

• An issue with offset to the outside for unioned parcels has been resolved.
• Exploding a block containing a site now adds a new site to Prospector as expected. Any alignments, parcels, or lot lines in the exploded block should appear as expected in the correct site.
• Drawings that contain parcels that are part of a union may display these parcel names more than once in the drawing. Using the AUDIT command corrects this, and removes any duplicate parcels.
• The Redistribute Remainder setting is now applied correctly when parcel size is constrained by minimum frontage.
• Using the Parcels > Swing Line ? Create command now produces expected results. Previously, if the start and the end of a new attached lot line were on two different lot lines, this command displayed the error message ?Unexpected Error. The lot line could not be adjusted.?, even if a valid solution was found.
• Using the Create Parcel From Remainder option in the the Parcels > Slide Angle ? Create command now produces expected results. Previously, if the command created a new attached lot line that overlapped the line defining the end of the lot, the duplication could cause the program to become unresponsive or report incorrect area data for the last parcel in the row.
  

Profiles/Profile Views

• The correct information is now displayed in horizontal geometry bands for radius and curvature.
• In profile view, with the profile drawn right to left, an issue with the clip vertical grid option has been resolved.
• The correct curvature information is now displayed in vertical geometry bands.
• Using grips to modify a profile no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• You can now create parabolic vertical curves using a pass through point.
• Freezing a profile view layer now correctly hides both the profile view and the profile.
  

Surface

• Importing PLINES into a new surface no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• There is improved performance when adding contour data to a surface and when working with drawings with large surfaces.
• When creating a new TIN volume surface, the surface is trimmed at the design surface edges when you select the EG surface first.
• Performing multiple UNDO operations on surfaces no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
• There is improved performance when using the REGENALL command with drawings that contain many contour label lines.
• Adding contour data to a surface no longer causes the program to close unexpectedly.
  

Survey

• The Browse To Survey Data command displays the expected results when the survey project is open. If the project is not open a message is displayed and the command is canceled.
• When you use the Intersection commands in the Survey Command window, you must enable the Interactive Graphics settings in order to display the intersection points. If Interactive Graphics are not enabled, the points will only display when you use the Batch File > Run command. When you run the Batch File and there are new points to be created you are prompted with Save Pick which gives you the option to create the point.
• In the Survey User Settings dialog box, clicking the browse icon for the Equipment database and the
• Figure database paths now browses to the defined default path location.
• The correct coordinates are now calculated when averaging observations for field book files.
• Figure display is no longer distorted when you export and then import a Survey LandXML file.
• The Update Figures command now produces correct results for offset curved figures.
• Using the Display Inverse command on a figure created with the command C3 Curve, now shows the correct point references.
• Using the Figure Mapcheck command no longer causes the program to become unresponsive.
• You can now perform a survey analysis for a direction-only traverse.
• Running a batch file from the Survey Command Window using the Batch File > Run command returns the expected results in the Setups folder on the Survey tab in Toolspace. Previously there was only one Setup that contained all the bearing courses and there should have been one Setup for each course.
• The program no longer closes unexpectedly if you have a survey database open and you attempt to log out of Vault.
• The program no longer closes unexpectedly when you import a field book or run a batch file that contains intersection commands.
• Importing a field book file with a custom figure prefix database now give the expected results.
• Figures created from objects are now created with the correct elevations.