Civil Immersion

Updating Civil 3D Surfaces Created from LandXML Files

On occasion, you may work with stakeholders who use a solution other than Civil 3D.  When this happens, civil data is often exchanged as LandXML files.  That said, LandXML files imported to Civil 3D can be challenging to “swap out” if updates are received in the future.  In today’s installment we’ll explore a workflow using the Paste Surface feature to manage updates to surfaces created from LandXML.

Generally speaking, the workflow involves creating a new surface and then pasting the LandXML data into it.  This surface is then shared with the project as a data reference.    In the future, if an updated LandXML file is received, you can simply add to (or replace) the data in the shared surface to apply the changes to all affected project drawings.  If you are interested, I’ve created a quick video below that walks through everything…

-Jeff

Creating and Manipulating Civil 3D Sample Lines

By default, Civil 3D sample lines are placed perpendicular to an alignment.  That said, some designs (or cross sections) may require “skewed” or multi-segmented sample lines.  At times like these, Civil 3D provides specialized tools for creating virtually any sample line you may need.

In this installment we’ll explore some ways to create custom sample lines.  We’ll also look at how to change their position and/or geometry using grips.  If you are interested, I’ve created a quick video below that walks through everything…

-Jeff

Creating Dynamic Civil 3D Offset Alignments and Widenings

Proposed linear designs are often represented using multiple parallel entities. Lane edges, medians, shoulders, ditches and R.O.W. are just a few examples. When design changes are made, it’s important that all related entities update as well. Fortunately, modifications like this are made easy using Civil 3D’s offset alignments.

Offset alignments are dynamically linked to a “parent” alignment, meaning they will maintain their offset, even when the parent alignment changes. This makes them perfect for defining linear geometry that would otherwise need to be redrawn as a design evolves. Offset alignments can also support “widenings” to accommodate things like turn lanes, transitions and on street parking geometry. No matter how offset alignments are defined, they will always maintain a geometric relationship with their parent, making future design modifications much more efficient!

In this session we’ll explore some workflows for defining offset alignments and widenings. If you are interested, I’ve created a quick video below that walks through everything you need to get started…

-Jeff

Calculating a Stockpile Volume from Point Cloud Data using Civil 3D

Today's drone technology makes it easy to collect existing site conditions as a point cloud.  Once captured, point clouds provide a wealth of analytic opportunities.  In this week’s installment, we'll use Civil 3D to analyze a point cloud and extract the volume of a large stockpile.

If your projects require you to calculate stockpile volumes, try experimenting with a point cloud workflow.  Capturing stockpiles as point clouds can be the fastest and safest means of collecting this data, while also providing more detail than what is obtainable using more traditional collection methods.

If you are interested, I’ve created a quick video below to help you get started…

-Jeff

Migrating a Surface Model from InfraWorks to Civil 3D

Using the “Point Cloud Terrain” feature, InfraWorks makes it easy to extract a bare earth surface from a point cloud.  Extracted surfaces are a perfect way to add detail to an existing conditions model.  InfraWorks then makes it easy to share these surfaces with other Autodesk applications, providing countless opportunities to analyze, visualize, and sample the data.

In this week’s installment, we’ll explore a workflow to migrate an existing ground surface (built from aerial imagery) from InfraWorks to Civil 3D.  If you are interested, I’ve created a quick recording below that walks through everything…

-Jeff

Finish Strong Friday: Utilizing Survey Monument GIS Data in Civil 3D

As many of you know, the Map 3D FDO tools for connecting to various GIS databases and file stores are very powerful and luckily-are included with Civil 3D.  Recently, I was talking with a customer about grabbing published survey monument data and bringing it into a Civil 3D project.  Based on this discussion, I thought this might be of interest to others who may not be completely familiar with the GIS tools available in Civil 3D/Map 3D; hence this post.

Check out the video below to see this in action.

-Alan

Tool for Tuesday: TransferPoints

Today’s installment is all about the "Transfer".

Specifically, transferring an ASCII point file from one "Point file" format to another. In other words, I have an ASCII file containing survey points that are formatted as PNEZD (comma delimited) and I need them in a PENZ (space delimited) file format.

In the past, I would have accomplished this by importing the points into Civil 3D using the first point file format and then immediately turn around and export them into the second point file format.

The problem with this is, it is an entirely manual process that involves several steps. If only there were a better way.  Fortunately, there is!!

Using the TransferPoints tool in Civil 3D, we can transfer an ASCII point file from one file format directly into another in a single step.

Click on the video below to see it works!

-Jerry

Finish Strong Friday: Import Local Coordinate Survey Data into Known Control Points – Part 2

I'd like to start by saying thanks for the video requests!  Keep them coming!

Today's request was to show a technique for bringing in local survey data into the Survey Database (SDB) that has established control points; except this time, the local survey data is in static/fixed format.  As always, many ways to attack this.  In my example, we use the standard cogo tools to translate the data into coordinate space; then export a clean file out that can be used in the SDB.

Check out the video below to see this workflow in action.

-Alan

 

Finish Strong Friday: Import Local Coordinate Survey Data into Known Control Points

After my "RW5 Import" post a few weeks ago, I had a request to show bringing a local survey file into a coordinate space already defined by fixed control points in the Survey Database.  The best technique can vary depending on how the data was collected, but I hope this video gets the general point across.

Check out the video below to see this workflow in action.

-Alan

Splitting Parking Rows Created using Autodesk Vehicle Tracking

Autodesk Vehicle tracking makes it possible to create parking geometry meeting most any standard using only a couple mouse clicks.  Editing a parking design is just as easy by leveraging the many provided grips.  On occasion however, you may have a need to break, or trim a parking row created using Autodesk Vehicle Tracking.

Even though AVT does not offer these options, it is possible to perform similar edits using the Create Access Road tool.  In this week’s installment, we’ll explore some ways to split parking rows using the access road feature.

If you are interested, I’ve created a quick recording that walks through the workflows...

-Jeff