Civil Immersion

Our Next 30 min. Workout Session is Thursday, September 17th!

Civil 3D label styles are capable of extracting (and annotating) data stored within Civil objects.  Once placed, Civil 3D labels update automatically each time an associated object changes.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could assign similar labels to non-Civil 3D objects?  Fortunately, we can! 

In this week’s 30 min. Workout session we’ll be exploring an annotation concept called “Fields”.  Fields (introduced in AutoCAD 2005) provide a way of linking base AutoCAD drawing/object properties to annotations.   Since Civil 3D is built upon the AutoCAD platform, we can use Fields as a way of placing even more maintenance free annotations in our drawings.

The live session “30-Minute Workout - Using Fields to Create Smart Text in Civil 3D” is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 PM Eastern Time.  If you're interested in attending, please use the following link to register…  https://autodesk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gaje67frRjitoM-u3OU_Ug

We look forward to seeing you there!

-Jeff

Creating higher value geometry using the Map Cleanup tools in Civil 3D

During today’s presentation, we do a deep dive into the MapClean Tools within Civil 3D. 

Using MAPCLEAN, we can quickly analyze and correct geometric “issues”.  These include deleting duplicate objects, erasing short objects, extending undershoots, snapping clustered nodes and much much more.

We also explore several ways to select geometry, so we are sure we are working on exactly the entities we are interested in.  Along the way, we look at how the MAPCLEAN tools can address issues automatically as well as identify every issue allowing us the opportunity to address it or not.

If you have never seen/used MAPCLEAN before, you will learn how helpful each analysis option can be.  Additionally, learning to couple multiple analysis types together in a single operation can quickly make MAPCLEAN one of the most powerful tools in your tool belt.

Click on the video below to check it out.

-Jerry

Taking Advantage of AutoCAD's Annotative Objects in Civil 3D

When applied to civil objects, Civil 3D's purpose built labels maintain a dynamic link to the underlying civil data AND will size themselves automatically when displayed on construction drawings. That said, civil infrastructure designs often include "generic" objects that also require labeling.

Many times these objects can be labeled using a Civil 3D note, OR (depending on your needs), an AutoCAD Annotative object may be a better fit. In today's installment, we'll explore the concept of annotative objects, learn how to create and edit them, and walk through some ways to incorporate them into our civil designs.

If you're interested, the video below walks step by step through everything you need to get started...

-Jeff

Solving AutoCAD / Civil 3D Problems using the Geometric Calculator

One of the most powerful (and least talked about) AutoCAD / Civil 3D features is the Geometric Calculator. This calculator (introduced in 1993) was originally designed to be accessed from the command line which made it a bit challenging to find.  Once discovered however, the calculator provides a powerful means of solving simple (or complex) calculations transparently within running commands.

In addition to numeric values, the Geometric Calculator will also accept object snaps as part of an expression making it easy to locate points in space without the need to create “sketch” geometry.  In today’s installment we'll unlock the secrets of this calculator and use it to solve both numeric and geometric equations!

If you’re interested, I’ve created a quick video below that walks through everything...

-Jeff

Register to Attend the Next 30 min. Workout Session!

-Register here-

There’s never enough time in a typical Civil 3D training course to explore EVERY available tool.  Most courses focus on “need to know” functionality to get you up and running using the application.  The remaining features, tools and shortcuts are then discovered over years using Civil 3D in production.

To fast track some of this on-the-job learning, we’re hosting a bi-weekly webinar series called “30 min. Workouts”.  Each workout is designed to demonstrate time saving features and functionality not shown during traditional classroom training.  The live (no PowerPoint allowed) sessions occur every other Thursday.

Our next Workout - “Solving Problems using the Geometric Calculator” is scheduled for July 16^th at 12:30pm central time!

Would you like to attend?
Seating is limited, and you must register in advance:
-Register Here-

The session will focus on one of the most powerful (least talked about) features of the Civil 3D / AutoCAD platform; the geometric calculator.

All who register will receive a link to view (or download) the session recording.  Attendees having questions about the material can also request a 1:1 follow-up call.

Hope to see you there!

-Jeff  

Odds, Ends & Import Things when using Civil 3D / AutoCAD

In today’s installment, we explore several more common commands and look at ways to get more out of them. 

These include a discussion about using Layer Freeze vs. OFF. 

We also explore several aspects of the Layer Dialog box including controlling column display, filters and exporting a layer list. 

From there we focus on several ways we can capture (and more importantly use) the text contained within the Command Line. 

We wrap up by looking at ways to make the StatusBar more useful as well as leveraging coordinates to quickly position ourselves on a coordinate system.

As a Bonus, at the end, I provide a quick tip on how the Trim command works differently OTB in 2021.

Click on the video below to check it out.

-Jerry

30+ Civil 3D / AutoCAD Tips & Tricks in 30 minutes!

This week represented the fifth installment of our bi-weekly “30 min. Workout” webinar series.  The goal of these sessions is to demonstrate lesser known Civil 3D / AutoCAD / Map3D workflows.  Our hope is that each “workout” will be a valuable resource for users to explore concepts falling outside the scope of traditional training courses.

This week’s session featured a multitude of Civil 3D / AutoCAD tips and tricks.  In true “lightning round” fashion, more than thirty helpful features, system variables and keyboard shortcuts were demonstrated covering a wide array of topics.  If you are interested, I’ve added a link to the session recording below…

Likewise, if you are interested in downloading the script files used in this session, they can be found here! - https://a360.co/2YMqNnP 

-Jeff

 

Pushing Common Commands to the Extreme using Civil 3D / AutoCAD

Today we start exploring some underutilized features of commands most users rely on every day.  The challenge that we are trying to overcome is the fact that, because the commands are very familiar to us, we tend to rely on only a small amount of what is possible. 

That begins changing now!

During today’s 30 min workout, we will focus on the following...

Undo – Building a time machine
SAVE – Typing it does something different
XCLIP – Improve performance (INDEXCTL)
Wildcards – Lots more than just *
MSLIDE / VSLIDE – Quick view

I even threw in some “Simple LISP” at the end when I showed how to create a custom command you can start using immediately.

Click on the video below to check it out.

-Jerry

The Autodesk Connector for ArcGIS

In 30 years, I have never worked on a civil project that did not require some interaction with GIS data.  Whether it is referencing GIS data to get started, using GIS data to help make better design decisions or exporting as-built information to GIS at the end of a project, GIS is an essential part of civil projects.

Having said this, our ability to engage with GIS data hasn’t always been as easy as it should be.  In some cases making a connection to the data could be challenging.  In others, the GIS data required conversion to CAD geometry.  In others, the performance may not have been what we expected. Or worse yet, what we thought was a “live link” was more dead than alive.  😊 

At the end of the day, we all found ways to get our jobs done but always thought there really should be a better way.

The recent partnership between Autodesk and Esri is that better way!

New tools are being developed to create more seamless integrations between the worlds of BIM & GIS.  One of these tools is the Autodesk Connector for ArcGIS.  Using this tool, we can link solutions like InfraWorks and Civil 3D directly to ArcGIS online.  Once linked, we can push and pull GIS data back and forth in ways that were never before possible. 

Much has been accomplished as a result of the Autodesk & Esri partnership over the past couple of years.  I am super excited to see how much more will be accomplished moving forward into the future.

Click on the video below to check it out.

 

-Jerry

Extreme Object Snaps using Civil 3D / AutoCAD

When you think about it, practically every command requires some user input in the form of an Object Snap.  Move from the END of this, Rotate around the INTERSECTION of this....

The problem is that typically, a handful of Object snaps become our "Go-tos".  As a result, we attack most drafting and design challenges with only a subset of what is actually possible.

 

In today’s installment, we explore how to do more with Object snaps.  This includes reviewing several very powerful (and underutilized) Object snaps, locating Object snaps in space, performing mathematical operations on Object snaps to compute other Object snaps, saving running Object snaps and more.

In fact, during this 30 min session, we’ll explore greater than 30 ways you can get even more out of Object snaps.

Click on the video below to check it out.

-Jerry