Civil Immersion

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

Processing ReCap Photo Aerial Imagery using Ground Control Points

It’s surprising how easy it is to create a 3D mesh from drone captured imagery using ReCap Photo.  In the event your aerial images contain GPS metadata (Latitude, Longitude, Altitude) ReCap photo can leverage this information to scale and geospatially locate the mesh.  If higher accuracy is required, ReCap photo allows you to assign Ground Control Points such that the resulting 3D mesh is aligned to surveyed coordinates.

Whenever ReCap Photo processes a mesh, it can also generate a point cloud and/or ortho TIF if desired.  These assets can then be easily incorporated into a Civil 3D or InfraWorks model.  In this week’s installment we’ll use ReCap Photo to create an accurate 3D mesh that leverages surveyed ground control points.  If you are interested, I’ve created a quick video that walks through the workflow…

-Jeff

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

 

Applying a “Margin of Error” to Swept Paths Created using Autodesk Vehicle Tracking

When analyzing a swept path, it’s important to remember that the envelopes represent the smallest area required for a vehicle to maneuver.  The closer those envelopes are to curbs, signage, or building corners, the smaller the margin of error is for the driver.  Fortunately, Autodesk Vehicle Tracking provides a way to assign an offset (or “buffer”) to a swept path to compensate for the imperfections of real world drivers, vehicles, or conditions.  Designing to this offset helps ensure vehicles can successfully navigate a site and reduces the risk of collisions.

Offsets are applied using a “report”.  Reports are a lot like Civil 3D styles in that they control the appearance of a swept path.  In today’s installment, we’ll learn how to edit a report such that it displays an offset envelope.  If you are interested, I’ve created a video below that walks through everything…

-Jeff

NOTE: For more information on creating, applying or editing swept path reports, please watch this video - https://youtu.be/-GwXCzeybfc

Creating Parking Stalls in Almost No Time using Autodesk Vehicle Tracking

In today’s installment well look at a really quick way to create parking lot striping using Autodesk Vehicle Tracking.  The “trick” involves using the Parallel Row feature in conjunction with a selected object.  For example; after launching the command, simply pick on the edge of pavement to instantly create parking stalls that are parallel to that geometry.  (The select object feature works with alignments, arcs, lines or polylines.)

Creating parking stalls in this way can save you a ton of picks and clicks!    If you are interested I’ve created a video below that demonstrates the workflow...

-Jeff

Updating an InfraWorks Visualization when an Attached Civil 3D Corridor Design Changes

Using InfraWorks to visualize a Civil 3D corridor design requires some initial prep work to attach and stylize the necessary design files.  That being said, the time spent to configure a connection is only required when a model is first imported.  Once a connection is made, any future design changes can be visualized within InfraWorks almost instantly!  To trigger an update, simply “refresh” the affected connections.

In this week’s installment, we’ll make some modifications to a connected Civil 3D corridor design and then explore how to synchronize those changes back to InfraWorks.  If you are interested, I’ve created a screen recording that walks through the process…

-Jeff

Making Global Changes to Civil 3D Label Styles

Civil 3D provides many settings to control the appearance of labels.  Quite often, those settings are assigned and edited within each individual label style.  This workflow can be time consuming however, when a desired change is common to multiple styles.  Fortunately, Civil 3D also provides a way to assign label style settings “globally”, making it easy to edit countless styles at one time. 

In this week’s installment we’ll explore a workflow to assign label style settings at both the drawing, and feature levels.  Assigning settings at a higher level can be the most efficient way to make changes when those changes apply to multiple styles!  If you are interested, I’ve created a quick video below that walks through the process…

-Jeff

Managing Civil 3D Assemblies using the Prospector Tab

Many times, Civil 3D assemblies are displayed and managed graphically on screen.  That being said, assemblies can also be managed through the Prospector Tab.  In today’s installment we’ll explore the benefits of leveraging the Prospector when working with assemblies.

Generally speaking, Civil 3D’s Prospector Tab represents a “one stop shop” for accessing all assemblies within a drawing.  From the tab, an engineer or designer can quickly locate and edit assemblies.  They can also identify (and subsequently delete) unused assemblies.  Selecting the “Remove from Modelspace” option, assembly graphics can be deleted while retaining their definitions inside a drawing.  Among other things, this feature is a great way to store popular assemblies within a template file without having to physically display them on screen.

When you get a chance, try accessing your assemblies through the Prospector Tab.  By leveraging a combination of the graphical and tabular management techniques, you can add even more efficiency to your corridor modeling workflows.  If you are interested, I’ve created a quick screen recording that demonstrates some assembly management techniques using the Prospector Tab...

-Jeff