Civil Immersion

Entering Property Descriptions and other Record Data into Civil 3D

In this 30 Minute Workout session, we will walk through a variety of methods for entering property descriptions and other recorded data into Civil 3D.  This includes precise cogo entry, AutoCAD linework using the Transparent Tools, and the Traverse Editor tool.

The example project used for most of the presentation is a highway right of way acquisition scenario.  At the end, I show a bonus example of a boundary survey that is re-located into a published planar coordinate system using the Traverse Editor.

-Alan

Join us for Brand New 30 Min Workouts!

Register here!

When attending software training, there is never enough time to learn everything an application has to offer. In many cases, training sessions focus on the “need to know” functionality to accomplish typical workflows.

In our upcoming bi-weekly sessions we plan to explore many Civil 3D/InfraWorks/BIM Collaborate Pro tools, tips, and shortcuts not typically shown in traditional training sessions. Our goal being that adding more tools to your toolbox can help you gain efficiency and get the most value out of your Autodesk investment.

Sessions are at 01:30 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada):

• July 8th, 2021 - Making Civil 3D Corridor Targeting more Graphical - Jeff Bartels
• July 22nd, 2021 - Taking Civil 3D Model Navigation to the Next Level - Jerry Bartels
• Aug 5th, 2021 - Surveying the Cloud: Autodesk Document Management for Land Surveyors - Alan Gilbert
• Aug 19th, 2021 - Creating a Surface from your Point Cloud using InfraWorks - Angel Espinoza

The sessions are only 30 min. and will be 100% live demonstration - no PowerPoint is allowed. We are also more than happy to answer any questions arising from the material.

We hope you can join us for the next session in our “30 Min Workout” series of webcasts!

Register here!

-Jeff

Our Next 30 min. Workout Session is Thursday, Dec. 3rd!

At our next 30 min. Workout session we’ll be walking through a new add-on for Civil 3D called “Project Explorer”.  The Project Explorer represents a single, modeless dialog box where you can (among other things) view, edit and report on content stored within a civil model.  The Project Explorer is included with the 2021 AEC Collection.  That said, the installation media is also compatible with the 2020 version of Civil 3D.

This will be our first 30 min. Workout with a cliff-hanger ending!  The goal on December 3^rd is to demonstrate Project Explorer “basics” such that attendees can start using the tool immediately after the session.  We will then come back on Thursday December 17^th for a deeper dive exploration into what the Project Explorer has to offer!

If you are interested – CLICK HERE – to register.
We look forward to seeing you there!

-Jeff

Using Civil 3D's Inquiry Tools to compute Who, What and Where

During today’s presentation, we explore Civil 3D's Inquiry Tools. 

Using these tools, we can quickly compute things like Elevation, Grade, Slope, Distance, Bearing and more directly from Civil 3D Objects.  These objects include Points, Surfaces, Profile Views, Profiles, Sections, Section Views and Corridors.  Why are these tools really helpful??  Many customers resort to creating labels or annotation to compute what these tools do automatically.

After being introduced (or re-introduced :)) to Civil 3D's Inquiry Tools, they could easily become part of your every day Civil 3D workflows.

Click on the video below to check them out.

- Jerry

Our Next 30 min. Workout Session is this Thursday! (Oct. 29th)

In this session we will be taking a look at Civil 3D's numerous "Inquiry Commands".  If you have not used them before, they can be very helpful in quickly determining things like Distance, Station, Elevation, Grade and so much more. 

In short, they are used to quickly interrogate Autodesk Civil 3D objects. You can then use the information extracted from the design model to aid in design, validation, and analysis.

The live session “30-Minute Workout - Using Civil 3D's inquiry tools to establish Who, What and Where” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29th,  at 1:30 PM Eastern Time.  If you are interested in attending, please use the link below to register…

https://autodesk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ptocx9U-Rk6z61O9GtcPHQ

We look forward to seeing you there!

-Jerry

Our Next 30min. Workout is Thursday Oct 15th!

Object Snaps are arguably the most important feature in the AutoCAD platform.  Their ability to “lock on” to precise coordinates represents the foundation on which all geometry is created, edited, and queried. 

Civil 3D also relies on Object Snaps to model civil infrastructure designs.  In addition, Civil 3D provides its own collection of engineering related snaps called Transparent Commands.  Using Transparent Commands, civil engineers can select from 20+ options including: Northing/Easting, Bearing/Distance, Station/Offset, Profile Station/Elevation, etc.

At our next 30min. Workout, (Thursday October 15^th) we’ll explore Civil 3D’s collection of Transparent Commands as well as a few best practices for their application.  If you’d like to attend the live session, please use the link below to register...

 - REGISTER HERE -

We look forward to seeing you there!

-Jeff

Recycle your .DWG content using the Design Center tool in Civil 3D

During today’s presentation, we explore “Design Center”.  Design Center was originally added to AutoCAD back in the 2000 release.  (Over 20 years ago!)  This officially makes it an “oldy but goody” when it comes to AutoCAD/Civil 3D tools. :)

In short, Design Center helps you recycle/reuse your content in ways you may not have thought possible.  Need to create a new Layout just like the one you worked on in a different project?  Need a custom linetype you saw in a .DWG the other day?  Need to recreate some Layers that were inadvertently purged?  Need to quickly redefine some blocks to match your company standards?  Design Center is here to help you with these tasks and soooo much more.

If you have never used Design Center before, it can easily become one of the top 10 tools you rely on.

Click on the video below to check it out.

-Jerry

Our Next 30 min. Workout Session is this Thursday! (Oct. 1st)

In this session we will be taking a tour of “Design Center”.  This tool was originally introduced in AutoCAD 2000 and (even after 20 years) it still provides tons of value.  If you have not used it before, (or if it's been a while :)) this tool provides a quick and easy way to find and reuse your drawing components.  Think of it like a “Windows Explorer” for .DWG files.

 

The live session “30-Minute Workout - Recycle drawing content using Design Center” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1^st at 1:30 PM Eastern Time.  If you are interested in attending, please use the link below to register…

https://autodesk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e25PQtMQTO2Q7djDDboDdQ

We look forward to seeing you there!

-Jerry

Adding Intelligence to InfraWorks Models using the Extend Schema Tool

Historically, the default schema used by InfraWorks was “fixed”, having a predefined number of feature classes and attributes.  This limited the number of unique features (and data) InfraWorks was able to consume and represent.  As a result, it was a challenge to manage multiple utility types or leverage extended attribution.

Today, InfraWorks 2020 includes a new Extend Schema Tool that makes it easy to create custom feature classes having virtually unlimited attribution.  By opening up the schema, designers now have much more control over the organization of attached content while also increasing the value of data analysis and visualization.  In today’s installment, we’ll use the Extend Schema Tool to create a custom feature class (with attributes) and then explore some ways to take advantage of the rich attribution.

If you're interested, I’ve recorded a video that walks through everything…

-Jeff

Modeling an InfraWorks Site Plan from Aggregated Data

Last Friday, (2020-01-24) I presented a live demonstration that focused on modeling large InfraWorks site plans from multiple data sources.  During the session I showed how to aggregate data from SHP, 3D models, LandXML and ArcGIS Online.

If you're someone who is just getting started with InfraWorks, I also walked through some of the basics when it comes to creating, visualizing and analyzing models.  For more experienced users, this recording represents a great introduction to the new ribbon style interface. :)  We don’t often get a chance to share "long format" recordings, so I was excited for the opportunity such that I could post the content here!

If you are interested, a link to the recording can be found below…

-Jeff