In today’s installment of the 30 min workout, we look at several ways that Property Set Data (PSD) can be used in Civil 3D. We accomplish this by using PSD to solve a problem we were faced with.
i.e. Merging data collected by an Arborist and Surveyor into a single repository. (Civil 3D Points)
Along the way, we review the benefits of using Property Set Data over other forms of attribution, show a scenario where PSD tables and data are created automatically, and demonstrate how to add PSD to Civil 3D labels.
The session concludes with a brief discussion of the SHP Import/Export Utility. Using this tool, we can export the Property Set Data and Civil 3D Point Objects to a GIS file.
Sound like something that could help you? Check out the video below to see it in action.
Tool palettes are one of the most powerful and versatile features in the Civil 3D / AutoCAD user interface. Having said this, most folks only use tool palettes for simpler things like quick access to blocks, or inserting content preset to adhere to the company CAD standards.
Tool palettes can be used for much much more. This includes organizing commands into workflows, creating a training tool, launching lisp routines, hosting quick access to custom macros, providing an easy gateway to almost anything available in Civil 3D.
To make things even better, they can be created through simple drag and drop operations. No extensive coding or CUI writing required!
Once defined, there are several ways to share tool palettes amongst users so no one has to "reinvent the wheel".
They say that sequels are never as good as the original. In this case, I’m going to disagree. :)
Have you ever wanted to add road labels to your InfraWorks models? I know; so have I.
Several months ago, I created a post showing one strategy to do this by exporting exploded text from Civil 3D as a GIS file and then importing it back into InfraWorks. This worked pretty well but still had an equal number of “Cons” to go along with the “Pros”. The biggest “Con” (for me anyway) was the fact that the labels could not be placed at the road centerlines. (InfraWorks Roads trump coverage areas)
In that same time frame, I created another post showing how images could be draped over an InfraWorks Terrain. They also have the benefit of being able to be displayed on top of InfraWorks Roads.
I began thinking, what if…. I exported my road labels from Civil 3D as an image that could be draped over my InfraWorks model. It could be much simpler (fewer InfraWorks objects) and could also be displayed on top of the InfraWorks Roads. (Terrain Overlays trump InfraWorks Roads) At the same time, I was concerned about how hard the workflow might be and if the display resolution would be acceptable.
I finally got around to testing it and it worked better than I thought. In short, I believe it is a viable option for creating Labels in InfraWorks models. (At least until a work around is no longer necessary :) )
Check out the video below to see Terrain Overlay II.
What is the shortest distance between two points? A straight line.
Unfortunately, that solution will get us into trouble especially if we are driving a car. :)
Did you know that Map 3D supports a Network Analysis tool that will quickly compute the shortest path between two points? (Among other things)
This is good for us as it opens the door to additional forms of analysis that we can leverage in Civil 3D and InfraWorks.
For example, I may need to the shortest distance between two points within my city model and display the results in an exhibit. City center proximity to areas requiring its services. Proposed school bus routing maps. Computing distances to complete the site data table for my proposed subdivision. There are many examples where this could be helpful.
Imagine this… I quickly create a city model in InfraWorks using Model builder. From there, I connect to the model (SQLite) using Map 3D and extract the road information. I then build a Topology from the road information and can perform numerous forms of Network analysis including shortest path between two points. Once complete, the results can easily be displayed back in InfraWorks.
In less than 10 min. I can have an accurate exhibit to show to a client or project stakeholder.
Re-creating crown on a road rehabilitation project is not always required. Sometimes straight transverse grade between known lines is all that is needed. Given the gutter lines on both sides of a centerline, we can quickly create a straight graded roadway corridor (ignoring crown).
Check out the video below to see a technique for creating a “gutter to gutter” roadway corridor.
Today’s tool isn’t really a tool but more of a strategy to address the challenges some folks are having using several of the default Civil 3D reports. In short, several of the reports that ship with Civil 3D leverage some older technology that may not be supported properly using current Internet Browser versions.
One way to resolve this would be to install an older version of Internet Explorer and then set that as your default Internet Browser. Because I use Google Chrome as my default browser and would prefer to use the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer (when I have to use it) this resolution is not a good fit for me. :)
Instead, it is possible to work around the problem a different way by doing a “Cut and Paste” from Google Chrome in conjunction with the F12 functionality within Microsoft Internet Explorer.
