From Vault to Data Shortcuts v2.0 (2012 Version)

If you are one of the regular readers of Being Civil you may remember the question how to move from Vault projects into Civil 3D Data Shortcuts. Another situation where similar workflow may be useful would be if one user or contractor doesn’t have Vault but would like to get data out of it. Roughly a couple of years ago I wrote a post From Vault to Data Shortcuts. With the introduction of other flavors of vault you have learned that some things will not work the same way as before for several reasons that are behind the scope of my intent to share this with you. Main one is that the project.xml file that used to store information about Vault project is not used anymore.

Obviously, this made the first post about moving to Data Shortcuts obsolete for 2012 version. With great help of Rob Todd, a long time Autodesk veteran, I am about to share a revised workflow or “From Vault to Data Shortcuts v2.0” with you. As always, Thanks, Rob!

Here is what we need to do. Let’s imagine that we don’t have Vault and have no plans to have it, but our Client is using vault for storage of their projects and we are craving for their data.

Within Vault there is a functionality which allows exporting of Vault project to ZIP file. Simply right-click on project name will give the option. So now, that ZIP file went through the Data Superhighway and reached us. To summarize:

From the Civil 3D 2012 and Vault AEC Collaboration/Professional/Workgroup 2012 environment:

1. From Civil 3D 2012, export the Vault 2012 project to a ZIP file
2. Send the project ZIP file to the non-Vault environment

This is where the real workflow begins…after the jump.

1. Go to your Working Folder (default is C:\Civil 3D Projects) and extract the ZIP file. You should get something like this. Notice there is no Project.XML any more.

   

2. Start the Civil 3D 2012 Data Shortcuts Editor (Start>All Programs>Autodesk>AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012)

3. Open the Project folder from step 1 above (i.e. C:\Civil 3D Projects\Test)

4. Use the Save As command and save the Data Shortcuts to the same project folder. 

   

Notice _Shortcuts folder that got created.

5. Start Civil 3D 2012

6. From Data Shortcuts node set Working Folder to the location where the projects are (Working Folder) i.e. C:\Civil 3D Projects\.

Note: In case you have multiple Data Shortcuts in the same Working Folder, you may select “Set Data Shortcut Folder”

 

7. The Data Shortcuts from the project appear in the Prospector tab of the Civil 3D Toolspace and can be consumed in subsequent workflows.

Enjoy!