Being Civil

AutoCAD Civil 3D New Feature: Subassemblies… Now have Auto-side detection!!!

Hi there… It is that time of the year again. With each release Autodesk always gives us a way to facilitate our life. In Civil 3D 2013 we have a lots of new functionality regarding Assemblies and Subassemblies.

I am sure that you inserted a subassembly in the wrong side probably in more than one occasion. Well, now we have Auto-Detect!

The Auto-Detect Side command setting enables AutoCAD Civil 3D to apply the side parameter of the subassembly to which a new subassembly is attached. You can access this option under CreateSubAssemblyTool command (Setting tab -> Subassembly -> Commands -> right click on CreateSubassemblyTool -> Subassembly Options). When this option is set to ON, the existing subassembly side overrides the side that is specified for the Current Side option.

Stay tuned for more good things to come!!!

What’s new in AutoCAD Map 3D 2013

Here is a quick, workflow-based overview of the new capabilities of our geospatial powerhouse program, AutoCAD Map 3D:

Gathering Existing Conditions

• Enhanced capability to convert GIS & CAD data to intelligent Industry Models.
• Pictometry® Plug-in for AutoCAD Map 3D 2013
• Earthmine® Plug-in for AutoCAD Map 3D 2013

Data Access and Editing

• Enhanced AutoCAD editing capabilities for GIS and CAD data and for industry model data
• Access to industry models in more formats (e.g. Microsoft® SQL Server®)
• Checkout enterprise industry model data for use in the field utilizing industry models in queued edit mode

Planning and Analysis Tools

• Configure and utilize Linear Referencing Systems with industry models
• Dynamic, data-driven tool-tips and hyperlinking from geospatial data

Publishing and Interoperability

• Data Exchange with AutoCAD® Civil 3D® and AutoCAD Utility Design
• Publish Native DWG to Autodesk® Infrastructure Map Server
• Dynamic legends, north arrows, and scale bars
• Dynamic tooltips and links
• Mobile Viewer extension

I can’t wait to see how users take advantage of this exciting new functionality!

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 New Feature: Pressure Pipes

In many user's eyes this is the biggest new feature that was added with the release of Civil 3D 2013. Although in the past we were able mimic pressure pipe design using the existing catalog, Civil 3D is now equiped with the necessary tools to design these networks.

Pressure networks share much of the same "feel" as gravity networks we all know and love. Similarities such as parts contained in a catalog, and populating a parts list. Layout is also very similar, meaning you will be prompted with similar options to associate the network with: surface, alignment. When actually laying out the network you will notice that will be constrained based on the available angles in the parts list. The "compass" as it is called will guide you with your available layout options.

You will also be greeted with some editing options in Profile as well as a new Ribbon displaying the profile view options.

Notice that you can perform both a Design and Depth Check on the network to ensure the design is meeting requirements.

Although this is just a brief introduction, I am sure many of you out there are excited to see this coming with the release of 2013. For more information and videos, please visit Civil 3D 2013 New Features.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 New Features: Overview of Changes (What’s New and Improved)

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year. It really seemed like it was a few weeks ago when we were doing this last year. I am talking about a series of blog posts introducing new features and changes to Civil 3D 2013.

Besides some changes credited to the core AutoCAD functionality which you may read on some other blogs specialized in AutoCAD, although a few things such as the change in DWG format from 2010 to 2013, will be mentioned on Bieng Civil. More about AutoCAD Map 3D will also be published at Being Civil. In any case, here are a few key points you will be reading about in the next several weeks that will cover Civil portion of the changes.

• Linework generation for Civil 3D objects (backed by popular demand). All the feedback you have been providing us finally paid off.
• Improved performance (faster opening, processing, REGEN and rebuilding, especially corridors-more on that, BTW)
• Drive Along tool with ability to change path and add viewports.
• Rail alignments, assemblies and Cant design. New tools added to Civil 3D.
• Survey queries and adding queries to the Surfaces
• Volumes Dashboards and enhanced Surface tools
• Simplified Corridor Workflow and other Corridor enhancements
• Subassembly composer additions
• Assembly editing improvements
• Improved cross sections with multiple corridors
• Pressure Pipes and other things related to it are the big item this year.

And many more..

There are many goodies coming from that and I’m sure you will be reading about it here, at Being Civil.

FYI: Starting with future releases of AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software, Autodesk will no longer be providing support for AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Land Desktop Companion 2009 software. For more information see this and this.

Please stay tuned for more.

 

Delivering Being Civil Articles to Your Outlook

It’s that time of the year, where we all are getting ready for coming up of the new release of Civil 3D. In the next few weeks we will be writing new posts about new features found in Civil 3D 2013, so getting those delivered to you may be what you want to have. That way RSS feed will keep sending you cool new posts right into your Outlook. This is how:

Civil 3D Opens Then Immediately Closes

We occasionally see reports where AutoCAD Civil 3D opens and then immediately closes with no message displayed. Typically, the described behavior could be happening when the program is not able to get its license; but there may be some other reasons for it. After you have confirmed that program in fact is able to ping your license server (if network) and that your license is valid it’s time to look somewhere else. In the next few paragraphs I tried to highlight a few places where you should look for clues. There are more, I guess, but these are most commonones I am aware of.

To begin troubleshooting I prefer to ask myself many questions and then I try to answer it as much as I can. I’d suggest you do the same. Here are some of them.

Coordinate Systems: Updated Mostly Canadian Version

Thanks to some work from the developers working on the Coordinate System functionality, we have some cleaned up directions to replace those in the last Canadian CS post.  These steps are both more widely applicable, and easier than the previous directions.

Take a look:

 

For AutoCAD Map 2012  or later you need to modify the definition of the Geodetic Transformation named "NAD27_to_NAD83". Essentially you will need to edit that definition to include a reference to the newly installed Ntv2_0.gsb file.

- In AutoCAD Map, run the command MAPCSLIBRARY, or press the "Library" button in the ribbon located inside the "Coordinate System" panel.
- locate the Geodetic Tranformation "NAD27_to_NAD83", and select it
- press the "Edit" button
- select the "Grid Data File Interpolation" item in the left pane
- choose the "Grid File Format" "Canadian NTv2" in the combobox
- press the "+" button
- select the Canadian grid file and add it to the list

This dialog box is also where you can specify a different fallback transformation mentioned at the beginning of this readme file.

The NAD27 to NAD83 transformation data files overlap.  In the region of overlap, the various files will not produce exactly the same results.
You may indicate which data file is to take precedence by sequencing the file references in the order of precedence.  Overlap in this specific case occurs between the NTV2_0.gsb file and the CONUS.L?S files (especially in and around the Detroit area) and between the NTV2_0.gsb file and the ALASKA.L?S files along the common border between Canada and Alaska.
To change the order of the grid files use the up and down arrow buttons on the right side of list of grid files.

- Once your list of grid files is correct, press the save button and close the coordinate system library dialog box

The procedure to use datum shift files provided by a provincial government is similar to the above.  You must first obtain the file, copy it into a logical location in the dictionary folder hierarchy, and then make AutoCAD Map aware of the existence and location of the file by editing the appropriate Geodetic Transformation as described above.

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.