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Naming Objects in Civil 3D

Friday, March 12th, 2010

There are a lot of things that you can do to “automate” Civil 3D.  One of the hallmarks of Civil 3D is to take the mundane tasks off the user’s plate and let the program handle them.  This increases productivity since the user no longer has to manage these little repetitious functions.  One of the things that a lot of users overlook is the naming conventions that are possible.  If your standards include the naming of layers and objects, or you just want something that is appropriate and quick, you have some options.

Let’s look at object layers first.  Any template file that you are using should have an array of layers to begin with.  If you intend someone with base AutoCAD (or some other platform) to use your design file after you are done with it they will need layers to control which objects are visible.  Object layer modifiers can set a prefix/suffix for a layer to create unique named layers for objects.  In the Drawing Settings there is an Object Layers tab where objects receive their default layer assignments.  There is a “Modifier” column which allows for either a prefix or a suffix to be added to an object.  My example would be that of an alignment.  I like to suffix my alignments with “-*” (drop the quotes) which adds the alignment’s name in place of the asterisk.  This, in turn, creates a layer as soon as you create an alignment with this naming convention.  You don’t want to do this for every object or you would be drowning in layers before you know what happened.  But for alignments and surfaces, and maybe a couple of other objects, it could be very useful.

Another way that you can standardize objects is to tweak the naming template.  You can set this in the Object Settings for those objects, or for some it is assigned in the object’s commands.  Depending on the object, you may have more than one name you can set (like alignments, you have centerline alignment types and offset alignment types), and you may have more than one option in the naming convention.  Like in the alignment I can add just a counter, but profiles I can add several aspects besides the counter (like alignment name or profile type among others).

Its important to note that these defaults are just that; defaults.  The user can change these names at the time of creation or afterwards through the object’s properties.  But most of the time you need a certain naming convention to happen, then most of the time you can have it ready to go for the user.

Posted in Civil | No Comments »

AutoCAD Skills for C3D Users

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

If you are about to learn Civil 3D 2010 and are coming from an old version of AutoCAD, Microstation or even BricsCAD, you’ll need to brush up on your AutoCAD knowledge.

The attached PDF will take you through the bare-bones basics of AutoCAD in preparation to learn Civil 3D 2010.

Mastergraphics also has a 1-day crash-course for people who want to be led through the AutoCAD update process.   We have a lot of fun and go into as much as we can in 8 hours!   Contact your sales rep for more information.

Enjoy!

autocad-skills-you-need-to-master-for-using-civil-3d

-Lou

Posted in Civil | No Comments »

Alignments: Parents, Children and Grandchildren

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

 

In the 2010 release of Civil 3D Autodesk unveiled a new type of alignment: the offset alignment.  Originally created for the intersection tool, these alignments can be created manually by the user to fill a whole host of functions for design.

 

Offset alignments need a parent alignment to take their position.  As you need to edit the parent alignment’s position the offset alignments will update, staying generally parallel to their parent.  Keep in mind, you can create widening regions that shift the offset alignments so they do not have to be absolutely parallel to the parent alignment, but these regions will stay relative to the parent.

 

If the original alignment is the parent, and the offset alignments are the children, you can then create “grandchildren” alignments that are offset from the children.  Now we have several layers of control throughout the design.  If the overall road centerline (the parent) alignment needs to shift, all of the alignments move in relation.  If the parent stays still but one of the children needs to shift over (for a lane moving over) then the grandchildren shift with it as well.  Finally, if the edges of the roadway need to shift, but the overall boulevard centerline and the lane centerlines are staying still, you still have that level of control.

 

That example is of a fairly complex boulevard design.  But there are other reasons offset alignments can be useful.  If you are working with parcels, they also respond to alignments.  The issue up until now has been that if the roadway centerline that controls the right-of-way (ROW) parcel frontage moves, the ROW parcel doesn’t necessarily update with it.  If you instead use the offset alignments to control the ROW parcel, then the centerline alignment moves, the ROW alignments move, and the parcel appropriately updates.

 

This is all towards a level of control that we didn’t have before.  Changes in real-time, and keeping things relative.  This will keep your designs moving forward through the revision cycle.

Posted in Civil | No Comments »

The Case For Pipe Objects

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

 

I come from a piping background.  Gas primarily, but a significant amount of water design as well.  I really appreciate what pipe objects offer in Civil 3D.  I understand that it is very easy to create pipes in plan and in profile very quickly just by creating a polyline of the run, then do the math, and offset the appropriate amount for the size of the pipe.  A lot of groups use this method, and it is a viable option.  But that is why I feel I need to make the case for using the pipe objects.  Here are some benefits that you could realize.

 

First of all, pipes are objects.  Just like other objects in Civil 3D, they dynamically update themselves when they are edited.  That means, if you move the structures in the plan view the pipes update their location in profile and section views as well.  Beyond that, the labels in all of these views updates as well.

 

Second, editing pipe networks in plan and profile are extremely easy.  There are grips that can be graphically edited.  As the depth of a pipe is changed the structures that it is connected to will change its depth to match the new data.  Move a structure in plan view and the pipes that are connected move as well.  There are also tools that help the grip editing be more precise.  They are called transparent tools, and have a host of other uses, but one of them is moving items to station and offset of a given alignment. 

 

Beyond that, there are several different places that you can edit in a data graph.  Changes made here are live, and in real time, so you can see them take place and watch for potential problems.  Also, you can edit invert elevations to 3-places of precision.  Did I say “invert”?  Sure, but you can also edit these elevations at the centerline or the crowns as well.  Once you have a “starting” elevation you can then edit the slope of a pipe while holding that starting elevation.  The columns of the pipe data chart can also be moved around so that the data you are concerned with can all be placed for easy access.  I mention this because one of my favorite editing practices is to move the Start Invert Elevation, End Invert Elevation, and Slope (Hold Start) columns next to each other.  Then I am able to edit each elevation and slope as I need to, one pipe into another.  And if I situate the data grid where I can see the profile view of these pipes I can confirm proper location immediately.

 

Third, pipes are one of the objects that can data shortcut into other drawings in your project.  This means that they can be created in one file but referenced into any other file that you need them to appear.  This keeps those files smaller while still communicating pipe data.  Also, someone can be working on the pipes while someone else is working on grading, or labeling, or some other aspect of the project.

 

Finally, pipe objects allow for Interference Checks to be run against them.  These checks can run against any combination of pipe networks in the drawing, or even a single network against itself (that would be a pretty complex design to need it - but it happens).  You can then augment the interference check to check the proximity of pipes, not just where they outright conflict.  If you are checking a sewer network against a water network you can make sure they don’t come within a certain distance of each other.

 

Hopefully I’ve been able to uncover some reasons why you should use the pipe objects.  They’re more than just lines in your plan and profile views. 

Posted in Civil | No Comments »

Is Paperless still a Myth?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

By Darren Hartenstine

With the advent of electronic Data Management applications and digital formats, why are companies still printing on paper? I was reviewing some statistics around the printing industry and found the information alarming.  Here’s just one blurb I feel is noteworthy.

The pulp and paper industry is the single largest consumer of water used in industrial activities in OECD countries and is the third greatest industrial greenhouse gas emitter, after the chemical and steel industries (OECD Environmental Outlook, p. 218)

Green initiatives; sustainable design; these are great concepts, but is anyone actually making the effort to use less paper?  I know that a company cannot go 100% paperless (yet), but I feel that the Engineering Design process is a perfect component for this evolution.  The Autodesk Vault product family has some great tools to facilitate paperless design. 

In the last week as a test, I have tried to cut my paper use out completely and have struggled with it.  I am somewhat old school and use paper for note taking.  It seems to be faster for me up front, but in the long run, I know that it is inefficient and it often becomes difficult to locate past information.  I know it’s funny, but having that piece of paper is like comfort food.

I am interested in opinions, comments, experiences, etc. with companies/individuals that have attempted or successfully implemented a paperless design process.  Feel free to contact me via email or through this blog posting.  My email address is Darren.hartenstine@mastergraphics.com.

Posted in Building / AEC, Civil, General, Manufacturing, Visualization | No Comments »

Top 10 Performance Tips for Autodesk Vault

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

By Darren Hartenstine

When Autodesk Vault is running smoothly, things are great, right?  Designers and Engineers are working on new designs or changes and checking them into Vault.  The rest of the company is consuming this data and parts are being manufactured.

It’s when things go wrong with the Autodesk Data Management Server (ADMS) that a company realizes the catastrophic potential of a dysfunctional Vault.  I am going to write a few blogs on choosing the right computer hardware and implementing correct practices that will hopefully limit or eradicate downtime and improve performance.

#1 - ADMS System Backup

OK, so this isn’t going to make your Vault fast, but if your ADMS server goes down and there’s no Backup, you will lose data and time.

I’ve written about this before in a previous blog called “Is your Vault Safe?”  But I think I need to reiterate the point again….Backup, Backup, Backup, Backup…..and, Backup.  If you’re not backing up your Vault, then there is the potential to suffer from lost work or in extreme situations, you could lose everything.  And when I say backing up your Vault, I mean through the ADMS console or the equivalent command line option that can be run through a batch file. 

#2 - 64bit Windows Operating System

Running a 64bit Windows Server operating system will allow up to utilize more system RAM for the various applications that are running on your Server.  If you have a 32bit Windows Server Operating System, than you can only address 2GB, unless you enable the 3GB switch.

There are many components to the ADMS Server that tend to use as much memory as your server can spare.  Microsoft SQL can become a memory hog and use anywhere from 1GB to 7GB+ (64bit version of SQL) of RAM.  I’ve seen the W3WP.EXE service consume up to 2GB (32bit Application Limitation) of RAM and cause performance issues on the Server.

Even though the ADMS software is still a 32bit application, running it on a 64bit server will allow your system RAM to be shared more efficiently. 

I will discuss how to enable to 3GB switch in the Tips and Techniques posting later on.

#3 - RAM

When it comes to configuring a Server, get at least 4GB of RAM for a 32bit Windows Server OS and a minimum of 8GB of RAM for a 64bit Windows Server OS.  When you are making the purchase of RAM, it is best to get 2GB to 4GB paired sticks to install into the server.  If you get 1GB sticks of RAM, you will run out of slots quickly.  This is also important when initially building your server.  I know that Dell and HP will install 1GB sticks to get you to 8GB, since they’re cheaper.

If you ever decide to upgrade and all slots are full, you will need to pull the RAM and install the new ones.  If you can’t repurpose the RAM, you’ve wasted money.

You’re going to hear this a lot in the next few blogs, but make the initial investment in time and money to get your server configured correctly.  It’s not something I can quantify, but more RAM makes for a faster server, which can equate to faster transactions…and happier Vault users.

#4 – Hard Drives

I am going to talk about Hard Drives in my next blog, since I feel it needs the most attention and will also be a longer posting.

 #5 – Microsoft SQL

#6 – SQL Maintenance

#7 – ADMS Installation

#8 – Tips and Techniques

#9 - Networks / Load Balancing

#10 - What Else is Running on your Server?

 

 

Posted in Building / AEC, Civil, Manufacturing | No Comments »

Subassembly Order Matters

Friday, February 19th, 2010

 

Its come up a couple of times over the course of the last couple of weeks.  The manner in which you build you corridor assemblies does matter.  First of all, the side that you attach the first subassembly to sets the assembly to see everything that goes on that side first.  This can come in handy when you are targeting your subassemblies to alignments or profiles.  If I need the right side pavement to target a given alignment I know that the right side was first, so the first pavement in my list is going to the right.

 

Let me show you an example.  Here is a fairly straightforward assembly.  It is symmetrical with the crown at the center.  I first put in the right hand pavement.  Then it doesn’t matter what other parts I put in, or what order.  Anything attached to that first pavement is considered to  the right, and after the pavement in the list.  The entire left side is also after everything that is on the right side. 

Here is the corridor page where I target alignments and profiles.  When I target an alignment to identify the right edge of travelled way I know the first of the two pavements is to the right.

 

On a simple design that is really all I need.  On a more complicated design I might want to go in and change the names of the subassemblies so there is no doubt as to which is which.  But it never hurts to have a standard method for assembly creation, just in case.

Another place where this is of utmost importance is if you are using a Marked Point. 

 

 Some subassemblies allow the design to cross over to a specifically identified point to fill in gaps.  A perfect example is a median that is filling the gap between two sections of pavement.  The subassembly called Marked Point has to exist before the median subassembly is told to look for it.  Now, time order isn’t as important as is the list of items.  Since I always design to the right first my marked point goes on the right of my design, and the median goes on the left of my design and targets the marked point from there.

           

By the way, you will notice the median appears to be falling well short of its intended target.  This is just a function of the layout, and not how the assembly will work in the field.  It takes a little getting used to, but don’t judge a corridor by its layout assembly!

Posted in Civil | No Comments »

Iterations and Options of Civil 3D Design

Friday, February 12th, 2010

 

Since Civil 3D is a dynamic model platform it makes designing easier.  I think that even more important than that is it’s power as a revision tool.  Getting a design idea down is one thing, but as more information comes in changes are inevitable.  Or, you might be tasked with creating different options for the design.  The ability to create a several options, or try some ideas out on-the-fly, can free up your design to be the best it can be.

If you aren’t familiar with some of the tools that make this possible, here are some highlights. 

Alignments + Surface = Profile.  And that equation is dynamic, so when you make a shift to an alignment the profile updates.  This is the easy one to point out, but it makes all the difference.  I remember dreading the 11th hour changes to a design because of the time it would take to make everything work again.  You can also create another alignment for options 1, 2, and 3, then quickly apply them to the corridor to see how your design would change.  You haven’t “moved” anything so you could easily go back to the design that best fits the direction you need to go.

Data Shortcuts.  They are the ultimate in copying tools.  You can open up three or four (or thirty) files as different design options and reference in data shortcuts for the existing ground, alignments, profiles, and pipes (especially existing pipe systems!).  Then try the different options out in more protected environments.  You could even share the options back to the project if needed.

Alignments + Profiles + Assemblies (and + existing ground) = corridors.  If you are trying to balance a corridor design there are tools that will allow iterative options throughout your design.  Recently added was the profile hatch option which can graphically highlight where a little too much cut or fill is occurring.  Also, returning to the dynamic relationship, if you change the profile a little here or there, the corridor rebuilds to show the consequences.

Grading from corridor objects.  Mathematically, it is more precise to grade to your slope intercept then what the Daylight tools can provide.  It may be a technicality, but grading better represents going around a curve.  You can export the edges of your road design as Grading Feature lines, which can be dynamically linked to the corridor, and graded from.  If the profile or alignment moves, and changes the position of the corridor, the grading updates with the change.

Posted in Civil | No Comments »

The Case for Template Files

Friday, February 5th, 2010

If you’ve used an AutoCAD-based product you have used a template file.  You may not know you’re using one.  In fact, when running at their best, most users would never even think of them.  That’s what makes them so great.  They provide a clean starting point to every project while providing a host of settings that are useful in every project.  A user should be able to assume that these settings that make their life so easy are just always there.

This is even truer for a product like Civil 3D.  Besides the normal AutoCAD settings, like text styles, dimension styles, layout tabs, Civil 3D works best with object styles, label styles, and other command settings.  These object-specific styles aren’t just nice to have.  In some cases you need them just to see the object at all, let alone see it in a way that makes sense in your project.  If you have the styles you need, in the template file, life is SO much easier!


 Out-of-the-box Civil 3D files start with the base-AutoCAD template file, ACAD.DWT.  The first thing Civil 3D users should do after opening the program for the first time is switch this default template to one of the Autodesk provided Civil 3D specific templates (see Fig. 1), or to an already created company-specific template. Autodesk Provided Template File

 

 

 

The AutoCAD template file has no idea what a Civil 3D style is so it gives you a placeholder rather than a workable style (see Fig. 2).  I have seen many projects started with this placeholder style.  My first thought is “the poor user!”  They have to go in and either create a brand new style, or continuously tweak the existing placeholder, throughout the project.  Then, on the next project, this routine will begin again.

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 This all leads to advice of, build a template file that is right for your group.    If you look at the Autodesk provided template file and it is appropriate you could just stick with that.  If you have firm standards, and want to continue those, building your own template is the way to go.  You’ll have much less deviation from standard layer assignments, linetypes, labeling (all controlled in the styles) and a much faster progression into design.  A little bit of work up front can pay big dividends in time saved and problems avoided in the long run!  

 

Style List From a Template File

 
 

 

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Working with Civil 3D Files Just Got Easier!

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Autodesk Civil 3D has changed the design process for civil engineering projects from a 2D paradigm to a 3D paradigm, a shift already made in most near every other industry.  While this has helped out the civil engineering community by creating 3D models of their work, those models could not be directly addressed for visualization purposes as there was no direct path from Civil 3D into 3ds Max.

Earlier this month, Autodesk announced the acquisition of Dynamite VSP.  Dynamite VSP is an intermediate software package that allows a Civil 3D user to export their design in full 3D into a format that can then be imported into 3ds Max.  This is a dramatic leap forward for both the civil engineers and the design visualization artists, providing a more direct, accurate and efficient method of importing the data.  Dynamite VSP brings in all geometry data and provides automated tools for road striping and other features.  In adition, it has tools to assist in animating cameras along the road as well as placing and animating vehicle traffic.

Autodesk has not yet announced how Dynamite VSP will be incorporated or distributed so keep an eye on the Subscription and other Autodesk news sites for updates.

 

Stephen Gabriel

Senior Application Engineer

Posted in Civil, Visualization | No Comments »

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