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Archive for the ‘Civil’ Category
View an e-Training demo webinar! Feb. 7, 2012
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Our innovative e-Training solution provides a viable and important complement to the traditional MasterGraphics classroom training. In addition to the comprehensive and accurate content consistently offered through MasterGraphics, e-Training students can also enjoy the following benefits:
- Flexible scheduling to ensure work schedules remain the priority
- Interactive and engaging methodology for increased retention
- All learning methods are accommodated: visual, auditory and hands-on
- Competency-based progress to ensure understanding of topics
- Cost-effective, as courses are not limited to class sizes or start dates
- Enterprise and Individual Pricing Available!
Attend our upcoming webinar to learn more!
- Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 12pm Central
Contact your MasterGraphics Account Manager at (800) 873.7238, who will then send you the webinar information via Outlook appointment.
Is Virtualization Viable for Vault?
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Autodesk Vault and Virtualization
By Darren Hartenstine
1-19-2012
In nearly every discussion with IT professionals, we are being asked if Autodesk Vault runs (or is supported) in a Virtual Environment.
The Short answers is Yes - with a slight SQL disclaimer.
Here’s a page I found from the support team at Autodesk on this topic. It describes the limitation with a particular feature available with SQL called Snapshots . It seems that Microsoft is providing the disclaimer, not Autodesk.
http://crackingthevault.typepad.com/crackingthevault/2011/04/autodesk-vault-and-vmware.html
Now, let’s talk about our experiences (MasterGraphics and DataWorks).
Is this supported - yes. Have we installed this in a production environment - yes? If you want to run your Autodesk Vault within a Virtual Server, go for it. Understand this; if you have any kind of database glitches, errors, system crashes, or something catastrophic - and Autodesk needs to get involved - the first reply will be this:
Can you replicate the issue on an actual piece of hardware and not a virtual environment?
From a support stand-point, if you removed the virtual environment from the equation; it becomes easier to diagnose and potentially fix the issue. However, if the issue remains, then you have provided enough proof to Autodesk to take the next steps - sending and evaluating your Vault Backup. And honestly, I can’t recall any clients that are using a Virtual Server that have needed to escalate issues to this level.
So, you can do it…now, what can you expect from performance and stability?
Before I go on, I have to state some obvious assumptions about Virtualization. If you have 10 Virtual Guests running on an old Pentium 4 Server with 1 GB of RAM - this is not the best scenario. We assume that your Virtual Environment is setup properly and your Host Server has enough resources to support another Virtual Guest.
My personal experience is that there is a threshold of users and data that will cause performance issues within a virtual environment. If you have more than 15 users (+/- 5) and less then 30K (+/-20K) CAD files stored in your Vault, then I would not be pursuing a Virtual Server setup. You will be creating a performance bottleneck and the end user experience will be poor and potentially unstable.
For those smaller user environments, Virtualization seems to be a perfect fit for supporting the Vault Server. We do hear of issues here and there, but the overall performance and user experience seems to be favorable.
Some basics settings with Virtualization are RAM and Processors. At a bare minimum, I would give the VM as much RAM as you can spare - like 4-8GB. SQL likes RAM and it will help with performance of the Server.
Processors - again, give the Virtual Server as much as you can spare on your Host Server. Vault is not just one application, and the more resources you can provide, the faster the experience will be for your users. I would recommend 2 Cores with 2 Processors - for a total of 4 Processors. You can always adjust the settings during the life of the VM.
If at all possible, do not let the CAD Files, or Filestore as it is called within the Vault Admin console, live within the Virtual Server environment. Attach a drive to the Virtual Server from a SAN or NAS device. This will drastically increase performance for your environment.
DataWorksMGI Lab - Yep, we have a lab containing a Vault Server living in the Microsoft Cloud. Besides letting our clients have all the fun, we have been testing Virtual Environments and utilizing the Microsoft Azure Server Cloud environment. Our intent is to beat this technology up as much as we can, since we feel it is definitely the next-step after Virtualization becomes mainstream (which it basically has).
I have tested both VMWare and Micrsoft’s HyperV and both seem to be equal in their setup and configuration. As to their performance versus each other, I can’t (at this moment) give any feedback as to which we prefer.
I plan to write more blogs on our tests and results coming out of the Lab on this topic, so come back for more.
Civil 3D 2012 Service Pack 1
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
by Russ Nicloy, Civil Applications Engineer
Heads up! the Civil 3D Service Pack 1 has been released. As always, I highly recommend reading the readme file to see exactly what you’re getting.
MasterGraphics Specialists to Present at Upcoming Autodesk University
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Three technical specialists from MasterGraphics have been invited to present at Autodesk University, the nation’s largest gathering of software design professionals in the design, engineering and entertainment industries, November 29 through December 1 in Las Vegas.
“Our technical experts are among the most talented in the country,” said Michael Wilkes, MasterGraphics president. “Not only do they possess a keen understanding of the latest industry solutions, but they are dedicated to educating themselves and others on practical applications of those solutions. Autodesk University is an ideal venue for them to continue this commitment.”
The presenters include:
Dan Banach, 3D Mechanical CAD Consultant
Dan Banach is a nationally recognized author and educator in the Mechanical CAD field and co-author of 15 books on Autodesk Inventor software. Banach is also an Autodesk Inventor 2012 Certified Professional and Autodesk Certified Instructor. He has presented at every Autodesk University since 1997 and this year will be leading a hands-on lab titled Inventor Publisher: Some Assembly Required.
Louisa Holland, E.I.T., LEED AP, Application Engineer - Civil Industry
Holland is an accredited professional of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as well as an AutoCAD Civil 3D Certified Professional. She has been training customers on CAD-based products since 1997, and this will be her 2nd year presenting at Autodesk University with a session titled AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 for Beginners.
Russell Nicloy, E.I.T., LEED AP, Application Engineer - Civil Industry
Nicloy is an AutoCAD Civil 3D Certified Professional with more than ten years of experience in the civil design industry and eight years of experience in consulting and instruction. This will be his 1styear presenting at Autodesk University with a session titled Importing the Most Useful Data Into Survey in AutoCAD Civil 3D
About MasterGraphics Inc.
MasterGraphics is an Autodesk Gold Partner for the manufacturing, architecture and education communities and is headquartered in Madison, Wis., with offices in Milwaukee, Appleton, Chicago and Minneapolis. Serving as a trusted advisor to its clients, MasterGraphics helps to streamline the design process and utilization of CAD data through an integrated mix of software, hardware, professional services and digital imaging and distribution offerings. For more information, please visit www.mastergraphics.com.
Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD and Civil 3D are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries.
Volumes Dashboard Extension
Monday, November 7th, 2011
by Russ Nicloy, Civil Applications Engineer
Whenever I’m involved in a discussion about the volume calculations in Civil 3D we have to break the conversation into three different methods. Then there’s the inevitable question about printing a nice looking report. Sure, there are ways to do it, but they are a little…indirect. Last week the Volumes Dashboard Extension was posted on the Autodesk Subscription site. This extension basically takes the volume calculation functions and puts them into a unified tool. Put another way, “dashboard” is a very appropriate term for it!
The Dashboard appears in the Toolbox tab of the Toolspace. By right-clicking on the tool it provides a panorama window that looks similar to the volume calculator that we’ve had in previous releases. But there’s more. You can create a volume surface from here. Then, assign a boundary for a bounded volume calc. this trees the bounded area(s) below the volume surface entry. Nice and neat, keeping all of your data in relation to each other. The color swatch that used to be the litmus test for cut OR fill now provides that data in relative amounts.
You can then create external, for-printing, reports, or data tables for inclusion in the drawing. Both have easy to read styles, and are a good ending point for the data you are representing.
By the way, you’re on subscription, right? There are a lot of reasons for being on subscription, but these extension packages are one of my favorites. Talk to your reseller to find out the full scoop on subscription.
Survey Database US Survey Feet as Default
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
By Russ Nicloy, Civil Applications Engineer
I realize this post isn’t going to affect everyone out there. Some Civil 3D users are perfectly happy with the survey database settings defaulting to International feet. But, there are a lot of users who are just tired of having to change it from International Feet to US Survey Feet every time they start a new survey database. It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it’s the little persistent things that can drive a user crazy. Plus, if someone forgets it can be difficult to spot the problem until deep into a project!
To make any setting a default for your future new survey databases follow these steps. First, open any survey database, either new, or one you’ve worked with already. Right-click on the name of the database and choose Edit Survey Database Settings. Make sure the Distance field is set appropriately. Actually, make sure all of the settings are appropriate for defaults since this will remember them all.
Second, at the top of this survey database settings dialog there are two little buttons that show little blue arrows and survey equipment. The one to the left is click Here to Export These Settings to a File. The other one is import, so you have a 50/50 shot of guessing if you don’t wait for the icon tooltip to pop up. This button will open a dialog of where you can save the “Survey Database Settings.sdb_set” file that will be needed later. This should be in your survey database settings area.
Third, go back to the Toolspace, Survey tab and click the Survey User Settings button (top of the toolspace to the left).
Near the top will be a Survey Database Defaults area, and one of the fields will be Survey Database Settings. Click the empty drop down menu and you should see your newly created Survey Database Settings file. Click OK and this should pull these settings as the defaults on your next survey database.
Autodesk 2012 Software Certification Prep Classes
Friday, October 14th, 2011
By, Dan Banach
If you are planning on taking an Autodesk 2012 Certification exam Autodesk is offering virtual certification prep classes. The virtual classes will be hosted on the Autodesk University (AU) Virtual class site starting on October 18th, 2011. The list of prep classes is located at: http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=au2011_certification_preparation_classes
Enjoy the classes.
Civil Support Question of the Day
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Civil 3D Question of the Day:
I have my linework and points in a drawing that gets XREFED into ALTAs and other design files.
When I want to freeze a particular layer to hide the points all of them freeze! I can’t leverage styles easily because you can’t manipulate styles via XREF.
What is the best way to set up my point styles?
ANSWER:
There are two ways (ok maybe 1.5 ways) to accomplish what you are after.
The first place Civil 3D looks for Styles and layers is the Description Key Set. The overall point layer always comes from the Description Key set. In the event you have a field code that doesn’t match, the layer ends up as the default set in the command settings.
Method 1: Forget Layers, Use Point Groups
This is what I train my newbies to do, since I have the benefit of being able to brainwash them in the ways of Autodesk.
Advantages:
- Takes Layers out of the picture
- Quick control of many points at once.
- How the software was intended to operate (or so I assume)
Disadvantages:
- You still need to worry about layers when it comes to plotting - so you will also have a description key set. (Otherwise, because you are not using layers you would lose the ability to use VP Freeze)
- Can’t manipulate Styles via XREF.
- Set up a bunch of point groups in your template that you anticipate using. Or make them in the current project. Doesn’t matter.
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Leave the _All Points group as-is. There will be no overrides on the styles here, just in case you want to see how they were interpreted by the Description key set.
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All the new groups that you create will utilize the style and label style overrides.
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The order in which the points groups appear here is which group controls the style. Because points can belong to more than one group at once, you need to determine the precedence. For instance, a Topo point will be in the All Points groups, Topo group and No Display. If No Display is higher in this list, that’s the style that “wins”. Points that reside in groups ABOVE No Display will show up. Points that are in groups BELOW No Display will be hidden. |
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Method 2: Layers only Method
Since the first stop for Points is the Description Key Set, use this to set the layers. And use Traditional CAD Freezing to control what groups are visible/not visible.
Advantages:
- Many people are used to this method
- No worries about VP Freeze
Disadvantages:
- Need to Simplify styles
- Can be cumbersome to remember what points went on what layer.
- Points that do not match description keys are all sent to the same layer.
Below is the Wisconsin DOT Description key listing. They have quite a few description keys, each with its own layer.
Regardless of what is in the style layer-wise the layer from here is the layer most people use when freezing & thawing.
The way I think of it is, assuming you are familiar with how blocks operate: You have the layer that the block is inserted on. Some blocks may also have layers hidden inside of them (not if I taught them CAD, but you get the picture). The insertion layer of a block is analogous to the point’s layer from the description key set. Those “hidden” block layers are similar to the layers within a style. 99.9% of the time if you want to freeze a block, it is the insertion layer that you are aiming for. Same for points.
In other words, the layers you see inside of a point style are more or less irrelevant. The only time they will rear their heads is if you explode a point down to its core components. UNLIKE a block, changing the LAYFRZ settings to Entity will not give you access to these underlying layers.
My Wish for the Future:
A lot of headache could be avoided if point groups had data shortcuts. That way I could make a point group that contained the points I wanted to show in my new drawing and make a reference to them. Perhaps there is some logic or programming reason that this can’t be done. But I would love it! This would also facilitate surfaces using a point group that did not exist in the same drawing.
-Lou
Rotate UCS vs DVIEW Twist
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Clients teach me new things nearly every day. This week the lesson I learned is the difference between using DVIEW to rotate your design on screen and rotating the UCS about the Z axis. All of my CAD career, I’ve used DVIEW. For a long time, when someone mentioned rotating the UCS in a 2-D drawing I would cover my ears and go “Llalalalalalalala.” Before this week, all I knew is that rotating the UCS caused major problems in survey software.
The company I trained this week had always used the UCS to angle designs into a more comfortable drafting mode. After telling them that they should use DVIEW instead, they naturally asked, “Why?” At a loss for a real reason, I’ve taken it upon myself to dig deep and understand what the difference is.
A little background…
UCS stands for User Coordinate System. When you first enter a drawing your UCS lines up with the WCS. WCS stands for World coordinate system where Y is up, X is right and Z pops out of the screen at you. WCS is a nice, normal place, where things don’t go wrong. In any new drawing, the world coordinate system lines up with the user coordinate system, much like a rectangular piece of paper whose edges line up with the edges of the desk it is sitting on. Rotate the piece of paper and you are rotating the Coordinate system. If instead you just started working on the drawing by scooting your chair to another position, that is more like what DVIEW > Twist does.
DVIEW > TWIST & SNAPANG
DVIEW is accessed by typing DVIEW at the command line. (Shocking, I know.) DVIEW stands for dynamic view, and represents the position of your eye (or in Autocad terms, the Camera) in relation to the canvas. After you start the DVIEW command, you are prompted to select objects or select a DVIEWBLOCK. I usually go for DVIEWBLOCK unless I’m just going to eyeball the rotation with a line or two as reference for the rotation. Type TW for twist and key-in your rotation angle. A positive angle will rotate the camera counter-clockwise.
You can leave the drawing as is, but your cursor will have rotated too. I usually use SNAPANG to untwist the cursor back to parallel with the bottom of the screen.
Rotate Coordinate System
To rotate a coordinate system, use the view tab and find the Z axis rotation. Enter the angle you wish to rotate the view.
Rotating the UCS is redefining where the zero angle is, therefore a positive angle will rotate the coordinate system clockwise.
PLAN <CURRENT>
Like DVIEW, the rotated UCS leaves you with a wonky cursor. Key-in PLAN, then hit enter for Current to straighten things up.
Un-twisting
To un-twist from DVIEW, I type in PLAN, then W for world. (If you know of a slicker way, drop me a comment). To untwist a UCS, click the world button on the View tab.
Now that I understand the differences, I totally understand rotating the UCS if lots of text is going to get placed relative to the rotation. However, that is the only compelling reason to do it. Overall, I still recommend DVIEW over rotating the UCS. A drawing can only have one UCS at a time, but you can use DVIEW in every viewport if you wanted to. A rotated UCS can seriously impact how XREFS line up and how blocks are inserted. A rotated UCS will cause XREFs and blocks to come in at unexpected locations - you are changing the coordinate system after all!
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DVIEW (Pros) |
UCS (Pros) |
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Different dview twists can be set in different viewports |
Text placement follows UCS |
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Works better when XREFS and blocks are inserted |
Can use cad objects directly to set angle (DVIEW requires you to measure first) |
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Can be used in multiple viewports |
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Preferred method for many 3rd party apps |
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So next time one of your co-workers insists on rotating the UCS, you don’t need to cover your ears and spout nonsense words. Get the whole story - then decide!
-Lou
Autodesk University 2011 registration now open!
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
Early Registration for the AU Las Vegas event, and the AU Virtual event are now open - register soon to get the best class selection and pricing! Learn more
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