It goes without saying that just because you are working on a project in Civil 3D, doesn't mean that the company you are collaborating with or owner reviewing the project is. This is already an ideal scenario, because it is assuming that whoever you are working with is even looking at the project digital, but I digress. The fact of the matter is that the person in the cube next to you may not have Civil 3D installed or there aren't enough Civil 3D network licenses to go around for everyone in the office to be running it at the same time.
Chances are, either you've got some additional AutoCAD licenses for someone to keep productive with or the client/company you are working with has some AutoCAD installations for using and reviewing your Civil 3D files. The problem presents itself when someone without Civil 3D attempts to open a drawing with Civil 3D objects in it and wonders why the drawing looks barren and all design data is gone. We have 2 options. One option required us to do something different. The other option requires the recipient of the Civil 3D file to do something on there end.
Option numero uno: Set your PROXYGRAPHICS system variable to "1" and save your drawing. When someone using AutoCAD opens up the Civil 3D file after this has been done, they will view the Civil 3D objects as they were last saved, but attempting to manipulate any of them will affect them as a group. Think of the Proxygraphics as a "snapshot" of your latest Civil 3D design and is now treated as an OLE object when displayed in anything except Civil 3D. As a matter of fact, this is the only option available if you want to save a Civil 3D drawing and someone plans on opening it up later on with Autodesk's online software, AutoCAD WS, through an iPad, iPhone, or web browser. Changing Proxygraphics has no affect on your ability to continue designing and editing, but it does significantly increase the file size of your drawing.
Option numero dos: Tell the person opening up your Civil 3D drawing in other software that he or she needs to go to Autodesk's website and download the Civil Object Enablers for the software package currently used. You can find those enablers available for download at this link but make sure that the enablers being downloaded and installed are for the correct software. After installing the plug-in, the user can then open up the Civil 3D drawing and see all the design objects. Even with the object enablers, it is still not possible to edit the Civil 3D design objects in other software, though. Also, this option is limited to the software packages that Autodesk develops and releases Civil 3D object enablers for.
Which option will work best for you? It's hard to say. My preference will always be to have the non-Civil 3D user download and install the object enablers. Civil 3D drawings can generate large enough file sizes without bumping them up with Proxygraphics. However, you can't always convince people to do what you want, so on a case-by-case basis, save the drawings over with Proxygraphics set to "1" and keep up good relations with the companies and clients you work with.
Have any other ideas on how to handle viewing Civil 3D objects in other programs? Post your suggestions to the comments area below.
i want to see 3d drawings
Posted by: fsisal | 06/03/2011 at 05:47 AM