IMAGINiT Civil Solutions Blog

New Terrain Shaping Tech Preview from Autodesk

Check out this new technology preivew for Civil 3D 2012. The idea is that it will help you go from concept to completion in the same model. Autodesk is always looking for feedback on new ideas in their lab. If you haven't already be sure you're checking out the Autodesk Labs regularly. If this Terrain Shaping preview goes well, Autodesk anticipates adding one for Map 3D as well.

Oh, and this technology preview - it's free. Enjoy!

Video Blog: Michelle Rasmussen from Autodesk University 2011

By Michelle Rasmussen

I am here at Autodesk University where the big buzz is certification. Anyone that is here can take certification exams for free. That is right, I said free.

If you would like to take the AutoCAD Civil 3D exam but are not sure you are ready for it, check out my two part virtual class called Incredible AutoCAD Civil 3D Users: Prove your Credibility with Civil 3D Certificaiton. You will find it at: http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=au2011_certification_preparation_classes

Civil 3D Subassembly Composer All Grown Up

What is Subassembly Composer?

For anyone not familiar with the Autodesk Labs preview of the Subassembly Composer (SAC), it is a very intuitive tool used for creating highly customized Civil 3D Corridor Subassembly parts. Each Subassembly created with the SAC had the capabilities of much more than a simple "Subassembly from Polyline." Actually, every aspect a Subassembly created with SAC had the potential for being a dynamic component more intelligent that many of the Subassemblies preinstalled and included with Civil 3D. Most importantly, no programming or coding is necessary to accomplish these things.

For the last several months, Autodesk Labs had released a technology preview for Subassembly Composer. That is, it was available all the way up until the middle of last month. On June 15th, it was no longer available for download, all installed copies were time-bombed, and little information was given to the future of this tool. That's all changed.

The Big News

Autodesk announced on Tuesday the SAC would be made available again, only this time it wouldn't be through an Autodesk Labs technology preview. Now, SAC is being released to anyone on Subscription with Civil 3D, Infrastructure Design Suite Premium, or Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate. It works with Civil 3D 2011 and 2012. If you don't have SAC, but want to benefit from the superb Subassemblies created by it, you can install a simple support pack. Oh, and it is available for download by those customers from Subscription Center RIGHT NOW. Did I mention it is only a 5.5 MB download for the 32-bit version and 6.2 MB for the 64-bit version? Reading on, you'll start to wonder how that packed so many great features into such a small package.

What Can SAC Do/What's Changed?

All the original components and features are still available within the newly released Subassembly Composer. Drag and drop links and points to a flowchart area to "program" how your part will work. Preview the shape as you develop it. Input parametrics and information about each link and point to up the level of flexibility and detail in each component. But that is just the beginning. Here is a sampling of new features added to the updated release:

• Combination points and links in one element
• Drag your test surface for dynamic preview
• Add daylight rounding to just about any component
• Shape codes are now supported
• Switches to turn on/off different parts within Subassembly throughout corridor
• Subassemblies created with SAC can adapt to superelevation
• Calculate depths perpendicular to the slope is possible instead of just vertical
• Slopes, depths, and much more can change all within 1 assembly to adapt to design choices/environment
• Curves, although tessellated once placed, can be used in your Subassemblies
• Messages can be defined for reporting in the Event Viewer
• No loops in SAC to avoid infinite loops
• A help file and images can be assigned to any Subassembly
• Anything - yes anything - that follows a linear path can be created as a Subassembly with SAC

The possibilities with this tool are nearly endless. We've only touched the tip of the iceberg here and there is a lot more potential to be tapped from this powerful tool. Yet another example of what is possible for adapting to environmental and design conditions is shown below.

Additional Info

One caveat that has been discovered thus far in the development of the Subassembly Composer tool is that it isn't playing friendly quite yet with Vault as the .Net 4.0 framework is required for SAC and that breaks the link between Vault and Civil 3D 2011. Autodesk representatives have stated that work is being done to better integrate these two technologies and develop a more complete solution between them. Something else to consider before installing is ensuring Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 SP2 is installed, since it is required for SAC to work with both Civil 3D 2011 and 2012.

Autodesk is making it easy to discover features and resources for the SAC, though, as they have implemented a Wiki style help website that allows for user input and updates to better the information available to all. You can find that Wiki site here.

As a parting gift, I'd like to also provide 2 videos Dana Probert of Autodesk (and BIM on the Rocks blog fame) has recorded.

 

 

Special thanks to several of my Twitter Tweeps for images, links, and additional information in forming this post: @kdinctPE, @C3DReminders, @civil3diva, @civil3D, @JohnEvansDesign, @LouisaHolland, @thecadgeek, @C3DPlus, and any others I may have forgotten. Plus, don't forget to follow the IMAGINiT Technologies Infrastructure Solutions team @IMAGINiT_Civil and me personally @Indydrafter.

The Map 3D 2012 Version Comparison Matrix

If you haven't heard yet, or haven't seen any of the other posts published today, there is a rush of Autodesk 2012 release information hitting the presses today. One of the first things we always like to do is educate our customers and reader base on what new features exist for the new release of software. The quickest and easiest way to do that is to share with you the AutoCAD Map 3D 2012 Comparison Matrix.

The Map 3D Comparison Matrix is a great resource to quickly reference the new features, functions, and tools within the 2012 release and also how it compares with previous versions of the software. This document in particular compares Map 3D 2012 to the 2010 and 2011 versions.

The image below is a preview of what you can expect from the document. Over the next several days and coming weeks/months, keep coming back to the IMAGINiT Civil Solutions blog as we continue to cover and expand on reviewing each of these new features in detail.

Click the image or this link to download the Civil 3D 2012 Comparison Matrix.

 

The Civil 3D 2012 Version Comparison Matrix

The 2012 Autodesk product releases are coming and we're covering all the new features, functions, and tools available. One of the quickest and easiest ways to review new features within a release is to look through a summary of the features as compared to previous versions. Well, we've got that for you.

The image below is a preview of the document which contains a comparison of the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 release as compared to the 2010 and 2011 release features. It's a great resource and breaks down the differences nicely. As time progresses, we'll provide you will a detailed review regarding each of these new features so make sure you keep coming back!

Click the image or this link to download the Civil 3D 2012 Comparison Matrix.

Life is Suite! Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suites Are Here

How huge is this? Autodesk has gone and bundled their software products into Design Suites and Creation Suites to better accommodate companies and users throughout the entire workflow process and lower the overall purchase price of these programs significantly. The Suites are broken down by industry and are custom configured to match the needs of each design discipline:

• Autodesk Design Suite 2012
• Autodesk Product Design Suite 2012
• Autodesk Factory Design Suite 2012
• Autodesk Building Design Suite 2012
• Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2012
• Autodesk Plant Design Suite 2012
• Autodesk Creation Design Suite 2012

The Suites are to be made available within the next quarter (sometime between April and June) and are broken down further to Standard, Premium, and Ultimate editions to suit the needs of everyone that much better and improve cost savings even further. You might be wondering what each of these bundles contains at this point, in which case you should click the image below to download a PDF document containing the breakdown of programs included with each Suite at each level.

That's not all, though. There is a lot more information to announce. I'll especially focus on the Infrastructure Design Suite offerings. First of which, if you didn't download the document or simply want to review the offerings at each level for the Infrastructure Design Suite 2012, I've included the package breakdown below:

• Standard
  • AutoCAD 2012
  • Map 3D 2012
  • Navisworks Simulate 2012
• Premium
  • All Infrastructure Design Suite Standard Edition Software
  • Civil 3D 2012
  • 3Ds Max Design 2012
• Ultimate
  • All Infrastructure Design Suite Premium Edition Software
  • Substitute Navisworks Simulate with Navisworks Manage 2012

Now Autodesk made the announcement regarding the Suites offerings during a webcast yesterday and I won't skimp on passing that information on to you. One of that last things mentioned during the Q & A, but probably the number one thing you are interested in, is the cost of these Suites. The response given during the webcast was that they will start at approximately $100 more than the stand-alone version of the primary (read: most expensive/advanced) software within the bundle. This means that you could expect the Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2012 Premium package to cost approximately $100 more than an individual purchase Civil 3D 2012.

You may be asking yourself,"Why would this be more expensive than it is right now? Civil 3D already comes with Map 3D tools and AutoCAD." In which case, you'd be right, except you may have overlooked the fact that 3Ds Max Design 2012 (an amazing piece of software in it's own right) is included in the Premium package and reduces your overall cost tremendously. Now these Suites aren't going to be the answer for everyone, and the stand-alone software purchases are still available for those that aren't interested, so have no fear.

Another great benefit to these Suites is that Autodesk is shipping them via USB flashdrives. The flashdrives will contain the entire suite you purchase, is write-protected so you CAD Managers out there don't freak out, and allows for several install options. The Electronic Software Delivery (downloads from Autodesk Subscription Center) are still available and you can get a replacement USB, too, so don't worry about inadvertently losing or damaging the flashdrive. When you plug the flash drive containing the Suites into your machine, you'll be given the options of performing a 1-Click Install, Custom Install, creating a Network Deployment, and more. Everything there is the same except for the 1-Click Install, which I can't wait to get my hands on and see how well it works.

That's it for now, folks. There is a lot more 2012 software release information to write about and make available to you, so make sure you keep coming back and checking out what's been posted. You can also subscribe to the RSS Feed so you receive new posts directly to your email inbox by selecting right here.

Discover Topobase Tools Within Map 3D 2012

Just the mere thought of it gives me the feeling of butterflies in my stomach. In Map 3D 2012, get ready for developing GIS information and maps from industry models and construct industry models from GIS information and geometry. How amazing is that? Map 3D now includes the tools previously available only in Autodesk Topobase for developing industry models for water, sewer, gas, and electric distribution. Not only do you have access to these tools, but you can utilize them in a way that is much more familiar to AutoCAD users - by simply using basic AutoCAD commands.

What are these so-called Industry Models? They are DWG files containing indsutry-specific:

• Strcutures to help deal with water, wastewater, gas, electric, etc.
• Symbology and styles
• Rules and Workflows
• Forms and reports
• Analytic capabilities

The Autodesk Topobase software already had/has clients within high-end utilities markets and are centralized on Oracle databases with advanced options to support their respective industries. These have rules and relationships between objects and analysis reports that can be produced. In AutoCAD Map 3D 2012, users will have access to all this functionality, improved user interface, easier creating and editing functions, and much more.


Autodesk has taken into consideration that many of their customers don't have or want a centralized database and may want to utilize the hundreds or thousands of DWG and SHP files they already have available. What they've done, is included the option to utilize an embedded database within the same AutoCAD format (DWT or DWG), but contains a Topobase model which consists of:

• Data model and Configuration Parameters
  • Document Explorer
  • Labels
  • Forms and reports
• Styling Information
  • Symbols
  • Themes
  • Scales

The models can be created or edited and mantained through the Autodesk Infrastructure Administrator. The Infrastructure Administrator is a tool for CAD or GIS managers/administrators, consultants, or users for creating entirely new data models, editing feature classes and rules, and much more.

One of the coolest (in my opion) new features with all these tools is the ability to apply different rule sets to the labels and symbology. This will allow a user or administrator to toggle between a design/edit style of drawing to a GIS data model style with a quick "flip of the switch" and allow users/reviewers chance to see the model and map exactly as the want or need to.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for new features in AutoCAD Map 3D 2012, so if you are interested in everything else that is on offer and available, be sure to check back in with the Civil Solutions Blog for more updates on this and other Autodesk 2012 release information throughout today, the next few days, and the coming weeks/months. There is much more to come and a lot of really great new tools and options from Autodesk.

Upload, View, and Share DXF Files in Google Docs

For a very long time we, as an industry, have utilized email attachments, FTP sites, and burned discs via hand or mail delivery for transferring drawing files to clients, owners, operators, or partners. The times have been changing, though, and we have several more methods for sharing our files now.

Take, for instance, a few of the offerings by Autodesk: AutoCAD WS, Buzzsaw, and even the Autodesk Labs' "Project Bluestreak" for collaborating AEC projects. These applications are all web-dependent and allow you to quickly and easily share your design documents. Don't forget about the 3rd party options, though. One company that has been soaring in popularity over the last couple years is DropBox, where you can save, edit, and sync any type of document or file across multiple machines and even have web access to download them anytime, anywhere. Another option that was just announced last week was from one of the largest tech companies in the world: Google.

Along with several other document formats, you can now add DXF files to your Google Docs inventory. This is pretty much a home run with a free 7 GB (and growing) storage limit within Google applications, the availability of accessing your files from any computer (and most smart phones) with internet access, the wide acceptance and use of GMail, and the ease in which you can upload your files.

Not everyone will buy in to Google's latest addition, but I know of dozens of people who use Google Docs regularly and even some that prefer it over the Microsoft Office Suite. Let's leave that argument for another time and another venue, though. How about exploring how to export, upload, and share your drawing files using Google Docs.

The limitation here is that Docs will only read and display a DXF file (no support for DWG files at this time). So the first thing you must do is export your drawing to a .dxf file.

To export your drawing, go to the Application Menu (the big "C" icon in Civil 3D), hover over or select the Export option, choose "AutoCAD DXF", and then pick which DXF version you want your drawing to export to. In this case, I've selected the AutoCAD 2007 DXF format as you can see in the image below.

Next, log into your Google Docs account (or Gmail account and just navigate to Docs from there). Choose the "Upload" option at the top left of the window, and you'll be brought to a page similar to what you see below. Choose to "Select files" and choose the DXF files you want to be uploaded to Google Docs.

As I said before, there is a 7+ GB limit to Google accounts, but there is also a limit to the size of each file. You cannot upload any file larger than 1024 MB (or about 1 GB). When you have finished adding files to your Google Docs account, just click on the instance in the list (as you see I've done with the "Working Surface.dxf" file in the image).

Now you will see an online copy of your DXF file and can zoom, pan, and save the file. There aren't any editing tools for DXF files in Google Docs, so you are limited to reviewing and sharing them at this point. The files are all accumulated and stored in the Google Docs interface and can easily be shared via a download link, an email attachment, or with anyone else that has a Google Docs account. Pretty slick, huh?

Now, one thing I wanted to be sure and clarify for any and all that are already familiar with how Google Docs works: you can't drag-and-drop DXF files into the interface like you can with most of the other file types. In the image below you'll see me in the process of dropping the same DXF file as I had previously uploaded and viewed in the image above.

Once dropped into Google Docs, the DXF file opens automatically in another tab or session of your internet browser. As you can see, the file isn't interpreted properly and you simply won't get the desired results.

Something to consider, regardless of what file you are attempting to bring into Google Docs using the drag-and-drop method, it only works with the Google Chrome browser. So even if Google does get this working for DXF files, you'll only be able to utilize it with their browser. Drag-and-drop file uploading doesn't work with Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari as far as I'm aware and even if it is, it would require a plug-in or an extension to the web browser.

Well, that's enough rambling from me this time around. Autodesk offers several options for file sharing and collaboration, but there are many other options out there. Don't limit yourself to old technology; use what works best for you, your coworkers, and your clients to get the job done effectively and efficiently.

AutoCAD® Civil 3D 2011 Storm and Sanitary Analysis

Breaking News!  Autodesk has announced the release of their Storm and Sanitary Analysis 2011 Extension.  This release is available for download from the subscription site for all customers on subscription.

The Autodesk® Storm and Sanitary Analysis 2011 Extension is a comprehensive, hydrodynamic hydrology and hydraulic analysis application for planning and designing urban drainage systems, storm sewers including highway drainage systems, and sanitary sewers.

With this extension, engineers and planners using AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011 and/or AutoCAD® Map 3D 2011 software can analyze both simple and complex networks including:

• Inlets and catch basins
• Detention ponds and outlet structures
• Interconnected ponds
• Flow dividers, standpipes, weirs, and orifices
• Pumps and lift stations
• Manholes and junctions
• Rivers, streams, and ditches
• Culverts and bridges

Some of the key features and benefits of the Autodesk Storm and Sanitary Analysis 2011 Extension are:

• Bi-directional exchange of data with AutoCAD Map 3D and AutoCAD Civil 3D
• No limitation on the number of pipes or elements you can include in your model
• Widely-accepted SWMM analysis engine
• Broad range of hydrologic methods
• Stormwater BMPs
• Detention pond design
• Stormwater quality modeling
• Customizable report generation for regulatory review
• GIS interoperability
• Work in either US or Metric (SI) units

Content is available in English only.

Where’s My Media?

Mark Flayler, who authors our mechanical blog, has a post about Autodesk’s new (starting with the 2010 subscription products) method of obtaining their software.  Now, the default method of obtaining Autodesk software is through download, although you can still request physical media.  Check out his post at

http://blogs.rand.com/manufacturing/2010/03/autodesk-products-wheres-my-discs.html

for all the details.

 

Thanks, Mark!