From the Ground Up
A European perspective on design and out of the box thinking with Civil 3D.
About Jack About OveLatest Post
- posted 04/16/09 by Jack Strongitharm !!! WE HAVE MOVED !!!
- Just like what we expect from our customer we thought we would get ourselves out of our current blogging software and move on to something much better.
We have a new blog site to give us much more flexibility and ability to post more while we are traveling around the country as always! Also we look consistent to all the other Autodesk blogs out there.
So please click below and reset your RSS feeds to this new site
The original web link has also been repointed
www.autodesk.com/fromthegroundup
There are some new posts ready and waiting for you!!!
Jack Strongitharm
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Previous Posts
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Welcome back from your Easter break
Posted 04/14/09 by Jack Strongitharm
Hope you have all had a good Easter break and some of you lucky buggers are even still on holiday.
Well a great weekend for me as I went to see 'The Prodigy' in concert at the M.E.N. arena in Manchester.
Those that have been to my AU classes for the last couple of years normally get blasted to wake you up at the start.
image from MEN website
I have never seen so many grey heads raving! unfortunately that included me.
There was even parents taking their kids, I suppose if you have them early enough they may even follow the music you like. No chance for me I guess.
Also the sun broke out this weekend, which doesn't normally happen in northern England and got the barby out.
That is probably our summer for the year done.
Jack Strongitharm
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AutoCAD Exchange
Posted 03/31/09 by Jack Strongitharm
A new forum for your attention.
AutoCAD is the platform to Civil 3D, so is a very important part of our technology.
The more you understand about it, the more you can actually apply into your Civil 3D designs.
Think of this, parametric and constraints are the new big thing in AutoCAD 2010. Well what about storing them as dynamic blocks to apply in Civil 3D? I am thinking turning heads, islands etc
So please take a look at this new site as it will be a valuable tool in advancing your Civil 3D capabilities.
http://autocad.autodesk.com/
Jack Strongitharm
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Launch Day!!
Posted 03/24/09 by Jack Strongitharm
It is March 24th and finally the AutoCAD family of products are officially launched.
This year is a huge release for AutoCAD Civil 3D.
3D Junction Design
Dynamic geometry offsets and widening
Quantity Take Off
Context Sensitive Design Workflow (UI)
Automatic linework processing in Survey and UI improvements
Plot/parcel design improvements
Also there are many other things
A number of country content pack kits are on the DVD
New cross section reports with coordinates
Within the UK Country Kit there are additional tools for 2D to 3D contours conversion, drawing frames and surface analysis from a file
Staggered labels in profiles and cross sections
AutoCAD graphical performance
Full object properties visible in Navisworks 2010 with the object enabler
Revit Building 2010 import
And many more...
I would like to publicly thank all the guys in Manchester, New Hampshire and the support guys around the world for pulling this together and also putting up with me bugging them this year!!
Also to all those who participated in the Beta testing for their comments and ensuring that this years release is a great quality product.
Jack Strongitharm -
'Junction Jack' has just retired
Posted 03/20/09 by Jack Strongitharm
Hmmm, I think it is time to get a new nick name as I have been put out of work.
I have uploaded a new video (finally!) to the Youtube site of myself trying to design a junction (aka intersection) as quick as possible and then try the same design in 2010.
I had to speed up the 2009 quite a bit!!
Excited?
Its like having a mini me inside the box doing all the work for you!
For those who have learn't from first principles, you will appreciate what it is now doing, but also you can get into the design and make any required edits.
Official launch is next week, so we can start to get into the detail then while your lovely DVD's are on route to you on subscription next month.
Thanks to Dana Probert for also filling up the YouTube channel site also, so please have a look around if you haven't been for a while.
Have a great weekend, its amazing the sun is still out and it is dry!! (its normally grim up north!)
Jack Strongitharm
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AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 - Whats New
Posted 03/20/09 by Jack Strongitharm
Take a look at what is new with this presentation from Terry Bennett, Senior Industry Manger for Civil and Construction at Autodesk.
Is this a big release or what!!
Lots more to come
Jack Strongitharm -
'GENIO Import' and now 'Export Tool'
Posted 03/06/09 by Jack Strongitharm
For a little while we have had the ability to import GENIO files which are generally a file exchange for Bentley MX.
We have just released an updated tool on the subscription center which includes now Export functionality to convert your alignments, profiles, corridors and surfaces to be able to be read by MX and other software that support the format.
This will be very useful for those using Civil 3D to do parts of a project which has potentially already started on the other product.
Also for those who are required to supply a GENIO file as a deliverable.
Many of my clients in the UK and Ireland have been using Civil 3D as a complimentary product to support other project teams and also work out quick alternatives, volumes and drawing production aswell as using it as the complete solution for their projects as their skills increase.
For Import, I have included a layer table to assign 3D strings to some common layer names.
Export, will convert our potentially larger object names down to the four character names that MX can only support.
To get hold of the tool you need to log into the subscription center.
So you may need to contact your IT department and or reseller if you don't have your own access.
If you already have the previous Import tool, you will need to remove that first as this is a replacement for that.
This new tool is only available for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009.
Jack Strongitharm
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Civil 3D TV
Posted 03/06/09 by Jack Strongitharm
Been flat out the last couple of weeks, with putting the finishing touches to the new Country Kit for 2010 release aswell as my normal job.
I am probably the last one to post, but Update 2.1 is now available to download.
This now include Map 3D Update 2, ability to add the Bonus Pack for AutoCAD that is on the subscription center and some little fixes that needed to be corrected
Update 2.1 link
Something else to have a watch over your lunch break is a new video to show an overview of Civil 3D which is worth spreading the word about within your company for those who have not seen the software before.
http://www.adskmedia.com/theroadahead/
Have a good weekend
Jack Strongitharm
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Another new fellow blogger
Posted 02/25/09 by Jack Strongitharm
You may have seen this one, but my colleague in the US, Dana Probert who is a Technical Marketing Manager for Civil 3D has got her new blog site up now.
BIM on the Rocks
Please give her your support also, as she has a wealth of knowledge and covering another flavour of the product for you.
On another subject, this past week we have been able to finally get some better stats on you our wonderful readers and where you are reading from.
Not too bad. Obviously we are not in the same league as the likes of Lynn Allen and Shaan Hurley.
We appreciate everyone of you.
Thanks
Jack Strongitharm -
Civil 3D 2010 Sneak Peek - The Ribbon, part I
Posted 02/23/09 by Jack Strongitharm
Our support colleagues from the 'Being Civil' blog have dropped a sneak peek video on 2010.
Take a look to start finding your feet
YouTube Video
To be honest it takes about five minutes to get used to this amazing enhancement and you will wonder how you ever worked without it.
Just remind yourself,
Would you be still on a drawing board or was the computer a good move,
AutoCAD in DOS or AutoCAD current day,
tablet digitiser and puck or a simple mouse.
I could go on but I won't bore you.
I know what I would choose.
Better get my finger our and make my next video for our YouTube site that a lot of you have already taken a look at and subscribed.
Jack Strongitharm
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Another new fellow blogger
Posted 02/11/09 by Jack Strongitharm
A guru colleague of mine living in Wales, Harold Alberto has now put up a blog also.
He was sending out tips and tricks in his company, so thought it would be better to share with our little global Civil 3D club.
How civil of him!
See how he takes on a 90degree corner in a corridor
http://civil3dexperience.blogspot.com
Jack Strongitharm