From the Ground Up
A European perspective on design and out of the box thinking with Civil 3D.
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- posted 11/23/07 by Jack Strongitharm Packing my bags for Vegas!
- It's Friday!!
Happy thanksgiving across the pond!!
AU is now upon us and just getting the last things sorted here.
Any readers of this blog that are going please say hello if you see me around, will be great to meet you all.
I am there from Tuesday afternoon (after my 9 hour flight from Manchester)
I am presenting on Wednesday along with Ian McGregor, Pete Kelsey, Dominick Gallegos and Nick Zeeben (big team) at 3pm on the Vault class CV314-3P and my Visualisation class CV404-4 on Friday at 10am along with 225 of you. No pressure!!
To tie in nicely with my visualisation theme this year, you may remember my post about a third party application called Dynamite VSP and we had a seminar in October in the Netherlands.
They have just released V3.5 of the software which now supports AutoCAD Civil 3D model objects and transfers them straight into 3DS Max. This application on 3DS Max really leverages the AutoCAD Civil 3D dynamic model as it links to the changes and additions in the model.
Therefore model and visualise to a high end standard from the outset rather than last minute.
Dynamite is produced by 3AM Solutions and Bruce Harfield (Director) will be exhibiting at AU, so please go and check it out.
Below are some images and a link to a model that we produced within the 45 minute demo we gave in October, plus render time. We created the road design, surfaces and linework detail for bridges in Civil 3D and linked to Dynamite VSP to add the bridge structures, vehicles, signs and roadmarkings. Finally camera views and enviroments to create the final animations.
The cool thing is, if we changed the design in Civil, like we always do. All you have to do in Dynamite VSP, is reload the file that is linked into the model and all the details are dynamically updated. Sound like a familar concept?
Play the Video
See you in Vegas everyone who is going!
For everyone else have a nice weekend, enjoy your turkey those who are enjoying thanksgiving.
Civil regards
Jack Strongitharm
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Previous Posts
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Help shape the way AutoCAD Civil 3D looks in the future
Posted 11/22/07 by Jack Strongitharm
The Civil 3D Product Design Team is gathering a collection of pictures of Civil 3D in action to broaden our view of our customers’ work environment(s). We are looking for screenshot(s) that best captures your normal application setup, including things like: number and size of monitors, resolutions, chosen workspace, toolbar arrangement, palette setup, drawing real estate, etc. If you have more than one “normal” setup, please send them all. We will use these screenshots to aid our design decisions concerning the user interface of AutoCAD Civil 3D.
As a participant in this Project, we ask you to take a screenshot(s) of your working environment; preferably while you have a project/drawing open. (Note: If the project contains sensitive material, please use a non-sensitive project or scale the model so vulnerable details can’t be seen. Autodesk respects the confidentiality of our customers and will only use your screenshot as a part of our internal design process.)
How to Submit the Screenshot?
Send images to: c3dscreenshot@autodesk.com;
On the Subject line of your email please specify the following:
Product, release (e.g. “Civil3D 2008”);
Number of monitors (e.g. “2 monitors”);
Your Country/product language (e.g. “Australia/English”);
(Optional) Your firm’s name (e.g. “Autodesk”)
EXAMPLE:
Here are a couple ways to make a screenshot (the instructions are the same if you are using a single monitor or dual monitors):
Using Outlook. With the Autodesk application active, hit the Print Screen (PrtSc; Prt Scr) key on your keyboard. Paste the screenshot directly in the message pane of Outlook.
Using a word processing program or image editor. With the Autodesk application active, hit the Print Screen (PrtSc; Prt Scr) key on your keyboard. Paste the screenshot in an image editing program such as Paint or Photoshop. You can also paste the screenshot directly into Word. Save the file as a BMP, PNG, or if using Word, DOC. Attach to an email and send to: c3dscreenshot@autodesk.com
Thanks for your support!
~ The Civil 3D Product Design & Usability Team
Jack Strongitharm -
Changing Styles
Posted 11/21/07 by Jack Strongitharm
Little tip here that you may have missed in 2008 to date.
In the UK and Ireland Country kit I had made some styles to make it easier to understand your design, one being an alignment style that shows the elements in different colours.
However when it comes to plotting a drawing you probably don’t want fancy colours, just a black pen with thickness and a linetype.
For this I have a plotting style, which is also bylayer for xref purposes etc.
So when it comes to plotting your drawing you may have quite a number of objects that you need to change the style and the last thing you want to do is click on each of them to change the style.
Luckily there is a way, like everything!
In the prospector, if you click on the alignment object, the alignments are listed in the table below.
You can select the alignment list by holding the left mouse and windowing them in and the other conventions of holding shift to pick the first and last and or ctrl and picking them individually.
Then right click on the style tab and you will see ‘edit’. Hit that and you will get to choose a style.
Hey presto all changed.
This method applies to all Civil objects, so is a real easy way to get organised.
Jack Strongitharm
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The first AUGI UK Conference and Civils 2007 Show UK
Posted 11/20/07 by Jack Strongitharm
Just come back from the first AUGI meeting in the UK which was a real good success.
A good turn out from the Civil users who I think got a lot from the two days.
Thanks to my co presenters, Lucy Kuhns, Carl Alford and Philip Kelly.
I hope to see more of you next year.
This week it is the NCE Civils Show at Earls Court.
We have a little stand at the front door, so please come and say hello.
The show is on until Thursday
‘Civils is the UK’s largest exhibition to encompass the needs of the civil engineering industry while reflecting on opportunities available within the sector. Civils 2007 once again has a great focus on networking, responding to the way this industry likes to do business. ‘
There will be regular presentations from myself and Carl Alford on AutoCAD Civil 3D, Navisworks and customer presentations.
To find out more and register visit
http://www.civils.com/
Jack Strongitharm
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Fading Layers
Posted 11/05/07 by Ove Cervin
Hello there,
This week I'm traveling in the Baltic countries, up north where the snow actually is on the ground already!
Nice to meet new people (Channel partners mostly) and share ideas and know how etc.
Today's topic is on a subject I know some people have discussed. When you create a set of Cross Sections (Multiple Views)...
...in a separate drawing, using Corridor Xref, the drawing could look a mess in the Model Space. This because you get the whole drawing presented from where you have stored the Corridor. (Section Views at the upper right in picture below)
Of course you put your Sections in a "blank spot", but if someone else Zoom out they will see the whole set with graphics. To make them/you easily understand "Don't touch this - it's not supposed to!" you can do this:
Put the Xref containing the Corridor on a separated Layer. In my example I have created a layer called "_off".
Load the ACAD "Dashboard" using the command "dashboard". This gives you a nice little place on screen where you can add frequently used commands and keep them nearby.
Load the commands for "Layers" by clicking in the Dashboard "menu" at the bottom right.
Now you have the Layer settings (below). Note the small double arrows pointing downwards.
As I mentioned, my Xref with Corridor, is placed on the Layer called "_off".
Now, click this button in the Dashboard for Layers, wait a second and the drag the slider to 90%.
Voila - the Xrefs are almost gone. This way you can't try and edit the Xref by mistake.
Note the small red Sample lines left untouched at the bottom left. (and of course the Cross Sections at the top)
There is also another way to do the same.
Use the command "Layiso" as below:
Command: LAYISO
Current setting: Hide layers, Viewports=Vpfreeze
Select objects on the layer(s) to be isolated or [Settings]: s
Enter setting for layers not isolated [Off/Lock and fade]: l
Enter fade value (0-90) <90>:
Cheers / Ove C