product focus
AutoCAD Civil 3D
2012
Vault also supports all sheet set functionality. This includes property management, plotting, and publishing tasks. Within Vault Explorer, search capabilities can be used to find sheets and sheet sets based on properties inside of the Sheet Set Manager. Relationships between sheets and associated drawings are kept, though sheets are represented as individual files with Vault.
Figure 7: Add files to Autodesk Vault from Buzzsaw with Sync.
extension) to assist in data portability between applications, but nothing else comes close to the power, capabilities, and f lexibility of Navisworks. Without going into a full-depth review of Navisworks, it would be nice to know how to best work with Civil 3D for later use in Navisworks. There are few methods to do so, but your best bet for consistent results without unnecessary amounts of additional effort is to export a Civil 3D drawing for direct use in Navisworks. This should simply consist of freezing layers and hiding items you don’t want displayed in Navisworks, then using the NWCOUT command and saving the new .NWC file to the proper location. Important: The NWCOUT command won’t be available in Civil 3D unless you had Civil 3D installed before installing Navisworks Simulate or Manage. Also, if you or your company doesn’t own a license of Navisworks, a free exporter utility can be downloaded from the Autodesk website. Conclusion
Figure 6: Sheet Set Manager integration with Vault 2012.
Consistent Updates Globally
Another scenario to consider is sharing your files externally and pushing consistent updates to those stakeholders and collaborators. Autodesk Buzzsaw comes to the rescue, and, just our luck, Autodesk integrated Buzzsaw into Autodesk Vault via Project Sync. Project Sync is a utility that is built into Vault and allows for updating information directly from Buzzsaw. This is a quick and easy way to keep files unified internally and through exchange with external parties. Hot Tip: Project Sync and Buzzsaw Sync are two separate applications. Where Project Sync allows for quick additions in Vault from Buzzsaw, Buzzsaw Sync “watches” folders for updated files for inclusion in Buzzsaw. Analyzing Combined Models
As much as we do within the Civil industry to ensure our models are accurate and work with real-world conditions, we also have to consider what other disciplines are doing. Suffice it to say, Navisworks is Autodesk’s f lagship application for collaboration between multiple disciplines, consultants, and design software applications. Autodesk has developed tools and standards over the years (such as the .ADSK file 28 www.augi.com
With all these tools available (along with many more), hopefully you can discover a solution to any of your current hurdles in collaboration and coordination internally, as well as with client and subcontractors alike. Finding what works best for you and, more importantly, your clients, will be a constant evolution. Thankfully, Autodesk understands this and continues to develop new tools to aid in the process. (Just check out Autodesk Labs whenever you get a chance!) Bryan Tanner (Indianapolis, IN) is an Applications Expert for IMAGINiT Technologies within the Infrastructure Solutions Division focusing on custom consulting, training, support, customization, and implementation of Autodesk civil, survey, mapping, and construction applications. When not working directly with clients and students, Bryan is often contributing to the IMAGINiT Civil Solutions Blog, to his own website – Indydrafter. com, and is an active member of the Autodesk and Infrastructure communities at large through online forums/ social media as well as several local user groups.
August 2011