After selecting set working folder, navigate out to where you have your drawings files or the root project folder (see Figure 1a). Highlight the folder for the project and click OK.
the XML file for the data shortcuts. The XML file tells us where the drawing is and what object data we can extract. The XML file will be located within the folders shown in Figure 4.
Set the Data Shortcuts Folder Now that we have the working folder created we want to create the data shortcut folder. The working folder is the directory that will hold our project data. From the Manage tab, select the New Shortcuts Folder as shown in Figure 2 below.
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AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013
Figure 4: New folders
Create the Shortcuts
Figure 2: New Shortcuts Folder
This will only create a single folder under the working folder path. Make sure this is where your company wants to keep the data to help organize the information. After selecting, you will have to enter some information as shown below in Figure 3.
Next we are going to create the shortcuts within our existing drawing so they can be used across the design project. In Prospector, right-click on your data shortcut folder and select Create Data Shortcuts as shown in Figure 5. We are using an existing drawing, which contains a surface (EG) and two alignments, cross sections A and B.
Figure 5: Create Data Shortcuts
Figure 3: Shortcut data
1. The working folder (grayed out) has already been set. 2. The name of the folder where the shortcuts will be placed. 3. I believe in descriptions. As designers we can become very busy, but we need to describe what project we are working on, the date, and other relevant project information. This will provide a seamless transition to the next team member.
Remember, you will not be able to create a data shortcut if the drawing you are in does not contain any Civil 3D objects. After selecting Create Data Shortcuts a dialog box will appear (Figure 6) and you will be prompted to check the Civil 3D objects you wish to use as data references. You have now created data shortcuts for the surface and the alignments. Civil 3D will place an XML file in the folder referencing each of those objects.
The name of the folder as shown in bullet item 2 in Figure 3 will be where the data shortcuts will be stored. Let’s move out to Windows Explorer and see what Civil 3D has created. Notice how we have new folders as shown in Figure 4. This is where Civil 3D will store August 2013
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