and cross section views be in the same drawing or will each reside in its own respective drawings and be referenced in? Will the team be generating proposed linework from the corridor model utilizing a predefined code set style, or will there be an external reference for proposed linework that can be used for targeting within the corridor? Without buy-in from all team members and subs on a standard methodology for these, time and money will be spent in later project phases.
Sharing is Caring…The Encore When developing collaborative projects in Civil 3D, certain design elements are dependent on others being completed. Profiles can’t be cut until alignments are defined, assemblies can be quickly generated if typical sections are already created, and it is much easier to apply pipe networks to a proposed corridor surface than adjusting them later. With that in mind, sharing these objects early and often helps move project work along smoothly—with one caveat: The shared files and objects need to be standardized and without misinformation.
Uploading unstandardized files and objects creates more work for every team member involved, while misinformation creates confusion and coordination issues. Unstandardized files and objects must be discovered, communicated, and corrected. Misinformation is much more difficult to uncover, as it typically materializes as mundane mistakes (i.e., a profile end station 0.01’ shorter than the associated alignment and corridor model, creating a “waterfall” effect on the model, and often crashing Civil 3D when cross section views are generated). The project lead should be clear in defining checkpoints and upload dates for specific files. Additionally, team members and subs must ensure the uploaded files are accurate, even if uploaded late. The saying “done is better than perfect” creeps its way into projects more often than we would like to admit; use common sense and avoid project “Easter Eggs,” which tend to cause greater problems later in a project cycle.
PRODUCT FOCUS
AutoCAD Civil 3D 2015
Conclusion As civil engineers, designers, surveyors, and technicians, we’re accustomed to sharing our finished work—many times with it modified and submitted in such a way that no method could be used to detect how the work was originally created. It is no small task to toss that practice and the mentality surrounding it. The payoff when you do, though, is a well-oiled machine of productivity, which should be noticeable in your bottom line. Another benefit of your willingness to share your Civil 3D template, supporting files, and practices is the tendency to let you drive the ship. If you and your company have been slated as the project team lead, then that should already be the case. However, a contribution such as this if you are a sub or scheduled for a smaller team role should garner respect and hopefully a larger or more prominent role in future team proposals. Better yet, your contribution and efforts could and should be noticed by the client, and potentially lead to future projects.
Figure 5 August 2014
Bryan Tanner (South Bend, IN) is a senior engineering technician at Lawson-Fisher Associates (LFA), focusing on training, customizing, and designing with AutoCAD Civil 3D and the entire Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite. Bryan has been an Autodesk Authorized Instructor, Certified Product Support Professional, Certified Technical Sales Professional, as well as AutoCAD and Civil 3D Certified Professional. He is a member of the AUGI AutoCAD Civil 3D Technical Advisory Committee, manages the AUGI AutoCAD Civil 3D Blog Page and LinkedIn Community, and is a member of several user groups. You can find him on Twitter under the handle @Indydrafter. www.augiworld.com
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