I struggled with this problem earlier this year. My Recent Documents list always remained as an Ordered List, and that allowed DST files to float to the top of the Recent Documents list. It took some digging, but I am much happier now.
Bootstrap or training, how did you implement AutoCAD Civil 3D?
There is an interesting discussion taking place on LinkedIn in the Civil 3D Workforce group. You can see the whole thread here.
The question posed is:
I was wondering how C3D users implemented C3D. Did you “bootstrap” it by trying to implement and learn C3D on your own or did you take more formal training and classes? Or, did you have a consultant setup C3D and train you at your site? With that said, I guess I also wonder which approach is best? Any thoughts?
My answer is that you need both.
In the long run, in-house power-users are a must. Not every user needs to be a guru, but having a few go-to people just makes great business sense. But how to do you get in-house expertise?
Continue reading “Bootstrap or training, how did you implement AutoCAD Civil 3D?”
Civil 3D 2010 SAP – Crop Surface
Check out the video to see a demonstration of the Crop Surface tool in the Civil 3D 2010 Subscription Advantage Pack. Enjoy!
Storm Network Pipe to STM Commands
Let’s expose a little bit of the magic on the AutoCAD Civil 3d 2010’s ability to import and export directly to the Hydraflow Storm Sewer STM file. Kevin Clark’s post on Civil3d.com prompted this post. I want to provide a little bit more of the background that is actually at work as it is simple and contains currently contains some of the wishes he asked for.
Bye, bye AutoCAD Civil, we hardly knew you…
Autodesk announced today that they are discontinuing the short-lived AutoCAD Civil product. There will be no 2011 version of AutoCAD Civil.
AutoCAD Civil customers who hold Subscription contracts that are current as of April 20, 2010 will receive AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 when it becomes available. Customers with multi-year Subscription contracts will continue to receive releases of AutoCAD Civil 3D for as long as their contracts are valid.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the features of the full Civil 3D product, you can learn more by browsing this website and from the Autodesk site.
Building Collapse Intact
This is from last summer, but I just saw it now. Wow.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2009/06/29/shanghai-building-collapses-nearly-intact/
(1) An underground garage was being dug on the south side, to a depth of 4..6 meters
(2) The excavated dirt was being piled up on the north side, to a height of 10 meters
(3) The building experienced uneven lateral pressure from south and north
(4) This resulted in a lateral pressure of 3,000 tonnes, which was greater than what the pilings could tolerate.
Thus the building toppled over in the southerly direction
Checkout these pics.
Creating a Pond Access Ramp
I was recently asked about the best way to create a pond access ramp and after scratching my head for a few seconds, I decided to jump into Civil 3D and try a few things. I was surprised where I ended up!
March 16th Deadline approaching…
As the date draws nearer, its important that all users understand the changes Autodesk is implementing in regards to Subscription update and renewal. In a nutshell, after March 16, 2010, it will cost you 50% of the current new seat price to upgrade a previous version of your Autodesk software.
If you plan on upgrading and renewing your Autodesk Subscription, please contact an EE Preferred Partner to receive FREE, UNLIMITED Civil 3D training, tech support and access to full length training videos. Learn more at http://www.eng-eff.com/freeTraining
From Autodesk’s website on the subject…
Simplified Upgrade Pricing Begins March 16, 2010
Autodesk is introducing a new, streamlined upgrade pricing model on March 16, 2010. Under our current upgrade pricing model, the price of your upgrade depends on which product release you own. After March 15, 2010, your upgrade from any of the three previous software releases will cost 50 percent of the price of a new license, no matter which release you own.
Each new release of our software is designed to help you work smarter and faster. That’s why we always encourage our customers to upgrade. The best way to get current and stay current is to upgrade your Autodesk® 2007, 2008, and 2009 software with Autodesk® Subscription before March 16, 2010.
Save Up to 10 Percent on Eligible* Autodesk Software when you Upgrade with Subscription
Autodesk Subscription is the most convenient and cost-effective way to keep your software up-to-date. Plus, when you upgrade with Subscription before January 15, 2010 you’ll enjoy up to 10 percent savings on your upgrade.
Understanding and Sharing Custom Tool Palettes
Recently, I have received several requests for information on Sharing Tool Palettes. Its been a while since I put this material together for Autodesk, but its <mostly> still relevant and applicable. This article discusses Tool Palettes, creating custom palettes and sharing those across an organization.
Introduction
A tool palette is a collection of tools used to support a task. For example, you might want a palette to contain tools for creating different types of subassemblies (LaneStandard, UrbanSidewalk, and so on) typically used in a subdivision project. Storing a tool palette in a tool catalog makes the palette available to multiple users. You can drag an entire tool palette from the Content Browser into the Autodesk Civil 3D Tool Palettes window. This makes the entire set of tools associated with that tool palette easily accessible from the user’s workspace.
Relationships and Definitions
When creating and sharing customized tools and tool palettes, you can use several interrelated Autodesk Civil 3D components. The following sections explain the components and their relationships.
Content Browser
The Content Browser is a library of tool catalogs containing tools, tool palettes, and tool packages. You can publish catalogs so that multiple users have access to standard tools for projects. Autodesk Civil 3D tools and content are shared in the Content Browser using tool catalogs and websites.
Catalog Library
A catalog library is a collection of tool catalogs displayed in the Content Browser. Tool catalogs are grouped into catalog libraries, and each Autodesk Civil 3D user has a personal catalog library.
Tool Catalogs
Tool catalogs can contain tools, tool palettes, and tool packages, all of which may be organized into categories. You can define categories and subcategories in a tool catalog to organize a large number of items. For example, the Corridor Modeling catalog contains dozens of tools. To make it easier to find tools, the Corridor Modeling catalog is organized into categories and subcategories. Users on your local area network can share a single copy of a tool catalog. If tools in the catalog are updated, users have immediate access to the latest version of the tools.
Several tool catalogs are provided with Autodesk Civil 3D. These include Render Material Catalog, Corridor Modeling Catalogs – Imperial, and Corridor Modeling Catalogs – Metric. You cannot add or remove items from the Autodesk-supplied tool catalogs, but you can create your own tool catalogs. You can also copy other tool catalogs and website links into your catalog library using the Publish Catalog feature.
Tool Palettes
Tool palettes are tabbed areas within the tool palettes window. Each tool palette is saved as XML code in an ASCII text file with the extension ATC. In the content browser, a tool palette is treated as a single object. Tool palettes can be added to a tool catalog. A user must have write-access to the tool catalog in order to add a palette. The easiest way to add a palette is to first create a new empty tool palette within the catalog and then in Civil 3D, simultaneously select all tools on the tool palette you want to add to the catalog. Drag the tools from the Civil 3D drawing into a tool catalog.
If a tool palette file is set with a read-only attribute, a lock icon is displayed in a lower corner of the tool palette. This indicates that non-administrative users cannot modify the tool palette beyond changing its display settings and rearranging the icons.
To apply a read-only attribute to a tool palette, right-click the tool palette (ATC) file in the following location (or similar): C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D 2010\enu\Support\ToolPalette. On the shortcut menu, click Properties. On the General tab, select Read-only, and click OK.
Tool Groups
Tool palettes belong to a Palette Group. Autodesk Civil 3D has some standard palette groups:
Civil 3D – Imperial contains all tool palettes in the Corridor Modeling Catalogs – Imperial Tool Catalog.
Civil 3D – Metric contains all tool palettes in the Corridor Modeling Catalogs – Imperial Tool Catalog
AutoCAD contains a variety of standard AutoCAD tools. Tool palette groups are saved in profiles.
Tools
The items added to a tool palette are called Tools. You can create a tool by dragging AutoCAD entities one at a time, onto a tool palette. You can also create a tool that executes a string of commands or customized commands, such as VBA macro or application, or a script, such as subassembly .NET scripts.
Customize a tool by copying it to a palette in the Autodesk Civil 3D tool palette set, modifying the tool’s properties, then copying it back to any location in the tool catalog. If you copy it back to the original location, you will be prompted to overwrite it.
Tool Package
A tool package is a group of tools stored together for distribution. For example, a package might contain a set of productivity tools and utilities. A user can drag a tool package into a tool palette that exists in a catalog in the Content Browser, or into a tool palette in the Tool Palettes window.
Sharing
Save and share a tool palette by exporting it or importing it as a tool palette file. Import and export a tool palette from the Tool Palettes tab of the Customize dialog box. Tool palette files have an XTP file extension and tool palette groups have an XTG extension.
The default path for tool palette files is set on the Files tab of the Options dialog box under Tool Palettes File Locations. Autodesk Civil 3D allows multiple paths, so users can have their own customized tool palettes and standardized company tool palettes that are read-only
Subscription Advantage Pack Video
Not sure if you’ve had a chance to check this out but Autodesk has provided a YouTube video that demos some of the SAP content quite nicely. It’s not new but I just stumbled upon it so I figured a fair number of people weren’t aware of its existence either.
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