Autodesk Civil 3D 2024 from Start to Finish E-Book

Stephen Walz

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 384

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Autodesk Civil 3D can radically increase your civil engineering design and efficiency if you learn to make the most of its features and partner software platforms. Autodesk Civil 3D from Start to Finish will teach you how to leverage its strengths and scale efficiency to large teams.
With this book, you’ll uncover all the major features Civil 3D offers, from surface development to intelligent utility design as well as dynamic display work for smart document creation. You’ll learn to configure and manage your civil engineering designs and explore practical applications of tools and modeling techniques available within the software.
By the end of this book, you’ll have a thorough understanding of Autodesk Civil 3D along with its partner programs to strategize and improve your future projects.

Leseprobe

Autodesk Civil 3D 2024 from Start to Finish

A practical guide to civil infrastructure design, modeling, and analysis

Stephen Walz

Tony Sabat

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI

Autodesk Civil 3D 2024 from Start to Finish

Copyright © 2023 Packt Publishing

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I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to all of my colleagues, mentors, friends, and family, for all your guidance and encouragement throughout my career, with a special shoutout to my wife, Danna Walz, and daughters, Alexis and Addison, for all of your continuous love and support, and inspiration for me to be the best version of myself every day!

- Stephen Walz

Thank you to all of my colleagues and friends in the industry that helped me pursue and grow my love for technology. Also to my wife, Joy, thank you for your support and patience throughout this process and throughout my career to keep me driving forward and enjoying every step along the way.

- Tony Sabat

Contributors

About the authors

Stephen Walz has worked with a multitude of design, collaboration, and visualization platforms supporting the AEC industry since early 2003. His primary focus has been on the civil and environmental engineering side, where he has held varying levels of design support and CAD/BIM/CIM management roles.

Currently, Stephen is HDR’s digital design lead for civil infrastructure, where he works with their BG leadership, technical leadership, vendors, and ITG to evaluate and implement new technologies, workflows, and adoption strategies supporting the AECOO industry, build awareness and drive consistency with how HDR’s teams leverage various tools and platforms, and identify ways to build skill sets across HDR around each of the platforms and technologies being leveraged.

Furthermore, Stephen is an active member of the following:

AUGIWORLD Magazine as the BIM/CIM content managerbuildingSMART International as a member of the Education and Professional Certification Committee within buildingSMART’s US chapterThe National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) as an NCS V7 Project Committee member

Tony Sabat is a consultant and advisor focusing on improving the built environment. He primarily develops innovative and disruptive technologies and processes with many teams, varying from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies. Tony partners with companies to develop their digital transformation strategies, as well as implement and sustain emerging technologies, such as reality data modeling, virtual construction simulation, and distributed ledger technology. He has also spoken around the world and written for many organizations about emerging technology in the built environment.

Tony began his career in the early iterations of building information modeling and worked on integrating these concepts and technologies into the infrastructure space. Tony focuses primarily on reality capture, building information modeling, digital twin strategies, as well as virtual design and construction.

About the reviewer

Justin Brooks, PE, PMP has been an avid user of Civil 3D, along with other Autodesk products, during his career of over 20 years in civil engineering. He has an undergraduate and graduate degree in civil engineering and an associate’s degree in CAD as well.

He has held multiple roles within the civil engineering industry, from designer all the way up to project engineer and project manager, with his current role being that of design technology manager with Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. Along with his time in the industry, he has also spent the latter part of his career in post-secondary education as both a professor and curriculum developer in construction management and technology programs.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1: Getting Acquainted with Civil 3D and Starting Your Next Project for Success

1

Introduction to Civil 3D

Technical requirements

What is Civil 3D?

What types of BIM projects can Civil 3D manage?

Exploring the Civil 3D user interface

The first tier of the ribbon

The second tier of the ribbon

The third tier of the ribbon

Toolspace

Drawing area

Command line

Understanding Civil 3D elements

Summary

2

Setting up the Design Environment

Technical requirements

Exploring the Toolspace within Civil 3D

Customizing object styles and object label styles

Expediting project work with file templates

Summary

3

Sharing Data within Civil 3D

Technical requirements

Understanding file relationships

Model files

Reference files

Sheet files

Learning how data shortcuts work

Creating data shortcuts within Civil 3D

Summary

Part 2: Designing and Modeling with Civil 3D from Scratch

4

Configuring Survey Data with Civil 3D

Technical requirements

Survey setup

Introduction to the Survey Toolspace

Existing conditions display settings

Survey workflow overview

Analyzing your existing conditions

Summary

5

Leveraging Points, Lines, and Curves

Technical requirements

Setting up a new file to import points from survey data

Introduction to points

Introduction to lines and curves

Summary

6

Surfaces - The First Foundational Component to Designs within Civil 3D

Technical requirements

Generating a surface model

Understanding surface styles

Surface manipulation and management

Summary

7

Alignments - The Second Foundational Component to Designs within Civil 3D

Technical requirements

Alignment creation

Understanding alignment styles

Types of alignment styles

Alignment design checks

Alignment label styles

Alignment table styles

Alignment manipulation and management

Summary

8

Profiles - The Third Foundational Component to Designs within Civil 3D

Technical requirements

Understanding the ways to create a profile

Setting up profile views

Creating design profiles

Understanding profiles and profile view styles

Profile Styles

Design Checks

Label Styles

Profile View

Further analyzing our profile and alignment geometry

Summary

Part 3: Leveraging Design-Specific Tool Belts

9

Land Development Tool Belt for Everyday Use

Technical requirements

Creating and managing parcels

Creating and managing sites

Leveraging grading tools for our site design

Summary

10

Roadway Modeling Tool Belt for Everyday Use

Technical requirements

Creating and managing assemblies

Creating and modifying corridors

Creating and modifying intersections and cul-de-sacs

Creating a surface from corridors

Summary

11

Advanced Roadway Modeling Tool Belt for Everyday Use

Technical requirements

Updating assemblies and designing driveways

Designing a dead end

Designing our residential subdivision main entrance

Summary

12

Utility Modeling Tool Belt for Everyday Use

Technical requirements

Refining proposed Surface models to accommodate proper site drainage

Creating and modifying storm drainage pipe networks

Creating and modifying sanitary sewer pipe networks

Creating and modifying pressure networks

Summary

Part 4: Advanced Capabilities with Civil 3D

13

Section Creation and Analysis

Technical requirements

Creating sample lines along alignments

Creating Section Views to display modeled objects

Creating intelligent section sheets for plan production

Summary

14

Automating Sheet Creation

Technical requirements

Automating Plan Sheet creation

Automating Plan and Profile Sheet creation

Automating Cross Section Sheet Creation

Summary

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy

Preface

Autodesk Civil 3D connects to an entire network of other software to take your project farther than you would imagine for civil engineering design. You will be able to put your knowledge to work with this practical guide on civil engineering design. This book provides a hands-on approach to implementation and associated methodologies that will have you and your team functional and productive in no time.

This book covers all the major features Civil 3D has to offer, whether surface development, intelligent utility design, or dynamic display work for creating smart documentation. You’ll learn how best to configure and manage your civil engineering designs by successfully leveraging all that Autodesk Civil 3D has to offer. You’ll then learn how to practically apply the tools and modeling techniques available within the software.

By the end of this book, you will have a thorough understanding of Autodesk Civil 3D, along with its partner programs, and be able to strategize how best to utilize it on your next project.

Who this book is for

This book is for civil engineers, environmental engineers, surveyors, civil designers, civil technicians, Civil 3D professionals, and InfraWorks professionals looking to understand how to best leverage Civil 3D in their everyday designs.

You’ll need to have a very basic understanding of civil engineering and surveying workflows, as well as a foundational understanding of Autodesk’s AutoCAD, to make the most of this book. A basic understanding of surveying, civil/environmental engineering practices, and AutoCAD drafting knowledge is assumed.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Introduction to Civil 3D, begins by exploring the program itself. This is where the main tools are, and you will familiarize yourself with the working space. We will explore the user interface and review where objects are stored as they are created.

Chapter 2, Setting up the Design Environment, reviews how work is logged and integrated as more complexity is added. We will explore how modeled components and geometry can be affected by dynamic display styles and how to create a new file for a design project.

Chapter 3, Sharing Data within Civil 3D, demonstrates the power of Civil 3D as a program, not only showing how to design a basic project in Civil 3D but also how to scale your workflows to include more team members for larger project sizes while maintaining efficiency.

Chapter 4, Configuring Survey Data with Civil 3D, contains all you need to know about bringing in existing survey data with proper formatting and how to establish an accurate depiction of a yet-to-be-designed project site, given that civil design always begins with existing conditions.

Chapter 5, Leveraging Points, Lines, and Curves, dives into the application and intersection of Civil 3D’s tools, now that we understand the basic tools and methods, to better develop a confident infrastructure design. Civil 3D is a dynamic program that not only makes use of intelligent components and design processes but also integrated workflows that adjust when dependent parts of the design adjust or change, which results in less time spent recreating work or formatting when work is updated automatically.

Chapter 6, Surfaces - The First Foundational Component to Designs within Civil 3D, elaborates on one of the three foundational modeling elements, which is surface modeling, required for almost every civil engineering-related design.

Chapter 7, Alignments - The Second Foundational Component to Designs within Civil 3D, is all about the second foundational modeling element required, which is alignments, pertinent to almost every civil engineering-related design.

Chapter 8, Profiles - The Third Foundational Component to Designs within Civil 3D, explains the third and final foundational modeling element, which is profiles, as it applies to almost every civil engineering-related design.

Chapter 9, Land Development Tool Belt for Everyday Use, involves putting on our Land Development Tool Belt and jumping into the world of subdivisions, parks, and overall civil site design.

Chapter 10, Roadway Modeling Tool Belt for Everyday Use, has us put on our Roadway Modeling Tool Belt and jump into the world of transportation.

Chapter 11, Advanced Roadway Modeling Tool Belt for Everyday Use, continues to expand upon our Roadway Modeling Tool Belt and jumps into advanced applications to transportation.

Chapter 12, Utility Modeling Tool Belt for Everyday Use, walks through a final specialized set of tools, the Utility Tool Belt, and jumps into the world of utility infrastructure, which ultimately services our communities and land.

Chapter 13, Section Creation and Analysis, reviews how to create, display, and manage Section Views within Civil 3D.

Chapter 14, Automating Sheet Creation, teaches you how to automate sheet creation and migrate your design from a modeled state to a true design deliverable.

To get the most out of this book

Software/hardware covered in the book

Operating system requirements

Autodesk AutoCAD

Windows or macOS

Autodesk Civil 3D

Windows or macOS

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to use the datasets available as you work through each chapter. Instructions are available within the chapters that detail whether readers will need to create a new drawing from scratch or open a file that has already been prepared. Doing so will help you follow the steps outlined.

Disclaimer

To ensure that a timely publication of this book’s content is in close alignment with Autodesk’s product release cycle, you may notice as you progress through our Civil 3D 2024 learning journey that there are several images displayed in referenced Figures that depict an earlier release of Civil 3D. It’s important to note that features and workflows discussed throughout this book are still relevant and applicable in Autodesk’s Civil 3D 2024 product and in which we will be applying throughout our learning journey.

Download the exercise files

You can download the exercise files for this book at https://packt.link/UoiPn

Download the color images

We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots and diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://packt.link/2lHjT.

Conventions used

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “Please note that if your design references metric units, you can select the _Autodesk Civil 3D (Metric) NCS.dwg drawing template to ensure that correct units are applied to your drawing.”

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: “Any time you create a new drawing by going to Menu Browser and selecting New | Drawing, a dialog box will appear for you to select the drawing template.”

Tips or important notes

Appear like this.

Get in touch

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Part 1: Getting Acquainted with Civil 3D and Starting Your Next Project for Success

Civil 3D is intelligent civil design software with dynamic elements that can link together throughout the course of your design and its refinement.

The following chapters are included in this section:

Chapter 1, Introduction to Civil 3DChapter 2, Setting up the Design EnvironmentChapter 3, Sharing Data within Civil 3D

1

Introduction to Civil 3D

Autodesk’s Civil 3D has been the leading design authoring tool of choice supporting civil engineering design applications since the early 2000s. Designers working with Civil 3D are able to put their knowledge to work with this practical guide to civil engineering design. This textbook is intended for civil designers with a basic understanding of Civil 3D and its workflows.

With this book, you will learn how best to configure and manage your civil engineering designs by successfully leveraging all that Autodesk Civil 3D has to offer.

We will begin by exploring best practices and real-world applications that will elevate your designs with Civil 3D. Autodesk Civil 3D connects to an entire network of other platforms and technologies to take your project further than you would imagine for civil engineering designs. By the end of this book, you will have a thorough understanding of Autodesk’s Civil 3D and will be able to strategize how best to utilize it in your next project.

In this chapter, we will provide some background and history to help you realize the benefits of leveraging Autodesk’s Civil 3D and understand its place within the Architeture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. We will then familiarize ourselves with the overall user interface to understand all the tools and functionality available within Autodesk’s Civil 3D, allowing you to maintain a high level of efficiency as you work through your design(s). Finally, to gain all of the benefits that Civil 3D has to offer and maintain a high level of efficiency and consistency, you’re going to learn how to leverage as much of Civil 3D’s dynamic capabilities as possible to support your Building Information Modeling (BIM) design(s).

So, in this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

What is Civil 3D?The user interfaceUnderstanding Civil 3D elements

Technical requirements

It’s important to note that Autodesk’s Civil 3D can often be very taxing to your computer. There is a lot of processing that goes on with modeled design elements, even in the background, that enables the dynamic (connected) capabilities to occur throughout the BIM design life cycle. In turn, there are many technical requirements that need to be considered to allow Autodesk’s Civil 3D to operate at its full potential. Here, we’ll review the minimum requirements that Autodesk recommends, with a few of my suggestions added to increase efficiency and speed throughout the BIM design process:

Operating system – 64-Bit Microsoft Windows 10Processor – 3+ GHzMemory – 16 GB RAM (I suggest going with either 64 GB or 128 GB)Graphics card – 4 GB (I suggest going with 8+ GB)Display resolution – 1980 x 1080 with True ColorDisk space – 16 GBPointing device – MS-Mouse compliant

What is Civil 3D?

We’ve all heard the term BIM being thrown around for quite some time now. In general, BIM is the process typically applied to and associated with intelligently and dynamically designing an actual building or structure, where architects/engineers and designers can visualize and anticipate the true constructability of a project.

On the survey and civil engineering side, we’ve been generating, designing, and modeling everything outside buildings/structures in a 3D environment for just as long, if not longer, than the term BIM has been around. However, for one reason or another, these designs have not typically been viewed as BIM by the vast majority.

This is where Autodesk’s Civil 3D comes into the picture. Civil 3D is essentially a BIM design authoring tool that fully supports both surveying and civil engineering designs. When utilized the right way, we have the power to create and manage intelligently designed models, perform cost estimations, interfence checks/clash detections, prepare our models for construction sequencing, and even perform asset management integrations well beyond design.

It’s important to note that Autodesk’s Civil 3D is considered a vertical application of Autodesk’s AutoCAD. A vertical application in this context essentially means that Civil 3D is built on top of AutoCAD, thereby still providing a lot of 2D-focused tools and functionality. To make the transition from 2D to 3D, we’ll need to realize the separation of where the content resides and how the application of tools differs in each world. Throughout the course of this book, I will cover both 2D and 3D applications of design intent to provide a bit more insight as to how and when to apply each of them.

Historically, it is always recommended that anyone looking to fully utilize Civil 3D should have a basic understanding of AutoCAD to establish that foundation. Depending on the individual learning, that concept is more frequently dismissed as it has the potential to root bad design habits in those not willing to fully embrace the 3D world. As Civil 3D continues to evolve and become more of a model-centric focused design authoring tool, the industry has a much better opportunity to fully embrace the concept of BIM and design with intelligence from the beginning.

What types of BIM projects can Civil 3D manage?

When trying to determine how Civil 3D can best be utilized from a design standpoint, we’re going to break down the tools and functionality into the following three main design categories or markets: land development, utilities, and transportation. In addition to the three main design categories, it’s important to realize all projects, whether building or infrastructure, rely upon existing conditions, and Civil 3D is a great partner for hosting these parameters as well as modeling new ones for a complementary design to the interior of the structure. This added benefit is heavily relied on and supported in the surveying industry as well.

In this course, we’ll cover all four of these categories in great length as follows:

From a surveying perspective, we’ll cover tools that allow for full integration of survey databases, field books, existing conditions modeling, and even point cloud integration from drone and laser scan technology. Any BIM design being generated can only be as accurate as the survey and existing conditions model, making these early steps critical to successful design downstream.From a land development perspective, we’ll cover methods that allow a wide array of civil site designs including subdivisions, residential/commercial sites, parks, and even environmental designs.From a utility perspective, we’ll cover tools and functionality that support storm drainage, sanitary sewer, waterline, and natural gas designs.From a transportation perspective, we’ll cover tools and functionality that support roadway designs, rehabilitations, and access roads. Additionally, we’ll cover tips and tricks on how some of these tools can be applied in civil site designs and even stream and restoration projects.

Understanding real-world applications of any new technology solution is critical from an overall adoption and implementation standpoint. Throughout this book, especially as we dive deeper into the specific tools and functionality of Autodesk’s Civil 3D, we’ll begin to understand how and why it is viewed as a leading design authoring tool supporting the AEC industry.

Let’s go ahead and jump into the program to begin to familiarize ourselves with the user interface to get an idea of where to locate all of the tools and functionality available to us.

Exploring the Civil 3D user interface

With all the introductions and background out of the way, let’s go ahead and jump into Autodesk Civil 3D and get acquainted with this BIM platform. When Autodesk Civil 3D is opened up or launched, you will be presented with the Start tab/screen, similar to that shown in Figure 1.1:

Figure 1.1 – User interface when Autodesk’s Civil 3D is launched

If we then select the + sign next to the Start tab, we will see we have essentially created our first drawing and will be presented with a screen similar to that shown in Figure 1.2:

Figure 1.2 – User interface after our first drawing has been created

Along the very top of the program, you are presented with three levels of tools and functionality, as shown in Figure 1.3:

Figure 1.3 – Top three levels of tools and functionality within the user interface

Each of these levels provides varying access to the tools and functionality available within Autodesk’s Civil 3D platform. Much of this should be a bit clearer by the end of the section, as we dive into more detail about what is available at each level.

The first tier of the ribbon

In the first level at the very top, reading from left to right, we have access to the Menu browser, Quick Access Toolbar, Workspace and Quick Access Toolbar Customizations, Application and Drawing currently visible in the Drawing area, Quick Search Access to Autodesk’s Civil 3D Help, Autodesk Account Access, Overall Autodesk’s Civil 3D Help, and Quick program visibility access.

Starting with the Menu browser, which is indicated by the Civil 3D icon in the top-left corner of the program, you will be presented with a multitude of options that will provide some very high-level drawing management and functionality. Select the icon by left-clicking on your mouse (refer to Figure 1.4 for a detailed view of the Menu browser):

Figure 1.4 – Detailed view of the Menu browser

Running through the options presented along the left side of the Menu browser from the top to the bottom, the following list details what each area provides:

New: This selection allows end users to create new drawings and sheet sets (more on sheet sets in Part 4 of the book).Open:This selection allows end users to open existing drawings (both locally or web and mobile-based), access Sheet Set Manager, import DGN files (Microstation format), import Industry Foundation Class (IFC) files, and open sample files (both locally or from online).Save: This selection allows end users to perform a quick save of their current drawing.Save As: This selection allows end users to save their current drawing as another drawing (both locally or web and mobile-based), drawing template file, drawing standards file, other formatted files (that is, DWG, DWDT, WS, and DXF), save the layout as a drawing file, and DWG Convert which will allow us to save to a DWG format that is compatible with earlier releases of Civil 3D).Export: This selection allows end users to export their current drawing to a DWF, DWFx, 3D DWF, another DWG version, DGN, DXF, PDF, IFC, and other file formats (that is, WMF, SAT, STL, EPS, DXX, BMP, IGES, and IGS).Publish: This selection allows end users to access the Send to Print service, Archive, eTransmit, Email, and Share View.Print: This selection allows end users to access Plot, Batch Plot, Plot Preview, View Plot and Publish Details, Page Setup, 3D Print, Manage Plotter, Manage Plot Styles, and Edit Plot Style Tables.Suite Workflows: This selection allows end users to access Workflow Manager, a dedicated area for common automated tasks.Drawing Utilities: This selection allows end users to access Drawing Properties, DWG Compare, Drawing Settings, Units, Audit, Status, Purge, Recover, Open the Drawing Recovery Manager, and Update Block Icons.Close: This selection allows end users to close the current drawing or all drawings.

Moving onto Quick Access Toolbar, we have a lot of the same options available to us as are within the Menu browser. However, instead of a drop-down menu like that of the Menu browser, we quick-select icons of tools and functionality that are typically common to everyday workflows:

Figure 1.5 – Quick Access Toolbar

Running through the stock, out-of-the-box Quick Access icons from left to right (as shown in Figure 1.5), we have the following:

NewOpenSaveOpen from Web & MobileSave to Web & MobilePlot (print)UndoRedo

Note

Next to the Undo and Redo icons in Quick Access Toolbar, there are down arrows that will allow you to select the number of steps for which you would like to perform that operation on your drawing. By simply selecting the icon instead of the down arrow, you will perform that operation once for each click of the mouse. If you are intending to perform that operation multiple times, I recommend using the down arrow next to the icon to get the drawing back to the state that you are expecting.

If there are additional tools that are typical to your everyday workflow, there is a way to add them to your toolbar by simply right-clicking on the tool in the ribbon and selecting Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

Next, we have the Workspace and Customized Quick Access toolbar. Here you can change the tools available in the ribbons on the third and fourth levels depending on the type of design and analysis you are looking to perform within the current drawing. To change from one workspace to another, you can select the down arrow icon next to the workspace name and select a different one as appropriate (see Figure 1.6).

Figure 1.6 – Workspace selections

Workspaces displayed and available include the following:

Civil 3D: Tools displayed in the ribbon will provide you with the bulk of the tools necessary to perform civil engineering design and analysis.Drafting & Annotation: Tools displayed in the ribbon will provide you with the basic 2D drafting tools and functionality.3D Modeling: Tools displayed in the ribbon will provide you with the basic 3D modeling tools and functionality. It’s important to note that 3D modeling capabilities within this display are not Civil 3D-related but are more intended for basic AutoCAD functionality.Planning and Analysis: Tools displayed in the ribbon will provide you with additional mapping and analysis tools. These tools come in handy when connecting to ArcGIS data.Save Current As…: Provides the ability to save any customizations you have made to a customized workspace that can be made current later on.Workspace Settings…: Selecting this option will pull up another dialog box that will allow you to define which workspaces are available, as well as the display order of the workspaces listed.Customize…: Selecting this option will pull up another dialog box that will allow you to customize any of your workspaces if necessary. This will come in handy if you intend to create custom tools, layouts, and so on specific to your workflow.

Directly next to the workspace selections is another down arrow with a horizontal line above it. If you select this, you will be presented with a drop-down menu that will provide the ability to customize Quick Access Toolbar and Tools Available within the overall ribbon interface (refer to Figure 1.7):

Figure 1.7 – Customize Quick Access Toolbar

Those items that are checked will be displayed in Quick Access Toolbar in your current view. You’ll notice that all of those checked in Figure 1.7 were those that were displayed when we were reviewing Quick Access Toolbar (Figure 1.5). The remaining tools listed in the top section are fairly straightforward and are typical commands and functionality that are relied on for a lot of workflows, hence the reason why they are listed as optional defaults in the list.

The last option in Quick Access Toolbar is an icon that looks like a paper airplane (see Figure 1.8). Selecting this icon will allow you to share the current drawing via a link to a web-based version. By default, the drawing is only available for 7 days.

Figure 1.8 – Share the drawing with a link

Next, we have Application and Drawing currently visible in the drawing area (refer to Figure 1.9). As you open or create and save new drawings, the drawing name displayed in this location will update accordingly.

Figure 1.9 – Application and Drawing

Then, we move on to Quick Search Access to Autodesk’s Civil 3D Help (refer toFigure 1.10). Any time you find yourself needing some quick help on a specific command, simply type the name of the command in this location and click on the magnifying glass icon next to it. After selecting the magnifying glass icon, another window will appear that contains the Civil 3D Help documentation and will present you with results that match the keyword or phrase you had typed into the field.

Figure 1.10 – Quick Search Access

Next up is Autodesk Account Access. Viewing from left to right, we first have Account Login and Details presented to you. When selecting the down arrow icon in the view (refer to Figure 1.11), you will have the ability to log out, view account details, explore purchase options, and manage licenses.

Figure 1.11 – Autodesk Account Access

Next to Autodesk Account Access (refer to Figure 1.12), we are presented with the option to connect to the Autodesk App Store (indicated by the shopping cart icon) and to connect to Civil 3D user networks via Facebook and Twitter:

Figure 1.12 – Autodesk App Store and user group networks

Continuing on, we have the overall Autodesk Civil 3D Help access, which is identified by the question mark icon (see Figure 1.13):

Figure 1.13 – Autodesk Civil 3D Help

And finally, we come to the quick program visibility access, where we have the ability to minimize the window of the program, restore and maximize the window of the program, and close the entire program:

Figure 1.14 – Quick program visibility

With the contents of the first tier behind us, let’s jump into the second tier.

The second tier of the ribbon

In the second level of the ribbon interface, we have the tabs that essentially group all of the tools and functionality available within Autodesk’s Civil 3D (refer to Figure 1.15). This grouping is meant to be an easy way to quickly access tools as you need them, instead of having to search through the drop-down menus for tools as needed.

Figure 1.15 – Second tier

Starting with the Home tab (refer to Figure 1.16), we have quick access to many of the major design tools and functionality that we will be leveraging through the BIM design life cycle:

Figure 1.16 – Home

Next up is the Insert tab (refer to Figure 1.17), where we can quickly make connections to other types of files for reference purposes. Based on the type of file(s) being referenced, we can either keep these as static overlays being displayed or can make them live elements within our drawing area:

Figure 1.17 – Insert

Next up is the Annotate tab (refer to Figure 1.18), where we can quickly add labels and text to various design elements:

Figure 1.18 – Annotate

Next up is the Modify tab (refer to Figure 1.19), where we can quickly adjust design elements within the drawing:

Figure 1.19 – Modify

Next up is the Analyze tab (refer to Figure 1.20), where we can quickly access various reporting and computational tools and functionality available to us:

Figure 1.20 – Analyze

Next up is the View tab (refer to Figure 1.21), where we can quickly adjust our display settings of modeled elements in our drawing area:

Figure 1.21 – View

Next up is the Manage tab (refer to Figure 1.22), which, in a way, is more of a parking lot that provides quick access to a multitude of options, such as connecting to individual design elements from other Civil 3D files, performing customizations to the overall user interface, and file cleanup options:

Figure 1.22 – Manage

Next up is the Output tab (refer to Figure 1.23), where we can quickly export our drawing and individual design elements to a variety of formats:

Figure 1.23 – Output

Next up is the Survey tab (refer to Figure 1.24), where we can quickly access various survey and mapping tools to support our BIM designs:

Figure 1.24 – Survey

Next up is the Rail tab (refer to Figure 1.25), where we can quickly access BIM design capabilities related to Rail:

Figure 1.25 – Rail

Next up is the Transparent tab (refer to Figure 1.26), where we can quickly access functionality that can be applied while performing various commands throughout our BIM design:

Figure 1.26 – Transparent

Next up is the InfraWorks tab (refer to Figure 1.27), where we can quickly connect to InfraWorks by importing/exporting design elements generated within either the Civil 3D or InfraWorks platform:

Figure 1.27 – InfraWorks

Next up is the Collaborate tab (refer to Figure 1.28), where we can quickly share our drawings and BIM design elements in various cloud-based environments:

Figure 1.28 – Collaborate

Next up is the Help tab (refer to Figure 1.29), where we can quickly access additional support as needed:

Figure 1.29 – Help

Next up is the Add-ins tab (refer to Figure 1.30), where we can quickly access any add-ins that are integrated with Civil 3D:

Figure 1.30 – Add-ins

Next up is the Express Tools tab (refer to Figure 1.31), where we can quickly access various ad hoc tools:

Figure 1.31 – Express Tools

Next up is the Featured Apps tab (refer to Figure 1.32), where we can quickly access the Autodesk App Store to purchase and install leading add-ins being leveraged across the AEC industry:

Figure 1.32 – Featured Apps

And finally, located at the very end of this tier just to the right of the Featured Apps tab is an icon that will give you the ability to cycle through the visibility states of the ribbon (as shown in Figure 1.33):

Figure 1.33 – Ribbon visibility states

Going back to what I said about the Menu bar visibility, depending on preference, you have the ability to either toggle on or off the tabs and panels display as well. Seeing as how the tabs and panels do consume a bit more real estate, or area, at the top of the session, you can minimize, even temporarily, to increase the space available in the drawing area as well (more on that in a bit). Ultimately, it comes down to preference of access and is in your hands to decide.

With the contents of the second level behind us, let’s jump into the third.

The third tier of the ribbon

In the third and final level of the ribbon interface, we have the panels that are categorized one more level down and provide access to the actual tools and functionality available within Autodesk’s Civil 3D (refer to Figure 1.34):

Figure 1.34 – Ribbon panel

It’s far more important, in my opinion, to fully understand the purpose and functionality of these tools when we review real-world design workflows and applications of tools. With that said, all of the tools and functionality within each of the tabs and panels will be covered in future sections and chapters within this book, so I won’t bore you with too much detail at this time. Please refer to Figures 1.15 to 1.33 for a high-level overview of what is included from a panel standpoint within each of the tabs.

Before moving on to the next area of the user interface, it is important to note that the ribbon we have been exploring is contextual, meaning it will change the commands that are visible on the ribbon depending on the command you are using or on what object is selected in the drawing. When an object is selected, the contextual ribbon will display commands directly related to the object you have selected in an attempt to expedite related workflows. Next, you can see the contextual ribbon in its default state, as shown in Figure 1.35:

Figure 1.35 – Contextual ribbon when a command or tool is not active

The following figure shows when a tool or command is active or when modeled components are selected in the drawing area:

Figure 1.36 – Contextual ribbon when a command or tool is active

The major differences between the displays are the tools and commands that will be made available above your drawing area. The intent of this contextual ribbon is to narrow down the tool selections to what can actually be performed with the identified objects. This eliminates all kinds of unnecessary time trying to remember where to locate tools and ultimately makes your work much easier.

With the contents of the third level behind us, let’s move on to the Toolspace.

Toolspace

The next part of the user interface that we’ll review is Toolspace. This can be accessed by going to the Home tab and selecting the Toolspace icon in the Palettes panel. Once activated, you’ll notice TOOLSPACE being displayed along the left-hand side of your session (refer to Figure 1.37):

Figure 1.37 – Toolspace access

Within TOOLSPACE, you are presented with a ton of file and design management tools and functionality that will really drive your BIM design and the way modeled geometry and components are displayed. Along the right-hand side of your TOOLSPACE area, you’ll notice four individual tabs that will give you access to each type of functionality, Prospector, Settings, Survey, and Toolbox (refer to Figure 1.38):

Figure 1.38 – Toolspace tabs

Let’s look at each type of functionality:

The Prospector tab provides you with the ability to create, modify, analyze, and manage modeled geometry and components within your drawing(s) open in the current session, as well as link modeled geometry and components from other files via Data Shortcuts Manager.The Settings tab provides you with the ability to create, modify, and manage settings specific to the drawing(s) open in the current session.The Survey tab provides you with the ability to connect to survey databases and manage configurations to streamline the integration of data within Autodesk’s Civil 3D platform.The Toolbox tab provides you with additional reporting and analysis tools that work well for gathering information within the current drawing and exporting data to variousreporting formats.

With the contents of the toolspace reviewed, let’s now jump into the drawing area.

Drawing area

Moving on, the next area is the drawing area, which is fairly straightforward and self-explanatory. This area is reserved for your actual BIM design modeling, annotating, and so on. All your work will be displayed in this area and will appear as shown in this screenshot:

Figure 1.39 – Drawing area

You’ll notice, however, a few different icons within your drawing area that are worth pointing out and providing a little more detail on. In the upper left-hand corner, you’ll notice a few view descriptions, similar to [-][Top][2D Wireframe]. When you select each of these fields, you are presented with the ability to further manage and/or change the display of all elements displayed in the drawing area. If you select the first field, [-], you are presented with a few options to customize the drawing area, or model space viewport (shown in Figure 1.40):

Figure 1.40 – Customize model space viewport

If you select the second field, [Top], you are presented with a few options to customize the orientation of the view being displayed within your model space viewport (shown in Figure 1.41):

Figure 1.41 – Model space viewport view orientation

If you select the third field, [2D Wireframe], you are presented with the ability to change the overall display of your model geometry and components within the model space viewport (shown in Figure 1.42):

Figure 1.42 – Model space viewport display

Let’s move over to the upper right-hand corner of your drawing area. This is where you’ll find ViewCube (refer to Figure 1.43), which allows you to quickly change the user coordinate system (UCS) and view orientation of components displayed in your drawing area. By selecting any of the lettered directions or the rotation options in the top right, or selecting any location on the square/cube located in the center, the view orientation will update as you select each of the options.

Figure 1.43 – ViewCube

Additionally, if you select the down arrow toward the bottom right of ViewCube, you are presented with some additional view settings, along with display options for ViewCube itself (see Figure 1.44):

Figure 1.44 – ViewCube settings

Lastly, just underneath ViewCube, you’ll notice a Quick View Access Bar, as shown in Figure 1.45. On this bar, we have the ability to quickly pull up the Full Navigation Wheel that will display right next to your mouse, pan across your drawing (represented by the hand icon), zoom in/out of your view, orbit/rotate your view along an axis, and ShowMotion, which allows you to create animations.

Figure 1.45 – Quick View Access Bar

With the contents of the drawing area reviewed, let’s move on to understanding the command line.

Command line

Last, but not least, we have the command line (refer to Figure 1.46). Any time you are in a command, and not presented with a dialog box, you will see the next steps for your command being displayed at the command line.

Figure 1.46 – Command line

It’s important to keep an eye on the command line if you are in doubt as to what the next step of your command is. Further, if you’re a “typer” like I am, this is also a great place to type any shortcuts of commands instead of trying to locate them within any of the menu dropdowns or sorting through the tools displayed in the ribbons. As an example, you can type the letters CO in the command line and hit Enter or the spacebar to initiate the Copy command, type the letter M and hit Enter or the spacebar to initiate the Move command, and so on.