Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 E-Book

Louisa Holland

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1454

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

A complete tutorial and reference for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 Autodesk's Civil 3D is the leading civil engineering software, and this reliable training guide has been thoroughly revised and updated to offer a fresh perspective on this powerful engineering package. Filled with illustrative examples, new datasets, and new tutorials, this book shows how elements of the dynamic engineering program work together and discusses the best methods for creating, editing, displaying, and labeling all of a civil engineering project's elements. The book's straightforward explanations, real-world examples, and practical tutorials focus squarely on teaching vital Civil 3D tips, tricks, and techniques. The authors' extensive real-world experience and Civil 3D expertise allows them to focus on how the software is used in real-world professional environments and present topics and techniques that are not documented elsewhere. * Offers an overview of key concepts and the software's interface * Discusses the best methods for creating, editing, displaying, and labeling all of a civil engineering project's elements * Features in-depth, detailed coverage of surveying, points, alignments, surfaces, profiles, corridors, grading, LandXML and LDT Project Transfer, cross sections, pipe networks, visualization, sheets, and project management, as well as Vault and data shortcuts * Offers help for the Civil 3D Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams This book is the only complete, detailed reference and tutorial for Autodesk's extremely popular and robust civil engineering software.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Publisher's Note

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Basics

The Interface

Civil 3D Templates

Labeling Lines and Curves

Creating Curves

Using Transparent Commands

The Bottom Line

Chapter 2: Survey

Setting Up the Databases

Description Keys: Field to Civil 3D

Using Inquiry Commands

The Bottom Line

Chapter 3: Points

Anatomy of a Point

Creating Basic Points

Basic Point Editing

Point Tables

User-Defined Properties

The Bottom Line

Chapter 4: Surfaces

Understanding Surface Basics

Creating Surfaces

Refining and Editing Surfaces

Surface Analysis

Comparing Surfaces

Labeling the Surface

Point Cloud Surfaces

The Bottom Line

Chapter 5: Parcels

Introduction to Sites

Creating a Boundary Parcel

Creating Subdivision Lot Parcels Using Precise Sizing Tools

Using the Free Form Create Tool

Editing Parcels by Deleting Parcel Segments

Best Practices for Parcel Creation

Labeling Parcel Areas

Labeling Parcel Segments

The Bottom Line

Chapter 6: Alignments

Alignment Concepts

Creating an Alignment

Editing Alignment Geometry

Alignments As Objects

The Bottom Line

Chapter 7: Profiles and Profile Views

The Elevation Element

Editing Profiles

Profile Views

Editing Profile Views

Profile Labels

Profile Utilities

The Bottom Line

Chapter 8: Assemblies and Subassemblies

Subassemblies

Building Assemblies

Specialized Subassemblies

Advanced Assemblies

Organizing Your Assemblies

The Bottom Line

Chapter 9: Custom Subassemblies

The User Interface

Creating a Subassembly

Using Expressions

Employing Conditional Logic

Making Sense of Someone Else's Thoughts

The Bottom Line

Chapter 10: Basic Corridors

Understanding Corridors

Corridor Components

Corridor Feature Lines

Understanding Targets

Editing Sections

Creating a Corridor Surface

Performing a Volume Calculation

Non-Road Corridors

The Bottom Line

Chapter 11: Advanced Corridors, Intersections, and Roundabouts

Corridor Utilities

Using Alignment and Profile Targets to Model a Roadside Swale

Multiregion Baselines

Modeling a Cul-de-Sac

Intersections: The Next Step Up

Using an Assembly Offset

Using a Feature Line as a Width and Elevation Target

Roundabouts: The Mount Everest of Corridors

The Bottom Line

Chapter 12: Superelevation

Getting Ready for Super

Applying Superelevation to the Design

Oh Yes, You Cant

Superelevation and Cant Views

The Bottom Line

Chapter 13: Cross Sections and Mass Haul

Section Workflow

Creating Section Views

It's a Material World

Section View Final Touches

Mass Haul

The Bottom Line

Chapter 14: Pipe Networks

Parts Lists

Exploring Pipe Networks

Creating a Sanitary Sewer Network

Changing Flow Direction

Editing a Pipe Network

Creating an Alignment from Network Parts

Drawing Parts in Profile View

Adding Pipe Network Labels

Creating an Interference Check

Creating Pipe Tables

Under Pressure

Part Builder

Part Builder Orientation

The Bottom Line

Chapter 15: Storm and Sanitary Analysis

Getting Started on the CAD Side

Storm and Sanitary Analysis

The Bottom Line

Chapter 16: Grading

Working with Grading Feature Lines

Grading Objects

The Bottom Line

Chapter 17: Plan Production

Preparing for Plan Sets

Using View Frames and Match Lines

Creating Plan and Profile Sheets

Creating Section Sheets

Drawing Templates

The Bottom Line

Chapter 18: Advanced Workflows

Data Shortcuts

Sharing with Earlier Versions of Civil 3D

Map Tools: A Transformative Experience

The Bottom Line

Chapter 19: Quantity Takeoff

Employing Pay Item Files

Keeping Tabs on the Model

Inventorying Your Pay Items

The Bottom Line

Chapter 20: Label Styles

Label Styles

Line and Curve Labels

Pipe and Structure Labels

Profile and Alignment Labels

Advanced Style Types

The Bottom Line

Chapter 21: Object Styles

Getting Started with Object Styles

Linear Object Styles

Surface Styles

Pipe and Structure Styles

Profile View Styles

Section View Styles

The Bottom Line

Appendix A: The Bottom Line

Chapter 1: The Basics

Chapter 2: Survey

Chapter 3: Points

Chapter 4: Surfaces

Chapter 5: Parcels

Chapter 6: Alignments

Chapter 7: Profiles and Profile Views

Chapter 8: Assemblies and Subassemblies

Chapter 9: Custom Subassemblies

Chapter 10: Basic Corridors

Chapter 11: Advanced Corridors, Intersections, and Roundabouts

Chapter 12: Superelevation

Chapter 13: Cross Sections and Mass Haul

Chapter 14: Pipe Networks

Chapter 15: Storm and Sanitary Analysis

Chapter 16: Grading

Chapter 17: Plan Production

Chapter 18: Advanced Workflows

Chapter 19: Quantity Takeoff

Chapter 20: Label Styles

Chapter 21: Object Styles

Appendix B: Autodesk Civil 3D 2013 Certification

Index

Senior Acquisitions Editor: Willem Knibbe

Development Editor: Tom Cirtin

Technical Editor: Tommie Richardson

Production Editor: Dassi Zeidel

Copy Editor: Liz Welch

Editorial Manager: Pete Gaughan

Production Manager: Tim Tate

Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley

Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde

Book Designer: Maureen Forys, Happenstance Type-O-Rama; Judy Fung

Proofreaders: Louise Watson, James Saturnio, Word One, New York

Indexer: Nancy Guenther

Project Coordinator, Cover: Katherine Crocker

Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed

Cover Image: © mycola / iStockPhoto

Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-1-118-28175-8

ISBN: 978-1-118-33356-3 (ebk.)

ISBN: 978-1-118-33071-5 (ebk.)

ISBN: 978-1-118-33468-3 (ebk.)

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Publisher's Note

Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013. This book is part of a family of premium-quality Sybex books, all of which are written by outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching.

Sybex was founded in 1976. More than 30 years later, we're still committed to producing consistently exceptional books. With each of our titles, we're working hard to set a new standard for the industry. From the paper we print on, to the authors we work with, our goal is to bring you the best books available.

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Acknowledgments

A big thank-you to all of the past Mastering Civil 3D authors throughout the years. The book has come a long way and without the long hours put forth every year, it wouldn't be where it is today.

Thanks to the whole team at Wiley: Willem Knibbe for giving us guidance at each step in the process; Pete Gaughan, who promptly answered our technical questions; the editors, Thomas Cirtin, Dassi Zeidel, and Liz Welch, for making sure that the book doesn't just make grammatical sense but has consistency as well.

Thanks to Tommie Richardson, who meticulously combed through the technical jargon making sure the datasets worked, and who offered detailed suggestions to make the book even better (and longer).

Thanks to Dana Probert of Autodesk for her help in pointing us to all the great new features and of course to all of the Civil 3D Autodesk team for making the software more useful each year.

—Louisa Holland and Kati Mercier

Thanking people who have helped along the way is my favorite part of the book-writing process. First and foremost I'd like to thank my husband, Mark, for his encouragement and keeping my office from looking like an episode of Hoarders: Diet Coke Can Edition. I'd like to thank my parents for their support and bragging about my book even though they're not 100 percent sure what it's about.

To Russ Nicloy and Ron Butzen: Thanks for your enthusiasm and general awesomeness. Ron, you are the best manager a crazy person can have. To my friends and colleagues across WisDOT: You are like a second family.

Thanks to my Twitter buddies, especially @NickZeeben, @Civil3D_Jedi, @iPinda, @WKFD, and @Sockibear for letting me bounce random metric conversion questions at them.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my dogs, Daisy and Zuzu, for keeping my feet warm while I typed.

—Louisa Holland

A huge thank-you to Lou Holland for inviting me along on this coauthoring journey. We joked from the start that it was exciting that this book was going to be “chick lit” with two female authors. Since the civil engineering field, as well as the technical field, is often led by males, it is refreshing to be an example to girls who dream of one day designing with dirt.

I'd also like to thank my coworker and Civil 3D cohort, Aaron Mortensen, P.E. I could always count on you to be there to bounce ideas off of as we implemented the software, and vent to when needed. And I will definitely not forget my #Civil3D Twitter friends and fellow blog writers whom I could always turn to for some additional insight.

Thank you to all the many hands who have been part of the textbooks and manuals that I have read over the years. I think I took for granted that books just appeared when I was ready to buy them.

But most importantly a thank-you to my wonderful husband, Nick, who is so patient with me and regularly reminds me of all that I am capable.

—Kati Mercier

About the Authors

Louisa “Lou” Holland is a LEED-accredited civil engineer from Milwaukee, WI. She has trained users on Eagle Point Software and AutoCAD® since 2001, and on AutoCAD Civil 3D since 2006. She has worked extensively with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and various consultants on AutoCAD Civil 3D implementations. Louisa is an Autodesk Approved Instructor (AAI), an AutoCAD Civil 3D Certified Professional, and a regular speaker at Autodesk University, Autodesk User Group International, and other industry events.

Kati Mercier is a professional engineer licensed in the states of Connecticut and New York. Since 2004 she has served as a project engineer at Nathan L. Jacobson & Associates, Inc., a civil and environmental engineering firm that provides engineering, review, and design consultation to local municipalities and other clients. Kati is the firm's Civil 3D protocols and procedures expert, an AutoCAD Civil 3D Certified Professional, speaks at Autodesk University, and can regularly be found discussing Civil 3D and other civil engineering topics on various social networks.

Introduction

The AutoCAD® Civil 3D® program was introduced in 2004 as a trial product. Over the past few years, AutoCAD Civil 3D series have evolved from the wobbly baby introduced on those first trial discs to a mature platform used worldwide to handle the most complex dynamic engineering designs. With this change, many engineers still struggle with how to make the transition. The civil engineering industry as a whole is an old dog learning new tricks.

We hope this book will help you in this journey. As the user base grows and users get beyond the absolute basics, more materials are needed, offering a multitude of learning opportunities. While this book is starting to move away from the basics and truly become a Mastering book, we hope that we are headed in that direction with the general readership. We know we cannot please everyone, but we do listen to your comments — all toward the betterment of this book.

Designed to help you get past the steepest part of the learning curve and teach you some guru-level tricks along the way, Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 is the ideal addition to any AutoCAD Civil 3D user's bookshelf.

Who Should Read This Book

The Mastering book series is designed with specific users in mind. In the case of Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013, we expect you'll have some knowledge of AutoCAD in general and some basic engineering knowledge as well. A basic understanding of AutoCAD Civil 3D will be helpful, although there are explanations and examples to please everyone. We expect this book will appeal to a large number of AutoCAD Civil 3D users, but we envision a few primary users:

Beginning Users Looking to Make the Move to Using AutoCAD Civil 3D

These people understand AutoCAD and some basics of engineering, but they are looking to learn AutoCAD Civil 3D on their own, broadening their skill set to make themselves more valuable in their firms and in the market.

AutoCAD Civil 3D Users Looking for a Desktop Reference

With the digitization of the official help files, many users still long for a book they can flip open and keep beside them as they work. These people should be able to jump to the information they need for the task at hand, such as further information about a confusing dialog or troublesome design issue.

Users Looking to Prepare for the Autodesk Certification Exams

This book focuses on the elements you need to pass the Associate and Professional exams with flying colors, and includes margin icons to note topics of interest. Just look for the icon.

Classroom Instructors Looking for Better Materials

This book was written with real data from real design firms. We've worked hard to make many of the examples match the real-world problems we have run into as engineers. This book also goes into greater depth than many basic texts, allowing short classes to review the basics and leave the in-depth material for self-discovery, while longer classes can cover the full material presented.

This book can be used front-to-back as a self-teaching or instructor-based instruction manual. Each chapter has a number of exercises and most (but not all) build on the previous exercise. You can also skip to almost any exercise in any chapter and jump right in. We've created a large number of drawing files that you can download from www.sybex.com/go/masteringcivil3d2013 to make choosing your exercises a simple task.

What You Will Learn

This book isn't a replacement for training. There are too many design options and parameters to make any book a good replacement for training from a professional. This book teaches you to use the tools, explores a large number of the options, and leaves you with an idea of how to use each tool. At the end of the book, you should be able to look at any design task you run across, consider a number of ways to approach it, and have some idea of how to accomplish the task. To use one of our common analogies, reading this book is like walking around your local home-improvement warehouse. You see a lot of tools and use some of them, but that doesn't mean you're ready to build a house.

What You Need

Before you begin learning AutoCAD Civil 3D, you should make sure your hardware is up to snuff. Visit the Autodesk website and review graphic requirements, memory requirements, and so on. One of the most frustrating things that can happen is to be ready to learn, only to be stymied by hardware-related crashes. AutoCAD Civil 3D is a hardware-intensive program, testing the limits of every computer on which it runs.

We also strongly recommend using either a wide format or dual-monitor setup. The number of dialogs, palettes, and so on make AutoCAD Civil 3D a real estate hog. By having the extra space to spread out, you'll be able to see more of your design along with the feedback provided by the program itself.

You need to visit www.sybex.com/go/masteringcivil3d2013 to download all of the data and sample files. We recommend that you save these files locally on your computer in C:/Mastering unless told otherwise. Finally, please be sure to visit the Autodesk website at www.autodesk.com to download any service packs that might be available.

The Mastering Series

The Mastering series from Sybex provides outstanding instruction for readers with intermediate and advanced skills, in the form of top-notch training and development for those already working in their field and clear, serious education for those aspiring to become pros. Every Mastering book includes:

Real-world scenarios ranging from case studies to interviews that show how the tool, technique, or knowledge presented is applied in actual practice

Skill-based instruction, with chapters organized around real tasks rather than abstract concepts or subjects

A self-review section called The Bottom Line, so you can be certain you're equipped to do the job right

What Is Covered in This Book

This book contains 21 chapters and two appendices:

Chapter 1, “The Basics,” introduces you to the interface and many of the common dialogs in AutoCAD Civil 3D. This chapter discusses navigating the interface and customizing your drawing's settings. You will also explore various tools for creating linework.

Chapter 2, “Survey,” examines the Survey Toolspace and the unique toolset it contains for handling field surveying and fieldbook data handling. You will also look at various surface and surveying relationships.

Chapter 3, “Points,” introduces AutoCAD Civil 3D points, and the various methods of creating them. You will also spend some time discussing the control of AutoCAD Civil 3D points with description keys and groups.

Chapter 4, “Surfaces,” introduces the various methods of creating surfaces, using free and low-cost data to perform preliminary surface creation. Then you will investigate the various surface edits and analysis methods. The chapter also discusses point clouds and their use.

Chapter 5, “Parcels,” examines the best practices for keeping your parcel topology tight and your labeling neat. It examines the various editing methods for achieving the desired results for the most complicated plats.

Chapter 6, “Alignments,” introduces the basic horizontal layout element. This chapter also examines using layout tools that maintain the relationships between the tangents, curves, and spiral elements that create alignments.

Chapter 7, “Profiles and Profile Views,” examines the sampling and creation methods for the vertical layout element. You will also examine the editing and element-level control. In addition, you will explore how profile views can be customized to meet the required format for your design and plans.

Chapter 8, “Assemblies and Subassemblies,” introduces the building blocks of AutoCAD Civil 3D cross-sectional design. You will look at the many subassemblies available in the tool palettes, and look at how to build full design sections for use in any design environment.

Chapter 9, “Custom Subassemblies,” introduces you to some of the tools in Autodesk® Subassembly Composer for AutoCAD® Civil 3D®, a new standalone program with an easy-to-use interface to visually create complex subassemblies without the need for advanced programming knowledge.

Chapter 10, “Basic Corridors,” introduces the basics of corridors — building full designs from horizontal, vertical, and cross-sectional design elements. You will look at the various components to understand how corridors work before moving to a more complex design set.

Chapter 11, “Advanced Corridors, Intersections, and Roundabouts,” further examines using corridors in more complex situations. You will learn about building surfaces, intersections, and other areas of corridors that make them powerful in any design situation.

Chapter 12, “Superelevation,” takes a close look at the tools used to add superelevation to roadways and railways. This functionality has changed greatly in the last few years, and you will have a chance to use the new Axis of Rotation subassemblies that can pivot from several design points.

Chapter 13, “Cross Sections and Mass Haul,” looks at slicing sections from surfaces, corridors, and pipe networks using alignments and the mysterious sample-line group. Working with the wizards and tools, you will see how to make your sections to order. You will explore Mass Haul to demonstrate the power of AutoCAD Civil 3D for creation of the Mass Haul diagrams.

Chapter 14, “Pipe Networks,” gets into the building blocks of the pipe network tools. You will look at modifying an existing part to add new sizes and then building parts lists for various design situations. You will then work with the creation tools for creating pipe networks, and plan and profile views to get your plans looking like they should.

Chapter 15, “Storm and Sanitary Analysis,” introduces you to the hydrology and hydraulic design tools first included with AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012. You will look at catchment objects, and the best workflow to export data to this analysis tool.

Chapter 16, “Grading,” examines both feature lines and grading objects. You will look at creating feature lines to describe critical areas and then using grading objects to describe mass grading.

Chapter 17, “Plan Production,” walks you through the basics of creating view frame groups, sheets, and templates used to automate the plan and profile drawing sheet process. In addition, you will look at creating section views and section sheets.

Chapter 18, “Advanced Workflows,” looks at the various ways of sharing and receiving data. We describe the data-shortcut mechanism for sharing data between AutoCAD Civil 3D users. We also consider other methods of importing and exporting, such as XML.

Chapter 19, “Quantity Takeoff,” shows you the ins and outs of assigning pay items to corridor codes, blocks, areas, and pipes. You learn how to set up new pay items and generate quantity takeoff reports.

Chapter 20, “Label Styles,” is devoted to editing and creating label styles. You learn to navigate the Text Component Editor, and how to master label style conundrums you may come across.

Chapter 21, “Object Styles,” examines editing and creating object styles. You will learn how to create styles for surfaces, profile views, and other objects to match your company standards.

Appendix A, “The Bottom Line,” gathers together all the Master It problems from the chapters and provides a solution for each.

Appendix B, “AutoCAD Civil 3D Certification,” points you to the chapters in this book that will help you master the objectives for the Certified Professional Exam.

How to Contact the Authors

We welcome feedback from you about this book and/or about books you'd like to see from us in the future. You can reach us by emailing [email protected]. For more information about our work, please visit our respective websites/blogs civil3detcetera.blogspot.com (Louisa, owner) and www.civil4d.com (Kati, contributor), or contact us on Twitter at @LouisaHollad and @KDinCTPE.

Sybex strives to keep you supplied with the latest tools and information you need for your work. Please check their website at www.sybex.com/go/masteringcivil3d2013, where we'll post additional content and updates that supplement this book if the need arises. Enter Civil 3D in the Search box (or type the book's ISBN — 9781118281758) and click Go to get to the book's update page.

Thanks for purchasing Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013. We appreciate it, and look forward to exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D with you!

Chapter 1

The Basics

Before we get into the “Mastering” of the AutoCAD® Civil 3D® program, it is important to understand the basics. There are numerous dialogs, Ribbons, menus, and icons to pore over. They might seem daunting at first glance, but as you use them, you will gain familiarity with their location and use. In this chapter, you will explore the interface and learn terminology that will be used throughout this book.

In addition, we will introduce the Lines and Curves commands, which offer a plethora of options for drawing lines and curves accurately.

In this chapter, you will learn to:

Find any Civil 3D object with just a few clicks

Modify the drawing scale and default object layers

Navigate the Ribbon's contextual tabs

Create a curve tangent to the end of a line

Label lines and curves

The Interface

If you have used Civil 3D 2010 or newer, the interface for Civil 3D 2013 is basically the same. If you are new to Civil 3D or are coming from Civil 3D 2009 or prior, this part of the chapter is for you. Civil 3D uses a Ribbon-based interface, which is where you will access many of the tools. The Ribbon consists of tabs and panels that organize tools into logical groups. When working in Civil 3D 2013, you will spend the majority of your time on the Home tab, shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 The Ribbon runs horizontally across the top of your screen and is where you will access many tools.

The interface may change slightly, depending on what task you are performing. When you click on a Civil 3D object, you will see a context-specific contextual tab appear in the Ribbon. Figure 1.2 shows the Civil 3D palette sets, along with the AutoCAD tool palettes and Ribbon displayed in a typical environment.

Figure 1.2 Overview of the Civil 3D environment. Toolspace is docked to the left, and tool palettes float over the drawing window. The Ribbon is at the top of the workspace.

Panels are subgroups within each tab that further organize your tools. For example, the Palettes panel on the Home tab (shown in Figure 1.3) is where you can toggle on or off the elements you are about to learn.

Figure 1.3 Palettes panel of the Home tab

Toolspace

Toolspace is a set of palettes that is specific to Civil 3D. You will want to have the palette visible any time you are working in Civil 3D. If you do not see it, click the Toolspace button on the Home tab and select Palettes.

Toolspace can have as many as four tabs to manage user data, as follows:

Prospector

Settings

Survey

Toolbox

The tabs can be turned on or off by toggling the display on the Palettes panel.

Each tab has a unique role to play in working with Civil 3D. Prospector and Settings will be your most frequently visited tabs. Survey and Toolbox are used for special tasks that you will examine in the following section.

Prospector

Prospector shows your drawing-specific information about what currently exists in your project. Civil 3D objects are listed in workflow order, starting at the top of the listing. Each main grouping under the drawing name is referred to as a collection. If you expand a collection by clicking on the plus sign next to the name, you will see the contents of that group. Some of these groups are empty until objects are created.

Because all Civil 3D data is dynamically linked together, you will see object dependencies as well. You can learn details about an individual object by expanding the tree and selecting an object (Figure 1.4).

Figure 1.4 A look at the Alignment branch of the Prospector tab. Profiles are linked to alignments; therefore, they appear under alignments.

Right-clicking the collection name allows you to select various commands that apply to all the members of that collection. For example, right-clicking the Point Groups collection brings up the menu shown in Figure 1.5.

Figure 1.5 Context-sensitive menus in Prospector