Autodesk® Civil 3D® CAD Manager’s Guide Autodesk® Civil 3D® 2007 software is a powerful, mature, civil engineering application designed to significantly increase productivity, save time, and decrease costs. It uses an industry-proven dynamic engineering model that maintains intelligent object relationships, so a change made in one place instantly updates your entire project to help you work faster and more accurately.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Contents Chapter 1: Autodesk Civil Technology Overview .......................................................... 3 Civil 3D and Land Desktop Compared.......................................................................... 3 The Importance of Civil 3D for Design Staff.................................................................. 4 Chapter 2: Deployment Considerations and Options ................................................... 6 Installation Issues ...........
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 1: Autodesk Civil Technology Overview Autodesk® Civil 3D® 2007 software is a powerful, mature, civil engineering application designed to significantly increase productivity, save time, and decrease costs. It uses an industry-proven dynamic engineering model that maintains intelligent object relationships, so a change made in one place instantly updates your entire project to help you work faster and more accurately.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE styles. Through styles, Civil 3D gives users great flexibility in the presentation of design elements. The Importance of Civil 3D for Design Staff The Civil 3D application was created for both drafters and designers. Although Civil 3D is valuable as a drafting tool, the greatest benefit is achieved when it is used as an integrated part of the design process from which the final drafting can be extracted.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE surfaces, grading, parcels, alignments, profiles, sample lines and cross sections, pipe networks, and corridors.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 2: Deployment Considerations and Options Installation Issues This chapter covers planning issues related to the deployment of Autodesk Civil 3D software. Issues to consider include what software needs to be installed, how the installation will be performed (network deployment or individual machines), and who will perform the installation (you or an outside consultant). Software to Be Installed The first consideration is to determine what software to install.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE • The addition of user-defined or third-party add-ons In addition to the benefits at the time of initial deployment, network installations make it easy to add updates, service packs, and extensions to the original image when creating new deployments. It is important to note that you can also use the Network Installation wizard to create installation images for use in stand-alone installations. This is called a multiseat standalone deployment.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE • How reliable is the connection to the license server? On the local area network (LAN)? On the wide area network (WAN)? • Do you need the ability to check out licenses from the license pool? • What kind of network hardware do client workstations encounter when communicating with the server? Certain ports have to be opened by the network administrator for FLEXlm software to work.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Also determine which licensing server option best suits your organization’s needs—single server, distributed server, or redundant server. For more information about these servers, see the next section. Stand-Alone License Options Stand-alone installations are those that are licensed for use of the application locally on the workstation.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE • No built-in redundancy (This limitation can be overcome by having another server, even the CAD manager’s workstation, set up as a license manager and have the workstations look to it as the secondary server. This is done more or less automatically in the distributed server model.) Distributed Server: With the distributed server model, the Network License Manager is distributed across more than one server.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE • Requires a minimum of three separate servers • Difficult to implement and maintain • Requires more planning and expertise than other configurations Combining Licenses: In environments with licensed seats of both Land Desktop 2007 and Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion, network licensing has been simplified compared to previous releases. Both Land Desktop 2007 and Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion now use the same feature code.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 3: Civil 3D Configuration and Content Management A successful implementation of Autodesk Civil 3D requires an appraisal of current hardware and software, careful planning of user training, and preparation of necessary background support customization and templates. A successful CAD manager understands not just the software features but also the effort that goes into making software use as effortless as possible for the end user.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Label styles also have a parent-child relationship that merits more understanding for a CAD manager directing the deployment across a production team. The parentchild relationship in Civil 3D acts much as it does in standard AutoCAD dimensions. The child inherits all the properties and functionality of the parent, but allows for changes at its own level.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE simplicity, this document refers to all of these team members as consultants.) This approach works best when a well-defined CAD standards system is already in place, enabling the CAD manager to instruct the consultant to base the styles on an existing body of work. In cases where a firm has typical plan sheets that can be used as reference material, this process is even simpler.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Maintenance of the firm template file should be considered during deployment and implementation planning. The power of Civil 3D templates is that they can be created by a few people and then shared throughout the company. Using AutoCAD options, users can be directed to a company template every time they click the New button. This template file can also be used after the creation stage to verify and enforce crucial appearance issues that make a plan set usable.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 4: Multiuser Considerations As explained in the first chapter, Autodesk Civil 3D technology is different from Autodesk Land Desktop technology in that Civil 3D users approach the project from a 3D model point of view as opposed to a series of steps that they must complete. Project design and drafting data are no longer stored externally from drawings, but instead are saved in the drawings themselves.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE 6. Design changes to the original objects in the source drawing are reflected in the consuming drawings, similar to how linework changes in xrefs are reflected in other drawings. Data sharing and consumption are managed in Civil 3D. However, access permission to data is ultimately controlled by end users’ access to the drawing files containing the data objects.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheets. Autodesk Vault manages any data associated with a design project, no matter what its type. As with Civil 3D and AutoCAD drawings, the version history of these supporting files can be fully tracked. Plug-ins are available for AutoCAD and Autodesk Land Desktop that allow drawings from these applications to be checked in, checked out, and opened in read-only mode in a Vault.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE SQL must be installed separately, regardless of whether the Vault is located on the local workstation with Civil 3D or on a separate server. MSDE can be installed on the same computer after installing and registering Autodesk Civil 3D as explained in the previous sections. Using Civil 3D and Vault Vault and Civil 3D are integral to creating and managing Civil 3D projects.
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AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE • Check In: When you want to add your drawings and later your drawing changes to the project, you check the drawing in from the Prospector tab and Civil 3D takes care of adding the changes and the data to the Vault behind the scenes. • Open (Read Only): It is likely that at some time you will need to view a file that is either in use (checked out) or that you have not checked out yourself.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE The ImportLdtData command can be accessed from the File menu in Civil 3D or by typing the command name at the command prompt. You can then select the project path and project, and import the data. The ExportLdtData command is accessible only from the command line and can be run only after the ARX for the ImportLdtData command has been loaded. The easiest way to do this is to simply launch the ImportLdtData command and then cancel it.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 5: Training Considerations A training plan is a crucial part of your Autodesk Civil 3D software implementation. When developing your training plan, consider your users’ experience, the types of projects your organization works on, schedules, and budgets. In addition to training core users of Civil 3D, consider a plan to train other people such as managers, people who need to view data, or IT personnel who need to maintain the software.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE that you and your users can look at issues specific to your design environment. One preferred method of knowledge transfer follows this sequence: classroom training, mentoring (on-the-job training), reviewing and making adjustments to training, followed by ongoing support. Selecting a Consultant The skill level and experience of your instructor is crucial to the success of your training experience.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE For more information on reseller training, call or visit the reseller’s website or visit www.autodesk.com/reseller to locate a reseller near you. Autodesk Consulting Autodesk Consulting professionals help you get started quickly and effectively with your new Autodesk software by providing assistance and direction so that you can meet your business goals and objectives.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 6: Pilot Project Strategies Implementation of Autodesk Civil 3D software into your production environment occurs when you begin your pilot project. All the research, planning, training, and preparation come together in a single project that may determine the success of your overall implementation project. This chapter looks at pilot project selection, strategies for pilot project training, and how to measure the success of your pilot project.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE • Viral Pilots: The initial project team consists of users who have been through basic training and for whom the pilot project acts as advanced training. This team completes the first project at your firm, developing standards, operating practices, and templates along the way. After this project is complete, this group disseminates knowledge to the next group.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 7: Deployment Strategies for Civil 3D 2007 As you approach the deployment of Autodesk Civil 3D software into your production environment, consider whether you want to do it yourself or bring in professional help. Many firms think nothing of installing a new AutoCAD software package, with all the changes in customization, drivers, hardware requirements, and so forth, but would never dream of installing new asset management software without outside help.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE make sure they understand what demands Civil 3D will place on the infrastructure. By doing so, you improve your chance of a smooth deployment. Discuss any RAM, video, or other hardware upgrades with that group. Once infrastructure issues have been addressed, you must also plan on how to deal with requests for Civil 3D drawings from other users, internal and external to your organization.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE The success of this project is based on the metrics you set in the original assessment stage. You learned then how your users, peers, and superiors would measure success and can now use their scale to judge your project. If there were problems, be honest about them, document them, and start planning how to resolve them. In addition to troubleshooting, it’s also time to start the cycle over, with refinement in mind.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Chapter 8: Support Resources This chapter lists resources supporting Autodesk Civil 3D software. The amount of support you need depends on your level of in-house technical expertise, the nature of the problems, and the personnel and time resources you can commit to support. For many issues, you can easily find the answers using these resources Free Support Resources Knowledge Base The Autodesk Knowledge Base is the first place to look for support.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Fee-Based Support Resources In addition to free resources, Autodesk provides a number of customer, reseller, and consulting programs to support customers’ migration needs. Enterprise Support Autodesk® Enterprise Support links your support staff directly to the experts at Autodesk, available to provide support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in your choice from among 10 languages. With 14 support centers worldwide, you can easily get support for multiple sites.
AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE Independent Consulting Firms Call on the professional experience and software expertise of a professional Civil 3D consultant. These independent firms are often the best source for real-world knowledge on using Civil 3D in a production environment. Check the web to find one that meets your needs. Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Map, Civil 3D, DWF, DWG, and DWG TrueView are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries.
