Datasheet

2 CHAPTER 1 GETTING DIRTY: THE BASICS OF CIVIL 3D
Figure 1.1
Civil 3D in a typical
environment. Toolspace
is docked on the left,
and Panorama and Tool
Palettes float over the
drawing window. The
Ribbonisatthetopof
the workspace
Using a Microsoft Windows Explorer–like interface within each, these tabs drive a large portion
of the user control and data management of Civil 3D.
Prospector
Prospector is the main window into the Civil 3D object model. This palette or tab is where you
go mining for data; it also shows points, alignments, parcels, corridors, and other objects as one
concise, expandable list. In addition, in a project environment, this window is where you control
access to your project data, create references to shared project data, and observe the check-in and
check-out status of a drawing. Finally, you can also use Prospector to create a new drawing from
the templates defined in the Drawing Template File Location branch in your AutoCAD Options
dialog. Prospector has the following branches:
◆ Open Drawings
◆ Projects (only if the Vault client is installed)
◆ Data Shortcuts
◆ Drawing Templates
Master and Active Drawing Views
If you can’t see the Projects or Drawing Templates branch in Figure 1.1, look at the top of the
Prospector pane. There is a drop-down menu for operating in Active Drawing View or Master View
mode. Selecting Active Drawing View displays only the active drawing and Data Shortcuts. Master
View mode, however, displays the Projects, the Drawing Templates, and the Data Shortcuts, as well
as the branches of all drawings that are currently open.
In addition to the branches, Prospector has a series of icons across the top that toggle various
settings on and off. Some of the Civil 3D icons from previous versions have been removed, and
their functionality has been universally enabled for Civil 3D 2010. Those icons are noted here.
Item Preview Toggle Turns on and off the display of the Toolspace item preview within
Prospector. These previews can be helpful when you’re navigating drawings in projects (you
can select one to check out) or when you’re attempting to locate a parcel on the basis of its
visual shape. In general, however, you can turn off this toggle — it’s purely a user preference.