We invite you to give us (FDOT) a call about our implementation. Contrary to what has been said here, we haven't removed any C3D functionality, and actually have extended it.
On this one point, Entity Manager simply allows you to draw elements that will always land on the right Layer with the QTO data already attached, and XData also already attached so our subassemblies will automatically insert and target without the designer having to specify targets (again) in the assembly. You select and draw entities by the objects that they are, that is you draw a "curb line," not have to hunt down a level that has an exotic name to draw the "curb line."
The only anchor to our long standing MicroStation Standards are we continue to use the same legacy (MicroStation V8) filename / Level(Layer) / Color / Weight(Thickness) / Linetype (Linestyles) / Cell(Block) CADD Standards. It sure makes tanslation between system that much easier (if translation becomes necessary). The National CADD Standard (OOTB Civil 3D) just didn't work for us.
As far as installation, we plan to improve that where our content will install wherever Civil 3D may be installed. We tried to use the Autodesk Country Kit installer provided by Autodesk, but it couldn't do 2 critical things: 1) install applications, 2) install our content without intermingling it with Autodesk content - besides being buggy and not uninstalling correctly. So we wrote our own install, and would love to get guidance on how to make our content (and Civil 3d) more location agnostic (Autodesk Consulting still has not been able to help us get there completely). Again, please contact us - We would like some specific answers on how to improve this?
We'll also admit we could always use more training, but we've just about exhausted everything Autodesk has available. If there was a CADD Manager's course that would help us focus on specific configuration issues we are having, and help get us over the hump of getting the install of our content where it could be installed anywhere, and have Civil 3D still work - that would be a benefit. We're also working on unifying our install so one msi will do both 32-bit and 64-bit installs.
Call us, toll free at (866) 374-3368 ext 1600 or visit us on the web at
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/ecso/ and ask for someone on the Civil 3D implementation team. Thanks!