Topic: Civil 3D Survey - Best Practices from Real Users

[caddcop]

I am coming to Civil 3D from a Bentley InRoads Survey world. We can create 2D linework from survey figures, a Point List (csv) to import as Survey Points or COGO points and a LandXML DTM. This workflow has served the companies where I have worked for more than 15 years. Let me also add that depending upon the client, the deliverable can be DGN or DWG. We are not abandoning our Bentley products, just migrating from Land Desktop to Civil 3D on the Autodesk side of our CADD system.
As we migrate to Civil 3D, we can continue this workflow, or let Civil 3D handle more of the process. In testing, I found I can continue to use almost all of the linking codes that we use for the Bentley projects and have Civil 3D use them, create Survey Points, Survey Figures and from them, build my DTM. So I am looking for information to decide where to go with this process. I am looking for any firms who use Civil 3D to process their own topo surveys, or use Civil 3D survey data created for them by firms who use Civil 3D.

• Do you continue working with data that remains in the survey database?
• If you do not, what is your workflow to convert the survey data to whatever format you do use?
• How extensive are any labels that you use with Survey data?
• Have you found a way to label figures with survey information? Type of data, length, slope, etc.
• Do you have any suggestions either way? Pro & Con, etc.

Feel free to offer ideas not covered here too. In my Google searches for Best Practices for Survey with Civil 3D, I have not found a lot from users and producers - most is vendor based information. I know how. I want to know Why and Why Not.

[Pointdump]

If you ask 10 different C3D users a question, you'll get 10 different answers, and none of those answers will exactly suit. 

C3D's Help Section includes a Best Practices Section. It's quite helpful. You might find some answers there.

Dave

[sdunn]

Do you continue working with data that remains in the survey database?
If you do not, what is your workflow to convert the survey data to whatever format you do use?

No.  We actually import final adjusted points into the drawing and then use the drawing points to import into a database for line work processing.  After line work is inserted into the drawing, the figures are converted to 2D polylines and 3D polylines (if a break line is needed).  (We have had issues with engineers needing to break parts of figures for demo plans and it is easier for most survey users to edit plines.)

How extensive are any labels that you use with Survey data?

We only label lines, plines, alignments and parcel segments.

Do you have any suggestions either way? Pro & Con, etc.

For us, unless we have a truly large or long term project, there is no real need for the survey database other than line work.  Working in the database is cumbersome and time consuming and does not really fit in our workflow.  That being said, I can see where using the database could be beneficial if you need to select data based on queries as you can query point and figures.