Topic: Civil3D - Re-Adding feature lines with Tighter Tine

[mjfarrell]

And it is also incredibly limited in how and or what other software packages it can communicate with.

Civil 3d is reasonably stable IF you know what you are doing.

IF not then of course you will crash it, sort of like a Super Bike.

[Eclipse]

And it is also incredibly limited in how and or what other software packages it can communicate with.

Such as?

It interfaces with our GIS software and drainage software (we did not use SSA) fairly well, which is a lot more than than Civil 3D ever did... you do the design in 12d, export the drainage network to one of our drainage packages (we use a few and it supports them all; whereas Civil 3D only supported one through a 3rd party extension/addon), import the results from the drainage analysis, then export the CAD work to AutoCad for drafting. What else would we need to interface with? It can do a lot more although we are not using it fully yet.

It has all the standard landxml, genio, dwg/dxf, ADAC, .tin/,lin/.pts import/export functionality etc...

Civil 3d is reasonably stable IF you know what you are doing.

Well unfortunately not all of our designers are that cluey. Yes, you can work around Civil 3Ds issues although a better question is why should someone have too? If the staff can't use it effectively and we can't hire peopel who want to use it, then it is not the best product for us.

[mjfarrell]

horses for courses...if it 'works' for you and your company good on you

I have encountered a few support questions regarding 12d compatibility, and it appears to present some challenges
for others out there.


Granted one can't design directly in C3D, however you cant do the drafting function you need in 12d either.

The drafting being a bit more labour intensive than design, it's more than an even trade-off.

And Civil has GIS tools built right in.

Trust I'm no Autodesk Fanboy, however needing to export to autocad to get your drafting done, is about like going back to Land Desktop (1997)

[Eclipse]

horses for courses...if it 'works' for you and your company good on you

I have encountered a few support questions regarding 12d compatibility, and it appears to present some challenges
for others out there.

What are the compatibility issues? The only thing I have come across is that you can't export (well anyhow) super alignments and that they must be converted to regular alignments first.

Granted one can't design directly in C3D, however you cant do the drafting function you need in 12d either.

What do you mean by not being able to design directly in Civil 3D? AutoCad is a great drafting tool, no qualms there. I need a design tool for design though (which Civil 3D is although is more limited than other design programs).

The drafting being a bit more labour intensive than design, it's more than an even trade-off.

I agree about the drafting being labor intensive! We were doing the same with Civil 3D anyway, the designer designs in Civil 3D and then it is exported to AutoCad for drafting by our draftspeople.

I don't agree that it is an even trade off. I need the design tools a lot more than I need the drafting tools. Given I do no drafting what-so-ever in 12d it is a non issue.

And Civil has GIS tools built right in.

Trust I'm no Autodesk Fanboy, however needing to export to autocad to get your drafting done, is about like going back to Land Desktop (1997)

I don't personally use it (in either program) although 12d does have GIS capability.

So do your engineers do their own drafting in Civil 3D? Do you not export/give to the draftspeople to draft?

[mjfarrell]

If used correctly there is little no need for drafting people to add labels and notes as most of that happens when  you do the designing.

Even titleblocks on sheets can fill in their own values.


Design of storm drain or pressure pipe networks is not done directly in C3D - for clarity.

Shame that you never know you could use a GIS import function to recreate existing storm or sanitary networks.

[MSTG007]

True. with MJ

[Dent Cermak]

Another reason why I switched software.)

What software are you now using? We've also switched away from Civil 3d to an Australian program called 12d (http://www.12d.com/). It is light years ahead of Civil 3D in terms of design capability (although less so in drafting as it is more of a design package, then export to AutoCad for drafting) and perhaps best of all, is incredibly stable.

We switched from LDD to Carlson Survey several years ago and have never looked back. Does everything We need to do and is very easy to use. Ex-LDD users find it an easy transition. Best move corporate ever made. Software costs have been cut by about 60% and productivity has easily doubled on all of our seats.

[mjfarrell]

Again, horses for courses.  If what one does is primarily survey related work, Carlson may very well be your best option.

[MSTG007]

I have been using Civil3D since it debut in 2005. It gets better each year, but as usually, there are bugs. The one thing I love is the capabilities of the integration of other software.

[Dent Cermak]

Again, horses for courses.  If what one does is primarily survey related work, Carlson may very well be your best option.

Not really "horses for courses" but more like more bang for the bucks.
And I have said all along, "IF you are a Survey Company", Carlson Software is the answer to the question. Never have addressed civil packages, because that is not what I do. Autodesk blended a very good survey package into a very expensive and rather cumbersome C3D package and it all kind'a gets lost.
EVERY company should search for the one package that caters to their needs in the most economical manner. AutoCAD is NOT the answer for everyone. Some "classic types" still think Intergraph is the Boss? Go figure.

[Eclipse]

I have been using Civil3D since it debut in 2005. It gets better each year, but as usually, there are bugs. The one thing I love is the capabilities of the integration of other software.

What integration capabilities are you talking about? What software programs?

[Mark]

Thanks again Michael.

Still like my 3D polylines though.

[mjfarrell]

Thanks again Michael.

Still like my 3D polylines though.

BLASPHEMER!

IF  I could show you the real power of feature lines and grading objects for site design...you would eat those words!