AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2013 for Beginners

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® for Beginners Louisa “Lou” Holland - MasterGraphics

CI1719-L - AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2013 for Beginners

About the Speaker: Louisa “Lou” Holland is a civil engineer with a BS from University of Wisconsin – Platteville. She is a LEED AP, returned Peace Corps volunteer, and has been training CAD-based products since 1997. She has been a civil and geospatial application engineer with MasterGraphics since 2006. She has worked extensively with Wisconsin DOT and consultants to implement Civil 3D. She attempts to blog periodically at http://civil3detcetera.blogspot.com/Check out Louisa’s books, the most recent of which isMastering Civil 3D 2013, from Wiley publishing. Feel free to connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/louisaholland


What You Will Experience in this Class

•

What Makes Civil 3D Different?

•

The Civil 3D 2013 Interface

•

An overview of the look and feel of Civil 3D

What IS Civil 3D? Civil 3D is a comprehensive civil design software that is part of the AutoCAD family of products. The main portion of Civil 3D is built on the AutoCAD platform, and contains all of the functionality of AutoCAD and Map 3D. Civil 3D includes additional programs to enhance its hydrology and hydraulic capabilities, Storm and Sanitary Analysis (SSA) and Hydraflow.

Figure 1: Civil 3D and Companion Products

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Additional, optional tools include: • Subassembly Composer • Design Review • Cloud Support

Is Civil 3D Part of a BIM (Building Information Modeling) Workflow? YES! Civil 3D 2013 is part of the Premium and Ultimate Infrastructure Design Suites from Autodesk. With the design suites you can import data from GIS and cloud data, create designs in Civil 3D and create realistic visualizations using Autodesk 3DS Max. You can use Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler to quickly create compelling presentations and work through what-if scenarios. BIM is a workflow that encourages collaboration between disciplines and dynamic interchange of data between collaborators. Civil 3D fits into BIM by allowing users to import building data from Revit, and share data via LandXML and datashortcuts. Now to the software!

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Interface

Figure 2: This is the Civil 3D 2013 Interface

Introduction to Object-based design The file 01 Intro.dwg is a complete design containing many Civil 3D objects. As you will observe in this exercise, Civil 3D objects are connected to each other. When we modify the proposed profile, any Civil 3D objects that use the profile and related labels will update accordingly. This interconnected behavior is crucial to achieving a BIM-style workflow. This file is split into 3 modelspace viewports to give you a close-up look at components of the design that will be affected by the change we make. The profile view and pipe network are on locked layers. 1. Verify you are working in the topmost viewport by clicking on it to make it active. 2. Select the proposed profile by clicking directly on it.

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Figure 3

3. You will see a series of special grips with which we will modify our profile. 4. Click the triangular grip at the PVI location at station 22+00. 5. Move the grip to the new PVI location indicated in the drawing. Use your endpoint object snap to ensure you have moved the PVI to the correct location. 6. As soon as you let go of the mouse from the grip-edit, you will see Civil 3D updating the design (this may take a moment). 7. When your command line returns to a command prompt, type in REA, then enter on the keyboard. This will regenerate all viewports to ensure you are looking at the updated information. 8. Save the drawing. What just happened? When we changed the elevation information in the profile, it affected quite a few pieces of the design. •

The corridor model was rebuilt to reflect the new elevation. o

Which caused the profile labels to update

o

…and the proposed surface model to update. 

Which caused the structure rim elevations to update.



…and the cross section views to update



…and material quantities to update

Pretty freakin’ cool, eh?

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Figure 4: Surface Model Before

Figure 5: Surface Model After

Figure 7: Section View After Figure 6: Section View Before

Points& Surfaces In the next example, you will walk through the import of a comma separated text file that has been coded in the field with linework representing property boundaries, roads, ridges and swales.

Figure 8: CSV File Contents

1. Open up the file called 02 Points &Surface.dwg. 2. From the Home tab, find the Create Ground Data panel. a. Click Import Survey Data

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Figure 9: Import Survey Data

3. Click Create New Survey Database

Figure 10: Create New Database

a. Name the new data base Crawford

Figure 11:Name new local database

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a. Click OK. b. Click Next c. Set the Data Source type to Point File a. Click the plus sign and browse for the file called Crawford.csv located in the dataset folder. (Note: you will need to make sure your Files of Type is set to CSV)

`

Figure 12

b. Set the Specify point file format to PNEZD (comma delimited). In the Preview area, verify that the data has been interpreted correctly. c. Click Next.

Figure 13: Set Format & Browse for Point File

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4. Click Create New Network…

Figure 14

5. Name the network Cr 11-27-2012 6. Enter a description N Side of Site

Figure 15

7. Click OK.

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8. Click Next. 9. Set the Current Figure Prefix database to Sample. 10. Turn on the checkbox for Process linework during import to Yes. 11. Set the Insert network object toggle to No. 12. Set the Insert figure objects to Yes. 13. Insert Survey Points to Yes. 14. Click Finish.

Figure 16

Figure 17

15. After a moment of processing, you should now have the full survey imported to the drawing. 16. Feel free to explore the points and lines that you see on-screen. 17. Save the drawing and keep it open for the next exercise.

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Surfaces 1. Remain in your current drawing. 2. To build a surface from points, locate the Create Ground Data panel. 3. Click Surfaces and select Create Surface

Figure 18

4. Name the surface Crawford Existing.

Figure 19

5. Click OK.

6. In Prospector, find the Surface category. 7. Use the to expand the Surface category. a. Expand Crawford Existing. b. Expand the Definitions area.

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Figure 20

8. Right-click on the Point Groups category and select Add. 9. Highlight the _All Points point group. 10. Click OK.

Figure 21

11. Also under the surface definition, right click on boundaries and select Add.

Figure 22

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12. Name the boundary LOD. •

We will use the Outer boundary type to omit data outside of the figure created by the Edge of Field shots.

•

Clear the checkbox next to Non-destructive breakline

•

Mid-ordinate distance tells Civil 3D how to chop up any arcs that may exist in the boundary. We will leave this at the default of 1’.

Figure 23

13. Click OK 14. Select the boundary line that is comprised of Edge of Field shots.

Figure 24

15. Your surface is now complete and restrained by a boundary. 16. Save the drawing.

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Styles& Settings Implementing Civil 3D means establishing aworking template. A Civil 3D template contains all the goodies that a base AutoCAD dwt contains, plus a multitude of civil-specific styles, settings and standards that will help you hit the ground running on a project. Settings How you interact with object in Civil 3D can be highly customized to your preferences. Everything from units and driving direction, to what default options are set in dialog boxes can be set to your locale and company standards. Styles Styles in Civil 3D are a very important aspect of the program, which control the look of objects. Object styles control the display and layer of civil 3D objects. The color, layer and the display behavior of an item greatly depends on its style. Figure 25-Figure 28show the same surface model with different styles active on the object.

Figure 25: TIN Style

Figure 26: Contour Style

Figure 27: Slope Style

Figure 28: An alternate Contour Style

Label Styles control the display of text associated with an object. A label style controls what data from the object is displayed, how many decimal places we see in numeric values, if any static text will be visible, how units will display and what layer it all goes on.

Alignments Alignments describe the plan view geometry of a roadway, stream or other linear design. Civil 3D excels at roadway design. In the following example we will work with a roadway alignment and adjust a curve to comply with an AASHTO design speed.

Profiles Profiles describe vertical data along the alignment stationing. There are two main types of profiles. •

Existing ground profile from surface

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•

Proposed Profile

In this class, I have created the existing and proposed profile for you.

Figure 29

Assemblies and Corridors Assemblies Assemblies describe typical cross-section geometry that will be applied to our design. Assemblies contain instructions to our design describing how to daylight to the existing surface. Assemblies are made up of parts called subassemblies. As subassemblies come together, users can control the configuration and geometry of the design. In the following example, we will add one of the stock assemblies to the project and apply it to a corridor. Corridors Corridors tie together the pieces of our design into a three-dimensional model. The corridor is where additional instructions about the design is sent to Civil 3D. We can tell the corridor to switch geometry at a certain station or jump to a different alignment for the design.

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1. Open the drawing called 03 CORRIDOR.DWG. 2. Notice the warning symbol at the curve near station 20+00. This symbol represents a design speed violation in our alignment geometry.

Figure 30

3. Select the Alignment by clicking on it. 4. From the context sensitive ribbon, select Geometry Editor.

Figure 31

5. Now you will see the alignment editing toolbar. Click the Alignment Grid view icon.

Figure 32

6. In the alignment grid view you will see exactly what the problem is. Change the radius of the curve in line 4 to 730’ by clicking in the grid.

Figure 33

7. Dismiss the grid view by clicking the X. 8. Dismiss the Alignment Layout Tools by clicking the X. The warning symbol is no longer visible, and the alignment is now ready to be used in a corridor. 9. On the home tab, locate the palettes panel. Click the toolpalettes icon.

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Figure 34

Figure 35

10. From the tool palette click the Basic assembly. a. The properties dialog box will pop up. b. Snap the assembly to the end of the arrowhead labeled Place Assembly here.

Figure 36

11. The assembly is now in the drawing and ready to use. 12. From the Home tab, locate the Create Design panel. 13. Click Corridor.

Figure 37

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14. Give the corridor the name Highway 10. 15. Set the Alignment to Highway 10 Frontage Road 16. Set the Profile to Highway 10 Design. 17. Set the Assembly to Basic Assembly. 18. Set the Target Surface to Crawford Existing. 19. Clear the checkmark next to Set Baseline and region parameters. 20. Click OK.

Figure 38

Figure 39

After the corridor builds, zoom into the plan portion of the drawing and see the corridor. 21. Save the drawing. Next we will modify the assembly and see how it affects the corridor. 22. Locate the assembly you placed in the drawing earlier. 23. Click on the right lane to select it. 24. On the context-sensitive ribbon, locate General Tools and click the Properties.

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Figure 40

Figure 41

25. Change the width parameter to 20’ 26. Dismiss the properties. 27. Zoom back into the corridor portion of the drawing. 28. In prospector, locate the Corridor category and expand it. 29. Right-click on the name of the corridor and select Rebuild.

Figure 42

30. The right side of the road is now updated. Page 19 of 23


31. Save the drawing.

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Output One of Civil 3D’s greatest strengths is its ability to speed up the creation of production drawings. In the following example, we will generate Plan and Profile sheets as well as cross section sheets for our example road. 1. Open the drawing 04 P&P_XS.dwg 2. Go to the Output tab. 3. Select Create View Frames.

Figure 43

4. Verify that the alignment you are working with is set to _Highway 10 Frontage. (Keep the station range as Automatic) 5. 6. 7. 8.

Click Click the ellipsis to browse for the Template for Plan and Profile sheet: . Click the ellipsis again to browse to the AU dataset folder. In the AU dataset folder, select the template called _Custom_Plan and Profile.dwt by doubleclicking it.

Figure 44

9. Click OK. 10. Click

to get to the View Frame Group options

11. Click to get to the Match Line options 12. Set the Snap Station Value down to nearest to 50’

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Figure 45

13. Back at the Create View Frames dialog box, click 14. In the graphic five (5) blue view frames should be visible. 15. In the Output tab of the ribbon, click Create Sheets.

Figure 46

16. Click 17. Click OK, when notified that the drawing will be saved. 18. Click in the graphic toward the right to place the sheet views. All five sheets have been generated and added to your current drawing as new layout tabs. 19. Set the Modelspace Annotation Scale to 20. From the Home tab of the ribbon, go to Section Views > Create Multiple Section Views.

Figure 47 Page 22 of 23


21. Click to get to the Section Placement options 22. Click the to select the sheet template. 23. Click the to browse for the file _Custom_XSection.dwt in the AU dataset folder. Double-click the filename to return back to the Layout as sheet template dialog.

Figure 48

24. Click OK. 25. Click 26. Click a location in CAD to place the section views. 27. Go to the Output tab. 28. Click Create Section Sheets.

Figure 49

29. Click 30. Click OK when notified that your drawing will be saved. You will now have multiple section sheets in the project. This concludes our brief introduction to Civil 3D 2013. There are so many great features that I didn’t have time to get into in this presentation. However, there are many resources out there for new Civil 3D users or people who want to learn Civil 3D.

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AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2013 for Beginners

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