MasterGraphics Weblog
Archive for July, 2008
Using LandXML to Import Legacy Data into Civil 3D
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Civil design software has been around in one form or another for more than 25 years. Luckily, there exists a data format that is capable of moving civil and survey data from one program to another; LandXML.
What is LandXML? LandXML (Land Extensible Markup Language) is a data format that allows civil, survey and other land development information to be shared between applications. Many survey instruments, civil/survey CAD applications and GIS applications can import and export LandXML files. Using LandXML, moving data is very simple. For more information about LandXML visit www.landxml.org.
The document (link below) is intended for two main audiences:
- Eagle Point users who wish to share civil design data with Civil 3D users.
- Civil 3D users who wish to migrate legacy Eagle Point data.
Using Land XML many objects created in Eagle Point can be transported into Civil 3D. The following procedures can be used for 2007 through 2009 versions of Civil 3D.
Which objects do transfer:
- Alignments
- Lots/ Parcels
- Existing Ground Profile Data
- Design Profile Data
- Nodes/Points
- Surfaces
Which objects do not transfer:
- Typical Sections/Assemblies
- Completed Roadways/Corridors
- Cross Section Data
Exporting into Civil 3D Using LandXML
AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Tools
Monday, July 28th, 2008
Autodesk has released a Bonus Pack filled with goodies from the AUGI wishlist. These enhancements and goodies are available to current subscription customers using base AutoCAD 2009.
So what’s in it?
- Consolidated Inquiry tools. With one command, MEASUREGEOM, you can get distance, area, volume, angle or radius.
- Additional tools in PEDIT and SPLINEDIT. You now can convert a spline to a polyline and reverse the direction of a polyline with this tool.
- Rotate a Viewport and View together. There is a new system variable, VPROTATEASSOC. When the variable is set to 1, rotating the viewport brings the view with it.
- Updates to PURGE command. You can use the new tool to purge empty text boxes and zero-length geometry.
Download them from the Autodesk Subscription Center. Login is required. If you are not sure how to log in, contact your CAD manager or I.T. contact to see if a subscription account has been set up for you.
AutoCAD 2009 Service Pack 1.0 is Out
Monday, July 28th, 2008
Autodesk has released the first product update (service pack) for the AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 products. Updates have been made in the following feature areas:
- 3D Visual Styles
- Annotation Scaling
- External References (xref) palette
- Raster Images
- Partial Open
- Plot
- Properties Palette
- Hatch
- Remote text (rtext)
This update includes a wide range of general updates, including fixes to Attributes, Blocks, Hatch Boundaries, and many other functional areas. In total, more than 100 improvements are included in this product update.
Anyone can download this update from Autodesk’s website.
Ceci N’est Pas Une Pipe
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Click the image above to download the files. This part is created for Civil 3D 2009 only.
To add to your parts list, go to the Pipes menu > Parts List >Edit
Get yourself to the Pipes tab and right-click the list name. Select Add part family…
This pipe should show up under the Arched Pipe category. Put a checkmark in the box and click OK.
Now that you have the pipe category listed, right click on it and select Add part size…
Toggle Add all sizes and set any hydrolic constants you may want. Click OK.
Set your pipe styles, rules and render materials as desired. Click OK.
Push in the Clutch!
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
These were the words I remember my mother saying countless times as I was learning how to drive a car with a manual transimission. As hard as I could, I tried to remember the steps it took to get from 1st up to 5th gear and backdown. Then how to start from a complete stop. The worst by far was starting from a complete stop on an incline with someone right on your rear bumper. What does this have to do with Autodesk Inventor and you? Frustration.
Yes, frustration. Power Users get them from time to time, so New Users, you will see them too. If its as difficult as linking parameters to drive custom configurations to deciding what to Copy and what to Reuse in Vault Copy Design. Things happen daily that lead us to frustion with Inventor and what I have learned is that with the proper training and then applying the learned knowledge, we can minimize these times.
My name is Thomas Fitzgerald, but you can call me Tom. I am an Application Engineer at MasterGraphics specializing in the manufacturing products Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Vault and Autodesk Productstream. This is my very first, hopefully of many, blogs. I consider this my attempt at working at my writing skills. Some of you may like what I have to say and others may not but I assure you it will always be of the utmost quality.
Just as I eventually learned how to drive that manual transmission and consider myself a darned well driver, you too will become a good if not a great user of Inventor. I encourage you to take the classes MasterGraphics offers to learn what is making everyone else a successful engineering department. We take what Autodesk has to say in addition to what other companies just like you are doing with the applications. We host User Group Meetings which allow you to ask the questions and get real answers from other users in your community. Together with the resources we provide and your personal time behind the application, you shall succeed.
More to come…