Leica Cloudworx 4.1 User Interface

Hey all...does anyone use Leica Cloudworx software?

If so, last week or so Leica released Cloudworx 4.1 for use within Autodesks 2010 line of AutoCAD platform products. The draw back to this Leica release is that they did not include any ribbon based interface. We've got the old time drop down that we've used for a few years, but with AutoCAD and Civil 3D going more ribbon based we needed cloudworx funcionality in form of a tab with multiple panels.

Solution - I wrote one. I have written a partial CUI that contains a Cloudworx Tab housing multiple panels giving us easy access to all the functionality formerly found on the Cloudworx drop down menu. If you would like it please email me @ daniel.chapek@avatech.com with your email address and i will get it over to you right away.

Happy Scanning!

Civil 3D 2010: Linework Code Set CIR Command - Trees, Canopies, and Trunk Sizes

Here is something to blog about. When out in the field surveying, coding trees has always been an interesting predicament. Some need to pick up the canopy measurement, some need to pick up the trunk diameter, and some need both. If both are needed, then both could be entered as parameters but only one used to scale symbology.


Now with the CIR command from Civil 3D 2010's linework code sets, both values can be picked up and drawn in one shot.


In the case of a 15" diameter oak tree with a 30' canopy:


METHOD 1
CIR.63 OAK 30 places a circle of 15" diameter (.63' radius) down for the trunk as a figure with center at the shot and matches the code OAK with a description keys which brings in the symbology for the oak canopy and scales it to 30' diameter. The draw back to Method 1 is that the trunk value cannot be used for annotation.


METHOD 2
CIR15 OAK 15 places a circle for the drip line but makes the diameter available for annotation in the point label. A treeline linetype can be configured to the figure style which will be responsible for drawing the canopy. Then the description keys would be responsible for scaling symbology representing the trunk as well as configuring annotation.


METHOD 3
CIR15 OAK 15 30 would enable you to bring the canopy line in as a figure and also use it for annotation in the point label.

So, for a tree, two shots or one shot? You now have a choice.

Service Packs

Here are a couple of Service Packs that you may find useful.

The first is a Service Pack that allows you to use Civil 3D 2009 with the 2010 Vault. For example you have ongoing projects in Civil 3D 2009 and intend to finish the projects in 2009. But new projects are being established Civil 3D 2010 which requires the 2010 Vault. After installing you can have Civil 3D 2009 and 2010 both operable with the 2010 vault.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 - Autodesk Vault 2010 (Server) Support Patch

The next service pack is for Civil 3D 2009.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 Update 3

I recommend reading the readme file that is available for each of these downloads. Many installation questions or a list of issues the service pack address are available from the readme.

Data Shortcut Project Autoload

Wouldn't it be nice if Civil 3D could automatically load up the current data shortcut project when an associated drawing is opened? It can. We are about to discuss some undocumented commands that exist in Civil 3D 2010. They are undocumented perhaps because they do not work perfectly in all situations.

By default, this functionality is disabled. To enable it, type at the command line:

ShortcutAssociateEnable

From hereon, each time a data shortcut or reference is created in a drawing, that project will become current when that drawing is opened. This associative behavior will be observed from machine to machine or user to user as long as the user has executed the above command.

This is a user setting stored in the registry which can be pushed out by ARG files, REG files, or scripts:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.0\ACAD-8000:409\Profiles\<>\Civil\DataShortcut\AssociateShortcutProject\ShortcutAssociateEnable where "<>" is the Civil 3D profile name.

• Set to 1 to enable
• Set to 0 to disable

How imperfect is this setting?

• Associativeness is not observed on machines where this setting is not enabled.
• If more than one drawing is opened in the same session and each of those drawings reference different projects, the appropriate data shortcut project may not always become current when its drawing is made current.
• Associativeness is not observed in drawings containing data shortcuts or references that were created prior to the setting becoming enabled.

Two more commands:

AssociateProjectToDrawings

Use this command to associate the data shortcut project to a folder of drawings. Before this command can be used, ShortcutAssociateEnable must be executed.

ShortcutAssociateDisable

Use this command to disable the setting. The funny thing is, if you were the creator of the data shortcuts or references while the setting was enabled, you will continue to observe that associativeness when you open your drawings. If you were not the creator, you will not see the associativeness unless you had saved the drawing with the enabled setting. New data shortcuts and references will not be made associative with the setting disabled.

These commands are not available in 2009.

Avatech at AU - Shameless Self Promotion

This year, Avatech's Civil Team has made 24 class submissions for AU 2009.

To vote for sessions, go to the Autodesk University Session Selection page and log in using your AU Online username and password. If you do not have an AU Online account, it only takes 15 seconds to register as an AU Online member .

Topics can be looked up by product, speaker, or industry. You will be able to read the entire submission (unedited) and vote on several criteria. Please limit your votes to approximately 20 sessions.

The voting deadline is Friday, May 8 at midnight PDT.


Untangling the Civil 3D Ribbon - Making production as smooth as silk!
90-Minute Class
Adam Peter

Designed for Success - Making designs look magnificent
90-Minute Lab
Adam Peter

Behind the 8 ball with Civil 3D
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

Civil 3D in High Definition
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

BIM Model in High Def.
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

Diversify Visually with Civil 3D
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

Don’t be left out in the CODE
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

Diversify Visually with Civil 3D and Max Design
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

Don't Park Civil 3D
90-Minute Class
Chad Studer

Building the Perfect Template - Making All of Your Civil 3D Dreams Come True
90-Minute Class
Cyndy Davenport

Building the Perfect Template - The LAB Version!
90-Minute Lab
Cyndy Davenport

Getting the M.O. on Q.T.O. - Optimizing Civil 3D 2010 for Quantities
90-Minute Class
Cyndy Davenport

Pressing On with a Civil 3D 2010 Pressure Pipe Workflow
90-Minute Lab
Cyndy Davenport

Parking Via Corridor
90-Minute Class
Daniel Chapek

Roun-de-Sections: Advanced Corridor Design
3.5 Hour Lab
Daniel Chapek

Finish Ground, it's Complicated
3.5 Hour Lab
Daniel Chapek

The Machinists Guide to Grading
90-Minute Class
Daniel Chapek

Making your Revit Topography Civil and Civilize the Revit Model
90-Minute Lab
Daniel Chapek

Go Commando! Utilizing Data Shortcuts and External References to Manage Civil 3D Data
90-Minute Class
Joe Hedrick

Civil 3D – Survey Exposed!
90-Minute Class
Joe Hedrick

Subdivision Plats Made Easy - The Class
90-Minute Class
Joe Hedrick

Subdivision Plats Made Easy - The Lab
90-Minute Lab
Joe Hedrick

Do these criteria make my AASHTO look big?
90-Minute Class
Kevin Bernhard

Managing Civil 3D Label Styles - control the chaos
90-Minute Class
Kevin Breslin

Ribbons, more than just pretty packaging

Over the past several weeks I have had several opportunities to show the new features of Civil 3D 2010. As you know the user interface is now ribbon based. I have also heard questions and comments on the ribbons. At first I too was a sceptic of the benefit of ribbons, but I have come to love the ribbon.

Ribbons utilize the same area of the screen for commands; giving you full access to your commands and increased drawing space. Prior to the ribbon, as Autodesk added functionality there was an increase of in the number of toolbars as well. So much so, that many of us have opted for a second monitor just to place tool bars. Using the ribbon means no more toolbar clutter, full access to functionality and increased drawing area!

Here is another way to think of it. The standards toolbar used to take up a fair amount of the top toolbar line. But, how much do you really use it? Yes, you use it often, but only at the beginnning and end of the editing session (open, save, plot, open etc.). There is no reason to have the standard toolbar available when you are working on the engineering model.

Hopefully my previous comments have helped you to "open up" to using the ribbon. But I am still often asked, "Can I disable it?" If you choose to turn off the ribbon you loose access to all new 2010 functionality. I even had a couple of CAD managers express the desire to redesign the pull down menus and add in the new commands!? If you had bought a car would you take out upgrades and put in items from the prior model? No. It's not an effective use of your time.

What if I can't find a command? Getting used to using the ribbon is pretty easy. Instead of commands being grouped by category (surface, alignment, profile) they are grouped by task. Your home ribbon is where you will find the Create Design panel (create aligment, create profile). And in case you have a hard time finding a command the help menu has a tool for finding commands on the ribbon.

Create Ponds Using Corridors

Using corridors to create a pond is not only easy, but it allows the designer flexibility for quick and dynamic editing.

1. Start with an existing surface, then use feature lines to define the pond bottom by slope or elevations. It is best if you make the area of these feature lines much larger than the interior toe of slope for the pond.



















2. Create a temporary surface using these contours, and then draw a polyline to define the interior toe of slope for the pond (the blue rectangle in the picture below.) Convert this polyline into a feature line and assign elevations from the temporary surface.




















3. Draw a polyline that will be converted into an alignment over the interior toe of slope starting on one of the long sides. Starting on one of the long sides and not the corner, allows the assembly to create a filleted corner treatment. Starting the alignment on a long edge also allows the user to dymanically update their model by adjusting the radius of any corners.




















4. Create a profile that includes the existing and temporary surfaces. It is important to inspect the temporary surface since this is the surface along the alignment that will be used to apply the assembly.









5. Use subassemblies from the Tool Palette to create an assembly representing the cross section of the pond embankment.









6. Create a corridor using the alignment at the toe of slope, profile of the temprary surface and the embankment assembly. Notice that because we did NOT start the alingment at or near a corner, all corners of the pond have a smooth filleted look.




















7. A surface can now be created from the corridor, which will show that the grading in the bottom of the pond needs to be refined. Breaklines used in creating the temporary surface can be copied, trimmed and added into this surface to reflect the pond bottom drainage pattern.




















8. Ufter adding the pond bottom breakline into the surface and managing a few styles, we see a pond created with corridors whose geometry can be adjusted and the grading will react dynamically.




















9. Now the user can move, rotate, change the vertical or horizontal position of this pond, and all of the connected Civil 3D elements update automatically.