Archive for October, 2007

I’m pro-customization, although I think some think it is a four letter word. Sometimes you have some work to do and Civil 3D can’t do the task out of the box. A recent poster on the discussion group has this problem. Here is quick way to make is job easier in creating a profile from points. While it could be done better, it should save him some time for the task at hand and be quicker than doing it manually.

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Update: We’ve added an errata page right on the front of civil3d.com. Please take a look if you think you’ve found one of our well crafted, intentional tests that are checking to see if you’re reading closely. Yeah, that’s it, they’re INTENTIONAL mistakes to test you!

OK, so maybe not, but check there first, please. –JW

We’re human, we make mistakes, it happens. We’re starting to see the first of the errata reports for the Mastering Civil 3D text. Eight-hundred, forty pages, over 300 exercises, over 200 sample drawings, there are bound to be some mistakes.

Please, tell us if you find something that doesn’t make sense. You can also check Wiley’s page for errata as they log them.

For now, be aware that the Aerial Contours.dwg file in Chapter 5 is missing the Aerial Contours surface style. We’ll make a new drawing available as soon as we can. We’re happy to fix things, especially if you manage to tell us we screwed up without being a jerk!

Another week, another great guest post. Throw some feedback and tell us what you think of Mr. Risch’s post- JW

So a friend of mine and I were talking about different ways to incorporate handicap ramps into a surface. He’d mentioned he had some creative ideas about using/editing corridor sections and the next thing I knew he was calling me into his office to show me what he’d done. Check it out after the jump

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Yes, I know that yesterday’s post was a bit cryptic. And thanks for the IM early this morning from Nick reminding me of that. I was awaiting further instructions and working on something else, so it slipped my mind a bit. Those little stick-it notes on my Windows Sidebar help my memory, though.

So what makes the missing functions in Carlson Connect better? What have surveyors been pining about for quite a while? What is this magical mystery solution? Follow the link to find out.

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First of all, wow. It’s great to be an “official” member of the team now. I’ve always loved being here, but people have always asked exactly what my role with EE is. Now I don’t have to try and figure out the answer. It’s absolutely wonderful to be a member of what I consider to be the best Civil 3D team out there. And, I look forward to meeting more of you in person.

So, with that being said, down to business. Carlson Connect has been released for Civil 3D 2008. This is a good thing, right? Follow the link to find out what may be bad news to some of you. But never fear, there’s a post coming after this one that will make it all better.

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I am hoping to get a series of subassembly posts going that will assist you in learning to read and troubleshoot your corridors. Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 include a lot of information about how assemblies and corridors are constructed. We’ll explore some more topics over the next few months.

So you choose a daylight subassembly and you wanted your daylight link to be a maximum of 10′ long like this….

But instead it does something crazy like this…

What went wrong? Read more to find out.

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The entire team at Engineered Efficiency is very happy to welcome our newest member, Jason Hickey! Read the rest of this entry »

When people first start using C3D, they’re tempted to draw polylines, then convert them to alignments. Many long time users suggest this is a bad idea because you lose some of the intelligence of the alignment layout tools (i.e. Extension lines, floating curves, etc.) Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll be teaching the afternoon classes (filling in for James) at CAD Camp Detroit this Thursday, October 25, 2007. CAD Camp is a great bargain- a full day of training classes plus lunch, networking and giveaways for $179.

I have a Mastering Civil 3D 2008 book to give away in my last class! (Must be present to win )

Check out the full agenda for CAD Camp here:http://www.cadcamp.com/detroit/agenda.asp

Click more to see my classes:

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I’m done guessing names, or even looking for them. The comment bin is overflowing with spam and inane drivel. So, here’s some clarification on the civil3d.com comment rules.

Civil3d.com does not post anonymous comments. First time commentators are reviewed before being posted, and if you name does not show on the comment header, it will be summarily deleted. I used to go try and figure out names, but the comment moderation side is just getting too busy with spambots for me to sort through them.

To check your name, login and look at your profile to make sure your Display Name is your real name. No name, no comment.

 Them’s the rules, folks!