If you have been tuning in to these weekly posts then last week you would have taken the survey to determine whether your CAD standards are solid enough to proceed with a full-on Civil 3D implementation.  If you scored low and have work to do…what’s next?

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As more users begin unwrapping their C3D 2009 boxes and make the jump, we’re seeing more and more questions about Vault and Data Shortcuts in the groups and in our mailboxes. I’ve been a huge advocate of Vault the past two releases, basically as a matter of riding the horse ya got. Vault wasn’t perfect (and it fact, downright sucked sometimes,) but it was better than using data shortcuts in my opinion.

Jump back to last fall, when I first got a look at Data Shortcuts for 2009. My first question was, “So who needs Vault?” The answer is after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

The EE CivilAccess calendar of training classes is now online and available to all CA clients. If you’re looking to train your staff all year long for less than a single class would cost at the usual sources, shouldn’t you look at CivilAccess too?

Check out the schedule by clicking the Training page above, and visit this page to see the full scope of CA services and get a preliminary cost. Less than $595 per person, live unlimited training from the people who wrote the book on Civil 3D, ready when you are.

What’s not to like?

This is a friendly reminder to register for the next EECast, Implementing Civil 3D in 5 Steps. We’ll cover the steps that have been successful in helping organizations across the US implement Civil 3D.

The link in the left sidebar will take you to the registration page.

Please remember that registrations using public email addresses, such as yahoo, gmail, msn, etc. will not be approved

You’ve heard the rumors. You’ve seen bits and pieces in our EECasts. You’ve likely wondered what we’re up to.

Wonder no longer.

Tonight, the newly designed EE website has gone live.  After months of planning and work, it’s up. Now you can find out What We Know, What We Do, and What We Sell.

Want to sign up for an EECast? Want to read white papers and articles written by the EE team? Then the Resources page is for you.

Do you want unlimited instructor-led training? Do you want implementation services that you can actually afford? Do the terms EE CivilAccess and EE GuidedAccess intrigue you? That’s easy - and found on the Services page.

Are you looking for Autodesk software? We can do that. But that’s not where we stop. We realize that you need solutions, and we provide them for you. Want to make Civil 3D work for you? We’ve developed software to make that happen. Work with LiDAR data and finding Civil 3D a bit clunky? We can help. Want your surveyors to do more, faster? Yeah, we can do that too. And we can show you how - on the Software page.

Check it out, and let us know how we can help you. Email us for more information, or call (866) 760-8724.

To better serve our clients, the team at Engineered Efficiency is always investigating new solutions to make your life easier. Sometimes this means that we will find a piece of software that we recommend to users. Other times, we come across something so great that we don’t just recommend it to our users, we supply it to them.

What if I were to tell the surveyors out there that there was data collection software that got rid of the whole “how do I code” discussion once and for all? What if field coding beyond descriptions were a thing of the past? What if you could export a FBK file directly out of your data collector? Would you want to know more? If you’re intrigued, click the link to find out what all the fuss is about. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s been a hot spot of discussion today regarding the use of hand drawn contours to fix an unsightly surface. Since the original post in the NG is being ignored, I think it’s worthwhile to open the discussion here. Read on and join in the debate.

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From PK’s blog, posted without comment:

Pete Kelsey’s contribution over the past two years at Autodesk as worldwide evangelist for Civil 3D has provided him a unique perspective on customer needs and the transition challenges to model-centric workflows. He contributed mightily to the success in building worldwide awareness of Civil 3D. In his new role as AEC Key Accounts Technical Manager Pete will focus on the top AEC firms within North America. With the adoption rate of Civil 3D really accelerating it is clear that Pete’s focus should now shift from evangelizing Civil 3D to helping some of Autodesk’s biggest customers maximize their return on investment.

What’s your take?

You know how to tell when Civil Engineering students are nearing the end of their semester?  You start receiving emails at very odd hours of the night asking questions about Civil 3D! Even though I’m currently in my personal coffee-loving mecca of Seattle, WA this week, I’m reached by their kindness.   My wife informed me this evening that a large manilla envelope had arrived via USPS today containing greeting cards - there was no return address, but there were 4 thank you cards inside from the CE401 class at UA.  I was very touched that they sent them, and want to thank them and Dr. Dan Turner  for allowing me to be a part of their education.   I wish each and every one of you the best of luck in your future lives as Civil Engineers!

I’m hereby offering to test in a controlled environment any network WAN accelerator that will agree to the test. You can have your guy on site, you can tweak and config based on what I throw, but you won’t know what I’m throwing until the day of the tests (hell, I probably won’t either.) Interested, gentlemen? Then read on. Read the rest of this entry »