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Transition to Civil 3D 2022
Posted by craig1971 on October 31, 2021 at 8:25 pmHello. I would like to ask the group and get potential feedback on who is currently using civil 3d, Version 2018 and up for their daily base map creation. My company just recently made the purchase of civil 3d 2022. We previously were using land desktop 2007. Yes I know it’s an extreme upgrade. We are a small civil engineering firm and my primary responsibility is to create simple boundary and topographic surveys of 1 are lots on average. My main problem is learning how to manipulate my field data. If anyone has any info to share, I’d love to hear it. Thanks.
RobertUSA replied 2 years, 5 months ago 7 Members · 13 Replies- 13 Replies
I never learned to run cogo inside of pure CAD, except for MicroStation, which I hated with a passion. Civil 3D is now pretty much the industry standard and is very powerfull with experienced users on things like pipe networks and drawing in 3D.
I run Carlson SurvCAD with Civil 3D as my CAD engine. It works great for me.
How were you manipulating field data in LDD? I’ve never used the functions of CAD (Softdesk, LDT, C3d) to reduce field observations to coordinates. It is supposed to be able to do that, but I’ve never managed it nor known anybody who did. I have heard rumors that some have mastered it, and the books I bought have instructions.
The Field to Finish in C3d (2011 and later) is dramatically better than it was in LDT. There are tools to transfer your LDT descriptor keys to C3d, the rest of the linework functionality will take some setting up. The how is way too complicated to detail in a posting. Youtube is your friend there.
I was using LDD 2007 and would start by converting a .raw file to a .fbk file. The fbk file was simply imported as was my predefined figures and symbols. I would take all my points and rotate them on to my deed plots and adjust accordingly. Now , when I create a survey database and fbk is inserted, I no longer can move or rotate my points on to a deed plot. The support I am getting said not to use a survey database if I want to move and rotate my field data onto a plot.
If you import points to a survey database you can only manipulate them using the survey database functions. You can’t do it in CAD, using CAD functions. “Survey Points” and “COGO Points” look identical on the screen, but are distinctly different. This feature of the survey database is totally intentional – to keep the engineers and architects from f’ing (unintentionally or otherwise) with the survey data.
I reduce my data to coordinates outside of CAD – I use StarNet to do that – and then import the resultant coordinate file to C3d populate the drawing with COGO Points. I can move or translate the COGO points in CAD if I want to but I hardly ever do. I then import them to a survey data base to run F2f, by necessity, but then simply discard the SD. I suppose that you could a) alter the .fbk file so that your points go where you ultimately want them on import, or b) import the coordinate file from the field data collector as COGO points, or c) export the survey points produced by the fbk file import to a file and then reimport them as COGO Points (there is likely a more graceful way to do this).
My advice is to continue doing your field processing in LDD or like Chris Bouffard mentioned, get Carlson for that. I’ve heard that C3D switched things up to something different for their F2F, no longer lines/polylines, but objects.
That’s just what I’ve been told, have no first hand knowledge. I use Carlson for pretty much 90% of everything, and have no huge complaints. I used LDD up till about 2005, and I remember that as being pretty nice. I hate any time I have to enter the C3D world.
- Posted by: @jph
I’ve heard that C3D switched things up to something different for their F2F, no longer lines/polylines, but objects.
F2f is one of the things that C3d does best. It is way, way better than LDTs F2f. The linework created is “Survey Figures” which are very similar to “Feature Lines”, which are commonly used by the civil designers. Survey Figures are 3d elements, unlike regular polylines which can be on one elevation only. 3dpolylines have multiple elevations but do not allow curves, which Survey Figures do.
C3d is kind of a long learning curve but it grows on you. That same statement was once made about LDT. Resistance is futile.
I used LDD/LDT years ago and am familiar with it’s operation. I’m currently using C3d 2021 for my daily CAD use. I know it’s a little late but I’ve always heard the even years of AutoCAD are the most buggy (and based on my experience, this is true). Good luck!
I don’t use C3d for field data other than an import/export of text files exported from TBC. That being said, I’ve used the .fbk files before and IMO, it was just “ok”.
I love C3d and especially the 2021 version. It seems to run “faster” and they’ve added some little things here and there to make mundane operations run smoother. You can now “customize” certain commands with variables that weren’t there previously…such as TRIM.
I have noticed that accessing the layer manager through the ribbon is slow to respond so I tend to use the layer manager dialog and set it to hide automatically. Customizing the ribbons seems WAY easier than it did in past years but I still have to remind myself how to customize the ribbon each time I do it, which is typically when we upgrade.
T. Nelson – SAM, LLC@norman-oklahoma
Oh, you lost me there. Figures and features. Luckily the engineers where I work don’t work with those, so we’re good with polylines and regular linework.
I will resist as long as possible. ; )
- Posted by: @jph
I will resist as long as possible. ; )
As your competitor in business I think that is just fine. As your brother in this profession I urge you to invest a little time in learning how your tools work.
- Posted by: @norman-oklahoma
I urge you to invest a little time in learning how your tools work.
Couldn’t agree more with @norman-oklahoma! Just learning the basics of figures and features will help tremendously. Not understanding these items and exploding them to simple polylines will cause more headache in the end than you can even imagine.
I’m speaking from experience because we had an RPLS here who used Civil3d but exploded everything once he opened it on his computer, taking away ALL Civil3d functionality and causing lots of re-work. The benefit really comes into play, not only when creating the objects but especially when revisions happen.
T. Nelson – SAM, LLC @norman-oklahoma
We’re hardly competitors, being on opposite ends of the country
I’ve no interest in learning it, and don’t need it for what I do, but I get your point. Thanks
Thanks for the responses and info.
The huge difference will be understanding how C3D works. For survey there is a lot of setup and you??ll find making changes frustrating. That said I very much like it and have it well setup. Things are controlled by styles.
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