Civil 3D Trix and Wishes: Recent Comments

Comment on C3D corridors for more than just roads!

Jason — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:48:09 GMT

Also, how does a corridor of a entire site effect computer speed and memory. I've had problems getting models to big in a subdivision and running out of memory.

Comment on C3D corridors for more than just roads!

Jason — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:33:46 GMT

How have you handled cross pans and associated concrete around curb returns?

Comment on Buddy, buddy, buddy! Here buddy!

kim — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:27:18 GMT

So how do you really make points/description keys behave like LDD?
Set the majority of my point styles using by drawing scale and .100 - and they are not consistent when using points/description keys to insert into civil 3d (2009). (I have a nice .dwg file I can share with you if need be.) For instance, if the IRF symbol is drawn with outside diameter of .1 - in LDD at 30 scale the symbol would then be 3' diameter... (symbol also contains 'irf' text) but, in civil, the symbol is smaller - if you explode the point twice and list - shows the x,y,z scale factors at 20.0863 - the outer diameter being 2.0084 (not 3.0) - take a similar symbol where the diameter is also 3' (FH) is associated with a scale 26.4737 with outer diameter of 2.6474' (yes, outer diameter being relative to the "scale" - but why not 30 or 3.000'diameter? symbols with e060 text are smaller and l060 is larger than anticipated. Valves without text (scale 50)much larger than valves with text (scale 24). Hoping you can help!

Comment on Its been way too long since my last post!

Clark Lohr — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:49:38 GMT

Could you provide a real time example of how this was accomplished via GoToMeeting or some other real time webapp? Give me a call if you'd like me to send you a meet-me invitations.

Thanks, Clark
612-492-4499

Comment on Autodesk Civil 2009.........what no 3D?

Eric Colburn — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:44:35 GMT

I agree that this is an attempt to sell more product to surveyors. While this may help to increase the amount of land surveyors by reducing the price and available features -I think Autodesk has only correctly identified one stumbling block for land surveyors, that being price.
I know that price is an issue for surveyors, but I think another reason surveyors are not adopting Civil 3D at a greater rate is that it is not user-friendly and requires too (I really mean; toooo) much setup and configuration and can be difficult to understand what has been done to drawing objects.
a good example of this is points, which are the surveyors world. Is the point controlled by a description key, point group, or an override? Additionally, the creation and administration of points is flexible for an engineer or designer, but is not ideal to the land surveyor. There should be one database of points, not two or more per project.
A surveyors nightmare is having point # 1 in drawing A, another point number 1 in drawing B, etc., and yet another point number 1 in the survey database-insane!
Don't get me wrong, Civil 3D is a powerful program that I use daily and like very much, overall. However, from a survey perspective I think autodesk needs to rework the program and system to better meet the needs of land surveyors. Is this what Civil 2009 is supposed to do, or are they just shortchanging the surveyor by eliminating the best parts of the program?

Comment on 2009 and its first annoying bug - We knew there had to be at least one! ;(

Josh Rexhausen — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:52:46 GMT

I have a client with the same problem, what is the permanent solution?

Comment on 2009 and its first annoying bug - We knew there had to be at least one! ;(

Frank Furt — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:51:00 GMT

What bothers me is this - the description key bug IS a deal killer for me, a big one, and the number of complaints I've received is off the charts: "Why do they continue to add new functioanlity and break old functionality - do they not beta test this stuff? And if they do, do they not listen to the testing community? Or are they in such a hurry to abide by the 1 year release cycle standards that they are forced to release an unusable product to appease stockholders?" This coupled with the memory defects introduced into MAP 3D, and in the eyes of the Civil/Survey community I deal with - the product is a wash - may as well look at alternatives. Right or wrong, that's the perception and as we know, perception is reality. We figure the product will be usable after the release of the 1st service pack hopefully in the next couple months. Let's assume that's August. The next release is due next March giving us effectively 7 months to get used to a half stable product before the next unstable one is release - yet the prices continues to increase. The one year release cycle is killing Autodesk and driving clients away. In the eyes of my clients the ratio of new features to bugs introduced into old features is nearly 1:1 We fight like hell to introduce Civil 3D to the community, but the workmanship is so shoddy, it just can't be sold, am I'm not joking. No viable Survey package; from a purely mapping perspective, MAP isn't even in the same game as the ESRI products - lucky to import 1/12 of the data ESRI can handle; the Civil product is ridiculously broken... this is a really bad time...

Comment on Vote on a wish!

Don Reichle — Fri, 04 May 2007 21:45:33 GMT

I have a wish to add to the "Pipes" category Bill.

Though I've now forgotten the # of the "group". :-(

Anyways, how about we add the ability to perform Hydraulic Calcs to the wishes?

As in the manner that Civil Design functions?

Thanks for considering my request.

Comment on LDT 2008 bug and work around...

Don Reichle — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:58:51 GMT

Things just keep getting e-a-s-i-e-r, hunh Bill? ;0)

Thanx for the tip re. the DWT file!

Comment on Wish List Site

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:02:59 GMT

Bill, is there an RSS feed for your new blog? Thanks.