The U.K. government has mandated that all government-funded projects must be delivered to Level 2 Building Information Modeling (BIM) by 2016. In a breakout from U.K. convention, companies have used AutoCAD Civil 3D software as the highway design tool for the Building Information Modeling (BIM) model and Revit software and Structural Bridge Design software for the major bridge structures. While 3D BIM models have been around for many years, there usually has not been any attendant data attached (beyond the inherent geometry) to models generated from AutoCAD Civil 3D software. We will discuss various strategies and methods for creating additional asset data in AutoCAD Civil 3D, and propose and demonstrate a method of attaching additional data to the BIM model and linking this to both the AutoCAD Civil 3D software entities and the Navisworks objects for Field BIM software. As part of this process, we will also discuss how Civil 3D objects may be used to represent real-world assets in the BIM model. Finally we will explore the result of customisation using .NET plug-ins to Civil 3D to further enhance the ability to link data to the BIM model.

It takes more than vision when you are first on the ground and last to leave in today’s budget-tight, target-rich environment at the "silicon heart" of the world’s economy. Can the survey department of a large urban/suburban metropolitan area teach us about how to practically implement, learn, and employ AutoCAD Civil 3D software? The department's ecosystem is a political and complex technical network that includes every known form of municipal infrastructure—from the oldest state historic sites, high tech campuses, and a large international airport. Their historic and demanding customers work in a variety of CAD design and GIS software from AutoCAD® to Bentley® MicroStation® and beyond. They have gigabytes of historical data, multiple input data forms, and more output standards, reports, and changing job requirements than anyone ever wants to deal with. That’s the job. How do they and the Civil 3D survey features deliver the technical muscle, quality assurance methods, standards flexibility, and productivity to get it done?

Do you spend 10-20 minutes or more configuring settings every time you need to print or publish (PDF, DWF) a file? Are you familiar with AutoCAD software's Batch Plot command but it's just not working for you? In this session, we'll learn the best ways to manage the printing and publishing of our drawings.

What are the best practices and practical applications of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for water and wastewater? Do you work on transportation or land development projects? Do you work for a local government or a public utility that manages water systems? Join this Infrastructure Symposium session to discuss a better design for water systems. This is a breakout to the Infrastructure Symposium on Monday.

As part of executing an enterprise licensing program with Autodesk, Inc., Arizona Public Service (APS) was looking for a better way to manage over 800 desktop installations of Autodesk products. APS's implementation project included: establishing a Citrix farm on 18 servers across 2 data centers and migrating all desktop users; reducing application support needs for 800 users on multiple product versions spanning 8 years by defining 30 Citrix publications to manage all users on a single version of Autodesk products; incorporating custom palettes and tools within the login process to get away from personally defined palettes; using Active Directory to manage application access for all users; and migrating engineering drawings from desktops, user directories, and unit shares to a redundant network file share. This session will address project challenges, system architecture, lessons learned, and successes.

Many utilities today find themselves with legacy mapping systems that were installed 10 to 15 years ago or more. Those legacy systems have been beneficial in assisting utilities to organize their data and make improvements in their ability to visualize and understand their infrastructures. But strides in technology have helped the tools for managing the data in those legacy systems to become much more user friendly and “out of the box” than systems of the past. AutoCAD Map 3D Enterprise software now includes rich features that can model electric infrastructure with the power of AutoCAD software as the user interface. NV Energy has made the transition and uses AutoCAD Map 3D Enterprise software to map and manage its infrastructure assets more effectively. We will discover the value that you can gain from an enterprise geographic information system (GIS) and hear examples from other utility organizations in a roundtable setting.

A common workflow issue is managing drawings with CAD Standards issues - blocks on the wrong layer, text with the wrong style or size, etc. I could go on and on about all the issues we face with standards in our AutoCAD files. But taking the time to fix these issues can be a daunting process. In this lab, I will walk you through several tools that AutoCAD offers to speed up this process!

You will also learn techniques to make your drawings open faster, have smaller file sizes, and reduce crashing.  This is a crucial part of your day to day workflow!

This class provides an overview of current initiatives in sustainability for infrastructure projects as well as specific features in AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD Map 3D software that can help you reach the specific goals of those initiatives. The class focuses on real civil infrastructure and environmental project scenarios and how to use tools in Civil 3D and Map 3D to infuse innovation into design to meet project sustainability requirements. A focal point will be GIS features that are integrated with design tools.

Geospatial is more than x, y, and z; it is an intelligent way of reusing existing information that is widely available on the open market. This session will help you to discover where to find, discover, and embrace geospatial intelligence and how to maximize the use of the existing geospatial hidden tools, such as a Linear Referencing System (LRS). The class will also teach you how to apply LRS to rails and roads.

Plotting to scale is something that seems to be absent from a lot of the textbooks. And for most of us, template files have already been established, and we gladly go about our business using them. But what happens when you need to set up your own pages to plot correctly? This course will demonstrate three distinctly different methods to plot to scale. The “old school” method of setting drawing limits, changing text sizes and dimension scale factor, and plotting from Model Space might still be used in some cases. The “confusing way,” which establishes a plot scale in the page setup—conflicting with the annotation scale—does work in the end. The “best way,” wherein the page-setup scale is 1:1 and the scaling is done with the viewport, works fantastically with annotative objects and their scale settings. You will learn about setup requirements and the pitfalls for each method. Regardless of the means you decide to use, always design your projects at full scale. This session will feature AutoCAD software.

The City of Vancouver uses both Autodesk® applications and Pitney Bowes Software products extensively for creating and sharing 2D to 3D workflows, districtation, and other GIS, design, and infrastructure tasks. To date, Autodesk products have been used primarily for the design and maintenance of infrastructure and for 3D modeling and visualization, while Pitney Bowes Software MapInfo Professional® has been used for analysis on urban planning projects. With the announcement of the strategic partnership between Autodesk and Pitney Bowes Software, the City is expecting to be able to integrate workflows and information much more easily than ever before. This class will provide an overview of how a range of products are being used together. We will outline specific workflows, focusing on how to take advantage of existing 2D GIS data and to work through the plan, design, build, and manage lifecycle of infrastructure, and to visualize that same data in 3D.

Attendees will learn better base mapping workflows by utilizing the many Autodesk tools available. Create an optimal model of existing conditions for engineering designs and analyses. From survey data collected in the field to LIDAR and other data provided by GIS. Complete the first and most important step in every project by combining the many technologies and data into a defendable and dependable base map. Not only is it important to field collect data properly, the way you store the data can play a huge roll in project management and efficiency. Learn about data shortcuts, the survey database and how to optimize its use for sharing information within your organization. Learn about Autodesk's cloud sharing features that many of us own but aren't aware of.

As CAD managers, we face a variety of challenges when developing, supporting, and coordinating adoption of a company’s CAD standards package. These tasks can include a variety of considerations, such as user acceptance, change management, production impacts (or disruptions), training prerequisites, collaboration techniques, solution architecture, rollout strategies, feedback protocols, and, of course, user pushback. Join the speaker for this roundtable discussion as we explore strategies that have worked (and those that have not) and discuss what you need to know as a CAD manager when “selling” the standard—from the single drawing-production staff member through upper-tier management. This is an opportunity to share your CAD management experiences with others in attendance. Participation is expected.

How common is it that a company's geographic information system (GIS) department has all of this useful data but the civil department never uses it? The answer: it’s common. AutoCAD Civil 3D software comes with the full suite of AutoCAD Map 3D software tools, and it’s high time you learn how to use them. Many of the AutoCAD Map 3D tools are not just for GIS professionals, but also for civil designers and surveyors. AutoCAD Map 3D is the bridge between the GIS world and the CAD / Building Information Modeling (BIM) world, and the gap is getting smaller every day. Reducing design time and lowering costs are just 2 benefits from using GIS data that already exists—and that may exist in the GIS department on the other side of your cube wall. We’ll cover some of the core AutoCAD Map 3D tools, including Map Connect (FDO connection), ODBC, and Object Data linking, as well as fundamental map styling.

This class will examine the methods and benefits obtained in the implementation of a geotechnical Building Information Modeling (BIM) utilizing AutoCAD Civil 3D software and HoleBASE SI for a large transportation project with 118-plus borings within the Seattle area. McMillen Jacobs Associates knew they needed better visualizing methods and improved workflow efficiency when working with geotechnical data than those that the firm's legacy gINT system offered. The firm had a strong desire to utilize the functionality that Autodesk technology offered. The aim was to let this data be easily viewed and exploited in AutoCAD Civil 3D. The class will cover the transition to the AutoCAD Civil 3D / Keynetix solution, why a change was required, the new workflows developed to incorporate both legacy and new data, and the integration between the data management system HoleBASE SI and AutoCAD Civil 3D. We will also discuss any problems encountered in the process, together with the benefits gained and future opportunities the new technology will create.

If you think that your Industry Model application in AutoCAD Map 3D Enterprise software is running slowly and you're tired of looking at the hourglass while you edit data, launch a form, or generate graphics, this class is for you. The AutoCAD Map 3D Enterprise databases grow fast in features count and complexity of relationships. It is not uncommon to see enterprise implementations with complex models (50 to 100 feature classes) and millions of features in each class. Should your application slow down when more data is added? Absolutely not. In this class we will demonstrate and discuss many practical tips and tools that will help you to optimize the system's performance and improve the user experience. We also hope you will share with us your experiences of optimizing the AutoCAD Map 3D Enterprise Industry Model application for small or large databases.

As a working Geospatial/CAD manager on a military installation, it is a juggling act to manage all aspects of the job. The U.S. Air Force 3E5X1 (Engineers) career field’s increasing requirement for Autodesk® training has changed the way we manage our CAD as-built and geospatial enterprise data. This class will cover a combination of how going back to basics streamlined the Nellis Air Force Base business process and limited IT support challenges. We will present an overview of our “how-to” approach in managing construction as-builts, surveying methods, and GIS using AutoCAD® Map 3D® and AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software as well as products from ESRI® and Trimble®.

To work effectively, Civil 3D software requires a myriad of data, including templates, libraries, subassemblies, and more. Now add in a need for users to be mobile. How can someone possibly understand what all this data is, keep it up to date, and enable users to work off-network—all with company standards in place? That’s where this class comes in. We’ll summarize best practices for configuration of all files required to make Civil 3D run like clockwork, including easy tool-palette configuration and flexible AutoCAD profile management. We’ll use scripts to set up a simple file-syncing system between users and the server, enabling them to work off-network with all company standards in place. When users log back in, they’ll automatically get any updates made to the standards. Sound like a dream? It’s not. The speaker has implemented this at many other firms, saving time and money and bringing a new meaning to the phase “CAD Standards.” All you need to do is show up to this class!

Only One. AutoCAD software introduces a whole new suite of toolsets for the AutoCAD user. The AutoCAD Map 3D toolset goes far beyond mapping, but lets AutoCAD drawings be connected and work with data from many different systems. Not only does AutoCAD Map 3D let the user import and export data, but also it can create live connections to geographic information system (GIS) data, asset management systems, system inventories, and other enterprise data systems. It lets the user add attributes to all AutoCAD objects, not just blocks. It includes specialized tools to clean up drawings and label objects directly from object attributes. We will touch on the workflows the traditional AutoCAD user needs in order to take advantage of these tools using real-life examples.

Southern California Edison (SCE) is currently implementing a GIS initiative that integrates several systems into a comprehensive enterprise solution. Data flow within the utility business process is complex, especially with various enterprise systems and solutions from multiple GIS vendors (Autodesk, Ersi, GE Digital Energy) that need to communicate by providing or receiving information from one another. The industry trend has been to endure redundancy of data input and maintenance of multiple copies of the same data across various solution data sets or to force load all data into one system. SCE has selected a different approach. In this roundtable session, we explore the configuration options of AutoCAD® Map 3D Electric software and Oracle® database software implemented as part of a comprehensive GIS that minimizes redundancy and effectively makes multi-vendor GIS integration possible. We share practical tips and lessons learned from this real-life project.