Capital Improvement Projects Re-visited

I alluded to this in a previous post, but Civil 3D does an amazing job of helping you visualize your projects, especially Capital Improvement Projects.

Notice the section below, it’s a Civil 3D section view showing a couple interesting things. First, notice how Civil 3D has automatically labeled the top of curb based upon a label style I’ve used in my curb subassembly. Second, notice how I’ve used the OverlayParabolic subassembly to digitally repave the road while holding the existing elevations at the edge of pavement (could have very easily been the existing top of curb). Also notice how the parabolic crown has matched into existing conditions at the edge of pavement, although the elevations at the gutter vary at each side of the road.

Once you build a Corridor and sample cross sections, the first thing that will amaze you is how simple it is to begin to explore different design scenarios. Notice how I’ve added the BasicCurb subassembly as part of my Corridor Assembly to begin to study the effects of adding a retaining wall to the design. By now you know Civil 3D is all about dynamic relationships, and creating label styles can definitely be tedious, but here’s the payoff: You’ll find yourself studying more complex design scenarios knowing Civil 3D, for the most part, is completing the ‘drafting’ for you. I’m not trying to sell the product, chances are you already have it – I’m just tired of hearing it isn’t ready yet. It’s ready if you can leave the Land Desktop world behind and begin to think in new ways.

Notice how I’ve orbited my design in the figure above to study the effects of adding the retaining wall (okay, so it isn’t pretty – if only I would have changed the rendering materials I used…). The kicker is, now the alignments and profiles can be modified, and with a right click the corridor model (and section views) will rebuild, and re-label!

Don’t get caught up in the “Civil 3D isn’t ready” argument. Try a rehab job in Land Desktop and Civil Design, heck, try it in any software on the market – and at the end of the project, change a profile, move an alignment, add a retaining wall – and then change your mind – remove the wall. Seriously, isn’t that how the real world works anyway?

I think too often people are focusing on the things in Land Desktop that are missing from Civil 3D, but the reality is, Land & Civil will disappear someday – thanks so much Mr. Arnold. Your software has served us all so well, for so very long, but it’s time to move on. So get past the labels styles, start to dig your heels into Civil 3D, and you’ll find that for each thing you think is missing, there a 100 things you’ll love.

How was CT Brannon in Tyler, TX able to find success implementing Civil 3D? They had never used Land Desktop, and they had no preconceived ideas of what land development software should do.