AutoCAD Civil 3D

[#1]

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JoshNelson wrote:

Regarding the $30-$40k - to have terrain data and imagery generated for a project could cost you anywhere from $15k for a real small site to a couple $100k if you hired someone to get that data for you. So it's hard for me to see people complaining about a free service.

Josh

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Several points...  Google Earth Pro is NOT free.  Also, the data provided is of dubious value...  The aerial imagery is often several years out-of-date, and the topo info is not trustworthy at all, except for a "rough guide".

The $15-100K estimate for a small site also sounds dubious to me...  A REAL topo of a small site would NEVER run you that much.  And although due to FAA regulations in the US, we apparently can't use some of the RC airplane aerial photo solutions that other countries use (a complete boondoggle, in my opinion, since those things are maybe 30' long and fly only a couple hundred feet up, with no danger at all to commercial air traffic).  So I suppose I can see how getting current aerial photography can run you lots of money.

But the aerial photos provided by Google are NOT created by Google.  You can offten see the exact same images for-free in many local government and municipality websites, and get the same terrain data from NGS.  So what's the deal...?  Something smells fishy.

[#2]

I think we're on to something.

[#3]

One potential option may be to use a third party product from Plex.Earth - not sure if it works in 2013, but it is a 3rd party add-on and might. I actually prefer it over the standard AutoDesk supplied toolset.

Regarding payment for information - My client recently had a satellite flyover in an area where the current GE data was very poor. We used a vendor that brokered the data through Google's satellite. Lo and behold, a few months later the area in question on GE was updated with a high res photo. A nod to my client for updating the GE dataset... perhaps they should get some royalty for paying for the flyover?

[#4]

The issue with google restricting their API is not just limited to Autodesk, I'd ask for solid contract with Plex.Earth before handing over any money.

For me this is a huge loss as prelim design was made so easy especially in terms of roughly geolocating drawing files by integration with GE. The loss of VBA, Kml provider and now GE import; yearly releases are slower and less functional as time goes by.

Also considering the limited amount of interoperability with autodesk formats for other programs it is not shock that google aren't playing ball.

Can't wait till google bring out a civil design program based on the sketchup engine. 

[#5]

Can't wait till google bring out a civil design program based on the sketchup engine. 

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Something along those lines might happen since Trimble bought Sketchup from Google

[#6]

Trimble, that is interesting. The stetchup engine must be quite efficient given the speed of rendering also I wonder if this plays into the need for GPS companies to embrace new handheld devices. Or just a change for trimble to move into city modelling software with laser scanning maybe.

Ultimately though it does mean that a design tool will not emerge.

[#7]

For those in the United States, here's an alternative to using Google Earth to bring free surface and image data into Civil 3D: http://civil3dplus.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/alternative-to-importing-google-earth-in-civil-3d/

[#8]

 In this case, you’re paying with time.

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I would pay with time, up to eternity, Brian, but...

An imagery from GE is drapable on the surface, whereas with your Seamless ones you gotta fight with material mapping...

[#9]

See project BaseJump on Autodesk Labs.
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Civil-3D/Project-Basejump-for-AutoCAD-Civil-3D-Now-Available-o...

[#10]

Project Basejump just gives me an error -- 'There was a problem adding data to Map.'

Working in UTM-17S.