Autodesk InfraWorks

[#1]

To help me understand what is happening, are you trying to import linework that defines the outline of a parking lot?

[#2]

Yessir, that is correct.  I have tried the IMX, AutoCAD DWG and the SHP option.

[#3]

The reason you are forced to specify what type of entity to configure the dwg as is because it needs to know what kind of style to apply.  To get a parking lot, just import the outlne as a dwg, config as a coverage area and apply some asphalt like style.  Without looking at your specific data, I cannot say why it isn't working for you.  I have done this hundreds of times and have no problem getting it to work, using the guidelines I mentioned earlier.  IMX is not meant to work for this scenario - it will only transfer surface, alignment/road, and pipe data.

[#4]

That is what I did for the parking lot, but I have the islands as you can see in the picture I attached in a previous reply.  Anyway, if you look at the picture you will see that I used the Pipes type and it actually looks kind of like a curb.

[#5]

This may seem trivial but I was having the same error message ("no valid data source") when trying to import dwg files into my model until I closed the file I was trying to import.

Further to this though, I want to show pure linework on the surface (draped) to show property boundaries without converting it to a road or a pipe etc, can this be done?

Regarding the autosave function can you turn this off and enable manual save?

I have previously imported large amount of satelite data into my model which corrupted the entire model and due to autosave the model was then unusable so I basically have to start from scratch!! Please give the user the option of autosave if they want and let the user save as they see fit.

Overall, Infraworks and Infrastructure modeller are very glitchy and unstable. I find it hilarious that even the Autodesk video presentations and webinars have problems and glitches within the very small and simple files they are demonstrating with. How are we supposed to use this stuff for real world projects if Autodesk cant even get a simple model working in the classroom...?

Disappointing.

[#6]

While I am having some issues with stability, I think this "work-in-progress" software definitely has promise. Whether it is ready for primetime? I will withhold judgement for now. I need more hours with it.

Todd, for making your curbs, could you have imported the polylines (through SHP, I guess) as roads and then have applied a road style that models a curb? Wouldn't that let you model the curbs to exact designs instead of using look-alikes?

Tim

[#7]

I never thought about that Tim.  Thanks.  What I did this morning to play around with this, is, I copied a style and deleted all the entities on it except for the curb.  I'm going to test it to see if it works for me.  I'll keep you posted.

[#8]

I'd rather make curbs part of the surface, or 3d model them in acad using 3d pline for top of curb, and a curb section for sweep command.

Note that 2014 fixed the issue where 3d solids in an fbx do not come in at right spot. Now you can simply 3d model in acad, export to fbx, and pull into aim using "local origin" like we have always wanted.