Switching to Civil 3d

[LeahS1]

Hi,
We have not so recently brought Civil 3d into the office. I have been spending time going through it, learning, creating styles, etc. So far I have surfaces set up, alignments, profiles, and assemblies. I have even started our first real project on it. Also I have created a step by step manual for everyone.
My question is how far I should take things before getting everyone else started on it. We want to get into parcels and pipes. We didn't use them at all in Land, but figure it is time to start. I have not even looked at those sections of the program yet. What is currently set up takes us further and faster than what we were doing in Land. Boss is starting to push. I am starting to agree to the idea of getting everyone started now with what we have, and then once they are comfortable, then start introducing new things like pipes and parcels. Is this a reasonable idea or am I letting myself get brainwashed?
How have others made the switch?
(small office, 10 ppl will be using it)
Thanks

[Anonymous]

Start the office now, introduce new features as you learn them. If the
process is faster than LDT, don't wait 🙂

That is how we jumped from LDT2005 to C3D2008 last July. We trained on the
features that we needed immediately and then added on once folks got
comfortable in the new C3D environment. We are likely going to start using
pipes extensively with the 2009 release.

42 C3D2008 seats, trained about 60 people companywide. If you are on
subscription or attended AU2007 I have a class posted on making the leap to
C3D and Vault.

http://au.autodesk.com/download/4184/CV310-1.pdf

Mark Evinger

wrote in message news:5891294@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hi,
We have not so recently brought Civil 3d into the office. I have been
spending time going through it, learning, creating styles, etc. So far I
have surfaces set up, alignments, profiles, and assemblies. I have even
started our first real project on it. Also I have created a step by step
manual for everyone.
My question is how far I should take things before getting everyone else
started on it. We want to get into parcels and pipes. We didn't use them
at all in Land, but figure it is time to start. I have not even looked at
those sections of the program yet. What is currently set up takes us
further and faster than what we were doing in Land. Boss is starting to
push. I am starting to agree to the idea of getting everyone started now
with what we have, and then once they are comfortable, then start
introducing new things like pipes and parcels. Is this a reasonable idea or
am I letting myself get brainwashed?
How have others made the switch?
(small office, 10 ppl will be using it)
Thanks

[Anonymous]

I'd make sure you can produce your product before jumping.
I've seen several placed work out how they will model things, but not how they will use the model to label.
Will the C3D styles even do what you need?
If not, custom macros needed...
So you might be able to model faster in C3D, just be sure you don't have to dump alignments back to LDT for labeling,
thus introducing a non-linked situation between the callouts and the model.

I can say that for my users, its about 1 hour between when they ask how to make an alignment, and when they ask how they
can use it to label in their plan sheets/exhibits. You have to have that answer ready. Sky's the limit after that.

lsimms <>
|>Hi,
|>We have not so recently brought Civil 3d into the office. I have been spending time going through it, learning, creating styles, etc. So far I have surfaces set up, alignments, profiles, and assemblies. I have even started our first real project on it. Also I have created a step by step manual for everyone.
|>My question is how far I should take things before getting everyone else started on it. We want to get into parcels and pipes. We didn't use them at all in Land, but figure it is time to start. I have not even looked at those sections of the program yet. What is currently set up takes us further and faster than what we were doing in Land. Boss is starting to push. I am starting to agree to the idea of getting everyone started now with what we have, and then once they are comfortable, then start introducing new things like pipes and parcels. Is this a reasonable idea or am I letting myself get brainwashed?
|>How have others made the switch?
|>(small office, 10 ppl will be using it)
|>Thanks
James Maeding
Civil Engineer and Programmer
jmaeding - at - hunsaker - dotcom

[LeahS1]

I have been working at setting up all styles. Took 3 1/2 days to figure out how to get the labels for the alignment the way we want them. My "dummy" project turned out well for labels and appearance. I didn't want to even try a "real" project until the dummy one was ok.
The users here only ask me to fix things after they have messed them up. Badly. I have already had a chat with the boss and told him he really needs to stand behind the proceedures set out and enforce them. After telling him how much time I spend fixing things in LDT because ppl don't follow the proceedures and I will no longer be capable of fixing anything once we switch, he agreed to talk to those that are the regular ..... hmmm.
Before having others jump in, the expode command and the promote data shortcuts have to be disabled. I only trust 1 other person with those commands. (ppl here seem to explode everything)
Well, I guess its now or never.
Thanks for the replies

[Anonymous]

sounds to me like you are jumping from the pan into the fire.
If you have users that explode important things and they are not held responsible, look out!
At my firm, those kind of people get harrassed by the lead engineers that know what a pain duplicate/non-xref data is.
I'd be real careful to explain to everyone how important it is they not duplicate objects or explode.
When you tell everyone "the data is all tied together now, there is no chance of the graphics not reflecting the current
design" like I will here, that will cause people to do less checking (the goal we want in fact), and bad errors will
happen.
That's why I say to think through the data structure, you don't want to have to rearrange things downstream.

lsimms <>
|>I have been working at setting up all styles. Took 3 1/2 days to figure out how to get the labels for the alignment the way we want them. My "dummy" project turned out well for labels and appearance. I didn't want to even try a "real" project until the dummy one was ok.
|>The users here only ask me to fix things after they have messed them up. Badly. I have already had a chat with the boss and told him he really needs to stand behind the proceedures set out and enforce them. After telling him how much time I spend fixing things in LDT because ppl don't follow the proceedures and I will no longer be capable of fixing anything once we switch, he agreed to talk to those that are the regular ..... hmmm.
|>Before having others jump in, the expode command and the promote data shortcuts have to be disabled. I only trust 1 other person with those commands. (ppl here seem to explode everything)
|>Well, I guess its now or never.
|>Thanks for the replies
James Maeding
Civil Engineer and Programmer
jmaeding - at - hunsaker - dotcom

[LeahS1]

This is going to be more than just a fire. I am doing the best I can to minimize the damage.
My plan is to have a topo drawing with the original ground surface in it. The surface will be a data shortcut into the full plan drawing, as well as the profile drawings. (we usually only have 1 or 2 profiles per drawing to allow multiple people to work on the drawings. I don't have to be told about multiple ppl in drawings and the problems that can create)
The alignments will be done in the profile drawings, as well as the corridors. again, these will be data shortcuts into the full plan drawing where we will be doing the grading design.
I figure if I keep the data separate, they can only mess up so much at any given time.
If I can figure out how to disable the promote data shortcuts command, the data bases will be as protected as I can make them.
I think I have a lisp for disabling the explode command. That should help.
Management will get after those users that are causing issues. (So I have been told) We are making the switch, so I am going to have to work with it. When there are problems, they will end up on my desk to fix. I have no choice but to figure out how to fix it in the least possible amount of time. For the start of it I am sure it will be going back to LDT. I don't know C3d enough for any type of trouble shooting, or work arounds.
I'll need all the luck I can get.

[Anonymous]

Talk with your reseller some. They should know what you do, and be able
to provide at least some cursory guidance on making the transition. If
nothing else, they should be able to work with you to prepare and
deliver some training for your team.
--
James Wedding, P.E.
Engineered Efficiency, Inc.
The Site: www.eng-eff.com
The Blog: www.civil3d.com
The Book: www.masteringcivil3d.com
C3D SP2 Mac Book Pro, XP SP2, 3GB

[LeahS1]

You would be right if.....
I am sure there are many really good resellers out there. We don't happen to have a good one. This person doesn't understand what we do, or how we need to do it, and can't even answer basic questions. We are on our own.
There are 2 of us training ourselves. I am doing the engineering end of it, and the other is doing to survey end. We bounce ideas off each other, try different things, and come up with solutions. Our reseller thought we could all just jump in and worry about styles as we went along. (hey.....lets have everyone start creating styles...we could advertise "no 2 drawings alike")

[Anonymous]

Check out Eagles Points Solution for C3D, Process Navigator. Just Google.
I believe that you can download one seat for free at the moment. I am in
the same boat as you, as are ALOT of other people. We are getting ready for
some training on C3D together with EP solution. Process Navigator is kinda
like having a training manual open, helping you step by step with C3d. Also
is customizable to make users follow your instructions. About $800 a seat.
HTH
www.eaglepoint.com/c3d
--
Larry

wrote in message news:5893184@discussion.autodesk.com...
You would be right if.....
I am sure there are many really good resellers out there. We don't happen
to have a good one. This person doesn't understand what we do, or how we
need to do it, and can't even answer basic questions. We are on our own.
There are 2 of us training ourselves. I am doing the engineering end of it,
and the other is doing to survey end. We bounce ideas off each other, try
different things, and come up with solutions. Our reseller thought we could
all just jump in and worry about styles as we went along. (hey.....lets
have everyone start creating styles...we could advertise "no 2 drawings
alike")

[Anonymous]

Drop me a line offline? james.wedding@ any domain below.

--
James Wedding, P.E.
Engineered Efficiency, Inc.
The Site: www.eng-eff.com
The Blog: www.civil3d.com
The Book: www.masteringcivil3d.com
C3D SP2 Mac Book Pro, XP SP2, 3GB

[Anonymous]

But whose going to organize the organizer?
Think about it, if you have to input the detail level required to keep a user on track, that is a huge task.
You have to address design, Cad, politics of a given job...
I think the EP stuff is better for documenting milestone type activities, it will not tell you how to design though, or
how to use C3D data in a specific situation.

larry
|>Check out Eagles Points Solution for C3D, Process Navigator. Just Google.
|>I believe that you can download one seat for free at the moment. I am in
|>the same boat as you, as are ALOT of other people. We are getting ready for
|>some training on C3D together with EP solution. Process Navigator is kinda
|>like having a training manual open, helping you step by step with C3d. Also
|>is customizable to make users follow your instructions. About $800 a seat.
|>HTH
|>www.eaglepoint.com/c3d
James Maeding
Civil Engineer and Programmer
jmaeding - at - hunsaker - dotcom