Seeming missing functionality - Me or C3D?

[peterg]

G'day,

I recently had to migrate from LDT2006 to C3D2006.

I would like an overview of where C3D fits into the market place.

I'm a surveyor by trade who works in conjunction with our engineering dept on a regular basis. I draft exist condition plans, do boundary determinations, create surfaces and municipal services plans (x-sections, profiles and alignments).

So I get into C3D and am at a loss. I can't find a lot of functions I used to use on a very regular basis. For example:

- select, right click, hatch edit, design properties and reverse line direction ... gone?
- zoom to point ... gone?
- symbol manager .. gone?
- inquiry internal angles ... gone?
- special lines ... gone?
- point labels are no longer connected to point nodes?
- .p in the command line no longer specifies a point range input.
- point label style edit is wicked cumbersome.
- point update on move, check database
- best fit line?

so is all of this stuff still in there somewhere? I just have to find it. Or is C3D meant for Civil design and not basic drafting as I described above.

I am not liking it, I heard this is meant to replace LDT in 2007 (I heard they are dropping the LDT Companion deployment when C3D2007 comes out). If it is I can not understand why they would change everything about the way they had people used to doing things.

Don't they realize people get more resistant to change as they get older 🙂

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Peter

[Anonymous]

Civil 3D is an EXTREMELY different program. A lot of that functionality is
there, or in a different form.

There are several threads on this subject over the past few weeks- Civil 3D
vs LDT, etc. Check 'em out.

The bottom line:

Civil 3D really requires some basic training before jumping in, at LEAST the
tutorials.
It is not something to go "cold turkey" with


LDT 2007 exists, but it has its problems.

Civil 3D is tons of fun, but save the cold turkey for the day after
thanksgiving 🙂

--
Dana Breig Probert
http://civil3drocks.blogspot.com/
CADapult Ltd
Empowering Design With Innovative Solutions
www.cadapult.net
----------------------------------------------
wrote in message news:5208773@discussion.autodesk.com...
G'day,

I recently had to migrate from LDT2006 to C3D2006.

I would like an overview of where C3D fits into the market place.

I'm a surveyor by trade who works in conjunction with our engineering dept
on a regular basis. I draft exist condition plans, do boundary
determinations, create surfaces and municipal services plans (x-sections,
profiles and alignments).

So I get into C3D and am at a loss. I can't find a lot of functions I used
to use on a very regular basis. For example:

- select, right click, hatch edit, design properties and reverse line
direction ... gone?
- zoom to point ... gone?
- symbol manager .. gone?
- inquiry internal angles ... gone?
- special lines ... gone?
- point labels are no longer connected to point nodes?
- .p in the command line no longer specifies a point range input.
- point label style edit is wicked cumbersome.
- point update on move, check database
- best fit line?

so is all of this stuff still in there somewhere? I just have to find it.
Or is C3D meant for Civil design and not basic drafting as I described
above.

I am not liking it, I heard this is meant to replace LDT in 2007 (I heard
they are dropping the LDT Companion deployment when C3D2007 comes out). If
it is I can not understand why they would change everything about the way
they had people used to doing things.

Don't they realize people get more resistant to change as they get older 🙂

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Peter

[Anonymous]

Stick with DCA. (Just kidding)

On the more serious side, as mentioned by Dana, C3D is a whole different
world. Much better for some, much worse for others (at this point). If you
go into it not wanting to change what you do and how you do it, you're in
trouble.

If they're shoving this down your throat without any training, you're in
even more trouble. Tell them 'we' said to get you training. 😉

This group is a great resource for help, if you have to continue with
Civil3D sans training.

wrote in message news:5208773@discussion.autodesk.com...

Don't they realize people get more resistant to change as they get older 🙂

[jmodglin]

Training is necessary but to answer some of your function questions:

2. - Zoom to point is available in your prospector tab in your toolspace palette. If you open your toolspace tab (Get used to this palette. It is one of the keys to getting comfortable with C3D) and pick on the point group the point belongs to the point list will fill the bottom half of the prospector tab. Right click on the point and select zoom to.

3. - Yep. Symbol manager is not in C3D. Rather tool palettes that have quite a few symbols but not near the selection that Symbol Manager had. The consensus early on was that we (the user) wanted them to focus on functions not symbols.

5. - Special lines are not in C3D. See above

6. - ??

7. - Look into the Civil3D Transparent commands such as 'PN.

8. - I think with practice you will see the opposite. As has been said many times, the grasping of styles (or lack thereof) will make or break you with regard to C3D.

9. - Points are just like lines and circles now. The information is not stored in a separate database that you have check your graphic information against. Everything is stored in the drawing. You move the point, the database is updated.

10. - See C3D 2007 for survey specific tools

Josh

[Anonymous]

jmodglin wrote:
> Training is necessary but to answer some of your function questions:

Indeed. I consider it mandatory, but people say I'm selling it 😉

> 3. - Yep. Symbol manager is not in C3D. Rather tool palettes that
> have quite a few symbols but not near the selection that Symbol
> Manager had. The consensus early on was that we (the user) wanted
> them to focus on functions not symbols.

http://beneaththelines.blogspot.com/2006/03/whered-my-symbol-manager-go.html#links
(in case you're wondering how to do it easily)


> 6. - ??

They are and they're not...it's fun to explain. Training addresses
these issues.


> 8. - I think with practice you will see the opposite. As has been
> said many times, the grasping of styles (or lack thereof) will make
> or break you with regard to C3D.

Here's an idea - hire a reseller (or consultant) to create these for you.

--
Jason Hickey
Civil 3D 2007 SP1
Dell Inspiron 9100
3.0 gHz, 2 GIG RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB)
Windows XP Pro SP2

http://beneaththelines.blogspot.com

[Anonymous]

Peter:

I will relate a couple of things.

As a engineer and a surveyor, I can see some of the problems that you may
encounter.

1. You will probably want to move (dragging) some points occasionally.
Open Toolspace and select the Settings tab. (Prospector is the other
tab.)
Rt. click "POINT"
"Edit Feature Settings . . " click the first "blue" down arrow. (This
is helpful to open all the information up.)
Scroll down to Update Points and select "True".

2. If you are using an existing LDD drawing with points, you may need to run
"ConvertLDTPoints". You may have to GOOGLE for this.
(or email me for the info.)


Bill

[peterg]

Wow,

sweet bunch of tips. that's puts things in perspective a bit better.

So what is your opnion on wether LDT will exist in the future or not? are they going to drop it and make us all go with Civil 3D?
Thanks,
Pete

[Anonymous]

peterng wrote:

> So what is your opnion on wether LDT will exist in the future or not?
> are they going to drop it and make us all go with Civil 3D? Thanks,

LDT will cease to exist in the future. It's been said. What hasn't
been said is what that particular "drop dead" date is.

--
Jason Hickey
Civil 3D 2007 SP1
Dell Inspiron 9100
3.0 gHz, 2 GIG RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB)
Windows XP Pro SP2

http://beneaththelines.blogspot.com

[Anonymous]

Probably will replace LDT, however, I do not think as quickly as they
thought. I was "scorned" and "brow beaten" two years ago when I said it
would be 2 years before it would be prime time. I now think that I was an
optimist. Little by little new processes are introduced after much ranting.

Don't ask me why I have been on the "3D wagon train" since it all started, I
guess I just like being on the edge. The best thing of all of this is the
guys that I have met and have occasion to work out my problems with are
really nice guys. Many a time I would have thrown "me" off the train if I
had been in their shoes.

Bill

wrote in message news:5209527@discussion.autodesk.com...
Wow,

sweet bunch of tips. that's puts things in perspective a bit better.

So what is your opnion on wether LDT will exist in the future or not? are
they going to drop it and make us all go with Civil 3D?
Thanks,
Pete

[Anonymous]

>>Don't ask me why I have been on the "3D wagon train" since it all started, I
guess I just like being on the edge. The best thing of all of this is the
guys that I have met and have occasion to work out my problems with are
really nice guys. Many a time I would have thrown "me" off the train if I
had been in their shoes.<<

I couldn't agree with you more, Bill.
Sometimes the frustration level just gets to the boiling point.
Not enough can be said on behalf of the developement team for taking the time and energy to deal directly with the install base, resolving issues.

John P.

[Anonymous]

And I'll second, third, fourth and seventh those sentiments about the development team and then drop in a note about all the
Jameses(eseses), Nicks, Danas, Lauries, Jasons... oh, the list goes on... and on...

Still, GET TRAINING! Preferably from one of the Jameseses, Nicks, Lauries.........

Trevor