I see quite a few posts on the boards about importing HEC-RAS SDF files into Civil 3D.
But how about the other direction where you have river centerline geometry in real world coordinates in AutoCAD and you want to import that into the HEC-RAS modeling program, maintaining the correct coordinate geometry.
Does that capability exist?
Some willl recall that AutoDesk Mapguide used "SDF" files as its native file format and some modelers here have been trying to Export from Civil 3D to SDF, then import that to HEC-RAS (with no results). Can anyone confirm that the HEC-RAS SDF files are a completely different format than the MapGuide SDF files?
We currently use Civil 3D 2011 and I understand there are some additional capabilities starting in Civil3D 2013.
Thanks for any thoughts.
I believe that the River Analysis Extension is only available for the "Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate 2014".
As shown here:
http://www.autodesk.com/suites/infrastructure-design-suite/included-software
Bill
Windows 7 x 64 Professional
Nvidia GeForce 9800 & 8500
12 GB Ram
i7 965 @ 3.20 GHz
Corsair Force 240 GB SSD
Infrastructure Suite 2014
Thanks for the quick response Bill. So if you don't have the "Ultimate" Design Suite, maybe you can't get that extension anyway. I'll chech through our reseller.
It is Ultimate, too, they are not kidding. $12,075 per seat.
Have you used the River Analysis at all, Bill?
You can use the Civil 3D HEC-RAS Import/Export extension in 2011 to lay out your reaches (alignments), sample lines (cross sections) on a TIN surface, and then create (and export) a ".geo" file that you can import through the RAS geometry editor. I cannot quite remember if the extension is available directly in 2011 version or you have to download it from the subscription center (for subscription customers) and install it.
When using that extension, there are certain rules of thumb like laying out alignments downstream to upstream, inverting reaches and cross sections in RAS etc. that you can find more about by browsing some earlier posts here on that topic.
I have used the extension in the recent past for a few projects but without using the SDF format for import/export; perhaps someone else can shed more light on that for you. The "geo" extension has always worked decently well in my case.
good luck!
To update this.
I tried this function this morning. The help instructions are awful.
It is important that the alignment be drawn from downstream to upstream.
I used a few 90 degree from CL stations, though I would probably have used the draw individual poly line function for sections as rivers bend.
Once in HEC-RAS, you need to use the geometry modification tool to reverse the directions of the cross sections. Standard roadway defalut has the sections looking up the road. You need to reverse this in HEC-RAS to look down the stream.
When I imported the GIS file in HEC-RAS, it gave me a warning message that the file couldn't be geo-referenced. I have no idea why not.
The HEC-RAS file was unstable and didn't want to accept typing in the left and right bank stations unless they were edited in the geographic editor.
I googled Civil 3d HEC-RAS and found an excellent You-Tube tutorial video by a Texas engineer. I think they wanted to sell their little program that automatically reversed the cross section data.
As my model didn't georeference, I am not going to try the 3rd video method of importing the flood plain from HEC-RAS to Civil 3d.
Glad to see the post is still alive. Doesn't appear anyone having much success.
Since AutoDesk allows 3 back license versions available for use, we are about to lose use of our 2011 AutoCad products. So, I didn't try to see how far that extension would get us.
US Army Corps of Engineers also has available for download a product that works with ESRI ArcGIS, through v10.1 called HEC-GeoRAS which supposedly builds the same interoperabiliity with the modeling programs. I downloaded it today. If anyone has in interest, send me a note, I will forward the link or you can likely find it with a search for HEC-GeoRAS.
Thanks for everyone's comments.
I have been trying to export basic alignment and sample lines to a HEC-RAS .geo file, but the export routine does not pick up all the information.
It seems to be getting values of zero for the centerline reach.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Michael