Civil 3D Ideas

fcernst · ‎05-05-2015

Problem: It's tiresome having to turn on and off Triangles when we want to Edit the surface. Solution: When initiating an Edit Surface command, have the Triangles become visible to the User... Then have the Triangles become invisible when exiting the command.

autoMick · ‎06-05-2015

"Not Responding" in task manager is a poor substitute for a status bar on long operations. So many times, I've killed the processes (probably unnecessarily) in frustration as there is no indication within the program as to whether Civil3D is actually doing anything. See http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-general/how-do-you-know-when-civil3d-is-completely-dead/td-p/5622313. Even background tasks such as point cloud processing could benefit from some rudimentary status/progress bar, but most of all we need some indication that it's "worth hanging in there". - Mick

AllenJessup · ‎06-10-2015

This had been discussed so long that the original post aren't even archived. We need the ability to offset a surface. Landfill caps and certain types of excavation or fill need to be calculated this way. I WAS doing this in AutoCAD back in the 90's using a program called QuickSurf. Fifteen years ago I tried to write a lisp to do this using the NOR function in the Geometry Calculator. But, not being a programmer, I never finished it. So I believe this it doable but I don't know how much work it would take. Allen

Cadguru42 · ‎06-16-2015

We need the ability to change the glyph size on feature lines. It's currently some arbitrary size that's too small and is relative to screen size. When the feature line is selected the base AutoCAD grips show up, covering up the feature line glyph. This makes it extremely frustrating to see what point you're working on. You can barely see the glyph over the second node of the feature line due to the AutoCAD grip. The grip size can be shrunk down, but then it makes it much harder to see the grips. The best solution would be to allow feature line glyphs to be sized base on user settings. At a minimum at least increase the glyph size to something that is larger than the AutoCAD grips.

michal.holda. · ‎04-13-2022

Would it be possible to add feature in Civil 3D that will allow users to generate top/bottom surface from 3D solid?

fcernst · ‎10-24-2019

Make Waterdrop paths dynamic to the surface, so we only have to pick the start point of interest once, and the path will update as we design and build the proposed surface.

ukdxb012 · ‎02-12-2016

We would like to avoid the need to individually add contour labels or draw multiple polylines to create contour labels at intervals. The process is messy, not neat and we end up with overlapping contour labels. What we would like is the ability to select a surface and add contours based on Civil 3D labels at intervals/spacings. No more point, click, point click. We are aware that there is a tool to do this (https://apps.autodesk.com/CIV3D/en/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com%3aaddlabelstocontours1421071587_windows64%3aen) but we would like this as standard functionality in Civil 3D. Regards, Duncan

troma · ‎04-09-2015

We should be able to change the settings that were used when data was added to the surface. Should be able to switch a surface boundary from 'hide' to 'show'. Switch it from 'Destructive' to 'Non-Destructive'. Should be able to switch a breakline from 'Proximity' to 'Standard' or 'Non-Destructive. Change the breakline weeding/supplementing/mid-ordinate values. I don't see any value in having to delete objects from the definition and add them again just to change these settings.

ChrisRS · ‎09-06-2017

Suggestion: Make PKT files for stock assemblies available to users. Discussion: Creating subassemblies using Subassembly Composer (SAC) is time consuming. It would be more efficient if a stock subassembly could be used as a starting point. This would allow for customization and be educational in seeing how a specific subassembly was developed. I am aware that some sample PKT files have been provided. In general these are not good example of using point and link codes. I understand that at least some of the stock subassemblies were not created using SAC. At least provide PKT files fro subassemblies that are compatible. I would hope that any new development is being done using SAC. (Autodesk - Can this be verified?) As for stock subassemblies that are compatible with SAC, I suggest that Autodesk at least consider creating and making available SAC versions. I know that this will require effort from Autodesk, but the alternative is requiring the same effort over and over by each user that needs to modify the stock subassembly.

Anonymous · ‎05-13-2015

I have an idea. I would like to be able to Data Sync / Reference specificly named feature lines. My thought is to try to elminate all the redundant line work bewteen 2D drawings and 3D Model / Drawings. What I would like to try to do is say I get a 2D Building Footprint from an architect. I would like to make an outline of his building footprint in my base site improvement.dwg. Lets say I decide to drawing the face of curb and edge of pavement for my parking lot. It would be cool to create feature lines out of these objects. Reference them into a grading surface base file to assign elevations to them. Same with the property line, convert that to a feature line and refence it into the grading surface base file. That was I can generate a match existing line from the property line, then with the building footprint I can assign a Finish Floor Elevation, Add those feature lines to a surface as break lines. My surface is now done. The above would be the basic setup. As I need revisions or move stuff. The surface would automatically be updated with the revisions I make in the site improvement base.dwg. If I add a vertx on the building footprint, it would sync over to the surface. And if I can take it a step further, It would be nice to add a feature line Label that will label only the vertexs of the feature line. As a new vertex is created a new label would popup. (Maybe give the label different styles (Top of Curb and Bottom of Curb / Single Spot Shot Elevation / None). Hopefully this makes alittle sense.

autoMick · ‎05-19-2015

I still mix them up. Instead of going through the whole process of creating a volume surface again, it would be nice just to be able to swap the base/comparison surfaces. - Mick

autoMick · ‎08-10-2016

If a surface (or any other feature I'm guessing) from a drawing with one map coordinate system is shared as a data reference and then linked from a drawing in another coordinate system, there is no coordinate system conversion and the shared feature will not be in the correct location. Please provide the ability for shared drawing objects to carry their coordinate system information and allow for the appropriate conversion when creating a data referencein a different drawing. Thanks - Mick

sirjoelsph · ‎12-16-2016

Expand the functionality and total number of surface masks. Right now we can create as many Outside masks as we want, but we are limited to a single Inside mask. Plus, if you have an inside mask, you cannot add an outside mask, and vice versa. Please give us the ability to do multiple Inside and Outside masks with no limitations. -JOEL

Anonymous · ‎01-28-2016

Be able to trim triangles on the edge of the surface which have no inner angle greater then 90gr and the opposite edge not being part the surface boundary or a surface breakline. I created a little tool using .net to do so, but more as a prove of concept. Hence, I like it to be a setting in the surface definition tab.

sebastien.gagnon · ‎10-03-2017

Title says all. Once a volume has been created, it would be great to be able to change the base and volume surfaces. It would save time! This is similar to another thread about swapping surfaces, but with more flexibility.

pieter_haeck · ‎04-21-2022

Lots of users struggle to import GeoTiff files, mostly coming from 3rd party Drone image processing software (both DEM and/or Aerial images). In lots of cases, they get the error ‘unable to read file’. Of course GeoTIFF files exist in different formats/versions (tiled or not, Different compression like Packbits, LZW,…). Apparently, there is a variant on this format: the so called 'BigTiff' file. Standard TIFF uses the file format version 42 in the header, but for the need for bigger images (breaking the 4GB boundary) a new format was needed, the so called BigTiff file format. And this uses the file format version 43 in the header. It's this type of (Geo)Tiff that is not supported by Civil 3D. Users have to follow a workaround to convert these files with free (!!!) OpenSource software. Moreover, other Autodesk software (Infraworks) can read the files without any problem. So, Autodesk has the tech! It would be great that this tech would also be implemented in other (related) software like Civil 3D. Several Support Cases starting from few years ago were created to bring this under the attention, but sadly even now - after a few support cases from several years ago - in version 2023, these files still aren't supported. Hopefully in a near future update? ‌

autoMick · ‎09-04-2016

There's a few ideas already that show the frustration with Data References and Shortcuts, Working Folders and the like. This idea http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-ideas/data-shortcut-folder-creation/idi-p/5873496 is probably the closest, but still not what I want. I want to be able to reference ANY surface, featureline, corridor, profile, parcel, etc. from ANY drawing as simply as I would XREF a drawing. The workflow I would like to see is: DataRef command Pick the host drawing See the list of referenceable items contained there in (i.e. any named C3d objects) Set options for absolute/relative file path Set option for dynamic or static link Allow option to convert coordinate system if required http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-ideas/account-for-coordinate-system-differences-when-data-referencing/idi-p/6493223 Any links in a drawing should be displayed just like XREF manager. Note that nowhere in this workflow is there a requirement to create/find/remember/set working folders or shortcuts. Thanks - Mick

Joe-Bouza · ‎09-12-2015

Put out quarterly updates that include ideas and fixes so we know we are being listens to. We all have heard the grumbling that no one is paying attention to civil3d and all resources are devoted to the cloud et al / infraworks. Prove to us that you are listening: catch up on known defects and publish new ideas. There are plenty of code writers in the community that can pick up some slack (forgive me if I speak out of turn). Utilize your users for ideas and code if that helps. But most of all GIVE US A SIGN.

Anonymous · ‎10-02-2019

Currently when combining surfaces, the only option we have is pasting one on top of the other. I would like the ability to be able to combine surfaces in other ways, such as keeping the highest portion of each surface, or the lowest. The ability to trim one surface to another would also be very useful. Currently we have to compare them with a volume TIN, identify the zero contours, extract them as featurelines or polylines, and then use them as boundaries. This though is time consuming and is not dynamic.

CivilFlow · ‎04-19-2019

Hello, I would like an option in the Volume Dashboard interface to switch out either one or both of the surfaces specified in the Volume Surface Definition. Something like what is crudely shown below would expand the usefulness of the Volumes Dashboard and would streamline the evaluation of iterative grading design scenarios. Currently, we have to create a new volume surface each time we want to swap a surface, which seems unnecessary since most surface labels can be toggled to different surfaces after creation. I should note that I'm aware of the REPORTSURFACEVOLUME command that has this kind of functionality. However, that particular option does not create an actual volume surface. Thanks for your time.

Community

Edit Surface - Triangles ON

Progress status bar for long operations - I'm sick of "not responding"

Offset normal to Surface

Feature Line Glyph Size

Generating surfaces from 3D solids in Civil 3D.

Waterdrop - Make it Dynamic

Add contour labels to surface

Change the properties of surface definition objects

Make "PKT" files for stock subassemblies available to users.

Data Shortcut - Sync - Reference - Feature Lines

Allow base and comparison surfaces to be swapped for volume surfaces

Account for coordinate system differences when data referencing

Multiple Surface Masks

A better way to trim a triangulation

Change base and comparison surfaces for already created volume surface

Support of BigTiff files in Civil 3D

Do away with Data Shortcuts - just reference drawing elements directly.

Communication

Options when combining Surfaces

Ability to update a Volume Surface's definition via Dashboard

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