Yes, I know Ceremonious 3D 2012 is coming out presently and yeah, I'll probably post nearly the tools that I think volition be the near beneficial (I'll allow everyone else postal service the "Hey! Civil 3D 2012 is coming out!" posts) only sometimes things skid through the cracks and you observe out there are cool new things available for what y'all already have.

Now, my question is; How did I miss this? Did this just come out? I did a search online and I tin just find 1 reference to this exterior of the Autodesk website so I'm assuming this is something actually new (delight right me if I'grand wrong). I probably missed it because of all of the focus on the announcements of the new AutoCAD Ceremonious 3D 2012 that will be coming out presently.

1 of the fine folks I follow on Twitter merely posted a link to the Transportation Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011. I had never heard of such a thing so I went investigating and I found some actually cool tools are bachelor to everyone that has Civil 3D 2011. It's not on the subscription site and so I'chiliad pretty sure it's for everyone. Become to the home page for Civil 3D (http://www.autodesk.com/civil3d) and click on the Support link, and and then the Utilities and Drivers link (a direct link to the page can be establish HERE). Under AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011, yous'll see something called, "AutoCAD Ceremonious 3D Transportation Extension".

"What is this?" you may ask yourself, well, let me tell you what I've found out and so far. It seems to be a bunch of additional tools that volition run on pinnacle of Civil 3D 2011, and there looks to be some great tools in hither. Let me to list them for y'all and so later I will get into greater particular about them (at least the ones I've figured out so far):
1) Check Alignment Geometry
2) Quick Cross Section
iii) Surface High/Low Points
4) Import Raw Data
5) Create Surface from Photogrammetric Information
6) Consign Ceremonious Information
7) Testify/Hibernate Labels
8) Consign Layout to DGN
9) Eleven New Reports (co-ordinate to the readme)

Transportation Extension Tools

That'due south a lot of cool stuff they've given away for free (remember, this isn't on the subscription website). So, let's accept a peek at what these tools will practice.

1) Check Alignment Geometry

Have yous e'er created an alignment from existing entities and after found that those lines and curves that you received from the planner or surveyor or whoever weren't tangent? Well, worry no more. This is a great little tool. In testing it, I created a polyline with a line segment, a tangent curve off the end of information technology, and then a line from the end of the curve that I drew so it looked tangent to the curve, but wasn't actually tangent. I created an alignment from this polyline then ran this tool on the newly created alignment. After running the command, it prompts y'all to select the alignment and so asks you to "Enter gap tolerance". I'm not exactly certain what the gap tolerance is but probably has something to practise with gaps in the alignment. There is no assist so I can't do whatsoever research on it and the little scrap of testing I've done has helped me effigy information technology out either. Next, it's going to ask yous to "Enter angle tolerance". Again, I'm non exactly sure what the bending tolerance means but every time I've run it, I've used the default setting and it does something. And so, what does it exercise to our example of a non-tangent line connected to an arc? Well, information technology makes them tangent. In addition to that, information technology place a PI at the signal of intersection of the two lines (very user-friendly).

Alignment Check

2) Quick Cross Section

This is an interesting one and I'm not sure how useful it will be but, I'll explain what I know nigh it. The Quick Cross Section command works very similarly to the Quick Contour command. I want to encounter what my cross sections will look like (existent quickly) created from a line between hither and there. Well, run the command and it will create them for you, all you lot need is a cartoon with a surface in it. In one case the control is run, information technology will prompt you for the surfaces you desire to brandish in the sections and then information technology will prompt you for "Enter an choice [3p/Multi]". I haven't tested the 3p option notwithstanding but Multi will let you to pick points on the screen that will basically define the alignment you lot want to create the sections for. It will then prompt you for the sampling interval, the left then the right swath width and where yous want the sections to be displayed in the drawing. After you accept entered that, a dialog box will exist displayed that will enquire you for the appropriate styles, Section Style, Department View Style, and Ring Fashion Ready (plain at that place is no pick for labels). Once yous hit OK, the sections will be displayed in your drawing. Like a Quick Contour, the Quick Cross Sections are temporary. Unlike the Quick Profile, the Quick Cantankerous Sections will immediately disappear when yous end the command, rendering it (in my opinion) adequately useless.

Quick Cross Sections

three) Surface High/Low Points

This control looks pretty cool. It will analyze a surface and identify points at the high points and at the low points. Yous tin can then use the Low Point points as the starting point for the Catchment Area control. Basically, only run the command, and so select the area of the surface you want to be analyzed (if yous want it to clarify the entire surface, just hitting enter). It will also create ii indicate groups, one for the high point points and i for the depression point points (pretty convenient, huh?). You can and then use these point groups to control the brandish (as well as the description) of the points.

High/Low Points

High/Low Points

four) Import Raw Data

I wasn't able to test this one out as I didn't have whatever file types that would be needed for this command to work but, here is what I THINK it will practice. It will have a Star*Net .dat file and catechumen it into a fieldbook file (for more than data on Star*Net click HERE). From the import dialog box, there seem to be quite a few options.

Import Raw Data

5) Create Surface from Photogrammetric Data

This i looks cool. I haven't tested it out completely withal but, basically run the command and it volition ask you what layer your data is on. Select the layers for both the linework and the point data (you have to give them names), select the surface you lot want to add them to (or have it create a new surface for you) and you're done. I tested information technology with a bunch of contours and it didn't requite me the option to minimize flat faces (apparently they didn't call back that you lot could utilise this for contour data).

Create Surface from Photogrammetric Data

It appears there seems to exist a slight effect with the dialog box. The bottom of information technology is cutting off and no matter how you re-size the dialog, it doesn't seem to fix it. If you are familiar with creating surfaces in Civil 3D, you lot shouldn't have any trouble figuring out what is being cut off.

6) Consign Civil Data

This is another one that I oasis't been able to test out as I don't accept any survey equipment. According to the readme file that comes with the extension, "Consign Civil Information (to survey formats – RD5 and TP5) – enables users to export Civil 3D alignments, profiles, and corridors to a TDS .rd5 roadway file and/or .tp5 template file." The dialog box asks you to select the Alignment, Contour, and (or?) the Corridor and it will create the .rd5 and the .tp5 files for you.

Export Civil Data

7) Show Hide Labels

This is another one of those tools that looks pretty cool. Have y'all ever been looking at a drawing and though to yourself, "Human being, I wish I could just become rid of those labels temporarily. Information technology sure would make it easier to see what was going on!"  Well, now you tin. Simply run this command and the select the label types you want to hide and the ones you want to no longer be hidden. There's fifty-fifty an option at the tiptop to hide all labels or show all labels. Pretty slick in my opinion.

Show/Hibernate Labels

8) Consign Layout to DGN

Pretty self explanatory here I would presume. It allows you to export a layout tab to a .dgn file. Again, I can't truly test this one every bit I don't take Microstation installed and I don't have a "seed file". It seems straight forwards though. It will consign each sheet (or just the ones you select) from a Canvas Set Manager file (.dst) to a .dgn file

Export Layout to DGN

9) New Reports

According to the read-me, there are eleven new reports. Well, I have no reason to doubt that but, when you install information technology, there is a new study category and it but shows ane new written report then the other new reports must be included in the other report categories somewhere (I don't accept a list of them or of the originals that come up with C3D to compare my electric current list to). The i that does bear witness up (Corridor->Slope Stake Report) is pretty slick every bit it will actually brandish the cross sections in the report for a visual confirmation of the data.

Slope Stake Report

Wrap Up

As I said, there are some pretty cool new tools here and then go out and try it for yourself. Allow me know what y'all remember, what reports you like that are new with this, etc. As well note that when y'all download it, y'all can besides download the CalTrans Content Kit subsequently you install these tools. Looks like I may take some other mail service to write up about that.