Sure, AutoCAD Civil 3D software comes with a lot of parts for utility modeling, but what if you have a unique situation or your municipality uses a specific part that doesn't ship with the product? Civil 3D comes with tools to assist you in quickly creating that new part and getting back to design instead of spending hours and hours just trying to figure out what a work plane is in Part Builder and what you do with it.

Do you wish you could make your pipe networks do everything you think they should be able to do? Are you frustrated with the confusing Part Builder interface? This class will dive head first into everything you need in order to create custom pipes and structures, including Part Builder, custom XML data, AutoCAD Civil 3D software parts lists and styles, and custom labels and tables. We will cover the intricate coordination between the different file types that are used, and we'll discuss what each one is specifically for and where to make the appropriate edits. We will go into setting up your templates to use custom parts lists, pipe and structure styles, and a multitude of labels and tables. This class is designed for advanced AutoCAD Civil 3D users who already have a fundamental understanding of the workings of pipe networks.

This past year Autodesk came out with a new authoring tool for Pipe Networks to replace Part Builder: Infrastructure Part Editor. In this session, we will cover the workflow for modifying existing content, authoring new content, and migrating that content into a Civil 3D Pipe network parts list. Even though Part Editor is a good alternative to Part Builder, there are some things you cannot do. We will cover the limitations of Part Editor and go over why you should not abandon Part Builder just yet.

Last year we demonstrated how InfraWorks software is an indispensable tool for contractors who want to produce meaningful site logistics. This year, we’ll take it a step further and dig into how to get better alignment of objects using Civil 3D software, as well as how InfraWorks works with BIM 360 Docs software. We’ll dig deeper into using coverage areas for holes, discuss using scans to adjust terrains, explore using models in virtual reality (VR), and review the best parts of last year’s presentation. We’ll use InfraWorks 360 software’s model builder to create the site background, ReCap Photo software to import a 3D model created from site photos, and Bluebeam to create annotated terrain overlays, and we’ll look at how to import 3D models from several sources such as SketchUp and Revit software to create libraries. We’ll use the proposals tab to model different phases of construction, enabling phased site logistics. Finally, we’ll show how to export professional graphics using the storyboard.