• Tag: Autodesk

    Civil 3D and Infraworks 2022 are Here

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Autodesk has released the latest version of their Civil Engineering package, Civil 3D 2022, and its partner in crime, Infraworks.  Click to peruse the Autodesk Documentation. Recap 2022 has also been given some new features.  Read on for some notable features.

     

    Civil 3D

    Grading Optimization: Takes the parameters that you have specified and generates, very quickly, an optimal grading solution.  After installing Civil 3D 2022, you’ll find sample files in the folder C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Grading Optimization 2022\samples.

    • Connected Alignments: Supports complex curve groups, offsets from parent alignments, curves larger than 180-degrees, and calculates the cross fall of the associated profiles.
    • Project Explorer: Pressure networks are now supported.  Multiple languages are now supported.

     

    Infraworks

    • Road Decorations: Allows users to add decorations to component roads or linked corridors from Civil 3D. The InfraWorks model will display the features more quickly compared to previous releases.
    • Decoration Library: Now users can create more realistic landscape environments to add to the model context.
    • Bridge: Provides for the definition of full-span complex parametric 3D bridge girders.
    • Model Builder: Enhanced with a new and streamlined interface to provide a more consistent experience and improve usability.

    Recap

    Scan to Mesh: Select all or a portion of a point cloud in ReCap Pro 2022 and have it create a low, medium, or high-quality mesh.  This was included in a previous version as beta software, but it was removed.  It is back!

    CTC 2021 Revit Product Updates!

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    CTC Software has been preparing to release updates to our AEC tools for Revit 2021. This release launched May 4th and affects most of our AEC offerings. HIVE has undergone a massive update, streamlining all aspects of user interaction and management. Our software suites have all been built to work on the new Autodesk 2021 platforms, and the SuperDoor Configurator and Casework Configurator content packs have been upgraded for 2021 as well. All of these tools will continue to support the 2017 versions of Autodesk products and newer, so they will also fit into your workflows for any version from the last 4 years. Additionally, the Mechanical Electrical Plumbing Productivity Pack content files have been upgraded to 2019, containing hundreds of updated families and a lot of new features and improved workflows. These tools are purpose-built to support your entire workflow from beginning to end, putting the right tools in the right hands so all team members gain efficiencies every day.

    Contact CTC or one of our partners for more information about the 2021 updates to our tools!

    HIVE specifically has had major changes to the user interface of the content management system (CMS). Many of you have provided feedback after extensively using the currently released HIVE system. We listened! The new HIVE has a major facelift, and the HIVE management portal on the web has been overhauled to make management easier, and to provide you with analytics for organization-wide use of CTC tools, project performance metrics and insights into how your teams are searching for content in the CMS. As always, we strive to develop our tools alongside you, so you and your teams can work efficiently. This update will be available May 11th. Feel free to share your experiences and ideas for how we can continue to improve.

    The other productivity tools in the software suites are all updated to work on the Autodesk 2021 platforms as well. This year we have decided to make sure that we support 5 version of Autodesk products, since we know many of our clients have projects with long lifecycles. While Autodesk may not officially support 2017, we felt that we should continue to make our tools available for that release since some of you have let us know that your projects are still being managed in that version. This new 2021 release of our tools will have the ability to communicate with the HIVE management portal so you can have a better understanding of the return on your investment this next year.

    CTC has 3 major Revit-based content packs. The two that install into the ribbon are the SuperDoor Configurator and the Casework Configurator. These, like our other suites, will be supported on Revit 2017-2021. The other content pack, the Mechanical Electrical Plumbing Productivity Pack (MEPPP), has been heavily updated in its latest version. It will be supported on Revit 2019-2021 with the actual content delivered in Revit 2019 format. We made this choice since most of the projects starting fresh in your firms will be on 2019 and later. We did not see value in building on older versions, as existing projects in production do not see huge benefits in transitioning standards mid-production. This MEPPP update has seen further standardization of the parameters used to help align our pack with metric users. The first release will be in Imperial units of measure, but a metric pack will be coming soon. This release saw heavy formula updates and further removal of unit dependencies. The lighting fixtures, electrical equipment and mechanical equipment have seen major updates, improving face-based and level-based hosting in a single family, and general ease of use. Many other categories have been touched as well, to ensure a uniform workflow and general consistent use. SuperDoor Configurator and Casework Configurator launched May 4th, the MEPPP will be available May 11th.

    As always, we encourage you to contact us at: sales@solidcad.ca

    Autodesk Desktop Connector Update

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Do you use BIM 360 and AutoCAD products?  Do you have the Autodesk Desktop Connector installed?  If so, there is a new update.  This may not be news to you as there are frequent updates, but this one is somewhat unique.  Please read on.

    Read the official Autodesk documentation for all the details.  Below are the notable changes.  Note that some of these changes may affect your Autodesk references and some IT configurations.  It is recommended that you discuss these changes with your IT department and/or CAD manager prior to installing.

    • Due to the rebranding of BIM 360 to Autodesk Docs, the local folder will be renamed to Autodesk Docs from BIM 360.
    • If your files contain supported Desktop Connector file references, their paths will be automatically fixed to the new folder.  Should your files contain references that are not supported by the Desktop Connector, those that contain a full path, their paths must be manually fixed by the user.
    • Opening files in the Recent section may not open due to files being moved to the new folder.
    • BIM 360 local cache files found in %userprofile% are moved to:

    Revit Content Management- Changing Needs for a Work from Anywhere Future

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    The past year has brought challenges to all. While we look for areas to support and encourage, we continued to look at how we can best serve the needs of our clients. One of the most critical points that hit many, was the need to support entire workforces now working remotely. For our clients using Revit, Autodesk BIM 360 Collaboration enabled our clients to continue to work as teams on new and existing Revit projects. This critical piece ensured that projects could move forward. However, the Revit project models are only a portion of the solution required.

    Architects, engineers, and contractors need to author and populate these models with content. Doors, windows, beams, columns, HVAC equipment, lighting fixtures. Every piece of design content needs to be carefully selected and placed. We also need ways to manage and support these projects. Ideally helping our clients be more efficient, reducing the risk of errors and omissions, and heading off project issues ASAP.

    Dan Stine of Lake Flato Architects shared his thoughts around the important topic of content management and project analytics in this article published on the Autodesk University site. Dan explains the critical issues that CTC Software’s HIVE solution solves. SolidCAD is the exclusive provider of HIVE for Canada.

    In his article, Dan talks about the important topic of content management and project analytics and CTC Software’s holistic solution in this space, that being HIVE. He covers the importance, the challenges, disparate pockets of content, broken feedback loop, and more.

    Check out his blog post on The Necessity of Content Management and Project Analytics.

    *Dan Stine’s Bio:

    A Minnesota native who recently relocated to San Antonio, Texas, Dan Stine has nearly 30 years of experience in the AEC space. He is a Wisconsin registered architect and teaches graduate architecture students at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and presents regularly at the University of Minnesota. Additionally, he has written 14 textbooks, including six on Revit, two on AutoCAD, and one on AutoCAD Architecture. His Residential Design Using Autodesk Revit 2021 is the #1 Revit book in the academic market in North America. He also writes posts for his blog, BIM Chapters, and for Enscape’s blog. He is currently the Director of Design Technology at Lake Flato Architects, the #1 US firm on the 2019 ARCHITECT 50 List.

     

     

    HIVE is a content management system developed specifically for the AEC industry. Firms can organize, manage, set permissions, and ensure the latest content is kept up-to-date and available for all project participants, even when working remotely. Users can quickly find Revit, AutoCAD, PDF, JPEG, and other file types quickly using libraries, tags, favorites, and file metadata.

     

    SolidCAD is the exclusive provider of HIVE for Canada.

    Reach out to our CTC team today. We’d like to understand more about your workflows, issues, and projects in Revit so we can continue to work towards practical solutions for our clients. 

     

     

    Installing AutoCAD 2022 and Other Autodesk 2022 Applications

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    AutoCAD 2022 is here and it has a new installer.  Very few clicks are required, which is good and easy, but what if you need to customize your installation?  Read on…

    Installers can be customized by logging into Autodesk Account.  Installers or deployments can easily be created for multiple products.

    1.Log into Autodesk Account.

    2.Click Custom Install.

    3.Choose your product(s).

    4.For all selected products, select your options:

    a. choose the version and set the serial number.

    b. Set customization options.  These include installation path, custom file paths, security settings, LISP options, Express Tools, custom profile selection, and other settings.

    5. Choose which extensions to install.

    6. Create the installer.  This downloads a small EXE file which is used to create the installer.  When run, the installation files are downloaded onto the computer to C:\Autodesk.  A Windows BAT file is created with all customized options embedded.  When run, no input is requested, the app is simply installed.

    7. This installer and BAT files can be stored on a server and run by the administrator to install the product, with its customized content, onto users’ computers.

    AutoCAD 2022 is Here

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    It’s springtime and the birds are singing.  Also, Autodesk has released the latest version of their flagship CAD package, AutoCAD 2022.  Click to peruse the Autodesk Documentation. Read on to see some notes we at SolidCAD have prepared for you.

    **Please stayed tuned for the next article.  There will be important information about installing this new software**

    1. The first thing on many users’ minds is whether the file format has changed.  It has not!  We are still on the 2018 format.
    2. TRACE.  A new command enabling a safe collaborative environment to draw revisions without affecting the source drawing. Open a shared drawing in the web or mobile apps and create traces.  These traces can be managed by a CAD user in their desktop app.
    3. COUNT.  Quantifies selected blocks in a drawing and creates a dynamic table or Field.
    4. SHARE:  Shares the current drawing, with all reference files intact, to the web for others to view or edit.
    5. Push to Docs: Creates a PDF of selected layouts and saves to Autodesk Docs.
    6. Floating windows: maximize drawings on separate monitors.
    7. Redefined Start tab.
    8. New installer and options.  Very simple install.  Watch this blog page for a follow-up article.
    9. Batch publish in background uses multiple cores.
    10. Microsoft’s DirectX 12 is now supported for 2D and 3D visual styles.
    11. 3D graphics technical preview.  New 3D engine provides a better experience. It is off by default.  3DTECHPREVIEW .  Try it and provide feedback.

    Civil 3D Double Click Customization

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Is there a Civil 3D object that you would like to double click and run a specific command?  if so, read on.  (This works for AutoCAD commands too.)

    Try double-clicking an Alignment.  The AutoCAD properties palette appears.  What if we want the Alignment Properties dialog instead?  Or if you want the Feature Line Quick Elevation Edit tool to be run when you double click a Feature Line.

    Edits to the CUI file are required.  Please do yourself a favor and create a partial CUI file and make these edits in there.  And while you’re at it, save this file somewhere like My Documents.

    1.  Determine the object name.  Run the LIST command and select the object.  The object name will be shown.  Mine is AECC_ALIGNMENT.
    3. Run the CUI command.  The double-click assignments are stored in the CUI file.
    4. Right-click to add a new double-click action.  Name it something like Alignment Properties

    5. On the right half of the CUI editor, enter the appropriate object name.

    6. Find the appropriate command in the bottom-left window.  In this case, Alignment Properties.  Drag it onto your new double-click action.

    7. Close the CUI editor.

    8. You’re done!  Double click the object and the command will be run.

    Create Your Own AutoCAD Tutorial Library

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Are you or do you have a staff member in your office who likes to create tutorial content?  Or maybe you simply have some web links to which you’d like to regularly refer.  Maybe you’d like to share these tutorials with the rest of your AutoCAD team.  Sure you can tell them where the videos, documents, or web links are, but the users must open them outside of the AutoCAD environment.

    What if the users could access this content right within AutoCAD?  The closer the help is to the user, the better, I always say.  Consider creating a custom tool palette containing buttons to open these tutorials, and sharing it with the users.

    I’ll go on the assumption you already know how to create and share a tool palette.  I’ll show you how to create tools that link to files or web links.

    Create the Tool

    Drag a line or a text object to your new tool palette then edit its properties.

    Web Link

    Edit 5 properties:

    • Name.
    • Description.
    • Specify Image.
    • Turn off the flyout option
    • Edit the Command String.  Enter this information ^C^C_browser https://WebLink  Paste the link after browser.

    File

    The only difference between this tool and the web link is the Command string which uses a little LISP code.  Enter the path to your file after findfile, within the quotes.  DO NOT use back slashes, only forward slashes.

    • ^C^C (startapp “explorer.exe” (findfile “C:/temp/1.docx”))

    That’s it.  Make it easy for your users to get the help they need!

     

    Infraworks 2021.2 Update

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Autodesk has released the next update for Civil 3D 2021.  Find the release notes here.  Here are some highlights:

    • Add decorations to component roads imported from Civil 3D.
    • Modify lane markings for component roads.  No lane marking shadow issues.
    • Various improvements to Civil Structures.
    • A new Home screen including Recent and BIM 360 tabs.
    • Select a coordinate system during model creation using the Model Builder.
    • Add a point cloud in LAS or LAZ format without first saving an RCP file.

    Civil 3D 2021.2 Update

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Autodesk has released the next update for Civil 3D 2021.  Find the release notes here.  Here are some highlights:

    New ArcGIS workflows:

    • Refresh data sources.
    • Import raster data as an image, or as surface data.

    New Pressure Network Workflows

    • Create parts lists from multiple materials.
    • Override pipe run offsets for specific station ranges.
    • Use expressions in profile band labels.