Civilcad Para Autocad 2012 64 Bits Download Hit
Ashlie Hagenson
My firm recently started using C3D much more actively. It is getting more difficult for me to organize all the CAD information so that others can easily find the data they need on a current project and so that I can come back to an old project do the same. I am in need of a system for CAD file management that I can implement in each new project. We are primarily an earthwork firm and thus do not have many files related to water, utilities, engineering, etc. However, we do create our own CAD models. Thus, we have estimates, surveys, preliminary designs, final designs, takeoffs, reports, references, as-builts, etc. So there are a lot of files to keep track of on big projects. I also need a way to keep track of CAD files that we receive from engineering firms. We use these files as references for our own takeoffs and designs.
I do something similar to what @Anonymous said, I use a modified version of the default project folder that comes with C3D and use that for creating all projects from prospect tab under the data shortcuts menu. I'm assuming that this methodology will work with BIM360, I just haven't had a moment to review that yet.
Rick Jackson
Survey CAD Technician VI
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Do you want to keep projects organized? Or are you also doing version control? When I see you include full dates in the filenames, I think version control. Which is fine, as long as you understand that any xref's break once you roll the version of something. And maybe I'm assuming too much here, based on what I saw in your structure.
Each discipline gets its own sub-folder: Design, Survey, Signals, etc. Consultant files we receive get their own subfolder in a slightly different part of the folder tree, and we don't have a lot of control over their filenaming. Some embed the date in the drawing name, so we have to deal with that broken xref problem every time we get an update from a consultant.
and so on. Each primitive name follows the same naming format, so one can tell at a glance what project and what discipline a given primitive drawing is for. If a drawing gets misfiled in the data structure, it stands out as its filename will not match the project number or the project's survey number. And there are the occasional weird filenames someone thought up on the fly, like "The good chan plan v3" but we deal with it when it happens.
We take snapshots at the major stages so we can save/revert as needed. Or we try, not every team is as consistent with this. And again, except for the top-level production drawings, names stay the same through the life of the project so that xref links and data shortcuts don't break. 95% of the time it works, but there are times someone decides a drawing should be renamed, and it ripples down the line with broken links and references.
Thanks for the reply. I'm working on both organization and version control. In terms of organization, I'm trying to come up with a system to store all my various CAD files. I have takeoffs for the bidding phase (although sometimes I make these post-bid), exhibits, models designs (these often go thru preliminary, working, final, and archive stages), Asbuilts, and Topos/surveys taken throughout the job life.
I am also trying to organize individual design folders. If, for instance, I am working on a finish grade surface, I need to have a system to store all the pertinent reference files, Xrefs, Drefs, images, etc. This involves more CAD specific file management.
In terms of version control, I need a system to control all the revisions, e.g., takeoff revisions, design model revisions, exhibits, and the like. Labeling everything by date has been the most effective way for me to do this so far. That way I can always find the latest files.
How would you organize your survey and design folders in terms of their sub-folders, i.e., how do you label them? Do you break them out by stages in the design process: prelim, working, final, archive? or by category like: Xrefs, Drefs, exhibits, reference files, etc.?
neilyj (No connection with Autodesk other than using the products in the real world)
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At my organization it's a lot simpler than what you're working with. We do not track most things by design stage, other than putting the percent complete in the filename of the top-level drawings. Different people do save things to capture their work at a certain point in time, but it's very informal. If you could see our network you'd see things like "1337_PCHAN_old1.dwg", and "1337_PCHAN_Bob_old.dwg" and "1337_PCHAN_Working(Recover).dwg" and other scary things. Usually those are in someone's /Archive folder, one step below the production or primitives folder.
Where I came from shop drawings all had a revision letter, with A being the first production letter, and as a drawing was revised the letter rolled to the next letter: B, then C, and so on. I use that myself to track my work if I need to, but I reverse it. If I want to save a snapshot at a point in time, I'll append the next letter to the filename, except the current version has no letter. So for my work, you might see:
and so on. I know that the one without a letter is current, _A is older, and B is oldest. It's just a method I use to track my own work though, it's not a recommended practice at the shop. It also doesn't break the xref links, my top-level drawing always has the same name, without a letter, so anyone else xrefing my work into theirs won't get a broken link.
Exhibits get their own folder, mostly the XREF's are (almost) all from the /Primitives folder. That /Primitives folder contains the separate pieces of the design, per each discipline. I.e. road channelization, paving, signal & illumination, drainage, right-of-way, each is its own primitive drawing which can then be xref'd into anyone's top-level drawing. The primitives don't have any titleblocks or layouts, those and the construction notes all live in the top-level production drawings.
I will admit where we fall apart is the naming of C3D objects. We have standards, but no-one follows them perfectly, so alignment names, EG and FG surface names, and corridor names are all over the map and it's frustrating to come in to the middle of a project and try to figure out what the correct surface, alignment, and corridor is to use in my work.
But otherwise, the different pieces all come from the same places, the EG surface always comes from the TOPO drawing in the /Survey folder, the FG surface and the construction centerline from the CORRIDOR.dwg in the /Primitives, and so on.
which can be displayed in windows explorer (via an add on) - the information is not available natively for some reason. In the screenshot below the ....0001.dwg file has gone through several work in progress iterations (saved as S0_P0101 to SO_P0105 with the the revision code incremented each time via lisp). This last iteration was then issued as S1_P01 (S1 for coordination) and the new work in progress file had the metadata updated to S0 P02.01 but the file name remained the same so avoiding issues with xrefs/data shortcuts.
The lisp suite that @Jowenn.Lua wrote is a little add in that controls the Suitability/Revision codes and adds the appropriate Rev code for the different suitability codes (this is all defined in ISO19650/BS1192). I have it on a Tool pallette.
The most important advice I'd give is to make sure you have a documented method explaining the naming standard so all users are aware and ensure the standards are followed as it can get very messy after a few revisions and iterations
.... The lisp suite that @Jowenn.Lua wrote is a little add in that controls the Suitability/Revision codes and adds the appropriate Rev code for the different suitability codes (this is all defined in ISO19650/BS1192). I have it on a Tool pallette.
The drawing property values, including those of custom properties, are available to AutoCAD "Document" fields. (See below) I do not know why these are not referred to as "DrawingProperties" fields. (Does this qualify as being available natively?)
I can see that Drawing Properties are a good place to store Drawing metadata. It is a bonus that the date can be accessed from windows explorer. I have not found a way to access this data from another drawing. Have you? For this reason, I use Sheet Set "Sheet" properties as a repository for data to be shared between drawings.
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