In the video below we show you some tips and tricks that you can use in Civil 3D / AutoCAD to generate data files that are more usable / useful in Trimble Business Center when preparing data for Takeoffs or Models for machines.
The first thing to stress here is that Civil 3D / AutoCAD are two separate products and that each has its own specific data types. Civil 3D can create objects that are not supported in AutoCAD itself as a native object, examples include
- TIN Surface Models
- Road Alignments that contain Spiral or Vertical Curves (Symmetrical / Asymmetrical Vertical Curves and Station Equations or Superelevation details
- Pipes and Structures from Utility Networks
This means that while Civil 3D renders the above objects using the AutoCAD Graphics Engine, and stores the objects in the DWG file, the data objects if you open the DWG in AutoCAD or True View native (without the presence of Civil 3D), or if you read the DWG file into e.g. Trimble Business Center, those Civil 3D objects will be lost and or displayed using the rectangles that have a line of Text typically in the lower Left corner of each rectangle that says "Aeccxxxxxxxxxxxxxx e.g. AeccDbPipe (AeccNetwork130)).
You can improve this in AutoCAD if at the command line you type in ProxyGraphics Enter and then 1 Enter and then save the DWG file. When you do this, all of the rectangles and Aecc text items will be eliminated and the Civil 3D objects will be represented as a Proxy Object in the DWG file which when read into e.g. TBC will provide you with a better result. Proxy Graphical Objects for the following Elements will be created
Surfaces = Shell 3D in TBC
Alignments = CAD 3D Polyline or CAD Line in TBC
Pipes and Structures = Lost in the DWG files
An alternate approach in Civil 3D is to Export a DWG file from the DWG file that you opened that contains the Civil 3D objects. This allows you to write out a cleaner DWG file as 2D or 3D linework without having to manipulate the ProxyGraphics settings. The video below walks you though this process using the Civil 3D - Export Civil 3D Drawing function accessed from the C3D button in the Top Left corner of Civil 3D.
In Civil 3D you can also use the Export to LandXML command also shown in the above video to export Civil 3D objects as a LandXML file. This will allow you to export Alignments, Surfaces, Pipes and Structures and import those into TBC as Alignments, Surfaces, Pipes and Structures directly.
In Civil 3D / AutoCAD you can also use additional commands including Explode and Burst to explode native AutoCAD or Civil 3D objects down into elements that can be used inside TBC. These will let you work with some AutoCAD elements that are not currently supported in TBC, e.g.
- Double Leader Lines (use Explode to convert these into Single Leader Lines or Polylines before saving / exporting the DWG file)
2.Multiline Objects (use Explode to convert these lines to single lines before saving / exporting the DWG file
In this second video we show how you can select objects and explode them in AutoCAD and how to use the Layer Manager in AutoCAD to unfreeze, unhide and unlock CAD layers prior to saving the DWG file for use in TBC.