• Civil 3D

The big picture of data management practices

Identify and compare different ways to manage data for AEC projects in Civil 3D.


00:03

When working with large and complex infrastructure projects, data management is a key component.

00:10

Well thought-out data management is crucial to maintaining performance,

00:15

enabling dynamic design, facilitating collaboration among your team members,

00:19

and ensuring that there is only a single source of design.

00:23

There are three different ways to manage data for your AEC projects in Civil 3D:

00:29

Xrefs, Drefs, and data management tools.

00:35

External file reference drawings (or Xrefs)

00:38

are a useful way to view points in relation to other surface features without adding these features to your drawing.

00:45

You can attach AutoCAD DWG format, images, such as PNG, TIFF, JPEG, and point cloud files.

00:58

Data reference shortcuts (or Drefs) provide a direct path to the location of a shareable source object.

01:03

In a single operation, you can create data shortcuts for multiple objects in a source drawing.

01:09

This enables you to split your design data, so that multiple team members can work on different parts of the project at the same time.

01:18

Finally, you can use other Autodesk tools designed for data management.

01:23

For any infrastructure project, before modeling, it is important to understand the project goals and the required data.

01:31

Input data, such as surfaces, alignments, corridors, and pipe networks

01:37

are essential to the creation of 3D model designs.

01:41

Infrastructure projects can also be delivered as 2D plans, such as plane views, cross sections, and profiles.

01:50

To organize all of these, you need a data solution, such as Vault or BIM 360.

01:57

Benefits of these solutions include logical naming and phasing, file locking and permissions,

02:04

security backups, and compliance with BIM standards.

02:09

Your projects become an interaction between AutoCAD DWG entities,

02:14

such as lines, polylines, circles, and blocks, and intelligent and dynamic Civil 3D objects,

02:21

such as surfaces, alignments, corridors, and pipe networks.

Video transcript

00:03

When working with large and complex infrastructure projects, data management is a key component.

00:10

Well thought-out data management is crucial to maintaining performance,

00:15

enabling dynamic design, facilitating collaboration among your team members,

00:19

and ensuring that there is only a single source of design.

00:23

There are three different ways to manage data for your AEC projects in Civil 3D:

00:29

Xrefs, Drefs, and data management tools.

00:35

External file reference drawings (or Xrefs)

00:38

are a useful way to view points in relation to other surface features without adding these features to your drawing.

00:45

You can attach AutoCAD DWG format, images, such as PNG, TIFF, JPEG, and point cloud files.

00:58

Data reference shortcuts (or Drefs) provide a direct path to the location of a shareable source object.

01:03

In a single operation, you can create data shortcuts for multiple objects in a source drawing.

01:09

This enables you to split your design data, so that multiple team members can work on different parts of the project at the same time.

01:18

Finally, you can use other Autodesk tools designed for data management.

01:23

For any infrastructure project, before modeling, it is important to understand the project goals and the required data.

01:31

Input data, such as surfaces, alignments, corridors, and pipe networks

01:37

are essential to the creation of 3D model designs.

01:41

Infrastructure projects can also be delivered as 2D plans, such as plane views, cross sections, and profiles.

01:50

To organize all of these, you need a data solution, such as Vault or BIM 360.

01:57

Benefits of these solutions include logical naming and phasing, file locking and permissions,

02:04

security backups, and compliance with BIM standards.

02:09

Your projects become an interaction between AutoCAD DWG entities,

02:14

such as lines, polylines, circles, and blocks, and intelligent and dynamic Civil 3D objects,

02:21

such as surfaces, alignments, corridors, and pipe networks.

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