Directly import customizable pay item information into AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software to assign pay item values to drawing objects. Automatically calculate quantities and generate reports to export into Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff cost-estimating software or into formats used by AASHTO Trns*port® products.

Use the mass haul and earthwork features to plan the movement, amount, and placement of materials during construction. As designs change, Civil 3D generates mass haul diagrams to help with earthwork analysis.

Use rules-based tools to lay out sanitary- and storm-drainage systems. Change pipes and structures using graphical or numerical input, and conduct interference checks. Plot and complete final drafting of the pipe network in plan, profile, and section views. Share pipe network information such as invert elevations, size, slope, and type with external analysis applications or use the Hydraflow extensions within AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software.

Terrain-shaping tools support large-surface 3D models while maintaining dynamic relationships to source data including contours, breaklines, corridor models, and grading objects. Use surfaces as references to create profiles, sections, and corridors; changes to the source data result in automatic updates, helping you to save time and minimize errors.

Use powerful daylighting and grade-projection tools to generate surface models for several types of grading projections. Develop surfaces with easy-to-use graphical and tabular grading manipulation tools. Help solve design problems using grading capabilities that remain dynamically linked to corridor models and alignments or profiles.

Create alignments and profiles based on agency standards using more flexible geometry layout tools that enable you to check standards as you design.

Create 3D models of transportation, land, or water features using AutoCAD Civil 3D objects and data, including alignments, profiles, surfaces and intelligent typical sections. More easily manage the editing of corridors using visual interaction.

A wizard-driven process enables you to create dynamic 2D or 3D intersection models, including offset alignments, profiles, and corridor models. Lay out and parametrically edit 2D roundabouts, including signage and striping, based on common design standards.

Better evaluate geospatial information to help inform planning studies. Use the advanced geospatial functionality within AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software to perform spatial queries, create thematic maps, and conduct buffer, tracing, and overlay analysis.

Line-of-sight tools, including point-to-point and sight distance along a corridor, enable you to visually inspect the AutoCAD Civil 3D model.

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Work with more than 4,000 real-world coordinate systems to more accurately geo-reference your AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software design data.

Generate 3D models for GPS machine control by exporting design models using the LandXML extension.

Convert and process proprietary raw survey data into an Autodesk fieldbook (.FBK) using the Survey Link Extension included within AutoCAD Civil 3D software. Using fieldbooks helps to make the field-to-finish process easier. The Survey Link Extension supports most raw survey data formats.

AutoCAD Civil 3D software offers a unique toolset for creating baseplans. Use survey figures to help define critical transitions in site design, surveying, and roadway widening. Import, create, or edit figures on the fly. As you import figures add elevation information for use during grading plan design. Topographic and planimetric features added to the design process provide greater accuracy and flexibility, and enable surveyors and engineers to work efficiently together.

Create point clouds in AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software using data from LIDAR scanning.

• Import and visualize point cloud information.
• Stylize point data based on LAS classifications, RGB, elevation, and intensity.
• Use data to create surfaces.
• Perform site surveys.
• Digitize as-built features for civil engineering design projects.

Create simpler and more effective visualizations by publishing model information to Google Earth™ mapping service or by creating 3D DWF™ files to help communicate design intent to nontechnical audiences. Develop robust reproductions of corridor models using render materials that correspond to specific corridor elements in the model, such as asphalt, concrete, or gravel.

Transform complex civil design geometry and models into compelling 3D design visualizations faster and more efficiently with the Autodesk 3ds Max Design Civil View feature set*. With simple, style-driven functionality and an extensive library of parametric civil-oriented objects and materials, Civil View helps civil engineering professionals—even those who have little or no detailed knowledge of Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software—achieve stunning results. Civil View dynamically links to data from AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software and certain other software products, such as Bentley® MXROAD® software. When design changes occur, design visualizations are more easily refreshed, enabling them to evolve in tandem.

*Civil View feature set is included with Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2012 software.

Use tools in AutoCAD Civil 3D software to derive annotation directly from design objects and automatically update annotation when the design changes. Civil 3D responds to changes in drawing scale and view orientation, and updates labels instantly when the plot scale rotates or changes within different viewports.

Use the extensive library of country-specific CAD drafting styles in AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software to manage drawing display. Control colors, linetypes, contour increments, and labeling by style, and use the framework to customize styles and standards for your organization.

Lay out plan and profile sheets with the AutoCAD Civil 3D Plans Production Wizard tool. Fully integrated with the AutoCAD® software Sheet Set Manager, the Plans Production Wizard automates the layout of sheets and matchlines along alignments and generates plan and profile sheets based on the layout. The finished product is a series of drawing sheets ready for final annotation and plotting.

Generate production plans, including fully annotated section sheets, profiles, and grading designs. The styles-based drafting environment helps automate typical drafting while maintaining drafting standards. Use xrefs and data shortcuts to generate drafting across multiple drawings, resulting in a workflow where production sheets use a single instance of the model. Synchronize production sheets to reflect changes to the model.

Use the cartographic mapping functionality within AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software to create maps that highlight specific features or information, such as wetland boundaries, zoning districts, land development, soil types, and pipe sizes. Create legends and reuse mapping styles to help streamline map creation.

Coordinate civil engineering project teams by working from the same consistent, up-to-date project model from survey through construction documentation. Using xrefs and data shortcuts, team members can share model data—such as surfaces, alignments, and pipes—and use one design object for multiple design tasks. For example, if a surveyor creates the existing ground surface, designers can connect to that data in parallel to design the road or parcel layout. And, drafters can then generate annotation from the data shortcuts or directly through an xref, to keep production drafting in sync.

Using open-source Feature Data Object (FDO) technology, AutoCAD Civil 3D offers direct access to geographic information system (GIS) data from a variety of data sources, including ESRI® SHP files and Oracle®, Microsoft® SQL Server™, PostGIS, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL®, and ESRI® ArcSDE® managed databases. Access aerial and satellite imagery, including Mr.SID™, ECW, and georeferenced TIFF files, and connect to web mapping services (WMS) and web feature services (WFS) to take advantage of publicly available data. Direct access means no data translations, which helps to support data integrity.

Edit data accessed through the FDO Data Access Technology with standard AutoCAD® software commands such as Pedit, Trim, Break, Join, Offset, Extend, Rotate, Move, and Cut/Copy/Paste. Edit polygon objects with split and merge functions and use the Expression Builder tool to populate attributes with data calculations and intrinsic object properties.

Corridor enhancements include tools that streamline corridor editing by providing for interaction in plan, profile, and section view simultaneously. In addition, flexibility to create cross sections off multiple baselines, such as those found on divided highways, and the ability to create sections off skewed or angled sample lines offer extended modeling capabilities.

Alignment layout enhancements offer improved support for multi-element curves and added control over alignment constraints, including alignments imported from LandXML. These enhancements extend to global drafting improvements related to Point of Intersection labeling and curve mid-point labeling.

Collaborate more efficiently with new functionality that helps to simplify sharing of AutoCAD Civil 3D drafting and design standards across organizations. Enhancements include:

• The ability to copy styles and settings from a selected drawing or template
• Improved control over styles that are copied
• The ability to purge unwanted styles from a drawing
• The ability to replace drawing object styles

Help simplify the process of creating intelligent objects in AutoCAD Civil 3D. More easily select, view, and import point data. Create intelligent 3D pipe networks using data that resides in GIS data formats.