Back to the Software: AutoCAD Command Line Shortcut Cheat Sheet

The shortcuts listed in this graphic are all out of the box.  You can always change or customize them by modifying the acad.pgp file.  The easiest way to make the edits is from the Express Tools tab > Tools panel > Command Aliases. The Command Aliases tool is an interface that modifies the PGP.  You can always modify the PGP file manually by opening it in Notepad.  

By default, the PGP is located in...

 C:\Users\-user login-\appdata\roaming\autodesk\-Autodesk software version-\enu\support\acad.pgp

Note to Hippies: Make Love, Not Roads

This post has gotten a frightening number of hits in the last few days (over 500). I've decided to clean it up a tad and clarify a few points. The intent of this post was to point out issues that I did not find adequately addressed in either the solarroadways.com website or the Indygogo page.  Photovoltaics have a place in energy production - just not under the tires of an 18-wheeler. 

What follows is strictly my opinion.

My buddy posted this on Facebook today and I'm pretty sure I'm like one more pedantic comment away from getting "unfriended."

Source: http://solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

"Solar roads? Where do I even start with this?!"

At first glance it seems like a no-brainer, right? In general, I am a huge fan of solar energy. A big area that is static and often empty could easily be filled with PV panels.

The world needs dreamers to push technology forward and challenge innovation. All due respect to Scott and Julie Brusaw, I see many problems with this concept.

Problem 1:  Solar energy needs a smooth, clean surface for optimal efficiency. Roads get really really dirty. Dust, tire schmutz, oil and smeared raccoon carcasses cloud the issue.

Problem 2: Speaking of clouding the issue, think about the glass. The same roughening they used to make the stuff non-ice-rink-like also impedes sunlight from hitting the PV cells.  Additionally, they are talking about using recycled glass. Recycled glass contains impurities that would also impede efficiency.  Even if the recycled glass were purified they should not use mixed color glass. Also, to make it nice and thick for load bearing - again, less light hits the cells.

Problem 3: References, please? I couldn't help but notice that none of the magazines where this was featured are scholarly or civil engineering related. The FWHA funds a lot of wacky stuff in phase 1 so that is not an indication of feasibility. I want to see the university studies. I want to see the Booz Allen Hamilton data*. I want to see a serious article in ENR or ASCE Journal.

Problem 4:  Want to get a snowplow driver excited? Ask him his opinion on embedded reflectors. He will probably curse up a storm and tell you stories of damaged plowblades or laugh and tell you how he pulled up 10 miles of reflectors in the blizzard of 2011. The reason is that it doesn't take much for mother nature to push up a little corner of a modular object (known as frost heaving), therefore making it non-flush with the road surface. Expand this headache to every square hexagon of roadway, and you see this is going to be an issue.

Problem 5: Drainage, in my opinion, is one of the biggest problems. Note that all of the prototypes are planar surfaces with a trench on either side. Supposedly, one trench is for electrical and data and the other is for storm water. The geometry of one of today's roads is such that water drains to both sides. They are going to need to re-think the shape of the modules to accommodate for changing crown conditions. Either the cross-section of the road will need to change or they are going to need water-proof channels for electrical components. A good way to get around this problem is to put the stuff overhead, which they say is unsightly. Also, nobody treats highway runoff.

Problem 6: This technology does not preclude potholes. The cause of a pothole is usually the sub-base getting washed out by water or that pesky frost heave I mentioned earlier. You'll still get potholes and some county worker is going to level it out by throwing a scoop of asphalt on top of the panel.

I know I'm being totally pessimistic but I will run down one of these for its entire length butt nekkid if I ever see one installed.

*Booz Allen Hamilton is the engineering research firm that contacted the Brusaws about conducting feasibility studies. No data has been made available to the public (that I could find).

Civil 3D Version Comparison

Civil 3D 2013 through 2015 are interoperable with each other (mostly: huge caveat here.).  This post outlines some of the key differences in the software packages. I've hit the important stuff, but this is by no means a complete list of all the new features or interoperability quirks.

Where major interoperability limitations exist, they are noted below the comparison table.

My little green Y's mean yes, the feature is available!

	Civil 3D 2013	Civil 3D 2014	Civil 3D 2015
Corridor Tools
Simplified Corridor creation tool	Y	Y	Y
Create Corridor Solids 2	Y	Y	Y
Corridor Target Through XREF 1, 5		Y	Y
New tools for corridor section labeling 5			Y
Profile geometry point locking 4			Y
Additional corridor Frequency creation options 3			Y
Pipes
Create Pressure Networks	Y	Y	Y
Data Shortcuts for pressure networks		Y	Y
Tables, improved labels and sections for pressure networks 5		Y	Y
Create Pressure Networks from objects		Y	Y
Pay items in Pressure catalog		Y	Y
Survey
Survey Database query	Y	Y	Y
Survey Query save, import and export		Y	Y
Background imagery from Bing maps plot 3			Y
General Tools
Project objects to sections	Y	Y	Y
Improved Section Projection of solids 3, 5		Y	Y
Data exchange with Infraworks		Y	Y
Export to DGN 2			Y
Export to Google Earth KML/KMZ			Y

Interoperability Notes:

1.      Important: AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014 drawings that use corridor targets from xrefs cannot be edited in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013. All entities in such a drawing will be displayed in a proxy state in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013.

2.      This feature is available as a subscription add-on in previous versions.

3.      If saved in a previous version, the behavior of this function will revert to the previous version settings / behavior.

4.      Free vertical curves that are created with the new Free Vertical Curve (Circular) and Free Vertical Curve (Parabolic) commands and which use a pass-through point as their constraint type will not be displayed if the drawing is opened in a prior version of AutoCAD Civil 3D. These curves must be converted to use a different constraint type such as length or K value if you intend to use the drawing in prior versions. To streamline the conversion, you can use the new Convert Free Curve (Through Point) command which is located in the Profile Layout Tools toolbar.

5.      These objects will be displayed as a proxy object in previous versions, and will be restored and updated when re-opened in a newer version.

Important: Version interoperability only applies to AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 through AutoCAD Civil 3D 2015.  Interoperability does not apply to the respective versions Autodesk Subassembly Composer. Subassemblies created in subassembly composer are not backwards compatible between versions. If you are planning to use custom subassemblies, make sure they are created in subassembly composer 2013. 

Resources:

A list of new features for Civil 3D 2014 can be found here: http://docs.autodesk.com/CIV3D/2014/ENU/index.html?url=filesCUG/GUID-0DDD6FB7-4010-404D-86A4-34944B928185.htm,topicNumber=CUGd30e15358

A list of new features for Civil 3D 2015 can be found here: http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Civil3D-UserGuide/files/GUID-A2D82D86-C85C-42C0-BA42-B62948A58FDA-htm.html

Additional Information about interoperability between versions 2014-2015 can be found here: http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Civil3D-UserGuide/files/GUID-589C3DC0-EC98-40BC-B8CD-4623AA79D763-htm.html

Additional Information about interoperability between versions 2013-2014 can be found here:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/getting-started/caas/documentation/CIV3D/2014/ENU/filesCUG/GUID-C2704872-F93E-4B84-A3F2-BFF03474136B-htm.html

The Scourge of the Educational Plot Stamp is No More

Disclaimer: I am not a legal representative for Autodesk. For all questions regarding license compliance, check out this website or refer to your product's EULA. 

Autodesk provides educational versions of its software at reduced rates (often free!) so that students, teachers and other non-commercial entities can learn without worrying about trial licenses expiring.

Educational software is strictly intended for non-profit generating activities. Files generated with educational versions have an embedded flag that the software can detect. When you plot from these files, "Produced by an Autodesk Educational Product" will appear on the output.

However, students often become interns and interns have access to companies that have traditional paid licenses. If the student decides to work on a file at school or insert that really cool tree block he created for his midterm project - BAM - you're polluted. I truly believe that the vast majority of plot stamp issues are due to innocent accidents rather than nefarious intent.

Working with these files in a production environment is a bad idea. Do you remember the pink spots in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back? Every time the Cat and his buddies try to clean the pink stain, they only succeed in spreading it further, until the whole house and yard are covered in pink spots. The educational plot stamp is a lot like that. Once a file has it, it will cause any file it touches to have the plot stamp!

Things that will cause the education flag to spread:

1. Any file created or edited by an educational version of the software
2. Or contains a block edited or inserted from an educational version
3. Or Has/had an xref from an educational version.

In the past, it was darn near impossible to remove the plot stamp. For a short window of time, if you aligned the correct forces (something like: your reseller, no fewer than two Shamen, a blood sacrifice, and a gross of rubber chickens - but don't quote me on it) you could remove the plot stamp with a one-time-use tool from Autodesk. When that got the kebash, your only option was to recreate the file from DXF.

Ugh. Damn interns!

If you receive files from a contractor that contain the education flag, the contractor is in violation of the end user license agreement (EULA).  It is completely within your right to decline acceptance the files (which I recommend). Odds are, the other company is unaware that the drawing has been polluted with the educational flag.

Lately, the behavior of AutoCAD when it detects educational files has changed dramatically.

The good news is that as of AutoCAD 2014 sp1 (and related vertical products), the educational plot stamp is noted (see above dialog box image) but not plotted (yay!). AutoCAD 2015 will not only ignore the educational plot stamp, it can remove it!

If you need to work on an AutoCAD file in a previous version of the software, you can save it in AutoCAD 2015 (or TrueView 2015) and save it back down to the version you wish to work in.

Here’s the updated Technical Solution for the educational plot stamp, including new 2015 functionality (plot stamp removal).

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Educational-Plot-Stamp-Removal-Issues.html

Other than a few out-of-work Shaman types, most people are very happy about this change. As long as you are running legit, full licenses of 2015 Autodesk products you no longer have to worry about the unwanted plot stamp.  If you think the company who sent you the education file is using the software in a shady way, you can always narc on them to our license compliance folks.

-LGH