Smart People want to know what's new and improved in the Jump for 2012. Since our 2011 product ran in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 on release day, how do we top that?
Our goal is simple.
A Higher Standard to Build On
That goal entails that we provide our customers with an in-depth set of available, accessible, and manageable resources for AutoCAD Civil 3D that work in production environments. That need is both great and readily apparent.
"What are 1000s of civil engineering organizations and firms going to do? Customize AutoCAD Civil 3D from the ground up or Personalize the software based on known national standards?"
The Jump NCS 4.0 employs the National CAD Standard as its basis. We believe this approach offers civil engineering organizations of any size a Path of Least Resistance and a significantly lower cost per seat to both implement and employ AutoCAD Civil 3D.
The Jump Platform also extends those standards and methodologies into the model based software environment of AutoCAD Civil 3D in ways that are both of substantial benefit to users and practically necessary based on Civil 3D's underlying technology.
The Jump Platform Changes for 2012 NCS 40
The following list is the rather staggering "basic" or bullet point list of things changed and upgraded in the new Jump Platform.
A single phrase used in this list could potentially save you and your organization many man-hours in a single project.
Simply put the Jump Kit (contains Styles to add to InstantOn products) more than doubled in size. Total Style library count is over 5000. We officially stopped counting. The "count" includes many "prototype" Parent Styles and Label Styles that allow you to rapidly construct More Style varitations rapidly as your needs demand.
InstantOn Basic contains around 2000 common Civil 3D Styles and Label Styles. This product meets to typical needs of most civil engineering organizations "out of the box."
Common Resources
Many of the common resources reflect fundamental changes and features made available in Jump Release 4 products (released last winter) that are also available for both AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 & 2011. These are now also available in our latest product releases for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012.
Layers
Rename of Layers to conform to published Layer Key changes from NCS 3.1 specification to NCS 4.0 specifications
Corrections to Layer property inconsistencies in previous releases
Additional NCS Utility and related layers are provided in Layer State Files
Additional NCS Catchment layers are provided in Layer State Files
Script supplied on requests for 3.1 to 4.0 drawing and project upgrades
New and upgraded Layer State Files for 2011 and 2012 changes to basic NCS Layers
Based on a preliminary assessment the layers all appear compliant with NCS 5.0 recommendations.
NCS 4.0 Linetype Resources
Common NCS 4.0 compliant Linetype (.lin) and Shape (.shx) files based on public NCS/DOD standards
The Jump Platform default “Proposed” textstyle is employed in NCS40.lin file. The default “arial" textstyle was referenced previously.
Included prototype alpha-numeric linetype definitions from user linetype construction and customization
No new NCS 4.0 Linetypes assigned to Layers
Text Styles
Default "Proposed" textstyle used for proposed conditions. Prior default “arial” purged.
Default "Existing" textstyle used for existing conditions. Prior default “oarial” purged.
Rename textstyle Script file supplied for version drawing upgrades
Additional “classic” textstyles used in typical Autodesk Land Desktop, AutoCAD, and AutoCAD Civil 3D supplied blocks included in templates and supplied in Resources
References to other textstyles and fonts in Label Styles corrected and adjusted to conform to NCS standard recommendations
Style Based Plotstyles
New default .stb files with percentage based screening for detailed screened shapes, masks, fills, etc.
Symbol Set and Blocks Only
Supplied Symbol Set block libraries – number and contents vary by specific product
Symbol Set NCS 4.0 includes about 750 Point Styles and more symbols
Blocks Only NCS 4.0 includes AutoCAD 2010+ block library of standard symbols and prototype symbols
Standardized "NCS like" Block and Linetype Naming Conventions
Common Symbol Set based on the Block Naming Convention
Additional blocks, block cleanups, block standards and consistency
Jump Platform Style Fixes and Cleanups
Numerous small details and property inconsistencies fixed or cleaned up in Styles and Label Styles
Default Expression collection Label Styles to support parameter driven Expressions in used in Label Style where appropriate
Added +ALWAYS IMPORT Label Styles for parameter and referenced Expressions where required
Summaries of New Jump Platform Styles By Feature
Styles available differ by product. The Jump Kit includes and makes available all Styles broken out into collections and ByFeature drawing collectioins.
General Styles
Added new Catchment point Marker Styles
Added new percentage screened Shape Styles for Plan, Model, Profile, and Section screened fills
New View and Edit Code Set Styles and supporting Labels and other Styles
Added New Marker, Link, and Shape General Label Styles driven by parameter expressions– vary by product
Expression default Label Styles to support parameter Expressions driven labels
Added percentage scaling arrangements of Marker, Link, and Shape Label Styles
Jump Kit – More ByFeature General Label Style resource drawings
Points
Minor changes to Point Style Names based on Block Naming Conventions
Point Style Names agree with employed Block Names
Added a new No Show Point Group
Revised existing Point Group names to reflect NCS "like" naming rules
Revised all Point Group definitions to conform to new Desciption Key Sets and Standards
Point Group definitions broken out into resource level text files
Hundreds of new Point Styles – number vary by specific product
Break out of Description Key Sets into ByFeature drawings
Description Key Sets deliver both in Model Templates and separate resource drawings
Point Styles now supplied in Symbol Set collection format
Blocks supplied in Blocks Only library format
Added New Point Label Styles – vary by product
Jump Kit – More ByFeature Point Label Style resource drawings
Support for all common and uncommon NCS utilities
Description Key Sets and Figure Prefixes
Description Key Sets revised to new Point Styles
New Description Key Set naming convention to support InstantOn Survey products and additional Description Key Set functionality
Core Description Key Set count is 1000 keys
Core Figure Prefix library is 250 figure prefixes integrated with Description Keys
Description Key Sets broken up into more manageable collections based on typical survey usage models and tasks.
Point Clouds
New Point Cloud Styles
Catchment Styles
New Catchment Styles
New Flow Line Segment Label Styles for Catchments
Alignments
New Alignment Styles– variety varies by product
Added “annotative” Alignment Styles and core Alignment Group labels to support View independent annotation
Support for both Existing and Proposed
Site features ditches, railways, channels, etc
Typical Easements, ROWs, etc
Property boundaries with NCS Symbols and typical text versions for ROW, Properties, Sections, etc.
In-depth NCS utilities support with NCS annotation
In-depth typical DOT upper and lower case utility lines
Rebuild of Alignment Group Label Sets
Added Major and Minor station labels for typical DOT alignment stations based on 1 and 2 digit Expressions
Added On Station Major and Minor station alignment labels with 1 and 2 digit Expression support
Profiles
Added “annotative” Profile Styles and core Profile Group labels to support View independent annotation
Rebuild of Profile Label Styles for added Tick components and support for new attachment points
Added Major, Minor, and Horizontal Geometry point Label Styles
Added simplified Station Labels with and without Circular and Rectangular symbols
Added Tick based Grade Break label Styles
Added new Dim Line Label Styles - support for multiple Profile View and Split Profile Views
Added Line Label Style support for Tangent Extension length data
Added new and rebuilt Crest, Sag Curve Label Styles with new Curve Label attachment points
Added Curve Label Style support for multiple Profile View and Split Profile Views
Added Curve Label Style support for Asymmetric Parabolic and Circular Vertical Curves
Rebuild of Profile Group Label Sets
Profile Views
Added 225+ New Profile View Styles – variety varies by product
Rebuild of default Profile View specifics to better standardize and improve Profile Views
1x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7.5x, 10x scales added
Larger variety of Axis Label arrangements
Standard Elevation Axis titles with Elevation Range
Standard Station Axis titles with Station Range
Better Axis arrangement of critical Geometry point labels
Jump Kit – More ByFeature Profile View resource drawings
Added Band Set Styles -variety varies by product
Larger variety of Profile Data Band Sets
Improved and added Pipe Network Band Styles existing and additional SSA data capability
Improved Superelevation Band sets
Sections
New Section Styles
Section Views
Added 175+ New Section View Styles – vary by product
Rebuild of default Section View specifics to better standardize and improve Section Views
1x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7.5x, 10x scales added
Added more NoGrids and Center Axis Section Views
Standard Elevation Axis titles with Elevation Range
Standard Offset Axis titles with Offset Range
Jump Kit – More ByFeature Section View resource drawings
Added Section View Band Styles
Additional Section Data Band Styles for both Section View with Axis and without
Additional Section Segment Band Styles both Section View with Axis and without
Sample Lines
Added Sample Line Style with Vertices and additional Sample Line Label Styles
Added Station based Sample Line Label Styles with multiple symbols
Pipe Networks, Pipe and Structures
Added typical NCS utility support to Pipe Networks, Pipes, and Structures – variety varies by product
Add NCS utility Pipe and Structure Styles for NCS utilities – variety varies by product
Added NCS utility Label Style support for Pipe Networks, Pipes, and Structures – variety varies by product
Added prototype labels for all NCS utilities – variety varies by product
Improved and added Pipe Network Styles existing and additional SSA data capability
Parcels
Added Parcel Area Labels based on common Symbols with and without masking
Added and rebuilt both General Line and Curve Labels and Parcel segment labels
Survey
Added Figure Styles to support typical and common Site and Roadway figures
Figure Styles integrated with Figure Prefix databases and Description Key Sets
Assembly Sets
Rebuilt core AASHTO Local and Collector Assembly Sets and included Assemblies
Curb Return Assemblies default to full depth Sidewalks where employed
Added Rural versions of Assembly Sets and Assemblies - Non-daylighting
Added Axis of Rotation based Assemblies for typical Local, Collector and Rural Assembly Sets
New Tool Catalog and Added Tool Palettes for all Assemblies
Assembly Set detailed documentation Added to User Cheat Sheet documentation
Civil 3D Project Template
Added new typical project subfolders for Intersection Features and Alignment (Offset and Curb) sharing
Sheet Set Template and Sheet Template/Layouts
Updated the Sheet Set Template to reflect changes in the Project Template
Updated the Sheet Set Template and title blocks and all included Plan Production Tool compliant Layouts
Added additional Layout to support variety of Plan and Profile and Pages of Sections in multiple scales
Project DataSet
Top to bottom rebuild of all drawings and source files in the training, template maintenance, and development project dataset
Added additional project drawings to demostrate and maintain Style and Sets for newer Civil 3D Feature and Label Styles
Symbol Set
New Symbol Set Resources and Maintenance Structure supplied
Core graphic symbols for block and symbol construction supplied
Block assessment resource files and specifications
New NCS 4.0/LDT common Symbol Set and Blocks Only library supplied – varies by specific product
Variety of sample Scripts and Microsoft Excel maintenance files supplied
Rename, Insert, and Wblock example scripts and resource files
Jump Kit
Jump Kit by Feature Drawings
Complete rebuild of supplied InstantOn products Style collections, Simple Style Collection, Complex Style Collection all with By Feature drawing file resources
InstantOn Basic and InstantOn Survey (when released) ByFeature resource drawings now included and segmented ByFeature
See Added Styles for additional added ByFeature resource drawings and additional Styles
Additional segmentation of Point Styles – both NCS 4.0 conforming .1 text height and common versions
Added New Base Drawings to aid in template construction