Earlier this week we started rolling out the Jump Platform products for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013. That's a whole month earlier than last year in spite of more new things to do this release.
Whew!
In accordance with our obsessive complusion to keep upgrade between our products as painless as possible for our customers and clients we also released some core updates to our Jump Platform 2012 products. Read about those here.
We're still wrapping up some final QA on InstantOn Basic 4 2013 and The Jump Kit 4 2013 products. They're at the any day stage.
I thought I'd share some of the detailed highlights with you in advance of the upcoming IOB 2013 release.
The Jump Platform 4 2013
A 2013 Summary
In case you want to keep track, there are now 34 or 35 Features exposed in the Civil 3D Toolspace for release 2013. (From our perspective Subassemblies don't really count since they require no Feature Styles and/or Label Styles.) I think 2013 added more new Features than any single release since 2010. Hey, but I loose track and I'm certainly not formaly keeping book. :-)
Of course in the Jump Platform we support (in-depth of Style) all the new Civil 3D Feature in 2013. As usual the basics are included in InstantOn Basic and a lot more Style and Set support and depth appears in The Jump Kit.
Our theory and practice is to keep the InstantOn Basic seat product simple and yet completely useful by itself. We then make available more detail and depth On Demand via The Jump Kit site product.
The Jump Kit has over 5000+ Styles and Label Styles in it. Like "hamburgers sold" the numbers have become truly meaningless. We really don't bother to count. The Styles and Sets are certainly no longer contained in one drawing or a even a single folder of drawings.
We're still supplying three gross levels of depth (IOB, Simple, and Complex) and more Feature division by drawing within each Feature at the Complex and Simple levels.
Our Jump Kit 2013 structure makes more sense and makes Style or Label you need NOW easier to find.
From our perspective the Key issue is to supply customers with enough so they don't have to reinvent the wheel just to get a different kind of "crop" (project) to market.
As best as we can tell we're the only organization is the world even attempting that.
Most customers find that concept pretty appealing and our execution more than satisfactory.
The odds are if you're lookiing for a Civil 3D Style or Label Style that does something there's more than a good chance it's already in The Jump Kit.
In 2012 we targeted Survey, Alignments, Profiles, and the Views for better depth, performance, and consistency. The results were straggering. If you need to annotate an Asymetrical parabolic for either QA or publication (or anything else weird) you've got it covered. Hundreds of Profile and Section Views and sophisticated expression driven labels when you do have to publish pages and pages of sections for a roadway, pipeline, canal, or utility project.
Here's the link to that detailed listing.
Some of that stuff got better in 2013 too via association and Civil 3D integration anyway.
I do love it when a plan comes together.
In 2013 we targeted General Styles and Utilities across all the Civil 3D Features. We improved the core Symbol Set NCS and Blocks Only NCS products and their maintenance as well.
Basically, no matter how you choose to model almost any common utility infrastructure by any method available in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 and how you might need to QA that annotatively, you've got it covered. Sorry to STEAM system folks... However, even the core essentials are in there for that in the Jump Platform to build from. There are even different NCS pressure levels of Alignment and Profile annotative styles in The Jump Kit.
The 2013 Jump Platform Details
The disclaimer: These are subject to change without notice and certainly don't pretend to cover everything tweaked and improved over the last year. These notes are from the latest version of the Jump Standards for 2013 documentation.
1.1 2013 NCS 40/50
1.1.1 Layers
Addition of NCS compliant RAIL layers for Rail Alignments, Profiles, Profile View, and Corridor Feature components.
Addition of NCS compliant and consistent UT## layers to support Gravity Pipes and Pressure Pipe Network models for all typical and atypical utility infrastructure
NCS Utility Color consistency updates across all Civil 3D Feature and Feature Label Styles.
1.1.2 Blocks and Symbol Set
Supplied Symbol Set block libraries – number and contents vary by specific product
Symbol Set NCS 4.0/5.0 includes about 1000 Point Styles and more symbols
Blocks Only NCS 4.0/5.0 includes AutoCAD 2013+ block library of standard symbols and prototype symbols
NCS like Block and Linetype Naming Conventions
Common Symbol Set based on the Block Naming Convention
Additional blocks, block cleanups, block standards and consistency
Minor changes to Point Style Names based on Block Naming Conventions
Point Style Names agree with employed Block Names
Multiple graphic variants of typical NCS vaults and handholes for all supplied NCS compliant utilities
1.1.3 NCS 4.0/5.0 Linetype Resources
No changes
1.1.4 Text Styles
No changes
1.1.5 Style Based Plotstyles
New stb files by default now employ rounded endpoints to improve graphic output results from certain very detailed Feature components
Previous versions of stb files are remain supported
1.1.6 Style Fixes and Cleanups
Numerous small details and property inconsistencies fixed or cleaned up in Styles and Label Styles. Some specifics highlights follow: (not all fixes are listed) here:
General Styles:
Adjusted Code Set Style Description field data for better annotative label clarity and more consistent published results
Standardized naming convention for Code group descriptions (Pave, Base, Subbase, etc)
Updated Marker, Link, Shape, Feature Line Styles, all Label Styles, and Code Set Styles for support of all roadway, rail, and misc corridors types
Adjusted forced color display of General components to be more consistent to ##2 (linework) and ##0 (PATT) standards and produce better black and white background environments
Adjusted forced color display of General components to conform to Left – Shades of Green and Red – shades of Red visual cue systems.
Parcels:
Set default Section Marker Style to appropriate layers and a consistent Marker Style
Updated existing Parcel Style library to conform with and work in conjunction with both Gravity and Pressure Pipe Network infrastructures.
Superelevation Views:
Tune ups to supplied Styles and improved documentation
Pipe Networks, Pipe, and Structure Features
Additions and fixes to existing Styles and Label Styles to provide more consistent conformance between both Gravity and Pressure Pipe system implementations.
Naming conventions, Component Layer assignments, and documentation matched between existing and new Features.
1.1.7 Feature Style Additions
Support for new 2013 Features Style and attached Feature Label Styles: Cant Views, Pressure Pipe Networks, Pressure Pipes, Fittings, and Appurtenances.
General Styles:
Added Marker, Link, Shape, Feature Line, and Code Set Style Style support for roadway rehab Overlays, trenches and other newer misc. supplied Subassemblies
Added Marker, Link, Shape, Feature Lines, and Code Set Styles and respective Labels Styles to fully support Rail Alignments, Rail Corridors, etc
Matched Styles supplied for all listed and default Civil 3D Codes for Points, Links, and Shapes
Added Code Set Styles for Rehab Overlays, Railways, with screened and label support as required.
Parcels:
Added RAIL easement and right of way Styles
Updated existing Parcel Style library to conform with and work in conjunction with both Gravity and Pressure Pipe Network infrastructures.
Added Parcel support for all NCS utility parcels and easements
Alignments, Profile and Profile Views:
Added in-depth coverage for RAIL and all supplied NCS utilities
Separate Utility drawing supplied for quick addition of specific utility Styles and Label Styles to templates and project drawings
Separate PROP and SITE Style collection drawing supplied for quick addition of specific NCS feature Styles and Label Styles
Separate PROP and SITE Style collection drawing supplied for quick addition of specific NCS feature Styles and Label Styles
Seperate "DOT like" Label Style collection drawings for Major and Minor Station labeling of Alignment and Profiles. Styles employ expressions to truncate Station Values in a number of potential configurations with and without Borders and Masks.
Updates to Superelevation Critical Point and Cant Critical Point Alignment Station label styles to include multiple symbolic representations.
Cant Views:
New Cant View Styles - they basically follow the preexisting Superelevation View Style naming conventions and standards.
Pressure Pipe Networks and Pressure Pipe Features:
In depth utility Type coverage for all NCS utility types including atypical Pressure Pipe Networks where these Features may be employed to model many utility infrastructures Fuel Oil, Communications, Power (Electrial), Irrigation Water, Industrial Waste, Natural Gas, Phone, Storm, Sewer, and Water systems.
Separate Utility Type default drawings are supplied for quick addition of specific utility Styles and Label Styles to templates and project drawings
Assemblies
Added new Rail Assembly for construction and edits of Railway type corridor Features
Added, Feature Lines, and Code Set Styles and respective Labels Styles to fully support Rail Corridors
Survey
Added new Survey Figure, Line, and Curve Label Styles that conform to existing Line and Curve conventions
1.1.8 Assembly Sets and Resources
Updated all Assembly Sets and Resources to 2013 compliance
Minor fixes to supplied Assembly Sets and resource files
Added additional Assembly Sets
1.1.9 Jump Kit Symbol Set(s)
New Symbol Set Resources and Maintenance Structure supplied including reconstruction of Feature numbering scheme
Core graphic symbols for block and symbol construction supplied in native 2013 dwg format
Update of all Point Styles and Description Key Set resources to default 2013 dwg format
Improved Block assessment resource files and specifications
A deeper NCS 4.0/5.0/LDT common Symbol Set and Blocks Only library supplied –the contents varies by specific product
Variety of sample Scripts and Microsoft Excel maintenance files supplied
Rename, Insert, and Wblock example scripts and resource files
Added auto Update scripts to any new release for all libraries and folders
Addition of multiple standard utility vault and handhole symbol methodologies including broken out block drawings for all supplied and default NCS utilities
1.1.10 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
Renumbering of Features resource drawings and documentation to conform to current 2013+ Toolspace organization
InstantOn Basic ByFeature resource drawings now included
See Added Styles for additional added ByFeature resource drawings and additional Styles
Additional segmentation of Point Styles – both NCS 4.0/5.0 conforming .1 text height and common versions
Additional segmentation of General Styles resource drawings
Additional segmentation of Parcel Styles resource drawings
Additional segmentation of Alignment Styles resource drawings
Additional segmentation of Profile Styles resource drawings
Added New Scripts for template construction