Autodesk has talked a lot about the new Component Roads in Infraworks 360 all summer. September’s AutoCAD Civil 3D v1 Enhancements and the Infraworks 360 release included new Storm Water Gravity Pipe analysis tools based in part on the shared technology. There are also new methods and workflows for the in and outs between the Autodesk Infrastructure products.
According to the powers that be we can expect another round of big changes later this fall and more about Component Roads, new Site Design features in Infraworks and the on-going integration with AutoCAD Civil 3D. See the Sept Dave and Dan Show webinar with a timeline here. I already said it is time to pay attention.
These new Big Things will certainly be featured in multiple Autodesk Infraworks and Civil 3D presentations at AU 2016. This month there was another follow up webinar that is also not to be missed.
Component Roads Explained
Is Infraworks 360 Ready for Prime Time Design?
The more germane question is, “Are you ready for Infraworks?”
Put it another way,
“Do you want to be a CAD Dude, a Visual Dude, or a Data Dude?”
You will be all three or not. Register and become a Member to learn more.
The volume of data behind potentially available in Infraworks 360 is tough to get your head around and not be overwhelmed. If AutoCAD Civil 3D is a problematic sea of potentiality, Infraworks is the world spanning ocean. The question is can you learn to manage the storm surge?
Infraworks Rocks
I say this not because of the way it looks but because of the how behind the way it works. What?
I am biased to be sure. To be honest I actually said Autodesk should do product like Infraworks on the core technology behind it BEFORE there was a plan for an AutoCAD Civil 3D. I am a crazy person.
I understand the technologies and human problems of implementing modern Style as well as most.
I produce and manage products that do nothing but that after all.
But I also recognize that what I do for work is not normal. It never has been.
Early releases of AutoCAD Civil 3D struggled with this problem.
Many in Civil Land still struggle with THAT same problem in Civil 3D every day.
I don’t expect that Infraworks will be different. Sooner or later the Way Cool must meet the real world and someone has to get paid to do that. The bitch is always in the logistical details and managed execution of that.
Will Civil 3D Be Replaced?
Not any time soon. Our regulatory institutions have no way to evaluate Model Data in the foreseeable time frame. Most of them have no competitive reason to learn to either. Too be honest I’m not sure they should learn anyway.
I think the better question is,
“Will Autodesk do the work to finish the Civil 3D deliverables loop in detail?”
I hope Autodesk may have to... to make money.
Autodesk continues to buy (and sometimes even build) good code, but never really do the do-diligence to complete the finer details of those integrations. I have a list of these, not that you care. We could all have a Whine and Geeze party on Market Street I am sure.
That bad behavior leaves a lot of Civil 3D users daily dancing with work arounds and laborious customization tasks that Autodesk avoids to save a Penny Dreadful to waste a sales marketing dime.
In Civil speak:
This is a bit like not catching a survey bust and building an entire shopping center 1 foot too low in the flood plain due to field typo. Who you gonna sue? Simple. We declare it a Federal disaster and refinance it.