Over the years I’ve seen a lot of survey projects literally from the North Slope to Key West and points beyond. This entails getting my head around how a firm gathers, QAs, and publishes data without any of the normal context the doers have.
“Can your Framework for Civil 3D product do something like this?”
“Send me a few survey data files.”
Data assessment of existing and proposed design is a learnable skill. We must be skeptical.
“Trust but verify.”
Those of us who do the work know this is particularly true if you do the work yourself.
“Assumption is the wicked stepmother of Accusation.”
I’ll spare us all the other famous, pithy, and politically incorrect quote on assumption.
Here’s a quick video of a couple of not so intuitive Survey data assessment skills I’ve picked up along the way. In this case focused on figures which can make or brake your project progress.
I hope these Civil 3D skills with thrills help.
Initial Survey Data Assessment
Blush at First Site
I covered the essentials of Quick Surfaces from a Survey Db in this previous post and video.
Not covered here - I also always create another separate (purposefully non-dynamic) surface from the raw data to establish an initial project QA benchmark for downstream comparisons.
See this previous post about that important concept. A surface build how to is covered in this recorded training video. Register and become a Member.
“I don’t get FBK files? I just get point files.”
True. In the example I do employ Survey Db constructed initially from an FBK, actually that is the result of an RW5 to FBK conversion of a raw Trimble file. “Thank you” Autodesk and Trimble for the interoperability agreement. See the Productivity Pack Toolbox for your 2016+ AutoCAD Civil 3D release.
I do employ the Survey Preview palette to examine the surveyed figures in elevation related to the Network Setups. Don’t be put off by a lack of Setups.
Civil 3D Survey will create figures from pretty stupid ASCII point files too.
In that case, you may have to cruise through the figures one at a time instead of in the more convenient Setup gathered bunches. Can you preview Survey Queries this way?
The initial figure assessment method still works well for a first peek in the endless search for better ways to find busts.
If you still manually connect the dots? Get a better life and acquire Civil 3D skills with thrills.
Get the Freedom to Work in Civil 3D
The following list of posts - most of which contain videos - should help you get your head around Survey Query basics, method and practice, and/or useful workflows in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
The Recent Survey Query Series
- Civil 3D Survey Query AddOn and Library
Contains a Shared Resource Library Shortcuts training video. - Reprise Civil 3D Survey Sand Traps
Contains the workaround training video for some important Civil 3D Survey issues and benefits. - Civil 3D Survey Query Name Rules
The Framework for Civil 3D Naming Conventions for Survey Queries in detail. - Civil 3D Survey Query Essentials
Learn the basics of Civil 3D Survey Query usage and construction includes a video. - Civil 3D Survey Data Assessment
How to preview and assess your data in a new Survey Db with a video. - Civil 3D Survey Got Better
A fast and quick way to construct a quality control surface from Survey Db data.