This is that time of year in Civil 3D Land. People do ask if the Framework for Civil 3D products run in the latest and greatest Autodesk Civil 3D 2024. All our preliminary testing shows that the available Templates Only for Civil 3D 2023 and Jump Kit for Civil 3D 2023 product builds run fine in Civil 3D 2024.
We do have a lot of practice at the release Upgrade and product Update game. Do we call it…
Spring Training for Civil 3D
Of course, whether Autodesk code runs better or Framework Style collections function in Civil 3D 2024 doesn’t really matter at all that much to most of the Civil 3D Land folk’s daily project work.
The Project work matters more than any new Autodesk code or even Framework for Civil 3D content improvements. That work pays the bills. We do try to keep that in mind and pay attention to that sort of detail.
Autodesk Continues to Release 2024 Improvements
I trust you pay attention to the Autodesk Annual Rites of Spring. This is a period of time where our Autodesk rights change but we may not recognize it as yet. Eheh.
Get and Employ the PE and GO
If you have a license of Civil 3D, Project Explorer (PE) and Grading Optimization (GO) are now included with your Civil 3D. No AEC Collection license required. This benefit applies to older releases of Civil 3D. Hoorah.
Speaking of older releases…
Earlier Civil 3D Release Updates
Autodesk recently released fix it Updates to older releases of Civil 3D.
See the Autodesk Civil 3D 2021.3.4 Update and the Autodesk Civil 3D 2022.2.3 Update news posts. Neither of these appear to impact our Framework product builds for those releases.
The Civil 3D 2023.2.3 Update was released the day after the original posting date of this blog post.
See the Autodesk Civil 3D 2023.2.3 Update news post.
Autodesk Customer Success Hub
The Autodesk Customer Success Hub offers a host of training courses for all Autodesk products.
The Civil Infrastructure offerings provide some very useful training fodder.
See the Civil 3D Customer Success Hub courses.
Funny to see Autodesk marketing riff on my most important training tip of all time.
Do the Do or Don’t.
Skills development is always our call.
Autodesk Access
Sooner rather than later we are all sure to encounter the new Autodesk Access (ACS) app. The ACS is the replacement for the Autodesk Desktop App (the ADA). Install anything new from Autodesk and we get ACS like it or not.
The new ACS typically requires additional Autodesk Subscription admin setup steps to function properly.
Customers get Autodesk Access in four ways that began March 15, 2023:
- With any new 2022 or later product installation after March 15th.
- As an automatic self-update of Autodesk installer.
This will be a progressive, percentage-based rollout ending around mid-May 2023. - As an update to ADA, beginning April 3, 2023.
- Direct installer download from the Autodesk Access landing page.
See the Autodesk Access FAQ on the AKN.
From my perspective I find Autodesk Access to be as annoying than the ADA and about as useful. I do not whine alone.
Autodesk claims to want to improve software maintenance processes and somehow once again fails to include a means to create a useful applied Update history list inside the new Access interface. Dooh.
Autodesk, if you cannot generate a local computer report on what Autodesk Updates, Enhancements, and Addons are installed on a local machine, do you merit any level of administrative trust from me?
Autodesk Desktop Connector
Autodesk released an April 2023 Update to the Autodesk Desktop Connector (ADC) which includes an improved Reference Explorer and other significant improvements.
See the recent Autodesk Desktop Connector 16.2.0.2007 news post with links to the Release Notes and more details.
Getting a Civil 3D project to the Autodesk Cloud got easier.
Autodesk Standardized Data Tool for Civil 3D
If you employ Property Set Data in Civil 3D, time to pay attention. Autodesk released the official initial version of a new Standardized Data Tool for Civil 3D. The SDT does not appear to be confined to only Civil 3D 2024 product.
A video or two helps explain things…
The Standardized Data Tool Playlist
See the Autodesk Standardized Data Tool for Civil 3D news post and details.
Batch Save for Civil 3D 2024
If you want to Upgrade or Update Civil 3D project drawings or Civil 3D resource drawings, the Batch Save Utility for Civil 3D (BS) is a go to tool. If you follow this blog, you know that I am a big Batch Save proponent and fan. There would not be a Framework for Civil 3D without it.
The initial Batch Save version installed with Civil 3D 2024 worked fine. However, after I installed the new Autodesk Desktop Connector, my previously installed version of Batch Save for 2024 died permanently. Oops. Windows Uninstalls and Repairs also do not work to fix the problem. It appears Autodesk will need to release a separate Batch Save Utility for Civil 3D fix it patch. Be warned.
Back to the salt mine…The Framework for Civil 3D 2024 is coming.
Get the Toolset for Civil 3D
Get the Framework for Civil 3D