Autodesk Solutions for Civil Design: How Autodesk is delivering products and solutions to address complex civil challenges

By Terry Bennett, Autodesk

According to Bennett, civil engineering and design professionals can expect more change in the next two years than what has occurred over the last 10 years. The challenge now and in the future is providing real-time communication, maintaining data integrity, and dealing with software translation issues. "Whether we realize it or not," says Bennett, "we are becoming global data publishers - the authors and stewards of land and infrastructure information for the future."

In this session, attendees were given an overview of how Autodesk is helping them through this transition. Bennett gave attendees highlights of Autodesk's integrated family of civil design applications, which include Autodesk Land Desktop, Autodesk Civil Design, Autodesk Survey, and the new Autodesk Raster Design (formerly CAD Overlay). Bennett illustrated how together, they form a complete solution that enables user to maintain data integrity throughout the entire civil design workflow, including creating, accessing, analyzing and maintaining integrity.

Building and Maintaining an Electric Utility Network

By Doug Laslo, Autodesk

An important component of utility mapping and facility information is the data pertaining to connected networks that provide service to the customers. With the addition of the Autodesk GIS Design Server to Autodesk's family of GIS solutions, electric utilities now have the ability to digitally store and manage all the data about their connected network -- a very significant benefit.

Laslo showed attendees how once the network is captured and maintained in Autodesk GIS Design Server, it can be shared with other operational support systems at the utility making it readily available beyond the creators to anybody who can use it, including customer service, marketing, field workers, and more. Laslo also reviewed the tools available in Autodesk GIS Design Server for making this network management possible and gave illustrated the benefits these tools can provide for the utility business.

From Field to Finish - Automatic Base Map Generation using Autodesk Land Desktop

Presented by: Lucy F. Kuhns, Santa Fe Community College

In this session, Kuhns demonstrated how improved data collection methods result in base map information that is automatically generated upon download and import into Autodesk Land Desktop. Kuhns covered the many essential topics related to base generation including the use of connectivity codes and descriptors in raw field work, field book editing. In addition, she covered the Autodesk Land Desktop drawing environment, the use of description key files, importing and exporting files, the process of creating surface tin and contours, and more.

The key to this is using correct description key codes, figure prefixes, and connectivity codes when collecting data in the field. According to Kuhns, it is the professional in the field who should be creating the drawing from first hand knowledge - and not the CAD drafter in the office who is trying to "connect the dots" from a plain point file download. In the demonstration of these important field and office techniques Kuhns downloaded an example survey from a "TDS Ranger" data collector (both total station and GPS raw data were used in this one job). Two extremely different results were demonstrated from the exact same raw data file. The first as a typical point download with descriptions. The second as an Autodesk field book file complete with points, symbols, and poly-lines to indicate property boundaries, roadways, paths, structure outlines, and topographic features.

Autodesk Map and MapGuide for the communications industry

By Bruno Scott, GEOMAP Systems

The telecommunication industry has a wide variety of software needs ranging from simple mapping and network and subscriber management to complex network design. In this session, Scott explains why GEOMAP Systems has chosen Autodesk Map and Autodesk MapGuide as important components of CIRCEE 2000, a software solution it built for large telecommunications companies with complex networks that include copper, fiber, cable and hybrid networks. Scott highlighted how these environments can share the same data and functionalities and tips and tricks for successfully achieving this type of integration.

Built for Alcatel of Europe, CIRCEE 2000 covers most of the telecommunication industry needs including mapping, demand forecast, bills of quantities, infrastructure, network, equipment, web document management, subscriber management. Scott gives a detailed presentation of how CIRCEE 2000 users use Autodesk Map for designing complex network and Autodesk MapGuide as a management tool for real-time data modification.

Using the Autodesk OnSite API

By Henry Lee, Autodesk

From individual users to the largest enterprises, getting timely, accurate, and accessible information to workers whenever and wherever they need it can help improve business efficiency, improve customer service, as well as keep data accurate. In this session, Lee showed attendees how the Autodesk OnSite solution helps users break the limitations and difficulties of working with paper drawings and maps by delivering data to the point of work. Attendees were given a thorough drill down on the Autodesk OnSite API and how they can use it to build custom communications applications for delivering spatial data to workers in the field.

For More Information Contact:
Eric Sutphin, 415-507-6658
Email: eric.sutphin@autodesk.com

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