Civil 3D 2008 grading

[jgrove1975]

I feel that a course in Civil 3D grading is much needed as most of the users out there have issues with the grading module, and the propoer ways of using feature lines.

[H-Angus]

I feel that a course in Civil 3D grading is much needed as most of the users out there have issues with the grading module, and the propoer ways of using feature lines.

In the mean time the AU Handouts available here (http://www.augi.com/education/auhandouts.asp) may be worth a look.

[thair]

Autodesk is the problem. I love the software, but I also pay a LOT of money for it to work correctly. I submitted a support request about Grading issues and the below quote was supplied. Thanks for promising grading features and then expecting me to dig through support emails to figure out why. WHY NOT JUST FIX IT!

Direct Email quote:

I would be surprised if SP2 fully resolves the grading issues you are having. Grading can be quite stable if the correct approach is taken to modeling the data...if an incorrect approach is taken, the results are often similar to what you ahve experienced. Most of the existing issues related to grading stability have been reported to development already, and many are being worked on, however, you probably still need a solution now. There are several ground rules that should always be followed when working with grading in order to have a stable model. These include:

* 1 and only 1 grading group per site
* no other data on the same site as a grading group
* each grading goup should contain one and only one feature line as a starting point for the grading.
* interaction between grading groups may be achieved via intermediate surfaces. for example, if you have 2 grading groups that must interact with one another, modle one targeting EG as if the other isn't there. create a new surface, paste in EG and then paste in the data from the first grading group. model the second grading group targeting this new surface. create the final design surface by pasting the two grading surfaces into a new surface in the proper order (1 then 2). this method may be extended to any number of grading groups.
* only 1 grading design/final design per drawing - if you nee dseveral distinct areas graded that never interact with one another, use separate drawings.
* if you cannot acheive the desired results via grading alone, consider using 3d linework, corridor models, etc to model parts of a design surface...this data can be placed in a 'patch' surface that can then be pasted into the design surface.
* never directly modify the EG or a grading surface.
* never delete triangle edges...use boundaries instead.

Compatibility with 64 bit OS's is being considered. Several customers have already installed c3D on 64-bit OS's, but because the software is not designed to run in a 64 bit environment, this is an unsupported configuration. It is very likely that these customers will experience memory issues not present in a 32-bit environment. I know of no plans to build a linux version.

Best Regards,
Autodesk Support Team