Currently When importing pulling in pipe networks (both utility and drainage) two things happen 1.) They lose a lot of data. 2.) you can only do it once. Then you have to erase EVERYTHING and do it again. The workflow generally goes like this:
So if you start a project, you get a preliminary drainage layout from another group. You bring it in, Go through each of the lines and structures individually and set their feature definitions and symbology to make it matches what you need for Drainage and Utilities. Then add a few more lines here and there per your design. Only to get an updated file from your Civil 3d using comrades a few months later. Only 2-3 new catch basins, but this system is mostly the same, this software should understand that and pull just the new data? Nope. Worse, you have to delete ALL underground and utility data to import ANYTHING. So you either have to manually add those extra manholes in ORD or delete all of the utilities in the model and restart. It's asinine. Why? Why is it a single-use move? Our industry is commonly filled with different parties sharing files and updating those files and not everyone using the same platform to create them. Why make it a one time only button?
Please just make an Amend functionality to bring in Pipe Networks from Civil 3d
| Civil Product Used | OpenSite Designer, OpenRoads Designer, OpenRail Designer |
You don't say what format of Civil 3D data you're importing, but have you looked at using ModelBuilder?
This existing functionality will import data in a number of formats, such as Excel and Shapefiles for example, and it will also update existing networks when the source data changes. The minimum data requirements are not too onerous - we need a name, XY coordinates, ground and invert elevations for a node, and a name, start node name, stop node name, invert elevations and size for a conduit.
We have a training class, called "Importing Drainage from Excel Data", which walks you through the process.