CADit... cad, bim, gis, ipd, vdc, plm, etc. etc.

AutoCAD Map 3D 2010 – Update 1 Released

The first update (service pack) is now available for AutoCAD Map 3D 2010, for details and to download…

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13879008&linkID=9240858&CMP=OTC-RSSSUP01

AutoCAD Map 3D 2010 CAD Manager Control Hotfix

Autodesk have released a hotfix for the following issue…

When you launch the CAD Manager Control Utility on a computer on which you have installed AutoCAD Map 3D 2010, the Utility either does not list AutoCAD Map 3D or returns an error message:

“No Autodesk-based product key in registry. Please use the CAD Manager Control Utility on a computer containing the Autodesk-based product you wish to modify.”

For further details and to download…

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13158781&linkID=9240858&CMP=OTC-RSSSUP01

Autodesk Map 3D 2009 Live Update Hotfix

Autodesk have released a hotfix to correct an issue where Live Update may report that a product update is available after you have installed Update 2

After you install AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Update 2 on top of Update 1, the Communication Centre's Live Update Maintenance Patches channel reports that an update is available. However, when you click the link, the page has a link to AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Update 2

Follow link for more info…

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=12961601&linkID=9240858&CMP=OTC-RSSSUP01

AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 - Update 2 released

Autodesk have released "Service Pack 2" for AutoCAD Map 3D 2009, for details see...

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=12567467&linkID=9240858

View the readme file for details of fixes and install requirements etc...

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autocad_map_3d_2009_update_2.html#Map3D_Update2

AutoCAD Map 3D - Vector Draping Hotfix Released

Autodesk have released a new hotfix to repair the vector data viewing and draping in 3D mode feature. This is where we have the ability to use a 3D surface in our Map, with "flat" vector data layers connected via FDO. When we then switch to 3D viewing mode, the vector data layers are then automatically draped over the surface.

The same draping is applied to raster data layers connected via FDO... but raster data layer draping was still working.

When you switch to 3D viewing mode, the surface is rendered, and raster data FDO layers are draped over the surface, but all vector data FDO layers do not appear at all.

Apparently this got broken with the release of Update 1 for AutoCAD Map 3D 2009.

For details of the new hotix and to download, click here...
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=11992225&linkID=9240858

Check out the readme file here...
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fdo_layer_3d_display_hotfix_3.htm

AutoCAD Map 3D - Vector Draping Broken

For those of us running AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 you will be aware of a number of updates and "Service Packs" as I like to call them.

At the time of writing this, the following are available...

Somewhere along the line, one of these updates has broken the ability for Map to drape vector data layers over a surface.

If you work with surface, raster and vector data in Map - connected via the Display Manager - FDO,  you have the ability to drape the raster and vector data layers over a surface.
When you switch to 3D viewing mode, the surface is rendered, and raster and vector data layers are automatically draped over the surface.

However, currently, when you switch to 3D viewing mode, the surface is rendered, and raster data layers are draped over the surface, but all vector data layers do not appear at all.

I have raised this issue with Autodesk and we are awaiting the next hotfix to repair this issue.

AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Update 1 Available

Autodesk has released the AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Update 1.
This update includes AutoCAD 2009 software fixes released in AutoCAD 2009 Update 1 as well as updates specific to AutoCAD Map 3D 2009.

Make sure you read the readme file prior to installation.

Follow this link for details and to download...

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=11784252&linkID=9240858&CMP=OTC-RSSSUP01

Coordinate transformations between NZGD1949 and NZGD2000 in AutoCAD Map 3D 2009

AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 and previous versions use the Distortion Grid method for coordinate system transformation between NZGD1949 and NZGD2000.

Reference Information from the LINZ web site...

http://www.linz.govt.nz/geodetic/conversion-coordinates/geodetic-datum-conversion/nzgd1949-nzgd2000/index.aspx

"There are three ways to transform NZGD1949 geodetic coordinates (latitude and longitude) to NZGD2000. Each of the transformation methods has different accuracy limits.
The choice of which method is the most appropriate will depend on the accuracy of the coordinates being converted and their intended use.

Transformation Method	Nominal Accuracy
3 parameter similarity	5 metres
7 parameter similarity	4 metres
Distortion grid	0.1 - 1.0 metres

These transformations are formally defined in the LINZ standard LINZS25000 (Standard for New Zealand Geodetic Datum 2000), and are summarised in the associated NZGD2000 fact sheet (LINZG25700)"

AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 - Survey Tools

Autodesk have released a Surveying Tools Extension for AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 to assist planners, drafters, engineers, and designers better utilise survey, GPS and LIDAR data to create surface models and use point data in AutoCAD Map 3D 2009

Available for download for Subscription customers

The Surveying Tools provide:

• Improved point data support
• Surface creation capabilities
• Additional Coordinate Geometry (COGO) commands (Bearing/Bearing and Distance/Distance)
• Import and export support for LandXML
• Preview Application Programming Interface (API)
• User documentation including User’s Guide and Developer’s Guide

AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 - Utilities Toolkits

Autodesk have released a set of Utilities Toolkits for AutoCAD Map 3D 2009, available for download for Subscription customers.

• AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Water Industry Toolkit
• AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Wastewater Industry Toolkit
• AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 Electricity Industry Toolkit

The Toolkits include:

• A data model - A set of industry object classes and corresponding data attributes.
• A set of pre-configured industry symbols/blocks that are tied to the object classes.
• AutoCAD Map 3D drawing (DWT) and Object Classification template (XML) files.
• User documentation including User’s Guide, Work-flows and Data Model Schema.
• Instructional videos.

The Toolkits are of course generic and have a US flavour, but are a great start to the principle behind using AutoCAD Map 3D's Object Classification to standardise your data, with obvious productivity benefits.

I have produced similar toolkits for AutoCAD Map 3D over the years, more recently for local New Zealand based industries, which include industry and/or company specific standard block libraries with pre-configured object classes, templates etc. using Object Data and External Databases. If anyone is interested, let me know.