Bob Mason has over 18 years of experience in civil design projects. He has expertise in AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Map 3D, Autodesk InfraWorks, AutoCAD Land Desktop, and AutoCAD. The document discusses how Civil 3D and InfraWorks 360 can be used together, with each program utilizing its strengths for different design stages. Civil 3D is best for detailed design and documentation, while InfraWorks 360 allows for rapid preliminary design in 3D and utilizes cloud-based data. Using the programs together provides efficient workflows from initial design through final construction documents.

2. Bob Mason
Solutions Consultant – Civil Solutions
18+ years Industry experience working on Commercial, Site
Design, Municipal, Transportation and Survey projects.
Degree in Computer Aided Design
Specializing in:
 AutoCAD Civil 3D
 AutoCAD Map 3D
 Autodesk InfraWorks
 AutoCAD Land Desktop
 AutoCAD
Knowledge with:
Microstation
Geopak
ESRI

3. © 2015 Autodesk
The Dynamic Duo
 Civil 3D is a great tool that
you may rely on every day
 But when you put InfraWorks
360 next to it, the team is
unbeatable
 There are things that one
product does better than the
other
 So why not use the best tool
for the job?

4. © 2015 Autodesk
The Dynamic Duo
 Are you currently doing these things with Civil 3D?
 Establishing existing conditions
 Preliminary road design
 Detailed design and documentation
 Let’s take a look at how well they can be done with Civil 3D together
with InfraWorks 360

5. © 2015 Autodesk
Establishing Existing Conditions
Goal: Develop a backdrop for
preliminary design
 Survey not feasible due to time, budget,
geography restrictions
 Done with freely available data
 How long would it take you to complete
this task?
 What kinds of skills would it require?
 Typically done with:
 Various online sources of data
 Civil 3D tools for surface building
 Map tools for consuming GIS data
 3rd party tools for data format translation

6. © 2015 Autodesk
Establishing Existing Conditions
Doing it with InfraWorks 360
1. Open Model Builder
2. Zoom into are of interest
3. Create model
End result: 3D model with terrain, draped aerial imagery, 3D roads.
3D water features, and 3D buildings
Note: Clock
does not
reflect time
required to
research and
find data
Doing it with Civil 3D – typical workflow
1. Acquire data
2. Translate format
3. Configure Civil 3D environment
4. Create a surface from GIS data
5. Capture imagery
6. Import vector data
End result: Aerial image with contours and lines

7. © 2015 Autodesk
Establishing Existing Conditions
The story continues…
 Civil 3D steps in when accurate
ground data is obtained
 Process field data
 Build a surface
 Detailed symbology and labeling
 The accurate surface created in Civil
3D can be added to the InfraWorks
360 model, if desired

8. © 2015 Autodesk
Establishing Existing Conditions
With Civil 3D alone With Civil 3D and InfraWorks 360 Together
Pre-survey
Potentially hours spent locating data No time spent finding data
Expert-level skills and experience required Simple process – minimal training required
Multi-step, messy process due to disparate data sources Single step – “Create Model”
End result: Aerial image with contours and lines End result: 3D model with terrain, draped aerial imagery, 3D roads. 3D water features,
and 3D buildings
Post-survey
Civil 3D used to generate detailed existing conditions drawing Detailed info can be visualized in context, in 3D
Results
Detailed existing conditions drawing Detailed existing conditions drawing, and in-context 3D model

9. © 2015 Autodesk
Preliminary Road Design
Goal: Develop a road design quickly, but with
design principles that work
 Should use engineering-based horizontal and
vertical design
 Should consider reasonable cut and fill
 How long would it take you to complete this
task?
 What kinds of skills would it require?

10. © 2015 Autodesk
Preliminary Road Design
Doing it with InfraWorks 360
1. Launch road tool
2. Select style
3. Draw road
End result: 3D road with lanes, curbs, sidewalks, etc. & designed
intersection
1. Sketch out path of road
centerline
2. Create alignment
3. Create existing profile
4. Create design profile
5. Design secondary road
6. Create assembly
7. Create corridor
8. Create corridor surface
9. Design intersection
10.Clean up surface
End result: 3D “wireframe” with
contours
Doing it with Civil 3D – typical workflow

11. © 2015 Autodesk
Preliminary Road Design
Let’s see that again

12. © 2015 Autodesk
Preliminary Road Design
The story continues…
 After the design reaches a point in
InfraWorks 360…
 The InfraWorks 360 model can be
opened in Civil 3D
 Civil 3D is then used for detailed design
and documentation
 Then the detailed design in Civil 3D can
be opened in InfraWorks 360 for
visualization.

13. © 2015 Autodesk
Preliminary Road Design
With Civil 3D alone With Civil 3D and InfraWorks 360 Together
Preliminary Design
10-step process, 20 minute process 3-step process, 40-second process
Expert-level skills and experience required Simple process – minimal training required
More detail than necessary for preliminary design Just enough detail for preliminary design
No assumptions made, requires 100% designer input Assumptions made = quick, but “smart” design
Detailed design
Detailed design continues in Civil 3D InfraWorks 360 model opened in Civil 3D – detailed design commences
Results
Detailed design model and construction documentation Detailed design model, construction documentation, and in-context 3D model

14. © 2015 Autodesk
Detailed Design
Civil 3D is still a BIG part of
the equation
 Survey data processing
 Needed for detailed design
 Needed for “design without
assumptions”
 Needed for preparation of
bidding and construction
documents
 Profiles
 Cross Sections
 Details
 Labeling
 Plan Production
 Adherence to graphical
standards

15. © 2015 Autodesk
What about Civil 3D?
 Until now, there has been nothing
available for quick, visual, preliminary
design
 Until now, the industry has been
using a tool that is best for detailed
design (Civil 3D) to perform
preliminary design
 Now that InfraWorks 360 is available
you have the best tools to do both
jobs
 Civil 3D is still a much needed tool –
projects cannot be completed without
it

16. © 2015 Autodesk
Best tool for the job
Civil 3D
 Completion of detailed
design
 Full user control
 No assumptions
 Documentation
 Profiles & Cross Sections
 Details & Labeling
 Plan Production
 Adherence to graphical
standards
InfraWorks 360
Preliminary design
Early detailed design
Fast
 Utilizes the cloud
 Assumptions allow
quick, automated
solutions
Visual
Full-time 3D
Context
Easy to learn