DWConnector for AutoCAD® Utility Design

DWConnector will make your life easier!

Here is a new video on DWConnector, a tool built by Spatial Business Systems (www.spatialbiz.com) for AutoCAD Utility Design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E4MGyASkpk

DWConnector connects AutoCAD Utility Design to your finance and work order management systems. This allows your designers and engineers to do two tasks that typically are done in two other software's!

1. Manage their piece of the work order process in their native design environment.
2. Automatically generate material lists as they design with the current finance information and submit the final material list to the warehouse system for ordering.

This tool eliminates a lot of extra clicks and screens while removing the need to duplicate information.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Jeremiah

SBS DWConnector - SEDC for AUD

SBS DWConnector allows you to get real time costing and Work Order data from you financial system in AUD! Watch my video to see how it works.

Callout's in AUD 2014!

Have you had a chance to look at AUD 2014? The Callout feature is really nice, very simple, works… and has leaders… and automatic update's!

It is simply a block with attributes, you can then define the attribute fields with AUD fields in the editor:

The only limitation out-of-the-box that I see is it cannot grab data from the material list, so we cannot see the cost or minor materials through the label. Hopefully I am just missing something! I will let you know if I find it.

Jeremiah

Finding RUS Specifications and Drawings

I am posting this in hopes that it will help someone spend less time in a day finding the latest RUS standards for design!

RUS Electirc Bulletins page:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RDU_Bulletins_Electric.html


A few of the documents I use on a regular basis:

Specifications and Drawings for 24.9/14.4 kV Line Construction (12/15/98):
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/UEP_Bulletin_1728F-803.pdf

Specifications and Drawings for 12.5/7.2 kV Line Construction (4/21/05):
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/UEP_Bulletin_1728F-804.pdf

Specifications and Drawings for Underground Electric Distribution (6/2/00):
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/1728f-806.pdf


To my knowledge the Bulletins page contains the most current documents, so watch for updates!

Jeremiah

How to stack text in Map3D Expression builder

This ha boggled me several times in the last few months and I can not for the life of me remember this:

'\P'

That's all it takes to stack text in the Map3D Expression builder!

Jeremiah

How to set specific layer for AUD Objects

AutoCAD Utility Design 2013

In this tutorial we will create a specific layer for the AUD Pole objects, these steps can be used for all AUD objects and will allow the use of traditional AutoCAD Layer commands to control visibility.

1. Create a new layer called POLES
1. Type LAYER at the command line to invoke the Layer Properties Manager:
2. Click the new layer button (in red above).
3. Type POLES for the layer name:
4. Close the Layer Properties Manager.
2. In the Configuration tab in the ribbon click the Industry Model button:
3. Choose the Pole Feature Class:
4. Click on the Styles tab:
5. Click on the Default 2D Plan Symbol, then click the edit button (in red below):
6. In the Symbol Editor drop down the Layer Name pick list and choose the POLES layer:
7. Click OK to close the Symbol Editor.
8. Click Apply to save the changes in the Industry Model Configuration window.
9. Click OK to close the Industry Model Configuration window.
10. Select an existing Pole or create and a new one and view its properties (select pole, right-click, choose Properties). You will see the layer is now POLES:
11. Repeat this process for the Existing and Removal Pole Styles as well or any other AUD object type. You can create layers for each state and then can control AUD Object visibility with traditional AutoCAD layer tools.
    
    

Visit us at the APPA E&O Conference next week!

Spatial Business Systems will be in booth 519 at the APPA E&O Conference next week.

Stop by and see how we can improve you engineering, design and staking environment with our DWConnector solutions.

Here are the show details:

http://www.publicpower.org/EandO/index.cfm?ItemNumber=29261&navItemNumber=29236

See you there!

Jeremiah

Video: Using GPS and Survey data in AutoCAD Utility Design

Here is a short video I made on how to use GPS and Survey data in AUD.

Using_GPS_and_Survey_Data_in_AutoCAD_Utility_Desig


Jeremiah

Win a trip to Autodesk University 2013!

This is an awesome opportunity to show you or your companies skills in Autodesk products and win an awesome prize! Check out Dana's for a great overview:

http://bimontherocks.typepad.com/my_weblog/2013/03/get-your-projects-recognized-and-maybe-win-a-trip-to-autodesk-university-au2013.html

And then sign up here:

http://www.infrastructure-excellence.com/

Good luck!
Jeremiah

Spatial Business Systems Announces SpatialBiz Plug-in for FME 2013

Here is the official press release for our FME SpatialBiz Plugin!

February 20, 2013 Annecy, France – Spatial Business Systems (SBS) has announced at the Safe Software Value-Added Reseller conference the availability of the SpatialBiz Plug-in for FME 2013.  The new release is compatible with FME 2013 and has a number of new features and improvements including: Support for FME 2013 32-bit & 64-bit New Flex Licensing Support for scratch tables Support for  heterogeneous geometry mapping Addition of text alignment geometry trait Addition of writer retry/repeat counters Addition of the ability to export changes to derived fields Addition of mirror geometry trait to points Workspace level WHERE condition Magik Session Identifier    This release marks the use of a new naming convention that is consistent with the Safe Software FME product suite designations.  The SpatialBiz Plug-in, also known as the Smallworld Plug-in for FME, is the foundation for supporting advanced data translation and interoperability solutions with the GE Smallworld GIS product.  Use of the SpatialBiz Plug-in with the SBS OSpatial Plug-in provides synchronized data exchange with Oracle Spatial, thus enabling coexistence of Smallworld with spatial data warehouses based on Oracle technologies.  The SpatialBiz Plug-in also works with Esri GIS technologies to support dynamic access to the Smallworld VMDS database from supported Esri products, thus allowing Esri users to perform business analytics and spatial analysis on GE Smallworld data.   Availability of the SpatialBiz Plug-in 2013 is February 20, 2013.   About Spatial Business Systems SBS offers an unparalleled combination of talent and advanced spatial information tools to help companies leverage their CAD and GIS investments by expanding them with open database, service-oriented, technologies. Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, with offices in Melbourne, Australia the SBS team is a highly regarded group of professional consultants and software developers, with many decades of experience in the application of geospatial information technologies. For additional information about SBS visit http://www.spatialbiz.com/

Adding Pole Heads to an existing pole in AUD

After you add a Pole in the AutoCAD Utility Design (AUD) environment it is very easy to add most attachments using the tool bars and Design Explorer   Pole Heads are one exception to this, they cannot be added using theses tools. The command you need  is AUDADDTOPOLE. Here is how it works:

1.       Type AUDADDTOPOLE
2.       Type F for Feature
3.       Choose Pole Head
4.       Choose Model Name
5.       Select the Pole Head to use and click OK
6.       Click Back
7.       Click Back
8.       At the command line type X for exit
9.       Select the pole(s) you want to attach to, press enter
10.   Press enter again to end the command

A little convoluted but it works great! Still working on how to get the conductors to connect and will post as soon as i do. As you can see this tool can be used for all kinds of other attachments as well.

Jeremiah

One more test...

Also, AUD 2014 looks to have awesome new tools!

Jeremiah

Test again, should hit Twitter and LinkedIn!

Jeremiah

Connecting my connected life...

So, just moved my blogspot account into Google+ with the tool in blogspot. I have also joined HootSuite. This is a test, so there may be a few, when its done I will lay out the process to becoming uniformly social!

Jeremiah

Connect to ArcSDE with AutoCAD Map3D, Civil3D, or AutoCAD Utility Design

Leveraging ESRI ArcSDE in your AutoCAD design can make life a whole lot better! Using the FDO tools found AutoCAD Map3D, Civil3D, and AutoCAD Utility Design this is easy to do. Here are the steps to do it:

You need these files from an ESRI install (any product):

1.       Pe.dll
2.       Sg.dll
3.       Sde.dll

You need to copy them into this folder:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD *\bin\FDO

Once you copy them into the folder open AutoCAD *. At the command line type MAPWSPACE and choose Y to open the Task Pane. In the Task Pane click the “Data” button and choose “Connect to Data…”:

In the Data Connections by Provider dialog box choose “Add ArcSDE Connection”, add your connection details and Login with the appropriate username and password:

Once you have logged in, select your Data Store and Version, click “Connect. The list of layers available to that user are listed, select what is needed and click “Add to Map…”.