Urbana_Civil_3D_Configuration_Report_-_RFQ_Version.pdf

DRAFT

CITY OF URBANA, IL

JUNE 2024

CIVIL 3D CONFIGURATION,

CAD STANDARDS, AND WORKFLOWS

PARTS 1 & 2 - DISCOVERY AND PLANNING REPORTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

Project Summary

Part 1 - Discovery Report

Discovery Meeting

Discovery Focus Points

Objective

Environment

Content

CAD System Audit

File Collaboration Review

Recommendations

Application Version Evaluation

Recommendations

Startup and Profile Configuration Review

Recommendations

Configuration Variables Review

Recommendations

Workspace Configuration Review

Recommendations

General CAD Standards Evaluation

Recommendations

Template Library Review

Drawing Templates

Sheet Templates

Recommendations

Plotting Configurations Review

Recommendations

Programming Customizations Review

Recommendations

Survey Workflow Evaluation

Recommendations

Design Workflow Evaluation

Recommendations

Administrative and User Resources Review

Recommendations

CAD System Audit Summary

Additional Areas of Concern

Condition of CAD Standards DWG and DWT Files

Drawing Errors

Regapps

AutoCAD DWG File Format

Digital Delivery Considerations

Part 2 - Planning Report

Planning Recommendations

Concern 1 – Condition of CAD Standards DWG and DWT Files

Concern 2 - Digital Delivery Considerations

Phase 1 – System Hardware and Software

Phase 2 – Civil 3D Training and Support

Phase 3 – CAD Management

Phase 4 – CAD Knowledge Base

Phase 5 – CAD Standards Development and Management Plan

Phase 6 - Uniform Standards Deployment Solutions

Phase 7 - Workflow Development

Appendix A

Cleaning Drawing Files

Autodesk Batch Save Utility

Clean a Single DWG/DWT

Regapp ID Cleanup Utility

Appendix B

System Hardware Configuration

Autodesk Civil 3D 2022 System Hardware Requirements

Autodesk Civil 3D 2025 System Hardware Requirements

Sample Urbana CAD System Hardware Specifications

Appendix C

AutoCAD/Civil 3D System Variables

Recommended Variable Settings

Appendix D

Supplementary Support and Learning

Online CAD Resources

Appendix E

Civil 3D Fundamentals training

C3D 101 – Civil 3D Essentials

C3D 102 – Civil 3D Beyond the Basics

Appendix F

Sample Managed Service Agreement

Zeman, John StrikeOut

PROJECT SUMMARY

The City of Urbana (Urbana) currently uses Autodesk Civil 3D (Civil 3D) for creating deliverables for surveys and project design. Urbana would like to further develop and improve their current Civil 3D configuration, CAD standards, and CAD workflows. EnvisionCAD was retained to examine Urbana’s current Civil 3D environment, produce recommendations for improvement, and create a plan for implementation of an enhanced Civil 3D configuration. This effort also includes developing an installation process so that an Urbana Civil 3D configuration can be deployed uniformly to every Civil 3D user within the city and not interfere with any other potential configurations.

The following is parts 1 & 2 of the project:

Part 1 - Discovery Report

Part 2 – Planning Report

PART 1 - DISCOVERY REPORT

Discovery was performed to investigate and identify the intention, requirements, and other considerations that need to be addressed to create a Planning Report. A meeting was scheduled to gather discovery information to be able to perform a CAD System Audit of Urbana’s current Civil 3D environment.

DISCOVERY MEETING

The City of Urbana and EnvisionCAD had a discovery meeting with the goal to gather sufficient information to establish a baseline objective, environment, and content on which to perform a CAD System Audit to develop a plan for improving the City of Urbana’s Civil 3D configuration, CAD standards, and CAD workflows by identifying opportunities for enhancement and optimization.

The meeting was conducted online via remote collaboration software and was attended by the following staff members from each organization:

City of Urbana John Zeman - City Engineer Chase Hinton - Engineering Technician Daniel Rothermel - Land Surveyor Carlos Flores - Network/Systems Technician

EnvisionCAD Bob Mecham, Project Manager Bryan Sullivan, Senior Consultant Geoff Ashworth, Senior Consultant

Following the meeting, Civil 3D content files, Civil 3D configuration files, and engineering & survey project files were provided by the City of Urbana for the CAD System Audit.

DISCOVERY FOCUS POINTS

Discovery aimed to capture baseline information in three areas of focus.

Focus areas:

• Objective

• Environment

• Content

OBJECTIVE

Clear objectives and a list of needs to be addressed was the starting point of the discovery process, to produce the necessary questions that defined the level of detail required during information gathering.

Objectives:

• Consolidate CAD standards content

• Enhance and standardize existing Civil 3D configuration

• Create uniform Civil 3D configuration distribution process

• Streamline survey and plan production workflows

• Increase efficiency, productivity, and consistency

• Explore additional user resources for learning

ENVIRONMENT

Software used in a design process is just one part of a broader environment that also includes technical components at the enterprise level (document management systems, network configuration, etc.) and the user level (computer hardware, deployment methods, user location, etc.). The operational nature of an organization and how it functions in user groups, plus the responsibility of various roles can also impact the needs to be addressed by a Civil 3D configuration.

Environment considerations:

• Software deployment and configuration

• Data and file management

• CAD standards development resources

• CAD management and user assets

• Computer workstations

• Task and resource assignments

CONTENT

Essential information to be gathered in the discovery step is the CAD standards content itself. In addition to providing the base for a configuration, the content provides a familiar resource to the user. Thoughtfully produced standardized content can lead to increased efficiency and productivity, improved communication and clarity, reduced errors and improved quality, easier data management, and better interoperability.

Content provided in discovery:

• Example Plan Sets (PDFs)

• Example Plan and Survey drawings (DWGs)

• AutoCAD Block files (DWGs)

• AutoCAD Drawing and Sheet templates (DWTs)

• AutoCAD Sheet Set file (DST)

• AutoCAD Color Plot Style Tables (CTBs)

• AutoCAD Linetype and Shape files (LIN, SHP, SHX)

• Field Code list (TXT)

• Description Keys list (XLS)

• Survey Data file (CSV)

CAD SYSTEM AUDIT

A CAD system audit was performed as one evaluation for both Autodesk applications, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D. EnvisionCAD project staff SMEs reviewed the discovery meeting recording, meeting notes, Civil 3D configuration files, and CAD standards content files that were provided for this task.

CAD System Audit focus areas:

• File collaboration review

• Application version evaluation

• Startup and profile configuration review

• Configuration variables review

• Workspace configuration review

• General CAD standards evaluation

• Template library review

• Plotting configurations review

• Programming customizations review

• Survey workflow evaluation

• Design workflow evaluation

• Administrative and user resources review

The findings of the CAD System Audit are not a fully exhaustive and detailed list, but rather an overview that focuses on the existing condition of Urbana’s Civil 3D configuration and content with limited recommendations. The notes in each section do not necessarily have a negative or positive connotation but are observations to consider when developing a Civil 3D configuration that will meet Urbana’s needs.

The Planning Report (Part 2) provides action items to consider before implementation, although additional research may be required to refine some details before deploying recommendations. Any recommendations are meant to align with existing Urbana content, however, there are variations in how different generations of CAD software operate. Exact replication of existing content and processes should not be expected, but the general “character” of the content will strive to be captured and maintained.

FILE COLLABORATION REVIEW

General notes:

• File servers located at an office.

• The system is set up as a classic client-server LAN/WAN.

• UNC used to define project directory locations.

• Network share and virtual NAS drive for file storage.

• Users have some file and folder access restrictions but can write freely to Windows user profile folder.

• IT can create directories and push files to user machines, if needed.

• Varying project file management practices are used.

o Project data is accessed by working directly on files located on server.

o Project files are temporarily copied manually to a local PC location and then copied back to server location.

• Unclear how Civil 3D projects and data shortcuts are being setup.

RECOMMENDATIONS

File collaboration is a crucial aspect of modern work, enabling individuals and teams to work together efficiently and effectively. A central, single-source location for CAD standards is crucial for maintaining, updating, and managing CAD assets. A common project file location simplifies Civil 3D project setup.

It is EnvisionCAD’s recommendation that a combination of local device and LAN file server configuration using mapped drives be used for CAD standards data file management to eliminate unnecessary IT maintenance and user ad hoc work arounds. The use of mapped drives will allow for the greatest number of configuration options.

A master set of CAD standards files can be located on a shared, mapped drive, with local copies of files mirrored on user machines. Project files can be kept in a single location to take advantage of Civil 3D project setup and data referencing. Civil 3D Project Templates can be used to simplify directory creation and distributing common project files.

APPLICATION VERSION EVALUATION

General notes:

• Urbana does not currently have any licensing issues.

• All users are using Autodesk Civil 3D 2022 software.

• Urbana desires to upgrade Civil 3D to a newer version.

• Installation of applications and add-ins are the responsibility of the IT Department.

• Civil 3D updates are the responsibility of the user, using the Autodesk Access desktop application.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A common organization-wide application release version installed identically for all users is essential for collaboration, compatibility, automation, and workflow standardization. Staying up to date with application releases is crucial to avoid compatibility issues and gains can be achieved by introducing new features into existing workflows.

Urbana can benefit from updating technologies when appropriate by using the latest Civil 3D versions. Urbana is currently using Civil 3D 2022. Autodesk’s policy is to support only the most current Civil 3D release and the three previous releases. Civil 3D 2022 will become unsupported in Q2 2025 (when Civil 3D 2026 is released). EnvisionCAD recommends upgrading to either Civil 3D 2024 or 2025.

Two strategies to consider when choosing a release version:

1. Use the version previous to the current version. (Major updates and bug fixes have been issued.)

2. Use the current version. (Take advantage of newer features, but the product may not be fully updated yet.)

Some things to consider:

• Is it preferrable to have cutting edge features or a more stable application environment?

• What are Urbana’s collaborators using? Does it make sense to align with a version your most frequent collaborators are using?

• Autodesk has spent a lot of effort to increase performance in releases 2023-2025. Release

2025 has the greatest performance increase over 2022.

EnvisionCAD does not recommend a particular Civil 3D release over another, but Urbana must upgrade from 2022 before Q2 2025.

STARTUP AND PROFILE CONFIGURATION REVIEW

General notes:

• No custom startup routine.

• No process in place to easily switch between default and custom startup configurations.

• Profile application start shortcuts are not used.

• Standards specific profile is not used.

• Discipline/project specific profiles are not used.

• Configuration settings and support file pathing are not uniformly set through automation.

• Default file paths are most likely set to Autodesk defaults.

Civil 3D allows for custom scripts and/or add-ins to be launched on application start. Custom profiles with standardized configuration settings can also be set to launch on application start.

An AutoCAD profile is a collection of settings that customizes the AutoCAD working environment. It essentially stores information on how AutoCAD and Civil 3D looks and behaves. An AutoCAD profile typically includes:

• Interface Customization: This encompasses the arrangement of toolbars, ribbons, palettes, and the command line window. A preferred display layout can be saved within a profile.

• Options Settings: Many aspects of AutoCAD behavior are controlled through the Options dialog box. A profile can store these settings in an ARG file and preload them at startup.

Having a custom profile is also advantageous because many settings are controlled through the profile ARG file itself and not all settings are accessible through the user interface.

• Default Paths: Profiles can store default file locations. This allows to separate and store CAD standards files in a preferred location rather than the default Autodesk folders.

Custom programming can also be implemented in the form of AutoLISP or other languages to load additional functionality for Civil 3D at startup. Having a startup configuration removes the need for users to manually load items and can make adding additional custom tools easier. Startup configurations can then be used to load the custom functionality and keep machines uniform to enforce CAD standards. Multiple configurations might be created to automate setting up Civil 3D for different tasks or specific projects.

EnvisionCAD strongly recommends implementing a standardized profile and standardized startup configuration.

CONFIGURATION VARIABLES REVIEW

General notes:

• No startup routine or scripts to set or reset system variables or drawing variables.

• System variables and drawing variables are not deployed as standards.

• No registry edits controlling settings.

• IT can push Windows registry edits to user machines, if needed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Civil 3D has system variable and drawing variable settings that control various commands and behaviors of the application. Many of these variables can be preset through automation to enhance and optimize performance, enforce standards, ensure uniformity between machines, and streamline workflows.

EnvisionCAD recommends controlling variable settings through a standardized profile and standardized startup configuration.

WORKSPACE CONFIGURATION REVIEW

General notes:

• No custom workspace configurations.

• No customized CUI files.

• Custom client, discipline, or project workspaces not developed or not shared.

• Custom client, discipline, or project tool palettes not developed or not shared.

• Configuration not setup to easily switch between specific tool palette groups.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Civil 3D workspaces can be configured to control the user interface (ribbon tabs, toolbars, menus, shortcuts, etc.). Custom tool palettes can be created to hold commands, tools, and content for convenient access or to combine items for specific workflows.

EnvisionCAD recommends incorporating the use of custom tool palettes for specific workflows.

We do not see the need for a full custom workspace currently.

GENERAL CAD STANDARDS EVALUATION

CAD standards notes:

• No well-defined organization-wide CAD standards are established.

• CAD standards files are not currently packaged for distribution or updating.

• No structured or automated standards deployment or access process.

• Standards files deployment is via manually copying files.

• Standardized tools, workspaces, and tool palettes not extensively used.

• Some CAD standards components are duplicated in multiple files.

• Single-source of truth lacking or not evident.

CAD manual, workflow documentation, and user support notes:

• No CAD manual.

• Limited workflow documentation.

• No formal user support system in place.

• No CAD onboarding process.

A concise set of CAD standards with thoughtfully created custom AutoCAD and Civil 3D content to aid in the creation of design drawings and plan documents, and to process survey data are the foundational elements of a successful and productive Civil 3D configuration.

EnvisionCAD recommends CAD standards files be single-source and portable, with development files stored in a central location having the ability to be pushed to user machines when updates are available.

The CAD standards file structure can be designed in a way so that the CAD standards content is distributed into single-source component files and reference files. To the extent possible, content is not duplicated in these files, so each individual component file or reference file is a single source of specific drawing standards and settings. This creates a system that is easy to understand, easy to update, and easy to maintain. This system also serves as a standards verification method to minimize the need to reference external documentation. The individual standards and settings files serve as de facto CAD standards.

Portable suggests that the content is separated and stored as like types that can be easily swapped in/out when updating files. Most supporting Civil 3D application files can be moved from the default Autodesk install locations to local user storage to remove the need for a user to have administrative rights on a computer to install or update the files.

We believe time is better spent developing workflow documentation rather than a traditional CAD manual. Easy to follow workflow documentation combined with the use of custom tool palettes containing the content for the workflows can be a system to enforce the CAD standards. Simple to understand overview documentation introducing the CAD standards can help in onboarding.

TEMPLATE LIBRARY REVIEW

DRAWING TEMPLATES

Drawing template notes:

• General items o “All eggs in one basket” strategy.

o Many purgeable items exist in the templates.

o Are CTB templates.

o Coordinate system settings vary.

o Civil 3D object layers set.

o The templates have been “saved up” from previous releases of Civil 3D (never rebuilt when .dwg formats changed). Last saved by release 2017 in DWG 2013 format. Likely originally saved in DWG 2007 format with some content added from earlier formats.

o The template files are corrupt.

▪ The AUDIT command found and fixed 700+ errors on the first run and found and fixed two errors on a second run. However, the same two errors show up again on subsequent runs (not fixed) and the AUDIT command takes an unusually long time to complete.

▪ -PURGE R command found and removed 350+ regapps in the file. (An average DWG may have 30 or less regapps.)

▪ Types of regapps found suggest some drawing objects may have origin as far back as 1997.

• Civil 3D styles and labels o There are minimal sets of “Urbana (U)” Civil 3D styles and labels for General, Points, Surfaces, Parcels, Grading, Alignments, Profiles, Profile Views, Pipe Network, Pipe, Structure, Corridor, Assembly, Quantity Takeoff o Some feature settings are set and have default styles pointing to “Urbana (U)” Civil 3D styles.

o Some command settings are set and have default styles pointing to “Urbana (U)” Civil 3D styles.

o Most “Urbana (U)” Civil 3D styles were last edited in 2007.

• Layers and Linetypes o Layers are well developed, with property settings and clear naming convention.

o Layer filters are put to good use.

o Layer states are not used.

o A robust set of custom linetypes are in use.

o Linetypes with alphanumeric characters use shapes instead of textstyles.

o Linetypes not annotative. LTSCALE set to 20.

o Hardcoded filepath to shape file in LIN file.

• Annotation o Custom annotation styles in use (textstyles, dimensions, multileaders, tables).

o Annotation scaling not used throughout.

o Some textstyles using custom TTF fonts.

o Some textstyles using custom SHX fonts.

o Too many textstyles.

• Blocks o Annotation scaling not used in blocks.

o Dynamic blocks not in use.

• Views o No named views used.

• References o Reference templates are not used.

o Xrefs are used.

o GIS data as polyline/3D polyline content directly in file.

SHEET TEMPLATES

Sheet template notes:

• General items o “All eggs in one basket” strategy.

o Many purgeable items exist in the drawings.

o Unnecessary Civil 3D styles in templates.

o Are CTB drawings.

o The drawings have been “saved up” from previous releases of Civil 3D (not rebuilt when

.dwg formats changed). Last saved by releases 2022/2017/2013 in DWG 2018 & 2013 format. Likely derived from templates originally saved in DWG 2007 format with some content added from earlier formats.

o The drawing files are not clean.

▪ The AUDIT command found as many as 749 to 1421 errors in each file.

▪ -PURGE R command found as many as 26 to 367 regapps in each file.

▪ Types of regapps found suggest some drawing objects may have origin as far back as 1997.

• Content o Typical cover and plan sheet content: Sheet border, title, map, seals, notes, title block, etc.

o Minimal block content, no dynamic blocks, no attribute text.

o Using text fields and sheet set file for automated text.

o Street map as background in model space, as individual elements, not a reference.

o Viewports are not set up for view frames and automated sheet creation.

o Many content items are not single-source.

• Publishing o Multiple page setups in file.

o Not all layouts use layout for plot area.

o Some page setups use plot area extents with fit scaling.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Drawing templates with a variety of settings, styles, components, and other content are the base foundation of any 2D drawing or 3D model. The Urbana drawing templates have similar settings, content, and issues and are commented on as a whole. Two drawing template files (A DWG and a DWT) were provided for review.

Sheet templates with a variety of preset layouts, viewports, page setups, and sheet content are essential to producing and reproducing printed, plotted, and digital deliverables efficiently. Many of the Urbana sheet templates have similar settings and issues and are commented on as a whole. A wide selection of sheet template drawings (DWTs) were provided for review.

Well-developed drawing and sheet templates not only increase efficiency and productivity, but they are also key to enforcing standards and workflows. Templates containing standards-based Civil 3D styles and label styles along with base AutoCAD components reduce the need for users to hunt down content or be tempted to do a “save as” to start a drawing. Lean, clean, error-free drawing templates are key components of a Civil 3D configuration as they are the foundation for production drawings.

Due to the poor condition of these templates, we recommend cleaning the drawings, stripping all content out into like types, and then creating new template structures from scratch. Stripped content to retain can slowly be imported into the new template structure after checking for errors.

Styles development should go hand in hand with workflow development, so new content should not be introduced at this time, but existing content should be weeded through and if reintroduced into a new template, care is taken to keep all items single-source.

EnvisionCAD recommends a thorough review of all AutoCAD components with the goal of simplifying and reducing the amount of content that needs to be maintained. We also recommend a thorough review of all Civil 3D styles, Civil 3D label styles, and default command settings to align content with current and future workflows. More research and collaboration is required to create a detailed review plan with recommendations for template structure. This would be part of the implementation plan and is out of the scope of this report.

PLOTTING CONFIGURATIONS REVIEW

Plot Output notes:

• Three main types of output.

o Send to local printer.

o Send to local plotter.

o Publish to PDF.

Plot style tables notes:

• Using color-dependent plot style tables.

• 10+ custom plot style tables

• Two main plot style tables o Urbana Plot Style Table.ctb

▪ For full-size plotting.

▪ Frequently used plot styles have color set to black or gray.

▪ Frequently used plot styles have a forced lineweight. (0.35 mm most common)

▪ Less frequently used plot style settings are mostly set to “use object”.

o Urbana Plot Style Table-Half Size.ctb

▪ Similar to “Urbana Plot Style Table.ctb”, but for half-scale plotting.

▪ Frequently used plot styles have color set to black or gray.

▪ Frequently used plot styles have a forced lineweight. (0.18 mm most common)

▪ Less frequently used plot style settings are mostly set to “use object”.

• Various child plot style tables o Very similar to Urbana Plot Style Table.ctb or Urbana Plot Style Table-Half Size.ctb with variations.

o Some are for color plotting.

o Some are for specific projects or project types.

Page setups notes:

• Numerous page setups in sheet templates.

• A variety of printer, plotter, and PDF page setups exist in sheet templates.

• Page setups are not single-source.

• Page setups are not uniformly assigned to all sheet templates.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Preset plotting configurations enforce consistency, reduce errors, provide advanced customization options, and can enhance workflows through background plotting. By leveraging these functionalities, the printing and publishing processes can be streamlined, and produce clear and uniform output.

We recommend reducing the number of plot style tables. There are other, more versatile ways to control plot output such as using layer states. We recommend using layer or object lineweight settings to control lineweight instead of forcing the setting in the plot style tables.

Page setups seem to be set up well, we just recommend making them single-source and portable.

PROGRAMMING CUSTOMIZATIONS REVIEW

General notes:

• No organization-wide customization tools are utilized.

• A handful of custom AutoLISP routines are available to users.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Programming customizations offer a range of benefits that can significantly enhance the user experience. Like any software, Civil 3D can become tedious during repetitive tasks. Programming customizations can alleviate this fatigue by automating mundane clicks and menu selections. Civil 3D offers a robust set of built-in tools. However, programming customizations can unlock even more advanced functionalities.

While custom tools can be a big productivity boost, EnvisionCAD has no recommendations for custom tools currently. As enhanced workflows are developed, the specific needs for custom tools will become more clear.

SURVEY WORKFLOW EVALUATION

A Civil 3D survey workflow typically involves three main stages: preparing for survey data, obtaining and creating survey data, and adjusting, analyzing, and outputting the data.

Prepare for Survey Data:

• Coordinate system not set in all drawing templates.

• No survey specific drawing template.

• Civil 3D Survey Database not used.

Obtain and Create Survey Data:

• Description Key Set used.

• Data from a .csv file is imported to create COGO points.

• Linework is done by drawing linework connecting point to point.

• Figure Prefix Database for automated linework not used.

• Automatic breakline creation not used.

Adjust, Analyze, and Output Survey Data:

• Civil 3D surfaces created by importing points and/or breaklines and manually editing TIN.

• Existing surface might be live in design file and not always referenced.

RECOMMENDATIONS

EnvisionCAD recommends creating a separate survey only drawing template containing styles and settings specific to survey data. We strongly recommend the use of survey databases for all survey-related workflows and the use of data references for all surfaces. Too much unnecessary manual drafting work was observed in survey drawings. We recommend user training in Civil 3D survey features. This will lead to more productive outcomes and then enhanced workflows can be developed and introduced.

DESIGN WORKFLOW EVALUATION

A Civil 3D design workflow typically involves at the very least setting up a Civil 3D project, importing existing features, creating or importing horizontal and vertical geometry, drafting, designing, and modeling, quantity take-offs and reporting, and plan sheet creation.

Civil 3D Projects:

• Civil 3D projects do not appear to be extensively used.

• File splitting and data references do not appear to be extensively used.

Importing Existing Features:

• Survey databases are not used.

• Existing surface can be live in design file and not always referenced.

Importing Horizontal and Vertical Geometry:

• Import workflow unknown.

• Likely not using data references.

Drafting, Designing, and Modeling:

• Excessive manual drafting.

• Civil 3D objects not fully leveraged.

• 3D modeling not extensively used.

• Not digital delivery ready.

Quantity Take-offs and Reporting:

• QTO Manager and reporting use unknown.

Plan Sheet Creation:

• The design file is used as an XREF for the sheet drawings.

RECOMMENDATIONS

There seems to be an excessive amount of manual drafting and content creation using only the AutoCAD toolkit. The drawing templates contain Civil 3D styles that haven’t been edited since 2007, indicating Civil 3D tools may not be fully leveraged and workflows are not being improved with Civil 3D product updates or when new features are introduced. Civil 3D has additional features that go above and beyond the standard AutoCAD capabilities. Many productivity gains can be realized by incorporating more of the Civil 3D tools into production workflows.

EnvisionCAD recommends creating a separate design only drawing template containing styles and settings specific to design workflows. We strongly recommend the use of data references for all design-related workflows. We also recommend user training in design areas. This will lead to more productive outcomes and then enhanced workflows can be developed.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND USER RESOURCES REVIEW

Administrative resources:

• No dedicated CAD manager position.

• Users create their own standards content or recycle existing drawings.

• IT does installations. Users do not have Windows administrator rights.

User resources:

• No CAD manual or user guide.

• No organizational knowledge base.

• Limited workflow documentation.

• Informal peer-to-peer support system.

• Budget is available for user training.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A successful Civil 3D configuration requires administrative and user resources. Assigned roles for licensing, installation, updating, and maintenance are required for keeping CAD applications and CAD machines up to date. Civil 3D projects rely on a collection of pre-configured settings, tools, and files to ensure consistency and efficiency. Having administrative control over these items allows for centralized management. This saves time and reduces errors caused by individual user variations.

EnvisionCAD understands no CAD “manager” position currently exists at Urbana and is not likely to exist soon. There are other options, including, but not limited to, outsourcing managed CAD services, or identifying the “power users” in the organization and assigning them specific tasks and responsibilities.

Systems for creating documentation and providing user support are key to keeping everyone informed and up to date on current practices. Civil 3D is powerful software with a wide range of features. Having an internal source of information or knowledgebase containing specific organizational workflows can further help to enforce standards, increase productivity, reduce downtime, and speed up onboarding of new CAD users or new employees.

EnvisionCAD strongly recommends the creation of a CAD knowledge base. A CAD knowledge base might contain CAD standards information, CAD workflows, CAD tips & tricks, external links to CAD resources, or more. This could be user driven content and could be hosted several different ways.

User training is essential for any CAD user. We recommend Urbana Civil 3D users attend a Civil 3D Fundamentals course to refresh their existing knowledge and get up to speed in the current Civil 3D release.

Additional Civil 3D resources are provided to assist the Civil 3D training process in Appendix D.

CAD SYSTEM AUDIT SUMMARY

The City of Urbana’s current Civil 3D configuration is a semi-cohesive, but incomplete collection of standards, settings, content, and resources. Standards files are loosely organized, not well maintained, not single-source, and lack an efficient distribution, installation, or update process.

The biggest productivity and efficiency issues that were discovered in the audit: inefficient use of standards, inefficient deployment of standards, lack of recent training, lack of knowledge base, and undeveloped standard task-specific workflows.

However, there is enough foundation to build an improved and enhanced configuration with some of the existing standards. With careful planning, action can be taken to build upon the framework to further develop and improve the current Civil 3D configuration, CAD standards, and CAD workflows.

ADDITIONAL AREAS OF CONCERN

A few additional areas of concern should be noted:

1. The condition of the CAD standards DWG and DWT files

2. Digital delivery considerations

CONDITION OF CAD STANDARDS DWG AND DWT FILES

Of foremost concern is the condition of the CAD standards DWG/DWT files. Most of the Urbana drawing files that were inspected are rife with file errors, have an extensive amount of regapps, and are saved in a previous DWG format.

DRAWING ERRORS

AutoCAD drawing errors can be problematic for several reasons, including, but not limited to wasted time and resources, inaccurate representations, compatibility issues, and/or data corruption.

AutoCAD drawing errors can manifest in a few different ways:

• Error messages indicating the drawing is corrupt or invalid.

• Drawings take an unusually long time to open or won’t open at all.

• Errors within the drawing: Glitches or unexpected behavior with certain objects or the whole drawing itself.

• Performance issues or file saving issues.

Some common causes of AutoCAD drawing errors are:

• File corruption: This can be caused by a variety of factors, such as a sudden computer shutdown or log off, network issues, or hardware events.

• Incompatible file format or incompatible objects: Trying to open a file that was created or saved in a different version of AutoCAD, or by a different software program altogether.

• Failed undo/redo events, prematurely exiting some commands, or aborted operations.

The high number of errors found in the Urbana drawing files is not common. This is likely due to many “save as” trips through different DWG file format changes and different product releases over the years or from objects containing errors being copied from drawing to drawing.

Fortunately, AutoCAD has tools to help identify and fix errors, and there are steps that can be taken to prevent errors from happening in the first place. However, AutoCAD does not do this automatically. A user must be proactive and intentional to keep drawings clean.

REGAPPS

In AutoCAD, regapps, short for “Registered Applications”, refer to embedded data and code snippets within a drawing file. This data originates from external or third-party party applications and objects that have interacted with the drawing. Regapps act as a record of past modifications, storing information about how the drawing was altered by external programs, but if those applications and objects are not being used anymore, they can negatively impact AutoCAD's performance in several ways:

• Regapps might be tied to specific third-party applications. If the applications are not being used anymore, the regapps become dead weight.

• Unused regapps in a file can bloat the file size and slow down AutoCAD, especially when opening, saving, or working with complex drawings.

• Regapps can be particularly troublesome with external references (Xrefs). When an Xref containing regapps is attached, the regapps get copied into the target drawing. Regapps “follow” a drawing into every drawing it is attached to, so they can spread quickly if not managed.

• The PURGE command, used to clean up unused data, doesn't target regapps by default. A specific option and/or external tool must be used to remove them.

The high number of regapps found in the Urbana files is not common. An examination of the names of the regapps suggests some individual drawing objects may have origins from external and third-party applications dating as far back as 1997. It is highly unlikely that these applications are still being used and/or the data is still completely compatible with current versions of AutoCAD or the current DWG file format.

AutoCAD has tools to help remove regapps. However, AutoCAD does not do this automatically. A user must take action to remove regapps.

AUTOCAD DWG FILE FORMAT

Civil 3D is built on the AutoCAD application platform and can be saved to the DWG file format.

Unlike some file formats that are openly documented, DWG remains a closed format. Autodesk maintains control over its specifications, which are not publicly available. This proprietary approach allows them to continuously update and improve the format in tandem with the ever-expanding features of AutoCAD. New functionalities in AutoCAD necessitate corresponding changes in the DWG format to effectively store and represent this design data.

As many changes and updates have been introduced into the product over different release versions, so have changes been made to the DWG file format. The most recent release of AutoCAD 2025 can currently read and save to nine different DWG file formats that have been used with 29 previous releases of AutoCAD.

DWG Format Release

R12 AutoCAD R12

R13 AutoCAD R13

R14 AutoCAD R14/R14.01

2000 AutoCAD 2000/2000i/2002

2004 AutoCAD 2004/2005/2006

2007 AutoCAD 2007/2008/2009

2010 AutoCAD 2010/2011/2012

2013 AutoCAD 2013/2014/2015/2016/2017

2018 AutoCAD 2018/2019/2020/2021/2022/2023/2024/2025

In DWG formats R12-2013 there is no backward compatibility. Drawings could generally be opened and objects read, only from the release they were created in, or a newer release, unless they were saved down to a previous DWG format. Older drawings could always be opened in a newer release, but attempting to open a newer drawing in an older release was not always possible. In newer AutoCAD releases there is some backward compatibility, with caveats.

Using drawings as references or inserting content from drawings saved in different DWG formats from different releases can introduce inconsistencies, incompatibilities, loss of design intent, or loss of data. Best practice when using Civil 3D is to only mix drawings that have the same DWG format and have all been saved by the same release they are currently being working in (i.e. if working in release 2022, all drawings or drawing objects should be saved in release 2022).

Consideration must be taken, because Civil 3D objects may only function correctly when opened in the Civil 3D release it was saved with or newer. There is backwards compatibility in AutoCAD releases 2018-2025, but if a drawing saved in Civil 3D 2018-2025 opens in an earlier release than it was created with, some Civil 3D objects may be incompatible. While drawings created with plain AutoCAD can be saved “down” to a previous DWG format for compatibility, this workflow is never recommended for drawings saved with Civil 3D.

As noted in the previous section of this document, it was found that some of the Urbana content files have regapps that may have been introduced into the files as far back as 1997. This suggests there may be drawing content and/or code in Urbana DWG/DWT files from many different DWG file format changes. An examination of the files shows that content is currently being mixed between drawings from two different DWG formats (2013 and 2018). These drawings have also been last saved by a few different releases of AutoCAD (see image next).

DIGITAL DELIVERY CONSIDERATIONS

Digital Delivery is a comprehensive approach that leverages digital technologies throughout an infrastructure project's lifecycle, aiming for increased efficiency, better collaboration, and improved project outcomes. Instead of relying solely on traditional 2D drawings and paper documents, digital delivery utilizes 3D models, enriched with data, to represent the infrastructure throughout its design, construction, and operational phases. This data-rich approach is often referred to as Building Information Modeling (BIM) for infrastructure.

By implementing digital delivery, infrastructure projects can benefit from improved communication, reduced errors and rework, optimized costs, and a more efficient project lifecycle.

Eventually, handwritten field notes, list of points, printed tables and reports, paper plans, PDF plan sets, and the like will no longer be acceptable deliverables on a construction project. BIM technology including 3D surfaces, 3D models, attribute data, and live data connections will be the norm. Many government agencies and private contractors have moved or are moving to digital delivery. A number of state transportation agencies, including the Illinois Department of Transportation, have already incorporated 3D model-based deliverables into their bid and construction packages.

PART 2 - PLANNING REPORT

The recommendations in this report are intended to be used as a framework for implementation discussion and in no way concludes that any part of these recommendations and actions are not currently being implemented or already have in some part been implemented. These recommendations are based on issues that were found during the audit process and do not comprise a full scoping implementation plan.

This planning report, as part of the scope of this audit, focuses on the actions required for each recommendation and does not attempt to also assign tasks and schedules to who may be doing these tasks. The assignment process is best served during an implementation phase.

EnvisionCAD does have the ability to deliver each of these recommendations fully, in collaboration with City of Urbana staff, through a process of training, mentoring, or a hybrid of any of these. An example Agreement for Managed CAD Services by EnvisionCAD can be viewed in Appendix F.

PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations are presented in order of implementation that represent an opportunity to create building blocks of success and allow for the growth of knowledge and education to develop a sound decision-making process for the next task. The costs of developing project task-specific workflows and training implementation can be greatly reduced by establishing a configuration that has the right tools fine-tuned and honed for the workflows required.

These recommendations first focus on hardware and software deficiencies, user Civil 3D training and support, CAD management, creation of a CAD knowledgebase, uniform standards development, a deployment solution for standards, and common workflow development. This approach will lessen the need for static training documentation and allow more focus to be made on the creation of the best workflows.

Before moving forward with any of the planning recommendations, the two additional areas of concern from the discovery report must be addressed first.

CONCERN 1 – CONDITION OF CAD STANDARDS DWG AND DWT FILES

Clean DWGs and DWTs

The existing CAD standards DWG and DWT files and possibly other project drawings must be cleaned to be free of errors and unreferenced regapps and saved up to Urbana’s current Civil 3D release version.

1. There is a tool installed with Civil 3D (Autodesk Batch Save Utility) to assist in this task. The tool can be used to save multiple drawings at once up to the current DWG format. The tool also allows for custom scripts to run on each drawing to clean the files before saving.

2. Drawings should be checked for errors and cleaned regularly.

A. A manual workflow can be used to clean a drawing when working in an individual file.

B. An AutoLISP routine and AutoCAD script could also be created to automate the process.

See Appendix A of this document for resources to clean drawings.

CONCERN 2 - DIGITAL DELIVERY CONSIDERATIONS

Digital delivery initiatives

Discussions should take place regarding current or future digital delivery initiatives and how it will affect workflows, CAD Standards, and Civil 3D configuration.

1. Identify changes to deliverable types to be used in the future.

2. Identify CAD standards development needed to incorporate future changes.

PHASE 1 – SYSTEM HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Upgrade system hardware

System hardware specifications should at least meet or exceed the recommended Autodesk requirements for the Civil 3D version in use. Meeting the minimum Autodesk requirements is not a wise strategy as software upgrades will likely happen more frequently than hardware upgrades.

Autodesk system hardware requirements have always increased in the past with each new Civil 3D release.

1. Bring Urbana CAD machine specifications up to the recommended Autodesk requirements for the Civil 3D 2024/2025 releases.

A. New system hardware should be spec’d to exceed Autodesk’s recommended requirements to be ready for future software upgrades. Aim to keep machine specs ahead of the curve.

B. If new system hardware is not feasible at this time, current Urbana system hardware should at least get RAM upgrades. Urbana CAD machines currently have 16 GB RAM.

This is insufficient for Civil 3D 2024/2025 and future releases. Max out RAM on CAD machines to 32 GB or 64 GB if possible.

See Appendix B for a breakdown of Autodesk vs. Urbana machine specifications.

Upgrade Civil 3D software

Urbana is currently using the Civil 3D 2022 release. Autodesk only supports the current and three previous releases of Civil 3D at any given time. Civil 3D 2022 will become unsupported in Q2 2025 when Civil 3D 2026 is released.

1. Upgrade Civil 3D to release 2024 or 2025.

A. Upgrade all CAD machines to the same release.

B. Use the Autodesk Access application to keep Civil 3D systems up to date.

2. Decide on an upgrade cycle. Every release, every two releases, every three releases?

A. Discuss IT requirements.

B. Discuss user training requirements.

C. Plan to give enough time to upgrade CAD standards or convert drawings, if needed.

PHASE 2 – CIVIL 3D TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Civil 3D training

CAD users will benefit from Civil 3D fundamentals training in the current release of Civil 3D.

Fundamentals training will give users a solid understanding of all capabilities of Civil 3D software, opening possibilities to leverage more Civil 3D features. Advanced training will increase knowledge of the product to help in the creation of CAD standards and enhanced workflows.

1. Civil 3D fundamentals training

2. Advanced Civil 3D training

See Appendix E for a typical Civil 3D fundamentals course sequence.

Civil 3D support and learning

Provide a support system and extended learning opportunities for users.

1. Put a user support system in place to help solve any Civil 3D issues that arise.

A. External support B. Peer-to-peer support C. Online resources

2. Provide time for extended learning opportunities A. Internal training B. Webinars and curated content

PHASE 3 – CAD MANAGEMENT

CAD management strategy

Resources will be needed to develop workflows, create documentation, and maintain files.

1. Determine the resources available for CAD management and CAD standards maintenance.

a. Is labor available for internal CAD management or will external managed CAD services be needed?

i. Determine budget, user enthusiasm, user knowledge, and/or user availability.

2. Assign roles and responsibilities.

3. CAD manager mentoring

a. Formal training, informal collaboration, or peer review

4. Develop CAD management plan with an implementation and maintenance strategy that helps employ best practices of data management and plan production.

a. Quantify and categorize the standards that need to be managed.

i. Application configuration standards

ii. CAD standards content

iii. Workflow development

b. Create implementation timeline.

c. Establish maintenance schedule.

PHASE 4 – CAD KNOWLEDGE BASE

Create a CAD knowledge base

A CAD knowledge base is essential for storing CAD standards and workflow documentation. This could range anywhere from a collection of PDFs on a shared drive, an internally hosted publishing platform, or a public-facing website.

1. Determine the user base.

A. Contributors B. Consumers

2. Determine the resources available.

A. Hosting resources B. User (contributor) resources

3. Determine the access policy.

A. Internal users B. External users (consultants)

4. Develop hosting framework.

5. Develop publishing workflow.

6. Develop content.

PHASE 5 – CAD STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

CAD standards development

Define management roles and workflows to establish clear ownership of files and resources.

1. Create single-source and portable file development frameworks.

2. Create workflow for editing standards files.

3. Create Civil 3D project template for project setup.

4. Create standards content drawing template.

5. Develop CAD component standards (fonts, text styles, linetypes, blocks, component styles, plot style, custom tools, etc.).

A. Reuse/recycle existing content where possible.

B. No custom fonts. No SHX fonts. Use Windows standard TTF fonts.

C. Minimal text styles D. Linetypes that use fonts over shapes where possible E. Develop more styles that make use of annotation scaling F. Minimal plot style tables

a. Implement layer states.

6. Create single-source component files.

7. Create single-source detail and block libraries.

A. Reuse/recycle existing content where possible.

B. Incorporate dynamic blocks.

8. Implement reference (standards content) templates.

A. Develop Civil 3D styles.

9. Create new drawing templates A. Survey start-up template B. Design start-up template C. Develop Civil 3D feature and command settings

10. Create plans production / sheet layout templates A. Simplify current setup.

B. Use reference templates for content.

11. Use custom Tool Palettes to define workflows, CAD standards components, details, and blocks.

A. Standards content can be built into the selectable items on tool…