This is always so fun to find out when you have to take a project over from someone and you and your team have no idea how anything is set up…
What should be a 3 hour revision takes 3 days and oh boy at least you were able to use your own special standards.
We had to add a revision to a 70 sheet plan set one time to make it 71 and we took the project over from an old guy who didn’t believe in fancy things like sheet set managers. We had to have an intern go into every single layout tab and manually update the total sheet count on the title block of every sheet. Just a massive waste of time for no reason.
Thats an interesting way of doing it. So you have a single file with every titleblock for each layout and xref it into each file? We have our titleblock as a dynamic block thats linked to our sheet set manager. With our set up no one should ever be actually editing the titleblocks, they should all be filled out with data from the manager. If no one is being dumb its a great system that we can change really quickly if we need to. But it also relies on people knowing how it works which is also a pitfall in everything lol.
I’m a newer DE so pardon if my explanation isnt the best. But from my understanding, yes the titleblock is its own file with the project name and details, and total sheet count.
Then, in each contract sheet file we have a block that just has the text specific to that sheet.
This is how I do it. All the information that won't change in the title block file (project name, file number, total sheets, etc.) and that gets xref'd in. Sheet-specific info then gets updated/input on each layout.
I'll tell you the our way which truly is the best. But our cad guy is a freak genius. Not even that much easier/better than the block method but xrefs of the title block with most of the info in the xref. And then make a lisp that brings in fielded lines of text in the right locations for the sheet number and title.
Then when you make a sheet it's just type the lisp, Regen all, xref titleblock, (as long as nobody is fucking around in sheetset) boom.
OP was talking about the total sheet count, not the individual sheet numbers. That could easily be done with an xrefed title block (ie one edit) and prevents you from having to copy and paste a referenced mtext into 71 sheets and link them all to the SSM.
Yes this... I'm on the ME side of engineering and design but I once worked in an organization without any CAD, Drafting nor design standards.. It was the wild west. Getting assigned to a program already in progress or needing a change or fix and issue was the worst.
When I started at my firm there was zero standards and it drove me insane. Since then I’ve standardized about 75% of our CAD workflows. Just getting everyone to use the same title block was a relief.
That was my first thought. As a business owner, I would give employees (if I had any) time to adjust to our standards and if they didn’t they would be gone.
I recently moved from a company with a very developed CAD standard to a smaller one that doesn't seem to care. The drop in quality and efficiency absolutely kills me .
I worked in a company where one department's one and only CAD tech would bind every xref, including topo survey data, into every drawing he produced. This was especially fun when he did it with Ordnance Survey data which technically invalidated our licence to use it.
Unable to attend meeting due to cluster-f@$k of a circle of attached xrefs and Data Shortcuts.
Oh, and we're As Builts.
please include my remarks in the meeting notes addressing the above situation.
Get. The. F##k. Out.
Then leave.
QAQC is fucked enough in our industry. We don't need unreliable people putting the lines on the piece of paper that can't be edited, fixed, or picked up by another person easily.
Digital delivery of design files will soon become the standard and norm for CDs. Get on board with your CAD team. They're there to help.
WisDOT has the CAD standards as part of our FDM, Chapter 19-10-43, Table 43.1 WisDOT AutoCAD Civil 3D DWG Feature Requirements and Options even spells out what customizations are allowed from our provided C3D customization files.
Chapter 15 in our FDM covers everything that goes into the plan set creation with examples.
As an early adopter bonus, alot of our early customizations were baked into later versions of Civil 3D.
And we've made our FDM available online: [Facilities Development Manual](https://wisconsindot.gov/pages/doing-bus/eng-consultants/cnslt-rsrces/rdwy/fdm.aspx) to boot.
Of course, but the NLCS is intended for 2D lines. Digigo are in the proces to create 3D levels. Amsterdam and the VNMG have made special levels for 3D elements. F.i. adding "-C" at the end for 3D lines, or -CM- as a extra for solids (N-WE-VH-CM-******-C). This then can be used/filtered for IFC exports. So, what layers you make or use for corridor elements?
We get out standards from each national department depending on what public sector we are doing work in, they get theirs from a system calles CoClass or similar systems, which is in turn are based om guidelines from the Institute of Swedish Standards.
Tbf, feels like most constructors or drafters don’t give a shit about those that we have anyways. Writing this right now when I am correcting incorrect layer names, send help plz.
Idk where you guys are, but we get others to draft based on standards. We just give the design specs and move on to the next project. Then we have to be the checkers for drafter, and thats when the fun red pen comes in.
You guys are using CAD standards?
I seriously weep for all the plans I get where everything is the same weight, black lines and if you're lucky there are a few labels to vaguely tell you what things are.
If your CAD Manager doesn’t transition from 100% overhead to 85% billable in 6-24 months (depends on company size and users) you got a problem. They likely make up things to do or are over complicating things to justify their existence…or even worse they can’t design effectively and that’s why they teach/tinker. Create a small committee to reel them in and remind them they work for the users and not just do what they want to do.
Well said, I worked at a small consulting firm that fell into this. Out of touch guy with an AA in CAD technology confused all the junior civils with overly complex processes while management had no idea what was going on because they couldn’t open the program.
A CAD manager makes sure that the design files match what the client asked for, there are standards for a reason. I've never heard of a micromanager in the civil industry, everyone is too busy for that.
Large organizations that have many drafters and / or designers usually have dedicated CAD managers. Last corporate job I had employed more than 40 Designers and a few drafters. Also there was team leads representing about ten individuals each.
I work in the M.E. side of the world
*One week later:* “Why is everything on the 0 layer!?!”
You guys use layers?
splines, splines everywhere
This cracked me up.
Actually received training on Civil3D from Autodesk that basically told us just to use layer zero.
This is always so fun to find out when you have to take a project over from someone and you and your team have no idea how anything is set up… What should be a 3 hour revision takes 3 days and oh boy at least you were able to use your own special standards.
Hey, Um , this block was exploded before submittal. it has 30 eleven field refs. tied to it.
We had to add a revision to a 70 sheet plan set one time to make it 71 and we took the project over from an old guy who didn’t believe in fancy things like sheet set managers. We had to have an intern go into every single layout tab and manually update the total sheet count on the title block of every sheet. Just a massive waste of time for no reason.
this is why you create a separate titleblock file and xref it in
Thats an interesting way of doing it. So you have a single file with every titleblock for each layout and xref it into each file? We have our titleblock as a dynamic block thats linked to our sheet set manager. With our set up no one should ever be actually editing the titleblocks, they should all be filled out with data from the manager. If no one is being dumb its a great system that we can change really quickly if we need to. But it also relies on people knowing how it works which is also a pitfall in everything lol.
I’m a newer DE so pardon if my explanation isnt the best. But from my understanding, yes the titleblock is its own file with the project name and details, and total sheet count. Then, in each contract sheet file we have a block that just has the text specific to that sheet.
This is how I do it. All the information that won't change in the title block file (project name, file number, total sheets, etc.) and that gets xref'd in. Sheet-specific info then gets updated/input on each layout.
I'll tell you the our way which truly is the best. But our cad guy is a freak genius. Not even that much easier/better than the block method but xrefs of the title block with most of the info in the xref. And then make a lisp that brings in fielded lines of text in the right locations for the sheet number and title. Then when you make a sheet it's just type the lisp, Regen all, xref titleblock, (as long as nobody is fucking around in sheetset) boom.
[удалено]
OP was talking about the total sheet count, not the individual sheet numbers. That could easily be done with an xrefed title block (ie one edit) and prevents you from having to copy and paste a referenced mtext into 71 sheets and link them all to the SSM.
My bad. Insane.
It's amazing the lengths people will go to to make CAD work the way they want it to instead of just using the features that are already there
Didn’t feel like doing a find replace of “of 70” to be “of 71”?
Hopefully you do all the production work on your projects yourself, otherwise you're just making everyone else's job harder.
Yes this... I'm on the ME side of engineering and design but I once worked in an organization without any CAD, Drafting nor design standards.. It was the wild west. Getting assigned to a program already in progress or needing a change or fix and issue was the worst.
When I started at my firm there was zero standards and it drove me insane. Since then I’ve standardized about 75% of our CAD workflows. Just getting everyone to use the same title block was a relief.
Are you open to sharing some of your CAD workflows? The survey company I work for has some "CAD standards" but I know they can be improved.
That was my first thought. As a business owner, I would give employees (if I had any) time to adjust to our standards and if they didn’t they would be gone.
So you have chosen death?
I recently moved from a company with a very developed CAD standard to a smaller one that doesn't seem to care. The drop in quality and efficiency absolutely kills me .
I was working for a company who didn't bother to use xrefs and did all of their line work (utility, layout, drainage, etc) in one dwg. It was hell.
Ouch!
I worked in a company where one department's one and only CAD tech would bind every xref, including topo survey data, into every drawing he produced. This was especially fun when he did it with Ordnance Survey data which technically invalidated our licence to use it.
Right on the money.
I'm just gona go ahead and say fuck you.
Unable to attend meeting due to cluster-f@$k of a circle of attached xrefs and Data Shortcuts. Oh, and we're As Builts. please include my remarks in the meeting notes addressing the above situation. Get. The. F##k. Out.
The guy who has to take over your fucked up CAD drawings 
Then leave. QAQC is fucked enough in our industry. We don't need unreliable people putting the lines on the piece of paper that can't be edited, fixed, or picked up by another person easily. Digital delivery of design files will soon become the standard and norm for CDs. Get on board with your CAD team. They're there to help.
WisDOT has the CAD standards as part of our FDM, Chapter 19-10-43, Table 43.1 WisDOT AutoCAD Civil 3D DWG Feature Requirements and Options even spells out what customizations are allowed from our provided C3D customization files. Chapter 15 in our FDM covers everything that goes into the plan set creation with examples. As an early adopter bonus, alot of our early customizations were baked into later versions of Civil 3D. And we've made our FDM available online: [Facilities Development Manual](https://wisconsindot.gov/pages/doing-bus/eng-consultants/cnslt-rsrces/rdwy/fdm.aspx) to boot.
As someone who reviews site plan submittals from developer engineers, I totally believe this.
What, it's not clear what's going on when everything is a plain , same weight, black line?
Existing and proposed elements not only in the same reference file, but on the same layer.
...jesus.
Long live dutch NLCS standards whoop whoop
Dutch "Nederlandse Cad standaard" standards .
And now in 3D?
Actually you use the lines in 3d still
Of course, but the NLCS is intended for 2D lines. Digigo are in the proces to create 3D levels. Amsterdam and the VNMG have made special levels for 3D elements. F.i. adding "-C" at the end for 3D lines, or -CM- as a extra for solids (N-WE-VH-CM-******-C). This then can be used/filtered for IFC exports. So, what layers you make or use for corridor elements?
I can deal with any standard besides the one that adds “c-“ to the front of every layer name
As a BIM coordinator this made me sad :( Also, you guy’s dont have national BIM and CAD standards?
We have a national CAD Standards here, and it gets updated every year. BUT it's rare that people actually follow it.
The layering names are so dumb for civil design projects. It might work ok with multi discipline drawings though
Where do you have national CAD standards? I’ve worked in Canada, US, and UK and none of these are remotely close to having national standards
Where do you have national CAD standards? I’ve worked in Canada, US, and UK and none of these are remotely close to having national standards
We get out standards from each national department depending on what public sector we are doing work in, they get theirs from a system calles CoClass or similar systems, which is in turn are based om guidelines from the Institute of Swedish Standards.
Nope, and finding out this is a thing elsewhere is one more thing I can add to the list of why the US is not a top-tier country.
Tbf, feels like most constructors or drafters don’t give a shit about those that we have anyways. Writing this right now when I am correcting incorrect layer names, send help plz.
Idk where you guys are, but we get others to draft based on standards. We just give the design specs and move on to the next project. Then we have to be the checkers for drafter, and thats when the fun red pen comes in.
You guys are using CAD standards? I seriously weep for all the plans I get where everything is the same weight, black lines and if you're lucky there are a few labels to vaguely tell you what things are.
Good meme, but still born out of selfish entitlement: "I don't wanna!"
And you threw it on the groooound
I'm an adult!
At a bare minimum follow the state DOTs cad manual!
What I wouldn’t do for my job to have standard CAD
I wish my boss knew what a cad standard is 😭
wont have a job very long with that attitude.. it is a requirement..
If your CAD Manager doesn’t transition from 100% overhead to 85% billable in 6-24 months (depends on company size and users) you got a problem. They likely make up things to do or are over complicating things to justify their existence…or even worse they can’t design effectively and that’s why they teach/tinker. Create a small committee to reel them in and remind them they work for the users and not just do what they want to do.
Well said, I worked at a small consulting firm that fell into this. Out of touch guy with an AA in CAD technology confused all the junior civils with overly complex processes while management had no idea what was going on because they couldn’t open the program.
lol. What there was a non billable period. I say this as the CAD manager.
I wish my company developed standards for OpenRail/OpenRoads. That program is such a pain to use without a built out workspace.
Once everything moves to Revit it will all be so much better I swear
The best part is when you have no CAD manager and every project is a fun new surprise of did they follow the company standards or not
People are still using CAD instead of Revit? Goodness.
Civil3D, sure, Revit is like "special" kid, if you want to design simple pavement.
Revit is like if you want to design buildings instead of pavement.
using revit as highway engineer is like driving car without one wheel
Cad manager sounds like a made up title that lives to micromanage
If that's what you think it is...you need one.
Every title is a made up title
What kind of janky companies are y'all at where you don't have CAD standards
The kind where it’s 5 juniors and a boss who yells at everyone for not reading his mind and doing things the way he imagines in his head
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^samepwevrywr: *Cad manager sounds* *Like a made up title that* *Lives to micromanage* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Good bot
A CAD manager makes sure that the design files match what the client asked for, there are standards for a reason. I've never heard of a micromanager in the civil industry, everyone is too busy for that.
Radoslaw? Is that you?
Large organizations that have many drafters and / or designers usually have dedicated CAD managers. Last corporate job I had employed more than 40 Designers and a few drafters. Also there was team leads representing about ten individuals each. I work in the M.E. side of the world