Create a New Drawing. Pick Top Left Icon, NEW

Outline

Tutorial Civil3D#1 Intro

Open C3D

Create a new drawing. pick top left icon, NEW.

Pick template: "AutoCAD Civil 3D (Imperial)" This is the default template with standard objects and layers.

Explore the page.

See the COMMAND line and history lines at the bottom. All ACAD commands work in the command line.

The STATUS BAR is on the bottom below the command line. Toward the right is a pull down arrow for "workspace" choice. With the pull down arrow, you can choose different views of the page. If you're only drafting, then pick "2D Drafting and Annotation". Pick this one and the page restructures for ACAD-type drafting.

However, we're going to concentrate on the Civil3D workspace. Select Civil3D in the WORKSPACE SELECTION at bottom right.

The large "AC3D" box top left contains common operations, similar to the new MSWord 2007, etc. The entire page is made to resemble the 2007 MSOffice look.

Use the pull down beside the top left box to add of ICONS for the QUICK REFERENCE TOOLBAR – can post commonly used operations, NEW, OPEN, SAQVE, PLOT, etc. Sliding the pointer over each icon gives detail info including the COMMAND.

The down arrow allows customization of the top bar of icons. One choice is "show menu bar". Turning this on will show the menu choices similar to the LAND DESKTOP menus.

Some may feel comfortable with this; however, Autodesk is moving toward use of the operations as are reorganized on the "RIBBON" below. We will "hide the menu", using the ribbon.

The RIBBON has a category list at its top: Home, Insert, etc. Each choice will replace the icons in the ribbon with operations associated with the menu word. This is also similar to the MSOffice 2007 and later structure.

The down arrow at the far right "minimizes to tabs". When minimized, the icon ribbon is replaced with tab categories. Picking a category such as "Draw" will show many draw operation icons. However we will leave the ribbon visible.

The STATUS BAR below the command line includes 10 ON/OFF toggles for ACAD choices including OSNAP. We'll leave all OFF except OSNAP.

Further to the right is the MODEL/PAPER toggle followed my more icons.

A "TOOLSPACE" sidebar "palette" pops up with the Civil3D workspace.

You can open/close the toolspace box by picking the "Home" category, and picking TOOLSPACE at left.

This palette shows the organization of "objects" in a typical project. Three tabs are on the right PROSPECTOR, SETTINGS, and TOOLBOX. These will be used heavily in C3D. This box is usually open the entire session.

Right click on the vertical bar, and select "AUTO HIDE". The toolbar is now reduced to a small ribbon, but when your cursor passes over it, it enlarges full size. Then when the cursor passes over the drawing, it automatically reduces back. We'll leave it as auto hide.

At the top of the ribbon bar is the category list: Home, Insert, Annotate, etc. This list is nearly identical to the "2D Drafting" list except for the "analyze" item.

Explore HOME

Explore INSERT

Explore ANNOTATE

Explore MODIFY

Explore ANALYZE

Explore VIEW

Explore OUTPUT

Explore MANAGE

Explore EXPRESS TOOLS