Learning AutoCAD Civil3D

I know of no "CAD for Surveyors" books. I do recommend the book "https://www.amazon.com/AutoCAD-Its-Applications-Basics-2017/dp/1631267353/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494132545&sr=8-2&keywords=autocad+and+its+applications+basics+2016&apos ;">AutoCAD and its Applications - Basics" for basic AutoCAD skills. To learn CAD I think that you just mostly have to sit down and start hacking it out. It will take some commitment and time to get good.

There is big difference between AutoCAD and Autodesk Civil 3D.
I would recommend starting with the former. Big learning curve on civil 3D, especially if your office is not already set up and using it.

Like eating an elephant--take it one bite at a time. I recommend starting with the problem you want to solve (I want a contour map) and figure it out as you go. You can google every single bite you need to take: how to draw a line, how to create Point Groups, how to create a surface model, etc. Life is way more friendly to the self-learner than it was even 10 years ago.

squowse, post: 427177, member: 7109 wrote: There is big difference between AutoCAD and Autodesk Civil 3D.
I would recommend starting with the former. Big learning curve on civil 3D, especially if your office is not already set up and using it.

The office is fine. I'm just trying to learn at home off the clock.

FrozenNorth, post: 427180, member: 10219 wrote: Like eating an elephant--take it one bite at a time. I recommend starting with the problem you want to solve (I want a contour map) and figure it out as you go. You can google every single bite you need to take: how to draw a line, how to create Point Groups, how to create a surface model, etc. Life is way more friendly to the self-learner than it was even 10 years ago.

I have been giving that a go with limited results. The problem I'm running into relates to what [USER=7109]@squowse[/USER] hinted at. The settings/workspace is different, or they are using a different version of the software! So when I find a tutorial for a task, I spend so much time trying to just find the first click!

squowse, post: 427177, member: 7109 wrote: There is big difference between AutoCAD and Autodesk Civil 3D.
I would recommend starting with the former. Big learning curve on civil 3D, especially if your office is not already set up and using it.

The office is fine. I'm just trying to learn at home off the clock.

FrozenNorth, post: 427180, member: 10219 wrote: Like eating an elephant--take it one bite at a time. I recommend starting with the problem you want to solve (I want a contour map) and figure it out as you go. You can google every single bite you need to take: how to draw a line, how to create Point Groups, how to create a surface model, etc. Life is way more friendly to the self-learner than it was even 10 years ago.

I have been giving that a go with limited results. The problem I'm running into relates to what [USER=7109]@squowse[/USER] hinted at. The settings/workspace is different, or they are using a different version of the software! So when I find a tutorial for a task, I spend so much time trying to just find the first click!

And that is why I was looking for a single source to start from.

Mark Mayer, post: 427176, member: 424 wrote: I know of no "CAD for Surveyors" books. I do recommend the book "https://www.amazon.com/AutoCAD-Its-Applications-Basics-2017/dp/1631267353/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494132545&sr=8-2&keywords=autocad+and+its+applications+basics+2016&apos ;">AutoCAD and its Applications - Basics" for basic AutoCAD skills. To learn CAD I think that you just mostly have to sit down and start hacking it out. It will take some commitment and time to get good.

Thanks. I will give this text a try and see where I'm at in a year or two.

voidintheabyss, post: 427184, member: 11972 wrote: The office is fine. I'm just trying to learn at home off the clock.

I have been giving that a go with limited results. The problem I'm running into relates to what [USER=7109]@squowse[/USER] hinted at. The settings/workspace is different, or they are using a different version of the software! So when I find a tutorial for a task, I spend so much time trying to just find the first click!

And that is why I was looking for a single source to start from.

Thanks. I will give this text a try and see where I'm at in a year or two.

If you haven't tried Autodesk tutorials take a look at their site.
[INDENT]AutoCAD Civil 3D Kearn & Explore https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/learn-explore
AutoCAD Civil 3D Tutorials
Workflows
Video Tutorials
About the AutoCAD Civil 3D Ribbon
About the Toolspace Window
About AutoCAD Civil 3D Objects
About AutoCAD Civil 3D Object Styles, Label Styles
About AutoCAD Civil 3D Settings[/INDENT]

Would suggest you look through the list above in sequence to start with. Once you know how the information is organized you will be able to look for answers to specific questions. The object styles and label styles will take some time to understand. I know of one shop that invested several months and hundreds of man hours getting the settings right. They needed to customize the settings for architecture, civil/mechanical engineering and surveying as well as meeting client requirements.

Take An online course at lynda.com

Search on YouTube for videos from Jeff Bartels. Has some excellent videos.

YouTube has a lot of good tutorials. Learn the basics, drawing setup, templates, commands. And then, practice practice practice!

I would start with a good generic course. If you go survey specific right out of the gate the foundation wont be broad enough.
Some local tech schools offer adult continuing ed courses on the cheap. They make a great starter kit.
Good luck, Tom

I started with the 2011 C3D version, using this book:

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119059747.html

I consider myself fortunate that I learned Autocad what I consider the somewhat "easier" way. A company I worked for was willing to teach me. A couple of folks who had used cad for a number of years got me started.

As my focus has shifted over the years, I have had to search the answers to a few things. Having a drafting base, finding the answer (if there was one) became easier.

Of course I have crossed paths with people who started to learn cad from a community college. That can be a great place to learn the basics. Then we get into company specific tasks of layers and other things.

Over the past few years at my present company, I have dealt with folks who, I am mostly convinced, learned on their own or from a Very, Very poor teacher. Like finding drawings that has all the appropriate layers..... yet everything, I mean everything (dimensions, part outlines, text, etc) was all on the same layer. Like drawings being scaled. DRAWINGS SHOULD NEVER BE SCALED FOR ANY REASON (there is no reason to scale a drawing).

So, while self teaching can be a good start, learning company and industry (not that there are any industry standards that I know of) specifics is very important. Putting things on proper layers. Presentation. Did I say never scaling drawings?

There are tons of nifty things one can do with cad.

Go to LinkedIn, YouTube, or Twitter and search for "Eric Colburn".

voidintheabyss, post: 427162, member: 11972 wrote: If you know CAD, then how did you learn it?

I started with r14 and was taught some of it by coworkers, but for the most part I learned it by pushing buttons and seeing what happened.

If I get stuck and can't figure out something there is google search and YouTube.

The main part, in my opinion, is getting your dwt and workspace setup. I have a workspace I created with all the stuff I need to draw a plat. Once that is setup the way you like it, the drawing is much easier.

I'm using Civil 3D 2012.

Oh and learn paperspace. What a great tool that is.

I started learning Autocad on Version 2.5 in 1987 I believe. I'm still learning 30 years later. I started learning Civil 3D in 2006. I'm still learning 11 years later.

Like others, I'm not sure if you're really asking about learning Autocad or learning Civil 3D. I don't know of any C3D for Surveyors books either. Are you interested in training? Since you're from Houston, my first thought was to recommend Total CAD Systems. They are on the north side, near IAH. I've known Todd Rogers, who does training and support, for a long time, and he's a pretty knowledgeable guy. He's not a surveyor though. He came from the engineering side. It looks like they've been acquired recently, and I'm not sure if he's still on staff, but worth checking out. Imaginit Technologies has a class called Autocad Civil 3D for Surveyors. Their name rings a bell. I don't remember if I've had dealings with them in the past or just know them through reputation, but I do think they have a good reputation. They apparently have an office in Houston.

I started with Acad release 10 in the early 90's and have been at it ever since.
I initially took 2-15 week courses in adult school at a local community college that was quite affordable.
Classes are your best bet to start Acad.
Civil 3D is a different beast entirely so without basic Acad knowledge you will be lost quickly.
Also if you have never used LDD or some other design/survey package, the learning curve will be steeper.
As has been said here, take small bites to start so as not to be discouraged at first.
And just keep at it as in the long run it will open doors for your career.

I started by having my boss sit down and show me. He had me driving and would scream at me when I would forget a command he showed me the previous day. It was like basic training for autocad. I laugh at the experience now but I was so scared I was not going to learn fast enough back then.

I started using AutoCAD in the late 80's or early 90's when it was still DOS based. Back then the firm I worked for was pretty big and they were lucky enough to have a Chief Drafter who was a Certified AutoCAD instructor that taught classes at night for some Tech Schools.
Once a week he would offer lunch time classes to anybody interested and teach the basics.
I learned what I needed to learn both in CAD and COGO to resolve boundaries, create cross sections and various other things but never got into the intricacies of creating a finished drawing. I would, and still do, do the minimum I need to do in CAD and hand it off to a drafter well versed in line types, weights and company standards. With my billing rates being what they were then and are now, it was never, and still isn't cost effective for me to draft.
When the market crashed in 2007 and I got laid off as a result of the housing market crash I was fortunate enough to have a good following of clients that followed me into my own home based business. Through the course of my career I was lucky enough to work with and build personal relationships with some very skilled CAD drafters and paid them as consultants to generate plans that were visually appealing and accurate. That saved me the time to do my processing of daily field data and set up the crew for the following day.
Things have progressed to the point that there are no universal commands across the platforms. Depending on what your area of focus is, Civil 3D can be a huge asset or a major problem depending on who is using it. With pipe networks and other items all linked one seemingly harmless adjustment can cause a train wreck. The last firm I worked for would not allow me to work in CAD at all for that exact reason. The Professionals did not even have CAD on their PCs but had CAD viewers to red line any adjustments and hand it off to those who were trained thoroughly in Civil 3D.
I guess the short of this long winded thread is to let the drafters do the drafting. We are all skilled in our own areas of practice. It's much cheaper to hand things off to somebody skilled in that particular field. I can't do what they do at the level they can and the opposite is true when it comes to them doing what I do.

I learned by watching the cad people after I would download our field work or on rain days until I felt comfortable in drawing a basic lot map.
After getting my chance, I would take a copy of the software home and mess around every menu and how it worked and where I could use it.
28 years later, I am still learning. I also had a few cad people and we would teach each other tricks and shortcuts to help each other.

Chuck S, post: 427280, member: 698 wrote:
Also if you have never used LDD or some other design/survey package, the learning curve will be steeper.

I agree and disagree with this statement. Yes, it's nice to have an idea of working with description keys, points, surfaces, etc. At the same time, many people want C3D to work exactly like LDD, and get frustrated when it doesn't. For example, my last boss hated that she couldn't just freeze layers for point elevations or numbers or descriptions. She didn't want to learn anything beyond that. Sometimes it's better not to have any preconceived notions so you don't waste time stewing about how Autodesk always changes everything.

I have told my bosses many times that I would rather train someone sharp and eager to learn with no Autocad experience than someone who has been using it for a few years and maybe has developed some bad habits.