So a few other bloggers have already announced the release of this paper, but I wanted to put in my two cents.
I downloaded both the pdf and the complied HTML help file versions, and spent about 3 hours with it last night and this morning.
The paper is very easy to follow. The premise is simple- the author explains how to get the best results out of your feature lines and grading objects by giving you a peek inside how grading is programmed and why it behaves the way it does. As I try to explain in posts such as Parcel Rules  the author works out what task feature lines and grading objects do well, what task they struggle with and how to approach a project to deal with that. (Keeping in mind that the author of this paper actually knows how the tools are programmed and therefore can better explain why things behave the way they do. I just use a dartboard and a blindfold)
The paper is broken into Feature Line Grading and Projection Grading sections.
Ideas covered include: When to use feature lines, when to use grading objects, best ways to make edits to each, best types of projections, managing site geometry, why certain things don’t work, and much more. The HTML version has neat DWFs embedded in it.
If you haven’t downloaded the Grading Best Practices white paper DO IT NOW. Read it today and see if the lightbulb appears over your head like it did over mine.
The Dan and Dave Show blog has the download here:
This was a great paper. I have been using Civil 3d for a while with some great results. I have had this problem with grading though. My company RDA has a sophisticated excel sheet to do earthwork analysis. We input several parameters and the result tells me to raise or lower a site globally to achieve balance. I know there is a way in civil 3d that achieves that but I like the human touch in these aspects. If my excel sheet asks me to raise a site say 3′ and i want to do this globally what is the easiest way to do so. i do use feature lines to grade my site. Now can I use the “move” command?
I have tried that but there is a problem. if there is a single vertex it will move that “z” coordinate, but if there are 2 vertices it will NOT move the “z” coordinate of those 2 common vertices.
A tool available is in the grading menu called grading utilities where in i have to create several grading groups. one can select several feature lines and “lower or raise” them. it works. but if one has 5000 features lines, the system always crashes. it will work for a few, but this tends to be a tedious task.
Am i doing something wrong. after all the advanced features which civil 3d possesses, my company is grading entirely in land development 2006,2007 (for large projects) and only using the rest of the great features in preparing siteplans.
Could some one direct me in the correct direction.
thanks
John