All right, I promise to shut up about Data Shortcuts for awhile after this.
First, what has changed with Data Shortcuts in Civil3D 2009? How do you work with them now? How will it affect your work flow and/or directory structure?
Let’s take a look after the jump
The UI to work with Data Shortcuts has now been added to the Toolspace.
Working folder versus Data Shortcuts Folder
There are two import folder settings that have be done before you can import or export Data Shortcuts. They are:
- Set Working Folder
- Set Data Shortcuts Folder
This whole premise brings back memories of the former Land Desktop Project days. You remember those times when you would first set the Project folder and then all of the Projects would be listed under that folder?? This is eerily similar. Let’s break this down a little bit.
Working Folder
The working folder (Project folder) stores a list of data shortcut folders (projects) that can be set (or added to). It is the data shortcut folder that is the key to all of this. It is like the LDT project folder.
Two methodologies
This leads us to two methodologies:
- Change the working folder for each project.
- This would be similar to changing the LDT Project directory for each project.
- The benefits to doing this would be to keep all project data within the project folder. The working folder would be the parent folder to where you normally keep data shortcuts in a project now. The folder where you keep the data shortcuts would become the Data Shortcut folder under the working folder.
- Change the Data Shortcut folder for each project.
- This would be similar to the old ./sdskproj/ server that everyone had years ago. It was a separate location where you stored all the LDT projects. This methodology would be similar. One folder which contains all the data shortcuts for all projects.
What setup is the best? For archival and flexibility, I have been leaning toward changing the working folder for each project. However, as others begin to C3D09, I would love to hear feedback.
Creating the actual shortcuts
From the Data Shortcuts Toolspace right click menu is an option to Create Data Shortcuts, when you select this option, you are presented with the above dialog box. Select what objects that reside in the current drawing that you want to create a data shortcut of. These shortcuts will then be available for referencing. IT IS THAT SIMPLE!!
Joshua,
I agree with your recommended methodology of changing the working folder for each project. When several people are involved in the design process, when there are revisions of the different component systems (roadway, sewer, grading, etc.) or when the design process extends over a long period of time (you design infrastructure for the developer this year, then individual site plans for building owners over the ensuing 10 years), it is advisable to have all data shortcuts in the same folder or folder tree. References are less likely to be broken and more easily reestablished when they are.
Thank you sir, may I have another? You’ve shown where to create a data shortcut but should we continue to take a “one-per” approach?
Is it possible to pull a dref from an outside project directory? A shared library of “base” or “grade-to” surfaces (as shown in webcasts) might be a nice resource to have.
Are addition objects available for data shortcuts in this release?
How do you use data shortcuts in the “big picture”? To what extent do you utilize “base” drawings that contain only relevant data to be re-used in following design and production drawings? Is this approach affected by Vault? What’s the best practice for sharing (or not) profile data, xref’s or dref’s”?
You’ve said that you’ll “shut up about data references for a while”… please don’t! Let’s move from “what you could do” to “what you should do”. By taking the logical next steps, I would think you’d only impress the readers with your expertise and, hopefully, as a result, sell more Mastering Civil 3D 2009 books (of which you are too seldom reminding your readers of). At worst you could be using these posts as “teasers” for the textbook, promising more complete information to the purchaser…
John, thanks for the input and questions.
First, I wanted to respond to the “shut up about data references” and what you could to what you should.
There is SO much more to talk about and all I have posted on is Data Shortcuts. Just because I may shut up about data shortcuts doesn’t mean I will stop posting…and I am sure I will post more about data shortcuts as time progresses.
I will be happy to make suggestions (even say that a certain method is ‘best practice’) on this forum but since this is such a general forum, it will only be suggested methods. To tell our audience that this is “what you should do” would not be the best thing since each company works so very uniquely. Thus, why it is so important for companies to get help on implementation. This helps them know what their INDIVIDUAL company “should” do in their case. This helps them implement the software most efficiently.
All right to the questions:
1. Should we continue to take a “one-per” approach?
I am guessing you are referring to a one data shorcut file per one object. Really, with this new interface you never see nor work with files. This is really a dead issue in 2009.
2. Is it possible to pull a dref from an outside project directory?
Yes, this is because the working folder/data shortcut folder is not saved to the drawing. Even if it was you can easily change the working/data shortcut folder to the location you want to grab the reference from.
This actually raises an issue I did not discuss in the post. Since the path is not saved per dwg, this is bound to cause the biggest headache of implementing this new system of working with Data Shortcuts. However, keep your eyes on EE since help is on the way…(hear the trumpets ?)
3. Are addition objects available for data shortcuts in this release?
No, no additional objects are available
4. The questions about how to use in “big picture”, and affect of vault.
The methodologies for this has not changed in years. There is plently posted about that here and elsewhere.
5. To what extent to utilize “base” drawings, xref’s or drefs, etc?
First what is meant by base drawings and how much a company ALREADY utilizes xrefs is very different per company. See above…As regards, best practice, again this has not changed in years.
Do d-refs still “follow” an xref to the host drawing? In a sheet drawing, for instance, it would be nice to be able to xref a surface drawing just for the visuals of the contours without having to load the entire dref of the surface into memory. In the past I’ve had to have a separate file with just contours to use as an xref and one with the actual surface to use as a dref.
Presentations of surfaces from xrefs are the same in C3D09 as they were and really I don’t see that changing since contours don’t really exist. They are simply a style (method) of visually displaying a 3D surface in plan view.
I think i like the “2nd method” mentioned..i can jump from proj to proj & reference in info from the different projects – sweet!
just my 2 cents…
thank you for this info!!
Any further word since 412/08 on data shortcut pathing?
You had mentioned:
“This actually raises an issue I did not discuss in the post. Since the path is not saved per dwg, this is bound to cause the biggest headache of implementing this new system of working with Data Shortcuts. However, keep your eyes on EE since help is on the way…(hear the trumpets ?)”
I am trying to figure out how to best manage changing the working folder for each project in a multi-user environment. Any advance info on what is planned would be greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately, no new news. Sorry. We are working with Autodesk to create a system that would better handle the pathing issue. As soon as we create the solution, you will hear about it right here.
how about opening existing file like 2008 ver which have data shortcuts, it doesn’t transalate them accross and kill the links. the contour labels all become ??? is there a work around this