Best Workflow to Accurately Locate a Proposed Building?

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

I'm looking for input on how best to properly locate a proposed building using the following workflow:

1. Building footprint is drawn in Civil 3D. DWG is setup in NC State Plane, foot coordinate system.
2. Footprint is imported to SketchUp. Building is not moved. 3D elements of the building are added.
3. SketchUp model is exported to Collada.
4. Collada file is imported to Infraworks 360.

What I want to achieve is avoiding guesswork at Step 4. Currently, I must place the building manually. How can I ensure that the building is being placed according to its true location in Step 1?

Thanks!

[ToddRogers-WPM]

Why use Sketchup? Are you drawing in Sketchup? You can export it out of Civil 3D as a .shp file and bring into InfraWorks and it should plop down right in the exact spot. Also, are you setting the coordinate system to the same when configuring it in InfraWorks?

[Anonymous]

Todd,

Good questions. My reasoning for using sketchup is that the proposed building needs to be illustrated as more than a box with a height and premade facade (see attached). SketchUp provides the detailed tools that Infraworks does not. Yes, I am drawing in SketchUp using the footprint generated in C3D.

I have not changed the coordinate system in Infraworks since it initially generated my model. Those settings are in the attached screen capture.

With the settings as they are, I have had success exporting SHP files from C3D and having them correctly located.

So, my general question is how to add SketchUp to the mix without losing proper location?

[Matt__W]

Why not use Revit instead of SU? You can create a mass object in Revit and bring that into InfraWorks. You can also coordinate the location of the building within Revit with the NC coordinate system in Civil 3D then bring the Revit model into InfraWorks. I've done this before and it works quite well.

[John_DeLeeuw]

@Anonymous, this workflow should work:

1. First, export out an SDF or SHP file from Civil 3D containing only one AutoCAD Point object as GIS point (MAPEXPORT). Make sure you position this point object in your Civil 3D Coordinate system on a known position close to your building (preferably as endpoint on one of your 3D object elements). You already said you exported SHP with succes from Civil 3D so this shouldn't be a problem.
2. Then Create a custom 3D Model Style in your InfraWorks project referencing your Sketchup Collada file. Make sure you export that DAE file from Sketchup with matching origin to your GIS point in step 1!
3. Then connect the SDF or SHP containing only one GIS point in InfraWorks and choose your Feature Data type. This can be Buildings or another category. like POI.
4. Then Style your Data Source using the custom 3D Model Style you created in step 2.

This workflow will also bypass any large coordinate problems and incorrect 3D geometry you might experience.

Let me know if this helps you?

[Eric_Chappell]

@John_DeLeeuw and @Anonymous I think it would be really valuable to the community if one of you posted a Screencast of this workflow once you got it working. I'm thinking there are others who would like to do this 🙂 

[John_DeLeeuw]

@Eric_Chappell, sure that is a good idea!

Here it is:

My apologies that this screencast is lacking a voiceover. I have just installed a new version of Screencast and thought it would also record my voice as it did before but it simply refused to record ;-(

[ajpancha]

...
Greetings all, I support the initiative of a screencast for better clarity of this situation, because this is one of my concerns also ...

Along with these questions, I would like to add others that they can put in the screencast, maybe they are similar to those that have been raised on this issue ...

1. If CIVIL 3D generated a closed polygon (object Autocad zero elevation), which limits me an area of ​​interest within a project, said it exported polygon with MAPEXPORT to generate the SHP of the object, and then import the INFRAWORK, the polygon can not visualize it in Infra, if I'm not committing an error in import Infra, if any parameter or option'm doing wrong, would appreciate the indications for this process.
The SHP is correct and that I import into a new file CIVIL 3D and displayed correctly, which gives me think that the problem is in the Poligono import by Infra.

2. If a project within Infrawork, I would like to place any object (objects default Infra for example cars, houses, planes or custom objects) in a coordinate specifies XYZ, as might make this process as it normally is positioned manually object and not specifically in some coordinate ...

Thank you very much for your comments, and even better in case there is some screencast where it can take steps to solve these problems exposed in this issue ...

Have a nice day...

Atte.

ESPAÑOL

...
Saludos a todos, apoyo la iniciativa de un screencast para tener una mejor claridad de esta situación, ya que esta es una de mis inquietudes también...

Junto a estas preguntas, quisiera agregar otras para que lo puedan poner en el screencast, a lo mejor son parecidas a las que se han planteado en este tema...

1. Si en CIVIL 3D genero un poligono cerrado (objeto de Autocad con elevación cero), la cual me limita un area de interes dentro de un proyecto, dicho poligono lo exporto con MAPEXPORT para generar el SHP de dicho objeto, y luego importarlo al INFRAWORK, el poligono no lo puedo visualizar en Infra, no se si estoy cometiendo algún error en la importación en Infra, si algún parametro u opcion estoy haciendo mal, agradecería las indicaciones para este proceso.
El SHP esta correcto ya que lo importo en un archivo nuevo de CIVIL 3D y se visualiza correctamente, lo cual me da a pensar que el problema esta en la importación del poligono por parte de Infra.

2. Si en un proyecto dentro de Infrawork, quisiera colocar un objeto cualquiera (objetos por defecto del Infra por ejemplo vehiculos, casas, aviones u objetos personalizados) en una coordenada especifica XYZ, como podría hacer este proceso, ya que normalmente se coloca de forma manual el objeto y no especificamente en alguna coordenada...

Agradezco mucho por sus comentarios, y mejor aun si acaso hay algun screencast en donde pueda seguir los pasos para solucionar estos inconvenientes expuestos en este tema...

Que tengan un buen día...

Atte.

[John_DeLeeuw]

@ajpancha, see above and let me know if you still lack some information!

[Anonymous]

Hi Daryl,

Can I ask what accuracy you are looking for?  I have been utilizing Google Earth images and Remake and stitching them all together to make "instant cities" of where I am.

I use Google Earth to make measurements and then scale my FBX model appropriately.  The accuracy I get is within inches and it also includes the terrain.

Then I import my Revit buildings in and place them where they are to go.  I use Remake to flatten trees and things I dont want and then place coverages and trees to make it look more realistic.

I takes about a day to make the model and place the building but it has immediate impact for planners and stakeholders.


Let me know if that helps?

Michael

[todd.hunter]

Thanks for posting the screencast.

I have been doing these exact steps and my points of interest never show up.  Ideas?