AUTODESK CIVIL 3D CAD MANAGER’S GUIDE
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6. Design changes to the original objects in the source drawing are reflected in the
consuming drawings, similar to how linework changes in xrefs are reflected in
other drawings.
Data sharing and consumption are managed in Civil 3D. However, access permission to
data is ultimately controlled by end users’ access to the drawing files containing the data
objects. If they have full access to the drawing file itself, they have full access to edit the
objects in the drawing. Therefore, data protection relies on drawing file protection, which is
controlled via Windows file permissions.
The advantages of sharing project data via shortcuts and references are as follows:
• Ease of Use: Data shortcuts and references are easy to use and require no
external application.
• Familiarity: Drawings, and associated data, are created, shared, and accessed
in a familiar manner via the Open, Save, and Save As commands.
• Simple Permissions: File and data access is controlled simply by controlling
user rights to the folders in which the drawings are saved.
There are also some disadvantages to using drawings as data stores:
• Lack of Version Tracking: Data shortcuts and references provide no specific
method for communicating the changes made to a given version of a drawing or
data object. Communicating these changes among users is a manual process.
• Data Types: Surfaces, alignments, profiles, and pipe networks are the only data
types available.
Autodesk Vault
The second method of sharing data with Civil 3D uses the Autodesk Vault project
management application. Although Vault interaction with Civil 3D does require training
users to approach the data in a new way, the powerful data management tools and
increased data sharing functionality make it an invaluable part of a successful Civil 3D
2007 implementation.
In this section you learn the key concepts regarding Autodesk Vault, Autodesk Civil 3D
Vault add-in, and the stand-alone application, Vault Explorer.
Autodesk Vault is a data management system for sharing design data across project
teams. Autodesk Vault consists of two components: Server and Client.
Vault Server: Vault Server is a secure repository for project data external to Civil 3D. It
has two components: the relational database and the file store. The relational database
stores crucial information about project data, including version history, purpose and
content of revisions, and user and group access privileges. The file store stores the
physical copies of all versions of all files.
The following Civil 3D data types can be added directly to the Vault:
Survey Data Points
Surfaces Alignments
Profiles Pipe Networks
Design data can encompass many different types of files, from drawings created in
Autodesk Civil 3D or other AutoCAD-based products, to Microsoft
®
Word documents and
