Saving from Civil 3D 2012 to older CAD versions

Sometimes it is necessary to save a Civil 3D 2012 file for another user that is running an older CAD version of AutoCAD. Civil 3D 2012 provides two menu items that both appear to be able to accomplish this however, they don't produce the same results. If you are in a 2012 drawing and select "Save As" "AutoCad Drawing" from the application menu, you'll see a pop up window where you will be able to select a file name and a file type. Saving a CAD file to an older version using this method will allow you to open the file in an older version of CAD but you may not have all of the Civil 3D 2012 settings available.

The first indication that this has happened is if you see this notice when opening a Civil 3D 2010 drawing.

"This drawing was created with a newer version of Civil 3D. All entities created by Civil 3D within the drawing are in a proxy state. Additionally, all commands, settings, and displays of Civil 3D are disabled for this drawing."

A better way to save a 2012 drawing to an older version is to use "Export" "AutoCAD DWG" from the application menu. From this menu select a version that matches or is closest to the one that will be used to open the CAD file. Using this method should preserve all or most of the commands, settings and displays from the newer version. Maybe the next release of Civil 3D will resolve some of these version compatibility issues.

Thanks,
William

Complimentary Civil 3D Training

Wed. April 11, 2012
12:00pm - 1:00pm CT
Sponsored by Eagle Point software

Eagle Point Software invites you to join us for a complimentary training class* on how to grade a site in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Attend "Grading Groups" to learn:
• How to use feature lines and grading groups to create a proposed surface.
• How to create the proposed surface automatically and how that surface is dynamically linked to the grading group.
This in-depth look at grading groups provides information that is extremely helpful when designing

*This is a live, instructor-led class delivered via GoTo Meeting.

Acronym Online

http://acronymonline.org/top-ways-government-utilizing-autocad-software/?elq=fe80d13ca13b43b484896f6f1117e2b7&elqCampaignId=90

New source for AutoCAD training

Global eTraining by Digital School offers training materials for AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D at reasonable prices. The courses are not instructor led but instead are a collection of training materials that when purchased are available to you online for an entire year to use at your own pace.
The options available are as follows....
Full Course Library $845 per user
Guided Option $525 per user
Flexible Option $395 per user
Certification Option $149 per user

Compare this to DC CADD which can cost up to $1000 per person for one 4 day instructor led course.
This might be a good alternative if training budgets are tight.

You can get more detail on what is offered with each option by following this link to the Global eTraining website.

http://www.globaletraining.ca/autocad/index.php

Thanks,
William

Autodesk Certification Day

On February 10th, 2012, Autodesk will be offering discounted certification exams for a select group of 2012 products. These include.....
• AutoCAD 2012
• AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012
• Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2012
• Autodesk Inventor 2012
• Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012

The normal cost for these certification exams is $75 for the Associate Exam and $125 for the Professional Exam. However on February 10th Autodesk will be offering these exams for a $25 registration fee and because SARA is a subscription customer you get $20 back.
That means each exam only costs you $5. This is a great deal if feel you are ready to take one of these exams.

The Associate exam is 60 minutes long and is multiple choice which requires a score of 77 to pass and obtain your certification.
The professional exam is a 90 minutes long hands-on exam using the Autodesk software and requires a passing score of 80. To obtain the Certified Professional certification you must pass both exams.

Upon successfully passing, both your name and certification number gets listed in the certified professional database and you receive a digital certificate and logo.

It's a great way to let your employer and others know that you possess the CAD skills that set you apart from the average user.