Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.
Transcript
00:00
RUSS NICLOY: Welcome, everyone, to this webinar
00:02
on how InfraWorks fits into your design process.
00:05
My name is Russ Nicloy, Civil Solutions Specialist
00:08
at MACER Technologies.
00:10
Before we get started, I do want to share the safe harbor
00:13
statement.
00:14
Some things that are said during the session or even
00:16
in the answer and question portion at the end
00:18
may end up being forward-looking at versions
00:22
of the software that are not yet complete.
00:24
And we want to make sure that you should not
00:27
make purchasing decisions based on statements
00:29
of possible future functionality.
00:35
As I said, I'm Russ Nicloy I'm a Civil Solutions Specialist
00:38
for MACER Technologies.
00:39
Now, I've been in the industry for 26 years,
00:42
with some time in GIS, survey, site and utility design,
00:47
and over a decade with a reseller partner of Autodesk.
00:50
I now run my own design solutions company,
00:53
aiding organizations in the civil industry.
00:58
A little bit about Accelerators and what
01:00
we're looking at here--
01:01
the Autodesk accelerators are designed
01:03
to help your team stay ahead of the curve with the latest
01:06
workflows they include courses, videos, and live coaching
01:10
like what we're doing today.
01:12
You can see a full list of the topics
01:14
at the Customer Success Hub.
01:17
So let's look at what you'll learn today.
01:21
First of all, we're going to go into how InfraWorks
01:23
fits into your design process.
01:24
We're going to look at some typical uses and the advantages
01:28
of using InfraWorks as well as things to be mindful of.
01:33
Also, then we're going to move into an overview of InfraWorks
01:36
and what it does.
01:37
We'll look at what InfraWorks is and the design
01:40
workflow and then how to collaborate on projects
01:43
in InfraWorks itself.
01:46
Then we'll be looking at how to build your existing model.
01:48
We're going to look at Model Builder, which is a great way
01:51
to populate your project.
01:54
But we'll also look at supplementing the Model Builder
01:57
data with your own data, data that you have
01:60
and have collected on-- with your own organization.
02:04
Then, after that, we will show a show-me-how demonstration
02:08
of application settings using the Model Builder
02:11
and supplementing data.
02:15
So with that, let's jump into where does InfraWorks
02:18
fit in your design process?
02:21
Well, it's used to explore a project's key characteristics
02:25
before it's built. But how does it do that?
02:29
Well, it's used to design innovative projects
02:34
from the earliest stages of the process.
02:38
You can also visualize and simulate and analyze
02:41
real-world appearances, performances, and costs
02:44
on a project before you begin.
02:47
It also helps you document accurately
02:50
and also delivers a project fast, more economically,
02:53
and with a reduced environmental impact.
02:57
Here is a video that was created.
02:59
Now, this was edited in post-production,
03:01
but it shows the parts and pieces of InfraWorks, including
03:06
how a project can use subsurface models to lay out the area
03:11
as well as drilling information and proposed drilling areas.
03:20
It can also show the existing pipes and cables and utilities
03:23
under a project area.
03:28
And then you can use existing terrain and surface
03:31
models and then, also, orthophotos,
03:34
which are draped over that.
03:36
You can then put in existing and proposed buildings
03:39
and even mark buildings as protected or specialized
03:41
buildings.
03:46
You can plan the corridors throughout the area
03:49
of your project through here and then
03:54
even list where things are, track biodiversity
03:59
and landscape issues, outdoor recreation,
04:03
and cultural heritage areas in the project areas,
04:09
as well as natural resources and things that
04:14
need to be tracked while the project is being developed.
04:18
You can also analyze the project area.
04:22
In this case, we're looking at an analysis
04:23
of the 200-year flood and what it would mean
04:26
in the area of our project.
04:34
So let's take a closer look.
04:36
What is the model used for?
04:38
The model is used for early-stage proposals, options,
04:41
and community approvals.
04:44
What are the main pieces and parts
04:45
needed to make this model?
04:47
Well, it's good to start out with the terrain
04:49
or a DTM, digital terrain model--
04:51
also imagery, any imagery that is available,
04:54
can be draped over that terrain area.
04:57
You can also add existing structures and buildings
04:60
and trees and other objects that are in the area and then also
05:04
the existing roads and the railways.
05:07
InfraWorks does hold a lot of GIS information,
05:10
like coverages, so that you can add that into the project
05:13
and then also the 3D design path that you're working on.
05:19
Some typical uses-- one of the typical uses
05:22
is for a roadway proposal.
05:25
InfraWorks will help you create a design and feasibility
05:29
of a roadway through an area, also the quantity takeoff
05:33
and road engineering of a road proposal,
05:36
also the geological and geotechnical information
05:39
of the area of the project and the structural engineering,
05:43
such as bridges and tunnels, also
05:46
the hydrology of the project area
05:48
and see how that will be affected by a project.
05:55
InfraWorks is also part of the Civil Structure Modeling,
05:58
including bridges and tunnels.
06:00
Bridges in particular can be designed and structurally
06:03
analyzed in InfraWorks before being passed on to Revit
06:06
for the more detailed design.
06:11
You can also look at more detailed bridge design types.
06:14
In the area of your design, would the structural needs
06:17
be better served by an arch bridge
06:18
or a cable-stayed bridge?
06:20
You can study these differences and options
06:22
before the project begins.
06:27
You can use InfraWorks on long corridor designs for things
06:30
like the conceptual design portion,
06:32
public approvals along the route, tender documents,
06:35
and optimizing the route, and even visual analysis
06:38
of the design.
06:41
For subdivisions and site layouts,
06:43
you can use it for something as large as the overall concept
06:46
and master planning of the project
06:48
or for something as detailed as landscape planning, also
06:51
the dry utilities and the street lighting and telecom layout
06:55
or the wet utilities of storm and sanitary layouts and water
06:58
and gas utility line locations.
07:02
What are some of the advantages to InfraWorks?
07:05
Well, you can use a real-world context almost instantly
07:09
for your project.
07:10
It also aggregates huge amounts of data,
07:12
so extremely long alignments or huge sites
07:15
can be used in the process of your design.
07:19
It also combines disparate data types into one federated model.
07:24
And it has simple and effective visualizations,
07:27
and this is important for--
07:28
those that have not been trained in visualizations,
07:31
you will be able to carry out these visualizations
07:33
in InfraWorks.
07:35
Also, you can create multiple proposals.
07:37
That way, you can present different ideas
07:39
and different options to stakeholders.
07:44
There are some utilities and analysis tools
07:46
that are cloud based that you can run the analysis
07:50
and get a more thorough analysis through that cloud process.
07:55
And then you can also share and collaborate through BIM 360.
08:02
Now, there are some things to be mindful of.
08:05
First of all, precise geometry and location input
08:08
has some limitations.
08:10
This is not the detailed portion of your project,
08:13
but it is a setup.
08:14
So make sure that you're aware of that.
08:17
Also, the data output formats are more limited
08:20
than the input formats are.
08:23
You do need to be aware of the version of the InfraWorks--
08:27
the InfraWorks version that you're using
08:29
and those of stakeholders and other collaborators.
08:32
InfraWorks does update frequently, or semi-frequently.
08:36
And so thinking of model migration also--
08:39
that's a process that you'll have to consider.
08:41
You should know your data sources and the quality
08:44
of those data sources before you put them into InfraWorks just
08:47
for planning purposes so you know what you're going to be
08:50
getting through InfraWorks.
08:52
You should also understand level of detail.
08:55
When can you have the buildings not as sharp in the background,
08:59
just kind of filling in the area,
09:01
and when do they need to be up front and more detailed?
09:04
Also, model files can become huge.
09:07
As I mentioned, the projects can be
09:09
quite large-- long alignments, long roadway paths,
09:14
or huge site areas.
09:17
That does lead to large project folders and project files.
09:22
So be aware of that in storage limitations.
09:27
Let's take a look at an overview of InfraWorks, starting with,
09:31
what is InfraWorks, give a definition.
09:34
InfraWorks combines the aspects of a geographic information
09:38
system that you may already have access to it also
09:42
provides 3D visualization.
09:44
This is similar to what
09:47
but it's way simpler.
09:48
So those that are not trained in visualization
09:51
will be able to use these tools.
09:54
It also provides engineering design.
09:56
Now this is similar to what you'll get in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
09:59
In fact, you'll be able to pass the early engineering
10:02
design off to Civil 3D for more granular control.
10:07
Now, this all comes together to create a powerful environment
10:09
where you can plan, design, and build your ideas.
10:15
Now, as you're creating a design in InfraWorks,
10:19
you're going to treat it like a true engineering project.
10:24
You'll create things like roads, rails, and bridges
10:27
and storm piping using true engineering methodologies.
10:32
You can design quickly with built-in automation based
10:35
on design rules and design the way an engineer would,
10:39
with recognizable terms and procedures.
10:42
In this video, you're watching the design of an intersection
10:47
on a high-speed road being cut down so that that road can
10:51
become more safe.
10:52
And so we're breaking the connections
10:55
and removing intersections to be replaced
10:58
with a bridge and a tie-in road.
11:04
Now, for this, the designer is pulling the roadway
11:07
past the road, and it will go underneath.
11:10
It'll actually create a bridge through this area.
11:13
But we need to attach the designed road
11:19
into where it will be tied in.
11:20
And during this process, the user
11:24
realizes that there isn't room for this.
11:27
So we need to pull some of this design around
11:29
and make adjustments to it to make it a more appropriate
11:32
for the area design.
11:39
Now, in here you can see that roadway
11:41
no longer is connected as an intersection, but it is a--
11:46
it has created a bridge, and it will be underneath that bridge.
11:49
We're looking through the profile area
11:51
to find the information about that area
11:54
to make sure that we have clearance under this bridge.
12:13
InfraWorks also helps you evaluate the design
12:15
and make big decisions earlier.
12:18
You can determine the elevations and distances and volumes
12:22
of a proposed design or where things are going to be built.
12:26
You can also visualize--
12:28
use visual analytics to make sure
12:30
that you understand the design performance.
12:32
Here we're going to look at what the surface elevations are
12:36
in an elevation banding.
12:40
This helps us figure out what limitations we might have
12:43
in the area for our design.
12:46
You can also use the cloud to perform powerful analytics
12:50
and optimizations of roadways.
12:54
You can interact with real-time analytics and design values
12:57
to adjust your design.
12:58
In this case, we're looking at where the watersheds are
13:03
around this project and to see if it's
13:05
going to affect that area.
13:08
And in this case, it does come into contact
13:10
with parts of the area of our design.
13:17
You'll also be able to figure out the cost of your project
13:20
up front with quantities and construction functions.
13:26
In this case, we're looking at what the bridge clearance needs
13:29
to be.
13:30
And then we can come back and find out
13:32
after the bridge is in place how much
13:34
concrete and other materials will
13:36
be needed to create this design that we're proposing.
13:43
Another function of InfraWorks is to create and share
13:46
presentations.
13:48
This is available so that you can give your clients choices.
13:52
You can rapidly build out multiple analysis and multiple
13:56
designs and provide those to them so that they can easily
13:60
understand what the project could be
14:02
and what their options are.
14:06
Now, let's look at a model-centric design workflow.
14:10
First of all, in InfraWorks, we're
14:12
going to set up the project using the Model Builder.
14:15
That's going to bring in existing conditions data.
14:18
Then we're going to augment that Model Builder data with data
14:22
from other sources, including things like Revit or point
14:26
cloud data are things such as that.
14:29
That data becomes the existing conditions
14:32
as you start your design.
14:33
Then, as you start designing your roadway,
14:36
bringing in early design elements from Civil 3D
14:38
and Revit is possible.
14:40
You could create a couple of options
14:43
and begin analyzing those options both by design data
14:46
and visually, as well.
14:49
You can add true geometry and the related design rules
14:52
that you'll need.
14:53
This is also where you can create the final road
14:55
alignment of your proposals and add
14:58
side roads and intersections and things such as that.
15:02
You can also check site distances
15:03
and do other analysis functions.
15:06
You can add furniture, things like guardrails and signs
15:09
and lighting, things that fill in around the project
15:12
so you get a sense of scale and safety in some areas.
15:16
You can also add drainage options inside your design
15:20
here, as well.
15:21
Then we'll export that out to Civil 3D or Revit
15:24
or other platforms for the detailed engineering
15:27
of the design.
15:28
Then you'll return the designs to InfraWorks or to 3DS Max
15:32
to create those visualizations for the project.
15:38
Your team and stakeholders can collaborate on an InfraWorks
15:41
model if they have a BIM 360 account
15:43
and they have permission to access your BIM 360 Document
15:47
Management project.
15:49
You do have to provide access to that,
15:51
so it is a protected area.
15:53
Now, this process uses Desktop Connector
15:56
to manage the data from InfraWorks that's being
15:58
stored in the BIM 360 project.
16:01
Or you could share views to provide
16:04
a visual representation of the model in a web browser format.
16:08
So that's for those--
16:11
giving access to those who can review and markup these
16:15
if they don't have BIM 360.
16:18
You can also collaborate locally without BIM 360
16:20
by sharing the models SQLite file
16:23
and associated resource folder.
16:25
You have to share those together.
16:27
And then you can collaborate in kind of an offline mode.
16:33
Let's look a little bit about how you
16:35
can build your existing model.
16:38
First of all, we have two options here.
16:40
One is that you could choose to create a new InfraWorks
16:43
model basically from scratch.
16:46
This would depend on you adding any data that you have
16:49
into that project directly.
16:52
Or you could use Model Builder to build a new InfraWorks
16:56
model.
16:57
This would start off with information
16:59
from OpenStreetMap.org, including things like surfaces
17:03
and roadways and so forth.
17:05
Then you could also add data in yourself after that.
17:11
Now, some may be familiar with earlier versions of InfraWorks.
17:17
In the 2019 versions, you needed a BIM 360 project
17:21
to store the model.
17:23
Then for a while after that, you were
17:26
able to download it locally and publish it to a BIM 360 project
17:31
folder after that, after you've received the information.
17:35
Currently, or after the 2020.0 release
17:38
that came out as far back as April of 2019,
17:42
you're now given the option to store
17:44
the project in either Autodesk Docs, BIM 360, or locally.
17:49
If you choose to store it locally,
17:51
you do have an option later to publish it to BIM 360.
17:54
So you're not locking yourself out of that option later on.
18:01
What can be brought in from Model Builder?
18:04
Well, first of all, roads and railways from the project
18:07
area-- now, these are available, as all this data
18:10
is, from the OpenStreetMap data set.
18:15
Also, you can bring in buildings where available.
18:17
Some areas have more buildings than others.
18:19
But if they're available in an area, those will come in--
18:24
also elevation data from the area.
18:26
Now, generally, global terrain is
18:29
available in either 10 or
18:33
models.
18:34
Now, that depends on the location of your project.
18:37
Terrain in the United States uses the USGS 10-meter data.
18:42
We also use different sources in the latitudes described here
18:46
on this page.
18:48
You can also bring in bodies of water or rivers
18:50
and streams, also imagery that's brought
18:53
in from Microsoft Bing Maps and draped over the terrain model.
18:60
You can supplement the Model Builder data
19:03
with data from other platforms, like Civil 3D
19:05
or geo-referencing of images using Raster Design.
19:09
There are many other platforms, including Revit, Plant 3D,
19:13
point clouds from ReCap Pro, or GIS data from Map 3D.
19:21
Now, do you have access to UAV or drone equipment?
19:27
If so, then you can make a terrain model from point cloud.
19:32
This automates-- InfraWorks will automate
19:35
the creation of the terrain data from a point cloud.
19:38
It distinguishes ground points from other points.
19:41
It understands elevations and how surfaces are generally
19:44
created to help with that process.
19:47
And it also creates an optimized lightweight point cloud.
19:50
It doesn't keep every point in the surface
19:53
or in the model, because that would be so heavy.
19:56
Also, you can find objects from the point cloud.
19:59
And that's part of its understanding of what's
20:01
a surface and what's an object.
20:03
It can automatically recognize light poles and signs
20:06
and trees and things that have a general shape that it
20:09
understands.
20:11
It can also automatically insert and InfraWorks 360 model object
20:15
in places that you prefer.
20:20
Also, you can adjust and swap out 3D models.
20:23
So if it makes the wrong choice in an area,
20:25
you can swap that out or maybe change a style on something
20:28
so it looks more appropriate for your project location.
20:35
Do you have access to ESRI products?
20:37
Do you have an ESRI system?
20:39
If so, you might consider using Autodesk Connector for ArcGIS
20:43
to bring in data.
20:44
Now, you will need ESRI credentials and sign in
20:48
and connection to an ArcGIS online or an enterprise data
20:51
set.
20:53
And you do need permission to use the data in the area
20:56
that you're going to be using.
20:58
But this will allow you to add data layers directly
21:00
into Autodesk InfraWorks models as configured features.
21:04
And I that's an important point.
21:06
They don't just drop in.
21:08
You get to choose what type of object they are in InfraWorks.
21:12
And data can be added to an existing InfraWorks model
21:15
that you already have up and saved.
21:18
Or, if you're creating InfraWorks model from scratch,
21:20
you can start out with your ArcGIS data.
21:23
Or, if you've got the Model Builder
21:26
model that you've built, you can add it to that, as well.
21:32
Now, you can also just search for data.
21:35
There are many ArcGIS sites that provide data publicly--
21:41
things like USGS, the US Geological Survey data,
21:45
or the Australian open government data.
21:48
There are data sets in Europe, as well,
21:51
that make this data available to your projects.
21:56
Now, let's get into the demonstration,
21:59
the show-me-how demonstration.
22:01
We're going to cover things like exploring the InfraWorks Home
22:04
screen, walking through the Application
22:06
Settings and current version, road regeneration,
22:09
speed versus quality, issues that you
22:11
will want to address, also starting a new project using
22:16
Model Builder and where does that base data come from.
22:19
How do I sync my model to BIM 360
22:22
using proposals in your project workflow?
22:25
Supplementing Model Builder data, imagery, buildings,
22:29
and 3D models, and then also View
22:31
Settings so that you can view the data
22:33
either for the visual confirmation
22:37
or for more engineering-type functions.
22:41
Before we start by opening a project,
22:43
you can see that I've got InfraWorks open,
22:45
and we are to the project opening page.
22:49
But I am going to first visit the Application Options.
22:51
It's the gear in the upper right-hand corner here.
22:54
And in that dialog we can come in
22:56
and check settings that may help performance
23:01
as we're working on this.
23:02
Before I do that, however, I do want
23:04
to mention that many people ask about what version
23:06
they're using of InfraWorks, because InfraWorks
23:10
does update frequently.
23:11
And people need to check that.
23:13
Also, if they're working with an organization that
23:16
has a different version, that could be an issue.
23:18
So they need to check to make sure that they
23:20
are on the same version.
23:22
To do that, we're in the General tab.
23:24
Come over to the About button.
23:26
And in the upper left-hand corner is the version number.
23:29
You just need to make sure that that's
23:31
matching the organization that you're working with.
23:35
And that is what the files are going
23:37
to be saved to as we're working through this.
23:40
I'll say OK and close that.
23:42
Now, to look at things that will affect performance,
23:46
as we're about to get started here,
23:48
I'm going to first go to Model Generation.
23:51
One of the things, as you're working with roadways,
23:54
is that you may want the roadway regeneration delayed
23:59
until you choose to do it.
24:02
This is checkmarked, and I recommend that in most cases,
24:06
because as you're working with a roadway,
24:08
you may need to make several updates in a row.
24:11
If this is unchecked, it will rebuild the entire roadway
24:15
after every change that you make.
24:17
With this checkmark, you can make several changes,
24:20
then click in the drawing file and basically
24:22
force it to update when you need it to.
24:25
And then it does save quite a bit of time
24:27
as you're working with a roadway.
24:30
Another thing that we can do here
24:31
is go to the Unit Configuration.
24:33
In here we have basic transportation units
24:36
and structure units.
24:38
In here, if I click on any of these,
24:41
I can change the type and the decimal places over here.
24:45
So I'll click this, go to the different types of units
24:48
that we need to work with here.
24:52
Another thing that we can do is go to 3D Graphics.
24:55
In here, currently, I've got an optimized for speed.
24:59
If I change that to optimize for quality,
25:01
it's going to turn on several areas
25:03
here and even update or push up the display level detail.
25:10
This can cause a little bit of slowness in the response,
25:14
because the graphics are very heavy.
25:17
But it's great for presentation graphics.
25:19
Now, as you're working on a project,
25:21
perhaps presentation graphics aren't needed,
25:24
you can come in here and change the speed.
25:25
And as you can see, it's turned everything
25:27
back down where it is optimized so
25:30
that you'll be able to use it, work in a more speedy fashion.
25:36
I come over here to the Data Import.
25:38
There is an option here-- if you've got Navisworks loaded,
25:41
Navisworks Manage loaded, you can use Navisworks to help you
25:46
import a local--
25:48
or do a local import on files.
25:51
I currently have that off, but I do have Navisworks Manage.
25:54
So I could turn that on to bring in those local imports.
25:58
And finally, we're going to look at the point cloud functions.
26:01
If you are working with point clouds,
26:03
there are some things that you can
26:05
set to make them work a little bit more quickly.
26:08
First of all is the size of the points.
26:11
The larger the size of the points,
26:13
the less of them that you will see.
26:15
And you will have an improved display speed.
26:18
The density is-- many times, a point cloud
26:22
has redundant data or more data than you need.
26:26
And so you can pull some of those
26:27
points out if they are found to be redundant.
26:30
Currently, I'm set to high, which is the lowest display
26:33
speed option.
26:34
If I move this scale to the left towards the lower number,
26:39
that will improve performance.
26:41
And if I move the size up to the right to the higher number,
26:45
that will also improve performance.
26:47
So if you're seeing a problem with point clouds,
26:49
this is an area that you should come in and make adjustments.
26:54
So with that, I'll say OK to save those settings.
26:59
And you can see that we are on the Project Selection page.
27:03
Each project has its own slide as well as a thumbnail sketch
27:08
so you can kind of get an idea of where
27:09
you are with a project.
27:12
You would just click on these slides to open the projects.
27:16
Each of these slides has a series
27:18
of icons that should be understood.
27:21
First of all, in the lower right is a cloud icon or a monitor
27:26
icon.
27:26
The cloud icon indicates that it is stored in BIM 360,
27:30
and it's available through the BIM 360 project.
27:34
The monitor icon indicates that it is a local project,
27:38
and it's not available in a BIM 360 project.
27:42
Now, if this cloud icon is gray, that
27:44
means that the project is deleted,
27:46
but the local cache is still available.
27:49
I can come into the three-dot button
27:51
here and delete the local cache.
27:54
If the cloud was gray, that would remove the project
27:56
completely.
27:57
If the project is still available, it's still--
28:01
it's not deleted, and you delete the local cache,
28:04
that means it's going to clear that cache out.
28:06
And if you were to open the file,
28:08
it would then repopulate with more up-to-date information.
28:12
So it's a great way to force an update
28:14
or force the most up-to-date data to be pulled
28:17
into your local work area.
28:21
Another icon that I don't have to show
28:23
is a little i icon that will show up.
28:26
It's an orange or red color up in the upper right-hand corner.
28:30
That indicates that files are from a previous version
28:34
of InfraWorks and therefore would
28:37
have to be updated if you are going to be opening them here.
28:40
Now, that icon is just indicating
28:42
that it will be updating, and it will take a little bit
28:44
longer to update-- to open that file,
28:47
because the update is going to happen as you do that.
28:50
If you were to ask for that, ask for the update file,
28:54
it will ask you, do you want to update the model directly,
28:57
or do you want to make a copy of it?
28:59
It's recommended that you make a copy of it,
29:02
because you'd get the updated version of it,
29:04
but it leaves the original in the earlier version in case
29:07
any other organizations that you're working with are still
29:10
using an earlier version.
29:11
Or if something goes wrong with the update,
29:14
you can always go back to that data and open it from there.
29:20
Now, we do have slides here to click on.
29:22
We can also switch over to line data.
29:25
And here you can see it's just the names
29:26
of the projects with their model type and the last modified.
29:30
If you are working on a project in BIM 360
29:34
or that's being stored in BIM 360,
29:36
if someone else has that file open,
29:37
you will get lock symbols in this list
29:40
to indicate that it's already been in use somewhere else.
29:45
Now, this is how you can open recent files.
29:47
These are files that were recently opened.
29:50
But if you need to open a file that
29:51
has not been recently opened or is not in this list,
29:54
you can click Open and then browse
29:56
to where your projects are stored
29:58
and open the SQL file for that project.
30:05
Now, if you don't have a file to open, you're starting new,
30:08
you can click the New button.
30:09
This will give you a blank canvas
30:12
where you will then have to import
30:13
data to start the project.
30:16
And if you've got GIS data or some other data
30:19
files that you can bring in, that's
30:21
a great way to start a project.
30:23
The Model Builder is an alternative to that.
30:26
It will start a new project, but it
30:28
will let you start with some data that's already there.
30:31
This is data that's available through Model Builder
30:34
and includes surfaces, roadways, rail, water,
30:38
and some other objects, including
30:40
buildings in some areas.
30:43
If I click on Model Builder, that opens up
30:45
basically a map of the world.
30:47
And I can browse around and find the location of my project.
30:51
In this case, instead of zooming and panning,
30:53
I'm just going to search for this.
30:60
And this is Shrewsbury in England.
31:04
And here it zooms you into an area that
31:06
is acceptable for the project.
31:09
Now, watch.
31:09
If I Zoom back a little bit, it gives me this orange indicator
31:13
that this area is too large for Model Builder to bring in
31:17
and that we need to make the area less
31:19
than 200 square kilometers.
31:21
If I zoom in a little bit, I'm within that limit,
31:24
and that orange marker goes away.
31:26
And obviously, I could zoom in as far
31:27
as I need to capture that area.
31:30
Or perhaps, instead of using the extents of the map display,
31:35
I just want to use a rectangle to identify an area.
31:39
And when I do that, it does indicate
31:40
what the square kilometers are.
31:42
So I can see I'm well within my limit
31:44
and get a sense of how large the area is
31:46
that I'm working with here.
31:48
Now, from there I am going to go to the Model Name.
31:57
And I could add a description here.
31:59
You do need to add a coordinate system.
32:01
If you're unsure of the coordinate system you're using,
32:04
you can use the LL84 and then create the model.
32:11
Now, it does say it's preparing that model.
32:13
It's going to do that offline for you.
32:16
I'm going to hit Continue, and then I'll
32:18
close out the Model Builder.
32:20
I'm going to switch back over to the slides here.
32:23
So when this comes in, you'll be able to see
32:26
that project show up.
32:28
You will also get an email that indicates that the Model
32:31
Builder is done providing that data for you,
32:33
and it's available for you.
32:35
Now, I'm doing this live and in real time.
32:37
I'm going to let that go.
32:39
I will come back when that project is available to us.
32:46
And there we are.
32:47
The total time there was a little under--
32:51
a little under a minute to get that in.
32:55
Now, some projects, if they're larger,
32:57
will take a little longer than that--
33:01
But this one's a fairly small project.
33:03
So it came in rather quickly you can see there's no thumbnail.
33:06
This is a new project.
33:07
It is something that the Model Builder icon
33:10
is now down here indicating that that's
33:12
where the data came from.
33:13
I'm going to click on that project to open it.
33:17
And this is where it will ask you,
33:19
do you want this project to go to the Autodesk Docs, the BIM
33:24
I am going to go to Autodesk Docs.
33:28
And then I'm going to go into the project,
33:30
a list for my organization.
33:34
And I'm going to come down here.
33:35
And we've already built a Shrewsbury project.
33:38
That is important that the BIM
33:43
I'm going to go into the folder structure that's
33:45
available there.
33:46
And we have a folder for InfraWorks
33:48
that we can store our InfraWorks models in.
33:51
I'll click OK.
33:52
Now, that folder does not have to be
33:54
an InfraWorks-only folder.
33:56
That's just-- our organization uses it that way.
33:59
So you can name it whatever you need
34:00
and put it in whatever folder structure is
34:03
required for your project.
34:08
And here you can see that project is now available.
34:11
There are a lot of buildings available, roadways.
34:15
That I'm sure there's railing here somewhere.
34:17
There's the waterways here, both rivers and lakes,
34:21
if there are any in this area here.
34:26
I'm going to come up here to the Manage tab of the ribbon,
34:29
the Content panel, the Data Sources area here
34:33
so we can look at the data sources that were brought in.
34:36
If you had not used Model Builder,
34:38
this area would be blank, and you'd
34:39
have to load in the data from this dropdown menu here.
34:44
But in here you can see all of the buildings
34:47
and the land use coverage areas, ground imagery, the imagery
34:51
that we're seeing here.
34:54
That's all the data that was brought
34:55
in from the Model Explorer.
34:59
Now, I do have some data that I want to load in here.
35:02
I'm not stuck with only what's available from Model Explorer.
35:05
I can bring in what I want.
35:07
Before I do anything, though, I am going to come up here
35:09
to this top right area.
35:11
This is the Proposals area.
35:13
Proposals allow you to create saved versions of the file
35:19
so that you could show different versions, different options,
35:24
and even, in this case, I'm going
35:26
to use the master as my beginning point.
35:29
So it's kind of saving the data before I make any changes.
35:32
I'm going to click Add, and I'm going
35:34
to call the first one that I make here the Existing
35:38
Conditions.
35:40
I could then go in and clean it up with information
35:44
that I know is existing in this project.
35:46
I'm actually going to come up and create another proposal
35:51
here called Buildings.
35:57
And now whatever change I make there will not affect either
36:00
the master or the existing.
36:02
So I can add or remove items as I need to
36:06
or make changes to where they're located.
36:09
What I'm going to do is come in here to the Data Sources.
36:12
I'll come down to Imagery, and I'm
36:14
going to delete the imagery from the file.
36:18
And there you'll see that there is a surface
36:20
underneath that imagery.
36:22
And that's what we're really working against.
36:24
We're looking at the imagery as a way
36:26
to understand where we are and where things are located.
36:30
What I'm going to do here is bring in the aerial photos
36:35
I have for our project.
36:36
So I'm in my Project folder, in my Aerial Photos folder.
36:40
I've got imagery here that's more up to date,
36:43
or it's the imagery that's preferred for our project.
36:48
I have some JPEGs here that I'm going to bring in.
36:50
I'm just going to Shift select all of those
36:52
and drag them into the Data Sources area.
36:55
And you'll see, under Ground Imagery, it adds those in
36:58
and then starts to configure that data.
37:01
Now, in here it does understand immediately
37:03
that this is ground imagery.
37:05
It does want me to add in what coordinate zone we're in.
37:09
We're actually in the British National Grid for this project.
37:13
And then I'm going to go over to the Raster tab
37:16
and make sure the Clip to Model Extent is turned on.
37:21
Sometimes the images are off, and the images
37:23
will go past where the project area is that you've selected.
37:27
And this will trim that off at the edges.
37:30
Down here I'm going to click Close and Refresh.
37:33
What that does is actually pushes this information
37:36
into the file.
37:37
OK does not do that.
37:39
You want to go Close and Refresh.
37:41
And then you'll see that imagery will then appear in our file,
37:45
and that configuration will take place.
37:50
And there is the new imagery that we're using.
37:56
Something else that we need to do here
37:58
is go into the data dropdown here.
38:02
And I actually want to bring in a file, a GIS
38:06
file of the buildings in the surrounding area.
38:10
In fact, I'm going to move over here
38:12
so you can see when this happens.
38:14
I'm going to click the dropdown and come down.
38:17
We have an SDF file for this.
38:21
And I'm in my GIS data folder for this.
38:25
In here I'll pick the Shrewsbury buildings SDF.
38:28
I'll click Open.
38:30
And now notice it doesn't bring anything
38:31
in until you configure it.
38:34
So it's coming up here.
38:35
It doesn't know what this is quite yet.
38:37
It knows it's an SDF file.
38:38
But I'm going to right-click and configure on that.
38:42
And then here I'm going to tell it that these are buildings.
38:47
And with that, then we get some more options down below.
38:52
First of all, the roof height is not 10 meters.
38:54
I want them to be 4 meters.
38:56
Basically, this SDF file is flat footprints of the buildings.
39:02
And we're going to force them into giving us
39:04
height, a height of 4 meters, in this particular case.
39:11
I am also going to go over to the geolocation
39:13
here to make sure the British National Grid is on.
39:16
And the Source here--
39:18
I am going to drape them over the surface
39:21
so those footprints will start at the surface
39:23
and go 4 meters up from that.
39:25
I do also want to make sure that I clip the model extents,
39:27
because I don't know how far out the SDF file goes.
39:32
That'll end it at the edge of our project.
39:35
Again, I'll click on Close and Refresh.
39:38
And there we've got a series of buildings here.
39:41
In fact, if you want to take a look at where those are,
39:45
it shows up under Buildings now.
39:46
I'll right-click on that and say Select Features.
39:49
Now, this is going to take a second, because it's
39:52
looking through the project.
39:53
But then you can see that they highlight.
39:55
And you can see exactly where all of those buildings
39:58
are located.
40:02
Now, the point of this project is
40:04
that we're actually going to bring in a building
40:07
into an area here for our project.
40:09
I'm going to return to our data edition here.
40:14
And I'm going to come into 3D Model.
40:15
We have a 3D model of a building that we're going to add.
40:19
I'll go back into my Data Sources
40:21
there and go to Building Models.
40:23
And we have-- it's an FBX file that we're working with here.
40:26
And we've chosen to bring in the Office_Option_1 FBX file.
40:31
I'll click Open.
40:33
And again, it doesn't know what that is,
40:35
so it doesn't put it under an area yet.
40:38
We need to configure that.
40:41
And in here-- now, we are going to be placing this.
40:44
This is not geometrically located.
40:46
So the coordinate system is going to be this XY-IFT,
40:50
and we'll use interactive placing.
40:51
Before I do, though, I do want to let it know
40:53
that this is a building type.
40:56
That does change the options here.
40:58
I'm going to go over to the 3D model, where
41:00
you will get a preview of what that model is
41:03
going to look like.
41:05
And you can make sure that is the correct option by some
41:07
of the graphic that you can see there.
41:10
So back under Geolocation, I'm going
41:12
to click on Interactive Placing.
41:14
And then I will place that in the project
41:17
near where we want it.
41:19
I'm going to double-click to drop that in.
41:22
And then we could make some other changes here,
41:24
but at this point, I like that configuration.
41:26
And I'll Close and Refresh.
41:30
And then that building is in place.
41:36
Now, that building does look just a little bit rough.
41:38
It doesn't look like--
41:41
the windows aren't showing up and that type of thing.
41:43
So I'm going to come over here to the Visualization Settings.
41:46
You can see that we have a Conceptual view,
41:49
an Engineering view.
41:50
And then I've created a view of my own over here.
41:52
I'm going to come into the Engineering view.
41:57
And you can see there that-- kind of darkened the sky
41:59
but gave us contours and made some other minor changes
42:02
to this.
42:03
I'm going to go back to Conceptual view
42:05
and then click on the gear icon to see what the Conceptual view
42:09
settings are set to.
42:10
And in here I can change things like the brightness
42:13
of the screen, the light intensity, perhaps.
42:17
I'm going to come down here to the High Visual Quality
42:19
and turn that on.
42:21
And there you can see the outlines of the windows,
42:23
at least, are showing up.
42:25
I could also turn on animation.
42:27
So if the model that we're bringing in
42:29
has animation to it, that would be available, as well.
42:33
I am going to leave it like that,
42:35
so I'll close out the View Settings.
42:37
And now I'll be able to work with that building
42:39
in this area.
42:43
And actually, if I come back over here,
42:44
I will switch to the Contour View that I have set up there.
42:49
And I realize that the contours there are a little bit dark.
42:52
Let me go into that setting, and I can go to the Mountain view
42:57
here for the terrain.
42:60
And in here I could change the colors.
43:02
Maybe I'm going to click on that color
43:04
there and make that a yellow so that they show up
43:06
a little bit better.
43:07
Or perhaps I can turn it back to the old color,
43:11
because it's not really what I need.
43:13
I can turn contours on and off.
43:15
And I can turn the labels--
43:16
you can see there are contour labels in here
43:18
that I can turn on and off, as well.
43:25
So this has been a look at building some of the basics
43:30
around opening a project and bringing data
43:32
into a project in InfraWorks.
43:38
We would like to encourage you to visit the Customer Success
43:41
Hub for more resources, like courses and learning paths,
43:45
recorded coaching sessions, more live coaching topics
43:49
like this one.
43:50
Just follow the link to the customersuccess.Autodesk.com.
43:55
Thank you all for joining us today, and have a great day.
Video transcript
00:00
RUSS NICLOY: Welcome, everyone, to this webinar
00:02
on how InfraWorks fits into your design process.
00:05
My name is Russ Nicloy, Civil Solutions Specialist
00:08
at MACER Technologies.
00:10
Before we get started, I do want to share the safe harbor
00:13
statement.
00:14
Some things that are said during the session or even
00:16
in the answer and question portion at the end
00:18
may end up being forward-looking at versions
00:22
of the software that are not yet complete.
00:24
And we want to make sure that you should not
00:27
make purchasing decisions based on statements
00:29
of possible future functionality.
00:35
As I said, I'm Russ Nicloy I'm a Civil Solutions Specialist
00:38
for MACER Technologies.
00:39
Now, I've been in the industry for 26 years,
00:42
with some time in GIS, survey, site and utility design,
00:47
and over a decade with a reseller partner of Autodesk.
00:50
I now run my own design solutions company,
00:53
aiding organizations in the civil industry.
00:58
A little bit about Accelerators and what
01:00
we're looking at here--
01:01
the Autodesk accelerators are designed
01:03
to help your team stay ahead of the curve with the latest
01:06
workflows they include courses, videos, and live coaching
01:10
like what we're doing today.
01:12
You can see a full list of the topics
01:14
at the Customer Success Hub.
01:17
So let's look at what you'll learn today.
01:21
First of all, we're going to go into how InfraWorks
01:23
fits into your design process.
01:24
We're going to look at some typical uses and the advantages
01:28
of using InfraWorks as well as things to be mindful of.
01:33
Also, then we're going to move into an overview of InfraWorks
01:36
and what it does.
01:37
We'll look at what InfraWorks is and the design
01:40
workflow and then how to collaborate on projects
01:43
in InfraWorks itself.
01:46
Then we'll be looking at how to build your existing model.
01:48
We're going to look at Model Builder, which is a great way
01:51
to populate your project.
01:54
But we'll also look at supplementing the Model Builder
01:57
data with your own data, data that you have
01:60
and have collected on-- with your own organization.
02:04
Then, after that, we will show a show-me-how demonstration
02:08
of application settings using the Model Builder
02:11
and supplementing data.
02:15
So with that, let's jump into where does InfraWorks
02:18
fit in your design process?
02:21
Well, it's used to explore a project's key characteristics
02:25
before it's built. But how does it do that?
02:29
Well, it's used to design innovative projects
02:34
from the earliest stages of the process.
02:38
You can also visualize and simulate and analyze
02:41
real-world appearances, performances, and costs
02:44
on a project before you begin.
02:47
It also helps you document accurately
02:50
and also delivers a project fast, more economically,
02:53
and with a reduced environmental impact.
02:57
Here is a video that was created.
02:59
Now, this was edited in post-production,
03:01
but it shows the parts and pieces of InfraWorks, including
03:06
how a project can use subsurface models to lay out the area
03:11
as well as drilling information and proposed drilling areas.
03:20
It can also show the existing pipes and cables and utilities
03:23
under a project area.
03:28
And then you can use existing terrain and surface
03:31
models and then, also, orthophotos,
03:34
which are draped over that.
03:36
You can then put in existing and proposed buildings
03:39
and even mark buildings as protected or specialized
03:41
buildings.
03:46
You can plan the corridors throughout the area
03:49
of your project through here and then
03:54
even list where things are, track biodiversity
03:59
and landscape issues, outdoor recreation,
04:03
and cultural heritage areas in the project areas,
04:09
as well as natural resources and things that
04:14
need to be tracked while the project is being developed.
04:18
You can also analyze the project area.
04:22
In this case, we're looking at an analysis
04:23
of the 200-year flood and what it would mean
04:26
in the area of our project.
04:34
So let's take a closer look.
04:36
What is the model used for?
04:38
The model is used for early-stage proposals, options,
04:41
and community approvals.
04:44
What are the main pieces and parts
04:45
needed to make this model?
04:47
Well, it's good to start out with the terrain
04:49
or a DTM, digital terrain model--
04:51
also imagery, any imagery that is available,
04:54
can be draped over that terrain area.
04:57
You can also add existing structures and buildings
04:60
and trees and other objects that are in the area and then also
05:04
the existing roads and the railways.
05:07
InfraWorks does hold a lot of GIS information,
05:10
like coverages, so that you can add that into the project
05:13
and then also the 3D design path that you're working on.
05:19
Some typical uses-- one of the typical uses
05:22
is for a roadway proposal.
05:25
InfraWorks will help you create a design and feasibility
05:29
of a roadway through an area, also the quantity takeoff
05:33
and road engineering of a road proposal,
05:36
also the geological and geotechnical information
05:39
of the area of the project and the structural engineering,
05:43
such as bridges and tunnels, also
05:46
the hydrology of the project area
05:48
and see how that will be affected by a project.
05:55
InfraWorks is also part of the Civil Structure Modeling,
05:58
including bridges and tunnels.
06:00
Bridges in particular can be designed and structurally
06:03
analyzed in InfraWorks before being passed on to Revit
06:06
for the more detailed design.
06:11
You can also look at more detailed bridge design types.
06:14
In the area of your design, would the structural needs
06:17
be better served by an arch bridge
06:18
or a cable-stayed bridge?
06:20
You can study these differences and options
06:22
before the project begins.
06:27
You can use InfraWorks on long corridor designs for things
06:30
like the conceptual design portion,
06:32
public approvals along the route, tender documents,
06:35
and optimizing the route, and even visual analysis
06:38
of the design.
06:41
For subdivisions and site layouts,
06:43
you can use it for something as large as the overall concept
06:46
and master planning of the project
06:48
or for something as detailed as landscape planning, also
06:51
the dry utilities and the street lighting and telecom layout
06:55
or the wet utilities of storm and sanitary layouts and water
06:58
and gas utility line locations.
07:02
What are some of the advantages to InfraWorks?
07:05
Well, you can use a real-world context almost instantly
07:09
for your project.
07:10
It also aggregates huge amounts of data,
07:12
so extremely long alignments or huge sites
07:15
can be used in the process of your design.
07:19
It also combines disparate data types into one federated model.
07:24
And it has simple and effective visualizations,
07:27
and this is important for--
07:28
those that have not been trained in visualizations,
07:31
you will be able to carry out these visualizations
07:33
in InfraWorks.
07:35
Also, you can create multiple proposals.
07:37
That way, you can present different ideas
07:39
and different options to stakeholders.
07:44
There are some utilities and analysis tools
07:46
that are cloud based that you can run the analysis
07:50
and get a more thorough analysis through that cloud process.
07:55
And then you can also share and collaborate through BIM 360.
08:02
Now, there are some things to be mindful of.
08:05
First of all, precise geometry and location input
08:08
has some limitations.
08:10
This is not the detailed portion of your project,
08:13
but it is a setup.
08:14
So make sure that you're aware of that.
08:17
Also, the data output formats are more limited
08:20
than the input formats are.
08:23
You do need to be aware of the version of the InfraWorks--
08:27
the InfraWorks version that you're using
08:29
and those of stakeholders and other collaborators.
08:32
InfraWorks does update frequently, or semi-frequently.
08:36
And so thinking of model migration also--
08:39
that's a process that you'll have to consider.
08:41
You should know your data sources and the quality
08:44
of those data sources before you put them into InfraWorks just
08:47
for planning purposes so you know what you're going to be
08:50
getting through InfraWorks.
08:52
You should also understand level of detail.
08:55
When can you have the buildings not as sharp in the background,
08:59
just kind of filling in the area,
09:01
and when do they need to be up front and more detailed?
09:04
Also, model files can become huge.
09:07
As I mentioned, the projects can be
09:09
quite large-- long alignments, long roadway paths,
09:14
or huge site areas.
09:17
That does lead to large project folders and project files.
09:22
So be aware of that in storage limitations.
09:27
Let's take a look at an overview of InfraWorks, starting with,
09:31
what is InfraWorks, give a definition.
09:34
InfraWorks combines the aspects of a geographic information
09:38
system that you may already have access to it also
09:42
provides 3D visualization.
09:44
This is similar to what
09:47
but it's way simpler.
09:48
So those that are not trained in visualization
09:51
will be able to use these tools.
09:54
It also provides engineering design.
09:56
Now this is similar to what you'll get in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
09:59
In fact, you'll be able to pass the early engineering
10:02
design off to Civil 3D for more granular control.
10:07
Now, this all comes together to create a powerful environment
10:09
where you can plan, design, and build your ideas.
10:15
Now, as you're creating a design in InfraWorks,
10:19
you're going to treat it like a true engineering project.
10:24
You'll create things like roads, rails, and bridges
10:27
and storm piping using true engineering methodologies.
10:32
You can design quickly with built-in automation based
10:35
on design rules and design the way an engineer would,
10:39
with recognizable terms and procedures.
10:42
In this video, you're watching the design of an intersection
10:47
on a high-speed road being cut down so that that road can
10:51
become more safe.
10:52
And so we're breaking the connections
10:55
and removing intersections to be replaced
10:58
with a bridge and a tie-in road.
11:04
Now, for this, the designer is pulling the roadway
11:07
past the road, and it will go underneath.
11:10
It'll actually create a bridge through this area.
11:13
But we need to attach the designed road
11:19
into where it will be tied in.
11:20
And during this process, the user
11:24
realizes that there isn't room for this.
11:27
So we need to pull some of this design around
11:29
and make adjustments to it to make it a more appropriate
11:32
for the area design.
11:39
Now, in here you can see that roadway
11:41
no longer is connected as an intersection, but it is a--
11:46
it has created a bridge, and it will be underneath that bridge.
11:49
We're looking through the profile area
11:51
to find the information about that area
11:54
to make sure that we have clearance under this bridge.
12:13
InfraWorks also helps you evaluate the design
12:15
and make big decisions earlier.
12:18
You can determine the elevations and distances and volumes
12:22
of a proposed design or where things are going to be built.
12:26
You can also visualize--
12:28
use visual analytics to make sure
12:30
that you understand the design performance.
12:32
Here we're going to look at what the surface elevations are
12:36
in an elevation banding.
12:40
This helps us figure out what limitations we might have
12:43
in the area for our design.
12:46
You can also use the cloud to perform powerful analytics
12:50
and optimizations of roadways.
12:54
You can interact with real-time analytics and design values
12:57
to adjust your design.
12:58
In this case, we're looking at where the watersheds are
13:03
around this project and to see if it's
13:05
going to affect that area.
13:08
And in this case, it does come into contact
13:10
with parts of the area of our design.
13:17
You'll also be able to figure out the cost of your project
13:20
up front with quantities and construction functions.
13:26
In this case, we're looking at what the bridge clearance needs
13:29
to be.
13:30
And then we can come back and find out
13:32
after the bridge is in place how much
13:34
concrete and other materials will
13:36
be needed to create this design that we're proposing.
13:43
Another function of InfraWorks is to create and share
13:46
presentations.
13:48
This is available so that you can give your clients choices.
13:52
You can rapidly build out multiple analysis and multiple
13:56
designs and provide those to them so that they can easily
13:60
understand what the project could be
14:02
and what their options are.
14:06
Now, let's look at a model-centric design workflow.
14:10
First of all, in InfraWorks, we're
14:12
going to set up the project using the Model Builder.
14:15
That's going to bring in existing conditions data.
14:18
Then we're going to augment that Model Builder data with data
14:22
from other sources, including things like Revit or point
14:26
cloud data are things such as that.
14:29
That data becomes the existing conditions
14:32
as you start your design.
14:33
Then, as you start designing your roadway,
14:36
bringing in early design elements from Civil 3D
14:38
and Revit is possible.
14:40
You could create a couple of options
14:43
and begin analyzing those options both by design data
14:46
and visually, as well.
14:49
You can add true geometry and the related design rules
14:52
that you'll need.
14:53
This is also where you can create the final road
14:55
alignment of your proposals and add
14:58
side roads and intersections and things such as that.
15:02
You can also check site distances
15:03
and do other analysis functions.
15:06
You can add furniture, things like guardrails and signs
15:09
and lighting, things that fill in around the project
15:12
so you get a sense of scale and safety in some areas.
15:16
You can also add drainage options inside your design
15:20
here, as well.
15:21
Then we'll export that out to Civil 3D or Revit
15:24
or other platforms for the detailed engineering
15:27
of the design.
15:28
Then you'll return the designs to InfraWorks or to 3DS Max
15:32
to create those visualizations for the project.
15:38
Your team and stakeholders can collaborate on an InfraWorks
15:41
model if they have a BIM 360 account
15:43
and they have permission to access your BIM 360 Document
15:47
Management project.
15:49
You do have to provide access to that,
15:51
so it is a protected area.
15:53
Now, this process uses Desktop Connector
15:56
to manage the data from InfraWorks that's being
15:58
stored in the BIM 360 project.
16:01
Or you could share views to provide
16:04
a visual representation of the model in a web browser format.
16:08
So that's for those--
16:11
giving access to those who can review and markup these
16:15
if they don't have BIM 360.
16:18
You can also collaborate locally without BIM 360
16:20
by sharing the models SQLite file
16:23
and associated resource folder.
16:25
You have to share those together.
16:27
And then you can collaborate in kind of an offline mode.
16:33
Let's look a little bit about how you
16:35
can build your existing model.
16:38
First of all, we have two options here.
16:40
One is that you could choose to create a new InfraWorks
16:43
model basically from scratch.
16:46
This would depend on you adding any data that you have
16:49
into that project directly.
16:52
Or you could use Model Builder to build a new InfraWorks
16:56
model.
16:57
This would start off with information
16:59
from OpenStreetMap.org, including things like surfaces
17:03
and roadways and so forth.
17:05
Then you could also add data in yourself after that.
17:11
Now, some may be familiar with earlier versions of InfraWorks.
17:17
In the 2019 versions, you needed a BIM 360 project
17:21
to store the model.
17:23
Then for a while after that, you were
17:26
able to download it locally and publish it to a BIM 360 project
17:31
folder after that, after you've received the information.
17:35
Currently, or after the 2020.0 release
17:38
that came out as far back as April of 2019,
17:42
you're now given the option to store
17:44
the project in either Autodesk Docs, BIM 360, or locally.
17:49
If you choose to store it locally,
17:51
you do have an option later to publish it to BIM 360.
17:54
So you're not locking yourself out of that option later on.
18:01
What can be brought in from Model Builder?
18:04
Well, first of all, roads and railways from the project
18:07
area-- now, these are available, as all this data
18:10
is, from the OpenStreetMap data set.
18:15
Also, you can bring in buildings where available.
18:17
Some areas have more buildings than others.
18:19
But if they're available in an area, those will come in--
18:24
also elevation data from the area.
18:26
Now, generally, global terrain is
18:29
available in either 10 or
18:33
models.
18:34
Now, that depends on the location of your project.
18:37
Terrain in the United States uses the USGS 10-meter data.
18:42
We also use different sources in the latitudes described here
18:46
on this page.
18:48
You can also bring in bodies of water or rivers
18:50
and streams, also imagery that's brought
18:53
in from Microsoft Bing Maps and draped over the terrain model.
18:60
You can supplement the Model Builder data
19:03
with data from other platforms, like Civil 3D
19:05
or geo-referencing of images using Raster Design.
19:09
There are many other platforms, including Revit, Plant 3D,
19:13
point clouds from ReCap Pro, or GIS data from Map 3D.
19:21
Now, do you have access to UAV or drone equipment?
19:27
If so, then you can make a terrain model from point cloud.
19:32
This automates-- InfraWorks will automate
19:35
the creation of the terrain data from a point cloud.
19:38
It distinguishes ground points from other points.
19:41
It understands elevations and how surfaces are generally
19:44
created to help with that process.
19:47
And it also creates an optimized lightweight point cloud.
19:50
It doesn't keep every point in the surface
19:53
or in the model, because that would be so heavy.
19:56
Also, you can find objects from the point cloud.
19:59
And that's part of its understanding of what's
20:01
a surface and what's an object.
20:03
It can automatically recognize light poles and signs
20:06
and trees and things that have a general shape that it
20:09
understands.
20:11
It can also automatically insert and InfraWorks 360 model object
20:15
in places that you prefer.
20:20
Also, you can adjust and swap out 3D models.
20:23
So if it makes the wrong choice in an area,
20:25
you can swap that out or maybe change a style on something
20:28
so it looks more appropriate for your project location.
20:35
Do you have access to ESRI products?
20:37
Do you have an ESRI system?
20:39
If so, you might consider using Autodesk Connector for ArcGIS
20:43
to bring in data.
20:44
Now, you will need ESRI credentials and sign in
20:48
and connection to an ArcGIS online or an enterprise data
20:51
set.
20:53
And you do need permission to use the data in the area
20:56
that you're going to be using.
20:58
But this will allow you to add data layers directly
21:00
into Autodesk InfraWorks models as configured features.
21:04
And I that's an important point.
21:06
They don't just drop in.
21:08
You get to choose what type of object they are in InfraWorks.
21:12
And data can be added to an existing InfraWorks model
21:15
that you already have up and saved.
21:18
Or, if you're creating InfraWorks model from scratch,
21:20
you can start out with your ArcGIS data.
21:23
Or, if you've got the Model Builder
21:26
model that you've built, you can add it to that, as well.
21:32
Now, you can also just search for data.
21:35
There are many ArcGIS sites that provide data publicly--
21:41
things like USGS, the US Geological Survey data,
21:45
or the Australian open government data.
21:48
There are data sets in Europe, as well,
21:51
that make this data available to your projects.
21:56
Now, let's get into the demonstration,
21:59
the show-me-how demonstration.
22:01
We're going to cover things like exploring the InfraWorks Home
22:04
screen, walking through the Application
22:06
Settings and current version, road regeneration,
22:09
speed versus quality, issues that you
22:11
will want to address, also starting a new project using
22:16
Model Builder and where does that base data come from.
22:19
How do I sync my model to BIM 360
22:22
using proposals in your project workflow?
22:25
Supplementing Model Builder data, imagery, buildings,
22:29
and 3D models, and then also View
22:31
Settings so that you can view the data
22:33
either for the visual confirmation
22:37
or for more engineering-type functions.
22:41
Before we start by opening a project,
22:43
you can see that I've got InfraWorks open,
22:45
and we are to the project opening page.
22:49
But I am going to first visit the Application Options.
22:51
It's the gear in the upper right-hand corner here.
22:54
And in that dialog we can come in
22:56
and check settings that may help performance
23:01
as we're working on this.
23:02
Before I do that, however, I do want
23:04
to mention that many people ask about what version
23:06
they're using of InfraWorks, because InfraWorks
23:10
does update frequently.
23:11
And people need to check that.
23:13
Also, if they're working with an organization that
23:16
has a different version, that could be an issue.
23:18
So they need to check to make sure that they
23:20
are on the same version.
23:22
To do that, we're in the General tab.
23:24
Come over to the About button.
23:26
And in the upper left-hand corner is the version number.
23:29
You just need to make sure that that's
23:31
matching the organization that you're working with.
23:35
And that is what the files are going
23:37
to be saved to as we're working through this.
23:40
I'll say OK and close that.
23:42
Now, to look at things that will affect performance,
23:46
as we're about to get started here,
23:48
I'm going to first go to Model Generation.
23:51
One of the things, as you're working with roadways,
23:54
is that you may want the roadway regeneration delayed
23:59
until you choose to do it.
24:02
This is checkmarked, and I recommend that in most cases,
24:06
because as you're working with a roadway,
24:08
you may need to make several updates in a row.
24:11
If this is unchecked, it will rebuild the entire roadway
24:15
after every change that you make.
24:17
With this checkmark, you can make several changes,
24:20
then click in the drawing file and basically
24:22
force it to update when you need it to.
24:25
And then it does save quite a bit of time
24:27
as you're working with a roadway.
24:30
Another thing that we can do here
24:31
is go to the Unit Configuration.
24:33
In here we have basic transportation units
24:36
and structure units.
24:38
In here, if I click on any of these,
24:41
I can change the type and the decimal places over here.
24:45
So I'll click this, go to the different types of units
24:48
that we need to work with here.
24:52
Another thing that we can do is go to 3D Graphics.
24:55
In here, currently, I've got an optimized for speed.
24:59
If I change that to optimize for quality,
25:01
it's going to turn on several areas
25:03
here and even update or push up the display level detail.
25:10
This can cause a little bit of slowness in the response,
25:14
because the graphics are very heavy.
25:17
But it's great for presentation graphics.
25:19
Now, as you're working on a project,
25:21
perhaps presentation graphics aren't needed,
25:24
you can come in here and change the speed.
25:25
And as you can see, it's turned everything
25:27
back down where it is optimized so
25:30
that you'll be able to use it, work in a more speedy fashion.
25:36
I come over here to the Data Import.
25:38
There is an option here-- if you've got Navisworks loaded,
25:41
Navisworks Manage loaded, you can use Navisworks to help you
25:46
import a local--
25:48
or do a local import on files.
25:51
I currently have that off, but I do have Navisworks Manage.
25:54
So I could turn that on to bring in those local imports.
25:58
And finally, we're going to look at the point cloud functions.
26:01
If you are working with point clouds,
26:03
there are some things that you can
26:05
set to make them work a little bit more quickly.
26:08
First of all is the size of the points.
26:11
The larger the size of the points,
26:13
the less of them that you will see.
26:15
And you will have an improved display speed.
26:18
The density is-- many times, a point cloud
26:22
has redundant data or more data than you need.
26:26
And so you can pull some of those
26:27
points out if they are found to be redundant.
26:30
Currently, I'm set to high, which is the lowest display
26:33
speed option.
26:34
If I move this scale to the left towards the lower number,
26:39
that will improve performance.
26:41
And if I move the size up to the right to the higher number,
26:45
that will also improve performance.
26:47
So if you're seeing a problem with point clouds,
26:49
this is an area that you should come in and make adjustments.
26:54
So with that, I'll say OK to save those settings.
26:59
And you can see that we are on the Project Selection page.
27:03
Each project has its own slide as well as a thumbnail sketch
27:08
so you can kind of get an idea of where
27:09
you are with a project.
27:12
You would just click on these slides to open the projects.
27:16
Each of these slides has a series
27:18
of icons that should be understood.
27:21
First of all, in the lower right is a cloud icon or a monitor
27:26
icon.
27:26
The cloud icon indicates that it is stored in BIM 360,
27:30
and it's available through the BIM 360 project.
27:34
The monitor icon indicates that it is a local project,
27:38
and it's not available in a BIM 360 project.
27:42
Now, if this cloud icon is gray, that
27:44
means that the project is deleted,
27:46
but the local cache is still available.
27:49
I can come into the three-dot button
27:51
here and delete the local cache.
27:54
If the cloud was gray, that would remove the project
27:56
completely.
27:57
If the project is still available, it's still--
28:01
it's not deleted, and you delete the local cache,
28:04
that means it's going to clear that cache out.
28:06
And if you were to open the file,
28:08
it would then repopulate with more up-to-date information.
28:12
So it's a great way to force an update
28:14
or force the most up-to-date data to be pulled
28:17
into your local work area.
28:21
Another icon that I don't have to show
28:23
is a little i icon that will show up.
28:26
It's an orange or red color up in the upper right-hand corner.
28:30
That indicates that files are from a previous version
28:34
of InfraWorks and therefore would
28:37
have to be updated if you are going to be opening them here.
28:40
Now, that icon is just indicating
28:42
that it will be updating, and it will take a little bit
28:44
longer to update-- to open that file,
28:47
because the update is going to happen as you do that.
28:50
If you were to ask for that, ask for the update file,
28:54
it will ask you, do you want to update the model directly,
28:57
or do you want to make a copy of it?
28:59
It's recommended that you make a copy of it,
29:02
because you'd get the updated version of it,
29:04
but it leaves the original in the earlier version in case
29:07
any other organizations that you're working with are still
29:10
using an earlier version.
29:11
Or if something goes wrong with the update,
29:14
you can always go back to that data and open it from there.
29:20
Now, we do have slides here to click on.
29:22
We can also switch over to line data.
29:25
And here you can see it's just the names
29:26
of the projects with their model type and the last modified.
29:30
If you are working on a project in BIM 360
29:34
or that's being stored in BIM 360,
29:36
if someone else has that file open,
29:37
you will get lock symbols in this list
29:40
to indicate that it's already been in use somewhere else.
29:45
Now, this is how you can open recent files.
29:47
These are files that were recently opened.
29:50
But if you need to open a file that
29:51
has not been recently opened or is not in this list,
29:54
you can click Open and then browse
29:56
to where your projects are stored
29:58
and open the SQL file for that project.
30:05
Now, if you don't have a file to open, you're starting new,
30:08
you can click the New button.
30:09
This will give you a blank canvas
30:12
where you will then have to import
30:13
data to start the project.
30:16
And if you've got GIS data or some other data
30:19
files that you can bring in, that's
30:21
a great way to start a project.
30:23
The Model Builder is an alternative to that.
30:26
It will start a new project, but it
30:28
will let you start with some data that's already there.
30:31
This is data that's available through Model Builder
30:34
and includes surfaces, roadways, rail, water,
30:38
and some other objects, including
30:40
buildings in some areas.
30:43
If I click on Model Builder, that opens up
30:45
basically a map of the world.
30:47
And I can browse around and find the location of my project.
30:51
In this case, instead of zooming and panning,
30:53
I'm just going to search for this.
30:60
And this is Shrewsbury in England.
31:04
And here it zooms you into an area that
31:06
is acceptable for the project.
31:09
Now, watch.
31:09
If I Zoom back a little bit, it gives me this orange indicator
31:13
that this area is too large for Model Builder to bring in
31:17
and that we need to make the area less
31:19
than 200 square kilometers.
31:21
If I zoom in a little bit, I'm within that limit,
31:24
and that orange marker goes away.
31:26
And obviously, I could zoom in as far
31:27
as I need to capture that area.
31:30
Or perhaps, instead of using the extents of the map display,
31:35
I just want to use a rectangle to identify an area.
31:39
And when I do that, it does indicate
31:40
what the square kilometers are.
31:42
So I can see I'm well within my limit
31:44
and get a sense of how large the area is
31:46
that I'm working with here.
31:48
Now, from there I am going to go to the Model Name.
31:57
And I could add a description here.
31:59
You do need to add a coordinate system.
32:01
If you're unsure of the coordinate system you're using,
32:04
you can use the LL84 and then create the model.
32:11
Now, it does say it's preparing that model.
32:13
It's going to do that offline for you.
32:16
I'm going to hit Continue, and then I'll
32:18
close out the Model Builder.
32:20
I'm going to switch back over to the slides here.
32:23
So when this comes in, you'll be able to see
32:26
that project show up.
32:28
You will also get an email that indicates that the Model
32:31
Builder is done providing that data for you,
32:33
and it's available for you.
32:35
Now, I'm doing this live and in real time.
32:37
I'm going to let that go.
32:39
I will come back when that project is available to us.
32:46
And there we are.
32:47
The total time there was a little under--
32:51
a little under a minute to get that in.
32:55
Now, some projects, if they're larger,
32:57
will take a little longer than that--
33:01
But this one's a fairly small project.
33:03
So it came in rather quickly you can see there's no thumbnail.
33:06
This is a new project.
33:07
It is something that the Model Builder icon
33:10
is now down here indicating that that's
33:12
where the data came from.
33:13
I'm going to click on that project to open it.
33:17
And this is where it will ask you,
33:19
do you want this project to go to the Autodesk Docs, the BIM
33:24
I am going to go to Autodesk Docs.
33:28
And then I'm going to go into the project,
33:30
a list for my organization.
33:34
And I'm going to come down here.
33:35
And we've already built a Shrewsbury project.
33:38
That is important that the BIM
33:43
I'm going to go into the folder structure that's
33:45
available there.
33:46
And we have a folder for InfraWorks
33:48
that we can store our InfraWorks models in.
33:51
I'll click OK.
33:52
Now, that folder does not have to be
33:54
an InfraWorks-only folder.
33:56
That's just-- our organization uses it that way.
33:59
So you can name it whatever you need
34:00
and put it in whatever folder structure is
34:03
required for your project.
34:08
And here you can see that project is now available.
34:11
There are a lot of buildings available, roadways.
34:15
That I'm sure there's railing here somewhere.
34:17
There's the waterways here, both rivers and lakes,
34:21
if there are any in this area here.
34:26
I'm going to come up here to the Manage tab of the ribbon,
34:29
the Content panel, the Data Sources area here
34:33
so we can look at the data sources that were brought in.
34:36
If you had not used Model Builder,
34:38
this area would be blank, and you'd
34:39
have to load in the data from this dropdown menu here.
34:44
But in here you can see all of the buildings
34:47
and the land use coverage areas, ground imagery, the imagery
34:51
that we're seeing here.
34:54
That's all the data that was brought
34:55
in from the Model Explorer.
34:59
Now, I do have some data that I want to load in here.
35:02
I'm not stuck with only what's available from Model Explorer.
35:05
I can bring in what I want.
35:07
Before I do anything, though, I am going to come up here
35:09
to this top right area.
35:11
This is the Proposals area.
35:13
Proposals allow you to create saved versions of the file
35:19
so that you could show different versions, different options,
35:24
and even, in this case, I'm going
35:26
to use the master as my beginning point.
35:29
So it's kind of saving the data before I make any changes.
35:32
I'm going to click Add, and I'm going
35:34
to call the first one that I make here the Existing
35:38
Conditions.
35:40
I could then go in and clean it up with information
35:44
that I know is existing in this project.
35:46
I'm actually going to come up and create another proposal
35:51
here called Buildings.
35:57
And now whatever change I make there will not affect either
36:00
the master or the existing.
36:02
So I can add or remove items as I need to
36:06
or make changes to where they're located.
36:09
What I'm going to do is come in here to the Data Sources.
36:12
I'll come down to Imagery, and I'm
36:14
going to delete the imagery from the file.
36:18
And there you'll see that there is a surface
36:20
underneath that imagery.
36:22
And that's what we're really working against.
36:24
We're looking at the imagery as a way
36:26
to understand where we are and where things are located.
36:30
What I'm going to do here is bring in the aerial photos
36:35
I have for our project.
36:36
So I'm in my Project folder, in my Aerial Photos folder.
36:40
I've got imagery here that's more up to date,
36:43
or it's the imagery that's preferred for our project.
36:48
I have some JPEGs here that I'm going to bring in.
36:50
I'm just going to Shift select all of those
36:52
and drag them into the Data Sources area.
36:55
And you'll see, under Ground Imagery, it adds those in
36:58
and then starts to configure that data.
37:01
Now, in here it does understand immediately
37:03
that this is ground imagery.
37:05
It does want me to add in what coordinate zone we're in.
37:09
We're actually in the British National Grid for this project.
37:13
And then I'm going to go over to the Raster tab
37:16
and make sure the Clip to Model Extent is turned on.
37:21
Sometimes the images are off, and the images
37:23
will go past where the project area is that you've selected.
37:27
And this will trim that off at the edges.
37:30
Down here I'm going to click Close and Refresh.
37:33
What that does is actually pushes this information
37:36
into the file.
37:37
OK does not do that.
37:39
You want to go Close and Refresh.
37:41
And then you'll see that imagery will then appear in our file,
37:45
and that configuration will take place.
37:50
And there is the new imagery that we're using.
37:56
Something else that we need to do here
37:58
is go into the data dropdown here.
38:02
And I actually want to bring in a file, a GIS
38:06
file of the buildings in the surrounding area.
38:10
In fact, I'm going to move over here
38:12
so you can see when this happens.
38:14
I'm going to click the dropdown and come down.
38:17
We have an SDF file for this.
38:21
And I'm in my GIS data folder for this.
38:25
In here I'll pick the Shrewsbury buildings SDF.
38:28
I'll click Open.
38:30
And now notice it doesn't bring anything
38:31
in until you configure it.
38:34
So it's coming up here.
38:35
It doesn't know what this is quite yet.
38:37
It knows it's an SDF file.
38:38
But I'm going to right-click and configure on that.
38:42
And then here I'm going to tell it that these are buildings.
38:47
And with that, then we get some more options down below.
38:52
First of all, the roof height is not 10 meters.
38:54
I want them to be 4 meters.
38:56
Basically, this SDF file is flat footprints of the buildings.
39:02
And we're going to force them into giving us
39:04
height, a height of 4 meters, in this particular case.
39:11
I am also going to go over to the geolocation
39:13
here to make sure the British National Grid is on.
39:16
And the Source here--
39:18
I am going to drape them over the surface
39:21
so those footprints will start at the surface
39:23
and go 4 meters up from that.
39:25
I do also want to make sure that I clip the model extents,
39:27
because I don't know how far out the SDF file goes.
39:32
That'll end it at the edge of our project.
39:35
Again, I'll click on Close and Refresh.
39:38
And there we've got a series of buildings here.
39:41
In fact, if you want to take a look at where those are,
39:45
it shows up under Buildings now.
39:46
I'll right-click on that and say Select Features.
39:49
Now, this is going to take a second, because it's
39:52
looking through the project.
39:53
But then you can see that they highlight.
39:55
And you can see exactly where all of those buildings
39:58
are located.
40:02
Now, the point of this project is
40:04
that we're actually going to bring in a building
40:07
into an area here for our project.
40:09
I'm going to return to our data edition here.
40:14
And I'm going to come into 3D Model.
40:15
We have a 3D model of a building that we're going to add.
40:19
I'll go back into my Data Sources
40:21
there and go to Building Models.
40:23
And we have-- it's an FBX file that we're working with here.
40:26
And we've chosen to bring in the Office_Option_1 FBX file.
40:31
I'll click Open.
40:33
And again, it doesn't know what that is,
40:35
so it doesn't put it under an area yet.
40:38
We need to configure that.
40:41
And in here-- now, we are going to be placing this.
40:44
This is not geometrically located.
40:46
So the coordinate system is going to be this XY-IFT,
40:50
and we'll use interactive placing.
40:51
Before I do, though, I do want to let it know
40:53
that this is a building type.
40:56
That does change the options here.
40:58
I'm going to go over to the 3D model, where
41:00
you will get a preview of what that model is
41:03
going to look like.
41:05
And you can make sure that is the correct option by some
41:07
of the graphic that you can see there.
41:10
So back under Geolocation, I'm going
41:12
to click on Interactive Placing.
41:14
And then I will place that in the project
41:17
near where we want it.
41:19
I'm going to double-click to drop that in.
41:22
And then we could make some other changes here,
41:24
but at this point, I like that configuration.
41:26
And I'll Close and Refresh.
41:30
And then that building is in place.
41:36
Now, that building does look just a little bit rough.
41:38
It doesn't look like--
41:41
the windows aren't showing up and that type of thing.
41:43
So I'm going to come over here to the Visualization Settings.
41:46
You can see that we have a Conceptual view,
41:49
an Engineering view.
41:50
And then I've created a view of my own over here.
41:52
I'm going to come into the Engineering view.
41:57
And you can see there that-- kind of darkened the sky
41:59
but gave us contours and made some other minor changes
42:02
to this.
42:03
I'm going to go back to Conceptual view
42:05
and then click on the gear icon to see what the Conceptual view
42:09
settings are set to.
42:10
And in here I can change things like the brightness
42:13
of the screen, the light intensity, perhaps.
42:17
I'm going to come down here to the High Visual Quality
42:19
and turn that on.
42:21
And there you can see the outlines of the windows,
42:23
at least, are showing up.
42:25
I could also turn on animation.
42:27
So if the model that we're bringing in
42:29
has animation to it, that would be available, as well.
42:33
I am going to leave it like that,
42:35
so I'll close out the View Settings.
42:37
And now I'll be able to work with that building
42:39
in this area.
42:43
And actually, if I come back over here,
42:44
I will switch to the Contour View that I have set up there.
42:49
And I realize that the contours there are a little bit dark.
42:52
Let me go into that setting, and I can go to the Mountain view
42:57
here for the terrain.
42:60
And in here I could change the colors.
43:02
Maybe I'm going to click on that color
43:04
there and make that a yellow so that they show up
43:06
a little bit better.
43:07
Or perhaps I can turn it back to the old color,
43:11
because it's not really what I need.
43:13
I can turn contours on and off.
43:15
And I can turn the labels--
43:16
you can see there are contour labels in here
43:18
that I can turn on and off, as well.
43:25
So this has been a look at building some of the basics
43:30
around opening a project and bringing data
43:32
into a project in InfraWorks.
43:38
We would like to encourage you to visit the Customer Success
43:41
Hub for more resources, like courses and learning paths,
43:45
recorded coaching sessions, more live coaching topics
43:49
like this one.
43:50
Just follow the link to the customersuccess.Autodesk.com.
43:55
Thank you all for joining us today, and have a great day.
How to buy
Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved
Sign in to start learning
Sign in for unlimited free access to all learning content.Save your progress
Take assessments
Receive personalized recommendations
May we collect and use your data?
Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement. May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?
Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.