Design Integration

By Trevor Clayton

InfraWorks 360
The key to starting a successful InfraWorks 360 project is compiling existing conditions using either data you already own, the plethora of data that is freely available or using a premium service such as Ordnance Survey Modelbuilder which allows you to select and download your area of interest in a pre-prepared InfraWorks format.
As you can see, the image below is a great start to any project.
Figure 1 Typical data rich model created using Ordnance Survey Modelbuilder

Bridge Design
InfraWorks 360 can design and place bridges quick and efficiently, simply by selecting the start and end chainages of the bridge along a design road will see a bridge that uses your selected style placed correctly. Switch over to profile view and then you can edit the design vertically.

Sharing the design is where the Autodesk products come into their own. The bridge can now be shared directly with Civil 3D and Revit to enable detailed design.
Moving the bridge to Civil 3D couldn’t be easier, using the .imx format or connect through the .SQLite Infraworks Model database.

AutoCAD Civil 3D
Exporting the bridge out of InfraWorks is simply done by selecting an area and exporting out to, in this case, an imx file. An imx file is unique to the integration between InfraWorks and AutoCAD Civil 3D and vice-versa. The clever part of this format is that it allows the selection at object level when importing into Civil 3D.
As you can see in figure 2 you can be selective of what you want to import into Civil 3D down to object level. Once imported into Civil 3D it is relatively simple to create long and cross sections. Design can then be developed as requiredFigure 2 AutoCAD Civil 3D Import Dialog

Figure 3 Bridge shown in Civil 3D Section Editor

Autodesk Revit
To export the bridge from InfraWorks to Revit is a simple action of right click and send to Revit! What could be simpler? You have the option of exporting as Revit Families which will make life a lot easier. To further aid collaboration the coordinates have been applied to the Revit model.Figure 4 Bridge model shown in Autodesk Revit

Integration of current products is better than it has ever been. Workflows for collaboration with Architects and the wider project team couldn’t be clearer. The introduction of the Autodesk Industry Collections is about to make product accessibility easier.

For further information on this article please contact your Account Manager or call our Sales Team on 01784 419922 or email sales@cadline.co.uk