Maximizing Efficiency of Projects with Civil 3D: Know When to Hold 'em, Know When to Fold 'em

With today's rise in construction, design costs, and extremely tight budgets for CAD work, we must ensure we are using the most-efficient methods in Civil 3D software to meet project demands. We can easily go over budget by overmodeling in Civil 3D. Conversely, when we fail to properly use Civil 3D tools, we can waste time and money. So herein lies the question: When do I fully model and design something, and when do I draw some polylines? When do I hold, and when do I fold? Let's take a journey into how a complex corridor model may not be best for a site plan where a feature line is sufficient. A simple polyline can represent and benefit more than a full creation of a pipe or pressure network system. As we look at keeping some things simple, there are times to make all the abilities of Civil 3D work for us. Longer roadway projects may require conditional corridors and complex targeting. How much is too much? There comes a time to think through all scenarios—or just simply show the cards.