Tutorial: Using Data Shortcuts

This tutorial demonstrates how to create a data shortcuts project, create data shortcuts from objects in one drawing, and then import the data shortcuts into another drawing.

A data shortcut provides a complete reference copy of an object that you can import from one drawing into one or more other drawings. Data shortcuts provide a flexible, object-level project management tool without the administrative overhead that is associated with Autodesk Vault. Data shortcuts are managed in Toolspace on the Prospector tab, in a structure that is similar to Autodesk Vault. However, data shortcuts do not provide the editing controls, protection, and data security that Autodesk Vault does.

In order for multiple users to use a data shortcut, it must be stored in a network location that is accessible to all users. You can use data shortcuts to reference surface, alignment, profile, pipe network, and view frame group objects. If a referenced object is changed in the source drawing, changes are updated in any drawings that reference the object.

For more information, see the AutoCAD Civil 3D Help topic Using Data Shortcuts.

Topics in this section

 Exercise 1: Setting Up a Data Shortcut Folder

In this exercise, you will set up a folder in which to store objects that are referenced through data shortcuts.

 Exercise 2: Creating Data Shortcuts

In this exercise, you will create data shortcuts from the objects in a drawing. The data shortcuts will be available to reference into other drawings.

 Exercise 3: Referencing Data Shortcuts

In this exercise, you will reference several shortcuts in a new drawing.

6.1.1 Exercise 1: Setting Up a Data Shortcut Folder

In this exercise, you will set up a folder in which to store objects that are referenced through data shortcuts.

The data shortcut folder contains all the source drawings and data shortcut objects in a project.

For more information, see the AutoCAD Civil 3D Help topic Using Data Shortcuts. Access the project management tools in Prospector

1. Open drawing Project Management-1.dwg, which is available in the tutorials drawings folder .

This drawing contains an existing ground surface, alignments that represent intersecting road centerlines, and parcel objects that represent property boundaries. In the following exercises, you will create data shortcuts to the surface and alignments in this drawing, and then reference them in a new drawing.

2. In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, select the Master View.

Set the working folder

1. Right-click the Data Shortcuts collection. Click Set Working Folder.

The working folder is the parent folder where you save project folders. For this exercise, you will specify a folder on your hard drive as your working folder.

2. In the Browse For Folder dialog box, navigate to the Civil 3D Projects folder . Click OK.

Create a data shortcuts project

1. Right-click the Data Shortcuts collection. Click New Data Shortcuts Project Folder.

2. In the New Data Shortcut Folder dialog box, select the Use Project Template check box.

3. Under Project Templates Folder, click .

4. In the Browse For Folder dialog box, navigate to the Civil 3D Projects folder .

5. In the Browse For Folder dialog box, select the Civil 3D Project Templates folder . Click OK.

6. In the New Data Shortcuts Folder dialog box, specify the following parameters:

 Name: Tutorial Data Shortcuts Project

 Use Project Template: Selected

 Project Template: select _Sample Project

Notice that the folder you specified in Step 5 is displayed in the Working Folder field.

7. Click OK.

8. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the Civil 3D Projects folder . Examine the folder structure in the Tutorial Data Shortcuts Project folder.

The folder structure provides separate locations for data shortcuts, source drawings, and other data. You will save project objects in these folders in the next exercise.

This is a typical structure for an AutoCAD Civil 3D project. Folders are provided for many of the document types that are typical of a civil engineering project.

To continue this tutorial, go to Exercise 2: Creating and Exporting Data Shortcuts.

6.1.2 Exercise 2: Creating Data Shortcuts

In this exercise, you will create data shortcuts from the objects in a drawing. The data shortcuts will be available to reference into other drawings.

For more information, see the AutoCAD Civil 3D Help topic Creating Data Shortcuts. This exercise continues from Exercise 1: Renaming Objects for Sharing.

Save the source drawing with the project Note

This exercise uses Project Management-1.dwg with the modifications you made in the previous exercise.

1. Click Save As.

2. In the Save Drawing As dialog box, navigate to the Civil Projects folder \Tutorial Data Shortcuts Project\Source Drawings folder. Click Save.

Source drawings that contain objects that are referenced in other drawings should be saved with the data shortcuts project.

Create data shortcuts

1. Click Manage tab Data Shortcuts panel Create Data Shortcuts . Note

As a best practice, each object should reside in a separate drawing. To save time in this exercise, all the reference objects are in the current drawing.

2. In the Create Data Shortcuts dialog box, select the following check boxes:

 Surfaces

 Alignments

This action selects the EG surface and both alignments in the drawing.

3. Click OK.

Now that the data shortcuts have been created, the current drawing is associated with the data shortcuts project. Notice that, in the AutoCAD Civil 3D title bar, [Tutorial Data Shortcuts Project] is displayed after the drawing name.

Examine the data shortcuts in the project

1. In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, expand the Data Shortcuts collection. Expand the Surfaces and Alignments collections.

Notice that data shortcuts have been created for the objects you selected in Step 4. In the next exercise, you will reference these objects in another drawing.

2. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the Civil Projects folder \Tutorial Data Shortcuts Project. Examine the contents of the subfolders:

 _Shortcuts\Alignments: This folder contains an XML file for each alignment in the source drawing. The XML files identify the path to the drawing that contains the alignment, the name of the source drawing, and the name of the alignment.

 _Shortcuts\Profiles: This folder contains an XML file for each profile in the source drawing. The XML files identify the path to the drawing that contains the profile, the name of the source drawing, and the name of the profile.

 _Shortcuts\Surfaces: This folder contains an XML file for the EG surface.

 Source Drawings: This folder contains the source drawing, which you saved in Step 6. The source drawings should always be saved with the data shortcut project. In a real project, you would save the drawings that contain each object in the subfolders.

While it is useful to know that the data shortcut XML files exist, you do not work directly with them in normal data referencing operations. Management of data references is done in Toolspace on the Prospector tab.

Note

Leave Project Management-1.dwg open for the next exercise.

To continue this tutorial, go to Exercise 3: Importing and Referencing Data Shortcuts.

6.1.3 Exercise 3: Referencing Data Shortcuts

In this exercise, you will reference several shortcuts in a new drawing.

For more information, see the AutoCAD Civil 3D Help topic Referencing a Project Object. This exercise continues from Exercise 2: Creating and Exporting Data Shortcuts.

Reference data shortcuts in a new drawing Note

Before you perform this exercise, you must have created data shortcuts as described in the previous exercise.

1. Open drawing Project Management-2.dwg, which is available in the tutorials drawings folder .

This drawing is empty. In the following steps, you will reference the objects for which you created data shortcuts in the previous exercise.

2. In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, in the Data Shortcuts Surfaces collection, right-click EG. Click Create Reference.

In the Create Surface Reference dialog box, notice that you can specify a Name, Description, Style, and Render Material for the surface. The parameters that define the object cannot be modified in the current drawing, but you can adjust the object properties. For this exercise, you will accept the existing property settings, except for the surface style.

3. In the Create Surface Reference dialog box, in the Style row, click the Value column. Click . 4. In the Select Surface Style dialog box, select Contours 5m and 25m (Background). Click OK.

5. In the Create Surface Reference dialog box, click OK.

The EG surface is displayed in the drawing using the style that you specified.

Note

If you cannot see the surface, enter ZE on the command line.

Now that the data shortcuts have been referenced, the current drawing is associated with the data shortcuts project.

Notice that, in the AutoCAD Civil 3D title bar, [Tutorial Data Shortcuts Project] is displayed after the drawing name.

6. In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, expand the Project Management-2 Surfaces collection.

Notice that the EG surface is displayed in the Surfaces collection. The icon indicates that the surface was created from a data shortcut.

7. In the Data Shortcuts Alignments collection, right-click First Street. Click Create Reference.

8. In the Create Alignment Reference dialog box, click OK.

The alignment is displayed in the drawing.

Create an object from the referenced objects

1. Click Home tab Create Design panel Profile drop-down Create Surface Profile . 2. In the Create Profile From Surface dialog box, specify the following parameters:

 Alignment: First Street

 Select Surfaces: EG 3. Click Add.

4. Click Draw In Profile View.