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
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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.
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 tutorial drawings folder (page 819).
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 (page 819). Click OK.
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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 (page 819).
5 In the Browse For Folder dialog box, select the Civil 3D Project Templates folder (page 819). 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 (page 819). 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 Data Shortcuts (page 186).
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: Setting Up a Data Shortcut Folder (page 184).
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 3D Projects folder (page 819) \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.
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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 3D Projects folder (page 819)\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: Referencing Data Shortcuts (page 188).
Exercise 3: Referencing Data Shortcuts
In this exercise, you will reference several shortcuts in a new drawing.