Welcome to the Civil View User Community
The Civil View User Community is designed to allow you to stay current with the latest developments in the civil visualisation industry.
The primary aim of this site is to empower users of Autodesk Civil View (formally Dynamite VSP) and associated technologies to share and contribute information to help improve visualisation skills throughout the civil engineering design community.
Autodesk Civil View 2012 - Quick Preview
Dynamite VSP relaunches as Autodesk Civil View
It’s exactly 10 years since Dynamite VSP was launched by 3AM Solutions way back in 2001, so this is a fitting time to announce that the product is this month being relaunched by Autodesk under an entirely new product name. There are also a few associated announcements which are very important, and which we think you are going to like. Read on….
Introducing Autodesk Civil View
It’s now just over a year since Autodesk acquired Dynamite VSP, and there is been a lot of work going on in the background both here at 3AM and within Autodesk to fully integrate the product into the Autodesk product range.
Last year, the product received a partial rebranding. Although the product itself was still using the Dynamite VSP name, it was widely promoted by Autodesk as the Civil Visualization Extension as part of a package which included the Dynamite VSP Exporter for Civil 3D.
With the recent release of 3ds Max Design 2012 and Civil 3D 2012, I can now confirm that the products are now fully integrated into 3ds Max Design and Civil 3D and have received their new, permanent Autodesk branding.
From this point forward, the product will be officially known as Autodesk Civil View, and it’s a name that we rather like.
Here is the official blurb from Autodesk:
“Transform complex civil design geometry and models into compelling 3D design visualisations faster and more efficiently with the Autodesk 3ds Max Design Civil View feature set. With simple, style-driven functionality and an extensive library of parametric civil-orientated objects and materials, Civil View helps civil engineering professionals - even those with little or no detailed knowledge of Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software - achieve stunning results. Civil View links dynamically to data from AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering software and certain other software products, such as Bentley® MXROAD® software. When design changes occur, design visualisations are more easily refreshed, enabling them to evolve in tandem.”
Announcing 3ds Max Design 2012
Autodesk’s ultimate aim last year was to integrate Dynamite VSP into 3ds Max Design 2011, but in the event there just wasn’t time to get it done. As a result, the Civil Visualization Extension was only available to subscription customers via download from the Autodesk Subscription Center.
This year, it’s all change again. Autodesk Civil View has finally made it onto the 3ds Max Design 2012 DVD, although you might not immediately notice that it’s there.
Civil View is an optional item on the DVD, so you need to install it manually after you have installed 3ds Max Design 2012. Here’s the instructions on where to find it:
- Load the DVD into your Optical Drive
- Install 3ds Max Design 2012
- Go back to your Optical Drive and restart setup.exe, but this time choose “Install Tools and Utilities”.
- From “Install Tools and Utilities”, select the Autodesk Civil View option and you’ll see the familiar (but now rebranded) installer from the Dynamite VSP days spring into life. Just follow the instructions on screen to install Autodesk Civil View.
Note that this installer is included (and supported) only on the 3ds Max Design 2012 DVD, you will not find it on the 3ds Max 2012 DVD.
Native Support for Civil View Content in 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design
Have you ever needed to set up a render farm and felt frustrated that the render servers wouldn’t recognise Dynamite VSP content unless you manually install the necessary Dynamite VSP plugins on each computer? Or perhaps you’ve sent max files containing Dynamite VSP content to third parties and run into problems because unless they were Dynamite VSP users, they were unable to load your max files?
I am happy to report that these problems are now firmly consigned to the history books.
From the 2012 releases, both 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design feature native support for Autodesk Civil View content (including older releases of Dynamite VSP).
This means that any user of 3ds Max 2012 or 3ds Max Design 2012 will now be able to load and render max files which contain Dynamite VSP and Civil View scene content. You will still need to install the full Civil View product if you which to edit any of that Civil View content though, which means that editing can only be undertaken in 3ds Max Design.
What about the Civil View Exporter for Civil 3D 2012?
If you are a Civil 3D user, you’ll also be interested to know that you no longer need to manually download and install the Exporter for Civil View - it is now fully integrated into Civil 3D and installed with the product as standard. So where is it?
Well, the option has moved. You’ll no longer find the exporter in the Civil 3D Toolbox. It now has a dedicated icon in the ribbon, and you’ll find it in the Output tab.
I’ll be posting more news on the Autodesk Civil View release shortly - there have been a lot of changes under the hood which you might not pick up from the Autodesk release notes.
Some Useful Tutorials
Marion Landry of Autodesk has produced some useful quick tutorials which cover topics like creating trees with the 3ds Max Design Object Paint Tool, and adding clouds and moving the horizon on a mental ray Physical Sky map. Check them out!
Object Paint
Adding Clouds
Moving the Horizon
Alex Roman
OK, so it’s not civil related, but if you haven’t already seen these movies by Alex Roman and you are looking for inspiration - you should really take a look.
Both of these were created primarily with Autodesk 3ds Max, and they are so good, they’ll both leave you wondering whether they really are CGI generated.
...and if you simply don’t believe that these were created using CGI, check this out:
For more info on Alex and his work, visit: www.thirdseventh.com
Point Clouds in 3ds Max Design
Just in case you missed Jamie’s blog this month, thanks to an Autodesk Labs project it’s now possible to import and manage point cloud data in 3ds Max Design. Here’s how:
This tool is available now. For more information visit the Autodesk Labs web site.
Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension now available
Following the acquisition of Dynamite VSP by Autodesk earlier this year, the product has today been relaunched by Autodesk as the Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension.
The Autodesk Civil Extension includes two components, which are now officially known as the Autodesk Dynamite VSP plug-in for Autodesk 3ds Max Design, and the Autodesk Dynamite VSP Exporter for AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Importantly, the Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension is available now as a free download to all subscription based users of AutoCAD Civil 3D or Autodesk 3ds Max Design. The extension supports AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 and 2011, and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 and 2011. No support is being offered for 3ds Max users, unless you are already using the current 3AM Solutions release of Dynamite VSP.
If you are a subscription based AutoCAD Civil 3D user, 30-day trials of Autodesk 3ds Max Design are available to enable you to test drive the new Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension. Similarly, if you are a subscription based user of 3ds Max Design, 30-day trials of AutoCAD Civil 3D are also available.
It’s worth noting that Autodesk has no plans to offer trial versions of the Civil Visualization Extension to anyone who is not a subscription based user of either Autodesk 3ds Max Design or AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Here is the text of the full announcement from Autodesk:
Release Date: 2010-04-26
The Autodesk® Civil Visualization Extension provides an easy-to-use, purpose-built design visualization workflow for civil engineers using Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design with AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software or other civil design applications.
With this extension, civil engineers can create high-quality visualizations of their projects, enabling them to validate designs through simulations and communicate design intent during planning, zoning, and public involvement meetings.
Even if they have little-to-no experience with 3ds Max Design, engineers using the Civil Visualization Extension can:
• Establish a direct link between AutoCAD Civil 3D and 3ds Max Design so that visualizations can be automatically updated as the design evolves
• Enhance realism of the visualization with civil engineering-specific materials and content such as signage, vehicles, and road striping
• Visualize realistic traffic simulations in context
In addition to significantly improving the workflow between 3ds Max Design and AutoCAD Civil 3D, the Civil Visualization Extension also enables 3ds Max Design users to create visualizations from a range of civil engineering design file formats, including Bentley® MXROAD, Bentley® InRoads®, GENIO and Bentley® Geopak, along with 12D and LandXML.
The Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension includes two components:
• The Autodesk Dynamite VSP Plug-in for 3ds Max Design 2010 or 2011, which also integrates the Dynamite SIM traffic simulation technology
• The Autodesk Dynamite VSP Exporter for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 or 2011
Also included is an instructional whitepaper entitled, “Using the Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension for 3ds Max Design and AutoCAD Civil 3D.” New feature videos, customer stories, and additional resources can be found at http://www.autodesk.com/civilvis.
The extension is available in English only but will install on all language versions of AutoCAD Civil 3D and 3ds Max Design.
3ds Max Design Trial
Are you an AutoCAD Civil 3D user interested in creating high-quality, accurate visualizations of your projects? Download a 30-day trial of 3ds Max Design 2011* and try the Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension.
*The Civil Visualization Extension will only run when a valid copy of Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 or 2011, or a trial version of 3ds Max Design 2011 is present on the same machine. It will not install with Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2010 or 2011. Crossgrades from 3ds Max to 3ds Max Design are available through your reseller.
More Information
http://www.autodesk.com/civilvis
http://bimontherocks.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/civil-visualization-extension—live-on-the-subscription-center.html
http://www.facebook.com/autocadcivil3d
3AM Solutions releases Dynamite VSP 4.1 and Dynamite SIM 1.6
In line with our continuing commitment to existing customers of 3AM Solutions, I am delighted to announce the release of both Dynamite VSP 4.1 and Dynamite SIM 1.6. Both new releases are available for download immediately.
Dynamite VSP 4.1
Building on the success of Dynamite VSP 4.0, this release introduces support for 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design 2011, mental ray proxies, and includes a number of user interface enchancements.
This release is available as a downloadable service pack.
Dynamite SIM 1.6
Building on the success of Dynamite SIM 1.5, this release introduces support for 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design 2011, along with a number of productivity and user interface improvements including a reworked Surface Tracking Manager panel.
This release is available as a downloadable full product. We recommend uninstalling Dynamite SIM 1.5 before installing this product.
Download Instructions
These products are available immediately to any existing customers of 3AM Solutions who hold active annual maintenance contracts. To download either product, visit our User Support Center and have your serial number and cd key to hand.
Autodesk announces 3ds Max 2011
Autodesk has just announced the forthcoming release of 3ds Max 2011. Things to watch out for include a new schematic material editor, the ability to save scenes back to 3ds Max 2010, a new Quicksilver Hardware renderer which can render scenes amazingly quickly, 3ds Max Composite (removing the need for a separate animation composition tool such as Adobe Premiere) and the inclusion of Dynamite VSP for 3ds Max Design subscription customers only.
More information on Ken Pimentel’s blog: http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/ken/3ds_max_2011_announced
Videos highlighting some of the new features, are available at: http://area.autodesk.com/3dsmax2011
Dynamite VSP and Dynamite SIM acquired by Autodesk
Today is a pivotal day here at 3AM Solutions – I have an important announcement to make.
As you may have already heard, Autodesk has today completed the acquisition of both Dynamite VSP and Dynamite SIM software products. For the next few months, the products will continue to be available as normal through our existing reseller channel. However, after this transition period they will no longer be available as standalone products under the 3AM Solutions brand.
Autodesk expects core technology from Dynamite VSP and Dynamite SIM to improve and accelerate the workflow between AutoCAD Civil 3D and Autodesk 3ds Max Design software products; giving civil engineers more powerful and tailored visualization and simulation capabilities. This will allow Autodesk to offer more efficient workflows for civil engineering visualisation projects. Existing users of Dynamite VSP and Dynamite SIM products are expected to benefit from Autodesk’s scale and research and development, providing exciting new opportunities for innovation and interoperability.
3AM Solutions itself is not being acquired, and will continue to operate as an independent business. However, we will be working with Autodesk to help the smooth integration of these products with 3ds Max Design. We will also continue to provide direct product support to our existing customers, honouring all existing annual maintenance contracts until they expire.
Autodesk’s plans are to improve and accelerate the workflow between AutoCAD Civil 3D and 3ds Max Design. However, they have no plans to drop support for any of the other civil design applications that Dynamite VSP currently supports.
I’m sure that this news will generate a few questions. Most of these should be answered in the more detailed documents which have been posted on the Autodesk and 3AM Solutions web sites:
www.3am-solutions.com/autodesk
www.autodesk.com/dynamite
I’d like to thank you all for your support, encouragement, wish lists, bug reports, and of course your business to date, and reiterate that 3AM Solutions is not going anywhere. We plan to continue our quest to develop great new products for the civil engineering industry, whilst working closely with Autodesk to further improve the capabilities of 3ds Max Design for civil engineers. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Merry Christmas
Thanks to Dynamite VSP user Colin Hanford of Arup in Cardiff for providing this fantastic festive image. Great work Colin, it brought a smile to our faces here at 3AM Solutions.
We would like to wish all our customers and partners a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in 2010!
