QGIS

Adding basemaps to QGIS (satellite or terrain imagery of the world)

It's as easy as installing the QuickMapServices plugin.
Go to menu 'Plugins' and install the plugin called " QuickMapServices"
Then just add any of the layers from any of the following services.
They are immediately added to the as a basemap to the current project.

Export to .shp (Shape file) from AutoCAD map

To export to a shape file from AutoCAD map, Go to File> export> other GIS formats.
On the next menu, select the tab labeled "data".
   in order not to receive the error "this field name already exists"
select only objects...
hit OK





To export a Civil 3D surface to a raster , go to the Prospector and right-click on the surface and choose 'Export to DEM'. On the bottom of the menu, switch the file type from USGS .dem to GEOTIFF .tif file.

To use a large surface in Civil 3D without too much overheard use Autodesk's Map 'connect data' feature and connect to the GIS shape files of contours or surface elevations in various forms (hilshades form-.adf)
without utilizing too many resources. Make sure to match the CRS (coordinate reference system).

Pressure Pipes

Pressure pipes
Changing the Material of a pipe.

You will need:
1. SQL Lite editor
2. Backup of pressure pipe catalog.

1. open you SQL Lite editor and open this catalog file . Imperial_AWWA_PushOn.sqlite

Find this database called WA_MATERIAL_TBD

1. Click on the left of the title the little arrow to expand the database, then right click on the 'Columns' and select 'Edit table'.
2. When the window opens the VALUE heading contains the materials you can use for pressure networks (push-on).
3. Change the value you want. I change the value of 'ductile iron' to just DIP to make my labels smaller. 
4. When you're done making your changes. click on the check mark 'commit changes' or hit Ctrl+Enter. Then go to the menu 'View' and select 'close selected window'. 
5. Disconnect the SQL database before closing SQLLiteStudio. It is the second button from the let on the top menu.
6. You can now close SQL LiteStudio.

QGIS - open source GIS

13 free GIS software progams

Excellent article regarding which GIS open source (freeware) is the best out of 13 choices.

http://gisgeography.com/free-gis-software/

I will try out QGIS. You can download it here at: http://www.qgis.org/en/site/

Update! 02-20-2017
Absolutely love QGIS, I mainly downloaded it to be able to review, edit and gather GIS info.

More to come on how to use this great GIS viewer.

11-12-20 I am currently using QGIS3. The only plug-ins that have given me a bit of an issue have been because I needed to correctly get an authorization from Google's Earthengine API.

Look for my new post regarding how to add a World WMS service plugin called Quickmap services on QGIS. Some of these servers have vast data from certain agencies such as: USGS

 

Other additional plugins are Google Earth Engine, QAD(QAD allows easy CAD like drafting of lines and polygons)

Civil 3D Parts Builder Tutorial

This Part Builder tutorial by TrulyCindy3D is phenomenal.
After doing many tutorials I have to agree that Cindy's is by far the most informative.


http://www.trulycyndy3d.com/2010/10/part-builder-i-define.html


This is an in-depth and detailed step by step parts builder tutorial.

Because no matter how many pipe network parts you make.. There will always that one.....

Assign elevations to contours from an esri shape-file

Assigning contour lines from ESRI ArcGIS polylines with object data.

http://www.thecadmasters.com/wordpress/index.php/2011/03/16/assign-elevations-to-contours-from-an-esri-shape-file/

This link describes in very easy steps how to create a query to give elevations to polylines with object data but with an elevation of zero.

possible solution to stop 'UPGRADING COGO POINTS' in Civil 3D

I use Civil 3d 2015 at work. I am not an admin user, nor a power user in Windows 7. I use a Synology NAS (Network attached storage) server for project files and I always get this when working with old surveys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGU8xEAXnkU

I found a solution by installing this hotfix from Autodesk which addresses network degradation on Civil 3D versions 2014,15,16,17

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Civil-3D-Performance-degradation.html

by Autodesk's Louisa Holland. See her post in this article.
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-forum/performance-enhancement-tool/m-p/6540457#M311166