Project Silverstar

Autodesk Labs has come up with a preview technology called Project Silverstar.  Silverstar uses optimization techniques to design a layout or finished ground  profile with respect to earthwork costs.

Upon downloading the application, it will be added to the toolbox under Technology previews.

Upon executing profile optimization, you will be asked to log into your individual Autodesk account.  The reason for the log in is to email you the solution that is being derived by the application.

After logging in, you will then be prompted to select the appropriate alignment that you would like a profile designed for.  Notice in the upper right the email address, this is why the log in information is requested from the previous screen capture.

You will also be given access to a cost table to assign appropriate costs associated with earthwork.

Once you select the appropriate alignment and corresponding surface, you will proceed to the borrow/waste option.  This is where we can define station to include a borrow or dump location similar to that of a Mass Haul diagram. 

The next screen allows the user to define minimum and maximum grades that will be permitted, along with allowable tangent lengths.

Finally, the optimization table allows the user to control the intensity of PVI's, along with solution precision and time.  It should be noted that the more profile options selected and other precisions chosen will determine the time frame to process the profile and email an optimization profile.

After finishing the wizard, you will then be sent an email containing the following information.

The pdf report will contain the optimization determined by Silverstar from the information provided as seen below.

Finally, the text and xml provided can be used in Civil 3D to generate the profile created in the optimization report.

Corridor Solids

Autodesk Labs has come out with an extension for creating corridor solids from Civil 3D subassemblies.  The extension allows for creating solids that can be used for better visual renderings, class detection, and coordination between various team members using various Autodesk applications.

After downloading the extension, you will see that it has been added to the Toolbox residing on Toolspace.

Upon executing the command, you will get the following pop up box.

The options in the box are simple to follow. We simply need to select the corridor we wish to generate solids for.  We can also assign layers to our subassembly shapes.

The final box allows us to generate the solids in our current drawing or in a new one.

Here is the output generate by the extension in plan view.

Finally in plan view.  Now it is available for a variety of uses.