Introduction

For yet another year, I have had the wonderful privilege to write about what I think is the most exciting program to come out of Autodesk in the last decade—the InfraWorks® 360 program. After 20 years of plugging away with the AutoCAD-based Civil 3D® program and Land Desktop before that, the InfraWorks 360 software is a fantastic contrast: fun, stunning, and beautiful like a gaming environment. On top of all that, it is useful, practical, and powerful as a preliminary design and planning tool. As if that isn't enough, I get to keep telling the story, the three-part sequel comprising the add-on modules Roadway Design, Bridge Design, and Drainage Design.

With other, similar books that I've written, I've tried to stick to certain criteria that I think are necessary to make a good learning resource and companion. I've tweaked these for Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 as follows:

While writing each chapter of this book, I have tried to meet these criteria. I hope before opening this book, you have gone through Autodesk® InfraWorks® 360 and Autodesk® InfraWorks® 360 LT Essentials and have become familiar with the concept of the InfraWorks program, its user interface, and its environment. Just as Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 is built upon InfraWorks 360 software, this book is built upon its counterpart. In addition, if you've experienced Autodesk InfraWorks 360 and Autodesk® InfraWorks 360 LT Essentials, then you're also familiar with the Bimsville Bypass project. In this book, you'll move the conceptual design of the Bimsville Bypass highway into a more detailed state using the powerful engineering-based tools of the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 program. You'll do the same with the road passing through the industrial park that was also created as part of Autodesk InfraWorks 360 and Autodesk® InfraWorks 360 LT Essentials.

Who Should Read This Book

This book should be read by anyone who already understands the core InfraWorks 360 features and is ready to move on to more advanced, detailed, engineering-based road design. It is designed to be used in a formal classroom environment, in your home office learning on your own, and everywhere in between. It is appropriate for ages ranging from high school to retirement, and although it is intended for those who have no experience or skill with the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 software, it can also serve as a great resource for refreshing one's knowledge base or for filling in any gaps.

Here are some specific examples of individuals who would benefit from reading this book:

  • Anyone involved in the planning or preliminary design stages of infrastructure or land development projects
  • High-school students following a design-related educational track
  • College students learning to be designers, engineers, or GIS professionals
  • Employees who have recently joined a company that utilizes the InfraWorks 360 program
  • Employees who work for companies that have recently implemented the InfraWorks 360 program
  • Experienced InfraWorks 360 users who are self-taught and who want to fill in gaps in their knowledge base
  • Civil 3D users

What You Will Learn

The goal of this book is to make you productive with Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 in a relatively short time. It begins by giving you a detailed tour of the user interface and the environment in which you will be working. It then covers nearly all of the Roadway Design for InfraWorks features using relatively simple but realistic examples. It takes you through the progression of a project (the Bimsville Bypass) so that you can learn the logic of how the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 software is applied to make projects more successful.

After completing this book, you will be able to use Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 to work on the more detailed, engineering-based aspects of road design. You will be able to work on a team that also uses the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 software, and you will be able to create, modify, analyze, optimize, and share roadway design models with them.

What You Need

The following sections highlight the key things you will need to successfully complete the entire book.

Software

To work through the exercises in this book, you will need to have the InfraWorks 360 program installed on your computer, and Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 must be enabled. You should refer to the Autodesk website (www.autodesk.com) and make sure your computer's specifications are equal to or better than the recommended system requirements for the current release of these products.

An InfraWorks 360 Account

For the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 module to be enabled, you must have the InfraWorks 360 program installed. The Autodesk® InfraWorks® 360 LT program does not have the ability to accept Roadway Design for InfraWorks as an add-on program. You must also be entitled to use the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 vertical application either as a trial version or through your Autodesk account. If you work for a company or organization, check with a software manager within your organization about getting set up with the proper software and entitlements. Or, if you do not have such a person in your organization, contact your Autodesk reseller. You can also visit www.autodesk.com/infraworks for more information. Also, one of the exercises in this book requires cloud credits, so you should consult the appropriate person in your company or organization, or work with your Autodesk representative to find out whether you have access to cloud credits.

Exercise Files

To complete the exercises, you will need to download the necessary files from www.sybex.com/go/roadwaydesignessentials2e. Here you will find a list of ZIP files, one for each chapter, which you should unzip to the local C: drive of your computer. This will create a folder named InfraWorks Roadway Essentials with the chapter folder inside it. As you unzip additional chapter files, simply merge the new InfraWorks Roadway Essentials folder into the old one.

Configure Your Units

When you begin using the InfraWorks program, you will need to configure it for either Imperial or metric units. Here are the steps:

  1. Launch InfraWorks 360.
  2. On InfraWorks 360 Home, click the sign-in icon, and then click Application Options in the drop-down list.
    Screenshot of the Application Options on the InfraWorks 360 Home drop-down list.
  3. In the Application Options dialog, click Unit Configuration.
  4. For Default Units, select either Imperial or Metric based on the units you prefer to use.
    Screenshot of the Applications Options dialog presenting the Unit Configuration tab. Cursor points to Imperial option on Default Units field.

Know Which Units to Use

As you work through the book, you will see dimensions provided twice: once in Imperial units and then again as metric units in parentheses. Please note that the metric value is not a direct conversion of the Imperial value but is usually a similar value that has been rounded to be more practical. The following is an example step from an exercise:

  1. Click the height gizmo and enter a value of 150 (45) in the tooltip. Press Enter. Press Esc to clear the selection of the building.

In this example, you would enter 150 if you are working in Imperial units or 45 if you are working in metric units. Note that 45 meters is not the exact metric equivalent of 150 feet but a practical approximation.

Check for Updates

Finally, be sure to check the book's website, www.sybex.com/go/roadwaydesignessentials2e, for any updates to this book should the need arise. You can also send questions and comments directly by email at InfraWorksEssentials@gmail.com.

What Is Covered in This Book

Autodesk® Roadway Design for InfraWorks® 360 Essentials is organized to provide you with the knowledge needed to master the basics of the Roadway Design module.

  1. Chapter 1: Getting Started Familiarizes you with the concept of the Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 program and gives you a detailed account of all the tools available through its user interface.
  2. Chapter 2: Designing Roads Demonstrates how to create and modify roads, addressing a number of road design aspects and utilizing a number of tools.
  3. Chapter 3: Using Advanced Functions Demonstrates advanced functions that address optimization, analysis, and output to Civil 3D.

How to Contact the Author

I welcome feedback from you about this book or about books you'd like to see from me in the future. You can reach me by writing to InfraWorksEssentials@gmail.com. For more information about my work, please visit my blog at http://erichappell.blogspot.com.

Sybex strives to keep you supplied with the latest tools and information you need for your work. Please check its website at www.sybex.com/go/roadwaydesignessentials2e, where we'll post additional content and updates that supplement this book if the need arises.