System setup and settings

Windows Installation

Operating system and software deployment should be managed carefully because workstation configuration can affect Civil 3D and iDAS stability. Corporate images can be effective when they are maintained for the exact workstation models being deployed and include current drivers, Autodesk prerequisites and approved security settings.

The image uses pre-set drivers and parameters which were set up on one computer and then applies it to all other computers that are being deployed, without checking what hardware is installed on the target computer.

When a clean installation is done, the operating system looks at each hardware component and applies the correct settings during the installation. It basically optimizes the hardware component to work together with other hardware components in the computer. It is important to note that hardware components in the same computer models are not always manufactured by the same factory and the chips are programmed for different set-ups and settings. Therefore, although the computer on which the image was created is the same model with the same hardware specifications as the target computer, the hardware components will not exactly be the same.

Drivers play a significant role they collect information from the hardware to install the correct settings.

We recommend that all computers should be set up with a clean installation of Windows, Civil 3D and all other software and drivers. We found that doing a clean software installation can increase the overall performance of the computer by 25% versus a software installation from an image.

BIOS Settings

BIOS and firmware settings can affect workstation performance, stability, thermal behaviour and power consumption. Changes such as disabling hyperthreading, changing CPU power management or modifying boost behaviour should not be applied as a general recommendation. These settings should only be tested by IT administrators or experienced hardware support personnel on representative project workloads.

For Civil 3D workloads, system responsiveness is often improved by maintaining good cooling, using an appropriate high-performance Windows power profile, keeping firmware current and ensuring that the workstation is not thermally throttling under sustained load. Any BIOS-level optimisation should be documented, tested and approved by the organisation's IT policy before being deployed to users.

Drivers

Old or buggy drivers may have quite a big impact on the performance. Installing the latest drivers can solve some performance issues. Keep in mind that in some cases you might get drivers from the component manufacturer as well as from the computer manufacturer. For example, for the NVIDIA graphic card in a Dell laptop, you can get drivers from NVIDIA as well as from Dell. The best is to test both drivers to find out how they perform.

Sharing Server Hardware Resources Through a Network

RAM is not transferable through an ethernet cable. Current CPUs access RAM at a rate of 68GB/s and modern 1Gbit/s ethernet cables can deliver up to 120MB/s. Therefore, even if hardware could be shared between computers, the link between the computers limits its speed and it is therefore not recommended.

Running Civil 3D on the Server

Civil 3D is a desktop program and was not designed to run on a server operating system. Even if you can simultaneously run Civil 3D and the server, at some stage you will need to reboot, install updates or end programs which will affect the normal server operations. This approach is therefore not recommended.

Running Civil 3D in a Remote Desktop Environment

Civil 3D and Devotech iDAS are normally intended to run on properly configured desktop or mobile workstations. Virtual, hosted or remote desktop environments may be possible in some organisations, but performance, graphics responsiveness, file access, licensing and support requirements must be verified before deployment.

Before deploying Civil 3D in a virtual machine, hosted desktop, remote desktop or application streaming environment, users should verify the current Autodesk licensing terms, Devotech iDAS licensing requirements and the support position of the relevant platform provider. Graphics latency, bandwidth, multi-monitor support and access to project data should be tested using real project files.

If you need to use Civil 3D at home, use the home license as per subscription license agreement. If you have a network (multi-user) license in the office, then you can set up a VPN and maintain compliance, or you can borrow the license from the server and use the license on a home computer. Subscribers with a standalone (single-user) license can use the same serial number or account information to activate the software on a computer at home.

Network Speed

Network speed has an impact on loading and saving files. The faster the network, the better.

Sharing Data via Cloud Storage

Cloud storage platforms such as OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox and similar synchronised storage systems can be useful for distributed project teams, provided they are configured and managed correctly. These systems typically keep a local copy of selected project files on each user's workstation and synchronise changes to the cloud and to other users.

For Civil 3D projects, consistent folder structure is critical. Where possible, use the same local synchronisation path for all users, or configure XRefs and support paths using relative references. Civil 3D Data Shortcuts, XRefs, templates, references and linked support files should be tested carefully because some cloud storage systems handle file locking, path resolution and synchronisation timing differently.

Pros:

• Active project files can be synchronised locally, which may improve drawing open and save performance compared with working directly over a slow VPN or wide area network connection.
• No problems with network speed
• Design teams can be based in different offices worldwide
• Some solutions offer to retrieve deleted files

Cons:

• High data traffic
• Users must manage which projects they want to see on their hard drives (due to hard drive space limitations)
• Conflicted copies can occur

Before you implement any cloud storage solution, test the drawings XRefs and Data Shortcuts, as some solutions do not work well with Data Shortcuts (duplicate files are created, Data Shortcuts do not update). We have experienced that Dropbox works well with XRefs as well as Data Shortcuts making it a good cloud storage option.

Sharing Data via Server

Server-based project storage remains a common and reliable approach for Civil 3D and Devotech iDAS projects, particularly for offices that manage design files, XRefs, Data Shortcuts, templates and support content on a controlled internal network. For best results, project data should be stored on a properly managed file server with sufficient performance, reliable backups, controlled permissions and a consistent folder structure for all users.

When using a server environment, network performance and file access behaviour should be tested with real project files. Civil 3D drawings can reference many linked resources, so slow connections, unstable VPNs, inconsistent mapped drives or poor file-locking behaviour can affect drawing open times, save times, XRefs, Data Shortcuts and collaborative workflows. Where possible, use consistent mapped drive paths or agreed UNC paths across the project team.

Devotech iDAS also provides full support for Autodesk Forma, previously Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), for supported workflows where the Autodesk environment has been configured correctly. Teams using Autodesk Forma or ACC-style cloud collaboration should follow Autodesk's recommended project setup, permission, Desktop Connector and file-management practices, and should validate XRefs, Data Shortcuts and dependent project resources before rolling the workflow out across a live project team.