Autodesk Civil 3D vs. OpenRoads Designer

Well suited:

1. Simple and self-explanatory user interface.
2. Inter usability between other software such as MicroDrainage and Bentley CivilStorm.
3. Autodesk customer service.
4. Easily customizable.

Not suitable: The software is still very resource intensive on the machines and often crashes when too much data is being shown. Though significant improvements have been made in other Autodesk software like Revit, older applications like AutoCAD and C3D seem to be stuck on old, inefficient source codes.

Incentivized

For any linear model creation that follows an alignment. Not suitable to vertical modelling like Buildings.

Incentivized

• Very useful for projects that contain rail alignment in such showing profiles along with the utilities that the rail is crossing it
• Manage GIS data along connecting the design to documentation in order to support the productivity
• Provide team coordination along using visualizing, simulation, and analysis that integrates with the design process to improve the delivery

Incentivized

• Integration with other disciplines. If one uses Bentley's companion products like OpenBridge Modeler or OpenSite Designer, there is no need to export any design information to other disciplines as the .dgn files can be directly referenced into other applications.
• Visualisation - ORD comes bundled with a free version of LumenRT which produces amazing engineering and architectural renderings and can even be used in VR applications.
• Design Environment. Being based on the DGN file format is brilliant - being able to have multiple models within a single file has so many advantages over the DWG file format.

Incentivized

• Specific tools for sewers design
• Possibility for the users to choose other rainfall data and parameters
• Possibility to create vertical pipes in gravity networks

Incentivized

• Creating data. Currently will need to create data tag (e.g. volume, length, material type, material engineering criteria etc.) of component manually. Some of the commonly use data in AECOsim should be preset in OpenRoads.
• Ability to link geometric data values to geometric properties. Currently not linked (e.g. volume value, length value etc.) and had to be keyed in and/or changed manually.
• Opening (eg. for MEP interface) creation and modification still manual. There should be a smart opening creation that would create openings at interface location and auto enclose the mesh opening so that the volume will take into account the opening(s) created.

Incentivized

We would not use ORD if is was not for clients' contract requirement to use ORD.

It is one of the most standard Designing and drafting tools for infrastructure projects and is the go-to for including it with the Autodesk ecosystem. Its strong collaboration with GIS and Other tools helps us to create a software workflow as a digital twin platform as well. The Drawings and plans generated can be easily imported into other applications, allowing for full control over the workflow.

Incentivized

They have a vast open community, which has helped us understand Autodesk Civil 3D from the beginning. They have provided many templates and tutorials videos to our team due to that we can learn every new feature from them. Autodesk Civil 3D has also helped us to interconnect all its software in an internal bridge, which helps us switch between software as we need.

Incentivized

Autodesk Civil 3D provides more all-round support in comparison to this software and using a bit of coding and creating connectors, we can easily provide all supports of different software to it. The Development ease for creating plugins for Civil 3D also gives an edge over other software. Other software are also old and a bit outdated in comparison.

Incentivized

ORD is a lot faster and a lot more modern than Civil 3D even though they're essentially the same product under different names (in terms of workflows). I find that the DGN file format used by ORD is far better than the DWG file format used by C3D because DGNs can contain much more information and multiple models per file. C3D is very heavy on memorizing keyboard inputs while ORD is a much more modern interface that relies mostly on using the mouse for inputs.

Incentivized

• It has made design much easier and simplified
• Drawings are easier to complete
• Time taken to complete designs and drawings have reduced drastically
• Multiple people can work on one project at the same time without affecting the entire design/drawing

Incentivized

• Positive definitely as all projects I work on require OpenRoads Designer
• Helps us meet the deliverable requirements set by our clients

Incentivized