“A growing number of tools is emerging in the field of civil engineering, an example of which is Civil Simulate, introduced at Autodesk University by Sivan Design, a developer of civil engineering CAD and GIS applications. Civil Simulate can be used to turn any AutoCAD Civil 3D, CivilCAD, and other projects into a 3D interactive simulation, allowing engineers to get a better understanding of their designs and the surrounding context. The software has the ability to merge the design with an orthophoto (an aerial photograph that has been geometrically corrected so that its scale is uniform like a map) and show an accurate virtual reality 3D vision of complex structures like junctions, roundabouts, interchanges, bridges, etc. In addition, the designer can utilize the software to demonstrate aerial views while conducting interactive drive-through simulations in different settings such as fog and night driving with distance measurement capabilities, making it possible to conduct visibility safety checks. The simulation is very fast, the accuracy level is +/- 2 cm of the CAD model, and the software is capable of handling even large scale engineering projects.”
Read the complete article at AEC Exhibitor Highlights from Autodesk University 2008