What Is Civil 3D?
Civil 3D is an Autodesk modeling application that is used to design and document civil engineering projects. It was first released in 2005 and is used for many different types of civil infrastructure projects including land development, rail projects, bridges, water systems, and roads and highways. Civil 3D uses a 3D model-based environment, and it supports Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows. It has specific tools for many different civil engineering features including tools for grading, parcel layout, surfaces, and corridor design. Its automated features let designers streamline many time-consuming tasks.
Civil 3D also facilitates collaboration among team members. This application integrates data from a variety of sources, such as survey data and GIS data. It can also exchange information with other Autodesk applications, like AutoCAD and Revit. In addition, it allows team members to work simultaneously on the same project and make real-time updates. With Civil 3D, team members can maintain consistency for data and processes, and respond more quickly to any project changes.
Why Learn Civil 3D?
Fluency in Civil 3D is a fundamental skill required for many professional roles in the field of civil engineering. Working in this field can be lucrative and civil engineering jobs are expected to experience strong growth over the next ten years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a federal agency that collects and analyzes U.S. labor market information. Between 2023 and 2033, it predicts that civil engineering jobs will grow by 6 percent, which is faster than the average U.S. job growth rate of 4 percent. The agency explains, “With continued investment in U.S. infrastructure, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects that meet society's need for upgrading bridges, roads, water systems, buildings, and other structures.” In addition, it says, “Civil engineers also will be needed to oversee renewable-energy projects, such as construction of wind farms and solar arrays, as these projects gain approval.” The median pay for a Civil Engineer is almost $96,000 per year, according to BLS.
Learn Civil 3D
- Nationally accredited
- Create your own portfolio
- Free student software
- Learn at your convenience
- Authorized Autodesk training center
Civil engineering can also be a very fulfilling profession. Civil engineering projects take place within a wide range of different industries including transportation, construction, and energy. That means that when you work in civil engineering, you may get to work on many different types of projects such as roads, airports, dams, pipelines, water systems, tunnels, and bridges. For a blog post on the Institution of Civil Engineers website titled, “7 Top Reasons Why Civil Engineering Is the Best Career,” the author spoke to a number of people who work in this field and found that the diversity of projects they get to participate in is one of the things that many people enjoy about it. One person commented, “There’s so much variety,” and another said, “You get to work with a ton of new people on new tasks every day!”
Are Civil 3D Classes Hard?
The difficulty of learning Civil 3D will vary from course to course, but in general, Civil 3D is a very user-friendly and approachable software application. While it has many complex tools, the skills you learn in a Civil 3D course will mirror those used in other CAD programs and the classes, so any prior experience will be helpful. However, there are also a lot of options for beginner-friendly classes for complete novices as well, meaning that you will be able to find a course that matches your general level of desired difficulty with relative ease.
What Are The Hardest Parts of Learning Civil 3D?
If you’re new to Civil 3D, it can be challenging to develop a working understanding of the many different features this application contains, and to figure out how to use them appropriately. More experienced users often comment that it can be particularly challenging to learn all of this if you don’t have a strong understanding of civil engineering. There are many concepts unique to the field of civil engineering--such as infrastructure design principles--and without understanding them, you may find it more challenging to master the workflow that you’ll need to follow in Civil 3D. A solid grasp of real-world civil engineering concepts is also needed to properly understand all of the modeling features offered in Civil 3D.
You’re also likely to find the Civil 3D learning process more challenging if you don’t know how to use AutoCAD. Both of these are computer-aided design (CAD) applications offered by Autodesk. AutoCAD is a more generalized application, mainly used for 2D design. Civil 3D was built on AutoCAD and offers a variety of specialized tools that you can use for civil engineering projects. If you are already fluent in AutoCAD, then you’ll be able to build on your existing knowledge as you learn Civil 3D. In contrast, if you don’t know how to use AutoCAD, you’ll probably need to spend more time learning the interface and tools offered in Civil 3D.
Another thing that many people find challenging in Civil 3D is the concept of 3D modeling. While 2D modeling involves working with a flat representation of your design, 3D modeling adds a third dimension. It requires different spatial reasoning skills. Even if you have drawing experience, the combination of artistic and technical skills required for 3D modeling can be difficult at first.
What Can I Do To Make Learning Civil 3D Easier?
One of the best ways to make the Civil 3D learning process easier is to enroll in a Civil 3D class. When you take a class you’ll get a structured learning environment, you will follow a comprehensive curriculum that covers all the important skills, and you’ll be guided by a skilled instructor who can assess your progress, answer your questions, and help you improve.
Most Civil 3D instructors have years of experience with this application and are a source of invaluable knowledge to beginners. For example, they can share best practices, common mistakes to avoid, and time-saving tips and tricks. In contrast, learning all these things by yourselves is likely to take a lot of time and trial and error. An instructor may also offer valuable insights on how this application is used in the real world, and can be a networking resource.
When you take a class, your classmates can be another valuable resource that will enhance and ease the learning experience. When you learn with a group of peers, you’ll all be going through the same learning experience and can thus provide each other with valuable support. Group learning can also expose you to other points of view and other ways of doing things, which can improve your learning experience.
Finally, if you want to make learning Civil 3D easier, it's important to devote as much time as you can to practice. Practice strengthens your conceptual understanding of new concepts and builds muscle memory for the various tasks that you’ll complete in Civil 3D. It helps you learn to apply your Civil 3D skills to real world civil engineering projects. In addition, through practice, you’ll be able to identify areas where you need to improve.
What Else Should I Learn Alongside Civil 3D?
If you want to learn Civil 3D, you should think about learning some basic civil engineering concepts if you don’t already have a background in this field. Civil 3D is used for civil engineering projects, and if you don’t understand foundational concepts like surveying, infrastructure design principles, the different types of materials used in this field, and standards and codes that are followed, you may struggle with this application.
Another thing to learn is AutoCAD. Civil 3D was built on the AutoCAD platform, which means that at least a basic understanding of AutoCAD is likely to be very helpful. Both applications share many of the same commands and core functionalities. With an understanding of AutoCAD, you’ll be able to jump right into using Civil 3D tools rather than spending a lot of time learning basic computer-aided design (CAD) concepts. Some Civil 3D classes actually require a basic understanding of AutoCAD.
While students often focus on technical skills, if you’ll be working with Civil 3D, it can also be beneficial to strengthen a number of soft skills. For instance, most Civil 3D jobs are completed as part of a team, so teamwork and communication are a critical part of success. For example, you’ll need to be able to communicate with team members to set priorities, share responsibilities, and resolve conflicts. Some people naturally have strong communication and teamwork skills, however, if you weren’t born with these skills, you can develop them through education and practice.
Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, and Cost to Learn Civil 3D
Civil 3D is a technical application with many complex tools and can be relatively difficult to learn at first. You may find the learning process easier if you already know how to use AutoCAD. Civil 3D and AutoCAD are both computer-aided drafting (CAD) applications, and they have many similarities in their user interface and the tools offered. A background in design can also be helpful. However, almost anyone can master this application. Most people find the guidance and feedback offered in a formal Civil 3D class to be very helpful in the learning process. Regular practice can also help mastering Civil 3D seem less difficult.
If you take a Civil 3D class that is designed for beginners, there are unlikely to be any prerequisites. However, you’re likely to learn more quickly and easily if you do have some related experience. Since Civil 3D is designed for civil engineering projects, users need an understanding of basic civil engineering concepts like surveying and infrastructure design. An understanding of 3D modeling is also helpful, but not required. While 2D modeling involves creating a flat representation of something, 3D modeling adds a third dimension and requires different spatial reasoning skills. It can be challenging to learn at first.
Civil 3D is an Autodesk application. You can get a free 30-day trial, and after that, the application is available by subscription. Autodesk offers both monthly and yearly subscription plans. It also offers a pay-as-you-go plan called Flex, where you can buy tokens that can be used to access Civil 3D for 24 hours at a time. Students and educators can get free access to Civil 3D which is valid for a year and is renewable if they remain eligible. In addition to the cost of the application, there is the cost associated with taking a Civil 3D class. Class prices vary widely, from several hundred dollars for a basic course, to several thousand for a comprehensive program. In many cases, you’ll receive free access to Civil 3D while you are taking a class.
Learn Civil 3D With Self-Paced VDCI Courses
The Virtual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI) offers a variety of Civil 3D training options. This school is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET). Its online, self-paced classes allow you to create a personalized learning schedule that fits your needs. You’ll also be able to get advice and feedback on your submissions and projects and interact with peers in discussion forums. VDCI classes are approved by Autodesk, Adobe, Trimble, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for eLearning.
One VDCI option is the Civil 3D Certificate Program, a comprehensive course that takes seven months to complete. This program will equip you with skills in civil engineering, site development, and infrastructure planning. Covered topics include working on digital terrain models, designing roadways and utility networks, and applying civil engineering principles to real-world scenarios. You’ll also learn how to collaborate on large-scale civil projects using FTP, MILCON, and government databases. The program includes courses in both Civil 3D and AutoCAD. In addition, you’ll take elective courses in AutoCAD, Revit, or SketchUp Pro, and work on a capstone project. The Civil 3D Certificate Program comes with six live one-on-one mentoring sessions.
VDCI also offers a Civil 3D Certification Training Bundle which will help you prepare for the Autodesk Civil 3D certification exam. This multi-week course covers beginner through intermediate concepts. You’ll take three Civil 3D classes where you’ll learn to use this application for surveying and mapping, transportation design, and land development. You’ll also get a voucher for the Civil 3D exam, and you’ll get a free exam retake if you need it. To take this class you should have intermediate-level AutoCAD experience.
Another option is the AutoCAD & Civil 3D Certification Training Bundle. This course is also designed to prepare you for the Civil 3D certification exam. It is designed for beginners. You’ll start by taking two AutoCAD classes, where you’ll learn the fundamentals of this application. Next, you’ll take three Civil 3D courses which are focused on using the application for surveying and mapping, transportation design, and land development. This class comes with a voucher for the Civil 3D exam and a free exam retake. You’ll also get a live one-on-one bonus training session.
VDCI also runs shorter Civil 3D classes that take a few weeks to complete. In Intermediate Civil 3D: Surveying and Mapping, you’ll learn about the surveying and mapping elements and commands in Civil 3D. Covered topics include survey and COGO points, point marker and label styles, point groups, linework code sets, figure prefix databases, survey imports, parcels, sites, parcel labels, TIN surfaces, surface labels, and surface analysis. Intermediate Civil 3D: Transportation Design is focused on the transportation design elements and commands in Civil 3D. Instructors cover alignments, surface profiles, design profiles, and view windows, assemblies, corridors, intersections, sample lines, cross sections, and 3D visualization. The third VDCI option is Intermediate Civil 3D: Land Development. This course covers land development design elements and commands such as drawing template files, data shortcuts, feature lines, and grading groups.
Another VDCI offering, which is likely to be useful in any Civil 3D role, is the Essential Skills Course. This bundle is a great way to improve your communication, teamwork, collaboration, and self-management skills, all of which are essential in the field of civil engineering. Three classes are included. In Communication and Connection, you’ll learn a variety of communication skills including negotiation and conflict management. You’ll also work on your emotional intelligence and learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Self-Management Skills covers skills such as prioritizing, improving efficiency, focusing on ethics and integrity, and setting goals. Finally, in Teamwork, Collaboration & Leadership, you’ll learn to build collaboration, conduct meetings effectively, inspire other people, and make decisions as a group.