River Analysis Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D / AutoCAD Map 3D Now Available

My neighbor, Paul Medved, got his civil engineering degree from the UC Davis. As noted on Wikipedia, "the Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) in Davis, California developed the River Analysis System (RAS) to aid hydraulic engineers in channel flow analysis and floodplain determination. It includes numerous data entry capabilities, hydraulic analysis components, data storage and management capabilities, and graphing and reporting capabilities." HEC-RAS is used to model the hydraulics of water flow through natural rivers and other channels.

My colleague, Product Manager, Mathews Mathai, recently approached me about placing a technology preview on Autodesk Labs, The AEC team has developed a river analysis extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD Map 3D. You can download it from the Autodesk Labs site:

River Analysis Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D / AutoCAD Map 3D

This technology preview supports HEC-RAS within the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 and AutoCAD Map 3D 2012 environments. It allows you to compute water surface profiles for modeling bridges, culverts, spillways, levees, bridge scour, floodway delineation, floodplain reclamation, stream diversions, channel improvements, and split flows.

Motivational speaker, Matt Foley, lives in a van down by the river (video). Now Paul can easily determine just how close the van can park near the river by using the technology preview to compute cross sections, flood plains, and contours - all while still in AutoCAD Civil 3D or AutoCAD Map 3D. Please dive in and give this technology preview a try and let us know what you think at [email protected], the AutoCAD Civil 3D discussion forum, the AutoCAD Map 3D discussion forum.

Water analysis is alive in the lab.