Free technology review: Project Silverstar for AutoCAD Civil 3D Now Available

I actually posted this technology preview on Tuesday. Now that the Autodesk Labs site is back to normal, I can tell you about it. Project Silverstar for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 is a technology preview that provides cloud-based optimization for vertical road alignments. Project Silverstar uses a new numerical cloud algorithm to find optimal profiles for given horizontal alignments. Results are sent back and can be imported directly in to AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 via ASCII files or LandXML.

// Learn more about Project Silverstar for AutoCAD Civil 3D on Autodesk Labs

The technology preview consists of a server component and an AutoCAD Civil 3D add-on.

• On the server side, Project Silverstar uses Linux on EC2 from Amazon.
• On the client side, Project Silverstar includes an "Optimization Wizard" GUI that is launched as an AutoCAD Civil 3D command. The user specifies an email address, and after the servers process the job, Project Silverstar sends the solution back as an email.

As with all of our free Autodesk Labs technology previews, it's about feedback. Please give it a try. You can email us at [email protected] or respond to our thread in the discussion forum with your suggestions, comments, or criticisms. You have until August 1, 2012 to do so. After that time the technology preview will no longer operate but any data that you have created during the preview will still be valid.

Alignment is alive in the lab.