Project Kameleon Now Available on Autodesk Labs

I hate raccoons. I know you're thinking "Scott, why do you hate raccoons? They're so cute." Now don't go sicking PETA on me, but raccoons are really a problem in our homeowner association. They attack our pets and/or steal their food. But more importantly, they damage the siding on our homes so they can break into our attics where they set up their nests. One raccoon recently did $6,000 worth of damage. We found that raccoons were able to move about our neighborhoods by using our sewers as underground highways. To avoid harming them but make our neighborhood less attractive to them as a habitat, one of our homeowner association board members, Sean McDermott, imagined, designed, and created a raccoon barrier that he attached to our storm drains.

I have dubbed his solution "The Seaninator." I mention this because we have a new technology preview on Autodesk Labs.

So while we're on the topic of roadway drainage content, Project Kameleon is our free technology preview where you can try our new infrastructure model content authoring tools that is compatible with InfraWorks now and eventually AutoCAD Civil 3D.

• The technology preview includes a stand-alone .exe Parts Editor that enables authoring Inlets, Manholes, and Culverts.
• You can author Inlet Frames, Grates, and Underground Structures as separate part families and combine them to create Inlet Structure Assemblies.
• You can author Culvert Barrels and End Treatments and combine them to create Culvert Assemblies.
• The part authoring workflow is tightly integrated with InfraWorks, and includes the ability to post new part catalogs to InfraWorks models.
• A built-in shape library allows you to author parts using an existing set of parametric shapes and supports extending the shape library using a stand-alone .exe Part Shape Modeler to author new Inventor IPT shape files which may be imported by the Parts Editor.

JOIN the project

I am sure Sean wishes he had Project Kameleon at his disposal. He could have perused existing parts that might have met our association's needs or leveraged the shape modeler to design his own entrance barrier. So please give this technology preview a try and share your drainage stories. Are you too trying to thwart raccoons? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected]sk.com or posting to the dedicated forum on the Autodesk Labs project.

Drainage design is align in the lab.