PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY-Bootstrap or Training, How Did You Implement AutoCAD Civil 3D?

In this week’s PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY I’m asking the question:

Bootstrap or Training, How Did You Implement AutoCAD Civil 3D?

I originally posted this question on Linkedin as follows:

“Bootstrap or training, how did you implement AutoCAD Civil 3D?

I was wondering how C3D users implemented C3D. Did you “bootstrap” it by trying to implement and learn C3D on your own or did you take more formal training and classes? Or, did you have a consultant setup C3D and train you at your site?”

With that said, I guess I also wonder which approach is best? Any thoughts?”

There, it turned into a fairly lively discussion, so I thought I’d pose the same question here. One idea that kept coming up in the conversation was of needing an AutoCAD Civil 3D “Power User”, which I do think is important. This must be yourself, if your a one-person shop, or some one person within a larger work group or organization.

Bootstrap or Training

When I asked the question, it was more to understand how people are implementing AutoCAD Civil 3D and not how I should do it, as that ship sailed for me a long time ago on my very own “bootstrap” journey to learning AutoCAD Civil 3D.

I did what was right for me, with the help of a few key books and some elbow grease, but I do think that most Civil 3D users and companies will benefit from a three tiered approach.

If I had it to do over again, I would first dig in and do a little “bootstrap” learning, just to familiarize myself with the software and discover the first hurdles. I would then take a few classes to learn more about how to use Civil 3D, and I would third, probably concurrently, get a “hired gun” to do the bulk of the heavy lifting in getting Civil 3D setup and running in my working environment.

Finding that “Power User” is also critical to both a successful launch and to keeping the ship on course as time goes by.

[poll id=”27″]

PS: If you don’t believe that time is money, as the old saying goes, then just implement and learn AutoCAD Civil 3D on your own!

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