Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D 2021

AutoCAD 2021 provides a set of enhancements based on customer feedback, surveys, and analytic data that prioritize our efforts. Several features modernize and streamline frequently used features across many customer disciplines. The drawing format for this release continues to be AutoCAD 2018. For developers, this is an API-breaking release.

New Features in AutoCAD 2021

One of the highlights of AutoCAD 2021 is the new Drawing History feature, which shows users all the changes made to their drawings over time. Users can also compare two versions in the context of the current drawing.

The other big addition to AutoCAD 2021 is a new integration with Google Drive. This allows users to open DWG files from Google Drive directly in the AutoCAD web or mobile app, and save the DWGs back to Google Drive once they’re finished. Users can do the same directly from DWG attachments in Gmail.

Enhancements in AutoCAD 2021

Autodesk has also improved several existing features for the new version of AutoCAD. The DWG Compare feature now supports external references (Xrefs) attached to drawings. Xref Compare will automatically notify users if a referenced drawing has changed, and users can compare the changes in the context of their current drawing.

AutoCAD 2021 also improves the Blocks palette, letting users sync recent blocks to cloud storage for access from web or desktop. The new Libraries tab (formerly the Other Drawings tab) shows users their five most recently used block libraries for quick access.

Finally, Autodesk says that AutoCAD 2021 boosts graphics performance with multi-core processors providing faster pan, zoom, and orbit in both 2D and 3D.

AutoCAD Map 3D 2021 toolset contains customer-focused enhancements across the product. The following is an overview of the changes made to the AutoCAD Map 3D 2021 toolset release.

Dark Theme Support

The dark theme has a modern dark blue interface that's designed with contrast improvements and sharper icons.


For better visual experience, the industry model ribbon controls and explorer views such as Industry Model explorer, Workflow explorer, Electric explorer, and so on, have been updated to support the dark theme in AutoCAD Map 3D 2021 toolset.


ArcGIS Data Edit Enhancements

In AutoCAD Map 3D 2021 toolset, you can edit the features of the data from ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS Enterprise. The edit and feature options depend on the settings per feature layer in ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS Enterprise. The changes made to the features are saved to the ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS Enterprise when you check them in.


FDO WMTS Support

AutoCAD Map 3D 2021 toolset now allows you to access the Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) data and bring them into your drawing. For more information, refer to the Help topics about WMTS.


Other Enhancements

New Support for Oregon Coordinate Reference System (OCRS).

Extended support for the following FDO providers to newer versions:
- FDO SQLite: SQLite 3.27.2
- FDO SQL Server Provider: Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard and Enterprise Editions
- FDO Oracle Provider: Oracle 19c (19.3)
- Note: Due to a known problem that exists from Oracle 12.2, you are recommended to configure the system when working with the industry models job in Oracle 12.2 or later versions.
Run the SQL command.

ALTER SYSTEM SET "_allow_insert_with_update_check"=TRUE scope=spfile

Restart the database.
The following customer issues have also been resolved in AutoCAD Map 3D 2021:
- Using MAPPOLYLINETOPOLYGON with the HPCOLOR system variable set to a specified color may cause AutoCAD Map 3D 2020 to crash.
- Occasional crashes while updating style on the drawing data layer.
- When using CO83-CF and UTM-32N coordinate systems, some data from the ArcGIS Online may not be displayed accurately.
- When the proxy is set using PAC file, AutoCAD Map 3D 2020 may not connect to the ArcGIS Online.
- When all layers from a SHP folder are added to a drawing, the edit features across multiple layers may not work as expected.
- Some WFS URLs may not work in AutoCAD Map 3D 2020.
- The grayscale style in some 32-bit raster files may not work accurately.
- In a file-based (SQLite) industry model, the expression engine may not recognize the attribute from a view that contains functions such as coalesce() or ifnull().
- The Report Designer may not accurately display the report in landscape format in the designer area.
- In the Geometric Validation dialog box, the feature class list may not be sorted.
- Creating a new plot template with job explorer open may cause AutoCAD Map 3D 2020 to crash.
- When using the Data Checker, the results may not be sorted according to the parent and name checks.
- Moving the pipe with label definition containing relative labels and then added to the parent geometry selection SQL statement may cause AutoCAD Map 3D 2020 to crash.
- AutoCAD Map 3D 2020 may freeze when exiting plot preview.
- For a drawing with FDO connections and XREF, saving it in maximized viewport may cause AutoCAD Map 3D 2020 to crash.
- Structural point POLE in the form is not added to the Electric explorer.
- FDO layer stylization does not respect the lineweight values of the original symbol.
- The symbol lost height scale using DWT with MAPTOACAD command.
- The calculated useful range of the Swiss coordinate system EPSG:2056 is incorrect.
- In AutoCAD Map 3D 2020, the query does not work with Oracle number column.
- Creating a transmittal package (eTransmit) using a folder with SHP files may cause AutoCAD Map3D toolset to crash.

Autodesk Civil 3D 2021 contains the following new features and enhancements.

Design Efficiency Updates

Use new and enhanced pressure network commands to create and edit path-based pressure networks.
- Add path-based pressure network pipe runs by selecting locations to define the path, or by selecting existing objects or parts in the drawing.
When you grip edit pipe runs to change their locations and update the pressure network path, the parts remain connected and the fittings are updated using available part sizes in the current parts list.
Grip editing a path-based pipe run


The fitting is updated automatically


- Add pipe runs to an existing pressure network. A path-based pressure network can contain multiple pipe runs.
When creating a pipe run, you can optionally create a surface profile for the pipe run to follow.
- Add bends automatically when creating pipe runs.
- Add branch fittings to create intersecting pipe runs, automatically using the nearest fitting size from the current parts list.
- Add and remove bends, automatically adding or removing points of intersection and fittings.
- Break or merge pipe runs.
- Use the new Pipe Run Profile Settings dialog box to control how a pipe run follows a surface or a surface profile and to add the pressure network to a new or existing profile view.

Collaboration and Data Exchange Updates

- Use workflows between Civil 3D and InfraWorks to add bridges to your corridor designs. If the bridges are changed and republished from InfraWorks, you can reload them into your drawing.
. A roadway designer can design an alignment or a corridor in Civil 3D and then a bridge designer can bring the alignment or corridor into InfraWorks and add a bridge.
. When the bridge is completed in InfraWorks, the bridge designer can publish the bridge to an IMX dataset which the road designer can bring into Civil 3D.


. When you open an InfraWorks dataset in Civil 3D that contains bridges, bridge objects are created in the drawing.
. The appearance of bridges in plan view is controlled using the Bridges to Civil 3D layer settings, which you can set up from the Configure InfraWorks - Civil 3D Exchange Settings dialog box.
. You can project bridges to profile view to create general arrangement sheets. When projected to profile views, the appearance of the bridges is controlled using bridge projection styles.


. If the bridge dataset is republished from InfraWorks, a message will be displayed in Civil 3D and you can reload the dataset into your drawing.
- Interoperability between Civil 3D and InfraWorks for corridors has been enhanced.
. You can now create corridor component roads in InfraWorks from Civil 3D corridors.
A corridor component road represents the designed corridor in Civil 3D and is read-only in InfraWorks.
. When you bring a Civil 3D corridor into InfraWorks as a corridor component road, geometry for the shapes and links is created in the InfraWorks model. You can use the Component Mapping dialog box in InfraWorks to specify how the shapes and links are mapped to materials.
- Options are now available in the Refine Selection Set dialog box to select InfraWorks tunnels and generic objects. InfraWorks tunnels are now brought into Civil 3D as mesh objects. Property set data is now created in Civil 3D for InfraWorks tunnels and generic objects.
- The Publish to ArcGIS command and the Export to FGDB command now include the ability to output object properties as ArcGIS attribute information.


- Project data for use with Autodesk Collaboration for Civil 3D can be stored on the Europe data center. For more information, see Europe Data Center FAQs.

Other Updates

- The installation for Dynamo for Autodesk Civil 3D is now integrated into the installation for Civil 3D. For more information, see What Additional Applications and Utilities Are Available for Installation with Autodesk Civil 3D?
- Support for the Oregon Coordinate Reference System (OCRS) has been added.

Alignments
Fixed an issue in which station values were inconsistent between an alignment, the alignment labels, and a profile view.
Fixed an issue in which an alignment created from a portion of an offset alignment would be created at a different length than specified if the offset alignment's parent alignment included spirals and the offset alignment ended at a spiral.
Autodesk Storm and Sanitary Analysis
Fixed an issue in Storm and Sanitary Analysis so the inlet calculations during storm routing now use the same calculation methods as the Curb & Gutter Inlet Calculator.
Fixed an issue in which Storm and Sanitary Analysis was not adding the triangular portions of the trapezoidal weir so the results were the same as a rectangular weir. Storm and Sanitary Analysis is now using the formula in Table 8.1 in the Storm and Sanitary Analysis User's Guide for trapezoidal weirs and reducing the length of the rectangular portion of the weir if contraction is specified.
Corridors
Fixed an issue in which a subassembly with a SlopeAndDeltaX point created by the Subassembly Composer would create a corridor in the wrong direction.
Dynamo for Civil 3D
Fixed an issue in which the language that was displayed in the Dynamo Player user interface was based on the Windows setting for country or region instead of matching the language that was displayed in the Civil 3D user interface.
ESRI ArcGIS Data Workflows
Fixed an issue in which incorrect schema mapping settings were used for inlet-outlet structures that were brought into a drawing from ArcGIS.
When you type "ArcGIS" at the command line, the list of available commands no longer includes the AeccConnectToArcGISData command, which was replaced with the ArcGISConnector command.
Feature Lines and Grading
Fixed an issue in which the All option of the Feature Lines From Corridor command would create incorrect geometry.
Fixed an issue in which grading would not be updated after editing a feature line with the Grading Elevation Editor.
Fixed an issue in which grading would not be updated after editing a feature line with the Quick Elevation Edit command.
Fixed an issue in which the grading daylight line would partially disappear after running the AUDIT and REGEN commands.
Fixed a stability issue that would occur when grading to a surface at a specified slope.
Hydraflow Extensions
Fixed an issue in Hydraflow Hydrographs in which the tailwater elevation calculation was not correct for SI units.
Fixed an issue in Hydraflow Express in which a high elevation caused incorrect culvert calculation results.
Labels
Fixed an issue in which profile view band labels were not displayed correctly after reopening a drawing.
Fixed an issue in which table entries related to objects in an xref would disappear from line and curve tables when a drawing was reopened.
Fixed an issue in which label style components would be missing from the Summary tab of the Label Style Composer dialog box.
Miscellaneous
Fixed an issue in which exported KMZ files would be incorrect.
Fixed an issue in which the IFCExport command assigned the same Type attribute to objects that originated from two different blocks in the drawing.
Fixed an issue in which a default configuration file would not load when opening the Export to Civil 3D View for 3ds Max dialog box.
Fixed an issue in which pipe shapes were not mapped to the correct pipe feature class in the Import GIS Data dialog box.
Fixed a stability issue that would occur when saving a drawing that contained catchments in AutoCAD Map 3D with the Civil 3D Object Enabler installed.
Pipe Networks
Fixed an issue in which the Manning Coefficient values for pipes in a parts list were not changed to the specified values.
Fixed a performance issue that would occur when adding a pipe network.
Fixed a performance issue that would occur when adding a spanning pipe label.
Fixed an issue in which EGL results were different when Inlet Analysis was not selected in the Analyze Gravity Network dialog box.
Fixed an issue in which pipes were not displayed in the drawing if the pipe style that had been assigned to them had been deleted.
Fixed an issue in which the original pipe network part was removed from a profile view when a copied pipe network part was deleted from plan view.
Fixed an issue in which some pipe network catalogs could not be used by the API because they were not recorded in the registry.
Plan Production
Fixed a stability issue that would occur when creating sheets.
Pressure Networks
Fixed an issue in which the Solid Fill hatch pattern that was specified in the pressure pipe style would not be applied correctly to pressure pipes in profile view.
Fixed an issue in which the catalog-defined blocks for fittings and appurtenances did not appear correctly in profile view.
Fixed an issue in which a data referenced pressure network would not follow a surface correctly.
Fixed an issue in which part styles, render materials, and pay items were not updated when swapping pressure network parts.
Fixed an issue in which you could not snap correctly to a point when using the lengthen grip to specify the end point of a pressure pipe.
Profiles
Fixed an issue in which curved profile geometry created in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018 did not appear in a profile view when the drawing was opened in a later version of Civil 3D.
Fixed an issue in which some vertical grid lines were not displayed at specific stations in a profile view.
Roundabouts
Fixed a stability issue that would occur when clearing the Exit check box in the roundabout arm properties.
Surfaces
TIN volume surface behavior has been updated so that adding an outer boundary to the volume surface will make visible only the surface data which is inside both the outer boundary and the original volume surface boundary. Surface data will not be made visible outside of the original volume surface boundary. To ensure all surface triangles that are inside the original volume surface boundary are visible, you may need to set the Use Maximum Angle setting in the Surface Properties dialog box to No.
Fixed a stability issue that would occur when creating a cropped surface and switching to the newly created drawing.
Fixed an issue in which using a surface style with a visible border would cause a surface to be displayed incorrectly in the Object Viewer.
Fixed an issue in the German version of Civil 3D in which you could not create a surface legend table for contours.

Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D 2021
Dynamo for Civil3D 2021.0.1 HotFix (Released Apr 15, 2020)

System requirements for Civil 3D 2021

Operating System
- Microsoft Windows 8.1
- Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit only)
Browser Google Chrome (for AutoCAD web app)
Processor
Minimum: 2.5–2.9 GHz or faster processor
Recommended: 3+ GHz or faster processor
Memory 16 GB
Display Resolution
Conventional Displays:
1920 x 1080 with True Color
High Resolution & 4K Displays:
Resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 supported on Windows 10, 64 bit systems (with capable display card)
Display Card Minimum: 1 GB GPU with 29 GB/s Bandwidth and DirectX 11 compliant
Recommended: 4 GB GPU with 106 GB/s Bandwidth and DirectX 11 compliant
Disk Space 16 GB
Pointing Device MS-Mouse compliant
File Format Changes No DWG or Civil 3D Object format changes.*
* Bridge and piping features added in 2021 may display as a proxy objects in prior versions.
.NET Framework .NET Framework Version 4.8

Additional Requirements for large datasets, point clouds, and 3D modeling

Memory 16 GB RAM or more
Disk Space 6 GB free hard disk available, not including installation requirements
Display Card 1920 x 1080 or greater True Color video display adapter; 128 MB VRAM or greater; Pixel Shader 3.0 or greater; Direct3D-capable workstation class graphics card.