Autodesk AutoCAD Utility Design 2015 Extension 1
The Utility Design 2015 Extension 1 release contains many customer focused enhancements including:
Project Explorer
The new Project Explorer lists projects, work orders, and drawings. Click Home tab 
Project Area panel Project Explorer. Open, rename, or delete drawings for the selected work order. You can search project information in the Project Explorer. To configure the Project Explorer, see To Configure the Project Explorer . To use the Project Explorer, see To Create a New Project in Project Explorer .
AUDCLEARANCE
The new AUDCLEARANCE command checks the clearance between wires and/or structures to determine if NESC clearance standards are met.
_AUDPURGE Enhancement
The _AUDPURGE command has been enhanced. It now clears the temporary style preview folder and improves performance.
MAX_SPAN_CLEARANCE and MAX_SPAN_CLEARANCE_DISTANCE
Values for MAX_SPAN_CLEARANCE and MAX_SPAN_CLEARANCE_DISTANCE have been added to the EL_SAG_SPAN_RESULT table. These values can now be used in Rule Configuration.
AUDXRCOPY
The AUDXRCOPY command copies the selected Utility Design feature and creates an AutoCAD object that is not controlled by Utility Design and is not associated with the industry model.
Update to Automatic Tapping
Automatic tapping is disabled when auto-connect also applies. If the distance between the tap location and one of the segment end points is smaller than the auto-connect distance, Utility Design does not auto-tap the segment.
Autodesk AutoCAD Utility Design 2015
The Utility Design 2015 release contains the following enhancements:
Sag and Guy Analysis Option Sets Exposed in Rules
The analysis options for Sag and Guy are now exposed in rules so you can use option values as needed rather than being limited to one set of options for the whole drawing.
Connectivity and Containment Roundtrip Support Added
If you extract connected and/or contained features from an industry model source, remove the connection and/or containment relationship in Utility Design, and then merge the features back to the industry model source, the features are not connected/contained in the industry model source.
Reset Connectivity when Converting CAD and GIS Data to Design Features
An option has been added that establishes connectivity between features within the Automatic Connection Tolerance range when you convert CAD and GIS data to design features. For more information, see To Convert CAD and GIS Data to Design Features.
Data Exchange
The “Reset Connectivity” option has been added in the Mapping Configuration dialog box to reinitialize topology for the imported data. It will use the setting "Automatic Connection Tolerance" in AUD Options>General Layout as the tolerance to initialize topology.
Dynamic Connection, Containment, and Tap
The process to establish connection, containment, and to tap a line has been simplified. As you design the layout, toggle icons on tooltips to connect or remove connections, contain or remove containment, and tap or prevent tapping. For more information, see About Connection, About Containment, and About Mid Span Tap and Merge.
Analysis
The domain table, Construction Grade, and the attribute, Grade, have been added for feature classes. By configuring different construction grades in rules, analysis functions can apply different option sets to features.
Clearance Check
All Clearance Check Equation rule points have been replaced with subrules.
Two Validation rule points, “Wire To Ground” and “Wire To Wire” provided. Clearance check logic is now exposed in rules rather than in the code.
The Clearance Check analysis now checks clearance for wires on the same pole head.
- Closest Points Clearance
- Minimum Ground Clearance
- Minimum Horizontal Clearance
- Minimum Vertical Clearance
Guying
Guying rules are divided into two sections: Equation and Validation.
Many option-set variables for guying are exposed as Equation rule points, making them more flexible to configure.
Guying related features (guy, level, and pole) have specific equation rule points. Subrules can be added for these rule points and then used in the corresponding validation rule points.
Validation rules can be created for any of the three guying related features.
Guying results are reported in a per-level basis. Tension on Guy and Minimum required lead distance are reported.
Guying errors can be resolved by extending guy lead distance.
"Level Group Tolerance" is exposed as an equation rule point and is used for grouping pole heads into levels.
Material and QTO
- Filter material items
- Set material attribute
- Filter sub-items
- Set attribute for sub-items
The existing “Add material” function has been enhanced to support Set Material Attribute, Filter Sub-Items, and Set Attribute for Sub-Items.
You can map material list attributes to catalog attributes by adding a “Set attribute” rule in the Material/Material Item rule point.
For example, after adding the custom attribute “Transportation Cost” in Material List Configuration and Catalog Configuration, you can map them as:
Set attribute Transportation Cost (Material List Attribute) to Transportation Cost (Catalog Atrribute).
In this way, the values in the Catalog are copied to the Material List automatically for all material items.
Pole Head Sizing
Pole head sizing now supports using separate neutral pole heads and excluding neutral ports from combined primary/neutral pole heads.
Pulling Tension
A duct’s 3D geometry can be changed by adding transition points to the duct or segment. Transition points can be added/edited with the new Transition Point palette (command AUDTRANSITIONPOINT) or the AUDTRANSITIONPOINTADD command in 2D or 3D mode.
The Pulling Tension algorithm is enhanced to support more section types, such as slopes and vertical bends.
In previous releases, pulling tension only supported cables of the same model. This restriction is now removed to support more scenarios.
Pulling tension now uses a duct’s 3D geometry instead of 2D.
If there is a riser on a pole connecting to a conductor, the pulling tension analysis uses the Height of the riser in the calculation.
Rules and Rules Engine
The style rule function is enhanced to support adding a style rule or subrule for a parent rule point such as Structural/Point.
The Table Lookup function can now lookup any database tables.
Copying and pasting rules from XAML to a rule point is now supported.
New functions "Maximum" and "Minimum" are added to get the max/min value from a list of values.
You can get the attributes of related features through rules. For example, for a given feature you can get the related work location’s attributes.
Custom descriptions can be added for each rule point.
Sag
Sag equation rules have been added and the validation rules have been enhanced.
The Sag Scenario domain attribute has been added in Domain Configuration.
You can add customized sag scenarios and apply them in sag calculations by defining sag rules. You can also add customized tension and weight in sag rules.
Max tension of conductor and uplift are validated in the Sag calculation.
You can define subrules under the Sag/Equation/Wire rule point and use them in the Sag/Validation/Wire rule point.
Sweep
Support is added for 3D visualization of vertical sweeps. The vertical sweep angle at feed point or pull point can now be changed with Transition Point palette. For more information, see To Create 3D Geometry for Underground Ducts.
The Duct Section Type attribute has been added as a bend type for the Sweep feature class.
Previously, when all the Sizing rules are met, sweep sizing selects the sweep models with the smallest radius. This sizing condition for radius has been exposed in rules so you can configure it.
Tap and Merge
The command AUDMERGE now maintains the port connection before merging for both overhead and underground networks.
Offline Help
The Utility Design help is no longer installed with the product. The most up-to-date help is available online. You can choose to run the help installer to install a local version of the help for use offline from http://www.autodesk.com/utldesn-helpdownload-2015-enu.