About Exchanging Data Between Autodesk Civil 3D and Autodesk InfraWorks

You can bring Autodesk InfraWorks data into Autodesk Civil 3D by referencing a local Autodesk InfraWorks model or an IMX file that was exported from InfraWorks. You can bring Civil 3D data into InfraWorks by linking to a Civil 3D DWG file as a data source.

Data Exchange Workflow

You can complete your initial design with InfraWorks and then bring the InfraWorks model into Autodesk Civil 3D to continue the detailed design.

Alternatively, you can start your project in Civil 3D and then bring it into InfraWorks when you want to create a design presentation or complete more design work in InfraWorks.

Note: Linking to a Civil 3D drawing from InfraWorks requires that both InfraWorks and Civil 3D are installed on the same computer.

Use InfraWorks to complete your initial design	Component road created in InfraWorks
Open the model in Civil 3D and use Civil 3D to continue your detailed design	Corridor created when the InfraWorks component road is brought into Civil 3D Assembly created when the InfraWorks component road is brought into Civil 3D

For more information about how to bring a Civil 3D drawing into InfraWorks, see About Exchanging Data with Autodesk Civil 3D and To Add Autodesk Civil 3D Data to an InfraWorks model in the InfraWorks Help.

Application Requirements

You do not need to have Autodesk InfraWorks installed on the same computer as Autodesk Civil 3D in order to bring InfraWorks data into Civil 3D. However, the option to open a local InfraWorks model (SQLITE file) is only available if you have InfraWorks installed on the same computer. If InfraWorks is not installed, you can bring InfraWorks data into Civil 3D using an IMX file that was exported from InfraWorks.

Within InfraWorks, the option to use a Civil 3D DWG is available if Civil 3D is installed on the same computer as InfraWorks.

Coordinate Systems and Units

When preparing to exchange objects between an InfraWorks model and a Civil 3D drawing, it is recommended that you use the following guidelines when setting coordinate systems and units:

• Set a UCS in the InfraWorks model that is compatible with the coordinate system that will be used in the Civil 3D drawing. By default, InfraWorks models that are created with the Model Builder use the LL84 coordinate system, which is not supported in Civil 3D. If the Civil 3D drawing does not have a coordinate system specified, or if the coordinate systems are not compatible, you can set or change the drawing coordinate system when you open the InfraWorks model in Civil 3D. The Civil 3D drawing must have a coordinate system specified in order to bring in InfraWorks data.
• If you export an IMX file from InfraWorks to be used in Civil 3D, it is recommended that you specify a target coordinate system for the IMX file that is the same coordinate system that will be used in the Civil 3D drawing. For more information, see To open InfraWorks model data in Autodesk Civil 3D.
• Use the same unit type in both the InfraWorks model and in the Civil 3D drawing. By default, InfraWorks models use metric units. When you set up an object settings file in Civil 3D, ensure that the part catalogs that you specify for planning utilities and drainage networks have the same units that are used in the InfraWorks model.

Object Settings

An object settings file specifies what types of InfraWorks objects will be brought into Civil 3D and also specifies settings for the objects. You can set up multiple files to handle different scenarios.

Pre-defined object settings files are provided in the following folders:

• C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2023\enu\Data\InfraWorks Object Settings\Metric
• C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2023\enu\Data\InfraWorks Object Settings\Imperial

The following pre-defined object settings files are provided:

• All Objects.xml: Brings in all types of InfraWorks objects
• Design Objects.xml: Brings in only InfraWorks design objects
• Planning Objects.xml: Brings in only InfraWorks planning objects

InfraWorks Data that Can Be Brought Into Civil 3D

The following table lists what types of InfraWorks model objects can be brought into Civil 3D and what types of Civil 3D drawing objects they become.

InfraWorks Model Objects	Civil 3D Drawing Objects	Data Exchange Notes
Terrain surfaces	TIN surfaces	Terrain surfaces are brought into Civil 3D as AIW_Existing_Ground, AIW_Existing_Transportation, and AIW_Proposed_Ground.
Planning utilities	Pipe networks (Utility Type = Undefined)	Planning utilities in InfraWorks are pipelines with generic pipeline connectors (instead of inlets or manholes) and have an undefined Utility Type. A property called Utility Type has been added to pipe networks in Civil 3D and this property is set to Undefined for planning utilities that are brought into Civil 3D from InfraWorks. All pipes are created using the first part in the selected pipe catalog. All structures are created as null structures.
Planning roads	Alignments	Planning roads are roads that are created with the Add Roads tool in InfraWorks, or are created when data that reflects existing conditions is brought into a model.
Design roads Note: Roads created in Autodesk InfraWorks 2019 are either planning roads or component roads. For more information, see About Planning Roads and Component Roads.	Alignments, finished ground profiles, existing ground profiles (optional)	The option to create existing ground surface profiles is specified in the object settings file.
Component roads and corridor component roads	Alignments, finished ground profiles, existing ground profiles (optional), assemblies, corridors	Component roads and corridor component roads are exported from InfraWorks in the same way. InfraWorks component assemblies are mapped to the following subassemblies when the InfraWorks model is opened in Civil 3D. InfraWorks component road component Civil 3D subassembly BatteredCurb BasicCurb Curb BasicCurb CurbAndGutter BasicCurbAndGutter FixedSlopeDaylight DaylightMaxWidth FixedWidthDaylight DaylightToOffset JerseyBarrier BasicBarrier Lane BasicLane Shoulder BasicShoulder Sidewalk BasicSidewalk SlopedMedian MedianFlushWithBarrier
Intersections	Intersections with curb return alignments	InfraWorks intersections are converted into static curb return alignments in Civil 3D instead of intersections in the following situations: If the intersection contains more than four legs If the intersection uses the Simple Curve with Taper curb return If the centerlines of a T-shaped intersection do not actually intersect If the offsets that are on the same side of a road in the intersection are not equal, such as in the following illustration, where offset 1 is wider than offset 2:
Drainage networks	Pipe networks (Utility Type = Drainage)	Drainage networks in InfraWorks are pipelines with inlets and manholes instead of generic pipeline connectors and have a Utility Type of Drainage. A property called Utility Type has been added to pipe networks in Civil 3D and this property is set to Drainage for drainage networks that are brought into Civil 3D from InfraWorks. Manholes are assigned a Cover property and inlets are assigned a Grate property in the Civil 3D structure properties. Part catalogs (Generic Drainage Catalog - Imperial and Generic Drainage Catalog - Metric) have been included in Civil 3D for use when you bring InfraWorks inlets and manholes into Civil 3D. Inlet and manhole structures will use the equivalent parts in the imperial or metric catalog. Pipes will use the closest matching pipe shape, material, and size from the specified pipe catalog. A pipe network part list named Import is created when the InfraWorks model is opened in Civil 3D. This parts list contains only the parts that are needed.
Coverages (terrain modifying)	3D polylines	Only the coverages that modify the InfraWorks terrain are included.
Water areas	3D polylines
Bridges	Bridges	Bridges are brought into Civil 3D as the new type of bridge object introduced in Autodesk Civil 3D 2021. Bridge components are also created as objects in Civil 3D (for example, abutment, girder, deck). If the bridge dataset is republished from InfraWorks, you can reload it into Civil 3D using the Manage InfraWorks Datasets command. 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 and control their appearance using bridge projection styles. For more information, see About Working With InfraWorks Bridges in Civil 3D.
Roundabouts	Roundabouts	Roundabouts are brought into Civil 3D as the new type of roundabout object introduced in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 with the integration of the Autodesk Vehicle Tracking roundabout features. Roundabouts that you bring into or create in Civil 3D cannot be brought back into InfraWorks.
Tunnels	Meshes
Generic objects	3D solids

Note: Alignments that are created in Civil 3D from InfraWorks data are not assigned to a site.

Civil 3D Data that Can Be Brought Into InfraWorks

The following table lists what types of Civil 3D drawing objects can be brought into InfraWorks and what types of model objects they become.

Civil 3D Drawing Object	InfraWorks Model Object	Data Exchange Notes
TIN surfaces	Terrain surfaces	Each surface will be listed in the Data Sources panel in InfraWorks. If a surface that you bring into InfraWorks obscures other surfaces, you can adjust the order of the terrain surface layers by using the Surface Layers dialog box, which you can access from the Data Sources panel.
Alignments and profiles	Component roads (horizontal and vertical geometry) and railways. Alignments used in corridor baselines can also be brought into InfraWorks as corridor component roads.	Any alignment type that is used as a corridor baseline can be brought into InfraWorks as a corridor component road. If the alignment is not associated with a corridor, it must be a centerline alignment type or a rail alignment, and the rail feature settings in Civil 3D must be configured to export the rail alignment as a centerline alignment type. A single profile is used in InfraWorks for each component road or corridor component road. You can use the Profile View tool in InfraWorks to review the profile geometry. Rail alignments can be brought into InfraWorks as either component roads or railways. A component road representation will maintain the accuracy of the source rail alignment. Some pieces of component roads that are created in InfraWorks from Civil 3D objects may be read-only. In most cases if the geometry is not graphically editable, grips or gizmos are not displayed on the road or they are grayed out.
Corridors and corridor surfaces	Corridor component roads or component roads with coverages	In InfraWorks, you can specify whether to create corridor component roads or component roads with coverages in the Data Source Configuration dialog box. When you bring a corridor into InfraWorks as a corridor component road, geometry for the shapes and links is created in the InfraWorks model. Corridor component roads are read-only in InfraWorks. When creating corridor component roads in InfraWorks, you can use corridor mapping rules to configure the category and materials used for visualization. When creating component roads with coverages in InfraWorks, Civil 3D link styles are used to create coverages in InfraWorks, which show the materials of the corridor.
Pipe networks	Pipelines with inlets and manholes or pipeline connectors	If a structure in the Civil 3D drawing has a Utility Type of Drainage specified, and it uses a part from the Generic Drainage Catalog - Imperial or the Generic Drainage Catalog - Metric part catalog, then it will be assigned a part from the part catalog when it is brought back into InfraWorks. If the Part Family and Size IDs match a part within the InfraWorks part catalog, then the same exact part will be used.  If the Part Family and Size IDs do not match a part within the InfraWorks part catalog, then a default part will be used (the first manhole part found). Important: If you are using parts from the Generic Drainage Catalog - Imperial or the Generic Drainage Catalog - Metric catalog in both InfraWorks and Civil 3D for pipeline connectors/structures, and the network has a Utility Type of Drainage, the same part will be used in both applications. If a structure in the Civil 3D drawing does not have a Utility Type of Drainage specified, then the part will be created as a generic pipeline connector.