Infraworks - Sharing an InfraWorks Model with Autodesk Map 3D

By David Crowther

Within InfraWorks if you hover over a Model the location of the Locally Cached Model is shown.

This will point to a sqlite file that contains the Models properties and references to data sources. You can navigate to this location using Windows Explorer.

Now in Map3D use the Map Task Pane > Data Connection options to connect to a SQLite Database.

Navigate to and select the InfraWorks Model sqlite file.

Choosing Connect will then access the data sources in the sqlite file where you can tick to select the layers to open/add to the Map).

Hint: You may wish to change the Coordinate System being used from LL84 to British National Grid.

Having pressed Add to Map, the layers are then opened from the sqlite database and added as Map Layers into Map 3D. On initially opening the data you may find that there are too many layers or layers that aren’t required as they cover other datasets within the map.

Use the Map Task Pane > Display Manager to hide, show and re-order layers as required. For example below I have hidden the TERRAIN SURFACES and TERRAIN TEXTURES.

You can also use the Map Task Pane > Display Manager to then Edit the Style of features. In the Style Editor change the line style for the ROADS to be dark grey and the roads are now more visible.

You can also use Rule Styles to apply different colours and hatching to different types of features. For example., the Coverage layers Data Table has a RULE STYLE field where the Coverage is either; Grass, Restricted Areas, Tall Grass etc…

In the Style Editor you can choose to Add a Theme and use the values in the RULE STYLE field to colour code the different Coverage areas.

Applying the style change will then update the features in the Coverages layer.

Using the Data Table also allows you to Query, Filter and Re-order data, for example finding the Building features in the Model that are the tallest.

You now have the ability to open an InfraWorks 3D Model within Autodesk Map 3D and work with the many layers created by the initial InfraWorks Model. This could be particularly useful if you have undertaken additional Road Design work in InfraWorks and wish to then share that with your CAD or GIS engineers.