I will like to welcome you all to “Civilized Development”, a new blog created to talk and discuss the AutoCAD Civil 3D API. If you are interested in automating AutoCAD Civil 3D or creating your own AutoCAD Civil 3D extensions, this is a good place to start and visit for information. But before we dive into what this blog is all about, let me tell you a little bit about myself.
Currently, I am the Software Engineering Lead of the AutoCAD Civil 3D API. I have been working in this capacity for the last couple of years, and overall I have been with Autodesk for the past 10 years. As a matter of fact, I just got my gold badge and appreciation award as I am writing this blog post. I have five years of experience with .NET technologies and the AutoCAD Civil 3D API, and I have been doing software development for almost 20 years.
The Motivation
There are several reasons that motivated me to create a blog about the AutoCAD Civil 3D API. To begin with, the engineering team does not have many chances to talk and interact with our customers. We try to attend Autodesk University and the different Dev Camp conferences ADN organizes, but these opportunities do not come often, and we cannot always make it. Furthermore, we have customers all over the world, and trying to meet with them in person will be impossible. A blog can bring us a little bit closer on a regular basis.
I also believe we need new ways to complement the information that is provided through the product documentation. We need ways to communicate new information as we learn about it, and the provided documentation (help files, samples, etc.) are a static medium very hard to update with the latest information. A blog is more dynamic and can be updated easier.
What to Expect
As I said, this blog will be an additional resource of information related to the AutoCAD Civil 3D API. The posts will contain many examples on how to use the API, as well as best practices to follow. I will be posting the complete source for all the samples, so you can work with them on your own.
I am committed to this blog. You can expect regular posts, so I suggest you subscribe to be notified when new articles are available. But I will be honest with you, my main duty is to work on the AutoCAD Civil 3D API, and we are very busy trying to make the latest features available to you. Also, I prefer quality over quantity; therefore, I will post longer articles with working code, as opposed to smaller articles that just brief around an idea.
Finally, I will like an open discussion with all of you, so I encourage you to participate and use the comments section for any feedback, comments, or constructive criticism you might have.
What Not to Expect
I want to make clear this is a personal blog. The posts represent my personal view and not Autodesk, its employees, or even other members of the AutoCAD Civil 3D team. I have a strong opinion on how software should be developed based on my years of experience, but I also have an open mind, and I will like to hear your point of view.
I also want to state that I will not talk about upcoming features or any future work being done in the product. All the posts will be about functionality in the current released product, so do not expect insider information.
Finally, I will not be able to provide support with specific problems. Autodesk uses the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) to provide API related support for all the products. I encourage you to join ADN if you are not a member.
My Expectations
I have many expectations for this new project, but the one thing I expect from you, my audience, is to be respectful with each other. I encourage you to participate and express your disagreement, but always politely. I will not tolerate disrespectful comments towards Autodesk, myself, or any other reader of the blog, and your comments will be deleted if you do not follow this one and only rule.
Let’s Get Started
I am excited about this new project and I hope you are too. I will like to hear from you, and I encourage you to contact me with topics and ideas you will like to propose. I cannot guarantee I will address all the topics you send me, but I will do my best. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] (please use ‘BLOG:’ as part of the subject) or follow me at twitter @CivilDev.
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