CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

27 February 2012

Implementation Investments

National Park Service Records American Engineering History with Autodesk Software

The National Park Service uses AutoCAD software from Autodesk, Inc. to help document American engineering and industrial achievements as part of an historical program started more than 40 years ago.

The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) was established in 1969 by the National Park Service, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Library of Congress to document historic sites and structures related to engineering and industry.

Everything from bridges and boats to factories and gold mines has been documented by HAER for historical purposes. Using laser scanning technology from Leica Geosystems and software from kubit, an Autodesk developer partner, HAER is able to capture “point clouds” of data that create a 3D image of these sites. Using the AutoCAD® point-cloud rendering engine and kubit's enhanced functionality, HAER staff works with this point cloud data to create detailed 3D models and 2D drawings, which are then housed in the Library of Congress for access by the general public, ensuring America’s industrial achievements are documented and preserved for future generations.

“We’re creating a collection of documentation that tells a story about the built environment in America,” said Tom Behrens, an architect with HAER. “Quite simply, AutoCAD lets us work more efficiently, enabling us to document more historic sites and structures than we could have in the past.”

Answering the Call to Record History

Not everybody knows how many support cables are required to support the Golden Gate Bridge, or what a steam-powered lumber mill looks like. But they could easily find out — thanks to HAER’s efforts. Fortunately, HAER has embraced technology to help its employees document sites more effectively. They start by laser scanning the site to capture millions of data points, creating a “point cloud” that provides a digital image of the site. This data is supplemented by hand measurements and digital photography.

HAER takes this data and works with it in AutoCAD, CAD software, which features a built-in point cloud engine capable of handling up to two billion data points. Additionally, software from kubit expands their ability to analyze the point cloud data and create accurate 3D models from within the native AutoCAD environment.

Using AutoCAD, HAER creates 2D technical drawings from these 3D models. By making AutoCAD a key component in its workflow, HAER is able to complete drawings more quickly and undertake more projects.

About kubit

Since 1999, German based firm kubit has developed software for capturing existing conditions into the AutoCAD environment. kubit provides “reality capture” solutions and workflows for traditional surveying, photogrammetry and laser scanning technologies. Anyone with AutoCAD experience can master kubit software. Engineers, architects, forensic specialists, preservationists, archeologists and more utilize kubit software daily to solve their surveying needs. Whether a client is looking to manipulate huge point clouds or create simple plans the kubit team educates clients on the various measurement technologies and how to efficiently integrate them into the design workflow. kubit’s US based headquarters is located in Houston, Texas.

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