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Geo-CAD Practical Reference

Simple, Practical, and Field-Focused

Learn high-impact CAD, spreadsheet, GIS, Earth-view, and collaboration workflows in one connected reference.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2021 • Excel 365 • QGIS 3.40 • Google Earth Pro • OneDrive

This documentation is for beginner-to-intermediate users who need clear theory, practical execution, and reliable data handoff.

What This Reference Covers

  • Core concepts in plain language.
  • Tool-specific beginner workflows.
  • Interoperability and format decisions.
  • Practical execution from raw survey data to final deliverables.
  • Collaboration and version recovery with OneDrive.

Prerequisites

  • AutoCAD Civil 3D 2021 installed.
  • Excel 365 installed.
  • QGIS 3.40 installed with required plugins.
  • Google Earth Pro installed.
  • OneDrive signed in and syncing.
  • Internet available for basemap/DEM downloads.
  • Starter dataset available from Dataset Templates.

CRS Assumption for The Handbook

  • Target training area assumes UTM Zone 43N (EPSG:32643).
  • If your Area of Interest (AOI) is in a different zone, use the appropriate UTM zone for that AOI.
  • Keep one projected CRS consistent across QGIS, Civil 3D, exports, and exchange files.

Critical Elevation Source Rule

For all terrain-derived products (contour, slope, elevation profile, slope profile), use this rule:

  • Preliminary analysis without detailed site survey: use Copernicus 30m DEM.
  • Detailed analysis with detailed site survey available: generate DEM from detailed survey and use that as source.
  • Do not use Copernicus 30m DEM for detailed design checks when detailed survey data is available.

Reference Scope

  • Building example: two-room, ground-floor plan.
  • Site context: one simple approach road.
  • Survey input: total station CSV points.
  • GIS input: AOI, basemap, and terrain source (Copernicus 30m DEM for preliminary work or survey-derived DEM for detailed work).

End-to-End Data Flow

flowchart TD
    subgraph Prep[Survey and Data Preparation]
        A[Survey CSV] --> B[Excel clean and validate]
    end

    subgraph GIS[QGIS Processing Workflow]
        C[QGIS import and processing]
        C1{Detailed site survey available?}
        C2[Copernicus 30m DEM <br> for preliminary analysis]
        C3[Survey to DEM conversion <br> for detailed analysis]
        E[QGIS map layout PDF]
        G[QGIS to KMZ]
        H[Google Earth Pro review]
    end

    subgraph CAD[Civil 3D Drafting Workflow]
        D[Civil 3D drafting and layout]
        F[Civil 3D plot PDF]
    end

    subgraph Publish[Delivery Workflow]
        I[OneDrive publish package]
    end

    B --> C
    C --> C1
    C1 -->|No| C2
    C1 -->|Yes| C3
    C2 --> E
    C3 --> E
    C --> D
    C --> E
    D --> F
    C --> G
    G --> H
    E --> I
    F --> I
    H --> I

    classDef input fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#1565c0,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#0d47a1;
    classDef process fill:#fff8e1,stroke:#ef6c00,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#e65100;
    classDef decision fill:#ffebee,stroke:#c62828,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#8e0000;
    classDef output fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#2e7d32,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#1b5e20;

    class A input;
    class B,C,D,G,H process;
    class E,F,I output;

Quick Start Path

  1. Read Core Concepts and Standards.
  2. Review QGIS Reference, AutoCAD Civil 3D Reference, Excel 365 Reference, Google Earth Pro Reference, and OneDrive Reference.
  3. Download starter files from Dataset Templates.
  4. Execute the full run in Practical Execution Guide.
  5. Use Cheatsheet while working and Troubleshooting when outputs mismatch.

Questions and Discussion

Repository and Collaboration

  • GitHub repository: PrathamGitHub/Geo-CAD-Practical-Reference
  • Use this repository for updates, issue tracking, and collaborative improvements.
  • Open issues for corrections or enhancement suggestions.
  • Use pull requests for content improvements and dataset updates.