Free course · Architecture & Engineering
Free Civil 3D Course
Learn civil design in Civil 3D: survey data, surfaces, road alignments and profiles, corridors, grading, earthworks and pipe networks.
8 lessons · 1 practical project · about 8 hours · free, no sign-up
Your progress
0 of 9 lessons and projects complete · saved on this device
About this course
Civil 3D is Autodesk's civil engineering design software, built on AutoCAD. This free course follows the way a civil project is actually designed: start from survey data, build a model of the existing ground, design the horizontal and vertical geometry of a road, model it in 3D, then grade the site, calculate earthworks and lay out drainage.
Each lesson explains the engineering idea as well as the software steps, and the final project designs a complete local road. Design standards differ between countries and authorities, so the course shows where standards apply and asks you to choose one, rather than inventing numbers.
By the end you will be able to
- Import and organise survey data
- Build and analyse terrain surfaces
- Design alignments and profiles to criteria
- Model road corridors and sections
- Grade sites and report cut and fill
- Lay out gravity pipe networks
Who it’s for
- • Civil engineering and surveying students
- • AutoCAD drafters moving into civil design
- • Land development and infrastructure technicians
- • Graduate engineers
Getting Civil 3D legitimately
- • Autodesk offers a free trial of Civil 3D on its website.
- • Eligible students and educators can get free educational access through the Autodesk Education Community.
- • For paid work, subscribe through Autodesk or an authorised reseller.
Course outline
Follow the order, or jump to what you need — nothing is locked. Each lesson has steps, an exercise, a checklist and a quiz.
Beginner Getting started
Beginner overviewWhat Civil 3D is, how its objects and styles work, and how survey data comes into a drawing.
- 1. What is Civil 3D?Civil 3D is AutoCAD plus intelligent civil engineering objects — surfaces, alignments, profiles, corridors and pipe networks that update each other. Here’s what it does and why.12 min
- 2. Survey points and point groupsMost civil projects start from survey. Learn to bring survey points into Civil 3D, organise them with point groups and description keys, and check the data before designing.16 min
Intermediate Terrain and geometry
Intermediate overviewBuild existing ground surfaces, then design the horizontal alignment and vertical profile of a road.
- 1. Surfaces and terrainA surface is a 3D model of the ground built from points and lines. It’s the base for every design, so learn to build it correctly and check it.20 min
- 2. AlignmentsAn alignment is the horizontal path of a road, pipe or channel: straights joined by curves, measured by chainage. Learn to lay one out and label it.18 min
- 3. Profiles and vertical designA profile is the vertical story of an alignment: the existing ground and the designed grade. Learn to create both, and design grades with vertical curves.18 min
Advanced Corridors, grading and drainage
Advanced overviewModel roads in 3D with corridors, grade sites and calculate earthworks, and lay out stormwater and sewer pipe networks.
- 1. Assemblies and corridorsA corridor sweeps a typical cross-section (the assembly) along an alignment and profile to create a 3D road. It’s the heart of road design in Civil 3D.24 min
- 2. Grading and earthworks volumesSite grading shapes the ground for buildings, car parks and drainage. Learn to model graded surfaces with feature lines and calculate cut and fill.20 min
- 3. Pipe networksPipe networks model stormwater and sewer systems: pipes and structures that know their sizes, slopes and inverts, and appear in plan and profile together.20 min
Practical projects Practical project
Practical projects overviewDesign a local road from survey to corridor, drainage, cross sections and an earthworks report.
Free KitWren tools for this course
- Area ConverterConvert square metres, square feet, acres, hectares and more.
- Volume ConverterConvert litres, millilitres, gallons, quarts, cups, cubic metres and cubic feet.
- Length ConverterConvert between metres, centimetres, millimetres, kilometres, inches, feet, yards and miles.
- Angle ConverterConvert degrees, radians, gradians, arcminutes and turns.
- Concrete CalculatorCalculate the concrete needed for slabs, footings and post holes in cubic metres, yards and bags.
- Percentage CalculatorWork out X% of a number, what percentage one number is of another, percentage change and reverse percentages.
Related courses
- AutoCADLearn 2D drafting in AutoCAD from your first line to a complete, plotted set of drawings — step by step, with exercises and real projects.32 lessons · 5 projects · free
- BIMUnderstand building information modelling as it's practised: uses, levels of information, ISO 19650, IFC, execution plans, coordination and handover.8 lessons · 1 projects · free
- NavisworksCoordinate BIM projects in Navisworks: federate models, review and mark up, build search sets, run clash detection, simulate construction in 4D and report.7 lessons · 1 projects · free
- Engineering draftingLearn the language of engineering drawings: standards, orthographic projection, line types, dimensioning, tolerances and fits, sections, assemblies and GD&T.8 lessons · 1 projects · free
Civil 3D course: questions
Do I need to know AutoCAD before Civil 3D?
It helps a lot. Civil 3D runs on AutoCAD, so drawing, layers, snaps and layouts all come from AutoCAD. The free KitWren AutoCAD course covers what you need.
Which design standards does the course use?
None in particular. Road and drainage standards vary by country and authority. The lessons show where standards apply and ask you to choose the one relevant to your work.
Is Civil 3D free?
No, but Autodesk offers a free trial and free educational access for eligible students and educators. The course itself is completely free.
Free, independent learning material written for KitWren. Civil 3D and AutoCAD are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. KitWren is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Autodesk. We never provide software downloads, licence keys or cracks — use the official sources.