Accessing the Shared Reference Point Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018 and Revit 2018

There are numerous reasons you should establish shared coordinates between your AutoCAD Civil 3D and Revit models. Unfortunately, the out-of-the-box method for doing that is neither simple nor all that commonsensical. Though not included in the out-of-the-box installations of AutoCAD Civil 3D or Revit, Autodesk does have a tool that dramatically simplifies the shared coordinates process. The Autodesk Shared Reference Point Extension for both AutoCAD Civil 3D and Revit is tucked away inside the Productivity Tools for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018. After demonstrating how to use this extension at the most recent RevitRVA User Group meeting, I've had several customers ask where they could find a download for the tool.

Downloading the Autodesk Shared Reference Point Extension

The Autodesk Shared Reference Point Extension is packaged inside the Productivity Tools for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018. Although most add-ins like this are available from the Updates & Add-ons tab of your product inside Autodesk Account, the Productivity Tools are an exception to this rule. The download is instead found on the Product Enhancements page. You can find the Productivity Tools by doing the following:

1. Visit the Autodesk Account site at http://manage.autodesk.com, and enter your email or Autodesk ID.
2. Select Product Enhancements from the navigation bar along the left side of Autodesk Account.
3. Select the "Productivity Tools for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018" extension listing from the product enhancements download page.
4. Locate the Autodesk Shared Reference Point downloads on the Productivity Tools for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018 download page. Note the separate downloads for the AutoCAD Civil 3D and Revit versions of the extension.
5. Once downloaded, make sure you have AutoCAD Civil 3D or Revit installed, and just double-click the corresponding MSI file to install.

Using the Shared Reference Point Extension

If you're attending Autodesk University 2017, my colleague Purvi Gandhi Irwin and I are presenting the class "A Match Made in Coordinates: Bringing Revit, AutoCAD Civil 3D, and InfraWorks Together at Last" where we will demonstrate the use of this extension and a lot more. Beyond just the functionality of the plugin, we also plan to share how establishing shared coordinates between AutoCAD Civil 3D and Revit can open up exciting opportunities for virtual reality. Though Purvi and I would love for you to join us at Autodesk University, if you're just interested in how to use the extension, the following video will show you just that.

https://youtu.be/mTUWKTQnUn4