Project Structure
One site. Many drawings. One file.
List every DWG on the job. Sync Current reads the open drawing. Sync All reads the rest from disk. The .sdp keeps the last rings so the plan still works when Civil 3D is closed.
Release 1 · Civil 3D 2027
Design the storm. Keep the drawing.
StormDesigner sits next to Civil 3D. You draw once. Sync pulls the closed polylines. Soils, rainfall, drainage areas, ditches, pipes, and the report live in one project file.
Civil 3DNamed-pipe live sync
USDA soilsHSG from Soil Data Access
NOAA 14IDF and DDF in the project
.sdp fileWorks after CAD closes
Drainage Areas
PRE and POST, soil by cover.
Assign closed polylines. Overlay hydrologic soil groups and TR-55 land use. Composite CN, C, area, and Tc sit on the card. Map Standard Land Uses once. Sync does not guess.
Hydrographs
The diagram now. The Run later.
Place catchment, pond, reach, and outfall nodes. Link them. The Drainage Area Viewer sits on the right. Full storm Run, pond routing, and StormTech stay for a later release.
Ditches
Swale math on the assigned DA.
Manning section, lining, left and right side slopes. Assign ditch catchments from the left palette. Outlet protection reads Q, D, and V when you need riprap.
Pipes
Circular CIA plus Manning.
Same assign flow as ditches. Intensity from the storm you pick. After capacity: La, W, and d50. View Graph uses the NCDOT chart. Low velocity skips outlet protection.
Pipe Networks
Import the network. Assign inlets.
Pull Civil 3D pipe networks. Map inlet catchments. See structures on the plan. Full HGL / EGL Run, Results, and profile stay for a later release.
Calculation Report
A book you can send.
Contents, page order, cover fields. The compiled package is one vector PDF stored inside the .sdp. Print writes the same pages the viewer shows.
How it runs
Three steps. Then you design.
1. Draw in Civil 3D
Closed polylines on C-HYDR layers. PRE-DA, POST-DA, soils, inlets. Layer Tools in Civil 3D moves objects onto the right layer.
2. Sync
StormDesigner.exe talks to the plugin over a named pipe. Sync Current pulls the open drawing. The .sdp caches the rings.
3. Calculate and print
Assign catchments. Load NOAA rain. Import soils. Size ditches and pipes. Build the calculation report in the same window.
Release 1 — in the program now
The parts you can use today.
These match the live tabs in default mode. Open Product to walk each one.
Project Structure
Drawings, defaults, coverage, NOAA, and soils in one place.
Drainage Areas
PRE / POST overlay, CN, C, Tc, land use, Write to CAD Catchments.
Hydrographs
Node diagram and DA viewer. Full Run comes later.
Ditches
Manning swales, lining, assign DAs, outlet protection.
Pipes
Circular CIA, storm intensity, La / W / d50, View Graph.
Pipe Networks
Import from Civil 3D and assign inlets. Full HGL Run comes later.
Calculation Report
Vector PDF in the .sdp. Contents you can reorder.
Layer Tools
Civil 3D palette. Move objects onto a C-HYDR layer.
Release 2 and later
On the board. Not in the first sale.
Hydrographs and Pipe Networks are in Release 1 as layout. The full Run is still in process, with Water Quality, Cost, and Grading.
Why this, not that
Built for the Civil 3D site job. Priced under the big suites.
HydroCAD is cheap and standalone. Bentley OpenFlows starts near $1,355 a year. Autodesk InfoDrainage is another round-trip. StormDesigner stays on the drawing you already have.
- Named-pipe sync — no export / import dance for Release 1 catchments.
- USDA soils and NOAA Atlas 14 inside the same window.
- $90 / month per seat, or $695 / year. Ten Studio seats at 9× Designer.
Lunch & learn
I will come to your office.
Sandwiches, Civil 3D, and a live walk through Drainage Areas. For firms that want a room full of people on the same page.
Request a meeting