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Seminars  AGTEK's Earthwork Software Products

AGTEK Software Products and Our Corresponding Seminars

AGTEK has been developing and marketing innovative earthwork modeling and quantity takeoff software solutions since the early 1980s.  AGTEK's original "Blue Screen" Sitework Analysis System (circa 1982), its EDGE Sitework Engineering System (1989), and its Sitework 98/SitePlan 98 products (1998) were all MS-DOS®-based modeling and takeoff applications (these legacy MS-DOS products are no longer sold or supported by AGTEK and Earthwork Software Services does not provide training for them).
AGTEK's first Windows® product was actually a field survey and grade-setting/checking application, the optics-based Graphic Survey (circa 1987), which is no longer sold or supported by AGTEK.  Graphic Survey was replaced by the robust and versatile Graphic Grade 3D products (1998), which offered both optical and RTK GPS versions, including GPS machine control versions (Graphic Grade MC/Super with GPS BladePilot indicate only and GPS AutoPirate automatic control options).  AGTEK retired the Graphic Grade 3D product line in 2016 (it's no longer sold or supported) in order to focus attention on its next-generation mobile (smart phone/tablet) GPS field control applications: SmartPlan (basic 2D autonomous GPS site inspection tool), SmartDirt (robust 3D autonomous GPS site management tool), SmartTrack (autonomous GPS production analysis tool), SmartGrade (RTK GPS survey, grade setting/checking tool), and SmartBlade (RTK GPS machine guidance tool).  Earthwork Software Services does not provide training for these legacy and current AGTEK field control applications.
Earthwork Software Services' training seminars are narrowly focused on creating, editing, and manipulating 3D site surface models using AGTEK's Windows-based Earthwork 3D and Sitework 4D products as detailed below ...

Earthwork 3D Product Family (2002-2015)

[Note: AGTEK retired the 3D product family in 2015 (AGTEK has now discontinued sales, product updates, technical support, and training services for the 3D products).  AGTEK's ongoing product development efforts are now focused exclusively on the Gradework 4D platform.]
AGTEK's first Windows-based earthwork modeling and takeoff application was Earthwork 3D (2002).  Earthwork 3D provided various data-entry methods, including scaled manual digitizing from paper plans and importing DWG, DXF, DGN, and ASCII PNEZ text files (the ability to import PDF/TIF/JPG/PNG/GIF files could be added by purchasing AGTEK's PDF Utility).  The Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 seminars thoroughly cover Earthwork 3D's surface modeling and quantity takeoff functions.
SiteModel 3D (previously known as Sitework LT) was a limited-function version of Earthwork 3D which allowed data entry only by way of importing DWG, DXF, DGN, and ASCII PNEZ text files (the ability to import PDF/TIF/JPG/PNG/GIF files could be added by purchasing AGTEK's PDF Utility).  SiteModel 3D also included the ability to export KMZ files for display in Google Earth.  Scaled manual digitizing from paper plans was not supported by SiteModel 3D.  The Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 seminars thoroughly cover SiteModel 3D's surface modeling and quantity takeoff functions.
SitePlan 3D was a limited-function version of Earthwork 3D which allowed data entry only by way of scaled manual digitizing from paper plans (importing DWG, DXF, DGN, PDF and ASCII PNEZ text files was not supported).  The Day 1 seminar thoroughly covers SitePlan 3D's surface modeling and quantity takeoff functions; however, the Day 2 and Day 3 seminars DO NOT apply to SitePlan 3D.
Highway 3D was a specialized add-on earthwork module for Earthwork 3D and SiteModel 3D which provided additional functionality for modeling and quantifying linear earthwork projects (highway, rail, aqueduct, etc.).  Highway 3D allowed entry of cross-section, horizontal COGO and vertical COGO data via the scaled digitizing of paper plans, manual keyboard entry and importing DWG, DXF, DGN, ASCII text, and (via the PDF Utility) PDF/TIF/JPG/PNG/GIF files.  Our seminars DO NOT address the specialized functions of the discontinued Highway 3D product, and AGTEK's library of Highway 3D training videos is no longer accessible.
SiteModel-Highway was a product that simply combined SiteModel 3D and Highway 3D (see individual product descriptions above).  The Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 seminars thoroughly cover SiteModel 3D's surface modeling and quantity takeoff functions but our seminars DO NOT address any Highway 3D functions.
GradeModel 3D (2008) was a comprehensive modeling and takeoff product that combined an extended version of SiteModel 3D with Highway 3D, the PDF Utility, and the haul planning functions that are still available in the current standalone Trackwork 4D product.  As with SiteModel 3D, manual digitizing from paper plans was not supported by GradeModel 3D and data entry was based on imported digital files.  GradeModel 3D also included the ability to export KMZ files for display in Google Earth.  Although the Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 seminars thoroughly cover creating and editing 3D surface models with GradeModel 3D (corresponding to the identical functions of SiteModel 3D and the PDF Utility), our seminars DO NOT address GradeModel 3D's haul planning tools and our seminars DO NOT address GradeModel 3D's incorporated Highway 3D functions.
PDF Utility was a purchasable add-on module for Earthwork 3D and SiteModel 3D (the PDF Utility was included, at no additional cost, with GradeModel 3D--and it's included with the Sitework 4D and Gradework 4D products discussed below).  This very popular utility enabled the host 3D software to import and display/process vector PDF and raster PDF (plus TIF/JPG/PNG/GIF) files.  With the PDF Utility, vector PDF files could be imported and processed much like layered CAD files and raster PDF files could be processed via either raster-to-vector conversion or "heads up" on-screen manual digitizing.  Our Day 1 seminar documents using the PDF Utility with raster PDF plan sheets and our Day 2 seminar documents using the PDF Utility with vector PDF plan sheets.

Earthwork 4D Product Family (2011-Present)

The 4D products provide a number of significant operating advantages over the retired 3D products, including Windows 8/10 compatibility, 32- and 64-bit versions, cloud-based license (no more lost/broken hardware dongles), improved CAD/PDF import, additional import/export options (LandXML), cloud-based data sharing, tight integration with Google Earth, and more.
Sitework 4D (2011) is the base module of AGTEK's Earthwork 4D product suite.  Sitework 4D's user interface, menus, data organization, and basic functional procedures are essentially identical to those of Earthwork 3D (so much so, in fact, that experienced Earthwork 3D users migrating to Sitework 4D are immediately comfortable and productive in the 4D product).  Unlike Earthwork 3D, manual digitizing from paper plans is not supported by the standard version of Sitework 4D (most 4D users skip it, but a paper digitizing option can be added to Sitework 4D at additional cost).  Essentially all of the Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 seminar topics demonstrate and document identical program functions available to Sitework 4D users; however, Sitework 4D includes a growing list of unique improvements and functions that are not available in Earthwork 3D and some of these are not yet addressed in our seminars (see related FAQ).
Highway 4D is a specialized add-on earthwork module for Sitework 4D which provides additional functionality for modeling and quantifying linear earthwork projects (highway, rail, aqueduct, etc.).  Highway 4D allows entry of cross-section, horizontal COGO and vertical COGO data via keyboard entry and importing DWG, DXF, DGN, LandXML, ASCII text, and PDF/TIF/JPG/PNG/GIF files.  Our seminars DO NOT address the specialized functions of Highway 4D; however, AGTEK offers Highway 4D users a series of self-paced Highway 4D training videos, as well as a live "hands-on" Highway 4D Web Training and Highway 4D Classroom Training options.
Trackwork 4D is a specialized add-on earthwork module for Sitework 4D which combines a comprehensive set of haul planning tools with the ability to analyze a project's actual haul production (as documented with field-collected autonomous GPS data) verses the originally anticipated haul production (based on site surfaces modeled in Sitework 4D).  Our seminars DO NOT address the specialized functions of Trackwork 4D; however, AGTEK offers Trackwork 4D users a series of self-paced Trackwork 4D training videos, as well as a live "hands-on" Trackwork 4D Web Training class.
Other modules in the Earthwork 4D suite of products include Materials 4D (detailed length/area paving materials takeoff) and Underground 4D (detailed storm/sewer/water pipe materials takeoff).  Our seminars DO NOT address the specialized functions of Materials 4D and Underground 4D; however, AGTEK offers Materials/Underground 4D training videos, as well as live "hands-on" Web Training classes.
Gradework 4D (2017) offers all the features, functions and module options of AGTEK's Earthwork 4D product suite, but Gradework provides seamless integration with the optional Trackwork and Gradework-Materials modules.  Gradework also includes the ability to import and process raw (not down-sampled) point cloud files and full-resolution orthomosaic image files produced from drone topo surveys (importing and processing drone topo data is not addressed in our seminars but a number of AGTEK's Gradework 4D training videos do cover this topic).  All Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 seminar topics apply to Gradework 4D users.