Free Autodesk Subassembly Composer Comprehensive Course (2025 Update)
By Lembit Aruvee
Part 5.0 – No More Re-Imports! PTK Direct Linking in Civil 3D Explained
Civil 3D users—especially those working with custom subassemblies—know how clunky it used to be to make small tweaks during a project. In Civil 3D 2023 and earlier, any changes to a .ptk file required a cycle of manual updating, exporting, and re-importing. Not exactly efficient, especially mid-project.
But now, with Civil 3D 2024 and newer, Autodesk has introduced a game-changer: Direct Linking to PTK files. This means your subassemblies can now act like live references, similar to XREFs in AutoCAD—dramatically improving your workflow.