AutoCAD Civil 3D :: How To Know Surface Elevations
May 3, 2012
In C3D 2012, when I needed to know what elevation a surface contour was at, I simply hovered my mouse near the point in question and a small window would tell me what elevation my mouse was hovering at. Now, in 2013 I am trying to do the same thing but the little window only has the name of the surface and no elevations. So, how am I supposed to know surface elevations on the fly? Is there some setting to turn that back on?
I graded a commercial site with mostly feature lines. I added points where I needed them to get everything to work. After modifying my surface, I suddenly have zero elevations randomly throughout my site. They don't make any sense why they appear. Some are just added to my drawing and others are existing points that were changed to zero. I can go to a back up drawing from a few hours ago and redo some grading, but I would like to know if there is a way to just erase zero elevations from the surface. I remember LDD was able to create surfaces ignoring elevations below a set elevation.
Is there a way to lighten up the colors of my surface slope analysis that the rainbow gives me? My drawing will be going into a report and the colors are too bold. Pastels are a bit too bold.
Civil3d 2012 - is there a way to project standard autocad lines and curves to an existing surface to the lines and curves end up with the surface elevations? we are trying out that wants 3d lines exported in a dxf file. We have a surface and we have the lines...it's just that the linwork is all at 0 elevation.
I have a existing surface. I want to create a proposal surface so I can know the volume between boths. This proposal surface is represent for a disposal area that can be filled up to a elevation. I have a bottom of P-surface as a feature line at EL 1608, and I want top of P-surface to EL 1613.
I've created a surface into Civil3D by importing a LandXML file created from contours in a .dgn file. When I create profile views for the alignments, the elevations are shown negative (-500 to -20) where as they have to be in between 500 to 670. Also when I run the surface elevation analysis, all the elevation are shown in between 1000 to 2200 inches as shown in the figure attached.
Am I missing any conversion or some settings when importing the surface.
Windows 7 x 64 Nvidia Quadro 2000 24 GB Ram i7 960 @ 3.20 GHz Civil 3D 2012
I've got a number of scenario diagrams to produce where I want to show the volume of material to be dredged from a harbour. There will be no "fill" just cut. In some parts of the area of interest the existing ground is below the target depth, so these holes wouldn't need to dredged further.
Two question:
1. Given that the area in question contains cut areas, but also other areas that I don't want to fill. What is the best way to get a good surface map and volume estimation? Currently, I create a feature line surrounding the entire area to be less than the target depth, set the elevation of the line at that depth, then grade to surface and add an infill. This gives me cut and fill volumes (for the deep holes), of which I ignore the fill number. Is there a better way??
2. I've created my TIN volume surface (comparison of EG with the graded depth surface). Now I want to present the maps with "range interval with datum", so the cut volumes are shaded increasing from (say) yellow to red, whereas for the "fill" areas I don't want to show anything (transparent would be ideal or maybe greys). Is there a way to create customised color ranges for the elevation analysis? As I'm doing numerous maps I don't want to be manually editing and re-editing the analysis range details. I'm using AutoCAD C3D 2012.
When working with multiple building pads and configurations change rapidly. Is there a method to add a Block or Xref into a Civil3D Surface under Drawing Objects? If so, how could you do it.
I want to have a building block type 1 that I can update the block or xref then updates the surface rather than doing each one individually. The Block would have a FFE of 0.00 and then the stoops, etc would either be a 0.1 drop or so.
I am trying to edit the elevation of a JPEG image I have brought into my C3D 2010 file as an xref - I essentially want to 'drape' the image over the existing ground surface I have created to use for presentation purposes i.e. to show how our road layout is predominantly located along the ridge lines of the site.
Typically for other file types I would perform the following steps (using the classic toolbar): Grading > Edit Feature Line Elevations > Elevations from Surface > Select the existing ground surface > select object.
I don't seem to have the ability to select my jpeg xref using this approach... how else can I perform this task?
How can I make sure the annotated surface labels spot elevations from my 3d design drawing which is being xrefed into a new Precise Grading Breakout Sheet plots screened?
The Label Style which I created for the annotated surface label spot elevations has all its properties set to be ByLayer for example its color and lineweight. The Layer I assigned the Label Style was assigned to a layer with a color and plot style that should plot any object screened. Color 8 and Plot Style Screened.
What other steps am I missing to assure myself that this Label Style will plot screened in my new Precise Grading Breakout Sheet?
I also made sure that the xref drawing in which this Surface spot elevation has the correct colors and lineweights and Plot Styles in my new Precise Grading Breakout Sheet.
Im creating a Profile Bandset and would like to have multiple surface/profile elevations shown, ie: EG, FG, Back of Curb and Back of walk. While creating this bandset I see that the text component editor properties only has code for profile 1 elevation and profile 2 elevation in the properties area, which the code for this looks like below.
Ive tried to write my own code using the profile 2 as an example but it doesnt seem to work as a 3rd surface/profile and only seems to mimic the profile 2 elevation when placed in the band
My questions are as follows
1) does Civil 3d only allow 2 surface elevations in any band set? if it does allow more profiles/surface elevations what am i missing to create it?
2) if Civil 3d does alow for multiple surfaces to be shown in the band set how do i get the text component editor to supply the extra profile elevation codes? or would i need to create from scratch
3) if i need to write the code from scratch does any listing of the codes and meanings of each code ie what does RN, Uft, Sn and so forth do and mean .
. How to assign proposed elevation to layout alignment along each station?. I know there is a way in LDT to assign proposed elevations to s specific range of stations or the full alignment, under menu "profiles/ FG Vertical Alignments/Create COGO Points" I am looking for the same one in C3D.
2. How to add connecting alignment label and station in profile view. For example I have an main alignment and in-between lot of other alignments are meeting with this alignment.
I want to show in profile view of the main alignment the meeting alignment's name and the station it meets with?
How to get precise elevations at lowest and highest points. I need to get spots where the water flows and its precise elevation at that spot as analysis.
We have a good size channel and the section for the channel varies quite a bit. We want to find the volume excavated in the channel between 2 elevations (it is the area of sand per the goetech report)? A template was not used to create the channel surface, breaklines and gradings were used.
I need to project a surface/grading (or something of that nature) across my berm and have it intersect with the inside bank. This is better explained if you see the attached image. In the plan view you see 4 featurelines. Outside TOE, outside TOB, inside TOB then inside TOE. I need to project the outside TOE across the berm (shown in the section view) then create a new featureline where the line and inside slope of the berm intersect. Note that all the elevation shots vary as does the widths across the berm. What's the best way to do this?
I have two different point groups that I am using in my drawing. One is from a survey done a few years ago and the other is from one that I did just the other day.
I don't have a problem inserting the points or whatnot, but the issue I am having is that when I click "Datum" to adjust the elevations of my new point group (to make my benchmark 100.00'), Civil 3D alters all of my points; including the ones from the older survey. Is a way to adjust elevations to only one set of points.
I have a survey figure that no matter what will not come in with the correct elevations, its a spline (continous) curve that the elevations get blow up on.
Only thing I can think of is the when it starts to interpolate the curve it cant get the elevations correct, this only happens in the curved area, once it goes tangent everything goes back to normal.
We are running Civil3d 2012. When converting a line or 3d poly to feature line, or just creating one it adds elevation points where it crosses surface breaklines even if you do not assign elevations. We want the feature to just have 2 elevations. The beginning and end. Is this a bug? Or is there another setting somewhere?
I am working on laying out data for some survey crews along the centerline of the road. I have a BC and EC elevation, but the vertices along the CL are at different elevations, which were the original elevation of the poly line before being transformed into a 3D polyline. Is there an easy way to make the full line follow the slope from BC to EC other than manually shifting the vertices?
I often have to do storm pond surfaces that (for the purposes of planning) are flat on the bottom. These surfaces are created from a combination of survey data and grading groups and the tin of these surfaces is perfectably acceptable. However, when contours are shown, the flat bottom is shown with contours jig-jagging all over the place.
The attached image shows a comparison of the same pond. The top was created with survey data and grading groups; the bottom was created using contour data only. The generated surface on the top shows the bottom contour going in different directions and has parts where the an expected contour is missing.
How to correct/manipulate the surface to show a proper flat surface?
Has instances where you set your tolerance for the maximum triangle lenth to say 50m to reduce the amount of triangles along the edge that run at long distances. When I do this I end up with multiple surface holes and I'm not sure why as there are points in the area.
I thought well maybe it's because i should've reduced my max triangles first then added breaklines. Would this matter? I also thought I could add a line to the surface to fix the holes vs. deleting surface lines along the entire edge of a surface for many many miles.
I am trying to add points into a surface. I have done this before without any problems, but now I am having issues.
When I ID points which makes up the surface it gives me the correct Z level e.g. 24.5m, however when I hover over the surface it shows me the surface name and a different z level e.g. 0.65m. What is the reason for this difference in z levels? I think this may be causing the issue I am having when I add new points.
I select the surface and use the 'edit surface command' in the ribbon, choosing add point.
When I add a point at the level I require(23.89m), it puts it in a lot higher than the surrounding area, so I tried to put the point in to the lower z levels (0.4m) it puts it in a lot lower!
I am issues with DEM files that I am downloading from the USGS website.I download 24k, elevation for the area I need. I then choose staged 1 second, add a surface to a blank drawing, then upload the DEM files to the surface.
The surface imports correcty, but when I try to import points taken by a surveyor on the same drawing, they plot incorrectly.The DEM surface and the points from the surveyor do not correspond. Also, the DEM surface is in meters, not feet. I have tried changing drawing settings, datum types, coordinate types, etc.
I have a project involving 3 programs. I am creating a planned development in 3d to be 3d printed when finished. The project is a 5 acre tract containing 8 buildings. I have built the surface in C3D and each building in Revit. The buildings are not in the same Revit file. For my solid work, I will bring the files over into 3ds Max Design to section into smaller quadrants to build in the 3d printer.
The questions:
Would it be better to import the surface into Revit to merge surface and buildings together?
Would it be better to import the buildings into C3D to merge entities?
Would it be better to bring those entities into 3ds Max and then merge them into one? Will 3ds Max Design allow me to insert entities accurately in the environment?
I need to create a sub-set surface from my main surface. not sure what the vernacular is for a "subset surface" in c3d but i do have a feature line that bouinds the desired area, but that is as far as i can solve.
i did try creating a new surface - pasted the main surface in the edit definition, then deleted triangles until the boundary alighned wiht my featureline. This seemed to work, but when i view the properties of the smaller subset suface, it shows a mimum and maximum elevation that is incorrect.
Im currently using an addon for Civil 3D called Novapoint. It allows me to create 3D models of surfaces made out of 3d faces and easily models cut and fill 3d-models for me.
The only thing i need to create a cut and fill model is one or several ground surfaces (existing ground, earth layers, rock etc. whatever i need) and a closed polyline/3Dpolyline that represents the level I want my cut and/or fill model.
I enter the spcifications I want such as; earth cut angle, rock cut angle, fill angle, select which surfaces i want to include in the model calculation and select the polyline.Novapoint then calculates the cut/fill model from the surfaces to the polyline and models the different cut/fill angles and gives me the results in a 3d-face model and a specification of the volyme of rock cut, earth cut an fill.
1. Novapoint is quite unstable and crashes alot
2. You cant create profiles out of 3d faces
3. Novapoint does not automaticly combine the start surfaces with the modeled cut/fill surface
4. A large surface made out of 3d-faces demands alot of computer power
So I want to how I do the same that Novapoint does for me in Civil 3D? (I have access to Civil 3D 2007-2013 depending on which one you're using)I know I can take the 3Dfaces i created in Novapoint and make a surface in Civil 3D with them but I want to exclude Novapoint completely.
