Repetative Feature Line High Low Point

One can modify the CUI to have a command run the high/low point with the same grades. Open the cui, make a new command in the Command List area of the cui. Give it a name you want and add this line in the Macro line in the properties of the newly created command:
^C^CAeccInsertFeatureHighLowPoint;\\\1;1;;
Change the 1's to the two grades you want to use. Drag the command to the toolbar you want to add it to.

Offset Layer

This is a case of me not reading the command line when using the offset command. Right after you start the offset command there is an option to set the layer. In the layer setting one can use the current layer or the offset object's layer. The default is to use the offset object's layer and I always wanted it to be on another layer. Well if I read the command line I would have learned, earlier than today, that I could change the layer to be the current one and save me some time in changing the layer after the offset.

MapClean at a Press of a Button

Map clean is a great tool for cleaning up parcel lines to ensure you parcel linework is good before you turn it into parcels in Civil 3D. If you want to make the process even quicker you can add the command to a toolbar.

To do this first go through the mapclean command and set all of the setting you want to run. Then press save in the lower left hand corner. Save the mapclean profile in a location that is good for you.

Next go into the cui and create a toolbar to place a button. Create a new command and place it on a toolbar (new or existing it's your choice). Next type in the Macro contents. The macro should have the format similar to this: ^C^C-mapclean;c:/a.dpf;

Note that the backslash is going the wrong way. The -mapclean calls the command, the ; is an enter, and the c:/a.dpf is the name of the profile I saved. When you exit out of cui you should have a one button solution to doing mapcleanup. I would create several commands with the variations of map cleanup that you use.

Labeling A Point on A Parabolic Vertical Curve

If you need to label 25' intervals on a vertical curve, this may be one way to do it. I haven't tried yet in production, but I think this will be easier than the way we are doing it now.

The formula for the vertical curve is (From Help):

We will use this formula in an expression to place the label at the correct location. For the first 25' label the expressions would be:

Station: {Profile Curve Start Station}+25

Elevation: (({Grade In}/1)*25+(({Grade Out}-{Grade In})/(2*{Profile Curve Length}))*25^2)

X Offset: 0.6125

Y Offset: (({Grade In}/1)*25+(({Grade Out}-{Grade In})/(2*{Profile Curve Length}))*25^2)/(4*12)

For each interval just add 25 for each additional label you need, you will have to figure out the math for the X Offset yourself. Since Civil 3D stores the decimal value the 100 and 200 are changed to 1 and 2 respectively. Use the above values in your label for the visible values in the label and the X Offset and Y Offset to get the label in the correct location. The /(4*12) scales the offsets to the correct distance. You could add some if then statements to prevent the labels from showing up if the vertical curve isn't long enough or just add the labels for each vertical label.

A sample file with 25 and 50 expression may be found here with the 02-17-2008 date.

Structure Label with Expression

A pictorial Post

The insert property is wrong in the shot below, it should have been:

{Insertion Rim Elevation}

Pipe Network From Profile

In the office I currently work in we just use profiles to show the pipes for water lines. I've been thinking we should change the profiles into pipes so we can show the pipes in other plans than the water plans. This is the way I think would be an easy way to it.

First copy the profile you want to create a pipe network from. Then move the profile, if required, to make sure the profile is at the center of the pipe. Now make the style of the profile to show the 3D chainage in the 2D view and explode the profile twice.

Now turn the 3D polyline into a feature line, go ahead and weed the feature line. You will want to make the lengths long enough to get rid of all of the PI's along the tangents to minimize the number of structures that we won't need. Now fit the curves, if you have any.

Now create a pipe network from object and use the feature line, choose the direction you want and make sure the Use vertex elevations is checked. You should now have a pipe network that follows the original profile. Add the pipe network to the profile view to make sure it worked.

There maybe some cleanup that you need to do, but most of the work is done.

Spork Used As Weapon In Murder Outside Knife Shop

On the day Autodesk announces 2009 it's kind of odd for them to advertise their 2008 version as new.

Can't wait to use the ribbon in 2009.

(The title was partially borrowed from a The Onion reject title I heard on NPR)

Code Samples For Autocad

A post on http://c3dpavingtheway.blogspot.com/ reminded me to remind my self to look at the ObjectARX sample code when programing. The download for the ObjectARX has examples of how do program tasks in Autocad, such as prompting the user for input. From what I understand ObjectARX is what Autocad uses to run and is written in C++. One can download ObectARX from Autodesk's website:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=773204&siteID=123112

Mid-Ordinate Distance

Mid-Ordinate Distance sets the amount of tessellation when a contour or breakline is added to a surface. I looked up the word Tessellate at dictionary.com and it didn't help me figure out why they used the word tessellate instead of something more intuitive in help. If you want more information Lou explains it pretty well on her blog which makes this just a reminder to myself for a good explanation of what it means.

Surface Boundaries

When surfaces are built they are built in the order the surface components are added. This feature can be frustrating when using boundaries. When I add a boundary I expect the boundaries to be added at the end, but this isn't the case. So if you add other breaklines, points or other components to the surface definition that are outside of the boundaries they will cause the boundary to appear to not be honored. If you want the boundary to be applied last, then you will have to add the boundary definition to the surface again. Hopefully someday Autodesk will add functionality to be able to adjust the order of how the surface is built. Until then I will just reapply the boundaries. This applies to both outer and hide boundaries.