Using Hidden Label Components

I posted a vertical curve style on the Intermittent Block or Style of the Day page which demonstrates you can create an extension line that doesn't go all the way from the PVI to the end and start of the vertical curve with a label. The person I was helping out was trying to use an expression to do it, while on the surface that sounds good, once you change the vertical scale of the profile view it doesn't work. A better way to achieve this is to use a hidden component. A hidden component will let you get the angle from the PVI to the start or end of the vertical curve. Since the rotation of components attached to another component uses a rotated UCS based on the orientation of the source component you can get the required angle (I'm not sure that made sense).

If you don't have 2009 installed you won't be able to download it and view how the label was created. So here are the general steps using the principal above.

1. Add a line component anchored to both the Anchor PVI (Start Point) and the Anchor Curve Start (End Point).
2. Set the visibility of the line added to false.
3. Add another line and anchor the start point of the line to the end of the first line added.
4. Set the distance of the line in inches (or mm) for the distance you want the gap from the curve start.
5. Set the visibility of this line also to false.
6. Add another line and this time anchor the start point to the PVI and the end point to the second line added.
7. Add it to a vertical curve and you should end up with half of the label done and you can check to make sure the distances are like you want.

So to create the one line you have to have a total of three lines, two hidden and one showing. Now that I've completed 19 straight days of posts, I'm going to Disneyland.