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}