Creating Blocks from Cogo Points...?

[hkaplan1227]

We are in the middle of upgrading from LDD2008 to Civil3D2013. This is a 2 part question. Since there are NO point labels similar to Poiint labels in LDD2008. It is making cleaning the elevations up very teadious. With point labels that are just Mtext. I would rotate 1 label and then match properties to rotate the rest and then jiust more the elevations to make them readable.

How do you all deal with cleaning up the elevations?  Is there a way to match proprties as far as the rotatiion of the points?

or do you Create blocks from Cogo points?

So, I starting playing with the Creating Blocks from Cogo Points. This creates a block with attributes similar to the way Softdesk treated points back in the day. I ran into a couple of issues. 1 being, it rounds the elevation to 3 decimals places. I've seen posts regarding that here.

The iquestion I was hoping someone can help me with is, When it creates blocks from the Cogo Points some of the blocks are giving me 0.000 elevations for points that had actual elevations.

Does anyone know why it is doing this?

Any help would be appreciated

[jmayo-EE]

We use Acad views to get text orientated to sheets. If the descriptions keys don't place a symbol correct we rotate point styles individually when required. We don't have many just a few sign symbols. We use to rotate a lot of storm inlets before we started using pipe networks on existing sewers. We have never created blocks from points.

[IanMcClain]

I'm not sure I completely understand what your doing, but it sounds like you just need a point label that has an elevation displayed. It's easy to create a style that does that. You can then select all the points you want to use said style, apply it and even apply a rotation to the point label parameter. You can even use a description key to apply the style if you want, but you'll still have to select all the points you want to apply the rotation to. Point groups or selection filter may help with that. I would stay away from turning points into blocks.

There is likley a way to program a match rotation for labels in LISP or somesuch, but that is beyone me.

[hkaplan1227]

it would have helped to explain myself more.

Most of my work is done on road rehab jobs. When the points come in they all come in at the same angle. It most cases the elevations have to be rotated so they are readable. We have descriptions keys set. My question is regarding the rotation of the point labels. I usually make the elevations parellel to the curb, sidewalk, etc.

I'm working on a job that is 1 mile long and rotating each elevation is taking longer than I would like

Using the Creating blocks from Cogo points would allow me to rotate the elevations easier then the points themselves.

Hopefully I've explained my situation better

Thanks for the input

[jmayo-EE]

Hi Howard. I better seee what you are doing.

There are a lot of ways to label elevations but I don't believe that points are the most efficient tool for elevation labels that need to be aligned to linework. When I have a large number elevation labels that ned to be oriented to an object like a road edge, I think alignment labels, feature line labels and/or corridor labels because these can be created quickly and you won't have to rotate labels.

If you have a breakline (feature line, survey figure or 3d poly) or surface this is very easy. The breakline can use Line Labels the display vertex elevations. These can be placed at an increment (by adding elevation points) or at each PI.

If you have a surface and a 2d pline this can quickly become an alignment and a preconfigured alignment label set can be created that will display the referenced surface elevations. All of these labels can be setup to be aligned and rotated with reference to it's own linework.

These labels can also be set up so they drag and display a leader for plan text/label over-write locations.

[Scuttlebutt95]

Howard,

I know exactly what you are talking about because I am having the exact same problem.  It's a long story but in order to meet a clients requirements I have to use the CONVERT COGO POINT TO BLOCK tool - I cannot use label styles or any of the other options discussed on here.  

Can anyone answer the simple question of why the Convert COGO Point to Block tool doesn't always read the elevation from the point object?  For example:

COGO POINT:  Number = 10, Description = NG, Elevation = 73.1

BLOCK created from COGO point:  Number =10, Description = NG, Elevation = 0.00

Thanks!

[IanMcClain]

It sounds like your points are displaying with "Flatten to elevation" in their point style. Edit the point style of the points in question to "Use Point Elevation" under the 3D Geometry tab, then your resulting blocks should pick up the elevation.

[Scuttlebutt95]

That was it - but I found out that you have to modify the 3D display for the point style listed in the Points List NOT the style used as an override in a point group - which is a bit more tedious to fix after the fact - but it's better than nothing!  

Thanks!