Data Shortcuts, Alignments and Profiles

[AllenJessup]

I created DRefs to an Alignment plus the Existing and Proposed Profiles. I ended up with 3 alignments with one profile attached to each of the second and third alignment. The second and third alignments are name as <Alignmentname> (2) and <Alignmentname> (3). I deleted them an just brought in the profiles but they each created a new alignment.

I searched the board and Google. What I found was that it's recommended to keep the profiles in the drawing in which the alignment was created. I usually do that. But I've been working at a 1:1000 scale and now the Engineer wants the profiles plotted at 1:500. I don't like changing the scale in the drawing so I thought I'd created a new drawing with that scale. It doesn't look like I can do that now. Any suggestions.

Allen

[LeafRiders]

Maybe create a new file for you 1:500 plotting, change what you need to and keep it separate from your original file. Why does it matter if the Profile brings in a reference to the alignment that it's using? It's relative information. I'd name my file PROFILE_500, and setup everything style and annotation to be 1:500. When you update your profile drawing this file should update accordingly.

[Joe-Bouza]

Hi Allen

I know how you feel, the wierd thing is sometimes it works.

A few weeks back I posted a very similar thread and ask for some honest input on my workflow. The honesty got pretty flamy.

So I gleaned from some of the more pronounced opins that it is not a good practice to make profile in one file and alignments in another. I kinda agreed with the burn but certainly see why it might want to be done.

In you situation, couldn't you simply create the alignment and profile in file A, DRef to file B and change the scale?

[AllenJessup]

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@LeafRiders wrote:

 Why does it matter if the Profile brings in a reference to the alignment that it's using? It's relative information.

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It matters when you try to create the profile. If the existing is attached to alignment 1 and the proposed is attached to alignment 2. You can't draw a profile view with both profiles in it. [or at least I haven't found a way] I've considered drawing 2 profile views and then superimposing one profile on the other. But I don't think that's the right way to do it.

Allen

[AllenJessup]

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@Joe-Bouza wrote:

In you situation, couldn't you simply create the alignment and profile in file A, DRef to file B and change the scale?

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Joe,

That's what I want to do. I have an Alignment & Profile drawing. I want to create the new drawing at 1:500. However. With the existing and proposed profiles coming in attached to 2 separate versions of the alignment, I can't draw a profile view with both profiles in it.

Allen

[Anonymous]

 That's what I want to do. I have an Alignment & Profile drawing. I want to create the new drawing at 1:500. However. With the existing and proposed profiles coming in attached to 2 separate versions of the alignment, I can't draw a profile view with both profiles in it.

Allen

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There lies your issue. They are attached to seperate alignments, so the Dref is doing just what it is supposed to.

Just curious, why did you put your Existing profile and Proposed profile on seperate Alignments? Was it because you used as surveyed data for the Existing and design data for the Proposed?

If that's the case, why not take your exisitng profile and put it with your design Alignment? Sure, there may be a difference, but I'm willing to bet it's negligible. 

I would copy your Proposed into your design Alignment, and then try Dref again, and continue on with your idea.

HTH

[AllenJessup]

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@AllenJessup wrote:

I created DRefs to an Alignment plus the Existing and Proposed Profiles. I ended up with 3 alignments with one profile attached to each of the second and third alignment. The second and third alignments are name as <Alignmentname> (2) and <Alignmentname> (3). I deleted them an just brought in the profiles but they each created a new alignment.

I searched the board and Google. What I found was that it's recommended to keep the profiles in the drawing in which the alignment was created. I usually do that. But I've been working at a 1:1000 scale and now the Engineer wants the profiles plotted at 1:500. I don't like changing the scale in the drawing so I thought I'd created a new drawing with that scale. It doesn't look like I can do that now. Any suggestions.

Allen

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[AllenJessup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

There lies your issue. They are attached to separate alignments, so the Dref is doing just what it is supposed to.

Just curious, why did you put your Existing profile and Proposed profile on separate Alignments?

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That's the thing. In my Alignment & Profile drawing they are attached to the Same Alignment.

It's only when I create a Reference that the program breaks them apart. If I reference the Alignment first, that comes in with the original name. When I then reference the Profiles the program appends a (1) and a (2). If I try creating a reference to only the profiles. The first profile comes in with the original Alignment name and the program appends a (1) to the Alignment that comes in with the second profile.

Allen

[Anonymous]

Have you copied the file at all? It could be that C3D is using the original object handles, and Dref's the original as well.

Try copying the alignments to a different Site and then try to recreate the Drefs. That has worked before.

[AllenJessup]

Yes. They have been copied. That may be what's happening. I'll try that ASAP, but I've just been put on another project and might not get back to this until next week.

Allen

[Anonymous]

That being the case, that is what I would bet is going on. The object handles are still the same as the original, so that's why it's splitting it apart each time.

When you copy to new Site, C3D will create new handles, and that should then solve your Dref issue.

[LeafRiders]

I'm interested to hear back about this one. I never had an issue myself with this, which was why I wasn't sure what was actually going on. Thanks for the additional discription, the reason given as to why this is happening makes a lot of sense.

[AllenJessup]

I'll let you know as soon as I can get back to it. Right now I exercising my skills as a Cartographer rather than a designer.

Allen

[jrfinley]

I was having the same problem, I had promoted the alignments the profiles are associated with, thus making them independent in the drawing they were referenced into (unknown when I did it) and thus when I tried to reference the profiles they did not find the reference for the alignment and created new alignments.

Hope this helps another frustrated C3D user.

Now to tackle getting them in a profile view.

Jim Finley

[AllenJessup]

Thanks for adding that. It doesn't seem to be the problem in my case. But it's a good thing to watch out for.

Allen

[miro.bos]

I had the same issue. I was able to sove it by lining the alignment in the sourse file to the alignemnt in the sheet file through the "ManageDataShortcuts" command. I am using Civil 3D 2016 SP1.