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Drawing a pipe, what controls the point where it anchors?

13 REPLIES 13
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Message 1 of 14
asloat
1052 Views, 13 Replies

Drawing a pipe, what controls the point where it anchors?

I am finding my pipes are not showing up as expected in my profile and I think I know why, but not how to fix it.

 

To draw the pipes I am using a fixed depth relative to the surface, lets say 5'. I draw a feature line on the surface, offset it -5' and the line is then at the correct depth for the TOP of the pipe. If I then snap to these 2 end points to draw the actual pipe at thos elevations, it comes intot he profile at a different elevation.

 

My thought is what controls which part of the pipe is assigned to these elevations and where can i change it? If I have a drain pipe I may know the inverts so the elevations I snap to will be inside bottom of pipe. For most others I only know a size and depth so i want it to snap to the top of the pipe. In most cases top of pipe is ideal as I am drawing pipes of alls orts of sizes and if I have to use any other value I'd have to know the pipe size and adjust every line by a certain am,ount based one ach size, which would really stink.

13 REPLIES 13
Message 2 of 14
Jay_B
in reply to: asloat

If your creating a feature line representing Top of Pipe etc. then use the "Create Pipe Network From Object"

method and check "use vertex elevations" option.

 

PN from object.PNG

 

C3D 2018.1
C3D 2016 SP4

Win 7 Professional 64 Bit
Message 3 of 14
asloat
in reply to: Jay_B

I already created a network for each utility type, and I am using "Edit Network" to then add any pipes, When using this tool it does not let me select what the vertex represents. Is it correct to assume that if I create a netowrk using the method you have above, it will always use the vertex from data for all pipes added? If that is the case then I'd need a seperate network for pipes of the same type if I knew the invert vs knew the top of pipe.

Message 4 of 14
Joe-Bouza
in reply to: asloat

The prefered work flow is in the dialog box the Jay shows. if you are using the FL as a snap target I don't thinks the snap understands you are trying to snap the top of pipe to the FL.
Thank you

Joseph D. Bouza, P.E. (one of 'THOSE' People)

HP Z210 Workstation
Intel Xeon CPU E31240 @ 3.30 Hz
12 GB Ram


Note: Its all Resistentialism, so keep calm and carry on

64 Bit Win10 OS
Message 5 of 14
asloat
in reply to: Joe-Bouza

Ok, that is fine, but lets say I have 45 Electric lines; I issue the command above and tell it top of pipe; it only lets you do this with one pipe. I then need to use "edit network" on that new network and add more pipes to it. I can't imagine I am expected to make a pipe network for all 45 individual pipes correct?

 

If at the very least i can safely assume that all added pipes will inherit the vertex position from the original command, I can live with that. It means I'd need a seperate newtork for the same utility if the elevation is base don different areas, but not a huge deal breaker.

Message 6 of 14
Jay_B
in reply to: asloat

If given a mixture of inverts and top of pipe elevations for a given utility, don't you also usually have the pipe diameter so the invert or top can be easily calculated (make all elevations top or invert) up front prior to creating a pipe network?

 

Yes they would need to be created individually if Create by Object is used but can be merged using the "Merge Networks" command.

C3D 2018.1
C3D 2016 SP4

Win 7 Professional 64 Bit
Message 7 of 14
Wilbers2013
in reply to: Jay_B

For existing that have approxiamately 1m cover (ie . Water pipelines, Electrical cables and Telecommunication cables), I draw feature lines, and the I use Raise/Lower to lower them to 1meter below the surface.  

 

Then I create a individual networks of all existing Electrical Cables like Jay_B showed previously.  After that, I just merge all the random pipe networks with the merge networks command.  Like Jay_B.

 

It works for me.

 

Willie Wilbers
AutoCAD & Civil 3D 2014
ArcGIS 10.1
Message 8 of 14
asloat
in reply to: Wilbers2013

Ok so I have done as suggested, but there is another issue.

 

When the pipes are drawn in profile, they usually have one end at the wrong elevation. I have checked the feature lines themselves to be sure and they are usually 2 vertexs in total and both vertexes are at the correct elevation. In profile though the pipes created from them are usually only correct on one end, while the other end is usually at the elevation the figure was at before issuing the raise/lower command. I then need to go to the pipe properties for 90% of them and fix one of the ends manually. Also about 5% of them end up with elevations that are 2x below raise/lower difference on one end and not raised lowered on the other.

Message 9 of 14
Wilbers2013
in reply to: asloat

How about exploding the Feature Lines to 3D polylines?
Willie Wilbers
AutoCAD & Civil 3D 2014
ArcGIS 10.1
Message 10 of 14
Joe-Bouza
in reply to: asloat

You can issue the command to create a "new" network for each FL and when you are done you cna use the Merge network command if they need to be in a common network
Thank you

Joseph D. Bouza, P.E. (one of 'THOSE' People)

HP Z210 Workstation
Intel Xeon CPU E31240 @ 3.30 Hz
12 GB Ram


Note: Its all Resistentialism, so keep calm and carry on

64 Bit Win10 OS
Message 11 of 14
asloat
in reply to: Wilbers2013


@Wilbers2013 wrote:
How about exploding the Feature Lines to 3D polylines?

Just tried that, same result. Checked the 3D polyline after also, it is at the correct elevation on both ends, but the pipe is again off in the same way.

Message 12 of 14
Jeff_M
in reply to: asloat

We added the SPAddPipeByPolyline to make this process a bit quicker, easier, and with more consistent results. It does not accept featurelines for input, just polylines. 

Jeff_M, also a frequent Swamper
EESignature
Message 13 of 14
asloat
in reply to: Jeff_M

Unfortunalty we are running 2012 so that command is not in that version.

Message 14 of 14
robert06
in reply to: asloat

Wondering, if converting 3dpolyline to pipe (not network!) is present in Civil 2016?

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