I was wondering if there was a way to create a multi leader containing sewer or storm structure information as seen below, which will automatically update the elevations if the the z value of the point it is attached to changes?
SSMH B Rim=100.00
12" CONC N IE=95.00
8" CONC S IE=97.00
LADDER S FLOW N
As of now we have to change the rim and invert elevations manually for each structure which is time consuming and leaves more room for error.
Are you using pipes & structures?
Are you talking about a cogo point?
Is this in plan or profile?
Mark Green
Working on Civil 3D in Canada
We are a Land survey firm, so we stay away from creating pipe networks and 3d structures do to the liability. In the field we locate the center of rim, not the center of structure. Due to offset rims and pipes we can't accurately create a pipe network without assuming unwanted liability.
In the office we limit our deliverables to 2D linework and a 3D surface. But do to datum shift change requirements by indecisive clients or jurisdictions we are constantly raising or lowering surfaces. This poses a cost problem when we have to manually edit all elevations noted in the mulileaders for storm and sewer structures.
Yes, the point are COGO points.
Never looked into it too deeply myself, but have seen some nifty ideas floating around here.
Are you familiar with User Defined Properties and using Expressions in cogo point labels?
Mark Green
Working on Civil 3D in Canada
We are not familiar with either, but a quick look at the UDP tutorial gave the impression that the point iteslf had to contain the invert/size/direction data. is this so? The survyor running the intrument is not the one who dips the structure, it is usually done by a chainman so the point would have to be edited in the office
Is it possible to insert a "field" into the Multileader that will accomlish what we are after? I Can't find a way to create my own fields.
You can create a point style, label styl, and description key for each differenct types. for example,
If you created a point style named SSMH
The style could be the manhole symbol and instead of having the label show pt#, elev, and description, you could set the point number and description to invisible. Then create a lable style that shows SSMH ___ = .
The ___ could be a letter defined in field one of the descriptor key. Then set everything in your descriptor keys and it should accomplish what you want, with a minimum of effort.
Surveyor Lee
You might consider using a combination of Map object data and fields. You can store the non-graphic attributes (i.e. pipe size and type) in an object data table and then insert that data in a block attribute that includes the elevation (Z coordinate) value for the insertion point. Thus you could create a Manhole symbol that stores the size and type attributes as object data and the rim attribute could be obtained from the Z coordinate of it's insertion point. If you change the elevation of the manhole symbol the labels would update.
I've not developed the workflow for this but it should be possible.
Taking it a step further, you could export the object data to an external file that is linked to the dwg. Then using dBconnect any Autocad user could view the pipe and manhole attributes in the linked table using plain Autocad.
I use UDP for this kind of situation. I use a label style that has the point elevation for the rim and an expression for the invert elevation of (point elevation-INVERT), INVERT being the UDP. In the field I usualy take note on the invert depths after everthing else is located, in the office I key in the invert elevation into the INVERT field. After that all my invert labels will move if the datum shifts. Also, I made the INVERT UDP use only positive values to make it foolproof.
It sounds like you might need more than one invert field for the example given, which would requre multiple label styles as well. Those cases don't occur often for me, so type in the data when they do. It's not ideal, but most of the time it works great.
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