AutoCAD Civil 3D

[#1]

Hello all, I have a few questions. When dealing with AECC_COGO_POINTs (ie a point representing a 12” Tree) I know the following:

1. The point style controls the display of the “node” (tree symbol)
2. The point label style can control the label contents (12”)
3. The descriptor key tells Civil 3D what styles to use

The problem I have is, one can “fix the size” (make static) the point symbol, but unless I’m missing something the point labels are always dynamic. What happens a lot here is a drawing that was drafted for a 1”=20’ scale is often used in an exhibit that is at a larger scale. All of the points stay at the “fixed” scale but the labels enlarge to the MVIEW scale factor.

Is there a way to “fix” point label scales?

How are others dealing with this?

Is exploding the points my only option?

If exploding is the most efficient way of dealing with this does anyone have a lisp routine that would do the following?

1. Gather up all of the AECC_COGO_POINTs

        a. (if (setq C3DOBJ (ssget "X" '((0 . "AECC_COGO_POINT*"))))

2. Explode all AECC_COGO_POINTs

        a. Dropping them to a block

3. Exploding these items again

        a. Separating the symbol from the label

4. Then gather up all of these exploded labels and exploding them again

     b. Dropping label blocks to mtext

[#2]

You could make a drawing of just the points and then use ExporttoAutoCAD to achieve what you're trying to do.

[#3]

I went in and drew the symbols like trees at 1" (0.08') and 1 foot for the drip line.  If you do that, check to use drawing scale on the descriptor file, and bring all of your points in at 1"-1', it will bring in the tree symbols at the correct scale for the drawing when you re-scale it.

Surveyor Lee

[#4]

Thanks Lee, I've set up mine really similar to that in fact I took it a bit farther and scaled it up by parameter 1 so that 24" trees are bigger than 12" trees. But, my question is not about the symbol (point style) it is about the point label resizing.

[#5]

To get around this I have either plotted from model space (usually we're wanting to generate a scroll plot at 1'=40", or something close to that), or I freeze the text layers.  Neither is pretty, or ideal, but both have worked for us.

HTH.

[#6]

Thanks seattlesurveyor, (I wonder if I know you) I agree, that can be done but they are both less than desirable solutions. I view these boards from time to time and I can work around most of the things that civil 3d does for survey. I don't mind the survey data base all that much since I just use it to string my points together. I like the concept of point styles and labels. In fact it helps in ways. I just wish you could lock down the size of the labels without destroying the object.

[#7]

If you need to see the tree size at every conceivable scale, you could make the text part of the tree symbol block. It requires lots of blocks, but it works well. 

[#8]

Hmmm, maybe I was not clear enough. I know I'm not the only user that is trying to use point label styles as the final annotation for survey shots. I used a tree as just an example. I have set up point labels to "auto label" the majority of features that typically reside in a topographic base map. The following is a list of some of my point labels:

1. Culverts (labels the size and type of pipe and IE)
2. Storm drain structures (labels the type and rim elevation)
3. Sewer structures (labels the type and rim elevation)
4. Sign (labels the sign type)
5. Trees (labels the DBH)

And, so on. A lot of these labels are fed their data by a user-defined property classification that I created that comes in directly from the coded survey data.

So as you can see it would be a monumental task to have different blocks, and that would require different field codes to accomplish the same thing.

The export to AutoCAD works to stop the rescaling of the point label. But, you still need to explode the point one more time and then the label an additional time to separate the point block from the label block. This is especially true if your point block and label reside on different layers and you want to give users the ability to layer off these components separately. So back to my original questions.

1. Does anyone know if there is a way to "fix" (make it nondynamic) a point label style?
2. If you use point label styles like I do how are you dealing with their "dynamic" nature?
3. If exploding the points is my best option is there anyone out there willing to take a stab at the lisp routine that I described in my original post. 

[#9]

We use layers to suppress the display of the tree sizes and other attributes at scales that would make the labels absurdly large or get too busy. We use pipe networks (usually) for the pipe and structure information and don't display those points. It is our standard that all text is always 1/8th inch high, so the label behavior suits our needs. If we need to show more detail, we add additional views. Kirk Noonan Carter Associates, Inc.P (772) 562-4191 F (772) 562-7180

[#10 · Accepted solution]

You could create an expression using the Drawing Scale Conversion as a factor of your text height.  Set the expression to be the text height within the label style.

"Your text height"/{Drawing Scale Conversion} should do it.  Then the text will be the same height regardless of annotaion scale.