How to turn off Alignment views in different Sites? profile views?

[lohrmach]

I am new to using Sites in Civil 3D.

My alignments have been cerated not under Sites and I am copying them to different Sites as needed.  I am copying appropriate profiles along with them - an existing from surface and 1 proposed.

1. Should I copy the Profile Views? - will this create a copy of the profile view directly over the original profile view?

What are the benefits / disadvantages of copying / not copying the profile view along with the profile?

More importantly,

2. How do I turn OFF-ON copies of the alignments and annotation in my Plan View?

If I right-click alignment properties in a Site and set the Object Style to NO DISPLAY - this turns off the alignment, but not the annotation. 

If I right-click on the alignment labels, Edit Alignment Labels - I am looking at a complex dialog box with lots of drop downs - a bit lost in here.  What about a 1-click setting to NO DISPLAY the layers like I can find for the alignment itself?

What are best approaches?

Do I need to create/copy a buch of new Styles?  Not sure exactly where to go or start.

[wfberry]

Do not copy alignments unless there is a reason.  Rt click your alignment and move it to a different site.

Bill

[lohrmach]

Thanks for the tip. 

I am running a construction grade scenario and a final grade scenario: each scenario has a different cross-section/assembly and profile, but the same alignment.  I'd like to run those 2 scenarios in 2 different Sites in the same drawing.  Is there a way to share the alignment between the 2 Sites?  What about an XML Data Shortcut?

I don't have much experience with Data Shortcuts yet, but was hoping to share my alignments with my CAD Designer.  Sounds like I should try that now to try to share it between sites for myself now.  If I don't get a reply on that particular question here, I may post a new Topic just to ask that.

I'm also running 2 different design scenarios - 1 holding the centerline of my existing dike structure.  The other holding Top of Bank Right.  I'm comparing excavation and material volumes between them.  In total, 4 scenarios, 4 sites.

If the align, profiles, assemblies change - I want to have everything in the same drawing so I can update it for all 4 scenarios.

[owenmull]

If you want to share an alignment between two seperate drawings, Data Shortcuts is your answer.

If you are new to Data Shortcuts read the following paragraph. If not, skip to Sites.

To set Data Shortcuts: Right click 'Data Shortcuts' (Bottom of Prospector tab) and Set your Working Folder to the current directory of your current project. Then Right Click Data Shortcuts again and Create New Data Shortcuts Project Folder, and name it, ie 'Data Shirtcuts - JOB#' Right Click Data Shortcuts a third time and click 'Associate Project to Current Drawing' selecting the just created directory. Now, you can Right Click 'Data Shortcuts' and 'Create Data Shortcuts.'

Select whatever you want.

Now, when the other guy wants to use your alignment, he sets his working directory the same way you did, and navigates to your Alignment Data Shortcut, right clicks it and selects 'Create Reference.' It is now referenced into whatever drawing he needs. Also, keep in mind that Data Shortcuts are dynamic, meaning that if he Shortcuts the alignment, then you make changes to it in the original, it will update his via the Data Shortcuts Synchronization.

Sites:

If you are new to Sites, I'm going to help you out a bit. Some basic basic tips/rules/notes.

• Intersecting alignments within the same Site will create a Parcel. i.e. A triangle, where all three sides are a different alignment. The enclosed space is created into a Parcel. Intersecting Alignments not assigned to a Site will not create a Parcel.
• Feature Lines belonging to the same site will interact with each other. i.e. From Top View, you have a Feature Line at 1000.00' intersecting a Feature Line at 0.00' in the same Site. The most recently edited Feature Line takes priority. So you drew the 0.00' first, then the 1000.00' line. At the point f intersection, the 0.00' Feature Line rises to meet the 1000.00' Feature Line. Feature Lines of different Sites will not interact with each other.
• Similar to Feature Lines, Grading Groups of the same site will interact with each other, Grading Groups of different Sites will not.
• If you want to move/copy data between Sites, simply right click the object and Select 'Move/Copy to Site' and select the target Site.

HTH

-owenmull

[lohrmach]

With Data Shortcuts, when I Associate Project to Current Folder, is the only option in the Select Project drop-down list supposed to be <None>?

New to Sites, yes.  Thanks!

1. Can I turn OFF the automatic parcel creation feature?  I am not creating parcels.

2. Would you use sites for running different scenarios of a design like I need to? - 2 alignment options for construction grade scenario, same to alignment options for final cross-section scenario.

Your tips are very helpful, Kudos!

[owenmull]

I see this question, and the one you just posted to the forum:

"I am following directions to create Data Shortcuts for alignments and surfaces for my project. I hope to use the same align in 2 different sites within my own dwg and share the aligns/surfaces with my CAD designer, others.

Under Data Shortcuts on the Prospector tab, I set my working folder to one level up from where my drawing is located. Could I have set this anywhere? Should it be where my drawing is located? I'm working on it in a temp location for now until the project files are set up by my CAD designer. (He's behind me, I already need to work on prelim design.)

I set the same folder in Options - Files tab - Project Files Search Path - it's called "Project1" (default name).

But then when I go to the next step back on Prospector Tab - Data Shortcuts, right-click to "Associate Project to Current Drawing", there is only <None> in the Select Project drop-down. I expected the project name from the Options - Project Files Search Path to be there?

Is there a particular path I must choose? I created the _DataShortcuts, etc. sub-folders manually in My Computer. Am I not supposed to do that? I assume I can move these later. Just trying to initiate the setup right now.

What am I doing wrong?

You need to create these Folders in Autocadd, like I outlined in my last post on this thread, otherwise Autocadd doesnt know where to look for them. You set the Working Directory to the same directory your file is in, then create a "Data Shortcuts" folder (in AutoCAD) then Associate. You shouldnt need to use the Options dialogue at all.

I'll guide you through:

1. Go to the Prospector Tab. Scroll to the bottom to "Data Shortcuts."
2. Right Click and select 'Set Working Folder'
3. Select the same folder your drawing is in. i.e. Your drawing is saved in 'X:/Users/Bobbaganoosh/CAD' , then set it to 'X:/Users/Bobbaganoosh/CAD'
4. Right Click 'Data Shortcuts' again, and select 'New Data Shortcuts Project Folder'
5. Name it 'Data Shortcuts' (or whatever)
6. Right Click 'Data Shortcuts' a third time.
7. Select 'Associate Project to Current Drawing'
8. The 'Data Shortcuts' folder you jsut created is in the pop up menu. Select it and click 'OK'

Now, when your other guy wants to use this data shortcut folder, he must set his working folder to 'X:/Users/Bobbaganoosh/CAD' , and the Data Shortcuts should pop up in his drawing as well.

[owenmull · Accepted solution]

In response to this post,

1.) No, you cannot stop it from creating Parcels if they are in a Site. If the alignments are not assigned to a Site, then they will not create Parcels.

2.) This is just a matter of preference. Personally, I like to use seperate drawings, for a number of reasons. While it is true you can have infinite number of Sites, if you have several different scenarios, managing style data for a few handfuls of Sites can get confusing. 

If you have only something like 2-3 scenarios, then Sites is probably an option. Much more than that, and I would think the time savings of creating x number of styles (to differentiate the scenarios)  isnt worth it, be faster to jsut split into seperate drawings.

That's my opinion.

HTH

-owenmull

[lohrmach]

Thanks.  I think once I get data shortcuts set up properly, I will be much more inclined to set up different scenarios in different drawings.  Until then, I don't want copies of my existing surface and alignments in different scenario drawings.  I will contain them in one drawing and create data shortcut links to them from my different scenario drawings.  First time I'm trying data shortcuts & different scenarios, it's all coming together.  Great to have the opinions and feedback on using Sites.  I will keep avoiding Sites until I determine a good use for them.