3d points and mapping

[SurveyorLee]

Hi,

I am a surveyor in a multi-disciplined office.  There has been talk of working in 3d.  I have had lots of issues with 3d line work on general projects

For example, when you bring all the points in at elevation, and draw lines between them, we have issues with line patterns and querrying distances.

How are others handling this, or is there a setting to turn off the z? 

Surveyor Lee

[Ajilal.Vijayan]

Try after setting variable OSNAPZ to 1

This will ignore Z value.

Or instead of drawing line , use polyline.

This will keep the starting elevation for all the points.

[rl_jackson]

I have been doing Survey only on both large and small sites in Civil 3D for quite some time now and insert everything in 3D.

You can set the OSNAPZ as previously posted, if you want to draw lines with no elevation (0 plane), but I have found that this needs to be set quite often, and just does not stay set. (Something I wish Adesk would fix)

From a survey presective the most important thing is to use the CGLIST command to get distances. I use it from the quick access toolbar at the top, and also added the CGLIST angle as well.

[dgordon]

the civil 3d points can be assigned a point style which flattens them to zero for drafting purposes while keeping the elevation stored in the point at it's original value. see attachment.

[SurveyorLee]

Hi and thanks for the replies.  

It looks like I will use the cglist and OsnapZ commands.  I am familiar with the flatten elevation in the point style, but that flattens the points.  The intent is for everything to be at it's correct elevation.  I think that OsnapZ and CGList will do the job.  I had totally forgotten the "CG" command groups. 

Thanks again,

Surveyor Lee

[glngsurvey]

Sometims I just add line label to a line which shows the horizontal line length.

[_Hathaway]

DO NOT use polylines Ajilal says. This will create even more problems because you will have lines at wrong elevations all over your files.

[_Hathaway]

This is and was a pain for us when we started. Autodesk really needs to come up with a better way to handle this. Who really wants the slope distance between two topo points? I'm sure for certain instances it's useful but those are few and far between. We flatten the points to 0 elevation in the point style. This way the points end up at 0 elevation but the linework is still elevated properly. The CG commands are helpful but they are not quick and easy.

[rl_jackson]

Not exactly sure how you can say the CG commands are not quick and easy. The CGList for Bearing and Distance is by default on the Quick Access Toolbar (If memory serves me) and you can but any additional commands there. Here I have also added the CGList for the Angle. I'm not sure how much easier it could get, for listing Survey related Data.

Who really wants the slope distance between two topo points? Civil Engineers it helps to determine Velocity, which ultimately determines Q. Hence the name of the software Civil3D.

[_Hathaway]

You are correct..in my haste I thought you were referring to the Inquiry toolbar which is useful but cumbersome. I have cglist hotkeyed to my 2 key which is inavaluable and D hotkeyed to the distance command. Between those 2 that's almost all I need.

I was referring to the surveying world with my slope distance comment.

[NMRollo]

I also function in the surveying world. I use 3-D polylines a lot when drafting. I can use them for surface modelling, either as 3-D polylines or after converting them to feature lines. When it comes to plan plotting and getting the desired linetype output (I think that this is what you meant by "line patterns") I convert the 3-D polylines to feature lines and they plot with the desired line type.

[SurveyorLee]

I did not realize that he feature lines would do that.  If used as a building line or other line that is to be labled and dimensioned ot the property lines, will they also show up correctly too?

Thanks

[NMRollo]

I dont know. Try and see.