canal design

[CADmgrMike]

I would like to create a canal corridor like the attached pic, but I want to have the attachment point at the center of the ditch.

As you can see in this assembly, I'm using the ditch subassembly, and I've moved the attachment point to where I want it.

I would like to have a ditch bottom width, sideslope, ditch depth, and backslope that can have 0 slope with the attachment point at the center of the ditch bottom.

I have done this with generic links, but it takes a right and left link for the ditch bottom and that gives me two "horizontal" labels in my code set style.

Is there a stock subassembly I'm not aware of that does this, or should I be considering a custom subassembly?

[mathewkol]

It looks like a job for generic links as you have done it before.  Could you explain further the problem you're having with the generic link route?

[Pointdump]

Mike,

Does your attachment point need to be in the center of the ditch, or can you use Create Feature Line from Stepped Offset to make your attachment point at the side of the ditch?

Dave

[sboon]

Something like this?

I attached one copy of LinkWidthAndSlope to the right side of the assembly then moved it horizontally to the left, so that I have a single link across the bottom of the ditch.  I then added DaylightGeneral to both sides.

Steve
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[Pointdump]

Steve,

I tried this just now, but I'm unable to move the subassembly. I tried both regular Move and Move in the Modify Subassembly. I can't get either to work.

Dave

[sboon]

No problems here Dave.  I added a new assembly, attached a sub to it and used the ACad move command.  Maybe yours is on a locked layer?

Steve
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[Pointdump]

Steve,

I tried this in 2015 and it works just fine. 2014, no go. In 2014 I can't snap to the center of the basepoint.

Dave

[sboon]

Try an Insert snap.  Works for me in 2012, '14 and '15.

Steve
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[Pointdump]

Thanks, Steve. Insert works fine. 

Dave

[CADmgrMike]

Steve,

That is the method I've used before, but the problem is I can't get one side of the ditch toe to show up in the corridor plan view. (see attached pic)

I've added the coded to my code set style. I know about how the workaround to update the corridor and have the new feature lines appear.

Nothing I do makes the one side of the ditch appear.

[jmayo-EE · Accepted solution]

Add a marked point to the end of the LinkWidthAndSlope to get the other feature line.

[sboon]

John spotted it as I started to answer.  The daylight sub on the left side of my example screenshot is attached to the attachment point of the generic link that I moved.  Both of those subs start with uncoded points, so no featureline will be generated there. 

Steve
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[jmayo-EE]

I think Steve gets the Solution here. I just capped it all off. It is his post that points out how to get the single base width as you desired.

[CADmgrMike]

Thanks John & Steve.

That worked.

It still amazes me that after 9+ years of this software being released, we still have to find workarounds for things that to me are elementary.

In my line of work we build a lot of canals and ditches, so having  a simple assembly with ditch width, depth, and side slopes, all based on the centerline of the ditch is pretty common. Much like a simple road design based on the centerline of the street. (very easy in C3D)

But I digress. Thanks again for your help.

[Pointdump]

Mike,

I think there's a way to make a custom subassembly--SAC, Subassembly Composer. It's waaaaaay above my pay grade, but you might find it worth looking into.

Dave

[sboon]

It may not be exactly what you're looking for but based on the description TrenchPipe1 might be a solution.  With the backfill depths and the profile offset set to zero it's just a bottom and two sideslope links.

Steve
Please use the Accept as Solution or Kudo buttons when appropriate