contours as polylines

[Anonymous]

is there a way to have c3d make the contours as polylines instead of a
single entity?

THX

[Anonymous]

Contour in C3D are just part of a display style for the surface object. You
can extract them as polylines, though, by setting a contour display style
current then going to the Surface pull down -> Utilities -> Extract objects
from Surface

"mkh" wrote in message news:6339204@discussion.autodesk.com...
> is there a way to have c3d make the contours as polylines instead of a
> single entity?
>
> THX

[Anonymous]

You can extract contours from a surface and make them polylines, but they
will be completely separate from the surface. Not linked at all. Search
for "Extract Objects From Surface" in Civil 3D.

Why would you want this? Just curious.

--
Matt Kolberg
Global CADD Systems - A division of Cansel

[BrianHailey]

Perhaps a better question is why do you need to have them as polylines?

Brian Hailey
http://www.cad-1.com
http://www.AtYourDeskTraining.com
http://Civil3DPlus.wordpress.com

[annw2]

Need this constantly.

1. Graphics on surfaces usually poor and need to adjust contour manually, especially around buildings, walls, etc.
2. No fillet for contour objects
3. Retention pond contours meet existing ground, but need to have existing/proposed contours merged together to determine area to type into stage area for storm water routing.

[BrianHailey]

I agree there are reasons to have them as polylines but I was wondering why the original poster needed them as polylines. Perhaps there is a better alternative for the situation s/he is running into.

Brian Hailey
http://www.cad-1.com
http://www.AtYourDeskTraining.com
http://Civil3DPlus.wordpress.com

[Anonymous]

thanks for the info everyone.....as the O.P., I can tell you the reason that
we want them as plines, is "because thats the way it has always been"! Just
got into c3d and will have many questions to follow. I am working towards
the use of the model where it displays correctly and I never need an edited
contour pline.

MKH


wrote in message news:6339445@discussion.autodesk.com...
I agree there are reasons to have them as polylines but I was wondering why
the original poster needed them as polylines. Perhaps there is a better
alternative for the situation s/he is running into.

Brian Hailey
http://www.cad-1.com
http://www.AtYourDeskTraining.com
http://Civil3DPlus.wordpress.com

[omc-usnr]

Basically there are still a fair number of groups out there that are not using C3d, and need to have polylines at elevations to make their stuff work.

Reid

[Anonymous]

yes...we are just coming over from Eagle Point, and it would make contours
as plines.


wrote in message news:6339501@discussion.autodesk.com...
Basically there are still a fair number of groups out there that are not
using C3d, and need to have polylines at elevations to make their stuff
work.

Reid

[dgordon]

I would ask those people who are requiring 2d polylines at elevations if they could use 3d faces instead?

or a land xml file.

Dan

[Anonymous]

Hi MKH,

Congratulations. It's rare that users have the honesty to say that they
want to use AutoCAD items in lieu of Civil 3D objects based on tradition.

Forget the polylines. The Civil 3D contours display correctly, have
vastly improved functionality over polylines and once you get used to
them, you'll wonder why you wanted to dumb them back to polylines


Regards,


Laurie Comerford
mkh wrote:
> thanks for the info everyone.....as the O.P., I can tell you the reason that
> we want them as plines, is "because thats the way it has always been"! Just
> got into c3d and will have many questions to follow. I am working towards
> the use of the model where it displays correctly and I never need an edited
> contour pline.
>
> MKH
>
>
> wrote in message news:6339445@discussion.autodesk.com...
> I agree there are reasons to have them as polylines but I was wondering why
> the original poster needed them as polylines. Perhaps there is a better
> alternative for the situation s/he is running into.
>
> Brian Hailey
> http://www.cad-1.com
> http://www.AtYourDeskTraining.com
> http://Civil3DPlus.wordpress.com
>

[AllenJessup]

Yeah. 2D polylines are good for displaying on the plan set but if you need to build a surface 3D faces or lines representing the tin are much more useful. Or as you say an XML file.
allen

[BrianHailey]

I agree with Laurie on this one. Try to use Civil 3D as designed and you'll be much better off. Trying to get Civil 3D to act the way other programs act just because that's what's familiar is asking for a very difficult time learning Civil 3D. C3D is vastly different from those other programs and that's the best thing to remember. The civil engineering concepts are the same, what is an alignment, what is a surface, but how you create, edit, display, use,etc those things is extremely different.

Time to think outside of the balks.

Brian Hailey
http://www.cad-1.com
http://www.AtYourDeskTraining.com
http://Civil3DPlus.wordpress.com

[peholmgren]

> {quote:title=Guest wrote:}{quote}
> is there a way to have c3d make the contours as polylines instead of a
> single entity?

Make the surface, then explode it twice.

[Anonymous]

I always get to the
"How much time is it going to take me to make the insignificant changes to
the surface to try to get the contours to look smooth"
vs
"How much will it take me to export them as polylines and just fillet them"
vs
"How many engineers on LT and acad 2008 will want to view this file"
dilemma.

"Laurie" wrote in message
news:6339752@discussion.autodesk.com...
> Hi MKH,
>
> Congratulations. It's rare that users have the honesty to say that they
> want to use AutoCAD items in lieu of Civil 3D objects based on tradition.
>
> Forget the polylines. The Civil 3D contours display correctly, have
> vastly improved functionality over polylines and once you get used to
> them, you'll wonder why you wanted to dumb them back to polylines
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Laurie Comerford
> mkh wrote:
>> thanks for the info everyone.....as the O.P., I can tell you the reason
>> that
>> we want them as plines, is "because thats the way it has always been"!
>> Just
>> got into c3d and will have many questions to follow. I am working
>> towards
>> the use of the model where it displays correctly and I never need an
>> edited
>> contour pline.
>>
>> MKH
>>
>>
>> wrote in message news:6339445@discussion.autodesk.com...
>> I agree there are reasons to have them as polylines but I was wondering
>> why
>> the original poster needed them as polylines. Perhaps there is a better
>> alternative for the situation s/he is running into.
>>
>> Brian Hailey
>> http://www.cad-1.com
>> http://www.AtYourDeskTraining.com
>> http://Civil3DPlus.wordpress.com
>>

[nostupidquestions]

i feel your pain. most of our sites are pretty small so the editing time isn't that great so plines work ok. however my company is so particular about the way things look, if it doesn't look like it always has then we don't do it. plus i'm the only one that has a clue about c3d but all the engineers get in the drawings and make changes. one engineer asked why we didn't do 3d models and i just laughed at him. he uses acad2004lt.

[Anonymous]

OMG....I could have written that entire statement. Sounds very familiar.


wrote in message news:6341501@discussion.autodesk.com...
i feel your pain. most of our sites are pretty small so the editing time
isn't that great so plines work ok. however my company is so particular
about the way things look, if it doesn't look like it always has then we
don't do it. plus i'm the only one that has a clue about c3d but all the
engineers get in the drawings and make changes. one engineer asked why we
didn't do 3d models and i just laughed at him. he uses acad2004lt.