Copying Surfaces

[martin888888]

Is there a way to copy a surfacce?  I want to make major changes to a surface I have created but there is the possibliy of utiltiizing the existing sruface.  I want to copy the surface and then make changes.

[awood]

You can just use the AutoCAD Copy command with a basepoint of 0,0

HTH

AWood

[BrianHailey]

Or you can create a new surface and paste the original into and then modify away. If the original changes, the new one will change as well when rebuilt. Depending on what you are doing, either option is viable.

[neilyj666]

Does using the Copy method make the copied surface non dynamic to the original??

[BrianHailey]

Correct. The new is not dynamically linked to the original. It is, however, dynamically linked to the data that was used to create the original at the time of the copy. If you added breaklines to the surface, copy the surface, change the breaklines, both surfaces will update. If you add additional breaklines to the original surface after the copy, only the original will change.

If you create a new surface, paste the original in it, then the original is being used as data in the new surface. If the original surface changes, the new one will change.

[mathewkol]

I might be inclined to make a copy of the DWG and make edits there. Not always an option but it may work for you.

[arturopolanco]

best options, is copy with base point in coordinate 0,0,0

[BrianHailey]

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@arturopolanco wrote:

best options, is copy with base point in coordinate 0,0,0

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Easiest way to do that is grab the surface and type CO<enter><enter><enter>

That will copy an object in place. The CO<enter> runs the copy command on the surface you have selected. The second <enter> uses the option of Displacement. The third <enter> uses the default displacement of 0,0,0. I didn't know about this little trick until I started teaching AutoCAD and Civil 3D personally.

[EddieMoreno]

How can you 'unlink' the objects that are dynamic? I have two surfaces that I created, one copied from the other, and I need them independent of one another. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, I cannot make any edits to the original's line work. 

[ChrisRS]

As @mathewkol said in post 9, you need to work each surface in its own drawing. The definitions will not be linked. 

[ChrisRS]

As @mathewkol said in post 6, you need to work each surface in its own drawing. The definitions will not be linked. I

[EddieMoreno]

Unfortunately, I had already made the copy of the surfaces, but yes - working the surfaces in their own drawings works. Since Ive already done the do, copying the surface objects (from the copied surface that has the linked objects) separately into a new drawing and recreating the surface would work. That way it keeps its editable properties via the objects. Would you agree or am I over thinking it? 😕

[ChrisRS]

I agree

I would probably take a brute force approach.

Drawing-1 has Surface-1 and Surface-2.

Save Drawing-1 as Drawing-2.

Delete Surface-1 from Drawing-2.

Delete Surface-2 from Drawing-1.

In the future:

Drawing-1 has Surface-1.

You realize that you want a back up copy of Surface-1.

Save Drawing-1 as Drawing-2. 

In Drawing-2,  rename Surface-1 to Surface-2.

[EddieMoreno]

Excellent Chris. Great description and method. I’ll be sleeping a little better knowing I have some good options. Thanks!

[BrianHailey]

I agree with @ChrisRS, best to make a copy of the drawing at that point as you'll need to copy both the surface, as well as the data.