Data Shortcut Overlay Option?

[lbartl]

Unless I am missing something I do not see an option for "Attach" or "Overlay" when creating a data shortcut.
As you all know, when using XREFs "Attach" and "Overlay" have become integral to workflow and file setup. Not having this option for data shortcuts is causing some confusion among the monkeys.

Here is an example of a typical situation that we are encountering:
If a LArch designer wants to see the civil FG contours in his/her LArch design file, our current practice is for them to data shortcut in the FG surface and then set the view style to how they want it. The problem then becomes when we XREF in the LArch design file into the Plan Sheets the data shortcut surface comes with it (and the way it is displayed).

Because there is no "Attach/Overlay" option when bringing in data shortcuts this is a fundamental difference in workflow to the way it works with XREFs. The way I see it there are two options to prevent this:
1. Have the LArch designer set their C3D objects to "NoDisp" before saving (not a very good option IMHO, they are likely to forget this at a crucial time when 50 plans are about to be plotted).
2. Create a XREF file in which the FG surface is data shortcut into and set it to a typical display that most of the other disciplnes will like (eg. 1' contours). This is probably the option we will go with but it prevents the LArch changing the display style of the surface.

If I am missing something can someone let me know, it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[mstone]

Maybe I am oversimplifying this, but in the scenario you have described, I typically just freeze the contour layers in the "LArch" file when creating the Xref. Then set your data shortcut to display the contours the way you like in your drawing.

--Matt

[lbartl]

Yep, there are work arounds like that but I guess my larger point is why not have an overlay option? It is the way everyone's workflow has evolved since XREF overlay became an option.

Also, what if the LArch designers decides he wants to add a specific planting on all slopes greater than 4:1 so he changes the surface style to show slope banding... WHAM it's back in your plan sheets again.
Another scenario would be at the last minute check the LArch designer data shortcuts in the drainage network to check for last minute clashes, you have already plotted a check set so you think you are good to go... so you publish 10 sets and send them out... with overlay option this would not happen...

[klugb]

You are right on with this one. It is a real production killer. Even if you freeze the layers for the surface, it can kill your computer. We had a project when we first ran into this that plan production sheets had 5 EG surfaces, and of course everyone labeled differently. The surfaces were very big so it became unusable in this condition.

We no longer xref any of the "working" base drawings directly, we have a separate linework file for all the non-civil 3D linework and DS in only what we want to display. We had one person here that was trying to design a park with meandering trails that had 13 corridors and over 20 surfaces xref'd into a plan production sheet. Needles to say we had to do some "educating" on how to use the software and data organization.

Bruce

[lbartl]

Yes agreed, the bigger the project and the more people working on it, the more issues that you will have with data shortcuts coming through with the XREFs. It just seems like such a departure from the "XREF overlay" work flow that I see it as a hard thing to explain to new users and periphery users. I am not saying its a bad thing that the C3D data shortcut is attached to the XREF, in some cases I can see that you would want that, I just want the option of OVERLAY as well, like XREF.

Unless someone points out something I am missing here, I am going to put a "Data Shortcut Overlay Option" to the Civil 3D Wishlist.

Please vote for it!

[klugb]

That would be a great option. It is very powerful and I love it, but some people here just don't grasp it. it's not that much different than the xref theory.

If you haven't tried 2011 yet I saw they added the ability to link a project data shortcut to a drawing. That will same a lot of grief for us, nothing like having every project with surface "EXISTING" in it and DS it in to realize you were pointing to the wrong project.

As long as you vote for my "Copy a corridor" request 🙂

Bruce

[klugb]

That would be a great option. It is very powerful and I love it, but some people here just don't grasp it. It's not that much different than the xref theory.



If you haven't tried 2011 yet I saw they added the ability to link a project data shortcut to a drawing. That will save a lot of grief for us, nothing like having every project with surface "EXISTING" in it and DS it in to realize you were pointing to the wrong project.



As long as you vote for my "Copy a corridor" request 🙂



Bruce

[lbartl]

Yes it would be a great option, I agree it is hard to explain to someone who is used to the XREF overlay workflow that DATA shortcuts don't work like that.
I am suprised there hasn't been more discussion on this issue. It seems like such a depature from the XREF workflow.