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Figure Prefix Database Manager - Layer vs. Style settings

6 REPLIES 6
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Message 1 of 7
LeafRiders
2330 Views, 6 Replies

Figure Prefix Database Manager - Layer vs. Style settings

I have 1 main question here. If I keep the layer of my figure prefix set to 0 or Standard does the Figure Style that is assigned (with essentially carries the layer settings from within the style setup) end up being assigned to my survey figures? 

 

I'm not exactly sure what the layer selection within the Figure Prefix Database Manager even controls, at this point everything changes when i change my style and the layer setting seems to have nothing to do with anything. Someone have some insight here?

 

Feel free to post any tips and tricks that work for you on the Survey Figure side of things.

6 REPLIES 6
Message 2 of 7
mathewkol
in reply to: LeafRiders

Sounds like you're missing an important knowledge piece of the styles puzzle.

The figure prefix library's layer column places the figure on whatever layer you specify, period, regardless of what style you choose. Styles has no bearning on what layer these objects (or any object for that matter, reside on. List the object and you'll see what layer it's on.

The style adjusts which components are visible (lines, curves, spirals etc - for alignments for example) and what layers the components are on. These are nested layers like as if you were creating a block that contained a circle and a rectangle, each on their own layer within the block definition.
Matt Kolberg
SolidCAD Professional Services
http://www.solidcad.ca /
Message 3 of 7
IanMcClain
in reply to: LeafRiders

I use a figure style that is "BYLAYER" style so that the style assigned layer is 0 and color is bylayer. Then use the layer prefix library to assign which layer each figure gets assigned to. See attached pic. This is a more layer based approached and minimizes styles. I only use 2 figure styles.

Ian McClain
Message 4 of 7
LeafRiders
in reply to: IanMcClain

"This is a more layer based approached and minimizes styles. I only use 2 figure styles."

 

This makes sense to me, thanks for highlighting what works, rather than what doesn't. I think I'll rework my current setup. Also, the "Flatten" term you use within your styles, highlights that you probably are stripping the Z / elevation values from your figures with your style setup, clever.

 

Thanks!

Message 5 of 7
Sinc
in reply to: LeafRiders

We also tend to only use two Figure Styles...  One is our "standard" one, set to ByLayer.  The other is the one I set as the "default" one, in our Import Survey Figure settings, and is basically the one that comes out-of-the-box, with the blue lines and big circles on the vertices.  This makes it jump out, and easily visible.  The only time we see it is if the field guy messes up a figure code, or tries to use one that isn't in our figure DB.  So when I see those blue survey figures with the giant white circles at each vertex, I know I either need to fix the coding and reimport, or manually fix the figure in the drawing, or add a new figure code to our database.

 

As for the "flattening", I'm not a big fan of that.  Flattened figures are much harder to edit in the DWG, since the Add/Remove PI functions don't work on them.  I know some people constantly edit the raw data and reimport to fix such issues, but that can easily take twice as much time, if not more.  The main reason I've found that people take this approach is that the DIST command doesn't work on 3D linework, unless you set OSNAPZ, and it's annoying to constantly switch the setting of OSNAPZ.  But since I have the Sincpac-C3D, I can use the PTINV command instead of DIST, letting me get both 2D and 3D distances (plus more), or I can use the OSNAPZ toggle in the status bar, and I side-step all these problems.  That lets me work easily in 3D, which provides a lot of benefits over flattening Survey Figures via the Style.

Sinc
Message 6 of 7
LeafRiders
in reply to: Sinc

Mr. Sinc, This is slightly off topic but related. Once you edit your figures and delete points that may not be required is there a way to push these edits back to the survey file that was originally loaded from? When exactly does that original file update, or does it. I was thinking I'll need to reexport my points to have a file that is relative, but even all my figure edits (which are many), where and how do these get saved as I'd like to save a backup or overwrite the existing .csv file I brought everything in from.

 

It seems like I might be missing something and thought I better ask in case you know the answer. Thanks.

Message 7 of 7
Sinc
in reply to: LeafRiders

You can always dump your points back to a CSV file.  I often do that, using the Full Description (instead of Raw Description), since we have some Description Key Formats in play.

 

As far as the figures, we work with people who use a variety of software.  Most people we work with can't use the Survey Database, and we've NEVER had anyone request it from us, and ignore it as much as possible (saves tons of time).  So when it comes to linework, the important data in that regard is in the DWG file.  We tend to keep Survey Figures in the DWG, except for utility lines and fence lines, which are not part of our Surface...  We often explode those, turn them into 2D polylines, and flatten them, then turn on linetype generation (something I think we might FINALLY not need to do, as of C3D 2013, once we move up from C3D 2012).

 

Then as a deliverable, we often send an "Export to AutoCAD" version, converted to the release that our client needs (many of them still seem to be on something like LDD 2008, so we export to AutoCAD 2007 format for them), including the TIN triangles for surfaces, and a LandXML export for those who know how to use it.  If I'm feeling gung-ho, I'll even explode all the C3D labels and delete the background-masks-turned-into-hatches, although that might create overtyping.  I also often send a PDF, and if I know the recipient has a recent-enough version of AutoCAD, a DWF created from modelspace, so they can do a DWF underlay in their drawings, should they choose.

 

Unfortunately, we've had less-than-successful results from attempting to use eTransmit from C3D, even when our client is using LDD, so we've kind of given up on it for the last several years.  It used to work, but even setting it to the "Exploded AEC Objects" option doesn't seem to work anymore.  At least, every time we try to use it, our client calls back saying they're having problems with our deliverable.

Sinc

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