Insert survey figures as polylines

[rlarance]

I want to insert survey figures into a drawing as 2d polylines.  Is this possible?  Don't want to explode, flatten and then change to polylines.  I'm hoping there is an easy procedures of doing this.

Thanks

[odoshi]

You may be able to assign the figures a Style called "Flat" where the 3D geometry is flattened to 0. Then it would just be a matter of exploding them once or twice to polylines.

I don't think Civil 3D will create them directly as polylines.

Regards,

Mike

[rlarance]

Thanks for the quick reply.  Currently our surveyors download their data and create a survey worksheet drawing.  This drawing contains all the points and linework as well as an existing surface.  Another drawing is created which is the survey master drawing that contains only the linework which the cadd staff xref's into our design drawings.  I was hoping that when the second survey master drawing was created that the figures could be inserted in as 2d polylines.  Sounds like Civil 3D doesn't have an option for inserting figures into a separate drawing as 2d polylines?

Thanks again

[odoshi]

You're right. Civil 3D has made a custom object for all of the survey items, so they would require an explode after using a flat figure style. Or you can save the drawing using the Export to AutoCAD command, which explodes the entire drawing to AutoCAD entities. Then you could XRef that.

Regards,

Mike

[rlarance]

Perfect!  Thanks, exporting to AutoCad will at least save me from having to flatten and explode the figures.

[jmayo-EE]

"AutoCad will at least save me from having to flatten and explode the figures."

That's true if you can live with arcs being broken down into chords like a 3d poly.

If you want/need arcs in a polyline this won't work. In this case you must assign a constant z value across the entire figure or feature line. This will produce arcs vs chords in the polyline..

[rl_jackson]

Also, I think the intent of what Autodesk is trying to do, is get you to use gradings. If you select a figure you will be giving that option.

So that if your working on a site and doing a lot of earth moving and say the is little or no change to the curb line, you just tie in to you FG from the figure.

Just my take on it.

[Jeff_M]

We have a tool in the Sincpac-C3D that makes this process even easier. Even works through Xrefs.:

http://www.quuxsoft.com/SincpacC3D_Help/SP_Extract2D.htm

[brian.morse]

I tried several methods to get survey figures to 2d polylines in Civil 3D 2016. None worked except this one.

Select all the figures and use Properties to assign a 2D figure style (use fixed elevation set to 0)

ExportToAutoCAD command

The resulting drawing is 2D polylines with arcs preserved.

[odoshi · Accepted solution]

Brian, Civil Express Tools has a flatten figures command, which you could then follow with an explode to 2D polylines.