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Metric surface thinks it's imperial

14 REPLIES 14
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Message 1 of 15
mnorton
3125 Views, 14 Replies

Metric surface thinks it's imperial

I imported contours from a shp file into a metric drawing.  The elevations are in meters.  I create a surface from the contours.  The elevations are in feet.  My brain is tired.  How do I create a metric surface?


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
14 REPLIES 14
Message 2 of 15
Ed.McGriskin
in reply to: mnorton

Are you using surface labels to get elevations from the surface? If so, check the units in the label. It is possible to label a surface in feet even though it is a metric drawing.
Ed McGriskin, P.Eng.
Project Engineer @ HUSSON
Remember to accept the solution so others can find the solution also.
Message 3 of 15
jmayo-EE
in reply to: mnorton

I would try starting the Civil 3D Metric program and use a metric template to create the surface in the correct coord sys...Never made one before... 

John Mayo

EESignature

Message 4 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: Ed.McGriskin

Ed,

 

No labels yet.  I'm getting elevations from the surface tooltips.

 

Mike


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 5 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: jmayo-EE

Hi, John

 

I'm using a metric template.  For about a minute I thought I could trick the program by using an imperial template, creating the surface, and then switching to metric units but to no avail.  My surface elevations changed when i changed the units.


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 6 of 15
sboon
in reply to: mnorton

I've never checked this but was the shape file defined in Imperial units?

 

Just to confirm - you've started from a metric template, and imported a shape file which produces polyline contours.  The contours are at metric intervals.  When you create a surface from those contours that surface reports elevations in feet.

 

Do I have it correct?

 

Steve
Please use the Accept as Solution or Kudo buttons when appropriate

Steve
Expert Elite Alumnus
Message 7 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: sboon

Correct, Steve.


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 8 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: sboon

That was affirmative to your summary.  The projection file specifies metric.


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 9 of 15
AllenJessup
in reply to: mnorton

Wild guess but have you checked your surface style. I had a similar problem with points and it turned out that the point style specified feet even though the drawing was metric. I wasn't up on styles and had just copied the imperial point style in the metric drawing.

 

Also. Be aware that normally Civil 3D does not do Vertical Transformations!

 

Allen Jessup



Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager

Message 10 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: AllenJessup

Allen,

 

Where exactly does the surface style specify vertical units?

 

Mike


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 11 of 15
AllenJessup
in reply to: mnorton

Don't know exactly. I haven't opened up Civil this morning yet. I'll check when I have it open. Is the shape file one that is publicly available? If it is, post a link. Then we can check it out.

 

I had to convert a metric point cloud to imperial a couple of weeks ago. That was really painful!

 

Allen



Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager

Message 12 of 15
AllenJessup
in reply to: mnorton

No setting obvious in Style. However I can duplicate your problem in reverse. In an imperial drawing if I go to Ambient Settings and change Foot to Meter in that imperial drawing. The Surface elevations come up in Metric.

 

mfc.PNG

elm.png

 

I don't know if this is your problem, just that it duplicates it.

 

Allen



Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager

Message 13 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: mnorton

All,

 

Thank you for your efforts.  I edited the units in the projection file (changed METERS to FEET) and repeated my surface process.  (SHP import, save, attach to new drawing, query altered elements by object data, and create surface.)  The surface is in meters, my drawing is in meters, and once again all is right with the world.  Thanks again.


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 14 of 15
mnorton
in reply to: AllenJessup

Allen,

 

Changing the elevation parameter on the ambient settings tab is an easier solution than editing the projection file and repeating the map import process.  Thanks for your help.


Mike Norton - The Civil Guy
Message 15 of 15
AllenJessup
in reply to: mnorton

Mike,

 

Thanks for posting your solution. That was creative and I don't think I would have thought of that myself.

 

I wouldn't consider what I did a "Solution". I would never recommend changing an Ambient Setting in an imperial drawing to metric permanently. It was only a test to try and duplicate your problem.

 

Allen



Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager

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