NCS Layer Names vs. Interpretation???

[sfore]

I'm almost finished buiding our C3D 2013 dwt which derived from the Autodesk NCS Imperial Template.  We've decided to go towards the NCS Layer guidelines.  I'm trying to wrap my head around NCS Layer names and the heirarchy of Major and Minor Groups while looking over my shoulder for the NCS Police to come get me.  

I understand that the Discipline Designator and a 4 letter Major Group is mandatory while the 4 letter Minor Groups and Status Fields are optional. We threw out the ending Status Fields, and are designating Proposed as C- and Survey/Existing as V- as opposed to doing the -N for New Work (since its optional).  As a whole, none of us liked the status fields.

I'm near the end of completing our template.  I saved the toughest for last which is Pipe Networks/Parts List, Pipes and Structures.  The question came up about 'ANNO' inside the layer name for Pipe and Structure Label Styles and it only got me thinking about every other C3D Label Style I've already designated on a layer that didn't have ANNO as the Major Group.

Lets take Sanitary Pipes and Structure Styles as an example.  My layers look like this in the layer manager:

PIPES

C-SSWR-CNTR

C-SSWR-PIPE

C-SSWR-PIPE-PATT

C-SSWR-PIPE-PROF

C-SSWR-PIPE-SECT

C-SSWR-PIPE-TEXT

STRUCTURES

C-SSWR-STRC

C-SSWR-STRC-PATT

C-SSWR-STRC-PROF

C-SSWR-STRC-SECT

C-SSWR-STRC-TEXT

Should I utilize ANNO Major Group and place my Sanitary text on C-ANNO-SSWR-TEXT?  Same goes for Storm text, should it be C-ANNO-STRM-TEXT?  Should all text be on some sort of C-ANNO-XXXX or V-ANNO-XXXX layer?  Is it really open for interpretation just as long as you are consistent. 

I looked at the ANNO Major Group as a Major Group for general text, labels, bearings, notes, detail titles, tables, matchlines, border/title blocks and such, NOT as a layer to use for a Civil 3D Object Label Style for Surface, Alignment, Profiles, Sections, Pipes, and Structures. 

Am I wrong?  What layer should mleader or text callouts go on for objects that don't have an accompanying label style?  What if I want to label Existing Ground and Proposed Grade inside my profile or sections or what if I want to label Proposed WWTP Building in my site plan?  My thought was simply C-ANNO-TEXT or C-ANNO-SITE-TEXT for proposed callouts and V-ANNO-TEXT for existing callouts.  When we show E&S Control Plans, we turn off all text except for C-ANNO-EROS-TEXT or should it be C-EROS-TEXT.  See my dilema. 

I just want to simplify it and gain some sort of consistent way for all users.  Please, any feedback is appreciated.

[Jay_B]

We went down this same path 2 years ago.

The general layer structure your organization is adopting it's very close our layer structure.

One exception would be, that we found it redundant to use both "TEXT and "ANNO".

We dropped all "TEXT" and settled with "ANNO":

C-SSWR-ANNO

Another thing we condensed was the "SECT" layers for underground piping as we couldn't see a reason not to use "PROF"

layers for the same and I can't recall any conflict between sections & profiles or regrets because they both use "PROF".

For us it boiled down to trying to reduce the total layers in our template which hovers around ~390 layers.

We followed the NCS guidelines as closely as possible, but it seems every template you look at that's on NCS, has it's own flavor to a point. It becomes somewhat subjective as to the right answer on formatting.

Good Luck

[Neilw_05]

I'm no expert on the NCS but I think you have the right idea that general annotations fall under the ANNO primary class whereas annotation specific to a primary class would be a sub-class to the primary. Note how the default layers are set up in the NCS template that comes with C3D. Grading, water, sewer, etc. each have their own text layers.

How you apply the layers depends a lot on your document strategy. You could place all your profile annotation on a single general annotation layer if you don't need to isolate or vary the style of some of the annotation when used across multiple documents. You have to find a balance between simplicity and adequate detail that suits your needs.

We avoid using TEXT or TXT in our layers since ANNO is a more generic term that covers not only text but also dimensions, tags and such.