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Quick Figure Prefix Database

13 REPLIES 13
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Message 1 of 14
strimenos
2609 Views, 13 Replies

Quick Figure Prefix Database

Is there a faster way to create figure prefix i.e form excel spredsheet or access.

I have one tip also. When you modify the figure database "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2013\enu\Survey" by using notepad and you add "*" after each figure it will connect during linework codes that much the prefix code and will exclude the integer, EPN1 and EPN2 will be treated as EPN

The aterisks can not be added from the civil3d

 

Thank you

13 REPLIES 13
Message 2 of 14
owenmull
in reply to: strimenos


@strimenos wrote:

Is there a faster way to create figure prefix i.e form excel spredsheet or access.

I have one tip also. When you modify the figure database "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2013\enu\Survey" by using notepad and you add "*" after each figure it will connect during linework codes that much the prefix code and will exclude the integer, EPN1 and EPN2 will be treated as EPN

The aterisks can not be added from the civil3d

 

Thank you



Actually, they can be added in Civil 3D. The '*' character is a wildcard. It tells C3D to ignore what is beyond it, in this case the integer. You can enter it into your figure prefix key and it will ignore the integers.

-Owen
Windows 7 x 64 bit

Civil 3D 2017
______________________________________________________________
Usually, I find that the problem is between the keyboard and the chair.
Message 3 of 14
strimenos
in reply to: strimenos

The wildcard is not support atleast in civil3d 2012 and 2013. unless there is a specific option that needs to be enabled to allow wildcards.

Message 4 of 14
owenmull
in reply to: strimenos

There is no option, it has to do with how C3D reads the code.

-Owen
Windows 7 x 64 bit

Civil 3D 2017
______________________________________________________________
Usually, I find that the problem is between the keyboard and the chair.
Message 5 of 14
Sinc
in reply to: strimenos

You do not need the * in the Figure Prefix library, only in the Description Keys.

Sinc
Message 6 of 14
strimenos
in reply to: Sinc

Solution has been found

Since the figure prefix is writen in XML format you can use excel to replicate the schema to create faster the database. the following video shows a brief description how to do that. XML Schema Excel.

Then you copy the  schema at the very begining of the file create in excel and you copy it to the following folder C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2013\enu\Survey

 

thank you

Message 7 of 14
Sinc
in reply to: strimenos

I really don't understand your solution...  While it's neat to see those Excel tricks, I don't understand why you're even doing them, since they are completely unnecessary to use C3D effectively...

Sinc
Message 8 of 14
strimenos
in reply to: Sinc

during survying you are surveying different features i.e differen codes (wa=wall , BL=building, cu=curb so on) my code sample is about 25 codes. do not forget also each code has the integer at the end to distinquish same codes to they will not be connect during linework. yes you can use the B and E command to prevent the connection but i am trying to avoid the extra coding for my surveyors. so 25 codes for each code to have at least 5 integers i.e wa1 wa2 wa3 means that the table requires 100 lines that MANUALLY need to be written. to prevent that excel is used to replicate each codes by using the excel commands.

The main idea for field to finish (linework) is that all features are automatically drawn and put to their specified layers. the figures created will then be exploded so it can be given to out customers that DO NOT use civil3d but simple autocad or microstation. so the end results needs to be lines and polylines nothing more

Also excel gives you the ability to easily modify or add new codes on the fly

Message 9 of 14
Sinc
in reply to: strimenos


@strimenos wrote:

 25 codes for each code to have at least 5 integers i.e wa1 wa2 wa3 means that the table requires 100 lines that MANUALLY need to be written.


Not sure what problem you're hitting...  What version (language) of C3D. are you using..?  It sounds like you may be using something other than the English version.   So you may be encountering a bug that you only see in your version of C3D.

 

We do this regularly, and use F2F in C3D all the time, but have not encountered this problem.

Sinc
Message 10 of 14
strimenos
in reply to: Sinc

i just did a test and i think i might be wrong. I was misleaded by the coding linework manual EP1 B SW1 B

So i can understand. you are coding at the field  EP1 EP2 EP3 but at the prefix database you only create a code  EP?

Message 11 of 14
Sinc
in reply to: strimenos

Well, we actually use a longer code, and differentiate between different types of pavement (e.g. "EDGECONC", "EDGEASPH", etc.)

 

But yeah, that's the general gist.  And it's been working fine for us.

 

I even recorded a video demo showing me processing a survey, although it doesn't get into a lot of detail about how our Description Keys and Figure Prefixes are configured:

 

http://www.quuxsoft.com/videos/ProcessingSurveyData.aspx

 

There's definitely a lot of setup involved in getting C3D to work, on all levels.  Not just the Survey portion.

Sinc
Message 12 of 14
strimenos
in reply to: Sinc

Thanks for the reply. by the way on your video at 3:15 you say that "in case you select point in the drawing"

Can you create linework from selected points in the drawing??? how?

Message 13 of 14
strimenos
in reply to: Sinc

sorry found it

Message 14 of 14
owenmull
in reply to: strimenos

Within Description Keys, placing a * after the code is a wildcard. This tells C3D that no matter what comes after the *, it gets that point layer, description, and style.

 

So, in this case, you have a code for a wall as 'WA'. You would enter this into the Description Keyset as 'WA*' That way, no matter if you have WA1, WA2, or WA1000, C3D will assign ALL these points to the same layer, description, and style. Get it?

 

The Figure Prefix Database works sort of similarly, and as Sinc mentioned earlier, you do not need the wildcard character here. Here, you enter the codework for all your linework that you want drawn, give it a style, any overrides you desire, layer info, etc. In the same way as above, C3D reads all codes and places them on the specified style, layer, etc., beginning and ending the linework according to the coding you have set up.

 

See this site for more information on how to use Description Keys:

 

http://docs.autodesk.com/CIV3D/2012/ENU/filesCUG/GUID-7691B251-39E9-4BA4-9B4D-B58233EBFE0-750.htm

 

If you go the Excel route, you're asking for a headache, imho.

-Owen
Windows 7 x 64 bit

Civil 3D 2017
______________________________________________________________
Usually, I find that the problem is between the keyboard and the chair.

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