Sheet production problems w/ C3D

[ccoles]

Hi, everyone. We are having some major issues with Civil 3D 2008 SP2 and Sheet production. Our desired method of putting plan sheets together are to have all the Civil 3D design work in one file, and be able to xref that design file in to sheet drawings, and using the layer freeze to turn off aspects of the design that are not to be shown on those particluar sheets. However, some issues are cropping up that have us confused and frustrated.

One issue is that all surface labels seem to be referenced to a single layer defiend int the drawing settings. In our case, this is the C-TOPO-TEXT layer. But, our label styles put the labels on individual layers. When we are working in the sheet drawing with the design file xref'ed, the single layer controls the visibility of the label. So, when we try to turn off the spot elevations, style setting C-TOPO-SPOT-PR, They only turn off when the C-TOPO-TEXT layer is frozen. But, then our contour labels also disappear, even tho the style setting puts them on C-TOPO-MAJR-LABL.

Also, grading lines seem to be controlled by the active layer your on when you create them, not the layer name in the style setting. When we try to freeze out the grading lines, style setting C-TOPO-GRAD-FILL and C-TOPO-GRAD-CUT, the daylight lines remain, typically listed on layer 0.

And corridor lines are just as bad. our style settings place these on C-ROAD-CORR layers, but freeze those out, and certain corridor lines remain, like centerlines and daylight lines.

Our current solution is to export C3D files to ACAD, and explode blocks into ACAD elements, but this not only breaks the dynamic features of the information, but also requires some extra steps of 'cleaning' up the file to display them correctly. And, any change to the design file will require us to re-export and clean the files again.

How do you guys do it?

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure how much experience / training you've had on styles creation,
but they are a bear to master if you don't have much.

Short answer is to get your reseller to come to your offfice and walk you
through EXACTLY how styles work. They should be made aware of your workflow
and requirements so they can give you the right training. What you want can
easily be done, but it will require some tweaks to your styles and a little
more knowledge o nthe inner workings of styles on your part.

Long answer:
Sounds like your styles have a layer defined within them. Go to the General
tab if it's a label styule, go to the display tab if it's an object style.

So your style says one layer, but the object, such as a contour label group,
is on another layer. You have nested layers.

There is another way. Set the layer within the style to "0". The contour
label group gets created on your "Surface Label" object layer as defined in
the settings, but you can move it to another layer if you want. And since
the style's layer has been set to "0", the contour labels will inherit the
properties of that new layer.

There are 2 different ways to create styles. The way that invloves nested
layers, and the way where the style layer is set to "0".

There are pro's and con's to either.

Matt

[Anonymous]

Don't forget your check book, unborn children and make sure you put in a
change order with your client really really soon! ;()
--
Z. Novkovic, PE
Terra Integrated Design, LLC
www.tidesign.biz
C3D/LDD-08
..
"Matt Kolberg" wrote in message
news:5823894@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm not sure how much experience / training you've had on styles creation,
but they are a bear to master if you don't have much.

Short answer is to get your reseller to come to your offfice and walk you
through EXACTLY how styles work. They should be made aware of your workflow
and requirements so they can give you the right training. What you want can
easily be done, but it will require some tweaks to your styles and a little
more knowledge o nthe inner workings of styles on your part.

Long answer:
Sounds like your styles have a layer defined within them. Go to the General
tab if it's a label styule, go to the display tab if it's an object style.

So your style says one layer, but the object, such as a contour label group,
is on another layer. You have nested layers.

There is another way. Set the layer within the style to "0". The contour
label group gets created on your "Surface Label" object layer as defined in
the settings, but you can move it to another layer if you want. And since
the style's layer has been set to "0", the contour labels will inherit the
properties of that new layer.

There are 2 different ways to create styles. The way that invloves nested
layers, and the way where the style layer is set to "0".

There are pro's and con's to either.

Matt

[tcorey]

You said: "Also, grading lines seem to be controlled by the active layer your on when you create them, not the layer name in the style setting. When we try to freeze out the grading lines, style setting C-TOPO-GRAD-FILL and C-TOPO-GRAD-CUT, the daylight lines remain, typically listed on layer 0."

I know this to be a software defect that I reported to Autodesk a few months ago. It took some persistence and cajoling the tech rep to move this up the ladder, but finally I got confirmation from development staff that this is indeed a bug. Be patient and it might be fixed in a service pack or next release.

Tim Corey
Delta Engineering Systems
Redding, CA

[ccoles]

Thank you. I am in contact with people that may help me get these surface label styles fixed. Right now, it seems to be defeating the purpose of the style settings to have to put all the labels, be they contour, spot elevation, or slope labels, on a single layer, then change the layer to the correct one later. I think this is just another bug.

[Anonymous]

Yes I agree. I think the Object Layers settings should include
Layer> instead of just the list of layers.

--
Matt Kolberg
Global CADD Systems
Vancouver, B.C.
www.gcscorp.ca


wrote in message news:5824788@discussion.autodesk.com...
Thank you. I am in contact with people that may help me get these surface
label styles fixed. Right now, it seems to be defeating the purpose of the
style settings to have to put all the labels, be they contour, spot
elevation, or slope labels, on a single layer, then change the layer to the
correct one later. I think this is just another bug.