Volume in Shape Above/Below Surface - Material Take Off

[ceethreedee.com]

I have created a subassembly that works extremly well for calculating volumes between sample lines..

However I am trying to calculate volume in a shape above/below the blue line shown below. I want to do this in all my sections.. This way I can model the final stage, and get volumes for intemediate stages by just creating the top surface for each stage.

Anyone got any ideas on how to do this with the QTO tools?

[ceethreedee.com]

Lol I am assuming not to many people are using the QTO manager..

[troma]

I would say fcernst is the guy you want to talk to.  He seems to use all that stuff; I never have.

Unfortunately, he seems to have found many problems with the software.  But he probably can advise the best on it as far as I can tell.

[fcernst]

You can't do that with QTO because there is no Pay Item for Corridor Shapes. 

[ceethreedee.com]

fcernst

Thanks for replying, can you even calculate the volume?

Im gathering not, shapes are really good right up until you can't do something unless you use surfaces!

Regards

Kapanther

[fcernst]

No, SP1 has broken our ability to compute the volume of Corridor Shapes.

[ceethreedee.com]

Truly? Civil 3D 2014 SP1? I am using this for my project right now.. How is it broken?

There are several things that are annoying me with corridor shapes.. materials... including the above and....

1. Not been able to calculate volumes at tighter interval unless i create heaps of sample lines! which means my profileview bands look horrible
2. Lack of explanation of how it calculates volumes around curves
3. Total Volume selection in profile views doesnt display anything
4. Can't edit material list after I have left the screen.. I need to delete the item and recreate it.
5. If two shapes exist in two different areas on the same section with the same name it miscalculates the volume! This is a big one for me!!!

But i am worried if there are other calculation problems! Should be basic end area method, with the exception of curves..

Regards

[ceethreedee.com]

Any chance you can elaborate or point me to a post on whats broken?

[fcernst]

I was alluding to your #5 above that is devestating to road and channel designers. So you already know about that. 

In your case of amorphous shapes, perhaps if you make these all coded differently you could calculate the aggregate shape volumes. I would preface the shapes above the line with Above-* and below the line with Below-*.

[ceethreedee.com]

Yeah thats what i have been doing to get around it

3A-1

3A-2 etc..

Then just group them together at the material list stage..

Nice to know im not alone here..

Autodesk! please fix your broken product that i pay for!

Regards

Kapanther