What objects will dynamically update a surface??

[neilyj666]

I've created a surface from blocks but I need to move many of the blocks to new locations/elevations but if one of the blocks that formed part of the surface build is moved or elevation adjusted the surface doesn't update. I have to reselect and add the blocks to the definition, remove the original blocks and shunt the newly added block up the definitions list.

If Civil points are moved they automatically update the surface (as expected) so is there a list anywhere or does anyone know which entities/objects will cause the surface to update automatically and which ones won't??

I don't generally get data in this way hence the question so I'm thinking the best way forward would be to convert to Civil Points and make point groups??

[jmayo-EE]

To the best of my knowledge, FLines, corridors, gradings, contours and C3D points.

In earlier releases the same process (remove, redefine and rebuild) was also required with contour objects.

[neilyj666]

What about breaklines? If they are joining civil points and the points are moved and the breaklines are then moved to maintain the final triangulation do they need to be deleted and then redefined?

[BrianHailey]

Here you go. I've highlighted the items that are dynamic to the surface. If you change the data in the drawing (or the file that was added) it will update the surface at the next rebuild.

http://screencast.com/t/61ULhpVrKr

And for surface edits: http://screencast.com/t/lZlcqDSj1KJ8 

This isn't all inclusive, if you add proximity breaklines the original plines won't update the surface but if you insert the newly created breakline (created from the proximity breakline command) you can then edit that. I believe the same goes for wall breaklines but I typically don't use that option.

[jmayo-EE]

Hey Neil, sorry but when I said flines I really meant anything in the breakline definition. I use breakine/feature line as the same term too much. I gave up on 2d and 3d polys as breaklines quite some time ago but if they are breaklines they will also update. Brian has it all good but I thought the rest of the edits were also dynamic. I don't test this stuff as much as I should. I really just notice behaivors as I work and deal with the results. I also typically have autorebuild on all the time.

[neilyj666]

Thanks for the replies - it's a pity the Drawing Objects aren't dynamic....

I think for future reference if a surface is likely to change, I'll create a surface from the blocks, extract the points and convert to C3D points and the build the surface with the C3d points

[SurveyorLee]

I don't know if this will work for blocks, but it does for points.

I XML the surface out of the drawing, sending nothing but the surface data.  Now SAVE everything.

If you delete the surface that is dependent upon the points and blocks, then Import the XML, it will create the surface independent of the other items in the drawing.  That can be good and bad.  If you move a point or change a datum, the the surface may not automatically update for you. 

That's what the save is for. It it goes bad, you can try a different approach.

This works well when sending drawing files with surfaces to others, where you can't control what happens to the points.   Once and engineer came to me because of troubles with his surface. Asked him where the points were.  The answer was they were deleted because they took up too much space and would be of no use after grading started anyway.

Lee

[BrianHailey]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Brian has it all good but I thought the rest of the edits were also dynamic. I don't test this stuff as much as I should. I really just notice behaivors as I work and deal with the results.

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John,

The edits aren't dynamic any more than a block is. If you delete a point, that point will be deleted. If that point moves, the point will no longer be deleted. The edits are location specific in the drawing and not object specific. If you use the delete point command, it deletes the point at THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION! That's one of the major problems with the surface edit commands. Likewise, if you swap an edge and the data changes, the edge might not be swapped anymore because it is in a different location.

Hope this helps clarify.

[jmayo-EE]

Thanks Brian!

[jmayo-EE]

Sounds like a sound plan. 🙂 Sent from my iPhone

[neilyj666]

I did what I described and also copied and flattened the 3D polys down to 2D and used them as proximity breaklines. I them froze the original blocks and 3d polys etc never to be used again..!!!

It's a pity that the drawing objects do not create a dynamic surface...!!