AutoCAD Architecture 2023 - How to check area of a driveway created from circles, arcs and rectangles

[Gemtech.arizona]

I created a driveway and parking area by connecting arcs to a circle and a rectangle. I trimmed excess lines and all lines are now connected. I converted everything to a block. When I attempted to check area of the block by using the object option I got a message "selected area does not have an area"

Any ideas on a good method to check the total area of this curved driveway connected to a circle and a rectangular parking lot. Using Autocad Architecture 2023

Thanks

[ The subject line of this post has been edited for clarity by @handjonathan Original: How to check area of a driveway created from circles, arcs and rectangles ]

[rwrightWMDSY]

You need to use a polyline that encloses the area as the "object".  You will need to either explode the block or open the block in the block editor and then use the area command.  

[Gemtech.arizona]

Do you mean I have to surround the block with a polyline and calculate the area of the polyline? If so that wouldn't be accurate as their are too many curves in the driveway.

I was hoping for a clean method to calculate an area bounded by arcs and lines. I did make sure that all arcs and lines are totally connected to each other to form a closed polyline.

[rwrightWMDSY]

Yes.  The area you want to calculate must be a closed boundary.

[Gemtech.arizona]

I tried using the join command to join the arcs to the circle but they didn't join inspite of the arcs being connected to the circle. Same thing with the arcs to the rectangle

[rwrightWMDSY]

I was just informed by a coworker of another way.  If you can hatch the area(s) you can use the area command to give you the area by selecting the hatch pattern as an object.

[Gemtech.arizona]

I hatched the area but the area command using the hatched area as an object returned "selected object does not have an area"

[pendean]

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@Gemtech.arizona wrote:
I hatched the area but the area command using the hatched area as an object returned "selected object does not have an area"

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Read about it here in this tutorial https://blog.gstarcad.net/why-my-hatch-object-has-no-area-property/ 

[R_Tweed · Accepted solution]

There are two ACA command s to consider that will speed this process.

1. _AecLineworkShrinkWrap  which can be found in the stock tool catalog drafting tools. Use this to wrap your objects with a polyline perimeter.

2.  Aecpolygon. polylines can be converted to aecpolygons. These objects can have voids  and a property set definition can be made to extract the gross area as well as other properties.

[Gemtech.arizona]

Thank you. AecLineworkShrinkWrap worked. I'm guessing with aecpolygons the total area is way overestimated because the overalpping areas between the circles also count towards total area ?

[R_Tweed]

Interesting, I will have to look closer. I do not use the area command for aecpolygons, the value shown is the overall extent and doesn't account for voids. The extended data tab on your properties palette should have the correct value for the gross area.  See attached test dwg with schedule.

[David_W_Koch · Accepted solution]

@Gemtech.arizona 

I would not expect the area reported by an AEC Polygon that is a true outline to report anything other than the area within its boundary.

In the image above:

1. There are two rectangular closed polylines and a circle here.  The circle overlaps the rectangles.  The schedule tags report the area of each individual item; the total is 714.16 square feet.  The number shown in the schedule tags matches that shown for the Area property on the Properties Palette for the individual items, rounded to two decimal places.
2. A copy of the objects at "1", trimmed to leave only the outline.  The remains of the lower rectangular polyline were then PEDITed and the arcs from the circle and the remains of the upper rectangular polyline were joined to it to form a closed polyline.  The schedule tag reports the area of this polyline, and this agrees with the Area property on the Properties Palette, rounded to two decimal places.
3. A copy of the objects at "1" with a polyline generated by the AecLineworkShrinkWrap command.  The polyline generated is equivalent to the polyline created manually at "2" and the schedule tag confirms the area is the same.
4. A copy of the objects at "3" with the polyline converted to an AEC Polygon using an AEC Polygon tool palette tool.  The schedule tag displays the GrossArea automatic property for AEC Polygons.  The Properties Palette does not have an Area property on the Design tab for comparison.  The area reported does agree with that of the polyline from which it was generated.  It does not count the areas where the circle overlaps the rectangles twice.

The attached file generated the image above.