Associate height property from .shp file to polyline thickness

[enricoan]

Hello everyone, it's my first time using Civil 3D, so I'd like to apologize if the question is either too simple or in the wrong topic of the forum.

Heading to the problem, I'd like to know if there's any way to extrude all my polylines in such a way that the property "thickness" get it's value from the property "ed_altura" (building's height, in portuguese).

Thanks in advance and any help is appreciated.

[Udo_Huebner · Accepted solution]

Its more a MAP Question, not a special Civil 3D Question.

But I do not know a way with built-in functionality to assign the Thickness from ObjectData.

Instead, I created a short Lisp Macro for you. 

[enricoan]

Hello udo, thanks a lot for the quick answer!! After I changed the name of the OD table and loaded it into Civil 3D, it allowed me to select the polylines and even passed through the line instructing it to print how many objects were getting that height etc. However, the thickness didn't change at all, should I change anything else besides the name of the OD table? thanks in advance

PS: in the selected text in the attached print, I tried to write with and without "OD"

[Udo_Huebner]

The Table name must be written without OD:

Perhaps the OD Data does not contain Real but String values. Could you upload once your drawing to check the issue. My test drawing is working as expected.

[enricoan]

Sure! Here it is!

However, I downloaded your file and after applying the UHOD2TH is didn't show any height for the rectangles. Am I missing any setting or configuration step? I've tried the Civil 3D, 3D modeling and "planning and analysis" workspaces.

[drazen.galic · Accepted solution]

Hi @enricoan 

It is possible to set thickness from SHP file through MAP functionality. I call it "old MAP functionality", before all those FDO things.

The workflow is as follows:

1. Insert with the MapImport command your SHP file. After you select your SHP file you have to read in thickness data into object data of imported elements (polylines). On the dialog which open pick on Data (in the grid), select "create object data" on the next dialog and with button "Select fields" confirm your data (you can switch off or on some of them). After that operation, you will have polylines with object data thickness inside. But, in that very moment polylines will not have any thickness (it will be 0).

2. Save the drawing and open new one

3. With the command "AdeDrawings" attach previously saved drawing for query. If it is necessary create new drive aliases (it comes only with C:). There is icon with which you can create new aliases for other disks

4. With the command "AdeQuery" you have to query attached drawing with the option of alter properties.

- On the dialog first set location criteria to option All.

- For Query mode select Draw.

- For Options select Alter Properties

- From available properties select Thickness

- Press button Expression and select Object data and appropriate data which has thickness value

- When return to previous dialog press Add button for defined expression. Expression should appear in list on top of dialog

- return to first dialog and press button Execute Query

After that you should have polylines with appropriate thickness.

I suppose that this functionality is known only to selected people with 30+ years of experience with Autodesk (which I have 😊).

Hopefully, you will succeed with described workflow

Regards,

Drazen

If this is solution for your problem please press Accept Solution

[Udo_Huebner · Accepted solution]

I added the correct Table name and ist works as expected.

See the following Screencast: https://autode.sk/2QVyd4U

If attached the resulting drawing (created with Civil 3D 2018).

With a minor change, you can convert the polylines to real 3d solids on the fly.

...
     (entupd ename)
     (command "_EXTRUDE" ename "" val) ; add this to get real 3D Solid
     (prince ".")
...

@drazen.galic

Yes, ADEQUERY is a solution with built-in functionality, thanks a lot for bringing this to our attention.

[Pointdump · Accepted solution]

Enrico,
In addition to excellent advice from Drazen, in >>>This Post<<< @antoniovinci mentions: "To transform into a "true" solid, you should use the _CONVTOSOLID command."
Dave

[enricoan]

Thank you so much for your help Drazen! I couldn't find such a detailed tutorial anywhere, but your steps were very helpful!

[enricoan]

Thanks a lot for your help and also for taking the time to record the working macro! It seems that I wasn't initializing it properly, perhaps I was was simply loading it to the file.