C3D Combining Corridors

[ahmed.m.ismail]

Hi All,

I have a project with divided C3D files for some reason, the project contains two major main lines and around four junctions, So we have now around six separated C3D files.

Two files for the main lines and the other four are for the junctions grading, Each file contains only the used alignments, profiles, assemblies and corridors.

Now, it is requested to combine all the corridors in one file, I would like to ask there is anyway to do that.

Thanks,

Ahmed

[Beka_Tchigladze]

Hello

It depends on Why you need to combine,

combining corridors in most of the cases is a headache because you have a lot of baselines and lots of targets and one corridor sometimes is overcrowded with different baselines and targets, to have a different corridor for each of the ramps or whatever it is more convenient. there are some steps you can gather corridors in one Autocad Drawing.

1. You can prepare a complete corridor drawing in a separate Drawing file if it is possible to do it independent file, it will faster to navigate even, and regeneration will also faster for each change. At the end, you can Xref as an overlay to the other drawing. when you Xref C3D Corridor you can even make sections from that desired drawings and make profiles also. But if you want to modify you have to go to source drawing. Usually, I work like that I have different drawings for different corridors when I have complex projects if it is a roadway and at the end, I Xref them into 1 Drawing.

2. You can use data shortcuts for everything, you can promote from data shortcut your corridors or whatever. but you have to be skilled because sometimes it is a little bit tricky and maybe you might not get the desired result.

[ahmed.m.ismail]

Thanks a lot for your response, They need the combined file to share it with the contractor on site, So I can't use corridor data shortcut because the file will e transferred outside the company system.

Secondly, The project manager insists in having all the corridors promoted in one file, So I have to gather all the corridors in one file.

Could you help me?

Thanks,

Ahmed

[ahmed.m.ismail]

Please note that I don't want to combine all the base lines in one corridor, I want to have all the corridors in just one file.

[Beka_Tchigladze]

As I know Unfortunately Civil 3d Does not have an opportunity to query C3D Objects into another drawing. if you even Copy/paste it will never give you proper corridor into another file. maybe I have a lack of knowledge and someone from the Autodesk team helps you. corridor is complex object and it is hard to just copy to another drawing. you have hard task to solve that is right.

[neilyj666]

Can you simply have each of your source corridors as a data shortcut, create a new drawing and shortcut in and promote all the source corridors?

If there are duplicate names the naming templates should automatically deal with this - I've not tried this myself but worth a try?  

[Beka_Tchigladze]

you cannot promote corridor

[ahmed.m.ismail]

It is not possible to promote data shortcut corridors, If you know a way to do that, Please share it with me.

I am using Civil 3D 2018, this is the project specifications and request from the client.

Thanks,

Ahmed 

[neilyj666]

I'm glad one of us is paying attention...!!!!

[neilyj666]

As @Beka_Tchigladze  has pointed out corridors can't be promoted so your best option would probably be to extract featurelines from the corridors as well as alignments etc that the contractor can use OR simply provide the Civil 3D drawings containing the corridors to the contractor

[Beka_Tchigladze]

personally me I would create surfaces for desired levels on corridors and share that as a surface to the client or Triangulad surfaces if someone is a concern, you can share feature lines also because the corridor is frequently useless for the client it is an enormous huge file and not easy to reprocess, also if it created by someone else. for the site, everybody needs plan, profile, cross-sections but corridor it is the first time that I hear that someone claims corridor.

[ahmed.m.ismail]

Believe me this is the request from both the client and the contractor, we have to share one C3D file that contains the corridors for the project, doesn't matter to be in one corridor but all the corridors must be in one file.

Sure, we shared the combined surface XML, Plans, Cross section, but for some reason they wants to have the corridors as well.

Thanks,

Ahmed

[Beka_Tchigladze · Accepted solution]

The easiest way is Xref all drawing into 1 drawing as an overlay with a relative path. and anyone can use it. Create one folder for all documents and Xref this document into one drawing as an overlay relative path. 

The most harder way is that if corridors are not very complex with targets and etc. you can create a blank drawing, promote all alignments and recreate all corridors. 

You have to spend hours doing that, if you are looking for 2 or 3 clicks in Civil I do not think you will find that feature anywhere.

You have to know this type of detail at the beginning of work if you needed one huge civil file. Now you have to do some extra works to do that.

[cwr-pae]

If you data short cut the corridors in to a single file and send the file the corridors should remain in the file. They will be static, but still usable as far as extracting points, feature lines, creating section, etc. Static is good because its a bad idea for clients or contractors to be able to edit/modify design components. 

[matthew_schwartz5CELZ]

CTC Suite makes an AutoCAD extension, that one of the features is it can merge corridors together. 

[bill2NMLX]

The only program/tool that I know of that will combine and divide corridors is the CTC Project Suite Corridor Splitter and Merger.  Keep in mind you'll get a few other great tools as well.   tools for Pipes and a replacement for the plan and production sheet creator.  Not too mention a labeling tool as well.  If you do any piping the piping tool is worth the price all by itself.

Bill Neuhauser, P.E.