Corridors - dry networks

[Hon_M_]

Hi all,

I have a few questions regarding 3D corridors, their labelling, and their related longitudinal profile views.

I am currently using corridors to design dry utility networks with dedicated assemblies containing several pipes whose diameter or network designation vary. All this informations are encoded in the subassembly. 

I would like to know the following:

1. - Is there an automated way to annotate the corridor in the plan view and display, for a given range of stations, the number of conduits, their diameters, and the network to which they belong?
2. - In a longitudinal profile, it is possible to display the intersection with another alignment. In my case, this alignment represents another pipe or group of pipes located within the same trench. Is there a way to display these pipes and their cross-sections from the intersected corridor, rather than showing only the alignment?
3. Do you have a usefull tutorial to or workflows for properly setting up subassembly and assembly labelling? My goal is to generate simple, clearly labelled cross sections of the networks showing the inner and outer pipe diameters, the number of conduits, and the associated network they belong to.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[SoaresASBCAD · Accepted solution]

Yes — but unfortunately Autodesk Civil 3D corridors are much stronger for roadway workflows than for detailed utility annotation workflows, so some customization is usually required.

For your case, the best workflow is typically:

• Encode pipe metadata in the subassembly parameters/code sets
• Use corridor feature lines + sample lines + section views
• Apply custom Code Set Styles and Section Styles for labeling

About your questions:

• Plan annotation:
  There is no fully automatic native label that dynamically reads “X conduits / diameter / network type” directly from corridor subassemblies over a station range. Most users handle this with:
  • custom subassembly parameters
  • Property Sets
  • Dynamo/.NET automation
  • or extracted feature lines with labels
• Profile intersection display:
  Civil 3D profile views can show crossed alignments, but not true “corridor pipe cross-sections” automatically from another corridor. Usually this is done by:
  • projected objects
  • section views
  • or pressure/gravity network objects instead of corridors
• Best approach for utility trenches:
  Honestly, if these are actual utility conduits, Pressure Networks or Pipe Networks are often easier to annotate and profile than corridors.

For tutorials/workflows, search for:

• “Civil 3D Code Set Style labeling”
• “Corridor Section View labels”
• “Subassembly Composer utility trench”
• “Projected objects in profile view”

A very effective workflow is:

1. Build trench geometry with corridors
2. Extract feature lines
3. Generate section views
4. Label sections with expressions/property sets

That usually produces the clearest utility trench documentation.

[chriscowgill7373]

Ive utilized corridors for utility duct banks.  We use a pretty simplified workflow, we use alignments labels and key notes to call out the conduit sizes, profile views we label the grade break stations and elevations and use key notes just like the plan views..   I think we could put more information into them, but the keynotes call out the details and the details provide the dimension and conduit arrangement.  So, essentially all we are modeling is a box culvert that has bends, which is much better than using null structures with gravity pipes.

I think though that it would take some time to sit down and develop a detailed workflow, or the content that could be used to produce more advanced notation, it isnt something that I would be able to do well in a hypothetical sense.  It took probably 8-12 hours to develop our current workflow - initially, then we probably have another 20-40 in refining it and learning better methods and ways to simplify things as we have utilized it in projects.

[rosie_lucas1]

Hey @Hon_M_ , 

Wanted to touch base—did the suggestions from SoaresASBCAD and chriscowgill7373  help sort things out? 

If yes, it would be awesome if you could mark one as "Accept Solution" to help others out too. 

If not, feel free to keep the thread going. We’re here to help. 

Best, 

[jb.boschung · Accepted solution]

Hello,

I'm currently working on this, and the only solution I've found is to use a Dynamo script (partly a Design Script for me).

 

Now, everything depends on how your PKTs are encoded, whether the information is in a parameter, or if it needs to be composed from multiple ducts, etc.

Starting with the Baseline, you need to select the regions, then the Assemblies, and the Assemblies, to extract the (double) dictionary of values. Then, compose the label from there.

Next, you need to isolate a Corridor Feature Line and attach the information as an AutoCAD MText.

The reason is that it's not possible to label the Feature Lines of 3D Corridors (they aren't independent Civil 3D objects) or the corridors themselves.

But in my opinion, you shouldn't generate dry networks from Corridor 3D, because it's the worst possible solution.

Good luck. It's not easy.