Extract polylines from corridor featureline HAVE to be 3dpoly?

Extract polylines from corridor featureline HAVE to be 3dpoly?

RobertEVs
Advisor Advisor
329 Views
5 Replies
Message 1 of 6

Extract polylines from corridor featureline HAVE to be 3dpoly?

RobertEVs
Advisor
Advisor

I often extract polylines from my corridor featureline then wind up with 3dplines which I have to convert 3d to 2d then flatten elevations. I use the plines for linework illustrations. 

Is there any way to get flattened 2d plines from corridor featurelines in one shot?

0 Likes
330 Views
5 Replies
Replies (5)
Message 2 of 6

SoaresASBCAD
Collaborator
Collaborator

Olá @RobertEVs 

 

Yes. In Autodesk Civil 3D you can avoid the extra 3D Polyline → 2D Polyline → FLATTEN workflow by extracting the corridor featurelines differently.

A few options:

When using Extract Corridor Feature Lines, check whether you can extract them as Polylines instead of Feature Lines/3D Polylines (depends on version and settings).

Another reliable workflow is:

  1. Extract the corridor featureline
  2. Use Create Feature Line from Objects only if needed
  3. Run MAPCLEAN or FLATTEN with Elevation = 0
  4. Convert directly with CONVERT3DPOLYS

But the fastest “one-shot” method for drafting/illustration linework is usually:

  1. Extract corridor featurelines
  2. Use EXPORTTOAUTOCAD
  3. During export, Civil 3D objects become plain AutoCAD entities and many featurelines simplify into standard 2D geometry depending on source elevations.

Another very efficient approach:

Set your UCS/View to Plan

Use FLATSHOT or create projected geometry from the corridor in plan view

This generates clean 2D linework specifically for presentation sheets and illustrations.

If you do this often, a small AutoLISP routine can automate:

  • extract featureline
  • convert 3D polyline
  • set all Z values to 0
  • output standard 2D polyline

That ends up being essentially a single command.

ASoares
0 Likes
Message 3 of 6

chriscowgill7373
Mentor
Mentor

Sincpac might have the ability to extract 2d polylines.  I dont have it in front of me to look.  At my previous company, we just used the corridor for the linework.  And my current company, corridors are only used for grading, and the roadway linework is drawn 2d from the start.  I dont know which one is better, both workflows take a lot to update.  The biggest issue with the corridors was that you couldnt snap to them to place a leader or dimension.  At least not through an xref.

Looks like ti does 3d polylines, but then you could convert them.

https://info.quuxsoft.com/SincpacC3D_Help/SP_CorridorExtractPolylines.htm


Christopher T. Cowgill, P.E.

AutoCAD Certified Professional
Civil 3D Certified Professional
Civil 3D 2026 on Windows 11

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

0 Likes
Message 4 of 6

RobertEVs
Advisor
Advisor

Thanks Christopher. Yes I have the Sincpac and you may be right I do know it has extract flattened 2d polyline command not sure if that is for corridor featurelines though. Not in front of it right now either.

The one you posted is kind of what I do already using C3D. I set my code set style to show certain featurelines I want to extract only, in my case bench_in for retaining walls. My problem is they come in as 3dplines and with elevation which I have to convert to 2D then flatten.

0 Likes
Message 5 of 6

chriscowgill7373
Mentor
Mentor

If you use Extract2D (on Sincpac2 in the panel next to the Pipe Elevation Editor) it will change the 3d to 2d and flatten it in one step.  Plus you can set other settings (like a specific layer)

 

Shoot their support a feature request, ask for an option to extract 2d polylines at 0 elevation for the corridor.  They might get it into a future release.


Christopher T. Cowgill, P.E.

AutoCAD Certified Professional
Civil 3D Certified Professional
Civil 3D 2026 on Windows 11

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Message 6 of 6

navya_gelli
Autodesk
Autodesk

Hi @RobertEVs ,

Did the info from @chriscowgill7373 help answer your question?

If you’re still needing more help, feel free to share an update here. The community will be happy to jump in with any next steps to help you get where you need to be.
 

Navya | Community Manager
0 Likes