How to generate Plan Profile sheets using XREFs

[Neilw_05]

I put a lot of work into my pipe profiles in order to show crossing pipes and sometimes hand drafted details (i.e. custom box culvert or bridge crossings). These are full length profiles used in the design process. The workflow for plans production is to DREF the alignments, pipes and profiles into a new drawing and generate new profile views to suit the sheets. The problem with this is we have to recreate all the pipe crossings, annotations and custom details in those individual views. This is a lot of tedious re-work due to the way the software handles pipe crossings in profiles.

I would like to know if anyone has come up with a way to utilize those full length design profile views with the sheet production tools. The process would require xrefing the full length profile views, clipping them with view frames to fit the sheets and adding the vertical elevation grid labels at the ends.

[copper.chadwick]

@Neilw_05 ,

That is an interesting post. I understand the caveat to working like that being that one would have to create essentially two sets or Profile Views for the crossings and details etc. I think you are correct in the beginning of your post, about the intended workflow being fairly limited. While I can't comment on whats best for your practice, I wonder if you wouldn't mind also posting a concise truncated intended workflow in the Civil Ideas Page.

While I understand your intention of gathering ideas for an improved workflow, I felt it necessary to chime in and offer something rather than nothing. As always...Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post fully solves the issue or answers the question.​ Thank you for your participation, your accepting a solution adds value to the post for the community as a whole, and helps other members find answers to their issues.

[samir_rezk]

Hi @Neilw_05 

I don’t believe there is a way out of the box to use your design profile view in your sheets! However considering that that the plan production tools xref in you design file in the sheet automatically you could kind of trick the system.

you could probably go about creating your sheets as you normally would, select the same exact insertion point for your sheet profile views as is your design profile view, and make sure the gap between the columns is set to 0. This will ultimately create multiple profile views that are exactly on top of your design profile! Once the sheets are created go back and delete your newly created profile views but you will have automatically placed the design profile view by the auto xref that happens during the cut sheet creation!

hope that make sense,

[Neilw_05]

Hi Samir, actually I was thinking about doing just as you suggested but I would have to run some tests to see what the issues might be. How to handle the vertical elevation bands at the ends of the profile views would be a problem for example. Still there may be a way to make it work.

[KaranpreetSingh_Gill]

Wanted to check to see if there is any solution to the above post.

[Clay_Stringer]

this is always an issue.  One method, don't put so much effort into the full length design profiles. This is the method i prefer.  I have design labels and plan sheet labels.  I do design in a full length profile, using design labels that show much more info and can be placed quickly (entire network).  I can print quick review sheets and after QC and design approved, build the sheet profiles with the clean sheet labels, show nice crossings etc.  If i'm doing Plan & Profile sheets this is almost the only way.  with P&P sheets the  sheet generator helps a lot too.

if  you just have a sheet of profiles, you could, and many do,  xref in the profiles clip with viewports, and create a block for the elevations and start/end grid ticks that you can drop in paper space to make it look right.  But to me this method is more painful during revisions.  As you keep designing and tweeking that profile, keeping it pretty and plan sheet worthy labels takes time.  I like to design in a full length ugly profile until its done then  into sheets to clean up.