New guy questions about customizing Civil3D

[jpCADconsulting]

Hiya folks, Frist an apology for my naivete regarding Civil3D... that's what I am hoping will change in this discussion.

I've been an AutoCAD guy for... well... longer than I like to admit (I remember AutoCAD for DOS if that helps).

A few of my clients are now adopting Civil3D to do their grading work (Most of my clients are landscape architects). I'm being asked of course, to "make all of our blocks look like they do in AutoCAD".

My limited understanding thus far is that in that regard, Civil3D is less customizable, I assume because it is designed to use universally accepted graphic standards.

I can add tool pallets with all the custom block I made them for coordinate locations, etc. But these are obviously just AutoCAD blocks, not actual Civil3D objects.

Is there a way to affect the default graphics of Civil3D objects?

For example, can it tell it to "use this block for a slope arrow"?

Thanks for any help at all... just at the beginning of the adventure.

[hippe013]

My two cents. 

Civil 3D is basically AutoCAD with the Civil 3D "Extension" wrapped around it. Basic AutoCAD commands are the same. It just has additional objects (Civil 3D Objects) you can work with. 

My limited understanding thus far is that in that regard, Civil3D is less customizable, I assume because it is designed to use universally accepted graphic standards.

Civil 3D is massively customizable. You can use all the blocks in Civil 3D that you use in AutoCAD. 

Is there a way to affect the default graphics of Civil3D objects?

Yes, Civil 3D objects display are typically controlled by Civil 3d Styles.

For example, can it tell it to "use this block for a slope arrow"?

If you are referring to the Slope Analysis, Slope Arrows of a surface, then no, the Style has predefined arrow types. 

I hope that this helps and best of luck in your journey of learning Civil 3d. Feel free to ask more questions!

[jpCADconsulting]

Thanks Hippie013,

I was kind of using the slope arrow as a 'for instance'.

So for actual civil 3D objects, I can customize them using styles but only using the options available in those styles. I can't for instance, design my own cogo point block or create a completely custom slope arrow. I can only adjust the parameters in their styles?

Do I have that right?

[hippe013 · Accepted solution]

You can setup a cogo point style to display your custom block. This can even be controlled using the description to determine what style it chooses. For example: Cogo Point description is 'Tree' then have it use a tree symbol. Look into description key sets.

[jpCADconsulting]

Understood.  Next question... where is Civil3D looking for that list of blocks?  Again, thanks for your help getting started here.

[hippe013]

The block definitions reside in the database. No different from AutoCAD. They don't necessarily need to be inserted into the drawing as those are block references. You can use the 'PURGE' command and see the blocks definitions that exist in the database. Similarly you can use the 'INSERT' command to see these definitions as well. The insert command has had an upgrade in recent versions and now is in a palette instead of a dialog box. With the recent version of the insert command you can click on the 'Current Drawing' tab to see blocks that exist in the current drawing's database.  What year of Civil 3D are you using? 

[jpCADconsulting]

We're using 2023. In My AutoCAD config for them, I created tool palettes with LISP code that pulls blocks from a centrally located seed file. It seems that the blocks (and I still don't know which ones EXACTLY they want modified - it's all very new to them and me) must reside in the Civil3D template. Correct?

[hippe013]

No, not necessarily. Think of the relationship in terms of inheritance. All trucks are automobiles, but not all automobiles are trucks. Civil 3D IS AutoCAD. Your template, and you can have more than one, can be purely AutoCAD in nature or it can contain Civil 3D Styles / Objects as well. Nothing is different from AutoCAD to Civil 3D as far as blocks are concerned. I'm failing to see what you need to change, modify, or update, to make the move over to Civil 3D as far as blocks are concerned. If in your template you also want default Civil 3d Styles as well then you can do that. Think of Civil 3D as AutoCAD plus additional features (Surfaces, Alignments, CogoPoints, Corridors, Parcels, Pipes, etc.). 

I hope this clarifies things. 

[jpCADconsulting]

OK, getting my feet wet and making some headway... slowly. I have been given a file that h eoffice used for training and am attempting to modify the styles to match the offic estandards (fonts mostly at this point).

I'm hitting some roadblocks.

In the attached file I have the following issues:

• Slope tag - I got the font and arrowhead done, but am unable to give the text a mask (even though it's set that way in the stye)
• I cannot seem to find where to change the font of the contour line text in either the 'Existing' or 'Proposed'

Hoping you can help.... and thanks, as always for your patience folks.

[hippe013]

The text mask can be found under the appropriate component. 

And the font for your Contour Labels an be found under the General Tab.

[AllenJessup · Accepted solution]

In addition to the great advice @hippe013 has given you. A convenient way to access blocks from a template or other drawing is to use Design Center (DC on the command line). Browse to the file and expand the tree and select Blocks. It also works for other entities in the drawing

[jpCADconsulting]

OK, maybe I've gone about asking this question in the wrong way (not that all your replies have not been helpful, they certainly have!!!).

I have attached an elevation marker block I created for them long ago in AutoCAD. Top Of Slab, Top Of Curb, etc. - you get it. Dynamic block with and attribute for proposed elevation.

Now, I can easily add this block to a tool palette I create in cCivil3D (they way I have it set up in AutoCAD).

But... I want (or they want me) to create a native Civil3D object (A point style I guess) so that when they place a point of that style, it looks and operate like the attached block but has all the nifty Civil3D perks... The text would display the elevation based on the Z value of the insertion point,  Auto Numbering, etc...

Thanks again for all you help!

[AllenJessup]

You could add the block to the drawing and do this.

But you can use a basic point marker

And only display the Elevation.

Position the text accordingly using the X and Y offset.

[jpCADconsulting]

OK, I'm well on my way (thanks to y'all) to understanding this stuff. I'm gonna say thanks and make a new post about a very specific question.

Again, thanks for your help all!