Profile view bands

[kishore.gudepuciv]

Hi, 

I have two alignments. One is existing(Red Color in attached screenshot) and other is proposed(Green color in attached screenshot). Existing alignment starts with chainage 0.000 where as proposed alignment starts with chainage 240000. I am in a situation that I need to create profile bands in relation to both alignments.

I need to generate stations and elevations at major stations for existing alignment for example at 0.000, 0.020, 0.040.....etc., and for proposed alignment I need to generate at perpendicular point from existing alignment to proposed alignment for example 240003.45, 240023.51, 240043.46, ........etc., 

I can able to generate at major stations but unable to generate at non major/minor/geometry points with different stations.

Please suggest,

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Kishore.G

[Apex-Solutions]

Hello,

You would need to apply station equations to your databands and alignment in order to display databand information at irregular intervals.

I have created a Screencast video which explains this process for you.

[Anonymous]

Station equations as described by @Apex-Solutions is your best option.

Your problem is that although you have profiles from different alignments in your profile view, the profile view itself is based on only one of the alignments. The station shown in the data band is based on that alignment that the profile view is created from.

Regards,

Peter

[kishore.gudepuciv]

Thank you @Apex-Solutions, @Anonymous for your responce.

Your video is really useful. But my problem is that if I go with that option I need to create station equations manually. I have 40 km long alignment where I need to provide station equations at 2000 locations which will be very TDS and Time killing process.

And there might be a situation where I need to modify my horizontal geometry at center of my alignment. In such cases I need to provide station equation to avoid effect of modifying chainage after the geometry modified region where I don't need any labeling. But if I go with labeling at station equations I will get labeling at inappropriate locations also.

Please suggest any other process I can utilize.

Regards,

Kishore.G

[Apex-Solutions]

@kishore.gudepuciv 

Have you considered superimposing the design profile on the existing profile view?

You can create seperate databands styles or combined styles that references Profile 2 elevations and profile 1 elevations.  The correct profile should be specified on the databands tab within the Profile view properties and care should be taken to enuse that the information is legible.

This will mean that you will not have the chainage references on the Horizontal alignment as there are too many of them.  Perhaps you can apply a few of them at regular intervals to ensure that the horizontal alignments still has some sort of reference to each other on plan.

[kishore.gudepuciv]

@Apex-Solutions 

I understand the things related to superimposing profiles. My worry is that I need to label existing alignment at regular station intervals (Major/Minor/Geometry/Alignment start/Alignment End) where as I need to label the propose alignment with non regular intervals other than the above mentioned values.

My sincere worry is about labeling at non regular intervals. Any Idea??

Regards,

Kishore

[Anonymous]

I don't know your current situation but can you not change the start station on your proposed alignment to match the existing alignment? Both alignments then run the same stationing (unless they diverge horizontally). The station for your proposed would then be the same as the existing.

Regards,

Peter

[kishore.gudepuciv]

Yeah...!! If that is the case I will be very happy to do that. But I should not change that because existing chainges related to Indian Railways track alignment and proposed chainges has been provided by taking reference of one major station center line.

However thanks for the help.

Please notify me, if something structs in your mind

Regards,

Kishore.G

[Anonymous]

If you do want to change the start station of your proposed alignment to match the existing. Then see below:

- Select "Proposed" alignment.

- Select "Alignment Properties" either from the modify panel at the top of the screen, or right-click and select "Alignment Properties".

- Go to "Station Control" tab.

- In the "Reference Point" area of the tab (top left quadrant), enter the existing station that you are starting from in the "Station" box.

This may lead to additional work on your part as you may need to check anything that references the alignment stations such as profiles, corridors etc. But when done it will stay that way.

Regards,

Peter

[Apex-Solutions]

@kishore.gudepuciv 

I don't think that there is any way other than what was suggested with Station Equations or superpositioning of profiles to achieve what you need.  At least not from standard functionality with Civil 3D.

@Jeff_M 

Do you have any suggestions that could assist with the issue in this thread? 

[Apex-Solutions]

@Anonymous @kishore.gudepuciv 

The stations of the two separate alignments will always be slightly off considering that they do not run parallel with each other.  They will also start changing as soon as the first horizontal curve starts.

Changing the proposed alignments will give results for a few stations at the start of the alignment but then the rest will increase or decrease with a odd value as the chainage progresses.   From the given value it seems that the chainages will decrease with 0.11 every 20m.  (edit: on the assumption that the proposed alignments labels needs to be referenced perpendicular from the exiting profile intervals.)

The solution for this might be more effective with a lisp routine but this problem with the requirements and conditions attached to it becomes a little bit more complex.   If only we had Dynamo for Civil 3D 😞

If the chainages is required on the horizontal alignment itself where it is directly referenced to another then the only solution would be with the use of station equations.

[Anonymous]

@Apex-Solutions I agree completely. I did write in my reply that they would only be the same until they diverge horizontally.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem obvious what @kishore.gudepuciv is trying to achieve so we're just shooting in the dark here. If it's a new alignment that diverges from the existing then station equations are the only option, and even then, why bother, apart from at a few reference points.

@kishore.gudepuciv seems to want all minor and major stations to follow that of the existing. This makes me wonder whether it may be an upgrade to an existing corridor that will be using the existing stations for reporting/setting out. Something you might do for a road widening scheme (although it seems rail is the object here). I suppose I should have provided a little more detail as to why I had provided that answer.

Regards,

Peter

[Anonymous]

Not sure why that text came out all different sizes on my last post!!

[Jeff_M]

---

@Apex-Solutions wrote:

 If only we had Dynamo for Civil 3D 😞

---

I don't have anything to add to this conversation that may help the OP. I do have a link that suggests Dynamo CAN be used with C3D. I have not yet looked  into what Dynamo can do, or even what it is, but it just may be able to help.

https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Civil-3D-Data-Mining-Dynamo-2018

[kishore.gudepuciv]

Hi @Apex-Solutions, @Anonymous, @Jeff_M,

Firstly I apologize for my late reply. I have some issue with my email notifications.

However I got a solution to the mentioned issue in subject line.

I have created a sample line group with desired chainages and labeled with sectional data in profile view.

Thanking you for your expertise opinions.

Regards,

Kishore.G

[kishore.gudepuciv]

Continuing to the previous mail I can explain in detail about the work flow I have followed,

Prepare input in text document in the format of Station Value 'Space' left swath width 'Space' Right Swath Width

For example 240003.45 20 20 (in this case I considered left and right swath width as 20m)

                       240023.51 20 20

                       240043.46 20 20  etc.,

Home tab > Sample lines > Select alignment > Select EG > Sample Line Tools tool bar > Sample line creation methods > By station Range > select start station, end station, left swath width, right swath width, deselect all sampling Increments > ok > paste station along base lines in the format of Station Value 'Space' left swath width 'Space' Right Swath Width > Sample line group will be created at once.

Create Profile View

Select Profile View > Profile View Properties > Band type:  Sectional data >  Select Band style : Edit Current style > Band details > Labels and Ticks > Select At Sample Line Station > Set a Style > ok > Apply 

Now we also can get elevations at desired locations by labeling at sample line stations.

Thanking you,

Regards,

Kishore.G

[Anonymous]

I obviously completely misunderstood the original question.

Nice fix though @kishore.gudepuciv!

[Apex-Solutions]

Just to keep you updated. @kishore.gudepuciv 

I have been digging on Dynamo to see if this could be solved.  So far it seems highly likely.

Here is a screenshot of what I am busy with, Is this the result that you are looking for?  You can read some more of this on my linkedin post.

[Anonymous]

And here was me thinking Dynamo was just for Revit stuff.

I really must set some time aside to take a look at how I might find it useful in my workflows.

Not enough hours in the day at the moment though. But definitely soon.

[Apex-Solutions]

Hi Peter

I am digging away at it. 

It is taking a lot of time to get my head around it but it satisfies my curiosity. 

I believe it will be a lot simpler once Autodesk includes more Nodes for Civil 3D for Dynamo.

ATM its pretty linear, so if you do not have the time to sit down and learn it now you will not be left behind.  Just be sure to set the time away in the future because it is gonna kick up a storm in the infrastructure industry.