Structures not visible in isometric/object viewer after file recover

[Anonymous]

I am working with a file which has approx 300 structures for electrical chambers and associated pipes for the ducting trenches between these. I was working on my file yesterday modifying inverts of pipes to avoid clashes etc. and when I opened the file today I am prompted to recover the file as there are errors in the file. Following a recover I get a message to say that elements have been deleted. As I look around the model space in plan everything appears the same. I can see the chambers and pipes, I can select the structures in each network and see the information is still there. The issue is when I view the structures in isometric or in object viewer, the structures are not visible at all. I have checked that the structure style has not changed so I'm certain the recovery is the cause of this issue.

I have not come across this before and don't understand what has happened. I'm hopeful there is a solution to this issue. I can recover an old version of the file however I lose a lot of work. Appreciate any help with this.

[Mike_Hurtado]

Hi @Anonymous and welcome to the forums!

What happens if you swap the structure and then swap it back again? Does it appear in the object viewer/isometric view then?

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your response.

I tried several things but nothing worked. Checked if level of detail was an issue but it wasn't. Someone I work with advised me to swap the part also and when I swap the structure to a similar type but of a different size I can see it and everything is normal again. However when I change it back to the structure it needs to be it disappears again!

What I have done is restored the previous version to the point before it told me there was errors in the drawing and it needed a restore. It's back working for us again but worried it could happen again and we lose a significant amount of work.

Appreciate the help.

Regards,

David

[Mike_Hurtado]

I'm really sorry to hear that you ended up having to revert back to an old version of a file. Make sure that you purge and audit this one periodically so you catch any errors as they appear and hopefully save yourself from having to redo work.

Best of luck and if the issue does happen to rear its head again give this a try:

Pipe Structure not Displaying in 3D View in Civil 3D

[kurtmSF9CV]

The exact same thing has happened to two of my drawings in the past several days.  Your original post didn't mention it, but the structures have also disappeared from my section views.  In the section view it is as if a null structure is being used...the pipe ends are joined with a vertical line.

[RUDYNUNEZ1217]

I have the same problem.  The null structure is not visible in the object viewer and it does not show up in the profile view.  I've made sure that it is connected and that it is at the right height so that its visible in the view.  I've checked the structure style view direction both plan and profile to make sure that the style is making the layer visible,etc.  It's none of the typical BS.  What I have notices is that if I go to  Profile View Properties and pick the Pipe Networks tab then pick the pipe to draw and the structure that it will not draw the structure.  However, if I turn the pipe off in the view then the structure appears.  I can't show both together.  It's a real pain since I need the structures to show so that I can label them.  I've tried everything.  I've purge, recovered, -purge, regapps, wblocked it into a new drawing......nothing has worked.  In order to rebuild it will cost me at least two weeks of work.  Very Upset right now. 

[samir_rezk]

Hi @RUDYNUNEZ1217 ,

I feel like there might be a disconnect between your drawing Parts List and the Catalog. Try running the PARTCATALOGREGEN Command as well. Some times if works!

[lynn_zhang]

Hi @RUDYNUNEZ1217 

Just wondering if you have tried the suggestion from @samir_rezk and if it works. Let us know if you still need help!

[RUDYNUNEZ1217]

I've tried that as well.  What I have noticed is that if you cannot see the structure in object viewer that it will not plot in profile.  My issue is with the null structure.  Also, it's only in one drawing.  My networks work fine in other drawings.  THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE NULL STRUCTURE IN ONE DRAWING ONLY.  It may be that the block for the null structure is corrupted.  If so, how can I insert a null block that will overwrite the one that is in the drawing?

[Anonymous]

I agree that there may be a disconnect between the network and the parts catalog in this drawing. Try this: In a backup copy of the drawing: on the ribbon, Manage>Styles>Import. Import *all* styles from your template or some drawing that you absolutely know works 100% of the time.

We encounter issues with pressure networks, catalogs, etc. and whenever anything weird starts happening, with catalogs or otherwise, in just one particular dwg, this usually fixes it.

[RUDYNUNEZ1217]

I tried the import styles from a template and it still did not work.  The null structure is still not visible in the object viewer.

[samir_rezk]

Hi,

I would like to step back a little in explaining why you might not be seeing anything!
Let’s assume for a second that we have a manhole structure; in preparing your parts list, typically we pick a 3D model of a structure with the manhole structure size we would like to use from the catalog, then we apply a style. The style for the structure contains the model tab (usually that is set to be the 3D model defined from the catalog), on the Plan tab we like to see our symbology in the form of a block, there is several other tabs, but more importantly we get to the display tab, which has the ability to have the light bulb on to see the structure in several view direction identified by a drop down menu (plan, model, profile and section). It is important that to realize that the look identified in the model tab and having the light bulb on in the display tab under the model view direction is what we end up seeing when you 3D orbit your drawing or in object viewer as well.

Now onto the Null Structure. The word “Null” is a computer term that means the word “nothing” in the English language! Meaning a Null structure is absolutely “nothing” in Civil 3D we use these null structures as place holders. In some instances we might apply a style that shows a desired symbology in plan view, But in taking a deeper look of the structure style applied to a Null structure, you might notice that the model tab of the structure style (what you see in object viewer) might say “use 3D model” and there lies the issue! because a Null structure has No 3D Model, it is absolutely “nothing”! If you like to see something in object viewer then you would need to revise the style to show you a 3D solid of your choice identified in the structure style/model tab as well as ensuring the light bulb is on in the display tab/model view direction.
Sorry for the long narrative, but I hope this makes a little bit of sense

[RUDYNUNEZ1217]

Thanks for the explanation of what the word null is. Maybe you can give me
the definition of the word pedantic! Everything that you mentioned, I have
tried. On drawing that do work properly, here are the settings in the
structure style for null (void, empty) on the MODEL tab, "use catalog
defined 3D part" is checked, on the PLAN tab "use outer part boundary" is
checked, on the PROFILE tab "use outer part boundary " is checked, under the
SECTION tab, "display as boundary" is checked, on the DISPLAY tab under all
view directions all the light bulbs are Yellow as Opposed to blue.

Your response that the Null structures MODEL tab needing to be set to
something other than "use catalog defined 3D part" is incorrect. The way
that Civil3d ships with the null structures is "use catalog defined 3D part"
in the MODEL tab. It's that way in hundreds of my drawing. More
importantly it's that way in the drawings that work.

[samir_rezk]

I am very curious of how you are seeing the null structure in the model view if you have “from the catalog defined part” because there is actually no defined part for a null structure in the Civil 3D Pipe Network catalog that is installed with the software out of the box! Could you share a good drawing and the trouble drawing? Did you open Part Builder and found a part modeled in there for a Null?

[RUDYNUNEZ1217]

Send me a link and I will send you a good drawing and the bad drawing. By
the way, are you from Autocad?

[charlie0676]

Our company tries to avoid using the null structure. It does not hold your settings. Use a real structure instead.