Surface Feature Lines disappear????

[rblades]

This is the second time this has happened to me now. After HOURS (10) of building my surface with feature lines, I go to close C3D, then re-open my source drawing and ALL of my feature lines have been turned into zero length features, with zero elevation, at 0,0 coordinates. The last time it happened was on a 13 acre church, which had a lot of fall across the site, and 3 ponds, and to recreate that surface from scratch was a pain in the ****. Now I am working on a 20 acre apartment complex, and to all of the sudden LOSE ALL of my feature lines with no warning is extremely infuriating. I have tried loading the .bak file which comes in with the same issue: no feature lines. I have automatic save set up, but i manually save my files frequently enough that the autosave file is either not created or deletes. I have tried restoring previous versions with no success. I have tried exporting to LandXML and re-importing. The import brings in the surface and 3d polylines, but the 3d polylines are still at 0,0, 0 elevation, and 0 length. I have a hard time believing I am the only one with this issue, but I don't see anyway to get my feature lines back. If you have had this problem and know how to get my lines back, please, please let me know.

Autodesk - You need to fix this error, as this forces our businesses to lose TIME, and MONEY re-doing all of our *$%!@* work. If you won't fix the problem, then slash the price on the software so we can recoup the money we lose! I have searched the forums and the internet and it seems this has been an issue for several years now (since 2010 as far as i can tell). I have only started having this problem since I switched to 2016, but this should NOT be a bug in your software after so many years of it. This is not just an annoying nuisance, it is a major flaw with your program.

Fix it.

[Pointdump]

R,

Have you installed both Service Packs AND the Feature Line Hotfix?
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticl...

Dave

[jporter]

Did you begin a drawing using the acad.dwt template file?  If so then that is your issue:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-general/feature-lines-disappearing/td-p/2631667/page/...  

If you want to have a Cviil 3D template but don't want to have all those layers I recommend watching these greate videos by Autodesk's Jeff Bartels on a quick and easy way to create a template:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we5BRDUPpZE  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSjmS8zYwIQ

Hope this helps,

[jmayo-EE]

Or start with an acad.dwt from 2012 or before. See attached. Open it, importstylesandsettings, confirm object layers. Use design center to bring in the text, dim, linetype styles, blocks and layers. Template in 15-30 minutes. We haven't lost any feature lines since the issue became prevalent in 13.

[redtransitconsultants]

I have not experienced this issue since prior to V2012, thankfully, as I know what a pain it is.

I agree with the others, the source template can definitley be the culprit causing the issue. Additionally, I've seen errors happen due to Copying and pasting Civil 3D objects between drawings. Has that been done? Copying feature lines that belong to a site with other objects in the site to another drawing that does not contain that site? This is definitley bad practice in Civil 3D as the objects are tied to other objects, thus copying/pasting brings ALL related data to the object with it - and thus could cause drawing errors on recreation.

[jmayo-EE]

Very good point Steve. The clipboard is definately not a recommended method to share Civil 3D data. It works great for autocad objects but not so well with C3D objects.

[bene]

I've had the same issue.  It only happens in drawings that have automatic feature lines from corridors, and only occurs when the drawing is closed then re-opened.  At times not the whole feature line is lost, only parts of it are put to elevation 0,0.  This happens on not only my computer but my co-workers' as well.  I've tried remaking the template but it still occurs.  I'd hate to leave such a nice feature as automatic curbing/potentially more stable grading behind, but this is beginning to cost way more time than it is saving.  

[jporter]

That template. . . when you bcreated it what did you begin with?  Was it the acad.dwt or the _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS.dwt?  That makes all the difference in the world here.  

If you need to begin a template with nothing (no layers, no styles, no settings, etc.) then you need to begin in the way that Jeff Bartels explains in his video, Civil 3D Template Tips & Shortcuts - Pt. 1 Template Settings

Part 1 and 2 can both be found here: http://www.asti.com/News-Events/blogs/postid/1671/civil-3d-templates-quick-and-easy  

[bene]

I had used the acad.dwt that came with the 2017 install.  I will try the other template creation method mentioned in the video and see if that works.

[jporter]

Yes, as stated in the above threads, the reason those feature lines disappear is because you began with he acad.dwt.  You can't do that.  Try Bartels' way and let us know if it works for you. 

[bene]

Alright.  For my own curiosity's sake, is there a known reason for this happening on the acad.dwt template?  Or is it just an observed phenomenon? 

[jporter]

Observed phenomenon.  I would guess it's got to do with something in the settings and the fact that the acad.dwt has no settings whatsoever.  So unless we can isolate and recreate that setting (or settings) that are the culprit then the issue will still exist.