Fixed Feature line vertices elevation

[pieter_haeck]

While using Grading Volume Tools, and balancing the volumes, the whole feature line is moved verticaly to balance volumes.

It would be nice that there is a possibility to fix the elevations of certain feature line vertices (e.g. draped on the Existing Ground Surface), so they won't be altered when performing automatic volume balance. Perhaps additional function in the Elevation Editor?

[pieter_haeck]

@TimYarris 
This post is the result of questions that come up almost every time during C3D training courses. It has been posted 7 years ago. Personaly, I think the ability to 'lock' feature line vertices (relative) to a Surface or a fixed elevation would be a major improvement in Volume Balancing projects and workflows.

In actual workflows, the user has to do 3 to 4 iterations to get a desired result, because when applying 'Auto Balance' in the Grading Volume Tools, the whole feature line is shifted verticaly. This results in e.g. loss of connection with the Existing Ground Surface where this feature line ties in to... Meaning the necessary vertices have to be draped back on the surface... This operations disrupts the balanced result of the volume calculations, so the balancing tool has to be applied again, which results (again) in loss of connection of the vertices with existing ground and so on, and so on.

When the 'relative to surface' option became available in the Elevation Editor and the 'Elevations from Surface' tool a few years ago, I thought this was the solution, but the 'relativeness' works in just one direction apparently (only when the reference surface changes). This was a little bit disappointing... 😉

Are there any plans taking this one in consideration? Thank you in advance.

[TimYarris]

Hi @pieter_haeck . Thank you for following up on this idea. While we don't have this on the short-term roadmap, have you experimented with the new Grading Optimization product? That tool enables you to set constraints on an element and optimize the surface based on those constraints. 

[pieter_haeck]

Hi @TimYarris , Yes, I experimented a little with grading optimization, though I strongly feel this should be also possible in standard Civil 3D. Those questions always pop up during basic Civil 3D training when talking about Feature Lines (even when not talking yet about Volume Balancing). I feel bringing up Grading Optimization in this stage of trainings could be a step too far, although I'm convinced for little more experienced users GO is more powerfull.

Just being able to lock (via Elevation Editor?) certain vertices of a feature line on a specific elevation (from surface) could be a time saver when changing elevations of Feature lines (with 'Raise/Lower', Auto Balance,...), where GO is overkill/not needed.
Thank you in advance for taking this one in consideration. 🙂

[TimYarris]

@pieter_haeck have you worked with the existing ability to make feature line vertices relative to a surface? Does this get you closer to fulfilling this requirement?

[pieter_haeck]

@TimYarrisYes, I tried that, but that's the whole point. Relative to surface works just in 'one direction': When relative to surface, the feature lines adapt when the surface changes. But when e.g. balancing volumes, resulting in changing the (elevation of) the feature line, it doesn't take into account that some vertices might be 'relative to surface' and the 'relativeness' is broken. Expected behaviour in this case could be that when raising/lowering a feature line (manually or via balancing volumes), the vertices relative to surface maintain relative and thus their elevation and non-relative vertices change in elevation. To illustrate this, I created a little Screencast 😊

https://autode.sk/3tkzuXc

When the relative to surface functionality came out years ago, it was the first thing I tested, because I expected this behaviour. I was a little disappointed noticing it didn't work that way... 😉

[pieter_haeck]

@TimYarris any updates on this idea? This is still a top 3 question during trainings along with the following idea already on the public roadmap

Dynamic Offset Feature Lines 💡 - Civil Infrastructure Public Roadmap | Product Roadmap (productboar...