Pipe Networks, Expressions, Leaders and Labels...oh, my!

[evolutionengineeringmn]

I am relatively new to Civil 3D and am migrating from LDD straight into C3D 2018.  As I have been learning the software and developing standards for labeling pipe network items, several issues have come up that have stolen my joy!

FIRST:
All things are customizable within a Label set with the exception of the LEADER.  It sure would be nice to have control over all components of leader functionality, including where the arrow head points, the leader tail, color, etc.  It would also be nice to have full control over the way data is stacked and displayed (colors, fonts, etc.) with the leader.  Just like it is without the leader.  It would also be nice to have leader "options" for the type of leader you'd like to use.  Currently, you have straight and spline.  However, the straight leader is incapable of going vertical or horizontal.  Instead of keeping the leader vertical, the text is moved vertical which "bends" the leader.  It would also be nice to have control over the spline critical points so we can bend it however we want it to look if the default doesn't look good.  This might be a quip, but artisan plan/map crafters of old are rolling in their graves over this...

SECOND:
The pipe crossing data that is currently exposed is all regarding the crossing pipe with the exception of the station of the profile it is being compared against.  You cannot calculate the actual "clearance" value between the outer walls of both pipes.  So, you have to do this by hand which defeats the purpose of having 3D Object datasets.

In trying to leverage C3D's exposure of object data, there is no way for crossing objects to "see" each other for labels.  It sure would be nice for a storm sewer profile to have access to the sanitary crossing(s) in that particular PROFILE VIEW.  Maybe the profile view itself could have label access to the components it contains.

You tell the system to create a profile view label.
Select the specific objects within that profile view (storm pipe A and sanitary pipe B).

Now, a new set of data is exposed that correlates these two crossing objects' data.

OR

Perhaps a new type of DIMENSION could be created where you select the crossing pipes, select the particular data from each object (nearest vertical distance type thing) and voila you have your clearance value labeled!

THIRD:
It would be nice for LABEL EXPRESSIONS to be able to return text values.  For instance, using the above clearance issue, it would be nice to use an IF(clearance < min. clearance, "Warning: Too Close!", "Clear").  This could be done in the label composer if only the crossing pipe data was exposed for each crossing pipe.  Maybe there needs to be a different type of interface for this kind of "composer"?

FOURTH:

There are no rule(s) criteria for crossing pipes.  I do work in Minnesota.  We don't win at much but we do win when it comes to coldest winters.  As such, we have a RULES where our watermain lines must have at least 7.5' of cover from the ground surface and at least 1.5' of separation from crossing over/under sanitary sewer.  Perhaps there are no rule sets for crossings because there is no current way for the system to access crossing pipe data?

FIFTH:

Currently, both Sewer and Drainage are contained in the same "network" for settings.  It would be nice to have one network for each "type" of system.  It would also be nice to be able to import all/some settings from one type of network to the other (for quick style/setup purposes).

FINAL:

It would be nice to have the ability to connect pressure networks into gravity networks.  From what I gather, there is no way to connect these systems together.  So, I have been forced to build specialty items within the gravity network that represent pressure network components.  Given two gravity systems cannot find each other's data, it's not surprising that pressure networks cannot interact with gravity networks.  Perhaps a "special" connection could be made that can connect to a pressure pipe and to a manhole structure.

[evolutionengineeringmn]

Just another observation as I'm cruising through setting up parcels.  We really NEED to be able to rotate individual labels for visibility sake.  The structure being used for label styles is WAY too rigid and needs to change.  You can rotate a point label or an "unanchored" labels but that serves absolutely ZERO good when trying to make a clean plan set where all text components are visible and not either masking out something under them or becoming too compacted into a particular area.

#SpinThatLabelRightRoundBabyRightRightRound