Profile structure labels - combine like lines of annotation

[rkmcswain]

This one is best described graphically.

[Todd_Rogers]

I second it!!

[peterfunkautodesk]

Are there other cases where this would be useful? I'm worried that the logic and controls that would need to be added to save a couple of lines of text would too complex.

This seems like one of those times that a label override should be used if removing that one line of text is critical.

Regards,

Peter Funk
Sr Product Manager
Civil 3D
Autodesk, Inc.

[rkmcswain]

If by "Label override", you mean manually changing the text, then that's what we're already doing.

That breaks the intelligence of the label, so when a pipe changes size or invert elevation, those changes are not reflected in the label.

I suppose "complex" is a relative term. 

if (any two labels are alike) {
    combine_those_labels;
} else {
    make_the_labels_separate;
}

Okay, I realize it's more difficult than that, but the ability to "save a couple of lines of text" is pretty important when we have a lot of structures around a curved alignment for example. See below. (In many cases, sheet size and scale are regulated by the regulatory agency, so we can't change those.)

Thank you @peterfunkautodesk

[peterfunkautodesk]

I understand the why this is useful, but how we could implement it is the tricky bit.

You're not asking the labels to be combined if they are alike, because that would be "2x FL 8" (N) = 361.00"

What we are trying to figure out is when two lines are similar, then combine the things that are unique. Would FL 8" (N) = 361.00 & 370.00 be the annotation if you had two pipes coming in from the North side at different elevations?

I could see a custom routine that would cull the structure labels and make the combations might be a better solution in the short term. The UI needed to control this might be too complex to add to the general labeling tool.

Regards,

Peter Funk
Sr Product Manager
Civil 3D
Autodesk, Inc.

[rkmcswain]

At first thought, in our case, multiple labels would only combine if [size] and [elevation] were the same.

But I can see the potential complexity, because pipes have a LOT of properties. Maybe someone else's label includes the Surface, Alignment, Material, etc. Then you get into deciding the scenarios by which they would combine, and possibly then unlink when things change.

To answer your question about this [Would FL 8" (N) = 361.00 & 370.00 be the annotation if you had two pipes coming in from the North side at different elevations] - No because the elevations are different.

A typical situation is at structures where the main trunk pipe size does not change.

Example:

FL 36" (N) = 87.70

FL 36" (S) = 87.70

FL 24 (W) = 90.20

FL 24 (E) = 92.10

So the result would be 

FL 36" (N & S) = 87.70

FL 24 (W) = 90.20

FL 24 (E) = 92.10

Saving one line X a dozen structures per sheet - it adds up.

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Thanks for your comments.