The NEW Feature Line

Feature Line Cover image.png

If you haven't installed the Civil 3D 2026.2 update, you need to!

 

There are a ton of new features and improvements with this update. In this blog, we are just going to focus on the new feature line.

 

Below is a list of the enhancements that have been brought to the new feature line...

 

  • Performance Improvements:
    • When editing elevations.
    • When selecting and querying in the feature line properties palette.
    • When offsetting siteless feature lines to maintain their independent non-site status.
    • When editing siteless feature lines.
    • When adding a Point of Intersection (PI) to a feature line's arc segment, maintain the original radius of both arc segments.
    • When importing and exporting to LandXML.
  • Added a notification for clear feedback when converting a feature line segment from a straight line to an arc.
  • Added the ability to edit the elevation of a PI and elevation point when hovering over the feature line PI or elevation point.
  • Enabled conversion between feature line segments and arcs, allowing the extension of feature lines at either endpoint through both the ribbon and in-canvas interface. 

We are going to focus specifically on the last two listed above. Below, you can see a regular AutoCAD polyline with it's multi-functional grips shown...

Todd_Rogers_0-1765464236476.png

 

What is a multi-functional grip? It's a grip that gives you certain functionality by "hovering" over the grip and selecting an option.

Todd_Rogers_1-1765464341663.png

 

These are great! It makes certain tasks so much easier and quicker. Now, I'm going to convert this polyline to a feature line. Look at the grips!...

Todd_Rogers_2-1765465004882.png

 

They are now identical to a polyline! However, the multi-functional grips have different options aside from an AutoCAD polyline...

Todd_Rogers_3-1765465097399.png

 

For the middle grips, you get the options to Convert to Line/Arc, Insert PI, or Insert Elevation Point. Hovering over an end grip gives you even more options...

Todd_Rogers_4-1765465192514.png

 

You can now Stretch, Insert PI, Delete PI, Insert Elevation Point, or Edit Elevation. This makes it much quicker to alter/edit a feature line without having to use the ribbon. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this quick blog and that it will aide you in making edits faster to improve your performance in production.