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    Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 , 7th Edition
    Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 , 7th Edition
    Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 , 7th Edition
    Ebook1,278 pages13 hours

    Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 , 7th Edition

    By Sham Tickoo

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    About this ebook

    Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 textbook introduces the users to the powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) solution, AutoCAD Civil 3D. The BIM solution in AutoCAD Civil 3D helps create and visualize a coordinated data model. This data model can then be used to design and analyze a civil engineering project for its optimum and cost-effective performance. This textbook has been written considering the needs of the professionals such as engineers, surveyors, watershed and storm water analysts, land developers and CAD technicians, who wish to learn and explore the usage and abilities of AutoCAD Civil 3D in their respective domains. This textbook provides comprehensive text and graphical representation to explain various concepts and procedures required in designing solutions for various infrastructure works. The accompanying tutorials and exercises, which relate to the real world projects, help you better understand the tools in AutoCAD Civil 3D. This textbook consists of 13 chapters covering Points Creations, Surface Creations, Surface Analysis, Corridor Modeling, Pipe Networks, Pressure Networks, and Parcels and so on. The chapters are organized in a pedagogical sequence to help users understand the concepts easily. Each chapter begins with a command section that provides a detailed explanation of the commands and tools in AutoCAD Civil 3D. The chapters in this textbook cover the basic as well as advanced concepts in AutoCAD Civil 3D such as COGO points, surfaces and surface analysis, alignments, profiles, sections, grading, assemblies, corridor modeling, earthwork calculations, and pipe and pressure networks. This edition covers the description of all enhancements and newly introduced tools.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCADCIM Technologies
    Release dateJan 18, 2019
    ISBN9781540169631
    Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 , 7th Edition
    Author

    Sham Tickoo

    Prof. Sham Tickoo is professor of Manufacturing Engineering at Purdue University Northwest, USA where he has taught design, drafting, CAD and other engineering courses for over nineteen years. Before joining Purdue University, Prof. Tickoo has worked as a machinist, quality control engineer, design engineer, engineering consultant, and software developer. He has received a US patent for his invention Self Adjusting Cargo Organizer for Vehicles. Professor Tickoo also leads the team of authors at CADCIM Technologies to develop world-class teaching and learning resources for Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and related technologies.

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      Exploring AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 , 7th Edition - Sham Tickoo

      Chapter 1

      Introduction to

      AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017

      Learning Objectives

      After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

      • Understand the basic features of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017

      • Understand AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 screen components

      • Get familiar with different workspaces in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017

      Introduction to AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017

      AutoCAD Civil 3D is a powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool that is used for designing, analyzing, and documenting engineering projects such as land development, transportation, and environmental projects.

      This software includes various sets of tools for designing a civil engineering project along with the tools from other Autodesk products such as AutoCAD and Map 3D. It also has interfacing application such as Trimble Link™ , Carlson Connect™, and Leica Exchange for transferring and converting data set into Civil 3D environment. These tools can be accessed through toolbars and Ribbon provided in the software interface. Civil 3D also supports the traditional commands that exist in AutoCAD software to invoke various tools. These commands are executed using the command prompt in the software.

      AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 provides a model-centric technology at the core that enables the entire team in a project to coordinate and work on a single updated model. Data sharing is conducted through various approaches ranging from Xrefs and data shortcuts to integrated data management controls. These approaches help team members to work in parallel, connected locally or remotely, on the latest updated model. As a result, a project can be managed well and the budget can also be controlled.

      Basic features of AutoCAD Civil 3d

      AutoCAD Civil 3D features a range of design and analysis objects within its three-dimensional dynamic engineering model. These Civil 3D objects include points, surfaces, parcels, alignments, profiles, and gradings. All objects in this model have a hierarchical interaction mechanism with each other. This mechanism ensures that modifications carried out in one object are truly reflected in other objects that are connected to it.

      A Civil 3D object is a drawing element that maintains a relationship with another Civil 3D objects. For example, an alignment object is a combination of lines and curves in a horizontal plane that collectively defines the location of a project component, such as the centerline of a road. This alignment can be an independent object or it can be a parent object of other Civil 3D objects such as profiles and cross-sections. If you edit this alignment object it will result in the change of other related Civil 3D objects.

      Civil 3D has other objects such as points, surfaces, alignments, profiles, sites, parcels, gradings, corridors, assemblies, and subassemblies. All these objects have a designated hierarchy that can be viewed in an interface component called the TOOLSPACE palette.

      AutoCAD Civil 3D also features various other object components such as tables, object labels, and the analysis results that are derived from the model. These object components are associated with the core model, and they can be dynamically updated so as to reflect any change made in the core model.

      Some of the various objects required to create a Civil 3D model are discussed next.

      Points

      Points are the basic building blocks in AutoCAD Civil 3D. In Civil 3D, points are coordinate geometry points and are also known as the COGO points. In a civil engineering project, points are used to represent the existing ground locations and design elements. A Civil 3D point object is different from the AutoCAD point object. An AutoCAD point merely displays the location of an object. A Civil 3D point has a unique identification number and properties such as northing, easting, elevation and description. These points can also have additional properties to control their appearance such as point style, point label style, and layer.

      Point Groups

      The point groups allow you to group the COGO points together. The groups are created by using the point objects that have similar characteristics. This helps you to control the overall appearance of the points. Point group objects make it easy to change the point number, point style, and other properties of a large number of points.

      Surfaces

      Surfaces are key objects in AutoCAD Civil 3D. They are the three-dimensional geometric representation of a land terrain. In Civil 3D, you can calculate a composite volume surface that represents the difference between two surface areas.

      The surfaces are created using points, point files, DEM data, existing AutoCAD objects, contours, breaklines, and boundaries. You can also import the information regarding the surfaces from LandXML, TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network), and DEM (Digital Elevation Model) files.

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, you can perform various surface analyses to show different height ranges, slopes, and watershed areas. This is done to ensure that there are no unwanted point in the design.

      Alignments

      The alignment objects in civil engineering projects represent the geometry of features like the pipeline, road, canal, railway, or construction baselines in a horizontal plane. Creating and defining the alignment is the first step in the design process of highway, railway, or other engineering projects.

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, an alignment object can be created from a polyline or by using the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar. The alignment objects can also be edited using the grips or commands in the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar.

      Profiles

      The profiles (or long sections) are used to show surface levels along a selected horizontal alignment using the specified surfaces. After creating a profile in Civil 3D, you can design the vertical alignment directly on it by using standard alignment tools, grips, or editors.

      Profile Views

      The profile views are used to represent the graph lines which form the grid along which the profile is plotted. One profile view object can be used to represent multiple profiles. Profile view object also includes data bands. Data bands can be used to display additional information about the profile view.

      Assemblies and Subassemblies

      Assemblies constitute the primary structure of an AutoCAD Civil 3D corridor model. The subassemblies are the building blocks for creating an assembly. The assembly objects are composed of subassemblies. The assembly forms the primary structure of a corridor model. The subassemblies can be carriage ways, curbs, and slopes that can be added to the assembly baseline to create an assembly.

      Corridors

      A corridor represents a path, such as a road, railway, or canal. The horizontal and vertical geometry of a corridor is defined by the alignment and the profile.

      The corridor objects are created along one or more baselines (alignments). These are then created by placing a 2D section (assembly) at incremental locations along the baselines and by creating matching slopes that reach a surface model at each incremental location. The corridor models can be edited on the basis of sections.

      Parcels

      The parcels represent any closed boundary that is spatially referenced to a geographical location. However, the major use of parcel is to represent a tract of land which could be a lot in a subdivision. Parcel can also be a water body or even a lot in a given site which is termed as site parcel.

      Grading

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, the grading tools enable the engineers to grade a surface by applying different grading criteria. On applying grading to a surface, you can analyze the grading and balance the cut and fill volumes of a surface.

      Sections

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, sections or cross-sections provide a view of the terrain that is cut at an angle across a linear feature such as a proposed road. The sections are cut across the horizontal alignments at specified station intervals. These sections can be plotted individually for a specified station or as a group for a specified range of stations, depending on the purpose of a plot. You can generate the section volumes from a design for earthworks and materials using the Quantity Take Off tools.

      Pipe Networks

      You can use pipe networks to design the utility system such as the storm and wastewater system which carry fluids under the effect of gravity. The pipe networks are created from design catalogs, and can be edited in plan views. You can also display the pipe network parts in profile and section views. Therefore, if a change is made to the pipe networks in plan view, the profile and section views are dynamically updated.

      Pressure Pipe Networks

      In Civil 3D, the pressure pipe network consists of objects that are used to design a pipe network that carries fluids under pressure, such as water supply network. In this category, various tools are provided to design the network in plan and profile layout. Similar to pipe network, the pressure pipe network is created from the parts that are available in a parts list. This parts list is derived from the AutoCAD catalog which is a master collection of various available parts.

      Superelevation View

      Superelevation or banking is defined as the transverse inclination to the road pavement surface created to counter the centrifugal forces that are exerted on the vehicle while travelling along a curved path. The superelevation view in Civil 3D is used to represent the superelevation. It is also used to perform the superelevation calculations and edit the superelevation data.

      Starting AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017

      You can start AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 by double-clicking on its shortcut icon on the desktop or from the taskbar. To start it from the taskbar, choose Start > All Programs > Autodesk > Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 - English > Civil 3D 2017 Imperial (for windows 7), refer to Figure 1-1; AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 will start and a window will be displayed with the New Tab chosen by default.

      fig1-1.tif

      Figure 1-1 Starting AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 from the taskbar

      This tab contains two other tabs: Learn and Create. The Learn tab consists of three panes. The left pane of this tab contains a list of video links under the head New Features. The mid pane displays a list of videos under the head Getting Started Videos. These links and videos can be used as additional learning resources. The right pane of the CREATE tab contains the links for security updates and online resources under the Security Updates and Online Resources heads respectively.

      The Create tab also has three panes which provide information on how to get started with Civil 3D. The list of recently opened documents and the notifications are under the heads Get Started, Recent Documents, and Notifications, respectively.

      AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 User Interface

      The Civil 3D interface consists of various components such as the drawing area, command window, toolbars, Ribbon, model and layout tabs, Status Bar, TOOLSPACE palette, and PANORAMA window, as shown in Figure 1-2. The title bar is displayed on the top of the screen and displays the current drawing name.

      The AutoCAD Civil 3D interface components are discussed next.

      Drawing Area

      The drawing area covers the major portion of the screen. Here, you can draw various objects and use commands. To draw the objects, you need to define the coordinate points that can be selected by using a pointing device. The position of the pointing device is represented on the screen by the cursor. There is a coordinate system icon at the lower left corner of the drawing area. The window also has standard Windows buttons such as close, minimize, scroll bar, and so on at the top right corner. These buttons have the same functions as in any other standard window.

      fig%201-2.tif

      Figure 1-2 AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 interface components

      Ribbon

      The Ribbon interface in AutoCAD Civil 3D has a collection of tools that are grouped into various tabs based on their functionality. This interface provides an alternative to the layered menus, toolbars, and task panes which were used previously for displaying tools. The tools in the tabs are further sub grouped and placed into various panels depending on their usage and functionality. To invoke a command, choose the required tool from the Ribbon. Figure 1-3 shows the typical Home tab of the AutoCAD Civil 3D Ribbon.

      fig1-1%20(2).tif

      Figure 1-3 Partial view of the Ribbon showing the Home tab

      When you start the Civil 3D session for the first time, by default the Ribbon is displayed horizontally below the Quick Access Toolbar. The panels in the Ribbon have various tools arranged in rows. Some of the tools have a small white down arrow displayed on their right. This arrow indicates that there are other tools as well that have similar functions and are grouped together in this drop-down. Click on the down arrow; a list of tools will be displayed. Note that if you choose a tool from the drop-down, the corresponding command will be invoked and the tool that you have chosen will be displayed in the panel. For example, to create a surface using the Create Surface tool, click on the down arrow next to the Surfaces drop-down in the Create Ground Data panel of the Home tab. Choose the Create Surface tool from the drop-down; the Create Surface dialog box will be displayed. Next, specify the various options in this dialog box to create the required surface.

      In this book, the tool selection sequence is written as: choose the Create Surface tool from Home > Create Ground Data > Surfaces drop-down.

      Some panels have a down arrow displayed on the right of their name. This indicates that more tools are available. To access these tools, click on the down arrow to expand the panel. You will notice that a push pin is available at the left of the panel. Click on the push pin to keep the panel in the expanded state. Also, some of the panels have an inclined arrow at the lower right corner. When you click on an inclined arrow, a dialog box will be displayed. You can define the setting of the corresponding panel in the dialog box.

      You can reorder the panels in the tab. To do so, press and hold the left mouse button on the panel to be moved and then drag it to the required position in the tab. To undock the Ribbon, right-click on the blank space in the Ribbon; a shortcut menu is displayed. Choose the Undock option from the shortcut menu. Civil 3D allows you to customize the display and the contents of the tabs and panels in the Ribbon. To customize the Ribbon, right-click in the Ribbon; a shortcut menu will be displayed. Hover the cursor over an option in the menu; a flyout will be displayed. For example, if you hover the cursor over the Show Tabs option, a flyout will be displayed with the list of names of tabs that are available in the Ribbon. In the flyout, by default, a check mark is displayed beside those tab names that are available in ribbon. The check indicates that the corresponding panel will be displayed in the Ribbon. If you clear the check, the corresponding tab will get hidden in the Ribbon.

      Application Menu

      The Application Menu, shown in Figure 1-4, will be displayed when you choose the Application button located on the top left corner of the Civil 3D window.

      It contains some of the tools that are available in the Standard toolbar. You can search a command using the search field in the Application Menu. To search a tool, enter the complete or partial name of the command in the search field; the possible tool list will be displayed. If you click on a tool from the list, the corresponding command will get activated.

      By default, the Recent Documents button is chosen in the Application Menu. As a result, the list of recently opened drawings will be displayed in the menu. If you have opened multiple drawing files, choose the Open Documents button; the documents that are opened will be listed in the Application Menu. To set the preferences of the file, choose the Options button available at the bottom right of the Application Menu. To exit Civil3D, choose the Exit Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 button next to the Options button.

      fig1-4.tif

      Figure 1-4 The Application Menu

      Command Window

      The command window located at the bottom of the drawing area has the command prompt where you can enter the commands. It also displays the subsequent prompt sequences and messages, refer to Figure 1-2. You can change the size of the window by placing the cursor on the top edge (double line bar known as the grab bar) and then dragging it. This way you can increase its size to see the previous commands that you have used. By default, the command window displays only three lines. You can also press the F2 key to display the AutoCAD Text window.

      Drawing File Tabs

      The drawing file tabs are displayed above the drawing area, refer to Figure 1-2, shows drawing that are currently opened. Using these drawing tabs, you can quickly switch between the drawings. The order in which these tabs are displayed is based on the sequence in which the files are opened.

      Status Bar

      The Status Bar is displayed at the bottom of the screen, as shown in Figure 1-5. It contains some useful information and buttons that will make it easier for you to change the status of some AutoCAD functions. You can toggle between on and off states of most of these functions by choosing buttons from this bar.

      C012SC67.TIF

      Figure 1-5 The Status bar displayed in the Civil 3D workspace

      Model

      The Model button is chosen by default because you work in the model space to create drawings. You will learn more about the model space in later chapters.

      Display drawing grids

      The grid lines are used as reference lines to draw objects in AutoCAD. If the GRIDMODE button is chosen, the display drawing grid will be on and the grid lines will be displayed on the screen. The F7 function key can be used to turn the grid display on or off.

      Snap Mode

      You can choose this button to turn on the snap mode. In this mode, the cursor moves in fixed increments. The F9 key acts as a toggle key to turn the snap off or on.

      Ortho Mode

      You can choose this button to draw lines at right angles only. You can use the F8 function key to turn ortho mode on or off.

      Polar Tracking

      If you turn the polar tracking on, the movement of the cursor is restricted along a path based on the angle set as the polar angle. Choose the Polar Tracking button to turn the polar tracking on. You can also use the F10 function key to turn on this option. Note that turning the polar tracking on, automatically turns off the ortho mode.

      Isometric Drafting

      In AutoCAD, you can activate the required working plane. To activate the required working plane, choose the Isometric Drafting button from the Status Bar. On choosing this button, a flyout is displayed with the isoplane Left, isoplane Top, and isoplane Right options. You can choose the required option from this flyout to activate the respective work plane.

      Object Snap Tracking

      When you choose this button, the inferencing lines will be displayed. Inferencing lines are dashed lines that are displayed automatically when you select a sketching tool and track a particular keypoint on the screen. Choosing this button turns the object snap tracking on or off. You can also use the F11 function key to turn the object snap tracking on or off.

      Object Snap

      When the Object Snap button is chosen, you can use the running object snaps to snap on to a point. You can also use the F3 function key to turn the object snap on or off. The status of OSNAP (off or on) does not prevent you from using the immediate mode object snaps.

      Show/Hide Lineweight

      This button in the Status Bar allows you to toggle on or off the display of lineweights in the drawing. If this button is not chosen, the display of lineweight will be turned off.

      Show annotation objects

      This button is used to control the visibility of the annotative objects that do not support the current annotation scale in the drawing area.

      Add Scales to annotative objects when the annotative scale changes

      On choosing this button, the annotation scales that are set current will be added to all the annotative objects present in the drawing.

      Annotation Monitor

      The Annotation Monitor button helps you to identify and address the disassociated annotations in the drawing. When this button is activated, you are automatically notified about the non associative dimensions, leaders and associated model geometry.

      Hardware Acceleration On

      This button is used to set the performance of the software to an acceptable level.

      Isolate Objects

      This button is used to hide or isolate objects from the drawing area. On choosing this button, a flyout will be displayed. Choose the required option from this flyout and then select the objects to hide or isolate. To end isolation or display a hidden object, choose this button again and choose the End Object Isolation option.

      Clean Screen

      The Clean Screen button is available at the lower right corner of the screen. When you choose this button, it displays an expanded view of the drawing area by hiding all the toolbars except the command window, Status Bar, and menu bar. Choose the Clean Screen button again to restore the previous display rate.

      Customization

      The Customization button is available on the right corner of the Status Bar. Using this button, you can add or remove tools in the Status Bar.

      TOOLSPACE Palette

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, you can view the project data and its status at any time in the TOOLSPACE palette. The data in the palette updates itself dynamically to show the status of the data within the drawing. To display the TOOLSPACE palette in a drawing, choose the TOOLSPACE button from the Palettes panel of the Home tab or type SHOWTS in the command line. There are four tabs in the palette, Prospector, Settings, Survey, and Toolbox. These tabs are discussed next.

      Prospector Tab

      The Prospector tab is used to manage project files.

      fig%201-6.tif

      Figure 1-6 The options displayed in the Prospector tab

      You can choose the Prospector tab in the TOOLSPACE palette. The options in the Prospector tab, as shown in Figure 1-6, are used to view, edit, and manage drawings. You can also edit the object data for the Civil 3D objects that are present in the drawing. In this tab, all the objects in a drawing or project are arranged in a hierarchy.

      The drop-down list displayed at the top of the Prospector tab displays various options. The content displayed in the Prospector tab depends on the option selected from this drop-down list. Select the Master View option from the drop-down list; all project and drawing items, including drawing templates are displayed in a hierarchical order in the Prospector tab. If more than one Civil 3D drawing file are opened, then the name of the active drawing is highlighted. Select the Active Drawing View option in the drop-down list; hierarchy of all the items in the active drawing is displayed in the Prospector tab, refer to Figure 1-6. You can toggle the display of the Prospector tab in the TOOLSPACE palette by choosing the Prospector button from the Palettes panel of the Home tab.

      Settings Tab

      Setting%20tab.pcx Choose the Settings tab from the TOOLSPACE palette; various options in this tab will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-7. You can also invoke this tab by choosing the Settings button from the Palettes panel of the Home tab. You can use this tab to view, create, and modify different styles for different object types in Civil 3D. This tab is also used to control the settings for drawings and commands.

      Survey Tab

      C012SC75.PCX Choose the Survey tab from the TOOLSPACE palette; various options in this tab will be displayed. You can also invoke this tab by choosing the Survey button from the Palettes panel of the Home tab. The Survey tab shows the survey data present in the AutoCAD Civil 3D projects folder. This survey data can be accessed from multiple drawings. This tab displays a collection of databases such as Survey Databases, Equipment Databases, Figure Prefix Databases, and Linework Code Sets, as shown in Figure 1-8.

      fig%20%201-7.tif

      Figure 1-7 The Settings tab chosen in the TOOLSPACE palette

      fig%201-8.tif

      Figure 1-8 The Survey tab chosen in the TOOLSPACE palette

      The survey databases consist of the records of survey points whereas the equipment database records the standard deviations and other operational parameters of the equipment used for the survey. The figure prefix databases record the conversion routines that are used while creating site features from the survey points.

      Toolbox Tab

      C012SC78.PCX Choose the Toolbox button from the Palettes panel of the Home tab; the options in this tab will be displayed in the TOOLSPACE palette, as shown in Figure 1-9. This tab manages reports for each type of object in Civil 3D. These reports provide you useful engineering information regarding the objects in the drawing. The data available in these reports can be in Land XML format with custom/predefined XSL style sheets or in a .NET format.

      The TOOLSPACE Item View

      The TOOLSPACE Item View is used to view the contents of a given node or subnode in a list. This pane is displayed below the tree in the TOOLSPACE palette. For example, the Points node has a set of points which are displayed in the Toolspace Item View, refer to Figure 1-6.

      FIG%201-9.TIF

      Figure 1-9 The Toolbox tab chosen in the TOOLSPACE palette

      Shortcut Menu

      AutoCAD Civil 3D provides you with shortcut menus that are an easy and convenient way of invoking tools and the recently used commands. These shortcut menus are context-sensitive which means that the commands present in them are dependent on the place or object for which they are displayed. A shortcut menu is invoked by right-clicking and is displayed at the cursor location. You can right-click anywhere in the drawing area to display the general shortcut menu. The shortcut menus are also displayed when you right-click on one or more drawing objects or on an individual item from the TOOLSPACE palette. Figure 1-10 shows a shortcut menu displayed on right-clicking on the Points node in the Prospector tab.

      fig%201-10.tif

      Figure 1-10 Shortcut menu displayed on right-clicking on the Points node in the Prospector tab

      Layout Tools

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, you can use various layout toolbars to create and edit the Civil 3D objects such as Alignments, Grading, Points, Profiles, Pipes, Pressure Pipes, and Parcels. These toolbars provide access to object-specific designs and edit commands. To invoke a toolbar, choose the drop-down corresponding to the object. Next, choose the layout or creation method from the options that will be displayed in the flyout. Figure 1-11 shows the Alignment Layout Tools - toolbar invoked by choosing Alignment Creation Tools from Home > Create Design > Alignment drop-down.

      C01SC013.PCX

      Figure 1-11 The Alignment Layout Tools - toolbar

      Autodesk 360

      Autodesk 360 is a cloud computing platform introduced by Autodesk. This platform provides a set of cloud services and products that can help you share, simulate, visualize, and design your work. You can access to the Autodesk 360 services using your Autodesk ID. To login to your Autodesk 360 account, choose the Sign In button in the InfoCenter toolbar; a drop-down list will be displayed. Next, choose the Sign In to Autodesk 360 option from this list; the Autodesk-Sign In dialog box will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-12. Enter your credentials in this dialog box and choose the Sign In button; Autodesk will validate your credentials and then provide access to your account.

      Tip

      You can sign up for a free Autodesk ID by choosing the Need an Autodesk ID? link in the Autodesk - Sign In dialog box.

      C012SC82.TIF

      Figure 1-12 The Autodesk - Sign In dialog box

      PANORAMA Window

      This window can be used to display the entities of the objects such as alignments and profiles in a tabulated form. The PANORAMA window is a floating, dockable window that can be kept open while working. This window includes several tables called vistas on different tabs. In the PANORAMA window, the data displayed in black is editable and the data displayed in grey is non-editable.

      Civil 3D WORKSPACES

      Workspaces are the set of toolbars, menus, and Ribbon that are grouped and organized together to work in a custom and task-oriented environment. A workspace controls the layout of the Civil 3D user interface. When you use a specific workspace, you can view the Ribbon, toolbars, and other applications that have been specified for the selected workspace. To invoke the applications and tools that are specified in other workspaces, enter the commands in the command line.

      You can select workspaces at the beginning when you start the Civil 3D application or anytime during the drawing session. When you start AutoCAD Civil 3D, you are prompted to select a specific workspace and then continue. Once you are done, you can switch to other workspace settings at any time by choosing the Workspace Switching button that is located in the Status Bar. On doing so, a flyout will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-13.

      Choose an option from this flyout for specifying different workspace settings in the current drawing environments. After you choose the required option, the drawing interface will change according to the setting of the workspace you have chosen.

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, there are four default workspaces such as Civil 3D, Planning and Analysis, 2D Drafting & Annotation, and 3D Modeling. These default workspaces are designed considering the tools that a user might use for that kind of project. You can also create your own customized workspace and save it using the Save Current As tool from the flyout, refer to Figure 1-13.

      C01SC008.PCX

      Figure 1-13 The flyout displaying various options for choosing a workspace

      The default workspaces that are available in AutoCAD Civil 3D are discussed next.

      Civil 3D

      The Civil 3D workspace includes all the necessary tools and applications that required for designing a civil engineering project such as the road, railway, or a pipe network designing project.

      2D Drafting & Annotation

      This workspace is used for the purpose of documentation of a project. The Annotation tab is included in the Ribbon in this workspace. All the tools related to annotation are available in this tab so that you can annotate easily as per your requirement.

      3D Modeling

      This workspace contains all the tools and applications that are available in the AutoCAD and can be useful in AutoCAD Civil 3D.

      Planning and Analysis

      This workspace contains all the tools and features that are available in AutoCAD Map 3D and can be used directly in AutoCAD Civil 3D.

      Getting started with AutoCAD Civil 3D

      Before you create a new project or start working on the existing project, you should be familiar with various tools and concepts that can be applied to create the initial setup of the project. The basic setup tools like drawing templates and setting units are discussed next.

      Drawing Templates

      Drawing templates are very useful tools for AutoCAD Civil 3D users. These tools help in maintaining consistency throughout the drawings in the project.

      To use a template in a drawing, choose the Prospector tab of the TOOLSPACE palette and then select the Master View option from the drop-down list at the top. Now, expand the Drawing Templates node and right-click on a template; a shortcut menu will be displayed, as shown in Figure 1-14.

      C01SC014.PCX

      Figure 1-14 Choosing a drawing template from the Drawing Templates node of the Prospector tab

      To create a new drawing file, choose the Create New Drawing option from the shortcut menu displayed; a new drawing file will be created using the settings of the drawing template file that you had selected.

      You can also open the existing drawing template in AutoCAD Civil 3D. To do so, choose the Open option from the shortcut menu; the template will open in the drawing area.

      An AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing template file contains information of the standard AutoCAD settings such as layers, text styles, dimension styles, and so on. It also contains AutoCAD objects such as lines and texts. The drawing template files also carry AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing information that is listed in the Settings and Prospector tabs of the TOOLSPACE palette.

      Drawing Settings

      Drawing settings allow the user to review or modify settings specified for a drawing. To edit the current drawing settings, right-click on the drawing name that is displayed in the Settings tab of the TOOLSPACE palette; a shortcut menu will be displayed. Choose the Edit Drawing Settings option from this shortcut menu, as shown in Figure 1-15; the Drawing Settings - dialog box will be displayed, refer to Figure 1-16. This dialog box contains five tabs that are discussed next.

      fig%201-15.pcx

      Figure 1-15 Choosing the Edit Drawing Settings option

      Units and Zone Tab

      This tab is used to set linear and angular units, intended plot scale, and coordinate zone for the current drawing.

      Transformation Tab

      This tab is primarily used to specify the parameters for the projection and coordinate system of the drawing.

      Object Layers Tab

      This tab provides a table in which the objects can be directly assigned a layer. To change the layer of an object, click in the field of the Layer column corresponding to that object; the Layer Selection dialog box will be displayed. In this dialog box, select the layer name that you want to assign to the selected object and choose the OK button; the dialog box will be closed and the selected layer name will be assigned to the object.

      C01SC017.TIF

      Figure 1-16 The Drawing Settings dialog box

      The layer of an object controls various properties like color, linetype, and lineweight of an object to which it is assigned. As a result, the object to which a layer is assigned can have maximum flexibility in its display.

      Abbreviations Tab

      In this tab, you can set the abbreviations used in object labels, especially for alignment and profile geometry points.

      Ambient Settings Tab

      This tab provides global default settings such as precision, unit, and rounding of the numeric values, visibility of tooltips, and so on. You can expand various properties and make the required settings in the Value column of this tab. The ambient settings made in the Ambient tab are used throughout the drawing, unless they are overridden at the feature or command level.

      After configuring the settings in the Drawing Settings dialog box, you need to examine the default styles for each feature and its labels, the feature name format, and other settings that you may want to modify. To do so, go through Point, Surface, and other features in the Settings tab and right-click on each feature. Next, choose the Edit Feature Settings option from the shortcut menu to invoke the Edit Feature Settings dialog box. You can examine various settings of the selected feature by using the options in this dialog box.

      Self-Evaluation Test

      Answer the following questions and then compare them to those given at the end of this chapter:

      1. The horizontal and vertical geometry of a corridor is defined by its __________ and profile.

      2. The ____________ palette is used to view the project data and its status at any time.

      3. You can use the __________ tab in the TOOLSPACE palette to view, create, and modify different styles for different object types in Civil 3D.

      4. Selecting the Active Drawing View option from the drop-down list in the Prospector tab will display only the items in the __________ drawing.

      5. You can switch between the workspaces by choosing the __________ button in the Status Bar.

      6. In Civil 3D, each defined point has a unique number. (T/F)

      7. The Planning and Analysis workspace displays all the tools and toolbars that are available in AutoCAD Civil 3D. (T/F)

      8. You can invoke the Survey tab by choosing the Survey button from the Palettes panel of the Home tab. (T/F)

      9. The annotation scale controls the size and display of the annotative objects in the model space. (T/F)

      10. The SHOWTS command is used to display the TOOLSPACE palette. (T/F)

      Review Questions

      Answer the following questions:

      1. In AutoCAD Civil 3D, the __________ tool enables the engineers to grade a surface by applying criteria such as slope to a surface or grade to a distance.

      2. The __________ tab in the TOOLSPACE palette manages reports for each type of object in Civil 3D.

      3. In AutoCAD Civil 3D, the __________ workspace is used for the purpose of drafting and annotating features.

      4. In AutoCAD Civil 3D, ___________ provides you with a view of the terrain that is cut at an angle across a linear feature.

      5. The Transformation tab in the Drawing Settings dialog box is used to transform the coordinate system to local specifications. (T/F)

      Answers to Self-Evaluation Test

      1. alignment, 2. TOOLSPACE, 3. Settings, 4. active, 5. Workspace Switching, 6. T, 7. F, 8. T, 9. T, 10. T

      Chapter 2

      Working with Points

      Learning Objectives

      After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

      • Understand the concept of points in Civil 3D

      • Create points using different methods

      • Create point styles

      • Create point label styles

      • Understand file formats

      • Edit points

      • Understand description keys

      Point object

      A point object represents a location in 3D space, and is defined by its X, Y, and Z coordinates. Each civil engineering project starts with data collection. This data is imported into Civil 3D workspace as points by using a suitable coordinate system. Generally, points specify the location of different features on the site such as trees, road geometry points, property corners, edge of pavements, and so on. However, Civil 3D points offer you more than just specifying the location of different objects on the site. In Civil 3D, each point represents an individual object with different information and has a unique point number. The information displayed by a Civil 3D point object depends upon the point settings, which will be discussed later in the chapter.

      Components of Point Object

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, a point object has two major components, marker and label. Marker represents the location of point object whereas label displays information about that point object. The display of point marker is controlled by point style and the display of the point label is controlled by the point label style. Figure 2-1 shows a point with number, elevation, and description.

      C02SC97.PCX

      Figure 2-1 A point with number, elevation, and description

      The properties of an individual Civil 3D point can be viewed in the PROPERTIES palette, refer to Figure 2-2. You can modify the properties of the selected point(s) such as color, layer, linetype, and point elevation.

      Creating Points

      In AutoCAD Civil 3D, you can create points using various methods. These methods of point creation involve conversion of AutoCAD points into Civil 3D points, importing points from external point files, and creation of points using input parameters specified by the user.

      These methods for point creation have been broadly classified into six categories which are discussed next.

      C02SC009_2012.pcx

      Figure 2-2 The PROPERTIES palette showing different point properties

      The Miscellaneous Category

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down >

      Create Points-Miscellaneous

      The tools in the Miscellaneous category are used to create points by manually specifying the point location in the drawing. The tools in the Miscellaneous category are the most commonly used tools to create points. To access these tools, choose the Create Points-Miscellaneous option from the Create Ground Data panel; a flyout will be displayed with different tools, as shown in Figure 2-3. Some of the tools in this category are discussed next.

      Manual

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points- Miscellaneous > Manual

      Command: CREATEPOINTMANUAL

      C02SC103.PCX The Manual tool is used to manually create points. To create points using this tool, invoke this tool from the Create Ground Data panel; the Create Points toolbar will be displayed and you will be prompted to specify the location of the point. Click in the drawing to specify the location.

      C02SC003.TIF

      Figure 2-3 The tools in the Miscellaneous category

      Next, enter description of the point in the command line or in the dynamic input edit box and right-click; you will be prompted to specify the elevation of the point. Now, specify the elevation of the point and right-click again to continue or press ENTER to terminate the command.

      Geodetic Direct

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points- Miscellaneous > Geodetic Direct

      Command: CREATEPTGEODETICDIR

      C02SC104.PCX The Geodetic Direct tool is used to create points by using geodetic direction and azimuth. Before using this tool, you need to assign a coordinate system and a zone to the current drawing. To do so, choose the Settings tab in the TOOLSPACE palette. In the Settings tab, right-click on the current drawing name; a shortcut menu will be displayed. Choose the Edit Drawing Settings option from the shortcut menu; the Drawing Settings - dialog box will be displayed. In the dialog box, choose the Units and Zone tab. Next, in the Zone area of this tab, select the required geographic zone from the Categories drop-down list. Also, select the coordinate system within the selected zone category from the Available coordinate systems drop-down list. Choose the Apply button and then the OK button to close the dialog box.

      Once the coordinate system has been assigned, choose the Geodetic Direct tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to specify the start point. Click in the drawing to specify the start point; you will be prompted to specify the azimuth. Azimuth is the angle measured with respect to the true north. Specify azimuth; you will be prompted to specify the geodetic distance. The geodetic distance is the shortest path between two points along the ellipsoid of the earth at sea level. Specify distance; you will be prompted to enter description. Enter the point description. Next, specify elevation for the point.

      Note

      1. The Geodetic Direct tool is known as the Geodetic Direction and Distance tool when accessed through the Create Points toolbar.

        2. If the coordinate system is not assigned to the drawing and you invoke the Geodetic Direct tool to create points then an AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 warning message will be displayed.

      Automatic

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points- Miscellaneous > Automatic

      Command: CREATEPOINTAUTOMATIC

      C02SC011.PCX The Automatic tool is used to create points automatically at the endpoints of single or multiple lines, feature lines, or lot lines. In case of an arc, a point is also created at the center. To create points using this tool, choose the Automatic tool from the Create Ground Data panel. Next, select the required entity and press ENTER; you will be prompted to specify the description and elevation for the points to be generated. Enter the point description and elevation at the Command prompt. You will notice that points are displayed at endpoints, center of arc, and vertices of the selected entity. Next, press ENTER to exit the command.

      Polyline Vertices - Manual

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points- Miscellaneous > Polyline Vertices - Manual

      Command: CREATEPTPLYLINECTRVERTMAN

      C02SC012.PCX The Polyline Vertices - Manual tool is used to create points at each vertex of a polyline at the specified elevation. To do so, choose the Polyline Vertices - Manual tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to specify the default elevation of all points to be created. Enter the elevation at the command prompt; you will be prompted to select polyline. Next, select the required polyline; you will be prompted to enter a description. Enter a description for the point either at the Command prompt or in the dynamic input edit box and press ENTER; a point will be created at the first vertex of the polyline. Similarly, enter description for other points on the polyline and then press ENTER to exit the command.

      Polyline Vertices - Automatic

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points- Miscellaneous > Polyline Vertices - Automatic

      Command: CREATEPTPLYINCTRVERTAUTO

      C02SC095.PCX The Polyline Vertices - Automatic tool is used to create points automatically at each vertex of a polyline. To do so, choose the Polyline Vertices - Automatic tool and select the required polyline. Next, enter a point description in the command line. Press ENTER to end the command or continue it by specifying the description of all points on the polyline. On doing so, points will be created at vertices of the selected polyline and the elevation of the generated points will be the same as that of the selected polyline.

      The Intersections Category

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down >

      Create Points-Intersections

      The tools in the Intersections category are used to create points at the intersection of direction lines of two points, intersection of distances of two points, intersection of two alignments, and so on. To access tools in the Intersections category, choose the Create Points - Intersections option from the Create Ground Data panel; a flyout will be displayed with different tools, as shown in Figure 2-4. Some of the tools in this category are discussed next.

      C02SC005.PCX

      Figure 2-4 The tools in the Intersections category

      Direction/Direction

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Intersections > Direction/Direction

      Command: CREATEPOINTDIRECTIONDIR

      C02SC013.PCX The Direction/Direction tool is used to create points at specified offset distance from the point where the direction lines meet, refer to Figure 2-5.

      To create points using this tool, choose the Direction/Direction tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to specify the start point in the drawing. Specify the point by clicking in the drawing. On doing so, you will be prompted to specify the direction at the start point. You can specify direction using the Bearing or Azimuth option. You can use the Bearing option to specify the direction with reference to a particular quadrant, or the Azimuth option to specify the direction with reference to the North meridian. Enter B to select Bearing or Z to select Azimuth. If you select the Bearing option, a quadrant will be displayed at the specified point. Move the cursor in the required quadrant and click to select the quadrant.

      70400.jpg

      Figure 2-5 The point created at the specified offset distance from the intersection of direction lines of two points

      Next, click again to specify the bearing by clicking in the drawing or by entering the bearing in the command line; you will be prompted to specify the offset from the point of intersection. Enter the offset distance in the command line or specify the distance by picking points from the drawing.

      After you have specified the offset for the second point, you will be prompted to specify the point description and elevation. Enter the description and elevation of the point. On doing so, you will notice that a point is displayed at the specified offset distance from the intersection of direction lines of points, refer to Figure 2-5.

      Distance/Distance

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points-Intersections > Distance/Distance

      Command: CREATEPOINTDISTANCEDIST

      C02SC015.PCX The Distance/Distance tool is used to create a point at the intersection of arcs of given radial distances from specified points. On choosing this tool, you will be prompted to specify the location of the radial point. Click in the drawing to specify the location; you will be prompted to specify the radius. Enter the radius in the command line using the dynamic input or pick points in the drawing to specify the radius. Similarly, specify the location of the second point and enter a radius; two cross marks indicating two points at the apparent intersection of arcs will be displayed. Click near the intersection, where you want to create point or press ENTER to accept the default ALL option to enable you to create points at both intersections. Next, follow the prompts and specify the point description and elevation. On doing so, the point(s) will be created at the intersection of the arcs, refer to Figure 2-6. Press ESC to exit the command.

      81240.jpg

      Figure 2-6 Points created at the intersection of arcs of specified radial distances defined from two points

      Note

      Cross-marks, indicating the intersections of two points, will not be displayed if the radii are non-intersecting.

      Direction/Perpendicular

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points-Intersections > Direction/Perpendicular

      Command: CREATEPOINTDIRECTIONPERP

      C02SC016.PCX The Distance/Perpendicular tool is used to create a point at the intersection of the direction line and the perpendicular line that passes through the specified location. Choose this tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to specify the start point. Click in the drawing to specify the start point; you will be prompted to specify the direction at the start point. Specify the direction by specifying bearing or azimuth. On doing so, you will be prompted to specify the offset distance. Specify the offset distance from the direction line or press ENTER to accept the default value 0. Next, specify the location of the perpendicular point; a cross mark will be displayed perpendicular to the specified point. Follow the prompts and specify the point description and elevation; a point coinciding with the cross mark will be created, as shown in Figure 2-7.

      81279.jpg

      Figure 2-7 The point created in the specified direction, at a perpendicular distance from the specified point

      Distance/Object

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points-Intersections > Distance/Object

      Command: CREATEPOINTDISTANCEOBJECT

      C02SC017.PCX The Distance/Object tool is used to create a point at the intersection of an object such as line, arc, feature line, polyline, or plot line and an arc of specified radial distance of given point. To create a point using this tool, choose the Distance/Object tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to select the required object from the drawing. Select the object from the drawing.

      Next, specify an offset distance of the point from the selected object by entering a suitable value in the command line. Alternatively, you can specify the distance by picking points from the drawing. If no offset is required, enter 0 as the offset value. On doing so, you will be prompted to specify the radial point. Click at the required location in the drawing to specify the radial point. Next, specify the radial distance by entering the required value in the command line or by picking points from the drawing; you will notice that two cross marks are displayed at the apparent intersection of the object and the arc of specified radial distance. Click near the cross-mark where you want to add a point or press ENTER to accept the default All option to add points at all intersections. Enter a description and elevations for the points and then press ENTER to end the command. Figure 2-8 shows the points created at 0 offset distance from the arc object.

      81350.jpg

      Figure 2-8 Point created at the intersection of the arc object and the radial distance from a point

      The Alignments Category

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down >

      Create Points - Alignments

      The tools in the Alignments category are used to create points on or along the horizontal alignment at a given offset distance. To access tools in the Alignments category, choose the Create Points - Alignments option from the Create Ground Data panel; a flyout will be displayed with different tools, as shown in Figure 2-9. Some of the tools in this category are discussed next.

      C02SC078.PCX

      Figure 2-9 The flyout displaying tools in the Alignments category

      Station/Offset

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Alignments > Station/Offset

      Command: CREATEPOINTSTATIONOFFSET

      C02SC018.PCX The Station/Offset tool is used to create a point at a given offset from the point selected on the alignment. To create a point, invoke this tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to select an alignment. Next, select a station on the alignment and then specify an offset distance. Also, specify the description and elevation of the point when prompted; a point will be created and displayed at the specified offset distance from the station that was selected on the alignment. This tool is useful for creating points for Right of Way, lanes, and shoulders.

      Divide Alignment

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Alignments > Divide Alignment

      Command: CREATEPOINTDIVIDEALIGN

      C02SC096.PCX The Divide Alignment tool is used to divide an alignment into different segments. Using this tool, you can create points at vertex or endpoints of each segment. Choose the Divide Alignment tool from the Create Ground Data panel; you will be prompted to select the required alignment from the drawing. Select the alignment from the drawing; you will be prompted to specify the number of segments. Specify the number of segments; you will be prompted to specify the offset distance. Specify the offset distance or enter 0 if the points are not required to be created at an offset; you will be prompted to specify the description and elevation for all the points that will be created at the vertex of each segment. Enter the description and elevation; the points will be created as shown in Figure 2-10.

      86337.jpg

      Figure 2-10 Points created at 0 offset at each vertex of all five segments

      Measure Alignment

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Alignments > Measure Alignment

      Command: CREATEPOINTMEASUREALIGN

      C02SC021.PCX The Measure Alignment tool is used to create points at fixed intervals along an alignment. To create points using this tool, you need to specify an interval and an offset distance from the alignment at which the points will be created. Choose the Measure Alignment tool from the Create Ground Data panel and select the required alignment. Next, specify the starting station from where you want to start creating points or press ENTER to accept the default option. Similarly, specify the end station.

      Note

      To enter a user-specified station through command bar, type station value in the xx+xx.xx format. For example, to enter a station value of 1024.75, use 10+24.75 as input value.

      On doing so, you will be prompted to specify the offset from the alignment. Next, enter the offset distance in the command line or press ENTER to create points on the alignment. Similarly, specify the interval at which you want to create these points. Now, enter the point description and elevation; points will be created at specified interval along the entire alignment. Note that once you specify the description and elevation for points, they will be created and displayed automatically.

      At Alignment Geometry

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Alignments > At Alignment Geometry

      Command: CREATEPOINTATPTPCSCETC

      C02SC022.PCX The At Alignment Geometry tool is used to create points at each geometry point such as start and end points of alignment (EP, BO), spiral tangents (TS, ST), spiral curves (SC, CS) as well as point of intersections (PI), point of Curvature (PC), and so on. This tool is named as At Geometry Points in the Create Points toolbar. To create points, choose the At Alignment Geometry tool from the Create Ground Data panel. Next, select the required alignment from the drawing. Next, specify the starting station from where you want to start creating points. Similarly, specify the end station. On doing so, you will be prompted to enter a point description. Specify the point description and elevation till all the points are created. Next, press ENTER to terminate the command.

      Tip

      You can automatically extract the point description from any of the Civil 3D objects such as the alignment and surfaces. To do so, select the Automatic - Object option in the Prompt for Description drop-down list displayed under the Points Creation head in the Create Points toolbar.

      Import from File

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Alignments > Import from File

      Command: CREATEPOINTIMPORTFROMFILE

      C02SC023.PCX The Import From File tool is used to create points from the text file (.txt) containing information about the station, offset, and elevation of an alignment. To create points using this tool, choose the Import from File tool from the Create Ground Data panel; the Import Alignment Station and Offset File dialog box will be displayed. Browse to the required location and open the required file. On doing so, the Enter file format dynamic input prompt will be displayed, as shown in Figure 2-11.

      C02SC079.PCX

      Figure 2-11 The Enter file format dynamic input prompt

      Note

      The station value in the text file should have a xxxx.xx format. For example, station 4+57.28 in a text file should be written as 457.28.

      Also, six different file formats in the prompt will be displayed. Specify the required format by entering the corresponding number of the format starting from 1 to 6 in the text box, as shown in Figure 2-11. For example, if the text file consists of the Station and Offset information, enter 1 in the text box. Next, specify delimiter type of the text file using 1 for space delimiter and 2 for comma delimiter. After specifying the delimiter, specify the invalid indicator for elevation, station, or offset. Next, select the required alignment along which points will be created using the text file; Civil 3D will import points from the selected file and create points along the alignment.

      Note

      To get the dynamic input, ensure that the Dynamic Input in the status bar is selected and turned on.

      The Surface Category

      Ribbon: Home > Create Ground Data > Points drop-down > Create Points - Surface

      The tools in the Surface category are used to create points on the horizontal alignment or at a certain offset distance from it. To access tools in the Surface category, choose the Create Points - Surface option from the

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