Creating Land

Yo Folks,

I have a rush-job to do a 3D-model of my pipes and I am doing it by hand just because I don't have time to learn the proper way (as a result, the file keeps crashing but that's another problem).

For the future I am wondering how to create a surface that I can use from the points in the following file? The points themselves are created with Lee Macs excellent routine to create a point at a Z-lvl if all you have is a text with the value.

is it more difficult than I imagine? I keep thinking it can't be that hard, but I can't seem to figure it out.

Thanks in advance gents!

T16P0402AB.dwg

Do you mean something like the following attachment..?

4tiger.zip

Thanks

I think I still need to figure out how to get it to Civil 3D-surface so I can use the automated place-pipes-this-much-under-surface-tool but perhaps I have a better chance at getting the mesh there than the points.

I'll be back in the morning (or afternoon or night what ever) to check it out, need to run to a train now!

If you have points, lines, blocks, text, 3D surfaces or poly meshes in your drawing you can add them to a DTM and then you have your TIN surface.

Tiger -

I'm not sure what the source data format is (legacy AECC Points, etc.), or for that matter which routine from Lee your using, but to build on the previous suggestions, you can always export the TOPO to an ASCII Text file as well (PNEZD?) and simply import as COGO Points.

We have an external surveyor that uses Map 3D + EaglePoint, and I simply run a routine I made that pulls the necessary data from the EaglePoint blocks (attributes, etc.) to build my ASCII file, then Import as described above. Total process takes +/-10 seconds... I'd be happy to share, but I'd need an example of your source data to give you a working example.

Have you tried CAD TOOLS?

If you have points, lines, blocks, text, 3D surfaces or poly meshes in your drawing you can add them to a DTM and then you have your TIN surface.

that is where I stumble. I just now got the 3D-file from the dudes in charge of the street-layout - but that is all 3D-faces so I am back at how do I add it to a C3D-Surface that the pipes can "sense" and behave accordingly?

I have done a Surface once before, but then I had what Renderman said, a text-file with coordinates. If all else fails, I'll export my points out and in again - but there must be another way!

My gosh I am such a noob.

Points AND 3D faces are of course Drawing Objects. So that was hard.

now the question is: Can I "align" the already drawn pipes to the Surface and have them on a set distance from the surface? Or do I need to re-draw them all?

Can I "align" the already drawn pipes to the Surface and have them on a set distance from the surface?

If your goal is to drape existing 3Dpolylines onto a Civil surface, forget it.

Otherwise, you can physically drape circles, points, texts and blocks, by means of the (already mentioned) powerful Cadtools.

perhaps that is not what I am after.

I can find settings on my Pipe Networks where I can add a Surface. And if I remember correctly, when I drew pipes last time (I had some assistance then) I could define a set distance from the Surface and the pipes followed the Surface at that distance below it.

Now I have a done Pipe Network and added the Surface afterwards - and I am wondering if I move all the pipes at once to end up at the defined distance from the Surface. I can see in the Pipes list that it complains that the minimum coverage is exceeded, but I can't find where to move all.

Hope I make sense..

Oh, and I do use CadTools - you know they're made by a Swede right?

I do use CadTools - you know they're made by a Swede right?

Yep, let God bless him: to me, mister L.Karlsson is as great as other Swedish hereos, like Bjorn Borg and Ingemar Stenmark.

I still wonder why his incredible Cadtools are free...

I guess (since I know the company that he works for), it could be competing business if he started selling the software.

Or he could just be rich anyway

He has a Donation Button on the site, hopefully the donations are good.

now the question is: Can I "align" the already drawn pipes to the Surface and have them on a set distance from the surface? Or do I need to re-draw them all?

 

If your goal is to drape existing 3Dpolylines onto a Civil surface, forget it.

 

Otherwise, you can physically drape circles6, points, texts and blocks, by means of the (already mentioned) powerful Cadtools.

 

Novarese / Emigrato -

Tiger is working with Civil 3D, and specified "Pipes" for which this functionality _does_ exist.

perhaps that is not what I am after.

 

I can find settings on my Pipe Networks where I can add a Surface. And if I remember correctly, when I drew pipes last time (I had some assistance then) I could define a set distance from the Surface and the pipes followed the Surface at that distance below it.

 

Now I have a done Pipe Network and added the Surface afterwards - and I am wondering if I move all the pipes at once to end up at the defined distance from the Surface. I can see in the Pipes list that it complains that the minimum coverage is exceeded, but I can't find where to move all.

Tiger -

To setup your Pipe Rules, go to the Settings tab in Toolspace, and expand the Pipe node, Pipe Rule Set, and modify the style you need (i.e., min and max pipe slope, cover depth, etc.)

To apply these 'rules' to a pipe network, go to the Prospector tab in Toolspace, navigate to the desired pipe network(s), right click, and select Network Properties. From there, you can specify the Surface name, and Alignment name on the Layout Settings tab.

Once the surface has been specified, you can either select your pipe(s) individually, right click, and select Apply Rules... Or instead of doing one-at-a-time, invoke the ApplyRules Command.

HTH

Thanks Renderman!

It works, all the pipes move - unfortunatly, they all move about 5 meters below the surface when the rule states that it should be between 0,6 and 2 meters. But it behaves correctly when I use it on a new set of pipes so I assume that I have messed something up on the way.

One more question if you have the time - do you have to have an Alignment? What does that do?

Thanks Renderman!

 

It works, all the pipes move - unfortunatly, they all move about 5 meters below the surface when the rule states that it should be between 0,6 and 2 meters. But it behaves correctly when I use it on a new set of pipes so I assume that I have messed something up on the way.

 

One more question if you have the time - do you have to have an Alignment? What does that do?

I'm happy to help, Tiger.

The Alignment is not essential to layout a Pipe Network, per-se... It (an Alignment) is however necessary if one needed to generate a [Surface] Profile associated with said Alignment, and ultimately a Profile View in which to project Pipe Network(s).

Ah. That's why I can't produce the profile. Next stop, get an alignment going!

Ah. That's why I can't produce the profile. Next stop, get an alignment going!

Once you've created your Alignment, select it, and in the contextual tab select Surface Profile (AeccCreateProfileFromSurface Command)... Just be sure that your Surface either reside within the drawing, or be Data Referenced (DREF) into your Alignment drawing first.

Then, once you have your Alignment, Surface, and Profile, you can generate your Profile View... Select the Alignment, and in the contextual tab, select Profile View (AeccCreateProfileView Command).

specified "Pipes" for which this functionality _does_ exist

Sir, you did not read carefully what I wrote.

I said (and repeat) that OP can forget to drape existing 3Dpolylines on a C3D surface...

I'm a Map user, so I miss the meaning of "Pipes", anyway no software in the whole world would be able to fit 3Dpoly on a surface, trust me.

The only way is to explode the 3Dpolys down to lines' level, then draping them by means of the magic Cadtools.