civil 3d plan and profile

I am trying to convert my survey xyz data into plan and profile sheet. similar to this

(6 minutes long). However my data is near linear so I am not creating a surface. how can I go about converting my survey data to an alignment without creating a surface so I can create plan and profile sheet.

Welcome to CADTutor.

 

I haven't seen the YouTube video, but you don't need a Surface in order to create an Alignment... Just 'connect the dots' with a simple Polyline, and create an Alignment from Object, etc. if you don't want to use the built-in Alignment layout tools.

 

If you're talking about generating line work from processing the Survey data via Description Keys (code values assigned to each survey point), then you'll need to set those up in kind.

 

Cheers

thanks but I was trying to use autocads sheet and plan and profile generator with this

thanks but I was trying to use autocads sheet and plan and profile generator with this

 

This statement seems to be at odds with your OP, with regard to your stated goal of NOT creating a surface.

 

Civil 3D's Plans Production tool is dependent on several things... You must an Alignment, View Frames, one or more [Vertical] Profile... Which often includes a Profile of an existing Surface, so not sure what you're doing there... a Profile View, and the applicable Drawing Template(s) to use to generate the actual resultant 'sheets'... If you have all of that already, then it's a few clicks of the mouse.

 

Cheers

I have everything but the surface since it is a linear feature not a grid

I believe you will have to create a surface in order to get Civil to produce plan and profile sheets.

You will def need one to produce a profile.

Since it sounds like you have survey data why not just create a Surface?

You could then just select "No display" for the contours.

It sounds like you are saying that you only have a linear set of shots that run more or less along the path of your alignment.

In that case, you do NOT need a surface. Just create a profile view, then connect your topo shots with a feature line, then project the feature line into your profile view.

 

If you really WANT to make a surface, then connect your topo shots with a feature line, and offset/copy this feature line a certain distance on either side of the original. Use all three to create a surface.

If you only have a single line of levels as per an alignment you can plot a long section via a lisp or put in excel and write a new column of x,y,z that is work out distance between points and adopt new Z.

 

pline 
0,0
32.45,65.4
66.78,62.34
103.45,67.85
and so on

RKM - great work around!

@rkmcswain thanks, you got what I am trying to do. The individual profile views work but is it possible to generate the profiles in a layout automatically as can be done if I had a surface. I've 90,000 points on an alignment and my PC keeps hanging on the surface.

@RK - Spot on, as usual.

 

@OP - Surface is not required for Plans Production Tools... Only Alignment, View Frames, one or more [Vertical] Profile (which typically includes a Profile of existing surface, not required), Profile View that includes one or more Profile, and the necessary drawing templates with PViewport assignment as 'Plan' or 'Profile, etc. in Properties Pane... You should be good to go.

 

 

Cheers

@rkmcswain thanks, you got what I am trying to do. The individual profile views work but is it possible to generate the profiles in a layout automatically as can be done if I had a surface.

 

@derklauer

You'll have to listen to the others regarding the 'plan and production' tools in C3D.

We don't use that and I couldn't tell you how to begin with it unfortunately.

Not sure about the 90,000 points problem this may be causing the hang so maybe create a script file basicly add a 1st line PLINE added to your X,Y,Z text file, I am taking for granted here that is what your data file looks like, save as data.scr then script data.scr your 90,000 point line hopefully will appear, offset this line say 20 left and right, copy the centre line a fixed amount left change layer, explode the 3 plines create a surface using the "line" option picking all lines using the middle line create an alignment move back the fixed amount now should be able to do what you want.

You might also try breaking the point file up into 4 or 5 different files and inserting them one at a time.