Finding the centreline of a pipe.

[Tymahaney]

Hi All, long time reader, but first time asking a question, hoping someone might be able to help me out.

 

I have been asked to survey a flange on a large pump and determine the centreline coordinates for the outlet. I have multiple XYZ coordinates around the outside edge of the flange and my original plan was to create a best fit circle through them and determine the centre point that way. Can anyone tell me if there is a routine in order to do this in Civil3D 2011 that will allow me to work in the plane of the flange?

 

Thank you for any tips you might be able to share with me.

 

Cheers,

Tyler

[bill_borec]

Tyler,

 

Remember, from geometry, 3 points determine a plane. You can orient your UCS with the points from your survey. You can draw a triangle with lines or 3dpolylines, close and join them and orient your UCS to the triangle. You might try experimenting with the UCS and 3D views to orient you into the plane you want to work. I did a similar project for an old factory smoke stack that was leaning, due to wind and age. We determined a centerline alignment and 'out of plumbness' of the stack.

 

I am not aware of any special C3D routines for plane orientation.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Good luck.

[NEWMAN1006]

did you locate anything besides the flange? When ever we do that we also locate the discharge pipe c\l of pipe

the northing and easting wont change to get to center line that would be the elevation of the pipe