SAC : My experience, my opinion

My final conclusion considering SAC is that it is only for very-very simple subassemblies.


It has development environ problems.
. Deleting input/output variables leads to freezing. Before deleting you should save or you loose everything until last save. The best way to delete is to save, close, reopen and delete.
. When it starts becoming "heavy" meaning lots of variables, containers, cases etc it responds very slowly. It is impossible to create a complex subassembly.


For someone like me that is used to VB.net...


...development environ is very annoying
.changing a variable's declaration name does not automatically change all its references
.cut and paste leads to renaming variables with _copy


...lucks of simple programming tools
.no arrays
.no loops
.no string manipulation
.variables are visible only after there declaration
.variables can not be private


It has bugs.
.enum size reducing leads to crazy behaviour


It lucks some functionality
.it is impossible to set the desired order for the user input values

SAC 2014 : BUG : deleting enum item

In the past i created a subassembly using SAC 2014.


New needs made me to clone it and create a slightly different one.


Among other changes i reduced by one the population of the items of an enum.
Nothing worked fine after this.


While in SAC experimenting with different scenarios i noticed that when i changed to none a superelevation variable of my own, just after this action, this variable changed by itsehelf to Side!!!
And it happened no matter what workaround i tried.


I tried importing the subassembly to C3D 2014 so to see what will happen. Abnormal behaviour. Changing values to the reduced enum resulted to disappearing points (!) and various error reports.


Finally after restoring the erased enum value everything worked fine!

Civil 3D 2014 : Corridor surfaces tips and workarounds

Creating corridor surfaces can be done by two main ways.
Feature lines and Links.

When created by links there are many cases that civil 3d jump from links to points that do not belong to those links.
So the best way to create a correct surface is to use feature lines.
But in this case when creating custom subassemblies you must assign codes to all points for all cases.
Another disadvantage is that there are cases that surfaces may end to points with various coding.

Another serious issue has to do with boundaries.
Selecting automatic corridor edges in most cases gives a wrong boundary.
Interactive works fine.
By object works fine.
The best of all is to select which feature lines to use.But it can not be used for all cases.

Civil 3D 2014 intersection corridor surfaces. Multiple baselines, boundaries, angled edges and Trimble Link

Two roads end in agle side by side to a third road.
I put them all in one corridor. I used three different baselines.

Trimble Link works only with corridor surfaces. So i had to create surfaces.
I tried both Feature Lines and Links.
In both cases surface was created only for the first baseline.
To create surface for the second one i had to uncheck the first baseline and so on.

Well, i did it this way.
I kept checked only the desired one. I created the surface. No matter Feature or Links the only way to get a correct boundary was to use the Interactive method.
I then tried to create a surface for another baseline keeping only this one checked. Everything went fine. I tried to revert to the previous one and everything got a mesh. I had to recreate the surface from scratch. Even worse the so painfull to create boundary.

So finally although the best way to create Cross Sections at intersections is to use a single Corridor with multiple baselines you cannot create multiple surfaces for Trimble Link and keep them correct.
You have to make seperate corridors.
Afterwards you have to create surfaces to use them in other corridor cross sections.

Finally i tried to create corridor surfaces using interactive boundaries. Ok, i did it. I exported the surface using Trimble Link. I loaded the DC file to Trimble GeoOffice. The angled part was wrong! In one case while importing the DC file i got a warning message. So angled corridor surface finish is possible. But it is useless for Trimble Link.

The whole idea i had was to create a total eg asfalt corridor surface and export it to Trimble. Bummer.

Leica X-Change and Civil 3D 2014 : Offset subassemblies not exported

Well, i created a corridor with some offset assemblies.
When exporting corridor to a Leica Road Job using Toolbox->Export to job->Corridor only main assembly codes were exported.
Damn. At least before going on site i used the simulator and found this disadvantage.

Subassembly Composer : Info : Workflow>Switch

Switch values are always strings.
So in case of number switching, visual basic's ToString must be used.
When entering a Case value you must NOT use quotation marks. It is always considered to be the string container value.

eg Switch value (DoubleValue).ToString(Format"0.00")  -> "1678.56" for a double value of 1678.56138
     Case value should be set 1678.56 NOT "1678.56"

If you use quotation marks no error is reported. SAC supposes that you refer to visual basic's string value ""1678.56"" !!!

Civil 3D Survey : Bug : Insert traverse into the drawing

Right clicking on a traverse node in the tree list in the survey tab and selecting "Insert in the drawing" does nothing.
To make it work you must right click at the traverse table next to the tree list view.

Obviously a bug.

Civil 3D Survey : Tip : Least Square analysis error message "System error : could not invert matrix" workaround

In some cases when performing LSA solvation fails or produces some, not all, abnormal ellipsis errors.
I get a message "System error:could not invert matrix".

In this case you must not perform the analysis in one step through "Perform analysis...".

You can do it step by step.

First "Create input file"

Then "Edit input file".
Propably there will be some "Distance std error" that have no sense.
You can manually set them to a logical value.
For example i had automatically generated, some not all, values of...500000000000000.0000 (!!!) and i changed them to 0.0050.

Then save the altered file.

Finally "Process input file". Now it will propably produce no error messages and error ellipsis will be normal.

Survey database is not automatically informed if used those steps. So for the results to reflect in drawing and data a final step is required "Update survey database".

Remember that before all those steps if there is a previous not adequate adjustment it should be first reset.

Not only user must learn how to use properly the software but must burn his mind to find workarounds.

Too many hours lost in learning, testing, exploring options and searching for workarounds.

Civil 3D Survey : Tip : Network tree list Traverse node...lost...and found

Strange (meaningless) bug...

I created a new network in a survey database and the option for a traverse was not there!!! I closed the database, i reopened it and...voila!!!

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Traverse data filling

I enter survey data for a traverse.
Then i create it.
After entering the very first station all other data is filled automatically!!!
And if there is only one path to create it then the filling is correct!!!
Good intelligence!

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Changing observations after adjustment that updated survey database...

A traverse adjustment took place with the option to Update survey database checked.

Then if you enter an existing observation and try to change it, you will be allowed to do it.
You will even be allowed to press the save-apply button.
But all data will remain bold. This should not happen. It means that database was not updated. Although values seem to be changed.
Indeed if you exit and renter no change was kept. But also no warning message was ever shown!

So you must first reset adjusted coordinates through right click on the control points of the network and only now it is possible to alter observations.

Bad intelligence. There should be a warning.

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Survey point identitification

Unfortunately there is only one way to manipulate survey points.

Integer numbering. Not naming.

In case of Survey Command Window refering to point is possible only through its number.

In case of tables it is possible to use its name. But after entering it it alters to its number.

Also creating a new point through Survey Command Window you can only assign number and optionally a description. Not a name.

Civil 3D Survey : Critical Tip : Case of foresight measurement to an existing control point

If survey data is entered through Survey command window...
eg AD 112 23.7896 113.678 ,say that pt numbered 112 already exists as a control point imported to current survey database...
then you will be asked to overwrite or ignore. Ofcourse you must select ignore. Doing this control point coordinates are neither altered in control points list nor is survey points list and everything works fine.

If survey data is entered through setup and observation tables then you are not asked and overwrite takes place.
This means that coordinates are correct when viewed at control points list but when viewed at survey points list they have the observation values which is wrong.

In this case when a new station takes place for this point it will use the overwritten values!!!

A workaround trick to fix this is to open the control points table and do a minor change to eg points name. After this the coordinates at the survey points table are informed correctly!!!

Or else everything goes wrong from so on.

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Network created points and prospector's point list

If a network creates new points then those points do not exist in points list in prospector tab.

To enter them you must select which of them you want to enter and do Insert into drawing.

After doing this whatever change takes place is immediatelly reflected to propspectors tab list of points.

Also editing is possible only through survey tab commands.

Prospector tab point list icons is different for those points.

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Traverse adjustments

Traverse adjustment can be done through...

...Network adjustment (least squares)
...Traverse analysis

When entering traverse analysis there is a critical option for the user to select to Update survey database or not.

If checked then...

Adjusted survey points are ALWAYS set also as control points in network's control point list with a different icon next to them than the non adjusted ones.

Adjusted point coordinates both in network control points and survey points tables are identical.
Obviously the coordinates for those points are different when viewed through observation table as observations. Adjustment is only for the station point and its backsight azimuth. Foresight angle and distance are unadjusted. They might also different than before adjusting if station was not a control point.

Right clicking on Network control points there is an option to Reset adjusted coordinates. Doing this coordinates revert to original and so on for the azimuths.

If not reset then it is not possible to recalculate Network or Traverse that includes those points.

If you want to see the drawing of the network or traverse then you must select Insert into the drawing.

You can set the civil 3d custom (network named) object to what ever layer you want. If you readjust then updated drawing is in the same layer.
If least squares are selected then the ellipses are also drawn with the network or traverse.

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Do i need to enter a distance in every observation ?

Station observations that do not create new points may not include distance measurements. This is very helpfull when entering starting or ending traverse observations where distance is useless.

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Survey Command Window commands you won't read about in Help or Tutorial what they can do

Some basic Survey Command Window commands are...

STN 6 ...sets the current station to point number 6

BS 5 350.6789 ...sets the backsight to point number 5 with the angle set to 350.6789

For my reference and only...
AD 10 56.7816 125.879 ...creates a new point with number 10 using angle relative to whatever backsight 56.7816 and at a distance of 125.879 units.

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Entering survey data. Survey command window and batch files.

There are two main ways user can enter survey data.
1.Right click on desired Network and select Survey command window
2.Through desired Network Control points,Non-control points,observations etc.

Survey command window is the fast way to do it.
If batch file is selected then data can be entered through a simple text editor and entered on the fly.
But text file should be saved in the folder where the desired network is (a subfolder for the Civil 3D projects main folder).
Also in case of deleting a network object then all data saved in its folder is UNRECOVERABLY lost. Do not look in the Recycle Bin. You won't find anything at all!!!

Civil 3D Survey : Info : Why control points already imported are visible only in one network?

Once an import event has imported control points to a Survey Database although those points are visible to only one network table (the one declared when importing) they can be used by all other networks in this database. No need to reimport them only to set them visible to another network.

Civil 3D Survey : Critical Tip : I enter the correct survey data but angles, distances, everything is presented wrong.

One step before entering survey data.
Setup Equipment data is critical.
Watch out the angle direction and units, the distance units, corrections and slope or vertical property and so on for the selected Setup Equipment.
A good practice is to setup a new localized Setup Equipment and set it as default.