Civil 3D limited automated annotation. Alignment name can not be mentioned for an axis in a Section View.

I tried to find a fully automated way to annotate alignment axies in section views. Bummer !

I did an internet search. Same problem for other users.

Profile Grade Line Marker Point is capable of using blocks containing whatever info. But all this must be made by hand, one by one !!!

So i used VB.net to create a custom app to solve this problem.

Reads the Civil database and gets all the axies (with or without profile).
Exposes them to the user to select which of them to work with using CheckedListBox.
Creates blocks with the Alignment names.
Assigns them to new MarkerPoint Styles.
Select PGL to create using those new MarkerPointStyles.

I could also create plain autocad points and text for each PGL but these objects do not belong to the section view and that is a disadvantage.

App soon to be completed and available for downloading for Civil 3D 2017.

Autocad custom apps : Block entities assignment cases

A block can add Entities using two methods.

block.AppendEntity(entity)
Entities created and added immediately in the block, not the BlockTable

block.AssumeOwnerShipOf(CollectionOfObjectIDs)
Entities are already created and exist in the BlockTable. If not copied then after commiting transaction they dissapear from the Model/Paper Space blocks and they "live" only in the block !

I had a hard time trying to configure how to do the second case. Adding existing entities to a block. All examples i found were for the first case.

SAC : strings, enums and math

In Subassembly Composer is possible to refer to the Math library of Microsoft Visual Basic.
But it is not possible to use simple functions such as CSTR or CDBL. No further library can have a reference.

Also Enum.value results to a string value. It can be used in Switch. But it can not be used as a string in a point code ! To do this you must DefineVariable (string) and finally assign the variable to the point Code !

Codes are capable of direct strings or direct string variables. 

LandXML & Civil 3D tips, clarifications and important matters to remind me while programming

LandXML angular direction :
Unit is always Decimal Degrees
Positive values only, counter clockwise, zero to East

LandXML horizontal alignment elements :
Are set in CoordGeom
Common to Civil 3D are Line, Curve and Spiral (others are Irregular line and Feature ?)

LandXML horizontal alignment element Spiral :
Civil 3D supports only Spiral.SPItype=Clothoid

LandXML horizontal alignment element Curve (Civil 3D Arc) :
Civil 3D supports only crvType=arc

Civil 3D api can be viewed only using Chrome. IE does not show side window elements !?
http://docs.autodesk.com/CIV3D/2018/ENU/API_Reference_Guide/

Civil 3D alignment simple type entities are subentities of more complex ones like SCCS etc.

LandXML theta angle :
is Pi-SpiralIncludedAngle in degrees and is always positive and less than Pi.
Spiral Included Angle is the angle between Short and Long tangents and is always positive and less than Pi.

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.

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 : 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 : 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 : 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.