Civil 3D custom objects export to autocad not exported. Two cases.

Case 1 : object is set on a layer that is frozen.
Civil 3D custom objects layers should be turned on and thawed so that they are exported to common autocad objects.
So custom model views that work with layers frozen are a problem.

Case 2 : object style has different visibility behaviour among plan,model,profile or section view
If for example a surface is presented through a style that triangles are off for plan view and visible for 3D view then if export takes place when in plan view triangles will not be exported.

Civil 3D alignment with profiles export to a Leica or Trimble sensor

When in Civil 3D there might be a case an alignment with a profile (no cross sections) must be exported.



Trimble
There are two ways to export it.

Civil 3D LandXML
This is the quickest way to export. Select the desired profile and export it as LandXML. Not native format as RXL but it works fine.
Multiple alignments can be exported within a single LandXML file but when running Roads on controller user will be prompted to select the desired alignment. I have not tested it for alignment with multiple profiles.

update 2022.04.01

Trimble Access 2017+ does not support staking out directly through a LandXML file. You have to use Trimble Access Define/LandXML to create an RXL file so to use this for the stake out.

The LandXML file can have multiple alignments with multiple profiles and also multiple sets of cross sections  eg asfalt, earth works etc. You can create a single RXL for each set of cross sections.

BUT...if a profile is not created from a layout then this profile is ignored and if it is the only one then also the sections are ignored!

LandXML profile has to be of type <ProfAlign> not <ProfSurf>.

To transform a profile based on surface or file to a layout type follow the links at the end of this post.

Trimble Link
There is no way to directly export an alignment with its profile.
Alignment Export, exports only 2D, not profile.
The only way to export it is through Road Export. BUT, at least a dummy corridor with an assembly with just a MarkPoint must be created.
While exporting a message that no surface exists is shown but the alignment and its profile are exported.
The format of the exported file is the Trimble's native RXL. So only one alignment per file with only one profile, the one that creates the dummy corridor can be exported.
The great (and only one) advantage of Trimble Link (compared to Leica whatever method) is that the supported profile types include profiles made of file, by layout and surface. I have not tested for superimposed or other types.

Update 2016.10.07 : Trimble Link for C3D 2017 supports alignment and profile export.


Leica

Leica X-Change
Multiple alignments with their multiple profiles can be exported in a single Job as multiple layers!!!
But the only supported profile type is Layout!!!
In case there is not a Layout profile no warning message takes place.
In case no profile exists for an alignment then no plus signed button exists by the alignment name.
In case at least one profile exists then this button exists. BUT if the profile is not a Layout type then although the plus signed button exists there are no profiles available for checking!!! This might mislead you that your profile is checked!
Leica X-Change Layer naming
Each alignment is named with a prefix ALx where x=1.... follwed by a space character
If the alignment has no profile then the alignment name itself is used for the rest of the layer's name.
If the alignment is exported with a profile then the rest of the name is the profile's name so beware of Civil 3D profile naming!!!
Also if alignment is exported with multiple profiles each profile is set on a seperate layer with its prefix followed by the profile name.

Leica LandXML import to alignment
Suppose a single file Civil 3D LandXML export with lots of alignments and their profiles.
Simply the worse way to do it.
Only one layer is created.
All alignments are considered as Lines of this layer!
To work with a Line (alignment) user must enter the Road Job, Data, Edit and change the center line to the desired Line.
Multiple profiles are ignored. Only the first Layout type (LandXML ProfAlign type) is imported.
Lines are named by the Alignment names and only.
Things are even worse when an alignment has Sample Line Groups. When importing then all alignments are ignored except from the first alignment that has SLG. The prompt is for the sections this alignment owns. But finally no cross sections are imported. Alignments are exported as a single layer's lines.

Tip
When working with Leicas beware of the Alignment and Profile naming if multiple ones exist. Or else user will not be able to select the desired Layer or Line.
Since Trimble native RXL files include only one Alignment and Profile, naming is not crucial. Just be careful of the file name.
But if a LandXML file is used with Trimble then naming is also crucial.


Turning profile type to Layout
Below is a post mentioning the workaround for turning profiles to Layout type...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-general/any-way-to-change-profile-type/td-p/4330341

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-civil-3d-general/create-proposed-profile-from-surface-profile/m-p/2957152#M148418

Civil 3D 2014 custom subassembly : Pilecap with extension option

2017.01.11 link update

It has an extension option which...
...can be set inside or outside.
..can also have different widths on top and bottom.

A cheat value might be set so that points are not exactly over each other so that a predictable surface can be created for Trimble Link or Leica X-Change export the points in the correct order.

Below is a link to a simple pilecap.

TKV_PileCap_A.pkt

Trimble link for Civil 3D Road Corridor Export bug

When exporting a surface nomatter what method is used to create it (links or feature lines) in case other points with obviously different point codes exist over the points with codes that create the surface then Trimble Link Road Export creates Template Records with points named with the name of the most top Civil 3D point code name.

Say exporting a datum surface. If used a subassembly eg LaneOutside then it does export the correct points Crown_Subbase,ETW_Subbase offset and elevation but with the code names Crown and ETW!!!

The only way to bypass it is to uncheck the future lines of the unwanted codes.

But this is a problem in case those codes create another surface! You must delete the surface not just uncheck it.

Trimble Link Civil 3D road export critical points of interest.

A Civil 3D road can be exported to RXL only if a Corridor surface has been created.
But Trimble Link does not in fact export triangles !
In fact it uses this surface for two purposes.
First is to get the feature lines and or links that compose the surface.
Second is to get the area that the surface is limited.


The second purpose is critical for two reasons.
1. User may have not created a boundary. So useless surface triangles might exist. This is not a problem since exporting does not use any triangle at all.
2. User may have created a boundary that does not cover the whole of the expected corridor surface area but a part of it !!! So Trimble Link reports a text message to indicate those areas by station values. And finally those areas are omitted !!!


There are some very serious limitations about Trimble Link and they occur because of the logic Trimble Access or Survey Controller works.


There is always at least one side. Left or Right. It is not possible to have a road that it is not connected to axis. Axis can not be far away out of the road !!! Links always start from the axis !!!


It is not possible to have a continuous lane that crosses an axis !!! If a lane includes an axis then Trimble Road Link cuts the lane in two pieces. One for the left side and ne for the right one.
Also if lane does not pass through axis at profile elevation then for both sides a code named "Constant" vertical element is created from axis profile elevation to intersecting lane position.


Another serious limitation has to do with slopes. User is forced to select whether to consider last element for left and or right side as a slope. This is completely idiotic. There are cases that some cross sections do have slopes and some others do not. There should be an option to select codes by Link and or Feature Lines to consider them as slopes.
Most worse if a side has only one element then this is considered to be a slope one so user has no idea where this element ends !!! Totally crap logic !!!
Another one serious limitation has to do also with slopes. Say a cross section has a design catch daylight cut for 1:3. If side slope is checked for this side then cut slope is set to 1:3 but also fill slope is set to the same slope no questions !!! So if on site the real case is a daylight fill and a 2:3 is the desired slope then user must be carefull so that he manually change the slope.
There should be an option for the user to select to have a "Do not assign non existing slope" or "Default fill/cut slope to use if not existing in Civil 3D".
In case there are not a lot of cross sections i use MS XML editor to manually alter the Slope elements of the exported RXL file. If only i knew that new Trimble GPS does not support Carlson SurvCE...




Leica RoadRunner is not limited to anyone of those above. It can also accept points that create a closed shape !!!


Leica RoadRunner uses only one way to export corridors. Feature lines. In latest version (Civil 3D 2016) it is possible for the user to select which (available-meaning checked in corridor parameters) of them to export. But it is not possible to export parts of cross sections using boundaries.


My choice...Leica RoadRunner. Not the best. Not even close. But compared to Trimble Link then...no second thoughts.


Soon to enter some images to graphically represent the above.

SAC : New limitation found. Points entered in Decision branches.

I entered a Decision.
False produced a new Point. True also produced a new point.
None of them was available when i tried to use them in a link at a following flowchart although they were both preview visible for their case to take place.

So Points entered by decision are not available for Links. And i guess that their properties (.x,.y,.offset,.elevation,.isValid) are also not available.

Civil 3D tip. Feature lines vs 3D polylines as corridor target lines

3D polylines can be used as corridor target lines.
Each one gets a name from Civil 3D and the user can not set it or change it.
But if you break it then both new parts keep the same name. And this is a problem when using them as targets.


The only workaround i found is to convert them to feature lines. Names are always unique even in case of breaking and can be set and changed by the user.