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Civil 3D Redraw Only Edited Survey Figures?
Posted by BStrand on May 17, 2023 at 8:28 pmAnyone know if there’s a way to have Civil 3D redraw only survey figures that have been affected by changes to the points that define them?
RobertUSA replied 11 months ago 11 Members · 32 Replies- 32 Replies
Freeze off the figures you’re not wanting to effect.
points in the point group/figure should be the only things redrawn.
edit:
scratch that, I’m wrong… I think.
my brain is mush but still trying today…
Nice, I’ll try this.
Do you know if there is a way to free everything except the layer I’m wanting to update? Like isolate except for freeze?
You can isolate objects so a figure would be isolated
you can window what you want to isolate.
I tested isolate and it didn’t prevent all survey figures from being redrawn.
I can probably just freeze everything and unfreeze the 1 layer I’m working on. I was hoping for something simpler than that, but I guess I need to check whether it’ll even work in the first place.
Yeah, freeze doesn’t appear to work either.
easier fix is to import the points into a blank drawing and then update the lines them copybase, and paste to original coordinates.
if you’re in assumed, copy from the drawing you’re in paste Into new drawing.
I’ve been overwhelmed with and overexposed to several different methods from the places Ive worked, so my mental scar tissue is always adding up to additional clicks and frantic Ctrl z or esc and sometimes just yay!
Think I found the solution– there’s a button in the survey editor panel that says update database from drawing. So click the edited line and click that button and it appears to store the edit.
Nice, I’ll try this.
Do you know if there is a way to free everything except the layer I’m wanting to update? Like isolate except for freeze?
Make it the current layer. Go into layer manager right click on all layers visibility freeze. It will complain that you’re trying to freeze the current layer, but should freeze all the rest.
If you have your survey database open for edit, any change to a survey point when using the proper edit point command should prompt you “would you like to update your linework?”.
I believe it processes the entire import file again, not just the change points. Reprocessing the entire file shouldn’t be a concern unless the file is extremely large which may take a while.
Do you see a benefit in processing just the changed figures? Just trying to understand the end game.
I absolutely despise survey figures. You don’t really see how poorly they function until you start designing from them. Once the survey figures are imported and look decent I immediately run the “exporttoautocad” command to drop all of the survey figures to 2D polylines. I keep the figures in the database but delete them from the drawing.
Hate Figures and the database. Too many years of Civil 3d corrupt files, errors, etc. I use the DB to generate linework, do a quick clean up if needed, then Explode (3dpoly’s) and then create feature lines from objects keeping them by layer and go through and edit once a feature line. Wblock feature lines, Or 3dpolys if you haven’t converted yet. Use new template dwg, not tied to data base, import points, bring in 3dlinework, and draft to completeness. Just my happy, workaround/ workflow that works. I have found its easier to send out cad files that are usable to more of our clients this way. (Whole another chapter on exporting to AutoCAD, and having the proper points, etc display for those architect folks that only have Autocad and no civil 3d.)
Nice, I’ll try this.
Do you know if there is a way to free everything except the layer I’m wanting to update? Like isolate except for freeze?
Make it the current layer. Go into layer manager right click on all layers visibility freeze. It will complain that you’re trying to freeze the current layer, but should freeze all the rest.
Yeah, that would work but freezing doesn’t seem to prevent the lines from being redrawn.
I believe it processes the entire import file again, not just the change points.
Yes, and that is exactly the problem.
Do you see a benefit in processing just the changed figures? Just trying to understand the end game.
Yes, sometimes it’s far easier to make an edit on the fly (intersecting 2 walls of a building at a corner that I wasn’t able to tie is a good example) and moving on, but every time a linework process is run the edit is undone. And yes, I could probably mess around adding offset or control code language to the points I shot to make CAD draw the same thing, but that’s simply not as efficient as drawing it myself.
I absolutely despise survey figures.
I would prefer not to use them also but it’s the workflow my employer uses so…
we used ACCESS to TBC, cleaned up all code issues missed points etc, then sent a clean file from TBC to C3D.
QC1 QC2 and the final to C3D was the import.
That was my old flow. I didn’t develope it and benefited greatly and appreciate the lift it was.
the database is a great tool, but workflows are better use of the limits of the software and can be built to exploit the hardware and then the software.And take time and buy in from the team and esp with the people paying for the stuff.
if you’re a Trimble shop I’m happy to share what I have for the templates for the process
Ask OlManRiver. it’s a huge lift, and you can fiddle with it and do a presentation for the upper muckies and knock their socks off for an improvement..
or just get beat down by the gate keeper for cad and slink back to your corner…
jk
hopefully you’re not in a place that bad, or any of us really.
carry on
This is why TBC is far easier for processing linework when Access is the field software. Modify a code and tap F4 to recompute, and the linework is fixed. Export out 2D or 3D polylines that go directly to C3D for breaklines or planimetric lines (or both), and no messing with survey figures.
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil PostmanThis is why TBC is far easier for processing linework when Access is the field software. Modify a code and tap F4 to recompute, and the linework is fixed. Export out 2D or 3D polylines that go directly to C3D for breaklines or planimetric lines (or both), and no messing with survey figures.
Yeah, I’m kind of trying to nudge them that direction since we are a Trimble shop. The dogmatic way of doing things takes time to defeat.
This is why TBC is far easier for processing linework when Access is the field software. Modify a code and tap F4 to recompute, and the linework is fixed. Export out 2D or 3D polylines that go directly to C3D for breaklines or planimetric lines (or both), and no messing with survey figures.
I’m trying to figure out how if possible to do similar things with Leica, I fear though that the IP lawyers were involved and won’t let the two softwares get too close to the same type of workflows..
I suspect anyway
Everyone’s situation is different. We are a full trimble/access/civil3d shop and create and use survey figures on a daily basis in survey and in engineering. While, I agree that the survey figure functionality could and should be smoother, it works for us. It has certainly taken time and really all stems from accurate codes. But, changes and errors do happen that require modification of the survey figures. Our process is: select the figure>survey figure properties> this opens up a window where you can add/delete points in any order you want. The interface could use some work, but it works. Then, with the figure still selected, rclick and select update database from drawing.
We only export points from TBC, nothing more.
We haven’t had any major issues with survey figures in our survey to engineering workflow with our staff of over 50 in many many years.
Then, with the figure still selected, rclick and select update database from drawing.
Yeah, I’ve found that saves the edit which is great. A quirk I’m noticing is even after I save the edit if I process linework again it puts the old linework back in the drawing. It’s faster to delete that old linework than redraw the edit so I’m at least gaining ground, but at the same time things are STILL more complicated than they need to be.
if I process linework again it puts the old linework back in the drawing.
Never ever reprocess the linework, that’s one of our number 1 rules. Nothing good comes of it, ever.
if I process linework again it puts the old linework back in the drawing.
Never ever reprocess the linework, that’s one of our number 1 rules. Nothing good comes of it, ever.
Edit the point in the database, and rerun the linework, if that is what you want.
-All thoughts my own, except my typos and when I am wrong.Edit the point in the database, and rerun the linework, if that is what you want
How do you do that? The database points are locked and can only be edited at the source. Maybe I’m missing something?
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