ďobo-CADzone, true men don't kill coyotes and use AutoCAD…

Konkrétna ukážka použitia funkcií Civilu na import bodov a ich štýlovania.
Demonstration of some Civil functions for point importing and styling.

A few screenshots showing the use of point styling on two examples – planimetric coordinate mesh and elevation markers.

1. Planimetric coordinate mesh

These points are widely used for visual spatial signalization in grid – typically like a crosses with corresponding coordintes used mostly for rectification of a printed plan. In most cases (mostly on developers projects) I have seen them drafted by standard AutoCAD drawing tools – crosses as blocks with coordinates writen manually. This is not effective way to create and consequently modify them – we will see how to meet this target by tools provided by Civil 3D.
1. First step is point style definition (Toolspace > Settings > Point Styles) – new style (XY-grid), then choice of marker shape, its size and additional properties – fig. 01-03).

Fig. 01-03. Dialog window for new point style definition. Fig. 02 shows marker definition for point, fig. 03 clearly shows all properties of newly defined point.

2. The next step is labels (=point coordinates) definition (Toolspace > Settings > Point Labels. I define new style again (XY-grid_label), then distinct properties of new label on particular tabs in Label Style Composer. The most important tab is Layout:
a) Every Civil point (COGO point) is an object compound of more simple components. In the case of new point definition there are three default components in dropdown menu Component name – Point Number, Point Level a Description. Neither of these components are desirable for our purposes (I`m creating text components based on actual point coordinates) therefore I remove them by Remove button (red cross) and create my own.
b) Own components are to be made by Create text component (that “A” right next of dropdown list) wherewith I open dialog window Text Component Editor. There is a bunch of properties in dropdown list, some of them appropriate for my plans – Easting and Northing. adding these two components means, that labels will be compound of two properties – northing and easting of point position.
c) After new point definition I should only define its visual properties (size, type and text rotation).

Fig. 04-09. New labels style creation. Fig. 04 – new label style creation; fig.05 – Label Style Composer > Component name – component choice that will present text labels; fig. 06 – component “Easting” definition; fig. 07 – component “Northing” customizing; fig.08 a 09 – imported points with new style assigned.

After importing new points into Civil 3D environment and assigning new created style (XY-grid a XY-grid_label) You should see points according defined rules. Try to move them – coordinates will change in accord with point actual position – fig. 08-09.

2. Elevation markers

Creation of elevation marker is almost identical process like a previous example (point style and label style definition) with following differencies:
1. “Radioactivity” sign is usually used for elevation point marker that is not present in AutoCAD points manu. There is no other way than to create my own marker as a Block and then choose it in point definition dialog (AutoCAD Block symbol).
2. Determining label for elevation marker is its elevation. Therefore I erased all components at Point Label Styles > Layout > Component name dialog box with exception of Point Level.
3. Thats all. After that try to import some points and asign them new style of elevation markers – there should be something similar like on fig. 15.

Fig. 10-15. Elevation point marker creation. Fig. 10 – block definiton, fig. 11 – block will be marker of COGO point; fig.12 – only one property in Label Style Composer – Point level; fig.13-14 – Point Level label editing; obr.15 – imported point visualization.

These two simple examples should lure you on a wide range of point styling in Civil 3D.
In fact every aspect (component) of COGO point would be defined for various point styles and joining this practices with automatic style recognition according to Description (previous part of this serial) there is potentiality to “dump” the whole content of text file with measured coordinate points that will be automatically styled according to your needs… Enjoy.