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Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Create a feature line directly in your drawing or from an object, join feature lines, and insert intermediate elevations.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
5 min.
Transcript
00:03
There are multiple ways to create feature lines in Civil 3D to facilitate grading design for your project.
00:10
For example, a feature line can be drawn directly in your drawing or created from an existing object.
00:17
You can also join feature lines and insert intermediate elevation points.
00:22
To create a feature line directly in your drawing, from the ribbon,
00:27
Home tab, > Create Design panel, expand the Feature Line drop-down and select Create Feature Line.
00:35
In the Create Features Lines dialog box, expand the Site drop-down and select Site 1.
00:42
Under Style, in this case, select Crown, and then click OK.
00:47
Follow the prompts in the command window.
00:51
To specify the start point of the feature line, in this case, click the middle of point C.
00:57
Next, either type an elevation on the command line, or select a surface.
01:02
In this case, click Surface.
01:05
In the Select Surface popup, select EG, for existing ground.
01:10
Click OK.
01:12
To specify the next point, here, select point D.
01:20
Now, from the command line, you can select a Slope, an Elevation, a Difference in elevation, a Surface, or a Transition.
01:27
Select Surface.
01:29
The application defaults to the previous selection of EG.
01:33
To accept this value, at the command prompt, press ENTER.
01:37
Select one more point in the line by clicking point E, and on the command line, press ENTER to accept the previous settings.
01:46
Press ENTER one more time to complete the feature line.
01:50
Select the line you just created, then right-click in the drawing and select Elevation Editor.
01:56
In the Elevation Editor, for each point, you can view the Elevation, as well as the Grade Back and Grade Ahead.
02:04
To create a feature line from an object, expand the Feature Line drop-down and select Create Feature Lines from Objects.
02:13
For this example, select the polyline connecting points A, B, and C, and then press ENTER.
02:21
In the Create Feature Lines dialog box, select Site 1.
02:25
Under Conversion options, select Erase existing entities and Assign elevations.
02:31
Click OK.
02:34
In the Assign Elevations dialog box, you can type in an Elevation or, as in this case,
02:40
let the application select the elevations for you by enabling From surface.
02:45
In the drop-down, select EG.
02:48
Deselect Insert intermediate grade break points, and then click OK.
02:54
In the drawing, select the feature line you just created, then open the Elevation Editor to view the elevation points.
03:03
You can also join feature lines into one.
03:06
Select the first feature line you created, and in the contextual tab, Edit Geometry panel, select Join.
03:14
In the drawing, select the second feature line, and then press ENTER to join the two feature lines.
03:20
Open the Elevation Editor to see all the elevation points displayed for the joined, single feature line.
03:27
When creating a feature line from an object, another option is to insert intermediate elevation points.
03:33
Here, move the joined feature line, so that you have space to create a new line.
03:39
Then, draw a polyline that connects points A, B, C, D, E, and F.
03:47
Expand the Feature Line drop-down and select Create Feature Lines from Objects.
03:52
In the drawing, select the polyline, and press ENTER.
03:56
In the Create Feature Lines dialog box, select Site 1, keep the default Conversion options, and click OK.
04:04
In the Assign Elevations dialog box, enable From surface, select EG, and then select Insert intermediate grade break points.
04:14
Click OK.
04:16
Select the new feature line, and then open the Elevation Editor to see the additional elevation points.
04:22
The application inserts an elevation point each time the feature line crosses a TIN line on the surface.
04:29
Feature lines can be created easily directly in the drawing or from objects,
04:34
and elevations can be entered manually or selected from the surface.
04:39
If needed, feature lines can be created with the addition of intermediate elevations, and existing feature lines on the same site can be joined.
Video transcript
00:03
There are multiple ways to create feature lines in Civil 3D to facilitate grading design for your project.
00:10
For example, a feature line can be drawn directly in your drawing or created from an existing object.
00:17
You can also join feature lines and insert intermediate elevation points.
00:22
To create a feature line directly in your drawing, from the ribbon,
00:27
Home tab, > Create Design panel, expand the Feature Line drop-down and select Create Feature Line.
00:35
In the Create Features Lines dialog box, expand the Site drop-down and select Site 1.
00:42
Under Style, in this case, select Crown, and then click OK.
00:47
Follow the prompts in the command window.
00:51
To specify the start point of the feature line, in this case, click the middle of point C.
00:57
Next, either type an elevation on the command line, or select a surface.
01:02
In this case, click Surface.
01:05
In the Select Surface popup, select EG, for existing ground.
01:10
Click OK.
01:12
To specify the next point, here, select point D.
01:20
Now, from the command line, you can select a Slope, an Elevation, a Difference in elevation, a Surface, or a Transition.
01:27
Select Surface.
01:29
The application defaults to the previous selection of EG.
01:33
To accept this value, at the command prompt, press ENTER.
01:37
Select one more point in the line by clicking point E, and on the command line, press ENTER to accept the previous settings.
01:46
Press ENTER one more time to complete the feature line.
01:50
Select the line you just created, then right-click in the drawing and select Elevation Editor.
01:56
In the Elevation Editor, for each point, you can view the Elevation, as well as the Grade Back and Grade Ahead.
02:04
To create a feature line from an object, expand the Feature Line drop-down and select Create Feature Lines from Objects.
02:13
For this example, select the polyline connecting points A, B, and C, and then press ENTER.
02:21
In the Create Feature Lines dialog box, select Site 1.
02:25
Under Conversion options, select Erase existing entities and Assign elevations.
02:31
Click OK.
02:34
In the Assign Elevations dialog box, you can type in an Elevation or, as in this case,
02:40
let the application select the elevations for you by enabling From surface.
02:45
In the drop-down, select EG.
02:48
Deselect Insert intermediate grade break points, and then click OK.
02:54
In the drawing, select the feature line you just created, then open the Elevation Editor to view the elevation points.
03:03
You can also join feature lines into one.
03:06
Select the first feature line you created, and in the contextual tab, Edit Geometry panel, select Join.
03:14
In the drawing, select the second feature line, and then press ENTER to join the two feature lines.
03:20
Open the Elevation Editor to see all the elevation points displayed for the joined, single feature line.
03:27
When creating a feature line from an object, another option is to insert intermediate elevation points.
03:33
Here, move the joined feature line, so that you have space to create a new line.
03:39
Then, draw a polyline that connects points A, B, C, D, E, and F.
03:47
Expand the Feature Line drop-down and select Create Feature Lines from Objects.
03:52
In the drawing, select the polyline, and press ENTER.
03:56
In the Create Feature Lines dialog box, select Site 1, keep the default Conversion options, and click OK.
04:04
In the Assign Elevations dialog box, enable From surface, select EG, and then select Insert intermediate grade break points.
04:14
Click OK.
04:16
Select the new feature line, and then open the Elevation Editor to see the additional elevation points.
04:22
The application inserts an elevation point each time the feature line crosses a TIN line on the surface.
04:29
Feature lines can be created easily directly in the drawing or from objects,
04:34
and elevations can be entered manually or selected from the surface.
04:39
If needed, feature lines can be created with the addition of intermediate elevations, and existing feature lines on the same site can be joined.
Industry:
Civil / Site development contractors, Site Development (General civil engineering), Secondary education, Vocational education, Colleges and universities
Role:
Civil engineer (Geotechnical), Civil engineer (Land and site design), Civil engineer (Roads and highways), Civil engineer (Tunnels and bridges), Student (18 plus), Teacher/faculty
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