Can pipes connect to the Face of a rectangle box?

[Spell]

Civil 3d 2008 Pipe Network.

I've been looking for the answer to this for months and haven't seen the answer. Given a rectangular storm box 4x4 or 4x6, or any other dimension, must we connect the pipes to the center of structure? In subdivision design many of our storm boxes are situated where if you draw center to center the pipe will cut through the corner of the box. This is a nono. I need to attach the FL IN, and FL OUT to the middle of one of the faces. In land desktop this was achieved by putting a null structure at the in and out so we would build A4 IN -> A4 -> A4 OUT.

Is it possible to connect a pipe to a box face and not the center? I will learn to build custom boxes if necessary. I dabbled with tutorials on Part Builder but no where did i find the answer.

John.

[brainman1000]

That would require some custom part builder work.

[Spell]

Do you then accept that all storm is designed center to center? This is letting the program dictate what you can design. What is the best work around?

[civil3Dguide]

You can select the pipe after you have built your network and it will slide around in the structure, and remain in this position until the structures is moved, and that time it will reset and you will have to move it once more.

Select the pipe, select the blue pick box in the center of the structure and slide it to the location/angle you want it to enter your structure. The length of the pipe will remain to be the same distance, to the center of the box.

[brian.hailey933139]

You can select the pipe after you have built your network and it will slide around in the structure, and remain in this position until the structures is moved, and that time it will reset and you will have to move it once more.

Select the pipe, select the blue pick box in the center of the structure and slide it to the location/angle you want it to enter your structure. The length of the pipe will remain to be the same distance, to the center of the box.I'm gonna have to try that one out for myself. Thanks man!

[chris805_1996]

If you want to do a little programing you could create a program that could do it. The starting of a VBA program may be found on this page: http://style.civil3dreminders.com/pipetoinsidewalls it moves the pipe to the face of a structure, but it could be modified to go through the midpoint of the wall.

[Spell]

great ideas, and thanks but we need the FL and Pipe lengths to be to face of wall not just the graphical representation. I actually did come up with a method using a small headwall as a null structure and placing it at the interior face center. this lets you assign fl at the box edge in and out.

[Openwheeler]

I actually did come up with a method using a small headwall as a null structure and placing it at the interior face center. this lets you assign fl at the box edge in and out.

There has to be a better way then just tricking it for the scenario. I read a quit bite of peoples "work around" with pipes, is this the nature of the beast with Civil 3D? Most of the situations seem to be some basic request that one would need for pipe network layout and design. I don't know, maybe my expectations are just to high for this software.

[brian.hailey933139]

You can select the pipe after you have built your network and it will slide around in the structure, and remain in this position until the structures is moved, and that time it will reset and you will have to move it once more.

Select the pipe, select the blue pick box in the center of the structure and slide it to the location/angle you want it to enter your structure. The length of the pipe will remain to be the same distance, to the center of the box.

It works but it definitely isn't a pretty solution. Thanks for the info though.

[MHultgren]

You can define a custom Label style that will label to the inside face of the wall of a structure and have it adjust the length in the label as well. (C3D 2009)

[egmoreno]

Civil 3D is as much about tricking into doing what you want more than drawing things how they are designed. I've come up with my own method to attach a pipe to the outside face of a structure, as silly as it might be.

Attach the pipe via the normal method, the pipe goes directly to the center of the structure. Now, draw a regular line from the center of structure (the endpoint of the pipe) to the intersection of the pipe and face of wall. Now trim the line so the endpoint of the line is at the face wall. Select your pipe, grip it at the endpoint, and drag it to the endpoint of line at face of wall with an endpoint snap. This will keep it from attaching to the structure. You can now right click on it and edit the pipe properties and update the FL to he correct.

Until I find a better way, that's what I've done.