simple lables on simple entities

[Maverick91]

Sometimes I miss LDT. In LDT, I could take a group of lines and arcs and spirals that made up a conceptual alignment, and I could apply labels to show line length, arc length and radius, and spiral length. That's all I want today. How can I do this in C3D -- that is, without defining an alignment? TIA

[indydrafter]

I don't know of a really great or easy way to do so without defining the alignment, but then again, you can create an alignment in Civil 3D just about a quickly at a polyline and manipulate the heck out of it. So why are you hesitant to define the polyline?

[sinc]

You can pop labels like that on a polyline, using the General Line/Curves and the "multiple segment" option. That won't include spirals, though, which can't be included in a normal polyline.

How did you manage to label spirals in LDD without an Alignment?

[Maverick91]

...So why are you hesitant to define the polyline?

For our purposes, it's quicker and easier to just draw lines and curves (usually filleting between them). Most everyone else here hardly knows what a p-line is, much less an alignment.

[Maverick91]

...How did you manage to label spirals in LDD without an Alignment?

Same I did for lines and arcs. As long as I didn't modify or edit the spiral, LDT would still recognize it as such.

[sinc]

How were you even drawing spirals? Were you using splines?

And you actually find that easier than using an Alignment....?

[Maverick91]

How were you even drawing spirals? Were you using splines?

And you actually find that easier than using an Alignment....?

The last version of LDT I have is '07. Under the Lins/Curves menu, find 'Create Spirals'. Its about as easy as using the Fillet command.

[sinc]

So what do you use all this stuff for, then?

If you aren't actually creating Alignments, then I take it you don't use stationing, or Profiles, or anything like that, right?

The Alignment Tools have exactly the tool you mentioned, plus more. Then Alignments also have Label Sets, which let you very quickly and easily pop any sort of labeling on the Alignment, including the labeling you want.

In other words, there are tools that makes it really easy to do what you want, much easier than working with lots of individual lines, arcs, and splines. If you feel you don't need this functionality for your line of work, then it sounds like you may have wasted a lot of money purchasing Civil 3D for everybody. For example, I think DotSoft's Toolpac has routines that does that sort of stuff in plain Autocad, for a lot less money than Civil 3D.

[Maverick91]

So what do you use all this stuff for, then?

We have a specialized in-house program we use for analysis and simulation.

If you aren't actually creating Alignments, then I take it you don't use stationing, or Profiles, or anything like that, right?

Wrong. We also use alignment and P&P drawings -- just not at this point in our project.

The Alignment Tools have exactly the tool you mentioned, plus more. Then Alignments also have Label Sets, which let you very quickly and easily pop any sort of labeling on the Alignment, including the labeling you want.

In other words, there are tools that makes it really easy to do what you want, much easier than working with lots of individual lines, arcs, and splines. If you feel you don't need this functionality for your line of work, then it sounds like you may have wasted a lot of money purchasing Civil 3D for everybody. For example, I think DotSoft's Toolpac has routines that does that sort of stuff in plain Autocad, for a lot less money than Civil 3D.

Thanks for the sales pitch, but I'm happy with our purchase.

[Jmurphy]

Sometimes I miss LDT. In LDT, I could take a group of lines and arcs and spirals that made up a conceptual alignment, and I could apply labels to show line length, arc length and radius, and spiral length. That's all I want today. How can I do this in C3D -- that is, without defining an alignment? TIA

Look at using the Map3D anno blocks. You can label with any of the entities properties. You can also use a property value and do a little lisp to get some more if you know lisp and a little math. Once you insert the blocks (labels) they are linked to the objects and any changes will allow you to update the labels with the refresh command.(from the map anno block functions)