Annotative Contour Labels

[hlambing715030]

I'm very new Using C3D2015 and still learning. But been using ACAD since 1988. Up until last year we used an In-house program to do what C3D does.
I have a large topo drawing with 1 foot contours we want 100 scale for overall topo & boundary and 30 scale for individual lots surveys.
At the 100 scale the contours are really close together in some areas so contour labels are only on major contours or areas where we could fit label on without overlap we label each 1 foot contour.
But when we get to the 30 scale drawing we have room to label each contour. We use to just be able to tell it to display only the annotative scale being viewed in viewport and the others would be hidden.
We don't seem to have that option with C3D2015. Am I missing a setting in label style or somewhere else.
Only option I can see at the moment is to make a separate layer for the 30 scale and 100 scale labels or maybe a new label style and set it to different layer.
Anyone have any better ideas?
Thanks

[remi678731]

C3D labels automatically add new scales, or at least I haven't found away to turn it of. I would use a label style for Majors and a different for Minors with a different layer

[cadtag]

kicker is that Civil3d label scaling is _not_ annotative. It was there first, and the c3d devs don't seem too interested in making much use of any of the useful features that AutoCAD has developed since 1999.

[Opie]

kicker is that Civil3d label scaling is _not_ annotative. It was there first, and the c3d devs don't seem too interested in making much use of any of the useful features that AutoCAD has developed since 1999.

I prefer C3D implementation of labeling instead of the annotative scales used in AutoCAD.

[cadtag]

Understandable -- but to my mind that speaks more to the problems of annotative scaling for acad text, instead of the goodness of c3d labels. Essentially both scaling methods are kludgy workarounds for Autodesk not getting paperspace-to-modelspace associativity working well. IMO, YMMV, standard disclaimers apply.

but seriously -- dragging a c3d structure/ pipe labe does not use MLEADER???? I can't adjust the location the arrow is connected to????? WTF are they smoking up there in New Hampshire?

[BlackBox]

I feel like I'd prefer AutoCAD's Annotation Scale functionality, as that would preclude (most of?) the need for duplicate labels, but more importantly on multiple layers, which can be a kick in the pants down the road. There are still elements that would require multiple labels so-to-speak (different level of detail in each?).

That said, Annotation Scales are not without some issues - being surprised with duplicate scales with same units & name (not sure where they came from?), and having a Viewport somehow scaled to one (of same name), and annotation entities scaled to the other somehow (of same name), and the latter not visible in the former?! Grrr

Civil 3D does allow for an Expression to be used to control the resultant scale of the label contents, and at multiple given scales - but it can be cumbersome, to configure, and doesn't accept corresponding scales numerically as one might expect:

Drawing Conversion Scale - Example



I simply wish for Autodesk to either unite the scaling mechanism(s), and/or allow us to choose ONE mechanism under which to produce our drawings (via SysVar?).

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and to the topic of this thread....

The only way I know of how to truly obtain annotative scaling contour labels, is to export your Civil 3D drawing to AutoCAD, and assign the desired Annotation Scales to the resultant non-Civil 3D text entities.

While I do keep my Civil 3D drawing, I do this same process for my XREF-only contour drawing, as it is measurably faster than using an actual DREF of the Surface, and labeling it in my base XREF, or in multiple sheets (which only introduces complexity of maintaining Styles, etc.).

Cheers

[MMccall]

Could this dual scale labeling be accomplished by creating a new surface and pasting the current surface into it. Each would produce their own contours and own their own labels. Label one for 100 scale use and the other for 30 scale use. Place each on its own layer so you could toggle the visibility of either on as needed. One surface is defined by the other so there wouldn't be any duplication surface creation elements.

[remi678731]

I am confused my contour labels automatically rescale for each viewport with the multiple annotative scales like text. One of the few things they got right with Civil3d

[Iceberg]

Could this dual scale labeling be accomplished by creating a new surface and pasting the current surface into it. Each would produce their own contours and own their own labels. Label one for 100 scale use and the other for 30 scale use. Place each on its own layer so you could toggle the visibility of either on as needed. One surface is defined by the other so there wouldn't be any duplication surface creation elements.

To answer your question yes, which is what my suggestion to this thread would be.

I use this approach alot. You basically start with a surface that is used just for editing (thats how I like to do it). Then I will create my 2 surfaces, one at 30 scale and one at 100 scale. Since I have my settings set up to automatically put every surface I create onto a separate layer, all I have to do is simply use a viewport freeze to adjust the drawings.

Paste in your Edit surface into your new surfaces you just created. If you need to make adjustments just edit the one surface and all of them will update.