Shoulder Connection

[philip.199690]

My boss needs a set of cross sections that look exactly like the ones on a previous job. I didn't work on that job, and I'm just figuring out how to create cross sections in C3D 2009, so I need a quick and dirty answer.

See the image below. There's a sub-base that extends 6" beyond the edge of the pavement. It has to connect vertically to the finished ground. At that point, though, the finished ground could be a new fill slope (case 1) or a new cut slope (case 2); it could also be the existing ground if the shoulder ends inside that 6" for a fill (case 3) or a cut (case 4). These sections are from the old job.

I have a Daylight Max Offset subassembly connected to the end of the pavement. A Daylight subassembly with a tiny slope might work for the sub-base, if it wouldn't interfere with the pavement subassembly, but only for cases 3 and 4. A Link Vertical would work for case 1 or 2 (the slope is constant, so the connection point would be known), but not for both.

The only answer I can come up with is to define three different assemblies and assign them to sections on a case-by-case basis. I'd really like to have one assembly that works for every case. Does anyone have an idea?

[brian.hailey933139]

I think your answer would be to use the conditional cut/fill subassemblies available from the subscription site (or in 2010). Check if edge of pavement is in cut or fill then, for each condition, check to see if the edge of the subbase is in the same condition. Adjust subassemblies as necessary to get the desired results.

[philip.199690]

Just to tie off this thread, here's what I had to do:
create the alignment and profile over again in Land Desktop Companion;
define a template close to the old one;
create cross sections;
explode all 102 templates;
individually extend/trim all 204 subbase edges.

For my money, Civil 3D is much too complicated, especially when you need to do something simple. I don't have time to learn VBA .NET when all I need is a variation on a subassembly. It's time to look into some other software.

[brian.hailey933139]

For my money, Civil 3D is much too complicated, especially when you need to do something simple. I don't have time to learn VBA .NET when all I need is a variation on a subassembly. It's time to look into some other software.
This to me makes no sense. You can't do it in LDT yet you complain that you can't do it C3D. You can do exactly the same thing in C3D. Get something close, explode them, then manually edit them. Using C3D, the getting close part will take you a fraction of the time in LDT.

[brian.hailey933139]

All done with one assembly using stock, out of the box subassemblies. Absolutely no programming involved. I started doing this after the previous post just to give you an idea of how long it took (and I had to feed my three boys and I was taking my time, it is Saturday morning)

http://i29.tinypic.com/21n01p2.png

[philip.199690]

You can do exactly the same thing in C3D ... Using C3D, the getting close part will take you a fraction of the time in LDT.

That's true ... if you know what you're doing in C3D. At my firm I *am* the CAD department. There is no time or money for formal training, so I have to pick up everything on the fly.

Luckily, the client updated the cross section so that it's doable (by my standards) with standard subassemblies.

Thanks for your advice, Mr. Hailey. Yes, I should get some real training, but that's not going to happen.