Labeling Pipe Inverts Without Structures

[caddjockey2000]

I am working on a roadway that has several culvert pipe pipe crossings. I need to place the pipe without structures at either end BUT I still want to label the each pipe end's invert like a structure label. I could put the inverts in the pipe label but then you don't know which invert is for which pipe end especially after you drag the label since any flow arrow defined disappears after dragging. I will have headwalls on the pipe ends at some point but not until I get those designs from the engineer. I most likely wont be able to use the headwalls from the pipe networks catalog as they don't have options for variable angle and length wingwalls or wingwalls at all for that matter. I just need to be able to label the individual pipe inverts at the pipe ends. I had a NULL structure I was able to place but after I had an error and crashed the NULL structure no longer shows up nor is it available for adding it back to my pipe network part list. So how do you label a pipe end inverts separate from the pipe label and/or how do I redefine and add a NULL structure to get it back in my parts list.

[peter.bartel]

I have the same problem. Did somebody find a solution in the meantime?

[dmanning]

When Civil 3D places a pipe without structures it actually does include a null structure. If somehow you got it to place the pipes and then deleted the null structures or it didn't create the null structures, it may be difficult to get that to function properly. I had that problem where the null structure was created and deleted and my pipe network never seemed to act normally again even after adding that null structure back to my part list.

Try overwriting your current part list with the template you started from. Then recreate the pipes. The null structure should be there and you should be able to label it if you have created a null structure style you can see in profile view.

You also have the option of using a profile view label. It can pull the elevation of the invert and then add other pertinent information to the label style.

Hope that makes sense. Make sure you check out the classes from past Autodesk Universities or attend an AUGI Cad Camp. You can eliminate a lot of those oddities by learning some best practices from those resources.

Good luck and keep asking questions. There are a lot of knowledgable people around that are always glad to help.

Dustin

[egmoreno]

Just wanted to comment on the NULL structure disappearing. There is absolutely no way to get that back into your parts list once it disappears. The only way is what was mentioned before, basically re-creating the parts list and going from there.

I've been dealing with this for awhile now and Autodesk seems to have no answer, nor is there is a fix for it in the Version 2 SP. It's been relatively a mystery to everybody I talk to. I found this almost a year ago and barely now am seeing people notice it.

The best solution is to avoid deleting NULL structures and just accustom yourself to swapping parts on them rather than erasing them.

However, if you attempt to connect to a NULL structure with a new pipe that has zero elevation the program will crash, nasty style. In this case you will have to either swap it for a structure or delete the NULL. This hasn't happened to me yet in 09 but I'm sure it will.

[ralstogj]

To label the pipe start and end invert just add a pipe label and go to the text contents and in the text component editor choose start invert elevation and for one label and create another label but this time choose end invert elevation.

Regards

Justin Ralston

[John.72571]

Don't use the OOTB null structure. Make a new one with a real part & give it a style that does not plot/diplay.