Crossing pipes in plan

[DFRAME]

I have several pipes drawn in plan using Civil 3D Pipes. Several pipes cross each other at different elevations. Is there any way to get the crossing pipes to hide or show as hidden when crossing under other pipes in plan?

I'm using Civil 3D 2008

[gandocadguy]

Are all the pipes in the same file? You could use draw order.

[DFRAME]

Yes all pipes are in the same file but draw order doesn’t make a difference. All pipes in plan appear to blow through each other even though they have different elevations. It seems like the program is not recognizing them as a solid entity in 2D.

[gandocadguy]

Are you showing just the outside lines? if so I don't think you can block out pipes under.

[DFRAME]

I’m showing outside and centerline only. If it can’t be done with outside only then what else do I need to show to get it to hide or show hidden?

[gandocadguy]

It won't cut the pipes going under. They are not a 2d solid but a piece of linework created from the pipe object. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[DFRAME]

Since MEP can do that with HVAC duct work and pipes I guess I figured Civil 3D could do it as well.

Thanks for your help.

[gandocadguy]

I haven't seen it do it. maybe I'm missing something as well.

[DFRAME]

I do not work in MEP but I had training on it and my co-workers do so that’s how I know about it. In MEP if you goto Options/MEP Display Control you can control how overlapping items display in 2d. Works real nice.

[gandocadguy]

That sounds pretty sweet. Perhaps it's in 2009 though I haven't looked at pipes in 2009 in that much detail. I mostly do grading in our office.

[DFRAME]

Unfortunately I do a ton of grading and pipe layout and pipe profiling. At this time I layout everything in Civil 3D pipes and after the layout is correct I redraw all pipes using standard AutoCAD lines so I can break them out. Of course the design changes right before the project goes out the door so I have to scramble to catch everything.

[gandocadguy]

that stinks. Is single line piping now allowed where you are? That would be one solution.

[DFRAME]

Yes and No. It depends on pipe size, scale of site drawing and pipe material.

[brian.hailey933139]

Try turning on the 3d solid in the style for the plan view and then change your shademode to 3d wire frame or something like that. That's the only thing I can think of.

[civil3Dguide]

Here's a work around but it should not need to be used in such advanced software, but here you go.
I always have one color/pen that has a shading value of 0%, I use it to create solid hatches to place behind objects to hide what is behind it. It basically plots white, matching the paper, I guess, I've never plotted on any color other than white to be sure, but anyways.
For example: create a hatch the size of the crossing area, make it this no plot color (I use 19) and place the hatch between the upper and lower pipes.
What do you think?

[DFRAME]

I agree that we shouldn't have to do a work around.

I’ll give the hatch a try.

Thanks.