Not Sure What to Do

[icaazn614]

I am a relatively new user of Autocad 2008. I want to know if I can create roadway stationing and profile view of a site. If so, how. Also, is there a way to have a arc that start and end in a different z height.

[Norton_cad]

Yes you can do all you request in OTTB AutoCAD, however if your serious about civil engineering design, try the web site below for a link to Autodesk's Civil & civil 3D.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...112&id=3566722

[irneb]

Not sure about the stationing / site profile ... maybe this would be possible with Civil3D? Or some other vertical.

About the arc with different Z values: As far as I know, only by changing your UCS. A circle, arc or polyline is only drawn as a 2d object. But can be drawn in 3d space by "moving" and / or "rotating" the XY plane using the UCS command.

[gandocadguy]

Yes Civil3D would do your stationing and profiles.

And Rotating your ucs will give you the arc you desire. Or with C3D the arc can be made a feature line and projected to the surface.

[Tom Beauford]

I want to know if I can create roadway stationing and profile view of a site. If so, how. Also, is there a way to have a arc that start and end in a different z height.

-Wrong section. Sorry about that.

Creating Plan & Profile sheets while posible with vanila AutoCAD isn't practical. What would take you a couple days could be done in seconds with Civil software from AutoDesk or a third party software like Eagle Point.

Neither and Arc or a 2D Polyline can start and end in a different z height, but typically you only get horiontal information from the Plan. The Profile is for elevation (verticle) data. Civil 3D actually draws intelegent 3D pipes and structures.

[Maverick91]

Better you invest some time and $$$ in Civil 3D. Yes, you can create P&P drawings in vanilla ACAD, but the tasks will be tedious and limited. C3D will create your stationing automatically, and even update it as you modify the alignment (parametrics). Try creating a spiral-curve-spiral transition -- or better yet, a compound curve (both vertical and horizontal curves in the same location).

[jpaulsen]

Civil 3D also has 3D arcs, a.k.a feature lines.

[Norton_cad]

Neither and Arc or a 2D Polyline can start and end in a different z height, but typically you only get horiontal information from the Plan. The Profile is for elevation (verticle) data. Civil 3D actually draws intelegent 3D pipes and structures.

Yes you can rotate arcs or 2D ploylines so that they have different Z axis points. See example attached.

Better you invest some time and $$$ in Civil 3D. Yes, you can create P&P drawings in vanilla ACAD, but the tasks will be tedious and limited. C3D will create your stationing automatically, and even update it as you modify the alignment (parametrics). Try creating a spiral-curve-spiral transition -- or better yet, a compound curve (both vertical and horizontal curves in the same location).

I couldn't have said it better myself. Go for AutoDesk's Civil packages.

[Tom Beauford]

Yes you can rotate arcs or 2D ploylines so that they have different Z axis points. See example attached.

Didn't see your example, but wouldn't that change the X's & Y's as well as the Z's? Any way to do it without destroying the integrity of the arcs or 2D ploylines?

[cadtag]

Just to throw fuel on the fire - Carlson also has a civil package that will readily handle the basics of what you've asked to do, for significantly less cost than C3D, and without the overhead and workflow requirements that C3D will force on your processes.

I work with both, and for the tasks you've described, Carlson's add on to vanilla autoCAD is mush simpler to get working.