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Control the placement and interactions of feature lines using sites and the feature line hierarchy.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
4 min.
Transcript
00:03
Feature lines are 3D objects that are fundamental to surface design and grading for site projects.
00:10
Use them to create grading footprints, surface breaklines, and corridor baselines.
00:16
Feature lines are like polylines but with enhanced operations.
00:20
There are multiple ways to create feature lines.
00:24
With Civil 3D open, in the ribbon, Home tab, Create Design panel, expand the Feature Line drop-down to access these options.
00:35
Select Create Feature Line to draw straight and curved feature lines directly in the drawing.
00:41
You can also choose to Create Feature Lines from Objects, from an alignment, from a corridor, or from a stepped offset.
00:49
When you select a feature line in your drawing, the Feature Line contextual ribbon displays.
00:55
With these tools, you can Modify feature lines, Edit Geometry, Edit Elevations, Analyze and more.
01:04
Feature lines can interact with one another.
01:07
You can choose to keep them in the same site to enable interaction, or in different sites to prevent interaction.
01:15
In the Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, select <None> for site-less feature lines,
01:21
or expand Sites to store feature lines on different sites—for example,
01:26
when you want to show existing feature lines on one site and proposed feature lines on another.
01:32
When two feature lines overlap in the same site, you can easily view their interaction.
01:38
In this case, two feature lines are created on the FL1 site.
01:43
The Basic style, feature line is set to an elevation of 500 feet, and the other is set to 750 feet.
01:51
To view the interaction in a 3D viewer, select both lines, then right-click one of the lines and select Object Viewer.
01:59
In the Object Viewer, expand the View drop-down and select SE Isometric.
02:05
Notice that where the two feature lines cross, the elevation of the 500-foot line adjusts to 750 feet.
02:13
To view what happens when feature lines are saved to different sites, right-click one of the feature lines and select Move to Site.
02:22
In the Move to Site dialog, select Create New.
02:26
In the Site Properties dialog, in the Name field, type “FL2”.
02:32
Click OK twice.
02:34
Now, this feature line is stored on Site FL2.
02:38
Open the SE Isometric View again to see that the two feature lines no longer interact.
02:46
To understand how feature line interactions are prioritized, first, move the feature line back to the FL1 site.
02:55
Next, right-click the 750-foot feature line, and select Feature Line Properties.
03:02
In the Feature Line Properties dialog box, expand the Style drop-down and select Ditch, then click OK.
03:10
Now, the lines are two different styles, the priority of which is determined by a hierarchy.
03:16
To view the feature line hierarchy, in the Prospector, under Sites, expand the site you are working in—here, it is FL1.
03:26
Then, right-click Feature Lines and select Properties.
03:30
The Feature Line Site Properties dialog box opens to the Options tab.
03:36
You can select a line type and use the arrows to move it up or down in the list.
03:41
In this case, select Standard, and then click the Up arrow to move it above Ditch.
03:47
Click OK.
03:48
Now, switch to the SE Isometric view,
03:52
and notice that instead of the 500-foot line adjusting up to 750 feet,
03:57
the 750-foot line adjusts down to 500 feet where the two lines cross.
04:03
Feature lines are essential components of site design.
04:06
Understanding how feature lines are created and how they interact will result in a smoother workflow in your Civil 3D designs.
Video transcript
00:03
Feature lines are 3D objects that are fundamental to surface design and grading for site projects.
00:10
Use them to create grading footprints, surface breaklines, and corridor baselines.
00:16
Feature lines are like polylines but with enhanced operations.
00:20
There are multiple ways to create feature lines.
00:24
With Civil 3D open, in the ribbon, Home tab, Create Design panel, expand the Feature Line drop-down to access these options.
00:35
Select Create Feature Line to draw straight and curved feature lines directly in the drawing.
00:41
You can also choose to Create Feature Lines from Objects, from an alignment, from a corridor, or from a stepped offset.
00:49
When you select a feature line in your drawing, the Feature Line contextual ribbon displays.
00:55
With these tools, you can Modify feature lines, Edit Geometry, Edit Elevations, Analyze and more.
01:04
Feature lines can interact with one another.
01:07
You can choose to keep them in the same site to enable interaction, or in different sites to prevent interaction.
01:15
In the Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, select <None> for site-less feature lines,
01:21
or expand Sites to store feature lines on different sites—for example,
01:26
when you want to show existing feature lines on one site and proposed feature lines on another.
01:32
When two feature lines overlap in the same site, you can easily view their interaction.
01:38
In this case, two feature lines are created on the FL1 site.
01:43
The Basic style, feature line is set to an elevation of 500 feet, and the other is set to 750 feet.
01:51
To view the interaction in a 3D viewer, select both lines, then right-click one of the lines and select Object Viewer.
01:59
In the Object Viewer, expand the View drop-down and select SE Isometric.
02:05
Notice that where the two feature lines cross, the elevation of the 500-foot line adjusts to 750 feet.
02:13
To view what happens when feature lines are saved to different sites, right-click one of the feature lines and select Move to Site.
02:22
In the Move to Site dialog, select Create New.
02:26
In the Site Properties dialog, in the Name field, type “FL2”.
02:32
Click OK twice.
02:34
Now, this feature line is stored on Site FL2.
02:38
Open the SE Isometric View again to see that the two feature lines no longer interact.
02:46
To understand how feature line interactions are prioritized, first, move the feature line back to the FL1 site.
02:55
Next, right-click the 750-foot feature line, and select Feature Line Properties.
03:02
In the Feature Line Properties dialog box, expand the Style drop-down and select Ditch, then click OK.
03:10
Now, the lines are two different styles, the priority of which is determined by a hierarchy.
03:16
To view the feature line hierarchy, in the Prospector, under Sites, expand the site you are working in—here, it is FL1.
03:26
Then, right-click Feature Lines and select Properties.
03:30
The Feature Line Site Properties dialog box opens to the Options tab.
03:36
You can select a line type and use the arrows to move it up or down in the list.
03:41
In this case, select Standard, and then click the Up arrow to move it above Ditch.
03:47
Click OK.
03:48
Now, switch to the SE Isometric view,
03:52
and notice that instead of the 500-foot line adjusting up to 750 feet,
03:57
the 750-foot line adjusts down to 500 feet where the two lines cross.
04:03
Feature lines are essential components of site design.
04:06
Understanding how feature lines are created and how they interact will result in a smoother workflow in your Civil 3D designs.
Industry:
Civil / Site development contractors, Site Development (General civil engineering), Secondary education, Vocational education, Colleges and universities
Role:
Civil engineer (Geotechnical), Civil engineer (Land and site design), Civil engineer (Roads and highways), Civil engineer (Tunnels and bridges), Student (18 plus), Teacher/faculty
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