Create an alignment from a polyline. Creating alignments based on polylines is a traditional method of building engineering models. With Civil 3D’s built-in tools for conversion, correction, and alignment reversal, it’s easy to use the linework prepared by others to start your design model. These alignments lack the intelligence of crafted alignments, however, and you should use them sparingly.
Master It Open the MasteringAlignments-Objects.dwg file, and create alignments from the linework found there.
Create a reverse curve that never loses tangency. Using the alignment layout tools, you can build intelligence into the objects you design. One of the most common errors introduced to engineering designs is curves and lines that aren’t tangent, requiring expensive revisions and resubmittals. The free, floating, and fixed components can make smart alignments in a large number of combinations available to solve almost any design problem.
Master It Open the MasteringAlignments-Reverse.dwg file, and create an alignment from the linework on the right. Create a reverse curve with both radii equal to 200 and with a pass-through point at the intersection of the two arcs.
Replace a component of an alignment with another component type. One of the goals in using a dynamic modeling solution is to find better solutions, not just a solution. In the layout of alignments, this can mean changing components out along the design path, or changing the way they’re defined. Civil 3D’s ability to modify alignments’ geometric construction without destroying the object or forcing a new definition lets you experiment without destroying the data already based on an alignment.
Master It Convert the reverse curve indicated in the MasteringAlignments-Rcurve.dwg file to a floating arc that is constrained by the following segment. Then change the radius of the curves to 150′.
Create alignment tables. Sometimes there is just too much information that is displayed on a drawing, and to make it clearer, tables are used to show bearings and distances for lines, curves, and segments. With their dynamic nature, these tables are kept up-to-date with any changes.
Master It From the Mastering Alignments-Table.dwg, make a line table, curve table, and segment table. Use whichever style you want to accomplish this.