Chapter 3

Points

In the previous chapter, “Survey,” you looked at a specific method for bringing in points and figures. In this chapter, you will take a closer look at creating and organizing points.

The foundation of any civil engineering project is the simple point, frequently referred to as a shot. Most commonly, points are used to identify the location of existing features, such as trees and property corners; topography, such as ground shots; or stakeout information, such as road geometry points. However, points can be used for much more. This chapter will both focus on traditional point uses and introduce ideas to apply the dynamic power of point editing, labeling, and grouping to other applications.

In this chapter, you will learn to:

• Import points from a text file using description key matching
• Create a point group
• Export points to LandXML and ASCII format
• Create a point table

Anatomy of a Point

AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^® points (see Figure 3.1) are intelligent objects that represent x, y, and z locations in space. Each point has a unique number and, optionally, a unique name that can be used for additional identification and labeling.

Figure 3.1 A typical point object showing a marker, a point number, an elevation, and a description

COGO Points vs. Survey Points

In Chapter 2, you imported survey data that contained points. Points brought in through the methods described in Chapter 2 are referred to as survey points. In this chapter, you will import points from a delimited text file and place them in CAD using the point creation tools. Points created in this manner are referred to as COGO points. Figure 3.2 shows the context tab differences between points brought in as COGO points (top) and points brought in through a database (bottom).

Figure 3.2 The context-sensitive Ribbon reflects similarities and differences between COGO points (top) and survey points (bottom).

The differences between COGO points and survey points are subtle but important to note. A COGO point is unlocked by default — meaning it can readily be edited. A survey point, on the other hand, must be unlocked if a user wishes to edit the point. A survey point stays tied to the database from which it came, whereas a COGO point maintains no tie to the originating text file or object it was created against. Regardless of their origin, both COGO points and survey points obey the principles outlined in this chapter.

Creating Basic Points

You can create points many ways, using the Points menu in the Create Ground Data panel on the Home tab. Points can also be imported from text files or external databases or converted from AutoCAD, Land Desktop, or SoftDesk point objects.

Point Settings

Point settings are our first glimpse at what is known as command settings. All Civil 3D objects have command settings tucked away in the Settings tab of Toolspace. In the case of points, it is handy to have these settings readily available for on-the-fly modifications. Whether or not the changes you make on the fly are remembered the next time you create points depends on your template settings.

To make sure that the settings you change will hold every time, you create points:

1. On the Settings tab of Toolspace, locate the Point group and click the plus sign to expand the branch.

2. Click the plus sign to expand Commands.

3. As shown in Figure 3.3, right-click the command CreatePoints and select Edit Command Settings.

Figure 3.3 In your Civil 3D template, make sure Save Command Changes To Settings is set to Yes for Points.

4. Expand the General section and verify that Save Command Changes To Settings is set to Yes.

If you explore the command settings further, you will see the options for Default Layer and Points Creation. By setting this to Yes, you are ensuring that changes you make at the tool level will also be reflected at the command level.

To access the Create Points toolbar:

Default Layer

For most Civil 3D objects, the object layer is established in the drawing settings. In the case of points, the default object layer is set in the command settings for point creation and can be changed in the Create Points dialog (see Figure 3.4).

Figure 3.4 Verify the point object layer before creating points.

Prompt for Elevations, Names, and Descriptions

When creating points in your drawing, you have the option of being prompted for elevations, names, and descriptions (see Figure 3.5). Initially, the Default description is blank. In many cases, you'll want to leave these options set to Manual. The command line will ask you to assign an elevation and description for every point you create. It is best to avoid using the Point Name option, as described later in this section.

Figure 3.5 You can change the elevation, point name, and description settings from Manual to Automatic. You can also use the None option to omit this information.

If you're creating a batch of points that have the same description or elevation, you can change the Prompt toggle from Manual to Automatic and then provide the description and elevation in the default cells. For example, if you're setting a series of trees at an elevation of 10′, you can establish settings as shown in Figure 3.6.

Figure 3.6 Default settings for placing tree points at an elevation of 10'

Note that these settings only apply to points created from this toolbar. The settings do not affect the elevation or description of points imported from a file.

Importing Points from a Text File

One of the most common means of creating points in your drawing is to import an external text file (see Figure 3.7).

Figure 3.7 The Import Points and the Point File Formats dialogs

To add a file to your Import Points dialog, click the plus sign to browse. You can add multiple files at once if they are in the same point format — such as PNEZD (Comma Delimited). The import process supports most text formats as well as Microsoft Access database (MDB) files. Later in this chapter you will experience adding your own text format.

When your file is listed in the top of the dialog box, a green check mark will indicate that Civil 3D can parse the information. Be careful, though, because Civil 3D does not know the difference between a Northing and an Easting or a point number and an elevation. You still need to select the correct file format.

The file format filter is there to help you. Civil 3D recognizes how the file is delimited (i.e., tab, comma, space) and only shows you the formats that apply. If you don't want the help, you can turn the filtering off by clicking the Filter icon.

If the file format you need is not available, or you wish to use the adjustment and transformation capabilities, you can do so by clicking the Manage Formats button.

You can make an elevation adjustment if the point file contains additional columns for thickness, Z+, or Z-. You can add these columns as part of a custom format. See the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 User's Guide section “Using Point File Format Properties to Perform Calculations” for more details.

You can perform a coordinate system transformation if a coordinate system has been assigned both to your drawing (under the drawing settings) and as part of a custom point format. In this case, the program can also do a coordinate data expansion, which calculates the latitude and longitude for each point.

A common use of the formats is to create a point file format for importing a name-based point file. In the following example, you will create a new file format to accommodate names (instead of point numbers):

1. In any drawing, select the Settings tab of Toolspace and choose Point ⇒ Point File Formats.

You can also access this functionality on the fly from the Import Points dialog.

2. Right-click Point File Formats and select New.

3. Select User Point File and click OK.

4. Name the format Name-NEZD.

5. Toggle on the Delimited By option and place a comma in the field.

6. Click the first <unused> column heading, select Name from the Column Name pull-down, and click OK.

7. Click the next <unused> column and select Northing from the Column Name pull-down.

8. Leave the Invalid Indicator and Precision fields at their defaults and click OK.

9. Repeat the process for Easting, Point Elevation, and Raw Description.

10. To test the format, click Load, select the file Test Format.txt (which you can download from this book's web page at www.sybex.com/go/masteringcivil3d2013), and click Open.

11. Click Parse.

If the format has been created successfully, you will see the file preview, as shown in Figure 3.8.

Figure 3.8 A completed and tested new point file format

12. Click OK to complete the format.

The new file format will remain in case you need it. To compare your work with a completed example, see Format Example_FINISHED.dwg at the book's web page.

Importing a Text File of Points

In this exercise, you'll learn how to import a TXT file of points into Civil 3D:

You may have to use Zoom Extents to see the imported points. (Hint: Double-click your middle mouse wheel for zooming extents.)

LandXML and Points: A Match Made in Heaven

LandXML is a file format specifically made to share the type of data Civil 3D and its counterparts create. For points, it works particularly well, since it will also carry point group information. Import LandXML files from the Import panel on the Insert tab. You'll learn much more about LandXML in Chapter 18, “Advanced Workflows.”

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Converting Points from Non–Civil 3D Sources

Civil 3D contains several tools for migrating legacy point objects to the current version. The best results are often obtained from an external point list, such as a text file, LandXML, or an external database. However, if you come across a drawing that contains the original Land Desktop, SoftDesk, AutoCAD, or other types of point objects, tools, and techniques are available to convert those objects into Civil 3D points.

A Land Desktop point database (the Points.mdb file found in the COGO folder in a Land Desktop project) can be directly imported into Civil 3D in the same interface in which you'd import a text file.

Land Desktop point objects, which appear as AECC_POINTs in the AutoCAD Properties palette, can also be converted to Civil 3D points (see Figure 3.9). Upon conversion, this tool gives you the opportunity to assign styles, create a point group, and more.

Figure 3.9 The Convert Land Desktop Points option (left) opens the Convert Autodesk Land Desktop Points dialog.

Occasionally, you'll receive AutoCAD point objects drawn at elevation from aerial topography information or other sources. It's also not uncommon to receive SoftDesk point blocks from other surveyors. Both of these can be converted to or replaced by Civil 3D points by going to the Home tab ⇒ Create Ground Data panel ⇒ Points and picking one of the many point conversion options there (see Figure 3.9).

Using AutoCAD Attribute Extraction to Convert Outside Program Point Blocks

Occasionally, you may receive a drawing that contains point blocks from a third-party program such as Eagle Point or Carlson. These point blocks may look similar to SoftDesk point blocks, but the block attributes may have been rearranged and you can't convert them directly to Civil 3D points using Civil 3D tools.

Whenever possible, your best course of action would be to request the source survey in text format or LandXML. If that is not possible, the exercise that follows will pull the data you need without losing the information from the attributes.

1. Open the file Mystery Plat.dwg (Mystery Plat_METRIC.dwg).

2. Examine the blocks you are given to determine the names of the blocks with which you are working.

A glance at AutoCAD properties will give you an idea of your block name and what attributes you are extracting. In this example, you are seeing Carlson survey blocks, which use SRVPNO1 as an anchor for their attributes.

3. Use the Data Extraction tool by typing EATTEXT in the command line to launch the Data Extraction Wizard.

4. Select the radio button to create a new data extraction and click Next.

The Save Data Extraction As dialog appears, prompting you to name and save this extraction.

5. Give the extraction a meaningful name, and save it in the appropriate folder. Click Next.

6. Confirm that the drawings to be scanned for attributed blocks are on the list and click Next.

7. In the Select Objects screen of the Data Extraction Wizard, uncheck Display All Object Types. Check Display Blocks With Attributes Only and Display Objects Currently In-Use Only.

Doing so will filter out most unneeded blocks.

8. Eliminate the other types of attributed blocks by deselecting their boxes until only SRVPNO1 is selected. Click Next.

9. On the next screen, uncheck all category filters except Attribute and Geometry and then select these properties:

• Point number (PT#)
• Elevation (ELEV2)
• Description (DESC2)
• Position X
• Position Y

In this case, you are relying on the attribute ELEV2 instead of Position Z; you do not need both.

10. Click Next. Click OK when alerted that there were nonuniformly scaled blocks found.

11. On the Refine Data screen, rearrange the columns into a PNEZD format by clicking and dragging the column headers into place. Uncheck Show Count Column and Show Name Column. Click Next.

12. On the Choose Output screen, set Output Data to External File, and save your extraction as a CSV file in a logical place.

13. Click Next, and then click Finish.

14. From your Windows Start menu, launch Notepad (or Wordpad).

15. Choose File ⇒ Open and locate the new CSV file in Windows.

16. Remove the first line of text (the header information). Save and close the file.

17. In a drawing that contains your Civil 3D styles, use the Import Points tool in the Create Points dialog to import the CSV file.

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Converting Points

In this exercise, you'll convert Land Desktop point objects and AutoCAD point entities into Civil 3D points:

1. Open the Convert LDT Points.dwg (Convert LDT Points_METRIC.dwg) file, which you can download from this book's web page.

2. Use the List command or the AutoCAD Properties palette to confirm that most of the objects in this drawing are AECC_POINTs, which are points from Land Desktop.

Also, note a cluster of cyan-colored AutoCAD point objects in the western portion of the site.

3. On the Home tab ⇒ Create Ground Data panel ⇒ Points menu, select Convert Land Desktop Points.

Note that the Convert Autodesk Land Desktop Points dialog allows you to choose a default layer, point creation settings, and styles.

4. Place a check mark next to Add Points To Point Group.

5. Click the Create A New Point Group button.

6. Name the group Converted from LDT and click OK.

7. Clear the Preserve Original Point Layers check box.

This option will move the resulting points to the layer specified in the description key set if there is a match. If there is no match, the point will go to the default layer.

8. Click OK to complete the conversion process.

Civil 3D scans the drawing looking for Land Desktop point objects.

9. Once Civil 3D has finished the conversion, zoom in on any of the former Land Desktop points.

The points should now show as COGO points in the AutoCAD Properties palette, confirming that the conversion has taken place. The Land Desktop points have been replaced with Civil 3D points, and the original Land Desktop points are no longer in the drawing.

10. In Prospector, expand the Point Groups category.

Notice there is a yellow exclamation shield symbol indicating that the Converted From LDT point group needs to be updated.

11. Right-click on Point Groups and select Update.

12. Zoom in on the cyan AutoCAD point objects.

13. On the Home tab ⇒ Create Ground Data panel ⇒ Points menu, select Convert AutoCAD Points.

The command line reads Select AutoCAD Points.

14. Use a crossing window to select all the cyan-colored AutoCAD points, and then press .

15. At the command-line prompt, enter a description of GS (for Ground Shot) and press for each point. Hint: Use the up arrow on your keyboard to recall the last typed entry and avoid unnecessary typing.

16. Zoom in on one of the converted points, and confirm that it has been converted to a Civil 3D point.

Also, note that the original AutoCAD points have been erased from the drawing.

A Closer Look at the Create Points Toolbar

In Civil 3D 2013, you can find point-creation tools directly under the Points drop-down on the Create Ground Data panel of the Home tab, as well as in the Create Points toolbar. The toolbar is modeless, which means it stays on your screen even when you switch between tasks. Figure 3.10 shows the toolbar with the point-creation methods labeled.

Figure 3.10 The Create Points toolbar

As you place points using these tools, a few general rules apply to all of them. If you place a point on an object with elevation, the point will automatically inherit the elevation of the object. If you use the surface options, the point will automatically inherit the elevation of the surface you choose.

Miscellaneous Point-Creation Options

The options in the Miscellaneous category are based on manually selecting a location or on an AutoCAD entity, such as a line, pline, and so on. Some common examples include placing points at intervals along a line or polyline, as well as converting SoftDesk points or AutoCAD points (see Figure 3.11).

Figure 3.11 Miscellaneous point-creation options

Intersection Point-Creation Options

The options in the Intersection category allow you to place points at a certain location without having to draw construction linework. For example, if you needed a point at the intersection of two bearings, you could draw two construction lines using the Bearing Distance transparent command, manually place a point where they intersect, and then erase the construction lines. Alternatively, you could use the Direction/Direction tool in the Intersection category (see Figure 3.12).

Figure 3.12 Intersection point-creation options

Alignment Point-Creation Options

The options in the Alignment category are designed for creating stakeout points based on a road centerline or other alignments. You can also set Profile Geometry points along the alignment using a tool from this menu. See Figure 3.13.

Figure 3.13 Alignment point-creation options

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Automatic - Object: Unmasking the Mystery

The description option in the point settings, Automatic - Object, can only be used when placing points along an alignment. For example, when placing points using the At Geometry Points option, the point will inherit the alignment's name, the station value of the point, and the type of geometry as its description.

For all other point placement options, Automatic - Object will behave exactly the same as Automatic.

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Surface Point-Creation Options

The options in the Surface category let you set points that harvest their elevation data from a surface. Note that these are points, not labels, and therefore aren't dynamic to the surface. You can set points manually, along a contour or a polyline, or in a grid. See Figure 3.14.

Figure 3.14 Surface point-creation options

Interpolation Point-Creation Options

The Interpolation category lets you fill in missing information from survey data or establish intermediate points for your design tasks. For example, suppose your survey crew picked up centerline road shots every 100′ (30 m), and you'd like to interpolate intermediate points every 25′ (8 m). Instead of doing a manual slope calculation, you could use the Incremental Distance tool to create additional points (see Figure 3.15).

Figure 3.15 The Interpolation point-creation options

Another use would be to set intermediate points along a pipe stakeout. You could set a point for the starting and ending invert, and then set intermediate points along the pipe to assist the field crew.

Slope Point-Creation Options

The Slope category allows you to set points between two known elevations by setting a slope or grade. Similar to the options in the Interpolation and Intersection categories, these tools save you time by eliminating construction geometry and hand calculations (see Figure 3.16).

Figure 3.16 Slope point-creation options

Creating Points

In this exercise, you'll learn how to create points along a parcel segment and along a surface contour:

1. Open Mastering Point Creation.dwg (Mastering Point Creation_METRIC.dwg), which you can download from this book's web page.

Note the drawing includes an alignment, a series of parcels, and an existing ground surface.

2. On the Home tab ⇒ Create Ground Data panel ⇒ Points menu, click Point Creation Tools.

3. Click the chevron icon on the right to expand the dialog.

4. Expand the Points Creation category.

5. Change the Prompt For Elevations value to None and the Prompt For Descriptions value to Automatic by clicking in the respective cell in the value column, clicking the down arrow, and selecting the appropriate option.

6. Enter LOT for Default Description (see Figure 3.17).

Figure 3.17 Point-creation settings in the Create Points dialog

This will save you from having to enter a description and elevation each time. Because you're setting stakeout points for rear lot corners, you will disregard elevation for now.

7. Select the Automatic tool from the Miscellaneous flyout (the first button flyout on the top left of the Create Points toolbar).

8. Select all five of the blue property lines in the drawing. Press .

9. Press Esc to exit the command.

A point is placed at each property corner and at the endpoints of each curve.

10. Select the Measure Object tool from the Miscellaneous flyout.

11. Click anywhere on the parcel boundary for Property 10.

After selecting the parcel boundary for Property 10, this tool prompts you for starting and ending stations.

12. Press twice to accept the default stationing and offset (press to accept 0).

13. At the Interval prompt, enter 25 if you are working in feet and 10 if you are working in metric.

14. Press Esc to exit the command.

A point is placed at 25′ (10 m) intervals along the property boundary.

Next you'll experiment with the Direction/Direction option from the Intersection Point flyout. Be sure your Endpoint Osnap is on for the next steps.

15. Click the Direction/Direction icon and click the southeast endpoint of the “floating” parcel line.

16. Click the opposite endpoint to establish the direction of the line.

The yellow arrow that appears indicates the direction.

17. Press to specify a zero offset.

18. Click the southeast corner of Property 6 and then the southwest corner of Property 6.

19. Press to specify a zero offset.

A point is generated where the two lines would intersect if they were to be extended. Press Esc to exit the command.

20. In the point creation settings, change Prompt For Descriptions to Automatic - Object.

21. From the Alignments flyout, choose At Geometry Points.

22. Select the green centerline alignment.

You are now prompted for a profile.

23. Select Layout (1) from the drop-down and click OK.

24. Press twice to confirm the starting and ending station values along which you will place points.

25. Press Esc to exit the command.

You should now see points whose names are based on alignment information.

26. Return to the Point Settings category and change Prompt For Elevations to Manual and Default Description to EG.

The next round of points you'll set will be based on the existing ground elevation.

27. Select the Along Polyline/Contour tool in the Surface flyout to create points every 25′ (10 m) along the driveway near HOUSE2.

28. Experiment with the plethora of point placement tools available to you!

Double Troubles

Civil 3D does not allow two points to share the same point number. If a duplicate point is detected, Civil 3D will warn you and ask you how you would like to handle it.

You have the choice of several options:

Add An Offset

This option will allow you to add a value to all incoming points. Specifying an offset of 1000 would turn 1, 2, and 5 into 1001, 1002, and 1005.

Merge

If the existing point has a description but no elevation, and the incoming point has an elevation and no description, Civil 3D will fill in the gaps with the incoming information. If there is no missing data and the coordinates are identical, the incoming point is ignored. Be careful using merge; it will behave similar to the Overwrite option if the coordinates don't match.

Overwrite

This option deletes the existing point and replaces it with the incoming point.

Sequence From

This option will restart the numbering at a higher value. Unlike adding an offset, the original point number is ignored. Setting a sequence from 1000 would turn 1, 2, and 5 into 1001, 1002, and 1003.

Use Next Point Number

The default option, Use Next Point Number, finds the next available point number and imports the point.

Point numbers are assigned using the Point Identity settings in the Create Points dialog or the point file from which they originated. To list available point numbers, enter ListAvailablePointNumbers on the command line, or select any point to open the COGO Point contextual tab and choose COGO Point Tools ⇒ List Available Point Numbers.

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Basic Point Editing

Despite your best efforts, points will often be placed in the wrong location or need additional editing after their initial creation. Points may need to be rotated as a group to match a different horizontal datum. Points may need to be raised or lowered to match a different benchmark.

Physical Point Edits

Points can be moved, copied, rotated, deleted, and more using standard AutoCAD commands and grip edits. When you pause your cursor over a grip, a special grip menu will appear with different options. Figure 3.18 (left) shows the grip menu options for the label. Figure 3.18 (right) shows the options available directly on the point. Using the options shown here, you can move the point and rotate it independently of the text and rotate the text label independently of the marker.

Figure 3.18 The top grip allows label modifications (left); the center grip allows marker modifications (right).

Panorama and Prospector Point Edits

You can access many point properties through the Point Editor in Panorama:

Figure 3.19 Edit points in Panorama

You can access a similar interface in the Prospector tab of Toolspace by following these steps:

1. Highlight the Points collection (see Figure 3.20).

Figure 3.20 Prospector lets you view your entire Points collection at once.

2. In either location, right-click the point or points you wish to examine and select Zoom To.

3. Click the column heading to re-sort the points.

4. For example, if you'd like to list your points alphabetically by description, click the Description column heading.

Point Groups: Don't Skip This Section!

Working with point groups is one of the most powerful techniques you will learn from this chapter. Want to turn all your points off without touching layers? Make a point group! Want to move last week's survey up by the blown instrument height difference? Make a point group! Want to show all your Topo shots as dots rather than Xs? Want to prevent invert shots from throwing off your surface model? Point group! Point group!

A point group is a collection of points that has been filtered for a certain criterion. You can use any point property or combination of properties such as description, elevation, and point number, or you can select specific points in the drawing.

Civil 3D creates the _All Points group for you, which contains every point in the drawing. It cannot be renamed or deleted, or have its properties modified to exclude any points. Create point groups for collections of points you might wish to separate from others, as shown in Figure 3.21.

Figure 3.21 An example of useful point groups in Prospector

Point groups can (and should!) be created upon import of a text file, as shown previously in Figure 3.7. That way, if a problem comes to light about that group of points (such as incorrect instrument height) they can be isolated and dealt with apart from other points. Create a new point group by right-clicking on the main point group category and selecting New.

In this exercise, you'll learn how to use point groups to separate points into usable categories:

1. Open the drawing Mastering Point Groups.dwg (Mastering Point Groups_METRIC.dwg), which you can download from this book's web page.

2. In Prospector, right-click Point Groups and select New.

3. On the Information tab, name the point group Vegetation.

4. Set Point Style to Tree.

5. Set Point Label Style to Description Only.

6. Switch to the Include tab and place a check mark next to With Raw Descriptions Matching.

7. In the Raw Descriptions Matching field, type TREE*, SHRUB*, TL*.

The asterisk acts as a wildcard to include points that may have additional information after the description. You are adding multiple descriptions by separating them with a comma, as shown in Figure 3.22.

Figure 3.22 The Include tab of the Vegetation point group properties

8. Switch to the Overrides tab.

9. Place a check mark next to Style and Point Label Style, as shown in Figure 3.23.

Figure 3.23 Overrides forces the styles to conform by point group rather than description key.

Doing so ensures that the point group will control the styles instead of the description keys.

10. Switch to the Point List tab and examine the points that have been picked up by the group.

Only points beginning with SHRUB, TREE, and TL should appear in the list.

11. Click OK.

12. Again, right-click on Point Groups and select New.

13. On the Information tab, name the group NO DISPLAY, as shown in Figure 3.24.

Figure 3.24 Most drawings should contain a NO DISPLAY point group with styles set to <none>.

14. Set both Point Style and Point Label Style to <none>.

15. Switch to the Include tab, and at the bottom of the dialog, put a check mark next to Include All Points.

16. Switch to the Overrides tab and place a check mark next to Style and Point Label Style.

17. Click OK.

All the points are hidden from view as a result of the point group.

18. Create another point group called Topo.

19. Set Point Style to Basic X (BLACK) and Point Label Style to Elevation And Description.

20. Switch to the Exclude tab and place a check mark next to With Elevations Matching.

21. Type <1 in the accompanying field.

22. Place a check mark next to With Raw Descriptions Matching.

23. Type INV*, HYD* in the accompanying field, as shown in Figure 3.25, and click OK. You may need to use the AutoCAD REGEN command to refresh the graphic and show your points again.

Figure 3.25 Use Exclude to create a Topo point group.

Best Practice: Control Point Display Using Point Groups Rather than Layers

Civil 3D drawings will have many layers in them. It is much easier to switch the display of the point groups rather than create layer states for each point visibility scenario.

A point can belong to more than one group at once. For instance, a water valve cover with elevation may be in a Topo group, a Utilities group, and the _All Points group. In these cases, the order in which the point group is displayed in Prospector determines which point group a point is “listening to” for its properties.

In this exercise, we will walk you through an example of how point group display order works:

1. Open the drawing Mastering Point Display.dwg (Mastering Point Display_METRIC.dwg), which you can download from this book's web page.

2. In Prospector, right-click Point Groups and select Properties (see Figure 3.26).

Figure 3.26 Select Point Groups ⇒ Properties to change point group display precedence.

3. Using the arrows on the far right of the Point Groups listing, move Vegetation to the top of the list.

4. Move NO DISPLAY so that it is listed directly below Vegetation, as shown in Figure 3.27.

Figure 3.27 The order in which the point groups appear in this list controls precedence.

5. Click OK.

6. Notice that only the Vegetation group is visible.

7. Experiment with changing the order of the point groups using the properties.

Changing Point Elevations

Points placed on or along an object that has elevation will automatically inherit the object's elevation. Points placed with tools in the Surface flyout will automatically inherit the elevation of a surface model. If you have chosen to place points with manual elevation entry and press when prompted to specify an elevation, the elevation will be null (no elevation).

You are never stuck with a COGO point's elevation. They can be changed individually or as a group using the Panorama window. Additional tools are available for manipulating points (see Figure 3.28), in the COGO Point contextual tab that opens when you select a point object.

Figure 3.28 Point-editing commands in the Ribbon

Elevations From Surface is an extremely handy tool for forcing points to a surface elevation (see Figure 3.29).

Figure 3.29 Shrub points as placed (a); shrub points moved up to surface elevation (b)

When you change the datum, you are most likely going to move a group of points' elevations. Right-click on the name of the point group in Prospector and select Edit Points. Panorama will appear for your point-editing delight.

Use Windows keyboard tricks to control which points are selected for modification. Pressing Ctrl+A will select all points in the Panorama listing, as shown in Figure 3.30. When you are done selecting points, right-click and choose Datum. The command line will prompt you to specify the change in elevation you require.

Figure 3.30 Right-click to access point modification tools from Panorama.

An interesting fact to note about description keys is that they take over styles and layers set elsewhere. For example, if your point placement options have a layer set but you place a point that matches a description key with a layer set to something different, the description key set “wins.” In the point group creation examples, you set the Overrides tab to have Style and Point Label Style selected (Figure 3.22). Those settings wrestle control of the styles away from the description key and into the hands of the point group.

Point Tables

You've seen some of the power of dynamic point editing; now let's look at how those dynamic edits can be used to your advantage in point tables.

Most commonly, you may need to create a point table for survey or stakeout data; it could be as simple as a list of point numbers, northing, easting, and elevation. These types of tables are easy to create using the standard point-table styles and the tools located in the Points menu under the Add Tables option.

1. Open the Point Table.dwg (Point Table_METRIC.dwg) file, which you can download from this book's web page.

This file will appear empty, but it isn't. First, you will review reordering point group properties to change the display of points. You don't need to see points to make a point table from a group, but this will help you see that the table reflects the specific group.

2. In Prospector, expand Point Groups.

You will see that NO DISPLAY is listed on the top, which means the styles set in its properties are taking over the other point groups.

3. Right-click on Point Groups and select Properties.

4. In the listing, move the group Trees To Be Removed to the top by using the arrows on the right. Click OK.

5. Use Zoom Extents to see the cluster of trees you are working with.

6. On the Ribbon, switch to the Annotate tab, and click Add Tables ⇒ Add Point Table.

7. Verify that Table Style is set to Tree Removal, and click the Point Group icon.

8. Select Trees To Be Removed, and click OK.

9. Verify that the check box next to Split Table is clear. When all your settings match those in Figure 3.31, click OK.

Figure 3.31 Point Table Creation options

10. Click anywhere in the graphic to place the table.

User-Defined Properties

Standard point properties include items such as number, easting, northing, elevation, name, description, and the other entries you see when examining points in Prospector or Panorama. But what if you'd like a point to know more about itself?

It's common to receive points from a soil scientist that list additional information, such as groundwater elevation or infiltration rate. Surveyed manhole points often include invert elevations or flow data. Tree points may also contain information about species or caliber measurements. All this additional information can be added as user-defined properties to your point objects. You can then use user-defined properties in point labeling, analysis, point tables, and more.

How Can Civil 3D Work with Soil Boring Data?

In the following example you will add user-defined properties to some soil boring points and leverage point groups to work with the data. The skills you learn in this example can be applied to multiple soil boring values for the purposes of creating subsurface data.

1. Open the file Soil Borings.dwg (Soil Borings_METRIC.dwg).

This file contains an existing ground surface along with several point groups, including one containing soil boring points.

2. Take a moment to examine the soil boring points and the current elevation listing.

3. From the Settings tab of Toolspace ⇒ Point collection, right-click on User-Defined Property Classifications and select New.

4. Name the new classification Soil Borings and click OK.

5. Expand the User-Defined Property Classifications category (if it is not already), and right-click on Soil Borings. Select New.

6. Name the new property Watertable Elevation.

7. Set Property Field Type to Elevation, deselect Default Value, and then click OK.

8. Jump back to the Prospector tab, and highlight the main Point Groups listing.

At the very bottom of Toolspace you will see a listing of all the point groups, as seen here:

9. Set the classification as shown in the graphic.

10. Right-click the Soil Borings point group and select Edit Points.

11. Scroll over in Panorama until you locate the new classification column.

This is the information you added in the previous three steps.

12. Add the Watertable Elevation entries in Panorama, as shown here. Dismiss Panorama when you're done.

13. Right-click on the Soil Borings group and select Properties. Switch to the Overrides tab, as shown here:

14. Place a check mark next to Point Elevation on the Overrides tab.

15. Click the tiny pencil icon twice, or until it turns into the user-defined property icon. Initially the value will be <none>.

16. Click the field next to the icon to set the value to Watertable Elevation.

17. Click OK to dismiss the Point Group Properties dialog.

Notice that the elevation labels for the five points are listed as the watertable elevations.

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The Bottom Line

Import points from a text file using description key matching.

Most engineering offices receive text files containing point data at some time during a project. Description keys provide a way to automatically assign the appropriate styles, layers, and labels to newly imported points.

Master It

Create a new drawing from _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS.dwt (or _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Metric) NCS.dwt). Revise the Civil 3D description key set to contain only the parameters listed here:

Import the PNEZD (space delimited) file Concord.txt (Concord_METRIC.txt). Confirm that the description keys made the appropriate matches by looking at a handful of points of each type. Do the trees look like trees? Do the hydrants look like hydrants?

Save the resulting file.

Create a point group.

Building a surface using a point group is a common task. Among other criteria, you may want to filter out any points with zero or negative elevations from your Topo point group.

Master It

Create a new point group called Topo that includes all points except those with elevations of zero or less. Use the DWG created in the previous Master It or start with Master_It.dwg (Master_It_METRIC.dwg).

Export points to LandXML and ASCII format.

It's often necessary to export a LandXML or ASCII file of points for stakeout or data-sharing purposes. Unless you want to export every point from your drawing, it's best to create a point group that isolates the desired point collection.

Master It

Create a new point group that includes all the points with a raw description of TOP. Export this point group via LandXML to a PNEZD comma-delimited text file.

Use the DWG created in the previous Master It or start with Master_It.dwg (Master_It_METRIC.dwg).

Create a point table.

Point tables provide an opportunity to list and study point properties. In addition to basic point tables that list number, elevation, description, and similar options, you can customize point table formats to include user-defined property fields.

Master It

Continue working in Master_It.dwg (Master_It_METRIC.dwg). Create a point table for the Topo point group using the PNEZD format table style.