Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D 2004 - Manual (Ingles)

Autodesk Civil 3D 2004
Getting Started
21604-010000-5000A October 2003

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Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CD Browser and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Installing on a Single Computer . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Installing on a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Highlights of Autodesk Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Object-Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Easy-to-Use Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Standard Controls for Styles and Labels . . . . . . . . . .5
User Interface Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Toolspace for Object Management . . . . . . . . . . .8
Menu Standardization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Layout Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Consistent Editing Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Migrating Data From Autodesk Land Desktop . . . . . . . . 17
Sample Data Provided with the Program . . . . . . . . . . 18
Tutorial Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Getting Started Guide Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . 18
Sample Content Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How To Learn Autodesk Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Getting Started Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Online Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chapter 2 General Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Object Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Styles 1: Object Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Styles 2: Label and Table Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Display Management 1: Using Styles . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Display Management 2: Styles and Layers . . . . . . . . . . 38
i
Chapter 3 Feature-Specific Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Points: LiveView Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Surfaces: LiveView Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Grading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Parcels: LiveView Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Alignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Alignments: LiveView Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Profiles: LiveView Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Sections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Sections: LiveView Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
ii | Contents
1
Introduction
Welcome to Autodesk Civil 3D 2004! Autodesk Civil 3D In this chapter

is an easy-to-use design and drafting program that CD Browser and installation
Highlights of Autodesk Civil
supports a wide range of civil engineering tasks. The 3D
User interface overview
Autodesk Civil 3D Getting Started Guide introduces you to
Migrating data from
the program and provides some initial hands-on Autodesk Land Desktop
Sample data provided with
experience, using the sample data included on the the program
How to use the
product CD. This first chapter contains brief descriptions
documentation set
of the most significant features and provides a quick tour
of the user interface.
1
CD Browser and Installation
You install Autodesk Civil 3D from the CD Browser that opens automatically
when you insert the product CD. The CD Browser (see the illustration below)
gives you access to several pages of links, from which you can open online
versions of the documentation, find information about technical support,
and access other useful extras.
Installing on a Single Computer

If you want to install Autodesk Civil 3D on a single computer, simply click
the Install link on the first page of the CD browser. Then follow the instruc-
tions on screen. If you have installed AutoCAD before, or any Windows
software, you will find the installation process familiar.
Click here to
start the
installation
process.
CD Browser showing installation page
Installing on a Network
If you need more extensive information about deploying Autodesk Civil 3D
on a network, consult the Network Administrator's Guide. To access this guide,
in the CD Browser, click the Network Deployment tab, and then click
Network Administrators Guide (.pdf).
2 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Highlights of Autodesk Civil 3D
Autodesk Civil 3D is designed for land-development professionals such as
civil engineers, surveyors, engineering technicians, and drafters. It features a
consistent, modern interface that is easy to learn and to use. This section
gives an overview of the most significant aspects of the program. You can
find more detailed information about new concepts and specific features in
General Concepts on page 23 and Feature-Specific Concepts on page 41.
Note If you have already installed Autodesk Civil 3D, you may want to open
the sample file c:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D\Getting Started Guide\
GSG_introduction.dwg at this point. You can then relate the information in the rest
of this chapter to some actual data and begin to explore the interface. Most of
the illustrations in this chapter are taken from this sample drawing file.
Object-Management System
The underlying program code for Autodesk Civil 3D uses an object-oriented
architecture. This technical term is significant because it means that each
element in the drawingeach point, surface, alignment, profile, section, or
gradingis an intelligent object that can have an interdependent relation-
ship with other objects. For example, if a breakline in a surface is moved or
deleted, the surface can be updated automatically, or, when a horizontal
alignment is modified, any profiles and sections based on that alignment are
also changed.
Highlights of Autodesk Civil 3D | 3

The different objects in Autodesk Civil 3D are shown in the following illustra-
tion, together with the icons that represent them:
Point
Point group
Surface
Parcel
Grading
Alignment
Profile
Profile view
Sample line
Section
Section view
List of objects and their icons
You will be hearing more about the concept of objects throughout the
Autodesk Civil 3D documentation. For a more detailed introduction, and to
find out how objects help you to work more productively, see Object Model
on page 24.
Easy-to-Use Interface
The user interface of Autodesk Civil 3D has been designed to make the
program as easy as possible to use and learn. The main areas are:
Windows-Explorer-like Toolspace window that lists objects and provides
management functions
Menus organized for consistency, with similar commands for all objects
Layout tools that provide quick access to creation and editing commands
for some objects
Editing methods with commands or grips that are consistent throughout
For more detailed information about the interface design, see User Interface
Overview on page 7.
Standard Controls for Styles and Labels
Every Autodesk Civil 3D object has a style assigned to it. The way that styles
are created, assigned, and managed is the same for all of the objects. There
are three types of styles: for objects, labels, and tables. All objects must have
an object style assigned to them and may have, in addition, one or more label
styles. Some objects have table styles as well. To browse your collections of
styles, use the Settings tab of the Toolspace window.
Each type of object has a

default style, called Standard,
that you can copy and cus-
tomize.
The triangle icon

means that the style is
currently assigned to
an object.
Each type of label also

has a default style.
Style collection folders on the Settings tab of the Toolspace window
To create a new style or to edit an existing style, whether it is for an align-

ment, a surface, a grading, or for any other object, you follow essentially the
same process. For example, to edit a label style, you right-click the style on
the Settings tab, then choose Edit.
Highlights of Autodesk Civil 3D | 5

The Style dialog box for labels is called the Label Style Composer. It contains
a preview window that makes it easy to adjust the appearance of the labels to
get the result you want.
Label Style Composer dialog box showing a point label style
For more information about styles and labels, see Styles 1: Object Styles on
page 32 and Styles 2: Label and Table Styles on page 34.
User Interface Overview
3
1
5
Autodesk Civil 3D User Interface
1 Toolspace, for object management, divided into two tabs: Prospector, for navigating through
the list of objects, and Settings, for managing styles and settings.
2 Item view, for a list view of the contents of the selected folder, or a graphical view of the
selected object.
3 Layout tools, for creating and editing different kinds of objects, such as grading or alignments.
4 Standardized menus, for consistent access to the full range of commands.
5 Tabbed property editors, for easy modification of individual objects.
User Interface Overview | 7

Toolspace for Object Management
The Toolspace window provides an object-oriented view of your engineering
projects. The Toolspace window is divided into two parts or tabs: the Pros-
pector tab and the Settings tab.
The Prospector Tab

Gives you access to all the objects in drawings and projects. Objects are
arranged in a hierarchy with folders and subfolders that you navigate
through in standard, Windows-Explorer fashion. Sites group objects that are
related to one another because they share the same topology. In the
following illustration, the Site 1 folder contains folders for alignments,
grading groups, and parcels. You can see that the Parcels folder, when it is
fully expanded, contains the parcel objects defined for the Site1 subdivision.
Folders and subfolders

help you manage collec-
tions of objects.
Expanding folders to
lowest level shows
individual objects.
The Prospector tab in Toolspace
The Settings Tab
Organizes the styles for the different types of objects. Some types of objects
have other style-related collections that you can define and save for repeated
use. For example, in the following illustration, labels styles for parcels have
been defined:
Each type of object can

have an unlimited
number of styles.
Predefined label
styles can be applied
to any parcel in the
drawing.
The Settings tab in Toolspace

Menu Standardization
The menus in Autodesk Civil 3D have been designed to make them as consis-
tent as possible with one another. This should make it easy to find the
command you are looking for. To a large extent, this standardization reflects
the fact that the workflow of creating, editing, and annotating the various
objects is very similar in each case. The different features have almost iden-
tical menu options, as shown in the following illustration:
Comparison of the Points, Parcels, and Alignments menus
Shortcut Menus
Autodesk Civil 3D uses shortcut menus extensively. Shortcut menus appear
when you right-click an object in the drawing, a set of items, or an individual
item in the Toolspace. These menus provide quick access to common func-
tions and commands.
Here are two examples. The menu on the left shows the menu you see when
you right-click an individual alignment object on the Prospector tab. The
menu on the right shows what you see when you right-click an individual
parcel.
Shortcut menus for an alignment and a parcel on the Prospector tab
The options on the shortcut menus on the Settings tab are also very similar,
whichever type of object you select.

Layout Tools
Autodesk Civil 3D provides separate dialog boxes, called Layout Tools, for the
design of surfaces, alignments, grading, and other features. Each layout tools
dialog box provides access to object-specific design and editing commands in
a floating dialog box. For example, Grading Layout Tools contains tools for
creating grading, changing grading styles, and editing grading criteria,
among others.
Layout tools for Grading (above) and Alignments (below)
Consistent Editing Methods

Object editing in Autodesk Civil 3D is consistent, with all objects using the
same, or very similar, editing methods. There are several methods of editing
that you can use. Here are the main ones:
Item View
When you click an object or an object collection on the Prospector tab, for
example, Points, Parcels, or Alignments, an item view appears. An item view
can be either a list view or a graphical view, depending on the item selected.
The list view displays editable data in table form for the objects in the
selected collection. For example, if you select a point group, the item view
table displays a row for each point in the group, as shown in the following
illustration:
Click a table cell to

edit the value.
Item view showing a set of points
Grips
When you select an object in the drawing, grips appear on the object that
you can use to edit the object dynamically. Sometimes grip editing is the
most efficient way to edit an object. For example, you can use grips to move

points of intersection or points of line-arc tangency when editing align-
ments.
Direction of
drag
Editing an alignment by dragging the grip in the center of a curve
Panorama Window
When you edit certain objects, for example, an individual alignment, using
the Editing Tools and then click the Grid View button, the panorama
window displays an editable table of the entities that make up that object.
The panorama is a floating, dockable window that you can keep open as you
work.
Double-click a table cell to
edit the value.
Panorama window showing an alignment
Properties Editor
When you right-click any object on the Prospector tab, and then click Prop-
erties, you have edit access to all the properties of that object. This is one way
to assign a different style to the object, for example.
Properties editor showing properties for a surface (above) and a point group (below)

AutoCAD Properties Editor
When you right-click an object in the drawing and then click Properties on
the shortcut menu, the AutoCAD Properties dialog box is displayed. This
dialog box provides a quick way to change certain properties, such as the
layer on which the object is drawn. You can also view the style assigned to
the object, but you cannot change it here (to change the style, use the item
view or the Properties dialog box).
Click a table
cell to edit the
value.
Editing AutoCAD properties for an alignent
Migrating Data From Autodesk Land
Desktop
You can import existing project data and drawings created in Autodesk
Land Desktop. This allows you to take advantage of the new features of
Autodesk Civil 3D in areas such as grading or parcel subdivision. It is not
necessary to have Autodesk Land Desktop installed on the computer to
which you want to migrate the data. You can also import data in LandXML
format.
Select the data you want

to import from the
project.
Importing surfaces from an Autodesk Land Desktop project
Content, such as prototype data, drawing-specific settings, and label styles is

not imported. For more information about importing data, see the online
Help topics for Migration.
Migrating Data From Autodesk Land Desktop | 17

Sample Data Provided with the Program
To help make Autodesk Civil 3D easy to learn and to get you started experi-
menting with its features, the product CD includes sample data and template
files.
Tutorial Drawing Files

These files are provided for you to use with the tutorials that are part of the
Autodesk Civil 3D Help system.
After installation, the files are located in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D\Tutorial\Civil 3D Tutorials
Getting Started Guide Drawing Files

Drawing files are provided for you to use with Chapter 3 of this Getting Started
Guide. There is one file for each feature-specific concept discussed in that
chapter. You can open these files and follow some simple steps to learn more
about Autodesk Civil 3D concepts.
After installation, the files are located in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D\Getting Started Guide
Sample Content Data

Autodesk Civil 3D also provides several drawing files that contain content for
settings, styles, and organization of objects. You can use these files as a basis
for developing your own content.
After installation, the files are located in the same folder as the AutoCAD
templates. To create a file from a template:
1 On the File menu, click New.
2 In the Select Template dialog box, select the template you want to use.
How To Learn Autodesk Civil 3D
Autodesk Civil 3D provides learning materials to get you started using the
software and complete documentation to serve as a reference. User documen-
tation for Autodesk Civil 3D is in three parts:
Printed Getting Started Guide (also in .PDF format)
Online tutorials
Help system
Getting Started Guide

The Getting Started Guide is intended to introduce you to the most important
concepts in Autodesk Civil 3D. After reading through it, and perhaps doing
some of the suggested exercises with the sample files provided, you should
feel comfortable enough with the program to start experimenting on your
own. This guide does not contain detailed information about the way
Autodesk Civil 3D works; rather, it focuses on general and feature-specific
concepts.
For a more detailed description and step-by-step instructions about how to
use a particular feature, refer to the Help system, using one of the methods
described in Help System on page 20.
Online Tutorials
You access the online tutorials from the Autodesk Civil 3D Help menu. The
tutorials offer a more in-depth guided tour of the major features of the
program, using realistic engineering drawings and data. For a thorough
knowledge of Autodesk Civil 3D, it is recommended that you explore the
tutorials after you have read through the conceptual information provided
by the Getting Started Guide.
How To Learn Autodesk Civil 3D | 19

Help System
The Autodesk Civil 3D Help system is a Help file in HTML format with a table
of contents, a keyword index, and two kinds of search. You can print out the
Help topics that interest you.
Use the Ask Me tab to perform searches using a natural-language phrase, for
example How do I set grading criteria? (There is no need to enclose the
words you are looking for in quotation marks.) The resulting list of topics is
assigned a percentage according to how close a match was found, in the
manner of some Internet search engines. The Ask Me tab usually returns the
best, most specific search results.
You can further narrow down the results by selecting a specific documenta-
tion component from the drop-down list under List Of Components To
Search.
The topics appear with the

best match at the top.
Click the topic you want to
view.
Using the Ask Me tab to perform a best-match search containing a phrase
Use the Index tab to find topics that contain keywords. As you type the word
you are looking for, the Help displays the best match. Top-level index entries
may contain one or more subentries. When you double-click the top-level
entries, the Help displays a dialog box that lists the topics you can choose
from.
Index entries display a list

of subentries. Double-click
the topic you want to
view.
Using the Index to find topics containing a keyword
How To Learn Autodesk Civil 3D | 21

Use the Search tab to look for topics that contain a particular word or phrase.
For the best results when using the Search feature to search for a phrase,
enclose the words you are looking for in quotation marks, for example, cut
and fill.
Double-click the topic

you want to view. The
phrase you searched
for is highlighted in the
topic.
Using Search to find topics containing a phrase
2
General Concepts
The sections in this chapter present the most important In this chapter
Autodesk Civil 3D concepts in graphical form. They Object model
Design standards
should provide good preparation for working with the
Project management
LiveView exercises in Chapter 3. However, if you want Settings

Styles 1: Object styles
to go directly to that chapter, you can also use this
Styles 2: Label and table
styles
chapter to get background information about Autodesk
Display management 1:
Civil 3D concepts as you work through the exercises. If Using styles
Display management 2:
you just want a quick explanation of a term that youve Styles and layers
come across, try the Glossary at the back of this book first.
23
Object Model
A design team typically spends many hours ensuring that revisions are trans-
ferred correctly between surfaces, alignments, profiles, sections, and other
dependent design data. Redrafting, relabeling, and checking the work can be
tedious tasks. Autodesk Civil 3D eliminates the need for most of these tasks
by introducing dynamic links between design objects. The underlying
system of links and dependencies is a result of the object model within the
application design.
In the object model, changes in one object can be passed on automatically to
all the objects associated with it. For example, if you redesign an alignment
curve, any grading using that alignment as a base line is modified accord-
ingly. This is in addition to all the related stationing, labels, and other align-
ment-specific data, which are updated as well.
The following table shows which objects are updated when you edit each
type of object:
Type of Object Objects Updated
points surfaces
surfaces grading, profiles
parcels grading
alignments grading, profiles, sections
grading surfaces
24 | Chapter 2 General Concepts

Object Model
GradingChanges to a grading affect

any surface that includes it .
Alignments
Redesigning
curves or seg-
ments updates
profiles and sec-
tions.
ParcelsChanges
to parcels affect
any grading based
on the lot lines.
SurfacesMoving or
smoothing the surface
affects objects depen-
dent on it, such as pro-
files or grading.
PointsAdding or removing a point

results in a notification message.
You can decide whether updates are
automatic or not.
Exploded representation of the object model showing dependencies between objects
Object Model | 25
Design Standards
Autodesk Civil 3D provides a number of ways to establish standards compli-
ance throughout the engineering workflow, to ensure both consistent
drawing creation and consistent drawing presentation. The principal
methods that you can use are shown in the illustration on the facing page
and in the following list:
Object styles. You can control the design and display aspects of objects by
creating and applying different object styles. For example, you can have
different styles for existing ground (EG) and finished grade (FG) surfaces,
or different styles for initial drawing/laying out of parcels and presenta-
tion/plotting of parcels.
Label styles. You can ensure a consistent look for labels by applying a
label style. The example on the facing page shows a lot-area label that has
been defined to show the lot number, with the area in both square meters
and hectares.
Drawing templates. You can define a set of standards and save them as a
default for the creation of new drawings. Templates (.dwt files) typically
include object styles, label styles, and settings such as drafting units, pre-
cision, and coordinate systems.
Layer standards file. You can set up labeling and style settings to derive
their layers from a layer standards file (.dws file). By applying styles that
refer to the list of layers in the layer standards file, you can ensure that
objects are drawn on specific layers with standard names.

Design Standards
STA=22+00.00 Units and precision for

alignments are set in the
template file
LOT: 1
Area: 8321.86 sq. m
0.83 hectares
Lot labels are controlled by

a parcel label style, which
could also be defined in the
template file.
Defining standards using a template file and a label style
Design Standards | 27
Project Management
Autodesk Civil 3D provides project management that supports shared access
to important project files by the entire design team. Typically, you will have
a set of project folders on a server or somewhere on a network. These project
folders contain official copies of surfaces and point groups, as well as a data-
base containing points. When you want to do some work on a particular
project, you open a file on your own computer and then download the latest
versions of the official copies that you need. The folder structure of the
projects you are working with is displayed on the Prospector tab of the Tool-
space when the Master View is selected.
For example, in the illustration on the facing page, pond-grading.dwg is your
current drawing. You bring a set of points and an existing surface into the
drawing using the Get From Project command. This results in a set of local
copies of those objects on your local drive. You then do the grading and save
the surface resulting from the grading under a different name and add it to
the project using the Add To Project command.
If you want to make changes to the official copies of the points, point groups,
or surfaces, you use the Check Out command instead. Then, when you have
finished making changes, you use the Check In command.

Project Management
.
The current open drawing is

pond_grading. Points and
surfaces are brought into
this drawing.
Official copies of
objects are stored
on remote server.
Points are brought into the drawing.
Copy of official surface is brought into the drawing.
Work is done in the local

pond-grading drawing,
using copies of the official
points and surface as a
basis.
The new surface created

by grading is saved under
a different name (and may
be checked in as an official
copy).
Master view of Prospector tab showing official copies of objects
Project Management | 29
Settings
Settings in Autodesk Civil 3D cover a wide variety of preset values, ranging
from essential drawing settings, such as units, scale, and coordinate system,
to optional defaults, such as the layers that the different types of objects are
created on. You access the setting dialog boxes by right-clicking the appro-
priate-level folder on the Settings tab of Toolspace and then choosing Edit
Settings.
You can work with three levels of settings. Each lower level object in the
settings hierarchy can either inherit or override settings in the level above it.
The following list shows the settings hierarchy:
Drawing settings. These settings establish values for the drawing as a
whole.
Feature settings. These settings control behavior for a particular feature,
such as Parcels or Grading.
Command settings. These settings apply only to individual commands
within a particular feature, for example, the CreateParcelByLayout com-
mand within the Parcels feature.
Settings can be overridden at lower levels. The illustration on the facing page
shows an override set for Precision at the feature level, in this case, for
Parcels. The arrow in the Child Override column of the Drawing Settings
dialog box (top) indicates that an override has been set at a lower level. The
check mark in the Override column in the Parcel Settings dialog box
(bottom) indicates that the value set in this dialog box overrides the setting
at a higher level.

Settings
Settings for drawing have area units set to square meters.
Settings for parcels have area units set to acres.
Area units for parcel objects

are acres, overriding the
drawing setting. For other
objects, area units remains
set to square meters.
How feature settings can override drawing settings
Settings | 31
Styles 1: Object Styles
The objects in Autodesk Civil 3D model real-world objects. The way that
these objects are displayed is by means of styles. You can change the styles
applied to the objects as often as you want, which gives you complete control
over the presentation of the design.
Each type of object has its own set of styles, which control the display char-
acteristics for that type of object. Autodesk Civil 3D comes with a Standard
style for each type of object that is preset to default values. You can use this
style as it is, or you can use it as a basis for building other styles to meet the
needs of a particular project, a phase of a project, a group of users, or any
other design requirement. Groups of styles can be collected into a template
(.dwt) file, so that all drawings based on that template will share the same
style configuration.
You will see the same, or very similar, style controls across all the types of
objects, with style folders, called collections, appearing on the Settings tab of
the Toolspace. You access the style editing dialog boxes by right-clicking one
of the styles in the list and then choosing Edit. The example on the facing
page shows examples of style dialog boxes for three types of object: for
points, surfaces, and alignments.

Object Styles
.
1 Point StyleUsing a custom
marker.
2 Surface StyleSmoothing
contours.
3 Alignment StyleChanging
the color of the line component.
Editing the style for three different types of object
Styles 1: Object Styles | 33

Styles 2: Label and Table Styles
An object has fully-customizable labels, which are controlled by label styles.
Labels are part of the object and are automatically updated whenever the
object itself is changed. You can modify the label styles in the same way that
you modify the object styles: by right-clicking a style on the Settings tab of
the Toolspace and then choosing Edit. Some objects (parcels, alignments,
and surfaces) also have separate styles for tables. These are accessible on the
Settings tab as well. For alignments, profiles, and sections you can create and
save label sets, which allow you to define multiple label types, such as station
labels and geometry point labels, in one operation. For example, an align-
ment label set can contain major station labels, minor station labels, and
geometry point labels.
Labels can include text, blocks, lines, ticks, and leaders. Building labels is
easy, using the preview window of the Label Composer dialog box, as illus-
trated on the facing page.
The following are some of the features you can work with when composing
a label style:
Location. You can place a label at any location in relation to the object.
Appearance and Visibility. You can define various display settings, such
as color, lineweight, and linetype, for label appearance, and you can set
the visibility of any of the label components.
Plan-readability. Labels can be placed at any angle, even appearing
upside down. In some cases, you may want this result, but in most cases
you want a label that is easily readable in plan view. The plan-readability
setting automatically rotates any upside-down label text elements.
Orientation. You can set the rotation angle of the labels in relation to the
object you are labeling, the current view, or the World Coordinate System
(WCS).

Label & Table Styles
.
Alignment station labels and

parcel area labels appear in the The table style can also be
drawing as they appear in the customized.
preview of the Style Composer.
Previewing customized label styles for alignment stations and parcel area
Styles 2: Label and Table Styles | 35

Display Management 1: Using Styles
Styles give you a great deal of flexibility to make objects look and behave
exactly the way you want them to, and to establish and enforce standards at
the same time. If you are the CAD manager in your organization, you may
find that the time you spend in creating styles for others to apply in their
drawings pays off in terms of efficiency and ease of use, as well as standards
compliance. If you are working with styles that have been created for you,
you will find that the additional control that styles provide is worth the effort
of learning how to use them.
Autodesk Civil 3D is an object-oriented program that works with intelligent
objects. The objects reference a style, which can be changed at any time. Any
style can be copied from one drawing to another in a drag-and-drop opera-
tion. The style identifies itself so that the new drawing knows where to put
that style. You can then apply the new styles to existing objects.
One way you can use styles is to manage the appearance of objects at
different phases of a project. In the example on the facing page, the upper
drawing uses surface and parcel styles appropriate for a preliminary layout,
while the lower drawing uses completely different styles for the final presen-
tation.

Display Management 1
.
Early layout phase
Final drawing phase
Using customized surface and alignment styles for different phases of a project
Display Management 1: Using Styles | 37

Display Management 2: Styles and Layers
Most of the objects in Autodesk Civil 3D have several components. For
example, a surface is a single object with individual components such as
contours, triangles, and points. You can control how these components are
displayed either through layers or by setting the display properties directly in
the style appled to the object.
On the Display tab of the Style Editor dialog box, you will see a number of
options that you are probably familiar with from using the Layer Properties
Manager: visibility, color, linetype, lineweight, and so on. This duplication of
functionality in the Style Editor gives you complete control over the appear-
ance of the objects using styles alone. This approach is new and optionalif
you feel more comfortable using traditional layers, you can certainly do so.
Display properties defined by styles override the settings defined for the
drawing layers in the Layer Properties Manager dialog box. For example, you
could use two different styles to distinguish the display of EG and FG
surfaces, even though they were drawn partially or completely on the same
layer.
The example on the facing page shows how you can use both style settings
and traditional layers to control the display characteristics of an object. The
style shown in the upper illustration directly modifies the color and visibility
of the surface components, so that the surface points are turned on and
colored red, even though the layer on which the points are drawn (0) is
turned off and colored white in the Layer Properties Manager.
The style shown in the lower illustration assigns the surface components to
layers already defined in the drawing. In this case, the color of the major and
minor contours is set by the C-TOPO-MAJR and C-TOPO-MINR layers.

Display Management 2
.
Visibility and color of the

components of the surface
are controlled by the set-
tings on the Display tab of
the Surface Style dialog
box.
Visibility and color of the

components of the surface
are controlled by the layers
assigned to each compo-
nent.
Managing object appearance using style settings (above) and layers (below)
Display Management 2: Styles and Layers | 39

40
3
Feature-Specific Concepts
This chapter explains the essential concepts underlying In this chapter

the Autodesk Civil 3D features listed on the right side of Points
Surfaces
this page. Each feature section in this chapter has a
Grading
corresponding drawing file. Each of these files has been Parcels

Alignments
created specifically to illustrate the concepts introduced
Profiles
in that section. You can open the file to see actual Sections
examples of the objects and their various components.
There is also a LiveView exercise for each feature, which
uses the same sample drawing. These exercises give you
some basic hands-on experience with Autodesk Civil 3D,
so that you can begin to find your way around.
41
Points
The central repository for point information is the project database, which is
typically located on a central server and then shared by a number of users,
who attach the database to their drawings. Point presentation, however, is
handled in the drawing. Point groups reference the point data directly and
are responsible for drawing the points. Point groups have an override that
forces all points in the group to use that groups preferred point style and pre-
ferred point-label style rather than the styles assigned to the individual
points.
You have many options for inserting or importing points from different
sources and in different formats. For example, you can define sets of descrip-
tion keys to help organize the insertion of points. Description keys use the
raw description of incoming points to control the creation of each drawing
point, including:
Assigning the point to a specific layer
Assigning a point style
Assigning a point label style
Translating the raw description into a full description
Rotating or scaling the point symbol
Points can also be created directly in the drawing by a wide variety of
methods, which are all available in the Create Points dialog box.
LiveView of Drawing for Points

Open the file: C:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D\Getting Started
Guide\GSG_features_points.dwg
The drawing contains two named views, as shown on the opposite page. To
go to a named view, do the following:
1 On the View menu, click Named Views.
2 In the View dialog box, double-click the view you want to go to and then
click OK.
42 | Chapter 3 Feature-Specific Concepts

Points
Named view: points_all
Storm
manholes
Road centerline point group point group
Pond point group
Landscape_trees point
group
Named view: points_detail
Point style Tree - 20ft pine

applied to points in Land-
scape trees point group has
labels turned off.
Points in Pond point group

use the number and elevation
only point label style
Point-label style manholes

applied to points in Storm
manholes point group
includes arrow and leader
line
Some point groups showing different uses of point styles and point-label styles
Points | 43
Points: LiveView Exercise
In this exercise, you open a file containing points and take a first look at
some of the ways to manage objects in Autodesk Civil 3D.
Using points as an example, you will learn how to browse lists of objects, and
how to use the Properties dialog box.
To view lists and edit properties in Autodesk Civil 3D
1 Open the file

C:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D
\Getting Started Guide\
GSG_features_points.dwg if you have
not already opened it.
On the View menu, click

Zoom Window and then draw a
rectangle in the top-left corner to
zoom your view of the drawing so
that it looks like this.
2 Click the Prospector tab in Toolspace

and then expand the list of point
groups, as shown in the illustration.
The icon next to each point group

indicates that you cannot expand the
point group to the level of individual
points. You can view the points in the
item view.
3 Click the Road centerline point group

in the list.
An item view of all the points

contained in the group appears at the
bottom of the Toolspace.
Note that you can edit the individual

points in the item view.

Points
4 Right-click the Road centerline point

group and then click Properties.
In the Point Group Properties dialog

box, click the Include tab.
The point group contains all the

points with raw descriptions that
match CLRD.
5 In the Point Group Properties dialog

box, click the Query Builder tab.
Both tabs point to the same Raw

Description data. These tabs provide
two different ways in which you can
modify your point group.
6 Click the Include tab, and then clear

the With Raw Description Matching
check box.
Select With Numbers Matching and

then type 755,757 in the text box.
Click OK.
Note that only two points remain in

the point group item view and in the
drawing.
Points: LiveView Exercise | 45

Surfaces
You can work with two types of surfaces: TIN surfaces and grid surfaces. For
each of these types you can also create volume surfaces, which are differential
surfaces created from two existing surfaces. Surface styles define the behavior
and appearance of any surface, and can also be used to control the visibility
of any surface analysis that has been performed on that surface; for example,
the elevation analysis shown in the illustration on the facing page. Water-
sheds can be drawn on the surface, with information about the type of drain-
age area and where each area drains to.
Boundaries define the visible area of a surface. Only the area within the
boundary is included in calculations, such as total area and volume. You can
also define regions to mask parts of a surface for editing or presentation
purposes, while still including that area in calculations.
Breaklines are used to define retaining walls, curbs, tops of ridges, and
streams on TIN surfaces. Breaklines affect triangulation of the surface. You
can define different sets of contours, for example, for different intervals.
Smoothing is provided for the surface object as a whole, which gives better
results than simply smoothing the contours.
In Autodesk Civil 3D, the build process for surfaces is incremental. When
data is added or the surface is edited, the surface is updated; when data is
removed, the surface is rebuilt. Therefore, each surface has a definition list.
This list contains all the operations performed on the surface. By turning the
items in the list on and off, you can modify the surface, return it to a previous
state, and so on.
LiveView of Drawing For Surfaces

Open the file: C:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D\Getting Started
Guide\GSG_features_surfaces.dwg
click OK.

Surfaces
Named view: surfaces_all
EG Surface boundary
FG surface boundary
Contours with smoothing
Watershed analysis (labels

turned off)
Named view: surfaces_detail
Elevation analysis
(colored 3D faces)
Slope arrows
turned on
Breakline
Some aspects of a surface
Surfaces | 47
Surfaces: LiveView Exercise
In this exercise, you open a file containing surfaces and look at some ways to
work with styles in Autodesk Civil 3D.
Using surfaces as an example, you will learn how to create new styles, and
find out how to use styles to change the appearance of an object.
To change styles in Autodesk Civil 3D
1 Open the file

GSG_features_surfaces.dwg if you have
The drawing looks like this.
2 Click the Settings tab in Toolspace and

then expand the list of surface styles,
as shown in the illustration.
The triangle icon next to a surface

style indicates that that style is applied
to at least one surface in the drawing.
3 Right-click the Finish grade surface

style and then click Copy.
In the Surface Style dialog box, on the

Information tab, for Name, type
Finish grade contours.

Surfaces
4 In the Surface Style dialog box, click

the Display tab.
In the Visible column, click the light

bulb icons to turn on Major Contour
and Minor Contour. Turn off
Elevations and Slope Arrows. Click OK.
You have created a new surface style.

Next, you will apply it to a surface.

and then expand the list of surfaces.
Click the Surfaces collection in the list.
An item view of the surfaces in the

drawing appears at the bottom of the
Toolspace.
Note that the name of the style

assigned to the FG surface is Finish
grade.
6 Right-click the FG surface in the list,

and then click Properties.
In the Surface Properties dialog box,

click the Information tab. For Object
Style, select Finish grade contours from
the list, and then click OK.
7 The new style is applied to the FG

surface and the drawing is updated.
The drawing now looks like this.
Surfaces: LiveView Exercise | 49

Grading
You create a grading by selecting a base line in the drawing, for example, a
building footprint or an alignment, and then specifying the projection
method and target, for example, grade at 3:1 to a surface. You can save time
and effort by pre-defining typical values like these and saving them as grading
criteria. Then, subsequent gradings you create will use the current criteria.
You can also create named grading styles that combine specific display prop-
erties such as colors. As well as the current criteria, any grading you create
will use the current style.
For a particular site, you may have folders for alignments, parcels, and grading
groups. Grading groups bundle individual gradings into named sets. Before
creating a grading, you must create a new grading group, or select one that
already exists. A surface can be created from a grading group and a grading
group can be pasted into a surface. The surface will then be updated if you
change the grading.
A grading normally consists of the base line, the target line, the projection
lines, and the face. The face is the area bounded by these lines. If you are
grading from a closed figure like a pond, there will be no projection lines. The
base line can be any open or closed figure that you want to use to project the
grading. It can be an alignment, a lot line, or a feature line. Feature lines are
created from existing polylines, lines, and arcs. A feature line is a line that
marks some important feature in the drawing, such as a ridge line, or the bot-
tom of a swale. The base line can also be the target line of another grading.
The target for the grading can be a surface, a distance, or an elevation (abso-
lute or relative).

Grading
Face Feature line
Target line
Projection line
Base line
Criteria uses slope of 3:1

with a surface target Gradings using different
criteria
Grading group
The various components of a grading object
Grading | 51
Parcels
Autodesk Civil 3D makes it easy to design subdivisions by providing a site
topology that includes intelligent parcel objects. Each parcel is an indepen-
dent object that does not duplicate boundary lines. You can also import par-
cels as simple polylines and then convert them to parcel objects. Parcels con-
sist of a series of segments, which can be edited individually. Editing parcel
segments dynamically updates the parcel properties. Deleting a segment
results in one parcel merging with another.
Each site contains one collection of parcels. The hierarchy of parent site and
child parcels is managed on the Prospector tab in Toolspace. The parent site
represents the original area to be subdivided. By creating a number of sepa-
rate sites, you can manage large projects with many lots grouped in separate
blocks.
Parcel styles are used for determining the appearance of the parcel, such as
hatch or fill pattern for the area and linetype for the segments. There are
separate label styles for parcel areas and parcel segments.
LiveView of Drawing For Parcels

Open the file: C:\Program Files\Autodesk Civil 3D\Getting Started Guide\
GSG_features_parcels.dwg
click OK.

Parcels
Named view: parcels_all
Parent site includes all

Right-of-way parcels on both sides of
parcel Residential-style
the right-of-way
parcels
Large lots in
this area are
distinguished
by different
style
Named view: parcels_detail
Parcel style
uses border
fill
Area label
Segment
label
Parcels and parcel components
Parcels | 53
Parcels: LiveView Exercise
In this exercise, you open a file containing parcels for an introduction to
label styles in Autodesk Civil 3D.
Using parcels as an example, you will learn how to edit label styles, and how
to use label styles to change the appearance of object labels in the drawing.
To edit labels in Autodesk Civil 3D
1 Open the file

GSG_features_parcels.dwg if you have

rectangle that includes the two
parcels on the right. Your view of the
drawing should look like this.

then expand the list of parcel label
styles and area label styles, as shown
in the illustration.
You will edit the Meters-hectares area

label style, which is already applied to
the parcels in the drawing.
3 Right-click the Meters-hectares area

style and then click Edit.
In the Label Style Composer dialog

box, on the Information tab, for
Name, type Meters only.

Parcels
4 In the Label Style Composer dialog

box, click the Layout tab. Browse
button
On the Layout tab, in the Value
column, click the value for Contents
that begins LOT: and then click the
Browse button.
5 In the Text Component Editor dialog

box, triple-click the last line of the
highlighted text to select it.
Press the Delete key.
6 Click OK twice to exit the Text Editor

and Label Composer dialog boxes.
You have deleted one line from the

three lines of text in the parcel area
label. Because the style is already
applied to parcels in the drawing, the
parcel labels are automatically
updated.
Now the label only shows the area in

square meters. Your drawing should
look like this.
Parcels: LiveView Exercise | 55

Alignments
Horizontal alignment objects can consist of combinations of lines, curves,
and clothoid spirals, which can be joined by constraints. When you edit an
alignment, for example, by dragging a grip, the components of the align-
ment can maintain tangency to one another. You can create alignments from
existing polylines, or by using the layout commands provided in the Align-
ment Layout Tools dialog box. You can edit an alignment by grip editing or
by using the edit commands, which are also in the Alignment Tools. The
following are some of the creation and editing options:
Draw single lines, curves, and spirals.
Draw spiral-curve-spiral curve groups.
Draw tangents end-to-end with options to place spiral-curve-spiral groups
at the PIs (Points of Intersection).
View and edit a list of the components that make up the alignment.
View and edit a list of parameters for any of the components within the
alignment.
Station equations allow you to change station-distance references at any
point without physically changing the geometry of the alignment.
LiveView of Drawing For Alignments

GSG_features_alignments.dwg
click OK.

Alignments
Named view: alignments_all
Alignments drawn
with tangent-to-
tangent curves
Parallel alignment
labels used for local
roads
Preliminary center
lines sketched using
lines and curves
Named view: alignments_labels
Station reference
point at start of align-
ment
Major road uses differ-

ent line and label styles
from local roads
Station label
Design speed label
Alignments: lines, curves, and labels
Alignments | 57
Alignments: LiveView Exercise
In this exercise, you open a file containing alignments and look at some ways
to work with drawing settings in Autodesk Civil 3D.
Using alignments as an example, you will learn how to edit the drawing
settings to specify the default layer on which new objects will be created.
To set up object layers in Autodesk Civil 3D
1 Open the file

GSG_features_alignments.dwg if you
have not already opened it.

rectangle that includes the sketch
lines at the bottom. Your view of the
drawing should look like this.

then right-click the name of the
drawing and choose Edit Drawing
Settings.
3 In the Drawing Settings dialog box,

click the Object Layers tab.
This tab shows the default layers on

which the various objects are created.
You will change the default layer for
alignments.

Alignments
4 On the Object Layers tab, in the

Alignment row, click the C-ROAD
value.
In the Layer Selection dialog box,

scroll down to the C-ROAD-CNTR
row, select it, and then click OK twice
to exit the Settings dialog boxes.
5 On the Alignments menu, click

Create From Polyline.
In the drawing, click the green

polyline.
6 In the Create Alignment dialog box,

for Alignment Style, select Major road.
Note that the Alignment Layer is set

to C-ROAD-CNTR. New alignments
will be placed on this layer.
Click OK.
7 The new alignment is drawn on the

C-ROAD-CNTR layer, using the Major
Road style.
Your drawing should look like this.
Alignments: LiveView Exercise | 59

Profiles
Profiles (also known as vertical alignments), are derived from horizontal
alignments in the drawing. There are two types of profiles: Existing Ground
(EG) and Finished Grade (FG). A profile can either be linked dynamically to
a surface, which is typical for an EG profile, or it can be static, with or
without vertical curves, which is typical for an FG profile. You can use three
types of vertical curves: parabolic, asymmetric parabolic, and circular. When
a profile is linked to a surface, it not only responds automatically to changes
in the horizontal alignment, but reflects any modifications to the surface as
well.
You can create static profiles in various ways, such as importing a text file,
importing an XML file, or by using the Profile Layout Tools dialog box. You
can edit a profile by grip editing or by using the edit commands, which are
also in the Profile Layout Tools. The following are some of the creation and
editing options:
Draw tangents end-to-end with options to place curves between them.
Add, delete, or modify PVIs (Points of Vertical Intersection).
Add, delete, or modify vertical curves.
View and edit a list of the data that makes up the profile.
You display profiles in graphs called profile views. Profile views are separate
objects that have their own sets of styles. You use a profile-view style to estab-
lish the spacing between the axes of the station-elevation graph, for example.
You can add data bands to the display of the profile view. Data bands can be
used to annotate stations, EG/FG elevations, cut and fill heights, or to display
other data that you need to include with the profiles.
LiveView of Drawing For Profiles

GSG_features_profiles.dwg
click OK.

Profiles
Named view: profiles_all
Grade break and elevation

labels defined by profile
label styles
Axes and labeling of graph Optional data bands
defined by profile view defined by profile view
styles band styles
Named view: profiles_detail
Profile label shows a tangent grade
Crest vertical curve Sag vertical curve
Existing ground and

finished grade profiles
Existing ground and finished grade profiles displayed in a profile view
Profiles | 61
Profiles: LiveView Exercise
In this exercise, you open a file containing profiles and experiment with grip
editing in Autodesk Civil 3D.
Using profiles as an example,you will learn how to edit an object using grips
and see how another object is automatically updated to reflect the changes.
To make dynamic updates in Autodesk Civil 3D
1 Open the file

GSG_features_profiles.dwg if you have
The drawing looks like this.
2 On the View menu, click

Zoom Extents.

rectangle that includes the profile
view at the top and the East-West
alignment at the bottom.
Your view of the drawing should look

like this.
3 On the Format menu, click

Layer.
In the Layer Properties Manager

dialog box, click the light bulb next to
the C-ROAD-PROF-FGRD layer to turn
it off and then click OK.
This turns off the FG profile in the

profile view and makes the green EG
profile easier to see.

Profiles
4 In the drawing, click the alignment so

that the blue grips appear, as shown
in the illustration.
You will drag the grips to modify the

alignment dynamically. As you modify
the alignment, the profile will update
at the same time.
5 The green profile in the profile view at

the top of the drawing represents the
intersection of the alignment with the
existing ground surface.
The profile looks like this before you

modify the alignment.
6 Click the square grip at the far left of

the alignment
(Try to watch the green profile as you

complete the following step.)
The grip turns red to show that it is

active. Drag it a little further to the left
and then release it.
7 Note that the profile has been

extended to include the addition to
the alignment. It now looks
something like this.
(You may want to experiment further

and see the effect of editing the
alignment curves before you close this
drawing.)
Profiles: LiveView Exercise | 63

Sections
Sections, or cross sections, are cut across a linear feature to a specified
distance to the left and right of a center line. Sections are typically plotted at
given stations along a horizontal road alignment. Edits to the alignment will
update the sections as well.
The lines that are cut cross the alignment are called sample lines. Sections are
sampled along these sample lines. Sample lines have their own styles and can
be labeled. A set of sample lines makes up a named collection called a sample-
line group.
The sections themselves are displayed in a graph called a section view. A
section view is very similar to a profile view. It consists of a grid or graph with
specific characteristics that are controlled by section-view styles. You can also
display data bands above or below the section view. You can plot individual
sections for a specific sample line, or you can plot all the sections for a group
of sample lines. To plot multiple sections, you use a paperspace viewport to
set up the sheet.
Sections, like alignments and profiles, support label sets. Label sets allow you
to save and apply an unlimited number of different types of labels.
LiveView of Drawing For Sections

GSG_features_sections.dwg
click OK.

Sections
Named view: sections_detail

Sample lines belong to the
East-West sample-line Stations and sample-line names
group are displayed by the sample-
line-group label style
Section
view for
this sample
line is
shown
below
Named view: sections_view
Center line
Section line
Right swath
width
Data band
A group of sample lines and a section view across one of them
Sections | 65
Sections: LiveView Exercise
In this exercise, you open a file containing sections and revisit the process of
applying custom styles in Autodesk Civil 3D.
Using sections as an example, you will learn how to select an individual
object and see how to apply a new label style to that object.
To change label styles in Autodesk Civil 3D
1 Open the file

GSG_features_sections.dwg if you have
The drawing looks like this. There are

several sample lines crossing an
alignment.

and then expand the list of
alignments (under Sites/Conway
Farms).
Expand the East-West Drive alignment

until you can see the list of sample
lines, as shown in the illustration.
Next, you will select one of the

sample lines and change the style of
the label to an AA section.
3 Right-click the SL-8 sample line in the

list and then click Properties.
In the Properties dialog box, click the

Sample Line Data tab and then, for
Label Style, select Section AA.
Click OK.

Sections
4 The sample line is updated in the

drawing, as shown in the illustration.
Next, you will update the existing

section view for this sample line.
From the View menu, choose Named

Views, double-click sections_view and
then click OK.
5 On the Prospector tab in Toolspace,

expand the section views for the SL-8
sample line.
Right-click the section view Sample

Line 8 and then click Properties.
6 In the Section View Properties dialog

box, on the Information tab, for
Object Style, select Section View AA.
Click OK.
7 The section view is updated in the

drawing, as shown in the illustration.
That brings us to the end of the Autodesk Civil 3D LiveView exercises. We

recommend that you continue with the online tutorials to gain more under-
standing of the features that have been introduced in this chapter.
For assistance at any time while you are using Autodesk Civil 3D, click the
Help button.
Sections: LiveView Exercise | 67

68
Glossary
2D polyline A polyline with all vertices at the same elevation.

3D face A 3D face is an AutoCAD object that represents the surface of a 3- or 4-sided
area, with each vertex potentially at a different elevation. You can view TINs (Triangu-
lated Irregular Networks) as 3D faces. Using the SHADE command, you can shade 3D
faces. Using the RENDER command, you can render the 3D faces. See also TIN surface.
3D polyline A polyline with vertices at varying elevations.
A.A.S.H.T.O. American Association of State, Highway, and Transportation Officials.
acre A measure of land: 160 square rods; 4,840 square yards; 43,560 square feet in a
closed shape of any form.
alignment A series of 2D coordinates (northings and eastings), connected by lines, cir-
cular curves, and/or spiral curve, used to represent features such as the centerline of a
road, edges of pavement, sidewalks, or rights-of-way.
angle The difference in direction between two convergent lines measured in the units
of degrees, radians, or grads.
area The quantity of plane space in a horizontal plane enclosed by the boundary of
any polygonal figure.
azimuth A clockwise angle measured from a reference meridian. Also known as north
azimuth. It can range from 0 to 360 degrees. A negative azimuth is converted to a clock-
wise value.
base line The object to which grading criteria are applied. A base line may be an open
or closed 2D or 3D geometric figure that is a lot line, an alignment, or a feature line.
base surface An existing ground or undeveloped terrain. Specified when creating vol-
ume surfaces. See also comparison surface.
bearing An angle measured from North or South, whichever is nearest, with the added
designation of East or West. The angle is always less than 90 degrees (PI/2 radians or 100
grads) and is usually referenced by quadrant number.
border (surface) The visible limits of a surface. The border may or may not be defined
from a boundary or may be the result of a defined boundary and operations performed
on a surface, such as a Delete Line operation (a hole is created in the surface). If a bound-
ary is not defined on a surface, the exterior border is always defined as the extents of the
surface triangulation.
boundary (surface) One of three kinds of closed polyline that limits the display area
of the digital terrain model. Most common are outer surface boundaries constructed just
outside the extremities of the dataset, eliminating unwanted interpolations across
empty space where the surface has a concave shape. Also used are two types of internal
surface boundaries: hide boundaries, to punch holes in a surface, (for example, a build-
Glossary | 69
ing footprint), or show boundaries, to create smaller surfaces by eliminating areas that
fall outside the boundary.
bounded volumes A method of calculating volumes using an existing AutoCAD
object (for example, a polyline or polygon) to calculate the cut, fill, and net volume for
the area bounded by the object.
breakline A line used to connect the data representing a distinct surface feature, like a
ridge line, edge of pavement, toe of a slope, centerline of a road, or flowline of a ditch
or stream. When a breakline is defined, the surface triangulation must follow the break-
lines first, by placing triangle edges coincident with the breakline segments. This ensures
the feature in the model is accurately depicted. The rest of the interpolation is then per-
formed based on proximity. Breaklines are typically critical to creating an accurate sur-
face model, because it is the interpolation of the data, not just the data itself, that deter-
mines the shape of the model. See also non-destructive breakline.
breakline point A point that is included in the defined breaklines list of vertices.
ByBlock A setting specifying that a component of an object inherits the color or line-
type associated with the object, or block, that contains it.
ByLayer A setting specifying that an object or component of an object inherits the
color or linetype associated with the assigned layer.
catchment area The area tributary to a lake, stream, or drainage system.
chord A straight line connecting two points on a curve: the Point of Curvature (PC)
and Point of Tangency (PT). The curve joins with a line or another curve at these points.
clothoid spiral A spiral in which the curvature is a linear function of the length of the
spiral, so that the degree of curvature is zero when it meets the tangent and then
increases to match the curvature of the adjacent curve. See also simple spiral.
COGO Short for Coordinate Geometry.
COGO points The point objects that you create using the point-creation or point-
import commands. COGO points are referred to simply as points in this documenta-
tion. The pieces of data associated with a point, such as point number, northing, and
easting, are referred to as properties.
comparision surface A proposed or existing terrain surface used in the creation of vol-
ume surfaces. See also base surface.
composite volumes A method of calculating volumes using top and bottom surfaces
(a surface pair) to establish cut, fill, and net volume values.
compound curve A curve consisting of two or more arcs of different radii curving in
the same direction, which have a common tangent or transition curve at their point of
junction.
compound spiral A spiral that provides a smooth transition between two adjoining
curves of different radii but in the same direction. It has a finite radius on either side/
end.
control region A region that is defined by applying grading criteria to a baseline. A
base line can have a single region along its entire length, or it may be subdivided into a
number of control, transition, and void regions.
70 | Glossary
contour A line that connects points of the same elevation or value relative to a spec-
ified reference datum.
coordinates Values that specify exactly where a point is in space in terms of three
planes: X, Y, and Z; or easting, northing, and elevation.
crest curve In a profile, a vertical curve on the crest of a hill or similar location where
the grade leading into the curve is greater than the grade leading out of the curve. In a
crest curve, the point of vertical intersection (PVI) for the tangents is above the curve.
cross section See section.
curve to spiral (CS) A point where a curve meets a spiral is labeled as a CS.
cut slope The slope created when the base line falls below the existing ground line.
The resulting slope matching up into the existing ground is called a cut slope because
the existing ground must be cut (removed) during construction.
data band A graphic frame that is associated with a profile view object or section view
object. The data band contains annotations for the profile or section view, as well as for
the parent horizontal alignment. Some common annotations include elevation data,
stations, and cut/fill depths.
datum A reference value. All elevations or coordinates are set relative to this value. In
surveying, two datums (horizontal and vertical) are generally used.
For global coordinate systems, a datum refers to the ellipsoid information and the tech-
niques used to determine positions on the Earths surface. An ellipsoid is part of a datum
definition.
daylight line A line showing the line of zero cut or fill within the job area. Daylight
lines are also known as match lines.
decimal degree Expresses the minutes and seconds of an angle as its decimal equiva-
lent. For example, 330'36" equals 3.51 decimal degrees.
definition list A list that contains all the operations performed on a surface. By turn-
ing the items in the list on and off, you can modify the surface, return it to a previous
state, and so on.
degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) A representation of an angle in degrees, minutes,
and seconds in which a full circle contains 360 degrees, each degree 60 minutes, and
each minute 60 seconds. A typical bearing in DMS measurement looks like: N4545'58"E.
Using this format, 330'36" is entered as 3.3036.
Delaunay triangulation A calculation method used in the creation of TIN networks.
Given a set of data points, Delaunay triangulation produces a set of lines connecting
each point to its natural neighbors.
DEM (Digital Elevation Model) An array of elevations taken on a regularly spaced hor-
izontal grid.
description keys A method of translating descriptions to help standardize point data
if a variety of data sources are used. For example, descriptions of EROAD, EPAVE, ERD,
and EDGEROAD can all be translated to a description of EOP. The layer, point style and
point label style options can greatly enhance automatic base plan generation and the
overall organization of the drawing.
Glossary | 71
design rule A set of automatic constraints for some objects in the drawing that are
enforced by applying a specific style. For example, if you are laying out alignments, you
can specify a rule for a curve radius. See also constraint.
easting A linear distance eastwards from the North-South line which passes through
the origin of a grid. Equivalent to the X coordinate in an X, Y, Z coordinate system.
elevation The vertical distance from a datum to a point or object on the Earth's sur-
face. The datum is generally considered to be at sea level. Equivalent to the Z coordinate
in an X, Y, Z coordinate system.
existing ground profile A profile object that represents existing ground elevations
along a horizontal alignment or other linear feature that supports profile views. Typi-
cally this data is derived from an existing surface or data file, and consists of a series of
connected vertical tangent lines without vertical curves defined, although vertical
curves can be added if required.
face A three-dimensional surface triangle. A face is represented by either a 3D face
object or 3D line objects.
feature line An object in Autodesk Civil 3D that the grading commands can recognize
and use as a base line. Usually, a line that marks some important feature in the drawing,
such as a ridge line, or the bottom of a swale.
fill slope The slope created when the base line falls above the existing ground line. The
resulting slope matching down into the existing ground is called a fill slope because
material must be brought in to fill the area during construction.
finished ground profile A profile object that represents the finished ground eleva-
tions along a horizontal alignment or other linear feature that supports profile views.
Typically this data is designed, not derived from a pre-existing source, and consists of a
series of vertical tangents connected by vertical curves located at each point of vertical
intersection (PVI). This profile is also known as vertical alignment, profile grade line,
grade line, and finished grade profile.
fixed entity An alignment entity that is not necessarily tangent to any other entity to
define its geometry.
float entity An alignment entity that is tangent to one other entity (before or after) to
define its geometry.
footprint vertices The endpoints that define the segments of a footprint with an XYZ
location and stationing starting at the first vertex.
free entity An entity that is tangent to two other entities (before and after) to define
its geometry.
full description The expanded description of a point after description key matching
has taken place.
geodesic On a surface, the shortest line between two points. The line or curve from
one point along an ellipsoid to another.
geodetic A basic relationship to the Earth that takes into account the curvature of the
Earths sea level surface. For example, a geodetic distance is a distance or angle in which
the Earth's curvature is taken into account, versus a distance or angle measured on a flat
paper map.
72 | Glossary
grade A method of reporting ground inclination in which the change in elevation is
expressed as a percentage of the horizontal distance travelled. For example, if the ground
rises one linear unit (meter or foot) over a horizontal distance of five units, the grade is
20%. See also slope.
grade line See finished ground profile.
grading The process used to model the finished ground surface.
grading criteria The parameters that describe how the grading is accomplished. There
are two main components to grading criteria, the target type and the projection method.
grading face The area bounded by the baseline, the target line and the two projection
lines.
grading target The grading target defines what the projection lines from the footprint
will intercept. The three choices for targets are : surface, relative or absolute elevation,
and distance.
grads A system of angle measure in which one grad equals 1/100 of a 90 angle, or 360
= 400 grads.
grid A system of lines parallel to a given set of axes at a specific spacing. Grids are used
to visualize surfaces and calculate volumes. A grid is also used for geodetic purposes.
grid distance The distance between two points based on a coordinate zone, not on
local northing and easting coordinates.
grid easting The easting coordinate based on a selected coordinate zone, versus the
local easting, which is based on the surveyors base point.
grid northing The northing coordinate based on a selected coordinate zone, versus
the local northing, which is based on the surveyor's base point.
grid surface A type of surface created from a DEM or SDTS file, or imported from a
LandXML file. A grid surface consists of a sampled array of elevations for a number of
ground positions at regularly spaced intervals.
grid volume surface A difference grid surface based on user-specified base and com-
parison surfaces. The grid method of volume calculation measures the difference in ele-
vation between two surfaces at each intersection in a user-defined grid.
grip A moveable point on an object that you can drag to edit the object dynamically.
hectare A measure of area, generally relating to land, of 10,000 square meters or
approximately 2.47 acres
intersection The point where two or more lines, arcs, figures, or objects join or cross
in two- or three-dimensional space.
Kriging A method of surface smoothing that uses known values and a semivariogram
to determine unknown values. Based on the semivariogram used, optimal weights are
assigned to unknown values to calculate unknown ones. Since the variogram changes
with distance, the weights depend on the known sample distribution.
label set A collection of label definitions for multiple label types, such as station labels
and geometry point labels. For example, alignment station labeling can be composed of
major station labels, minor station labels, and geometry point labels.
Glossary | 73
latitude The angular distance measured on a meridian north or south from the equa-
tor.
layout toolbar A floating, dockable toolbar that groups together object-specific design
and editing tools.
local copy An object that is contained in a drawing that is associated to a project.
Compare with official copy.
local easting The easting coordinate based on the surveyor's assumed horizontal base
point, versus the grid easting, which is based on the global coordinate zone.
local elevation The elevation coordinate based on the surveyor's assumed vertical
base point, or benchmark, versus a real world elevation value.
local northing The northing coordinate based on the surveyor's assumed horizontal
base point, versus the grid northing, which is based on the global coordinate zone
longitude The angle between the plane of a given meridian and the plane of the
Greenwich meridian.
masking A process of obscuring objects so that text can be placed over them in a clear
area. Masking maintains legible text without destroying the objects underneath.
match line See daylight lines.
mid-ordinate On a circular arc, the distance from the midpoint of the chord to the
midpoint of the subtended arc.
modifier A formula for formatting property field values, such as decimal precision for
an area. You can use predefined modifiers, such as acres, feet, and meters, or you can
define a custom modifier.
Natural Neighbor Interpolation (NNI) A method of surface smoothing supported on
TIN surfaces. NNI uses Delaunay triangulation to determine the elevation of an arbitrary
point based on the elevations of known neighbor points.
non-destructive breakline A breakline that is not crossed by triangulation lines in a
TIN. Instead, new vertices are added to the breakline at the intersection of each TIN line
and the breakline. The new points create additional surface triangles. This is useful when
you do not want the elevation of a surface to be interpolated inside an area that you
know to be a constant elevation.
northing A linear distance northwards from the East-West line which passes through
the origin of a grid. Equivalent to the Y coordinate in an X, Y, Z coordinate system.
object In Autodesk Civil 3D, an element in the drawing, for example; a point, surface,
alignment, or profile, that can maintain an association with one or more other objects.
object model The underlying system of links and dependencies between objects. In
the object model, changes in one object can be passed on automatically to all the objects
associated with it.
official copy An object that is contained in the project. Compare with local copy.
override A value for a setting that replaces the value already set at the next higher
level.
74 | Glossary
Panorama A view that displays editable data in table form for the objects in the
selected collection. For example, if you select a point group, the Panorama table displays
a row for each point.
parcel A discrete piece of 2D area. For example, a subdivision is composed of numer-
ous parcels. Synonymous with lot.
parcel node A point where two or more parcel segment ends join.
parcel segment A parcel boundary element, a line or a curve.
pass-through point A point on the path of a line or curve, often used to define an
alignment. A pass-through point on a curve can be used as a grip to control the position
of the curve. However the aligment is edited, its geometry has to go through the pass-
through point.
passing sight distance The distance measured to a point where an approaching vehi-
cle comes into view ahead of a driver on an undivided road. This is used to calculate crest
vertical curves.
PI See point of intersection.
plan readable Text that can be read easily in a normal plan view, that is, placed at an
angle less than 270 degrees and more than 90 degrees. Also called right-reading.
plan view The view of a site if you look straight down from an elevated position.
point group Collection used to group the points in a project into smaller, more man-
ageable units. For example, you can create a point group that contains all of the points
in a project that meet certain elevation criteria.
point list The list of the points that belong to a point group.
point marker See point symbol.
point of curvature (PC) The point where an arc is drawn from a tangent.
point of intersection (PI) The point where two tangents meet on a horizontal align-
ment. Curves and spirals also have points of intersection, which are based on where the
tangents would meet if they were extended outward.
point of tangency (PT) The point where a curve meets a tangent.
point of vertical intersection (PVI) In a profile, the point where two tangent lines
meet.
point symbol A point location marker. When you add points to a drawing, point sym-
bols are created to represent the points. The point style referenced by a point describes
how the point symbol is drawn.
polyface A 3-dimensional (polygon) mesh object. Each face is capable of having
numerous vertices.
profile An object that contains elevation data along a horizontal alignment or other
line. There are two main types of profiles: existing ground and finished ground. Profile
data objects can be viewed within a profile view object.
profile grade line See finished ground profile.
profile view An object that manages the graphic display of profile data objects within
a drawing. A profile view is essentially a graph with two primary axes: the x-axis repre-
Glossary | 75
sents horizontal distance along the referenced horizontal alignment (or other linear fea-
ture) and the y-axis represents elevations. Profile view objects can also include grid dis-
play components and data bands.
projection lines The lines that designate face edges within a region for break points
on the baseline or the target line, and for the facets of curves (corner cleanup, vertical
curves).
properties The settings that apply to a particular instance of an object.
property fields The placeholders in labels that contain content, such as text or graph-
ics, along with format modifiers unique to specific features. Property fields can be
named and their values defined according to the feature with which they are associated.
See also modifier.
Prospector tab The part of the Toolspace that gives you access to drawing and project
objects. Objects are arranged in a hierarchy with folders and subfolders that you navi-
gate through in standard, Windows-Explorer fashion.
proximity breakline A polyline, representing a breakline, that is drawn without
snapping to points in the drawing. The northing, easting, and elevation of the breakline
vertices are determined from the nearest point contained in the surface point data, after
generating the surface.
PVI See point of vertical intersection.
quadrant One of the sections resulting from dividing a circle into four equal parts.
Quadrant 1 is the NE corner, and quadrants 2, 3, and 4 proceed clockwise around the
compass. Bearings are usually referenced by quadrant number.
radians A system of measure in which 2PI radians equals 360.
raw description The original description of a point, before description key matching
takes place. Often corresponds to the point description entered in the field by a surveyor.
raw station A station value on an alignment, either formatted or unformatted, that
does not take into account any station equations applied to the alignment.
region (grading) The area where grading criteria is applied to an alignment, a lot line,
or a feature line.
region (surface) A polygon used to mask the visible portions of the surface.
region lines The projection lines that designate the start and end of the grading
regions (criteria or transition) by connecting the base line to the target line.
right-of-way (ROW) The allowable work area for an alignment. Property lines of the
property owners who reside adjacent to the construction site generally specify these lim-
its, which are called right-of-way lines.
right-of-way parcel A parcel that is created from an alignment that crosses the origi-
nal parent parcel.
sag curve In a profile, a vertical curve at the bottom of a valley or similar location
where the grade leading into the curve is less than the grade leading out of the curve. In
a sag curve, the point of vertical intersection (PVI) for the tangents is below the curve.
sample The process of obtaining elevational information from an existing terrain
model or surface.
76 | Glossary
sample line A line, that typically cuts across an alignment, that can be used for creat-
ing cross sections.
SDTS (Spatial Data Transfer Standard) A file format is designed as a mechanism for the
transfer of spatial data between various computer systems. The SDTS format is designed
to transfer data with complete content transfer (no loss of information).
section An object that contains elevation data along a sample line.
settings A collection of properties and styles that apply to an object.
Settings tab The part of the Toolspace that organizes the styles for the different types
of objects.
shortcut menu A menu that is displayed when you select an object and then click the
right button of your mouse. Shortcut menus are context-sensitive so that only com-
mands that are relative to the object that you selected are displayed.
simple spiral A spiral where the large radius end has an infinite radius and the small
radius end has a finite radius, therefore providing a smooth transition from a tangent
(infinite radius end) to a curve (finite radius end).
site A collection of objects that are managed via common topology. The objects that
participate in the topology are parcels, alignments, and grading. See also topology.
slope A method of reporting surface inclination as a ratio that expresses the horizontal
distance in which the elevation changes by one linear unit. For example, if the ground
rises 3 units over a horizontal distance of 15 linear units (meters or feet), the slope is 5:1
(5 to 1). See also grade.
slope projection The method of grading to a target that is either Slope (H:V value) or
Grade (percentage value).
spiral See clothoid spiral and simple spiral.
spiral to curve (SC) A point where a spiral meets a curve.
spiral to tangent (ST) A point where a spiral meets a tangent.
spot elevation The elevation of a single point in the drawing. Used to define areas that
are sparse in contour data when generating a TIN using contour information. Areas that
may also need spot elevations are the top of hills, valleys, and bottom of swales.
stacked text When a label is dragged from its point of origin, label text can be re-
arranged by specifying settings for text justification, text height, and relationship to bor-
ders.
standard breakline A breakline defined from selecting consecutive points or point
numbers, or selected 3D polyline or 3D line objects.
station A distance along a horizontal alignment.
stationing The labeling that provides a reference when talking about a specific point
along the reference baseline.
station equation A point on an alignment that defines a change in the station values
after that point.
stopping sight distance The distance required to safely stop a vehicle, traveling at
design speed, to avoid a collision with any other non-moving objects obstructing the
travel path.
Glossary | 77
stratum The difference between two surfaces that exist in a drawing, usually the exist-
ing ground surface and a finished ground surface, which used for calculating volumes.
style A logical collection of settings that applies to a class of objects (surface, align-
ment, etc). Styles simplify the process of apply settings by simply referencing a style.
Modifying a style affects all the objects referencing that style.
subdivision An unimproved tract of land surveyed and divided into parcels for pur-
poses of sales.
surface A network or of elevational data (either TIN or Grid). The points of a surface
are connected into either triangles or a grid, which are then used to interpolate contours,
and to generate profiles and cross-sections. A surface represents the ground condition at
a particular time or event.
surface border See border (surface).
surface boundary See boundary (surface).
surface distance The distance between two points, measured along the ground sur-
face. On a sloped surface, the distance between two points can also be measured as a hor-
izontal distance and a vertical distance.
surface smoothing A process that interpolates and extrapolates surface data to derive
additional elevation values. Kriging and Natural Neighbor Interpolation (NNI) are the
two methods of surface smoothing.
tangent A straight line segment that forms part of a horizontal alignment or profile.
Tangent distances are measured as the horizontal distance between the two end points.
target The element of grading design criteria that determines what the grading is
going to intercept. A target can be a surface, absolute elevation, relative elevation, or dis-
tance.
target line The target line is either the resulting geometry created by applying grading
criteria to a baseline, or an existing alignment, or lot line that was selected as the target.
template A collection of default settings and styles used to create a drawing.
terminators Graphics, such as arrowheads, ticks, or crows feet, that display at the end
of lines, arcs, or spirals.
tick A component of a label that is usually a mark (or short line) inserted in a series at
perpendicular angles to another object, such as a line or curve.
TIN surface Triangular Irregular Network. A TIN is the most common method of
interpolating elevational data. The points are connected into triangles which are used
to interpolate for contours, and to generate profiles and cross-sections. The lines that
make up the surface triangulation are called TIN lines.
TIN volume surface A differential surface created from a composite of points based on
base and comparison surface. Also known as a differential surface.
Toolspace A window that provides an object-oriented view of your engineering
projects. The Toolspace is divided into two parts or tabs: Prospector tab and Settings tab.
topography The features of the actual surface of the Earth.
78 | Glossary
topology A set of geometric connections between objects. Objects linked by topology
maintain their relationships with one another. In Autodesk Civil 3D, objects that share
the same topology are grouped together in a site. See also site.
transition region An area of a grading that blends the control regions on either side
of it. A transition region has no design criteria assigned to it.
transparent command A command that can be run while another command is in
progress. Transparent commands begin with an apostrophe ().
triangle area The 2-dimensional (2D) area of a triangle face computed from the north-
ing and easting of each triangle point. The total triangle area is the sum of all 2D triangle
areas with the surface boundary(s).
trim (surface) The process of removing unwanted TIN lines from a surface, thereby
removing triangles.
vertical alignment See profile.
vertical curve A curve used on a profile (most commonly on finished ground profiles)
to provide a gradual change in slope from one tangent to the other.There are three types
of vertical curve: parabolic, circular, and asymmetrical.
vertical exaggeration An increase of vertical scale relative to horizontal scale, used to
make grade changes easier to differentiate. See vertical scale.
vertical scale The scale that is compared to the horizontal scale to calculate the verti-
cal exaggeration in profiles and cross sections. It does not actually change the scale that
is used when the drawing is plotted.
void region An area along a base line where grading has not been applied, creating a
gap in the grading.
volume surface A surface that is created by calculating volumes using the grid (differ-
ential) or TIN (composite) methods. The surface is created from the two surfaces that
make up the stratum. The elevational values of a volume surface are actually the differ-
ence between the two surfaces. For example, at point 1000,1000, the bottom surface has
an elevation of 100, and the top surface has an elevation of 150. The elevation of point
1000,1000 on the volume surface is the difference between the two surfaces, which is 50.
wall breakline A breakline that represents surface features such as retaining walls,
curbs, bridge abutments, and so on.
watershed The catchment area for rainfall that is delineated as the drainage area pro-
ducing runoff. Base flow in a stream also usually comes from the same area.
weeding The removal of points along a selected polyline representing a contour. The
weeding factors determine the amount of points removed. You can use weeding to
reduce the amount of point information taken from the contours that may not be nec-
essary to generate an accurate surface. See also weeding factors.
weeding factors The settings used to reduce redundant points along the contours by
ignoring contour vertices that are close together or along a straight line. A larger dis-
tance and deflection angle will weed a greater number of points.
Glossary | 79
80
Index
A Check Out command 28

child override, explanation of 30
Add To Project command 28 circular curves 60
alignments civil engineers, and Autodesk Civil 3D 3
and grading 50 collections
and profiles 60 introduction to 5
and sections 64 item view of contents 12
concepts for 56 of objects 8
create (exercise) 59 of styles 9, 32
editing with grips 14 commands
LiveView exercise 58 check in and out 28
alignments, horizontal 56 from layout tools 12
analysis, of surface 46 from shortcut menus 11
angle, of labels 34 settings for 30
appearance compliance, with standards 26, 36
of labels 34 components
of objects 36 of a grading object 51
Ask Me tab, in Help 20 of alignments 56
asymmetric parabolic curves 60 of an object 38
AutoCAD properties 16 of labels 34
Autodesk Civil 3D of parcels 53
editing methods 12 concepts
exercises with 41 alignments 56
general concepts 23 feature-specific 41
highlights of 3 general 23
installation of 2 grading 50
introduction to 1 learning 19
learning 19 overview of 23
menus in 10 parcels 52
objects used by 4 points 42
program code for 3 profiles 60
sample data 1 sections 64
user interface overview 7 styles 34
Autodesk Land Desktop, migrating from 17 surfaces 46
constraints, for alignments 56
content samples 18
B copying styles to another drawing 36
base line, grading 50 criteria, grading 50
boundaries, definition of 46 cross sections 64
boundary lines, parcels 52 curves
breaklines, definition of 46 editing (exercise) 63
in alignment 56
in profiles 60
C
CAD manager, and Autodesk Civil 3D 36
CD Browser 2
center line, for sections 64
Check In command 28
81
D E
data bands editing
for profiles 60 alignments 56
for section views 64 consistency of methods 12
database, points 42 of styles 33
defaults profiles 60
for drawing settings 30 properties (exercise) 44
for layers 58 properties of objects 15
standard style 32 using grips 13
definition list, for surfaces 46 with item view 12
definitions of terms 69 with Panorama window 14
dependencies between objects 25 elevation analysis, illustration of 46
deployment, network 2 engineering technicians, and Autodesk Civil 3D 3
description keys 42 exercises
design standards 26 alignments 58
dialog boxes files for 41
Create Points 42 parcels 54
Label Style Composer 34 points 44
Layer Properties Manager 38 profiles 62
Layout Tools 12 purpose of 19
Properties 45 sections 66
Style Editor 32, 38 surfaces 48
Style Editor (exercise) 48 existing ground profile 61
differential surfaces 46 expanding folders 8
display management
and layers 38
and styles 36 F
Display tab, using (exercise) 49 face, grading 50
documentation feature line, grading 50
list of 19 features
what to search 20 concepts for 41
drafters, and Autodesk Civil 3D 3 learning about 19
drag-and-drop styles 36 menus for 10
drainage analysis, surface 46 settings for 30
drawing settings finished grade profile 61
editing (exercise) 58 folders
introduction to 30 and project management 28
drawings in Toolspace 8
and point groups 42
creation, consistency in 26
for exercises 41 G
presentation, consistency of 26
Getting Started Guide
settings for 30
description of 19
dws files 26
sample data location 18
dwt files 26, 32
glossary, using 23
dynamic updates 24
grading
concepts for 50
criteria, definition of 50
parts of 50
grading group
introduction to 50
pasting to a surface 50
graph
for profile view 60
for section views 64
graphical view of objects 12
82 | Index
grid surfaces 46 L
grip editing
introduction to 13 label sets
of alignment (exercise) 62 for sections 64
of alignments 56 introduction to 34
profiles 60 Label Style Composer 6
using (exercise) 54
labels
H angle of 34
appearance of 34
hatch pattern, for parcels 52
components of 34
Help system
customizing 34
Ask Me tab 20
editing (exercise) 54
index to 21
for parcel area and segments 52
introduction to 20
for points 42
keyword index 21
for sections 64
narrowing down search results 20
introduction to 6
search for words 22
label styles 34
hierarchy
location of 34
of objects 8
plan readability 34
of site and parcels 52
preview window 6
horizontal alignments 56
rotating 34
HTML Help 20
styles and standards 26
LandXML, importing 17
I Layer Properties Manager 38
using (exercise) 62
icons layers
for objects 4 and styles 38
for point groups 44 for imported points 42
for styles 48 properties of 38
importing specifying (exercise) 58
Autodesk Land Desktop data 17 layout tools, dialog boxes for 12
LandXML 17 learning Autodesk Civil 3D 19
points 42 lines, projection 50
index to Help topics 21 list view of objects 12
installation LiveView exercises
of sample data 18 alignments 58
overview 2 introduction to 41
intelligent objects 36 parcels 54
interface points 44
ease of use emphasis 4 profiles 62
overview 7 sections 66
item view surfaces 48
as editing method 12 local copies, of project files 28
displaying (exercise) 44 location, of labels 34
Style column 49 lot lines, for grading 50
K M
keywords, in Help 21 Master View of projects 28
menus
comparison between 10
consistency of 10
shortcut 11
merging parcels 52
migrating from Autodesk Land Desktop 17
Index | 83
N plan readability, for labels 34
plotting sections 64
navigation, of objects 8 point groups
network concepts 42
and project files 28 icons for 44
installation on a 2 point-label styles 43
points
concepts for 42
O creating 42
object model LiveView exercise 44
concept of 24 styles for 42
example of 3 polylines
illustration of 25 convert to alignments 56
object-oriented convert to feature lines 50
definition of 3 convert to parcels 52
intelligent objects 36 pond grading 50
view of projects 8 preview, for labels 6
objects profile views, description of 60
and Settings tab 9 profiles
and Toolspace 8 and alignments 60
collections of 8 automatic update 62
dependencies 24 concepts for 60
display of 38 LiveView exercise 62
display of, using styles 36 types of 60
editing methods 12 project database, for points 42
grip editing 13 projection lines, grading 50
hierarchy 8 projection method, grading 50
item view of 12 projects
labeling of 34 Autodesk Land Desktop 17
layout tools 12 in Toolspace 8
list of, with icons 4 management of 28
properties of 15 phases of 36
relationships between 3 properties
right-clicking 11 AutoCAD 16
styles for 32 changing styles 49
styles, introduction to 5 editing (exercise) 44
updated 24 introduction to 15
workflow for 10 of layers 38
official copies, of project files 28 Prospector tab
overrides and project management 28
display properties 38 introduction to 8
explanation of 30 item view 12
for point groups 42 Master View 28
for settings 30 properties of objects 15
shortcut menus 11
PVIs, profile 60
P
Panorama window, editing with 14
parabolic curves 60 R
parcels raw description
concepts for 52 introduction to 42
LiveView exercise 54 viewing (exercise) 45
styles for 52 rebuilding surfaces 46
pasting grading into a surface 50 regions, surface 46
phases of a project 36 relationships between objects 3
phrase, finding in Help 22 and object model 24
PIs, alignment 56 revisions, of design data 24
84 | Index
right-click menu content 11 and Settings tab 9
rotating labels 34 and standards 26
copying to another drawing 36
creating (exercise) 48
S editing method 5
sample data examples, different 26
for exercises 41 for grading 50
for Getting Started Guide 18 for labels 6, 34
for tutorials 18 for objects 32
overview 1 for parcels 52
provided on the CD 18 for points 42
styles and settings 18 for profile views 60
sample lines 64 for sample lines 64
search engine, in Help system 20 for section views 64
search results, best 20 for surfaces 46
searching for tables 34
documentation components 20 introduction to 5
for a word or phrase 22 sample data for 18
section view 64 standard, or default 32
sections table 5
concepts for 64 types of 5
LiveView exercise 66 subdivisions, designing 52
plotting 64 support, technical 2
segments, parcel 52 surfaces
server analysis of 46
and points database 42 and profiles 60
for project files 28 concepts for 46
settings created from grading 50
display properties 38 drainage analysis 46
levels of 30 LiveView exercise 48
overriding 30 styles for 46
Settings tab 9 types of 46
and drawing settings 30 symbol, point 42
and label styles 34
and styles 32
expanding styles (exercise) 48 T
shortcut menus 11 table, item view 12
shared access tables, styles for 5, 34
to points database 42 tangents, for profiles 60
to project files 28 target, grading 50
shortcut menus 11 technical support 2
sites templates
and parcels 52 and standards 26
introduction to 8 and styles 32
smoothing, surface 46 provided on the CD 18
spirals, in alignments 56 terms, definitions 69
Standard style 32 text, editing, for labels (exercise) 55
standards TIN surfaces 46
and styles 36 Toolspace
compliance with 26 as part of interface 7
file for 26 introduction to 8
static profiles 60 item view 12
station equations, alignment 56 Prospector tab 8
Style Editor 38 Settings tab 9
styles topics, Help 21
and display management 36 topology, site 8, 52
and layers 38 triangulation, surface 46
Index | 85
tutorials
description of 19
sample data location 18
U
update
of labels 34
of objects 24
of parcels 52
of profiles 60
of sections 64
of surfaces 50
upside-down labels 34
usability highlights 4
V
vertical alignments 60
volume surfaces 46
W
watershed analysis 46
workflow
creating and editing 10
engineering 26
of design team 24
World Coordinate System, and labels 34
Z
zooming (exercise) 44
86

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Autodesk Civil 3D 2004

21604-010000-5000A October 2003

Chapter 2 General Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Welcome to Autodesk Civil 3D 2004! Autodesk Civil 3D In this chapter

of the most significant features and provides a quick tour

of the user interface.

Installing on a Single Computer

CD Browser showing installation page

Highlights of Autodesk Civil 3D | 3

List of objects and their icons

Each type of object has a

The triangle icon

Each type of label also

Style collection folders on the Settings tab of the Toolspace window

To create a new style or to edit an existing style, whether it is for an align-

Highlights of Autodesk Civil 3D | 5

Label Style Composer dialog box showing a point label style

Autodesk Civil 3D User Interface

4 Standardized menus, for consistent access to the full range of commands.

5 Tabbed property editors, for easy modification of individual objects.

User Interface Overview | 7

The Prospector Tab

Folders and subfolders

The Prospector tab in Toolspace

Each type of object can

The Settings tab in Toolspace

User Interface Overview | 9

Comparison of the Points, Parcels, and Alignments menus

Shortcut menus for an alignment and a parcel on the Prospector tab

User Interface Overview | 11

Layout tools for Grading (above) and Alignments (below)

Consistent Editing Methods

Click a table cell to

Item view showing a set of points

User Interface Overview | 13

Editing an alignment by dragging the grip in the center of a curve

Panorama window showing an alignment

User Interface Overview | 15

Editing AutoCAD properties for an alignent

Select the data you want

Importing surfaces from an Autodesk Land Desktop project

Content, such as prototype data, drawing-specific settings, and label styles is

Migrating Data From Autodesk Land Desktop | 17

Tutorial Drawing Files

Getting Started Guide Drawing Files

Sample Content Data

Getting Started Guide

How To Learn Autodesk Civil 3D | 19

The topics appear with the

Using the Ask Me tab to perform a best-match search containing a phrase

Index entries display a list

Using the Index to find topics containing a keyword

How To Learn Autodesk Civil 3D | 21

Double-click the topic

Using Search to find topics containing a phrase

LiveView exercises in Chapter 3. However, if you want Settings

Type of Object Objects Updated

surfaces grading, profiles

alignments grading, profiles, sections

24 | Chapter 2 General Concepts

GradingChanges to a grading affect

PointsAdding or removing a point

Exploded representation of the object model showing dependencies between objects