Topic: Pipe Invert Labels in Profile

[dfarris75]

I am attempting to create a label style to label the inverts of my pipes in profile. I created a component for "flow direction arrow", "up invert", and "down invert". The up invert and down invert use the flow direction arrow begin and end respectively as the anchor. The flow direction arrow is set to use the bottom inner diameter of the pipe (begin and end) as the anchor point.

The problem is that with the pipes that flow from right to left in the profile view it is placing the flow direction arrow on the top inner diameter instead of the bottom...?

Anyone know how to fix that?

[jugglerbri]

Perhaps an expression would do the trick. Something along the lines of...

IF({Pipe Start Station}<{Pipe End Station},pi/2,3*pi/2)

and apply that to the rotation of the label.

If you need some more help with expressions, and you have access to it, I did a class at AU2009 on expressions:
http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=5143

[mjfarrell]

post or send me a copy of what you have...and I'll fold spindle and mutilate it to see what I can advise you to do.


If I understand it is using WRONG anchor/insertion point, not pointing arrow in wrong direction; right?

[dfarris75]

The flow direction arrow is pointing the correct direction. It's just placing it at the "top inner diameter" instead of the "bottom inner diameter" for some reason. It appears to only do this on the pipes that flow from right to left within the profile view. I thought it perhaps might have something to do with the flow direction settings in the pipe props, but I'm not so sure... strangeness

[mjfarrell]

The flow direction arrow is pointing the correct direction. It's just placing it at the "top inner diameter" instead of the "bottom inner diameter" for some reason. It appears to only do this on the pipes that flow from right to left within the profile view. I thought it perhaps might have something to do with the flow direction settings in the pipe props, but I'm not so sure... strangeness

Thought so; just wanted to qualify that before you went down the expression(s) rabbit hole.

You sending me a file yet?

[dfarris75]

No. I don't want to get in trouble with the teacher for cheating.

[mjfarrell]

No. I don't want to get in trouble with the teacher for cheating.

what teacher would that be?   

[dfarris75]

file is en route...

perhaps there is a better way to accomplish the pipe invert labels? i notice when i have a pipe that spans two profile views the label doesn't work efficiently.

[mjfarrell]

file is en route

Apparemment, ce serait votre professeur de français.

 

[dfarris75]

Ne pas être un clown. 

[mjfarrell]

Do you have a particualr Pipe Run and Station where this is happening?

Either I can't see it where it is happening, OR simply opening the file in 2011 'solves' the issue.
And I know that isn't an acceptable answer for your case.

[mjfarrell]

Ne pas être un clown. 

Je ne suis pas un clown, mais j'ai été pris pour un mime au moins une fois.

[dfarris75]

Mieux vaut un mime d'une morue. 

Actually there likely aren't any instances of the label in there unless you add them. I think I had only added a few and then deleted them. Try adding a few in there...

[mjfarrell]

Mieux vaut un mime d'une morue. 

Actually there likely aren't any instances of the label in there unless you add them. I think I had only added a few and then deleted them. Try adding a few in there...

OH...so I'm looking for labels that ARE NOT even placed on the pipes....nice!

I though I was losing my mind. (or at least my codpiece)

[mjfarrell]

I think I fixed the issue without knowing....

Before you answered I had changed the order of your components.
you had:
Up Inv
Flow direction
Dn Inv
This produced wrong anchorage

I changed to
Flow direction
Up Inv
Dn Inv

Anchor point appears to be honored

Also you want to look in to using the SPANNING pipes labels when your pipes SPAN profile views.

[dfarris75]

Doesn't look like that fixed it for me.

[mjfarrell]

Doesn't look like that fixed it for me.

OK, place some of those BAD labels...zoom to that window...and send me the file again.
I could be placing them (only) where they work, or they could just be working correctly within 2011.


Or

Do what I did

Deleted the Up Inv component
COPY the Dn Inv component
adjust X offset as required

[dfarris75]

I'm sure it just works in 2011. Maybe I oughta just use a profile view label, then adjust as necessary if and when there are changes made. :sigh: 

[dfarris75]

It seems it's just the ones that flow right to left in the profile view. Like the ones in the first profile view near the top left for catawba. (example - s-311 to s-312)

[dfarris75]

Actually, a regular profile view label may be better anyway. That way I could click and drag. Why didn't they create an invert label for pipes that would be suitable for these purposes I wonder...?

[dfarris75]

What would I set the "Format result as" to in the expression builder? I'll give that deal a whirl.

[dfarris75]

I guess rotation? I did that and it got all squeaky on me. yikes!

[mjfarrell]

I guess rotation? I did that and it got all squeaky on me. yikes!

Try Direction, or Angle...only I'm fair certain that path leads to nowhere; not even The Dark Side.

[dfarris75]

How annoying. I also just noticed that my other pipe labels are doing the same thing. Ones flowing left to right are on top of the flow direction arrow. Ones flowing right to left are on bottom. Giving me a civil 3d headache. Anyone got an ice pack?

[mjfarrell]

How annoying. I also just noticed that my other pipe labels are doing the same thing. Ones flowing left to right are on top of the flow direction arrow. Ones flowing right to left are on bottom. Giving me a civil 3d headache. Anyone got an ice pack?

NOW, can I see a file WITH the offending labels in clear sight?

Ice pack; no.

Ice Pick; yes!  Just incase you want to lobotomize yourself.   

[jugglerbri]

Got it. Don't think of the label being above or below the arrow, think of it as being left or right of the arrow. The expression I gave you before will work but, you have to have an alignment associated with the pipes (make sure it's the alignment of the profile view). If the pipe isn't associated with an alignment, there is no start or end station. Apply that expression to the rotation of the label (you may have to change the greater than or less than symbol to get it above or below).

[dfarris75]

Format result as: angle ?

[dfarris75]

Any way to modify that label to look more like these in dragged state? Right now if you drag it you get the two inverts as stacked text pointing to the middle of the pipe. I reckon one would have to create two styles, but how to get the leader to point at the actual invert of the pipe end?

[jugglerbri]

Format as double.

As for the dragged state, you are pretty much stuck with not dragging it unless you create a label for up and a label for down but then, as you point out, the arrow still goes to the center of the pipe.

I was going to recommend a profile view label with a reference text but you can't reference a pipe network into a profile view label.

[mjfarrell]

As I thought; most of the issue is resolved with the later version.  And that is no help for this user.

The dragged state as mentioned above CAN NOT be solved until autodesk wakes up and vastly improves our options for both Pipe and Structure labels.

Where is WEDDING to help get this ball rolling in the right direction?

We really need a Pipe Label set for Plan view, and a Pipe Label Set for Profile views.
And the same for structures, with far more control of where the labels get anchored to those components.
As most of us in the Civil world know that we label structures, and pipes far different in Plan view than we do in the Profile(s) of our plan sets.
And it's a little tiring to have to make a Plan Label and a Profile label for each pipe in our plans.

[dfarris75]

Brian, I can't get it to work with the expression. Are you using the expression in the rotation of the flow direction arrow or the text?

It will work if I create two label styles and assign the flow direction arrow to the bottom inner diameter and to the top inner diameter on the other while adjusting the attachment of the text component for each as necessary.

Of course I still have no dragged state ability that satisfies. Mike suggested over the phone just using the pipe labels during the design phase and then adding the profile view labels in the final drafting phase to save any time that may be otherwise wasted moving the profile view labels to and fro during design. I'm thinking that will be the best choice at this point.

[jugglerbri]

You know, for some reason I thought you were in 2010 but now I realize you are in 2008. I don't have 08 installed on this machine. What I'll do is make a video showing the steps I took and then you can try and recreate it on your end.

http://screencast.com/t/xwiksgeTE

[dfarris75]

Oh I see you applied it to the text components. Thanks a lot for the video. I appreciate your efforts.