Topic: Lisp routine needed for the 3d slope distance from a existing ground profile

[sourdough]

Hi all, has anybody ever made a lisp routine to calculate the 3d slope distance (not the horz. dist) of a profile existing ground profile, and have it label at an interval defined by a user? We need to label this in the profile view only.

This is not part of a pipe network.

Thanks in advance.

Our company is using C3D 2011.

MJP

[Jeff_M]

The Tangent labels don't work for you? Between a label style showing the slope length and a weeding factor, it should be what you need.

[sourdough]

Jeff, as far as I can see in the components for a profile label there is no way to have the actual 3d slope distance to display within a profile of existing ground by station interval.

Thanks for the suggestion.

MJP

[Jeff_M]

A profile line label style text component has in it's properties:
Tangent Horizontal Length
Tangent Slope Length (this is the 3d length)

Giving you a label that can look like this:

[Jeff_M]

True the interval cannot be set, but does the use of the weeding value get you close?

[sourdough]

Jeff, no it has to follow the profile directly. Think of it in this perspective. Say I have a continuous pipeline and we place a Tracer (Pig) in the line and it stops at a certain point. We want to label the slope distance traveled (not the horz dist), and at intervals.

That is what we are trying to find in a label or routine.

Again, thanks for the input.

MJP

[Jeff_M]

Can you provide a picture/drawing showing what you want? Are the 3d distances cumulative over multiple grade breaks?

[sourdough]

Jeff, the 3d distances are to be labeled as cumulative along the profile. See attachment for the profile snapshot. What we want to get in the end is on major intervals and also be able to do a spot along the profile.

MJP

[Jeff_M]

OK, I get it now, Mike. Not a simple task, and I'm not sure it can be done with lisp. I'll ponder it for a bit when I get some free time.

[sourdough]

Thanks, Jeff

[Cathy]

MJP,
I am now looking for exactly the same thing.  What did you end up doing?  I generally hate exploding things, but I think I can get a 3d polyline with true length if I explode the profile. 

[sourdough]

MJP,
I am now looking for exactly the same thing.  What did you end up doing?  I generally hate exploding things, but I think I can get a 3d polyline with true length if I explode the profile.

Well, the way we did it was copy your dwg you are working in with the profile you want slope distance with (make sure you make your profile 1:1), then select your profile line only, explode it, and move it far away from your profile, and explode again as it is a block. This will destroy your profile in most cases, thus the copy of the dwg. After the 2nd explode you will have line segments. Flatten all of those, and make a polyline of all of those segments. Then, make it an alignment of the new polyline with same station as your profile. Remake a new profile, and then take your alignment and place at 0+00 of your profile line (profile with vertical exaggeration) . (see attachment) You then will be able to label the alignment within the profile and find the slope distance. Now you know why I was hoping to find a lisp routine... slope dist of the pipe.  It is very handy to provide this to the pipe purchase person.
It is up to you to decide if you want to copy that alignment into your good dwg. I like to make a label in the temp dwg to show the labels, and then make a multi-leader text with that info and copy into your good dwg. Yes, this is a pain. One would think they might have thought of this before for C3D. I would like to know if the latest version of C3D can do this... anybody?

MJP

[Cathy]

Wow, that's quite a few steps!  Thanks!