Topic: How to determine start point of a polyline?

[yarnstormer]

I'm editing a large file that I did not begin that contains a number of lines to indicate sewer lines. I edit the beginning and end Z coordinates to properly elevate the line and use a custom "above w slope" label to label the distance, pipe size and slope.

Some of the lines are drawn in the wrong direction. I know how to switch the direction but what I don't know is if there is a way to know in advance if it's drawn wrong. I have to change the label style, curse appropriately, then reverse direction and redo the invert elevations. In some cases I don't want to have the label change immediately because I want to compare my cad calculated slopes to what I assume are manually calculated slopes from when this project was begun. So it would be nice to know in advance which ones were buggered up.

I am drawing in Civil 3D but this not a true sewer network - it's just a map we maintain for planning purposes.

Any ideas for some sort of query I can use to check the direction before labeling? maybe some elusive grip info?

Workaround - create a label style with just an arrow and insert it on the line perhaps so I don't have to dump my current labeling until I'm sure I have new info entered. sounds tedious.

[ronjonp]

Maybe a quick visual cue would be to make a linetype with '>' as the character and apply it to all your lines. Then you can easily see the direction.

[yarnstormer]

Good idea - can always switch em back after if I don't like the look.

Keep em coming!

[ronjonp]

Can you post the file with a "right & wrong" scenario?

[mjfarrell]

I'm editing a large file that I did not begin that contains a number of lines to indicate sewer lines. I edit the beginning and end Z coordinates to properly elevate the line and use a custom "above w slope" label to label the distance, pipe size and slope.

Some of the lines are drawn in the wrong direction. I know how to switch the direction but what I don't know is if there is a way to know in advance if it's drawn wrong. I have to change the label style, curse appropriately, then reverse direction and redo the invert elevations. In some cases I don't want to have the label change immediately because I want to compare my cad calculated slopes to what I assume are manually calculated slopes from when this project was begun. So it would be nice to know in advance which ones were buggered up.

I am drawing in Civil 3D but this not a true sewer network - it's just a map we maintain for planning purposes.

Any ideas for some sort of query I can use to check the direction before labeling? maybe some elusive grip info?

Workaround - create a label style with just an arrow and insert it on the line perhaps so I don't have to dump my current labeling until I'm sure I have new info entered. sounds tedious.

I would suggest you convert them to feature lines....it will make assigning the elevations and calculating slopes much easier.

[yarnstormer]

I have not worked with feature lines. Can you give me a quick explanation?
Would I have to redo each label etc?

This is the entire sewer network for a largish county. I hesitate to reinvent the wheel in case some one else wants to edit the drawing down the line and is not familiar with feature lines either. I get fussed at for using mtext!

[mjfarrell]

well then....perhaps feature lines are not the way to go...

except the labels would be dynamic

perhaps a different option is to create them as Parcel Lines and then put elevations on them....

or draw them as pipes...easier to put elevation on them...

Just use Create Pipe Network from Object.....


The reason I'm pointing you in this direction....is eventual output as SDF (spatial data format)

You are technically creating a GIS data set and that SDF file could then be attached to MAP and maintained using MAP moving forward

[yarnstormer]

The reason I'm pointing you in this direction....is eventual output as SDF (spatial data format)

You are technically creating a GIS data set and that SDF file could then be attached to MAP and maintained using MAP moving forward

You are preaching to the choir man but I'm sorta stuck with this plan for now. I am at least allowed to give GIS dept info now. Took a couple of years to get to that point. Engineers + GIS = drama. At least in my hood.

Here's at bit of the file. Not a huge hassle just thought there might be a way to tell what direction lines were going that I was unaware of.

[Mark]

I would suggest you convert them to feature lines....it will make assigning the elevations and calculating slopes much easier.

Close Civil3D and reboot your computer

You sound like a damn Autodesk salesperson.

[ronjonp]

The reason I'm pointing you in this direction....is eventual output as SDF (spatial data format)

You are technically creating a GIS data set and that SDF file could then be attached to MAP and maintained using MAP moving forward

You are preaching to the choir man but I'm sorta stuck with this plan for now. I am at least allowed to give GIS dept info now. Took a couple of years to get to that point. Engineers + GIS = drama. At least in my hood.

Here's at bit of the file. Not a huge hassle just thought there might be a way to tell what direction lines were going that I was unaware of.

Seems like the linetype would be the easiest visual indicator if you're doing this by hand anyways.

[mjfarrell]

I would suggest you convert them to feature lines....it will make assigning the elevations and calculating slopes much easier.

Close Civil3D and reboot your computer

You sound like a damn Autodesk salesperson.

Nah, you know I don't SELL the software....I do however provide TRAINING and or Continuing Education services for professionals at all levels.

[yarnstormer]

[/quote]
Seems like the linetype would be the easiest visual indicator if you're doing this by hand anyways.
[/quote]

I like it. I'll just pull all of my sewer files up and straighten them all out once and for all.

[ronjonp]

If you want to send me the file, I could probably whip up some code to orient them correctly for you. Doing this by hand seems extremely tedious.

[mjfarrell]

Actually another method...would be to convert them to parcel lines en mass

This combined with segment direction label style will allow you to know what direction they are going in all at once.

Combine this with the  _AeccReverseFeature command will then let you reverse them if they are going the wrong way.

Side benefit they can then be exported as SDF

[yarnstormer]

If you want to send me the file, I could probably whip up some code to orient them correctly for you. Doing this by hand seems extremely tedious.

Interesting. How would you decide which/how to orient them? High end is the start? What would happen if some were not yet elevated? It is the process of elevating that is aggravating.

Could you write something that let me pick a line near one end, manually enter an elevation for that end, and would then request an elevation for the other end. If possible it might reverse the line by using the higher elevation as the new starting point.
I honestly don't care what direction they "think" they are going I just get aggravated that I can't tell in properties which end is which until I change the elevations.