Topic: Vertical Curve Line Extensions

[dfarris75]

Is there a way to have more control over the display of vertical curve line extensions? I want them to look like the attached, but haven't quite figured it out yet. I only see where to turn them on/off and change display properties.

[mjfarrell]

yes there is.....it's all in the style

[dfarris75]

The curve label style? I tried to add a "line" to the label style and anchor it to the curve start/end and the pvi, but it doesn't allow to change the length (I guess because it's anchored to the start/end). I'm not sure how to get around that... *thinking*

[Jeff_M]

The Start & End lines...the ends are likely anchored to the Dimension line. Add a Y offset of whatever you want them extended. Your text components for the BVC & EVC are probably anchored to the ends of those lines, change the X vale of those to be whatever they are currently (mine were 0.05) to include the negative of the new extension distance...I added 0.10 to mine, so my new X offset for the text components became -0.15.

[dfarris75]

I'm talking about the other extension lines that sprout out from the pvi. In the profile style you can turn these extensions on or off. I have turned them off in hopes to add this component to my label style. I have the pvi station and offset as well as the vertical line at the pvi. I have used the standard marker style for the circle at the pvi. Now I just need those two extensions that represent that actual vertical curve extension lines. I just can't figure out how to get those on there. If I turn on the vertical curve extension lines in the profile style then they go all the way from the pvi to the beginning/ending of the vertical curve. I don't want that. I want them shorter as depicted in the previously attached graphic.

[Jeff_M]

gotcha....oops

Christopher showed how to do this on his Blog:
http://blog.civil3dreminders.com/2008/09/using-hidden-label-components.html

[dfarris75]

Hey thanks for the link. I was thinking maybe it would require some "things not seen". It just hadn't hit me yet.

[dfarris75]

That guy says to use 3 lines total when it can be done in 2.

[Jeff_M]

You need 3 when you want the gap from the ends of the curve to be the same no matter the length of the curve. Only 2 are needed if the length of the visible tangents are always the same.

[ChristopherF]

That guy says to use 3 lines total when it can be done in 2.

I usually don't spend a lot of time optimizing the label styles. Once I get the look/function requested I post it. Sometimes things can be done in less steps or differently. Sometimes I over think it and make it more complicated than it needs to be.

[mjfarrell]

one would hope you would put a little more energy in 'perfecting' a solution prior to offering it....
the reason being; I am currently revising a bunch of such Hastily offered 'solutions' that were foisted off on the group I am now training, by some autodesk instructor.......it isn't much fun to watch people redo work on styles and settings that they are vested in because it doesn't work as it should

[Jeff_M]

I hate to disagree, Michael. But when showing someone HOW to do something it is often best for the person learning to complete the task once shown how it can be done. Christopher was not asked to give a solution, he was asked how it could be done and he offered up one way to do so. It is then up to the person utilizing that method to perfect it how they deem necessary.

Now, if he were being paid to create a finished solution then you bet it had better be exactly that, but this was not the case.

[ChristopherF]

one would hope you would put a little more energy in 'perfecting' a solution prior to offering it....
the reason being; I am currently revising a bunch of such Hastily offered 'solutions' that were foisted off on the group I am now training, by some autodesk instructor.......it isn't much fun to watch people redo work on styles and settings that they are vested in because it doesn't work as it should

I'm not perfecting any solution, I don't think I even finish the label in question. I'm just trying to provide a concept. It's up to the person taking the information to incorporate it into their own labels and make sure it works for them.

If the instructors out there were better at doing their jobs teaching concepts people wouldn't be asking how to do this type of task.

[mjfarrell]

The good news is gentlement I teach CONCEPTS and METHODS, so for the most part I do not leave my students in that predicament.  And I do agree the autodesk instructors should do a much better job. Especially considering they all claim to be 'certified'.

[dfarris75]

What I did was just do the first line (display=false) from pvi to begin (or end) of the vc. Then do the second line from the pvi to the mid of the first line so the extension segments would always be 1/2 the distance (or 1/4 the distance of the whole curve).

I guess I may end up doing another style that gives the extensions a static length sometime. Thanks again!