Topic: Civil 3D - I Need TWO Sizes For My Labels

[Dinosaur]

Now I am going to dump Dana out of her canoe and get her feet wet by helping me with a labeling problem - SPLASH . . .

One of the major promo points for Civil 3D is its ability to keep a constant size for each label in any scale viewport . . . a noble goal that works exactly as promised even when the results are surprising.  When I use different scales that are too different, the results are either too crowded or undesirably spaced or positioned.  I understand the concept of using a different style with text that will be appropriately sized and positioned, but I have not had the chance to apply it.

If I need to apply two different styles to the labels for the same object, is it possible to copy the label and just change the style or do I have to do the entire labeling process for each style?  I still find labeling to be complicated enough the first time through and am not eager to do it twice.

[dbreigprobert]

what type of objects?

pipes are easy to double label.

some others aren't quite so easy. tell me more.

[Dinosaur]

The labels most likely to need multiple scales are alignment and the most evil of all (for me at least) parcel labels.

- EDIT -

for those of you who doubt The Dinosaur, you will please notice that it took less than 6 hours over a Fiday / Saturday overnight . . . on a holiday weekend no lees . . . to get Dana back here trying to solve a problem.  I think there is also some "heavy weather" named Ernesto in her neighborhood about now too.  I forgot to mention, she seems to rarely sleep.

[dbreigprobert]

In 2007:

For Parcels:

Additional area labels need to be done with a General Note label that contains a parcel reference.  Use a different text size and layer.  You should be able to reference parcel area, number and other things.  In 2006, you are SOL.  There are work arounds, but they all involve maintaining two drawings, or having to go in and toggle a different label before you plot.

this doesn't show you how, but:
http://www.civil3d.com/2006/06/plat-problem-resolved.html

Alignments:

Too easy.

Make two Major Station labels (and two of the others, too) Then, include BOTH of them in your label set.  If you make the one Major label style at .08 on Layer BIGTEXT and another MAjor Station label style at 0.04 on a Layer called LITTLETEXT.  Including both sizes of each type of alignment label in your label set will mean you don't have to go back through.  That should work in 2006 as well.

Freeze and thaw as appropriate

The truth is, I don't do much else in life.  I hang out with my daughter and my dogs, and Mr. Probert, too.  He works for the DOT, so he is out picking up trees and setting up sandbags today.

I like Civil 3D.  I find it entertaining.  But I can't always promise such turn-around

[Dinosaur]

Dana, quick turn-arounds like that are a pleasant surprise that we all hope for but do not expect and would never demand.  Like I said, you seem to hardly sleep as it is between your profession as a reseller and doing real world WORK with this stuff besides.
Now I must apologize for posting when I was too exhausted to be specific with my questions.  The labels I dread most in the world are for the parcel segments . . . the nightmare ones on the right of way when the boss and client came up with a layout that leaves you with an arc or line segment that can be labeled normally on 50 scale construction plans but will get your 100 scale plat laughed out of the planning department.  The prevailing theory around here is if there is a minimum radius in the regulations then exactly that must be used and it is left up to drafting to make the ridiculous lot boundaries label correctly and readable.  Course and curve tables are also frowned upon. :realmad:

I know, I know, "care for some brie with that Whine?"

THESE are the things I am fighting trying to get into Civil 3D labels.

[dbreigprobert]

no problem

expect a post at Civil 3D.com by the sunday AM

[dbreigprobert]

http://www.civil3d.com/2006/09/double-labeling-for-different-scaled.html

[Dinosaur]

ALL RIGHT !!!

Lady's and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.  Tonight The Dinosaur is announcing his intention to remove access to his r13 and EaglePoint programs and attempt to use Civil3D parcels and labels for his next new project . . . ? ? ? . . . 

OMG ! . . .    What have I done?  Now I have to learn good topology technique too . . .

[MP]

Uh oh. You've been throwing back the benylin w/codeine shooters again haven't you? Good luck.

 

[dbreigprobert]

and for my next trick.....

a topology post coming soon including a tag team with jason RE span labels demystified.

it is in the works right now, but i am trying to meter things out- at Civil3Drocks i would post like 10 in a weekend and forget about it, but civil3d.com is a more civilized place with more self control.

but parcel rules explained is a good place to start

http://civil3drocks.blogspot.com/2006/06/parcel-rules-explained.html

[Dinosaur]

They won't let me have codine anymore since I drank the whole bottle driving between Denver and Gunnison one night . . . at least that is what they tell me I did.

[MMccall]

The last time I ran into this situation, it was for a final plat at the end of a project. The geometry wasn't about to change at this point so I saved the file as a new name, final plat, and modified the label styles I used in the original labels. This seemed to make the most sense in my situation as I also had a bunch of mtext that needed to be resized too and maintaining two sets labelling and text layers would have taken some layer juggling in the current file and any file that xreffed it.


Funny that parcels seem to be the only C3d object that you can't label more than once. Copying the parcels to a new site and labelling the copies with a different styel might be an option for some situations.

[Dinosaur]

One thing that would have made this easier all along would be the ability to use a MAP query to get these objects into a different drawing.  In fact I would like to be able to query ANY Civil 3D object.

[dbreigprobert]

while i certainly don't disagree that we should be able to do map queries on a lot of things, parcels are a special animal all together.

it is actually a better plan to save-as and then erase everything else in the drawing rather than attempt a wblock with a complicated parcel plan.

the reason is that attached parcel lines (the create by layout kind) get "moved" first, then their target lot lines (like back of lot) move next.  this is why if you rotate or erase parcels, lines that may have been once bounded by a rear lot line now extend out further than they did previously.

parcels are more than just static areas to civil 3d, and i don't know that the attached parcel special features (like the perpendicular grip and flexible rear) would be portable the way we would like them to.

just don't be too tempted to do the LandXML in and out to get parcels in your new site plan.

http://www.civil3d.com/2006/08/parcel-migration-and-parcel-import.html

[Dinosaur]

Ouch, OOH . . . you used the double whammy!  XML and parcels . . . my very first Civil 3D project, disaster, 40 kiloton migraine and MEGACRASH all in two little words . . . no sleep for me next week . . . too many nightmares.

aah . . . the Thorazine man commeth . . . I'm much better now . . .  :kewl:

Here is lesson one about topology issues and how they can creep in with seemingly innocent edit operations.  Who would have thought that a query would cause a problem?  Thanks  Dana.