Topic: Pipe Networks & Labels

[mjfarrell]

At the risk of agreeing with you twice in one year, I'll instead simply say that you're not wrong about your issues with Pipe Networks.

You should participate in the beta forums, and express these issues there, matter-of-factly, and often.



That said, this (automagically adjusting a pipe network's 'rippled' elevation changes) sounds like an amazing new SincPac feature to me, and *may* even build on the sewer latteral functionality.

Cheers

It's something I spoke to some developer or the other at or about the 2nd release with pipes in it...and he totally agreed it was knackered...yet there it is STILL broken...
really it is as if they simply do not care

[alanjt]

Okay, changing the dragged state leader's arrow head size to 0.0 fixes the leader's attachment to the 'as composed' content.

[Edit] - I also broke the labels out into 'structure info' and 'structure number' which provides the look I was after; both selected to show the grips in dragged state:

You don't call out structure type and FDOT index numbers?

[mjfarrell]

Okay, changing the dragged state leader's arrow head size to 0.0 fixes the leader's attachment to the 'as composed' content.

[Edit] - I also broke the labels out into 'structure info' and 'structure number' which provides the look I was after; both selected to show the grips in dragged state:

You don't call out structure type and FDOT index numbers?

not here in TX

[alanjt]

Okay, changing the dragged state leader's arrow head size to 0.0 fixes the leader's attachment to the 'as composed' content.

[Edit] - I also broke the labels out into 'structure info' and 'structure number' which provides the look I was after; both selected to show the grips in dragged state:

You don't call out structure type and FDOT index numbers?

not here in TX

Interesting.
I know bb, like myself, works in America's wang with all their crazy requirements.

[BlackBox]

Okay, changing the dragged state leader's arrow head size to 0.0 fixes the leader's attachment to the 'as composed' content.

[Edit] - I also broke the labels out into 'structure info' and 'structure number' which provides the look I was after; both selected to show the grips in dragged state:

You don't call out structure type and FDOT index numbers?

I used to - but I've been working for a much smaller firm the past two+ years, which has its trade offs, but they only do things one way here - 'old school'

Providing examples would easily degrade into my venting, so I just won't right now.



It's really good to hear from you though, my friend.

[alanjt]

Okay, changing the dragged state leader's arrow head size to 0.0 fixes the leader's attachment to the 'as composed' content.

[Edit] - I also broke the labels out into 'structure info' and 'structure number' which provides the look I was after; both selected to show the grips in dragged state:

You don't call out structure type and FDOT index numbers?

I used to - but I've been working for a much smaller firm the past two+ years, which has its trade offs, but they only do things one way here - 'old school'

Providing examples would easily degrade into my venting, so I just won't right now.



It's really good to hear from you though, my friend.

It's nice to be around. I've been so busy, I barely have time to think.

When  you did show the FDOT index info, did you use a separate label style for each, or did you do something else?

[BlackBox]

It's nice to be around. I've been so busy, I barely have time to think.

That's where I have been for the past two years, as well; another discussion for another time.

When  you did show the FDOT index info, did you use a separate label style for each, or did you do something else?

While it is easy to select a Label, right click, select the 'Edit Label Text...' context menu item, ultimately, I found it easier to create a handful of Label Styles... To list a few:

DBI-<Type> - No inner dimensions listed
DBI-<Type> J\BOT (Round) - This listed the inner diameter
DBI-<Type> J\BOT (Rectangular) - This listed the inner width/length dimensions
MH-P-8 - No inner dimensions listed
MH J/BOT (Round) - This listed the inner diameter
MH J/BOT (Rectangular) - This listed the inner width/length dimensions

* Don't forget 'Drop' (Sanitary) and/or 'Sump' (Storm) variants for any applicable Styles

To avoid Part Builder at every chance - and this is before FDOT rolled out their latest C3D State Kit, which you can now totally install on a non-production machine, and pilfer their Parts Catalogs, Styles, etc. to benefit from the tax payer dollars that customized these elements, yet mitigate having the full malarkey installed on production machines - I would end up using many of the *NF Structures for Storm networks, with the applicable Structure Style applied for Plan.

HTH

[BlackBox]

Converting 'dumb' utility polylines to Feature Lines, quickly grading them using SETFEATUREGRADE Command, dropping them to the appropriate cover depth, projecting them into Profile View to also grade any 'dips' or high points for ARVs, etc. and then creating a Pipe Network with Null structures at vertices using said Feature Line works pretty well, actually, IMO.

In the same drawing, I've done this now a few times, for proposed Force Main, future Water Main, future Reuse Main, and now proposed Water Main.

For some reason, the respective Pipe Network's Null structures, with the same Standard Style applied, and on visible/thawed layers, behave differently... Some show up as the 'circle', and others don't show up at all, requiring me to right click select from Toolspace until I find the right one, or simply change them all to a non-Standard Style which uses a Block in plan. Grrr



Sometimes they 'appear' after matching one Pipe Style to another (i.e., Water Main --> Water Main Restrained), others they might 'appear' after I intentionally pull one pipe end away from the location of a Null structure, and then graphically 'reconnect' it - even though they're already connected.

Am I missing something?

[BlackBox]

Am I missing something?

The @#$%&* Pipe Style?! Aghhh

Something about the Pipe Style prevented the Null structures in plan, and the few Drawn in Profile View to show up. Taking a working Pipe Style (that does show properly in both), copying, and modifying in kind (after renaming the aforementioned), did the trick.

Too bad Toolspace, Settings tab, right click 'Replace with...' doesn't account for Parts Lists.

[mjfarrell]

setting your feature and command settings before doing the work, perhaps?

[BlackBox]

setting your feature and command settings before doing the work, perhaps?

Nope; did that, but there's something different about the Pipe's Styles that precluded the same Null Structures to show/not show.

Further, setting the Command settings is a crap shoot for anyone who does more than one utility's Pipe Network in a drawing, and a PITA to have to change each-and-every-single setting, for various related Commands to get it to work smoothly from start to finish for each utility type.

Many settings can be modified using LISP as I've demonstrated elsewhere, but you still have to identify each setting that needs changing first, which is fantastic use of billable time. Haha

Cheers

[mjfarrell]

true command and feature settings are sort of...a pain to juggle in a real world work-flow environment.

[BlackBox]

true command and feature settings are sort of...a pain to juggle in a real world work-flow environment.

IMO, the Commands settings themselves could do with pseudo-named 'Command Sets', much like an Alignment or Profile can use 'Label Sets'.

Cheers

[BlackBox]

_Really_ wish that Pipes allowed for 'masking' in Profile View -

Both the option to fully mask (block anything), and change the visual result of any utilities 'behind' it, respective to Profile View + relative to Alignment side, such that utilities behind it are 'hidden', 'dashed', grayed out (with ability to choose color for each Pipe/Structure Style), etc.

[mjfarrell]

_Really_ wish that Pipes allowed for 'masking' in Profile View -

Both the option to fully mask (block anything), and change the visual result of any utilities 'behind' it, respective to Profile View + relative to Alignment side, such that utilities behind it are 'hidden', 'dashed', grayed out (with ability to choose color for each Pipe/Structure Style), etc.

sort of like OBSCUREDLTYPE and the related settings...you know I never tried to apply those to civil objects...

would be interesting and potentially valuable when putting multiple utilities in the same profile....thus reducing chances it would ever get implemented

sorry for being pessimistic about it.