Topic: Civil 3D | Where Do You Label What?

[BlackBox]

Regardless of using Plan Production Tools, or not, I'm curious to know how others work in terms of where you label your sheet drawings.


The reason I'm asking -

I've always labeled within the sheets I'm labeling, save some no-plot design info in my 'master' line work XREFs, which seems consistent with the PPT workflow (which I do not use currently). Some folks here at my office prefer to instead label everything in the applicable 'master', and just XREF that, relying on a Layer State for each sheet drawing.


The problem is, that we frequently need to share CAD (line work and text) with consultants, and the 'label in each sheet' methodology doesn't work in Civil 3D. 

Back in LDD, we'd simply INSERT+EXPLODE the 'sheets' we were needing to send out, and maybe clean up some labels that overlapped at match lines, etc. If you try that in Civil 3D, with myriad DREF labels, etc. you end up with a bunch of duplicate DREFs.



So... for those of you who have to share your data (line work and labels) with consultants, what approach do you use?

[MSTG007]

I think this is based upon how the department was first setup. At my previous firm; we tried to limit the amounts of editing we had to do. So we used most of our labels in our base files. Our base files were not just 2D but also had the vertical(s) in it.

Where I am at currently, bigger firm, so they like all the labels in sheets. It is a lot more difficult, but at least you do have some control on how to show something and with over posting text.

Just some thoughts...

[mjfarrell]

IF you are 'only' sharing linework (big base file), where the labels are doesn't matter.
As you can either delete them all before you send the file out (export to autocad) - DON'T SAVE that file!  On exit
Or delete them after in the autocad version.

If they are using C3D let them deal with your labels, or delete them - DON'T SAVE that file!  On exit

[nobody]

BB...get more people on your team and keep doing what you're doing Show them why "per sheet" kicks booty...when 4-peeps cranking out a set of plans...no one can complain. When 1 person has the entire labeling step hostage...everyone should.

[alanjt]

Label everything within the sheet.
I've even tried cheating and leaving some road/big property labels in the base file, but I've ended up needing to move/rotate for some random sheet and it's just not worth the headache.

[MSTG007]

BB...get more people on your team and keep doing what you're doing Show them why "per sheet" kicks booty...when 4-peeps cranking out a set of plans...no one can complain. When 1 person has the entire labeling step hostage...everyone should.

He does have a great point.

[cadtag]

Label everything within the sheet.
I've even tried cheating and leaving some road/big property labels in the base file, but I've ended up needing to move/rotate for some random sheet and it's just not worth the headache.

what he said..  except for profiles

[MSTG007]

See with us and profiles, we have been doing the design in where the 3D Data is sourced from. Then data reference / shortcut it to a plan and profile sheet, where we detail them up.

What do you guys do?

[BlackBox]

Thanks guys; I appreciate the confirmation.


My ONLY reservations about continuing to label within the sheets, are the implicit task of combining everything for sendout - mostly because Civil 3D isn't smart enough to know that if I COPY+PASTE an Object's Labels from one drawing to another, that both reference the same DREF, to NOT produce a duplicate DREF (1), DREF (2), DREF (3), etc. - the other issue being internal whining.

This office is a small outfit, and so far, suggesting we consider different workflows (like NOT exploding Profile Views? ) has been akin to p!ssing in someone's tea... So I have to pick my battles.

[MSTG007]

I forgot to mention. When we send out our files. We EXPORT them to 2013 DWG. File size is low and it works for our clients too. Plus, they don't get our styles and stuff.

[Jeff_M]

If someone needs the model, I will send them the design files. If they want the sheets, too, they get exported to Autocad files or pdf's. I never combine labeled drawings with the design/base drawings...just asking for trouble doing that. And if it's a consultant that needs to work on the project as if they were in our office, I will eTransmit the whole shebang, include the Shortcuts folder, and hope they know how to use it. It's not my job to teach them....

[MSTG007]

Wow... Jeff, I will second that. Great advice.

So what we are talking about; labeling objects, is a good practice? I know we are not talking about xref'ing versus data shortcutting or referencing.

[Jeff_M]

Yes, in my opinion, all labels belong in the sheet files. Most of the reasons why have already been mentioned. One other that I don't recall seeing here is that labels take processing power to populate. If you have all the labels in the base/design file, then each and every sheet must wait for all those labels to be populated. And those calculations occur with every REGEN. Keeping just those labels necessary for the specific sheet speeds up that process.

[MSTG007]

If you were to have a big topo with spot shots in our base, would that be the same concept? (Cogo point Labels)?

[Jeff_M]

OK, no, a topo should typically be fully contained in one drawing with the surface on a unique layer & DataShortcut. What I was talking about are for production drawings, and I usually will not need to move around labels in my topo for use in those drawings. There may be exceptions to this, but I've never had a need to do it any other way.