Topic: How would you do this?

[ronjonp]

What is the easiest way to draw contour lines in this drawing?

http://theswamp.org/lilly.pond/Ron/Knapp.dwg

[Mark]

Is this a one time job or do you do it all the time? The reason I ask is because if you have some type of point file I can create the contours in a hurry with LDT.

[ronjonp]

One time deal.

[ronjonp]

Point file?

[Mark]

Do you have any structures on the property? In other words item that the contours would go around and not through.

forget the point file, all ready made my own.

[ronjonp]

Mark,

I just talked to the CAD guy working on this and I will have more than one to do. Could you explain the process of how you would go about making these contour lines? Are these point files .gsi text files?

Thanks for your help,

Ron

[Dent Cermak]

Mark, how did you make the point file? I tried and my LDD won't read the points.

[Mark]

What version of acad are you using?

[ronjonp]

AutoCAD 2002......could possibly have acces to LDD as well.

[Mark]

You will _need_ LDD! That's what I'm using to create them. You can do it by "hand" but you have to interpolate the elevations and it's very time consuming.

-Dent
Points ->Point Utilities ->Convert from ACAD points

they already have elev's on them.

[Dent Cermak]

"Access to LDD"? And someone to run it for you?
 The "simple" question you just asked Mark will fill pages in reply. Here's the deal, if you don't know how to contour, don't try. This envolves building a surface, editing the surface and then generating the contoure. You point files have no descriptor so II don't know if there are any breaklines to deal with. The truth is that if this is wide open property, with no curbs, buildings, sidewalks, etc. you can hire this out much cheaper than buying LDD and learning how to use it. If you could send out a comma delimitered .asc file of the coordinates, and this is all open land, you can have it contoured for less than $50. If this is a plant site, with curbs, sidewalks, trees, ditches, ad nausium, then this could run several hundred dollars to farm out. But if you are not "fluent" in LDD and topographic mapping, then you are asking for trouble to take yhis project on.

[Dent Cermak]

Ronjonp, this is what you are looking for. This took me less than 10 minutes and is therefore not fully edited, but will give you an idea of what you are up against.


http://theswamp.org/lilly.pond/Dent/knapp.dwg


Remember , there is more here than meets the eye. I've been doing this stuff for over 30 years so for me it's a snap.

[Craig]

Ron and this is also a question to Dent and Mark,

I did this type stuff for a brief time...2 1/2 years but can't FelixCAD automate the contouring for Ron. From what I remember we received our data from PLSCADD in txt format with all these points and read the points (txt file) into FelixCAD and it spit out the contour in Autocad.

[Dent Cermak]

Problem with FelixCad is it spits out the contours and I don't remember it having a lot of editing capabilities.
My point is that if your firm does not normally do topos, either (a) get the software and training to do it or (b) farm it out to someone who knows what he/she is doing. There's just so much more involved here than software packages. If you don't know if the answer the package gives you is correct, you're doomed. Put out an incorrect topo to some one who is doing cut/fill comps based on your drawing? Real good way to end up buying a lot of dirt at a premium price.

[ronjonp]

Dent, thanks for your help with this. This is the output that I need. Is this process very labor intensive?http://theswamp.org/lilly.pond/Ron/contours.zip