New Survey Extension Available for Civil 3D!

I know, I know, I’ve been slacking in the amount of content that I am posting lately. Civil 3D implementations are insanely busy right now, and there’s not much “free time” left to post information here. However, we’re lucky in the fact that the moons have aligned properly – I’ve got a day in the office to catch up on some work, and I just received some very nice information from Autodesk for all my survey users. It’s a bit long, so you’re going to have to utilize the more button to find out about two new commands for Civil 3D 2007 – Translate Survey Network and Define Traverse Stations From Figure.

I was sent this extension today by Rob Todd, Product Designer for Civil 3D and also a survey guru. After many requests and inquiries, Rob has written this to allow Civil 3D users to Translate Survey Networks and Define Traverse Stations from Figures. Please note – this is only for users of the Survey Database in Civil 3D 2007. This isn’t a way to rotate your points if you just import a text or ASCII file.

This extension should be up on the Civil Engineering Community Site soon – if not, email me and I’ll send it to you. PLEASE NOTE: You are on your own with this. User assumes all risk, liability, etc. Using this may cause your computer to slap you in the face. Please test all functionality before you use this. Don’t ask me if it doesn’t work. No Surveyors were harmed in the making of this extension.

Since the paper was so long and I didn’t want to type all day, I asked Rob’s permission to just copy and paste here, and he said OK. So, straight from the fingers of Rob Todd, here is the skinny on these two new commands. Pardon me if the images are a bit fuzzy – they’re copied from a MS Word document.

Translate Survey Network command

The purpose of this command is to perform a simple translation of a selected survey network, given a base point, rotation angle, a destination point, and a change in elevation (optional).

Typically this command is useful when the survey network needs to be moved from an assumed location to a known location, subsequent to importing the survey data into Civil 3D. This command can be used subsequent to performing a traverse or least squares analysis.

For the selected survey network, the Translate Survey Network command will move and rotate all control points and non-control points, update directions, and update all direction observations within each setup; then update the Figures collection, and optionally perform an elevation change. It will also update any Survey object data contained in the current drawing session.

NOTE: Due to a defect in the Civil 3D Survey API, all Directions that are of a Bearing direction type, or Observations that have a Bearing angle type, must be converted to an Azimuth before the rotation angle property can be applied.

To translate a survey network using the Translate Survey Network command:

1. Select the Survey tab in the Civil 3D Toolspace. If the Survey tab is not visible in the Civil 3D Toolspace, select the SurveyàOpen Survey Toolspace command.

2. In the Survey tab, expand the Survey Databases collection and select a survey database.

3. Select the Right-clickàOpen survey database command from the selected survey database (or double-click a survey database).

4. At the AutoCAD Command Line interface, type “SvTranslateNetwork”, OR select the Translate Survey Network command from the Survey menu (assuming that you have modified the Civil.cui file noted above).

5. In the Translate Survey Network dialog, select a network and select the Next button.

6. In the Translate Survey Network dialog, specify the base point from which the survey network will be moved from, then select the Next button.

Base Point Properties.

NOTE: The Base Point properties are always displayed and entered in the current Survey database units.

Ÿ Point Number. Enter a point number if the base point can be described by an existing survey point within the selected survey network. The Name, Easting, Northing, Elevation, Description, Latitude, and Longitude properties will display.

Ÿ Name. This property is read-only and will be display the name of the point number entered in the Point Number property.

Ÿ Easting. Enter the Easting value of the base point. This property is read-only if a point number is specified in the Point Number property.

Ÿ Northing. Enter the Northing value of the base point. This property is read-only if a point number is specified in the Point Number property.

Ÿ Elevation. This property is read-only and will display the elevation of the point number entered in the Point Number property.

Ÿ Description. This property is read-only and will display the description of the point number entered in the Point Number property.

Ÿ Latitude. This property is read-only. If the Survey database has been assigned a coordinate zone, this property will display the Latitude of the Northing property value.

Ÿ Longitude. This property is read-only. If the Survey database has been assigned a coordinate zone, this property will display the Longitude of the Easting property value.

Pick in Drawing button. Select this button to pick the base point Easting and Northing from a point in the current drawing session.

NOTE: The coordinates of the point picked in the drawing is assumed to be the same units as the Survey database.

Back button. Click this button to select a different survey network.

Next button. This button is enabled when the base point Easting and Northing values have been specified. Click this button to go to the Rotation Angle properties.

7. In the Translate Survey Network dialog, specify the rotation angle which the survey network will be rotated, then select the Next button.

Rotation Angle Property.

NOTE: The Rotation Angle property is always displayed and entered in the current Survey database Angle unit.

Ÿ Rotation Angle. Enter a positive or negative rotation angle value.

Pick in Drawing button. Select this button to pick an existing direction and a corresponding new direction in the current drawing session. The rotation angle is calculated between the existing direction and the corresponding new direction.

The following prompts are displayed:

Specify start point of existing direction. At this prompt, specify the starting of point of the existing direction.

Specify second point. At this prompt, specify a second point of the existing direction.

Specify start point of new direction. At this prompt, specify the starting point of a corresponding new direction.

Specify second point. At this prompt, specify the second point of the corresponding new direction.

Back button. Click this button to modify the current Base Point properties.

Next button. This button is enabled when the Rotation Angle value has been specified. Click this button to go to the Destination Point properties.

8. In the Translate Survey Network dialog, specify the destination point from which the survey network will be moved to, then select the Finish button.

Destination Point Properties.

NOTE: The Destination Point properties are always displayed and entered in the current Survey database units.

Ÿ Easting. Enter the Easting value of the destination point..

Ÿ Northing. Enter the Northing value of the destination point..

Ÿ Latitude. This property is read-only. If the Survey database has been assigned a coordinate zone, this property will display the Latitude of the Northing property value.

Ÿ Longitude. This property is read-only. If the Survey database has been assigned a coordinate zone, this property will display the Longitude of the Easting property value.

Ÿ Elevation Change. This property is optional. Enter a positive or negative value to add to each point elevation within the selected survey network.

Pick in Drawing button. Select this button to pick the destination point Easting and Northing from a point in the current drawing session.

Back button. Click this button to modify the current Rotation Angle property.

Finish button. This button is enabled when the destination point Easting and Northing values have been specified. Click this button to go to move and rotate the survey network and related figures.

Next, we’ll look at the Define Traverse Stations from Figure command:

Define Traverse Stations from Figure command

The purpose of this command it to automate the process of defining a traverse’s station values before performing a traverse analysis in Civil 3D.

Using the Define Traverse Stations from Figure command

This extension to the Civil 3D Survey feature can create a new traverse, or modify an existing traverse, where the Initial Station and Stations Traverse properties can be defined by an existing Survey figure.

As some of you have noticed, you have to type all the occupied stations into the traverse properties. This becomes a challenge when the station numbers are not sequential.

Before this utility can be used, you must first draw a polyline object in a drawing, starting from the initial traverse station, then sequentially drawing to each station, and then ending on the final traverse station. The most efficient means for drawing the traverse is to insert the survey network into the drawing, and then before using the PLINE command, set a running OSNAP mode to ENDPOINT.

To define a traverse using the Define Traverse Stations from Figure command:

1. Insert the Survey Network object into the drawing. This can be done by selecting the Insert into drawing command from a network item on the Survey tab.

2. Draw a polyline starting at the initial station, then OSNAP (ENDPOINT mode) to sequential stations, and then end the polyline on the final station (not the final foresight).

3. Define a figure from the polyline. Select the SurveyàCreate Figure From Object command, and select the polyline.

4. In the Create Figure From Object dialog, assign an appropriate name and figure prefix database, and make sure that the Associate survey points to vertices property is set to Yes.

5. At the command line, type SvDefineTravStationsFromFigure, or select the SurveyàDefine Traverse Stations from Figure (if you modified the Civil.cui file as noted above), to display the Define Traverse Stations From Figure dialog.

6. Select an existing survey network that is to be used to define a traverse, and then click the Next button,

7. Select an existing traverse in the list and then click the Next button, OR select the New Traverse button to define a new traverse.

8. Select the figure that was defined in step 4 above, or click the Select in Drawing button to select the figure in the drawing, and then click the Next button.

9. The properties of the existing traverse, or new traverse is displayed. If you selected an existing traverse, the Name and Description properties are unchanged. If you created a new traverse, the name of the traverse is automatically assigned as “Traverse<next traverse number>”.
Based on the selected figure, the Initial Station and Stations property values are automatically defined. The Initial Backsight and Final Foresight are the only properties that cannot be automatically assigned due to the fact that they may not be part of the traverse framework, such as a remote azimuth mark, or control points from another survey.
Enter the Initial Backsight and Final Foresight properties, and then click the Finish button.

Upon completion of the Define Traverse Stations from Figure command, the new traverse, or modified traverse properties will appear in the Survey tab within the selected network.

At this point, the traverse can be analyzed using Least Squares, Compass Rule, etc, or edited using the Traverse Editor.

So, if you see Rob out there on the streets of ManchVegas, be sure to stop by and shake his hand for a job well done – way to go, Rob!

4 comments

  1. Robert Plake says:

    Ok I have followed this process very closely and would like to thank you all for writing this feature, however im having a problem getting it to finish. It keeps getting stuck at “updating unclassified points”
    at first I thought this was because the drawing was too big but i am currently trying the translate survey network command as i type this and its again stuck in the same spot…Anyone else experience this and is it supposed to take a really long time to get my network translated?

  2. mike curry says:

    I am having the issue of having the SvTranslateNetwork and SvDefineTravStationsFromFigure commands not working. I installed service pack 2, I installed the macro for the survey link. I don’t know why the commands won’t work… Any help would be appreciated.

  3. mike curry says:

    Nevermind, I figured it out.

  4. joe collins says:

    I am having the same problem with if getting stuck at
    “updating Unclassifed Points” progress as well. Cans someone
    help me with this?