Civil 3D Training

Transforming the Coordinate System of a Drawing

The transformation of data from one drawing with output coordinate system to new
drawing with target coordinate system in AutoCAD® Civil 3D® or Autodesk® Map
3D.
Causes:
To bring data together coming from different coordinate systems or move all existing
data to new coordinate system like UTM.
Solution:
Refer to the help files " Transforming the Coordinate System of a Drawing" section
for detailed information and instructions.

The general workflow in short description:

1. Open existing drawing.
2. Assign the output coordinate system to the drawing and save (command
_Mapcsassign).
3. Open a new empty template drawing.
4. Assign the target coordinate system (command _Mapcsassign.
5. Open Task Pane via command _MAPWSPACE on Tab Map Explorer.

6. Attach the drawing above with the output coordinate system using drag & drop from
Windows Explorer to Task Pane
7. Create a Query with settings to draw mode

8. Execute Query
As a result all objects will be requested as a copy to the new drawing and all data
are transformed to the coordinate system of the current drawing.
Remove the output drawing in Task Pane and save the new drawing.
 SURFACE MODELLING
A surface is a singular object in AutoCAD Civil 3D. The display of a surface is controlled
using a surface style. Surface styles can be used to display the surface as points, triangles,
borders, contours and grids.
There are often several surface styles available in an AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing. Each
surface style serves a different purpose.

Create surface from drawing objects (lines, blocks, texts and 3D faces)

Create a new surface by using command Create Surface from the ribbon Home −
Surfaces:

As a type use TIN surface, specify Name and Style:

Go to Toolspace − Prospector –Surfaces – NGL (name of the surface created in previous
step) – Definition, right click on the Drawing Objects and select Add from the menu:

Specify lines, blocks, texts and 3D faces as an object type and if you want surface
triangulation. Click OK and select 3D faces:
Add Breaklines.

Breakline
Breaklines represent distinct terrain breaks. Examples of breaklines include road
crowns, gutters, top of bank, bottom of bank, ditch edges, stream edges and
sidewalk edges. When creating Surfaces, breaklines must be defined. Triangulation
lines are forced to “break” the terrain and run over the length of defined breaklines.
Triangulation lines cannot cross over breaklines.
Proximity Breaklines
A proximity breakline is defined from 2D polylines. Proximity breaklines assign
vertex elevation by physically relocating them to the nearest surface point. 2D
polylines created with vertices at the point nodes do not relocate.
Add Text in Surface without levels/elevation

Move text to elevation to point using following menu button. Then add in surface.
Add XYZ Points in surface from point file

Importing ASCII (XYZ) data

Please note:
This method is not suitable for large surveys exceeding 100,000 points. This is the only import method which will
retain the surveyor’s point codes, and Civil 3D will process feature symbology according to a preset in WSP
C3D2011 template. Once imported, extraction of these points into a surface model will result in re-triangulation,
i.e. the resulting triangles will not inherit the same orientation as those present in the surveyor’s ground model.
Breaklines will need to be defined in order to correct the triangulation.

Some preparation work is required to ensure a compatible format of the ASCII file. The format must
conform to the following:

 Comma or space delimited

 Decimal as point (not comma)

The following formats are preset import filters for coordinates, where P=Point No., D=Point
description:
Once you have processed your surveyors ASCII file to conform to the above, save it in the correct
location (see Project Directory Structure) and proceed to import as follows:

 Go to the Insert tab of the Ribbon, and click on Points from File

 The following dialogue will then appear. Hit the plus button as indicated and browse to the text
file.
 Once you have added the file, Civil 3D will attempt to select the appropriate point file format filter,
provided that you have formatted your ASCII file correctly.
 Note that all checkboxes should be left unchecked as indicated.
 Press OK to complete the import process
 The next steps will be to create a surface from the imported points. On the Home tab of the
ribbon, select the Create Surface option under the Surfaces drop down on the Create Ground
Data panel.

Add surface labels

Various labels can be added to a Civil 3D surface. Labels are dynamic so any changes to a
surface are automatically projected to the labels.
To add surface labels go to the ribbon Annotate – Add Labels and use the command Add
Surface Labels:

Slope labels
In the Add Labels window, select Slope as a label type, Percent as a slope label style and
click Add:
Specify if you want to create One-point or Two-point label and click on the surface. One
point label displays surface slope at the defined point, two point label calculates slope
between two defined points:

Spot elevation labels

In the Add Labels window, as a label type select Spot Elevation, as a spot elevation label
style use Spot Elevation | Text Size 2.5 mm | Precision 0.01, as a marker style use
Surface-Spot Elevation Point and click Add:
Click on the surface at the location where you want the spot elevation label. Image below
displays spot elevation labels with text style 2.5 mm (yellow) and 3.5 mm (green):

Multiple contours labels

In the Add Labels window use as a label type Contour – Multiple. Set major contour label
style, minor contour labels style, user contour label style and click Add:

Specify points on the screen (these points are connected with a contour label line):
To move the contour label location, click on the labels, snap on the contour label line grip
and move it to the desired location:

Surface Analysis
Elevation analysis
Go to Surface Properties (right click on the surface in the model space or in Prospector and
select Surface Properties from the menu), tab Analysis, select Elevations for Analysis type,
specify number of ranges and click on the white arrow pointing down to perform the analysis:
To display analysis results, you must change the surface style to the one which displays
elevation analysis. Style can be changed in the tab Information.
Surface with elevation analysis:

Slope analysis
Go to Surface Properties (right click on the surface in the model space or in Prospector and
select Surface Properties from the menu), tab Analysis, select Slopes for Analysis type,
specify number of ranges and click on the white arrow pointing down to perform the analysis.
You can define min and max slope as well as colours:
To display analysis results, you must change the surface style to the one which displays
slope analysis. Style can be changed in the tab Information.

Surface with slope analysis:

Watershed analysis
Go to Surface Properties (right click on the surface in the model space or in Prospector and
select Surface Properties from the menu), tab Analysis, select Watersheds for Analysis
type and click on the white arrow pointing down to perform the analysis. You can specify
other parameters like Merge adjacent boundary and Merge depression points into single
drain:

To display analysis results, you must change the surface style to the one which displays
watershed analysis. Style can be changed in the tab Information.
Surface with watershed analysis:
Water drop analysis
Go to the ribbon Analyze – Flow Path and select Water Drop from the menu:

Click on the surface to create water drop analysis:

Catchment area analysis
Go to the ribbon Analyze – Catchments and select Catchment Area from the menu:

Select depression point on the surface. Keep in mind that not all the points on the surface
have catchment areas.

Add surface outer boundary

Draw closed polyline that represents surface boundary. Right click on the Boundaries under
the surface definition in the Prospector and select Add from the menu:
Select Outer boundary type, click OK and select polyline:
Surface with defined boundary:

Set maximum triangle length

It sometimes happens that software creates triangles that are not supposed to be part of the
surface. This might happen when a survey is done in two blocks apart from each other. Civil
3D automatically tries to connect these blocks with the triangles, see image below:

To solve this problem, set the maximum triangle length to logic value under Surface
Properties – Definition – Build:
Surface with maximum triangle length set to 100 m:

Add surface table

Go to the ribbon Annotate – Add Tables and select Add Surface Legend Table from the
menu:

Specify the label type you want to create:

Specify if you want the table to be static or dynamic:

Specify location of the table in the drawing area:
 Data Shortcuts
Initially the company should come up with a directory structure to house the drawing files. The
simplest directory structure would be a single project folder with each project under this main folder.
See below for a better explanation.

1. Set the Working Folder. This should be the root folder of the project structure. In the example
above, it should be the folder called “Civil 3D Projects”.

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2. Right-click “Data Shortcuts” > New Data Shortcuts Project Folder. When naming the project,
the folder will automatically be created if it does not exist.

3. Right-click “Data Shortcuts” > Create Data Shortcuts

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 4. Once the data has been added to the project, they can be accessed from any other drawing.
Simply open the drawing you wish to reference the object, and then right-click the object in the
prospector and create reference. You can also drag the shortcut in from the Prospector.

Other Notes:
1. To synchronize any reference, right-click on the object in the prospector.

2. Promoting any reference copies the object into the current drawing and removes the link from
the source drawing. It can be synonymous with binding an XREF.

3. For editing and changing the paths of data references, Autodesk provides an external program
for mass edits located here… Start > All Programs > Autodesk > Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
201x > Data Shortcut Editor.

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 Workshop-1
1. Transfer the survey data "Survey Data UTM 43N.dwg" in to UTM 39N and save
as it "Survey Data UTM 39N.dwg".

2. Create surface named "Existing DTM" from available objects (i.e. lines,
polylines, texts and blocks) in survey data file "Survey Data UTM 39N.dwg"
expect the hedges, plots and fences lines.

3. Import the additional survey data from file "Additional Survey Data Excel.csv"
which is in XYZ format.

4. Refined the "Existing DTM" surface by restricting the triangulation length to

100m.

5. Delete the unwanted triangles at Top Left Corner of the surface.

6. Display the Surface in "Contours 1m and 5m" style

7. Perform the following surface analysis and annotations.

o Slope labels
o Spot elevation labels
o Multiple contours labels
o Elevation analysis (Elevation/level bands)
o Slope analysis (Slope bands)
o Watershed analysis
o Water drop analysis
o Add surface table

8. Finally display the Surface in "Contours 1m and 5m" or " Border" style and save
the drawing.
9. Create Data shortcut for the surface at project location.
 Corridors
To create a corridor, you must have an alignment (baseline), a profile (existing or proposed), and an
assembly. You can also use a feature line for the alignment and profile pairing.

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Alignments
You have 2 choices in defining an alignment from scratch: (1) Home tab > Create Design > Alignment
> Alignment Creation Tools, or (2) Home Tab > Create Design > Alignment > Create Alignment From
Objects.

Alignment Creation Tools gives you the constrained based design options. Constrained based design
will maintain tangency based on 3 choices:

1. Fixed curve - These commands are similar to an AutoCAD arc, but have a third point along the
arc.

2. Floating Curve – Maintain tangency at the start, while one end is not connected to another
object. For example, curves off the end of a line.

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 3. Free Curve - These entity types are very similar to the AutoCAD "fillet" command, but give you
added control.

Fixed, free, and floating lines are also available (shown below). Many methods for producing spirals
are available, but just not show in this document.

Listing and Labelling off an Alignment

• “Analyze” ribbon tab > Inquiry Tool – Once in the inquiry tool, there are 4 pre-defined listing
commands to obtain information from an alignment.

• “Annotate” ribbon tab > Add Labels > Alignment > Add Alignment Labels – This
command may add labels to offset stations as well as alignment segments.

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 Workshop-2
1. Open the drawing "Proposed Road UTM 39N.dwg".
2. Load the data short cut of the Surface in this drawing.
3. X-ref the existing survey data in this drawing.

Horizontal Alignment

4. Design speed 60km/h

5. Create horizontal alignment passes from "Point-1", "Point-2" and "Point-3" and
provide access to building-1 and building-2. Refer mentioned at Building-1 &
Building-2.
Existing/Proposed Profiles and Profile Views
1. “Home” ribbon tab > Profile > Create Surface Profile

2. “Home” ribbon tab > Profile View > Create Profile View

3. “Home” ribbon tab > Profile > Profile Creation Tools

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 4. Profile View Properties, “Bands” tab, Set “Profile 2” to the design profile. (If you use a band
style with FG and EG elevations.)

Listing and Labeling Profiles and Profile Views

• “Analyze” ribbon tab > Inquiry Tool – There are several listing commands for profiles and
profile views.

• “Annotate” ribbon tab > All Labels > Profile View > Add Profile View Labels

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 Workshop-3
Vertical Alignment

1. Design vertical alignment as per notes mentioned in "Proposed Road UTM

39N.dwg"
i.e. (As mentioned in drawing)
 Junction levels at point-1
 Plinth levels
 Intersection level at point-2
 Clearance at utility crossing
Superelevation
Calculate superelevation
Go to Alignment Properties (select alignment, right click and choose the command Alignment
Properties from the menu) and specify design speed, which must be used for a superelevation
calculation:

Select an alignment in the plan and click on the command Superelevation – Calculate/Edit
Superelevation from the contextual ribbon (contextual ribbon is green):

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Select the option Calculate Superelevation Now, which opens superelevation calculation wizard:

Specify the roadway type and Pivot Method. Pivot method is basically the superelevation rotation
point.

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Specify Normal Lane Width, which will be used for superelevation run-off length calculation:

If the shoulder needs different superelevation then it can be specified under Shoulder Control.
Most of the time the South African roads have the same shoulder superelevation as road lanes so
the shoulder does not need to be calculated:

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 .

Specify design criteria file use AASHTO file:

Design criteria files:

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It is also practical to tick Automatically Resolve Overlaps. Once you click Finish, the
superelevation is calculated and the superelevation manager opens. The calculated values can be
overwritten manually if needed.

Superelevation view
Select an alignment in the plan and click on the command Superelevation – Create
Superelevation View from the contextual ribbon (contextual ribbon is green):

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Specify display options but most of the time the default settings can be used:

Created superelevation view:

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 Note: Superelevation can be modified with the grips in the superelevation view.

Create/Edit Assemblies

1. “Home” ribbon tab > Assembly > Create Assembly – Choose the appropriate styles
and place the baseline somewhere in the drawing.

2. Home tab > Palettes > Tool Palettes – This displays the tool
palettes that contain pre-defined sub-assemblies to be placed
on the assembly.

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 a. Find the desired subassembly, left click the tool, fill out the properties, and
then choose the attachment point on the assembly. You can also attach the
subassembly and edit the parameters later as well.

b. Rename the subassembly to an appropriate name. This will be important

later in the definition of the corridor.

Create/Edit Corridors

3. “Home” ribbon tab > Create Design > Corridor

a. Choose the horizontal alignment (baseline), then the profile, the assembly, and the target
surface in the dialog box (not shown here).

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4. Create Corridor Surfaces (Within Corridor Properties)

Surfaces can be used to create the finished surface as well as calculate volumes. Typically,
the top surface will become the finished ground surface while the datum surface will become
the volume calculation surface. See the manual for further detail.

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 5. Add a Boundary to the Corridor Surface

Sections
Sections are used for 2 things: (1) Plotting sections at desired stations, and (2) Calculating the
volumes from a corridor. To accomplish the later, you must have added a corridor surface to
represent the datum surface before sampling the sections.

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 Workshop-4
Corridor

1. Create an assembly.
2. Create sub assembly with following details.
 4 lanes (3.5m+3.5m+3.5m+3.5m)
 1.5m paved shoulder either side
 1.0m earthen shoulder side
 Batter slopes
o Cut slope 1:1
2:1
o Fill Slope 2:1

3. Create a corridor
4. Apply superelevation
 1. “Home” ribbon tab > Sample Lines

Next to appear is the “Sample Line Tools” dialog box. See below for further explanation.

Calculate Volumes
There are two (2) types of volumes you can extract from a corridor: (1) cut and fill; (2) quantity of
material.

Cut and Fill

After creating the datum surface in corridor properties, you can simply use the volumes dashboard to
see the volumes. This is further explained in the Grading cheat sheet.

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 “Analyze” ribbon tab > Volumes Dashboard

Calculating volumes based on station ranges. (Cut and Fill)

1. “Analyze” ribbon tab > Compute Materials

2. “Analyze” ribbon tab > Volume Report

Calculating volumes based on station ranges. (Quantity of Material)

1. “Analyze” ribbon tab > Compute Materials

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 Grading – Civil 3D
The objective in grading is to build a proposed surface using points, feature lines, polylines, and
gradings. Then you may calculate volumes comparing it to the existing surface.

1. Right-click “Sites” > New

2. Dig into the site and right-click “Grading Groups” > New

3. Checking the “Automatic Surface Creation” box is extremely useful as gradings are
automatically added to the surface, but it comes with some risk. Complicated grading projects
can cause slowness and possible crashing.

4. Now using points, features lines, 2D polylines, 3D polylines, or Gradings, add the necessary
data to the surface, under the definition.

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This figure below shows the path one can take to create and modify different entities. There are
advantages and disadvantage to each type of entity. By far, the most versatile are feature lines. You
may convert these entities following the arrows below.

The figure below explains the general workflow when adding data to a surface when using the grading
tools.

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Feature Lines

A thorough explanation of feature line commands exists in the advanced manual. Please refer to that
for additional information. The feature line commands can be found in the Grading pulldown or on
ribbons.

Points

Select the Point Creation Tools under the Home tab of the ribbon.

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Create Points on a Surface

• Random Points - This command reads the current surface and the user picks an x,y location in
the drawing and the command will enter the elevation based on the surface.
• On Grid - This command will prompt for rotation angle, x, and y spacing to place points in the
same fashion as the ‘Random Points’ command.
• Along Polyline/Contour - This command places points based on a surface elevation along a
polyline. The command prompts for the spacing.
• Polyline/Contour Vertices - This command places a point on each vertices of a polyline, this
will not read the surface elevation.

There is also a command to change existing points to the elevation of the

surface. Points > Edit > Elevations from Surface

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Create Points based on Slope

• Slope/Grade – Distance - The user picks a starting point, then a second point which denotes
direction & distance, then chooses a slope or grade with several intermediate points.
• Slope/Grade – Elevation - The user picks a starting point then a second point which denotes
just direction. The user then choosing grade/slope and elevation to end.
• High/Low Point - The user picks a start point then a second point. The user will be prompted
from each point the desired grade or slope to find the intersection.

Create Points by Interpolation

• Interpolate - The user picks two Point objects and enters the number of intermediate points
they desire.
• By Relative Location - The user establishes two points then is prompted for a distance to
place a point FROM the first point along the line defined by the initial two points.
• By Relative Elevation - The user established the two points then is prompted for an elevation
between to two points and the computer places the point at that elevation along the slope
defined by the two points.
• Number By Distance - Same command as ‘interpolate’ except the user has more versatility in
choosing the two points (i.e. you are not limited to Point objects).
• Perpendicular - The user picks two points to establish a line, then the user picks any point on
the screen and the computer calculates the perpendicular point where it crosses the initial two
points defined line then places a point at the correct elevation based on the slope of the initial
points.

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 • Incremental Distance - The user established two points with elevation and then is prompted
for the increment to set points.
• Incremental Elevation - The user establishes two points with elevation and then is prompted
for the elevation increment to place points along the sloped line.
• Intersection - The user two points to define the first line then two points to define the second
line. The user is prompted for the desired offset to each line and will place a point at that
location.

Daylighting
In Civil 3D, there is only one way to daylight to a surface; using Gradings.

1. Select Grading Creation Tools from the Home tab of the ribbon

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 a. Select the object to daylight from. This must be a feature line in the same site as the
grading group.

b. Select the side to search for the daylight surface.

c. Apply to entire length? [Yes/No] <Yes>: This question applies if you wish to add
transition slopes along a feature. For example, part of the way I need to slope at 2:1, for
another part it needs to be 4:1, and then I need to transition the slope between the
regions.

d. Hitting <enter> out of the command adds the grading object to the surface supplied
when you created the surface through creating the grading group (unless automatic
surface generation for the grading group is not checked).

Volumes

“Analyze” tab > Volumes Dashboard

Other Options from the Volumes Dashboard

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• Add a boundary to use the bounded volumes option. This will calculate the volumes for a
closed area instead of the entire surface.

• Generate Cut/Fill Report - this creates an xml report opened in Internet Explorer.

• Insert Cut/Fill Summary - This creates an AutoCAD entity in the drawing instead of an external
report. “Analyze” tab > Grading Volume Tools

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 Workshop-5
Grading

1. Create Grading and by selecting the outer line of the "Building No. 2" in "Proposed
Road UTM 39N.dwg" with following design parameters.
2. Cut slope (2:1) outer side.
3. Fill slope (2:1) outer side.
4. Create grading Infill.