One question I often receive in reference to automating the creation of parcels in Civil 3D is how to change the unit of measurement for parcel sizing in layout tools from the default of square feet to acres. This short and simple tutorial will answer that question for you.
The Problem
We are often confronted with situations in which the default settings in Civil 3D doesn't accommodate the design standards in which we are held to. This can range from colors, linetypes, fonts, sizing, and even units of measure. When working with parcel creation in Civil 3D (or any design software for that matter), there may be several different units in which we must design. It depends upon national, regional, local, and/or municipal standards, but you might need to work on parcels in a project by square meters, acres, or hectares. By default, Civil 3D is set to measure parcels in square feet as shown in the image below.
The Solution
Once you have determined which unit of measure is required for your design, you'll want to modify the default settings in Civil 3D to work for you. First, go to the Settings tab of the Civil 3D Toolspace and expand the Parcels category. Then expand the Commands folder underneath Parcels and double-click on CreateParcelsByLayout.
This will take you into the Command Settings dialog specific for creating parcels within the layout toolbar. Expand the Area section and click on the Unit cell under the Value column. You will end up with options to change your units of measure to those listed in the image below.
Pick the proper units of measure from the drop down list and select OK to close the dialog. Now whenever you go to the Parcel Layout Toolbar (Parcel Creation Tools), your parcel areas will be defined by the previously chosen units. In my case, I changed the default from square feet to acres.
I hope that you've found this helpful and it leads you to explore the multitude of additional command settings that can be changed within your template in order to streamline your design and drafting processes. If you are interested in additional topics like this, please respond in the comments section below and we'll consider other posts, white papers, or future YouTube videos to be placed on our channel.
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