IMAGINiT Civil Solutions Blog

Show Me the Contaminant!

Here’s the problem.  You’ve got a number of test wells and have tested for lead (Pb) and arsenic (As).  The file looks something like the CSV file below.

We’ll assume that the elevation mentioned is the collar elevation.  The adjustment to the actual water table elevation I’ll leave for another post.  What you want to show are only the wells that have returned Pb values greater than or equal to 100 ppm.

There are a couple of ways we can do this.  We can use the Map 3D capabilities within AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 to build a query and annotate the results to show us what we want, or we can use point groups within Civil 3D to display the data we want.  We’ll look at the point group method in this post.

Start by creating two user defined point properties to hold the Pb and As values from the point file.  Here’s the one for As.

When I’m done, I’ll see this in my Settings tab in the Toolspace.

Next, I’ll create an import format to import the points.

I’ve created a point group called Wells to contain the points.  It uses a query based on the raw description (BH).

Here are some of the points in the drawing.  Note that several of the Pb values fall below the 100 ppm threshold.

To show the points I want, I just need to modify the query.  I’ve used a copy of the Wells point group, called it Wells with Pb GE 100 ppm and modified the query as you see below.

This point group will contain only the points that satisfy the query.  Here’s what you see on the drawing.

Since the well points are contained in more than one point group, you may want to adjust the point group order relative to a No Display point group so that the other well points are not shown.

That’s it.  But, before I leave, I wanted to share these bits of electronic mildew with you.  I hope you get a laugh or two out of them.

 

Other Sources of Contamination

While we’re on the subject of contaminants and queries, here are some amusing email contaminations I’ve seen recently.  Each of these has its own query to try to extract information from the unwary.

First, a variation of the Nigerian scam.

We do notify you as the Financial Advisory Group to the CHEVRON NIGERIA LTD , that your email amongst five others has been chosen randomly from a selection of sub regions within the six continents of the world domains and email as the beneficiary of the donation grant of 810,000GBP(Eight Hundred and Ten Great British Pound Starlings) with PHCV TAG NUMBER: 228.900.110.1111 To receive your Cash Donation Grant of 810,000GBP, kindly fill the claims form below

Now, what would I do with 810 one pound birds?

Keeping in the British tradition, it seems the Queen, with the help of Bill Gates, is being overly generous this month.

We are please to inform you of the announcement today of the QUEENELIZABETH International Poverty Alleviation Grant Scheme held on January2011. this Grant is given out to selected individuals around the world tohelp them actualize their dreams and also make the world a better placefor all. This Grant is made possible by Queen Elizabeth of England andalso the immense support of MR BILL GATES the CHAIRMAN and CEO OFMICROSOFT, USA. Your EMAIL ACCOUNT has been picked as a winner and there fore you havebeen approved FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS (Ј500,000) This is from thetotal Grant Money of FOUR MILLION POUNDS (Ј4,000,000) shared among theEight (8) International Grant Winners in Phase Six. All participants wereselected through their country Internet network. This Grant is part ofQueen Elizabeth Foundation.

You would think that with the royal wedding coming up that the Queen could use all the money she could get her hands on instead of throwing it about to all and sundry.  Maybe I’ll get a call from Stephen Harper asking if I would like to be prime minister of Canada for a day.

And finally, good news fro our friends at the UN.

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIR.

Good Day,

I am directed to inform you that your payment verification and confirmations are correct,

therefore we are happy to inform you that arrangements have been concluded to effect your payment as soon as possible. Due to your long over-due payment which you have been finding it difficult to receive via aCertified Bank Draft issued by the UN Promo, we have arranged your payment through HSBC Bank ATM Card Payment Center, this is an instruction passed by the United Nations in respect to all over delayed payment and debt re-scheduling.We will send you an International Swift ATM Card that has been approved in your favor with Card Number: -----------------, with valued sum of $315,810.00 USD (Three Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ten USD Only), which you are to use in accessing your fund in any ATM Stand/location worldwide, and remember that the maximum withdrawal daily limit is Five Thousand United States Dollars (US$5,000.00).We have concluded delivery arrangement with the UPS courier services. Please note that the UPS courier company is fully insured by Nicon Insurance Corporation. Kindly provide the details below for delivery.1. Valid Delivery Address.2. Full Names.3. Phone Number. Please do confirm that you will take responsibility for the cost ofdelivery ($200), so that I will know how to proceed with you. Please be informed that the delivery will be made to your address in 48 hours (2 days) after our confirmation of this payment for delivery, as you know that the delivery fee receipt will be also attached on your payment delivery documents to avoid your package being delayed by customs.Treat urgently and note that your ATM Card is ready and available for dispatch

Well, at least it’s not 810 starlings.

There are all kinds of contaminants out there, and not all of them flow through the groundwater or float as particles in the air.

Upload, View, and Share DXF Files in Google Docs

For a very long time we, as an industry, have utilized email attachments, FTP sites, and burned discs via hand or mail delivery for transferring drawing files to clients, owners, operators, or partners. The times have been changing, though, and we have several more methods for sharing our files now.

Take, for instance, a few of the offerings by Autodesk: AutoCAD WS, Buzzsaw, and even the Autodesk Labs' "Project Bluestreak" for collaborating AEC projects. These applications are all web-dependent and allow you to quickly and easily share your design documents. Don't forget about the 3rd party options, though. One company that has been soaring in popularity over the last couple years is DropBox, where you can save, edit, and sync any type of document or file across multiple machines and even have web access to download them anytime, anywhere. Another option that was just announced last week was from one of the largest tech companies in the world: Google.

Along with several other document formats, you can now add DXF files to your Google Docs inventory. This is pretty much a home run with a free 7 GB (and growing) storage limit within Google applications, the availability of accessing your files from any computer (and most smart phones) with internet access, the wide acceptance and use of GMail, and the ease in which you can upload your files.

Not everyone will buy in to Google's latest addition, but I know of dozens of people who use Google Docs regularly and even some that prefer it over the Microsoft Office Suite. Let's leave that argument for another time and another venue, though. How about exploring how to export, upload, and share your drawing files using Google Docs.

The limitation here is that Docs will only read and display a DXF file (no support for DWG files at this time). So the first thing you must do is export your drawing to a .dxf file.

To export your drawing, go to the Application Menu (the big "C" icon in Civil 3D), hover over or select the Export option, choose "AutoCAD DXF", and then pick which DXF version you want your drawing to export to. In this case, I've selected the AutoCAD 2007 DXF format as you can see in the image below.

Next, log into your Google Docs account (or Gmail account and just navigate to Docs from there). Choose the "Upload" option at the top left of the window, and you'll be brought to a page similar to what you see below. Choose to "Select files" and choose the DXF files you want to be uploaded to Google Docs.

As I said before, there is a 7+ GB limit to Google accounts, but there is also a limit to the size of each file. You cannot upload any file larger than 1024 MB (or about 1 GB). When you have finished adding files to your Google Docs account, just click on the instance in the list (as you see I've done with the "Working Surface.dxf" file in the image).

Now you will see an online copy of your DXF file and can zoom, pan, and save the file. There aren't any editing tools for DXF files in Google Docs, so you are limited to reviewing and sharing them at this point. The files are all accumulated and stored in the Google Docs interface and can easily be shared via a download link, an email attachment, or with anyone else that has a Google Docs account. Pretty slick, huh?

Now, one thing I wanted to be sure and clarify for any and all that are already familiar with how Google Docs works: you can't drag-and-drop DXF files into the interface like you can with most of the other file types. In the image below you'll see me in the process of dropping the same DXF file as I had previously uploaded and viewed in the image above.

Once dropped into Google Docs, the DXF file opens automatically in another tab or session of your internet browser. As you can see, the file isn't interpreted properly and you simply won't get the desired results.

Something to consider, regardless of what file you are attempting to bring into Google Docs using the drag-and-drop method, it only works with the Google Chrome browser. So even if Google does get this working for DXF files, you'll only be able to utilize it with their browser. Drag-and-drop file uploading doesn't work with Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari as far as I'm aware and even if it is, it would require a plug-in or an extension to the web browser.

Well, that's enough rambling from me this time around. Autodesk offers several options for file sharing and collaboration, but there are many other options out there. Don't limit yourself to old technology; use what works best for you, your coworkers, and your clients to get the job done effectively and efficiently.

Label Curb Elevations the Easy Way in Civil 3D

With all the talk going on at the IMAGINiT Support Blog and Civil 3D Reminders regarding labeling surface elevations along a path in Civil 3D, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and take things a step further. Both Todd and Chris offered great examples of how to quickly utilize labels in Civil 3D. They also both, separately, showed that there are many different ways to accomplish the same task in Civil 3D. Instead of offering another alternative on how to label along a path in Civil 3D, how about labeling objects needing multiple elevation callouts on the same point?

One of the best, and likely most encountered, examples of this scenario is labeling top and bottom elevations for the face of a curb. Let's look at the situation: you have an object (this doesn't exclusively pertain to curbs) that needs 2 different elevation callouts, but contained within the same Civil 3D label.

So what to do? I like setting up a style specifically for this purpose. I'll create a point label style (so the labels can be placed in a wide variety of different methods - including along a linear path) and also an Expression within that label style. I can then use this point label style in conjunction with any point marker style with or without the marker being visible (depending on your company standards).

The first step is to create the label Expression. This is about as basic an Expression you can make in Civil 3D, so it is a pretty good introduction if you've never created one before. To create the Civil 3D Expression, navigate to the Label Styles folder, right-click on "Expressions" and select "New" from the options.

In the New Expression dialog box, name your Expression something relevant and easily recognizable. It is also wise to add a description so the next person that comes along will understand how the Expression is supposed to operate (This is a really easy-to-understand Civil 3D Expression, but they can get extremely complex using multiple mathematical formulas). Select "Point Elevation" from the drop-down list of available object properties.

Now just use basic subtraction and the height of your curb (based on your drawing units) and define the format being output as an Elevation. Select OK.

Now create a new point label style. Name it and describe it appropriately.

Define the basic formatting, font, and rotation within the "General" and "Dragged State" tabs to fit your company standards, but focus on the "Layout" tab for the content and to apply the Expression we previously created. You can use either 1 component containing both the TC and BC elevation or 2 components containing them individually. I've chosen to include both of them in a single label component. Define component name, anchor, attachment, etc. and select the ellipsis within the "Contents" cell.

Add some static text in front of the current point elevation expression to represent it as the top of curb elevation (this would also be a good time to change any unit, precision, or rounding settings and update the point elevation expression if necessary). Then go to the "Properties" drop-down where you will find the "Curb Label" Civil 3D Label Expression we previously created. Select that Expression and change any necessary modifiers.

Push the Curb Label Expression over to the editing pane and add the static text representing it as the bottom of curb elevation. When you are done, select "OK."

You should then see a pretty good example of what your point label will look like within the Label Style Composer Preview Pane.  Pick "OK" when you are done.

To add your labels to the curb in your project, open your Create Points toolbar and select "Along Polyline/Contour" from the Surface Points drop-down. This will add points at a set frequency along the curb. If you would rather add points at vertexes, choose the "Automatic" option from the Misc. Points drop-down.

Select the Surface containing the elevation of the curb and define the frequency you wish the label to appear. Then, pick the Polyline from your project representing the curb and callout the description of the points. Once the points have been created, select them all and change their point and label styles (Pro tip: if you create a Point Group including points with the same description given to the curb points you're generating, you can automatically apply the point and label styles without any further effort).

If you prefer, you can set the point style to be <none> and just use the leader within the label dragged-state to represent the location of your top and bottom of curb labels. Again, this is just a basic utilization of custom Expressions for Civil 3D labels, but you can quickly see how thinking a bit outside the box and combining Expressions with the functionality of automatically generating points (and the labels that come along with them) can speed up your processes and efficiency within Civil 3D.

Have your own labeling tips? Add them to the comments below!