Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
5.
Click the road centerline to select it and display its grips. Then click
the triangular grip and drag it west to a point near the west edge of the
road, as shown in Figure 2.7.
FiGuRE 2.7
Grip-editing the alignment
After a pause while Civil 3D rebuilds several aspects of the design,
the label updates once more. Because the road is no longer influenc-
ing the elevation of this spot, the label reverts to its original value of
190.02 (57.92). The station offset label now displays updated values
for station and offset.
6.
Save and close the drawing.
You can view the results of successfully completing this exercise by opening
Objects and Labels - Complete.dwg
.
Appreciating the Richness of the 3D Model
Even though this may seem very foreign at the moment, at some point you will
realize that all you're doing with Civil 3D is creating instructions for how to build
something. If you've ever assembled a piece of furniture or a bicycle that you
bought at a store, you can relate to this concept. The primary purpose of Civil 3D is
to help you prepare the instructions for how to build a land development project.
Thirty years ago, the method used to prepare land development plans was rela-
tively the same as it had been for hundreds of years: plans were drawn on paper,
providing only a two-dimensional depiction of what was to be built. The informa-
tion that existed for the design was limited to what could be displayed on paper.
Then, with the advent of computers, something magical started to happen. Virtual
versions of design components could be modeled electronically. They could be rep-
resented in all three dimensions and even have additional information attached to
them. Now, instead of using an ink line on paper to represent a pipe, you could do
it with a 3D cylinder that also stored the pipe's material, structural characteristics,
