Author Topic: cross section ....offsets and Z: values  (Read 3327 times)

Steve b183

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cross section ....offsets and Z: values
« on: September 10, 2015, 06:29:46 PM »
hi lars

I thought i'd asked this question previously but can't locate it now or any response from you, so apologies if I have

i'm producing lots of Cross Sections with CadTools and I could really do with some way of calculating the differences in levels, I don't think this can be done onto the Sections but could the values for each Station be exported somehow, and into excel where I can do the calculations required

is that possible somehow.......I have 30k of profiles with Sections at 5m intervals !

steve b

Lars

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Re: cross section ....offsets and Z: values
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2015, 08:42:54 PM »
Hi!

You need to deal with them one by one. You can use "Annotate Cross-Section Table" (Lines menu).
Right click in the table to copy content to clipboard, paste it into Excel.

If you need  a point at a given offset you can try this: Offset your alignment, drape it onto the existing ground (keep original). Move it to a layer with a suitable name. Once again drape the original 3D polyline onto your design surface, move it to a layer with a suitable name. Now you have two 3D polylines on top of each other but on different layers. One representing your Existing ground and the other your Design surface on a given offset.

Problems draping, convert any 2D polyline to a 3D polyline before draping.

When creating Cross-Sections add those lines as Display Reference with Elevation. Check your settings, the option "Annotate reference (Offset and Elevation)" should be on.
Now, when plotting your Cross-Sections you'll get elevations for Design and Existing in your sections, Text values will be placed at same layer as your 3Dpolyline (draped lines)
Turn all layers except the two layers containing the elevation text, Select "Send Text to Excel" and select all text by using a crossing. Try to understand how the text is added to your selection by examine your Excel file. You can experiment on the setting "Sections per Column" to get a more useful output.

As a more advanced tip you may also create a sloped surface of a frame around your cross section set (draw a box and edit elevation at vertex using table edit polyline). Triangulate it and drape the text onto it. When exporting text to Excel you may sort your data based on the elevation (Z-value)

Hope this helps!

/Lars