Civil 3D enables you to create objects that represent structures and pipes. It also establishes relationships between the structures and pipes as well as other important design elements such as surfaces, alignments, profiles, and profile views. The pipes, structures, and their associated relationships are referred to as a Civil 3D
pipe network. In
Figure 14.1, a plan view of a few pipes and structures is shown on the left, and the same pipes and structures are shown in profile view on the top right and 3D view on the bottom right.
 |
| Figure 14.1 A pipe network shown in plan view (left), profile view (top right), and 3D view (bottom right) |
Each component of a pipe network is shown in Prospector. From here, you can right-click each component to access various context commands for it. You can also use the item view at the bottom of Prospector to edit information about each component.
Figure 14.2 shows the contents of a pipe network in Prospector.
 |
| Figure 14.2 A pipe network shown in Prospector |
The shape, dimensions, and behavior of a pipe network component are determined by the part that represents it. Parts are stored in a
parts list, which is a kind of library from which you can select parts for the different components in your pipe network. Most companies have several parts lists, each one containing parts for a certain type of system such as storm, sanitary, or water. Parts lists can be stored in a template file so that they are available in each new drawing that is created from that template.
Figure 14.3 shows an example of a very basic parts list that would be used for storm sewer design.
 |
| Figure 14.3 A parts list configured for storm sewer design |
