Matching Transparent Commands

You may have construction or other geometry in your drawing that you’d like to match with new lines, arcs, circles, alignments, parcel segments, or other entities.

While actively drawing an object that has a radius parameter, such as a circle, an arc, an alignment curve, or a similar object, you can choose the Match Radius transparent command and then select an object in your drawing that has your desired radius. Civil 3D draws the resulting entity with a radius identical to that of the object you chose during the command.

The Match Length transparent command works the same as the Match Radius transparent command except that it matches the length parameter of your chosen object.

Some people find working with transparent commands awkward at first. It feels strange to move your mouse away from the drawing area and click an icon while another command is in progress. If you prefer, each transparent command has a corresponding command-line entry.
Try a few transparent commands to get the feel for how they operate.

1. Open the drawing 0108_Transparent_Commands.dwg or (0108_Transparent_Commands_METRIC.dwg).

2. On the Home tab of the ribbon, click the Draw flyout ➢ 3D Polyline.

3. From the Transparent Commands toolbar, click the Point Number Transparent command.
4. At the Enter Point Number prompt, type 100-112 and press ↲.
   The 3D polyline will connect the points in the drawing.
5. Press Esc once.
   Notice that you are now back in the 3D polyline command with no transparent commands active.
6. Press Esc a second time.
   This will exit the 3D polyline command.

7. On the Insert tab ➢ Block panel ➢ Insert flyout ➢ More Options.
   From the Name pull-down, select the block Fire Hydrant 01.
   You do not need to browse because this block is already defined in this example drawing.
8. Check the Specify On-Screen option for Insertion Point.
9. Uncheck the Explode option.
10. Verify that your settings match what is shown in Figure and click OK.

    Using the Insert command to place a block


11. At the Specify insertion point: prompt, select the Station Offset transparent command.
    You are then prompted to select an alignment.
12. Click the alignment to the south of the site.
    (Hint: Be sure to click the green line rather than the labels.)
13. At the Specify station along alignment: prompt, enter 450’ (175 m) and press ↲.
14. At the Specify station offset: prompt, enter −30’ (−10 m) and press ↲.
You should now see the fire hydrant symbol at the specified station, on the left of the alignment. You can go ahead and save the drawing, and you can compare the final result against the completed file as the name 0108_Transparent_Commands_FINISHED.dwg or (0108_Transparent_Commands_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).


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Using Transparent Commands
• Standard Transparent Commands
• Matching Transparent Commands

Standard Transparent Commands

The transparent commands shown in Table can be called out within any AutoCAD or Civil 3D draw command, such as a line, polyline, alignment, parcel segment, feature line, or pipe-creation command.

Table :  The transparent commands used in plan view.

Tool Icon	Menu Command	Key-In
	Angle Distance	‘AD
	Bearing Distance	‘BD
	Azimuth Distance	‘ZD
	Deflection Distance	‘DD
	Northing Easting	‘NE
	Grid Northing Grid Easting	‘GN
	Station Offset	‘SO
	Latitude Longitude	‘LL
	Point Number	‘PN
	Point Name	‘PA
	Point Object	‘PO
	Zoom To Point	‘ZTP
	Side Shot	‘SS

Using Transparent Commands

• Standard Transparent Commands
• Matching Transparent Commands

Using Transparent Commands

You might be surprised to know that you have already been using a form of the transparent commands if you tried to use, for example, the Line By Point # Range command or the Line By Bearing command. That’s because each of those commands is a variation of the line command with a transparent command already built in.

Transparent commands are “helper” commands that make base AutoCAD input more surveyor- and civil designer–friendly. Transparent commands can be used only when another command is in progress. They are “commands within commands” that allow you to choose your input based on the available data you have to provide.

For example, you may have a plat whose information you are trying to input into AutoCAD. You may need to insert a block at a specific northing and easting. While the Line command has a built-in option for Northing Easting, the Insert command does not, and a transparent command will help you. In this case, you would start the Insert command with the Specify On Screen option checked. Before you click to place the block in the graphic, click the Northing Easting transparent command. The command line will then walk you through placing the block at your desired location.

While a transparent command is active, you can press Esc once to leave transparent mode but stay active in your current command. You can then choose another transparent command if you’d like. For example, you can start a line using the Endpoint Osnap, activate the Angle Distance transparent command, draw a line-by-angle distance, and then press Esc, which takes you out of angle-distance mode but keeps you in the line command. You can then draw a few more segments using the Point Object transparent command, press Esc, and finish your line with a Perpendicular Osnap.

You can activate the transparent commands using keyboard shortcuts or the Transparent Commands toolbar. Be sure you include the Transparent Commands toolbar (shown in Figure) in all your Civil 3D and survey-oriented workspaces.

The Transparent Commands toolbar

Using Transparent Commands

• Standard Transparent Commands
• Matching Transparent Commands

Adding Line and Curve Labels

In Civil 3D the dynamic and intelligent labeling is not limited to Civil 3D objects alone. You can add dynamic linked labels to basic AutoCAD elements like lines and curves. These labels share the most common properties of the labels used for other Civil 3D objects such as parcels and alignments.

This exercise walks you through the labeling of the deed you included earlier in this discussion:

1. Open the file 0107_Legal_Labels.dwg or (0107_Legal_Labels_METRIC.dwg).

2. On the Annotate tab of the ribbon, choose Labels And Tables Panel ➢ Add Labels.
   The Add Labels dialog appears.
3. Choose Line And Curve from the Feature drop-down menu.
   Your Add Labels dialog will look similar to Figure 1.

   Figure 1:  The Add Labels dialog, with Label Type set to Multiple Segment

4. Choose Multiple Segment from the Label Type drop-down menu.
   The Multiple Segment option places the label at the midpoint of each selected line or arc.
5. Confirm that Line Label Style is set to Bearing Over Distance and that Curve Label Styleis set to Distance-Radius And Delta (as shown in Figure 1).
6. Click the Add button.
7. At the Select Entity: prompt, select each line from the deed and the lines and arcs thatyou drew in the previous exercises.
   A label appears on each entity at its midpoint, as shown in Figure 2.

   Figure 2:  The labeled linework

8. Save the drawing and close it.
You can check the result of your drawing against the completed file; it’s named 0107_Legal_Labels_FINISHED.dwg or (0107_Legal_Labels_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).

The use of these labels does not stop at lines and curves; they can be used on polylines as well. Based on the selection of a single segment or multiple segments, Civil 3D can apply the labels to a single segment on the polyline or all segments of the polyline, assigning the specific label to lines and curves that define the polyline.
Creating Curves
• Standard Curves
• Best-Fit Entities
• Attaching Multiple Entities
• Adding Line and Curve Labels

Attaching Multiple Entities

The Attach Multiple Entities command that can be called out in the command line as attachmultiple is a combination of the Line From End Of Object command and the Curve From End Of Object command. Using CUI, you can bring this command into the ribbon if desired. Each entity created with this tool is tangent to the previous segment. Using this command saves you time because you don’t have to switch between the Line From End Of Object command and the Curve From End Of Object command.

The Attach Multiple Entities command draws a series of lines and arcs so that each segment is tangent to the previous one

Creating Curves

• Standard Curves
• Best-Fit Entities
• Attaching Multiple Entities
• Adding Line and Curve Labels

Creating Best-Fit Entities

AutoCAD Civil 3D provides many tools for relating surveyed information to a graphic. Best-fit tools like the ones in the following sections perform analysis on different types of irregular geometry to create uniform shapes (see Figure 1).

Figure 1:  The Create Best Fit menu options

Creating a Best-Fit Line

The Create Best Fit Line command under the Best Fit drop-down on the Draw panel takes a series of Civil 3D points, AutoCAD points, entities, or drawing locations and draws a single best-fit line segment on the selected input. In Figure 2, the Create Best Fit Line command draws a best-fit line through a series of points that aren’t quite collinear. The best-fit line will adjust as more points are selected.

Figure 2:  A preview line drawn through points that are not collinear

After you press Enter to complete the selection, a Panorama window appears with a regression data chart showing information about each point in the selection, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3:  The Panorama window lets you optimize your best fit

This interface allows you to optimize your best-fit element by adding more points, excluding points, selecting the check box in the Pass Through column to force one of your points on the line, or adjusting the value under the Weight column based on how important each point position should be in the definition of the element relative to the other points.

Creating a Best-Fit Arc

The Create Best Fit Arc command on the Best Fit drop-down works the same as the Create Best Fit Line command, including the Panorama adjustment window, except that the resulting entity is a single arc segment as opposed to a single line segment (see Figure 4).

Figure 4:  Preview of the curve created by best fit

Creating a Best-Fit Parabola

The Create Best Fit Parabola command on the Best Fit drop-down is similar to the line and arc commands in how it works. After you select this command, the Parabola By Best Fit dialog appears (see Figure 5).

Figure 5:  The Parabola By Best Fit dialog

You can select inputs from entities (such as lines, arcs, polylines, or profile objects) or by clicking onscreen. The command then draws a best-fit parabola on the basis of this information. In Figure 6, the shots were represented by AutoCAD points; more points were added by selecting the By Clicking On The Screen option and using the Node Osnap to pick each point.

Figure 6:  The best-fit preview line updates as more points are picked

Once you’ve selected your points, a Panorama window (shown in Figure 7) appears, showing information about each point you chose. Also note the information in the left pane regarding the K value, curve length, grades, and so forth. You can optimize your K value, length, and other values by adding more points, selecting one or more check boxes in the Pass Through column to force one of your points on the line, or adjusting the values in the Weight column.

Figure 7:  The Panorama window lets you make adjustments to your best-fit parabola

Creating Curves

• Standard Curves
• Best-Fit Entities
• Attaching Multiple Entities
• Adding Line and Curve Labels