Work with linework code sets

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In this video, we're going to look at linework code sets.

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We're going to open a linework code set and discuss the parameters inside of that code set.

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And then we're going to compare those codes to a survey dataset to see how the codes are read inside of that survey dataset.

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So when we set our survey user settings,

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we directed Civil 3D to look to a specific file that contained our equipment databases, our figure previous databases, and our linework code sets.

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So if that was setup correctly,

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what Civil 3D is going to do now is it's going to populate a already created linework code set for you called Essentials.

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If you were working inside of Civil 3D not as part of these video sets, what you would have to do inside of Civil 3D, first, would be,

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to set up a linework code set unless less where you're working has linework code sets specified and has a location for you to direct Civil 3D to.

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So if you need to create a new linework code set, what you're going to go ahead and do is right click on Linework Code Sets select New.

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Since we already have a linework code set, we're going to go ahead and go to Essentials and we're going to right click, select Edit.

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So inside of this window is the Edit Linework Code Sets window,

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and we are basically setting our codes for how Civil 3D is going to look at the field data inside of a survey database.

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So we're going to go and look down the list, starting with coding methods.

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What this is basically saying is that after your point identifier, how is Civil 3D going to tell when your field codes start.

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And so you have a point description of, say, GS for ground shot,

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and then if there's a Space, Civil 3D is going to see that space and it's going to say, this is the beginning of the field codes.

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And so the field code escape is kind of the opposite of that, it's saying, once I've started reading these field codes,

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when do I decide that I'm done reading that field code, and I switch over to comments.

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And so a slash would say, I'm going to stop reading those field codes, I'll continue to the end of the line,

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but I won't implement any more text inside of this field code.

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Start in comments mode is basically flipping how Civil 3D reads everything.

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When you get to your field codes, it will start in comment mode and it will wait until it sees that field code escape.

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And once it sees that field code escape, it will switch over to reading the field codes and implementing them into the drawing.

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An automatic begin on figure prefix match basically looks to your figure prefix database and says,

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do I have a code that matches this figure prefix database?

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If it does, I'm going to start to figure on it.

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Otherwise, it won't start to figure and it'll look to the rest of your code sets.

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If you don't have this checked basically, what you have to do is you have to always when you want to create a figure,

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use your begin command for that figure.

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So moving on, now we have our special codes for how to dictate what's going to happen with these figures.

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So we have begin which begins a figure, continue would continue a figure,

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and within that figure, close basically takes the point that you're on and loops back to the beginning.

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Horizontal offset and vertical offsets are creating offsets, whether it's horizontal and vertical, and then stop as offsets stops those offsets.

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Then we have our line segment codes.

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We can recall to a specific point, connect to a specific point, create a rectangle on the point that we're reading currently,

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make a right turn based on where we are at currently and an extension to there.

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If you use a negative number, it would be a left turn.

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And then you can also choose to extend a line past a point by using the Extend command.

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Then we have a curve settings, which are begin curve, end curve, creating a circle on the point that we're at,

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and then specifying whether a point is on a curve versus a beginning or an end of a curve.

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The most common ones that I see used in my day-to-day work is begin and end curve.

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And then also begin code, end code, and close.

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So what we're going to go ahead and do is I'm going to open up a survey dataset, and we can see how these code sets are implemented.

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So if we look at this code set or our survey data, you'll see point 306 is a building noted by the BLD,

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and it begins it and draws that building from 306 all the way until you get to 309,

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and then it finds the CLS command for close and it loops back and will create a closed shape from 306 to 309.

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Then we move on to 310 and you will see that it begins a SWL, which is swale, and it creates a swale from 310 all the way to 333 and then ends it.

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So we will not loop back to 310, we will just stop at 333 and start a new code at 334 and begin a new swale moving on until it reaches 341.

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If we navigate all the way up to the top of our survey dataset, what you'll see is we're now working with an edge of pavement,

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and you'll see begin of that edge of pavement moving on to the beginning of a curve of that edge of pavement,

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moving on until we get to the end of that segment and the end of that curve.

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So what Civil 3D does is it starts with a begin, it continues reading until it finds that end,

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and if it encounters another code in between, it starts that code.

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So we will have a linear segment beginning and then we will have a beginning of a curve,

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and then we would have an end of the entire segment code and move on to a new code for figure.