Extract design surface breaklines
Last updated: 2022-08-30
Total video time: 33:09
The table below is a summary of the files and surfaces that will be used to create the final deliverable breakline file.
The examples shown in the table below are based on the following:
- Project ID = 12345678
- Construction ID = 98765432
- Datum surface (Top surface would follow the same workflow)
WisDOT Civil 3D tool | Input File | Input Surface | Output File | Output Created | Purpose |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Data for Construction - Design Surface Data Extractor | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum.dwg | Rfnt-All-Datum | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\ Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-RawData.dwg | 3D Polylines | Extract breaklines from refinement surface |
Data for Construction - Create Verification Surface | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-RawData.dwg | Rfnt-All-Datum | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\ Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-Verification.dwg | Rfnt-All-Datum (data referenced) | Check extracted breakline surface matches design surface |
--- | --- | --- | Rfnt-All-Datum- FromBreaklines surface | ||
--- | --- | --- | Rfnt-All-Datum- Verification volume surface | ||
Data for Construction - Assign CDP Breakline Layers | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\ Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-Verification.dwg | NA | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\ Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-Verification.dwg | Assign breaklines to new layers based on point code | Increase contractor understanding of what breakline represents |
Export ACAD DWG files | 12345678\dsgn\srfc\ Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-Verification.dwg | NA | 12345678\const\CD-Design\CD-Surface\ 98765432-Datum-Breaklines.dwg | Basic AutoCAD dwg with no Civil 3D objects | Use in contractor software |
Extract and validate breaklines
cntrctr-data-xtrct-dsn-srfc-brkln-01.mp4 6:01
Tool Used: WisDOT Design tab > Output panel > Contractor Data dropdown > Data for Construction - Design Surface Data Extractor
Input file: <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Refinement surface.dwg
Examples: Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum, Srfc-Rfnt-All-Top
Output file: <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\<Refinement Surface>-RawData.dwg
Steps
- Open the refinement surface dwg file
- WisDOT Design tab > Output panel > Contractor Data dropdown > Data for Construction - Design Surface Data Extractor
- Design Surface Data Extractor dialog box (Example below is based on datum surface)
- Extract design surface data
- Select design surface: < Refinement Surface >
- (Examples: Rfnt-All-Datum, Rfnt-All-Top)
- Select a drawing template: C:\WisDOT\Stnd\C3D20XX\Templates\Begin-dwg\x-wisdot.dwt
- Specify a new drawing: <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-RawData.dwg
- (Examples: Srfc-Rfnt-All-Datum-RawData, Srfc-Rfnt-All-Top-RawData)
- Select design surface: < Refinement Surface >
- Validate extracted data
- Specify a drawing created from extracting design surface data: Keep default of new drawing name
- Extract Data
Depending on the size of the data, the extraction and validation process may take some time.
- Extract design surface data
Once the process is complete the drawing will open. Take some time to review the drawing, looking for anything unusual.
There should not be a large number of breakline segments on the LINE_NO_MATCH layers.
If Gradings were used to develop part of the surface definition, you will notice they are represented by the TIN edge of the grading surface. Grading breaklines cannot be extracted from Civil 3D, so the TIN edges will be used for the breakline deliverable in the areas created by Gradings.
Verify surface created from extracted breaklines
cntrctr-data-xtrct-dsn-srfc-brkln-02.mp4 7:40
The easiest way to verify that the extracted breaklines represent the design surface is to make a new surface from the extracted breaklines. Next, compare the new surface with the design refinement surface.
Tool Used:WisDOT Design tab > Output panel > Contractor Data dropdown > Data for Construction - Create Verification Surface
Input file: <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-RawData.dwg
Output file: <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
The output file contains 3 surfaces:
- Design Surface
- Data referenced
- Style = _No Display
- < Design Surface > - FromBreaklines
- Surface created from selected breaklines and boundary
- Style = P_Triangles
- < Design Surface > - Verification
- Volume surface
- Base surface = Design Surface
- Comparison surface = surface from breaklines
- Style = Elevations
The analysis ranges are set for elevations less than 0.01 foot and greater than 0.01 foot.
- Volume surface
The Create Verification Surface tool is run from the breakline raw data file. It copies the pertinent breakline and boundary data into a new file and creates a new surface from that data. The design surface is data referenced into the drawing and a verification surface is created (volume surface) to compare the design surface and breakline surface.
Steps:
- Open <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-RawData.dwg
- WisDOT Design tab > Output panel > Contractor Data dropdown > Data for Construction - Create Verification Surface
- Create Verification Surface dialog box
- Design Surface: Refinement surface (Example: Rfnt-All-Datum, Rfnt-All-Top)
- Design Surface Data Extractor File: checked (if WisDOT Design Surface Data Extractor was used to extract breaklines)
- See Contractor Data - Create Verification Surface for more information
- OK
- CLOSE
- Create Verification Surface dialog box
- Save newly created file as <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
Analyze surface created from extracted breaklines
cntrctr-data-xtrct-dsn-srfc-brkln-03.mp4 5:57
Review file:<Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
The surface styles in the Verification.dwg are automatically set by Create Verification Surface tool.
The solid red areas appearing in the volume surface are locations where there is a 0.01 ft or greater difference between the breakline surface in the Verifcation.dwg and the original design surface in the Refinement surface.dwg.
A common sense approach must be used to determine if there are areas that actually need to be edited in the breakline file since the surface tolerance being evaluated is only 0.01 ft.
- First, check for areas that are within the subgrade shoulder points. In most cases, the red areas appear based on the way the surface triangulates. To check if the breaklines produced a valid surface, perform a swap edge command on the TIN edge of the < Design Surface > - FromBreaklines surface.
- Check that the volume surface, < Design Surface > - Verification, is set to Rebuild-Automatic
- Select the < Design Surface > - FromBreaklines surface
- Tin Surface: < Design Surface > - FromBreaklines contextual ribbon > Modify panel > Edit Surface > Swap Edge
The color from the volume surface should disappear. If it does not, further troubleshooting of the breaklines may be needed.
Tip: The Design Surface Data Extractor includes a custom tooltip toggle. This button will trigger a detailed tooltip for each breakline that displays additional information about its origin.
Breakline extraction troubleshooting
cntrctr-data-xtrct-dsn-srfc-brkln-04.mp4 7:00
-
Once the areas within the subgrade shoulder points have been reviewed, view the Volume Surface properties.
- Prospector tab > Right-click < Design Surface > - Verification surface > Surface Properties > Statistics tab > General
- Observe the minimum and maximum elevation.
- These are the maximum deviations between the design surface and the FromBreaklines surface.
- Do they seem reasonable for areas outside of the subgrade shoulder points?
- To examine where these differences are occurring, a contour style can be applied to better evaluate potential problem areas.
- Prospector tab > Right-click < Design Surface > - Verification surface > Surface Properties > Information tab
- Surface style: P Contours 2' Major:0.5' Minor
- Prospector tab > Right-click < Design Surface > - Verification surface > Surface Properties > Information tab
-
Turn on the LINE_NO_MATCH layer in the <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-RawData.dwg
- Was a needed breakline placed on the LINE_NO_MATCH layer and not included in the < Design Surface > Rfnt-All-XXX-FromBreaklines surface?
- Maybe a breakline's missing in a crucial location.
- Maybe the extractor's validation process deleted a line that shouldn't have been deleted.
Tip: The Design Surface Data Extractor includes a custom tooltip toggle. This button will trigger a detailed tooltip for each breakline that displays additional information about its origin.
- If for some reason, the Extract Design Surface Data utility removed a valid breakline during the extraction process, that missing breakline can be obtained manually from the source.
- Extract a corridor feature line as a 3D polyline
- Corridor contextual ribbon > Launch Pad dropdown > Polyline from Corridor
- CREATEPOLYLINEFROMCORRIDOR Select a corridor feature line:select desired feature line
- Enter
- Select created 3D polyline > Right-click Clipboard > Copy
- Go to <Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
- Right-click Clipboard > Paste to Original Coordinates
- Select the 3D polyline
- Home tab > Modify panel dropdown > Break
- edit the polyline as needed
- Add the 3D polyline to the Rfnt-All-XXX- FromBreaklines surface.
- Corridor contextual ribbon > Launch Pad dropdown > Polyline from Corridor
- Extract a corridor feature line as a 3D polyline
- Perfectly vertical triangle legs cannot be created in DTM surfaces. A slight offset of 0.01 feet can be used to create near vertical surface features. This should be done in the source corridor by adding or modifying the subassemblies in that location.
- You may notice areas where breaklines have gaps. If the gaps are small enough where they do not impact surface triangulation, they are ok.
Assign CDP breakline layers and export breaklines for delivery
cntrctr-data-xtrct-dsn-srfc-brkln-05.mp4 6:19
Assign CDP breakline layers
Tool Used:WisDOT Design tab > Output panel > Contractor Data dropdown > Data for Construction - Assign CDP Breakline Layers
Input file:<Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
Output file:<Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
Use the Data for Construction - Assign CDP Breakline Layers to assign the design surface data to layers that represent the features for the contractors.
Export breaklines for delivery
Tool Used: Output tab > Export panel > Export Civil 3D Drawing
Input file:<Project_ID>\dsgn\srfc\Srfc-<Refinement Surface>-Verification.dwg
Output file: <Project_ID>\const\CD-Design\CD-Surface\<Construction_ID>-<Surface>-Breaklines-<Const-Stg>.dwg
List of exported surface breaklines for CDP:
- Datum-Breaklines
- Top-Breaklines
-
Top-Breaklines-RuralDwy (if applicable)
Steps
- In the Verification.dwg file, set all surfaces to No Display.
- See Export ACAD DWG files on how to export the Verification.dwg.
- Save file as const\CD-Design\CD-Surface\<Construction_ID>-<Surface>-Breaklines-<Const-Stg>.dwg
- The exported dwg file contains breaklines and the surface boundary.