AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Developer S Guide

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011
Developer’s Guide
April 2010
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Contents
About the Developer's Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
AutoCAD Civil 3D APIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
New Features in the .NET API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Chapter 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Using VBA in AutoCAD Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Setting up a .NET Project for AutoCAD Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Running Commands from the Toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Migrating COM code to .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Transactions and ObjectIds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Limitations and Using Interop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 2 Root Objects and Common Concepts in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Root Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Accessing Application and Document Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using Collections Within the Document Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Accessing and Using the Database Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Ambient Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Changing General and Specific Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Creating a Label Style Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Defining a Label Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
iii
Using Property Fields in Label Style Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sharing Syles Between Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 3 Root Objects and Common Concepts in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Root Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Accessing Application and Document Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Using Collections Within the Document Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Accessing and Using the Database Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Accessing Drawing, Feature, and Command Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Creating a Label Style Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Defining a Label Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Using Property Fields in Label Style Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Sharing Styles Between Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Sample Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 4 Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Root Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Obtaining Survey-Specific Root Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Changing Survey-Specific Ambient Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Changing Survey User Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using the Equipment Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Creating a Survey Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Adjusting Survey Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Accessing Extended Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Survey Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Creating a Survey Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Adding Control Points to a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Adding Directions to a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Adding Setups to a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Adding Non-control Points to a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Creating Paths for Traverse Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Adding Survey Data to the Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Getting Survey Network Drawing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Creating a Figure Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Adding Lines to a Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Adding Arcs to a Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Adding Figures to the Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figures and AutoCAD Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Creating a Figure Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Using the Figure Prefix Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Chapter 5 Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Using the Points Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Accessing Points in a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Point User-Defined Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Creating Point Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Creating Point Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Using Point Description Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
iv | Contents
Creating Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Adding Points to a Point Group Using QueryBuilder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Using Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 6 Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Using the Surfaces Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Creating a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Creating a Surface From a LandXML File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Creating a TIN Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Creating a Grid Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Creating a Volume Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Working with Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Adding a Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Adding Data from DEM Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Improving Performance By Using Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Finding Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Working with TIN Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Point Data to a TIN Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Points Using Point Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Points Using Point Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Adding a Breakline to a TIN Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Adding a Standard Breakline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Adding a Proximity Breakline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Adding a Non-destructive Breakline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Adding a Wall Breakline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Importing Breaklines from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Adding Contours to a TIN Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Extracting Contours from a TIN Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Surface Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Creating a Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Changing a Surface Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Assigning a Style to a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Performing Surface Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Creating an Elevation Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Creating a Watershed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Sample Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Chapter 7 Sites and Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Creating Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Using Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Creating Parcels with Parcel Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
About Parcel Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Determining Parcel Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Parcel Style and Parcel Segment Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Parcel Label Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Parcel User-Defined Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Accessing Daylight Feature Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Chapter 8 Alignments in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Basic Alignment Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Creating an Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Contents | v
Defining an Alignment Path Using Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Determining Entities Within an Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Modifying Stations with Station Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Creating Station Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Specifying Design Speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Superelevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Alignment Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Creating an Alignment Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Alignment Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Chapter 9 Alignments in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Basic Alignment Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Creating an Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Defining an Alignment Path Using Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Determining Entities Within an Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Modifying Stations with Station Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Creating Station Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Specifying Design Speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Finding the Location of a Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Superelevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Alignment Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Creating an Alignment Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Alignment Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Sample Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Chapter 10 Profiles in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Creating a Profile From a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Creating a Profile Using Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Editing Points of Vertical Intersection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Creating a Profile Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Profile Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Creating a Profile View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Creating Profile View Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Setting Profile View Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Setting the Axis Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Setting the Graph Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Profile View Style Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Sample Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Chapter 11 Profiles in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Creating a Profile From a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Creating a Profile Using Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Editing Points of Vertical Intersection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Creating a Profile Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Profile Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Creating a Profile View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Creating Profile View Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Setting Profile View Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Setting the Graph Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Working With Hatch Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Profile View Style Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
vi | Contents
Sample Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Chapter 12 Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Sample Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Creating a Sample Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Defining Sample Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Creating Sample Line Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Creating Sample Line Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Creating Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Using Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Section Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Creating Section Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Creating Section View Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Setting Section View Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Setting Graph Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Section View Style Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Chapter 13 Data Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Defining a Data Band Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Data Band Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Profile Data Band Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Horizontal Geometry Data Band Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Vertical Geometry Data Band Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Superelevation Data Band Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Section Data Band Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Creating a Data Band Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Creating Data Band Sets for Profile Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Creating Data Band Sets for Section Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Using Data Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Adding Data Bands to a Profile View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Adding Data Bands to a Section View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Sample Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Chapter 14 Pipe Networks in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Accessing Pipe Network-Specific Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Pipe-Specific Ambient Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Listing and Adding Dynamic Part Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Retrieving the Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Creating a Pipe Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Creating Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Using Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Creating Pipe Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Creating Pipe Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Creating Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Using Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Creating Structure Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Creating Structure Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Interference Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Contents | vii
Performing an Interference Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Listing the Interferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Interference Check Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Chapter 15 Pipe Networks in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Accessing Pipe Network-Specific Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Pipe-Specific Ambient Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Listing and Adding Dynamic Part Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Retrieving the Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Creating a Pipe Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Creating Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Using Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Creating Pipe Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Creating Pipe Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Creating Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Using Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Creating Structure Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Creating Structure Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Interference Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Performing an Interference Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Listing the Interferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Interference Check Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Chapter 16 Creating Custom Subassemblies Using .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Subassembly Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Designing Custom Subassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Naming Custom Subassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Attachment and Insertion Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
User-defined vs. Hard-coded Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Input Parameter Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Superelevation Behavior and Subassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Creating Subassembly Help Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Structure of Subassembly Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
The Subassembly Template (SATemplate.vb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
The Corridor State Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Support Files (CodesSpecific.vb, Utilities.vb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Sample VB.NET Subassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
The Subassembly Tool Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Creating a Tool Catalog ATC File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Sample Tool Catalog ATC Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Tool Catalog Data Type Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Creating a Tool Catalog Cover Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Creating a Tool Catalog Registry File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Installing Custom Subassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Exporting Custom Subassemblies Using a Package File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Chapter 17 Corridors in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Root Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Accessing Corridor-Specific Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Ambient Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
viii | Contents
Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Corridor Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Listing Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Creating Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Listing Baselines in a Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Adding a Baseline to a Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Listing Baseline Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Accessing and Modifying Baseline Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Listing Offset Baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Assemblies and Subassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Listing Applied Assemblies in a Baseline Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Getting Applied Subassembly Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Feature Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Listing Feature Lines Along a Baseline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Listing Feature Lines Along Offset Baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Corridor Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Listing Corridor Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Listing Surface Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Computing Cut and Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Assembly Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Link Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Shape Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Roadway Style Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Chapter 18 Corridors in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Root Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Accessing Corridor-Specific Base Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Ambient Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Corridor Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Listing Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Creating Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Listing Baselines in a Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Adding a Baseline to a Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Listing Baseline Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Accessing and Modifying Baseline Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Listing Offset Baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Assemblies and Subassemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Listing Applied Assemblies in a Baseline Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Getting Applied Subassembly Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Feature Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Listing Feature Lines Along a Baseline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Listing Feature Lines Along Offset Baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Corridor Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Listing Corridor Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Listing Surface Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Computing Cut and Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Assembly Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Link Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Shape Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Contents | ix
Roadway Style Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Appendix A Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

AutoCAD Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Appendix B Converting VBA Subassemblies to .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Create the Visual Basic.NET Subassembly Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Copy Subassembly Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Port the VBA Code to Visual Basic .NET Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Final Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Installing the New Subassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Replacing the VBA Subassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Appendix C Creating Client Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
x | Contents
About the Developer's
Guide
Intended Audience
The AutoCAD Civil 3D API Developer’s Guide is designed for developers who want to customize AutoCAD®
AutoCAD Civil 3D® or create applications using the underlying APIs. It can also be used for creating macros
to automate repetitive tasks for AutoCAD Civil 3D users and for developers of custom subassemblies.
AutoCAD Civil 3D APIs

There are three APIs available for customizing AutoCAD Civil 3D:
■ COM API — you can create clients that access the COM API from managed (.NET) or unmanaged (C++)
code. See Creating Client Applications (page 277). In addition, this API can be used in the Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) IDE, which is available as a separate download. VBA support is deprecated.
■ .NET API — allows you to write extensions to AutoCAD Civil 3D in any .NET language. In general, the
AutoCAD Civil 3D.NET API performs significantly faster than the COM API. Development requires
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 SP1 or better.
■ Custom Draw API (in C++) — an extension of the AutoCAD ObjectARX API that allows you to customize
the way AutoCAD Civil 3D renders objects. Development requires Microsoft Visual Studio.
The COM and .NET APIs are described in this guide. For more information about the Custom Draw API, see
the Custom Draw API Reference (civildraw-reference.chm).
In addition, an API is provided for creating custom subassemblies in .NET. See Creating Custom Subassemblies
Using .NET (page 193).
Which API you choose to use depends on what you want to do:
If you want to: Use:
Customize the way objects are rendered the Custom Draw API. The Custom Draw
in AutoCAD Civil 3D API is an extension of the AutoCAD Ob-
jectARX API. For example, if you wanted
1
If you want to: Use:
to number the triangles on a TIN surface,
you could create a DLL using the Custom
Draw API. See the sample applications
shipped with AutoCAD Civil 3D for an ex-
ample.
Create macros to automate repetitive ac- .NET or COM API.

tions
Create applications to manipulate Auto- .NET or COM API.

CAD Civil 3D objects
Customize the AutoCAD Civil 3D UI, for ObjectARX base UI classes, and either COM
example create pallets or menus or .NET APIs to access AutoCAD Civil 3D-
specific objects.
NOTE Where possible, you should use the Civil .NET API instead of the COM API, especially for longer operations,
as the .NET API is a thin layer to Civil objects and has better performance. However, the COM API is more mature
and has more functionality. You may find you need to use the COM object to access some functionality or object
members that are not yet exposed by the .NET API. In this case it's possible to use both. See Limitations and Using
Interop (page 11) .
Organization
This guide is organized by the major features of AutoCAD Civil 3D. It consists of the following chapters,
each of which includes samples from applicable APIs taken from one or more demonstration programs:
Chapter 1: Getting Started (page 5)

Explains how to set up a COM and .NET project. Also discusses porting COM to .NET code, limitations of
the .NET API, and how to use interop to access COM objects.
Chapter 2: Root Objects and Common Concepts in COM (page 15)

Explains how to obtain the base COM objects representing the documents and databases, which are required
for all subsequent chapters. Also discussed are objects common to many features, such as ambient settings
and label styles.
Chapter 3: Root Objects and Common Concepts in .NET (page 23)

Explains how to obtain the base .NET objects representing the documents and databases, which are required
for all subsequent chapters. Also discussed are objects common to many features, such as ambient settings
and label styles.
Chapter 4: Survey (page 31)

Explains the creation and manipulation of survey networks, including control points, directions, set-ups,
and non-control points. Also covers the equipment database, traverses, and figures.
Chapter 5: Points (page 47)

Explains the creation and uses of points, including point groups.
2 | Part 1 About the Developer's Guide

Chapter 6: Surfaces (page 57)
Explains how to import surfaces from files, manipulate point data directly, insert breaklines, manage borders,
modify contours, and analyze elevation and watershed information.
Chapter 7: Sites and Parcels (page 79)

Explains the uses of sites, and the creation of profiles using profile segments.
Chapter 8: Alignments in COM (page 87)

Explains how to create alignments through layout functions, from polyline entities, or based on an offset
from existing alignments, using the COM API. Includes discussion of stations, speeds, and superelevation.
Chapter 9: Alignments in .NET (page 97)

Explains how to create alignments through layout functions, from polyline entities, or based on an offset
from existing alignments, using the .NET API. Includes discussion of stations, design speeds, and
superelevation.
Chapter 10: Profiles in COM (page 107)

Explains the creation of profiles and profile views, including profiles based on surfaces and profiles created
with entities, using the COM API.
Chapter 11: Profiles in .NET (page 115)

Explains the creation of profiles and profile styles, using the .NET API.
Chapter 12: Sections (page 125)

Explains the creation of alignment cross sections and their display in section views.
Chapter 13: Data Bands (page 141)

Explains how to design data bands for profile views and section views.
Chapter 14: Pipe Networks in COM (page 159)

Explains the creation of pipes, structures, and pipe networks, including interference detection, using the
COM API.
Chapter 15: Pipe Networks in .NET (page 179)

Explains the creation of pipes, structures, and pipe networks, including interference detection, using the
.NET API.
Chapter 16: Corridors in COM (page 227)

Explains how to gather and modify information about existing corridors, baselines, feature lines, assemblies
and subassemblies in a document, using the COM API.
Chapter 17: Corridors in .NET (page 247)

Explains how to gather and modify information about existing corridors, baselines, feature lines, assemblies
and subassemblies in a document, using the .NET API.
Organization | 3
Chapter 18: Creating Custom Subassemblies Using .NET (page 193)
Explains how to create and install custom subassemblies using Visual Basic .NET and the creation of catalog
files which enables users to access custom subassemblies. You can also convert subassemblies written in VBA
to .NET (see the Appendix Converting VBA Subassemblies to .NET (page 267) for more information).
Appendix A: Object Hierarchy (page 261)

Explains the hierarchy of all major COM objects. This is useful for determining which class instances are
required to create an object of a particular type, or which objects can be accessed from an existing instance.
Appendix B: Converting VBA Subassemblies to .NET (page 267)

Explains how to convert legacy custom subassemblies written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to .NET.
Appendix C: Creating Client Applications (page 277)

Explains the creation of applications that utilize AutoCAD Civil 3D. Samples in Visual Basic.NET, C++, and
C#.
New Features in the .NET API

These objects have been exposed in the .NET API since the first release of AutoCAD Civil 3D:
■ Command Settings (introduced in API Extension R1)
■ Styles (introduced in API Extension R1)
■ Alignment Labels (introduced in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Service Pack 1)
■ Offset Alignments (introduced in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Service Pack 1)
■ Profile and ProfileView Labels
■ Superelevation (re-written to expose new Superelevation features)
Also see the AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API Reference for detailed information about these new APIs, and items
that have been deprecated in this release.
4 | Part 1 About the Developer's Guide

Getting Started
1
This chapter describes how to use VBA, and how to set up a new project for using the COM or .NET APIs for AutoCAD
Civil 3D.
Using VBA in AutoCAD Civil 3D

The following AutoCAD Civil 3D command-line instructions enable you to interact with the Visual Basic
programming environment and loaded VBA macros.
NOTE VBA support is not included with AutoCAD Civil 3D by default, and must be obtained as a separate download.
■ VBAMAN - Displays a dialog box allowing you to load, unload, edit, embed, extract, edit, and save copies
of VBA applications.
■ VBAIDE - Displays the Visual Basic programming environment.
■ VBARUN - Displays a dialog box where you can choose a macro to run from all the available subroutines.
■ -VBARUN <module.macro> - Runs a particular macro from the command line.
■ VBALOAD - Loads a global VBA project into the current work session. After entering this instruction, you
are presented with a file selection dialog box.
■ -VBALOAD <full path and filename> - Loads a particular project from the command line. If the path contains
spaces, you need to type quotes around the path and filename string.
■ VBAUNLOAD - Unloads an existing VBA project. After entering this instruction, you are prompted to
type in the full path and filename of the project. If the path contains spaces, you need to type quotes
around the path and filename string.
■ VBASTMT - Executes a VBA statement on the command line. A statement generally occupies a single
line, although you can use a colon (:) to include more than one statement on a line. VBA statements are
executed in the context of the current drawing.
VBA projects are usually stored in separate .dvb files, which allow macros to interact with many separate
AutoCAD Civil 3D drawings.
5
Setting up a .NET Project for AutoCAD Civil 3D
This section describes the basic steps to set up a .NET solution using Visual Studio and the AutoCAD Civil
3D managed classes. The steps are the similar whether you use Microsoft Visual C# .NET or Visual Basic
.NET. The example below uses C# in Visual Studio 2008. Express (free) versions of Visual Studio may look
slightly different, but can also be used.
To create a new project that uses the AutoCAD Civil 3D managed classes in Microsoft Visual Studio
1 In Visual Studio .NET, create a new class library solution and project.
New Project Dialog in Visual Studio
2 Select Project menu ➤ Add References, or right-click References in the Solution Explorer and select
Add References.
3 Browse to the install directory for AutoCAD Civil 3D, and select the base libraries acdbmgd.dll, acmgd.dll,
AecBaseMgd.dll, and AeccDbMgd.dll.
NOTE These are the base AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D managed libraries. Your .NET assembly can use
classes defined in additional libraries.
To allow debugging and reduce the disk space requirements for your projects, select these libraries in
the Visual Studio Solution Explorer, and set the Copy Local property to False.
4 Optionally, you can configure your project to start AutoCAD Civil 3D when you run the application
from Visual Studio, which is useful for debugging.
NOTE This option is not avaiable in Express (free) versions of Visual Studio.
1 On the project Properties page, select the Debug panel.
2 Under Start Action, choose Start external program, and enter the path to the acad.exe executable
in the AutoCAD Civil 3D directory.
6 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

3 Under Start Options, fill in the Command line arguments: /ld "C:\Program Files\AutoCAD Civil
3D 2011\AecBase.dbx" /p "<<C3D_Imperial>>"
4 Under Start Options, fill in the Working directory, for example: C:\Program Files\AutoCAD Civil
3D 2011\UserDataCache\
5 Implement the IExtensionApplication interface in your main class. Add the Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
namespace (which is where this interface is defined), and IExtensionApplication after your class
definition: Visual Studio will provide a code complete option to implement stubs for the interface. Your
code should now look like this:
using System;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;
namespace GettingStarted
{
public class Class1 : IExtensionApplication
{
#region IExtensionApplication Members
public void Initialize()

{
throw new System.Exception("The method or operation is not implemented.");
}
public void Terminate()

{
throw new System.Exception("The method or operation is not implemented.");
}
#endregion
}
}
You can remove or comment out the default content of these methods. Initialize() is called when
your assembly is first loaded by a NETLOAD command in AutoCAD Civil 3D, and can be used for setting
up resources, reading configuration files, and other initialization tasks. Terminate() is called when
AutoCAD Civil 3D shuts down (there is no NETUNLOAD command to unload .NET assemblies), and
can be used for cleanup to free resources.
6 You are now ready to create a public method that is the target of a CommandMethod attribute. This attribute
defines the AutoCAD Civil 3D command that invokes the method. For example:
[CommandMethod("HelloWorld")]
public void HelloWorld()
{
7 Let’s make the method print out a “Hello World” message on the command line. Add the
Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices namespace, and add this line to the HelloWorld() method:
Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.WriteMessage("\nHello World!\n");
You can now build the assembly and run it. Start AutoCAD Civil 3D, and type NETLOAD at the command
line. In the Choose .NET Assembly dialog, browse to your assembly DLL (if you are using the project
settings from step 1, this will be GettingStarted.dll). Type HELLOWORLD at the command line, and you
will see the command output:
Setting up a .NET Project for AutoCAD Civil 3D | 7

8 The previous step used functionality from the AutoCAD Application class. Let’s include some
functionality specific to the AutoCAD Civil 3D managed classes. First, add two more namespaces:
Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices and Autodesk.Civil.ApplicationServices. Then add these lines
to obtain the current Civil document, get some basic information about it, and print the information
out:
public void HelloWorld()
{
CivilDocument doc = Autodesk.Civil.ApplicationServices.CivilApplication.ActiveDocument;
ObjectIdCollection alignments = doc.GetAlignmentIds();
ObjectIdCollection sites = doc.GetSiteIds();
String docInfo = String.Format("\nHello World!\nThis document has {0} alignments and
{1} sites.\n", alignments.Count, sites.Count);
Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.WriteMessage(docInfo);
}
Open or create a document in AutoCAD Civil 3D that contains alignments and sites. When you run
the HELLOWORLD command now, you should see output similar to this:
For more samples, look in the AutoCAD Civil 3D \samples\dotNet directory.
Running Commands from the Toolbox

The recommended method to expose a AutoCAD Civil 3D extension to users is to add it to the Toolbox tab
in Toolspace, by creating a toolbox macro. The Toolbox handles loading the .NET assembly or ARX DLL
containing the commands.
There are two execution types that a toolbox macro can have:
1 CMD - the command name is sent to the command line to execute. This is the recommended execution
type for both .NET and ARX commands.
2 .NET - a method name is located, via Reflection, in the assembly, and is executed directly. No attribute
flags are read and the code is always run in application context. (A command executed from the
command line runs in the drawing context by default). Therefore, code run as as a .NET execute type
must always be a static method, and must handle its own document locking.
NOTE It is safe to explicitly lock a document, even if the code might be run in document context.

Here is an example of how to handle document locking:
static void setPrecision()
{
using (Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.DocumentLock locker = Autodesk.AutoCAD.Ap
plicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument())
{
// perform any document / database modifications here
CivilApplication.ActiveDocument.Settings.DrawingSettings.AmbientSettings.Station.Pre
cision.Value = 2;
}
}
To create a toolbox macro for a compiled command using the Toolbox Editor
1 Click the Toolbox tab in Toolspace.
2 Click to open the Toolbox Editor.
3 Right-click Miscellaneous Utilities and click New Category.
4 Right-click the new category, and click New Tool.
5 Select the new tool, and enter its name.
6 For Execute Type, click the drop-down and select CMD or .NET.
NOTE CMD is the recommended execution type in most cases, because you do not need to explicitly handle
document locking. See the discussion above.
7 For Execute File, browse to the .NET assembly or ARX DLL that contains the command.
8 For Macro Name, enter:

■ Name of the command to run, if the execute type is CMD
■ Name of the method to run, if the execute type is .NET.
9 Optionally, enter a help file and help topic for the command.
10 Click to apply the changes and close the editor.
After a command has been set up, it can be run by right-clicking it and clicking Execute.
Migrating COM code to .NET

In the majority of cases, the .NET API mirrors the structure of the COM API, so porting code to .NET involves
setting up a .NET project, copying the code lines, and renaming classes and methods to match the .NET
names. If you are using C# instead of VB.NET, some additional changes to code structure are required. The
following sections describe some of the differences in the two APIs.
Base Objects
The COM API requires that you access the AcadApplication object (via the ThisDrawing.Application object),
get the interface object for the AeccApplication object, and from that get the active document. In the .NET
Migrating COM code to .NET | 9

API you import Autodesk.Civil.ApplicationServices namespace, and get the active document from the
CivilApplication class:
g_oDocument = CivilApplication.ActiveDocument()
There is a single root document object, CivilDocument, instead of four domain-specific root objects for Land,
Pipe, Roadway and Survey.
Transactions and ObjectIds

In the .NET API, code that reads and writes to root Civil documents need to use an
Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.TransactionManager object to start and commit transactions. It’s a
best practice to manage a Transaction with a Using statement, which automatically disposes the Transaction
at the end of the block; otherwise, the Transaction should be explicitly disposed of in the Finally section
of a Try-Finally block. Here’s an example of a Transaction in a Using block:
using (Transaction trans=TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
{
//operation here
trans.Commit();
}
NOTE See the section Use Transactions with the Transaction Manager in the AutoCAD .NET Developer’s Guide for
more information about using the Transaction object to open and modify drawing database objects.
In the .NET API, objects that you get from collections are, in most cases, type ObjectId, which have to be
cast to their intended type using a Transaction object (returned by TransactionManager.StartTransaction()).
Here’s an example:
m_AligmentStyleId = m_doc.Styles.AlignmentStyles.Item(sStyleName)
oAlignmentStyle = m_trans.GetObject(m_AligmentStyleId, OpenMode.ForWrite) As AlignmentStyle
Styles
In the COM API, styles are held by the root document object. In the .NET API, they are located under
CivilDocument.Styles, which is an object of type StylesRoot and contains style objects inherited from
StyleBase. Getting and setting style attributes for StyleBase objects requires using a GetDisplayStyle*()
method rather than a property. Here’s an example from COM VBA:
oAlignmentStyle.ArrowDisplayStyle2d.Visible = False
oAlignmentStyle.ArrowDisplayStyle3d.Visible = False
' Display curves using violet.
oAlignmentStyle.CurveDisplayStyle2d.color = 200 ' violet
oAlignmentStyle.CurveDisplayStyle3d.color = 200 ' violet
oAlignmentStyle.CurveDisplayStyle2d.Visible = True
oAlignmentStyle.CurveDisplayStyle3d.Visible = True

This is the equivalent code in VB.NET:
oAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Arrow).Visible = False
oAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Arrow).Visible = False
' Display curves using violet.
oAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Curve).Color =
Autodesk.AutoCAD.Colors.Color.FromRgb(191, 0, 255) ' violet
oAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Curve).Color = Autodesk.Auto
CAD.Colors.Color.FromRgb(191, 0, 255) ' violet
oAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Curve).Visible = True
oAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Curve).Visible = True
Settings
In the COM API, settings are accessed through the AeccDatabase::Settings object, which contains properties
representing the settings object hierarchy. In the .NET API, you use a method to retrieve specific settings
objects, for example:
SettingsPipeNetwork oSettingsPipeNetwork = doc.Settings.GetFeatureSettings<SettingsPipeNet
work>() as SettingsPipeNetwork;
Properties
In the COM API, properties are usually simple built-in types, such as double, or types such as BSTR that map
to built-in VBA types such as String. In the .NET API, most properties are one of the Property* classes that
implement the IProperty interface. For these properties, you get or set the Value of the property. For example,
this code in COM:
oLabelStyleLineComponent.Visibility = True
Becomes this in .NET:

oLabelStyleLineComponent.General.Visible.Value = true;
NOTE There are a few other changes here: the Visibility property is renamed Visible, which has moved to
a sub-property of LabelStyleLineComponent called General.
Limitations and Using Interop

The .NET API does not expose all the functionality of AutoCAD Civil 3D, and it exposes less than the COM
API. The following areas are not yet exposed in .NET:
■ Survey
■ Points
■ Surfaces
■ Sites and Parcels
■ Sections
■ Data Bands
■ Labels (except Alignment, Profile and Profile View labels)
Settings | 11
In addition, there are some areas in implemented functionality that are not yet complete:
■ Pipes: interference checks (except interference check styles)
■ Corridors:
■ creating new corridors
■ adding baselines to corridors
■ creating or modifying corridor boundaries or masks
■ creating featurelines from polylines
■ computing cut and fill
■ setting the CodeSetStyle
If you require this functionality in your .NET project, you can use the corresponding COM objects.
To use AutoCAD Civil 3D COM APIs from .NET
1 Create a .NET solution and project.
2 Select Add Reference from the Project menu or Solution Explorer.
3 On the COM tab, select the AutoCAD 2011 Type Library and the AutoCAD/ObjectDBX Common 18.0 Type
Library.
4 On the COM tab, selec the AEC Base 6.5 Application Library and the AEC Base 6.5 Object Library.
5 On the COM tab, select the required Autodesk Civil Engineering 8.0 libraries for the functionality you
require (for example, Land and UI Land for Alignments).
6 Add the Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop and Autodesk.AECC.Interop.Ui<domain> namespaces to your using

or Imports statement.
NOTE You may see warnings about types not being found in various Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop namespaces
(warning type 1684). To disable these warnings, enter 1684 under Supress Warnings on the Build tab of the
project’s properties.

Here is a C# example of getting a count of point groups and surfaces from a document using COM interop:
string m_sAcadProdID = "AutoCAD.Application";
string m_sAeccAppProgId = "AeccXUiLand.AeccApplication.8.0";
...
private void useCom()
{
//Construct AeccApplication object, Document and Database objects
m_oAcadApp = (IAcadApplication)System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveOb
ject(m_sAcadProdID);
if (m_oAcadApp != null)
{
m_oAeccApp = (IAeccApplication)m_oAcadApp.GetInterfaceObject(m_sAeccAppProgId);
m_oAeccDoc = (IAeccDocument)m_oAeccApp.ActiveDocument;
// get the Database object via a late bind

m_oAeccDb = (Autodesk.AECC.Interop.Land.IAeccDatabase)m_oAeccDoc.GetType().GetProp
erty("Database").GetValue(m_oAeccDoc, null);
long lCount = m_oAeccDb.PointGroups.Count;
m_sMessage += "Number of PointGroups = " + lCount.ToString() + "\n";
lCount = m_oAeccDb.Surfaces.Count;
m_sMessage += "Number of Surfaces = " + lCount.ToString() + "\n\n";
MessageBox.Show(m_sMessage);
m_sMessage = "";
}
}
For more interoprability examples, see the CSharpClient and VbDotNetClient sample projects located in
<Install directory>\Sample\AutoCAD Civil 3D\COM\.
Limitations and Using Interop | 13

14
Root Objects and Common
Concepts in COM 2
Root Objects
This section explains how to acquire references to the base objects which are required for all applications
using the COM API. It also explains the uses of the application, document, and database objects and how
to use collections, which are commonly used throughout the COM API.
Object Hierarchy
Root Object Model
Accessing Application and Document Objects

The root object in the AutoCAD Civil 3D COM hierarchy is the AeccApplication object. It contains
information about the main application window, base AutoCAD objects, and a collection of all open
documents. AeccApplication is inherited from the AutoCAD object AcadApplication. See the AutoCAD
ObjectARX documentation for information about all inherited methods and properties.
The AeccApplication object is accessed by first using the exposed ThisDrawing object, an AutoCAD object
of type AcadDocument. Its AcadDocument.Application property returns the AutoCAD AcadApplication object.
From this point, use COM Automation to get the desired AutoCAD Civil 3D AeccApplication object.
15
This example demonstrates the process of accessing the AeccApplication and AeccDocument objects:
Dim oAcadApp As AcadApplication
Set oAcadApp = ThisDrawing.Application
' Specify the COM name of the object we want to access.
' Note that this always accesses the most recent version
' of AutoCAD Civil 3D installed.
Const sCivilAppName = "AeccXUiLand.AeccApplication.6.0"
Dim oCivilApp As AeccApplication
Set oCivilApp = oAcadApp.GetInterfaceObject(sCivilAppName)
' Now we can use the AeccApplication object.

' Get the AeccDocument representing the currently
' active drawing.
Dim oDocument As AeccDocument
Set oDocument = oCivilApp.ActiveDocument
' Set the viewport of the current drawing so that all
' drawing elements are visible.
oCivilApp.ZoomExtents
This sample gets the objects from AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009. To gain access to the libraries of an older version,
use the version number of the desired libraries to the COM object name. For example, to make a program
that works with AutoCAD Civil 3D 2007, replace:
with the following line of code:

The application object contains references to all open documents in the AeccApplication.Documents
collection and the AeccApplication.ActiveDocument property. AeccDocument is inherited from the AutoCAD
object AcadDocument. See the AutoCAD ObjectARX documentation for information on all inherited methods
and properties.
Using Collections Within the Document Object

The document object not only contains collections of all AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing elements (such as
surfaces and alignments) but all objects that modify those elements (such as styles and label styles). These
collections have the same core set of methods: Count, Item, Remove, and Add. Count represents the number
of items in the collection. Item returns an object from the collection, usually specified by the identification
number or the name for the object. Remove deletes a specified item from the collection. Add creates a new
item, adds it to the collection, and returns a reference to the newly created item. This item is already set
with default values as defined by the document ambient settings.
This example creates a new point style:
Dim oPointStyle As AeccPointStyle
Set oPointStyle = oAeccDocument.PointStyles.Add("Name")
' Now a new point style is added to the collection of styles,
' and we can modify it by setting the properties
' of the oPointStyle object.
oPointStyle.Elevation = 114.6
If you attempt to add a new element with properties that match an already existing element, try to access
an item that does not exist, or remove an item that does not exist or is in use, an error will result. You should
trap the error and respond accordingly.
16 | Chapter 2 Root Objects and Common Concepts in COM

The following sample demonstrates one method of dealing with such errors:
' Try to access the style named "Name".
On Error Resume Next
Set oPointStyle = oAeccDocument.PointStyles.Item("Name")
' Turn off error handling as soon as we no longer need it.
On Error Goto 0
' If there was a problem retrieving the item, then

' the oPointStyle object will remain empty. Check if that
' is the case. If so, it is most likely because the item
' does not exist. Try making a new one.
If (oPointStyle Is Nothing) Then
Set oPointStyle = oAeccDocument.PointStyles.Add("Name")
End If
Accessing and Using the Database Object

Each document has an associated database object of type AeccDatabase that is accessed through the
AeccDocument.Database property. The database object is inherited from the AutoCAD ObjectARX object
AcadDatabase. The AeccDatabase object contains references to all the same AutoCAD Civil 3D entities as
the AeccDocument object. However, it is the only object that contains references to base AutoCAD entities.
See the AutoCAD ObjectARX documentation for more information.
' Add a polyline to the drawing's collection of objects.
Dim oPolyline As AcadPolyline
Dim dPoints(0 To 8) As Double
dPoints(0) = 1000: dPoints(1) = 1000: dPoints(2) = 0
' The database is where all such objects are stored.
Set oPolyline = oDocument.Database.ModelSpace.AddPolyline(dPoints)
oPolyline.Closed = True
The AeccDatabase object also has an AddEvent() method, that lets you send an event to the Event Viewer
in the AutoCAD Civil 3D user interface:
Dim oAeccApp As AeccApplication
Set oAeccApp = ThisDrawing.Application.GetInterfaceObject("AeccXUiLand.AeccApplication.6.0")
oAeccApp.Init ThisDrawing.Application
Dim oDatabase As AeccDatabase
Set oDatabase = oAeccApp.ActiveDocument.Database
oDatabase.AddEvent aeccEventMessageError, "PipeLengthRule", "Parameter Bad"
Ambient Settings
This section explains the purpose and use of the document settings objects, and covers changing general
and specific settings.
Accessing and Using the Database Object | 17

Object Hierarchy
Ambient Settings Object Model
Changing General and Specific Settings

Ambient settings are default properties and styles that apply to the drawing as a whole or to objects when
they are first created. The document’s settings are accessed through the properties of the AeccSettingsRoot
object, which is obtained from the AeccDocument.Settings property. There are settings for objects and
commands. The object properties define the settings for items in general, or of particular classes of items,
such as alignments, gradings, parcels, points, profiles, profile views, sample lines, sections, section views,
and surfaces. Although each of these objects are unique, they all share some common features:
Property Name Description
StyleSettings Specifies the default styles and label styles.
LabelStyleDefaults Specifies the common attributes for labels.
NameTemplate Specifies the standard pattern of names.
AmbientSettings Specifies which units of measurement are used and dis-

played.
CreationSettings Not on all objects. Optional. Specifies item-specific default

values.

The command settings apply to commands, and correspond to the settings in the Commands folder for
each item in the AutoCAD Civil 3D Toolspace Settings Tab.
The following sample determines what angle units are used for all displays related to points:
Dim oPointSettings as AeccSettingsPoint
Set oPointSettings = oDocument.Settings.PointSettings
Dim oAmbientSettings as AeccSettingsAmbient
Set oAmbientSettings = oPointSettings.AmbientSettings
Dim oAngleUnit as AeccAngleUnitType
Set oAngleUnit = oAmbientSettings.AngleSettings.Unit.Value
If (oAngleUnit = aeccAngleUnitDegree) Then

' Units are displayed in degrees
ElseIf (oAngleUnit = aeccAngleUnitRadian) Then
' Units are displayed in radians
Else
' Units are displayed in gradians
End If
Label Styles
This section explains common features of label styles. It covers creating a new label style object, defining a
label style, and using property fields in label style text strings. Details specific to each construct are covered
in the appropriate chapters.
Label Styles | 19
Object Hierarchy
Label Style Object Model
Creating a Label Style Object

All types of annotation for AutoCAD Civil 3D elements are governed by label styles, which are objects of
type AeccLabelStyle. A label style can include any number of text labels, tick marks, lines, markers, and
direction arrows.
The following example creates a new label style object that can be used with points:
Dim oLabelStyle As AeccLabelStyle
Set oLabelStyle = oDocument.PointLabelStyles.Add _
("New Label Style for Points")
Defining a Label Style

A label style consists of collections of different features of a label. The properties containing these collections
are: AeccLabelStyle.BlockComponents for symbols, AeccLabelStyle.DirectionArrowComponents for direction
arrows, AeccLabelStyle.LineComponents for lines, AeccLabelStyle.TextComponents for text, and
AeccLabelStyle.TickComponents for both major and minor tick marks. Not all of these may have meaning
depending on the label style type. For example, adding a tick mark component to a label style meant for a
point has no visible effect. Label styles also depend on graphical objects that may or may not be part of the
current document. For example, if the style references a block that is not part of the current document, then
the specified block or tick components are not shown.

To add a feature to a label style, add a new component to the corresponding collection. Then set the properties
of that component to the appropriate values. Always make sure to set the Visible property to True.
' Add a line to the collection of lines in our label style.
Dim oLabelStyleLineComponent As AeccLabelStyleLineComponent
Set oLabelStyleLineComponent = oLabelStyle.LineComponents _
.Add("New Line")
' Now the line can be changed to suit our purpose.

oLabelStyleLineComponent.Visibility = True
oLabelStyleLineComponent.color = 40 ' orange-yellow
oLabelStyleLineComponent.Angle = 2.094 ' radians, = 120 deg
' Negative lengths are allowed. They mean the line
' is drawn in the opposite direction of the angle
' specified.
oLabelStyleLineComponent.Length = -0.015
oLabelStyleLineComponent.StartPointXOffset = 0.005
oLabelStyleLineComponent.StartPointYOffset = -0.005
When first created, the label style object is set according to the ambient settings. Because of this, a new label
style object may already contain features. If you are creating a new label style object, be sure to check for
such existing features or your style might contain unintended elements.
' Check to see if text components already exist in the
' collection. If any do, just modify the first text
' feature instead of making a new one.
Dim oLabelStyleTextComponent As AeccLabelStyleTextComponent
If (oLabelStyle.TextComponents.Count > 0) Then
Set oLabelStyleTextComponent = oLabelStyle _
.TextComponents.Item(0)
Else
Set oLabelStyleTextComponent = oLabelStyle _
.TextComponents.Add("New Text")
End If
The ambient settings also define which units are used. If you are creating an application designed to work
with different drawings, you should take ambient settings into account or labels may demonstrate unexpected
behavior in each document.
Using Property Fields in Label Style Text

Text within a label is designated by the AeccLabelStyleTextComponent.Contents property, a string value.
Of course, text labels are most useful if they can provide some sort of information that is unique to each
particular item being labeled. This is accomplished by specifying property fields within the string. These
property fields are of the form “<[Property name(modifier 1|[..] modifier n)]>”. Modifier values are optional and
can be in any order. Any number of property fields can be combined with normal text in the Contents
property.
Using Property Fields in Label Style Text | 21

In this example, a string component of a label is modified to show design speeds and station values for a
point along an alignment:
Dim oTextComponent As AeccLabelStyleTextComponent
Set oTextComponent = oLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0)
oTextComponent.Contents = "SPD=<[Design Speed(P0|RN|AP|Sn)]>"

oTextComponent.Contents = oTextComponent.Contents & _
"STA=<[Station Value(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>"
Valid property fields for each element are listed in the appropriate chapter.
Sharing Syles Between Drawings

Label styles, like all style objects, can be shared between drawings. To do this, call the style’s exportTo
method, targeting the drawing you want to add the style to. In this example, the first style in the
MajorStationLabelStyles collection is exported from the active drawing to another open drawing named
Drawing1.dwg:
Dim oDocument As AeccDocument
Set oDocument = oCivilApp.ActiveDocument
Dim dbDestination As AeccDatabase
Set dbDestination = oCivilApp.Documents("Drawing1.dwg").Database
Call oDocument.AlignmentLabelStyles.MajorStationLabelStyles(0).ExportTo(dbDestination)

Root Objects and Common
Concepts in .NET 3
This chapter explains how to work with the root objects required to access all other objects exposed by the .NET API:
CivilApplication and CivilDocument, as well as how to work with collections. It also describes how to work with settings
and label styles.
Root Objects
This section explains how to acquire references to the base objects, which are required for all applications
using the .NET API. It also explains the uses of the application, document, and database objects and how to
use collections, which are commonly used throughout the .NET API. To help developers who are already
familiar with COM to migrate existing code to .NET, the differences between the two APIs are highlighted
with notes.
Accessing Application and Document Objects

The root object in the AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET hierarchy is the CivilApplication object. It contains a
reference to the currently active document, and information about the running product.
NOTE Unlike the COM API, CivilApplication does not inherit from the AutoCAD object
Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application. Therefore, if you need access to application-level
methods and properties (such as the collection of all open documents, information about the main window, etc.),
you need to access through the AutoCAD Application object. See the ObjectARX Managed Class Reference in the
ObjectARX SDK for information about this class.
The active CivilDocument object is accessed by importing the AutodeskCivil.ApplicationServices

namespace, and getting the CivilApplication.ActiveDocument property.
This example demonstrates the process of accessing the CivilApplication and CivilDocument objects:
using Autodesk.Civil.ApplicationServices;
namespace CivilSample {
class CivilExample {
CivilDocument doc = CivilApplication.ActiveDocument;
}
}
23
Using Collections Within the Document Object
The document object not only contains collections of AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing elements (such as points
and alignments) but also objects that modify those elements (such as styles and label styles). Collections in
CivilDocument are ObjectID collections (Autodesk::AutoCAD::DatabaseServices::ObjectIdCollection)
for most objects. Objects in these collections must be retrieved with a Transaction.GetObject(), and cast
to their type before they can be used.
NOTE In the COM API, document objects are contained in collections of objects that do not need to be cast.
ObjectIdCollection objects implement the IList interface, and can be enumerated or accessed by index.
Here’s an example of iterating through the Corridor collection with foreach, and retrieving and casting the
resulting ObjectId to a Corridor to access its methods and properties:
public static void iterateCorridors () {
using ( Transaction ts = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.
Database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction() ) {
foreach ( ObjectId objId in doc.CorridorCollection ) {
Corridor oCorridor = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Corridor;
Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.WriteMessage("Corridor:
{0}\nLargest possible triangle side: {1}\n",
oCorridor.Name, oCorridor.MaximumTriangleSideLength);
}
}
}
For more information about ObjectIdCollections, see the ObjectARX Managed Class Reference.
This example creates a new point style:
ObjectId pointStyleID = doc.Styles.PointStyles.Add("Name");
// Now a new point style is added to the collection of styles,
// and we can modify it by setting the properties
// of the oPointStyle object, which we get from the Transaction ts:
PointStyle oPointStyle = ts.GetObject(pointStyleID, OpenMode.ForWrite) as PointStyle;
oPointStyle.Elevation = 114.6;
// You must commit the transaction for the add / modify operation
// to take effect
ts.Commit();
If you attempt to add a new element with properties that match an already existing element, try to access
an item that does not exist, or remove an item that does not exist or is in use, an error will result. You should
trap the error and respond accordingly.
The following sample demonstrates one method of dealing with such errors:
// Try to access the style named "Name"
try {
// This raises an ArgumentException if the item doesn't
// exist:
ObjectId pointStyleId = doc.Styles.PointStyles["Name"];
// do something with the point style...
} catch ( ArgumentException e ) {
ed.WriteMessage(e.Message);
}
24 | Chapter 3 Root Objects and Common Concepts in .NET

Accessing and Using the Database Object
CivilDocument class does not expose the underlying database associated with the document. However, you
can access the database from the AutoCAD Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database
object. The Database object contains references to AutoCAD Civil 3D entities, as well as base AutoCAD
entities. See the ObjectARX Managed Class Reference in the ObjectARX SDK for information.
Settings
This section explains the purpose and use of the document settings objects, and covers changing general
and specific settings.
Accessing Drawing, Feature, and Command Settings

Settings apply at three levels in AutoCAD Civil 3D:
1 Drawing level: there are drawing-wide settings, such as units and zone, abbreviations, etc. There are
also ambient settings, which affect a variety of AutoCAD Civil 3D behaviors. While these settings also
apply drawing-wide, they can be overridden at the feature or command level.
2 Feature (object) level: ambient settings override drawing level ambient settings for that feature only.
There are also feature-specific settings, such as default styles.
3 Command level: ambient settings can be set on a command-by-command basis. These settings override
both drawing level and feature level settings.
For more information on settings in general, see Understanding Settings in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User’s
Guide.
A document’s settings are accessed through the properties of the SettingsRoot object, which is obtained
from the Document.Settings property. This object contains the DrawingSettings property (type
SettingsDrawing), which contains all the top-level ambient settings for the document. It also has the
GetSettings() method, which gets feature and command settings.
Drawing settings and general ambient settings are in the Autodesk::Civil::Settings namespace, while
feature and command settings are in the namespace for the related feature. For example, alignment-related
ambient and command settings are in the Autodesk::Civil::Land::Settings namespace.
The following sample shows how to access the angle settings for alignments:
SettingsAlignment alignmentSettings = doc.Settings.GetSettings<SettingsAlignment>();
Autodesk.Civil.Settings.SettingsAmbient.SettingsAngle angleSettings = alignmentSettings.Angle;
ed.WriteMessage(@"Alignment settings:\n Precision: {0}\n Rounding: {1}
Unit: {2}\n Drop Decimal: {3}\n DropZeros: {4}\n ",
angleSettings.Precision.Value, angleSettings.Rounding.Value,
angleSettings.Unit.Value, angleSettings.DropDecimalForWholeNumbers.Value,
angleSettings.DropLeadingZerosForDegrees.Value);
The command settings apply to commands, and correspond to the settings in the Commands folder for
each item in the AutoCAD Civil 3D Toolspace Settings Tab. Each command setting has a corresponding
class named SettingsCmdCommandName. For example, the settings class corresponding to the
CreateAlignmentLayout command is SettingsCmdCreateAlignmentLayout. As with other types of settings, you
use the CivilDocument.Settings.GetSettings() method to access command settings objects in the document.
Accessing and Using the Database Object | 25

The following snippet determines what the “Alignment Type Option” is for the CreateAlignmentLayout
command:
SettingsCmdCreateAlignmentLayout alignLayoutCmdSettings = doc.Settings.GetSettings<Setting
sCmdCreateAlignmentLayout>();
ed.WriteMessage(@"Alignment Layout Command settings: AlignmentType: {0} ",
alignLayoutCmdSettings.AlignmentTypeOption.AlignmentType.Value
);
The result of this code returns the current command setting:
Getting command settings
Label Styles
This section explains common features of label styles. It covers creating a new label style object, defining a
label style, and using property fields in label style text strings. Details specific to each construct are covered
in the appropriate chapters.

Creating a Label Style Object
All types of annotation for AutoCAD Civil 3D elements are governed by label styles, which are objects of
type LabelStyle. A label style can include any number of text labels, tick marks, lines, markers, and direction
arrows.
The following example creates a new label style object that can be used with points:
ObjectId labelStyleId;
labelStyleId = doc.Styles.LabelStyles.PointLabelStyles.LabelStyles.Add
("New Point Label Style");
Defining a Label Style

A label style consists of collections of different features of a label, called “components”. The collection of
these components is accessed with the LabelStyle::GetComponents() method, which takes the type
(LabelStyleComponentType) of component to get. The component types are:
■ Text
■ Line
■ Block - symbols
■ Tick - for both major and minor tick marks
■ ReferenceText
■ DirectionArrow
■ TextForEach
Not all of these may be valid, depending on the label style type. For example, adding a tick mark component
to a label style meant for a point has no visible effect. Label styles also depend on graphical objects that may
or may not be part of the current document. For example, if the style references a block that is not part of
the current document, then the specified block or tick components are not shown.
Creating a Label Style Object | 27

To add a feature to a label style, add a new component to the corresponding collection using the
LabelStyle::AddComponent() method. Then set the properties of that component to the appropriate values.
Always make sure to set the Visible property to true.
try
{
// Add a line to the collection of lines in our label style
ObjectId lineComponentId = oLabelStyle.AddComponent("New Line Component", LabelStyleCom
ponentType.Line);
// Get the new component:
ObjectIdCollection lineCompCol = oLabelStyle.GetComponents(LabelStyleComponentType.Line);
var newLineComponent = ts.GetObject(lineComponentId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as La
belStyleLineComponent;
// Now we can modify the component
newLineComponent.General.Visible.Value = true;
newLineComponent.Line.Color.Value = Autodesk.AutoCAD.Colors.Color.FromColorIn
dex(Autodesk.AutoCAD.Colors.ColorMethod.ByAci, 40); // orange-yellow
newLineComponent.Line.Angle.Value = 2.094; // radians, = 120 deg
// negative lengths are allowed - they mean the line is drawn
// in the opposite direction to the angle specified:
newLineComponent.Line.Length.Value = -0.015;
newLineComponent.Line.StartPointXOffset.Value = 0.005;
newLineComponent.Line.StartPointYOffset.Value = -0.005;
}
// Thrown if component isn't valid, or name is duplicated
catch (System.ArgumentException e)
{
Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.WriteMessage("Error: {0}\n",
e.Message);
}
When first created, the label style object is set according to the ambient settings. Because of this, a new label
style object may already contain features. If you are creating a new label style object, be sure to check for
such existing features or your style might contain unintended elements.
// Check to see whether any text components already exist.
// If not, add one.
if (oLabelStyle.GetComponentsCount(LabelStyleComponentType.Text) == 0)
{
// Add a text component
oLabelStyle.AddComponent("New Text ", LabelStyleComponentType.Text);
}
// Now modify the first one:
ObjectIdCollection textCompCol = oLabelStyle.GetComponents(LabelStyleComponentType.Text);
var newTextComponent = ts.GetObject(textCompCol[0], OpenMode.ForWrite) as LabelStyleTextCom
ponent;
The ambient settings also define which units are used. If you are creating an application designed to work
with different drawings, you should take ambient settings into account or labels may demonstrate unexpected
behavior in each document.
Using Property Fields in Label Style Text

Text within a label is designated by the LabelStyleTextComponent.Contents property, a PropertyString
value. Of course, text labels are most useful if they can provide some sort of information that is unique to
each particular item being labeled. This is accomplished by specifying property fields within the string. These
property fields are of the form “<[Property name(modifier 1|[..] modifier n)]>”. Modifier values are optional and

can be in any order. Any number of property fields can be combined with normal text in the Contents
property.
In this example, a string component of a label is modified to show design speeds and station values for a
point along an alignment:
var newTextComponent = ts.GetObject(textCompCol[0], OpenMode.ForWrite) as LabelStyleTextCom
ponent;
newTextComponent.Text.Contents.Value = "SPD=<[Design Speed(P0|RN|AP|Sn)]>";
newTextComponent.Text.Contents.Value += "STA=<[Station
Value(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>";
Valid property fields for each element are listed in the appropriate chapter.
Sharing Styles Between Drawings

Label styles, like all style objects, can be shared between drawings. To do this, call the style’s ExportTo()
method, targeting the drawing you want to add the style to.
NOTE You can also export collections of styles to another drawing by using the static StyleBase::ExportTo()
method.
When exporting styles, you specify how conflicts are resolved using the StyleConflictResolverType enum.
In this example, the first style in the MajorStationLabelStyles collection is exported from the active drawing
to another open drawing named Drawing1.dwg:
[CommandMethod("ExportStyle")]
public void ExportStyle()
{
Document AcadDoc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
Database destDb = null;
// Find the database for "Drawing 1"
foreach (Document d in Application.DocumentManager)
{
if (d.Name.Equals("Drawing1.dwg")) destDb = d.Database;
}
// cancel if no matching drawing:
if (destDb == null) return;
using (Transaction ts = AcadDoc.Database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
{
// Export style:
ObjectId styleId = doc.Styles.LabelStyles.AlignmentLabelStyles.MajorStationLa
belStyles[0];
LabelStyle oLabelStyle = ts.GetObject(styleId, OpenMode.ForRead) as LabelStyle;
oLabelStyle.ExportTo(destDb, Autodesk.Civil.StyleConflictResolverType.Rename);
}
}
NOTE In certain situations attempts to abort the transaction will fail when calling ExportTo(). This is the case
when all the following conditions are all true: multiple styles are being exported, there is a naming conflict between
styles, and the StyleConflictResolverType is StyleConflictResolverType.Override.
Sharing Styles Between Drawings | 29

Sample Programs
BatchEditLabelTextSample
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\CSharp\BatchEditLabelTextSample\
This sample prompts the user to select multiple alignment labels, then it prompts for some input text, and
replaces the original text for all selected labels.
CommandSettingsSample
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\CSharp\CommandSettingsSample\
This sample demonstrates how to iterate through all the command settings defined in a drawing using
Reflection. All commands are exported to an xml file.
CompareStyles
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\CSharp\CompareStyles\
This sample illustrates how to compare styles defined in two drawings.
DraggedLabelSample
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\CSharp\DraggedLabelSample\
This sample illustrates how to add a new label in a dragged state.
EditLabelStyleSample
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\CSharp\EditLabelStyleSample\
This sample illustrates how to batch copy label styles from one label to multiple selected labels.

Survey
4
31
Object Hierarchy
Survey Object Model
Root Objects
This section describes how to gain access to the survey-specific versions of the root document and database
objects. It covers the use of ambient settings, user settings, and the equipment database. It also describes
the creation of survey projects, which contain networks and figures, and provide access to survey points.
Obtaining Survey-Specific Root Objects

Applications that perform survey operations require special versions of the base objects representing the
application and document. The AeccSurveyApplication object is identical to the AeccApplication it is
inherited from except that its AeccSurveyApplication.ActiveDocument property returns an object of type
AeccSurveyDocument instead of AeccDocument. The AeccSurveyDocument object contains collections of
survey-related items, such as projects and equipment databases in addition to all of the methods and properties
of AeccDocument.
32 | Chapter 4 Survey
When using survey root objects, be sure to reference the “Autodesk Civil Engineering Survey 6.0 Object
Library” (AeccXSurvey.tlb) and “Autodesk Civil Engineering UI Survey 6.0 Object Library” (AeccXUISurvey.tlb)
libraries.
This sample demonstrates how to retrieve the survey root objects:
Dim oApp As AcadApplication
Set oApp = ThisDrawing.Application
Dim sAppName As String
sAppName = "AeccXUiSurvey.AeccSurveyApplication"
Dim oSurveyApplication As AeccSurveyApplication
Set oSurveyApplication = oApp.GetInterfaceObject(sAppName)
' Get a reference to the currently active document.

Dim oSurveyDocument As AeccSurveyDocument
Set oSurveyDocument = oSurveyApplication.ActiveDocument
Changing Survey-Specific Ambient Settings

Ambient settings for a survey document are held in the AeccSurveyDocument.Settings property, an object
of type AeccSurveySettingsRoot. AeccSurveySettingsRoot inherits all the properties of the AeccSettingsRoot
class from which it is derived. Ambient settings allow you to get and set the units and default property
settings of survey objects. This is done through the AeccSurveySettingsRoot.SurveySettings, which contains
a standard AeccSettingsAmbient object.
Changing Survey User Settings

The survey document also provides access to the survey user settings object. User settings are not specific
to a particular document but are tied to a particular user, and all documents a user creates or loads will use
the same settings. Survey user settings manage the visibility and appearance of prism sites, backsight lines,
foresight lines, and baselines. Survey user settings also control how network and figure previews are shown,
and under what conditions points, figures, and observations are automatically erased or exported. These
settings also allow you to determine or set which figure prefix database, equipment database, or item of
equipment is currently in use. The survey user settings object is retrieved through the
AeccSurveyDocument.GetUserSettings method, which returns an AeccSurveyUserSettings object. To apply
Changing Survey-Specific Ambient Settings | 33

any changes made to the user settings, pass the modified AeccSurveyUserSettings object to the
AeccSurveyDocument.UpdateUserSettings method.
Dim oUserSettings As AeccSurveyUserSettings

Set oUserSettings = oSurveyDocument.GetUserSettings
' Modify and examine the current settings.

With oUserSettings
.ShowBaseline = True
Dim oColor As New AcadAcCmColor
oColor.SetRGB 255, 165, 0 ' bright orange
Set .BaselineColor = oColor
.EraseAllFigures = False
Debug.Print "Default layer:"; .DefaultFigureLayer
End with
' Save the changes to the user settings object.

oSurveyDocument.UpdateUserSettings oUserSettings
Using the Equipment Database

The equipment database contains a list of equipment used to gather surveying data. The information about
each item of equipment is used in least squares and other computations. A collection of all equipment lists
is contained in the AeccSurveyDocument.EquipmentDatabases property. Each equipment database is a
collection of individual items of equipment. An equipment database is an object of type
AeccSurveyEquipmentDatabase, and contains methods for searching the list of equipment and for copying
lists from other databases.
Each item of equipment is represented by an AeccSurveyEquipment object, which contains properties
describing aspects of the equipment, including the name and description, how the instrument measures
angles, the unit types for angle and distance, Electronic Distance Meter settings, prism accuracy and offset,
and the accuracy of the instrument.
This sample program displays selected information about each equipment item in the document’s database:
Dim oEquipDatabases As AeccSurveyEquipmentDatabases
Dim oEquipDatabase As AeccSurveyEquipmentDatabase
Dim oEquipment As AeccSurveyEquipment
Set oEquipDatabases = oSurveyDocument.EquipmentDatabases

For Each oEquipDatabase In oEquipDatabases
Debug.Print "Database: "; oEquipDatabase.Name
Debug.Print
For Each oEquipment In oEquipDatabase

With oEquipment
Debug.Print "----"
Debug.Print "Item: "; .Name; " Id: "; .Id
Debug.Print " Description: "; .Description
Debug.Print " Angle Type: "; .AngleType
Debug.Print " Angle Unit: "; .AngleUnit
Debug.Print " Azimuth Std: "; .AzimuthStandard
Debug.Print " Wave Constant: "; .CarrierWaveConstant
Debug.Print " Center Standard: "; .CenterStandard
Debug.Print " Circle Standard: "; .CircleStandard
Debug.Print " Coordinate Std: "; .CoordinateStandard
Debug.Print " Distance Unit: "; .DistanceUnit
Debug.Print " Edm Error: "; .EdmMmError; "mm"
Debug.Print " Edm Error: "; .EdmPpmError; "ppm"
Debug.Print " Edm Offset: "; .EdmOffset
Debug.Print " Elevation Std: "; .ElevationStandard
Debug.Print " H Collimation: "; .HorizontalCollimation
Debug.Print " Is Prism Tilted: "; CStr(.IsTiltedPrism)
Debug.Print " Measuring Device: "; .MeasuringDevice
Debug.Print " Pointing Std: "; .PointingStandard
Debug.Print " Prism Constant: "; .PrismConstant
Debug.Print " Prism Offset: "; .PrismOffset
Debug.Print " Prism Std: "; .PrismStandard
Debug.Print " Revision: "; .Revision
Debug.Print " Target Std: "; .TargetStandard
Debug.Print " Theodolite Std: "; .TheodoliteStandard
Debug.Print " Vertical Angle Type: "; .VerticalAngleType
Debug.Print " V Collimation: "; .VerticalCollimation
Debug.Print
End With
Next
Next
Creating a Survey Project

The survey database is the high-level construct that contains collections of networks and figures, and provides
access to survey points. Throughout the API, survey databases are called “projects.” The collection of all
projects in a document are held in the AeccSurveyDocument.Projects property. Once created, a project
cannot be removed from this collection using API methods. The only way to remove a survey project is to
delete the Project folder and refresh the collection. When a new project is created, a unique GUID identifying
the project is generated.
Creating a Survey Project | 35

This sample creates a new survey project with the name “Proj01”:
Dim oSurveyProject As AeccSurveyProject
Set oSurveyProject = oSurveyDocument.Projects.Create("Proj01")
' Print the next available survey point Id available.

Debug.Print "Next available Id:"; _
oSurveyProject.GetNextWritablePointNumber()
Adjusting Survey Project Settings

A survey project has a group of properties accessed through the survey project settings object. Survey project
settings define what measurement units are used, what angle types are used, and the precision of each
measurement. It records what kinds of adjustments are made to observations, and the types and accuracy
of traverse analyses and angle balancing. It also has methods for converting between metric units and the
units of the ambient settings, and between easting and northing and longitude and latitude. The project
settings object is retrieved through the AeccSurveyProject.GetProjectSettings method, which returns an
AeccSurveyProjectSettings object. To apply any changes made to the project settings, pass the modified
AeccSurveyProjectSettings object to the AeccSurveyProject.UpdateProjectSettings method.
Dim oProjectSettings As AeccSurveyProjectSettings

Set oProjectSettings = oSurveyProject.GetProjectSettings()
' Modify and examine the current settings.

With oProjectSettings
.AngleType = aeccSurveyAngleTypeAzimuth
Debug.Print "Sea level correction? :"; .SeaLevelCorrection
End With
' Save the changes to the project settings object.

oSurveyProject.UpdateProjectSettings oProjectSettings
Accessing Extended Properties

Survey root objects can have extended properties associated with them. LandXML extended properties are
used to import and export Survey LandXML attributes or collections of elements. For example, in the
LandXML schema, a CgPoint element (a SurveyPoint) within a CgPoints collection (a SurveyPointGroup),
may contain a DTMAttribute where its enumeration value can be used to aid the user in determining whether
the point should be included in a surface definition. User-defined extended properties can be used to define
additional attributes beyond those defined by the LandXML schema. For an example of standard LandXML
extended properties, see the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Autodesk\C3D2010\enu\Survey\LandXML - Standard.sdx_def C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Civil2010\enu\Survey\LandXML - Standard.sdx_deffile.
The AeccSurveyFigure, AeccSurveyNetwork, AeccSurveyPoint, and AeccSurveyProject objects each have a
LandXMLXPropertiesRoot property, which gives you access to the AeccSurveyLandXMLXPropertiesRoot for
that object. Those objects also each have a UserDefinedXProperties object, which gives you access to the
AeccSurveyUserDefinedXProperties for that object.
Survey Network
A network represents the spatial framework of a survey. Each network contains a collection of control points,
directions, setups, and non-control points. It also contains information on how these objects are related,
such as how the control points and setups are connected relative to one another.
Creating a Survey Network
Survey networks are created through the Create method of the AeccSurveyProject.Networks collection.
Dim oSurveyNetwork As AeccSurveyNetwork
Set oSurveyNetwork = oSurveyProject.Networks.Create("Net_01")
Adding Control Points to a Network

Control points are the “known” or “fixed” locations that other survey points are based from. The collection
of control points in a network is held in the AeccSurveyNetwork.ControlPoints property. New control
points can be added to the network through the collection’s Create method. Create adds a new point with
the specified features to the AeccSurveyControlPoints collection and returns a reference to the newly created
AeccSurveyControlPoint object.
' Get collection of all control points.

Dim oControlPoints As AeccSurveyControlPoints
Set oControlPoints = oSurveyNetwork.ControlPoints
' Create a control point with an id number of 3001 at

' the location 5000.0m, 5000.0m, elevation 100.0m.
Dim oControlPoint As AeccSurveyControlPoint
Set oControlPoint = oControlPoints.Create( _
3001, _
"ControlPoint_01", _
"Description of control point", _
5000#, _
5000#, _
100#)
Adding Directions to a Network

A direction is a “known” or “fixed” direction (either azimuth or bearing) from a control point to another
point reference. The point reference may be observed at a later time in the survey, or it may never actually
be occupied by a setup. This can happen if the reference point is a mountain top or tower or some other
location where survey equipment cannot physically be placed but the direction from the control point to
that location is known. An entire survey network can be defined from a single control point and a single
direction.
The collection of directions in a network is held in the AeccNetwork.Directions property. New directions
can be added to the network through the collection’s Create method. Create adds a new direction between
Creating a Survey Network | 37

two points at the specified angle to the AeccSurveyDirections collection and returns a reference to the
newly created AeccSurveyDirection object.
' Get collection of all directions.
Dim oDirections As AeccSurveyDirections
Set oDirections = oSurveyNetwork.Directions
' Create a direction from point 3001 to the (not yet

' existing) point 3004 at an angle of 45.0 degrees azimuth.
Dim oDirection As AeccSurveyDirection
' 0.785398163 = 40 degrees in radians
Set oDirection = oDirections.Create( _
3001, _
3004, _
0.785398163, _
aeccSurveyDirectionTypeAzimuth)
Adding Setups to a Network

A setup represents a survey instrument session made in the field. The instrument is set up on a control point
or a previously observed point, and a reference direction (backsight) is made to another point. Locations on
the Earth’s surface are then determined with surveying methods relative to the setup and the direction of
the backsight. These locations are called “observations”, and are represented by an AeccSurveyObservation
object. Each setup object contains a collection of observation objects. An observation object is composed
of any or all of the following measurements: angle, distance, vertical, latitude, longitude, northing, easting,
or elevation. The observation object also has a series of properties describing the nature of the observation
equipment.
The collection of setups in a network is held in the AeccNetwork.Setups property. New setups can be added
to the network through the collection’s Create method. Create adds a new setup at the specified location
to the AeccSurveySetups collection and returns a reference to the newly created AeccSurveySetup object.
This sample creates a setup at the location of point 3001 using the location of point 3004 as the backsight.
It then creates an observation to another location, which is given the identification “3002”.
Dim oSetups As AeccSurveySetups
Dim oSetup1 As AeccSurveySetup
Set oSetups = oSurveyNetwork.Setups

' Create a setup at 3001 with a backsight at 3004 (the
' backsight direction should be calculated automatically).
Set oSetup1 = oSetups.Create(3001, 3004)
Debug.Print "Direction:"; oSetup1.BacksightDirection
Debug.Print "Orientation:"; oSetup1.BacksightOrientation
' Now any observation angle is based on the line
' from 3001 to 3004.
Dim oObservations As AeccSurveyObservations

Set oObservations = oSetup1.Observations
Dim oObservation1 As AeccSurveyObservation
' On setup "Station:3001, Backsight:3004" create an observation
' of point 3002.
' Angle = 90 degrees (1.57079633 radians)
' Angle Type = Angle
' Distance = 100#
' Distance Type = Slope
' Vertical = 90 degrees (1.57079633 radians)
' Vertical Type = Vertical Angle
' Target Height = 0#
' Target Type = Prism
Set oObservation1 = oObservations.Create( _
3002, _
aeccSurveyAngleTypeAngle, _
1.57079633, _
aeccSurveyDistanceTypeSlope, _
100#, _
aeccSurveyVerticalTypeVerticalAngle, _
1.57079633, _
aeccSurveyTargetTypePrism, _
0#, _
"From setup <Station:3001, Backsight:3004> to Point 3002")
' From this survey equipment data, the location of point

' 3002 can be determined:
Debug.Print "Point 3002 at:"; oObservation1.Easting;
Debug.Print ", "; oObservation1.Northing
Adding Non-control Points to a Network

A survey network also contains a collection of non-control points, which represent points within a survey
network whose location is determined by observation, but are not connected to other survey observations
and remain unaffected by a network analysis. These non-control points are represented by objects of type
Adding Non-control Points to a Network | 39

AeccNonControlPoint, and are defined by an easting, northing, and an optional elevation. The collection
of all non-control points in a survey network are held in the AeccSurveyNetwork.NonControlPoints property.
' Create a non-control point with an id number of 3006 at
' the location 4950.0, 5000.0, elevation 100.0.
Dim oNonControlPt As AeccSurveyNonControlPoint
Set oNonControlPt = oSurveyNetwork.NonControlPoints.Create( _
3006,
"NonControlPoint_01",
"Description of non-control point",
4950#,
5000#,
100#)
A non-control point may be promoted to a control point if you reference the point as a control point when
creating a traverse, or reference the point as a setup to make observations to other points that may affect
locations during an analysis.
Creating Paths for Traverse Analysis

A traverse is a path through survey points. A traverse starts at a control point, continues through other
survey points, and either returns to the original control point (a “closed” loop) or ends at another control
point (an “open” loop). These paths are used for traverse analysis, which are methods for determining the
amount of error in the locations and directions of survey points. The API provides methods for creating and
examining traverse paths, but it does not provide methods for performing a traverse analysis.
The collection of all traverses in a network are stored in the AeccSurveyNetwork.Traverses property. A single
traverse is represented by an object of type AeccSurveyTraverse. New traverses are created using the
collection’s Create method. This method requires the identification number of the starting control point,
a backsight for that point, the final control point reached, and an array of the identification numbers of all
intermediate points.
This sample creates a traverse starting at control point 3001, continuing though points 3002, 3003, and
3004, and finishing back at the starting control point 3001. The user can then perform a traverse analysis
based on this closed loop.
Dim oTraverse As AeccSurveyTraverse
Dim lStations(0 To 2) As Long
lStations(0) = 3002: lStations(1) = 3003; lStations(2) = 3004
Set oTraverse = oSurveyNetwork.Traverses.Create( _
"Traverse_01", _
3001, _
3004, _
3001, _
lStations)
Adding Survey Data to the Drawing

Adding elements or modifying information in a survey network object changes the survey database but does
not automatically change the drawing. After you are done adding points, directions, and other elements
that have a graphical element, call the AeccSurveyNetwork.AddToDrawing method to create AutoCAD elements
that correspond to the survey network data. This is equivalent to the AutoCAD Civil 3D command “Insert
Into Drawing”.
oSurveyNetwork.AddToDrawing
Getting Survey Network Drawing Objects
You can get and manipulate the AutoCAD drawing objects that make up a survey network from the AutoCAD
Civil 3D user interface. The drawing objects are represented by the AeccSurveyNetworkEntity object. For
example, this code prompts the user to select the survey network, tests whether it is the survey network
object, and then prints some information about it:
Dim objPart As AeccSurveyNetworkEntity
Dim objEnt As AcadObject
Dim objAcadEnt As AcadEntity
Dim varPick As Variant
ThisDrawing.Utility.GetEntity objEnt, varPick, "Select the Survey Network"
If TypeOf objEnt Is AeccSurveyNetworkEntity Then
Set objPart = objEnt
Debug.Print objPart.Name, TypeName(objPart)
ElseIf TypeOf objEnt Is AcadEntity Then
Set objAcadEnt = objEnt
Debug.Print objAcadEnt.Name, TypeName(objAcadEnt)
End If
Figures
Figures are a group of connected lines and arcs that have meaning within a survey. A figure can represent a
fence, building, road, parcel, or similar object. Unlike a normal polyline, a vertex in a figure can reference
a survey point. If a referenced survey point is moved, vertices in the figure are moved as well. The first line
or arc added to the figure sets the location all other lines and arcs will be drawn from. Each line and arc
added to a figure is in turn based on the endpoint of the previous element. The position of the last endpoint
can be determined from the read-only properties AeccSurveyFigure.LastPointX and
AeccSurveyFigure.LastPointY.
Creating a Figure Object

A collection of all figures in the survey database are stored in the AeccSurveyProject.Figures property.
New figures are made using the collection’s Create method.
Dim oFigure As AeccSurveyFigure
Set oFigure = oSurveyProject.Figures.Create("Figure_01")
Adding Lines to a Figure

Each line added to a figure is drawn from the endpoint of the previous line or arc. The new line can be drawn
to a particular point location, for a distance along an absolute azimuth, or for a distance along an azimuth
relative to the direction of the previous line. If the figure has no lines or arcs, then the first line added will
only set the point that the next line or arc is drawn from.
Getting Survey Network Drawing Objects | 41

AddLineByPoint
AddLineByPoint adds a line to the figure to the specified point location. An optional parameter can specify
a survey point to reference so that whenever it changes the figure vertex will change as well.
' Draw a line to the location of survey point 3001.
Dim oPoint1 As AeccSurveyPoint
Set oPoint1 = oSurveyProject.GetPointByNumber(3001)
oFigure.AddLineByPoint oPoint1.Easting, oPoint1.Northing, 3001
AddLineByAzimuthDistance
AddLineByAzimuthDistance adds a line to the figure of the specified length and of the specified angle from
the major axis of the survey project.
' Draw a line 30 meters long at 10 degrees from the major axis.
oFigure.AddLineByAzimuthDistance 0.17453, 30
AddLineByDeltaAzimuthDistance
AddLineByDeltaAzimuthDistance adds a line to the figure of the specified length and of the specified angle
from the endpoint of the previous line.
' Draw a line 20 meters long at 270 degrees from the
' previous line.
oFigure.AddLineByDeltaAzimuthDistance 4.7124, 20
Adding Arcs to a Figure

Each arc added to a figure is drawn from the endpoint of the previous line or arc. AddArc adds a segment of
a circle to the figure to the specified point location. The shape of the arc is defined by the Radius, Bulge,
and CenterX and CenterY parameters. The Bulge parameter defines what fraction of a circle the arc comprises.
If the Radius parameter is zero or negative the arc is curved in the clockwise direction, otherwise the arc is
curved in the counter-clockwise direction. An optional parameter can specify a survey point to reference so
that whenever it changes the arc endpoint will change as well.
' Create a clockwise arc comprising of roughly half a circle
' that ends at survey point 3001.
oFigure.AddArc 10, 1.7, 0, 0, oPoint1.Easting, _
oPoint1.Northing, , 3001
Adding Figures to the Drawing

Adding lines and arcs to a figure changes the survey database but does not automatically change the drawing.
After you are done adding elements to the figure, call the AeccSurveyFigure.AddToDrawing method to create
AutoCAD elements that correspond to the figure. This is equivalent to the AutoCAD Civil 3D command
“Insert Into Drawing”.
Figures and AutoCAD Civil 3D

A figure can influence AutoCAD Civil 3D objects such as parcels and TIN surfaces. If the
AeccSurveyFigure.IsLotLine property is set to True, then parcel segments are created for each figure line
and arc when the figure is added to the drawing. If any set of parcel segments creates closed figures, then a
parcel is formed. You can assign the parcel segments to a particular site by setting the AeccSurveyFigure.Site
property - otherwise, a new site named “Survey Site” is created automatically. The figure still remains in the
survey database, and deleting the figure removes all associated parcel segments from the drawing.
A figure can also form a breakline that defines how surfaces are triangulated. This is accomplished by setting
the AeccSurveyFigure.IsBreakline property to True
Creating a Figure Style

A figure style controls the visual appearance of figures. The AeccSurveyFigureStyle object has
AeccDisplayStyle properties for controlling the color, line type, and visibility of lines and of markers at the
figure endpoints, the figure midpoint, at line vertices. The types of markers used are controlled by separate
AeccMarkerStyle properties for the start, mid, and end points of the figure, and for all vertexes. Markers can
also be drawn at a normal alignment to the orientation of the figure by setting the
IsAlignAdditionalMarkersWithFigure, IsAlignMidPointMarkersWithFigure,
IsAlignStartAndEndPointMarkersWithFigure, and IsAlignVertexMarkersWithFigure properties to True for
the appropriate type of marker.
Additional markers can also be placed along the figure. The nature of these additional markers is set by the
AeccSurveyFigureStyle.AdditionalMarkersPlacementMethod property. If the placement method is set for
interval placement, then a new marker is placed every n units apart where n is the value of the
AeccSurveyFigureStyle.AdditionalMarkersInterval property. If the placement method is set for divided
placement, then the figure is divided into n parts of equal length where n is the value of the
AeccSurveyFigureStyle.AdditionalMarkersDivideFigureBy property. A marker is placed at each part,
including the figure start and end points. If the placement method is set for continuous, then the markers
are placed exactly one marker’s width apart along the length of the figure.
You can determine the style of figure drawing by examining the FigureDisplayMode property. There are
three ways a figure can be visualized: using figure elevations, flattening the figure to a single elevation, or
exaggerating figure elevations. If the figure is flattened to a single elevation, the elevation can be read from
the FlattenFigureElevation property. If the figure elevations are exaggerated when displayed, the amount
of exaggerations is held in the read-only FigureElevationScaleFactor property.
All figure styles are stored in the AeccSurveyDocument.FigureStyle collection. The figure object’s
AeccSurveyFigure.Style property takes the string name of the style to use.
This sample creates a new figure style object and adjusts some of the style settings:
Dim oFigureStyles As AeccSurveyFigureStyles
Dim oFigureStyle As AeccSurveyFigureStyle
Set oFigureStyles = oSurveyDocument.FigureStyles
Set oFigureStyle = oFigureStyles.Add(sStylename)
' Set the style so that additional markers are visible,

' blue, and drawn every 20 units along the figure.
With oFigureStyle
.AdditionalMarkersDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.AdditionalMarkersDisplayStylePlan.Color = 150 ' blue
.AdditionalMarkersPlacementMethod = _
aeccSurveyAdditionalMarkerPlacementMethodAtInterval
.AdditionalMarkersInterval = 20
End With
' Assign the style to a figure.

oFigure.Style = oFigureStyle.Name
Using the Figure Prefix Database

A figure read from a fieldbook file can have a letter prefix signifying what object or concept the figure
represents. This figure prefix describes the style and property settings to use with the figure. A list of figure
Creating a Figure Style | 43

prefixes is stored in AeccSurveyFigurePrefixDatabase objects. The collection of all databases in the document
are stored in the AeccSurveyDocument.FigurePrefixDatabases property. New figure prefixes and databases
are added through the parent collection’s Create method. Once a prefix or database is created, it becomes
a permanent part of the figure prefix database and it is not lost upon loading a new document or running
a new instance of AutoCAD Civil 3D. Because of this, it is important to check for existing prefix databases
and prefixes by name before trying to create new ones. The AeccSurveyFigurePrefixDatabases.FindItem
method can be used to search for an existing database id or name.
NOTE The similarly named AeccSurveyFigurePrefixDatabase.FindItem can only be used to search for the
identification numbers of prefixes within a database - to find a prefix by name, use the
AeccSurveyFigurePrefixDatabase.GetMatchedFigurePrefix method.
This sample creates a new figure prefix database and a new figure prefix. It switches the current database to
the newly created one, and sets an existing figure to use the new prefix’s style.
' Get a reference to all the prefix databases.
Dim oPrefixDatabases As AeccSurveyFigurePrefixDatabases
Set oPrefixDatabases = oSurveyDocument.FigurePrefixDatabases
' See if our database already exists. If it does not,

' create a new one.
Dim oPrefixDatabase As AeccSurveyFigurePrefixDatabase
Set oPrefixDatabase = oPrefixDatabases.FindItem("NewDB")
If (oPrefixDatabase Is Nothing) Then
Set oPrefixDatabase = oPrefixDatabases.Create("NewDB")
End If
' See if our figure prefix already exists. If it does not,

' create a new figure prefix.
Dim oSurveyFigurePrefix As AeccSurveyFigurePrefix
Set oSurveyFigurePrefix = _
oPrefixDatabase.GetMatchedFigurePrefix("BV")
On Error GoTo 0
If (oSurveyFigurePrefix Is Nothing) Then
Set oSurveyFigurePrefix = oPrefixDatabase.Create("BV")
End If
' Set the properties of the prefix.

oSurveyFigurePrefix.Style = _
oSurveyDocument.FigureStyles(0).Name
oSurveyFigurePrefix.IsLotLine = True
oSurveyFigurePrefix.IsBreakline = True
oSurveyFigurePrefix.Layer = "0"
oSurveyFigurePrefix.Save
You can set a figure to use a prefix style manually by using the
AeccSurveyFigure.InitializeFromFigurePrefix method. It searches through the current prefix database
for a prefix name that matches the first part of the name of the figure. For example, a figure with the name
“BV 01” matches a prefix with the name “BV”. The current prefix database can be determined through the
CurrentFigurePrefixDatabase property of the document’s survey user settings. The following code shows
the correct method for doing this:
Dim oUserSettings As AeccSurveyUserSettings
Dim CurrentDatabase As String
Set oUserSettings = oSurveyDocument.GetUserSettings
CurrentDatabase = oUserSettings.CurrentFigurePrefixDatabase
You can change the current database by setting the CurrentFigurePrefixDatabase property to the new
name and then updating the survey user settings:
oUserSettings.CurrentFigurePrefixDatabase = "NewDB"
oSurveyDocument.UpdateUserSettings oUserSettings
Sample Program
SurveySample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Survey\SurveySample.dvb
This sample creates a simple survey from hard-coded data using control points, setups, directions, and figures.
A survey style is created and applied. The ambient settings and other global settings are demonstrated.
Sample Program | 45
46
Points
5
Object Hierarchy
Points Object Model
Points
This section covers the collection of all points in a document, accessing points stored in a file, and the use
of the point object.
Using the Points Collection

All points in a document are held in the AeccDocument.Points property, an object of type AeccPoints.
Besides the usual collection properties and methods, the Points object also has methods for dealing with
large numbers of points at once. An array of positions can be added using the AeccPoints.AddMultiple
method.
47
The following example adds a series of points to the AeccDocument.Points collection using AddMultiple
and then accesses points in the collection directly:
' This adds an array of point locations to the document's
' points collection.
Dim lNumAdded As Long
Const NUM_LOCATIONS As Long = 3
' One dimensional array, 3 for each point location.
Dim dLocations(0 To (3 * NUM_LOCATIONS) - 1) As Double
' One point per line
dLocations(0) = 4927: dLocations(1) = 3887: dLocations(2) = 150
lNumAdded = oPoints.AddMultiple(NUM_LOCATIONS, dLocations, 0)
' This computes the average elevation of all points in a document.

Dim oPoints As AeccPoints
Dim i As Long
Dim avgElevation As Double
Set oPoints = g_oAeccDocument.Points
For i = 0 To oPoints.Count - 1
avgElevation = avgElevation + oPoints.Item(i).Elevation
Next i
avgElevation = avgElevation / oPoints.Count
MsgBox "Average elevation: "& avgElevation & _
vbNewLine & "Number of points: " & oPoints.Count
Accessing Points in a File

The AeccPoints object also has methods for reading and writing point locations in a file. The
AeccPoints.ImportPoints method creates points from locations stored in a text file. The
AeccPoints.ExportPoints method writes point locations to a text file.
The second parameter of the ImportPoints and ExportPoints methods is a string that describes how the
point values are stored in the file. The following table lists some commonly available file formats. You can
create other formats by using the Point File Format dialog box.
Point File Formats
String Literal Format of values in the file
ENZ (comma delimited) Easting, Northing, Elevation
NEZ (space delimited) Northing Easting Elevation
NEZ (comma delimited) Northing, Easting, Elevation
PENZ (space delimited) Point# Easting Northing Elevation
PENZ (comma delimited) Point#, Easting, Northing, Elevation
PENZD (space delimited) Point# Easting Northing Elevation Description
PENZD (comma delimited) Point#, Easting, Northing, Elevation, Description
PNE (space delimited) Point# Northing Easting
48 | Chapter 5 Points
String Literal Format of values in the file
PNE (comma delimited) Point#, Northing, Easting
PNEZ (space delimited) Point# Northing Easting Elevation
PNEZ (comma delimited) Point#, Northing, Easting, Elevation
PNEZD (space delimited) Point# Northing Easting Elevation Description
PNEZD (comma delimited) Point#, Northing, Easting, Elevation, Description
ENZ (space delimited) Easting Northing Elevation
Autodesk Uploadable File Point# Northing Easting Elevation Description
The third parameter of the ImportPoints method is an object of type AeccPointImportOptions, which can
be set to perform actions as the data is being loaded. For example, you can add offsets to the point positions
or elevations, determine which points to read from the file, or specify the point group where the points are
placed. The third parameter of the ExportPoints method is of the similar AeccPointExportOptions type.
This example demonstrates the ImportPoints and ExportPoints methods:
Dim oImportOptions As New AeccPointImportOptions
Dim sFilename As String
Dim sFileFormat As String
Dim iCount As Integer
Set oPoints = oDocument.Points

sFilename = "C:\My Documents\SamplePointFile.txt"
sFileFormat = "PENZ (space delimited)"
oImportOptions.PointDuplicateResolution = aeccPointDuplicateOverwrite
iCount = oPoints.ImportPoints(sFilename, sFileFormat, oImportOptions)
' Export the files to a separate file.

Dim oExportOptions As New AeccPointExportOptions
sFilename = "C:\My Documents\SamplePointFile2.txt"
oExportOptions.ExpandCoordinateData = True
oPoints.ExportPoints sFilename, sFileFormat, oExportOptions
NOTE When you add points using the ImportPoints method, it is possible that the point numbers will conflict
with those that already exist in the drawing. In such cases, the user is given an option to renumber the point
numbers from the file, or to cancel the operation which will result with a Visual Basic error. An application that
uses ImportPoints should take this into account.
Using Points
Each individual point is represented by an object of type AeccPoint. The point object contains the
identification number, description, and location for the point. The identification number, held in the
Point.Number property, is unique and is automatically assigned when the point is first created. It cannot be
changed. The read-only Point.FullDescription property is only meaningful when the point is read from
a file that contains description information.
You can access the local position through either the AeccPoint.Easting and AeccPoint.Northing properties
or by using the AeccPoint.Location property, a three-element array containing the easting, northing, and
Using Points | 49
elevation. The point’s location can also be specified by using the AeccPoint.Grideasting and
AeccPoint.GridNorthing properties or the AeccPoint.Latitude and AeccPoint.Longitude properties,
depending on the coordinate settings of the drawing.
This sample adds a new point to the document’s collection of points and sets some of its properties.
Set oPoints = g_oAeccDocument.Points
Dim oPoint1 As AeccPoint
Dim dLocation(0 To 2) As Double
dLocation(0) = 4958
dLocation(1) = 4078
Set oPoint1 = oPoints.Add(dLocation)
oPoint1.Name = "point1"
oPoint1.RawDescription = "Point Description"
Point User-Defined Properties

Point objects can have user-defined properties associated with them, and the properties can be organized
into user-defined classifications, or are put into an “Unclassified” classification. You can create new
classifications and user-defined properties via the API, though you can’t access the values of existing
user-defined properties attached to points. For more information about user-defined properties and
classifications, see Using Custom Properties with Points in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User Guide.
This sample creates a new user-defined property classification for points called “Example”, and then adds a
new user-defined property with upper and lower bounds and a default value:
' NOTE - Always specify the version number.
Const sAppName = "AeccXUiLand.AeccApplication.6.0"
Set g_vCivilApp = oApp.GetInterfaceObject(sAppName)
Set g_oDocument = g_vCivilApp.ActiveDocument
Set g_oAeccDb = g_oDocument.Database
Dim oUDPClass As AeccUserDefinedPropertyClassification
Dim oUDPProp As AeccUserDefinedProperty
'Create a user-defined parcel property classification
Set oUDPClass = g_oAeccDb.PointUserDefinedPropertyClassifications.Add("Example")
' Add a Property to our new classification An integer using upper
' and lower bound limits of 10 and 20 with a default value of 15
Set oUDPProp = oUDPClass.UserDefinedProperties.Add("Extra Data", _
"Some Extra Data", aeccUDPPropertyFieldTypeInteger, True, False, 10, True, _
False, 20, True, 15, Null)
Style
This section covers the creation of point styles and point-specific features of the point label style object. It
also explains point description keys, which are used to assign styles to points read from a text file.
Creating Point Styles

A point style is a group of settings that define how a point is drawn. These settings include marker style,
marker color and line type, and label color and line type. Point objects can use any of the point styles that
are currently stored in the document. Styles are assigned to a point through the point’s AeccPoint.Style
property. Existing point styles are stored in the document’s AeccDocument.PointStyles property.
You can also create custom styles and add them to the document’s collection of point styles. First, add a
new style to the document’s list of styles using the AeccDocument.PointStyles.Add method. This method
returns a new style object that is set with all the properties of the default style. You can then make the
changes to the style object you require.
This sample creates a new points style, adjusts the style settings, and the assigns the style to point “Point1”:
' Create the style objects to use.
Dim oPointStyles As AeccPointStyles
Set oPointStyles = oDocument.PointStyles
' Add the style to the document's collection of point styles.

Set oPointStyle = oPointStyles.Add("Sample Point Style")
' This style substitutes the normal point marker

' with a dot with a circle around it.
oPointStyle.MarkerType = aeccUseCustomMarker
oPointStyle.CustomMarkerStyle = aeccCustomMarkerDot
oPointStyle.CustomMarkerSuperimposeStyle = _
aeccCustomMarkerSuperimposeCircle
' Now set the point to use this style.

oPoint1.Style = oPointStyle
Creating Point Label Styles

Any text labels or graphical markers displayed at the point location are set by assigning a label style object
to the AeccPoint.LabelStyle property. The collection of these label styles is accessed through the
AeccDocument.PointLabelStyle property.
Point label styles can use the following property fields in the contents of any text components:
Valid property fields for AeccLabelStyleTextComponent.Contents
<[Name(CP)]>
<[Point Number]>
<[Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Raw Description(CP)]>
<[Full Description(CP)]>
<[Point Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Latitude(Udeg|FDMSdSp|P6|RN|DPSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Longitude(Udeg|FDMSdSp|P6|RN|DPSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Grid Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Grid Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
Creating Point Label Styles | 51

<[Scale Factor(P3|RN|AP|OF)]>
<[Convergence(Udeg|FDMSdSp|P6|RN|AP|OF)]>
<[Survey Point]>
Label styles are described in detail in the chapter 1 section Label Styles (page 19).
Using Point Description Keys

Point description keys are a method for attaching style, label style, and orientation to point locations in a
drawing - possibly imported from a text file which lacks such information. Keys are objects of type
AeccPointDescriptionKey. The AeccPointDescriptionKey.Name property is a pattern matching code. If any
new points are created with a description that matches the name of an existing key, the point is assigned
all the settings of that key.
The wildcards “?” and “*” are allowed in the name. Keys can contain either constant scale or rotation values
for points or can assign orientation values depending on parameters passed through the description string.
Point description keys are held in sets, objects of type AeccPointDescriptionKeySet. The collection of all
sets in a document are held in the document’s AeccDocument.PointDescriptionKeySets property.
' Create a key set in the document's collection
' of sets.
Dim oPointDescriptionKeySet As AeccPointDescriptionKeySet
Set oPointDescriptionKeySet = _
oDocument.PointDescriptionKeySets.Add("Sample Key Set")
' Create a new key in the set we just made. Match with
' any description beginning with "SMP".
Dim oPointDescriptionKey As AeccPointDescriptionKey
Set oPointDescriptionKey = oPointDescriptionKeySet.Add("SAMP*")
' Assign chosen styles and label styles to the key.

oPointDescriptionKey.PointStyle = oPointStyle
oPointDescriptionKey.OverridePointStyle = True
oPointDescriptionKey.PointLabelStyle = oLabelStyle
oPointDescriptionKey.OverridePointLabelStyle = True
' Turn off the scale override, and instead scale

' to whatever is passed as the first parameter.
oPointDescriptionKey.OverrideScaleParameter = False
oPointDescriptionKey.UseDrawingScale = False
oPointDescriptionKey.ScaleParameter = 1
oPointDescriptionKey.ScaleXY = True
' And turn on the rotation override, and rotate

' all points using this key 45 degrees clockwise.
oPointDescriptionKey.OverrideFixedRotation = True
oPointDescriptionKey.FixedRotation = 0.785398163 ' radians
oPointDescriptionKey.ClockwiseRotation = True
The following is the contents of a text file in “PENZD (comma delimited)” format with point information,
a description, and parameter. This creates two points using the previously defined SAMP* description key,
resulting in point markers four times normal size.
2000,3700.0,4900.0,150.0,SAMPLE 4
2001,3750.0,4950.0,150.0,SAMPLE 4
When a text file is loaded using Points.ImportPoints, the first alphanumeric element in a point’s description
is compared to the names of all point description keys. If a match is found, the point’s settings are adjusted
to match the description key. Any parameters to pass to the key are added after the description, separated
by spaces. If using parameters, use a comma delimited file format or else any parameters will be ignored.
This process only takes place when points are read from a file - after a point is created, setting the
AeccPoint.RawDescription property does nothing to change the point’s style.
Point Groups
This section explains the creation and use of point groups, which is a named subset of the points in a
document.
Creating Point Groups

A point group is a collection that contains a subset of the points in a document. A collection of all point
groups is held in a document‘s AeccDocument.PointGroups property. Add a new point group by using the
Point Groups | 53
AeccDocument.PointGroups.Add method and specifying a unique identifying string name. A new empty
point group is returned.
' Get the collection of all point groups from the document.
Dim oPtGroups As AeccPointGroups
Dim oPtGroup As AeccPointGroup
Set oPtGroups = oAeccDocument.PointGroups
' Add our group to the collection of groups.

Set oPtGroup = oPtGroups.Add("Sample point group")
Adding Points to a Point Group Using QueryBuilder

Points can be placed into a point group by using the QueryBuilder, which is a mechanism for selecting from
among all the points in the document. The AeccPointGroup.QueryBuilder property is an object of type
AeccPointGroupQueryBuilder, and contains many different properties that allow including or excluding
points based on a specific criteria. These properties are:
InlcudeElevations ExcludeElevations
IncludeFullDescriptions ExcludeFullDescriptions
IncludeNames ExcludeNames
IncludeNumbers ExcludeNumbers
IncludeRawDescriptions ExcludeRawDescriptions
IncludePointGroups
Each of these properties is a string that describes the selection criteria used. As many properties may be used
as needed to make your selection. Any property left blank has no affect on the selection.
The properties that query string properties of points (FullDescription, Name, RawDescription) consist of a
comma-separated list of possible strings to match against. Each element in that list may contain the wildcards
“?” and “*”. The properties that deal with number properties of points consist of a comma delineated list of
specific numbers or ranges of numbers (two values separated by a hyphen, such as “100-200”). The properties
that deal with elevation consist of a comma delineated list of specific elevations, ranges of elevation, upper
limits (a less-than symbol followed by a value, such as “<500”), or lower limits (a greater-than symbol
followed by a value, such as “>100”).
' Add points to the point group using the QueryBuilder.
' Add point 1 and point 2 to the point group.

oPtGroup.QueryBuilder.IncludeNames = "po?nt1,point2"
' Add point 3 to the point group by using its number.
oPtGroup.QueryBuilder.IncludeNumbers = "3"
' You can also use wildcards. The following would
' select all points with a name beginning with "poi".
oPtGroup.QueryBuilder.IncludeNames = "poi*"
' Exclude those points with an elevation above 300.
oPtGroup.QueryBuilder.ExcludeElevations = ">300"
' And include those points with identification numbers
' 100 through 200 inclusive, and point number 206.
oPtGroup.QueryBuilder.IncludeNumbers = "100-200,206"
To create a group that contains every point in the document, set the boolean
AeccPointGroup.InlcudeAllPoints property to True.
Using Point Groups

Once a point group has been created, you can perform actions upon all the points in that group in a single
operation. You can override point elevations, descriptions, styles, and label styles.
' Check to see if a particular point exists in the group.
If (oPtGroup.ContainsPoint(oPoint1.Number) = False) Then
Debug.Print oPoint1.Name & " is not in the point group."
End If
' Set the elevation of all the points in the group to 100.
oPtGroup.Elevation = 100
oPtGroup.OverrideElevation = True
Point groups can also be used to define or modify a TIN surface. The AeccTinSurface.PointGroups property
is a collection of point groups. When a point group is added to the collection, every point in the point group
is added to the TIN surface.
' oTinSurf is a valid object of type AeccTinSurface.
' oPointGroup is a valid object of type AeccPointGroup.
oTinSurf.PointGroups.Add oPointGroup
Sample Program
SurfacePointsSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\SurfacePoints\SurfacePointsSample.dvb
The sample code from this section can be found in context in the SurfacePointsSample.dvb program. The
Points module contains functions that load points from a text file, create points manually, use description
keys, deal with point groups, and use points to modify a surface. The PointStyles module demonstrates the
creation of a point style and a point label style.
Using Point Groups | 55

56
Surfaces
6
Object Hierarchy
Using the Surfaces Collection

All surfaces in a drawing are located in the AeccDocument.Surfaces collection. Each surface in the collection
can be accessed through the AeccSurfaces.Item method, which takes either an integer index or the string
57
name of the surface. The AeccSurfaces.Item method returns a generic reference of type AeccSurface, so
you need to check the AeccSurface.Type property to actually determine what kind of surface it is.
This sample examines each surface in the drawing and reports what kind of surface it is:
Dim oSurface As AeccSurface
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To oAeccDocument.Surfaces.Count - 1
Set oSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces.Item(i)
Select Case (oSurface.Type)
Case aecckGridSurface:
Dim oGridSurface As AeccGridSurface
Set oGridSurface = oSurface
Debug.Print oGridSurface.Name & ": Grid"
Case aecckTinSurface:
Dim oTinSurface As AeccTinSurface
Set oTinSurface = oSurface
Debug.Print oTinSurface.Name & ": TIN"
Case aecckGridVolumeSurface:
Dim oGridVolume As AeccGridVolumeSurface
Set oGridVolume = oSurface
Debug.Print oGridVolume.Name & ": Grid Volume"
Case aecckTinVolumeSurface:
Dim oTinVolume As AeccTinVolumeSurface
Set oTinVolume = oSurface
Debug.Print oTinVolume.Name & ": TIN Valume"
End Select
Next i
Creating a Surface
This section covers the various methods for creating surfaces. Loading surfaces from LandXML files, .TIN
files, or DEM files is explained. It also demonstrates creating new TIN, grid, and volume surfaces.
Creating a Surface From a LandXML File

A surface saved as a LandXML file can be loaded using the AeccSurfaces.ImportXML method. The file also
describes the kind of surface to be created, so you do not need to know beforehand. After the surface has
58 | Chapter 6 Surfaces
been loaded, you can examine the AeccSurface.Type property and assign the generic surface reference to a
more specific type.
Dim oSurface As AeccSurface
Dim sFileName As String
sFileName = "C:\My Documents\EG.xml"
Set oSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces.ImportXML(sFileName)
Dim oTinSurface as AeccTinSurface

If (oSurface.Type = aecckTinSurface) Then
Set oTinSurface = oSurface
End If
Creating a TIN Surface

Creating a Surface From a .tin File
The AeccSurfaces.ImportTIN method can create a new TIN surface from a binary .tin file.
sFileName = "C:\My Documents\EG.tin"
oTinSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces.ImportTIN(sFileName)
Creating a Surface Using AddTinSurface

You can also create empty TIN surfaces by adding to the document’s collection of surfaces through the
AeccSurfaces.AddTinSurface method. This method requires preparing an object of type AeccTinCreationData.
It is important to specify every property of the AeccTinCreationData object to avoid errors.
' Create a blank surface using the first layer in the
' document's collection of layers and the first
' surface style in the document's collection of
' surface styles.
Dim oTinData As New AeccTinCreationData
oTinData.Name = "EG"
oTinData.Description = "Sample TIN Surface"
oTinData.Layer = oAeccDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
oTinData.BaseLayer = oAeccDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
oTinData.Style = oAeccDocument.SurfaceStyles.Item(0).Name
Set oTinSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces
.AddTinSurface(oTinData)
Creating a Grid Surface

Creating a Surface From a DEM File
A grid surface can be generated from a DEM file using the AeccSurfaces.ImportDEM method.
Creating a TIN Surface | 59

NOTE The conversion process between the raster information and a surface can be slow. Be sure to indicate this
to the user.

sFileName = "C:\My Documents\file.dem"
oGridSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces.ImportDEM(sFileName)
Creating a Surface From AddGridSurface

A blank grid surface can be created using the AeccSurfaces.AddGridSurface method. Before you can use
this method you need to prepare an object of type AeccGridCreationData, which describes the nature of
the surface to be created. It is important to specify every property of the AeccGridCreationData object to
avoid errors. Units for XSpacing, YSpacing and Orientation are specified in the ambient settings.
Dim oGridCreationData As New AeccGridCreationData
oGridData.Name = "Sample Grid Surface"

oGridData.Description = "Grid Surface"
oGridData.BaseLayer = oAeccDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
oGridData.Layer = oAeccDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
oGridData.Orientation = 0#
oGridData.XSpacing = 100#
oGridData.YSpacing = 100#
oGridData.Style = oAeccDocument.SurfaceStyles.Item(0).Name
Set oGridSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces _
.AddGridSurface(oGridData)
Creating a Volume Surface

A volume surface represents the mathematical difference between two TIN surfaces or between two grid
surfaces in the document. It is created using the AeccSurfaces.AddTinVolumeSurface or
AeccSurfaces.AddGridVolumeSurface methods. Each of these methods require the creation of objects
(AeccGridVolumeCreationData or AeccTinVolumeCreationData) that describe the new volume surface. It is
important to specify every property of these objects to avoid errors. Units for XSpacing, YSpacing and
Orientation are specified in the ambient settings.
This sample demonstrates the creation of a TIN volume surface from two existing surfaces, oTinSurfaceL
and oTinSurfaceH:
' Get the names of the layer and style to be used.
Dim sLayerName as String
sLayerName = g_oAeccDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
Dim sStyleName as String
sStyleName = oAeccDocument.SurfaceStyles.Item(0).Name
' Create a AeccTinVolumeCreationData object and set all its

' properties.
Dim oTinVolumeCreationData As New AeccTinVolumeCreationData
oTinVolumeCreationData.Name = "VS"
oTinVolumeCreationData.BaseLayer = sLayerName
oTinVolumeCreationData.Layer = sLayerName
Set oTinVolumeCreationData.BaseSurface = oTinSurfaceL
Set oTinVolumeCreationData.ComparisonSurface = oTinSurfaceH
oTinVolumeCreationData.Style =
oTinVolumeCreationData.Description = "Volume Surface"
' Create a new TIN volume surface.

Dim oTinVolumeSurface As AeccTinVolumeSurface
Set oTinVolumeSurface = oAeccDocument.Surfaces _
.AddTinVolumeSurface(oTinVolumeCreationData)
Working with Surfaces

This section covers the various methods for modifying or examining all types of surfaces. This includes
adding a boundary, adding information to an existing surface from a DEM file, and using snapshots to
improve surface performance.
Adding a Boundary
A boundary is a closed polyline that defines the visibility of surface triangles within it. A boundary can hide
all triangles outside it, hide all triangles inside it, or show triangles inside it that would otherwise be hidden.
Boundaries also change surface statistics such as area and number of triangles. Boundaries can either be
“destructive” (totally hiding triangles that cross the boundary) or “non-destructive” (clipping triangle edges
at the point where they cross the boundary). Normally, TIN surfaces use non-destructive boundaries, while
grid surfaces can only have destructive boundaries:
Working with Surfaces | 61

Non-destructive Boundary
Destructive Boundary
All boundaries applied to a surface are stored in the AeccSurface.Boundaries collection. The boundary itself
is defined by an AutoCAD entity such as a closed POLYLINE or POLYGON. The height of the entity plays
no part in how surface triangles are clipped, so you can use 2D entities. This entity can also contain curves,
but the boundary always consists of lines. How these lines are tessellated is defined by the mid-ordinate
distance, which is the maximum distance between a curve and the lines that are generated to approximate
it:
Mid-ordinate Distance
This sample adds a square outside boundary to a surface:
' First we need an AutoCAD entity (in this case a polyline)
' which describes the boundary location.
Dim oPoly As AcadPolyline
Set oPoly = oAeccDocument.Database.ModelSpace _
.AddPolyline(dPoints)
oPoly.Closed = True
' The name of the boundary object.

Dim sName as String
sName = "Sample Boundary"
' The third parameter describes what the boundary does
' to triangles inside it. The fourth parameter is True
' if you want non-destructive boundary or false otherwise.
' The final parameter is the mid-ordinate distance.
Dim oNewBoundary As AeccSurfaceBoundary
Set oNewBoundary = oSurface.Boundaries.Add(oPoly, sName, _
aeccBoundaryOuter, True, 10.5)
NOTE Any operation that causes the formation of new triangles (such as adding points or breaklines to a TIN
surface) may result in triangles that cross existing boundary lines. Boundaries should always be added after every
other operation that adds points to a surface.
Adding Data from DEM Files

Any number of DEM files can be added to existing grid and TIN surfaces. When a DEM file is added to the
AeccGridSurface.DEMFiles or AeccTinSurface.DEMFiles collection, its information is converted to an evenly
spaced lattice of triangles that is added to the surface.
oTinSurface.DEMFiles.Add("C:\My Documents\file.dem")
Improving Performance By Using Snapshots

A surface is made up of all the operations that modified the surface’s triangles. If you rebuild the surface,
re-performing all these operations can be slow. Snapshots can improve performance by recording all the
triangles in a surface. Subsequent rebuilds start from the data of the snapshot, thus saving time by not
performing complicated calculations that have already been done once. Surfaces have CreateSnapshot,
RebuildSnapshot, and RemoveSnapshot methods. Both CreateSnapshot and RebuildSnapshot will overwrite
an existing snapshot.
TIP RebuildSnapshot will cause an error if the snapshot does not exist. CreateSnapshot and RebuildSnapshot
can also cause errors if the surface is out-of-date.
Finding Intersections
When working with surfaces, it can be useful to determine where a vector intersects with a surface, which
you can do with the surface’s IntersectPointWithSurface() method. For example, you can determine if
Adding Data from DEM Files | 63

the top of a structure is visible from a point on the surface, or whether one point on the surface is visible
from another point. This example tests whether a vector starting at (20424.7541, 20518.0409, 100) pointing
in direction (0.6, 0.4, -0.5) intersects with the first surface in the drawing, and if it does, it prints out the
intersection location:
Dim objSurf As AeccSurface
Dim varStartPt As Variant, varDir As Variant, varIntPt As Variant
Dim darrStart(2) As Double
Dim darrDir(2) As Double
darrStart(0) = 20424.7541
darrStart(1) = 20518.0409
darrStart(2) = 100
darrDir(0) = 0.6
darrDir(1) = 0.4
darrDir(2) = -0.5
varStartPt = darrStart
varDir = darrDir
Set objSurf = g_oAeccDoc.Surfaces(0)
varIntPt = objSurf.IntersectPointWithSurface(varStartPt, varDir)
If UBound(varIntPt) = 2 Then
Debug.Print varIntPt(0), varIntPt(1), varIntPt(2)
End If
Working with TIN Surfaces

This section covers the various methods for modifying or examining existing TIN surfaces. This includes
adding new point data directly, adding breaklines, and adding contours.
Adding Point Data to a TIN Surface

There are two techniques for adding points that are unique to TIN surfaces: using point files and using point
groups.
Adding Points Using Point Files

The AeccTinSurface.PointFiles collection contains the names of text files that contain point information.
These text files must consist only of lines containing the point number, easting, northing, and elevation
delineated by spaces. Except for comment lines beginning with “#”, any other information will result in an
error. Unlike TIN or LandXML files, text files do not contain a list of faces - the points are automatically
joined into a series of triangles based on the settings of the AeccTinSurface.DefinitionProperties property.
' Add points from a .txt file to an existing TIN surface.
sFileName = "C:\My Documents\points.txt"
oTinSurface.PointFiles.Add sFileName
Adding Points Using Point Groups

You can manually add points to a TIN surface by adding point groups to the AeccTinSurface.PointGroups
collection.
' Make a surface consisting of 30 random points. To do
' this, first add 30 points to the document's collection
' of points, then make a point group from those points.
' Finally, add that point group to the surface.
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To 29
Dim pt(0 To 2) As Double
pt(0) = Int(5000 * Rnd())
pt(1) = Int(5000 * Rnd())
pt(2) = Int(200 * Rnd())
Dim oPoint As AeccPoint
Set oPoint = oAeccDocument.Points.Add(pt)
oPoint.Name = "Point" & CStr(i)
Next i
Dim oPtGroup As AeccPointGroup

Set oPtGroup = oAeccDocument.PointtGroups.Add("Random group")
' Add all points with a name beginning with "Point"
oPtGroup.QueryBuilder.IncludeNames = "point*"
' Add the point group to the surface.
oTinSurface.PointGroups.Add oPtGroup
oTinSurface.Update
You can also add points to a surface by adding contour lines. See Adding Contours to a TIN Surface (page
68).
All points that make up a surface can be retrieved from the read-only AeccTinSurface.Points property,
which is an array of locations.
' Print the location (easting, northing, and elevation)
' of the 1000th point.
Dim vLocation as Variant
vLocation = oTinSurface.Points(1000)
' Now vLocation contains a 3 element array of doubles.

Debug.Print "Easting:"; vLocation(0)
Debug.Print "Northing:"; vLocation(1)
Debug.Print "Elevation:"; vLocation(2)
Adding a Breakline to a TIN Surface

Breaklines are used to shape the triangulation of a TIN surface. Each TIN surface has a collection of breaklines
contained in the AeccTinSurface.Breaklines property. There are different kinds of breaklines, and each is
created in a slightly different way.
Adding a Breakline to a TIN Surface | 65

NOTE For more information about breaklines, see Breaklines in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User’s Guide.
Adding a Standard Breakline

A standard breakline consists of an array of 3D lines or polylines. Each line endpoint becomes a point in
the surface and surface triangles around the breakline are redone. If the polyline contains curves, then the
curve is tessellated based on the mid-ordinate distance parameter.
' Create the polyline basis for the breakline.
Dim o3DPoly as Acad3DPolyline
Set o3DPoly = oAeccDocument.Database.ModelSpace _
.Add3DPoly(dPoints)
o3DPoly.Closed = False
Dim oBreakline As AeccSurfaceBreakline
Dim vBLines As Variant
' This has to be an array, even if we only have one entity.
Dim oEntityArray(0) As AcadEntity
Set oEntityArray(0) = oAeccDocument.Database.ModelSpace _
.Add3DPoly(dPoints)
Set oBreakline = oTinSurface.Breaklines.AddStandardBreakline _
(oEntityArray, "Sample Standard Break", 1#)
Adding a Proximity Breakline

A proximity breakline does not add new points to a surface. Instead, the nearest surface point to each
breakline endpoint is used. The triangles that make up a surface are then recomputed making sure those
points are connected. A proximity breakline is created using the same fashion as standard breaklines except
you call AeccSurfaceBreaklines.AddProximityBreakline instead of
AeccSurfaceBreaklines.AddStandardBreakline.
Set oBreakline = oTinSurface.Breaklines.AddProximityBreakline( _

oEntityArray, _
"Sample Proximity Break", _
1#)
Adding a Non-destructive Breakline

A non-destructive breakline does not remove any triangle edges. It places new points along the breakline at
each intersection with a triangle edge and new triangles are computed. Again, it is created like standard
breaklines are created except you call the AeccSurfaceBreaklines.AddNonDestructiveBreakline method.
Set oBreakline = oTinSurface.Breaklines _
.AddNonDestructiveBreakline( _
oEntityArray, _
"Sample Non-Destructive Break", _
1#)
Adding a Wall Breakline

A wall breakline is used when the height of the surface on one side of the breakline is different than the
other side. This method creates two breaklines, one for the top of the wall and one for the bottom. However,
you cannot have a perfectly vertical wall in a TIN surface. The first breakline is placed along the path specified
by the BreaklineEntities parameter, and the second breakline is very slightly offset to one side and raised or
lowered by a relative elevation. Among the parameters of the wall breakline creation method are an array
of wall elevations and an array describing to which side the height-adjusted breakline is placed. The wall at
Adding a Breakline to a TIN Surface | 67

each entity endpoint is offset to the right if the value is set to True and to the left of the value is set to False
where “right” and “left” refer to directions as you walk along the breakline from the start point to the end.
' This is an array of arrays of elevations, one array of
' elevations per entity.
Dim vElevations(0) As Variant
' These are the elevations of the wall at each endpoint in
' the polyline entity.
Dim dElevations(3) As Double
' This is an array of ooleans, one for each entity.
Dim bOffsets(0) As Boolean
dElevations(0) = 30.5: dElevations(1) = 93.3

dElevations(2) = 93.3: dElevations(3) = 46.2
vElevations(0) = dElevations
' Raise the surface at the right side of the breakline.
bOffsets(0) = True: bOffsets(1) = True
bOffsets(2) = True: bOffsets(3) = True
Set oBreakline = oTinSurf.Breaklines.AddWallBreakline _

(oEntityArray, _
"Sample Wall Break", _
1#, _
vElevations, _
bOffsets)
Importing Breaklines from a File

You can import breaklines from a file in .FLT format, using AeccSurfaceBreaklines.AddBreaklineFromFile().
When you import the file, you need to specify whether to maintain the file link, or break the link:
■ aeccBreaklineFileMaintainLink: Reads the breaklines from the FLT file when they are added and when
the surface is rebuilt.
■ aeccBreaklineFileBreakLink: All breaklines in the FLT file are copied into the surface as Add Breakline
operations.
For more information about these options, see Importing Breaklines from a File in the AutoCAD Civil 3D
User’s Guide.
This sample shows how to import breaklines from a file named eg1.flt, and to get the first newly created
breakline:
Dim oBrkLine As AeccSurfaceBreakline
Set oBrkLine = brkLines.AddBreaklineFromFile("New Breakline", "C:\eg1.flt", 10#, aeccBreak
lineFileBreakLink)(0)
Adding Contours to a TIN Surface

A contour is an open or closed entity that describes the altitude of the surface along the entity. Contours
must have a constant altitude. The z value of the first point of the entity is used as the altitude of entire
entity, no matter what is specified in the following points. Contours also have settings that can adjust the
number of points added to the surface - when you create a contour, you specify a weeding distance, a weeding
angle, and a distance parameter. Points in the contour are removed if the distance between the points before
and after is less than the weeding distance and if the angle between the lines before and after is less than
the weeding angle. Each line segment is split into equal sections with a length no greater than the
supplemental distance parameter. Any curves in the entity are also tessellated according to the mid-ordinate
distance, just like breaklines. The supplemental distance value has precedence over the weeding values, so
it is possible that the final contour will have line segments smaller than the weeding parameters specify.
For more information about weeding and countours, see Weeding and Supplementing Factors for Contours
in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User’s Guide.
A TIN surface has a collection of contours in the AeccTinSurface.Contours property. The following sample
demonstrates adding a contour to a surface:
Dim dPoints(0 To 8) As Double ' 3 points
Dim o3DPoly As AcadPolyline

' It does not matter that we specify a Z value of 50. It
' is still located at an altitude of 100, just like
' the first point.
Set o3DPoly = oAeccDocument.Database.ModelSpace _
o3DPoly.Closed = False
Dim oEntities(0) As AcadEntity
Set oEntities(0) = o3DPoly
Dim dWeedDist as Double

Dim dWeedAngle as Double
Dim dDist as Double
Dim dMidOrdDist as Double
dWeedDist = 55.5
dWeedAngle = 0.0698 ' 0.0698 radians = 4 degrees
dDist = 85.5
dMidOrdDist = 1#
Dim oNewContour As AeccSurfaceContour
Set oNewContour = oTinSurf.Contours.Add(oEntities, _
"Sample Contour", dWeedDist, dWeedAngle, dDist, dMidOrdDist)
Extracting Contours from a TIN Surface

You can extract a contour (or contours) from a surface in a given elevation range as AutoCAD entities. This
example extracts the contours between 90 and 95, and prints out the entity type for each one.
Extracting Contours from a TIN Surface | 69

NOTE The contours that you wish to extract must be visible in the drawing for this example to work.
...
Dim z As Double
Dim objSurf As AeccSurface
Set objSurf = g_oAeccDoc.Surfaces(0)
Dim varObjects As Variant
Dim objEnt As AcadEntity
Dim iCtr As Integer, iLow As Integer, iHigh As Integer
varObjects = objSurf.ExtractContour(aeccDisplayOrientationPlan, aeccSFMajorContours, 90, 95)
iLow = LBound(varObjects)
iHigh = UBound(varObjects)
For iCtr = iLow To iHigh
Set objEnt = varObjects(iCtr)
Debug.Print TypeName(objEnt)
Next iCtr
Surface Style
This section explains the creation and application of surface styles.
Creating a Style
All surface styles are stored in the AeccDocument.SurfaceStyles collection, an object of type
AeccSurfaceStyles. To create a new style, call the AeccSurfaceStyles.Add method with the name of your
new style. It is initially set according to the document’s ambient settings.
Dim oSurfaceStyle As AeccSurfaceStyle
oSurfaceStyle = oDocument.SurfaceStyles.Add("New Style")
Changing a Surface Style

A surface style consists of different objects governing the appearance of boundaries, contours, direction
analysis, elevation analysis, grids, points, slope arrows, triangles, and watershed analysis. Usually a single
style only displays some of these objects. When initially created, a style is set according to the document’s
ambient settings and may show some unwanted style elements. Always set the visibility properties of all
style elements to ensure the style behaves as you expect.
' Change the style so that it displays surface triangles,
' major contour lines, and any boundaries along the outside
' edge, but nothing else.
oSurfaceStyle.TriangleStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
oSurfaceStyle.BoundaryStyle.DisplayExteriorBoundaries = True
oSurfaceStyle.BoundaryStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
oSurfaceStyle.ContourStyle.MajorContourDisplayStylePlan _
.Visible = True
oSurfaceStyle.PointStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.BoundaryStyle.DisplayInteriorBoundaries = False
oSurfaceStyle.ContourStyle.MinorContourDisplayStylePlan _
.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.ContourStyle.UserContourDisplayStylePlan _
.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.GridStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.DirectionStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.ElevationStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.SlopeStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.SlopeArrowStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oSurfaceStyle.WatershedStyle.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
' This must be repeated for all Model display styles as well.
Assigning a Style to a Surface

Set the AeccSurface.Style property to the name of the style you wish to use.
' The surface is displayed according to the
' oSurfaceStyle style we have just created.
oSurface.Style = oSurfaceStyle.Name
Performing Surface Analysis

This section shows you how to perform an elevation analysis and a watershed analysis.
Creating an Elevation Analysis

An elevation analysis creates a 2-dimensional projection of a surface and then add bands of color indicating
ranges of altitude. The analysis is managed by an object of type AeccSurfaceAnalysisElevation, located in
the AeccSurface.SurfaceAnalysis.ElevationAnalysis property. This object contains a method for creating
elevation regions and a read-only collection containing these regions. The method,
CalculateElevationRegions, creates a series of contiguous regions each representing a portion of the surface’s
total elevation. Each time it is called it discards all existing elevation regions for the surface and creates a
new collection of regions. The collection, ElevationRegions, lets you modify the color, minimum elevation,
and maximum elevation of each region. Always check the number of regions through the
AeccSurfaceAnalysisElevation.ElevationRegions.Count property as CalculateElevationRegions may
create fewer regions than specified by the first parameter.
Assigning a Style to a Surface | 71

CalculateElevationRegions creates regions according to the statistical method specified in the
AeccSurfaceStyle.ElevationStyle.GroupValuesBy property. The elevation style object also contains other
means of modifying how elevation analyses are made, such as using one of the preset color schemes.
This sample creates an elevation analysis for a surface using shades of green:
Dim oSurfaceAnalysisElevation As AeccSurfaceAnalysisElevation
Set oSurfaceAnalysisElevation = oSurface.SurfaceAnalysis _
.ElevationAnalysis
Dim oElevationRegions As AeccElevationRegions
Set oElevationRegions = oSurfaceAnalysisElevation _
.CalculateElevationRegions(6, False)
' See exactly how many regions were created.
Debug.Print oSurfaceAnalysisElevation.ElevationRegions.Count
oElevationRegions.Item(0).Color = 80 ' bright green

oElevationRegions.Item(1).Color = 82
oElevationRegions.Item(4).Color = 88 ' dark green
' Adjust the range of one of the regions.

oElevationRegions.Item(2).MaximumElevation = _
oElevationRegions.Item(2).MaximumElevation - 5
Many elevation analysis features can be modified through the surface style - see the Surface Style (page 70)
section. For example, you can choose from among a number of pre-set color schemes.
Creating a Watershed Analysis

A watershed analysis predicts how water will flow over and off a surface. The analysis is managed by an
object of type AeccSurfaceAnalysisWatershed held in the AeccSurface.SurfaceAnalysis.WatershedAnalysis
property. The analysis is created by calling the AeccSurfaceAnalysisWatershed.CalculateWatersheds
method. This splits the surface into separate regions, each with its own drain target or targets. The set of all
these regions are held in the AeccSurfaceAnalysisWatershed.WatershedRegions collection.
You have some control over how the regions are split. If the boolean
AeccSurfaceAnalysisWatershed.MergeAdjacentBoundaries property is set to True, then regions along the
boundary are merged into one region if their boundary points or segments touch. If a depression on the
surface has a minimum average depth smaller than the value of the
AeccSurfaceAnalysisWatershed.MergeDepression property, then the depression does not become its own
region and is combined with the region it drains into.
oSurface.SurfaceAnalysis.WatershedAnalysis _
.MergeAdjacentBoundaries = True
.MergeDepression = 10.65
Types of Watershed Regions

Depending on the nature of the drain target, each watershed region is a different type derived from
AeccWatershedRegion. (For more information about watershed region types, see Types of Watersheds in the
AutoCAD Civil 3D User’s Guide). By checking the Type property of each object in the
AeccSurfaceAnalysisWatershed.WatershedRegions collection, you can then determine the specific type of
each region.
' Compute water drainage over the surface.
.CalculateWatersheds
' Extract information from each watershed region.

' Loop through all the regions in the WatershedRegions
' collection. For each region, determine its
' specific type. Once we cast each region object to this
' specific type, we can learn how water drains over the
' surface.
Dim oWSAnalysis As AeccWatershedRegions
Set oWSAnalysis = oSurface.SurfaceAnalysis.WatershedAnalysis _
.WatershedRegions
Dim i as Integer
For i = 0 To oWSAnalysis.Count - 1
Select Case (oWSAnalysis.Item(i).Type)
Case aeccWatershedBoundaryPoint
Dim oWSPoint As AeccWatershedRegionBoundaryPoint
Set oWSPoint = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Case aeccWatershedBoundarySegment
Dim oWSSegment As AeccWatershedRegionBoundarySegment
Set oWSSegment = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Case aeccWatershedDepression
Dim oWSDepression As AeccWatershedRegionDepression
Set oWSDepression = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Case aeccWatershedFlat
Dim oWSFlat As AeccWatershedRegionFlat
Set oWSFlat = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Case aeccWatershedMultiDrain
Dim oWSMulti As AeccWatershedRegionMultiRegionDrain
Set oWSMulti = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Case aeccWatershedMultiDrainNotch
Dim oWSNotch As AeccWatershedRegionMultiRegionDrainNotch
Set oWSNotch = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Case Else 'aeccWatershedUnknownSink
End Select
Next i
Objects derived from AeccWatershedRegion have other common features. They all have an identification
number in the AeccWatershedRegion.Id property. They also have a AeccWatershedRegion.Boundary property,
which contains a 2-dimensional array containing the points of a closed polygon enclosing the region.
Creating a Watershed Analysis | 73

Dim vBound As Variant
vBound = oWSAnalysis.Item(i).BoundaryLine
For j = 0 To UBound(vBound)
' Print the X, Y and Z coordinates of a border point.
Debug.Print vBound(j, 0), vBound(j, 1), vBound(j, 2)
Next j
Boundary Point Regions

In a region of type AeccWatershedBoundaryPoint, water reaches the boundary of a surface at a single point.
The X, Y, and Z coordinates of this point are held in a variant array in the
AeccWatershedBoundaryPoint.BoundaryDrainPoint property.
Dim oWSPoint As AeccWatershedRegionBoundaryPoint

Set oWSPoint = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Dim vDrainPoint As Variant
vDrainPoint = oWSPoint.BoundaryDrainPoint
Debug.Print "This region drains to point: " & vDrainPoint(0) _
& ", " & vDrainPoint(1) & ", " & vDrainPoint(2)
Boundary Segment Regions

Regions of type aeccWatershedBoundarySegment represent areas where water flows out of a surface along a
series of line segments. The end points of these line segments are held in a 2-dimensional array of doubles
in the aeccWatershedBoundarySegment.BoundaryDrainSegment property. The first dimension of this array
represents each point and the second dimension are the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the points.
Dim oWSSegment As AeccWatershedRegionBoundarySegment
Set oWSBoundarySegment = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Dim vDrainSegments as Variant
vDrainSegments = oWSBoundarySegment.BoundaryDrainSegment
Dim j as Integer
Debug.Print "This region drains through the following"
Debug.Print "line segments:"
For j = 0 To UBound(vDrainSegments, 1) - 1
Debug.Print vDrainSegments(j, 0) & ", " _
& vDrainSegments(j, 1) & ", " _
& vDrainSegments(j, 2) & " to ";
Debug.Print vDrainSegments(j + 1, 0) & ", " _
& vDrainSegments(j + 1, 1) _
& ", " & vDrainSegments(j + 1, 2)
Next j
Depression Regions
A region of type aeccWatershedDepression represents an area of the surface that water does not normally
leave. It is possible for the depression to fill and then drain into other regions. The lowest points on the
region edge where this overflow may take place and the regions that the water drains into are kept in the
aeccWatershedDepression.Drains collection.
Dim oWSDepression As AeccWatershedRegionDepression

Set oWSDepression = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
Dim oDrains As AeccWatershedDrains
Set oDrains = oWSDepression.Drains
For j = 0 To oDrains.Count - 1
' See what kind of drain targets we have.
If (UBound(oDrains.Item(j).Targets) = -1) Then
' This depression drains outside the surface.
Debug.Print "Drain through point: " & _
oDrains.Item(j).Location(0) & ", " & _
oDrains.Item(j).Location(2) & _
" to the surface boundary."
Else
' This depression can drain into other regions.
Dim lTargets() As Long
lTargets = oDrains.Item(j).Targets
sTargets = CStr(lTargets(0))
Dim k as Integer
For k = 1 To UBound(lTargets)
sTargets = sTargets & ", " & CStr(lTargets(k))
Next k
Debug.Print "Drain through point: " & _
oDrains.Item(j).Location(2) & _
" into the following regions: " & sTargets
Endif
Next j
Flat Regions
A flat area that only drains into one region is combined into that region. If a flat surface drains into multiple
regions, then it is created as a separate region of type AeccWatershedRegionFlat. The only feature of flat
regions is an array of all drain targets.
Dim oWSFlat As AeccWatershedRegionFlat
Set oWSFlat = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
varDrainsInto = oWSFlat.DrainsInto
sTargets = CStr(varDrainsInto(0))
For k = 1 To UBound(varDrainsInto)
sTargets = sTargets & ", " & CStr(varDrainsInto(k))
Next k
Debug.Print "This region drains into regions " & sTargets
Multiple Drain Regions (Point)

A region of the surface may drain through a point into many different regions. Such regions are represented
by an object of type AeccWatershedRegionMultiRegionDrain. These regions have properties containing the
point water drains through and a collection of all regions into which water flows.
Creating a Watershed Analysis | 75

Dim oWSMulti As AeccWatershedRegionMultiRegionDrain
Set oWSMulti = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
' vDrainPoint is a single point, like BoundaryPoint

vDrainPoint = oWSMulti.DrainPoint
' varDrainsInto is an array of variants, each a region ID.
varDrainsInto = oWSMulti.DrainsInto
Next k
Debug.Print "This region drains to point: " & vDrainPoint(0) _

& ", " & vDrainPoint(1) & ", " & vDrainPoint(2) _
& " and into the following regions: " & sTargets
Multiple Drain Regions (Notch)

A region can also drain into many other regions through a series of line segments. These regions are
represented by an object of type AeccWatershedRegionMultiRegionDrainNotch and they keep both a list of
all regions this region drains into and a list of all segments this region drains through.
Dim oWSNotch As AeccWatershedRegionMultiRegionDrainNotch
Set oWSNotch = oWSAnalysis.Item(i)
' vDrainSegments is a 2-dimensional array, like BoundarySegment.
Dim vDrainSegments As Variant
vDrainSegments = oWSNotch.DrainSegment
' varDrainsInto is an array of region IDs.
Dim varDrainsInto As Variant
varDrainsInto = oWSNotch.DrainsInto
Next k
Debug.Print "This region drains through these segments: "
For j = 0 To UBound(vDrainSegments, 1) - 1
Debug.Print vDrainSegments(j, 0) & ", " _
& vDrainSegments(j, 1) & ", " _
& vDrainSegments(j, 2) & " to ";
Debug.Print vDrainSegments(j + 1, 0) & ", " _
& vDrainSegments(j + 1, 1) _
& ", " & vDrainSegments(j + 1, 2)
Next j
' Display each region this drains into.

Debug.Print "and into the following regions: " & sTargets
Sample Programs
SurfacePointsSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\SurfacePoints\SurfacePointsSample.dvb
This sample program demonstrates the creation of surfaces using point data loaded from a file and through
use of point groups. Surface styles are created and applied.
SurfaceOperations.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\SurfaceOperations\SurfaceOperationsSample.dvb
This sample demonstrates the elevation analysis and watershed analysis features. The watershed analysis
includes a full report of all watershed regions. Breaklines of all kinds, contours, and borders are applied to
the surfaces as well.
CorridorSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Corridor\CorridorSample.dvb
A TIN volume surface is created between the corridor datum surface and the ground surface. Cut and fill
information is obtained from this volume surface.
Sample Programs | 77
78
Sites and Parcels
7
Object Hierarchy
Sites
This section explains the creation and use of sites, which are used as containers for parcels and alignments
(for information about alignments, see Chapter 6: Alignments in COM (page 87)).
79
Creating Sites
All sites in a document are held in the AeccDocument.Sites collection, an object of type AeccSites. The
AeccSites.Add method creates a new empty site with the specified name.
' Create a new site.

Dim oSites As AeccSites
Set oSites = oAeccDocument.Sites
Dim oSite As AeccSite
Set oSite = oSites.Add("Sample Site")
Using Sites
A site represents a distinct group of alignments and parcels. Besides containing collections of parcels and
alignments, the AeccSite object also contains properties describing how the site objects are numbered and
displayed.
' NextAutoCounterParcel sets the starting identification
' number for newly created parcels. The first parcel
' created from parcel segments will be 300, the next 301,
' and so on.
oSite.NextAutoCounterParcel = 300
Parcels
This section covers the creation and use of parcels. Parcel segments, parcel loops, and parcel styles and label
styles are also explained.
Creating Parcels with Parcel Segments

While a site contains a collection of parcels, this collection has no Add method. Instead, parcels are
automatically generated from the parcel segments added to the AeccSite.ParcelSegments collection. A
parcel segment is a 2-dimensional line, curve, or AutoCAD entity. Once a closed structure can be formed
from the segments in the site, a parcel is automatically formed. Each additional parcel segment that forms
80 | Chapter 7 Sites and Parcels

new closed structures creates additional parcels. This may affect the shape of existing parcels - if an existing
parcel is bisected by a new segment, the existing parcel is reduced in size and a new parcel is formed.
Dim oSegments as AeccParcelSegments
Set oSegments = oSite.ParcelSegments
' Parcel 1
Call oSegments.AddLine(0, 0, 0, 200)
Call oSegments.AddCurve(0, 200, -0.5, 200, 200)
' Parcel 2
Call oSegments.AddCurve2(200, 200, 330, 240, 400, 200)
' This will complete parcel 2, as well as form parcel 3.

Dim oPolyline As AcadPolyline
Set oPolyline = oAeccDocument.Database.ModelSpace_
oPolyline.Closed = True
' Passing True as the second parameter deletes the
' polyline entity once the parcel segment has been created.
Call oSegments.AddFromEntity(oPolyline, True)
About Parcel Segments

Each parcel segment is a collection of parcel segment elements, which are represented by objects derived
from the AeccParcelSegmentElement base class. A segment element is an undivided part of a segment that
About Parcel Segments | 81

can be used to create a parcel. When an element is intersected by another parcel segment, the element is
split into two contiguous elements:
Dim oSegments as AeccParcelSegments
Set oSegments = oSite.ParcelSegments
Dim oSegment1 as AeccParcelSegment
' Segment1 consists of 1 element, a line with endpoints

' at 500,100 to 600,100
Set oSegment1 = oSegments.AddLine(500, 100, 600, 100)
' We can tell this by looking at the number of elements:
Debug.Print oSegment1.Count ' returns 1
' If we cross the segment element with another segment,
' then the elements get split.
Debug.Print oSegment1.Count ' returns 2
The AeccParcelSegment.Item method returns each element as an object of type AeccParcelSegmentElement.

This object has no Type property, so to determine what kind of element it represents you need to directly
check the object type with the TypeOf operator:
' Loop through all elements of the parcel segment "oSegment"
Dim i as Integer
For i = 0 to oSegment.Count - 1
Dim oElement As AeccParcelSegmentElement
Set oElement = oSegment.Item(i)
Debug.Print "Element " & i & ": " _

& oElement.StartX & "," & oElement.StartY & " to " _
& oElement.EndX & ", " & oElement.EndY
If (TypeOf oElement Is AeccParcelSegmentLine) Then

Dim oSegmentLine As AeccParcelSegmentLine
Set oSegmentLine = oElement
Debug.Print " is a line. "
ElseIf (TypeOf oElement Is AeccParcelSegmentCurve) Then
Dim oSegmentCurve As AeccParcelSegmentCurve
Set oSegmentCurve = oElement
Debug.Print " is a curve with a radius of:" _
& oSegmentCurve.Radius
End If
Next i
Determining Parcel Loops

You can determine which parcel segment elements make up a parcel by using the AeccParcel.ParcelLoops
collection. This collection stores objects of type AeccParcelSegmentElement. Each parcel segment element

contains a reference to the parent segment, so you can also determine which segments are used to create a
parcel.
' Loop through all elements used to make parcel "oParcel"
Dim i as Integer
For i = 0 to oParcel.ParcelLoops.Count - 1
Dim oElement As AeccParcelSegmentElement
Set oElement = oParcel.ParcelLoops.Item(i)
Debug.Print "Element " & i _

& " of segment " & oElement.ParcelSegment.Name & ": " _
& oElement.StartX & "," & oElement.StartY & " to " _
& oElement.EndX & ", " & oElement.EndY
If (TypeOf oElement Is AeccParcelSegmentLine) Then

Dim oSegmentLine As AeccParcelSegmentLine
Set oSegmentLine = oElement
Debug.Print " is a line. "
ElseIf (TypeOf oElement Is AeccParcelSegmentCurve) Then
Dim oSegmentCurve As AeccParcelSegmentCurve
Set oSegmentCurve = oElement
Debug.Print " is a curve with a radius of:" _
& oSegmentCurve.Radius
End If
Next i
Parcel Style and Parcel Segment Style

The collection of all parcel styles is held in the AeccDocument.ParcelStyles collection. The parcel style
controls how a parcel and the parcel segments are displayed. Among the features is an option to only fill
the area close to a parcel’s borders. A parcel style can be assigned to a parcel through the AeccParcel.Style
property.
This sample creates a parcel style, sets the style properties, and assigns the style to the parcel object “oParcel”:
Dim oParcelStyles As AeccParcelStyles
Set oParcelStyles = oDocument.ParcelStyles
Dim oParcelStyle As AeccParcelStyle
Set oParcelStyle = oParcelStyles.Add("Sample Style")
oParcelStyle.ObservePatternFillDistance = True
oParcelStyle.PatternFillDistance = 20
oParcelStyle.SegmentsDisplayStylePlan.color = 20 ' red-orange
oParcelStyle.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.color = 20
oParcelStyle.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
oParcelStyle.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.Lineweight = 20
oParcelStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.UseAngleOfObject = True
oParcelStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.ScaleFactor = 3.8
oParcelStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.Spacing = 1.5
oParcelStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.Pattern = "AR-SAND"
oParcelStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.HatchType = aeccHatchPreDefined
' Assign the "Sample Style" style to a single parcel.

oParcel.Style = oParcelStyle.Name
The style of individual parcel segments depends on the style of the parent parcel, but segments may be
shared by different parcels. This conflict is decided by the AeccParcels.Properties.SegmentDisplayOrder
Parcel Style and Parcel Segment Style | 83

property, which is a collection of all parcel styles currently in use. These styles are arranged according to
priority level. When two parcels with different styles share a segment, the segment is displayed with the
higher priority style. Among these styles is the global site parcel style, set through the
AeccParcels.Properties.SiteParcelStyle property. The site parcel style defines the outside boundary style
of parcels within the site, given a high enough priority.
This sample displays the current order of parcel styles in the site and then modifies the order:
' List all styles used by parcels in this site with their
' priority
Dim oSegmentDisplayOrder As AeccSegmentDisplayOrder
Set oSegmentDisplayOrder = _
oSite.Parcels.Properties.SegmentDisplayOrder
Debug.Print "Number styles used:"; oSegmentDisplayOrder.Count

Debug.Print "Priority of each style for affecting segments:"
Dim i as Integer
For i = 0 To oSegmentDisplayOrder.Count - 1
Debug.Print i; " & oSegmentDisplayOrder.Item(i).Name
Next i
' Set the style with the highest priority to the lowest
' priority.
Dim lLowestPosition as Long
lLowestPosition = oSegmentDisplayOrder.Count - 1
oSegmentDisplayOrder.SetPriority 0, lLowestPosition
Parcel Label Style

The style of text labels or graphical markers displayed with parcels and parcel segments are set by assigning
a label style object to the AeccParcel.AreaLabelStyle property. All such label styles are held in the
AeccDocument.ParcelLabelStyles.AreaLabelStyles property, a collection of AeccLabelStyle objects.
Parcel label styles can use the following property fields in the contents of any text component:
<[Name(CU)]>
<[Description(CP)]>
<[Parcel Area(Usq_ft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Parcel Number(Sn)]>
<[Parcel Perimeter(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Parcel Address(CP)]>
<[Parcel Site Name(CP)]>
<[Parcel Tax ID(Sn)]>

Parcel User-Defined Properties
Parcel objects can have user-defined properties associated with them, and the properties can be organized
into user-defined classifications, or are put into an “Unclassified” classification. You can create new
classifications and user-defined properties via the API, though you can’t access the values of existing
user-defined properties attached to parcels. For more information about user-defined properties and
classifications, see Using Custom Properties with Points in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User Guide.
This sample creates a new user-defined property classification for parcels called “Example”, and then adds
a new user-defined property with upper and lower bounds and a default value:
' NOTE - Always specify the version number.
Const sAppName = "AeccXUiLand.AeccApplication.6.0"
Set g_vCivilApp = oApp.GetInterfaceObject(sAppName)
Set g_oDocument = g_vCivilApp.ActiveDocument
Set g_oAeccDb = g_oDocument.Database
Dim oUDPClass As AeccUserDefinedPropertyClassification
Dim oUDPProp As AeccUserDefinedProperty
'Create a user-defined parcel property classification
Set oUDPClass = g_oAeccDb.ParcelUserDefinedPropertyClassifications.Add("Example")
' Add a Property to our new classification An integer using upper
' and lower bound limits of 10 and 20 with a default value of 15
Set oUDPProp = oUDPClass.UserDefinedProperties.Add("Extra Data", _
"Some Extra Data", aeccUDPPropertyFieldTypeInteger, True, False, 10, True, _
False, 20, True, 15, Null)
Accessing Daylight Feature Lines

The AeccSite:FeatureLines property is a collection of grading feature lines in the drawing. This collection
only contains the types of feature lines available through the Prospector on the AutoCAD Civil 3D user
interface. The collection doesn’t contain daylight or projection feature lines. However, you can still get
information about these types of feature lines programmatically by prompting the user to select feature line
Parcel User-Defined Properties | 85

object in a drawing. This code sample prompts the user to select a feature line, and then prints out the
number of points it contains:
Dim objPart As AeccLandFeatureLine
Dim objEnt As AcadObject
Dim objAcadEnt As AcadEntity
Dim varPick As Variant
ThisDrawing.Utility.GetEntity objEnt, varPick, "Select the polyline/feature line"
If TypeOf objEnt Is AeccLandFeatureLine Then
Set objPart = objEnt
Debug.Print TypeName(objPart)
Dim varArray As Variant
varArray = objPart.GetPoints()
Debug.Print "Number of points = " & UBound(varArray)
ElseIf TypeOf objEnt Is AcadEntity Then
Set objAcadEnt = objEnt
Debug.Print TypeName(objAcadEnt)
If (g_oAeccDoc.Sites.Count = 0) Then
g_oAeccDoc.Sites.Add "TestSite"
End If
Set objPart = g_oAeccDoc.Sites(0).FeatureLines.AddFromPolyline(objAcadEnt.ObjectID,
"Standard")
End If
Sample Program
ParcelSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\COM\Vba\Parcel\ParcelSample.dvb
This sample program accesses the active document, creates a site, and then creates three parcels by adding
line segments, curve segments, and entity segments. A new parcel style is composed and applied to one of
the parcels.

Alignments in COM
8
This chapter covers creating and using Alignments, Stations, and Alignment styles using the COM API. For information
about performing these tasks using the .NET API, see the chapter Alignments in .NET (page 97).
87
Object Hierarchy
COM API Alignment Object Model
Basic Alignment Operations
Creating an Alignment
Alignments are usually created in existing sites. Each AeccSite object has its own collection of alignments
held in an AeccAlignments object in the AeccSite.Alignments property. There is also a collection of
alignments that are not associated with a site in the AeccDocument.AlignmentsSiteless property.
Creating a New Alignment

The AeccAlignments object provides two ways of creating new alignments. The AeccAlignments.Add method
takes an alignment name, a layer to draw to, an alignment style object, and an alignment label style object
as parameters and returns a new empty alignment. The AeccAlignments.AddFromPolyline method takes the
same parameters as well as an AutoCAD polyline entity and flags indicating whether curves should be added
88 | Chapter 8 Alignments in COM

between the separate line segments and whether the polyline entity should be erased after the alignment is
created.
This code creates an alignment from a 2D polyline, using existing styles:
' Create an alignment style with default settings.
Dim oAlignmentStyle as AeccAlignmentStyle
Set oAlignmentStyle = oDocument.AlignmentStyles _
.Add("Sample style")
' Create an alignment label style with default settings.

Dim oAlignmentLabelStyleSet As AeccAlignmentLabelStyleSet
Set oAlignmentLabelStyleSet = oAeccDocument.AlignmentLabelStyleSets _
.Add("Sample label style")
' Get the collection of all siteless alignments.

Dim oAlignments as AeccAlignments
Set oAlignments = oDocument.AlignmentsSiteless
' Create an empty alignment that draws to layer 0.

Dim oAlignment as AeccAlignment
Set oAlignment = oAlignments.Add("Sample Alignment", "0", _
oAlignmentStyle.Name, oAlignmentLabelStyleSet.Name)
' Create a simple 2D polyline.

Dim oPoly As AcadLWPolyline
dPoints(0) = 0: dPoints(1) = 600
Set oPoly = oDocument.Database.ModelSpace _
.AddLightWeightPolyline(dPoints)
' Create an alignment from the polyline object. Draw to

' layer 0, erase the polyline when we are done, and
' insert curves between line segments.
Set oAlignment = oAlignments.AddFromPolyline( _
"Sample Alignment from Polyline", _
"0", _
oPoly.ObjectID, _
oAlignmentStyle.Name, _
oAlignmentLabelStyleSet.Name, _
True, _
True)
Creating an Alignment Offset From Another Alignment

Alignments can also be created based on the layout of existing alignments. The AeccAlignment.Offset
method creates a new alignment with a constant offset and adds it to the same parent site as the original
alignment. The new alignment has the same name (followed by a number in parenthesis) and the same style
Creating an Alignment | 89
as the original, but it does not inherit any station labels, station equations, or design speeds from the original
alignment.
' Add an offset alignment 10.5 units to the left of the
' original.
oAlignment.Offset -10.5
Defining an Alignment Path Using Entities

An alignment is made up of a series of entities, which are individual lines, curves, and spirals that make up
the path of an alignment. A collection of entities is held in the AeccAlignment.Entities collection. This
collection has a wide array of methods for creating new entities.
The following code sample demonstrates some of the entity creation methods:
' Define the points used to create the entities.
Dim point1(0 To 2) As Double
point1(0) = 200: point1(1) = 800: point1(2) = 0
' Create a line segment entity that connects two points.

Dim oAlignmentTangent As AeccAlignmentTangent
Set oAlignmentTangent = oAlignment.Entities _
.AddFixedLine1(point1, point2)
' Print the length of the line segment.

Debug.Print oAlignmentTangent.Length
' Create a curve entity that connects the second endpoint

' of the fixed line to another point. The radius of the
' curve depends on the direction of the fixed line and the
' location of the second endpoint.
Dim oAlignmentArc As AeccAlignmentArc
Set oAlignmentArc = oAlignment.Entities _
.AddFloatingCurve6(oAlignmentTangent.id, point3)
' Print the angle of direction at the second endpoint.

Debug.Print oAlignmentArc.EndDirection
Determining Entities Within an Alignment

Each of the entities in the AeccAlignment.Entities collection is a type derived from the AeccAlignmentEntity.
By checking the AeccAlignmentEntity.Type property, you can determine the specific type of each entity
and cast the reference to the correct type.

The following sample loops through all entities in an alignment, determines the type of entity, and prints
one of its properties.
Debug.Print "Number of Entities: "; oAlignment.Entities.Count
Dim i as Integer
For i = 0 To oAlignment.Entities.Count - 1
Select Case (oAlignment.Entities.Item(i).Type)
Case aeccTangent
Dim oTangent As AeccAlignmentTangent
Set oTangent = oAlignment.Entities.Item(i)
Debug.Print "Tangent length:" & oTangent.Length
Case aeccArc
Dim oArc As AeccAlignmentArc
Set oArc = oAlignment.Entities.Item(i)
Debug.Print "Arc radius:" & oArc.Radius
Case aeccSpiral
Dim oSpiral As AeccAlignmentSpiral
Set oSpiral = oAlignment.Entities.Item(i)
Debug.Print "Spiral A value:" & oSpiral.A
Case aeccSpiralCurveSpiralGroup
Dim oSCSGroup As AeccAlignmentSCSGroup
Set oSCSGroup = oAlignment.Entities.Item(i)
Debug.Print "Radius of curve in SCS group:" _
& oSCSGroup.Arc.Radius
' And so on for AeccAlignmentSTSGroup,

' AeccAlignmentSTGroup, AeccAlignmentTSGroup
' AeccAlignmentSCGroup, and AeccAlignmentCSGroup types.
End Select
Next i
Each entity has an identification number contained in its AeccAlignmentEntity.Id property. Each entity
knows the numbers of the entities before and after it in the alignment, and you can access specific entities
by identification number through the AeccAlignmentEntities.EntityAtId method.
Stations
Modifying Stations with Station Equations

A station is a point along an alignment a certain distance from the start of the alignment. By default the
station at the start point of an alignment is 0 and increases contiguously through its length. This can be
changed by using station equations, which can renumber stations along an alignment. A station equation is
an object of type AeccStationEquation which contains a location along the alignment, a new station number
basis, and a flag describing whether station values should increase or decrease from that location on. A
collection of these station equations is contained in the AeccAlignment.StationEquations property.
Stations | 91
The following code changes an alignment so that at a point 80 units from the beginning, stations will start
being numbered from the value 720:
Dim oStationEquation As AeccStationEquation
Set oStationEquation = oAlignment.StationEquations _
.Add(80, 0, 720, aeccIncreasing)
NOTE Some functions, such as AeccAlignment.InstantaneousRadius, require a “raw” station value without
regard to modifications made by station equations.
Creating Station Sets

Alignment stations are usually labeled at regular intervals. You can compute the number, location, and
geometry of stations taken at regular spacings by using the AeccAlignment.GetStations method. This
function returns a collection of stations based on the desired interval of major and minor stations and the
type of station requested. Unless the type of station requested is aeccEquation, station values ignore any
station equations.
Dim oStations As AeccAlignmentStations
' If we were to label major stations placed every 100 units

' and minor stations placed every 20, how many labels
' would this alignment have?
Set oStations = oAlignment.GetStations(aeccAll, 100#, 20#)
Debug.Print "Number of labels: " & oStations.Count
' Print the location of each major station in the set.

Dim i as Integer
For i = 0 To oStations.Count - 1
If (oStations.Item(i).Type = aeccMajor) Then
Dim j As Integer
Dim x As Integer
Dim y As Integer
j = oStations.Item(i).Station
x = oStations.Item(i).Easting
y = oStations.Item(i).Northing
Debug.Print "Station " & j & " is at:" & x & ", " & y
End If
Next i
Specifying Design Speeds

You can assign design speeds along the length of an alignment to aid in the future design of a roadway based
on the alignment. The collection of speeds along an alignment are contained in the
AeccAlignment.DesignSpeeds property. Each item in the collection is an object of type AeccDesignSpeed,

which contains a raw station value, a speed to be used from that station on until the next design speed
specified or the end of the alignment, and an optional string comment.
Dim oDesignSpeed As AeccDesignSpeed
' Starting at station 0 + 00.00
Set oDesignSpeed = oAlignment.DesignSpeeds.Add(0#)
oDesignSpeed.Value = 45
oDesignSpeed.Comment = "Straightaway"
' Starting at station 4 + 30.00

Set oDesignSpeed = oAlignment.DesignSpeeds.Add(430#)
oDesignSpeed.Comment = "Start of curve"
' Starting at station 14 + 27.131 to the end.

Set oDesignSpeed = oAlignment.DesignSpeeds.Add(1427.131)
oDesignSpeed.Comment = "End of curve"
' Make Alignment speed-based
oAlignment.DesignSpeedBased = True
Superelevation
Another setting that can be applied to certain stations of an alignment is the superelevation, used to adjust
the angle of roadway section components for corridors based on the alignment. The inside and outside
shoulders and road surfaces can be adjusted for both the left and right sides of the road. The collection of
all superelevation information for an alignment is stored in the AeccAlignment.SuperelevationData property.
Note that, unlike most AutoCAD Civil 3D API collections, the Add method does not return a new default
entity but instead passes a reference to the new object through the second parameter. An individual
superelevation data element (type AeccSuperelevationDataElement) can be accessed through the
AeccAlignment.SuperelevationAtStation method.
Superelevation | 93
This code creates a new superelevation data element at station 11+00.00 and sets the properties of that
element:
Dim oSuperElevationData As AeccSuperElevationData
Dim oSuperElevationElem As AeccSuperElevationDataElem
' Create an element at station 11+00.0. A new default

' superelevation data element is assigned to our
' oSuperElevationElem variable.
Set oSuperElevationData = oAlignment.SuperelevationData
oSuperElevationData.Add 1100, oSuperElevationElem
oSuperElevationElem.SegmentCrossSlope _
(aeccSuperLeftOutShoulderCrossSlope) = 0.05
(aeccSuperLeftOutLaneCrossSlope) = 0.02
(aeccSuperLeftInLaneCrossSlope) = 0.01
(aeccSuperLeftInShoulderCrossSlope) = 0.03
(aeccSuperRightInShoulderCrossSlope) = 0.03
(aeccSuperRightInLaneCrossSlope) = 0.01
(aeccSuperRightOutLaneCrossSlope) = 0.02
(aeccSuperRightOutShoulderCrossSlope) = 0.05
oSuperElevationElem.TransPointType = aeccSuperManual
oSuperElevationElem.TransPointDesc = "Manual adjustment"
oSuperElevationElem.RawStation = 1100
Each superelevation data element represents a point in the transition of the roadway cross section. A single
transition from normal to full superelevation and back is a zone. A collection of data elements representing
a single zone can be retrieved by calling the AeccAlignment.SuperelevationZoneAtStation method.
This sample retrieves the data elements that are part of the superelevation zone starting at station 0+00.00,
and prints all their descriptions:
Set oSuperElevationData = _
oAlignment.SuperelevationZoneAtStation(0)
For Each oSuperElevationElem In oSuperElevationData

Debug.Print oSuperElevationElem.TransPointDesc
Next
Alignment Style
Creating an Alignment Style

A style governs many aspects of how alignments are drawn, including direction arrows and curves, spirals,
and lines within an alignment. All alignment styles are contained in the AeccDocument.AlignmentStyles
collection. Alignment styles must be added to this collection before being used by an alignment object. A

style is normally assigned to an alignment when it is first created, but it can also be assigned to an existing
alignment through the AeccAlignment.Style property.
Dim oAlignmentStyle As AeccAlignmentStyle
Set oAlignmentStyle = oAeccDocument.AlignmentStyles _
.Add("Sample alignment style")
' Do not show direction arrows.

oAlignmentStyle.ArrowDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
oAlignmentStyle.ArrowDisplayStyleModel.Visible = False
' Show curves in violet.
oAlignmentStyle.CurveDisplayStylePlan.color = 200 ' violet
oAlignmentStyle.CurveDisplayStyleModel.color = 200 ' violet
' Show straight sections in blue.
oAlignmentStyle.LineDisplayStylePlan.color = 160 ' blue
oAlignmentStyle.LineDisplayStyleModel.color = 160 ' blue
' Assign the style to an existing alignment.

oAlignment.Style = oAlignmentStyle.Name
Alignment Label Styles

The style of text labels and graphical markers displayed along an alignment are set by passing an
AeccAlignmentLabelSet object when the alignment is first created with the AeccAlignments.Add and
AeccAlignments.AddFromPolyline methods or by assigning the label set object to the
AeccAlignment.LabelStyle property. The AeccAlignmentLabelSet object consists of separate sets of styles
to be placed at major stations, minor stations, and where the alignment geometry, design speed, or station
equations change.
Labels at major stations are described in the AeccAlignmentLabelSet.MajorStationLabelSet property, which
is a collection of AeccLabelMajorStationSetItem objects. Each AeccLabelMajorStationSetItem object
consists of a single AeccLabelStyle object and a number of properties describing the limits of the labels and
the interval between labels along the alignment.
Labels at minor stations are described in the AeccAlignmentLabelSet.MinorStationLabelSet property, which
is a collection of AeccLabelMinorStationSetItem objects. Each AeccLabelMinorStationSetItem object
consists of a single AeccLabelStyle object and a number of properties describing the limits of the labels and
the interval between labels along the alignment. When a new AeccLabelMinorStationSetItem is created it
must reference a parent AeccLabelMajorStationSetItem object.
Labels may be placed at the endpoints of each alignment entity. Such labels are controlled through the
AeccAlignmentLabelSet.GeometryPointLabelSet property, an AeccLabelSet. The label set is a collection of
AeccLabelStyle objects. Labels at each change in alignment design speeds and station equations (the
AeccAlignmentLabelSet.GeometryPointLabelSet and AeccAlignmentLabelSet.GeometryPointLabelSet
properties respectively) are also AeccLabelSet objects.
All label styles at alignment stations can draw from the following list of property fields:
<[Station Value(Uft|FS|P0|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Raw Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
Alignment Label Styles | 95

<[Design Speed(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Instantaneous Direction(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P4|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Perpendicular Direction(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P4|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Alignment Name(CP)]>
<[Alignment Description(CP)]>
<[Alignment Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Alignment Start Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Alignment End Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
Label styles for minor stations, geometry points, design speeds, and station equations can also use the
following property fields:
<[Offset From Major Station(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> Minor stations
<[Geometry Point Text(CP)]> Geometry points
<[Geometry Point Entity Before Data(CP)]> Geometry points
<[Geometry Point Entity After Data(CP)]> Geometry points
<[Design Speed Before(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> Design speeds
<[Station Ahead(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> Station equations
<[Station Back(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> Station equations
<[Increase/Decrease(CP)]> Station equations
Sample Program
AlignmentSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Alignment\AlignmentSample.dvb
The sample code from this chapter can be found in context in the AlignmentSample.dbp project. This project
can create alignments based on AutoCAD polyline entities or through layout commands. It demonstrates
using styles, label styles, station equations, design speeds, and superelevation.

Alignments in .NET
9
This chapter covers creating and using Alignments, Stations, and Alignment styles using the AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API.
Basic Alignment Operations
Creating an Alignment
Alignments are usually created without being associated with an existing site. Each CivilDocument object
has its own collection of alignments not associated with a site accessed with the GetSitelessAlignmentIds()
method. There is also a collection of all alignments (siteless and associated with a site) accessed with
GetAlignmentIds() method. Alignments can be moved into a site with the Alignment.CopyToSite() method.
A siteless alignment can be copied from a sited alignment using Alignment.CopyToSite(), and passing
ObjectId.Null or ““ as the site.
Creating a New Alignment

The Alignment class provides versions of the Create() method to create a new Alignment object from a
polyline, or without geometry data. There are two overloads for creating an alignment without geometry
data. Both take a reference to the document object, and the name of the new alignment. One takes ObjectIds
for the site to associate the alignment with (pass ObjectId.Null to create a siteless alignment), the layer to
create the alignment on, the style to apply to the alignment, and the label set style to use. The other overload
takes strings naming these items. Here’s a simple example that creates a siteless alignment without geometry
data:
// Uses an existing Alignment Style named "Basic" and Label Set Style named "All Labels"
(for example, from
// the _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS.dwt template. This call will fail if the named
styles
// don't exist.
// Uses layer 0, and no site (ObjectId.Null)
ObjectId testAlignmentID = Alignment.Create(doc, "New Alignment", ObjectId.Null, "0", "Basic",
"All Labels");
There are two overloads of the create() method for creating alignments from polylines. The first takes a
reference to the CivilDocument object, a PolylineOptions object (which contains the ID of the polyline to
create an alignment from), a name for the new alignment, the ObjectID of a layer to draw to, the ObjectID
of an alignment style, and the ObjectID of a label set object, and returns the OjectID of the new Alignment.
97
The second overload takes the same parameters, except the layer, alignment style, and label set are specified
by name instead of ObjectID.
This code creates an alignment from a 2D polyline, using existing styles:
[CommandMethod("CreateAlignment")]
public void CreateAlignment()
{
doc = CivilApplication.ActiveDocument;
Editor ed = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor;
// Ask the user to select a polyline to convert to an alignment

PromptEntityOptions opt = new PromptEntityOptions("\nSelect a polyline to convert to an
Alignment");
opt.SetRejectMessage("\nObject must be a polyline.");
opt.AddAllowedClass(typeof(Polyline), false);
PromptEntityResult res = ed.GetEntity(opt);
// create some polyline options for creating the new alignment

PolylineOptions plops = new PolylineOptions();
plops.AddCurvesBetweenTangents = true;
plops.EraseExistingEntities = true;
plops.PlineId = res.ObjectId;
// uses an existing Alignment Style and Label Set Style named "Basic" (for example, from
// the Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS Base.dwt template. This call will fail if the named
styles
// don't exist.
ObjectId testAlignmentID = Alignment.Create(doc, plops, "New Alignment", "0", "Standard",
"Standard");
}
Creating an Alignment Offset From Another Alignment

Alignments can also be created based on the layout of existing alignments. The
Alignment::CreateOffsetAlignment() method creates a new alignment with a constant offset and adds it
to the same parent site as the original alignment. The new alignment has the same name (followed by a
98 | Chapter 9 Alignments in .NET

number in parenthesis) and the same style as the original, but it does not inherit any station labels, station
equations, or design speeds from the original alignment.
[CommandMethod("CreateOffsetAlignment")]
public void CreateOffsetAlignment()
{
using (Transaction ts = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database.Transac
tionManager.StartTransaction())
{
// Ask the user to select an alignment to create a new offset alignment from
PromptEntityOptions opt = new PromptEntityOptions("\nSelect an Alignment");
opt.SetRejectMessage("\nObject must be an alignment.");
opt.AddAllowedClass(typeof(Alignment), false);
ObjectId alignID = ed.GetEntity(opt).ObjectId;
Alignment align = ts.GetObject(alignID, OpenMode.ForRead) as Alignment;
// Creates a new alignment with an offset of 10:

ObjectId offsetAlignmentID = align.CreateOffsetAlignment(10.0);
}
}
Defining an Alignment Path Using Entities

An alignment is made up of a series of entities, which are individual lines, curves, and spirals that make up
the path of an alignment. A collection of entities is held in the Alignment::Entities property, which is an
AlignmentEntityCollection object. This collection has a wide array of methods for creating new entities.
Here’s a short code snippet that illustrates one of the methods for adding a FixedCurve entitiy to an
alignment’s Entities collection:
Int32 previousEntityId = 0;
Point3d startPoint = new Point3d(8800.7906, 13098.1946, 0.0000);
Point3d middlePoint = new Point3d(8841.9624, 13108.6382, 0.0000);
Point3d endPoint = new Point3d(8874.2664, 13089.3333, 0.0000);
AlignmentArc retVal = myAlignment.Entities.AddFixedCurve(previousEntityId, startPoint,
middlePoint, endPoint);
Determining Entities Within an Alignment

Each of the entities in the Alignment::Entities collection is a type derived from the
Alignment::AlignmentEntity class. By checking the AlignmentEntity.EntityType property, you can
determine the specific type of each entity and cast the reference to the correct type.
Defining an Alignment Path Using Entities | 99

The following sample loops through all entities in an alignment, determines the type of entity, and prints
one of its properties.
[CommandMethod("EntityProperties")]
public void EntityProperties()
{
{
// Ask the user to select an alignment to get info about
opt.SetRejectMessage("\nObject must be an alignment.");
Alignment align = ts.GetObject(alignID, OpenMode.ForRead) as Alignment;
int i = 0;
// iterate through each Entity and check its type
foreach (AlignmentEntity myAe in align.Entities){
i++;
String msg = "";
switch (myAe.EntityType)
{
case AlignmentEntityType.Arc:
AlignmentArc myArc = myAe as AlignmentArc;
msg = String.Format("Entity{0} is an Arc, length: {1}\n", i, myArc.Length);
break;
case AlignmentEntityType.Spiral:
AlignmentSpiral mySpiral = myAe as AlignmentSpiral;
msg = String.Format("Entity{0} is a Spiral, length: {1}\n", i, mySpir
al.Length);
break;
// we could detect other entity types as well, such as
// Tangent, SpiralCurve, SpiralSpiral, etc.
default:
msg = String.Format("Entity{0} is not a spiral or arc.\n", i);
break;
}
// write out the Entity information
ed.WriteMessage(msg);
}
}
}
Each entity has an identification number contained in its AlignmentEntity.EntityId property. Each entity
knows the numbers of the entities before and after it in the alignment, and you can access specific entities
by identification number through the AlignmentEntityCollection.EntityAtId() method.

Stations
Modifying Stations with Station Equations

A station is a point along an alignment a certain distance from the start of the alignment. By default the
station at the start point of an alignment is 0 and increases contiguously through its length. This can be
changed by using station equations, which can renumber stations along an alignment. A station equation is
an object of type StationEquation which contains a location along the alignment, a new station number
basis, and a flag describing whether station values should increase or decrease from that location on. A
collection of these station equations is contained in the Alignment::StationEquations property.
The following code adds a station equation to an alignment, starting at a point 80 units from the beginning
of the alignment, and increasing in value:
StationEquation myStationEquation = myAlignment.StationEquations.Add(80, 0, StationEquation
Type.Increasing);
NOTE Some functions, such as Alignment::DesignSpeedCollection::GetDesignSpeed(), require a “raw”

station value without regard to modifications made by station equations.
Creating Station Sets

Alignment stations are usually labeled at regular intervals. You can compute the number, location, and
geometry of stations taken at regular spacings by using the Alignment::GetStationSet() method. Overloads
of this method return a collection of stations based on the type of station requested, and optionally major
and minor intervals.
// Get all the potential stations with major interval = 100, and minor interval = 20
// Print out the raw station number, type, and location
Station[] myStations = myAlignment.GetStationSet( StationType.All,100,20);
ed.WriteMessage("Number of possible stations: {0}\n", myStations.Length);
foreach (Station myStation in myStations){
ed.WriteMessage("Station {0} is type {1} and at {2}\n", myStation.RawStation, mySta
tion.StnType.ToString(), myStation.Location.ToString());
}
Specifying Design Speeds

You can assign design speeds along the length of an alignment to aid in the future design of a roadway based
on the alignment. The collection of speeds along an alignment are contained in the Alignment::DesignSpeeds
property. Each item in the collection is an object of type DesignSpeed, which contains a raw station value,
Stations | 101
a speed to be used from that station on until the next specified design speed or the end of the alignment,
the design speed number, and an optional string comment.
// Starting at station 0 + 00.00
DesignSpeed myDesignSpeed = myAlignment.DesignSpeeds.Add(0, 45);
myDesignSpeed.Comment = "Straigtaway";
// Starting at station 4 + 30.00
myDesignSpeed = myAlignment.DesignSpeeds.Add(430, 30);
myDesignSpeed.Comment = "Start of curve";
// Starting at station 14 + 27.131 to the end
myDesignSpeed = myAlignment.DesignSpeeds.Add(1427.131, 35);
myDesignSpeed.Comment = "End of curve";
// make alignment design speed-based:
myAlignment.UseDesignSpeed = true;
Finding the Location of a Station

You can find the point coordinates (northing and easting) of a station and offset on an alignment using the
Alignment::PointLocation() method. The simplest version of the method takes a station and offset, and
returns a northing and easting (as ref parameters).
Another version of this method takes a station, offset, and tolerance, and returns a northing, easting, and
bearing (as ref parameters). The tolerance determines on which alignment entity the point is returned. If
the tolerance is greater than the desired station minus the station at the alignment entity transition, the
point will be reported on that entity. For example, consider an alignment made up of a tangent (length 240)
and curve (length 260). Looking for the location of station 400, with tolerance = 0, will find a point on the
curve. However, a tolerance of 200 will cause the method to report a point on the tangent, because 400 -
240 < 200.
Superelevation
Another setting that can be applied to certain stations of an alignment is the superelevation, used to adjust
the angle of roadway section components for corridors based on the alignment. The inside and outside
shoulders and road surfaces can be adjusted for both the left and right sides of the road.
NOTE The Superelevation feature was substantially changed in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011, and the API has also
changed. The Alignment::SuperelevationData property and Alignment::SuperElevationAtStation() method
have been removed. Existing code should be updated to use the new API, and access superelevation via
Alignment::SuperelevationCurves, Alignment::SuperelevationCriticalStations, and
SuperelevationCriticalStationCollection::GetCriticalStationAt().
The superelevation data for an alignment is divided into discrete curves, called superelevation curves, and
each superelevation curve contains transition regions where superelevation transitions from normal roadway
to full superelevation and back (with separate regions for transition in, and transition out of superelvation).
These regions are defined by “critical stations”, or stations where there is a transition in the roadway
cross-section. The collection of superelevation curves for an alignment is accessed with the
Alignment::SuperelevationCurves property, while all critical stations for all curves is accessed with the
Alignment::SuperelevationCriticalStations property. The SuperelevationCurves collection is empty if
superelevation curves have not been added to the alignment (either manually, or calculated by the
Superelevation Wizard in the user interface). The SuperelevationCriticalStations collection contains
default entites for the start and end stations of the Alignment if no superelevation data has been calculated
for the curves.
An individual SuperelevationCriticalStation can be accessed through the
Alignment::SuperelevationCriticalStations::GetCriticalStationAt() method.

In this code snippet, the collection of superelevation curves for an alignment is iterated, and information
about each critical station in each curve is printed out. Note that you must specify the cross segment type
to get either the slope or smoothing length, but you may not know which segment types are valid for the
critical station. In this snippet, the code attempts to get all segment types, and silently catches the
InvalidOperationException exception for invalid types.
[CommandMethod("GetSECurves")]
public void GetSECurves()
{
{
// get first alignment:
ObjectId alignID = doc.GetAlignmentIds()[0];
Alignment myAlignment = ts.GetObject(alignID, OpenMode.ForRead) as Alignment;
if (myAlignment.SuperelevationCurves.Count < 1)
{
ed.WriteMessage("You must calculate superelevation data.\n");
return;
}
foreach (SuperelevationCurve sec in myAlignment.SuperelevationCurves)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Name: {0}\n", sec.Name);
ed.WriteMessage(" Start: {0} End: {1}\n", sec.StartStation, sec.EndStation);
foreach (SuperelevationCriticalStation sest in sec.CriticalStations)
{
ed.WriteMessage(" Critical station: {0} {1} {2}\n", sest.TransitionRegionType,
sest.Station, sest.StationType);
// try to get the slope:
foreach (int i in Enum.GetValues(typeof(SuperelevationCrossSegmentType)))
{
try
{
// if this succeeds, we know the segment type:
double slope = sest.GetSlope((SuperelevationCrossSegmentType)i,
false);
ed.WriteMessage(" Slope: {0} Segment type: {1}\n",slope,Enum.Get
Name(typeof(SuperelevationCrossSegmentType),i));
}
// silently fail:
catch (InvalidOperationException e) { }
}
}
}
}
}
Superelevation | 103
Alignment Style
Creating an Alignment Style

Styles govern many aspects of how alignments are drawn, including direction arrows and curves, spirals,
and lines within an alignment. All alignment styles are contained in the
CivilDocument.Styles.AlignmentStyles collection. Alignment styles must be added to this collection before
being used by an alignment object. A style is normally assigned to an alignment when it is first created, but
it can also be assigned to an existing alignment through the Alignment.StyleId property.
[CommandMethod("SetAlignStyle")]
public void SetAlignStyle()
{
{
// Ask the user to select an alignment
opt.SetRejectMessage("\nObject must be an alignment.\n");
Alignment myAlignment = ts.GetObject(alignID, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Alignment;
ObjectId styleID = doc.Styles.AlignmentStyles.Add("Sample alignment style");
AlignmentStyle myAlignmentStyle = ts.GetObject(styleID, OpenMode.ForWrite) as
AlignmentStyle;
// don't show direction arrows
myAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Arrow).Visible =
false;
myAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Arrow).Visible =
false;
// show curves in violet
myAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Curve).Color = Col
or.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 200);
myAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Curve).Color = Col
// show straight sections in blue
myAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Line).Color = Col
myAlignmentStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(AlignmentDisplayStyleType.Line).Color = Col
// assign style to an existing alignment
myAlignment.StyleId = myAlignmentStyle.Id;
ts.Commit();
}
}
Alignment Label Styles

The style of text labels and graphical markers displayed along an alignment are set by specifying a LabelSet
(by name or ObjectID) when the alignment is first created with one of the Alignment::Create() methods,
or by assigning the label set object to the CivilDocument.Styles.LabelSetStyles.AlignmentLabelSetStyles

property. The AlignmentLabelSetStyles collection consists of separate sets of styles to be placed at major
stations, minor stations, and where the alignment geometry, design speed, or station equations change.
Alignment labels are described in the AlignmentLabelSetStyle collection, which is a collection of
AlignmentLabelSetItem objects. Labels at major stations are described by AlignmentLabelSetItem objects
with a LabelStyleType property of LabelStyleType.AlignmentMajorStation. Minor station labels are
described by AlignmentLabelSetItem objects with a LabelStyleType property of
LabelStyleType.AlignmentMinorStation. Each AlignmentLabelSetItem object has a related LabelStyle
object (which you can get or set with the LabelStyleId and LabelStyleName properties) and a number of
properties describing the limits of the labels and the interval between labels along the alignment. When a
new AlignmentLabelSetItem is created for a minor station label (using BaseLabelSetStyle.Add()), it must
reference a parent major station label AlignmentLabelSetItem object.
Labels may be placed at the endpoints of each alignment entity. Such labels are controlled through the
AlignmentLabelSetItem.GetLabeledAlignmentGeometryPoints() and
AlignmentLabelSetItem.GetLabeledAlignmentGeometryPoints() methods. These methods also access labels
at each change in alignment design speeds and station equations. The get method returns a Dictionary hash
object: Dictionary<AlignmentPointType, bool>, specifiying the location of the geometry point, and the
bool indicates whether the point is labeled.
Label text for all label styles at alignment stations is controlled by a LabelStyle object’s Text component,
which is set by the LabelStyle.SetComponent() method. The following list of property fields indicates valid
values for the Text component:
Valid property fields for LabelStyleComponentType.Text Contents
<[Design Speed(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Instantaneous Direction(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P4|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Perpendicular Direction(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P4|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Alignment Name(CP)]>
<[Alignment Description(CP)]>
<[Alignment Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Alignment Start Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Alignment End Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
Label styles for minor stations, geometry points, design speeds, and station equations can also use the
<[Offset From Major Station(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> Minor stations
<[Geometry Point Text(CP)]> Geometry points
Alignment Label Styles | 105

<[Geometry Point Entity Before Data(CP)]> Geometry points
<[Geometry Point Entity After Data(CP)]> Geometry points
<[Design Speed Before(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> Design speeds
<[Station Ahead(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> Station equations
<[Station Back(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> Station equations
<[Increase/Decrease(CP)]> Station equations
Sample Programs
AlignmentSample
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\VB.NET\AlignmentSample
Some of the sample code from this chapter can be found in context in the AlignmentSample project. This
sample shows how to create an alignment, add entities to an alignment, create an alignment label style set,
get a site, and create an alignment style.
Sprial2 Demo
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\CSharp\Spiral2 Demo
Demonstrates how to get simple and complex alignment information.

Profiles in COM
10
This chapter covers creating and using Profiles using the COM API. For information about performing these tasks using
the .NET API, see the chapter Profiles in .NET (page 115).
107
Object Hierarchy
Profile Object Model
Profiles
This section covers the creation and style of profiles. Profiles are the vertical analogue to alignments. Together,
an alignment and a profile represent a 3D path.
108 | Chapter 10 Profiles in COM

Creating a Profile From a Surface
A profile is an object consisting of elevations along an alignment. Each alignment contains a collection of
profiles in its AeccAlignment.Profiles property. The AeccProfiles.AddFromSurface creates a new profile
and derives its elevation information from the specified surface along the path of the alignment.
Dim oProfiles As AeccProfiles
Set oProfiles = oAlignment.Profiles
Dim oProfile As AeccProfile
' Add a new profile for the alignment "oAlignment" based

' on the elevations of the surface "oSurface".
Set oProfile = oProfiles.AddFromSurface( _
"Profile01", _
aeccExistingGround, _
oProfileStyle.Name, _
oSurface.Name, _
oAlignment.StartingStation, _
oAlignment.EndingStation, _
"0")
Creating a Profile Using Entities

The AeccProfiles.Add method creates a new profile with no elevation information. The vertical shape of
a profile can then be specified using entities. Entities are geometric elements - tangents or symmetric parabolas.
The collection of all entities that make up a profile are contained in the AeccProfile.Entities collection.
AeccProfile.Entities also contains all the methods for creating new entities.
Creating a Profile From a Surface | 109

This sample creates a new profile along the alignment “oAlignment” and then adds three entities to define
the profile shape. Two straight entities are added at each end and a symmetric parabola is added in the center
to join them and represent the sag of a valley.
Dim oProfiles As AeccProfiles
Set oProfiles = oAlignment.Profiles
Dim oProfile As AeccProfile
' NOTE: The second parameter (aeccFinishedGround) indicates

' that the shape of the profile is not drawn from the existing
' surface. We will define the profile ourselves.
Set oProfile = oProfiles.Add _
("Profile03", _
aeccFinishedGround, _
oProfileStyle.Name)
' Now add the entities that define the profile.

' NOTE: Profile entity points are not x,y,z point, but
' station-elevation locations.
Dim dLoc1(0 To 1) As Double
Dim dLoc2(0 To 1) As Double
Dim oProfileTangent1 As aeccProfileTangent
dLoc1(0) = oAlignment.StartingStation: dLoc1(1) = -40#
dLoc2(0) = 758.2: dLoc2(1) = -70#
Set oProfileTangent1 = oProfile.Entities.AddFixedTangent _
(dLoc1, dLoc2)
Dim oProfileTangent2 As aeccProfileTangent

dLoc1(0) = 1508.2: dLoc1(1) = -60#
dLoc2(0) = oAlignment.EndingStation: dLoc2(1) = -4#
Set oProfileTangent2 = oProfile.Entities.AddFixedTangent _
(dLoc1, dLoc2)
Dim dCrestLen As Double

dCrestLen = 900.1
Call oProfile.Entities.AddFreeSymmetricParabolaByLength _
(oProfileTangent1.Id, _
oProfileTangent2.Id, _
aeccSag, _
dCrestLen, _
True)
Editing Points of Vertical Intersection

The point where two adjacent tangents would cross (whether they actually cross or not) is called the “point
of vertical intersection”, or “PVI.” This location can be useful for editing the geometry of a profile because
this one point controls the slopes of both tangents and any curve connecting them. The collection of all
PVIs in a profile are contained in the AeccProfile.PVIs property. This object lets you access, add, and remove
PVIs from a profile, which can change the position and number of entities that make up the profile. Individual
PVIs (type AeccProfilePVI) do not have a name or id, but are instead identified by a particular station and
elevation. The collection methods AeccProfilePVIs.ItemAt and AeccProfilePVIs.RemoveAt access or delete
the PVI closest to the station and elevation parameters so you do not need the exact location of the PVI you
want to modify.

This sample identifies the PVI closest to a specified point. It then adds a new PVI to profile created in the
Creating a Profile Using Entities (page 109) topic and adjusts its elevation.
Dim oPVI As AeccProfilePVI
' Find the PVI close to station 1000 elevation -70.

Set oPVI = Nothing
Set oPVI = oProfile.PVIs.ItemAt(1000, -70)
Debug.Print "PVI closest to station 1000 is at station: ";
Debug.Print oPVI.Station
' Add another PVI and slightly adjust its elevation.

Set oPVI = oProfile.PVIs.Add(607.4, -64.3, aeccProfileTangent)
oPVI.Elevation = oPVI.Elevation - 2#
Creating a Profile Style

The profile style, an object of type AeccProfileStyle, defines the visual display of profiles. The collection
of all such styles in a document are stored in the AeccDocument.LandProfileStyles property. The style
contains objects of type AeccDisplayStyle which govern the display of arrows showing alignment direction
and of the lines, line extensions, curves, parabolic curve extensions, symmetrical parabolas and asymmetrical
parabolas that make up a profile. The properties of a new profile style are defined by the document’s ambient
settings.
Dim oProfileStyle As AeccProfileStyle
Set oProfileStyle = oDocument.LandProfileStyles
.Add("Profile Style 01")
' For all profiles that use this style, line elements
' will be yellow, curve elements will be shades of green,
' and extensions will be dark grey. No arrows will be shown.
With oProfileStyle
.ArrowDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = False
.LineDisplayStyleProfile.Color = 50 ' yellow
.LineDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = True
.LineExtensionDisplayStyleProfile.Color = 251 ' grey
.LineExtensionDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = True
.CurveDisplayStyleProfile.Color = 80 ' green
.CurveDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = True
.ParabolicCurveExtensionDisplayStyleProfile.Color = 251 ' grey
.ParabolicCurveExtensionDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = True
.SymmetricalParabolaDisplayStyleProfile.Color = 81 ' green
.SymmetricalParabolaDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = True
.AsymmetricalParabolaDisplayStyleProfile.Color = 83 ' green
.AsymmetricalParabolaDisplayStyleProfile.Visible = True
End With
' Properties for 3d display should also be set.
Profile Views
This section describes the creation and display of profile views. A profile view is a graph displaying the
elevation of a profile along the length of the related alignment.
Creating a Profile Style | 111

Creating a Profile View
A profile view, an object of type AeccProfileView, is a graphical display of profiles within a graph. A collection
of profile views is contained in each alignment’s AeccAlignment.ProfileViews property.
Dim dOriginPt(0 To 2) As Double
dOriginPt(0) = 6000 ' X location of profile view
dOriginPt(1) = 3500 ' Y location
dOriginPt(2) = 0 ' Z location
' Use the first profile view style in the document.

Dim oProfileViewStyle As AeccProfileViewStyle
Set oProfileViewStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewStyles.Item(0)
Dim oProfileView as AeccProfileView

Set oProfileView = oAlignment.ProfileViews.Add( _
"Profile Style 01", _
"0", _
dOriginPt, _
oProfileViewStyle, _
Nothing) ' "Nothing" means do not include data bands.
Creating Profile View Styles

The profile view style, an object of type AeccProfileViewStyle, governs all aspects of how the graph axes,
text, and titles are drawn. Within AeccProfileViewStyle are objects dealing with the top, bottom, left, and
right axes; lines at geometric locations within profiles; and with the graph as a whole. All profile view styles
in the document are stored in the AeccDocument.ProfileViewStyles collection. New styles are created using
the collection’s Add method with the name of the new style.
Dim oProfileViewStyle As AeccProfileViewStyle
Set oProfileViewStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewStyles _
.Add("Profile View style 01")
Setting Profile View Styles

The profile view style object consists of separate objects for each of the four axes, one object for the graph
overall, and an AeccDisplayStyle object for grid lines displayed at horizontal geometry points. The axis
styles and graph style also contain subobjects for specifying the style of tick marks and titles.
Setting the Axis Style

All axis styles are based on the AeccAxisStyle class. The axis style object controls the display style of the
axis itself, tick marks and text placed along the axis, and a text annotation describing the axis’s purpose.
The annotation text, location, and size is set through the AeccAxisStyle.TitleStyle property, an object of
type AeccAxisTitleStyle. The annotation text can use any of the following property fields:
Valid property fields for AeccAxisTitleStyle.Text
<[Profile View Minimum Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Profile View Maximum Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Profile View Start Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>

Valid property fields for AeccAxisTitleStyle.Text
<[Profile View End Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
Axis Tick Marks

Within each axis style are properties for specifying the tick marks placed along the axis. Both major tick
marks and minor tick marks are represented by objects of type AeccTickStyle. AeccTickStyle manages the
location, size, and visual style of tick marks through its Interval, Size and DisplayStylePlan properties.
Note that while most style properties use drawing units, the Interval property uses the actual ground units
of the surface. The AeccTickStyle object also sets what text is displayed at each tick, including the following
property fields:
Valid property fields for AeccTickStyle.Text Axis
<[Station Value(Uft|FS|P0|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> horizontal
<[Raw Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> horizontal
<[Graph View Abscissa Value(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> horizontal
<[Profile View Point Elevation(Uft|P1|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> vertical
<[Graph View Ordinate Value(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> vertical
Setting the Graph Style

The graph is managed by an object of type AeccGraphStyle. This object can be used to change the grid and
the title of the graph. The grid is controlled by the AeccGraphStyle.GridStyle property, an object of type
AeccGridStyle. The grid style sets the amount of empty space above and below the extents of the section
through the AeccGridStyle.GridsAboveMaxElevation and AeccGridStyle.GridsBelowDatum properties. The
grid style also manages the line styles of major and minor vertical and horizontal gridlines with the
AeccGridStyle properties MajorVerticalDisplayStylePlan, MajorHorizontalDisplayStylePlan,
MinorVerticalDisplayStylePlan, and MinorHorizontalDisplayStylePlan. The
AeccGridLines.VerticalPosition and AeccGridLines.HorizontalPosition properties tell which axis to
use to position the grid lines.
Graph Title
The title of the graph is controlled by the AeccGraphStyle.TitleStyle property, an object of type
AeccGraphTitleStyle. The title style object can adjust the position, style, and border of the title. The text
of the title can include any of the following property fields:
Valid property fields for AeccGraphTitleStyle.Text
<[Graph View Name(CP)]>
<[Parent Alignment(CP)]>
<[Drawing Scale(P4|RN|AP|OF)]>
<[Graph View Vertical Scale(P4|RN|AP|OF)]>
<[Graph View Vertical Exageration(P4|RN|AP|OF)]>
Setting Profile View Styles | 113

Profile View Style Example

This example takes an existing profile view style and modifies its top axis and title:
' Get the first style in the document's collection of styles.
Dim oProfileViewStyle as AeccProfileViewStyle
Set oProfileViewStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewStyles.Item(0)
' Adjust the top axis. Put station information here, with
' the title at the far left.
With oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis
.DisplaySyle2d.Visible = True
' Modify the text to display meters in decimal
' format.
.MajorTickStyle.Text = "<[Station Value(Um|FD|P1)]> m"
.MajorTickStyle.Interval = 164.041995
Dim dPoint(0 To 2) As Double
dPoint(0) = 0.13
dPoint(1) = 0#
.TitleStyle.Offset = dPoint
.TitleStyle.Text = "Meters"
.TitleStyle.Position = aeccStart
End With
' Adjust the title to show the alignment name.

oProfileViewStyle.GraphStyle.TitleStyle.Text = _
"Profile View of:<[Parent Alignment(CP)]>"
Sample Programs
ProfileSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Profile\ProfileSample.dvb
This sample creates a surface from a file and an alignment using entities. It creates a profile based on the
existing surface along the alignment. It then creates a second profile using entities and points of vertical
intersection. A profile view is made displaying both profiles. The style and label style of the profile view are
set with custom styles. Data bands are added to the profile view.
CorridorSample.dvb
The CreateCorridor method of the Corridor module shows the creation of a profile using entities.

Profiles in .NET
11
This chapter describes the process for creating and using profiles with the .NET API. For information about using Profiles
with the COM API, see Profiles in COM (page 107)
Profiles
Profiles are the vertical analogue to alignments. Together, an alignment and a profile represent a 3D path.
Creating a Profile From a Surface

A profile is an object consisting of elevations along an alignment. Each alignment contains a collection of
profiles which you can access by the Alignment.GetProfileIds() method. The Profile.CreateFromSurface()
115
method creates a new profile and derives its elevation information from the specified surface along the path
of the alignment.
// Illustrates creating a new profile from a surface
[CommandMethod("ProfileFromSurface")]
public void ProfileFromSurface()
{
{
opt.AddAllowedClass(typeof(Alignment), true);
// get layer id from the alignment
Alignment oAlignment = ts.GetObject(alignID, OpenMode.ForRead) as Alignment;
ObjectId layerId = oAlignment.LayerId;
// get first surface in the document
ObjectId surfaceId = doc.GetSurfaceIds()[0];
// get first style in the document
ObjectId styleId = doc.Styles.ProfileStyles[0];
// get the first label set style in the document
ObjectId labelSetId = doc.Styles.LabelSetStyles.ProfileLabelSetStyles[0];
try
{
ObjectId profileId = Profile.CreateFromSurface("My Profile", alignID, surfaceId,
layerId, styleId, labelSetId);
ts.Commit();
}
catch (Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Exception e)
{
ed.WriteMessage(e.Message);
}
}
}
Creating a Profile Using Entities

The various Profile.CreateByLayout() overloaded methods create a new profile with no elevation
information. The vertical shape of a profile can then be specified using entities. Entities are geometric
elements - tangents or symmetric parabolas. The collection of all entities that make up a profile are contained
in the Profile.Entities collection. The ProfileEntityCollection class also contains all the methods for
creating new entities.
116 | Chapter 11 Profiles in .NET

This sample creates a new profile along the alignment “oAlignment” and then adds three entities to define
the profile shape. Two straight entities are added at each end and a symmetric parabola is added in the center
to join them and represent the sag of a valley.
// Illustrates creating a new profile without elevation data, then adding the elevation
// via the entities collection
[CommandMethod("CreateProfileNoSurface")]
public void CreateProfileNoSurface()
{
{
// use the same layer as the alignment

ObjectId layerId = oAlignment.LayerId;
// get the standard style and label set
// these calls will fail on templates without a style named "Standard"
ObjectId styleId = doc.Styles.ProfileStyles["Standard"];
ObjectId labelSetId = doc.Styles.LabelSetStyles.ProfileLabelSetStyles["Standard"];
ObjectId oProfileId = Profile.CreateByLayout("My Profile", alignID, layerId, styleId,

labelSetId);
// Now add the entities that define the profile.
Profile oProfile = ts.GetObject(oProfileId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Profile;
Point3d startPoint = new Point3d(oAlignment.StartingStation, -40, 0);

Point3d endPoint = new Point3d(758.2, -70, 0);
ProfileTangent oTangent1 = oProfile.Entities.AddFixedTangent(startPoint, endPoint);
startPoint = new Point3d(1508.2, -60.0, 0);

endPoint = new Point3d(oAlignment.EndingStation, -4.0, 0);
ProfileTangent oTangent2 =oProfile.Entities.AddFixedTangent(startPoint, endPoint);
oProfile.Entities.AddFreeSymmetricParabolaByLength(oTangent1.EntityId, oTangent2.En
tityId, VerticalCurveType.Sag, 900.1, true);
ts.Commit();
}
Creating a Profile Using Entities | 117

Editing Points of Vertical Intersection
The point where two adjacent tangents would cross (whether they actually cross or not) is called the “point
of vertical intersection”, or “PVI.” This location can be useful for editing the geometry of a profile because
this one point controls the slopes of both tangents and any curve connecting them. The collection of all
PVIs in a profile is contained in the Profile.PVIs property. This collection lets you access, add, and remove
PVIs from a profile, which can change the position and number of entities that make up the profile. Individual
PVIs (type ProfilePVI) do not have a name or id, but are instead identified by a particular station and
elevation. The collection methods ProfilePVICollection.GetPVIAt and ProfilePVICollection.RemoveAt
either access or delete the PVI closest to the station and elevation parameters so you do not need the exact
location of the PVI you want to modify.
This sample identifies the PVI closest to a specified point. It then adds a new PVI to the profile created in
the Creating a Profile Using Entities (page 109) topic and adjusts its elevation.
[CommandMethod("EditPVI")]
public void EditPVI()
{
{
// get first profile of first alignment in document
ObjectId alignID = doc.GetAlignmentIds()[0];
Profile oProfile = ts.GetObject(oAlignment.GetProfileIds()[0], OpenMode.ForRead) as
Profile;
// check to make sure we have a profile:

if (oProfile == null)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Must have at least one alignment with one profile");
return;
}
// Find the PVI close to station 1000 elevation -70.
ProfilePVI oProfilePVI = oProfile.PVIs.GetPVIAt(1000, -70);
ed.WriteMessage("PVI closest to station 1000 is at station: {0}", oProfilePVI.Station);
// Add another PVI and slightly adjust its elevation.
oProfilePVI = oProfile.PVIs.AddPVI(607.4, -64.3);
oProfilePVI.Elevation -= 2.0;
ts.Commit();
}
}
Creating a Profile Style

The profile style, an object of type ProfileStyle, defines the visual display of profiles. The collection of all
such styles in a document are stored in the CivilDocument.Styles.ProfileStyles collection. The style
contains properties of type DisplayStyle which govern the display of arrows showing alignment direction
and of the lines, line extensions, curves, parabolic curve extensions, symmetrical parabolas and asymmetrical

parabolas that make up a profile. The properties of a new profile style are defined by the document’s ambient
settings.
// Illustrates creating a new profile style
[CommandMethod("CreateProfileStyle")]
public void CreateProfileStyle()
{
{
ObjectId profileStyleId = doc.Styles.ProfileStyles.Add("New Profile Style");
ProfileStyle oProfileStyle = ts.GetObject(profileStyleId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Pro
fileStyle;
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.Arrow).Visible
= true;
// set to yellow:
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.Line).Color =
Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 50);
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.Line).Visible =
true;
// grey
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.LineExtension).Col
or = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 251);
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.LineExtension).Vis
ible = true;
// green
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.Curve).Color =
Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 80);
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.Curve).Visible
= true;
// grey
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.ParabolicCurveEx
tension).Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 251);
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.ParabolicCurveEx
tension).Visible = true;
// green
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.SymmetricalPara
bola).Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 81);
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.SymmetricalPara
bola).Visible = true;
// green
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.AsymmetricalPara
bola).Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 83);
oProfileStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(ProfileDisplayStyleProfileType.AsymmetricalPara
bola).Visible = true;
// properties for 3D should also be set

}
}
Creating a Profile Style | 119

Profile Views
This section describes the creation and display of profile views. A profile view is a graph displaying the
elevation of a profile along the length of the related alignment.
Creating a Profile View

The ProfileView class has two versions of the ProfileView::Create() method for adding new ProfileView
objects to a drawing. Each method overload takes a reference to the CivilDrawing object, the name of the
new profile view, and a Point3d location in the drawing where the profile view is inserted. They also both
take a band set style and alignment; one version takes these arguments as ObjectIds, while the other takes
them as strings.
This example demonstrates creating a new ProfileView:
[CommandMethod("CreateProfileView")]
public void CreateProfileView()
{
{
// Create insertion point:
Point3d ptInsert = new Point3d(100, 100, 0);
// Get profile view band set style ID:
ObjectId pfrVBSStyleId = doc.Styles.ProfileViewBandSetStyles["Standard"];
// If this doesn't exist, get the first style in the collection
if (pfrVBSStyleId == null) pfrVBSStyleId = doc.Styles.ProfileViewBandSetStyles[0];
ObjectId ProfileViewId = ProfileView.Create(doc, "New Profile View", pfrVBSStyleId,
alignID, ptInsert);
ts.Commit();
}
}
Creating Profile View Styles

The profile view style, an object of type ProfileViewStyle, governs all aspects of how the graph axes, text,
and titles are drawn. Within ProfileViewStyle are objects dealing with the top, bottom, left, and right axes;
lines at geometric locations within profiles; and with the graph as a whole. All profile view styles in the
document are stored in the CivilDocument.ProfileViewStyles collection. New styles are created using the
collection’s Add method with the name of the new style.
ObjectId profileViewStyleId = doc.Styles.ProfileViewStyles.Add("New Profile View Style");
ProfileViewStyle oProfileViewStyle = ts.GetObject(profileViewStyleId, OpenMode.ForRead) as
ProfileViewStyle;

Setting Profile View Styles
The profile view style object consists of separate objects for each of the four axes, one object for the graph
overall, and an DisplayStyle object for grid lines displayed at horizontal geometry points (accessed with
the GetDisplayStylePlan() method). The axis styles and graph style also contain subobjects for specifying
the style of tick marks and titles.

All axis styles are based on the AxisStyle class. The axis style object controls the display style of the axis
itself, tick marks and text placed along the axis, and a text annotation describing the axis’s purpose. The
annotation text, location, and size is set through the AxisStyle.TitleStyle property, an object of type
AxisTitleStyle. The annotation text can use any of the following property fields:
Valid property fields for AxisTitleStyle.Text
Axis Tick Marks

marks and minor tick marks are represented by objects of type AxisTickStyle. The AxisTickStyle class
manages the location, size, and visual style of tick marks through its Interval, Size and other properties.
Note that while most style properties use drawing units, the Interval property uses the actual ground units
of the surface. The AxisTickStyle object also determines the text that is displayed at each tick, including
the following property fields:
Valid property fields for TickStyle.Text Axis
<[Station Value(Uft|FS|P0|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> horizontal
<[Raw Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> horizontal
<[Graph View Abscissa Value(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> horizontal
<[Profile View Point Elevation(Uft|P1|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> vertical
<[Graph View Ordinate Value(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> vertical
Setting the Graph Style

The graph is managed by objects of type GraphStyle and GridStyle. These objects can be used to change
the scale, title, and grid of the graph.
The grid is controlled by the ProfileViewStyle.GridStyle property, an object of type GridStyle. The grid
style sets the amount of empty space above and below the extents of the section through the
GridStyle.GridPaddingAbove and GridStyle.GridPaddingBottom properties. The grid style also manages
the line styles of major and minor vertical and horizontal gridlines with the DisplayStyle.PlotStyle
property accessed by the GetDisplayStylePlan() method.

Graph Title
The title of the graph is controlled by the GraphStyle.TitleStyle property, an object of type GraphTitleStyle.
The title style object can adjust the position, style, and border of the title. The text of the title can include
any of the following property fields:
Valid property fields for GraphTitleStyle.Text
<[Graph View Name(CP)]>
<[Graph View Vertical Exaggeration(P4|RN|AP|OF)]>
Working With Hatch Areas

Hatch areas are a feature of profile views that apply a style to areas of cut and fill to highlight them. In
addition to cut and fill, a hatch area can highlight areas of intersection between any two defined profiles.
The hatching feature for ProfileView objects is exposed by the HatchAreas property. This is a collection of
all ProfileHatchArea objects defined for the ProfileView, which can be used to access or add additional
hatch areas.
Each ProfileHatchArea has a set of criteria (ProfileCriteria objects) that specify the profile that defines
the upper or lower boundary for the hatch area. The criteria also references a ShapeStyle object that defines
how the hatch area is styled in the profile view.

This code sample illustrates how to access the hatch areas for a profile view, and prints out some information
about each ProfileHatchArea object’s criteria:
[CommandMethod("ProfileHatching")]
public void ProfileHatching () {
using ( Transaction ts = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database.Transac
tionManager.StartTransaction() ) {
// Ask the user to select a profile view
PromptEntityOptions opt = new PromptEntityOptions("\nSelect a profile view");
opt.SetRejectMessage("\nObject must be a profile view.\n");
opt.AddAllowedClass(typeof(ProfileView), false);
ObjectId profileViewID = ed.GetEntity(opt).ObjectId;
ProfileView oProfileView = ts.GetObject(profileViewID, OpenMode.ForRead) as Pro
fileView;
ed.WriteMessage("\nHatch areas defined in this profile view: \n");
foreach ( ProfileHatchArea oProfileHatchArea in oProfileView.HatchAreas ) {
ed.WriteMessage(" Hatch area: " + oProfileHatchArea.Name + " shape style: " +
oProfileHatchArea.ShapeStyleName + "\n");
foreach ( ProfileCriteria oProfileCriteria in oProfileHatchArea.Criteria ) {
ed.WriteMessage(string.Format(" Criteria: type: {0} profile: {1}\n", oPro
fileCriteria.BoundaryType.ToString(), oProfileCriteria.ProfileName) );
}
}
}
}

Profile View Style Example
This example takes an existing profile view style and modifies its top axis and title:
[CommandMethod("ModProfileViewStyle")]
public void ModProfileViewStyle()
{
{
// Get the first style in the document's collection of styles
ObjectId profileViewStyleId = doc.Styles.ProfileViewStyles[0];

ProfileViewStyle oProfileViewStyle = ts.GetObject(profileViewStyleId, OpenMode.ForRead)
as ProfileViewStyle;
// Adjust the top axis. Put station information here, with the title
// at the far left.
oProfileViewStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(ProfileViewDisplayStyleType.TopAxis).Visible
= true;
oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis.MajorTickStyle.LabelText = "<[Station Value(Um|FD|P1)]>
m";
oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis.MajorTickStyle.Interval = 164.041995;
oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis.TitleStyle.OffsetX = 0.13;
oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis.TitleStyle.OffsetY = 0.0;
oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis.TitleStyle.Text = "Meters";
oProfileViewStyle.TopAxis.TitleStyle.Location = Autodesk.Civil.DatabaseSer
vices.Styles.AxisTitleLocationType.TopOrLeft;
// Adjust the title to show the alignment name

oProfileViewStyle.GraphStyle.TitleStyle.Text = "Profile View of:<[Parent Align
ment(CP)]>";
ts.Commit();
}
}
Sample Programs
Profile Sample
This sample is located in <install directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\VB.NET\ProfileSample\. It illustrates:
■ How to create a profile
■ Creating profile styles and profile views

Sections
12
Object Hierarchy
125
Sample Lines
This section covers the creation and use of sample lines. Sample lines are line segments placed at regular
intervals across an alignment. They can be used to define the location and orientation of surface cross
sections that can be studied through section views.
Creating a Sample Line

Sample lines are line segments placed along an alignment, usually perpendicular to the alignment path and
at regular intervals. Sample lines represent the location and orientation of surface cross sections that can be
studied through section views.
Sample lines are created in groups. All sample line groups for an alignment are held in the
AeccAlignment.SampleLineGroups collection. The Add method for this collection creates a new empty group,
and takes as parameters the name of the group, the layer the group will be drawn to, a style object for how
groups of graphs are organized, a style object for the sample lines, and a label style object.
' Get all the styles we will need for our sample line object.
' We will use whatever default styles the document contains.
Dim oGroupPlotStyle As AeccGroupPlotStyle
Set oGroupPlotStyle = oDocument.GroupPlotStyles.Item(0)
Dim oSampleLineStyle As AeccSampleLineStyle

Set oSampleLineStyle = oDocument.SampleLineStyles.Item(0)
Dim oSampleLineLabelStyle As AeccLabelStyle

Set oSampleLineLabelStyle = oDocument _
.SampleLineLabelStyles.Item(0)
Dim oSampleLineGroups As AeccSampleLineGroups

Set oSampleLineGroups = oAlignment.SampleLineGroups
' Create a sample line group using the above styles and drawn
' to layer "0".
sLayerName = "0"
Dim oSampleLineGroup As AeccSampleLineGroup
Set oSampleLineGroup = oSampleLineGroups.Add( _
"Example Sample Line Group", _
sLayerName, _
oGroupPlotStyle, _
oSampleLineStyle, _
oSampleLineLabelStyle)
Defining Sample Lines

Setup
The first step in creating sample lines along an alignment is to specify the surface or surfaces being sampled.
This is accomplished by adding surfaces to the AeccSampleLineGroup.SampledSurfaces collection. The
AeccSampledSurfaces.AddAllSurfaces method adds one AeccSampledSurface object to the collection for
each surface in the document. The AeccSampledSurfaces.Add method takes a specific surface object and an
AeccSectionStyle object and returns a reference to the added AeccSampledSurface object. It is important
to then set the boolean AeccSampledSurface.Sample property to True.
126 | Chapter 12 Sections

NOTE If no SampledSurface object added to the AeccSampledSurfaces collection has the Sample property set
to True, then no sections will be generated for that sample line.
This sample demonstrates how to add a single surface to a sample line group and how to add all surfaces in
the drawing to a sample line group:
' Get the section style we need for our sampled surface
' object. We use the default style of the document.
Dim oSectionStyle As AeccSectionStyle
Set oSectionStyle = oDocument.SectionStyles.Item(0)
' Get the surface object we will be sampling from.

' Assume there is a surface with the name "EG".
Dim oSurface as AeccSurface
Set oSurface = oDocument.Surfaces.Item("EG")
' This section demonstrates adding a single surface to

' the sample line group. An AeccSampleSurface object is
' returned, which needs some properties set.
Dim oSampledSurface As AeccSampledSurface
Set oSampledSurface = oSampleLineGroup.SampledSurfaces _
.Add(oSurface, oSectionStyle)
oSampledSurface.UpdateMode = aeccSectionStateDynamic
' We need to set the Sample property of the
' SampledSurface object. Otherwise the sampled surface
' will not be used in creating sections.
oSampledSurface.Sample = True
' This section demonstrates adding all surfaces in the

' document to the sample line group.
oSampleLineGroup.SampledSurfaces.AddAllSurfaces oSectionStyle
' We need to set the Sample property of each
' SampledSurface object. Otherwise the sampled surfaces
' will not be used in creating sections.
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To oSampleLineGroup.SampledSurfaces.Count - 1
oSampleLineGroup.SampledSurfaces.Item(i).Sample = True
Next i
At this point you can define sample lines. Sample lines are held in the AeccSampleLineGroup.SampleLines
collection. There are three methods to add sample lines to the collection: AeccSampleLines.AddByPolyline,
AeccSampleLines.AddByStation, and AeccSampleLines.AddByStationRange.
The AeccSampledSurfaces collection can contain objects other than surfaces to be sampled in section views,
such as pipe networks or corridors. These objects can be added from the AutoCAD Civil 3D user interface.
(Currently you can only add surfaces to the AeccSampledSurfaces collection via the API.)
Defining Sample Lines | 127

Accessing these non-surface objects with the AeccSampledSurface.Surface property throws an exception,
so you need to use the AeccSampledSurface.AcadEntity property, as in this example, where the second item
in the collection is a pipe network:
Dim SampledSurfaces As AeccSampledSurfaces
SampledSurfaces = aeccdb.Sites.Item(0).Alignments.Item(1).SampleLineGroups.Item(0).Sampled
Surfaces
Dim s1 As AeccSurface
Dim e1 As AcadEntity
Dim s2 As AeccPipeNetwork
s1 = SampledSurfaces.Item(0).Surface
e1 = SampledSurfaces.Item(1).AcadEntity ' Surface would throw exception
MessageBox.Show(e1.ObjectName)
s2 = e1
MessageBox.Show(s2.Name)
Adding a Sample Line from a Polyline

AddByPolyline lets you specify the location of a sample line based on an AutoCAD lightweight polyline
entity. This gives you great flexibility in designing the sample line. It can consist of many line segments at
any orientation, and it does not have to be perpendicular to the alignment or even cross the alignment at

all. The AddByPolyline method also lets you delete the polyline entity once the sample line has been created.
AddByPolyline returns the AeccSampleLine object created.
Dim oPoly As AcadLWPolyline

' Assume these coordinates are in one of the surfaces
' in the oSampleLineGroup.SampledSurfaces collection.
dPoints(0) = 4750: dPoints(1) = 4050
dPoints(2) = 4770: dPoints(3) = 3950
Set oPoly = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace _
.AddLightWeightPolyline(dPoints)
' Now that we have a polyline, we can create a sample line

' with those coordinates. Delete the polyline when done.
Call oSampleLineGroup.SampleLines.AddByPolyline _
("Sample Line 01", oPoly, True)
Add a Sample Line at a Station

AddByStation creates a single sample line perpendicular to a particular alignment station. The AddByStation
method takes as parameters the name of the sample line, the station the line crosses, and the length of the
line to the left and right sides of the alignment. AddByStation returns the AeccSampleLine object created.
Dim dSwathWidthLeft As Double
Dim dSwathWidthRight As Double
Dim dStation As Double
dSwathWidthRight = 45.5
dSwathWidthLeft = 35.5
dStation = 1100.5
Call oSampleLineGroup.SampleLines.AddByStation( _
"Sample Line 02", _
dStation, _
dSwathWidthLeft, _
dSwathWidthRight)
Add a Range of Sample Lines

AddByStationRange creates a series of sample lines along the alignment. The characteristics of the sample
lines are defined by an object of type AeccStationRange. When first created, the AeccStationRange object
properties are set to default values, so be sure to set every property to the values you require.
NOTE The AeccStationRange.SampleLineStyle property must be set to a valid object or the AddByStationRange
method will fail.
The AeccStationRange object is then passed to the AddByStationRange method along with a flag describing
how to deal with duplicates. The sample lines are then generated and added to the
AeccSampleLineGroup.SampleLines collection. This method has no return value.
Defining Sample Lines | 129

This sample adds a series of sample lines along a section of an alignment:
' Specify where the sample lines will be drawn.
Dim oStationRange As New AeccStationRange
oStationRange.UseSampleIncrements = True
oStationRange.SampleAtHighLowPoints = False
oStationRange.SampleAtHorizontalGeometryPoints = False
oStationRange.SampleAtSuperelevationCriticalStations = False
oStationRange.SampleAtRangeEnd = True
oStationRange.SampleAtRangeStart = True
oStationRange.StartRangeAtAlignmentStart = False
oStationRange.EndRangeAtAlignmentEnd = False
' Only sample for 1000 units along part of the
' alignment.
oStationRange.StartRange = 10#
oStationRange.EndRange = 1010#
' sample every 200 units along straight lines
oStationRange.IncrementTangent = 200#
' sample every 50 units along curved lines
oStationRange.IncrementCurve = 50#
' sample every 50 units along spiral lines
oStationRange.IncrementSpiral = 50#
' 50 units to either side of the station
oStationRange.SwathWidthLeft = 50#
oStationRange.SwathWidthRight = 50#
oStationRange.SampleLineDefaultDirection = _
aeccDirectionFromBaseAlignment
Set oStationRange.SampleLineStyle = oSampleLineStyle
oSampleLineGroup.SampleLines.AddByStationRange _
"Sample Line 03", _
aeccSampleLineDuplicateActionOverwrite, _
oStationRange
Creating Sample Line Styles

In creating sample lines, you need to work with three different style objects that control how sample lines
are displayed.

Group Plot Styles
The AeccGroupPlotStyle style controls how groups of section view graphs are drawn. The style changes the
row and column orientation and spacing between multiple graphs. The collection of all AeccGroupPlotStyle
styles is contained in the AeccDocument.GroupPlotStyles property.
Dim oGroupPlotStyle As AeccGroupPlotStyle
Set oGroupPlotStyle = oDocument.GroupPlotStyles _
.Add("Example group plot style")
Sample Line Styles

The AeccSampleLineStyle style controls how sample lines are drawn on a surface. The collection of all
AeccSampleLineStyle styles is contained in the AeccDocument.SampleLineStyles property.
Dim oSampleLineStyle As AeccSampleLineStyle

Set oSampleLineStyle = oDocument.SampleLineStyles _
.Add("Example sample line style")
' This style just changes the display of the sample line.
oSampleLineStyle.LineDisplayStyleSection.color = 140 ' slate
Section Styles
The AeccSectionStyle style controls how surface cross sections are displayed in the section view graphs.
The collection of all AeccSectionStyle styles is contained in the AeccDocument.SectionStyles property.
Dim oSectionStyle As AeccSectionStyle
Set oSectionStyle = oDocument.SectionStyles _
.Add("Example cross section style")
' This style just changes the display of cross section

' lines.
oSectionStyle.SegmentDisplayStyleSection.color = 110 ' green/blue
Creating Sample Line Label Styles

The style of sample line text labels, lines, and marks are controlled by an AeccLabelStyle object. The style
can be set through the AeccSampleLine.LabelStyle property or by passing an AeccLabelStyle object when
using the AeccSampleLineGroups.Add method. All labels styles for sample lines are stored in the
AeccDocument.SampleLineLabelStyles collection. See the Root Objects chapter for more detailed information
about the AeccLabelStyle class.
Text labels for sample lines can use any of the following property fields:
<[Sample Line Name(CP)]>
<[Sample Line Number(Sn)]>
<[Left Swath Width(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Right Swath Width(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Distance from Previous Sample Line(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Sample Line Parent Alignment Name(CP)]>
Creating Sample Line Label Styles | 131

<[Sample Line Group(CP)]>
<[Sample Line Station Value(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Sample Line Raw Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
Label styles are described in detail in the Chapter 1 section Label Styles (page 19).
Sections
This section covers the creation and use of sections. A section is a cross section of one or more surfaces along
a sample line. A series of sections can be used to analyze the changes in a surface along a path.
Creating Sections
A section is a cross section of one or more surfaces taken along a sample line. You can either create sections
one at a time using the AeccSampleLineGroup.CreateSectionsAtSampleLine method, or all at once using
the AeccSampleLineGroup.CreateSectionsAtSampleLines method. These methods will cause an error if the
sample line group does not reference any surfaces, or if the surface is not located under the sample lines
specified.
' Create a section at the first sample line in the sample
' line group.
' oSampleLineGroup is of type AeccSampleLineGroup
Dim oSampleLine as AeccSampleLine

Set oSampleLine = oSampleLineGroup.SampleLines(0)
oSampleLineGroup.CreateSectionsAtSampleLine oSampleLine
' Create a section for each sample line in the sample

' line group.
oSampleLineGroup.CreateSectionsAtSampleLines
Using Sections
Each sample line contains a collection of sections that were based on that sample line. Each section is
represented by object of type AeccSection and contains methods for retrieving statistics of the surface along
the section. While sections initially have styles based on the AeccSectionStyle style passed to the

AeccSampledSurfaces.Add method, you can also set the style for each section individually through the
AeccSection.Style property.
Dim oSampleLines as AeccSampleLines

Set oSampleLines = oSampleLineGroup.SampleLines
' For each sample line, go through all the sections that
' were created based on it.
Dim i As Integer
Dim j As Integer
For i = 0 To oSampleLines.Count - 1
Dim oSections As AeccSections
Set oSections = oSampleLines.Item(i).Sections
' For each section, print its highest elevation and set
' some of its properties.
Dim oSection as AeccSection
For Each oSection in oSections
Debug.Print "Max Elevation of "; oSection.Name;
Debug.Print " is: "; oSection.ElevationMax
oSection.DataType = aeccSectionDataTIN
oSection.StaticDynamic = aeccSectionStateDynamic
Next
Next i
Section Views
This section describes the creation and display of section views. A section view is a graph of a single section.
Usually a series of section views are displayed to demonstrate a range of cross sections.
Creating Section Views

A section view is a graph of the sections for a single sample. Each sample line contains a collection of section
views in its AeccSampleLine.SectionViews property. To create a new section view, use the
AeccSectionViews.Add method, which takes as parameters the name of the new section view, the layer to
draw to, the location, the style of the view, and an optional data band set. Each section view is automatically
constructed to display the sections at that sample line in the center of an appropriately sized graph. As each
sample line may have different lengths and represent different surface altitudes, each section view may be
different in size or in what units are displayed along each graph axis.
Section Views | 133

This sample creates a row of section views from all sample lines in a given alignment:
Dim i As Integer
Dim j As Integer
' Use the first section view style in the document.

Dim oSectionViewStyle As AeccSectionViewStyle
Set oSectionViewStyle = oDocument.SectionViewStyles.Item(0)
' Specify the starting location of the row of section

' views.
Dim dX As Double
Dim dY As Double
dX = 6000
dy = 3500
' We have an alignment with sample lines. Loop through

' all the sample line groups in the alignment.
For i = 0 To oAlignment.SampleLineGroups.Count - 1
Dim oSampleLineGroup As AeccSampleLineGroup
Set oSampleLineGroup = oAlignment.SampleLineGroups.Item(i)
Dim oSampleLines As AeccSampleLines
Set oSampleLines = oSampleLineGroup.SampleLines
' Now loop through all the sample lines in the current
' sample line group. For each sample line, we add a
' section view at a unique location with a style and
' a data band that we defined earlier.
Dim dOffsetRight As Double
dOffsetRight = 0
For j = 0 To oSampleLines.Count - 1
Dim oSectionView As AeccSectionView
dOffsetRight = j * 300
Dim dOriginPt(0 To 2) As Double
' To the right of the surface and the previous
' section views.
dOriginPt(0) = dX + 200 + dOffsetRight
dOriginPt(1) = dY
Set oSectionView=oSampleLines.Item(j).SectionViews.Add( _
"Section View" & CStr(j), _
"0", _
dOriginPt, _
oSectionViewStyle, _
Nothing) ' "Nothing" means do not display a data band
Next j
Next i
Creating Section View Styles

The section view style, an object of type AeccSectionViewStyle, governs all aspects of how the graph axes,
text, and titles are drawn. Within AeccSectionViewStyle are objects dealing with the top, bottom, left,
center vertical, and right axes and with the graph as a whole. All section view styles in the document are

stored in the AeccDocument.SectionViewStyles collection. New styles are created using the collection’s Add
method with the name of the new style.
Set oSectionViewStyle = oDocument.SectionViewStyles _
.Add("Section View style")
Setting Section View Styles

The section view style object consists of separate objects for each of the four axes, one object for the graph
overall, and an AeccDisplayStyle object for sample lines within the views. The axis styles and graph style
also contain subobjects for specifying the style of tick marks and titles.

All axis styles are based on the AeccAxisStyle class. The axis style object controls the display style of the
axis itself, tick marks and text placed along the axis, and a text annotation describing the purpose of the
axis. The annotation text, location, and size is set through the AeccAxisStyle.TitleStyle property, an
object of type AeccAxisTitleStyle. The annotation text can use any of the following property fields:
Valid property fields for AeccAxisTitleStyle.Text Axes
<[Section View Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]> top, bottom
<[Section View Width(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> top, bottom
<[Left Width(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> top, bottom
<[Right Width(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> top, bottom
<[Elevation Range(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> left, right, center
<[Minimum Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> left, right, center
<[Maximum Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]> left, right, center
Axis Tick Marks

marks and minor tick marks are represented by objects of type AeccTickStyle. AeccTickStyle manages the
location, size, and visual style of tick marks through its Interval, Size and DisplayStylePlan properties.
NOTE While most style properties use drawing units, the Interval property uses surface units.
The AeccTickStyle object also sets what text is displayed at each tick, including any of the following property
fields:
Valid property fields for AeccTickStyle.Text
<[Section View Point Offset Side(CP)]>
<[Section View Point Offset(Uft|P3|RN|Sn|OF|AP)]>
<[Graph View Abscissa Value(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
Setting Section View Styles | 135

Setting Graph Styles
The graph is managed by an object of type AeccGraphStyle. This object can be used to change the grid and
the title of the graph. The grid is controlled by the AeccGraphStyle.GridStyle property, an object of type
AeccGridStyle. The grid style sets the amount of empty space above and below the extents of the section
through the AeccGridStyle.GridsAboveMaxElevation and AeccGridStyle.GridsBelowDatum properties. The
grid style also manages the line styles of major and minor vertical and horizontal gridlines with the
AeccGridStyle properties MajorVerticalDisplayStylePlan, MajorHorizontalDisplayStylePlan,
MinorVerticalDisplayStylePlan, and MinorHorizontalDisplayStylePlan. The
AeccGridLines.HorizontalPosition and AeccGridLines.VerticalPosition properties tell which tick marks
to use to position the grid lines for the axis.
Graph Title
The title of the graph is controlled by the AeccGraphStyle.TitleStyle property, an object of type
AeccGraphTitleStyle. The title style object can adjust the position, style, and border of the title. The text
of the title can include any of the following property fields:
<[Section View Description(CP)]>
<[Section View Name(CP)]>
<[Section View Station(Uft|FS|P3|RN|Sn|OF|AP|B2|TP|EN|W0|DZY)]>
<[Section View Datum Value(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section View Width(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Left Width(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Right Width(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Graph View Vertical Exageration(P3|RN|AP|OF)]>

Section View Style Example
This example takes an existing section view style and modifies its top axis and title.
Setting Section View Styles | 137

' We assume a section view style with the name
' "Section View style" already exists.
Set oSectionViewStyle = oDocument.SectionViewStyles _
.Item("Section View style")
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Adjust the top axis.
With oSectionViewStyle.TopAxis.MajorTickStyle
.AnnotationDisplayStylePlan.color = 23 ' light brown
.Height = 0.004 ' text height
.AnnotationDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True ' show text
.Interval = 15 ' Major ticks 15 ground units apart
' Each major tick is marked with distance from the
' centerline in meters.
.Text = "<[Section View Point Offset(Um|P1|RN|Sn|AP|OF)]>m"
.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = True ' show ticks
End With
With oSectionViewStyle.TopAxis.TitleStyle
.DisplayStylePlan.color = 23 ' light brown
.Height = 0.008 ' text height
.Text = "Meters"
' Position the title slightly higher.
dOffset(0) = 0#
dOffset(1) = 0.02
.Offset = dOffset
.DisplayStylePlan.Visible = True ' show title
End With
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Adjust the graph and graph title.
With oSectionViewStyle.GraphStyle
.VerticalExaggeration = 4.1
' The lowest grid with any part of the section
' line in it will have one empty grid between
' it and the bottom axis.
.GridStyle.GridsBelowDatum = 1
' Increase the empty space above the section
' line to make room for any section line labels.
.GridStyle.GridsAboveMaxElevation = 2
' Show major lines, but not minor lines.

.GridStyle.MajorHorizontalDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.GridStyle.MajorVerticalDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.GridStyle.MinorHorizontalDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.GridStyle.MinorVerticalDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
' Move the title above the top axis.

dOffset(0) = 0#
dOffset(1) = 0.045
.TitleStyle.Offset = dOffset
' Set the title to display the station number of each
' section.
Dim sTmp as String
sTmp = "EG at Station <[Section View Station(Uft|FS)]>"
.TitleStyle.Text = sTmp

End With
Sample Program
SectionSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Section\SectionSample.dvb
This sample program creates a surface from a file and an alignment from a polyline. Sample lines (using
group sample lines, individual sample lines, and sample lines based on polyline entities) are created across
the alignment. Sections are created from each sample line, and section views of each surface cross section
are drawn. Styles and label styles for sample lines and section views are created, as are data bands for the
section view graphs.
Sample Program | 139

140
Data Bands
13
Object Hierarchy
Object Model for Data Bands
Defining a Data Band Style

This section explains the creation and definition of data band style objects. These objects are used with
profile view and section view graphs and represent a single band of graphical and text information.
141
Data Band Concepts
Data bands are a way to display more information with profile views and section views, including differences
between sections, profile geometry, and superelevation along an alignment. Data bands consist of one or
more strips at the top or bottom of each graph with tick marks, graphics, and labels describing particular
features of the subject of the graph.
The bottom of a profile view with four data bands
A band is described by an object derived from the AeccBandStyle type: AeccBandSegmentDataStyle,

AeccBandProfileDataStyle, AeccBandHorizontalGeometryStyle, AeccBandVerticalGeometryStyle, or
AeccBandSuperElevationStyle. All such styles in the document are stored in collections depending on the
band type:
Band Style Type Collection of Band Style Objects
AeccBandSegmentDataStyle AeccDocument.SectionViewBandStyles. Sec-

tionDataBandStyles
AeccBandProfileDataStyle AeccDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles. Pro-

fileDataBandStyles
AeccBandHorizontalGeometryStyle AeccDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles. Horizont-

alGeometryBandStyles
AeccBandVerticalGeometryStyle AeccDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles. Vertical-

GeometryBandStyles
AeccBandSuperElevationStyle AeccDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles. SuperEl-

evationBandStyles
Each collection has an Add method for creating new band styles.
The location of information displayed in the band depends on which band style objects are visible. Each
data location (for example, at profile stations or at horizontal geometry points) consists of multiple style
elements (text labels, tick marks, lines, or blocks). Different band styles have different locations where
information can be displayed, and will display information with different graphical effects.
142 | Chapter 13 Data Bands

Each information location is managed by a set of three style objects that control:
■ The visual style of the text label (properties ending with “LabelDisplayStylePlan“, objects of type
AeccDisplayStyle).
■ The contents and nature of the text , tick marks, lines, and blocks (properties ending with “LabelStyle“,
objects of type AeccBandLabelStyle).
■ The visual style of the tick mark (properties ending with “TickDisplayStylePlan“, objects of type
AeccDisplayStyle).
The display styles have priority over the label style when setting the color or linetype.
NOTE If either the display style or the label style element is not set to be visible, then the data element is not
visible.
A title can be displayed on the left side of each band. The style of the text and box around the text are
controlled by the AeccBandStyle.TitleBoxTextDisplayStylePlan and
AeccBandStyle.TitleBoxDisplayStylePlan properties, both object of type AeccDisplayStyle. The text of
the title and its location are controlled through the AeccBandStyle.TitleStyle property, an object of type
AeccBandTitleStyle. The AeccBandTitleStyle.Text property contains the actual string to be displayed,
which may include property fields from the following list:
Valid property fields for AeccBandTitleStyle.Text
<[Section1 Name(CP)]>
<[Section1 Type(CP)]>
<[Section1 Left Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section1 Right Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section2 Name(CP)]>
<[Section2 Type(CP)]>
<[Section2 Left Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section2 Right Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Profile1 Name(CP)]>
<[Profile2 Name(CP)]>
Data Band Concepts | 143

The following code sets the title for a section view data band showing two sections:
oBandSectionDataStyle.TitleStyle.Text = _
"<[Section1 Name(CP)]> and <[Section1 Name(CP)]>"
Profile Data Band Style

Data bands for general information about profiles are defined by the AeccBandProfileDataStyle type.
Information in this data band can be displayed at the major and minor grid marks of the base graph, at
points where the alignment station equation changes, and at points where the vertical or horizontal geometry
change.
Each label can use any of the following property fields:
Valid property fields for use with AeccBandLabelStyle text components
<[Profile1 Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Profile2 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Profile1 Elevation Minus Profile2 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Profile2 Elevation Minus Profile1 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>

This sample demonstrates the creation of a data band style displaying section elevation data at two different
locations:
Dim oBandProfileDataStyle As AeccBandProfileDataStyle
Set oBandProfileDataStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles _
.ProfileDataBandStyles.Add("Profile Band")
With oBandProfileDataStyle
' Add ticks and labels to each horizontal
' geography location.
.HGPLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.HGPTickDisplayStylePlan.Color = 10 ' red
.HGPTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.HGPLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Contents = _
"<[Station Value(Uft|FS|P0|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>"
.HGPLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Color = 11 ' red
.HGPLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Visibility = True
' Modify how the title is displayed.

.TitleBoxDisplayStylePlan.Color = 10 ' red
.TitleBoxDisplayStylePlan.Linetype = "DOT"
.TitleBoxDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.TitleBoxTextDisplayStylePlan.Color = 80 ' green
.TitleBoxTextDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.TitleStyle.Text = "Profile Info"
.TitleStyle.TextHeight = 1.0
.TitleStyle.TextBoxWidth = 2.0
' Hide the rest of the information locations.

.VGPLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Visibility = False
.MajorIncrementLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = False
.MajorStationLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.MajorTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.MinorIncrementLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = False
.MinorStationLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.MinorTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.VGPLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.VGPTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.StationEquationLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = False
.StationEquationLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.StationEquationTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
End With
This style produces a data band that looks like this:
Profile Data Band Style | 145

Horizontal Geometry Data Band Style
The AeccBandHorizontalGeometryStyle type is used to display features of the horizontal geometry of
alignments in profile views. Tangents and curves in the alignment are displayed as stylized line segments
and curve segments, and a label can be displayed over each segment.
Each label style can use any of the following property fields:
<[Length(Uft|P2|RN|Sn|OF|AP)]>
<[Tangent Direction(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P6|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Start Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Start Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Start Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[End Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[End Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[End Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>

This sample demonstrates the creation of a data band style displaying information about alignment geometry
with a title:
Dim oBandProfileDataStyle As AeccBandProfileDataStyle
Set oBandProfileDataStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles _
.ProfileDataBandStyles.Add("Horizontal Band")
With oBandHorizontalGeometryStyle
' Add displays and labels for alignment tangents.
.TangentGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.TangentGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Color = 160 ' blue
.TangentLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.TangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Contents = _
"Length = <[Length(Uft|P2|RN|Sn|OF|AP)]>"
.TangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Color = 120
.TangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = True
' Add displays and labels for alignment curves.

.CurveGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.CurveGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Color = 160 ' blue
.CurveLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.CurveLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Contents = _
"Length = <[Length(Uft|P2|RN|Sn|OF|AP)]>"
.CurveLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).Color = 120
.CurveLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = True
' Add tick marks at each horizontal geometry point,

' the location where different segments of the
' alignment meet.
.TickDisplayStylePlan.Color = 10 ' red
.TickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True

.TitleStyle.Text = "Alignment Geometry"
' Hide the rest of the information locations and
' graphical displays.
.SpiralGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.SpiralLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
End With
Horizontal Geometry Data Band Style | 147

Vertical Geometry Data Band Style
The AeccBandProfileDataStyle type is used to display features of the vertical geometry of alignments in
profile views. The style of graphical markers displayed at each curve and tangent segment can be modified,
as well as the labels placed at crest, sag, uphill, and downhill segments of the profile.
Downhill and uphill labels can use any of the following property fields:
<[Tangent Horizontal Length(Uft|P2|RN|Sn|OF|AP)]>
<[Tangent Slope Length(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Tangent Grade(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Tangent Start Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Tangent Start Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Tangent End Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Tangent End Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Tangent Elevation Change(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[PVI Before Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[PVI Before Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[PVI After Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[PVI After Elevation(Uft|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>

This sample demonstrates the creation of a data band style displaying the direction of slope for all segments
of a profile with a title:
Dim oBandVerticalGeometryStyle As AeccBandVerticalGeometryStyle
Set oBandVerticalGeometryStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles _
.VerticalGeometryBandStyles.Add("Vertical Band")
With oBandVerticalGeometryStyle
' Add graphical marks that show the uphill or downhill
' directions and the lengths of the vertical segments
' of the profile. On uphill sections the label of the
' length of the segment will be in white, on downhill
' it will be pale yellow. The graphical element that
' shows direction will be pink.
.DownhillTangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).
Contents = "<[Tangent Horizontal Length(Uft|P2)]>"
.DownhillTangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Color = 51 ' pale yellow
.DownhillTangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = True
.UphillTangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0).
Contents = "<[Tangent Horizontal Length(Uft|P2)]>"
.UphillTangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Color = 255 ' white
.UphillTangentLabelStyle.TextComponents.Item(0). _
Visibility = True
.TangentGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Color = 220 ' pink
.TangentLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True

.TitleStyle.Text = "Profile Geometry"

.CurveGeometryDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.CurveLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.TickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
End With
Vertical Geometry Data Band Style | 149

Superelevation Data Band Style
An AeccBandProfileDataStyle data band displays information related to the alignment superelevation. It
can display slopes of superelevation elements as lines, the distance above or below the centerline representing
the amount of slope. The superelevation elements that can be represented this way are:
■ Left inside pavement
■ Left inside shoulder
■ Left outside pavement
■ Left outside shoulder
■ Right inside pavement
■ Right inside shoulder
■ Right outside pavement
■ Right outside shoulder
You can also display a reference line through the center of the data band to help users interpret the element
lines.
The data band can also display tick marks and text labels at points of change in the superelevation of the
alignment. The following can be marked on the data band:
■ Full superelevation
■ Level crown
■ Normal crown
■ Reverse crown
■ Shoulder break over
■ Transition segment
The label styles for text labels can use any of the following property fields:
<[Superelevation critical point text(CP)]>
<[Cross slope - Left outside pavement(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cross slope - Left inside pavement(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cross slope - Right outside pavement(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cross slope - Right inside pavement(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cross slope - Left outside shoulder(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cross slope - Left inside shoulder(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cross slope - Right outside shoulder(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>

<[Cross slope - Right inside shoulder(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
Superelevation Data Band Style | 151

This sample demonstrates the creation of a data band style displaying the slopes of the outside shoulders -
the right shoulder in yellow and the left in blue. A gray reference line is also added.
Dim oBandSuperElevationStyle As AeccBandSuperElevationStyle
Set oBandSuperElevationStyle = oDocument.ProfileViewBandStyles _
.SuperElevationBandStyles.Add("Superelevation Band")
With oBandSuperElevationStyle
' Add graphical display of the slope of the left and right
' outside shoulders. If the line is above the centerline,
' then the slope is positive.
.LeftOutsideShoulderLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.LeftOutsideShoulderLineDisplayStylePlan.color = 151
' Color 151 = pale blue
.RightOutsideShoulderLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.RightOutsideShoulderLineDisplayStylePlan.color = 51
' Color 51 = pale yellow
' Add a reference line through the center of the data band.
.ReferenceLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.ReferenceLineDisplayStylePlan.color = 252 ' gray

.TitleBoxDisplayStylePlan.color = 10 ' red
.TitleBoxTextDisplayStylePlan.color = 80 ' green
.TitleStyle.Text = "Profile Geometry"

.FullSuperLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.FullSuperTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.LeftInsidePavementLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.LeftInsideShoulderLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.LeftOutsidePavementLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.LevelCrownLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.LevelCrownTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.NormalCrownLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.NormalCrownTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.ReverseCrownLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.ReverseCrownTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.RightInsidePavementLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.RightInsideShoulderLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.RightOutsidePavementLineDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.ShoulderBreakOverLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.ShoulderBreakOverTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.TransitionSegmentLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
End With

Section Data Band Style
Data bands for section views are described by an object of type AeccBandSectionDataStyle. Information in
this data band can be displayed at major and minor tick marks, at the centerline, at each section grade break,
and at each sample line vertex. The centerline is the location where the sample line crosses the alignment.
If the sample line does not cross the alignment, the centerpoint is where the sample line would cross the
alignment if the sample line were extended. Unless the AeccSampleLines.AddByPolyline method was used
to create a multi-segment sample line, placing information at each sample line vertex simply places tick
marks and labels at the section endpoints.
Each label style can use any of the following property fields:
<[Distance from Centerline(Uft|P2|RN|Sn|OF|AP)]>
<[Distance from Centerline Side(CP)]>
<[Offset from Centerline(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Offset from Centerline Side(CP)]>
<[Section1 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section2 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section1 Elevation Minus Section2 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section2 Elevation Minus Section1 Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section Segment Grade In(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section Segment Grade Out(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Section Segment Grade Change(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
Section Data Band Style | 153

This sample demonstrates the creation of a data band style displaying section elevation data at two different
locations:

Dim oBandSectionDataStyle As AeccBandSectionDataStyle
Set oBandSectionDataStyle = oDocument.SectionViewBandStyles. _
SectionDataBandStyles.Add("Segment Band")
' Display at every major grid line a tick mark and a label
' that shows the section elevation at that point.
With oBandSectionDataStyle
.MajorOffsetLabelDisplayStylePlan.Color = 255 ' white
.MajorOffsetLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.MajorOffsetTickDisplayStylePlan.Color = 255 ' white
.MajorOffsetTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
End With
With oBandSectionDataStyle.MajorIncrementLabelStyle. _
TextComponents.Item(0)
.Contents = "<[Section1 Elevation(Um|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>m"
.Color = 255 ' white
.Visibility = True
' Shift the label to the high side of the band.
.YOffset = 0.015
End With
' Display a red tick mark and a red label showing section
' elevation at each vertex endpoint in the sample line.
' Make the tick mark large, and only at the top of the
' band.
.SampleLineVertexLabelDisplayStylePlan.Color = 20 ' red
.SampleLineVertexLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.SampleLineVertexTickDisplayStylePlan.Color = 20 ' red
.SampleLineVertexTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
End With
With oBandSectionDataStyle.SampleLineVerticesLabelStyle. _
TextComponents.Item(0)
.Contents = "<[Section1 Elevation(Um|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>m"
.Color = 20 ' red
.Visibility = True
.YOffset = 0.08
End With
With oBandSectionDataStyle.SampleLineVerticesLabelStyle. _
TickStyle
.IncrementSmallTicksAtTop = True
.IncrementSmallTicksAtMiddle = False
.IncrementSmallTicksAtBottom = False
.SmallTicksAtTopSize = 0.015
End With
' Hide all other data locations in the data band.

.CenterLineLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.CenterLineTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.GradeBreakLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.GradeBreakTickDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
.MinorOffsetLabelDisplayStylePlan.Visible = False
Section Data Band Style | 155

.MinorOffsetTickDisplayStylePlan = False
End With
Creating a Data Band Set

This section explains data band sets, which are groups of individual data bands displayed around a profile
view or section view graph.
Creating Data Band Sets for Profile Views

Individual band styles can be grouped together into a set, which can then be assigned to a graph. Profile
band sets are AeccProfileViewBandStyleSet objects stored in the AeccDocument.ProfileViewBandStyleSet
collection.
The following example demonstrates creating a profile band style set and adding a band style to it:
Dim oProfileViewBandStyleSet As AeccProfileViewBandStyleSet
Set oProfileViewBandStyleSet = _
oDocument.ProfileViewBandStyleSets.Add("Profile Band set")
' Add a band style we have already created to the

' band set.
Call oProfileViewBandStyleSet.Add(oBandProfileDataStyle)
' Now we have a band set consisting of one band.
Data band sets are used when profile views are first created. The following sample code is taken from the
topic Creating a Profile View (page 112), but this time a data band set is passed in the last parameter.
Set oProfileView = oAlignment.ProfileViews.Add( _
"Profile Style 01", _
"0", _
dOriginPt, _
oProfileViewStyle, _
oProfileViewBandStyleSet)
Creating Data Band Sets for Section Views

Individual band styles can be grouped together into a set, which can then be assigned to a graph. Band sets
for section graphs are objects of type AeccSectionViewBandStyleSet, and all such sets are stored in the
AeccDocument.SectionViewBandStyleSet collection.

The following example demonstrates creating a section band style set and adding a band style to it:
Dim oSectionViewBandStyleSet As AeccSectionViewBandStyleSet
Set oSectionViewBandStyleSet = _
oDocument.SectionViewBandStyleSets.Add("Section Band Set")
' Add a band style we have already created to the

' band set.
Call oSectionViewBandStyleSet.Add(oBandSectionDataStyle)
' Now we have a band set consisting of one band.
Data band sets are used when section views are first created. The following sample code is taken from the
Creating Section Views (page 133) section of the Sections (page 125) chapter, but this time a data band set is
passed in the last parameter:
Set oSectionView=oSampleLines.Item(j).SectionViews.Add( _
"Section View" & CStr(j), _
"0", _
dOriginPt, _
oSectionViewStyle, _
oSectionViewBandStyleSet)
Using Data Bands

This section explains how data band sets are added to profile view and section view graphs.
Adding Data Bands to a Profile View

Every profile view contains a collection of bands in its AeccProfileView.BandSet property, an object of type
AeccProfileViewBandSet. When a profile view is first created, all band styles from the
AeccProfileViewBandStyleSet parameter are added to this collection. Individual band styles can be added
to a section view through the AeccProfileViewBandSet collection using its Add or Insert methods. Both of
these methods take an AeccProfileDataBandStyle style, a parent alignment, and two AeccProfile objects,
allowing comparison between profiles.
TIP If you only want to display information from a single profile in the band, pass the same profile object to both
parameters.
The order of bands in the band set is also the order in which the bands are displayed.
AeccProfileViewBandSet.Add places the new band at the bottom of the list while
AeccProfileViewBandSet.Insert places the new band at the specified index.
TIP You can swap the location of two bands with the AeccProfileViewBandSet.Swap method.
Using Data Bands | 157

This sample adds a data band to a profile view that describes the single profile “oProfile” based on the
alignment “oAlignment”:
Dim oProfileViewBandSetItem As AeccProfileViewBandSetItem
Set oProfileViewBandSetItem = oProfileView.BandSet.Add( _
oBandStyle, _
oAlignment, _
oProfile, _
oProfile)
' Now oProfileView has another data band.
Adding Data Bands to a Section View

Every section view contains a collection of bands in its AeccSectionView.BandSet property, an object of
type AeccSectionViewBandSet. When a section view is first created, all band styles from the
AeccSectionViewBandStyleSet parameter are added to this collection. Individual band styles can be added
to a section view through the AeccSectionViewBandSet collection using its Add or Insert methods. Both of
these methods take an AeccSectionDataBandStyle style and two AeccSection objects, allowing comparison
between sections.
TIP If you only want to display a single section in the band, pass the same section object to both parameters.
The order of bands in the band set is also the order in which the bands are displayed.
AeccSectionViewBandSet.Add places the new band at the bottom of the list while
AeccSectionViewBandSet.Insert places the new band at the specified index.
TIP You can swap the location of two bands with the AeccSectionViewBandSet.Swap method.
This sample adds a data band to a section view that describes the single section “oSection”:
Dim oSectionViewBandSetItem As AeccSectionViewBandSetItem
Set oSectionViewBandSetItem = oSectionView.BandSet.Add( _
oBandSectionDataStyle, _
oSection, _
oSection)
' Now oSectionView has another data band.
Sample Programs
Profiles.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Profile\ProfileSample.dvb
See the ProfileViewStyle module for an example of the creation of a data band style, the definition of a
data band style set, and the use of that data band set with a profile view.
Sections.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Section\SectionSample.dvb
See the SectionViewStyle module for an example of the creation of a data band style, the definition of a
data band style set, and the use of that data band set with a section view.

Pipe Networks in COM
14
This chapter covers working with pipe networks with the COM API. For information about using pipe networks with the
.NET API, see Pipe Networks in .NET (page 179).
Object Hierarchy
Pipe Network Object Model
159
Base Objects
This section explains how to get the base objects required for using the pipe network API classes.
Accessing Pipe Network-Specific Base Objects

Applications that access pipe networks require special versions of the base objects representing the application
and document. The AeccPipeApplication object is identical to the AeccApplication it is inherited from
except that its AeccPipeApplication.ActiveDocument property returns an object of type AeccPipeDocument
instead of AeccDocument. The AeccPipeDocument object contains collections of pipe network-related items,
such as pipe networks, pipe styles, and interference checks. It also contains all of the methods and properties
of AeccDocument.
When using pipe network root objects, be sure to reference the “Autodesk Civil Engineering Pipe 6.0 Object
Library” (AeccXPipe.tlb) and “Autodesk Civil Engineering UI Pipe 6.0 Object Library” (AeccXUIPipe.tlb)
libraries.
This sample demonstrates how to retrieve the pipe network root objects:
sAppName = "AeccXUiPipe.AeccPipeApplication"
Dim oPipeApplication As AeccPipeApplication
Set oPipeApplication = oApp.GetInterfaceObject(sAppName)

Dim oPipeDocument As AeccPipeDocument
Set oPipeDocument = oPipeApplication.ActiveDocument
Pipe-Specific Ambient Settings

Ambient settings allow you to get and set the units and default property settings of pipe network objects as
well as access the catalog of all pipe and structure parts held in the document. Ambient settings for a pipe
document are held in the AeccPipeDocument.Settings property, an object of type AeccPipeSettingsRoot.
AeccPipeSettingsRoot inherits all the properties of the AeccSettingsRoot class.
Among the properties of AeccPipeSettingsRoot are InterferenceSettings, PipeSettings, and

StructureSettings. Each of these properties consist of an AeccSettingsAmbient object, which describes the
default units of measurement for interference, pipe, and structure objects. The
AeccPipeSettingsRoot.PipeNetworkSettings property contains the name of the default styles for pipe and
160 | Chapter 14 Pipe Networks in COM

structure objects as well as the default label placement, units, and naming conventions for pipe networks
as a whole.
' Get the default set of pipe rules used in this document.
With oSettings.PipeNetworkSettings.RulesSettings
Debug.Print "Using pipe rules:"; .PipeDefaultRules.Value
End With
' Set the default units used for pipes in this document.
With oSettings.PipeSettings.AmbientSettings
.AngleSettings.Unit = aeccAngleUnitRadian
.CoordinateSettings.Unit = aeccCoordinateUnitFoot
.DistanceSettings.Unit = aeccCoordinateUnitFoot
End With
The AeccPipeSettingsRoot object also has a PipeNetworkCommandsSettings property, which contains

properties that affect pipe network-related commands. Each sub-property contains an AmbientSettings
property which describes the default units of measurement for interference, pipe, and structure objects, plus
other properties specific to the command.
Listing and Adding Dynamic Part Properties

Each type of pipe and structure has many unique attributes (such as size, geometry, design, and composition)
that cannot be stored in the standard pipe and structure properties. To give each part appropriate attributes,
pipe and structure objects have sets of dynamic properties. A single property is represented by an
AeccPartDataField object. Data fields are held in collections of type AeccPartDataRecord. You can reach
these collections through the PartDataRecord property of AeccPartSizeFilter, AeccPipe, and AeccStructure
objects. Each data field contains an internal variable name, a text description of the value, a global context
used to identify the field, data type, and the data value itself.
This sample enumerates all the data fields contained in a pipe object “oPipe” and displays information from
each field.
Dim oPartDataField As AeccPartDataField
Debug.Print "All data fields for this pipe:"

Debug.Print "======"
For Each oPartDataField In oPipe.PartDataRecord
Debug.Print "Context name: "; oPartDataField.ContextString
Debug.Print "Description: "; oPartDataField.Description
Debug.Print "Internal name:"; oPartDataField.Name
Debug.Print "Value: "; oPartDataField.Tag
Debug.Print "Type of value:"; oPartDataField.Type
Debug.Print "------"
Next
To create your own dynamic properties, you first create a custom parameter describing the type and name
of the property. You do this by using the pipe network catalog definitions object AeccPipeNetworkCatDef,
which you access through the ambient property AeccPipeSettingsRoot.PipeNetworkCatDef. The
AeccPipeNetworkCatDef object creates new parameters using the
AeccPipeNetworkCatDef.DeclareNewParameter method. DeclareNewParameter takes some strings describing
the parameter data type:
■ a global context (the identification string used to access the parameter type)
■ a context description
■ a parameter name (the internally used name of the parameter)
Listing and Adding Dynamic Part Properties | 161

■ a parameter description (the public name of the parameter used by the user interface, such as in the Part
Properties tab of the Pipe and Structure Properties dialog boxes).
Once a parameter has been created, it can be made into a property available for use in parts through the
AeccPipeNetworkCatDef.DeclarePartProperty method.
NOTE The parameter name cannot contain spaces or punctuation characters.
This sample demonstrates declaring a parameter and making a property based on that parameter available
to any pipe objects:
Dim oSettings As AeccPipeSettingsRoot
Dim oPipeNetworkCatDef As AeccPipeNetworkCatDef
Set oSettings = oPipeDocument.Settings

Set oPipeNetworkCatDef = oSettings.PipeNetworkCatDef
oPipeNetworkCatDef.DeclareNewParameter _
"Global Context 01", _
"Context Description", _
"TParam", _
"Test Parameter", _
aeccDoubleGeneral, _
aeccDouble, _
"", _
True, _
False
oPipeNetworkCatDef.DeclarePartProperty
"Global Context 01", aeccDomPipe, 10
You can now choose from among those properties available to the part’s domain and create a data field.
' Make a data field based on the "Global Context 01"
' property and add it to a pipe object "oPipe". Set
' the value of the data field to "6.5".
Dim oPartDataField As AeccPartDataField
Set oPartDataField = oPipe.PartDataRecord.Append
("Global Context 01", 0)
oPartDataField.Tag = 6.5
Retrieving the Parts List

AeccPipeSettingsRoot also contains the PartLists property, a read-only collection of all the lists of part
types available in the document. Each list is an object of type AeccPartList, a read-only collection of part
families. A part family represents a broad category of parts, and is identified by a GUID (Globally Unique
Identification) value. A part family can only contain parts from one domain - either pipes or structures but
not both. Part families contain a read-only collection of part filters (AeccPartSizeFilter), which are the
particular sizes of parts. A part filter is defined by its AeccPartSizeFilter.PartDataRecord property, a
collection of fields describing various aspects of the part.

This sample prints the complete listing of all parts in a document.
' Get a reference to all the parts lists in the drawing.
Dim oPartLists As AeccPartLists
Set oPartLists = oSettings.PartLists
Debug.Print "Number of part lists: "; oPartLists.Count
Dim oPartList As AeccPartList

For Each oPartList In oPartLists
Dim oPartFamily As AeccPartFamily
Dim oSizeFilters As AeccPartSizeFilters
Dim oSizeFilter As AeccPartSizeFilter
Dim sPipeGuid As String
Dim sStructureGuid As String
Dim oPipeFilter As AeccPartSizeFilter
Dim oStructureFilter As AeccPartSizeFilter
Debug.Print: Debug.Print
Debug.Print "PART LIST - "; oPartList.Name
Debug.Print "-------------------------------------------"
' From the part list, looking at only those part families
' that are pipes, print all the individual parts.
Debug.Print " Pipes"
Debug.Print " ====="
For Each oPartFamily In oPartList
' Look for only pipe families.
If (oPartFamily.Domain = aeccDomPipe) Then
sPipeGuid = oPartFamily.guid
Debug.Print " Family: "; oPartFamily.Name
' Go through each part in this family.
For Each oPipeFilter In oPartFamily.SizeFilters
Debug.Print " Part: "; oPipeFilter.Name
Next
End If
Next
' From the part list, looking at only those part families
' that are structures, print all the individual parts.
Debug.Print
Debug.Print " Structures"
Debug.Print " =========="
' Look for only structure families.
If (oPartFamily.Domain = aeccDomStructure) Then
sStructureGuid = oPartFamily.guid
Debug.Print " Family: "; oPartFamily.Name
' Go through each part in this family.
For Each oPipeFilter In oPartFamily.SizeFilters
Debug.Print " Part: "; oPipeFilter.Name
Next
End If
Next
Next
Retrieving the Parts List | 163

Creating a Pipe Network
A pipe network is a set of interconnected or related parts. The collection of all pipe networks is held in the
AeccPipeDocument.PipeNetworks property. A pipe network, an object of type AeccPipeNetwork, contains
the collection of pipes and the collection of structures which make up the network. AeccPipeNetwork also
contains the method AeccPipeNetwork.FindShortestNetworkPath for determining the path between two
network parts.
The AeccPipeNetwork.ReferenceAlignment is used by pipe and structure label properties. For example, you
can create a label that shows the station and offset from the alignment. The
AeccPipeNetwork.ReferenceSurface is used primarily for Pipe Rules. For example, you can have a rule that
places the structure rim at a specified elevation from the surface. Labels may also refer to the ReferenceSurface
property.
' Get the collection of all networks.
Dim oPipeNetworks as AeccPipeNetworks
Set oPipeNetworks = oPipeDocument.PipeNetworks
' Create a new pipe network

Set oPipeNetwork = oPipeNetworks.Add("Network Name")
Pipes
This section explains the creation and use of pipes. Pipes represent the conduits within a pipe network.
Creating Pipes
Pipe objects represent the conduits of the pipe network. Pipes are created using the pipe network’s
AeccPipeNetwork.Pipes collection. This collection has methods for creating either straight or curved pipes.
Both methods require you to specify a particular part family (using the GUID of a family) and a particular
part size filter object as well as the starting and ending points of the pipe. The order of the start and end
points may have meaning in describing flow direction.

This sample creates a straight pipe between two hard-coded points using the first pipe family and pipe size
filter it can find in the part list:
Dim oPipe as AeccPipe
Dim sPipeGuid As String
Dim oPipeFilter As AeccPartSizeFilter
' Go through the list of part types and select the first
' pipe found.
' Get all the parts list in the drawing.
' Get the first part list found.
Set oPartList = oPartLists.Item(0)
' Look for a pipe family.
If (oPartFamily.Domain = aeccDomPipe) Then
sPipeGuid = oPartFamily.guid
' Get the first size filter list from the family.
Set oPipeFilter = oPartFamily.SizeFilters.Item(0)
Exit For
End If
Next
Dim dStartPoint(0 To 2) As Double

Dim dEndPoint(0 To 2) As Double
dStartPoint(0) = 100: dStartPoint(1) = 100
dEndPoint(0) = 200: dEndPoint(1) = 100
' Assuming a valid AeccNetwork object "oNetwork".

Set oPipe = oNetwork.Pipes.Add(sPipeGuid, oPipeFilter, dStartPoint, dEndPoint)
Using Pipes
To make a new pipe a meaningful part of a pipe network, it must be connected to structures or other pipes
using the AeccPipe.ConnectToStructure or AeccPipe.ConnectToPipe methods, or structures must be
connected to it using the AeccStructure.ConnectToPipe method. Connecting pipes together directly creates
a new virtual AeccStructure object to serve as the joint. If a pipe end is connected to a structure, it must be
disconnected before attempting to connect it to a different structure. After a pipe has been connected to a
network, you can determine the structures at either end by using the StartStructure and EndStructure
properties or by using the Connections property, which is a read-only collection of network parts. There are
Using Pipes | 165

methods and properties for setting and determining the flow direction, getting all types of physical
measurements, and for accessing collections of user-defined properties for custom descriptions of the pipe.
' Given a pipe and a structure, join the second endpoint
' of the pipe to the structure.
oPipe.ConnectToStructure aeccPipeEnd, oStructure
' Set the flow direction for the pipe.

oPipe.FlowDirectionMethod = aeccPipeFlowDirectionMethodBySlope
' Add a custom property to the pipe and assign a value.

Call oPipe.ParamsLong.Add("Custom", 9.2)
Debug.Print "Custom prop:"; oPipe.ParamsLong.Value("Custom")
Creating Pipe Styles

A pipe style controls the visual appearance of pipes in a document. All pipe style objects in a document are
stored in the AeccPipeDocument.PipeStyles collection. Pipe styles have four display methods and three
hatch methods for controlling general appearance attributes and three properties for controlling display
attributes that are specific to pipes. The methods DisplayStyleModel|Profile|Section|Plan, and
HatchStylePlan|Profile|Section all take a parameter describing the feature being modified, and return a
reference to the AeccDisplayStyle or AeccHatchDisplayStyle object controlling common display attributes,
such as line styles and color. The properties PlanOption and ProfileOption set the size of the inner wall,
outer wall, and end lines according to either the physical properties of the pipe, a custom sizes using drawing
units, or a certain percentage of its previous drawing size. The HatchOption property sets the area of the pipe
covered by any hatching used. A pipe object is given a style by assigning the AeccPipe.Style property to a
AeccPipeStyle object.

This sample creates a new pipe style object, sets some of its properties, and assigns it to a pipe object:
' Create a new pipe style object.
Dim oPipeStyle As AeccPipeStyle
Set oPipeStyle = oPipeDocument.PipeStyles.Add("Pipe Style 01")
With oPipeStyle.PlanOption
' Set the display size of the pipes in plan view, using
' absolute drawing units for the inside, outside, and
' ends of each pipe.
.InnerDiameter = 2.1
.OuterDiameter = 2.4
.EndLineSize = 2.1
' Indicate that we will use our own measurements for

' the inside and outside of the pipe, and not base
' the drawing on the actual physical measurements of
' the pipe.
.WallSizeType = aeccUserDefinedWallSize
' Indicate what kind of custom sizing to use.

.WallSizeOptions = aeccPipeUseAbsoluteUnits
End With
' Modify the colors of pipes using this style when shown in
' plan view.
oPipeStyle.DisplayStylePlan(aeccDispCompPipeOutsideWalls) _
.Color = 40 ' orange
oPipeStyle.DisplayStylePlan(aeccDispCompPlanInsideWalls) _
.Color = 255 ' white
oPipeStyle.DisplayStylePlan(aeccDispCompPipeEndLine) _
.color = 255 ' white
' Set a pipe to use this style.

Set oPipe.Style = oPipeStyle
Creating Pipe Label Styles

The collection of all pipe label styles in a document is found in the
AeccPipeDatabase.PipeNetworkLabelStyles.PipeLabelStyles property, which is a standard AeccLabelStyles
object. For more information, see Label Styles (page 19).
NOTE The label style of a particular pipe cannot be set using the API.
Pipe label styles can use the following property fields in the contents of any text component.
Valid property fields for AeccLabelStyleTextComponent.Contents in pipes
<[Cross Sectional Shape(CP)]>
<[Wall Thickness(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Material(CP)]>
<[Minimum Curve Radius(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Manning Coefficient(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
Creating Pipe Label Styles | 167

<[Hazen Williams Coefficient(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Darcy Weisbach Factor(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Inner Pipe Diameter(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Inner Pipe Width(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Inner Pipe Height(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Name(CP)]>
<[Description(CP)]>
<[Network Name(CP)]>
<[Reference Alignment Name(CP)]>
<[Pipe Start Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Start Offset(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Start Offset Side(CP)]>
<[Pipe End Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[End Offset Side(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[End Offset(CP)]>
<[Reference Surface Name(CP)]>
<[Pipe Slope(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe Start Structure(CP)]>
<[Pipe Start Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe Start Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Start Invert Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Start Centerline Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Start Crown Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe End Structure(CP)]>
<[Pipe End Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe End Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[End Invert Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>

<[End Centerline Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[End Crown Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[2D Length - Center to Center(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[3D Length - Center to Center(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[2D Length - To Inside Edges(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[3D Length - To Inside Edges(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe Bearing(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P6|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Pipe Start Direction in plan(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P6|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Pipe End Direction in plan(Udeg|FDMSdSp|MB|P6|RN|DSn|CU|AP|OF)]>
<[Pipe Radius(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe Chord Length(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Radius Point Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Radius Point Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Minimum Cover(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Maximum Cover(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe Outer Diameter or Width(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Pipe Inner Diameter or Width(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Drop Across Span(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Total Slope Across Span(FP|P2|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Number of Pipes in Span(Sn)]>
Structures
This section describes the creation and use of structures. Structures are the connectors within a pipe network.
Creating Structures
Structures represent physical objects such as manholes, catch basins, and headwalls. Logically, structures
are used as connections between pipes at pipe endpoints. In cases where two pipes connect directly, an
AeccStructure object not representing any physical object is still created to serve as the joint. Any number
of pipes can connect with a structure. Structures are represented by objects of type AeccStructure, which
are created by using the Add method of the Surfaces collection of AeccPipeNetwork.
Structures | 169
This sample uses the first structure family and size filter it can find in the part list and creates a new structure
based on that part type.
Dim oStructure as AeccStructure
Dim sStructureGuid As String
Dim oStructureFilter As AeccPartSizeFilter
' Go through the list of part types and select the first
' structure found.
' Get all the parts list in the drawing.
' Get the first part list found.
Set oPartList = oPartLists.Item(0)
' Look for a structure family that is not named
' "Null Structure".
If (oPartFamily.Domain = aeccDomStructure) And _
(oPartFamily.Name = "Null Structure") Then
sStructureGuid = oPartFamily.guid
' Get the first size filter list from the family.
Set oStructureFilter = oPartFamily.SizeFilters.Item(0)
Exit For
End If
Next
Dim dPoint(0 To 2) As Double

dPoint(0) = 100: dPoint(1) = 100
' Assuming a valid AeccNetwork object "oNetwork".

Set oStructure = oNetwork.Structures.Add( _
sStructureGuid, _
oStructureFilter, _
dPoint, _
5.2333) ' 305 degrees in radians
Using Structures
To make the new structure a meaningful part of a pipe network, it must be connected to pipes in the network
using the AeccStructure.ConnectToPipe method or pipes must be connected to it using the
AeccPipe.ConnectToStructure method. After a structure has been connected to a network, you can determine
the pipes connected to it by using the Connections property, which is a read-only collection of network
parts. There are also methods and properties for setting and determining all types of physical measurements

for the structure and for accessing collections of user-defined properties for custom descriptions of the
structure.
' Given a pipe and a structure, join the second endpoint
' of the pipe to the structure.
oStructure.ConnectToPipe oPipeNew, aeccPipeEnd
' Determine flow directions from all pipes connected

' to a structure.
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To oStructure.ConnectedPipesCount - 1
If (oStructure.IsConnectedPipeFlowingIn(i) = True) Then
Debug.Print "Pipe "; i; " flows into structure"
Else
Debug.Print "Pipe "; i; " does not flow into structure"
End If
Next i
Creating Structure Styles

A structure style controls the visual appearance of structures in a document. All structure style objects are
stored in the AeccPipeDocument.StructureStyles collection. Structure styles have four methods for controlling
general appearance attributes and three properties for controlling display attributes that are specific to
structures. The methods DisplayStylePlan|Profile|Section|Model and HatchStylePlan|Profile|Section
all take a parameter describing the feature being modified and return a reference to the AeccDisplayStyle
or AeccHatchDisplayStyle object controlling common display attributes such as line styles and color. The
properties PlanOption, ProfileOption, and ModelOption set the display size of the structure and whether
the structure is shown as a model of the physical object or only symbolically. A structure object is given a
style by assigning the AeccStructure.Style property to a AeccStructureStyle object.
This sample creates a new structure style object, sets some of its properties, and assigns it to a structure
object:
' Create a new structure style object.
Dim oStructureStyle As AeccStructureStyle
Set oStructureStyle = oPipeDocument.StructureStyles.Add("Structure Style 01")
oStructureStyle.DisplayStylePlan(aeccDispCompStructure).color = 30
oStructureStyle.PlanOption.MaskConnectedObjects = True
' Set a structure to use this style.

Set oStructure.Style = oStructureStyle
Creating Structure Label Styles

The collection of all structure label styles in a document is found in the
AeccPipeDatabase.PipeNetworkLabelStyles.StructureLabelStyles property, which is a standard
AeccLabelStyles object. For more information, see Label Styles (page 19).
NOTE The label style of a particular structure cannot be set using the API.
Creating Structure Styles | 171

Structure label styles can use the following property fields in the contents of any text component:
Valid property fields for AeccLabelStyleTextComponent.Contents in struc-

tures
<[Name(CP)]>
<[Description(CP)]>
<[Network Name(CP)]>
<[Structure Rotation Angle(Udeg|FD|P4|RN|AP|OF)]>
<[Reference Alignment Name(CP)]>
<[Structure Station(Uft|FS|P2|RN|AP|Sn|TP|B2|EN|W0|OF)]>
<[Structure Offset(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Structure Offset Side(CP)]>
<[Reference Surface Name(CP)]>
<[Connected Pipes(Sn)]>
<[Structure Northing(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Structure Easting(Uft|P4|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Automatic Surface Adjustment]>
<[Insertion Rim Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Sump Elevation(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Surface Adjustment Value(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Control Sump By:(CP)]>
<[Sump Depth(P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Surface Elevation At Insertion Point(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Structure Shape(CP)]>
<[Vertical Pipe Clearance(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Rim to Sump Height(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Wall Thickness(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Floor Thickness(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Material(CP)]>
<[Frame(CP)]>

Valid property fields for AeccLabelStyleTextComponent.Contents in struc-
tures
<[Grate(CP)]>
<[Cover(CP)]>
<[Frame Height(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Frame Diameter(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Frame Length(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Frame Width(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Barrel Height(Uft|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Barrel Pipe Clearance(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Cone Height(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Slab Thickness(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Inner Structure Diameter(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Inner Structure Length(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Inner Structure Width(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Headwall Base Width(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
<[Headwall Base Thickness(Uin|P3|RN|AP|Sn|OF)]>
Interference Checks
This section explains how to generate and examine an interference check. An interference check is used to
determine when pipe network parts are either intersecting or are too close together.
Interference Checks | 173

Object Hierarchy
Pipe Network Interference Object Model
Performing an Interference Check

An interference check is used to detect intersections between the pipe parts of two different pipe networks
or of pipes of a single network with themselves. The collection of all interference checks, an object of type
AeccInterferenceChecks, is contained in the document’s AeccPipeDocument.InterferenceChecks property.
A new interference check is made using the AeccInterferenceChecks.Create method, which requires an
AeccInterferenceCheckCreationData parameter. The creation data object holds all the information needed
to perform the check, including the type of check to perform, the distance between parts required for an
interference, and the pipe networks being checked. A new creation data object can only be made using the
AeccInterferenceChecks.GetDefaultCreationData method. A valid check requires at least the Name,
LayerName, SourceNetwork and TargetNetwork properties of the creation data object to be set.

The following sample performs an interference check between two networks:
' Get the collection of all interference checks.
Dim oInterferenceChecks As AeccInterferenceChecks
Set oInterferenceChecks = oPipeDocument.InterferenceChecks
' Set up the creation data structure for making an

' interference check.
Dim oCreationData As AeccInterferenceCheckCreationData
Set oCreationData = oInterferenceChecks.GetDefaultCreationData
' If pipes are closer than 3.5 units apart, count it as an

' intersection.
oCreationData.Criteria.ApplyProximity = True
oCreationData.Criteria.CriteriaDistance = 3.5
oCreationData.Criteria.UseDistanceOrScaleFactor = aeccDistance
' List the networks being tested. We will compare a network

' with itself, so we list it twice.
Set oCreationData.SourceNetwork = oPipeNetwork1
Set oCreationData.TargetNetwork = oPipeNetwork2
' Assign the check a unique name and a layer to use.

oCreationData.Name = "Test 01"
oCreationData.LayerName = oPipeDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
' Create a new check of the pipe network.

Dim oInterferenceCheck As AeccInterferenceCheck
Set oInterferenceCheck = _
oInterferenceChecks.Create(oCreationData)
Listing the Interferences

An interference check, the AeccInterferenceCheck object returned by the AeccInterferenceChecks.Create
method, contains a collection of AeccInterference objects each representing a single interference found
during the check. Each interference holds the point location of the interference center in the Location
property, a three element array of doubles representing X, Y, and Z coordinates. The bounds of the entire
interference area are returned by the GetExtents method. The extents are a two-item array of points, together
Listing the Interferences | 175

representing the greatest and least corners of a cube containing the intersection area. The SourceNetworkPart
and TargetNetworkPart properties hold the network parts that intersect.
Dim oInterference As AeccInterference
For Each oInterference In oInterferenceCheck
' Display the 2D x,y location of the interference.
Dim vLocation As Variant
Dim sLocation As String
Dim vExtent As Variant
vLocation = oInterference.Location
sLocation = vLocation(0) & ", " & vLocation(1)
MsgBox "There is an interference at:" & sLocation
' Display the greatest and least corners of the 3D

' rectangle containing the interference.
vExtent = oInterference.GetExtents()
Debug.Print "The interference takes place between:"
sLocation = vExtent(0)(0) & ", "
sLocation = sLocation & vExtent(0)(1) & ", "
sLocation = sLocation & vExtent(0)(2)
Debug.Print " "; sLocation; " and:"
sLocation = vExtent(1)(0) & ", "
sLocation = sLocation & vExtent(1)(1) & ", "
sLocation = sLocation & vExtent(1)(2)
Debug.Print " "; sLocation
Next
If (oInterferenceCheck.Count = 0) Then
MsgBox "There are no interferences in the network."
End If
Interference Check Styles

Either a symbol or a model of the actual intersection region can be drawn at each interference location. The
display of these intersections is controlled by an AeccInterferenceStyle object. The collection of all
interference style objects in the document are stored in the AeccPipeDocument.InterferenceStyles collection.
Set the style of an interference object by assigning an AeccInterferenceStyle object to the
AeccInterference.Style property:
Set oInterference.Style = oInterferenceStyle
There are three different styles of interference displays you can chose from. First, you can display a 3D model
of the intersection region. This is done by setting the ModelOptions style property to
aeccTrueSolidInterference. The ModelSolidDisplayStyle2D property, an object of type AeccDisplayStyle,
controls the visible appearance of the model such as color and line types. Make sure the
ModelSolidDisplayStyle2D.Visible property is set to True.
Another possibility is to draw a 3D sphere at the location of intersection. This is done by setting the
ModelOptions style property to aeccSphereInterference. If the InterferenceSizeType property is set to
aeccSolidExtents, then the sphere is automatically sized to just circumscribe the region of intersection
(that is, it is the smallest sphere that still fits the model of the intersection region). You can set the size of
the sphere by setting the InterferenceSizeType property to aeccUserDefined, setting the ModelSizeOptions
property to use either absolute units or drawing units, and setting the corresponding AbsoluteModelSize or
DrawingScaleModelSize property to the desired value. Again, the ModelSolidDisplayStyle2D property
controls the visual features such as color and line type. Make sure the ModelSolidDisplayStyle2D.Visible
property is set to True.

The third option is to place a symbol at the location of intersection. Set the
PlanSymbolDisplayStyle2D.Visible style property to True to make symbols visible. The style property
MarkerStyle, an object of type AeccMarkerStyle, controls all aspects of how the symbol is drawn.
This sample creates a new interference style object that displays an X symbol with a superimposed circle at
points of intersection:
' Create a new interference style object.
Dim oInterferenceStyle As AeccInterferenceStyle
Set oInterferenceStyle = oPipeDocument.InterferenceStyles _
.Add("Interference style 01")
' Draw a symbol of a violet X with circle with a specified

' drawing size at the points of intersection.
oInterferenceStyle.PlanSymbolDisplayStyle2D.Visible = True
With oInterferenceStyle.MarkerStyle
.MarkerType = aeccUseCustomMarker
.CustomMarkerStyle = aeccCustomMarkerX
.CustomMarkerSuperimposeStyle = _
aeccCustomMarkerSuperimposeCircle
.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.color = 200 ' violet
.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.MarkerSizeType = aeccAbsoluteUnits
.MarkerSize = 5.5
End With
' Hide any model display at intersection points.
oInterferenceStyle.ModelSolidDisplayStyle2D.Visible = False
Sample Program
PipeSample.dvb
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\Vba\Pipe\PipeSample.dvb
The sample code from this chapter can be found in context in the PipeSample.dvb project. This sample
creates a simple pipe network, creates and applies a new style, and performs an interference check.

178
Pipe Networks in .NET
15
This chapter describes working with pipe networks with the .NET API. For information about using pipe networks with
the COM API, see Pipe Networks in COM (page 159)
Base Objects
This section explains how to get the base objects required for using the pipe network API classes.
Accessing Pipe Network-Specific Base Objects

Applications that access pipe networks do so through the CivilDocument object. This is different from the
COM API, in which pipe network functionality is accessed through the separate AeccPipeDocument instead
of AeccDocument. In the .NET API, the CivilDocument object contains collections of pipe network-related
items, such as pipe networks, pipe styles, and interference checks.
Pipe-Specific Ambient Settings

Ambient settings allow you to get and set the units and default property settings of pipe network objects as
well as access the catalog of all pipe and structure parts held in the document. Ambient settings for a pipe
document are obtained from the CivilDocument.Settings.GetSettings() method, which returns an object
inherited from SettingsAmbient.
Among the classes that inherit from SettingsAmbient are SettingsPipe, SettingsPipeNetwork, and
SettingsStructure. Each of these has properties that describe the default units of measurement for
interference, pipe, and structure objects. The PipeSettingsRoot.PipeNetworkSettings property contains
179
the name of the default styles for pipe and structure objects as well as the default label placement, units,
and naming conventions for pipe networks as a whole.
public void ShowPipeRules()
{
SettingsPipeNetwork oSettingsPipeNetwork = doc.Settings.GetSettings<SettingsPipeNetwork>()
as SettingsPipeNetwork;
ed.WriteMessage("Using pipe rules: {0}\n", oSettingsPipeNetwork.Rules.Pipe.Value);
// Set the default units used for pipes in this document.
oSettingsPipeNetwork.Angle.Unit.Value = Autodesk.Civil.AngleUnitType.Radian;
oSettingsPipeNetwork.Coordinate.Unit.Value = Autodesk.Civil.LinearUnitType.Foot;
oSettingsPipeNetwork.Distance.Unit.Value = Autodesk.Civil.LinearUnitType.Foot;
}
Listing and Adding Dynamic Part Properties

Each type of pipe and structure has many unique attributes (such as size, geometry, design, and composition)
that cannot be stored in the standard pipe and structure properties. To give each part appropriate attributes,
pipe and structure objects have sets of dynamic properties. A single property is represented by an
PartDataField object. Data fields are held in collections of type PartDataRecord. You can reach these
collections through the PartData property of the Part class, from which Pipe and Structure objects inherit.
Each data field contains an internal variable name, a text description of the value, a global context used to
identify the field, data type, and the data value itself, as well as other properties.
This sample enumerates all the data fields contained in a pipe object “oPipe” and displays information from
each field.
// Get PartDataRecord for first pipe in the network
ObjectId pipeId = oNetwork.GetPipeIds()[0];
Pipe oPipe = ts.GetObject(pipeId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Pipe;
PartDataField[] oDataFields = oPipe.PartData.GetAllDataFields();
ed.WriteMessage("Additional info for pipe: {0}\n", oPipe.Name);
foreach (PartDataField oPartDataField in oDataFields)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Name: {0}, Description: {1}, DataType: {2}, Value: {3}\n",
oPartDataField.Name,
oPartDataField.Description,
oPartDataField.DataType,
oPartDataField.Value);
}
Dynamic properties created with the NetworkCatalogDef class are not yet supported by the .NET API.
Retrieving the Parts List

CivilDocument.Styles.PartsListSet contains a read-only collection of all the lists of part types available
in the document. Each list is an object of type PartList, a read-only collection of PartsList ObjectIds. A part
family represents a broad category of parts, and is identified by a GUID (Globally Unique Identification)
value. A part family can only contain parts from one domain - either pipes or structures but not both. Part
families contain a read-only collection of part filters (PartSizeFilter), which are the particular sizes of parts.
A part filter is defined by its PartSizeFilter.PartDataRecord property, a collection of fields describing
various aspects of the part.
180 | Chapter 15 Pipe Networks in .NET

This sample prints the complete listing of all parts in a document.
Retrieving the Parts List | 181

[CommandMethod("PrintParts")]
public void PrintParts()
{
using (Transaction ts = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.
Database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
{
// SettingsPipeNetwork oSettingsPipeNetwork = doc.Settings.GetSettings<SettingsPipeN
etwork>() as SettingsPipeNetwork;
PartsListCollection oPartListCollection = doc.Styles.PartsListSet;
ed.WriteMessage("Number of parts lists in document: {0}\n", oPartListCollection.Count);
foreach (ObjectId objId in oPartListCollection)
{
PartsList oPartsList = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as PartsList;
ed.WriteMessage("PARTS LIST: {0}\n----------------\n", oPartsList.Name);
// From the part list, looking at only those part families
// that are pipes, print all the individual parts, plus
// some information about each part.
ObjectIdCollection pipeFamilyCollection = oPartsList.GetPartFamilyIdsByDomain(Do
mainType.Pipe);
ed.WriteMessage(" Pipes\n =====\n");
foreach (ObjectId objIdPfa in pipeFamilyCollection)
{
PartFamily oPartFamily = ts.GetObject(objIdPfa, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Part
Family;
if (oPartFamily.Domain == DomainType.Pipe)
{
ed.WriteMessage(" Family: {0}\n", oPartFamily.Name);
SizeFilterRecord oSizeFilterRecord = oPartFamily.PartSizeFilter;
SizeFilterField SweptShape = oSizeFilterRecord.GetParamByContextAndIn
dex(PartContextType.SweptShape, 0);
SizeFilterField MinCurveRadius = oSizeFilterRecord.GetParamByContextAndIn
dex(PartContextType.MinCurveRadius, 0);
//SizeFilterField StructPipeWallThickness;
SizeFilterField FlowAnalysisManning = oSizeFilterRecord.GetParamByContex
tAndIndex(PartContextType.FlowAnalysisManning, 0);
SizeFilterField m_Material = oSizeFilterRecord.GetParamByContextAndIn
dex(PartContextType.Material, 0);
// SizeFilterField PipeInnerDiameter = oSizeFilterRecord.GetParamByCon
textAndIndex(PartContextType.PipeInnerDiameter, 0);
ed.WriteMessage(" {0}: {1}, {2}: {3}, {4}: {5} {6}: {7}\n",
SweptShape.Description, SweptShape.Value,
MinCurveRadius.Description, MinCurveRadius.Value,
FlowAnalysisManning.Description, FlowAnalysisManning.Value,
m_Material.Description, m_Material.Value
);
}
}
// From the part list, looking at only those part families
// that are structures, print all the individual parts.
ed.WriteMessage(" Structures\n =====\n");
foreach (ObjectId objIdPfa in pipeFamilyCollection)
{
PartFamily oPartFamily = ts.GetObject(objIdPfa, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Part
Family;

if (oPartFamily.Domain == DomainType.Structure)
{
ed.WriteMessage(" Family: {0}\n", oPartFamily.Name);
}
}
}
}
}
Creating a Pipe Network

A pipe network is a set of interconnected or related parts. The collection of all pipe networks is returned by
the CivilDocument.GetPipeNetworkIds() method. A pipe network, an object of type Network, contains the
collection of pipes and the collection of structures which make up the network. Network also contains the
method FindShortestNetworkPath() for determining the path between two network parts.
Creating a Pipe Network | 183

The Network.ReferenceSurfaceId is used primarily for Pipe Rules. For example, you can have a rule that
places the structure rim at a specified elevation from the surface.
Public Function CreatePipeNetwork() As Boolean
Dim trans As Transaction = tm.StartTransaction()
Dim oPipeNetworkIds As ObjectIdCollection
Dim oNetworkId As ObjectId
Dim oNetwork As Network
oNetworkId = Network.Create(g_oDocument, NETWORK_NAME)
' get the network
Try
oNetwork = trans.GetObject(oNetworkId, OpenMode.ForWrite)
Catch
CreatePipeNetwork = False
Exit Function
End Try
'
'Add pipe and Structure
' Get the Networks collections
oPipeNetworkIds = g_oDocument.GetPipeNetworkIds()
If (oPipeNetworkIds Is Nothing) Then
MsgBox("There is no PipeNetwork Collection." + Convert.ToChar(10))
ed.WriteMessage("There is no PipeNetwork Collection." + Convert.ToChar(10))
CreatePipeNetwork = False
Exit Function
End If
Dim oPartsListId As ObjectId = g_oDocument.Styles.PartsListSet(PARTS_LIST_NAME) 'Standard
PartsList
Dim oPartsList As PartsList = trans.GetObject(oPartsListId, OpenMode.ForWrite)
Dim oidPipe As ObjectId = oPartsList("Concrete Pipe SI")
Dim opfPipe As PartFamily = trans.GetObject(oidPipe, OpenMode.ForWrite)
Dim psizePipe As ObjectId = opfPipe(0)
Dim line As LineSegment3d = New LineSegment3d(New Point3d(30, 9, 0), New Point3d(33, 7,
0))
Dim oidNewPipe As ObjectId = ObjectId.Null
oNetwork.AddLinePipe(oidPipe, psizePipe, line, oidNewPipe, True)
Dim oidStructure As ObjectId = oPartsList("CMP Rectangular End Section SI")
Dim opfStructure As PartFamily = trans.GetObject(oidStructure, OpenMode.ForWrite)
Dim psizeStructure As ObjectId = opfStructure(0)
Dim startPoint As Point3d = New Point3d(30, 9, 0)
Dim endPoint As Point3d = New Point3d(33, 7, 0)
Dim oidNewStructure As ObjectId = ObjectId.Null
oNetwork.AddStructure(oidStructure, psizeStructure, startPoint, 0, oidNewStructure, True)
oNetwork.AddStructure(oidStructure, psizeStructure, endPoint, 0, oidNewStructure, True)
ed.WriteMessage("PipeNetwork created" + Convert.ToChar(10))
trans.Commit()
CreatePipeNetwork = True
End Function ' CreatePipeNetwork
Pipes
This section explains the creation and use of pipes. Pipes represent the conduits within a pipe network.

Creating Pipes
Pipe objects represent the conduits of the pipe network. Pipes are created using the pipe network’s methods
for creating either straight or curved pipes, AddLinePipe() and AddCurvePipe(). Both methods require you
to specify a particular part family (using the ObjectId of a family) and a particular part size filter object as
well as the geometry of the pipe.
This sample creates a straight pipe between two hard-coded points using the first pipe family and pipe size
filter it can find in the part list:
[CommandMethod("AddPipe")]
public void AddPipe()
{
{
ObjectIdCollection oIdCollection = doc.GetPipeNetworkIds();
// Get the first network in the document
ObjectId objId = oIdCollection[0];
Network oNetwork = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Network;
ed.WriteMessage("Pipe Network: {0}\n", oNetwork.Name);
// Go through the list of part types and select the first pipe found
ObjectId pid = oNetwork.PartsListId;
PartsList pl = ts.GetObject(pid, OpenMode.ForWrite) as PartsList;
ObjectId oid = pl["Concrete Pipe"];
PartFamily pfa = ts.GetObject(oid, OpenMode.ForWrite) as PartFamily;
ObjectId psize = pfa[0];
LineSegment3d line = new LineSegment3d(new Point3d(30, 9, 0), new Point3d(33, 7,
0));
ObjectIdCollection col = oNetwork.GetPipeIds();
ObjectId oidNewPipe = ObjectId.Null;
oNetwork.AddLinePipe(oid, psize, line, ref oidNewPipe, false);
Pipe oNewPipe = ts.GetObject(oidNewPipe, OpenMode.ForRead) as Pipe;
ed.WriteMessage("Pipe created: {0}\n", oNewPipe.DisplayName);
ts.Commit();
}
Using Pipes
To make a new pipe a meaningful part of a pipe network, it must be connected to structures or other pipes
using the Pipe.ConnectToStructure() or Pipe.ConnectToPipe() methods, or structures must be connected
to it using the Structure.ConnectToPipe() method. Connecting pipes together directly creates a new virtual
Structure object to serve as the joint. If a pipe end is connected to a structure, it must be disconnected
before attempting to connect it to a different structure. After a pipe has been connected to a network, you
can determine the structures at either end by using the StartStructureId and EndStructureId properties.
There are methods and properties for setting and determining the flow direction, getting all types of physical
measurements, and for accessing collections of user-defined properties for custom descriptions of the pipe.
Creating Pipes | 185

Creating Pipe Styles
A pipe style controls the visual appearance of pipes in a document. All pipe style objects in a document are
stored in the CivilDocument.PipeStyles collection. Pipe styles have four display methods and three hatch
methods for controlling general appearance attributes and three properties for controlling display attributes
that are specific to pipes. The methods GetDisplayStyleProfile|Section|Plan(), and
GetHatchStyleProfile() all take a parameter describing the feature being modified, and return a reference
to the DisplayStyle or HatchDisplayStyle object controlling common display attributes, such as line styles
and color. The methods GetDisplayStyleModel(), GetHatchStylePlan(), and GetHatchStyleSection() do
not take a component parameter.
The properties PlanOption and ProfileOption set the size of the inner wall, outer wall, and end lines
according to either the physical properties of the pipe, custom sizes using drawing units, or a certain
percentage of its previous drawing size. The HatchOption property sets the area of the pipe covered by any
hatching used. A pipe object is given a style by assigning the Pipe.Style property to a PipeStyle object.

This sample attempts to create a new pipe style object and set some of its properties. If a style already exists
with the same name, it sets the properties on the existing style:
Creating Pipe Styles | 187

Public Function CreatePipeStyle(ByVal sStyleName As String) As PipeStyle
Dim oPipeStyleId As ObjectId
Dim oPipeStyle As PipeStyle
Try
oPipeStyleId = g_oDocument.Styles.PipeStyles.Add(sStyleName)
Catch
End Try
If (oPipeStyleId = ObjectId.Null) Then
Try
oPipeStyleId = g_oDocument.Styles.PipeStyles.Item(sStyleName)
Catch
End Try
If (oPipeStyleId = ObjectId.Null) Then
MsgBox("Could not create or use a pipe style with the name:" & sStyleName)
CreatePipeStyle = Nothing
Exit Function
End If
End If
oPipeStyle = trans.GetObject(oPipeStyleId, OpenMode.ForWrite)
' Set the display size of the pipes in plan view. We will
' use absolute drawing units for the inside, outside, and
' ends of each pipe.
' enter a value greater than or equal to 0.000mm and less than or equal to 1000.000mm
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.InnerDiameter = 0.0021
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.OuterDiameter = 0.0024
' Indicate that we will use our own measurements for the inside
' and outside of the pipe, and not base drawing on the actual
' type of pipe.
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.WallSizeType = PipeWallSizeType.UserDefinedWallSize
' Inidcate what kind of custom sizing to use.
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.WallSizeOptions = PipeUserDefinedType.UseDrawingScale
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.EndLineSize = 0.0021
' Indicate that we will use our own measurements for the end
'line of the pipe, and not base drawing on the actual type
' of pipe.
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.EndSizeType = PipeEndSizeType.UserDefinedEndSize
' Inidcate what kind of custom sizing to use.
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.EndSizeOptions = PipeUserDefinedType.UseDrawingScale
'
' Modify the colors of pipes using this style, as shown
'in plan view.
oPipeStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(PipeDisplayStylePlanType.OutsideWalls).Color = Color.From
Rgb(255, 191, 0) ' orange, ColorIndex = 40
oPipeStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(PipeDisplayStylePlanType.InsideWalls).Color = Color.From
Rgb(191, 0, 255) ' violet, ColorIndex = 200
oPipeStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(PipeDisplayStylePlanType.EndLine).Color = Color.FromRgb(191,
0, 255) ' violet, ColorIndex = 200
'
' Set the hatch style for pipes using this style, as shown
'in plan view.
oPipeStyle.GetHatchStylePlan().Pattern = "DOTS"
oPipeStyle.GetHatchStylePlan().HatchType = Autodesk.Civil.DatabaseServices.Styles.Hatch
Type.PreDefined
oPipeStyle.GetHatchStylePlan().UseAngleOfObject = False
oPipeStyle.GetHatchStylePlan().ScaleFactor = 9.0#

oPipeStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(PipeDisplayStylePlanType.Hatch).Color = Color.FromRgb(0,
255, 191) ' turquose, ColorIndex = 120
oPipeStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(PipeDisplayStylePlanType.Hatch).Visible = True
oPipeStyle.PlanOption.HatchOptions = PipeHatchType.HatchToInnerWalls
trans.Commit()
ed.WriteMessage("Create PipeStyle succeeded." + Convert.ToChar(10))
CreatePipeStyle = oPipeStyle
End Function ' CreatePipeStyle
Creating Pipe Label Styles

The collection of all pipe label styles in a document is found in the CivilDocument.Styles.PipeLabelStyles
property, which is a LabelStylesPipeRoot object. This object lets you get and set cross section label styles,
plan / profile view label styles, and default label styles for pipes.
NOTE The label style of a particular pipe cannot be set using the .NET API.
Structures
This section describes the creation and use of structures. Structures are the connectors within a pipe network.
Creating Structures
Structures represent physical objects such as manholes, catch basins, and headwalls. Logically, structures
are used as connections between pipes at pipe endpoints. In cases where two pipes connect directly, an
Structure object not representing any physical object is still created to serve as the joint. Any number of
pipes can connect with a structure. Structures are represented by objects of type Structure, which are created
by using the AddStructure() method of Network.
See the code sample in Creating a Pipe Network (page 183) for an example of how to call this method.
Using Structures
To make the new structure a meaningful part of a pipe network, it must be connected to pipes in the network
using the Structure.ConnectToPipe() method or pipes must be connected to it using the
Pipe.ConnectToStructure() method. After a structure has been connected to a network, you can determine
the pipes connected to it by using the ConnectedPipe property, which is a read-only collection of network
parts. There are also methods and properties for setting and determining all types of physical measurements
for the structure and for accessing collections of user-defined properties for custom descriptions of the
structure.
Creating Structure Styles

A structure style controls the visual appearance of structures in a document. All structure style objects are
stored in the CivilDocument.Styles.StructureStyles property. Structure styles have four methods for
controlling general appearance attributes and three properties for controlling display attributes that are
specific to structures. The methods GetDisplayStylePlan|Profile|Section() and GetHatchStyleProfile()
all take a parameter describing the feature being modified and return a reference to the DisplayStyle or
HatchDisplayStyle object controlling common display attributes such as line styles and color. The properties
PlanOption, ProfileOption, SectionOption, and ModelOption set the display size of the structure and whether
Creating Pipe Label Styles | 189

the structure is shown as a model of the physical object or only symbolically. A structure object is given a
style by assigning the Structure.StyleId or Structure.StyleName property to a StructureStyle object.
This sample attempts to create a new structure style object and set some of its properties. If the style already
exists, it changes the existing style:
Public Function CreateStructureStyle(ByVal sStyleName As String) As StructureStyle
Dim oStructureStyle As StructureStyle
Dim oStructureStyleId As ObjectId
Try
oStructureStyleId = g_oDocument.Styles.StructureStyles.Add(sStyleName)
Catch
End Try
If (oStructureStyleId = ObjectId.Null) Then
Try
oStructureStyleId = g_oDocument.Styles.StructureStyles.Item(sStyleName)
Catch
End Try
If (oStructureStyleId = ObjectId.Null) Then
MsgBox("Could not create or use a structure style with the name:" & sStyleName)
CreateStructureStyle = Nothing
Exit Function
End If
End If
oStructureStyle = trans.GetObject(oStructureStyleId, OpenMode.ForWrite)
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.Structure).Color =
Color.FromRgb(255, 191, 0) ' orange
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.Structure).Visible =
True
oStructureStyle.PlanOption.MaskConnectedObjects = False
oStructureStyle.PlanOption.SizeType = StructureSizeOptionsType.UseDrawingScale
oStructureStyle.PlanOption.Size = 0.0035
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStyleSection(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.Structure).Visible
= False
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStyleSection(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.StructureHatch).Vis
ible = False
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.StructureHatch).Visible
= False
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.Structure).Visible
= False
oStructureStyle.GetDisplayStyleProfile(StructureDisplayStylePlanType.StructureHatch).Vis
ible = False
trans.Commit()
ed.WriteMessage("Create StructureStyle Successful." + Convert.ToChar(10))
CreateStructureStyle = oStructureStyle
End Function ' CreateStructureStyle
Creating Structure Label Styles

The collection of all structure label styles in a document is found in the
CivilDocument.Styles.LabelStyles.StructureLabelStyles property, which is a LabelStylesStructureRoot
object. .
NOTE The label style of a particular structure cannot be set using the .NET API.

Interference Checks
This section explains how to generate and examine an interference check. An interference check is used to
determine when pipe network parts are either intersecting or are too close together.
Performing an Interference Check

This functionality is not yet supported by the .NET API.
Listing the Interferences

This functionality is not yet supported by the .NET API.
Interference Check Styles

Either a symbol or a model of the actual intersection region can be drawn at each interference location. The
display of these intersections is controlled by an InterferenceStyle object. The collection of all interference
style objects in the document are stored in the CivilDocument.Styles.InterferenceStyles collection.
There are three different styles of interference displays you can chose from. First, you can display a 3D model
of the intersection region. This is done by setting the ModelOptions style property to
InterferenceModelType.TrueSolid. The GetDisplayStyleModel() method returns an object of type
DisplayStyle which controls the visible appearance of the model such as color and line types. Make sure
the DisplayStyle.Visible property is set to True.
Another possibility is to draw a 3D sphere at the location of the intersection. This is done by setting the
ModelOptions style property to InterferenceModelType.Sphere. If the ModelSizeType property is set to
InterferenceModelSizeType.SolidExtents, then the sphere is automatically sized to just circumscribe the
region of intersection (that is, it is the smallest sphere that still fits the model of the intersection region).
You can set the size of the sphere by setting the ModelSizeType property to
InterferenceModelSizeType.UserSpecified, setting the ModelSizeOptions property to use either absolute
units or drawing units, and setting the corresponding AbsoluteModelSize or DrawingScaleModelSize property
to the desired value. Again, the DisplayStyle object returned by GetDisplayStyleModel() controls the visual
features such as color and line type.
The third option is to place a symbol at the location of intersection. Set the
GetDisplayStylePlan(InterferenceDisplayStyleType.Symbol).Visible property to True to make symbols
visible. The style property MarkerStyle, an object of type MarkerStyle, controls all aspects of how the symbol
is drawn.
Interference Checks | 191

This sample creates a new interference style object that displays an X symbol with a superimposed circle at
points of intersection:
public void InterfStyle()
{
{
ObjectId intStyleId;
intStyleId = doc.Styles.InterferenceStyles.Add("Interference style 01");
InterferenceStyle oIntStyle = ts.GetObject(intStyleId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Inter
ferenceStyle;
// Draw a symbol of a violet X with circle with a specified
// drawing size at the points of intersection.
oIntStyle.GetDisplayStylePlan(InterferenceDisplayStyleType.Symbol).Visible = true;
ObjectId markerStyleId = oIntStyle.MarkerStyle;
MarkerStyle oMarkerStyle = ts.GetObject(markerStyleId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Marker
Style;
oMarkerStyle.MarkerType = MarkerDisplayType.UseCustomMarker;
oMarkerStyle.CustomMarkerStyle = CustomMarkerType.CustomMarkerX;
oMarkerStyle.CustomMarkerSuperimposeStyle = CustomMarkerSuperimposeType.Circle;
oMarkerStyle.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci,
200);
oMarkerStyle.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Visible = true;
oMarkerStyle.SizeType = MarkerSizeType.AbsoluteUnits;
oMarkerStyle.MarkerSize = 5.5;
// Hide any model display at intersection points.
oIntStyle.GetDisplayStyleModel(InterferenceDisplayStyleType.Solid).Visible = false;
ts.Commit();
}
Sample Program
PipeSample
<installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\DotNet\VB.NET\PipeSample
Some of the sample code from this chapter can be found in context in the PipeSample project. This sample
creates a simple pipe network, creates pipe, structure and interference styles, creates a parts list, and prints
a hierarchy of part types available in a document, separated into pipe and structure domains.

Creating Custom
Subassemblies Using .NET 16
Overview
This chapter describes how to create a custom subassembly using Visual Basic .NET. This is the currently
supported and preferred method of creating custom subassemblies, although the older VBA framework is
still supported. See the Appendix Creating Custom Subassemblies with VBA for more information.
This chapter covers design considerations, the structure of subassembly programs, and an example subassembly
in VB that you can use as a template for your own custom subassemblies.
Subassembly Changes
The “target mapping’ feature in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 has changed, which affects how custom subassemblies
are written. This feature now allows a subassembly to target object types in addition to alignments and
profiles associated with the corridor that it requires to define its geometry. For more information about this
feature, see Setting Targets in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User’s Guide.
There are four changes to the way you write a custom subassembly:
1 New parameter types in ParamLogicalNameType
2 New target collections in corridorState
3 Targets are now objects
4 The CalcAlignmentOffsetToThisAlignment utility method is changed
193
New parameter types in ParamLogicalNameType
A subassembly can now target an offset target and elevation target (instead of an alignment and a profile),
which are represented by new parameter types in ParamLogicalNameType. If you want to support the new
target types in your subassemblies, you need to replace:
■ ParamLogicalNameType.Alignment with
■ ParamLogicalNameType.OffsetTarget — offset targets that are alignments, feature lines, survey figures
and AutoCAD polylines OR
■ ParamLogicalNameType.OffsetTargetPipe — offset targets that are pipe networks
■ ParamLogicalNameType.Profile with
■ ParamLogicalNameType.ElevationTarget — elevation targets that are profiles, feature lines, survey
figures and AutoCAD 3D polylines OR
■ ParamLogicalNameType.ElevationTargetPipe — elevation targets that are pipe networks
New target collections in corridorState

To get the offset and elevation target collections from the corridorState object, use ParamsOffsetTarget
and ParamsElevationTarget instead of ParamsAlignment and ParamsProfile. All the offset targets (including
network pipe offset targets) are in ParamsOffsetTarget, and all elevation targets (including network pipe
elevation targets) are in ParamsElevationTarget. Here’s an example from the BasicLaneTransition.vb sample
in the Sample VB.NET Subassembly (page 203) section below:
Dim oParamsLong As ParamLongCollection
oParamsLong = corridorState.ParamsLong
Dim oParamsOffsetTarget As ParamOffsetTargetCollection

oParamsOffsetTarget = corridorState.ParamsOffsetTarget
Targets are now objects

Targets are now objects, instead of alignment or profile IDs. Now WidthOffsetTarget is defined for offset
targets, and SlopeElevationTarget is defined for elevation targets, so you can declare targets as objects
instead of IDs. Here’s an example from the BasicLaneTransition.vb sample in the Sample VB.NET Subassembly
(page 203) section below:
Dim offsetTarget As WidthOffsetTarget 'width or offset target
offsetTarget = Nothing
Dim elevationTarget As SlopeElevationTarget 'slope or elevation target
elevationTarget = Nothing
Changes to CalcAlignmentOffsetToThisAlignment()
The CalcAlignmentOffsetToThisAlignment() utility method now calculate the offset from this alignment
to the offset target. This method no longer returns the station value; it now returns the XY coordinate of
the offset target at the point perpendicular to the alignment’s station.
194 | Chapter 16 Creating Custom Subassemblies Using .NET

You can also now use the SlopeElevationTarget.GetElevation method to get an elevation on an elevation
target directly, instead of using CalcAlignmentOffsetToThisAlignment(). Here’s an example from the
BasicLaneTransition.vb sample in the Sample VB.NET Subassembly (page 203) section below:
'get elevation on elevationTarget
Try
dOffsetElev = elevationTarget.GetElevation(oCurrentAlignmentId, _
corridorState.CurrentStation, Utilities.GetSide(vSide))
Catch
Utilities.RecordWarning(corridorState, _
CorridorError.LogicalNameNotFound, _
"TargetHA", "BasicLaneTransition")
dOffsetElev = corridorState.CurrentElevation + vWidth * vSlope
End Try
Designing Custom Subassemblies

This section describes the requirements for designing a custom subassembly.
Naming Custom Subassemblies

■ Do not use spaces or other special characters.
■ Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, with uppercase letters reserved for the first character
of each word.
■ Group subassemblies by making the type of component the first word. For example, in the AutoCAD
Civil 3D Corridor Modeling catalogs all lane subassembly names begin with “Lane”, all shoulders with
“Shoulder”, and so on.
Attachment and Insertion Methodology

Most subassembly components have a single point of attachment and extend in one direction or the other
from that point. However, there are some exceptions to this general rule.
The list below describes the attachment and insertion methodology for three categories of subassemblies:
medians, components joining two roadways, and rehabilitation and overlay.
■ Medians. Medians tend to be inserted in both the left and right directions simultaneously about a
centerline (which is not necessarily the corridor baseline alignment). Furthermore, the attachment point
may not be a point on the median surface links. For example, the attachment point for a depressed
median subassembly may be above the median ditch at the elevation of the inside edges-of-traveled-way.
■ Components Joining Two Roadways. When modeling separated roadways in a single corridor model, it
is often necessary to insert intersection fill slopes, or to connect from one edge-of-roadway to another.
Typically, you assemble the components for as much of the first roadway as possible, switch baselines
and assemble the components for the second roadway, then use special subassemblies to connect between
the two roadways. In this case, two attachment points are needed. Do this by creating a subassembly
with a normal attachment point on one side, and which attaches to a previously defined marked point
on the other.
■ Rehabilitation and Overlay. Typically, subassemblies that are used to strip pavement, level, and overlay
existing roads are placed based on calculations involving the shape of the existing roadway section,
rather than using a design centerline alignment and profile. For example, a pavement overlay subassembly
may require a minimum vertical distance from the existing pavement for a given design slope. A
Designing Custom Subassemblies | 195

lane-widening subassembly may need to attach to the existing edge-of-traveled-way and match the
existing lane slope.
User-defined vs. Hard-coded Parameters

Determine which of the geometric dimensions, behavior, and methodology will be hard-coded into the
subassembly, and which will be controlled by user-defined input parameters.
One approach is to specify that a majority of items can be controlled by user input. This can add time and
complexity to using the subassembly. Another approach is to make it so that it cannot be adapted to different
situations. Generally, widths, depths, and slopes should be variable, not fixed. A compromise is to include
a larger number of inputs, but provide default values usable in most design situations.
A good example of where to use hard-coded dimensions is with structural components, such as barriers and
curb-and-gutter shapes. If there are five commonly-used variations of the same basic shape with different
dimensions, it may be better to provide five separate subassemblies with hard-coded dimensions rather than
making the user define the dimensions on a single subassembly. For example, users may be comfortable
selecting from separate subassemblies for curb types A-E, which have predefined, hard-coded dimensions.
You can always provide a generic subassembly with variable dimensions for scenarios where the common
ones do not apply.
Input Parameter Types

The table below describes the various types of input parameters:
Input Parameter Description
Widths The cross-sectional horizontal distance between two points on

the roadway assembly. Widths are generally given as positive
numeric values, and extend in the direction of insertion (left
or right) of the subassembly. Many components that require
a width are likely candidates for using an alignment as an op-
tional target parameter. The width is then calculated at each
station to tie to the alignment, if one is given.
Offsets The cross-sectional horizontal distance from the corridor

baseline to a point on the roadway assembly. The difference
between an Offset and a Width is that Widths are measured
from some point on the assembly, while Offsets are measured
from the corridor baseline. Positive and negative values indicate
positions right or left of the baseline. Components requiring
an offset are also likely to use an alignment to allow a calculated
offset.
% Slopes Lanes, shoulders, and other components usually have a slope

defined as ratio of rise-to-run. There are two common conven-
tions for how these are expressed. They can either be a unitless
ratio (-0.05), or a percent value (-5). Both of these examples
define a 5% slope downwards. The same convention should
be used for all subassemblies in a catalog. In some cases, you
may want the component to have a variable slope, tying to a
profile. The profile name can be given as a target parameter.
Ratio Slopes Cut slopes, fill slopes, ditch side slopes, median slopes, and
many other roadway components are commonly expressed

Input Parameter Description
as a run-to-rise ratio, such as 4 : 1. These may be signed or
unsigned values, depending on circumstances. For example,
a fill slope is always downward, so it may not be necessary to
force the user to enter a value like “-4”.
Point, Link, and Shape In most cases, point, link, and shape codes should be hard-
Codes coded to ensure that consistent codes are assigned across the
entire assembly. The primary exception is with generic link
subassemblies that allow users to add links to the assembly as
needed. These might be used for paved or unpaved finish
grade, structural components, pavement subsurfaces, and
many other unanticipated components. In these scenarios, the
end-user assigns point, link, and shape codes that coordinate
with the overall assembly.
Superelevation Behavior and Subassemblies

Make sure you consider differences in component behavior, such as when the roadway is in a normal crown
condition or is in superelevation. Gutter and median subassemblies may also be designed to exhibit different
behaviors in normal and superelevated sections.
The superelevation properties of the corridor alignment define the lane and shoulder slopes at all stations
on the roadway. However, the way these slopes are applied depends on a combination of how the
subassemblies are manipulated in layout mode and the internal logic of the subassemblies. Different agencies
have varying methodologies. The code behind the subassemblies makes it possible to adapt to just about
any situation.
Most importantly you need to determine where the superelevation pivot point is located, and how that
point relates to the design profile grade line (PGL). Pivot point/PGL combinations that are commonly
encountered include:
■ Pivot point and PGL are both at the crown of road.
■ Pivot point and PGL are at the inside edge-of-traveled-way on a divided road.
■ Pivot point and PGL are at one edge-of-traveled-way on an undivided road.
■ Pivot point is at the edge-of-traveled-way on the inside of the curve, while the PGL is at the centerline
of the road.
■ On a divided road with crowned roadways, the PGL is at the crown points, while the pivot point is at
the inside edge-of-traveled-ways.
■ On a divided road with uncrowned roadways, the PGL and pivot point is above the median at the
centerline.
Whatever the situation, the subassemblies must be designed so that they can be placed with the correct
behavior.
Sometimes the roadway components have special behavior in superelevated sections. Some examples of
special superelevation behavior:
■ Broken Back Subbase. Some agencies put a break point in the subbase layer on the high side of
superelevation. The subbase parallels the finish grade up to a certain point, then extends at a downward
slope until it intersects the shoulder or clear zone link.
Superelevation Behavior and Subassemblies | 197

■ Shoulder Breakover. Usually a maximum slope difference, or breakover, must be maintained between
the travel lane and the shoulder, or between the paved and unpaved shoulder links.
■ Curbs-and-Gutters. Some agencies require that gutters on the high side of a superelevated road tip
downward toward the low side, while others leave the gutters at their normal slope.
NOTE When writing your custom subassembly, avoid writing code that makes AutoCAD calls and interrupts
AutoCAD Civil 3D subassembly operations during runtime. For example, avoid building selection sets.
Creating Subassembly Help Files

Each subassembly included in the AutoCAD Civil 3D Corridor Modeling catalog has a Help file that provides
detailed construction and behavior information. You can display the Help file for the AutoCAD Civil 3D
Corridor Modeling subassemblies using any of the following methods:
■ From a Tool Palette. Right-click a subassembly in a tool palette, then click Help.
■ From a Tool Catalog. Right-click a subassembly in a tool catalog, then click Help.
■ From the Subassembly Properties dialog box Parameters tab. Right-click a subassembly in the Prospector
tree, then click Properties ➤ Parameters tab ➤ Subassembly Help.
When creating custom subassemblies, you should also create a custom Help file to accompany the
subassembly. You can use just about any type of document file (.dwf, .doc, .pdf, .txt, .chm, .hlp) to create the
subassembly Help file. For more information, see Creating Customized Help in the AutoCAD Developer
Help.
The Help file content and style should be similar to that in the AutoCAD Civil 3D Subassembly Reference
Help. The table below describes the sections that should be included, as a minimum, in subassembly Help
files. This information is required so that users understand the subassembly behavior and intended use.
Section Description
Title The name of the selected subassembly should appear prominently as

the top heading of the subassembly Help file.
Descriptions A brief description of the subassembly that includes the type of compon-
ent the subassembly creates (for example, a lane, median, or shoulder),
special features, and situations it is designed to cover.
Subassembly The subassembly diagram should be a schematic showing the geometry

Diagram of the component that is created by the subassembly. Diagrams should
label as many of the input parameters as feasible, especially those per-
taining to dimensions and slopes. You may need to include multiple
subassembly diagrams for different behavior and/or conditions in order
to include all of the possible input items. The subassembly diagram
should also show the subassembly reference point, which is the point
on the subassembly where it is attached when building an assembly
layout. It is useful to adopt diagramming conventions that help the user
understand the operations. For example, the subassemblies included
in the AutoCAD Civil 3D Corridor Modeling catalog use bold blue lines
to represent links that are added to the assembly by the subassembly.
This helps to show adjacent roadway components that the subassembly
might attach to in a lighter line with a background color. Ideally, dimen-
sion lines and labels should also be a different color.

Section Description
Attachment Describes where the attachment point is located relative to the sub-
assembly links.
Input Para- Describes each of the user-definable input parameters that can be spe-
meters cified when using the subassembly. These should precisely match the
parameter names and order seen by the user when using the assembly
layout tool, and should describe the effect of each parameter. These
are best presented in a table that includes a description of each para-
meter, the type of input expected, and default values for metric or im-
perial unit projects. For input parameters for slope values, note that
there are two common ways of specifying slopes: as a percent value
like -2%, or as a run-to-rise ratio like 4 : 1. Any slope parameter should
clearly specify which type is expected. In the subassemblies included in
the AutoCAD Civil 3D Corridor Modeling catalog, the convention is to
precede the word “Slope” with the “%” character in the parameter
name if a percent slope is expected. Otherwise a ratio value is required.
Note the practice of using positive numeric values for both cut and fill
slopes. If a slope parameter is known to be used only in a fill condition,
it should not be necessary for the user to have to specify a negative
slope value. However, in a more generic situation, for example with the
LinkWidthAndSlope subassembly, a signed value may be necessary.
Target Para- Describes the parameters in the subassembly that can be mapped to
meters one or more target objects.
Input parameters are defined when building an assembly in layout
mode. Target parameters are substitutions that can be made for input
parameters when applying the assembly to a corridor model. Typically,
subassembly parameters that can use a target object to define a width
or an offset can use the following types of objects to define that width
or offset: alignments, AutoCAD polylines, feature lines, or survey figures.
Similarly, subassembly parameters that can use a target object to define
an elevation can use the following types of objects to define that eleva-
tion: profiles, AutoCAD 3D polylines, feature lines, or survey figures.
Subassemblies that can use a target object to define a surface can only
use a surface object to define that surface. A few subassemblies allow
you to use pipe network objects as targets, such as the TrenchPipe
subassemblies.
A typical scenario is a travel lane where the width is a numeric input
parameter, which can use an alignment as a target parameter to replace
the numeric width. The given numeric width is used when displaying
the lane in layout mode. If an alignment is given, the width is calculated
at each station during corridor modeling to tie to the offset of the
alignment. For more information, see Setting Targets in the AutoCAD
Civil 3D User's Guide Help.
Behavior Describes the behavior of the subassembly in detail. If necessary, this

section should include diagrams showing different behaviors in different
conditions. This section should provide both the subassembly program-
mer and the end user with all of the information needed to understand
exactly what the subassembly does in all circumstances. Subheadings
are recommended if the Behavior section covers several different topics.
Layout Mode During the process of creating an assembly from subassemblies, also
Operation known as the assembly layout mode, specific information such as
Creating Subassembly Help Files | 199

Section Description
alignment offsets, superelevation slopes, profile elevations, and surface
data, are not known. The Layout Mode Operation section of the sub-
assembly Help file describes how the subassembly is displayed in the
assembly layout mode. Layout mode refers to an assembly that has not
yet been applied to a corridor. Some subassemblies behave differently
in different situations. For example, a Daylight type of subassembly may
create different geometric shapes depending on whether it is in a cut
or fill situation. Shoulders may behave differently for normal crown and
superelevated roadways. In layout mode, the subassembly designer
must specify some arbitrary choices as to how the subassembly is dis-
played. It should appear as much like the final result in the corridor
model as possible. Lanes and shoulders, for example, should be shown
at typical normal crown slopes. Where there is alternate geometry, such
as for the cut and fill daylight cases, both cases should be shown. Also,
links that extend to a surface should be shown with arrowheads indic-
ating the direction of extension.
Layout Mode A diagram illustrating layout mode behavior and visual representation
Diagram is useful if layout mode behavior and/or visual representation of the
subassembly differs significantly between layout mode when the as-
sembly and its associated subassemblies are applied to a corridor.
Point, Link, Describes the items that are hard-coded into the subassembly, including
and Shape dimensions, point codes, link codes, and shape codes. Common practice
Codes is to reference the point, link, and shape codes to labels on the coding
diagram.
Coding Dia- The coding diagram has a twofold purpose. First, it labels the point,
gram link, and shape numbers referred to in the previous section. Secondly,
it provides the subassembly programmer with a numbering scheme for
points, links, and shapes. These should correspond to the array indices
used in the script for points, links, and shapes. This is to make it easier
to later modify or add to the subassembly.
After creating the custom Help files for custom subassemblies, you must reference the Help files in the tool
catalog .atc file associated with the subassemblies. For more information, see Sample Tool Catalog ATC Files
(page 213).
Structure of Subassembly Programs
The Subassembly Template (SATemplate.vb)

All custom subassemblies are defined as classes that inherit from the SATemplate class. SATemplate provides
four methods that you can override in your own class to provide functionality of your subassembly. They
are described in the following table:
Overridable Method Purpose for Overriding
GetLogicalNamesImplement Define the list of target parameters that appear in

(input: CorridorState) the "Set All Logical Names" dialog box used when
creating a corridor model.

Overridable Method Purpose for Overriding
GetInputParametersImplement Define the list of input parameters, including their

(input: CorridorState) names, types, and default values.
GetOutputParametersImplement Define the list of output parameters, including their

(input: CorridorState) names, types, and default values. If a parameter is
to be used for both input and output, that property
is specified in this method.
DrawImplement Must be overridden. Contains the code for access-

(input: CorridorState) ing parameter values, adjusting the shape of the
subassembly, and then adding the points, links,
and shapes that make up your subassembly to an
existing assembly.
SATemplate.vb is located in the <AutoCAD Civil 3D Install Directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\C3DStockSubAssemblies

directory.
The Corridor State Object

A reference to an object of type CorridorState is passed to each of the SATemplate methods you override.
The CorridorState object is the primary interface between the custom subassembly and the collection of
points, links, and shapes of the current assembly which the subassembly is to connect to. It provides references
to the current alignment, profile, station, offset, elevation, and style, which may affect the appearance of
the subassembly. It also includes several parameter buckets used for collecting parameters of types boolean,
long, double, string, alignment, profile, surface, and point. Each parameter is defined by a literal name and
a value.
The CorridorState methods provide useful calculation functions for corridor design. These include the
following:
IntersectAlignment Finds the intersection of a cross-sectional line with an offset

alignment.
IntersectLink Finds the intersection of a cross-sectional line with a link on

the assembly.
IntersectSurface Finds the intersection of a cross-sectional line with a surface.
IsAboveSurface Determines if a subassembly point is above or below a surface.
SampleSection Constructs a set of cross section links from a surface.
SoeToXyz Converts between station, offset, elevation coordinates and

XyzToSoe X,Y,Z coordinates.
Support Files (CodesSpecific.vb, Utilities.vb)

You can also use the two support files CodesSpecific.vb and Utilities.vb in your subassembly.
CodesSpecific.vb provides the CodeType and AllCodes structures and the global variable Code - an instance
of an AllCodes structure with all code information filled.
The Corridor State Object | 201

Utilities.vb provides a series of shared helper functions for error handling, computing subassembly geometry,
attaching code strings, and other tasks. For example, to report a “parameter not found” error to the AutoCAD
Civil 3D event viewer, use the following line:
Utilities.RecordError( _
corridorState, _
CorridorError.ParameterNotFound, _
"Edge Offset", _
"BasicLaneTransition")
The following table lists all the functions within the Utility class:
Utility function Description
RecordError Sends an error message to the Event Viewer.
RecordWarning Sends a warning to the Event Viewer.
AdjustOffset For a given offset from an offset baseline, this

function computes the actual offset from the
base baseline.
GetVersion Returns the version number of the subassembly

as specified in the .atc file.
GetAlignmentAndOrigin Returns the assembly and the origin point for

the subassembly.
CalcElevationOnSurface Given a surface Id, alignment Id, a station, and

an offset from the station, this returns the elev-
ation of the surface at that location.
GetRoundingCurve Returns an array of points along a curve where

it will be tessellated, given a series of paramet-
ers describing the curve and how it is to be
tessellated.
CalcAlignmentOffsetToThisAlignment Calculates the offset from this alignment to an

offset target, and returns the XY coordinate of
the offset target at the point perpendicular to
this alignment's station
AddCodeToLink Adds a series of code strings to a particular link.

The parameter i identifies which set of code
strings to use. The parameter iLinks contains
the collection of all links in an applied sub-
assembly. The parameter linkIndex identifies
which link in the link collection is given the
code strings. The strArrCode parameter is a
two-dimensional array of code strings. The first
dimension identifies which set of codes to use,
and the second dimension contains a variable-
length array of code strings.
AddCodeToPoint Adds a series of code strings to a particular

point. The parameter i identifies which set of
code strings to use. The parameter iPoints

Utility function Description
contains the collection of all points in an ap-
plied subassembly. The parameter pointIndex
identifies which point in the point collection is
given the code strings. The strArrCode para-
meter is a two-dimensional array of code
strings. The first dimension identifies which set
of codes to use, and the second dimension
contains a variable-length array of code strings.
IsProjectUnitsFeet Returns True if the corridor is modeled in Im-

perial units, False if modeled in metric.
GetProjectUnitsDivisor Returns the value to go from the general units

of measurement to smaller units of measure-
ment. If the corridor is modeled in feet, this
will return 12 to allow you to compute the
number of inches. If the corridor is modeled in
meters, this will return 1000 to allow you to
compute the number of millimeters.
GetSlope Returns the percent slope of the alignment su-

perelevation at the specified assembly section.
The first parameter is a two-letter string indic-
ates the part of the roadway to use. The first
letter can be “S” for shoulder or “L” for lane.
The second letter can be “I” for inside or “O”
for outside. To determine the slope of the left
side of the road, set the fourth parameter to
True. To determine the slope of the right side,
set the fourth parameter to False.
AddPoints Given arrays of X and Y locations and code

strings, this creates an array of Point objects
(AeccRoadwayPoint objects) and a
PointsCollection object (AeccRoadway-
Points object).
GetMarkedPoint Given the string name of a point, returns the

point object.
The CodesSpecific.vb and Utilities.vb files are located in the <AutoCAD Civil 3D Install Directory>\Sample\Civil 3D
API\C3DStockSubAssemblies directory.
Sample VB.NET Subassembly

The following class module defines the BasicLaneTransition subassembly provided in the Stock Subassemblies
catalog. The original source code for this and all other subassemblies that come with AutoCAD Civil 3D can
be found in the <AutoCAD Civil 3D Install Directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\C3DStockSubAssemblies\Subassemblies
directory.
Sample VB.NET Subassembly | 203

Before reviewing the code you should familiarize yourself with the subassembly, how it behaves in the cut
and fill conditions, the point and link codes to be assigned, and the point and link numbers specified in the
subassembly coding diagram. Refer to the BasicLaneTransition subassembly Help for this information.

Option Explicit On
Option Strict Off
Imports System.Math
Imports DBTransactionManager = Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.TransactionManager
' *************************************************************************
' *************************************************************************
' *************************************************************************
' Name: BasicLaneTransition
'
' Description: Creates a simple cross-sectional representation of a corridor
' lane composed of a single closed shape. Attachment origin
' is at top, most inside portion of lane. The lane can
' transition its width and cross-slope based on the position
' supplied by an optional horizontal and vertical alignment.
'
' Logical Names: Name Type Optional Default value Description
' --------------------------------------------------------------
' TargetHA Alg yes none Horizontal alignment to transition to
' TargetVA Profile yes none Vertical alignment to transition to
'
' Parameters: Name Type Optional Default Value Description
' ------------------------------------------------------------------
' Side long yes Right specifies side to place SA on
' Width double yes 12.0 width of lane
' Depth double yes 0.667 depth of coarse
' Slope double yes -0.02 cross-slope of lane
' TransitionType long yes 2 hold grade, move to offset HA
' InsertionPoint long yes kCrown Specifies insertion point of the lane either
at (a) Crown or (b) Edge of Travel Way
' CrownPtOnInside Long no g_iTrue Specifies that inside edge of travelway to be
coded as Crown
' *************************************************************************
Public Class BasicLaneTransition
Inherits SATemplate
Private Enum InsertionPoint
kCrown = 0
kEdgeOfTravelWay = 1
End Enum
Private Enum TransitionTypes ' Transition types supported
kHoldOffsetAndElevation = 0
kHoldElevationChangeOffset = 1
kHoldGradeChangeOffset = 2
kHoldOffsetChangeElevation = 3
kChangeOffsetAndElevation = 4
End Enum
' --------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Default values for input parameters
Private Const SideDefault = Utilities.Right
Private Const InsertionPointDefault = InsertionPoint.kCrown
Private Const CrownPtOnInsideDefault = Utilities.IFalse
Private Const LaneWidthDefault = 12.0#
Private Const LaneDepthDefault = 0.667
Private Const LaneSlopeDefault = -0.02 '0.25 inch per foot
Private Const HoldOriginalPositionDefault = TransitionTypes.kHoldOffsetAndElevation
Protected Overrides Sub GetLogicalNamesImplement(ByVal corridorState As CorridorState)
MyBase.GetLogicalNamesImplement(corridorState)

' Retrieve parameter buckets from the corridor state
' Add the logical names we use in this script
Dim oParamLong As ParamLong
oParamLong = oParamsLong.Add("TargetHA", ParamLogicalNameType.OffsetTarget)
oParamLong.DisplayName = "690"
oParamLong = oParamsLong.Add("TargetVA", ParamLogicalNameType.ElevationTarget)
oParamLong.DisplayName = "691"
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub GetInputParametersImplement(ByVal corridorState As CorridorState)
MyBase.GetInputParametersImplement(corridorState)
Dim oParamsDouble As ParamDoubleCollection
oParamsDouble = corridorState.ParamsDouble
' Add the input parameters we use in this script
oParamsLong.Add(Utilities.Side, SideDefault)
oParamsLong.Add("InsertionPoint", InsertionPointDefault)
oParamsLong.Add("CrownPtOnInside", CrownPtOnInsideDefault)
oParamsDouble.Add("Width", LaneWidthDefault)
oParamsDouble.Add("Depth", LaneDepthDefault)
oParamsDouble.Add("Slope", LaneSlopeDefault)
oParamsLong.Add("TransitionType", HoldOriginalPositionDefault)
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub DrawImplement(ByVal corridorState As CorridorState)
Dim oParamsDouble As ParamDoubleCollection
oParamsDouble = corridorState.ParamsDouble
Dim oParamsOffsetTarget As ParamOffsetTargetCollection
oParamsOffsetTarget = corridorState.ParamsOffsetTarget
Dim oParamsElevationTarget As ParamElevationTargetCollection
oParamsElevationTarget = corridorState.ParamsElevationTarget
'---------------------------------------------------------
' flip about Y-axis
Dim vSide As Long
Try
vSide = oParamsLong.Value(Utilities.Side)
Catch
vSide = SideDefault
End Try
Dim dFlip As Double
dFlip = 1.0#
If vSide = Utilities.Left Then
dFlip = -1.0#
End If
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Transition type
Dim vTransitionType As Long
Try
vTransitionType = oParamsLong.Value("TransitionType")
Catch
vTransitionType = HoldOriginalPositionDefault

End Try
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Insertion Ponit
Dim vInsertionPoint As Long
Try
vInsertionPoint = oParamsLong.Value("InsertionPoint")
Catch
vInsertionPoint = InsertionPointDefault
End Try
Dim vCrownPtOnInside As Long
Try
vCrownPtOnInside = oParamsLong.Value("CrownPtOnInside")
Catch
vCrownPtOnInside = CrownPtOnInsideDefault
End Try
'---------------------------------------------------------
' BasicLaneTransition dimensions
Dim vWidth As Double
Try
vWidth = oParamsDouble.Value("Width")
Catch
vWidth = LaneWidthDefault
End Try
Dim vDepth As Double
Try
vDepth = oParamsDouble.Value("Depth")
Catch
vDepth = LaneDepthDefault
End Try
Dim vSlope As Double
Try
vSlope = oParamsDouble.Value("Slope")
Catch
vSlope = LaneSlopeDefault
End Try
'-------------------------------------------------------
' Get version, and convert values if necessary
Dim sVersion As String
sVersion = Utilities.GetVersion(corridorState)
If sVersion <> Utilities.R2005 Then
'need not change
Else
'R2005
'convert %slope to tangent value
vSlope = vSlope / 100
End If
Dim nVersion As Integer
nVersion = Utilities.GetVersionInt(corridorState)
If nVersion < 2010 Then
vCrownPtOnInside = Utilities.ITrue
End If
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Check user input
If vWidth <= 0 Then
Utilities.RecordError(corridorState, CorridorError.ValueShouldNotBeLessThanOrE
qualToZero, "Width", "BasicLaneTransition")

vWidth = LaneWidthDefault
End If
If vDepth <= 0 Then
Utilities.RecordError(corridorState, CorridorError.ValueShouldNotBeLessThanOrE
qualToZero, "Depth", "BasicLaneTransition")
vDepth = LaneDepthDefault
End If
' Calculate the current alignment and origin according to the assembly offset
Dim oCurrentAlignmentId As ObjectId
Dim oOrigin As New PointInMem
Utilities.GetAlignmentAndOrigin(corridorState, oCurrentAlignmentId, oOrigin)
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Define codes for points, links and shapes
Dim sPointCodeArray(0 To 4, 0) As String
Dim sLinkCodeArray(0 To 2, 0 To 1) As String
Dim sShapeCodeArray(0 To 1) As String
FillCodesFromTable(sPointCodeArray, sLinkCodeArray, sShapeCodeArray, vCrownPtOnInside)
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Get alignment and profile we're currently working from
Dim offsetTarget As WidthOffsetTarget 'width or offset target
offsetTarget = Nothing
Dim elevationTarget As SlopeElevationTarget 'slope or elvation target
elevationTarget = Nothing
Dim dOffsetToTargetHA As Double
Dim dOffsetElev As Double
If corridorState.Mode = CorridorMode.Layout Then
vTransitionType = TransitionTypes.kHoldOffsetAndElevation
End If
Dim dXOnTarget As Double
Dim dYOnTarget As Double
Select Case vTransitionType
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldOffsetAndElevation
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldElevationChangeOffset
'oHA must exist
Try
offsetTarget = oParamsOffsetTarget.Value("TargetHA")
Catch
'Utilities.RecordError(corridorState, CorridorError.ParameterNotFound,
"Edge Offset", "BasicLaneTransition")
'Exit Sub
End Try
'get offset to targetHA
If False = Utilities.CalcAlignmentOffsetToThisAlignment(oCurrentAlignmentId,
corridorState.CurrentStation, offsetTarget, Utilities.GetSide(vSide), dOffsetToTargetHA,
dXOnTarget, dYOnTarget) Then
Utilities.RecordWarning(corridorState, CorridorError.LogicalNameNotFound,
dOffsetToTargetHA = vWidth + oOrigin.Offset
Else
If (dOffsetToTargetHA = oOrigin.Offset) Or ((dOffsetToTargetHA > oOri
gin.Offset) And (vSide = Utilities.Left)) Or _
((dOffsetToTargetHA < oOrigin.Offset) And (vSide = Utilities.Right))
Then
Utilities.RecordWarning(corridorState, CorridorError.ValueInABadPos
ition, "TargetHA", "BasicLaneTransition")

End If
End If
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldGradeChangeOffset
'oHA must exist
Try
Catch
'Exit Sub
End Try
Else
If (((dOffsetToTargetHA > oOrigin.Offset) And (vSide = Utilities.Left))
Or _
((dOffsetToTargetHA < oOrigin.Offset) And (vSide = Utilities.Right)))
Then
End If
End If
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldOffsetChangeElevation
'oVA must exist
Try
elevationTarget = oParamsElevationTarget.Value("TargetVA")
Catch
"Edge Elevation", "BasicLaneTransition")
'Exit Sub
End Try
Dim db As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase
Dim tm As DBTransactionManager = db.TransactionManager
Dim oProfile As Profile = Nothing
Try
dOffsetElev = elevationTarget.GetElevation(oCurrentAlignmentId, corridor
State.CurrentStation, Utilities.GetSide(vSide))
Catch
End Try
Case TransitionTypes.kChangeOffsetAndElevation
'both oHA and oVA must exist
Try
Catch

'Exit Sub
End Try
Try
elevationTarget = oParamsElevationTarget.Value("TargetVA")
Catch
"Edge Elevation", "BasicLaneTransition")
'Exit Sub
End Try
Try
dOffsetElev = elevationTarget.GetElevation(oCurrentAlignmentId, corridor
State.CurrentStation, Utilities.GetSide(vSide))
Catch
End Try
Else
If (dOffsetToTargetHA = oOrigin.Offset) Or ((dOffsetToTargetHA > oOri
gin.Offset) And (vSide = Utilities.Left)) Or _
((dOffsetToTargetHA < oOrigin.Offset) And (vSide = Utilities.Right))
Then
End If
End If
End Select
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Create the subassembly points
Dim corridorPoints As PointCollection
corridorPoints = corridorState.Points
Dim dX As Double
Dim dy As Double
dX = 0.0#
dy = 0.0#
Dim oPoint1 As Point
oPoint1 = corridorPoints.Add(dX, dy, "")
' compute outside position of lane
Select Case vTransitionType
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldOffsetAndElevation
' hold original position (always used in layout mode)
dX = vWidth
dy = Abs(vWidth) * vSlope
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldElevationChangeOffset
' hold original elevation, move offset to that of TargetHA
'dX = Abs(dOffsetToTargetHA - corridorState.CurrentSubassemblyOffset)
dX = Abs(dOffsetToTargetHA - oOrigin.Offset)

dy = Abs(vWidth) * vSlope
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldGradeChangeOffset
' hold original grade, move offset to that of TargetHA
' (also used if TargetVA is not defined)
'dX = Abs(dOffsetToTargetHA - corridorState.CurrentSubassemblyOffset)
dy = Abs(dX) * vSlope
Case TransitionTypes.kHoldOffsetChangeElevation
' hold original offset, but change elevation to that of TargetVA
dX = vWidth
'dY = dOffsetElev - corridorState.CurrentSubassemblyElevation
dy = dOffsetElev - oOrigin.Elevation
Case TransitionTypes.kChangeOffsetAndElevation
' move position to that of TargetHA, and elevation to that of TargetVA
dy = dOffsetElev - oOrigin.Elevation
End Select
'------------------------------------------------------------------
Dim dActualWidth As Double
dActualWidth = dX
Dim dActualSlope As Double
If 0 = dActualWidth Then
dActualSlope = 0.0#
Else
dActualSlope = dy / Abs(dActualWidth)
End If
'------------------------------------------------------------------
oPoint2 = corridorPoints.Add(dX * dFlip, dy, "")
dX = dX - 0.001
dy = dy - vDepth
oPoint3 = corridorPoints.Add(dX * dFlip, dy, "")
dX = 0.0#
dy = -vDepth
oPoint4 = corridorPoints.Add(dX, dy, "")
If vInsertionPoint = InsertionPoint.kCrown Then
Utilities.AddCodeToPoint(1, corridorPoints, oPoint1.Index, sPointCodeArray)
Else
End If
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Create the subassembly links
Dim oCorridorLinks As LinkCollection
oCorridorLinks = corridorState.Links
Dim oPoint(1) As Point
Dim oLink(3) As Link
oPoint(0) = oPoint1
oPoint(1) = oPoint2

oLink(0) = oCorridorLinks.Add(oPoint, "") 'L1
oPoint(0) = oPoint2
oPoint(1) = oPoint3
oPoint(0) = oPoint3
oPoint(1) = oPoint4
oPoint(0) = oPoint4
oPoint(1) = oPoint1
Utilities.AddCodeToLink(1, oCorridorLinks, oLink(0).Index, sLinkCodeArray)
Utilities.AddCodeToLink(2, oCorridorLinks, oLink(2).Index, sLinkCodeArray)
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Create the subassembly shapes
Dim corridorShapes As ShapeCollection
corridorShapes = corridorState.Shapes
corridorShapes.Add(oLink, sShapeCodeArray(1))
'---------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------
' Write back all the Calculated values of the input parameters into the RoadwayState
object.
' Because they may be different from the default design values,
' we should write them back to make sure that the RoadwayState object
' contains the Actual information of the parameters.
oParamsLong.Add(Utilities.Side, vSide)
oParamsLong.Add("InsertionPoint", vInsertionPoint)
oParamsLong.Add("CrownPtOnInside", vCrownPtOnInside)
oParamsDouble.Add("Width", Math.Abs(dActualWidth))
oParamsDouble.Add("Depth", vDepth)
oParamsDouble.Add("Slope", dActualSlope)
oParamsLong.Add("TransitionType", vTransitionType)
End Sub
Protected Sub FillCodesFromTable(ByVal sPointCodeArray(,) As String, ByVal sLinkCode
Array(,) As String, ByVal sShapeCodeArray() As String, ByVal CrownPtOnInside As Long)
If CrownPtOnInside = Utilities.ITrue Then
sPointCodeArray(1, 0) = Codes.Crown.Code
Else
sPointCodeArray(1, 0) = ""
End If
sPointCodeArray(2, 0) = Codes.ETW.Code
sPointCodeArray(3, 0) = Codes.ETWSubBase.Code 'P4
If CrownPtOnInside = Utilities.ITrue Then
sPointCodeArray(4, 0) = Codes.CrownSubBase.Code 'P3
Else
sPointCodeArray(4, 0) = "" 'P3
End If
sLinkCodeArray(1, 0) = Codes.Top.Code
sLinkCodeArray(1, 1) = Codes.Pave.Code
sLinkCodeArray(2, 0) = Codes.Datum.Code
sLinkCodeArray(2, 1) = Codes.SubBase.Code
sShapeCodeArray(1) = Codes.Pave1.Code
End Sub
End Class

The Subassembly Tool Catalog
Overview
An Autodesk tool catalog organizes groups of customized subassemblies and makes them available to AutoCAD
Civil 3D users. Autodesk tool catalogs are defined using xml-formatted files with an .atc (Autodesk Tool
Catalog) extension. You also need to create a catalog registry file as catalogs must be registered in the Windows
registry. Some items within the .atc and registry files must contain unique identifiers known as GUIDs (Global
Unique Identifiers). New GUIDs can be created using the GuidGen.exe utility that is included with many
Microsoft development products and is freely available for download from the Microsoft web site.
To create a tool catalog for a subassembly
1 Using Notepad or any other appropriate editor, create a plain ASCII text file named <Name>Tools
Catalog.atc, where <Name> is the name of this new tool catalog. For information about the contents of
the file, see Creating a Tool Catalog ATC File (page 213).
NOTE XML tags in ATC files are case-sensitive. Be sure that your tags match the case of the tags described
in this chapter.
2 Save the .atc file to the location where your tool catalogs are stored. The default location is C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\C3D2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\Road CatalogC:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Civil2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\Road Catalog.
3 Create any optional files, such as images for icons displayed in the catalog and help files for
subassemblies, and place these files in appropriate locations for reference.
4 Using Notepad or any other text editor, create a registry file for the tool catalog with the extension .reg.
For more information, see Creating a Tool Catalog Registry File (page 222).
5 Register the tool catalog by double-clicking on the .reg file. Once registered, the subassembly tool catalog
will be displayed in the AutoCAD Civil 3D Content Browser.
Creating a Tool Catalog ATC File
Sample Tool Catalog ATC Files

The sample tool catalog .atc files define the contents and organization of an Autodesk subassembly tool
catalog. These are generally split into separate files to keep files manageable: one listing all categories of
tools and others listing tools within a single category.
NOTE XML tags in ATC files are case-sensitive. Make sure the tags in your files match the case of the tags defined
in this chapter.
The Subassembly Tool Catalog | 213

Main Catalog File Example
The following is a portion of the file “Autodesk Civil 3D Metric Corridor Catalog.atc.” It contains a list of tool
categories. See the table following the sample for descriptions of the contents. This excerpt only contains
the “Getting Started” category of tools.
1) <Catalog option="0">
2) <ItemID idValue="{0D75EF58-D86B-44DF-B39E-CE39E96077EC}"/>
3) <Properties>
4) <ItemName resource="9250" src="AeccStockSubassemblyScriptsRC.dll"/>
5) <Images option="0">
6) <Image cx="93" cy="123" src=".\Images\AeccCorridorModel.png"/>
7) </Images>
8) <Description resource="9201" src="AeccStockSubassemblyScriptsRC.dll"/>
9) <AccessRight>1</AccessRight>
10) <Time createdUniversalDateTime="2003-01-22T00:31:56" modifiedUniversalDateTime="2006-
09-04T13:28:12"/>
11) </Properties>
12) <Source>
13) <Publisher>
14) <PublisherName>Autodesk</PublisherName>
15) </Publisher>
16) </Source>
17) <Tools/>
18) <Palettes/>
19) <Packages/>
20) <Categories>
21) <Category option="0">
22) <ItemID idValue="{4F5BFBF8-11E8-4479-99E0-4AA69B1DC292}"/>
23) <Url href=".\\C3D Metric Getting Started Subassembly Catalog.atc"/>
24) <Properties>
26) <Images option="0">
27) <Image cx="93" cy="123" src=".\Images\AeccGenericSubassemblies.png"/>
28) </Images>
31) </Properties>
32) <Source/>
33) </Category>
34)
35) 
36)
37) </Categories>
38) <StockTools/>
39) <Catalogs/>
40) </Catalog>
Line Number Description
1-40 The <Catalog> section contains the entire contents of the catalog
file.
2 This <ItemID> defines the GUID for the catalog. The same GUID
must be used in the registry file to identify this catalog.
3-11 This section defines general properties of the catalog.

4 <ItemName> defines the name that appears beneath the catalog

icon in the catalog browser. In this case, we use a string resource
to support localization. You can also specify a constant string by
using the line “<ItemName>Name</ItemName>”.
5-7 <Images> defines the image file for the icon that appears for the
catalog in the catalog browser. Images used for catalogs and sub-
assemblies should be a 64-by-64 pixel image. Valid image file types
include .bmp, .gif, .jpg, and .png.
8 <Description> contains the string description for the catalog. In this

case, we use a string resource to support localization. You can also
specify a constant string by using the line “<Description>String</De-
scription>”.
10 <Time> defines the time and date the catalog was created in the
universal date/time format. This information is required, but not
used. Any date or time may be given.
12-16 <Source> defines the source or creator of the catalog.
17-19 Empty definitions for Tools, Palettes, and Packages.
20-36 The <Categories> group defines a list of categories, each of which

may contain sub-categories or subassembly tools.
21-33 Definition of the “Getting Started“ category. This block has been
designed to load all category information from a separate file. Cat-
egory information can also be placed within this file if you only
want one .atc file by using a <Category> section as described in the
Tool File Example (page 216)
22 <ItemID> defines the unique GUID for this category. It must be the
same GUID as in the separate category .atc file.
23 <Url> specifies the location of the category .atc file.
24-31 The properties of a category.
25 <ItemName> defines the name of this category of tools. In this case,

we use a string resource to support localization. You can also specify
a constant string by using the line “<ItemName>Name</Item-
Name>”.
26-28 Sets the image used to identify the category to users.
29 <Description> contains the string description for the category. In

this case, we use a string resource to support localization. You can
also specify a constant string by using the line “<Descrip-
tion>String</Description>”.
32 Empty definition for Source.
39 Empty definition for StockTools
Creating a Tool Catalog ATC File | 215

Tool File Example
The following is a portion of the “Autodesk Metric Getting Started Subassembly Catalog.atc” file. It contains all
the tools in the “Getting Started” catalog. This excerpt only contains the “BasicBarrier” tool.

1) <Category>
2) <ItemID idValue="{4F5BFBF8-11E8-4479-99E0-4AA69B1DC292}"/>
3) <Properties>
4) <ItemName src="AeccStockSubassemblyScriptsRC.dll" resource="9212"/>
5) <Images>
6) <Image cx="93" cy="123" src=".\Images\AeccGenericSubassemblies.png"/>
7) </Images>
8) <Description src="AeccStockSubassemblyScriptsRC.dll" resource="9213"/>
06-17T07:08:09"/>
11) </Properties>
12) <CustomData/>
13) <Source/>
14) <Palettes/>
15) <Packages/>
16) <Tools>
17) <Tool>
18) <ItemID idValue="{F6F066F4-ABF2-4838-B007-17DFDDE2C869}"/>
19) <Properties>
21) <Images>
22) <Image cx="64" cy="64" src=".\Images\AeccBasicBarrier.png"/>
23) </Images>
25) <Keywords>_barrier subassembly</Keywords>
26) <Help>
27) <HelpFile>.\Help\C3DStockSubassemblyHelp.chm</HelpFile>
28) <HelpCommand>HELP_HHWND_TOPIC</HelpCommand>
29) <HelpData>SA_BasicBarrier.htm</HelpData>
30) </Help>
04-05T21:58:00"/>
32) </Properties>
33) <Source/>
34) <StockToolRef idValue="{7F55AAC0-0256-48D7-BFA5-914702663FDE}"/>
35) <Data>
36) <AeccDbSubassembly>
37) <GeometryGenerateMode>UseDotNet</GeometryGenerateMode>
38) <DotNetClass Assembly=".\C3DStockSubassemblies.dll">Subassembly.BasicBarrier</Dot
NetClass>
39) <Resource Module="AeccStockSubassemblyScriptsRC.dll"/>
40) <Content DownloadLocation="http://www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin"/>
41) <Params>
42) <Version DataType="String" DisplayName="Version" Description="Ver
sion">R2007</Version>
43) <TopWidth DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="105" Descrip
tion="106">0.15</TopWidth>
44) <MiddleWidth DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="107" Descrip
tion="108">0.225</MiddleWidth>
45) <CurbWidth DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="109" Descrip
tion="110">0.57</CurbWidth>
46) <BottomWidth DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="111" Descrip
tion="112">0.6</BottomWidth>
47) <TopHeight DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="113" Descrip
tion="114">0.9</TopHeight>

48) <MiddleHeight DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="115" Descrip
tion="116">0.45</MiddleHeight>
49) <CurbHeight DataType="Double" TypeInfo="16" DisplayName="117" Descrip
tion="118">0.075</CurbHeight>
50) </Params>
51) </AeccDbSubassembly>
52) <Units>m</Units>
53) </Data>
54) </Tool>
55)
56) 
57)
58) </Tools>
59) <StockTools/>
60) </Category>
1-59 A <Category> is a list of subassemblies.
2 <ItemID> defines the unique GUID for this category. It must be the
same GUID as in the parent catalog .atc file.
3-11 The properties of a category.
4 <ItemName> defines the name of this category of tools. In this case,

Name>”.
5-7 Sets the image used to identify the category to users.
8 <Description> contains the string description for the category. In

this case, we use a string resource to support localization. You can
also specify a constant string by using the line “<Descrip-
tion>String</Description>”.
12-15 Empty definitions for Custom Data, Source, Palettes, Packages.
16-57 <Tools> contains all the separate subassemblies.
17-53 <Tool> represents a single subassembly.
18 <ItemID> defines the unique GUID for this subassembly.
19-32 The properties of the subassembly.
20 <ItemName> defines the name of this subassembly. In this case,

Name>”.
21-23 Sets the image used to identify the subassembly to users.

24 <Description> defines the name of this subassembly. In this case,

a constant string by using the line “<Description>String</Descrip-
tion>”.
25 Keywords describing the subassembly.
27 <HelpFile> defines the filename and path of the help file.
28 <HelpCommand> defines the command used to display the help

file.
29 <HelpData> is the particular topic in the help file to display.
31 <Time> defines the time and date the catalog was created in the
universal date/time format. This information is required, but not
used. Any date or time may be given.
33 Empty Source tag.
34 <StockToolRef> defines a GUID specifically for catalog tools. This

must use the idVlaue of {7F55AAC0-0256-48D7-BFA5-
914702663FDE}
35-52 Describes the nature of the subassembly.
36-50 Identifies the tool as a subassembly.
37 <GeometryGenerateMode> is a new tag that describes the source

code of the subassembly. It can either have a value of “UseDotNet”
or “UseVBA”. If this tag is not used, “UseVBA” is assumed.
38 <DotNetClass> is a new tag that lists the .NET assembly and class
which contains the subassembly. The VBA equivalent is the <Macro>
tag. Note that all paths specified in the ATC file must be relative
paths to the ATC file itself.
39 The .dll containing the resource strings and images used by the
subassembly tool.
40 <Content> is a new tag that specifies a location where you can

download the subassembly if it isn’t located on the local machine.
If the subassembly hasn’t been downloaded, the location contained
in the DownloadLocation attribute is displayed in the event
viewer.
41-50 <Params> defines the names of the input parameters associated

with the subassembly tool. This list appears in the Properties page
of the subassembly, in the order they appear in the .atc file. Each
parameter is defined on a single line.
42-49 Each parameter is described with the following:

Parameter name - The internal name of the parameter (e.g.,
“CrownHeight”). This is the name that must be used when saving
or retrieving parameters to the parameter buckets.
DataType – Defines the type of variable used to store the parameter
value, such as Long, Double, or String. For more information, see
Tool Catalog Data Type Information (page 220).
DisplayName – Defines the name that is displayed for the parameter
in the subassembly Properties page. This is what the user sees to
identify each parameter.
Description – Provides a description of the input parameter. When
a parameter name is highlighted in the subassembly Properties
page, the description appears at the bottom of the page.
value – The default value for the parameter. This is the value that
appears for the parameter in the subassembly Properties page.
52 <Units> describes the type of units the subassembly expects. Valid

values are “m” for meters of ‘foot” for feet.
Tool Catalog Data Type Information

The following tables describe the data types that can be used to define the variable that stores parameter
values in the corridor modeling tool catalog .atc file.
Boolean Data Types
Data Type Type String Description
Bool 0 0 = True; 1 = False.
BoolNoYes 1 0 = Yes; 1 = No.
BoolDisabledEnabled 5 0 = Enabled; 1 = Disabled.
BoolOffOn 6 0 = On; 1 = Off.
BoolRightLeft 7 0 = Right; 1 = Left.
Long Data Types

Long 0 Any integer
NonZeroLong 1 Any non-zero integer
NonNegativeLong 2 Zero or any positive integer
NonNegativeNonZeroLong 3 Any non-zero positive integer
NonPositiveLong 4 Zero or any negative integer

NonPositiveNonZeroLong 5 Any non-zero negative integer
Double Data Types

Data Types Type String Description
Double 0 Any double value
NonNegativeDouble 1 Zero or any positive double value
NonNegativeNonZeroDouble 2 Any non-zero positive double

value
NonPositiveDouble 3 Zero or any negative double value
NonPositiveNonZeroDouble 4 Any non-zero negative double

value
NonZeroDouble 5 Any non-zero double value
Grade 8 Slope or grade input values
TransparentCmdGrade 9 Grade input values
TransparentCmdSlope 10 Slope input values
Angle 14 Angular values
ConvergenceAngle 15 Convergence angular value
Distance 16 Distance values in feet or meters
Dimension 17 Dimension values in inches or mil-

limeters
Elevation 21 Elevation values
Percent 25 Percent values
Creating a Tool Catalog Cover Page

Use an .html file to create introductory content that will display when a user clicks on this new catalog in
the AutoCAD Civil 3D Content Browser. You can use any html editor, and the cover page can be as simple
or as comprehensive as you like. Typically, the cover page gives an overview of the tools supplied in the
catalog, and a brief description of how they may be used.
By convention, cover pages are named <Name> - ToolCatalogCoverPage.html where “<Name>” is the name of
the new tool catalog. The location of the .html file is specified within the .atc file. This file is usually placed
in the same directory as the .atc files themselves.
Creating a Tool Catalog Cover Page | 221

Creating a Tool Catalog Registry File
Each subassembly tool catalog needs to be registered in the Windows registry before it can be used by
AutoCAD Civil 3D. One way to do this is to create a .reg file, which is a text file containing the new keys,
value names, and values to be added to the registry. Double-clicking on the .reg file will modify the registry.
After this process, the .reg file is no longer needed.
The following is the contents of a .reg file that registers the Autodesk Civil 3D Imperial Corridor Catalog.atc catalog
file. See the table following the sample for descriptions of the contents.
1) REGEDIT4
2)
3) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Autodesk Content Browser\60]
4)
5) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Autodesk Content Browser\60\RegisteredGroups]
6)
7) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Autodesk Content Browser\60\RegisteredGroups\Roads
Group]
8) "ItemID"="{5BD79109-BC69-41eb-9AC8-7E9CD469C8D3}"
9) "ItemName"="Roads Group"
10)
11)
12) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Autodesk Content Browser\60\RegisteredCatalogs]
13)
14) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Autodesk Content Browser\60\RegisteredCata
logs\Autodesk Civil 3D Imperial Corridor Catalog]
15) "ItemID"="{410D0B43-19B3-402f-AB41-05A6E174AA3F}"
16) "Image"=".\\Images\\AeccRoadway.png"
17) "Url"="C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application
Data\\Autodesk\\C3D2010\\enu\\Tool Catalogs\\Road Catalog\\Autodesk Civil 3D Imperial Corridor
Catalog.atc"
18) "DisplayName"="Civil 3D Subassemblies (Imperial Units)"
19) "Description"="Imperial Units Subassemblies"
20) "Publisher"="Autodesk"
21) "ToolTip"="Autodesk Civil 3D Imperial Corridor Catalog"
22) "GroupType"="{5BD79109-BC69-41eb-9AC8-7E9CD469C8D3}"
23)
24)
25) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18\ACAD-8000:409\AEC\60\General\Tools]
26) "ToolContentRoot"="C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application
Data\\Autodesk\\C3D2010\\enu\\Tool Catalogs\\Road Catalog"
1 Identifies the file as a registry edit file.
3-9 These statements create a Group for the Autodesk Content Browser.
The group id name is “Roads Group”. Each group must have a
unique GUID for the “ItemID”. The Roads Group is already registered
by the AutoCAD Civil 3D installation. If you are adding a catalog
to this group, you should use the GUID shown in the example.
12 Identifies the item being registered as an Autodesk catalog for the

Autodesk Content Browser.
14-22 These statements define the Catalog Entry.

15 “ItemId” must be a unique GUID for this catalog. This must match
the GUID for the Catalog ItemID value in the catalog .atc file.
16 “Image” must be a unique GUID for this catalog. This must match
the GUID for the Catalog ItemID value in the catalog .atc file.
17 “URL” is a pointer to the catalog .atc file that is being registered.
18 “DisplayName” is the text that displays beneath the catalog icon

in the Autodesk Content Browser.
19 “Description” – description of the tool catalog.
20 “Publisher” – name of the creator / publisher of the tool catalog.
21 “ToolTip” – the text that displays for the tooltip when the cursor is
hovered over the tool catalog in the Catalog Browser.
22 “GroupType” – the GUID that defines which the tool catalog be-
longs to in the Catalog Browser. This GUID must match the one
used for the “ItemID” in the group definition.
26 The directory where the .atc catalog files are located.
Installing Custom Subassemblies

Once you’ve created a custom subassembly, you can install it on other AutoCAD Civil 3D users’ machines.
NOTE It’s simpler to create a subassembly package file to distribute to users than to install custom subassemblies
manually. See Exporting Custom Subassemblies Using a Package File (page 224).
To install a custom subassembly:
1 Copy the compiled AutoCAD Civil 3D subassembly .dll library to its destination directory. By default,
libraries are located in <AutoCAD Civil 3D Install Directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\C3DstockSubAssemblies.
2 Copy the tool catalog .atc files to its destination directory. The tool catalog files are normally located
in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\C3D2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\Road
CatalogC:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Civil2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\Road
Catalog directory. For information about creating these, see Creating a Tool Catalog ATC File (page 213).
3 Copy optional files such as the image file representing the subassemblies or the help file to their
destination directory. Images are normally located in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Autodesk\C3D2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\ImagesC:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Autodesk\Civil2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\Images, and help files are normally located in C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\C3D2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\HelpC:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Civil2010\enu\Tool Catalogs\Help, although these can be
any directory as long as the .atc file has the correct relative path information. For information about
creating help files, see Creating Subassembly Help Files (page 198)
4 Copy the catalog cover page .html file to its destination. Usually this is the same location as the .atc
file, although it can be any directory as long as the .atc file has the correct relative path information.
For information about creating cover pages, see Creating a Tool Catalog Cover Page (page 221).
Installing Custom Subassemblies | 223

5 Register the tool catalog using a registry (.reg) file. This .reg file must have the correct paths to the .atc
file and the catalog image file from steps 2) and 3). For information about creating registry files, see
Creating a Tool Catalog Registry File (page 222)
Exporting Custom Subassemblies Using a Package File

You can share custom subassemblies with others by copying the required files to a package file.
Custom subassemblies that have been created using .NET or VBA can be exported and imported using a
package file. A package file contains all the files necessary for the custom subassemblies to work. Once the
package file is created, users can import the package file into AutoCAD Civil 3D, and then copy the custom
subassemblies directly into a tool palette or catalog. For more information about importing subassembly
package files, see Sharing Subassemblies in the AutoCAD Civil 3D User’s Guide.
Like other types of AutoCAD Civil 3D content, subassemblies can also be shared with others through the
Autodesk Civil Engineering Community site. Go to http://civilcommunity.autodesk.com/ to access the Autodesk
Civil Engineering web site, then click on Content Sharing.
To create a package file, you must copy all of the files that make up the custom subassembly or subassemblies
into a folder. Create a .zip file of that folder, and then change the file extension from .zip to .pkt.
NOTE Subassemblies created from polylines cannot be included in a package file. Package files are intended for
sharing custom subassemblies that have been created using .NET or VBA.
Naming the Package File

If you are sharing a single subassembly, it is recommended that you name the package file the same name
as the subassembly. For example, if you plan to export a subassembly named OpenChannel, name the
package file OpenChannel.pkt. If you plan to export multiple subassemblies in a single package file, give the
folder a name that easily identifies the types of subassemblies that are contained in it. For example,
DitchSubassemblies.pkt.
Required Subassembly Files

The following table describes the files that must be included in a package file to successfully export and
import one or more subassemblies.
File Description
.atc file(s) A valid .atc file that defines the shape and behavior of the subassembly or sub-
assemblies is required. You can have one or more .atc files included in the
package file. For example, you can have one .atc file that defines one or more
subassemblies, or you can have multiple .atc files, each of which defines one
or more subassemblies. If the package file contains multiple .atc files, each .atc
file must have a unique name. All the paths referenced in .atc file must be relative
paths, if they point to files in the same .pkt file.
.dll or .dvb file(s) A .dll file is required for subassemblies that are defined using .NET. A .dvb file
is required for subassemblies that are defined using VBA. A package file can
contain both .dll and .dvb files.
Help file(s) A Help file is not required in order for a subassembly to function properly.
However, the Help file is needed for others to understand how to use the sub-
assembly. Therefore, it is recommended that you always include a Help file with
each subassembly. The Help file for each subassembly is specified in the .atc
file, and can be any of the following formats: .dwf, .doc, .pdf, .txt, .chm, .hlp.
For more information, see Creating Subassembly Help Files (page 198).

File Description
Image file(s) An image file for each is displayed on the tool palette and is used to provide a
conceptual graphical representation of the subassembly shape.
To create a package file
1 Copy all of the required subassembly files into a folder. Make sure that folder contains only the files
required for the subassembly or subassemblies you plan to export.
2 Create a .zip file of the contents of that folder.
3 Change the file extension from .zip to .pkt.
The package (.pkt) file is created and can be shared with other users.
Exporting Custom Subassemblies Using a Package File | 225

226
Corridors in COM
17
This chapter covers creating and managing corridor objects using the COM API. For information about performing these
tasks using the .NET API, see Corridors in .NET (page 247).
Root Objects
This section explains how to get the base objects required for using the roadway API classes.
227
Object Hierarchy
Object Model for Root Corridor Objects
Accessing Corridor-Specific Base Objects

Applications that access corridors require special versions of the base objects representing the application
and document. The AeccRoadwayApplication object is identical to the AeccApplication it is inherited from
except that its AeccRoadwayApplication.ActiveDocument property returns an object of type
AeccRoadwayDocument instead of AeccDocument. The AeccRoadwayDocument object contains collections of
road related items, such as corridors, subassemblies, and style objects in addition to all of the methods and
properties of AeccDocument.
When using corridor root objects, be sure to reference the “Autodesk Civil Engineering Corridor 6.0 Object
Library” (AeccXRoadway.tlb) and “Autodesk Civil Engineering UI Corridor 6.0 Object Library”
(AeccXUIRoadway.tlb) libraries.
228 | Chapter 17 Corridors in COM

This sample demonstrates how to retrieve the corridor root objects:
sAppName = "AeccXUiRoadway.AeccRoadwayApplication"
Dim oRoadwayApplication As AeccRoadwayApplication
Set oRoadwayApplication = oApp.GetInterfaceObject(sAppName)

Dim oRoadwayDocument As AeccRoadwayDocument
Set oRoadwayDocument = oRoadwayApplication.ActiveDocument
Ambient Settings
Ambient settings allow you to get and set the unit and default property settings of roadway objects. Ambient
settings for a corridor document are held in the AeccRoadwayDocument.Settings property, an object of type
AeccRoadwaySettingsRoot. AeccRoadwaySettingsRoot inheirits all the properties of the AeccSettingsRoot
class from which it is derived.
The roadway-specific properies of AeccRoadwaySettingsRoot let you adjust the settings for corridors,
assemblies, subassemblies, and quantity takeoffs:
Corridor Ambient Settings

The corridor ambient settings object allows you to set the default name templates and default styles for
corridor-related objects. The name templates allow you to set how new corridors, corridor surfaces, profiles
from feature lines, or alignments from feature lines are named. Each template can use elements from the
Valid property fields for AeccSettingsCorridor.NameTemplate
<[Corridor First Assembly(CP)]>
<[Corridor First Baseline(CP)]>
<[Corridor First Profile(CP)]>
<[Next Counter(CP)]>
... for AeccSettingsCorridor.CorridorSurfaceNameTemplate
<[Corridor Name(CP)]>
<[Next Corridor Surface Counter(CP)]>
...for AeccSettingsCorridor.ProfileFromFeatureLineNameTemplate
... for AeccSettingsCorridor.AlignmentFromFeatureLineNameTemplate
<[Corridor Baseline Name(CP)]>
<[Corridor Feature Code(CP)]>
Ambient Settings | 229

... for AeccSettingsCorridor.AlignmentFromFeatureLineNameTemplate
<[Profile Type]>
This sample sets the corridor name template:

' Get the ambient settings root object.
Dim oRoadwaySettings As AeccRoadwaySettingsRoot
Set oRoadwaySettings = oRoadwayDocument.Settings
' Set the template so that new corridors are named "Corridor"
' followed by a unique number followed by the name of the
' corridor's first assembly in parenthesis.
oRoadwaySettings.CorridorSettings.NameTemplate = _
"Corridor <[Next Counter(CP)]>(<[Corridor First Assembly(CP)]>)"
Default styles are set through the AeccSettingsCorridor.StyleSettings property. The styles for corridor
alignments, alignment labels, code sets, surfaces, feature lines, profiles, profile labels, and slope pattern are
accessed through a series of string properties.
This sample sets the style of alignments in a corridor to the first alignment style in the document’s collection
of styles:
' Get a reference to the corridor settings object.
Dim oSettingsCorridor As AeccSettingsCorridor
Set oSettingsCorridor = oRoadwayDocument.Settings.CorridorSettings
' Get the name of the first alignment style in the collection.
Dim sName As String
sName = oRoadwayDocument.AlignmentStyles.Item(0).Name
' Assign the name to alignment style property.

oSettingsCorridor.StyleSettings.AlignmentStyle.Value = sName
Assembly Ambient Settings

The assembly ambient settings object allows you to set the default name templates and default styles for
assemblies. The name templates allow you to set how new assemblies, offset assemblies, and assembly groups
are named. Each template can use elements from the following property fields:
Valid property fields for AeccSettingsAssembly.NameTemplate
... for AeccSettingsAssembly.OffsetNameTemplate
...for AeccSettingsAssembly.GroupNameTemplate
Default styles are set through the AeccSettingsCorridor.StyleSettings property. The styles for assemblies
and code sets are accessed through string properties.

Subassembly Ambient Settings
The subassembly ambient settings object allows you to set the default name templates and default styles for
subassembly objects. The name templates allow you to set how subassemblies created from entities and
subassemblies create from macros are named. Each template can use elements from the following property
fields:
... for AeccSettingsSubassembly.CreateFromEntitiesNameTemplate
<[Macro Short Name(CP)]>
<[Subassembly Local Name(CP)]>
<[Subassembly Side]>
... for AeccSettingsSubassembly.CreateFromMacroNameTemplate
The name of the default code style set is accessed through the AeccSettingsSubassembly.CodeSetStyle
string property.
Each of these settings properties also contain a standard AmbientSettings property of type
AeccSettingsAmbient for setting the default units of measurement.
Corridors
Corridor Concepts
A corridor represents a path, such as a road, trail, railroad, or airport runway. The geometry of a corridor is
defined by a horizontal alignment and a profile. Together, these form the baseline - the centerline of the
3D path of the corridor. Along the length of the baselines are a series of assemblies which define the
cross-sectional shape of the alignment. Common points in each assembly are connected to form feature
lines. Together the assemblies and feature lines form the 3D shape of a corridor. A corridor also has one or
more surfaces which can be compared against an existing ground surface to determine the amount of cut
or fill required.
Listing Corridors
The collection of all corridors in a document are held in the AeccRoadwayDocument.Corridors property.
Corridors | 231
The following sample displays the name and the largest possible triangle side of every corridor in a document:
Dim oCorridors As AeccCorridors
Set oCorridors = oRoadwayDocument.Corridors
Dim oCorridor As AeccCorridor

For Each oCorridor In oCorridors
Debug.Print "Corridor: " & oCorridor.Name
Debug.Print oCorridor.MaximumTriangleSideLength
Next
Creating Corridors
The corridors collection includes a AeccCorridors.Add method for creating new corridors. This method
creates the corridor based on an existing alignment, profile, and assembly.
NOTE The station distance between assemblies cannot be set through the API, and needs to be set through the
property page dialog box before the AeccCorridors.Add method is called.
' Assuming oAlignment, oProfile, and oAssembly represent

' valid AeccAlignment, AeccProfile, and AeccAssembly objects.
Dim oCorridors As AeccCorridors
Set oCorridors = oRoadwayDocument.Corridors
Dim oCorridor As AeccCorridor
Set oCorridor = oCorridors.Add( _
"Corridor01", _
oAlignment.Name, _
oProfile.Name, _
oAssembly.Name)
Baselines
A baseline represents the centerline of the path of a corridor. It is based on an alignment (the horizontal
component of the path) and a profile (the vertical component of the path). A corridor can contain more
than one baseline if the corridor is modeling a complicated shape, such as an intersection. A baseline is
made up of one or more baseline regions. Each region has its own assembly (its own cross section), so a
corridor can have different shapes at different locations along its length.

Object Hierarchy
Baselines Object Model
Listing Baselines in a Corridor

The collection of all baselines in a corridor are contained in the AeccCorridor.Baselines property.
The following sample display information about the underlying alignment and profile for every baseline in
a corridor:
Dim oBaseline As AeccBaseline
For Each oBaseline In oCorridor.Baselines
Debug.Print "Baseline information -"
Debug.Print "Alignment : " & oBaseline.Alignment.Name
Debug.Print "Profile : " & oBaseline.Profile.Name
Debug.Print "Start station: " & oBaseline.StartStation
Debug.Print "End station : " & oBaseline.EndStation
Debug.Print
Next
Adding a Baseline to a Corridor

A baseline can be added to an existing corridor through the AeccCorridor.AddBaseline method. The baseline
is defined by an existing alignment, profile, and assembly and consists of a single region.
NOTE The station distance between assemblies cannot be set through the API, and needs to be set through the
property page dialog box before this method is called.
The following sample adds a baseline using an existing alignment, profile, and assembly:
Set oBaseline = oCorridor.AddBaseline _
(oAlignment.Name, oProfile.Name, oAssembly.Name)
Listing Baseline Regions

The collection of all the regions of a baseline are contained in the AeccBaseline.BaselineRegions property.
Object Hierarchy | 233

The AutoCAD Civil 3D API does not include methods for creating new baseline regions or manipulating
existing regions.
The following sample displays the start and end station for every baseline region in a baseline:
Dim oBaselineRegion As AeccBaselineRegion
For Each oBaselineRegion In oBaseline.BaselineRegions
Debug.Print "Baseline information -"
Debug.Print "Start station: " & oBaselineRegion.StartStation
Debug.Print "End station: " & oBaselineRegion.EndStation
Debug.Print
Next
Accessing and Modifying Baseline Stations

Assembly cross sections are placed at regular intervals along a baseline. The list of all stations where assemblies
are located along a baseline can be retrieved using the AeccBaseline.GetSortedStations method while all
stations along a baseline region can be retrieved using the AeccBaselineRegion.GetSortedStations method.
Dim v As Variant
v = oBaselineRegion.GetSortedStations()
Dim i As Integer
Debug.Print "Assembly stations:"
For i = 0 To UBound(v)
Debug.Print v(i)
Next i
New stations can be added to baselines and baseline regions using the AddStation method. Existing stations
can be deleted using the DeleteStation method. DeleteStation includes an optional tolerance parameter,
letting you specify a station within a range. You can list all of the stations added to a baseline region with
the AeccBaselineRegion.GetAdditionalStation method. AeccBaselineRegion.ClearAdditionalStations
removes all added stations within a baseline region and leaves only the original stations created at regular
intervals.
' Add an assembly to the baseline at station 12+34.5
oBaseline.AddStation 1234.5, "Station description"
' Remove the station located within 0.1 units around 5+67.5
oBaseline.DeleteStation 567.5, 0.1
Listing Offset Baselines

Within a baseline region, it is possible to have secondary baselines that are offset from the main baseline.
The collection of these offset baselines are contained in the AeccBaselineRegion.OffsetBaselines property.
The collection contains two kinds of baselines derived from the IAeccBaseBaseline interface. One is the
hardcoded offset baseline (an instances of the AeccHardcodedOffsetBaseline class) which is a constant
distance from the main baseline for the entire length of the offset baseline. The other is offset baseline (an
instance of the AeccOffsetBaseline class), which is a variable distance from the main baseline.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D API does not include methods for creating new offset baselines or hardcoded offset
baselines.

This code examines each offset baseline within a baseline region:
Dim oBaseBaseline As IAeccBaseBaseline
For Each oBaseBaseline In oBaselineRegion.OffsetBaselines
Dim dMainStart As Double ' station on main baseline
Dim dMainEnd As Double ' station on main baseline
Dim vOE As Variant
Select Case oBaseline.Type

Case aeccCorridorOffsetBaseline
Dim oOffsetBaseline As AeccOffsetBaseline
Set oOffsetBaseline = oBaseBaseline
' Report that an offset baseline exists.

dMainStart = oOffsetBaseline.StartStationOnMainBaseline
dMainEnd = oOffsetBaseline.EndStationOnMainBaseline
Debug.Print "Offset baseline, station " & dMainStart & _
" to " & dMainEnd
' Report the offset of the baseline at its start and end.
vOE = oOffsetBaseline. _
GetOffsetElevationFromMainBaselineStation(dMainStart)
Debug.Print " is offset by: " & _
vOE(0) & " horizontal and: " & vOE(1) & _
" vertical at start"
vOE = oOffsetBaseline. _
GetOffsetElevationFromMainBaselineStation(dMainEnd)
Debug.Print " is offset by: " & vOE(0) & _
" horizontal and: " & vOE(1) & " vertical at end"
Case aeccCorridorHardcodedOffsetBaseline
Dim oHardcodedOffsetBaseline As AeccHardcodedOffsetBaseline
Set oHardcodedOffsetBaseline = oBaseBaseline
' Report that a hardcoded offset baseline exists.

dMainStart = oHardcodedOffsetBaseline.StartStation
dMainEnd = oHardcodedOffsetBaseline.EndStation
Debug.Print "Hardcoded offset baseline, station " _
& dMainStart & " to " & dMainEnd
vOE = oHardcodedOffsetBaseline. _
OffsetElevationFromMainBaseline
Debug.Print " is offset by: " & vOE(0) & _
" horizontal and: " & vOE(1) & " vertical"
End Select
Next
Assemblies and Subassemblies

An assembly is a pattern for the cross section of a corridor at a particular station. An assembly consists of a
connected set of subassemblies, each of which are linked to a centerpoint or to other subassemblies. A
subassembly consists of a series of shapes, links, and points. When an assembly is used to define the
cross-section of a corridor, a series of applied assemblies (an object of type AeccAppliedAssembly) is added
to the corridor. Each applied assembly consists of a collection of applied subassemblies, which in turn consist
of shapes, links, and points that have been positioned relative to a specific station along the corridor baseline
Assemblies and Subassemblies | 235

(AeccCalcualtedShapes, AeccCalculatedLinks, and AeccCalculatedPoints respectively). An applied assembly
also has direct access to all the calculated shapes, links, and points of its constituent applied subassemblies.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D API does not include methods for creating or modifying assemblies.
Object Hierarchy
Assemblies and Subassemblies Object Model
Listing Applied Assemblies in a Baseline Region

The collection of all applied assemblies used in a baseline region are contained in the
AeccBaselineRegion.AppliedAssemblies property.

The following sample displays information about the construction of an assembly for every assembly in a
baseline region:
Dim oAppliedAssembly As AeccAppliedAssembly
For Each oAppliedAssembly In oBaselineRegion.AppliedAssemblies
Debug.Print "Applied Assembly"
Dim lCount As Long
lCount = oAppliedAssembly.GetShapes().Count
Debug.Print " Num Shapes: " & lCount
Debug.Print
lCount = oAppliedAssembly.GetLinks().Count
Debug.Print " Num Links: " & lCount
lCount = oAppliedAssembly.GetPoints().Count
Debug.Print " Num Points: " & lCount
Next
An AeccAppliedAssembly object does not contain its baseline station position. Instead, each calculated point
contains a method for determining its position with a baseline station, offset, and elevation called
AeccCalculatedPoint.GetStationOffsetElevationToBaseline. Each calculated shape contains a collection
of all links that form the shape, and each calculated link contains a collection of all points that define the
link. Finally, each shape, link, and point contain an array of all corridor codes that apply to that element.
This sample retrieves all calculated point in an applied assembly and prints their locations:
Dim oPoint As AeccCalculatedPoint
For Each oPoint In oAppliedAssembly.GetPoints()
Dim vPos As Variant
vPos = oPoint.GetStationOffsetElevationToBaseline()
Debug.Print "Position: Station = " & vPos(0) & _
" Offset = " & vPos(1) & " Elevation = " & vPos(2)
Next
Getting Applied Subassembly Information

An applied subassembly consists of a series of calculated shapes, links, and points, represented by objects of
type AeccCalculatedShape, AeccCalculatedLink, and AeccCalculatedPoint respectivly.
Dim S, O, E As Double
With oAppliedSubassembly
S = .OriginStationOffsetElevationToBaseline(0)
O = .OriginStationOffsetElevationToBaseline(1)
E = .OriginStationOffsetElevationToBaseline(2)
End With
Debug.Print "Station to baseline : " & S
Debug.Print "Offset to baseline : " & O
Debug.Print "Elevation to baseline : " & E
Applied subassemblies also contain a reference to the archetype subassembly (of type AeccSubassembly) in
the subassembly database.
' Get information about the subassembly template.
Dim oSubassembly As AeccSubassembly
Set oSubassembly = oAppliedSubassembly.SubassemblyDbEntity
Debug.Print "Subassembly name: " & oSubassembly.Name
Getting Applied Subassembly Information | 237

Feature Lines
Feature lines are formed by connecting related points in each assembly along the length of a corridor baseline.
These lines represent some aspect of the roadway, such as a sidewalk edge or one side of a corridor surface.
Points become related by sharing a common code, a string property usually describing the corridor feature.
Each baseline has two sets of feature lines, one for lines that are positioned along the main baseline and one
for lines that are positioned along any of the offset baselines.
NOTE You can create feature lines from polylines using the IAeccLandFeatureLine:: AddFromPolyline()
method.
Object Hierarchy
Feature Line Object Model
Listing Feature Lines Along a Baseline

The set of all feature lines along a main baseline are held in the AeccBaseline.MainBaselineFeatureLines
property, an object of type AeccBaselineFeatureLines. This object contains information about all the feature
lines, such as a list of all codes used. Its AeccBaselineFeatureLines.FeatureLinesCol property is a collection
of collections of feature lines. Each feature line (an object of type AeccFeatureLine) contains the code string
used to create the feature line and a collection of all feature line points.

This sample lists all the feature line collections and feature lines along the main baseline. It also lists the
code and every point location for each feature line.
Dim oBaselineFeatureLines As AeccBaselineFeatureLines
Set oBaselineFeatureLines = oBaseline.MainBaselineFeatureLines
Dim oFeatureLinesCol As AeccFeatureLinesCol

Set oFeatureLinesCol = oBaselineFeatureLines.FeatureLinesCol
Debug.Print "# line collections:" & oFeatureLinesCol.Count
Dim oFeatureLines As AeccFeatureLines

For Each oFeatureLines In oFeatureLinesCol
Debug.Print "Feature Line collection"
Debug.Print "# lines in collection: " & oFeatureLines.Count
Dim oFeatureLine As AeccFeatureLine
For Each oFeatureLine In oFeatureLines
Debug.Print
Debug.Print "Feature Line code: " & oFeatureLine.CodeName
' Print out all point locations of the

' feature line.
Dim oFeatureLinePoint As AeccFeatureLinePoint
For Each oFeatureLinePoint In oFeatureLine.FeatureLinePoints
Dim X As Double
Dim Y As Double
Dim Z As Double
X = oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ(0)
Y = oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ(1)
Z = oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ(2)
Debug.Print "Point: " & X & ", " & Y & ", " & Z
Next ' Points in a feature line
Next ' Feature lines
Next ' Collections of feature lines
Listing Feature Lines Along Offset Baselines

As there can be many offset baselines in a single main baseline, the list of all feature lines along all offset
baselines contains an extra layer. The AeccBaseline.OffsetBaselineFeatureLinesCol property contains a
collection of AeccBaselineFeatureLines objects. These AeccBaselineFeatureLines objects not only contain
the feature lines just as for the main baseline, but also contain properties identifying which offset baseline
each group of feature lines belong to.
Listing Feature Lines Along Offset Baselines | 239

This sample shows how to modify the previous sample for feature lines along offset baselines:
Dim oBFeatureLinesCol As AeccBaselineFeatureLinesCol
Set oBFeatureLinesCol = oBaseline.OffsetBaselineFeatureLinesCol
Dim oBaselineFeatureLines As AeccBaselineFeatureLines

' Loop through the groups of collections, one group for each
' offset baseline.
For Each oBaselineFeatureLines In oBFeatureLinesCol
Dim oFeatureLinesCol As AeccFeatureLinesCol

Set oFeatureLinesCol = oBaselineFeatureLines.FeatureLinesCol
Debug.Print "# line collections:" & oFeatureLinesCol.Count
' [...]
' This section is the same as the previous topic.
Next ' Groups of collections of feature lines
Each offset baseline and hardcoded offset baseline also has direct access to the feature lines related to itself.
The AeccBaselineFeatureLines collection is accessed through the RelatedOffsetBaselineFeatureLines
property in both types of offset baselines.
Corridor Surfaces
Corridor surfaces can represent the base upon which the corridor is constructed, the top of the finished
roadway, or other aspects of the corridor. Such surfaces are represented by the AeccSurface class and by the
unrelated AeccCorridorSurface class. AeccCorridorSurface objects contain corridor-specific information
about the surfaces, such as which feature line, point, and link codes were used to create it.
Object Hierarchy
Corridor Surfaces Object Model

Listing Corridor Surfaces
The collection of all corridor surfaces for each corridor is held in the the AeccCorridor.CorridorSurfaces
property. Each corridor surface contains the boundary of the surface and a list of all point, link, and feature
line codes used in the construction of the surface. Corridor surfaces also contain read-only references to the
surface style and section style used in drawing the surface.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D API does not include methods for creating new corridor surfaces or modifying
existing corridor surfaces.
This sample lists all the corridor surfaces within a corridor and specifies which point codes were used:
Dim oCorridorSurface As AeccCorridorSurface
For Each oCorridorSurface In oCorridor.CorridorSurfaces
Debug.Print "Surface name: "; oCorridorSurface.Name
' Get the point codes that were used to construct

' this surface.
Dim sCodes() As String
Dim sCodeList As String
Dim i as Integer
sCodes = oCorridorSurface.PointCodes
For i = 0 To UBound(sCodes)
sCodeList = sCodeList & " " & sCodes(i)
Next i
Debug.Print "Point codes: " & sCodeList
Next
Listing Surface Boundaries

Two different objects are used to define the limits of a corridor surface: boundaries and masks. A boundary
is a polygon representing the outer edge of a surface or the inside edge of a hole in a surface. A mask is a
polygon representing the part of the surface that can be displayed. The collection of all the boundaries of a
surface are stored in the AeccCorridorSurface.Boundaries property and the collection of all masks are stored
in the AeccCorridorSurface.Masks property.
Boundaries (of type AeccCorridorSurfaceBoundary) and masks (of type AeccCorridorSurfaceMask) are both
derived from the same base interface (IAeccCorridorSurfaceBaseMask) and both have the similar methods
and properties. The array of points making up the border polygon is retrieved by calling the GetPolygonPoints
method. If the border was originally defined by selecting segments of feature lines, the collection of all such
feature line components are contained in the FeatureLineComponents property.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D API does not include methods for creating or modifying corridor boundaries or
masks.
Listing Corridor Surfaces | 241

This sample loops through all the boundaries of a corridor surface and displays information about each:
Dim oCSBoundary As AeccCorridorSurfaceBoundary
For Each oCSBoundary In oCorridorSurface.Boundaries

' Get the type of boundary.
Dim sBoundaryTitle As String
If (oCSBoundary.Type = aeccCorridorSurfaceInsideBoundary) Then
sBoundaryTitle = " Inner Boundary: "
Else
sBoundaryTitle = " Outer Boundary: "
End If
Debug.Print sBoundaryTitle & oCSBoundary.Name
' Get the points of the boundary polygon.

Dim vPoints As Variant
vPoints = oCSBoundary.GetPolygonPoints()
Debug.Print " " & UBound(vPoints) & " points"
' Print the location of the first point. Usually corridors
' have a large number of boundary points, so we will not
' bother printing all of them.
X = vPoints(1)(0)
Y = vPoints(1)(1)
Z = vPoints(1)(2)
Debug.Print "Point 1: "; X; ", "; Y; ", "; Z
' Display information about each feature

' line component in this surface boundary.
Debug.Print
Debug.Print "Feature line components"
Debug.Print " Count: ";
Debug.Print oCSBoundary.FeatureLineComponents.Count
Dim oFeatureLineComponent As AeccFeatureLineComponent

For Each oFLineComponent In oCSBoundary.FeatureLineComponents
Debug.Print "Code:" & oFLineComponent.FeatureLine.CodeName
Debug.Print "Start station:" & oFLineComponent.StartStation
Debug.Print "End station:" & oFLineComponent.EndStation
Debug.Print: Debug.Print
Next ' Feature line components
Next ' Corridor surface boundaries
Computing Cut and Fill

One important use of corridor surfaces is to compare them against an existing ground surface to determine
the amounts of cut and fill required to shape the terrain to match the proposed corridor. While
AeccCorridorSurface objects cannot be used with AeccSurface objects directly to compute such statistics,
each AeccCorridorSurface object also has a companion AeccSurface object of the same name.

This sample code demonstrates the creation of a volume surface from the difference between the existing
ground and the datum surface of a corridor to determine cut, fill, and volume statistics:
' Get the collection of all surfaces in the drawing.
Dim oSurfaces As AeccSurfaces
Set oSurfaces = oRoadwayDocument.Surfaces
' Assign the setup information for the volume

' surface to be created.
Dim oTinVolumeCreationData As New AeccTinVolumeCreationData
oTinVolumeCreationData.Name = VOLUME_SURFACE_NAME
sLayerName = oRoadwayDocument.Layers.Item(0).Name
oTinVolumeCreationData.BaseLayer = sLayerName
oTinVolumeCreationData.Layer = sLayerName
Set oTinVolumeCreationData.BaseSurface = oSurfaces.Item("EG")
' Get the surface with the same name as the corridor surface.
Set oTinVolumeCreationData.ComparisonSurface = oSurfaces.Item(oCorridorSurface.Name)
oTinVolumeCreationData.Style = oSurfaces.Item("EG").StyleName
oTinVolumeCreationData.Description = "Volume surface of corridor"
' Create a volume surface that represents the

' difference between the two surfaces.
Dim oTinVolumeSurface As AeccTinVolumeSurface
Set oTinVolumeSurface = oSurfaces.AddTinVolumeSurface(oTinVolumeCreationData)
' Get information about the volume surface and

' display it in a messagebox.
Dim dNetVol As Double
Dim dCutVol As Double
Dim dFillVol As Double
dNetVol = oTinVolumeSurface.Statistics.NetVolume
dCutVol = oTinVolumeSurface.Statistics.CutVolume
dFillVol = oTinVolumeSurface.Statistics.FillVolume
MsgBox "Net Volume = " & dNetVol & " cu.m" & _
vbNewLine & "Cut = " & dCutVol & " cu.m" & _
vbNewLine & "Fill = " & dFillVol & " cu.m", _
vbOKOnly, _
"Differences between """ & _
oTinVolumeCreationData.BaseSurface.Name & _
""" and """ & _
oTinVolumeCreationData.ComparisonSurface.Name & _
""""
Styles
These style objects control the visual appearance of applied assemblies.
Assembly Style
The collection of all assembly style objects are found in the AeccRoadwayDocument.AssemblyStyles property.
The assembly style object contains properties for adjusting the marker types for the assembly attachment
Styles | 243
points, each of the standard AeccMarkerType property. While you can create new styles and edit existing
styles, you cannot assign a style to an existing assembly using the AutoCAD Civil 3D API.
' Create a new assembly style and change it so that the
' place where the assembly attaches to the main baseline
' is marked with a red X.
Dim oAssemblyStyle As AeccAssemblyStyle
Set oAssemblyStyle = oRoadwayDocument.AssemblyStyles.Add("Style1")
With oAssemblyStyle.MarkerStyleAtMainBaseline
.CustomMarkerStyle = aeccCustomMarkerX
.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Color = 10 ' red
.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
End With
Link Style
The collection of all link style objects are found in the AeccRoadwayDocument.LinkStyles property. This
style object contains properties for adjusting the visual display of assembly and subassembly links.
NOTE Link style objects are not used directly with link objects, but are instead used with roadway style sets.
' Create a new link style and color it green.

Dim oLinkStyle As AeccRoadwayLinkStyle
Set oLinkStyle = oRoadwayDocument.LinkStyles.Add("Style2")
With oLinkStyle
.LinkDisplayStylePlan.color = 80
.LinkDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
End With
Shape Style
The collection of all shape style objects are found in the AeccRoadwayDocument.ShapeStyles property. This
style object contains properties for adjusting the visual display of assembly and subassembly shapes, including
the outline and the inside area.
NOTE Shape style objects are not used directly with shape objects, but are instead used with roadway style sets.
' Create a new shape style and change it so that it has

' an orange border and a yellow hatch fill.
Dim oShapeStyle As AeccRoadwayShapeStyle
Set oShapeStyle = oRoadwayDocument.ShapeStyles.Add("Style3")
With oShapeStyle
.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.color = 50 ' yellow
.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.HatchType = aeccHatchPreDefined
.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.Pattern = "LINE"
.BorderDisplayStylePlan.color = 30 ' orange
.BorderDisplayStylePlan.Visible = True
End With
Roadway Style Sets

The visual display of applied assemblies is defined by roadway style sets, which are a set of shape styles and
link styles assigned to shapes and links that use specified code strings. The collection of all style sets are

found in the AeccRoadwayDocument.StyleSets property. A style set is itself a collection of
AeccRoadwayStyleSetItem objects. Each style set item has a AeccRoadwayStyleSetItem.CodeStyle property
that can reference either an existing shape style object or link shape object. New style set items are added
to a style set though the AeccRoadwayStyleSet.Add method which takes parameters describing the kind of
style object, the code string, and the style object itself. The particular style set in use is selected through the
AeccRoadwayStyleSet.InitAsCurrent method.
' Create a new style set using our previously created styles.
Dim oStyleSet As AeccRoadwayStyleSet
Set oStyleSet = oRoadwayDocument.StyleSets.Add("Style Set 01")
Call oStyleSet.Add( _
aeccLinkType, _
"TOP", _
g_oRoadwayDocument.LinkStyles.Item("Style2"))
Call oStyleSet.Add( _
aeccShapeType, _
"BASE", _
oRoadwayDocument.ShapeStyles.Item("Style3"))
' Assign our new style set as the style set in current use.
oStyleSet.InitAsCurrent
Sample Program
CorridorSample.dvb
The CreateCorridorExample subroutine demonstrates the creation of a simple corridor using the
AeccCorridors.Add method. Before calling this subroutine, be sure the current document contains at least
one assembly. A suitable drawing is the file Corridor-2b.dwg located in the <installation-directory>\Help\Civil 3D
Tutorials\Drawings directory.
The GetCorridorInformationExample subroutine extracts information of all existing corridors, baselines,
feature lines, surfaces, assemblies, and subassemblies within the current document and displays the data in
an instance of Word. A suitable drawing is the file Corridor-4b.dwg located in the <installation-directory>\Help\Civil
Tutorials\Drawings directory.
NOTE Microsoft Word must be running before starting this program.

246
Corridors in .NET
18
This chapter covers creating and managing corridor objects using the .NET API. For information about performing these
tasks using the COM API, see Corridors in COM (page 227).
Root Objects
Accessing Corridor-Specific Base Objects

The .NET API does not use separate root objects for getting roadway-related objects. Unlike the COM API,
you only need to use the CivilApplication and CivilDocument classes to access corridor root objects.
Ambient Settings
Ambient settings allow you to get and set the unit and default property settings of roadway objects. Ambient
settings for a corridor are accessed with the SettingsCorridor object returned by
CivilDocument.Settings.GetFeatureSettings() method.
Corridor Ambient Settings

The corridor ambient settings object allows you to set the default name formats and default styles for
corridor-related objects. The name templates allow you to set how new corridors, corridor surfaces, profiles
from feature lines, or alignments from feature lines are named. Each format can use elements from the
Valid property fields for SettingsCorridor.SettingsNameFormat.Corridor
<[Corridor First Assembly(CP)]>
<[Corridor First Baseline(CP)]>
<[Corridor First Profile(CP)]>
247
Valid property fields for SettingsCorridor.SettingsNameFormat.Corridor
... for SettingsCorridor.SettingsNameFormat.CorridorSurface
<[Next Corridor Surface Counter(CP)]>
...for SettingsCorridor.SettingsNameformat.ProfileFromFeatureLine
... for SettingsCorridor.SettingsNameFormat.AlignmentFromFeatureLine
<[Corridor Baseline Name(CP)]>
<[Corridor Feature Code(CP)]>
<[Profile Type]>
This sample sets the corridor name format:

// Get the Corridor ambient settings root object
SettingsCorridor oCorridorSettings = doc.Settings.GetFeatureSettings<SettingsCorridor>() as
SettingsCorridor;
// Set the template so new corridors are named "Corridor"
// followed by a unique number followed by the name of the
// corridor's first assembly in parenthesis.
oCorridorSettings.NameFormat.Corridor.Value = "Corridor <[Next Counter(CP)]>(<[Corridor First
Assembly(CP)]>)";
Default styles are set through the SettingsCorridor.StyleSettings property. The styles for corridor
alignments, alignment labels, code sets, surfaces, feature lines, profiles, profile labels, and slope pattern are
accessed through a series of string properties.
This sample sets the style of alignments in a corridor to the first alignment style in the document’s collection
of styles:
{
// Get the name of the first alignment style in the collection.
ObjectId alignId = doc.Styles.AlignmentStyles[0];
Alignment oAlignment = ts.GetObject(alignId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Alignment;
// Assign the name to alignment style property.
oCorridorSettings.Styles.Alignment.Value = oAlignment.Name;
}
248 | Chapter 18 Corridors in .NET

Assembly Ambient Settings
The assembly ambient settings object allows you to set the default name formats and default styles for
assemblies. The name formats allow you to set how new assemblies, offset assemblies, and assembly groups
are named. Each format can use elements from the following property fields:
Valid property fields for SettingsAssembly.NameFormat.Assembly
... for SettingsAssembly.NameFormat.Offset
...for SettingsAssembly.NameFormat.Group
Subassembly Ambient Settings

The subassembly ambient settings object allows you to set the default name formats and default styles for
subassembly objects. The name formats allow you to set how subassemblies created from entities and
subassemblies created from macros are named. Each format can use elements from the following property
fields:
... for SettingsSubassembly.SettingsNameFormat.CreateFromEntities
... for SettingsSubassembly.SettingsNameFormat.CreateFromMacro
NOTE The name of the default code style set cannot be set with the .NET API.
Corridors
Corridor Concepts
A corridor represents a path, such as a road, trail, railroad, or airport runway. The geometry of a corridor is
defined by a horizontal alignment and a profile. Together, these form the baseline - the centerline of the
3D path of the corridor. Along the length of the baselines are a series of assemblies which define the
Corridors | 249
cross-sectional shape of the alignment. Common points in each assembly are connected to form feature
lines. Together the assemblies and feature lines form the 3D shape of a corridor. A corridor also has one or
more surfaces which can be compared against an existing ground surface to determine the amount of cut
or fill required.
Listing Corridors
The collection of all corridors in a document are held in the CivilDocument.CorridorCollection property.
The following sample displays the name and the largest possible triangle side of every corridor in a document:
public static void ListCorridors()
{

{
foreach (ObjectId objId in doc.CorridorCollection)
{
Corridor myCorridor = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Corridor;
ed.WriteMessage("Corridor: {0}\nLargest possible triangle side: {1}\n",
myCorridor.Name, myCorridor.MaximumTriangleSideLength);
}
}
Creating Corridors
You cannot add new Corridors to a document using the .NET API.
Baselines
A baseline represents the centerline of the path of a corridor. It is based on an alignment (the horizontal
component of the path) and a profile (the vertical component of the path). A corridor can contain more
than one baseline if the corridor is modeling a complicated shape, such as an intersection. A baseline is
made up of one or more baseline regions. Each region has its own assembly (its own cross section), so a
corridor can have different shapes at different locations along its length.
Listing Baselines in a Corridor

The collection of all baselines in a corridor are contained in the Corridor.Baselines property, which is type
BaselineCollection.

The following sample displays information about the underlying alignment and profile for every baseline
in a corridor:
foreach (Baseline oBaseline in oCorridor.Baselines)
{
Alignment oAlign = ts.GetObject(oBaseline.AlignmentId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Alignment;
Profile oProfile = ts.GetObject(oBaseline.ProfileId, OpenMode.ForRead) as Profile;
ed.WriteMessage(@"Baseline information -
Alignment : {0}
Profile : {1}
Start station : {2}
End station : {3}",
oAlign.Name,
oProfile.Name,
oBaseline.StartStation,
oBaseline.EndStation);
}
Adding a Baseline to a Corridor

Adding baselines to a Corridor is not supported in the .NET API.
Listing Baseline Regions

The collection of all the regions of a baseline are contained in the Baseline.BaselineRegions property.
The AutoCAD Civil 3D API does not include methods for creating new baseline regions, or manipulating
existing regions.
The following sample displays the start and end station for every baseline region in a baseline:
foreach (BaselineRegion oBaselineRegion in oBaseline.BaselineRegions)
{
ed.WriteMessage(@"Baseline region information -
Start station : {0}
End station : {1}\n",
oBaselineRegion.StartStation,
oBaselineRegion.EndStation);
Accessing and Modifying Baseline Stations

Assembly cross sections are placed at regular intervals along a baseline. The list of all stations where assemblies
are located along a baseline can be retrieved using the Baseline.SortedStations() method, while all stations
along a baseline region can be retrieved using the BaselineRegion.SortedStations() method.
double[] stations = oBaselineRegion.SortedStations();
ed.WriteMessage("Baseline Region stations: \n");
foreach (double station in stations){
ed.WriteMessage("\tStation: {0}\n", station);
}
New stations can be added to baseline regions using the AddStation() method. Existing stations can be
deleted using the DeleteStation method. DeleteStation includes an optional tolerance parameter, letting
Adding a Baseline to a Corridor | 251

you specify a station within a range. You can list all of the stations added to a baseline region with the
BaselineRegion.GetAdditionalStation method. BaselineRegion.ClearAdditionalStations removes all
added stations within a baseline region and leaves only the original stations created at regular intervals.
// Add an assembly to the middle of the baseline region
double newStation = oBaselineRegion.StartStation +
((oBaselineRegion.EndStation - oBaselineRegion.StartStation) / 2);
oBaselineRegion.AddStation(newStation, "New Station");
ed.WriteMessage("Added New Station: {0}", newStation);
// Remove the station located at the beginning of the baseline region:

oBaselineRegion.DeleteStation(oBaselineRegion.StartStation);
Listing Offset Baselines

Within a baseline region, it is possible to have secondary baselines that are offset from the main baseline.
The collection of these offset baselines are contained in the BaselineRegion.OffsetBaselines property.
The collection contains two kinds of baselines derived from the BaseBaseline class. One is the hardcoded
offset baseline (an instances of the HardcodedOffsetBaseline class) which is a constant distance from the
main baseline for the entire length of the offset baseline. The other is the offset baseline (an instance of the
OffsetBaseline class), which is a variable distance from the main baseline.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API does not include methods for creating new offset baselines or hardcoded
offset baselines.

This code examines each offset baseline within a baseline region:
foreach (BaseBaseline ob in oBaselineRegion.OffsetBaselines)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Offset baseline: \n");
switch (ob.BaselineType)
{
case CorridorBaselineType.OffsetBaseline:
OffsetBaseline offb = (OffsetBaseline)ob;
ed.WriteMessage("Offset baseline, station {0} to {1}\n",
offb.StartStationOnMainBaseline, offb.EndStationOnMainBaseline);
ed.WriteMessage(" is offset by: {0} horizontal and {1} vertical at start\n",
offb.GetOffsetElevationFromMainBaselineStation(offb.StartStationOnMain
Baseline).X,
offb.GetOffsetElevationFromMainBaselineStation(offb.StartStationOnMain
Baseline).Y);
ed.WriteMessage(" is offset by: {0} horizontal and {1} vertical at end\n",
offb.GetOffsetElevationFromMainBaselineStation(offb.EndStationOnMain
Baseline).X,
offb.GetOffsetElevationFromMainBaselineStation(offb.EndStationOnMain
Baseline).Y);
break;
case CorridorBaselineType.HardcodedOffsetBaseline:
HardcodedOffsetBaseline hob = (HardcodedOffsetBaseline)ob;
ed.WriteMessage("Hardcoded offset baseline {0} \n",
hob.Name);
ed.WriteMessage(" is offset by: {0} horizontal and {1} vertical\n",
hob.OffsetElevationFromMainBaseline.X,
hob.OffsetElevationFromMainBaseline.Y);
break;
default:
break;
}
}
Assemblies and Subassemblies

An assembly is a pattern for the cross section of a corridor at a particular station. An assembly consists of a
connected set of subassemblies, each of which are linked to a centerpoint or to other subassemblies. A
subassembly consists of a series of shapes, links, and points. When an assembly is used to define the
cross-section of a corridor, a series of applied assemblies (an object of type AppliedAssembly) is added to the
corridor. Each applied assembly consists of a collection of applied subassemblies, which in turn consist of
shapes, links, and points that have been positioned relative to a specific station along the corridor baseline
(CalculatedShape, CalculatedLink, and CalculatedPoint respectively). An applied assembly also has direct
access to all the calculated shapes, links, and points of its constituent applied subassemblies.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API does not include methods for creating or modifying assemblies.
Assemblies and Subassemblies | 253

Listing Applied Assemblies in a Baseline Region
The collection of all applied assemblies used in a baseline region are contained in the
BaselineRegion.AppliedAssemblies property.
The following sample displays information about the construction of an assembly for every assembly in a
baseline region:
// List the applied assemblies in the baseline region
foreach (AppliedAssembly oAppliedAssembly in oBaselineRegion.AppliedAssemblies)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Applied Assembly, num shapes: {0}, num links: {1}, num points: {2}\n",
oAppliedAssembly.Shapes.Count, oAppliedAssembly.Links.Count, oApplie
dAssembly.Points.Count);
An AppliedAssembly object does not contain its baseline station position. Instead, each calculated point
contains a property for determining its position with a baseline station, offset, and elevation called
CalculatedPoint.StationOffsetElevationToBaseline. Each calculated shape contains a collection of all
links that form the shape, and each calculated link contains a collection of all points that define the link.
Finally, each shape, link, and point contain an array of all corridor codes that apply to that element.
This sample retrieves all calculated points in an applied assembly and prints their locations:
foreach (CalculatedPoint oPoint in oAppliedAssembly.Points)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Point position: Station: {0}, Offset: {1}, Elevation: {2}\n",
oPoint.StationOffsetElevationToBaseline.X,
oPoint.StationOffsetElevationToBaseline.Y,
oPoint.StationOffsetElevationToBaseline.Z);
Getting Applied Subassembly Information

An applied subassembly consists of a series of calculated shapes, links, and points, represented by objects of
type CalculatedShape, CalculatedLink, and CalculatedPoint respectivly.
foreach (AppliedSubassembly oSubassembly in oASC)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Applied subassembly: Station to baseline: {0}, Offset to baseline: {1},
Elevation to baseline: {2}\n",
oSubassembly.OriginStationOffsetElevationToBaseline.X,
oSubassembly.OriginStationOffsetElevationToBaseline.Y,
oSubassembly.OriginStationOffsetElevationToBaseline.Z);
}
Applied subassemblies also contain an ObjectId reference to the archetype subassembly (of type Subassembly)
in the subassembly database.
// Get information about the subassembly template:
ObjectId oID = oAppliedSubassembly.SubassemblyId;
Subassembly oSubassembly = ts.GetObject(oID, OpenMode.ForRead) as Subassembly;
ed.WriteMessage("Subassembly name: {0}\n", oSubassembly.Name);

Feature Lines
Feature lines are formed by connecting related points in each assembly along the length of a corridor baseline.
These lines represent some aspect of the roadway, such as a sidewalk edge or one side of a corridor surface.
Points become related by sharing a common code, a string property usually describing the corridor feature.
Each baseline has two sets of feature lines, one for lines that are positioned along the main baseline and one
for lines that are positioned along any of the offset baselines.
NOTE Creating feature lines from polylines is not supported in the .NET API. However, you can use the COM API
IAeccLandFeatureLine:: AddFromPolyline() method.
Listing Feature Lines Along a Baseline

The set of all feature lines along a main baseline are held in the Baseline.MainBaselineFeatureLines
property, an object of type BaselineFeatureLines. This object contains information about all the feature
lines, such as a list of all codes used. The BaselineFeatureLines.FeatureLinesCol property is a collection
of feature line collections. Each feature line (an object of type FeatureLine) contains the code string used
to create the feature line and a collection of all feature line points.
This sample lists all the feature line collections and feature lines along the main baseline. It also lists the
code and every point location for each feature line.
// Get all the feature lines:
foreach (FeatureLineCollection oFeatureLineCollection in oBaseline.MainBaselineFeatureLines.Fea
tureLineCollectionMap)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Feature Line Collection\n# Lines in collection: {0}\n",
oFeatureLineCollection.Count);
foreach (FeatureLine oFeatureLine in oFeatureLineCollection)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Feature line code: {0}\n", oFeatureLine.CodeName);
// print out all point locations on the feature line
foreach (FeatureLinePoint oFeatureLinePoint in oFeatureLine.FeatureLinePoints)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Point: {0},{1},{2}\n",
oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ.X,
oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ.Y,
oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ.Z );
}
}
}
Listing Feature Lines Along Offset Baselines

As there can be many offset baselines in a single main baseline, the list of all feature lines along all offset
baselines contains an extra layer. The Baseline.OffsetBaselineFeatureLinesCol property contains a
collection of BaselineFeatureLines objects. These BaselineFeatureLines objects not only contain the
feature lines just as for the main baseline, but also contain properties identifying which offset baseline each
group of feature lines belong to.
Feature Lines | 255

This sample shows how to modify the previous sample for feature lines along offset baselines:
// Get all the offset feature lines:
foreach (BaselineFeatureLines oBaselineFeaturelines in oBaseline.OffsetBaselineFeatureLinesCol)
{
foreach (FeatureLineCollection oFeatureLineCollection in oBaselineFeaturelines.Fea
tureLineCollectionMap)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Feature Line Collection\n# Lines in collection: {0}\n",
oFeatureLineCollection.Count);
foreach (FeatureLine oFeatureLine in oFeatureLineCollection)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Feature line code: {0}\n", oFeatureLine.CodeName);
// print out all point locations on the feature line
foreach (FeatureLinePoint oFeatureLinePoint in oFeatureLine.FeatureLinePoints)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Point: {0},{1},{2}\n",
oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ.X,
oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ.Y,
oFeatureLinePoint.XYZ.Z);
}
}
}
Each offset baseline and hardcoded offset baseline also has direct access to the feature lines related to itself.
The BaselineFeatureLines collection is accessed through the RelatedOffsetBaselineFeatureLines property
in both types of offset baselines.
Corridor Surfaces
Corridor surfaces can represent the base upon which the corridor is constructed, the top of the finished
roadway, or other aspects of the corridor. Such surfaces are represented by the Surface class and by the
unrelated CorridorSurface class. CorridorSurface objects contain corridor-specific information about the
surfaces, such as which feature line, point, and link codes were used to create it.
Listing Corridor Surfaces

The collection of all corridor surfaces for each corridor is held in the the Corridor.CorridorSurfaces
property. Each corridor surface contains the boundary of the surface and a list of all point, link, and feature
line codes used in the construction of the surface. Corridor surfaces also contain read-only references to the
surface style ID and section style ID used in drawing the surface.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API does not include methods for creating new corridor surfaces or modifying
existing corridor surfaces.

This sample lists all the corridor surfaces within a corridor and specifies the point codes that make up each
surface:
// List surfaces
foreach (CorridorSurface oCorridorSurface in oCorridor.CorridorSurfaces)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Corridor surface: {0}\n", oCorridorSurface.Name);
// Get the point codes for the surface.

String[] oPointCodes = oCorridorSurface.PointCodes();
ed.WriteMessage("Surface point codes:\n");
foreach (String s in oPointCodes)
{
ed.WriteMessage("{0}\n", s);
}
Listing Surface Boundaries

Two different objects are used to define the limits of a corridor surface: boundaries and masks. A boundary
is a polygon representing the outer edge of a surface or the inside edge of a hole in a surface. A mask is a
polygon representing the part of the surface that can be displayed. The collection of all the boundaries of a
surface are stored in the CorridorSurface.Boundaries property and the collection of all masks are stored
in the CorridorSurface.Masks property.
Boundaries (of type CorridorSurfaceBoundary) and masks (of type CorridorSurfaceMask) are both derived
from the same base class (CorridorSurfaceBaseMask) and both have similar methods and properties. The
array of points making up the border polygon is retrieved by calling the PolygonPoints() method. If the
border was originally defined by selecting segments of feature lines, the collection of all such feature line
components are contained in the FeatureLineComponents property.
NOTE The AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API does not include methods for creating or modifying corridor boundaries
or masks.
Listing Surface Boundaries | 257

This sample loops through all the boundaries of a corridor surface and displays information about each:
// List boundaries
foreach (CorridorSurfaceBoundary oCorridorSurfaceBoundary in oCorridorSurface.Boundaries)
{
if (oCorridorSurfaceBoundary.BoundaryType == CorridorSurfaceBoundaryType.InsideBoundary)
ed.WriteMessage("Inner Boundary: ");
else
ed.WriteMessage("Outer Boundary: ");
ed.WriteMessage(oCorridorSurfaceBoundary.Name);
// Get the points of the boundary polygon

Point3d[] oPoints = oCorridorSurfaceBoundary.PolygonPoints();
ed.WriteMessage("\nNumber of points: {0}\n", oPoints.Length);
// Print the location of the first point. Usually corridors
// have a large number of boundary points, so we will not
// bother printing all of them.
ed.WriteMessage("Point 1: {0},{1},{2}\n",
oPoints[0][0],
oPoints[0][1],
oPoints[0][2]);
// Display information about each feature

// line component in this surface boundary.
ed.WriteMessage("Feature line components \n Count: {0}\n",
oCorridorSurfaceBoundary.FeatureLineComponents.Count);
foreach (FeatureLineComponent oFeatureLineComponent in oCorridorSurfaceBoundary.Fea

tureLineComponents)
{
ed.WriteMessage("Code: {0}, Start station: {1}, End station: {2}\n",
oFeatureLineComponent.FeatureLine.CodeName,
oFeatureLineComponent.StartStation,
oFeatureLineComponent.EndStation);
}
}
Computing Cut and Fill

The .NET API doesn notexpose surface functionality, so it isn’t possible to calculate cut and fill volumes by
comparing surfaces. However, you can perform this task with the COM API. See for more information.
Styles
These style objects control the visual appearance of applied assemblies.
Assembly Style
The collection of all assembly style objects are found in the CivilDocument.Styles.AssemblyStyles property.
The assembly style object contains properties for adjusting the marker types for the assembly attachment

points, and each of the standard MarkerType properties. While you can create new styles and edit existing
styles, you cannot assign a style to an existing assembly using the AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API.
{
ObjectId objId = doc.Styles.AssemblyStyles.Add("Style1");
AssemblyStyle oAssemblyStyle = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as AssemblyStyle;
objId = oAssemblyStyle.MarkerStyleAtMainBaselineId;
MarkerStyle oMarker = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as MarkerStyle;
oMarker.CustomMarkerStyle = CustomMarkerType.CustomMarkerX;
oMarker.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 10);
oMarker.MarkerDisplayStylePlan.Visible = true;
ts.Commit();
}
Link Style
The collection of all link style objects are found in the CivilDocument.Styles.LinkStyles property. This
style object contains properties for adjusting the visual display of assembly and subassembly links.
NOTE Link style objects are not used directly with link objects, but are instead used with roadway style sets.
// Add a new link style to the document:

objId = doc.Styles.LinkStyles.Add("Style2");
LinkStyle oLinkStyle = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as LinkStyle;
oLinkStyle.LinkDisplayStylePlan.Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 80);
oLinkStyle.LinkDisplayStylePlan.Visible = true;
ts.Commit();
Shape Style
The collection of all shape style objects are found in the CivilDocument.ShapeStyles property. This style
object contains properties for adjusting the visual display of assembly and subassembly shapes, including
the outline and the inside area.
NOTE Shape style objects are not used directly with shape objects, but are instead used with roadway style sets.
// Create a new shape style and change it so that it has

// an orange border and a yellow hatch fill.
objId = doc.Styles.ShapeStyles.Add("Style3");
ShapeStyle oShapeStyle = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as ShapeStyle;
// 50 = yellow
oShapeStyle.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 50);
oShapeStyle.AreaFillDisplayStylePlan.Visible = true;
oShapeStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.HatchType = HatchType.PreDefined;
oShapeStyle.AreaFillHatchDisplayStylePlan.Pattern = "LINE";
// 30 = orange
oShapeStyle.BorderDisplayStylePlan.Color = Color.FromColorIndex(ColorMethod.ByAci, 30);
oShapeStyle.BorderDisplayStylePlan.Visible = true;
ts.Commit();
Link Style | 259

Roadway Style Sets
The visual display of applied assemblies is defined by roadway style sets, which are a set of shape styles and
link styles assigned to shapes and links that use specified code strings. The collection of all style sets are
found in the CivilDocument.Styles.CodeSetStyles property. A style set is itself a collection of
CodeSetStyleItem objects. Each style set item has a CodeSetStyleItem.CodeStyle property that can reference
either an existing shape style object or link shape object. New style set items are added to a style set though
the CodeSetStyleCollection.Add() method which takes parameters describing the kind of style object, the
code string, and the style object itself.
NOTE You cannot set the CodeSetStyle to be the currently used style with the .NET API. However, you can get
the ObjectId for the currently used style by calling CodeSetStyle.GetCurrentStyleSetId().
// Create a new style set using our previously created styles.

objId = doc.Styles.ShapeStyles.Add("Style Set 1");
CodeSetStyle oCodeSetStyle = ts.GetObject(objId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as CodeSetStyle;
oCodeSetStyle.Add("TOP", doc.Styles.LinkStyles["Style2"]);
oCodeSetStyle.Add("BASE", doc.Styles.ShapeStyles["Style3"]);
ts.Commit();

Object Hierarchy
A
AutoCAD Civil 3D
These images contain the hierarchy of all major objects. This is useful for determining which class instances
are required to create an object of a particular type, or which objects can be accessed from an existing
instance.
261
262 | Appendix A Object Hierarchy
AutoCAD Civil 3D | 263
Legend
Graphic Meaning
An object with a classname of “AeccOb-

ject”.
AutoCAD Civil 3D | 265

Graphic Meaning
An object with a classname of “AeccCollec-

tion”. This object is a list of other objects
which can be enumerated. It also usually
has a Count property and Add, Item, and
Remove methods.
You can obtain object B from a property

or method of object A.
From object X you can obtain a collection

Y, which is a subset of a larger collection.

Converting VBA
Subassemblies to .NET B
This chapter describes a process to convert existing custom subassemblies written in COM/VBA to .NET.
Although VBA custom subassemblies are still supported in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011, VBA support is deprecated and will
be discontinued in a future release. In addition, .NET subassemblies offer several advantages: they are easier to write and
maintain, and most importantly, they offer significant performance improvements. On average, they perform about 50%
faster than the equivalent code in VBA, and the performance increase can be even higher in complex drawings.
Once you have converted your custom subassemblies to .NET and imported them into the catalog file, you will need to
update the dependent assemblies in your drawings, and re-build the corridors. See the last section in this Appendix for
some sample code that replaces old VBA subassemblies with new .NET subassemblies.
Procedure
This section describes the steps required to convert a VBA subassembly to VB.NET. Although this procedure
only describes converting the subassembly to VB.NET, you can use a similar approach to convert the
subassembly to another .NET language, such as C#.
Where applicable, a regular expression is suggested to automate some of the changes required. In most cases,
using regular expressions can reduce the time required to port a custom subassembly. See the MSDN help
topic on Regular Expressions and Replace in Files for more information.
Create the Visual Basic.NET Subassembly Module

Start by creating the module for your subassembly. You can add a new module to the C3DStockSubassemblies
project, or you can create your own .NET subassembly project and add the new class module there. New
projects should use the Visual Studio "Class Library" template, and should reference the following files:
■ acdbmgd.dll
■ acmgd.dll
■ AecBaseMgd.dll
■ AeccDbMgd.dll
Be sure to include CodeSpecific.vb, SATemplate.vb, and Utilties.vb in your project as well.
267
Add the following framework to the Visual Basic subassembly class module:
Public Class UserDefinedSA
Inherits SATemplate
' Member Variables.
Protected Overrides Sub GetLogicalNamesImplement(ByVal corridorState As
Autodesk.Civil.Runtime.CorridorState)
' Todo
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub GetInputParametersImplement(ByVal corridorState As CorridorState)
' Todo
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub GetOutputParametersImplement(ByVal corridorState As CorridorState)
' Todo
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub DrawImplement(ByVal corridorState As CorridorState)
' Todo
End Sub
End Class
Note that:
■ The class must inherit from SATemplate.
■ You must override the DrawImplement() method, otherwise the subassembly will do nothing.
■ The other overridden methods may be removed if they are not used.
■ You can add your own functions and subroutines within the class's scope.
Copy Subassembly Code

Copy the original code from the VBA module (*.bas) to the corresponding place in the new class:
From To
UserdefinedSA_GetLogicalNames() GetLogicalnamesImplement()
UserdefinedSA _GetInputParamet- GetInputParametersImplement()

ers()
UserdefinedSA _GetOutputParamet- GetOutputParametersImplement()

ers()
UserdefinedSA() DrawImplement()
Const variables Member variables section
Port the VBA Code to Visual Basic .NET Code

Now begin the porting work. The following sections outline the main steps in porting. Code from the stock
subassembly DaylightBench.vb is used as an illustration.
268 | Appendix B Converting VBA Subassemblies to .NET

Step 1: Import the necessary namespaces
Adding the namespaces Autodesk.Civil.Roadway and Autodesk.Civil is recommended because members
in these two namespaces are frequently used in subassemblies. Your subassembly may require additional
namespaces. These are the namespaces imported in the stock Civil 3D subassemblies (from
C3DStockSubassemblies.vbproj):
■ Autodesk.Civil
■ Autodesk.Civil.ApplicationServices
■ Autodesk.Civil.DatabaseServices
■ Autodesk.Civil.Land
■ Autodesk.Civil.Land.DatabaseServices
■ Autodesk.Civil.Land.Settings
■ Autodesk.Civil.Roadway
■ Autodesk.Civil.Roadway.DatabaseServices
■ Autodesk.Civil.Roadway.Settings
■ Autodesk.Civil.Runtime
■ Autodesk.Civil.Settings
Step 2: Remove all On Error… statements
Remove the On Error statements in the GetLogicalNamesImplement(), GetInputParametersImplement(),

and GetOutputParametersImplement() methods. Comment these statements out in DrawImplement (),
because you will re-use the code in Step 14.
Regular expression:
■ Find: On Error{.*}
■ Leave the Replace field blank if you want to delete these statements. Use ' On Error\1 if you only want
to comment them out.
Step 3: Remove Exit Sub and Error Handler
Remove all the Exit Sub and Error Handler: statements at the end of each subroutine. In VBA, you may
see following code at the end of each subroutine - remove it, or move it into the appropriate Catch statement
when converting error handling logic in step 14.
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
RecordError Err.Number, Err.Description, Err.Source
Regular expression:
■ Find: Exit Sub{ *}\n{ *}\n{ *}ErrorHandler\:{ *}\n{ *}RecordError.+{ *}\n{ *}{End Sub}
■ Replace: \8
Port the VBA Code to Visual Basic .NET Code | 269

Step 4: Remove oRwyState definition.
Remove the following code at the beginning of each subroutine:
' Get the roadway state object
Dim oRwyState As AeccRoadwayState
Set oRwyState = GetRoadwayState()
The corridorState object is already passed in by the argument of the subroutine, so it is not necessary to
get it yourself.
Regular expression:
■ Find: {'.*}{ *}\n{ +}Dim.+As AeccRoadwayState{ *}\n{ *}.+= GetRoadwayState\(\)
■ Replace: leave blank to delete these statements
Step 5: Replace oRwyState with corridorState

All instances of the variable oRwyState used in VBA should be renamed corridorState in .NET. The
corridorState variable is passed in by argument.
Regular expression:
■ Find: oRwyState
■ Replace: corridorState
Step 6: Check for errors when accessing parameter values

In VBA, the parameter Value() method returns null if the key does not exist. In the .NET API, the same code
will throw an exception. Where you access a parameter, you need to use a Try / Catch block to catch this
case:
' VBA:
vCutSlope = oParamsDouble.Value("CutSlope")
If IsEmpty(vCutSlope) Then vCutSlope = c_dCutSlopeDefault
This code can be changed to:

' .NET:
Try
vCutSlope = oParamsDouble.Value("CutSlope ")
Catch
vCutSlope = c_ dCutSlopeDefault
End Try
Regular expression:
■ Find: ^{.+ =.+\.Value\(.+\)}\n{ +}If IsEmpty.+Then{.+}
■ Replace: Try\n\1\nCatch\n\3\nEnd Try\n
Step 7: Update RecordError()

The global function RecordError() is replaced by Utilities.RecordError().
' VBA:
RecordError(aeccRoadwayErrorValueTooLarge, "RoundingTesselation", "DaylightBench")

Change to:
'.NET:
Utilities.RecordError(corridorState, CorridorError.ValueTooLarge, "RoundingTesselation",
"DaylightBench")
Regular expression:
■ Find: {Record}{Warning|Error}{\(}{aecc}{RoadwayError}
■ Replace: Utilities.Record\2\3roadwayState,RoadwayError.
Step 8: Replace global variables with Utilities variables.

In VBA subassembly code, you will see global variables such as g_iRight, g_sSide, which have a "g_" prefix.
Most of these global variables have been moved to the Utilities class and renamed.
The following table lists some commonly used global variables and their corresponding ones in the Utilities
class. Refer to the definition of the Utilities class for more information.
From To
g_sSide Utilities.Side
g_iLeft Utilities.Left
g_iRight Utilities.Right
g_iTrue Utilities.ITrue
Rounding_Option.NoneType Utilities.RoundingOption.None-
Type
CutSituation Utilities.FillOrCut.FillSitu-
ation
SubbaseType Utilities.ShoulderSubbase-
Type.Subbase
Step 9: Rename enumerations

In VBA subassembly code, nearly all the COM enumerations have an "aecc" prefix, such as
aeccParamLogicalNameTypeAlignment. Replace them with corresponding .NET enumerations.
As a rule, the corresponding .NET enumerations are named by removing the "aecc" prefix and making the
detail category a child member. For example, aeccParamLogicalNameTypeAlignment becomes
ParamLogicalNameType.Alignment.
The following table lists some commonly used COM enumerations and their corresponding .NET
enumerations.
From To
aeccParamLogicalNameTypeAlign- ParamLogicalNameType.Alignment
ment
aeccRoadwayModeLayout CorridorMode.Layout

From To
aeccParamAccessOutput ParamAccessType.Output
Step 10: Rename types

Replace COM types with their corresponding .NET types.
The following table lists some commonly used COM types and their corresponding .NET types.
From To
IAeccParamsDouble ParamDoubleCollection
IAeccRoadwayLinks LinkCollection
IAeccParam Param
AeccRoadwayLink Link
AeccParamLong ParamLong
Regular expressions:
1 Convert IAeccParamsAlignment and AeccParamsAlignment to ParamAlignmentCollection
■ Find: { }I*AeccParams{.+}{ |\n}
■ Replace: \1Param\2Collection\3
2 Convert: IAeccRoadwayLinks to LinkCollection
■ Find: { }I*AeccRoadway{.*}s{ |\n}
■ Replace: \1\2Collection\3
3 Convert AeccRoadwayLink to Link
■ Find: { }(I|())AeccRoadway{Link|Shape}{ |\n}
■ Replace: \1\2\3
4 Convert AeccParamLong to ParamLong
■ Find: { }I*AeccParam{Long|Bool|Double|Point|String|()}{ |\n}
■ Replace: \1Param\2\3
These four regular expressions do not cover all the required changes, so you will have to make additional
changes manually.

Step 11: Change Object to build-in types
Where the subassembly uses Object, it should be changed to a built-in type, as Object is not type-safe.
' .NET Before:
Dim vSide As Object
Try
Catch
vSide = SideDefault
End Try
' .NET After:

Dim vSide As Long
Try
Catch
vSide = SideDefault
End Try
Step 12: Update code variables to use .NET naming

Remove the g_All, g_s and s prefixes in each variable name to match the new convention for code names.
From To
g_AllCodes.g_sHinge_Cut.sCode Codes.HingeCut.Code
g_AllCodes.g_sDaylight.sCode Codes.Daylight.Code
g_AllCodes.g_sDaylight_Cut.sCode Codes.DaylightCut.Code
Regular expression:
■ Find: g_All{Codes\.}g_s{.+\.}s{.+}
■ Replace: \1\2\3
Step 13: Update array definitions

In VBA, many arrays are defined with a lower bound at index “1”. This is not allowed in .NET, so you should
modify their definitions.
In most situations, you can just modify the array definition do not need to make any other changes. The
array element 0 is defined but left unused.
' .NET Before:
Dim sPointCodeArray(1 To 9, 0 To 1) As String
' .NET After:

Dim sPointCodeArray(0 To 9, 0 To 1) As String
If this array is passed as an argument to a method, you will need to do more work. In this case, the array is
most likely used from index “0”. You need to modify all the code that uses this array to take into account
the change in index numbering.

Step 14: Modify error handling
In VBA, On Error Resume Next and On Error GoTo ErrorHandler statements are used to handle errors. But
in .NET, exceptions are used instead. Modify all cases where errors are detected to use Try…Catch blocks.
' VBA:
Dim oTargetDTM As IAeccSurface
Set oTargetDTM = oParamsSurface.Value("TargetDTM")
If oTargetDTM Is Nothing Then
' Error handling code goes here
Exit Sub
End If
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Change error handling to:

' .NET:
Dim oTargetDTMId As ObjectId
Try
oTargetDTMId = oParamsSurface.Value("TargetDTM")
Catch
' Error handling code goes here
Exit Sub
End Try
Step 15: New rules for database objects

In the COM API, the arguments and return values all refer to a database object instance. However, in the
.NET API, arguments and return values are the ObjectId of the database object, not the object itself.
' VBA:
Dim oTargetDTM As IAeccSurface
Set oTargetDTM = oParamsSurface.Value("TargetDTM")
In .NET this would be:

' .NET:
Dim oTargetDTMId As ObjectId
Try
oTargetDTMId = oParamsSurface.Value("TargetDTM")
Catch
End Try
Then, to use the database object's instance, you have to use TransactionManager.GetObject() to open the
database object.
' VBA:
Dim oCurrentAlignment As AeccAlignment
GetAlignmentAndOrigin(oRwyState, oCurrentAlignment, oOrigin)
In .NET:
' .NET:
Dim currentAlignmentId As ObjectId
Dim currentAlignment As Alignment
Utilities.GetAlignmentAndOrigin(corridorState, currentAlignmentId, origin)
' ...
Dim db As Database = Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase
Dim tm As Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.TransactionManager = db.TransactionManager
currentAlignment = tm.GetObject(currentAlignmentId, OpenMode.ForRead, false, false)

Final Adjustments
The above rules cover the majority of changes needed to convert VBA code to working Visual Basic .NET
code. Depending on the nature of your subassembly, there may still be some syntax errors.
Installing the New Subassembly

The Autodesk Tool Catalog files (.atc files, found in [DataLocation]\Autodesk\C3D 2011\enu\Tool Catalogs\Road
Catalog) need to be modified in order to list your new subassembly in the Civil 3D Subassembly Catalog.
NOTE DataLocation in the path above depends on the operating system:

■ On Windows XP it is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\
■ On Windows Vista and Windows 7, it is C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\
The .atc file format for .NET subassemblies is largely the same as for VBA subassemblies except that two new
tags are used:
<GeometryGenerateMode>UseDotNet</GeometryGenerateMode> <GeometryGenerateMode> tells Civil 3D that
you are using a .NET subassembly. It is placed within the <Tool> tag.<DotNetClass
Assembly="%AECCCONTENT_DIR%\C3DStockSubassemblies.dll">Subassembly.NewCurb</DotNetClass> <DotNetClass>
is used instead of <Macro> tag when using .NET subassemblies
Replacing the VBA Subassembly

Once the VBA custom subassembly has been ported to .NET and installed in a catalog file, drawings need
to be updated to use the new code. Below is an example .NET macro that performs this task. This macro gets
a subassembly by name (“VBASubassembly”). It then creates a new SubassemblyGenerator object, passing
in the mode (“UseDotNet”), the dll in which the new subassembly is located, the name of the .NET
subassembly. Finally it sets the subassembly GeometryGenerator parameter to the new SubassemblyGenerator.
When the transaction is committed, the subassembly is replaced.
[CommandMethod("ConvertVbaSA")]
public void ConvertVbaSA()
{
using(Transaction trans = m_transactionManger.StartTransaction())
{
ObjectId saId = Autodesk.Civil.ApplicationServices.CivilApplication.ActiveDocument.Sub
assemblyCollection["VBASubassembly"];
Subassembly sa = trans.GetObject(saId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Subassembly;
SubassemblyGenerator genData = new SubassemblyGenerator(SubassemblyGeometryGenerate
Mode.UseDotNet, "C3DStockSubassemblies.dll", "Subassembly.DotNetSubassembly");
sa.GeometryGenerator = genData;
trans.Commit();
}
}
Final Adjustments | 275

276
Creating Client
Applications C
Overview
You can create stand-alone applications that use AutoCAD Civil 3D libraries to perform tasks. Sample
programs written in C++, C#, and Visual Basic.NET are included in the Samples directory.
Samples
All of the following are located in the <installation-directory>\Sample\Civil 3D API\COM directory.
C++ Using COM

.\VC++\COM C++\ProjectStats.vcproj
Directly launches AutoCAD Civil 3D and creates a dialog box that displays some information about the
current drawing or adds sample lines into the alignments of any selected sites.
Managed C++
.\VC++\Managed C++\C3DManagedExample.vcproj
Using COM interops, launches AutoCAD Civil 3D and creates a dialog box that displays some information
about the current drawing or adds sample lines into the alignments of any selected sites.
C++ Using CustomDraw

.\VC++\CustomDraw\Sample\C3DCustomDraw.vcproj
Demonstrates accessing the CustomDraw API. This project overrides how triangles in TIN surfaces are drawn
so that they’re numbered. It requires the Autodesk ObjectARX libraries.
C++ Using Custom Events

.\VC++\CustomEvent\Sample\C3DCustomEvent.vcproj
Demonstrates using custom events. This project recieves notification just before and just after a corridor is
rebuilt. It requires the Autodesk ObjectARX libraries.
277
C++ Using Custom UI
.\VC++\CustomEvent\Sample\C3DCustomUI.vcproj
Demonstrates UI customization. This project adds a button to the Properties Property sheet that opens a
custom dialog for TIN surfaces. It requires the Autodesk ObjectARX libraries.
C++ Client Sample

.\VC++\VcClient\VcClientSamp.vcproj
Creates a dialog box that lets you launch AutoCAD Civil 3D and determine simple information about the
current drawing.
C#
.\CSharp\CSharpClient\CSharpClientSample.csproj
current drawing.
Visual Basic .NET

.\VB_NET\VbDotNetClient\VBDotNetClientSample.vbproj
current drawing.
278 | Appendix C Creating Client Applications

Index
A creating 233, 251
feature lines 238, 255
AeccAlignment 88, 97 offset baselines 239, 255
AeccApplication 15 listing 233, 250
AeccCorridor 231, 250 offset baselines 234, 252
AeccDatabase 17 breaklines 65
AeccDocument 16, 160, 179, 228 non-destructive 67
AeccParcelSegment 80–82 proximity 66
AeccPipeApplication 160, 179 standard 66
AeccPipeDocument 160, 179 wall 67
AeccPoint 47
AeccProfile 109, 115
AeccProfileView 112, 120 C
AeccRoadwayApplication 228 CivilApplication 23
AeccRoadwayDocument 228 collections 16, 24
AeccSampleLine 126 contours 68
AeccSection 132 extracting 69
AeccSectionView 133 control points 37
AeccSite 80, 88, 97 corridor surfaces
AeccSurface 58 cut and fill 242
AeccSurveyApplication 32 corridors
AeccSurveyDocument 32 adding stations 234, 251
AeccSurveyNetworkEntity 41 ambient settings 229, 247
alignments assemblies
creating 88, 97 styles 243, 258
creating from polyline 88 base objects 228
design speeds 92, 101 baselines 232–233, 250–251
entities 90, 99 concepts 231, 249
offset alignments 89, 98 corridor surfaces 240–242, 256
profiles 109, 115 boundaries 241, 257
sample lines 126 masks 241, 257
siteless 88 creating 232, 250
station equations 91, 101 links 237, 254
station sets 92, 101 styles 244, 259
stations 91, 101 listing 231, 250
styles 94, 104 points 237, 254
superelevation 93, 102 roadway style sets 244, 260
ambient settings 17, 25 shapes 237, 254
corridors 229, 247 styles 244, 259
application object 15, 23 custom subassemblies
assemblies 235, 253 package file 224
applied assemblies 236–237, 254
styles 243, 258
D
B data bands
concepts 142
baselines 232, 250 profile views
applied assemblies 236, 254 adding to a view 157
baseline regions 233, 251 creating 156
baseline stations 234, 251
279 | Index
horizontal geometry styles 146 parcel segments 80–81
profile styles 144 styles 83
styles 153 pipe documents 160, 179
superelevation styles 150 ambient settings 160, 179
vertical geometry styles 148 interference check 174–175
section views styles 176, 191
adding to a view 158 pipe network
creating 156 creating 164, 183
database object 17 PipeNetworkCommandsSettings 161
directions 37 pipes
document object 16 creating 164, 185
dynamic part properties 161, 180
parts list 162, 180
E styles 166, 186
entities using 165, 185
alignment 90, 99 point groups
profiles 109, 116 creating 53
PVIs 110, 118 QueryBuilder 54
Event Viewer 17 TIN surfaces 55
events using 55
adding 17 points
exportTo description keys 52
method 22, 29 export to file 48
extended properties 36 import from file 48
point groups 53
points collection 47
F style 50
profile views
feature lines 238, 255 creating 112, 120
offset baselines 239, 255 data bands 144
styles 112, 120
I axis style 112, 121
axis tick marks 113, 121
interference check 174–175 graph style 113, 121
styles 176, 191 graph title 113, 122
profiles
creating from surface 109, 115
L creating using entities 109, 116
label styles 19, 26 PVIs 110, 118
creating 20, 27 styles 111, 118
defining 20, 27 PVI (points of vertical intersection) 110, 118
property fields 21, 28
S
N sample lines 126
non-control points 39 adding sample lines
at a station 129
by range 129
P from a polyline 128
setup 126
package file creating 126
custom subassemblies 224 creating sections 132
package files sample line groups 126, 132
creating 225 styles 130
parcel segments 80–81 section views
parcel loops 82 creating 133
styles 83 styles 134
parcels axis style 135
creating 80 axis tick marks 135
parcel loops 82
280 | Index
graph style 136 from LandXML file 58
graph title 136 using AddGridSurface 60
sections using AddTinSurface 59
creating 132 volume surfaces 60
section views 133 cut and fill 242
using 132 elevation analysis 71
setups 38 extracting contours 69
sharing custom subassemblies 224 masks 241, 257
sites snapshots 63
creating 80 styles 70
station equations 91, 101 TIN surfaces
stations 91, 101 breaklines 65
station sets 92, 101 contours 68
structures point files 64
creating 169, 189 point groups 65
dynamic part properties 161, 180 watershed analysis 72
parts list 162, 180 survey
styles 171, 189 ambient settings 33
using 170, 189 equipment database 34
styles figures
exporting 22, 29 adding arcs 42
subassemblies 235, 253 adding lines 41
attachment 195 adding to drawing 42
CorridorState 201 creating 41
example 203 effect on sites and parcels 42
Help files 198 effect on surfaces 43
installing 223 prefix database 43
naming 195 styles 43
parameters 196 network
superelevation 197 adding to drawing 40
support files 201 control points 37
template program 200 creating 37
tool catalog 213 directions 37
cover page 221 non-control points 39
creating 213 setups 38
data types 220 traverses 40
example 214 project
registry file 222 creating 35
superelevation 93, 102, 197 settings 36
data bands 150 root objects 32
surface analysis user settings 33
elevation analysis 71
watershed analysis 72
surfaces T
boundaries 61, 241, 257 ThisObject 15
collection 57
corridor surfaces 240–241, 256
creating V
from .tin file 59
from DEM file 59, 63 VBA commands 5
Index | 281
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AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

About the Developer's Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2 Root Objects and Common Concepts in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 3 Root Objects and Common Concepts in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Chapter 7 Sites and Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Chapter 8 Alignments in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Chapter 9 Alignments in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter 10 Profiles in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Chapter 11 Profiles in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Chapter 12 Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Chapter 13 Data Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Chapter 14 Pipe Networks in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Chapter 15 Pipe Networks in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Chapter 16 Creating Custom Subassemblies Using .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Chapter 17 Corridors in COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Chapter 18 Corridors in .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Appendix A Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Appendix B Converting VBA Subassemblies to .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Appendix C Creating Client Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

AutoCAD Civil 3D APIs

If you want to: Use:

Create macros to automate repetitive ac- .NET or COM API.

Create applications to manipulate Auto- .NET or COM API.

Chapter 1: Getting Started (page 5)

Chapter 2: Root Objects and Common Concepts in COM (page 15)

Chapter 3: Root Objects and Common Concepts in .NET (page 23)

Chapter 4: Survey (page 31)

Chapter 5: Points (page 47)

2 | Part 1 About the Developer's Guide

Chapter 7: Sites and Parcels (page 79)

Chapter 8: Alignments in COM (page 87)

Chapter 9: Alignments in .NET (page 97)

Chapter 10: Profiles in COM (page 107)

Chapter 11: Profiles in .NET (page 115)

Chapter 12: Sections (page 125)

Chapter 13: Data Bands (page 141)

Chapter 14: Pipe Networks in COM (page 159)

Chapter 15: Pipe Networks in .NET (page 179)

Chapter 16: Corridors in COM (page 227)

Chapter 17: Corridors in .NET (page 247)

Appendix A: Object Hierarchy (page 261)

Appendix B: Converting VBA Subassemblies to .NET (page 267)

Appendix C: Creating Client Applications (page 277)

New Features in the .NET API

■ Command Settings (introduced in API Extension R1)

■ Styles (introduced in API Extension R1)

■ Alignment Labels (introduced in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Service Pack 1)

■ Offset Alignments (introduced in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Service Pack 1)

■ Profile and ProfileView Labels

■ Superelevation (re-written to expose new Superelevation features)

4 | Part 1 About the Developer's Guide

Using VBA in AutoCAD Civil 3D

■ VBAIDE - Displays the Visual Basic programming environment.

■ -VBARUN <module.macro> - Runs a particular macro from the command line.

New Project Dialog in Visual Studio

1 On the project Properties page, select the Debug panel.

6 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

public void Initialize()