Section View – Offset Labels For 2 Surfaces On One Section Band

We have two separate surfaces shown on a section view and we’d like to show offset labels for both surfaces in one band box.  Both surfaces came from two different types of surveys so we’d like to show them separate on section view (i.e. different linetype and colour). 

I could think of two ways to do this.  One is by combining the 2 surfaces.  Second is by manipulating data bands.

Option 1

This is the quicker and simpler of the 2. Combine the 2 surfaces and sample the new combined surface.

 
 
 
 
 
 
  

    

Hide the section line from View.
 

Use the combined surface data for the bands.

Option 2

This option is a little messy but just thought it would be good to include this anyway to show an example on how labels can be manipulated to get desired presentation.

Copy the current Offset band style.

   

Under Band Details tab, select the type of label you want to show, for my example I’m showing labels at section Gradient Breaks and select Compose label…  Take note of the Band Height used.
 

      

Change the Y-Offset to whatever band height you have above, 15 for my example.  Basically, what I’m doing is creating a new Offset band box and moving all labels (and ticks if any) one box up but showing only the labels.

Back to the Display Tab in Data Box Style, turn off all components except for Ticks and Labels at Gradient Breaks.

Add the new band style to the set and change the surface for Section 1.  Thus on my example below, the style ANZ_(Rd) - Offsets (Grade Breaks) refers to the Hydrographic Survey surface (red section lines) and ANZ_(Rd) - Offsets (Grade Breaks) 2 refers to the Ex_Contours_Adjusted surface (green dashed line).

Section View Axis Offset

We lately had some confusion at work when one of our technicians was given an exported Civil 3d section to work up details and setting out drawings for a motorway variable message sign foundation.

He was offsetting the section view left and right axes to set out the foundation which he assumed correspond with the ends of the section line.  The offset lines however appear to be in the wrong place when checked against the carriageway features on plan.

Going back to the Civil 3D drawing where the section was exported from, we found out that the problem was the left and right axes offset of the section view style being set to 5.  This made the cross section view 10 units longer than the section line – an extra 5 on each end.  Setting it to 0 corrected the problem. 

 

Also worth noting that the axis offset values are specified in plotted units based on the drawing scale set on the Drawing Settings (Toolspace, Settings tab> right click the drawing name> Edit drawings settings).  I.e. if the drawing setting scale is set to 1:500 and the axis offset is set to 5, the offset on the drawing will be 2.5.