(1.1) This first-in-series video demonstrates some of ParaPOINT's versatility (it does not involve GPDGN).

It is included here to maintain the continuity of this 7-part video series which was originally created to introduce CAD Technicians to a the process for developing pipeline designs on projects using ParaPOINT and GPDGN.

If you elect to view this video, it will give you a brief introduction to how ParaPOINT can help minimize the time required and maximize accuracy when drawing plans from survey data.

(1.2) AutoCAD Civil 3D is not required by GPDGN; however, it can easily be used when available. GPDGN has several options for obtaining surface data for its alignments which do not require C3D.

This video demonstrates how GPDGN uses AutoCAD Civil 3D alignments and profiles to obtain its design data.

Also demonstrated in this video are how GPDGN draws and labels a GPDGN alignment. It can draw on a C3D Profile View; however, a C3D profile view is not required. By default, GPDGN will draw its profiles on world coordinates where X=Station and Y=Elevation multiplied the assigned vertical scale factor (10X by default but may be whatever you require). GPDGN will draw on any UCS you desire and, if the UCS name matches the alignment name in GPDGN, the named UCS will be set current automatically when the profile is drawn.

Gpdgn alignments and the drawn elements created by GPDGN are completely independent of C3D objects and data. The data GPDGN acquires from C3D objects is stored entirely separate from Civil 3D.

(1.3) This video demonstrates how GPDGN automatically creates a "Crossing Alignment".

To create a crossing alignment, GPDGN traces the current alignment precisely and locates every point where the alignment is crossed by a line, polyline, or C3D pipe. Each point is added to those copied from the current alignment at the precise station where it occurs. If the object is a C3D pipe or the layer indicates a pipe and size and the object has an elevation, the size, material and invert elevation are also added to the point data. This tells GPDGN to draw an ellipse in the profile of that size and at that invert. The elevation at the crossing point of a line having a slope is calculated by the slope/intercept method.

Added points are given the description that has been assigned for the crossing object's layer except C3D pipe descriptions are constructed from the pipe's properties. For everything else, if no assigned description is found for the layer, the layer name itself is used as the description. Any description is easily replaced with another description en masse within GPDGN after the crossing alignment has been created.

When unique and meaningful layer names have been assigned according to each linear feature type and its unique properties, determining the appropriate crossing description becomes very simple.

(1.4) This video demonstrates GPDGN's automated vertical (profile) crossing design

The crossings obtained as shown in the previous video in this series have been drawn in profile. The 4" GAS crossing had no invert information so it required setting. Then the video abruptly ends prior to actually showing how quickly and easily the automatic crossing design is accomplished. I apologize! I am working on redoing all of these videos to provide higher resolution and pertinent content; however, you can still see the result of the automatic crossing design in the next video.

(1.5) This video demonstrates some of the automated dimensioning and labeling features specified provided with GPDGN.

Vertical separation dimensions at each pipe crossing are placed automatically. Determining the best presets to use for the given circumstances of the alignment will minimize or eliminate any need to edit these dimensions. Grip edits are the fastest means of repositioning any of them that may require it.

Depth of cover dimensions are automatically placed at the station of the point picked. There is no need to snap to any object. Just line-up the vertical axis of the crosshairs where the dimension needs to be.

Similarly, pipe labels and grade labels require no snapped points. Just line-up the vertical axis of the crosshairs where the leader arrowhead needs to be. The point at that station on the labeled object will be automatically applied. Then, just choose the location of the note in reference to the arrowhead.

(1.6) This video demonstrates how to use Alignment Inflows to automate inclusion of the inflow's station and line number in a label.

Alignment Inflows have their current station and line number read directly from their alignment file and the values are then automatically applied to the label of that connection point.

Assigning line numbers to fields from Subsets or custom properties of a Sheet Set are the best practice; however, static text specified in an alignment may also be used.

(1.7) This video demonstrates how GPDGN automatically creates Plan & Profile sheets for an alignment.

At least a preliminary horizontal and vertical alignment must be designed and matchlines assigned at appropriate stations first. Then, all required content for the full alignment must be assembled on a layout tab with the appropriate page setup applied (in model space: base drawing(s), alignment and profile drawings. In paper space: plan and profile viewports at the desired scale, profile grid block, sheet border, and title fill-in block). Be sure to make all necessary asjustments to the display before proceding (layers on/off, linetype/color overrides, etc.) so these adjustments are not required on each P&P sheet later. With these preparations made, all of the alignment's Plan & Profile sheets can be easily created.

GPDGN's PPGEN command presents a dialog for assigning the file name prefix for the series and a few other things. PPGEN positions the plan based upon the matchline stations and finds the smallest box it will fit in. Then, it twists the plan view to make that box horizontal and centers it. It creates the station labels, the north arrow, the bar scale, the line number text, the matchline wipeouts, and the match line text. Then, it sets the end location to the end matchline station and switches inside the profile viewport to reset its start position to the starting matchline station and an elevation appropriate for the range of profile to be shown and then updates all of the station and elevation attributes of the profile grid to match.

The newly constructed profile drawing is stored using the Saveas command and then the process repeats after setting the end matchline as the starting machline and the next matchline after it as the new end matchline until the end of the alignment is reached.