This is the fourth post in a series about Point Display Strategies and Tactics in AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Point Display Strategies Part 1

Two Paths Out of the Woods - Part 2

The Point Director Method - Part 3

A Host of Matchmakers at Work

Civil 3D works with a find the FIRST match methodology driven by ASCII search order and the now ACAD classic “wildcard” characters and patterns.

There is a match behavior (or process) for Description Keys, Figures and Point Group property definitions. You can toss in the new Survey Queries in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 too.
Each “match” process works independently of the others.
Because we are often matching different details in point data raw descriptions for Desc Keys and Figures you can be fooled into thinking something else is going on. It is easy to get confused.
I know I do sometimes.
Just remember that ALL of the string matchmakers are literalist bean counters.

Figures Match the Words

Figures exactly MATCH the first characters up to the first string delimiter (like a space) in the incoming RAW Description to add into the ordered pile of point locations that connects the dots.

I like to say the Figure generator matches “whole words” not letters.
In the example above we're expecting that all the figures will employ two digit line codes and the highest figure "name" employed will be "09". We could have used the "#" to embrace all ranges of two digit line codes. Would that also match one digit line codes?
There is no priority stack for Figure Prefix Dbs.
Only ONE Figure Prefix Db can be CURRENT when you “Process linework”.

The Figure generator looks for list of specific “command” character matches from the CURRENT Code Set Style in the next delimited chunk of string and usually ignores everything else.

Out in the field during collection the second description string chunk specifics usually have to be pretty simple. For example Begin, End, Start Curve, etc. This is a practical and field man-hour expense thing.
Back at the shack you can post process that second string chunk in the point data in more detail. You can tweak this second chunk for specific Figure points to automatically create offset sub figures for standard curb and gutter structures for example.

The NON-existence of a Figure Prefix match is as important as the existence of one. Huh?
Remember my words in the last post about WTMI.
Maybe you only want to check and edit roadway surface figures now. Therefore, more than one Figure Prefix Db can come in very handy when you need some but NOT all figures generated.

Keys Match the Letters

Description Keys looks at the SAME incoming RAW Description in a more detailed way. It looks at the first delimited chunk of the RAW string character by character one at a time.
I like to say the Description Key generator matches “letters” not words.
Hence you can have a stack of sets of Description Keys to search down through and so priority matters and affects the CURRENT results.

Play the Slots

In the old Land Desktop days, we played the Desc KEY slot machine on potentially two machines – to be honest most people and organizations really only used one.

In Civil 3D we can play a whole row of Key slot machines all at once.
You can obviously increase the odds of a “correct” (or “incorrect”) match jackpot this way.

In other words, you can rig the ORDER of the matching game to get what you want NOW by employing this built-in capability in Civil 3D that was not there in older software.

This requires that you consciously reorder the Description Key Priority stack order and understand how and when to both Update Point Groups and Apply Description Keys.
Update and Apply Keys are obviously not at all the same thing.

Civil 3D is a diva.
Remember that the context hierarchy in the Toolspace (where and when you are clicking) almost always matters.

The Unseen Matters More

Many new Civil 3D new users complain that there is more data management in Civil 3D.
Oh Yeah. Some new data/information management skills are certainly required.

Maybe Civil 3D user productivity is more about managing what you don’t see than what is visible on the screen?

Not Keys

This post (and a follow up) which is all about “Not Keys” clarifies one significant way that you can add more detail to your field and internal QA via an inventive use of Description Key specifics without working harder. This wildcard effect is accomplished via an information technology method that works very well inside the data centric Civil 3D model.

In the Not Key example shown above we absolutely match the two character "MH"; ignore a range of three letter code begining with "MH" for a range of selected character; then match the previously "noted" characters.
In the field we can make the third character an "X" as in "MHX" if we have no idea (or don't care) what type of manhole it is. Note that "MHA" does the same thing. 
"MHX" will route the point to a general utility layer in the NCS format as assign a generic Manhole Point Style.
An "MHE" gets us what?

Not Keys Work Together

The whole range of matched and unmatched keys work together to allow us to be BOTH specific or NOT depending on need and circumstance.
If we add a "X" to the MH not key above, we could also force MHX to never match anything. In effect MHX becomes an unrecognized and uncoded point.
Maybe that reminds us to find out what kind of manhole it is back in the office.

For some folks the Not Keys concept creates the “Ah Hah” moment.
Field people almost all like the results and simplicity this stacked approach offers.
That speaks volumes for its day to day usefulness on a practical level.
People tend to prefer consistent rules over detailed specifics.

The Not in Point Groups

If your people bone up and understand the Not Keys concept, they can also employ the same basic concepts to Point Group construction and thereby their on-going “point display” maintenance practice.
One new basic data management skill pays off in multiple ways and on multiple days. Way Cool.

Point Display Management by Point Groups

A managed point display by Point Groups requires more understanding of the whole process and a more rigorous and structured application of the available Civil 3D tools.
For the most part, typical point data (which varies a lot by survey data “flavor”) can be “grouped” very effectively inside Civil 3D. Even our InstantOn Basic templates have NCS "like" Point Groups that help you do that.
Once similar point data is collected, it is much easier to be specific and detailed (or NOT) about how you want the point data to appear.

The Desc Key Serial “Language” Translator

Remember that the “Format” column in a Description Key can change specific chunks in the RAW description in some interesting and useful ways. Yes. you can use it annotate (label) this way or that way, but there’s more.

Consider that an Applied Description Key Set can change the meaning of some of the incoming Point data in a single pass.
You can specifically “enrich” the point data with planned a step by step process.
Specifically you can Apply one Key Set a change the point data.
What you do with a secondary pass is a matter of planned intent.
For example - systematically generate offset figures is a classic example I mentioned earlier. Collect all the right and left TOC shots. For all the right side TOC apply this Format change. For all the left side TOC apply that Format change. All of that is “new” data.
Reprocess the newly “adjusted” point data to generate the new offset figures.

“How would you like that labeled, Sir?”

To Be Data Centric or Not to Be

The Point Director|Priority method is a more data centric approach to the Civil 3D point display challenge. It requires more planned integration and more structured processes. It requires users who have developed deeper data management skills inside Civil 3D.

The Point Director method isn’t always necessary. However, it also easily embraces and includes the previously discussed and more classic Override Method without batting an eye.
Like I said in the first post of this series -there are always a lot of ways to get it done.
What we learn getting there may be the more important thing.

As in many Civil 3D cases…

The Two Paths Lead to the Same Place

In the last couple of posts I talked about classic Point Display Strategies and how to develop them.

Point Display Strategies Part 1

Two Paths Out of the Woods - Part 2

In the last post we talked about the point display Override Strategy.
That’s where many organizations end up after initially struggling with AutoCAD Civil 3D point display issues for a bit.

Ride Sally Ride

The Override Strategy works great. It produces consistent symbols and annotation and mostly keeps new Civil 3D users happy.
However, because it does EXACTLY those very things we also discovered has a hidden back side to it – the probability that more production man-hours will be invested in point display maintenance on an individual point level. Some of this is almost always required but limiting man-hour duplication and waste is important.

If you’re a high performance guy or you’re lazy like me, we look for another approach.

The Point Director Method

I went after this approach (which I also call the “Priority” Method) in a previous blog post the bears mentioning again. Read it and…

Rule the Points

The post explores the Priority method using the metaphor of a movie director.
You have a Camera, a Set, and a group of Actors you need to get working together to produce a specific Scene.
You have to deal with a couple of Unions whose current priorities always will affect how the Actors perform on screen.
Civil 3D resolves the Union disputes for you, but as a Civil 3D user you are responsible and you must call the shots.

What I See is What I Want

Civil 3D is weighted to perform in this way by its object model and Style based roots.
You’ve probably noticed by now that somehow you have to tell Civil 3D to Update, Refresh, Rebuild, Synch, etc.
Last month I claimed that Civil 3D is a supermodel. She is a diva. She’s particular about when, where, and how you talk to her.
She’s a character actor. Let me quote one of the best character actors ever…

“It’s twroo…It’s twroo”
             Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles

You get more display flexibility, but YOU are responsible to KNOW what you want and HOW you want it to appear right NOW. This also requires you KNOW how to make that happen inside the Civil 3D interface. Obviously, this requires a bit more and some different tactics in Civil 3D training.  Our old school CAD experience may actually get in the way. We have to be “retrained”.

The Director approach also makes a lot MORE sense to those who have to perform the process of point correction, figure building, and surface create and edit QA work.
Your Design folks DO face a similar issue – They have even more Civil 3D Features and many more potential display presentations to deal with.

I should mention that if you only see the end results (like many a principal or project manager) the need for this other display representation and Style stuff inside Civil 3D isn’t initially apparent.
You can clarify this, “We’re going after the lost and hidden “in-process man-hours”, boss.”
Any PM who is watching his Civil 3D project and model development man-hours will appreciate this reality.

Delayed Gratification

The Point Director|Priority approach says the point data is DATA.
How I need to display the DATA NOW is more important than any downstream publishing goal.
I care that the point DATA looks this way NOW because I want to QA and FIX the data and improve the usefulness of the Civil 3D Features the data produces.

I choose to consciously ignore any “published” end result until THAT Is the specific task at hand.

Publishing specifics will be easier because I understand HOW to get any other display results.

The Point Director|Priority Method advocates the idea of
“Work the Same and Publish on Demand”
that I probably rant about too much in this blog.

WTMI

A key concept I often neglect to mention in those discussions is that for the user TOO MUCH information right now is often as dangerous as TOO LITTLE immediate information.
Let’s keep that concept in mind as we explore some details.

Director|Priority Method Specifics

You will always have multiple Description Key Sets. Some will be in your templates. Some you may load on demand (like character actors) from other drawing or template files when you need them.
You may think of the Set or really stack of Sets as “Task based” Sets.
Perhaps “Purpose based” is a better formal term than “Task based”.
I have  ALTA survey data. Load those Sets. I have “as-built” survey data from an oil field. Load another Set(s). I have a commercial site development parcel data set. Load that one. You get the idea.

Over Specialized?

Could you build specific task based templates to handle the tasks? Of course, but you have to be careful to make sure you don’t create for yourself and your organization a Civil 3D Style and Civil 3D Template maintenance issue. These happen fast because of the interrelated and integrated way Civil 3D handles the Style and Label Style stuff.

Dealing with the differences and exceptions requires you spend time checking that the “integrations’ between the variety of “moving” parts (Desc Key Set, Figure Prefix Db, Style collection, etc) works.
You have a lot of EXACT NAMES to keep track of and then MATCH appropriately.
Sorry folks that’s the way it is.

Data Management Development

This essential “data management” stuff is really not rocket science or all that hard.
It is, however, something new to most CAD folks particularly at the level of complexity happening inside Civil 3D.

AutoCAD Civil 3D is decent about moving around what you’ve got. C3D is not presently very good at helping us create and manage itself and the development at these fundamental levels. That’s why all Jump products employ and include a development project.

You’ll have to employ external resources like Excel files (or databases) to help you Plan, Do or execute, Check, and then Act (PDCA) to maintain this stuff. Excel works fine. You’ll have to keep doing a consistent process loop as things change.

That sounds a bit intimidating especially after trying to do it the first time.
However, as “data” 80 to 95% of the stuff and specifics for all the varieties of integrations NEVER change.

The 80 20 Rule Applies

We are really in search of the Similar NOT the differences and/or exceptions.

From a big Master list of Keys and multiple descriptions (Formats) come all the published special parts – Description Key Sets and a smaller number of Figure Prefix Dbs.
For all our paying customers (even InstantOn Basic customers) we’re happy to supply the lists and if requested the resources they came from.
You shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel.
That would be dumb.

Next time we’ll talk about the various matching issues and tactics we need to address.

Last time we talked briefly about how to Get the Old Way Working for point data. Most, but not all organizations are over that AutoCAD Civil 3D hump I hope.

Point Display Strategies Part 1

This time we’ll talk about the first of two Point Display Strategy options that can help you put the petal to the metal.

At The Crest of the Hill?

There are two basic approaches to the point display problem. These of course can be (and often are) blended together after a bit. 
Jump platform products like InstantOn Basic (IOB) employ one of these strategies by default. The IOB approach is probably the more technically sophisticated one, but that doesn’t mean that it is necessarily the best approach for what you need and want to do.
We employ the second method mentioned below (and detailed in the next post) because it is more flexible and adaptable to the many general “flavors” of survey data.
If you always work with vanilla “flavored” data you may not need its increased complexity.
If vanilla is what you do, you can tweak an IOB template and NCS (National CAD Standard) resources to employ the first method (discussed below) in only an hour or less. Yes!
Did I say InstantOn Basic was built to be flexible?

The Override Method

This more vanilla method basically reflects the old school (I have one or two Description Key Sets) approach. Your users don’t have to pay much attention to Description Key Set Priority and/or get the feel for a more complex set of point display filters and sophisticated point display choices. There is less to do and therefore less to worry about.

Executing the Override Strategy in a Description Key Set  is simple.
Make sure EVERY Key has an explicit Point Style and Label Style assigned in the Key.
Every piece of point data that enters a drawing with this Description Key Set enabled will ALWAYS have a Point Style and Point Label style assigned to it.
In Civil 3D speak we are “forcing” the Point Style and Point Label Style properties of each and every point.

With this approach usually you also do the same SINGLE decision thing with the values in the Format column in each Desc Key. In other words, A Raw Code generates A Description.

In the Desc Key examples shown above note the use of NCS 5.0 compliant layers tweaked to allow for easy infrastructure layer management in a civil/survey working environment.
The NCS "like" Point Style names (and associated NCS named blocks) make Style and graphic identification easy.
These are available in IOB, our NCS Symbol Set, and NCS Blocks Only products.

Points that match NOTHING In the Description Key Set(s) float to the ever present “All Points” Point Group. The All Points Group (or another Point Group that collects every point) is assigned a Point Style and Label Style like “No_Match”, “Non-Standard”, or something like that.
This basic Civil 3D Point Group trick makes sure that you don’t lose out on the opportunity to see what might be uncoded in your point data on entrance. Everyone blows codes and/or miscodes points in the field.

The Override approach almost assumes and sort of implies that ALL the points will also show up with some kind of symbol and some kind of label all the time. Yes, you could assign Styles and Labels that show nothing or use the Civil 3D null of “<none>” here and there. In the Override approach, however, this is the exception not the rule.
Override acts like the Get the Old Way Working approach I started off with and most of CAD folks are “used” to. It’s comfy. You can still change things and do more.

When you need to display points and/or point labels differently you create or edit Point Groups and employ the Override tab properties to force the filtered “matching” points to OBEY a Point Group Override.

What You See is What You Get

Your Civil 3D users really only have to worry about the Current Point Group Priority Order and the specifics of the Point Group definitions themselves.

Of course, Point Groups are drawing specific so you have to load named Point Group and their property values into your Civil 3D template or resort to other levels of Civil 3D trickery to move the Point Group definitions around.
I’ve covered some of those processes before – search for “Description Keys”.  I won’t go there again here.
See this post on how you might externalize the specific Point Group Property details from inside of Civil 3D in a systematic way. For those of you in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 you might try employing a similar tactic for Survey Query definitions.

The Override Method is good a producing consistent symbols and annotation.
ThIs sounds good.
It is good.

Oncoming Traffic

However, it also says that you and your users care about the final published representation of the point almost all the time.
Typically, users will also think and/or perceive that they have to manually edit more points and labels individually.

How they see the points will drive their “in drawing” production edit and point display behavior.
That behavior is ALREADY weighted towards exactly the individual point edit approach by their previous working CAD history and experience.
In the past we had limited point display and annotative choice.
All of that individual point handling has a hidden project man-hour backside to it.
Each manually tweaked point has to be maintained and maintained and maintained.

To put the petal to the metal and get more performance we have to look at the Civil 3D tools that are there right in front of us and find another way.

We’ll explore that next time when we discuss what I call the “Priority” or “Point Director” Method.