Exchange Settings

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Introduction

The Export Corridor command:

Gathers the Strings used in the selected Model.
Finds the Civil Site Design template Codes and cross section Codes used
Creates matching Subassemblies and Assemblies
Creates a Corridor with regions (applying the appropriate assemblies), target mapping and parameter overrides.

The Exchange Settings are critical to step 2 and 3 in the above process - it manages the correlation between the Civil Site Design Template/Codes and the Civil 3D Assembly/Subassemblies.

The Exchange Settings manages the creation of Civil 3D Subassemblies from the Civil Site Design cross sections. Using the Exchange Settings users can:

Create Conversion Files. These include Code Groups for selecting Code/s in Civil Site Design and assigning them to particular Civil 3D Subassemblies.
Create Code Groups. A Code Group establishes the Code (in the case of a Civil Site Design section) or Codes (in the case of a Civil Site Design Kerb Return) and Civil 3D subassembly to apply. In a Code Group users:
- Add in the Civil Site Design Code/s.
- Select the Civil 3D Subassembly to be used for the select Code/s
- Set up the default subassembly inputs and select which inputs should be controlled by Civil Site Design (a CSD Property is assigned to control an input of the subassembly)

Exchange Settings Form - Overview

Code Group Requirements

It is critical that each Conversion File account for every Code used in Civil Site Design. Each Code must have a subassembly assigned, otherwise a corridor will not be created. To achieve this:

Conversion Files MUST have one ‘Default’ group (this has the ‘Is Default Group’ box ticked on) to allow for unassigned codes (except for the BAT code) to have a subassembly applied
Converison Files must also have one Code Group set for the Daylight code (BAT). ‘Targets Sampled Surface’ should be ticked on for this Code Group.

Subassembly Default Values

If a Default Value is set for the subassembly and this matches a CSD Property value (or if no CSD Property is assigned) then there will be no overrides applied (eg: if the subassembly width is set to 12, and the CSD Property returns a value of 12, no overrides are applied to those corridor sections).

CSD Properties

A CSD Property is a value stored by Civil Site Design. Properties include:

Information related to Codes included in the Code Group (such as offset, width, slope (decimal), pavement depths, pavement materials, pavement offsets, pavement end slopes, code name, etc)
Information related to Curbs (as defined in the Civil Site Design Template) such as depth, extension behind back of curb, curb base slope, curb pavement depths, curb pavement materials, etc
Information related to the Road Edge (intersection match-in code as defined in the Active Drawing Settings)
Information related to the daylight such as: calculated cut/fill daylight slope, template slopes, etc
Custom properties defined by the user

CSD Property inputs can be used to control subassembly inputs.

Saving Conversion Files

When a Conversion File is created or saved, it is stored in the CSD Settings folder (opened using the Open Setttings Folder command), in a folder named Corridor Conversion. Each file has extension .ccf.

Users are encouraged to create multiple Conversion Files to support the different assembly outputs required.

Details

Upon selecting the command the following form is displayed:

File Menu

Provides tools to manage conversion files.

New Conversion

Click to create a new Conversion File. Provide a name for the file.

Save Conversion

Click to save the current Conversion File.

Copy Conversion

Click to create a copy of the current Conversion File. Input a name for the new file.

Delete Conversion

Click to delete the current Conversion File.

Conversion File

Select the conversion file to edit, as well as create new, delete and save

Conversion File picklist

Select a conversion file to edit.

Add

Click to create a new conversion file. Provide a name for the file.

Delete

Click to delete the current conversion file.

Save

Click to save the file (also press Ctrl+S).

Correlation Groups

Create code groups and establish subassemblies to apply.

Correlation Group List

List of named correlation groups. Click to make a correlation group current for editing, copy and deletion.

Move Up

Move the selected correlation group up in the list. The software processes the correlation group from top of list to bottom.

Move Down

Move the selected correlation group down in the list. The software processes the correlation group from top of list to bottom.

Add Group

Create a new Correlation Group. The group will need to be named as part of the creation process.

Remove Group

Delete the selected Correlation Group.

Copy Group

Copy the selected Correlation Group and rename.

Group Name

Set the name for the Correlation Group.

Assigned Subassembly

Click on Select Subassembly to select the subassembly to apply to the group. The following form will display:


Palettes Picklist	Displays the list of Palettes in Civil 3D containing subassemblies. Select the palette to draw a subassembly from.
Use default palettes location	The software searches for tool catalog (.atc) files, which contain references to installed sub assemblies. These catalog files are stored by default in the following location: C:\Users\<USER NAME>\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D <YEAR VERSION>\<COUNTRY>\Support\ToolPalette\Palettes Users can specify to find tool catalogs from a different location by using the Set Palettes Folder Location option. If users select the ... button, a dialog box will appear which allows users to specify the location of the folder.
Set Palettes folder location	Select a specific location to locate subassemblies (instead of the 'default palettes location'. If selected, users will be able to click on the ... button to select the save location for subassemblies.
Select Subassembly	Subassemblies for the selected Palette will be displayed for selection of a subasembly. Using the name and image of the subassembly for reference, click on the Select button to select the required subassembly.
Import PKT	Import a .pkt file created using Subassembly Composer.
Close	Close the form without changing/applying selection.

Attachment

The software automatically 'attaches' subassemblies to each other.

Attachment Picklist

There a number of options for determining how the next subassembly should attach to this selected subassembly:

Outermost (Topmost). Find the most outer point offset, then the topmost of these. This works well for most subassemblies, except where a pavement layer has a larger offset than the top surface (such as for a curb subassembly)
Outermost. As above, however no point change for topmost. The first Point Index that is outermost will be used.
Topmost (Outermost). Find the highest point (height measured from the subassembly attachment), then the most outer. This works well for curb subassemblies, so long as the back of curb code is the highest (or equal highest)
Topmost. As above, however no point change for outermost. The first Point Index that is topmost will be used.
Specify Point Index. This is the most exact way to connect to the Subassembly, by specifying a particular Point in the subassembly. Every stock subassembly includes a Coding Diagram, which lists the Points in the order they are created (P1, P2, P3, etc). In terms of the Point Index, P1 is Point Index zero (P1 = 0, P2 = 1, P3 = 2, etc).

Point Index

Type in a number for the Point Index. This will only apply if 'Specify Point Index' is selected in the Attachment picklist.

Is Default Group

One Code Group must be set as the 'Default Group'. The Default group will be used in the event that there are Code/s used in Civil Site Design that are not otherwise included in a Code Group. Tick this on to set the Default Group.
Note: Any Code can be added in the Code Group list when 'Is Default Group' is ticked on. The code name will be adjusted for the actual Civil Site Design Code used in design.

Targets Sampled Surface

The daylight (batter) code (BAT Code) should be set up as a Code Group and 'Targets Sampled Surface' ticked on.

Use Extended CSD Properties

The default CSD Properties include 4 layers. When ticked on, additional properties will be exposed (all 10 layers of Civil Site Design, inside and outside widening per pavement layer as well as inside/outside pavement layer slopes).

Use Custom Properties

A number of subassembly inputs are measured differently to Civil Site Design (an example of this is the UrbanCurbGutterGeneral subassembly which only has one layer for the pavement and requires an input for the depth along the back of curb from top to base. Tick on enable Custom Properties.

Edit Properties

Click to create and edit calculations using CSD Properties. Each Custom Property (CSD Property calculation) is created for the selected Correlation Group only. Use Export and Import on this form to share them out to file and to another Correlation Group.
The following form will display:


Custom Properties	Each formula is a named Custom Property.
Add Custom Property	List of Custom Properties. Click to make a Custom Property to make it current for editing and deletion.
Remove Custom Property	Delete the selected Custom Property.
Export	Export all Custom Properties created for this Correlation Group and save to file. Name the file.
Import	Import all Custom Properties from a file. A form will display to select the file and import. Any other Custom Properties already created will be removed and replaced.
Name	Set a name for the Custom Property.
Description	Type in a description for the custom property.
Code List	Set up Codes to use in CSD Property calculations and manage the output as an absolute value.
Code List	List of Code/s to use for CSD Properties in calculations. Table includes the list of Civil Site Design codes that may be used in calculations.
Add Code	Click to add a new Code to the Code List. A form will display to allow type in of a new Code.
Remove Code	Click to remove the highlighted Code in the Code List.
Return Absolute Value	Tick this on to force the result to always be positive.
Expression	This is where users can incorporate CSD Properties into a formula for calculating a numeric result. Only numeric based CSD Properties can be used.
CSD Property picklist	From the picklist, select a CSD Property to include in the formula.
Add CSD Property	After selecting a CSD Property in the picklist, click this button to add the property into the formula (expression) cell below. They are highlighted in the expression with a ">" prefix and a "<" suffix.
Formula Cell	Build a formula (expression) consisting of CSD Properties, numbers and simple mathematical operators: + - * / ( )
Check Expression	Allows numeric values to be assigned to the CSD Properties to check the created Expression and validate an answer.
Property List	Lists the CSD Properties added to the formula and the test value assigned to each CSD Property.
Expression	Lists the formula with the CSD Properties replaced with the test values assigned.
Answer	Provides the numeric result, or 'No Result' if the formula doesn't give a valid result.
Close	Close the form and save changes.

Code Group

Set the Civil Site Design Code/s to search for to assign the subassembly and apply CSD Properties.

Code Group List

List of Code/s to use for matching a Civil 3D Subassembly. Table includes:

Code	Civil Site Design Code/s to find (in order from CL outwards) in order to apply the Subassembly.
Target Index (Width)	In the event of more than one Code being in the list the Target Index is required to determine the order for applying Offset Target Mapping. Target Mapping is applied to the Point Codes in the Subassembly (first Point Code from the attachment point should be given Target Index 1)
Target Index (Level)	In the event of more than one Code being in the list the Target Index is required to determine the order for applying Elevation Target Mapping. Target Mapping is applied to the Point Codes in the Subassembly (first Point Code from the attachment point should be given Target Index 1)

Add Code

Click to input a new Code to add to the Code Group list.

Remove Code

Remove the highlighted code from the Code Group list.

Applies to Both Sides

Toggle this on for the same assembly to be applied left and right of the string centreline (eg: LETW and RETW are treated with the same subassembly). If ticked on, OMIT the prefix L and R normally applied to the Civil Site Design codes.

Parameter Mapping

Set the default values to apply to each of the subassembly inputs as well as allow override control by Civil Site Design

Parameter

The list of items here depends on the subassembly selected. Each user input for the subassembly is listed under this column.

Defaut Value (by Selection)

If the input is a picklist item, it will be listed here. Users can set a Default behaviour to apply when the subassembly is created. CSD Properties cannot be applied to picklist values.

Defaut Value

If the input is a user input (numeric or alphanumeric, it will be listed here. Users can set a Default Value to apply when the subassembly is created.

CSD Property

A CSD Property is a variable from Civil Site Design that is stored and available for use in assigning a value to a subassembly. Pick a CSD Property to assign to the subassembly input.

Close

Close the form. If there are unsaved edits, a form will display to save the Conversion File before exiting the form.