The Tool Palettes

You will add subassemblies to a design by clicking them from the subassembly tool palette, as you'll see later in this chapter. By default, Civil 3D has several tool palettes created for corridor modeling.

You can access these tool palettes from the Home tab by clicking the Tool Palettes button on the Palettes panel or by pressing Ctrl+3.

When Civil 3D is installed, you have an initial set of the most commonly used assemblies and subassemblies ready to go. The Tool Palettes window consists of multiple customizable tabs that categorize the assemblies and subassemblies so that they are easy to find.

The top, default tab in the Tool Palettes window is the Assemblies tab. On this tab you will find a selection of predefined, completed assemblies (Figure 8.1). These are a great starting point for beginners who are looking for examples of how subassemblies are put together into an assembly. There are examples of simple roadway sections as well as more advanced items, such as intersections and roundabouts. To use one, click the desired assembly tool on the Tool Palettes window, and then click within the drawing area and press ↵ to end the command.

The Corridor Modeling Catalogs

All of the assemblies and subassemblies that ship with Civil 3D are included in the Tool Palettes window. However, if any mysteriously disappear, they can be reloaded from the Content Browser.

The Corridor Modeling Catalogs are installed by default on your local hard drive in C:ProgramDataAutodeskC3D 2015enuTool CatalogsRoad CatalogAutoCAD Civil 3D Imperial Corridor Catalog.atc or AutoCAD Civil 3D Metric Corridor Catalog.atc for metric users. You access it on the Home tab by expanding the Palettes panel and clicking the Content Browser button to open the Content Browser interface.

Choose either the metric or Imperial corridor catalogs to explore the entire collection of subassemblies available in each category (see Figure 8.2).

Adding Subassemblies to a Tool Palette

To add subassemblies to your Tool Palettes window, you can use the i-drop to grab subassemblies from the catalog and drop them onto the Tool Palettes window. To use the i-drop, follow these steps:

1. Click the small blue i next to any subassembly, and continue to hold down your left mouse button until you're over the desired tool palette.
2. Release the button, and your subassembly should appear on the tool palette (see Figure 8.3).

   

Creating a Typical Road Assembly

The process for building an assembly requires the use of the Tool Palettes window (accessible using Ctrl+3) and the AutoCAD Properties palette (accessible using Ctrl+1), both of which can be docked. You'll quickly learn how to best orient these palettes with your limited screen real estate. If you run dual monitors, you may find it useful to place both of these palettes on your second monitor.

The exercise that follows builds a typical assembly, as shown in Figure 8.5, using LaneSuperelevationAOR, UrbanCurbGutterGeneral, UrbanSidewalk, and DaylightMaxOffset subassemblies.

Let's have a more detailed look at each component you'll use in the following exercise. A quick peek into the subassembly help file will give you a breakdown of attachment options; input parameters; target parameters; output parameters; behavior; layout mode operation; and the point, link, and shape codes.

1. The LaneSuperelevationAOR Subassembly The LaneSuperelevationAOR subassembly is an all-purpose subassembly for lanes. It can superelevate for an inside or outside lane if needed and allows for up to four layers of materials. The input parameters available are Side, Width, Default Slope, Pave1 Depth, Pave2 Depth, Base Depth, Subbase Depth, Use Superelevation, Slope Direction, Potential Pivot, Inside Point Code, and Outside Point Code. The default width of 12′ (3.6 m) can be adjusted in the Parameters section of the Properties palette or can be overridden with an offset alignment, feature line, or polyline to control its width. Figure 8.6 shows the image provided in the subassembly help file for this subassembly.

   

2. The UrbanCurbGutterGeneral Subassembly The UrbanCurbGutterGeneral subassembly is another standard component that creates an attached curb and gutter. Looking into the subassembly help file, you'll see a diagram of UrbanCurbGutterGeneral with input parameters for Side, Insertion Point, Gutter Slope Method, Gutter Slope, Gutter Slope Direction, Subbase Depth, Subbase Extension, Subbase Slope Method, Subbase Slope, and the subassembly's seven dimensions. You can adjust these parameters to match many standard curb-and-gutter configurations. Figure 8.7 shows the image provided in the subassembly help file for this subassembly.

   

3. The UrbanSidewalk Subassembly The UrbanSidewalk subassembly creates a sidewalk and terrace buffer strips. The help file lists the following six input parameters for the UrbanSidewalk subassembly: Side, Inside Boulevard Width, Sidewalk Width, Outside Boulevard Width, Slope, and Depth. These input parameters let you adjust the sidewalk width, material depth, and buffer widths to match your design specification. Figure 8.8 shows the image provided in the subassembly help file for this subassembly.

   

   The UrbanSidewalk subassembly can return quantities of concrete (or other sidewalk construction material) but not gravel bedding or other advanced material layers. If you needed to track these materials, you could use generic subassemblies (covered later in this chapter) or build a custom subassembly using Subassembly Composer (covered in the bonus chapter, “Custom Subassemblies”).

4. The DaylightMaxOffset Subassembly The DaylightMaxOffset subassembly is a nice “starter” for creating simple, single-slope daylight instructions for your corridor. In Civil 3D, an offset dimension is measured from the baseline, and a width is measured from the attachment point. Therefore, the maximum offset in our example is measured from the centerline of the road, which is the baseline. The slope will attempt a default of 4:1, but it will adjust if it needs to in order to keep inside your specified maximum offset (such as a right-of-way line). Options are also available for rounding. Figure 8.9 shows the image provided in the subassembly help file for this subassembly.

   

   In the following exercise, you'll build a typical road assembly using the subassemblies discussed previously. Follow these steps:

1. Start a new blank drawing from the _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS template that ships with Civil 3D. Metric users can use the _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Metric) NCS template.
2. Confirm that your Tool Palettes window is showing the subassembly set appropriate for your drawing units (imperial or metric).

   If you need to change your active Tool Palettes window from metric to Imperial or vice versa, right-click the Tool Palettes control bar located at the top of the window if docked (Figure 8.10a) or on the opposite edge of the palette from the tabs if undocked (Figure 8.10b).

   

3. Verify that your drawing scale is set to 1=10′ (1:50 for metric users).
4. From the Home tab Create Design panel, choose Assembly Create Assembly.

   The Create Assembly dialog opens.

5. In the Create Assembly dialog, follow these steps:
   1. Enter Urban 14’ Single-Lane (or Urban 4.5 m Single-Lane) in the Name text box.
   2. Set Assembly Type to Undivided Crowned Road.
   3. Confirm that Assembly Style is set to Basic and Code Set Style is set to All Codes, and click OK.
6. Pick a location in your drawing to place your red assembly baseline marker. The program will automatically zoom you into the assembly.
7. Locate and select the Lanes tab on the Tool Palettes window.

   Position the palette on your screen so that you can clearly see the assembly baseline.

8. Click the LaneSuperelevationAOR button on the Tool Palettes window.

   The AutoCAD Properties palette appears (if it is not already open).

9. Locate the Advanced Parameters section on the Design tab of the AutoCAD Properties palette (Figure 8.11).

   

   This section lists the LaneSuperelevationAOR parameters.

10. Change the Width parameter to 14′ (4.5 m).

    Your Properties palette should resemble Figure 8.11.

11. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select anywhere on the red assembly baseline marker to place the first lane.

    Note that it is placed on the right side as specified in the Advanced Parameters section.

12. Before ending the command, click the red assembly baseline marker again to place the left lane.

    For most subassemblies, Civil 3D has the intelligence to automatically detect the side and place a subassembly on the appropriate side regardless of what is specified in the Advanced Parameters.

13. Press ↵ to end the command.
14. Switch to the Curbs tab in the Tool Palettes window.
15. Click the UrbanCurbGutterGeneral button on the Tool Palettes window.
16. You will accept the parameter defaults, so no changes are needed. Remember that the Side parameter will automatically be detected, so there is no need to change it.
17. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the circular marker located at the top right of the LaneSuperelevationAOR subassembly located on the right side of the assembly.

    This marker represents the top-right edge of pavement (see Figure 8.12).

    

18. Press ↵ to end the command.

    You will add the left curb later. Keep this drawing open for the next portion of the exercise.

19. In the Curbs tab, click the UrbanSidewalk button on the Tool Palettes window.
20. In the Advanced Parameters area of the AutoCAD Properties palette, change the following parameters, leaving all other parameters at their default values:
    1. Sidewalk Width: 5′ (1.5 m)
    2. Inside Boulevard Width: 2′ (0.7 m)
    3. Outside Boulevard Width: 2′ (0.7 m)

       It may be hard to ignore the Side parameter, but setting it is not required with Civil 3D side autodetection.

21. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the circular marker on the UrbanCurbGutterGeneral subassembly that represents the top rear of the curb to attach the UrbanSidewalk subassembly (see Figure 8.13).

    

22. Switch to the Daylight tab on the subassemblies Tool Palettes window, and select the DaylightMaxOffset subassembly.
23. In the Advanced Parameters area of the AutoCAD Properties palette, change Max Offset From Baseline to 50′ (17 m), leaving all other parameters at their default values.
24. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the circular marker on the outermost point of the sidewalk subassembly. Press Enter or Esc to complete the command.

    Your drawing should now resemble Figure 8.14.

    

    To complete the left side, you will use the Mirror Subassemblies command.

25. Select the curb, sidewalk, and daylight subassemblies on the right side of the baseline.

    The Subassembly contextual tab will show a variety of tools, including Mirror (Figure 8.15).

    

26. From the Subassembly contextual tab Modify Subassembly panel, choose Mirror, and then click the circular point marker located at the top left of the left LaneSuperelevationAOR subassembly.
27. Your assembly should now resemble Figure 8.5 from earlier in the chapter.

    You have now completed a typical road assembly.

A finished copy of this drawing is available from the book's web page (0801_TypicalRoadAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or 0801_TypicalRoadAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).

Subassembly Components

A subassembly is made up of three basic parts: links, marker points, and shapes, as shown in Figure 8.16. Each piece plays a role in your design and is used for different purposes at each stage of the design process.

Links

Links are the linear components to your assembly. A link usually represents the outer edges of a subassembly but can also be used as a spacer between subassemblies.

Links can have codes assigned to them that help Civil 3D identify stratum, materials, and shapes. One link may have several codes assigned to it. For example, the sidewalk subassembly contains a four-sided trapezoid. Each side of the trapezoid is a link. All four links have a sidewalk code assigned so that cross-sectional area of the concrete can be calculated. The bottom, left, and right links of the trapezoid each have an additional datum code assigned, while the top link has an additional top code assigned. Top and datum codes are used to build surfaces. Coded links will be your primary source of data when creating proposed surfaces from your corridors.

As shown in Figure 8.17, the inner and outer boulevard width links are coded top, sod, and datum.

Marker Points

Marker points are located at the endpoints of every link and usually are depicted by the circles you see on the subassemblies. As you experienced in the previous exercise, the markers are used in assembly creation to “click” subassemblies together and will also “hook” to attach to alignments and/or profiles, known as targets.

Marker points are also coded and responsible for generating linework in your corridor. In Figure 8.18, notice the two coded markers representing each side of the sidewalk. When assemblies are inserted into a corridor, Civil 3D will play connect the dots with each code in between each occurrence of the assembly. In the case of the UrbanSidewalk, linework will be created by connecting the Sidewalk_In point codes and the Sidewalk_Out point codes. We will revisit how a corridor is built in Chapter 9, “Basic Corridors.”

Shapes

Shapes are the areas inside a closed formation of links. For example, Figure 8.19 shows the UrbanSidewalk, which contains one shape. Shapes are used in end-area material quantity calculations. At the time an assembly is created, you do not need to consider what materials these shapes represent. After your corridor is complete, you can specify what materials the codes represent upon computing materials.

Jumping into Help

Each subassembly is capable of accomplishing different tasks in your design. There is no way to tell just by looking at the icon all the acrobatics that an assembly can do. For a detailed rundown of each parameter and what can be done with a subassembly, you will need to pop into the help files.

Subassembly Help is extremely…well, helpful! There are many doors into the help files, including from the Corridor Modeling Catalog as you saw earlier. Another way to access the help files is to right-click any subassembly in the tool palette and select Help, as shown in Figure 8.20.

Attachment and Input Parameters

When you access Subassembly Help using one of the methods described in the sidebar “Accessing Subassembly Help,” it will take you to the help file specific to the subassembly you are working with. At the top, you will see a diagram showing the location of the numeric parameters that can be edited in the Properties palette, as shown in Figure 8.21.

For most subassemblies, the default attachment point will be the topmost-inside marker point. The help file will tell you if this differs for the subassembly you are looking at. Scroll farther down to see detailed explanations of each input parameter.

Reading a Coding Diagram

The coding diagram gives you a list of all the codes used on the subassembly you are working with. Every coded point, link, and shape are listed here. Not all subassembly components have explicit names, such as L9 shown in Figure 8.22. If the point, shape, or link is not included in the table, it is considered uncoded.

Commonly Used Subassemblies

Once you gain some skills in building assemblies, you can explore the subassembly tool palettes to find subassemblies that have more advanced parameters so that you can get more out of your corridor model. For example, if you must produce detailed schedules of road materials such as asphalt, coarse gravel, fine gravel, subgrade material, and so on, the catalog includes lane subassemblies that allow you to specify those thicknesses for automatic volume reports.

The following sections include some examples of different components you can use in a typical road assembly. Many more alternatives are available within the subassembly tool palettes provided in the software. The help file provides a complete breakdown of each subassembly provided; you'll find this useful as you search for your perfect subassembly.

Each of these subassemblies can be added to an assembly using the same process specified in the first exercise in this chapter. Choose your alternative subassembly instead of the basic parts specified in the exercise, and adjust the parameters accordingly.

Editing an Assembly

As you saw earlier in this chapter, the AutoCAD Properties palette is an option for changing subassembly parameters for one or more subassemblies of the same type. However, there are a handful of settings that can be controlled only in the Civil 3D Subassembly Properties dialog. For example, the side (left or right) is a parameter that must be changed in the Subassembly Properties dialog or on the Construction tab of the Assembly Properties dialog.

Editing the Entire Assembly

Sometimes it's more efficient to edit all the subassemblies in an assembly at once. To do so, pick the assembly baseline marker or any subassembly that is connected to the assembly you'd like to edit. This time, select the Assembly Properties option from the Modify Assembly panel of either the Subassembly or Assembly contextual tab to display the Assembly Properties dialog, shown in Figure 8.32.

Renaming the Assembly

The Information tab on the Assembly Properties dialog shown in Figure 8.32 gives you an opportunity to rename your assembly and provide an optional description. It is good practice to be consistent and detailed in your assembly names (for example, Divided 4-Lane 12’ w Paved Shoulder). With informative assembly names, you will eliminate much of the guesswork when it comes to building corridors later.

Changing Parameters

The Construction tab in the Assembly Properties dialog, as shown in Figure 8.33, houses each subassembly and its parameters. At the top of the dialog you can change the Assembly Type setting using the drop-down list. In addition, you can change the parameters for individual subassemblies by selecting the subassembly in the Item pane on the left side of the Construction tab and changing the desired parameter in the Input Values pane on the right side.

Renaming Groups and Subassemblies

Note that the left side of the Construction tab displays a list of groups. Under each group is a list of the subassemblies in use in your assembly. A new group is formed every time a subassembly is connected directly to the assembly baseline marker or an offset assembly is added.

With side autodetection, you will notice that the groups have already been named Right and Left with the appropriate symbol next to the group name, as shown in Figure 8.33. The subassemblies in each group appear in the same order in which they were originally placed, usually from the inside out. The first subassembly under the Right group is LaneSuperelevationAOR. If you dig into its parameters on the right side of the dialog, you'll learn that this lane is attached to the right side of the assembly marker, the UrbanCurbGutterGeneral is attached to right side of the LaneSuperelevationAOR, and the UrbanSidewalk is attached to the right side of the UrbanCurbGutterGeneral. In this example, the next group, Left, is identical but attached to the left side of the assembly baseline marker.

If you want, you can rename any of the groups or subassemblies on the Construction tab of the Assembly Properties dialog by right-clicking the group or subassembly you wish to rename and choosing Rename. From this same context menu you can also delete the group or subassembly.

There is no official best practice for renaming your groups and subassemblies, but you may find it useful to keep the designation of what type of subassembly it is or other distinguishing features. For example, if a lane is to be designated as a transition lane or a generic link used as a ditch foreslope, it would be useful to name them descriptively.

Creating Assemblies for Non-road Uses

There are many uses for assemblies and their resulting corridor models aside from road sections. The Corridor Modeling Catalog also includes components for retaining walls, rail sections, bridges, channels, pipe trenches, and much more. In Chapter 9, you'll use a channel assembly and a pipe trench assembly to build corridor models. Let's investigate how those assemblies are put together by building a channel assembly for a stream section:

1. Start a new blank drawing from the _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Imperial) NCS template that ships with Civil 3D. Metric users can use the _AutoCAD Civil 3D (Metric) NCS template. You can also continue working in your drawing from the first exercise in this chapter.
2. Confirm that your Tool Palettes window is showing the subassembly set (Imperial or metric) appropriate for your drawing units.
3. From the Home tab Create Design panel, choose Assembly Create Assembly.

   The Create Assembly dialog opens.

4. In the Create Assembly dialog, configure these options:
   1. Enter Channel in the Name text box.
   2. Set Assembly Type to Other.
   3. Confirm that Assembly Style is set to Basic and that Code Set Style is set to All Codes, and click OK.
5. Pick a location in your drawing to place your red assembly baseline marker.
6. Locate the Trench Pipes tab on the Tool Palettes window.
7. Click the Channel subassembly on the Tool Palettes window.

   The AutoCAD Properties palette appears.

8. Locate the Advanced Parameters area on the AutoCAD Properties palette.

   You'll place the channel with its default parameters and make adjustments through the Assembly Properties dialog, so don't change anything for now. Note that there is no Side parameter. This subassembly will be centered on the assembly baseline marker.

9. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the red assembly baseline marker, and a channel is placed on the assembly (see Figure 8.34).

   

10. Press Esc to leave the assembly insertion command and dismiss the Properties palette.
11. Click the assembly baseline marker, and then on the Assemblies contextual tab Modify Assembly palette, click Assembly Properties.

    The Assembly Properties dialog appears.

12. Switch to the Construction tab.

    Notice that while the typical road assembly in the previous exercise generated a Left group and a Right group, the Channel subassembly generated a Centered group.

13. Select the Channel entry on the left side of the dialog (under the Centered group).
14. Click the Subassembly Help ellipsis button located at the bottom right on the dialog's Construction tab.

    The Subassembly Reference page of the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2015 help file appears.

15. Familiarize yourself with the diagram, shown in Figure 8.35, and the input parameters for the Channel subassembly.

    

    Especially note the Attachment Point, Bottom Width, Depth, and Side slope parameters. The attachment point indicates where your baseline alignment and profile will be applied.

16. Minimize or close the help file.

    To match the engineer's specified design, you need a stream section 6′ (2 m) deep with a bottom that's 3′ (1 m) wide, 1:1 sideslopes, and no backslopes.

17. Change the following parameters in the Assembly Properties dialog, leaving all other parameters at their default values:
    1. Depth: 6′ (2 m)
    2. Bottom Width: 3′ (1 m)
    3. Sideslope: 1 (value will automatically change to be displayed as 1.00:1)

       Left and Right Backslope Width: 0′ (0 m)

18. Click OK, and confirm that your completed assembly looks like Figure 8.36.

    

A finished copy of this drawing is available from the book's web page (0802_ChannelAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or 0802_ChannelAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).

Using Generic Links

Let's look at two examples where you might take advantage of generic links.

The first example involves the typical road section you built in the first exercise in this chapter. You saw that UrbanSidewalk applies one continuous cross-slope across the inside boulevard (terrace), sidewalk, and outside boulevard (buffer strip). If you need a terrace that's 3′ (1 m) wide with a 3 percent slope, and then a 5′ (1.5 m) sidewalk with a 2 percent slope, followed by another buffer strip that is 6′ (2 m) wide with a slope of 5 percent, you can use generic links to assist in the construction of the proper assembly.

In this exercise you will be creating a new assembly based on the typical road assembly made in the first exercise.

1. Open 801_TypicalRoadAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or 0801_TypicalRoadAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg, available on the book's website.
2. In Prospector, locate and expand the Assemblies group.
3. Right-click Urban 14′ Single-Lane or Urban 4.5 m Single-Lane and select Zoom To.
4. Select the lane and curb subassemblies as well as the assembly baseline marker and Mtext below; then on the Home tab Clipboard panel, click Copy Clip.
5. On the Home tab Clipboard panel, click Paste. Pick a location directly under the Urban Single-Lane assembly to paste the copied assembly. Notice that the Mtext updated to the name of the copy of the assembly. This is because it's a field.

   You could have use the copy command. However, when the assembly baseline marker is part of the copy command selection set, the entire assembly is copied even if some of the subassemblies are not included in the selection set. If this were your method in this exercise, all you would need to do next would be to delete the unwanted subassemblies.

   While you could place the subassembly anywhere, you will find that as you gather more and more assemblies in a drawing, having them organized in a logical manner with similar assemblies in a common area makes them easier to manage.

6. Select the assembly baseline marker; then on the Assembly contextual tab Modify Assembly Panel, click Assembly Properties.

   The Assembly Properties dialog appears.

7. On the Information tab, change Name to Urban 14’ Single-Lane with Terraced Sidewalk (or Urban 4.5 m Single-Lane With Terraced Sidewalk) and click OK.

   If you copied the Mtext label containing a field, you may want to run a REGEN to update the label or play with the grips to stack the text legibly.

8. Locate the Generic tab on the Tool Palettes window.
9. Click the LinkWidthAndSlope subassembly (you may need to scroll down to find it), and the AutoCAD Properties palette appears.
10. Scroll down to the Advanced Parameters section of the Properties palette and change the parameters as follows to create the first buffer strip, leaving all other parameters at their default values:
    1. Width: 3′ (1 m)
    2. Slope: 3%
11. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the circular marker on the right UrbanCurbGutterGeneral subassembly as well as the circular marker on the left UrbanCurbGutterGeneral subassembly, both of which represent the top back of the curb.
12. Switch to the Curbs tab of the Tool Palettes window, and click the UrbanSidewalk button.
13. In the Advanced Parameters area of the Properties palette, change the parameters as follows to create the sidewalk, leaving all other parameters at their default values:
    1. Inside Boulevard Width: 0′ (0 m)
    2. Sidewalk Width: 5′ (1.5 m)
    3. Outside Boulevard Width: 0′ (0 m)
    4. Slope: 2%
14. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the upper-right circular marker on the right LinkWidthAndSlope subassembly and the upper-left circular marker on the left LinkWidthAndSlope subassembly.
15. Switch to the Generic tab of the Tool Palettes window, and click the LinkWidthAndSlope button.

    The AutoCAD Properties palette appears.

16. In the Advanced Parameters area, change the parameters as follows to create the second buffer strip, leaving all other parameters at their default values:
    1. Width: 6′ (2 m)
    2. Slope: 5%
17. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the upper-right circular marker on the right UrbanSidewalk subassembly, as well as the upper-left circular marker on the left UrbanSidewalk subassembly, both of which represent the outside edge of the sidewalk. When complete, press Esc to end the command.
18. Select the right daylight subassembly from the Urban Single-Lane assembly. On the Subassembly contextual tab Modify Subassembly panel, click Copy.
19. Select the outermost marker on the right side of the new assembly that you are working on. Do the same for the left daylight.

    The completed assembly should look like Figure 8.38 (shown with the typical road assembly from the first exercise for comparison).

    

    You may keep this drawing open to continue on to the next exercise, or use the finished copy of this drawing available from the book's web page (0804_GenericLinksAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or 0804_GenericLinksAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).

    You've now created a custom sidewalk terrace for a typical road.

Daylighting with Generic Links

The next example involves the channel section you built earlier in this chapter. This exercise will lead you through using the LinkSlopeToSurface generic subassembly, which will provide a surface target to the channel assembly that will seek the target assembly at a 25 percent slope. For more information about surface targets, see Chapter 9.

In this exercise, you will be creating another new assembly based on the channel assembly exercise.

1. Open 0802_ChannelAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or 0802_ChannelAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg, available on the book's website.
2. In Prospector, locate and expand the Assemblies group.
3. Right-click Channel and select Zoom To.
4. Locate the Generic tab on the Tool Palettes window.
5. Click the LinkSlopeToSurface button.
6. In the Advanced Parameters area of the Properties palette, change the Slope parameter to 25%, leaving all other parameters at their default values.
7. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the circular marker at the upper right on the channel subassembly as well as the circular marker on the upper left on the channel subassembly. Press Esc to end the command.

   The left surface target link appears, but it is sloping to the right instead of the left. This is one subassembly that doesn't automatically “flip” to the appropriate side.

8. Select the LinkSlopeToSurface subassembly to activate the Subassembly contextual tab.
9. From the Subassembly contextual tab Modify Subassembly panel, choose Subassembly Properties.
10. On the Parameters tab, locate the Side input value, and click the default input value field.
11. In the Pick Default Value dialog, select Left as the new input value and click OK.
12. Click OK to dismiss the Subassembly Properties dialog.

    The completed assembly should look like Figure 8.39.

    

You may keep this drawing open to continue on to the next exercise or use the finished copy of this drawing available from the book's web page (0805_ChannelLinkDaylight_FINISHED.dwg or 0805_ChannelLinkDaylight_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).

Adding a surface link to the channel assembly provides a surface target for the assembly. Now that you've added the LinkSlopeToSurface, you will be able to specify your existing ground as the surface target for a corridor, and the subassembly will grade between the top of the bank and the surface for you. You can achieve additional flexibility for connecting to existing ground with the more complex daylight subassemblies, as discussed in the next section.

Working with Daylight Subassemblies

In previous examples, we worked with a generic daylight subassembly, but now let's take a closer look at what they can do for you.

A daylight subassembly tells Civil 3D how to extend a link to a target surface. The instructions might specify that a ditch or berm be inserted before looking for existing ground. Others provide a straight shot but with contingencies for certain design conditions. Figure 8.40 shows the many options you have for adding a daylight subassembly to an assembly.

In the following exercise, you'll use the DaylightInsideROW subassembly. This subassembly contains parameters for specifying the maximum distance from the centerline or offset alignments. If the 4:1 slope hits the surface inside the right-of-way (ROW), no adjustment is made to the slope. If 4:1 causes the daylight to hit outside of the ROW, the slope adjusts to stay inside the specified location.

In this exercise you will be creating a new assembly based on the typical road assembly you made in the first exercise.

1. Open 0804_GenericLinksAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or 0804_GenericLinksAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg, available from the book's website.
2. Locate the Urban 14′ Single-Lane or Urban 4.5 m Single-Lane assembly.
3. Select the lane, curb, and sidewalk subassemblies as well as the assembly baseline marker and the Mtext displaying the assembly name. On the Home tab Clipboard panel, click Copy Clip.
4. On the Home tab Clipboard panel, click Paste and pick a location directly over the Urban Single-Lane assemblies to paste the copied assembly.
5. Click the assembly baseline marker, and then on the Assemblies contextual tab Modify Assembly palette, click Assembly Properties.

   The Assembly Properties dialog appears.

6. On the Information tab, change the name to Urban 14’ Single-Lane Daylight ROW (or Urban 4.5 m Single-Lane Daylight ROW), and click OK. Run a REGEN to update Mtext.
7. Locate the Daylight tab on the Tool Palettes window.
8. Right-click the DaylightInsideROW button on the Tool Palettes panel and select Help.

   The Subassembly Reference page opens in a new window.

9. Familiarize yourself with the options for the DaylightInsideROW subassembly, especially noting the optional parameters for a lined material, a mandatory daylight surface target, and an optional ROW offset target that can be used to override the ROW offset specified in the parameters.
10. Close the Help dialog. Click the DaylightInsideROW button on the Tool Palettes window.
11. In the Advanced Parameters area of the Properties palette, change the parameter ROW Offset From Baseline to 33′ (10 m), leaving all other parameters at their default values.
12. At the Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt, select the circular marker on the farthest-right link on the new assembly. The Select marker point within assembly or [Insert Replace Detached]: prompt is still active.
13. On the Properties palette, in the Advanced Parameters area, change the parameter ROW Offset From Baseline to -33’ (-10 m) and then place the subassembly on the left side of the new assembly. Press Esc to end the command.

    Notice that there is no Left or Right parameter. The negative value in the ROW Offset From Baseline parameter is what tells Civil 3D the daylight is to the left. Some subassemblies will contain an offset parameter instead of a side parameter to direct to which side it should flip. In the case of an offset parameter, left will be indicated by a negative value and right will be indicated by a positive value.

14. You can now dismiss the Properties palette.

    The completed assembly should look like Figure 8.41.

    

You may keep this drawing open to continue on to the next exercise or use the finished copy of this drawing available from the book's web page (DaylightROWAssembly_FINISHED.dwg or DaylightROWAssembly_METRIC_FINISHED.dwg).

Offset Assemblies

Offset assemblies are an advanced option when you want to model a coordinating component of the design whose cross section is related to the main assembly. An example of where an offset assembly would be helpful is a main road adjacent to a meandering bike path. The bike path generally follows the main road, but its alignment is not always parallel and the profile might be altogether different. Figure 8.46 shows what the assembly for a bike path to the left of a road would look like.

To use an offset assembly, from the Home tab Create Design panel, choose Assembly Add Assembly Offset. You will be prompted to select the main assembly and place the offset in the graphic. The location of the offset assembly in relation to the main assembly will have no effect on the final design.

Once the offset assembly is placed, the construction of the offset assembly is identical to any other assembly. We will use an example of an assembly with an offset in Chapter 10, “Advanced Corridors, Intersections, and Roundabouts.”

Marked Points Used with Partner Subassemblies

The marked point assembly is a small but powerful subassembly found in the Generic palette. It consists of a single marker, and you can place it on an assembly to flag a location. You can use the marked point by itself to generate a feature line where no coded marker currently exists, say in the midpoint of a lane link. Marked points really perform when used with one of the subassemblies designed to tie into a marked point.

When using a marked point, name it right away, and make note of that name for using it with a partner subassembly (Figure 8.47).

Linking to a Marked Point

In the example shown in Figure 8.48, a LinkToMarkedPoint2 subassembly is placed on the right side of the bike path pavement. The LinkToMarkedPoint2 subassembly has been created to look for the marked point on the left side of the sidewalk buffer.

When placing a marked point, enter a descriptive and unique Point Name value under Advanced Parameters. Remember to enter that same descriptive and unique name into the partner subassembly's corresponding field called Marked Point Name. Upon doing this, you will not see the geometry tie together on the assembly, but it will in the resulting corridor, as you will see in Chapter 10.

All subassemblies that use the marked point will appear with the “Layout Mode” placeholder. The following subassemblies are designed to look for a marked point:

• Channel
• ChannelParabolicBottom
• LinkToMarkedPoint
• LinkToMarkedPoint2
• LinkSlopesBetweenPoints
• MedianDepressed
• MedianRaisedConstantSlope
• MedianRaisedWithCrown
• OverlayBrokenBackBetweenEdges
• OverlayBrokenBackOverGutters
• OverlayCrown
• OverlayParabolic
• UrbanReplaceCurbGutter1
• UrbanReplaceCurbGutter2
• UrbanReplaceSidewalk

Storing a Customized Subassembly on a Tool Palette

Customizing subassemblies and creating assemblies are both simple tasks. However, you'll save time in future projects if you store these items for later use.

A typical jurisdiction usually has a finite number of allowable lane widths, curb types, and other components. It would be extremely beneficial to have the right subassemblies with the parameters already available on your Tool Palettes window.

The following exercise will lead you through storing a customized subassembly on a tool palette.

In this exercise you will be storing some of the subassemblies you made in earlier exercises; therefore, any of the previously saved files (which you can download from this book's web page) can be used, if you do not have one open from a previous exercise.

You can add a tool only from a saved drawing, so make sure you save the drawing you are working in before following these steps:

1. Be sure your Tool Palettes window is displayed.
2. Right-click the Tool Palettes control bar located at the top of the window or side opposite of tabs if undocked, and select New Palette to create a new tool palette.
3. Enter My Road Parts in the Name text box.
4. Select one of the sidewalk subassemblies from the Urban 14′ Single-Lane assembly.
5. You'll know it's selected when you see it highlighted and the grip appears.

   Click any link in the assembly (not the grip), and while holding down the left mouse button drag the assembly into the Tool Palettes window. Release the mouse button.

   It may take you several tries to get the click-and-drag timing correct, but it will work. You'll know it is working when the cursor appears with a plus sign in the tool palette.

   When you release the mouse button, an entry appears on your tool palette with the name of the subassembly component that you are adding as well as a graphic of the subassembly.

6. Select and right-click this entry, and select the Properties option.

   The Tool Properties dialog appears (see Figure 8.49).

   

7. If desired, change the image, description, and other parameters in the Tool Properties dialog, and click OK.
8. Try this process for other subassemblies in the drawing.

   The resulting tool palette could look similar to Figure 8.50.

   

Note that the tool palette entries for each subassembly pull from C3DStockSubassemblies.dll file installed locally. The subassembly will not pull from this drawing as do blocks. If you share this tool palette, there is no need to share the drawing.

Storing a Completed Assembly on a Tool Palette

In addition to storing individual subassemblies on a tool palette, it's often useful to store entire completed assemblies. Many jurisdictions have several standard roadway sections; once each standard assembly has been built, you can save time on future projects by pulling in a stored version of this assembly.

The process for storing an assembly on a tool palette is nearly identical to the process of storing a subassembly. Simply select the assembly baseline, hover your cursor over the assembly baseline, left-click, and drag to a palette of your choosing.

It's usually a good idea to create a library drawing in a shared network location for common completed assemblies and to create all assemblies in that drawing before dragging them onto the tool palette. By using this approach, you'll be able to test your assemblies for validity before they are rolled into production. Alternatively, you can right-click the new palette name and choose Import Subassemblies to display the Import Subassemblies dialog. Here you can choose a source file and then specify whether you want the subassemblies from that source file to import into the palette (optional) and/or the Catalog Library/My Imported Tools.