AutoCAD/Polyline elevations

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Expert: - 6/14/2005


Question
Bill-
I am a landscape architect and this question deals directly with an engineers survey.
I am trying to run a cut-fill grading program called Eaglepoint. To run this I need all of my lines to have elevations. Currently they do have elevations but I need them to have elevations that are correct! The survey is very choppy and changes from polyline to polyline, but each polyline has a different elevation. Visually along one polyline you have elevations ranging from 520 and 1465324.84747436; and when I select that portion of the line and change the elevation in the properties box, the line disappears. Also, I have tried to match properties and it matches everything but elevation(everything= layer, color, etc). I am trying to change these elevations and have them appear on the screen with the correct elevation so that I can run my program.
Can you advise on this?
Thanks so much- Johnny
I am using AutoCAD 2004.

Answer
If you want to match the elevation of a polyline or lwpolyline, you can use the properties dialog.  Here's how:
1.  Find the polyline you want to use as a source for the elevation.
2.  Find the elevation in the properties dialog, highlight the value, right click and select copy.  This copies the value to the "clipboard".
3.  Now with the PICKFIRST system variable set to 1, and GRIPS set to 1, preselect all the polylines you want to change.  

4. While the grips are showing on the polyline vertices, go back to the properties dialog and highlight the value in elevation and right click and select PASTE.

5.  Now, click somewhere in the drawing editor to exit the Properties dialog.

6.  Hit your ESCape key to remove the grips from the polylines.

Now list the polylines and you will see that the elevation matches the source polyline.

TIP:  If you offset a polyline, you get a new polyline at the same elevation.  You can then match points over the top of another lwpolyline by using the appint osnap.

By the way, I tried the elevation 1465324.84747436 and was still able to see my LWPOLYLINE.


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Bill DeShawn

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I can address all 2-D questions and some 3-D questions. I do programming in AutoLISP if it doesn`t involve solid modeling. I can also address menu customization issues and can help you find answers to questions I can`t answer by taking your question directly to Autodesk via their newsgroups.

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I used to do electronic and mechanical design for a flat panel monitor manufacturer, and now I do architectural drafting for an architect. I did and do AutoLISP and menu customization and take pride in making my lisp routines to do the work exactly the way the client likes them done.

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I had a routine published in CADENCE magazine (no longer in publication and taken over by CADALYST). Some of my routines are published on my website at http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn

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