POI Civil 3D Point Tutorials


Point Tutorials

Point Definition
In AutoCAD® Civil 3D®, you can create, work with, and manage points using a variety of commands and tools.

The points created by AutoCAD® Civil 3D® are called Coordinate Geometry (COGO) points, which are very different from AutoCAD point nodes. AutoCAD point nodes have only coordinate data (XYZ values) associated with them. However, COGO points, in addition to coordinate data, have a variety of properties associated with them, including point number, point name, raw (field) description, and full (expanded) description. Unlike AutoCAD point nodes, which exist in a single drawing, COGO points can be stored in a project outside a drawing and referenced by multiple users.

Point Tutorials

  • POI107 Create a Description Key
    Video tutorial outlining the creation of a description key in Civil 3D. Styles make this somewhat more complicated than they may have been in Land Desktop. This video unlocks the secret for great description key design.
  • POI106 Insert Points by Window
    In Civil 3D 2010 and prior, this can’t be done, and it’s frustrating. Land Desktop had the ability to import points within a windowed region in any drawing by pulling from the project point database. Since Civil 3D doesn’t have a database per se, we have to find a workaround for this valuable tool. The way we trick this may surprise you.
  • POI105 Point Coordinate Transformation
    Coordinate transformation (e.g. from NAD83 UTM Zone 15 Meters to NAD83 Louisiana State Plane, South Zone, US Foot) may not work properly if you simply use point functionality. However, the transformation seems to hold in every case if you work via the Survey functions. This video shows how to proceed.
  • POI104 Point Settings: Label Used to Label Symbol (e.g. Water Meter, Water Valve).
    This video walks through setting up a description key to cover the following scenario: Need to place text near a symbol, but want the flexibility to control the placement of the text – such is the case with a water valve labeled WV, or a water meter labeled WM. Ideally, you want the WM or WV above their respective symbols to be movable via grips. In Civil 3D, a point can not have both a node and a symbol as was the case in Land Desktop. The symbol in Civil 3D is the “node” per se, and it has an object snap “node” definition (meaning you can snap to the node of a symbol used to mark a point).
  • POI103 Point Settings: Label Off, but Symbol On
    This video walks through setting up a description key to cover the following scenario: You need to leave a symbol on but turn off the point label text. In Civil 3D, a point can not have both a node and a symbol as was the case in Land Desktop. The symbol in Civil 3D is the “node” per se, and it has an object snap “node” definition (meaning you can snap to the node of a symbol used to mark a point).
  • POI102 Changing Point Display, and hiding points using groups.
    A short video tutorial about controlling what points are visible on the screen using groups.
  • POI101 Importing Points Without Using Survey.
    A short video tutorial about importing points from a text file.
  • POI100 How To Set the Current Points Layer
    A short video tutorial about the location of the default points layer. It is not found in the drawing settings.

Related Tutorials

Point Links

  • NGS Data Sheets. Historically, NGS data sheets were used to locate control points in the field. For several years, control data (northings, easting, elevations, as well as historical information) has also been available for download and import to Civil 3D as COGO points.

Civil 3D Tutorials
AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Tutorials

Videos & Podcasts require QuickTime®.

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