Define Underground Utility Lines for Cross Sections

InRoads can treat utilities as utilities or as features. Both can import smart lines - the key to success is having appropriate styles setup for their display once imported.

In my opinion, using features is easier and more universally available throughout the product. When importing, you have the option of using the smart line elevations or draping the  features on the surface (with an optional vertical offset as in vertical depth of cover.) When draping, you can drape the entire smartline or only its vertices. Also, after the feature is in the surface, you can edit the feature points to modify them if needed. Finally, some people keep utility features in their own DTM rather than using the existing ground DTM. I believe it is a good choice.

Depending upon your needs, you will want crossing points and annotation enabled for cross sections on any features you define - and if you need different displays for similar utilities, you may need multiple features.

I also recommend using the Feature Properties dialog box after import to add information to the imported features - there is a description and a parent field where you can place some type of text information that can then be added to a label when you annotate features in cross sections. In Theory, you can even use the Name field, but since names need to be unique, their use is not something I would count on.

It will take a little time to set up the various styles and also the Annotate Features in Cross Section command preferences, but when you are finished, the time savings to display and annotate any crossing feature will quickly be recouped.

I think I may still be doing it incorrectly, like I said I'm new with InRoads so please bare with me. This is what I've done so far:

I created a new Surface DTM called Existing_Utilities. Then I isolated the gas lines on the plans and placed a fence around them. I imported surface "From Graphics" with

Surface: Existing_Utilities

Load From: Fence (I also tried single element and highlighted each individual line)

Elevations: Drape Surface

Intercept Surface: ExistingSurface

I created a seed name E-GAS with a feature style for a 4" pipe and used "Random" as my point type. I do not have a horizontal or vertical offset feature on my version of InRoads. I also chose Exclude from Triangulation.

I went into properties and gave everything a name and description. They all have the same style in this case, so I left it alone as 4" Pipe.

Finally, I created cross sections using the Existing_Utilities Surface only. I included everything I could (crossing features, components, annotate, etc) but nothing is being displayed on the cross sections.

Could my problem be from a faulty feature style or did I miss something?

Thanks for the information so far!

If you're creating a new surface, generally you need to triangulate it. Un-check "Exclude From Triangulation".

I have also tried that with the same results. The reason I checked off "Exclude..." was because the help menu said to choose that option when creating underground utilities. I can still triangulate the surface with the box clicked, there are just no actual triangles.

I have also tried that with the same results. The reason I checked off "Exclude..." was because the help menu said to choose that option when creating underground utilities. I can still triangulate the surface with the box clicked, there are just no actual triangles.