Site & Grading Tools

(note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions, You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

 

0 – 2:20: Intro/TOC

2:21 – 3:21: Grading Toolbars

Accessing the key site & grading toolbars (Graphics Leaders, Graphics Line, Plant Copy, Site Dimension (2:55)

 

3:21 – 24: 24: Land F/X Grading Tools

Northing/Easting Points (3:30 – 10:20)

Callouts button on the Callout toolbar (3:45)

The CALLOUTS dialog box (4:00)

• The NORTHING/EASTING thumbnail in the CALLOUTS dialog box (4:05)

Specifying an arrow point and placing a callout (4:15)

Overview of Northing and Easting coordinate we have just placed (4:40)

Adding reference points (examples: fire hydrants, trees, etc.) (5:10)

The Northing/Easting tool (accessed on the Site Dimension toolbar) (5:25)

• Note that Northing and Easting points have numbers that autopopulate as you place them. (5:45)

The Grading Manager (accessed by selecting the Grading option from the F/X Graphics menu) (6:20)

• Selecting the Northing/Easting Points radio button in the Grading Manager to see a list of the points we have placed in the drawing (6:25)
  • Adding information to a Northing/Easting Point by clicking the Edit button (6:35)
  • Typing a note in the Point Remarks dialog box (6:40)

• Placing a Northing/Easting Schedule by clicking the Schedule button (7:20)
  • Setting a Destination for the schedule (7:30)
  • Placing the schedule in the drawing (7:35)
  • Overview of the Northing/Easting Schedule (7:40)

Notes:

• When placing a Northing/Easting callout, you can snap to a point if desired. (8:15)

• The number of decimal places in a coordinate displayed in the Northing/Easting Schedule is set by the Precision setting in the AutoCAD Drawing Units dialog box. To change the number of decimal places here, change the number of decimal places in your Precision setting. (8:23)

Question: What are the points we see in the schedule? (9:05)

Answer: They’re survey northing and easting points based on either World coordinate or User coordinate values. (You can toggle between these settings.)

Note: If you’re ever wondering about a coordinate in AutoCAD, you can verify it be pressing the CONTROL (CTRL) and I keys. The coordinate will show up in the bottom left corner of the screen.(9:55)

 

The Spot Elevation Tool (10:40)

• Placing a spot elevation (11:00)
• Editing, moving the spot elevation (11:20)

The Slope Callout Tool (12:25)

• Drawing a polyline and snapping to a point (snap to a point by right-clicking while pressing the SHIFT key and selecting an Object Snap option from the menu. (We will use this line as a guide for setting our slope callout.) (12:25)
• Accessing the Slope Callout tool from the Site Dimension toolbar (13:15)
• Clicking the polyline, choosing a direction for the slope callout, and setting a slope for the callout in the Slope dialog box (13:17)
• Setting a finish grade (FG) in reference to the slope callout we have just set using the Spot Elevation tool– in one of two possible ways:
• Manually (13:40) OR …
• Automatically by typing either the R key  (for Relative) or C key (for continue from last) (13:50)
  • With the automatic method, Land F/X is placing both spot elevations and slope callouts automatically (13:52)
  • Placing spot elevations and slope callouts on a curved line (16:50)

Question: How can I make the slope label shorter for tight areas (e.g., pool decks)? (18:10)

Answer: You can scale them down manually. You can also change your font size in the Font Manager.

Review of accessing the Site Dimension toolbar and using the tools we have covered thus far (21:28)

Manually editing existing callouts by double-clicking them (23:10)

 

24:25 – 33:22: Dimension Tools

Note: Land F/X manages the dimension styles and annotations of your drawings through the Scale component. You can control these features by setting your scale using the scale option on the F/X Admin menu, or by using work areas. (25:30)

Calculating the dimension of a object in the drawing using the  Linear Dimension tool (accessed from the Site Dimension toolbar) (Note:This Land F/X tool acts just like the AutoCAD Dim Linear tool except that it reads the project’s overall scale.) (26:00)

• Specifying the two reference points of the dimension we will be determining (example: the width of a parking lot island) (26:25)
• Setting the dimension – and a note on default dimension styles (26:30)
• Overview of dimension scales (26:50)

Dimension styles (Dim Styles) and the Dimension Style Manager (27:40)             

• Accessing the Dimension Style Manager by typing DIMSTYLE in the Command line (27:40)
• Deleting and modifying dimension styles (27:50)
  • Modifying a dimension style (unit formats, scale factors, precision, fractional format, fit, text style, arrow style, leaders) by clicking the Modify button (28:30)
  • Saving a default Dimension Style (Dim Style) using the Preferences (31:10)

33:23 – end: Site Tools

The Reference Notes Manager (accessed from the F/X Graphics menu or the Graphics Ref Notes toolbar) (34:20)

• Editing a reference note (clicking the Edit button top open the Edit Reference Note dialog box) (36:00)
• Assigning a hatch to a Reference Note (36:40)
• Customizing the Reference Note callouts (37:10)
• Placing a Reference Note (37:55)
• Selecting closed polylines to hatch (38:10)
• Calling out items by clicking the Callout button (38:35)
  • Selecting an arrow point and placing the reference note (38:40)\
  • Adding a screen fill to a Reference Note callout (39:02)

Labeling site features using the Plant Label toolbar (yes, you can use it for more than just plants) (39:28)

Creating a Reference Note Schedule by clicking the Schedule button in the Reference Notes Manager (40:04)

Overview of the Reference Note Schedule dialog box (40:05)

Placing the Reference Note Schedule (40:32)

Overview of the Reference Note Schedule we have placed in the drawing (40:40)

Editing a reference note for an area drain (as an example) in the Reference Notes Manager (Note, Division, Cost, Callouts) (41:10)

Placing area drains in the drawing, snapping to locations, and specifying a manual rotation (42:15)

Calling out the area drains using the Reference Notes Manager (43:25)

Regenerating the existing Reference Notes Schedule (by clicking the Schedule button in the Reference Notes Manager); the new schedule will include the area drains we have just placed. (43:55)

Replacing a code in the Reference Notes Schedule with a symbol using the Reference Notes Manager (44:20)

The Copy Along a Line tool (accessed from the Plant Labeling toolbar) (45:00)

Note:This tool isn’t just for plants; you can copy objects such as pavers along a line using the Copy Along a Line tool.

Calling out objects we have copied along a line using the Reference Notes Manager and regenerating the existing schedule to account for these objects (46:10)

Accessing blocks and hatches we have placed (47:09)

Creating an area using the Reference Notes (example: sidewalk) (47:20)

Placing the new area in the drawing (48:35)

Calling out the new area and adding it to the schedule (48:50)

Adding and placing an object (example: a sign) (49:18)

Copying and placing the placed object in various locations using the AutoCAD COPY command (50:28)

Calling out the placed objects and placing them in the schedule (50:50)

How to add equipment from a manufacturer (51:26)

• Specifying a manufacturer object (example: site furnishing) (51:40)
• Placing the manufacturer object (example: a bench) (52:45)
• Calling out the placed manufacturer objects and adding them to the schedule (53:15)

Creating, placing, and scaling  a custom block (example: a boulder symbol) (53:55)

Key point about saving blocks into the Land F/X system: They can’t be blocks until they are saved.        

Note: This process can be applied to plants, irrigation symbols, site amenities, and a host of other objects.

Question: Can reference note objects be placed into an Xref?

Answer: Yes they can!