Spot Elevation Z Align
- Spot Elevation Z Align Overview
- Creating SketchUp Topography from Spot Elevation Callouts
- Related Webinars
Need to coordinate a plan that includes Spot Elevation callouts with Civil 3D, a surveyor, or with a 3D modeling program like SketchUp, Rhino, or Revit? Our Spot Elevation Z Align tool gives you the ability to assign a Z elevation to each Spot Elevation callout.
Our Spot Elevation tool provides a quick way to place multileader (MLeader) elevation callouts directly in your drawing. See our Spot Elevation documentation for more information.
Spot Elevation Z Align Overview
Open Spot Elevation Z Align:
F/X Site ribbon, Callouts flyout
Type FX_SPOTELEVATIONZALIGN in the Command line
F/X Site menu, Spot Elevation Z Align option
You'll be asked, Set spot elevation arrows to specified Z elevation?
Click Yes to assign each Spot Elevation callout in your drawing with a Z elevation.
The command will take the elevation inside the Spot Elevation callout Mleader and change the Z elevation of the associated block.
To update the Z elevations after any changes, run the command a second time.
In engineering the ability to set Z elevations to Spot Elevation callouts, we've tapped into an AutoCAD feature where an MLeader snapped to a block will associate with that block. This is how the Mleader knows which block whose Z elevation it needs to change. Autodesk is still developing this feature, and it can be finicky. If you edit the Z elevation of the Spot Elevation callout block manually, the MLeader will disassociate, and FX_SPOTELEVATIONZALIGN will no longer change the callout's Z elevation. Also, if the Spot Elevation was originally snapped to a point on another line, the MLeader will disassociate after the first Z Align, and won’t change to accommodate any later edits to the MLeader elevation.
After placing a Spot Elevation callout, avoid changing the Z elevation manually in the Properties panel. Doing so will break the connection to the callout. Also, be aware that Spot Elevation callouts snapped to a point can only be Z aligned once.
We’re looking for different ways to accomplish this same feature within our Spot Elevation tool to prevent this issue, but for now we're able to release this feature using this method and its associated limitations.
Creating SketchUp Topography from Spot Elevation Callouts
Did you know you can use our Spot Elevation callouts and Z Align tool to create a 3D terrain in SketchUp? See our Make SketchUp Topography from F/X Spot Elevations Power Tip (linked to the right) to see a simple workflow that also incorporates the SketchUp extensions Guide Tools and Toposhaper to do just that, with the option of creating contours of your grading plan for exporting back to CAD.
Related Webinars
- Simple Site Layout and Grading Tools: Our Civil and Survey Manager (formerly known as the Grading Manager) includes some easy-to-use tools designed to help you lay out a plan in AutoCAD with Northing/Easting points, Spot Elevations, and Slope Callouts. We'll go over a few basic examples showing how these tools work, and provide some tips on how to incorporate them into your construction documentation workflow. (58 min)
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