True North workflow

Another noob problem:

So I created my lot plan using bearings (about 10 degree angled lot), converted the polyline to a terrain perimeter and then added a North arrow. I then want to select the arrow and the terrain perimeter and rotate everything so that my building and the side perimeter creates a plan north. However, I can for my life not rotate everything at once. I can't even rotate the perimeter, it only lets me rotate one of the lines at a time with the parallel tool?

Also, is there a way to easily switch between true and plan north?

Select the "All Off" layer set.

Turn on just the layers of objects you need to move or place all objects you want to move on existing or custom layers as required.

Turn on the "Reference Display" so you can see the walls of the structure as a reference to moving the remaining layers turned "on".

Marquee-select what layers are turned on and rotate to your desired location (commonly lay this out with a CAD line so I can open its dialog-go to the "Selected Line" tab and read-do the math as to how much of a degree rotation I will need and then use transform-replicate to do the move based upon that math.

DJP

Thanks David, trying to figure all this new stuff out coming from Revit.

I don't have the building yet, working on the plot plan for the moment. There are some significant trees so I need a detailed representation of the lot before designing the house.

Although I appreciate that the layer technique will remove clutter, I can do this by just shift selecting the required items, right?

I did the angle math approach, but I got a ton of decimals and was hoping for a more precise way to align it, and by pure coincidence double clicked the make parallel icon, which then asked me if I wanted to rotate just the selected line or the whole polyline! :) Luck favors the ignorant.

A little side question. When I deactivated angle snap I got a little angle snap icon following my cursor? Is that a reminder that it is off and if so can I turn that off? I obviously know it is off and the symbol is a bit distracting.

Well, I'm stuck again.

I have a closed polyline of the lot with number style quadrant bearings, that I converted into a terrain perimeter and I have a north arrow. At this point all looks correct.

However, I now want to rotate the terrain perimeter and north together, to create a suitable plan north. Two problems:

1) I can't seem to use the parallel/rotate whole perimeter when I multi select both the terrain and the north arrow. It doesn't show me a line to reference for rotation?

2) I can rotate by hand (which becomes a crap shot) but when I do the bearings on my perimeter becomes degrees and lose their relation to the north arrow?

What am I doing wrong, and isn't there a simple way to switch my drawing between true and plan north?

Shift select the terrain and the north point.
Click Transform/Replicate on the Edit toolbar.
Check Rotate - you can select a relative or absolute angle - whatever suits your needs.

If you want the terrain boundary angles to remain relative to north, you need to check Azimuth Bearing or Quadrant Bearing in the Cad defaults.

Or, you should be able to do using the Make Parallel tool.
First, you need to draw a line that you want your north point to be.
Select the terrain and north point, select Make Parallel, click the line you drew.
Terrain and north point should rotate so that north point matches the line angle.

Probably other ways as well, but that's two ways.

Thanks Glenn,

I'm getting extremely confused by the actual number style format for the moment, and will probably open a new thread to sort it out. When is the 'Default Settings' - General Cad settings used? These seems to overrule all text styles and number styles in the dialog boxes pertaining to polylines and dimensions?

The rotate model suggested above works for me, but how do you use make parallel? Nothing happens as Chief doesn't seem to know which of the perimeter lines I want to align to. The selected line disappears once I multi select the north arrow?

The General CAD default settings only apply to a cad object that has the Show Length and Show Angle boxes checked.
This setting shouldn't effect text styles.
The Number Style setting available in a lot of the dbx's only effects the display of lengths and angles in the dbx's - not in the drawing.

When using Make Parallel draw your reference line off to the side a bit and do not select it.
Only select the north point and the terrain, select Make Parallel and then click on the reference line you drew.

Nicinus:

converted the polyline to a terrain perimeter

I find it more flexible to create the lot lines using cad lines

this allows for the TP to be larger than the building lot

giving more flexibility for other buildings, roads, sidewalks, neighbors etc

plus when I take camera shots I don't like seeing the ends of the universe....

Lew

Lew,

I do something similar.
I use a Terrain Feature to represent the lot on a larger Terrain.
The lot is then visible in 3D views.

Glenn:

nice tip

thanks

Lew

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glenn Woodward

The General CAD default settings only apply to a cad object that has the Show Length and Show Angle boxes checked.
This setting shouldn't effect text styles.

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Thanks, very helpful.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glenn Woodward

When using Make Parallel draw your reference line off to the side a bit and do not select it.
Only select the north point and the terrain, select Make Parallel and then click on the reference line you drew.

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I can't get this to work. If I only choose the terrain a line becomes the selected one, and I can align to that one. However, when I multi select with Shift I don't get that and nothing happens when I click the reference line?

OK, I am getting mixed results with the Make Parallel tool.
Best to forget it and use Transform/Replicate.