Hidden Functionality - Moving Surfaces and Alignments

If you are a Civil 3D operator and you find out you need to change the coordinate system, then it’s easy to harness the power of AutoCAD (if it’s a change of x,y,z) to simply move the Alignment objects and the Surface object/s (be careful with the surface – there is a difference between moving the source surface data and applying an edit translation to a surface).  Of course, you would move all the other geometry at the same time (lines representing lot boundaries, etc).

 We recently had the request to move surfaces and alignments from a non-Civil 3D operator.  This isn’t as easy in Civil Site Design – the alignment edit was built to apply per geometry point and there is no bulk move. 

 A solution is available – we added a well hidden program if you need to bulk move surfaces and alignments for Civil Site Design.  This allows for a relative change in easting, northing and elevation (for a datum shift change).  Want to know more?

 Firstly, the drawing must be closed. 

 Have a look in the CSD Data Folder (you can open this from the Ribbon > General Tab > Settings Panel > Open Settings Folder.  In here is a folder called ‘Move Data Program’.  And in there, a file called ‘MoveData-Surfaces+Alignments.exe’.

 When you run this program you firstly type in the shift (change) in x, y, and z (make the zero to not apply a change to this axis).  After you fill this out and click OK, you navigate to the data you want to change. You’ll need to dive into the -Data folder for the drawing you are working on, then into the AdvRoads-10 folder.  Pick any CSD alignment file (these are formatted to start with ‘AL-‘ and with extension .xml.  Once you pick one of these the rest happens automatically.

 Restart your CAD application and open the drawing – the surfaces and alignments should all be shifted by the values you input.