1

Autodesk Map 3D Analysis: Manual (EN3703)

Introduction Autodesk Map 3D is an AutoCAD-based mapping product with powerful mapping tools designed for mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) professionals. From roads to pipelines to power distribution systems and beyond, most physical assets are designed digitally using computer-aided design (CAD) software. This very precise software includes powerful productivity tools to make the design process more efficient. On the other hand, GIS is a computer programme for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, analysing and displaying data about the earth that is spatially referenced. Traditional geographical information systems (GIS) software is a popular way to store and manage data related to the physical assets designed by CAD professionals. GIS software is also used to share asset information with other departments and systems. This makes easy information flow between design and engineering environments and GIS systems crucial. In addition, GIS store data in structured feature based formats and often necessitate the translation of design data, which can be an expensive process. Once translated, design data loses the precision and complex design relationships of that are typical of CAD objects. Because it is difficult to move information between CAD and traditional GIS, many organizations maintain redundant copies of data even as they are forced to buy and learn complex GIS software. This costs organizations both time and money. An important new technology that addresses these challenges is emerging: engineering GIS software. Engineering GIS software combines the precision and familiarly of CAD software with powerful GIS functionality, allowing information to move smoothly between the engineering and asset management worlds. Engineering GIS software works as easily with design objects in drawing files as it does with large GIS databases. CAD-trained professionals can use their powerful design tools to work directly with sophisticated, structured GIS databases. Data translation is no longer required. In addition, engineering GIS software enables CAD-trained workforces to directly manage asset information within GIS using familiar tools. This saves both money and time because engineers no longer must wait for the GIS department to extract and deliver data for engineering and design projects. And engineering GIS software makes the maintenance of GIS databases easier by allowing the people who design assets to manage asset information, reducing the backlog typical of short-staffed GIS departments while allowing GIS professionals to focus on higher value tasks, such as building applications.

2

Objectives The objectives of this exercise are:

1. To prepare a planimetric map for area A. 2. To prepare a topographic map for area B. 3. To familiarize the students with the software.

The main data required to operate the software for this particular project are:

• A text file containing northing, easting and elevation of points in your study area which you collected

• A base map of the area in a digital form • L:\courses\3703

Brief procedures that are going to be applied for this task:

1. Transfer your measured data from the flash card to the computer 2. Save your measured data file and digital map file in the same directory (preferable) 3. Open Autodesk Map 3D software 4. Load the digital map and the data files 5. Plot and analyze the points using the appropriate functions

Analysis Task 1: Planimetric mapping Open Autodesk map 3D software

● Start ⇒All programmes ⇒ Autodesk⇒Autodesk Map 3D 2006⇒Autodesk Map 3D 2006

You’ll be presented with the following screen but you will have to wait for some time:

This is the primary interface for Autodesk Map 3D but you can also switch to a traditional CAD user interface.

3

Important Fix: There is one fix that you must first make to use the software. To do this we’ll need a “command” line. To do this select:

● View ⇒ Menu/Toolbar Layout ⇒Map Classic

This will give you a traditional AutoCAD interface with added Map 3D tools. At the “COMMAND” prompt type: MAPSKINMAP <enter>

Customizing Your Work Environment Your work environment – that is, the way the menus, toolbars, and dockable windows are laid out and displayed can be modified to suite your needs. You can customize a workspace to look and function just the way you want, or create a new workspace by copying an existing one. You can save different workspaces for different tasks, use them to help you streamline common tasks, or set up best practices for mapping tasks and workflow. For example, you can set up a map creation workspace to streamline acquiring, integrating, and building maps, and another workspace for creating and publishing map books and atlases. Within a session, you can easily switch between workspaces. Listed below are the predefined workspaces that are included with Autodesk Map 3D:

● Map 3D ● Map Classic

You have already seen these two interfaces. You can customize any of these workspaces and easily switch between them.

4

To add menu and toolbar options

1. Click View menu ⇒ Menu/Toolbar Layout ⇒ Customize. You’ll be presented with the following screen that we will use to add the necessary functions to generate topography.

2. In the Customize User Interface dialog box, under Customizations In All CUI Files, select the workspace you want to modify. We’ll choose to modify Map Classic

5

3. Under Customizations In All CUI Files, expand the item you want to customize so that you can see all the items underneath it. For example, expand the Toolbars and Topology sub-menu to see the topology options underneath.

4. Select Map Classic workspace and click Customized workspace button in the right side of the window. You’ll notice the left side menu turns blue this shows they are ready to modify.

5. Expand the left side “menu” and add the “Points” and “Surfaces” and “Setup” menus to your costume menu by adding the necessary check mark. Click Done when complete.

6. Click Apply. 7. Click OK.

6

Assigning a Coordinate System Recall that we must use a reference system from which to base all our measurements. For your project we’ll use NAD83 and 3 degree Modefied Transverse Mercator (MTM Zone 1) projection. To assign this in Autodesk Map 3D use the following:

1. Choose Map => Tools => Assign Global Coordinate System.

2. In the Assign Global Coordinate System dialog box, under Current Drawing, click Select

Coordinate System . You’ll be presented with a selection box

3. In the Select Global Coordinate System dialog box, from the “Category list”, select Canada, Country and Grid. This will generate a new list from which you will pick 3-deg MTM NAD83 Zone 1, Meter; Newfoundland east of 54.5d W which contains the Avalon Peninsula. Make sure you select “Meter” as measurement unit.

4. Click OK and OK in the Assign Global Coordinate System dialog box. The coordinate system you selected has been assigned to the current drawing.

7

Opening a Base Map Now you are ready to open the digital map that you have in L:\courses\3703 directory in a AutoCAD drwing file format (*.dwg). The map is going to be updated based on the measured data you collected during your field work.

1. Choose File => Open .

2. In the Image Insert dialog box, navigate to your data folder, and select the .dwg file (Plan_Map_munA.dwg).

3. Zoom In to your area before you import your measured data. 4. Click Layer properties Manager to see all the layers you have in the base map before you

import the measured features in your area.

Note: Before importing the different feature data, it is recommended to save each features in different file name with the approprate file format shown in the next section.

8

Import point data from an ASCII (text) file into a drawing. Importing points, such as survey point data collected by a data collector, is a quick and effective way to place points into a drawing. Before you import points from a point data file that you collected, you must create a point file that can be imported with the appropriate file format. The default extensions are tabulate below.

Default File Extension

Specifies the default file extension of the point data file when you import or export points using this format.

• .auf: Autodesk Uploadable File, comma delimited. Required values in the file are Point Number, Northing, Easting, Elevation, and Description (in that order).

• .csv: Comma Separated Value file; ASCII (text) file comma-delimited. • .nez: Northing, Easting, and Elevation data • .enz: Easting, Northing, and Elevation data • .pnt: Point file. • .prn: Formatted text, space delimited. • .txt: Delimited ASCII (text) file. • .xyz: Coordinates X, Y, and Z.

You can add the imported points to a point group, make adjustments to the data as it is imported, including elevation adjustments, coordinate transformation, or coordinate data expansion, encounter how the imported points are numbered as they are created.

1. Choose Points => Create Points.

2. On the Create Points toolbar, click the Import Points button .

3. In the Import Points dialog box, specify the point file format that describes the layout of the data in the point data file you are importing. (PNEZD or PENZD is recommended)

4. In the Import Points dialog box, click Source File , and select the point data file you

9

want to import (G4_GravelRoad.txt). 5. Optionally, specify a point group to which the imported points are added. 6. Optionally, specify advanced options for elevation adjustment, coordinate transformation.

7. Click OK to import the points. The points are imported and you will have those points

overlay on the image.

Note that: Using TOOLSPACE palettes you can change the point and label style for visualization. To do this:

• Civil => Show Civil Toolspace. The Toolspace dialog box will displayed

● Expand “point” in TOOLSPACE, Settings

● Expand point styles and click Standard you will find the point style

Standard menu.

10

● Choose “point” under custom marker style and Click “Apply” and then “Ok” ● Similarly, expand Label Style and click Standard you will find the Label style

composer Standard menu.

● Under General => Label => Visibility, choose “false” ● Click “Apply” and “OK”

11

Creating Layers From the Imported Point Data

1. Click Format menu =>Layer.

2. In the Layer Properties Manager, click the New Layer button or Right click and choose “New Layer”. A layer name, such as LAYER1, is automatically added to the layer list.

3. Enter a new layer name by typing over the highlighted layer name (Example groad for gracel roaad).

4. Select the new layer and Right click and choose “Set Current”. The new layer will be seen in the “Layer properties Manager” toob bar.

5. Connect the points using different drawing tools (spline, polyline, etc...) or use any other symboles that suit your feature. Once you finish connecting the points, press “Enter” and save the file.Now a new layer known as “groad” is created.

6. Choose the imported points one by one and assign these points to the layer name that you have just created before you import another layers.

7. Import the other data points and rpeat step 1 to 6 for different layers that you have in your area and save the drawing files.

Note that: you can change the colour and the layer properties of the layers that your creating.

Display category In a display category you can choose the image, the layer or both to display in the workspace.

You may show the image and the layer that you created from the measured points using the following procedures. Display Layer:

1. Choose “display” in Display manager 2. Click New => Layer 3. In Select Layer dialog box, select the Layers that you have created and OK

12

The the layers are displayed in a display manager. Define the name of the layers in display manager and change the tittle to the layer name that you want to see in the legend. Legend for the Map Legend is very important for any mapping tasks. Here you will learn how to create a legend for the planimetric and topographic mapping work. To do this:

1. Click tools in display manager 2. Create legend 3. Write the legend for your map.

Once you are satisfied with the legend and the layout, you can export the map to an image file or you can copy and paste the map to report. See the following Sample Map.

13

14

Task 2:Topographic mapping In the pervious exercise we have learnt how to assign a coordinate for you map, display a base map in your drawing and import text files that has easting, northing and the elevation of different points. We have also learnt how to create a legend for your map and display your map in a professional way. In this exercise we will learn how to create a topographic map from the data that has been collected during field survey (survey data). Produce a topographic map in Autodesk map 3D is similar to creating and then smoothing the surface. Follow the following procedures to produce a topographic map of area B. The data that you are using are a sample data that will help you to understand the procedures to create a topographic map. Assigning a Coordinate System, Load the base map (cont3245271_MUN_AreaB.dwg) and text files and display the layers in Display category in the same way what you did for area A. You will have points displayed on the drawing which look like the one shown in figure below.

1. Import points using user defined file format (DNEZ) as the data is collected in this format using GPS (G4-GRID.txt).

You may need to change the display properties to see clearly using TOOLSPACE menu.

2. Expand “point” in TOOLSPACE, Settings

3. Expand point styles and click Standard you will find the point style

Standard menu.

15

4. Choose “point” under custom marker style and Click “Apply” and then “Ok” 5. Similarly, expand Label Style and click Standard you will find the Label style

composer Standard menu.

6. Under General => Label => Visibility, choose “false”

16

7. Click “Apply” and “Ok”

You will see points displayed in the workspace and those points are viewed clearly. Note: Make sure you excluded the measurement taken at the fire hydrant as this point is a control point not part of the area that topographic map is going to be created. Creating a New TIN Surface When you first create a surface, its name is displayed in the Surface collection in the Prospector tree, so that you can perform other operations, such as adding data and editing the surface. When first created, the surface is empty, and therefore will not be visible in the drawing. After data has been added to a surface, it becomes visible in the drawing in accordance with the display settings specified in the referenced surface style This exercise demonstrates how to create an empty TIN surface and then add data to the surface, including a set of survey points (in a point group), boundaries. TIN Surfaces A TIN surface comprises the triangles that form a triangulated irregular network. A TIN line is one of the lines that make up the surface triangulation.

17

To create TIN lines, Autodesk Map connects the surface points that are closest together. The TIN lines form triangles. The elevation of any point in the surface is defined by interpolating the elevations of the vertices of the triangles that the point lies in. In this exercise, you’ll create an empty TIN surface. When a surface is initially created, its name is displayed in the Surface collection in the Prospector tree so that you can perform other operations such as adding data and editing the surface. To create a TIN surface

1. On the Surfaces menu, click “Create Surface”. In the Create Surface dialog box, in the Type drop-down list, select TIN Surface.

2. Click to select the layer for the surface.

3. In the Object Layer dialog box, click and select the layer from the list of layers. This is the layer on which the surface is created.

4. Click OK to close the Layer Selection dialog box, and click OK again to close the Object Layer dialog box.

5. For the surface’s properties, use the following: Name: give the name of the surface (Ex. Surface-DEM) Description: write descriptions (ex. Measured ground surface)

18

Style: Standard

6. Click OK to create the surface.

The new surface name is displayed under the Surfaces collection in Prospector. Note that although the surface has been created, it is empty, and does not contain any data.

Adding Point Data to a Surface

Point Groups

Point groups provide you with a flexible and convenient way to group and identify points that share common characteristics or are used to perform a task, such as creating a surface. In this exercise, you’ll add a set of survey points that you measured for Area B (in a point group) to the surface from a previously created point group that already exists in the drawing. The point group was previously created by importing points from a file. To add point data to a surface

1. In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, expand the surface under the Surfaces collection.

2. Expand the Definition collection under the surface, right-click Point Groups , and click Add. The Point Groups dialog box is displayed.

3. Select the point group Existing Ground Points from the list, _All points and click OK.

The point group, which contains the surface points, is added to the Surface-DEM surface’s definition. And the boundary will be automatically created. Boundaries are closed polylines that affect the visibility of the triangles either inside or outside of the polylines. An outer boundary is used to define the extents of the surface; all triangles inside of the boundary are visible and all triangles that are outside of the boundary are invisible.

19

Areas hidden by boundaries are not included in calculations, such as total area and volume. To see the TIN surface, modify Surface style-Standar dialog box. To do this,

1. In Toolspace, Settings expand “Surface” 2. Expand Surface Styles click on Standard . 3. Under component display, turn on the light for Triangles and click Apply. Then you will

see the triangles in the drawing.

The TIN surface is displayed. You can also turn on the light for the boundary to see on the workspace.

20

Smoothing a Surface

Surface smoothing is an operation that adds points at system-determined elevations using Natural Neighbor Interpolation (NNI) or Kriging methods. This results in smoothed contours, with no overlap. You perform smoothing as an edit operation on a surface. You can specify smoothing properties and then turn them on or off. When the smoothing is turned off, the surface reverts back to its original state. However, the smoothing properties are preserved in the surface’s operation list. NNI is a way to estimate the elevation (z) of an arbitrary point (P) from a set of points with known elevations. The method uses information in the triangulation of the known points to compute a weighted average of the elevations of the natural neighbors of a point. To use NNI, you only need to select the output locations of the interpolated points. The elevations of the interpolated points are always based on the weighted average of the elevations of the existing neighboring points. NNI interpolates only within the surface. In this exercise, you’ll smooth a surface using the Natural Neighbor Interpolation (NNI) method.

To smooth a surface using NNI

1. In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, expand the Surface-DEM surface’s Definition

collection and right-click Edits. 2. Click Smooth Surface.

3. In the Smooth Surface dialog box, for the Select Method property, select Natural

21

Neighbor Interpolation.

4. In the Point Interpolation/Extrapolation Output parameter group, select Grid Based for

the Output location. The Grid Based output location interpolates surface points on a grid defined within specified polygon areas selected in the drawing. After the areas are defined, the grid x and y spacing, and orientation properties can be specified.

5. Click the Value column for the Select Output Regions parameter, and click . 6. At the command line, enter surface for the output region. The Smooth Surface dialog

box is displayed. 7. Enter 5 m for the Grid X-Spacing. 8. Enter 5 m for the Grid Y-Spacing. 9. Click OK to smooth the surface.

The display of the surface is smoothed and the operation is added as a Smooth Surface item into the Edits list view in Prospector. You can view the smoothed surface by turn on the elevation in Surface style-Standard dialog box under Display

22

The smoothed surface is created and displayed on the Workspace. From here you can overlay the contour. You can add contour lines to a raster-based surface in your map to create what is often referred to as a contour map or topographic map. You add contour lines to surface layers in Surface style-Standard dialog box. With contour lines, each line connects points of equal elevation on the surface.

1. In Settings, expand Surface 2. Expand Surface style and click Standard 3. Click Contours 4. Expand Contour Intervals

23

5. On Major Interval type 0.5 m 6. Expand Contour Smoothing 7. On Display turn on the Major Contour to visible 8. Click Apply and then Click Ok

Here the contour map or topographic map is created. The lines can help you determine the elevation at a specific location on the surface, clarify and analyze the 3D surface terrain. The blue line is the boundary of the map. You can display or hide this line using the surface style menu. Note that: Your Topographic map should over lay over the base map and you should compare your result with the existing topographic map. This map will be provided to you.