Civil 3D 2019.2 Introduces New Profile Toolset Feature in Transparent Commands

When Autodesk released Civil 3D 2019.2 it introduced a new tab on the ribbon for Transparent Commands with larger icons and descriptive text to make them easily identifiable. For more information on the Transparent Command ribbon, please see Autodesk Civil 3D 2019.2 Transparent Commands.

The release of the new ribbon also divulged a new feature, Profile Toolset, to enhance the experience of working on profiles. When creating or editing profiles you can use features on the Profile Toolset contextual ribbon to specify station and elevation, and grade and length while viewing the profile and plan view in split viewports.

To launch the Profile Toolset, you must be in a profile command then select the Transparent Command tab and click on the Profile Toolset button.

This will open a new contextual ribbon and Workspace with viewports that are configured to display plan and profile view with a command prompt asking to specify a station for the begin location.
The station can be selected in plan or profile view and can also be entered in the station field on the ribbon. Next you will be asked to specify an elevation. After setting the location of the first point, the Profile Toolset can be used to assist with drawing the profile.

Available options:

1. Profile View allows you to select the profile view you want to use the transparent command with.
2. Station establishes the station to use and displays the station that was selected in the drawing.
3. Length allows you to set the length you need.
4. Elevation allows you to set an elevation or displays the elevation that was selected in the drawing.
5. Grade provides an entry for you set the grade.
6. Show Two Viewports switches between a single viewport and the configured viewports.
7. Edit Viewport Configuration provides a way to configure the viewports in the workspace.
8. Station Tracker provides a visual indication of what station the current viewports are displaying.

I have always found Transparent Commands very useful for many facets of working in Civil 3D however, they are often overlooked because they seem somewhat hidden. Now that they are readily available on the ribbon, I hope that more will find and take advantage of them. The Profile Toolset makes it easy to be accurate when laying out or editing profiles. I recommend taking a look at this tool and consider implementing it into your workflow.

About the Author

Civil Applications Expert<br><br>With extensive experience in both engineering and IT, Brian helps organizations make the most of their design technology. Whether it’s through a custom setup, training, implementation, or creation of organization-specific templates and styles, Brian helps both users and managers understand the best methods and processes to get the most from their chosen solutions.

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