Title:
Elevate Label Clarity with the "Reference Text" Feature in Civil 3D Labels
Applies to:
Civil 3D
Issue:
Civil 3D users often need to label multiple pieces of design data—like elevations, stationing, offsets, pipe inverts, or distances—within a single label. Many users create separate labels or explode dynamic labels into dumb text to show additional info, leading to:
- Redundant labels cluttering the drawing
- Manual edits when design data changes
- Loss of dynamic link to model data (risking outdated annotations)
This slows down sheet production and increases the chance of missing design updates.
Solution:
Use Civil 3D's Reference Text capability inside label styles to pull information from nearby objects (like alignments, profiles, surfaces, pipe networks, or structures) into a single dynamic label.
Here’s how to set it up:
- Go to the Label Style Composer (for example, in a Spot Elevation, Structure, or Alignment label style).
- Under the Layout tab, click Contents, then click the "..." button.
- In the Text Component Editor, click "Reference Text" in the list of properties.
- Choose the Civil 3D object type to reference (e.g., an alignment or a surface).
- Add properties like station, offset, elevation, or name into your label.
Now, when you use that label style, Civil 3D will prompt you to select the host object (e.g., a structure or feature line) and the reference object. The label will automatically pull in and update the referenced values.
Example Use Cases:
- Label a structure and automatically include the centerline station and offset from a nearby alignment.
- Label a feature line and display surface elevation differences from a design surface.
- Label a pipe and show start and end elevations, lengths, and slopes all in one multiline label—without exploding anything.
Results:
- Labels stay dynamically linked to the model—update the design, and the label updates automatically.
- Reduces clutter by combining multiple annotations into a single smart label.
- Saves time during sheet production and revision cycles by eliminating manual edits.
