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Hi, I’m Charles Ellison. I’m a Civil 3D designer and trainer at autocadcivil3dtraining.com. Today we’ll be answering the question, what are point styles in Civil 3D 2020. Point Styles give us visual control over points that are either imported from survey data or created during the design phase. We’ll look at how to work with our point default setting to automate the process of creating new fire hydrant locations and elevations.

Establishing existing conditions really starts by understanding how Civil 3D handles points.  Working with points within civil 3Drequires us to step back even further, and we have to go back to basic geometry. We have to understand what a point really is. One definition of a geometry point is that they’re zero dimensional. They don’t have volume, area, length, or really any other dimension analog. But therein lies the challenge. If they’re zero dimensional, how do you define, or how do you visually display the point? A lot of times we’re used to X marks the spot, but we realize that as soon as we mark the spot, we actually have made it more than zero dimensional.

So it’s a fun little challenge here. Now, we go back and really when we draw points with survey or existing conditions, or even with civil, they usually fall within two different categories. We’re identifying some geometry on a linear shape. Identifying a curb line, corner of a building, something that is drawing a linear shape, building a curb, center line, things like that. Then you also have points that identify objects. This point marks the location of a tree, a fire hydrant, a mailbox. So for the points that identify objects, the coordinate, or the point, really should resemble or symbolize the object that you’re marking, or that that point is identifying. Whereas the points that identify features, or linear shapes such as curb lines, buildings, they’re not as crucial for having an identifier that X marks the spot as being special.

So since we’re talking about how to display something visually in Civil 3D, we’re going to be look at styles in this video. Point style controls the look and feel of the coordinate, the marker, the X. Let’s go in and create points, and we’re going to open up a drawing to do so. So this is the first drawing we’re opening up together. From the start ribbon, choose from the quick access toolbar of Autodesk Civil 3D and choose open, and go to my exercise files, chapter three, and we’re going to open up the 03_01_PointStyles. When I do so, a drawing opens up, it’s got a line in there and we’re going to create some points in this drawing. To do so, we’re going to work from the home ribbon, create ground out of panel, I’m going to choose points, and you have all these different means to create points in this drawing. I’m going to choose the top option, point creation tools. It opens up a tool bar that floats wherever I need it to, and also has those same options and the tool bar drop downs.

Now we’re going to choose from the far left just to create points manually, but before we do so, notice that at the end, or the far right of this points tool bar, I have a little chevron, this down arrow. If I click on it, it provides me values for the command settings for create points. So we’re starting to see how the command settings come to floor again. A command setting such as what is the default layer for all the points I’m about to create? Or, default styles? But if I expand out point creation, I’m just going to grab the bottom right edge here and pull down, you’ll notice that you have some controls even when you’re creating a point. For example, in this drawing, I have it set that I won’t be prompted at the command line when I choose to create a point, I won’t be prompted for an elevation. It is going to enter the elevation automatically. What does that mean? That it’s always going to enter the default elevation of 100, so every point I create, it will not prompt, it will simply set the elevation of the point to 100. Same thing for description.

Now if any time I change prompt for elevations, or prompt for description to manual, then at the command line, every single time I create a point, it’s going to say enter an elevation, or enter a description. Because I have it set to automatic, you’ll also notice the default description is FH for fire hydrant. So I’ll have all of that set in the command setting, so when I create a new point, you’re going to have a point already with a number, is going to also have a description, FH, and it’s going to have an elevation of 100. So I’m going to collapse this chevron, come back over to the far left and choose to manually create a point.Now it’s prompting me and says specify a location. I’m going to use my object snaps, now you can use F3 if you have your default object snaps, or you can right click after holding the control key down. I’m going to choose end point and add a point here, and repeat the process to add a point at the end of the line. I’ll press enter to end the command, and again did you notice I don’t have to be prompted for description or elevation? It automatically added it.