Exercise 2: Creating Grading Criteria

In this exercise, you will create a grading criteria set for a ditch grading, then create three criteria in the set.

Each grading criteria provides a standard formula for creating a gradiented slope. Individual criteria values can be locked so that they cannot be changed for individual gradings.

This exercise continues from Exercise 1: Reviewing Grading Settings.

Create a criteria set

Note:

This exercise uses Grading-1.dwg with the modifications you made in the previous exercise.

1. In Toolspace, on the Settings tab, expand the Grading collection.
2. Expand the Grading Criteria Sets collection.

   The Grading Criteria Sets collection displays the existing grading sets for the drawing. You will create a new grading criteria set then create two new criteria within the new set.

3. Right-click Grading Criteria Sets. Click New.
4. In the Grading Criteria Set Properties dialog box, enter Ditch Criteria Set in the Name field, and optionally enter a description.
5. Click OK.

   The new criteria set is displayed in the Grading Criteria Sets collection.

Create a grading criteria

1. Right-click Ditch Criteria Set. Click New.
2. In the Grading Criteria dialog box, click the Information tab.
3. In the Name field, enter Distance @ -6%.

   This criteria creates a gradient to a distance of 10 feet at -6% gradient.

4. Click the Criteria tab and specify the following parameters:
   • Target: Distance
   • Distance: 10.000’
   • Projection: Gradient
   • Format: Gradient
   • Gradient: -6.000%
5. For the Gradient parameter, click to change it to . When you lock a gradient value in a grading criteria, you are not prompted to specify its value each time you use the criteria.
6. Click OK.

Create a second grading criteria

1. Create a second criteria by repeating the previous procedure. However, use the name Surface @ 4-1 Gradient and set the following values for the criteria:
   • Target: Surface
   • Projection: Cut/Fill Gradient
   • Search Order: Cut First

   Set the following values for both the Cut Gradient Projection and Fill Gradient Projection property groups:

   • Format: Gradient
   • Gradient: 4:1

   This criteria creates a gradient to an existing surface at a 4-to-1 gradient. In the next few steps, you will create another grading criteria by copying an existing one.

2. Click OK to close the Grading Criteria dialog box.

Copy a grading criteria

1. In the Grading Criteria Sets collection, expand the Basic Set. Right-click the Relative Level @ Gradient criteria. Click Copy.
2. In the Grading Criteria dialog box, change the name to Relative Level @ 3-1 Gradient. Specify the following parameters:
   • Target: Relative Level
   • Relative Level: -3.0’
   • Projection: Gradient
   • Format: Gradient
   • Gradient: 3:1

   This criteria creates a gradient to a relative level of –3 feet at a 3-to-1 gradient.

3. Click OK to close the Grading Criteria dialog box.
4. On the ToolspaceSettings tab, click and drag the new criteria (Relative Level @ 3-1 Slope) from the Basic Set to the Ditch Criteria Set.

   When you create a criteria by copying, the new criteria name must be unique within the drawing, regardless of criteria set.

To continue this tutorial, continue to Exercise 3: Creating Grading Styles.