Drawing Feature Lines

To draw straight segments of feature lines

1. Click Home tabCreate Design panelFeature Line drop-downCreate Feature Line.At the Command prompt, enter DrawFeatureLine.
2. In the Create Feature Lines dialog box, specify a site, an optional name, and an optional style for the feature line. Select a layer and note that the option to use a selected entity layer is disabled. Click OK.
3. Select the start point for the line. You can use Osnaps or transparent commands to snap to existing geometry.
4. Specify the elevation for the start point by doing one of the following:
   • Enter an elevation at the command line.
   • Enter Surface (S) and select a surface from which to obtain the elevation.
     Note

     If there are no surfaces in the drawing, the Surface option is not available. If there is only one surface in the drawing, that surface is selected automatically.

   The following prompt is displayed:

   Specify the next point or [Arc]:

5. Select the next point.

   The following prompt is displayed:

   Specify grade or [SLope/Elevation/Difference/SUrface/Transition] <0.000>:

   Note

   See To draw curve segments of feature line for information about the Arc option.

6. If you wish to specify each elevation point as you create points, skip down to Step nine. To continue drawing points without establishing the elevation until the end:
   • Enter the Transition command.
   • Create a new point. When Transition is selected, as each subsequent point is created the elevation prompt will default to Transition.

     Transition or [SLope/Elevation/Difference/SUrface] <Transition>

7. Press Enter to continue drawing another point(s) without specifying the elevation.
8. After creating points, select and enter the desired keyword to specify the elevation, grade, slope, or elevation difference. If you end the command while still in the Transition prompt, you will be prompted to specify an ending elevation.
9. Do one of the following to establish the elevation of the second point:
   • Enter a grade. The grade is applied to the segment between the first and second points.
   • Enter Slope (SL) and enter a slope. The slope is applied to the segment between the first and second points.
   • Enter Elevation (E) and enter an elevation. The elevation is applied to the second point and the grade of the segment between the points is calculated.
   • Enter Difference (D) and enter an elevational difference between the first and second points.
   • Enter Surface (SU) and specify a surface from which to obtain the elevation of the second point.
10. Specify the next point on the feature line by doing one of the following:
    • Select the next point in the drawing.
    • Enter Length (L) and enter a length. When you use this option, the direction of the segment is assumed to be the same as the end of the previous segment.
11. Specify the elevation of the point using the options described in Step 6.

To draw curve segments of feature lines

1. Complete Steps 1-4 in Drawing Feature Lines to draw straight segments.
2. When you are prompted to select the next feature line point, enter Arc (A). The following prompt is displayed:

   Specify arc end point or [Radius/Secondpnt/Line/Undo]:

   Note

   If you have not drawn any feature line segments, you are first prompted to establish the arc direction. For more information, see To establish arc direction.

3. Do one of the following:
   • Select the end point for the arc.
   • Enter Radius (R) and specify a radius.

     After entering the radius, the following prompt is displayed:

     Specify arc end point or [Length]:

     Select the end point or enter Length. If you use the Length option, specify a length and then a direction for the arc.

     Note

     Because this option specifies a radius and the arc is tangent to the previous segment, the actual end point of the arc may not be at the selected end point.

   • Enter Secondpnt (S) and specify the second point for the arc.

     After selecting the second point, the following prompt is displayed:

     Specify arc end point or [Length]:

     Select the end point or enter Length. If you use the Length option, specify a length and then a direction for the arc.

     Note

     The Length option creates an arc that is tangent to the previous segment and passes though the second point. The arc may stop short of the second point if the length is shorter than the arc length to the point.

4. Specify the elevation of the end point.
5. Continue to select arc points or enter Line to draw straight segments or Close to close the feature line.

To establish arc direction

1. If you use the Arc option of the Draw Feature Line command prior to drawing any segments, it defaults to drawing a three-point arc. The following prompt is displayed:

   Specify arc second point or [Direction]:

2. Do one of the following:
   • Click a location in the drawing to establish the direction of the arc.
   • Enter an angle at the command line. Use the DD.MMSS ( degrees, minutes, seconds ) format.
   • Enter Bearing (B). Temporary graphics are displayed on screen and the following prompt is displayed:

     Specify quadrant (1-4) or [aZimuth/Angle]:

     Use your mouse to click one of the four bearing quadrants as indicated by the temporary graphics, or enter the quadrant number at the command line.

     After defining the quadrant, the following prompt is displayed:

     Specify bearing or [aZimuth/Angle]:

     Use your mouse to specify the bearing or enter it at the command line. Use the DD.MMSS format.

   • Enter Azimuth (Z). Temporary graphics are displayed on screen and the following prompt is displayed:

     Specify azimuth or [Bearing/Angle]:

     Use your mouse to specify the azimuth or enter it at the command line. Use the DD.MMSS format.

3. After you have established the arc direction, the following prompt is displayed:

   Specify arc end point or [Radius/Secondpnt/Line]:

   See To draw curve segments of feature line for more information.