What am I doing wrong? Carlson seems to be contouring across (ignoring) breaklines:
Here is the mess, followed with my settings:
If I recall (years ago) you have set up the exclusion area and then check that box that says is use or not use the inclusion/exclusion area(s).
Are your breaklines 3D polylines snapped to the nodes?
No problem w/ inclusion or exclusion areas?
Your breaklines must be 3d polylines, and they must be on when you select your entities to create your tin from. I had a similar problem when I first started using Carlson to create contours.
In my experince is this caused by crossing break lines. When Carlson software finds a crossing break line during the triangulation process, the software will ignore the entire break line. This is certainly a pita, but look a the prompt on left of screen and draw all crossings. Then address each one. I've used InRoads for 20 years and it handles the intersections by averaging the elevation and maintains each break line.
Lee Green
Brand new to Carlson and just went through this. "Elevation Text" and "2D Polylines" has to be toggled to use the elevation attribute of the points instead of the z axis elevation of the points, this only applies if you don't insert your points on the true z axis and don't use 3D polylines for beaklines.The other mistake I was making was windowing my inclusion area, points and breaklines all at once instead of selecting them in the order that was prompted at the command line.
Your contours should cross your breaklines at some point, given there's enough relief on the project area. Breaklines shouldn't cross one another, but become coterminous.
Curb and gutter is a headache at the 1' contour level, here. Setting up your point file to begin with is half the battle with an honest attempt at contours. Use your point group manager and make some valued decisions at which points become surface significant, or superfuous at the 1' contour level.
Correct - contours will cross breaklines, tin lines shouldn't.
If you have crossing breaklines, then Carlson will pick one, ignore the other, and call it out as an issue.
Make the breaklines 3D polylines and select them, and it should work.
I find Carlson contouring way easier to understand, deal with, and manipulate than I ever did LDD.
Ladd Nelson to the rescue (yet again)
Ladd Nelson, with Carlson Software Company, today (Sunday) got me exactly what I needed.
I do not yet know exactly what my computer is not doing right that he was able to make his do right (sure smells like operator error at my end). But I will be communicating with the excellent technical support staff properly this week to get to the bottom of my mistakes.
At any rate this is the first topo project that I am doing for a brand new client of mine that wants as part of my topo data deliverable a good existing TIN file.
Well, after a few iterations today (Sunday), Ladd Nelson got me exactly what I need.
I tell you, it sure is nice (major under-statement) to be working with such good people as Ladd Nelson, with Carlson Software Company.
Also, for those of you who also tried to help me by replying to this post, ... Beer Leg dot com R O C K S ! ! ! Every one of you made excellent points, that I am sure will help somebody someday with their issues in the future.
Here are the contours, behaving much better:
Ladd Nelson to the rescue (yet again)
So what did Ladd have you do?
I was thinking the problem was a 3d poly issue and not snapping to nodes.
Ladd has helped me out so many times and I owe him so much beer it's unbeleivable. we are way past the 12 pack level.
Between Ladd and all the folks at Carlson, they truly do support their product and their customers.
I will use nothing else.
Triangle length setting stood out to me. Normally we set ours to a maximum of 50, 75 or 100 feet depending on terrain and contour interval
PM
Ladd Nelson to the rescue (yet again)
> So what did Ladd have you do?
>
> I was thinking the problem was a 3d poly issue and not snapping to nodes.
>
> Ladd has helped me out so many times and I owe him so much beer it's unbelievable. we are way past the 12 pack level.
>
> Between Ladd and all the folks at Carlson, they truly do support their product and their customers.
>
> I will use nothing else.
Bob, I actually have done nothing at my end yet. Ladd reworked the TIN at least three times at his end, just to help get me out of a pinch. I will be working with tech support this week to see what my trouble is at my end. I will post those results here.
I am fairly certain that my F2F setup is drawing 3D polylines node to node where I want them to, and not where I don't want them to.
Please stay tuned.
Regarding Ladd, I am going to start another thread in a minute with the text from an e-mail that I just sent to his bosses.
Ladd is good, but... Lon Watson
Ladd is good, but... Lon Watson got me the rest of the way home at my end.
I needed to deselect these two options. Lon said that they are helpful if I am creating a TIN from existing contours, but since I am using carlson points and 3D polylines, they should NOT be checked.
Carry On.