New vs Existing Contours

[willofmaine]

In using a DTM to create a site plan, is it possible to differentiate between new contours and existing contours that are to remain (such as with different line weights)? It seems the DTM lumps both new contours and unchanged contours together as "Proposed"... Thanks!

[Kevin]

I have a similar question. I have a survey and am creating new elevations. I need the text of the existing to be a pattern so that it will reproduce lighter on a black and white printer.

How can text be given a pattern?

[Robert Anderson]

Use the "graphic properties" button in the Site Model dialog to enter settings to differentiate new vs. existing contours.

[willofmaine]

Kevin: under the Text menu there is a command "TrueType to Polyline" which you can use to convert your text to polylines, which can then have fill patterns. Of course they are no longer editable text...

Robert: There appear to be two choices in the Graphic Properties dialogue box for contour LineStyles: Existing and Proposed. "Proposed" seems to include both contours that have been changed by site modifiers, as well as existing contours that are not changed by site modifiers. "Existing" seems to only include those existing contours that have been abandoned and replaced with new contours due to site modifiers. How does one differentiate between existing, unmodified contours and brand new contours? It seems there should be three representations: existing contours to remain; new contours; and existing contours to be abandoned.

Thanks, Will

[CipesDesign]

Will, In the "graphic properties" settings of the site model, take a look at the first four LINE TYPES. You can set them to any graphic attribute you want. I usually use a dashed line for the 'existing' topog and a solid line for 'proposed'. HTH's

[CipesDesign]

And IMO it's OK to show 'unchanged' topog as the areas where the dashed & solid lines intersect (along the same elev..)

[willofmaine]

The first four Line Types include "Proposed" and "Existing," Major and Minor. I wish there was a third pair for "Existing to be Abandoned." Our site plans typically include existing contours to remain as thin lines; existing contours to be abandoned as thin dashed lines; and new contours as thick lines. This makes it easy to see what is new. But I guess VectorWorks will not allow a distinction between new contours, and existing contours that are to remain as is.

[CipesDesign]

If you want to take the time, you could trace over the contours to remain in the annotations of the VP (or in the design layer, to which you might assign a distinct class, for visibility options...)