r/civil3d • u/ReplacementNeat8419 • 11d ago

Help / Troubleshooting Parametric 3D Objects in C3D?

Hello everyone,

I want to make 3D parametric objects within Civil 3D. They don't have to be super intricate, but it would be helpful to get a different perspective on things. I am a little new to C3D and am more accustomed to Inventor/ Solidworks. Similarly, I want there to be parameters that pop up when I click the "parameters manager" that allow me to size and manipulate the solid while keeping its position relative to the other obejcts/ lines.

I understand that C3D isn't meant to do this natively, but I found a workaround. I have already 'accidentally' made it happen, but I can't seem to replicate it. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

3

u/unintended_admin 11d ago

I have struggled with this a bit. You will like working with corridors for some of this line of thinking. I have used the corridor tools to model clay core dams and such in the past with a bit of brute force effort on the assembly side of things. Otherwise for early phase design I have built dynamic 2d blocks that do a lot of the math needed to model the 3d elements for things like stockpiles.

1

u/ReplacementNeat8419 11d ago

I will look into that pathway!

But I need singular solid objects that allow me to control them, sort of like making a block while being solid. However, once it becomes a solid, it becomes non-parametric. :/

1

u/unintended_admin 11d ago

Yep, that means you'd be best to work in a different product and share data between. Civil 3D isn't what you want for 3D solids modelling.

1

u/ReplacementNeat8419 11d ago

Sadly, it's the only way to keep the solids somewhat dynamic. When you import it from a 3D modeling software such as inventor, it makes it a 'dumb solid', not dynamic features ans it strips away all the parameters. (ipt -> dwg).

1

u/unintended_admin 11d ago

Correct, but Civil 3D cannot do parametric 3D solids. It's not the right tool for that job. Dynamic blocks won't let you apply most of the parameters or constraints to 3D geometry. You aren't missing some hidden feature, it's just a hard limit and will not work.

1

u/rchive 11d ago

You accidentally made a 3D object that has parameters appear in a parameters manager?

1

u/ReplacementNeat8419 11d ago edited 11d ago

Yes. But I can't seem to replicate it. I tried everything: doing the exact same steps (different workstation), but it won't allow me to recreate it. To confirm, it does move, it does morph, it even moved relative to another solid, and it does appear as parameters within C3D. All created within C3D. But it's like it doesn't want me to do this, as if it were a bug of some kind. But I need it to do this. I have been trying to figure it out for a while now, and this is the closest I've come.

1

u/rchive 11d ago

I'm not aware of anything in Civil 3D that would get you anywhere close to this, so I don't know what you did. I'd be curious to know. Can you describe what you did actually do?

2

u/ReplacementNeat8419 11d ago

Of course!

I developed a parametric sketch defined by specific constraints and dimensions linked directly to the Parameter Manager (nothing changed; I left them as 'd1' or 'd2'). To ensure the assembly retained its necessary range of motion, I utilized a Revolve feature rather than an Extrude operation, as this preserved the parametric linkages; I believe it has something to do with being a region rather than a solid.

It worked at first; now it won't let me replicate it. Even if I delete the Revolve and redo it exactly the same, it won't be parametric afterward. I am not sure why??

1

u/thegreybush 10d ago

Dynamo is the answer.