Mastering AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2010

LABELING PARCEL SEGMENTS 233

Here’s an example of how you can compose this label:

1. Still in the Annotate tab, select Add Labels  Notes from the Labels and Tables.

2. In the Add Labels dialog, select Note from the drop-down menu in the Feature selection box,

and then select the Parcel Note label style.

3. Click Add, and pick an insertion point for the label. You’re prompted to pick the parcel you’d

like to reference.

You’ll find a second parcel area label to be a little more automatic when you place it (it already knows

what parcel to reference), but the General Note label is more flexible about location, easier to pin, and

easier to erase.

You can also use the Edit Parcel Properties dialog, as shown in an exercise earlier in the chapter, to

add a second label.

Labeling Parcel Segments

Although parcels are used for much more than just subdivision lots, most parcels you create will

probably be used for concept plans, record plats, and other legal subdivision plans. These plans,

such as the one shown in Figure 6.61, almost always require segment labels for bearing, distance,

direction, crow’s feet, and more.

Labeling Multiple Parcel Segments

The following exercise will teach you how to add labels to multiple parcel segments:

1. Open the Segment Labels.dwg file, which you can download from www.sybex.com/go/

masteringcivil3d2010. Note that this drawing contains many subdivision lot parcels.

2. Switch to the Annotate tab, and select Add Labels from the Labels & Tables panel on the

Annotate tab.

3. In the Add Labels dialog, select Parcel, Multiple Segment, Bearing over Distance, and Delta

over Length and Radius from the drop-down menus in the Feature, Label Type, Line Label

Style, and Curve Label Style selection boxes, respectively.

234 CHAPTER 6 DON’T FENCE ME IN: PARCELS

4. Click Add.

5. At the Select parcel to be labeled by clicking on area label: prompt, pick the area

label for parcel 1.

6. At the Label direction [CLockwise/COunterclockwise]<CLockwise>: prompt, press

5

to accept the default and again to exit the command.

7. Each parcel segment for parcel 1 should now be labeled. Continue picking parcels 2

through 15 in the same manner. Note that segments are never given a duplicate label, even

along shared lot lines.

8. Press

5

to exit the command.

Figure 6.61

A fully labeled site plan

The following exercise will teach you how to edit and delete parcel segment labels:

1. Continue working in the Segment Labels.dwg file.

2. Zoom in on the label along the frontage of parcel 8 (see Figure 6.62).

LABELING PARCEL SEGMENTS 235

Figure 6.62

The l abel along the

frontage of parcel 8

3. Select the label. You’ll know your label has been picked when you see a diamond-shaped

grip at the label midpoint (see Figure 6.63).

Figure 6.63

A diamond-shaped grip

appears when the label

has been picked

4. Once your label is picked, right-click over the label to bring up the shortcut menu.

5. Select Flip Label from the shortcut menu. The label flips so that the bearing component is

on top of the line and the distance component is underneath the line.

6. Select the label again, right-click, and select Reverse Label. The label reverses so that the

bearing now reads NW instead of NE.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for several other segment labels, and note their reactions.

8. Select any label. Once the label is picked, execute the AutoCAD Erase tool or press the

Delete key. Note that the label disappears.

Labeling Spanning Segments

Spanning labels are used where you need a label that spans the overall length of an outside seg-

ment, such as the example in Figure 6.64.

Spanning labels require that you use the appropriate vertices as discussed in detail in a previ-

ous section. Spanning labels have the following requirements:

◆ Spanning labels can only span across split-created vertices. Natural vertices will interrupt

a spanning length.

◆ Spanning label styles must be composed to span the outside segment (see Figure 6.65).

236 CHAPTER 6 DON’T FENCE ME IN: PARCELS

Figure 6.64

A spanning label

Spanning label

Figure 6.65

Set all components of a

spanning label to span

outside segments

◆ Spanning label styles must be composed to attach the desired spanning components

(such as length and direction arrow) on the outside segment (as shown previously in

Figure 6.64), with perhaps a small offset (see Figure 6.66).

Thinking Ahead: Crow’s Feet

The s mall arc placed at the endpoint of parcel segment is commonly referred to as a ‘‘crow’s foot.’’

Crow’s feet are traditionally used in lieu of s tandard extension and dimension lines because they take

up very little space.

At some point during construction, property boundary markers (such as iron pipes) must be placed

at each lot corner. In Civil 3D, this is typically represented by placing point objects at those locations.