Create Utility Site Improvements
Before you can create utility networks, you need to create the utility line/pipe, node, and/or cable object types from which the networks are constructed. Since utility objects (site improvements) are manufactured off site, you do not need to create materials from which to build the site improvements.
There are three utility types; pressure, gravity and cable. Specifying the type allows the program to limit the available site improvements that you can select from when creating a network using other commands later. There are three types of utility line objects (based on cross-sectional shape): circular, rectangular, and user-defined. The circular and rectangular are parametric: once you specify the size and thickness, those parameters are used to draw the shape of the utility line. The user-defined shape enables you to draw virtually any cross-sectional shape and use it as a utility line.
Prerequisites:
- None, although for user-defined pipes, you may want to draw the shapes in another program, import, and assign them to your User-defined utility line objects.
To access the command:
To create pipe and cable site improvements:
- Right-click Site Improvements under the Project Library in the explorer pane, and select New Utility Category.
- Name the category as appropriate (e.g., Node - Fittings, Node - Headwalls, Pipe - Round, etc.) and press [Enter].
- Right-click the new category you created, and select New...Object.
- In the New Utility Object dialog, name the object, select a type, and click OK:
- Fitting
- Headwall
- Junction box
- Manhole
- Circular utility line (pipe)
- Rectangular utility line
- User-defined utility line
- In the right pane, specify the properties for the type of site improvement you are creating. Click a link below to see options for any type:
- Close the manager when you are done creating the objects you need. Then you can build utility networks from the pipe and node site improvements you created using the other utility commands.
