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Flow Labels

Overview

Flow Labels inform the designer of the relationship between any two Design Markers and are useful to ensure that grades are within the minimum and maximum limits. Flow Labels can display three different types of values: grade, slope, or elevation difference. These values are dynamically updated whenever the elevation of either Marker changes

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Requirements

 

Design Markers

Flow Labels reference Markers directly and monitor their elevations and linear or curved distance from each other.

 

  • Two or more Markers are required to create a linear Flow Label

  • Three Markers are required to create a Flow Label that measures a curved horizontal distance

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Requirements
Specifications

Specifications

 

Composition & Structure

"Flow Label" is a generic name used to identify an assembly consisting of two completely independent AutoCAD BLOCKs that are used together and reference other BLOCKs (Design Markers) in the drawing.

 

Each Flow Label assembly consists of text and a arrow indicating the magnitude and direction of water drainage:

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Text

  • An AutoCAD ATTRIBUTE displaying a preformatted measurement of vertical relief

  • Internally stores information about the Design Marker references and text formatting

Arrow

  • AutoCAD BLOCK object containing a LINE and a SOLID

  • Internally stores information about the Design Marker references

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Updating

Flow Labels arrows and values are updated when:

  • Design Markers change location

  • Design Markers change elevation

  • ASE "Selective Auditing..." is performed

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Design Impact

Flow Labels are for information purposes only. They have no effect whatsoever on the vertical design process or the design data created. Flow Labels may be regarded as nothing more than a label to show a value which has been determined by other means.

 

Flow Label functions are strictly limited to measurement of the vertical separation between selected Design Markers, expressed in a desired measurement format (e.g., grade slope, difference)

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Life-Span & Deletion

Flow Labels are automatically deleted from the drawing when:

  • The AutoCAD ERASE command is manually invoked

  • One or more of the Design Markers referenced by a Flow Label are deleted

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Copying

Flow Labels lose their Design Marker reference information when manually copied. The newly-created objects will not respond to Design Marker changes. The original Flow Label elements will maintain their integrity after being copied.

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The only way a Flow Label can be duplicated outside ASE commands are via the AutoCAD SAVEAS command, which will create an exact duplicate of the current drawing file with a new name.

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Moving

Flow Labels can be moved to any location in the drawing using any available AutoCAD method for moving objects. There are no limitations placed on where a Flow Label or part of a Flow Label may be moved to.

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WBLOCKs

Flow Labels created from the WBLOCK command or using COPY/PASTE will not update. Even if the original Design Markers and Flow Labels are CUT from the current drawing, then PASTED elsewhere, once they are PASTED (even in the same drawing) their functionality is lost.

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As a general rule, the only valid, fully-functional Flow Labels that CAN exist in a drawing are those created using the ASE menu or ribbon commands provided for creating Flow Labels.

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Preferences

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Flow Labels Dialog

Adjust the appearance and behavior of all existing and/or new Flow Labels using the dialog shown below:

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Properties / New Flow Labels

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Text Height

Enter the desired text size for Flow Labels in drawing units.

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Layer Visibility

Selection determines the layer on which new Flow Labels are placed assigned.

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Precision

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Elevations, Grades, Slopes

Select the number of decimal places to display in the label from the drop-down.

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Calculation Method

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Select the method to be used for calculating percent grade values from the radio buttons.

 

Precise

The displayed percent grade is based on the high-precision elevation records stored in the Design Markers referenced and distances measured between the Markers.

 

Rounded

The displayed percent grade is based on "0.01" precision displayed in the Design Marker elevations and the distances measured between the Markers.

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Productivity

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Auto-label with Links/Connections

Provides an option to create Flow Labels Automatically when creating Constraints or Connections. Enable the option by checking the box.

 

Linear Connection Format

When Flow Labels are created with Connections, there is no constraining value between the Design Markers. So the designer/engineer must specify what default measurement format should be applied to new Flow Labels created with ASE Connections.

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Preferences
Add Flow Labels

Add Flow Labels

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Through a Linear Path

Create a new Flow Label between two Design Markers:

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  1. Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  2. Ensure at least two Design Markers are present in the drawing

  3. (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl]  → Flow Labels → Grade [3]

  4. When prompted, select the first Design Marker to measure FROM

  5. When prompted, select the second Design Marker to measure TO

  6. Type "L" or press <ENTER> to designate a LINEAR path between the selected Markers

 

ASE places a new Flow Label between the selected Design Markers

  • The arrow points downstream towards the lower Marker elevation [1]

  • The label displays the measured percent-grade value between the selected Markers

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Through a Curved Path [2]

Create a new Flow Label through a curved path between two Design Markers:

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  1. Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  2. Ensure at least THREE Design Markers are present in the drawing

  3. (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl]  → Flow Labels → <format> [3]

  4. When prompted, select the first Design Marker to measure FROM

  5. When prompted, select the second Design Marker to measure TO

  6. When prompted, type "C" to designate a CURVED path between the selected Markers

  7. When prompted, select any Marker which lies on the ARC between the 1st & 2nd Marker selections

 

ASE places a Flow Label between the selected Design Markers tangent to the midpoint of the ARC between them

  • The arrow points downstream towards the lower Marker elevation [1]

  • The label displays the measured percent-grade value between the selected Markers, through the ARC

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​​Notes

[1] When both Markers are the same elevation, the arrow points toward the 2nd Marker selected

[2] The 'Slope' format Flow Label does not support curved paths

[3] Substitute the desired format as-needed (grade, slope, elevation difference)

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