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Label Feature Lines

Batch-labels every feature-line segment on a chosen layer with its slope and optionally point elevations: at the first and last point, at every PI , at every PI plus every elevation point , or at the elevation points only , per the dialog's points-to-label radio group, as native Civil 3D labels (v1.34+): slopes are segment labels whose style (default Grade ) computes the grade LIVE , elevations are surface spot-elevation labels (default style Spot ) reading the graded surface LIVE . Values follow every regrade with no refresh pass.

Command VDCFLLABEL · VDC Lots tab › Labels panel
Batch-labels every feature-line segment on a chosen layer with its slope and optionally point elevations: at the first and last point, at every PI, at every PI plus every elevation point, or at the elevation points only, per the dialog's points-to-label radio group, as native Civil 3D labels (v1.34+): slopes are segment labels whose style (default Grade) computes the grade LIVE, elevations are surface spot-elevation labels (default style Spot) reading the graded surface LIVE. Values follow every regrade with no refresh pass.
One LIVE slope label per segment + optional LIVE surface spot elevations at first/last PI. 125.50 131.10 1.55% 0.62% 2.10% curve seg: curve label style, true arc length style computes grade LIVE Segments < MinSegmentLength (2.0) skipped • size/precision/rotation come from the label style + annotation scale
Feature line + PIs   Slope label (per segment, LIVE)   Spot elevation label (LIVE)   Curve seg (curve style)   First / last PI

What it does

  • Collects feature lines on the chosen source layer (or all feature-line layers), host model space only.
  • Per segment: one native segment label; the style (dropdowns, defaults Grade / Grade for line / curve) computes the grade LIVE, regrades and geometry edits flow into the plotted number by themselves.
  • Point elevations: surface spot-elevation labels (style dropdown, default Spot) on a chosen surface (blank = the drawing's only surface), also LIVE. Scope radios: first & last point only, every PI, every PI + every elevation point, elevation points only, elevation points being the Z-only grade breaks a PI-only pass would miss, or only where the grade changes: the ends plus every vertex whose grade in and out differ by more than the tolerance (default 0.10 %), for sheets that show spots instead of slope labels; same-grade vertices are counted in the summary. Coincident points are deduped.
  • Appearance (size, precision, sign, rotation, dragging) is the label style's business, no text-height math, no CANNOSCALE re-runs.
  • XData tag VDC_FLLABEL (kind, source layer, anchor XY) scopes wipes and identifies our labels.
  • Curves: arc segments get the curve label style and measure the true arc length. Label curve radii adds one live label per curve segment in a curve style whose contents show the radius (blank = the first style named Radius, else the curve grade style); kind R so the scoped wipe clears them too.

Modes & settings

  • Run (default): dialog, then relabel, wipe scoped to the source layer, so pads then swales stack additively; <All> = full reset. Old MText labels (pre-v1.34) are wiped/converted by the same rule.
  • Refresh: values are live, so Refresh only relocates elevation anchors when an endpoint moved (RefreshMatchTolerance 5.0) and updates any legacy MText labels in place.
  • Pick: click feature lines one at a time; ESC to finish.
  • Label layer 0-NPLT (non-plotting, auto-created); MinSegmentLength 2.0 skips shorts.
  • Toggles: LabelSlopes, LabelEndElevations; style + surface picks persisted to JSON.
  • Unknown style names fall back to the drawing's default styles (noted on the command line).

Dialog

Label Feature Lines dialog
Label Feature Lines, VDCFLLABEL
Settings file: %APPDATA%\VDC\LabelFeatureLines\curbradii.json  |  %APPDATA%\VDC\LabelFeatureLines\settings.json  |  %APPDATA%\VDC\LabelFeatureLines\tcbc.json

When to use it

  • Annotating grading feature lines with slopes and spot elevations.
  • Values never go stale - re-run only to cover new/moved feature lines.

How to run it

  1. Run VDCFLLABEL - the dialog opens with the mode dropdown (Run / Refresh / Pick) and every option.
  2. Run and Refresh process every feature line on the chosen layer across the whole drawing - no window step; Pick still labels only what you select.
  3. Choose the source layer of the feature lines to label.
  4. Pick the line/curve label style (default "Grade") and, for elevations, the surface + "Spot" style. Tick "Label curve radii" for one live radius label per curve segment (style blank = the first curve style named Radius).
  5. Pick the points to label: first & last point only, every PI, every PI plus every elevation point, elevation points only (the Z-only grade breaks), or only where the grade changes - ends plus every vertex whose grade in and out differ by more than the tolerance (default 0.10%), for sheets that show spots instead of slope labels.

Options

  • Run: label the feature lines on the chosen layer across the whole drawing (old MText labels are wiped/converted).
  • Refresh: relocate elevation anchors after geometry moves and update legacy MText labels, across the whole drawing.
  • Pick: label only the feature lines you select - no window prompt, your picks are the bound.

Watch out for

  • Elevation labels read the SURFACE - the feature lines must be baked into it (Auto-Grade Lots does this).
  • Set the correct source layer or nothing is labeled.
  • Every-vertex scope on long feature lines places a lot of labels - keep it for pads and short grading lines, or plan to declutter.
  • Run and Refresh cover every feature line on the layer in one pass; use Pick when you want to label only a selected subset.

Related: Auto-Grade Lots · Pad Label · Refresh All