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Label Pads

Finds every pad feature line that VDCGRADELOTS stamped and labels it with the lot name, the pad elevation, and an optional minimum-FF line: no picking. v1.34+: the label is a native surface spot-elevation label on the graded surface (default style Pad ), so the elevation is LIVE, it updates by itself after every regrade.

Command VDCPADLABEL · VDC Lots tab › Labels panel
Finds every pad feature line that VDCGRADELOTS stamped and labels it with the lot name, the pad elevation, and an optional minimum-FF line: no picking. v1.34+: the label is a native surface spot-elevation label on the graded surface (default style Pad), so the elevation is LIVE, it updates by itself after every regrade.
Walk model space for VDC_AUTOGRADELOTS stamps (role Pad) → read lot name + live elevation → label. LOT 16 Pad FL · C-TOPO-FEAT-PADS first PI → live EL anchor = avg of 4 corners LOT 16 PAD 24.65 MIN FF 25.15 Surface spot elev label (style Pad) + XData · layer 0-NPLT = LIVE off surface = pad + offset Match by lot name, then anchor ≤ 5 ft.
Lot boundary / label box   Pad FL C-TOPO-FEAT-PADS   Corner-average anchor   Live pad elevation   Min FF line

What it does

  • No picking: walks model space for VDC_AUTOGRADELOTS ext-dict Xrecord stamps with role Pad (optionally one layer, default C-TOPO-FEAT-PADS).
  • Reads the stamp: lot name + four lot-corner XYs; the label anchors at their average.
  • LIVE elevation: the label is a surface spot-elevation label on the graded surface, regrade and the plotted number changes by itself, no refresh pass.
  • Lot + min-FF lines: static per-label text overrides (FF only changes on regrade, when Run/reFresh re-stamps it).
  • Matching: by lot name first, anchor proximity (5 ft default) as fallback; user-dragged labels keep position.
  • Sticky: labels the user deleted stay deleted on reFresh (like VDCPIPELABEL).

Modes & output

  • Run: settings dialog (graded surface + style Pad dropdowns), then match-or-insert, existing labels update, old MText labels convert to native, new pads get labels, orphans (pad FL gone) are removed.
  • reFresh (F): update-only, no dialog / inserts / deletes, refreshes lot/FF override text and follows moved pads. The elevation needs no refresh.
  • Clear: removes every VDC pad label (native + legacy MText).
  • Content: LOT 16 (toggle, override) / PAD 24.65 (from the label style, LIVE) / MIN FF 25.15 (pad + offset; 0 = line off).
  • XData VDC_PADLABEL on 0-NPLT (auto-created); appearance from the label style + annotation scale. Settings: VDC_PADLABEL_SETTINGS.

Dialog

Label Pads dialog
Label Pads, VDCPADLABEL
Settings file: %APPDATA%\VDC\PadLabel\settings.json

When to use it

  • After Auto-Grade Lots, to annotate pads for the grading plan.
  • After re-grading, ONLY if lot names or the min-FF offset changed (the elevation is live).

How to run it

  1. Grade the lots with VDCGRADELOTS first.
  2. Run VDCPADLABEL - the dialog opens with the mode dropdown (Run / Refresh / Clear) and every option.
  3. Pick the graded surface and the spot-elevation label style (defaults: the drawing's only surface, style "Pad").
  4. That is it - Run and reFresh process every graded pad in the drawing; there is no window step.

Options

  • Run: place/convert pad labels across the whole drawing (old MText pad labels become native labels).
  • Refresh: update the static lot / min-FF lines and follow moved pads, across the whole drawing.
  • Clear: remove pad labels - like Run and Refresh it works drawing-wide, cleaning up everything the tool ever placed.

Watch out for

  • Pad Label reads Auto-Grade Lots stamps - label only lots that have been graded.
  • The elevation reads the SURFACE at the pad center - keep the pads baked into the graded surface.
  • Every graded pad in the drawing is processed in one pass - nothing is left behind for sitting outside a window.

Related: Auto-Grade Lots · Refresh All · Label Feature Lines