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Profile Elevation Line (NWL / BFE / weir)

Draws a horizontal elevation line across picked profile views: the pond NWL, a BFE, a weir crest, at a typed elevation, extended a chosen distance past each side of the view. NWLs stay visible in profiles without sampling water surfaces into the surface list.

Command VDCPROFLINE VDCNWL · VDC Utilities tab › Profiles panel
Draws a horizontal elevation line across picked profile views: the pond NWL, a BFE, a weir crest, at a typed elevation, extended a chosen distance past each side of the view. NWLs stay visible in profiles without sampling water surfaces into the surface list.
One dashed line per picked view at the set elevation, extended past both grid edges. Elevation changes mid-run. EG / pond section NWL = 334.50 extend left (set per side) extend right

What it does

  • Dialog first: elevation, per-side extensions (default 25 ft), layer (default C-WATR-NWL, auto-created cyan), linetype (default DASHED, auto-loaded from acad.lin), optional label (NWL = {ELEV}).
  • Then pick views: click inside each profile view; the line lands at the elevation spanning the view's full station range plus the extensions. Any vertical exaggeration is handled per view.
  • Elevation keyword: the pick prompt changes the elevation between ponds via a small input dialog, no reopening settings.

Worth knowing

  • An elevation outside a view's grid range is skipped and reported.
  • Lines are plain 2-vertex polylines, grip-edit or erase like any linework; they do NOT follow later regrades.
  • Label height is plotted inches converted by the current annotation scale (non-annotative, suite convention).
  • Settings: %APPDATA%\VDC\ProfileLine\settings.json (env VDC_PROFILELINE_SETTINGS).

Dialog

Profile Elevation Line (NWL / BFE / weir) dialog
Profile Elevation Line (NWL / BFE / weir), VDCPROFLINE

When to use it

  • Showing a pond's normal water level on its outfall/road profiles without a water surface.
  • Any fixed elevation worth a line across a profile view - BFE, weir crest, HGL checkpoints.

How to run it

  1. Run VDCPROFLINE (or VDCNWL) - set the elevation, per-side extensions, layer/linetype, and label in the dialog.
  2. Click inside each profile view that gets the line.
  3. Use the pick prompt's Elevation option to change the elevation between ponds - no need to reopen the dialog.
  4. Press Enter/ESC to finish; the summary counts lines drawn and views skipped.

Options

  • Extension: how far past the LEFT and RIGHT edges of the view's grid the line runs (set each side).
  • Elevation keyword: changes the elevation mid-run and saves it as the next default.
  • Label: optional text at the line's left end, ABOVE or BELOW the line (dropdown); {ELEV} becomes the elevation at your precision.

Watch out for

  • An elevation outside a view's grid range is skipped and reported - stretch the view's elevation range first if the line must show.
  • Lines are plain polylines - they do NOT move if the profile view or the pond design changes; re-draw after a change.
  • The label height is plotted inches converted by the CURRENT annotation scale - set the working scale before running.

Related: Surface Profiles (Batch Sample) · Pipe Views · Profile Pipes