Datasheet

24 CHAPTER 1 GETTING DIRTY: THE BASICS OF CIVIL 3D
After working through all the options for the default label placement, you need to set the
options that come into play when a label is dragged. Switch to the Dragged State tab. When a label
is dragged in Civil 3D, it typically creates a leader, and text rearranges. The settings that control
these two actions are on this tab. Unique options are explained here:
Arrow Head Style and Size control the tip of the leader. Note that Arrow Head Size also con-
trols the tail size leading to the text object.
Type controls the leader type. Options are Straight Leader and Spline Leader. At the time of
this writing, the AutoCAD multiple leader object can’t be used.
Display controls whether components rearrange their placement to a stacked set of compo-
nents (Stacked Text) or maintain their arrangement as originally composed (As Composed).
Most users expect this to be set to As Composed for the most predictable behavior.
Every label has a Summary tab, and clicking the Expand All button circled in Figure 1.22 will
present you with a full array of details about the label. Working down the Summary tab, you
can review all of the options that have been selected for an individual label, as well as look for
overrides, just like you did on the Settings tab. Click OK to exit the dialog; your new style will
appear on the Settings tab.
Figure 1.22
Summary tab with
the Expand All button
circled
The purpose of this exercise wasn’t to build a Surface Spot Elevation label style; it was to
familiarize you with the common elements of creating a label: the Label Style Composer and
the Text Component Editor. However, you can try out the new label to check your work!
Object Styles
Beyond the styles used to label objects, Civil 3D also depends on styles to control the display of
the native objects, including points, surface, alignments, and so on. Just as in label styles, certain