Plan Production & Sheet Generation

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Sheet Production in Civil 3D: The Final Mile

After weeks of design work, it's time to create deliverable sheets. Civil 3D's sheet production workflow uses layouts (or Sheet Set Manager) to create individual sheets that xref MODEL.dwg and display specific views. This session covers the mechanics of creating professional construction document sheets.

Sheet Production Methods:

• Layouts: Individual sheet files, each with layout tabs referencing MODEL.dwg
• Sheet Set Manager: Organized collection of sheets with automated sheet numbering and plotting
• Hybrid: Individual files managed by Sheet Set Manager (recommended for most projects)

Creating Sheet Files with Layouts

Step 1: Create Sheet Drawing

1. Create new drawing from template (should include standard title block)
2. Save as: C-101.dwg in 05_Sheets/Plan_Sheets/
3. Sheet number matches named view from MODEL.dwg

Step 2: Configure Layout

1. Click on Layout1 tab (or create new layout)
2. Right-click layout tab > Page Setup Manager
3. Configure:
   • Plotter: DWG to PDF or physical plotter
   • Paper Size: ARCH D (24x36), ARCH E (36x48), etc.
   • Plot Scale: 1:1 (layout is actual paper size)
   • Plot Style Table: Monochrome.ctb or color-dependent

Step 3: Insert Title Block

• If not in template, insert title block as a block
• Place at 0,0 in layout space
• Fill in title block attributes: project name, sheet number, date, engineer, etc.

Step 4: Create Viewport

1. Type MVIEW or go to Layout tab > Viewports > Rectangular
2. Draw rectangle defining viewport area (within title block border)
3. Viewport created—shows model space content

Step 5: Xref MODEL.dwg into Viewport

1. Double-click inside viewport to activate it
2. Type XREF
3. Attach MODEL.dwg with relative path
4. MODEL content displays in viewport

Step 6: Set Viewport to Named View

1. With viewport active, type VIEW
2. Select named view from MODEL.dwg (e.g., "C-101")
3. Restore view—viewport shows exact area intended for this sheet
4. Double-click outside viewport to deactivate

Step 7: Set Viewport Scale

• Select viewport border (click on edge)
• Properties palette: Set Standard Scale (e.g., 1"=50')
• Viewport displays MODEL content at correct sheet scale

Step 8: Lock Viewport

• Select viewport border
• Properties palette: Set Display Locked = Yes
• Prevents accidental pan/zoom in viewport

Sheet Set Manager Workflow

For projects with many sheets, Sheet Set Manager provides organization and automation:

Creating a Sheet Set:

1. Type SHEETSET or press Ctrl+4
2. Click New Sheet Set
3. Choose method: "Example Sheet Set" or "Existing Drawings"
4. Configure sheet set properties: project name, number, client
5. Organize sheets into subsets: "Cover", "Site Plans", "Profiles", "Details"

Adding Sheets to Set:

• Right-click subset > New Sheet
• Or Import Layouts from existing drawings
• Sheet Set Manager lists all sheets organized by subset

Sheet Set Benefits:

• Automated Numbering: Sheets numbered sequentially within subsets
• Batch Plotting: Publish entire sheet set to PDF with one command
• Sheet List Tables: Auto-generated index of sheets
• View Management: Jump to any sheet quickly

Batch Plotting and PDF Generation

Publishing from Sheet Set:

1. In Sheet Set Manager, right-click sheet set name
2. Publish > Publish to PDF
3. All sheets plot to individual or multi-page PDF
4. Save to 06_Submittals/[Milestone]/

Publishing Individual Layouts:

1. Type PUBLISH
2. Add layouts from multiple drawings
3. Configure output settings
4. Publish to PDF or plotter

Best Practices for Sheet Production

File Organization:

• Store sheet files in 05_Sheets/ organized by type
• Name sheets by sheet number: C-101.dwg, C-102.dwg
• One sheet per file OR one file with multiple layout tabs (team preference)
• Archive old sheet versions before major revisions

Viewport Management:

• Always lock viewports after setting scale and view
• Use layer overrides in viewports if specific layers need different display per sheet
• Test print/PDF before finalizing—verify scale, readability

Quality Control:

• Check all title block fields filled correctly
• Verify sheet numbers are sequential and match sheet list
• Confirm scales are correct and consistent
• Ensure all xrefs loaded before plotting
• Review PDFs for completeness and clarity

Case Study: 60-Sheet Set Generated in One Day

A highway widening project required 60 construction sheets. Using Sheet Set Manager, named views from MODEL.dwg, and batch plotting, the team generated the entire set in one day vs. traditional 3-4 days.

Quick Reference: Sheet Creation Checklist

Cheat Sheet: Sheet Production Commands

Video Script: "From MODEL to Sheets in Minutes"

A 7-minute demonstration of sheet creation workflow.