I am new to many of the 3D tools, but am looking to make profile graphs. I have a GPS point file with northing, easting, elevation, and description code. The points were collected along the length of a road in transects and the description code tells where each point was taken (edge of pavement, center line, etc). I would like to make profile graphs from the GPS points, which I know can be done with 3D Analyst. The problem is that I would like to classify the points in the profile graph by their description code. For example, I would like to be able to make a profile graph that shows the center line profile, the edge of pavement profile, etc. Is there a way to link attribute data to a profile graph so I can classify by description code? Alternatively, is there a way to automatically calculate distances between points in a line, so I can export the data into Excel and manually create my profile graphs? Thanks!
Kimberly, it sounds like your problem is actually a linear referencing problem. If you have (or can digitize) a centerline polyline for your road, you can readily use the out-of-the-box ArcMap linear referencing tools to tackle your problem.
Good luck!
T.