Sharing Parcels in Civil 3D

In Civil 3D 2010 you can create Data Shortcuts to share Surfaces, Alignments, Profiles, Pipe Networks and View Frame Groups.  Conspicuously absent from this list is an option to create a Data Shortcut for Parcels. However, Parcels can be shared and labeled through External References. Just attach the base drawing that contains the parcels as an External Reference. Then label the parcel components in the new drawing as you normally would in the base drawing.

• Don’t label the parcel segments in the base drawing, or if you do be sure to put the labels on a layer that you can freeze, as these labels will display in the reference drawings and be in the way of new labels that you wish to create.
• Use parcel area labels in the base drawing. You will need to select the parcel area labels in the reference drawing if you want to use the Multiple Segment label command or if you want to apply a different parcel area label.
• Use a parcel area label style in the base drawing that is very small, like a period (.). This will give you something to select when labeling in the reference drawing, and since the label is small it will be covered up by any new area labels you create if you use the background mask in the label style.