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This process outlines the tasks to get started into a new OpenRoads Designer project.
To work with Survey Data in OpenRoads Designer you will need to use Field Books. Field Books are the container used to process raw and coordinate data from the field into a design model. You can use one or more Field Books for your project to organization and better manage the data collected in the field. In the Field Book you can process control points and perform adjustments on the survey data. When the Field Book is processed into the design file, Feature Definitions and coding transform the survey data into point and linear features. Field Books can automatically create a dynamic terrain model using terrain model attributes defined on the survey data. If edits are performed on the point and linear features, the terrain model will update.
The Federated model approach is recommended for the survey design file along with a 3D seed file. The survey data and terrain model can reside in the same design file and be referenced into other project design files as needed. Like all new design files, make sure to assign a coordinate system to make it easier to merge and reference data across the Federated project.
To work with Survey Data in OpenRoads Designer you’ll want to use the Survey workflow. In additional to that, the Explorer, Survey Details, and Properties will be commonly used tools. These tools, combined with the HUD for the point and linear features will represent the core of the survey environment.
When you near the final stages of your survey work, you can annotate and report the points for review and/or preparing the final survey deliverables. If you are working with an outside consultant or team member who does not have OpenRoads Designer, you can export the terrain model into a format that they can work with.
In OpenRoads Designer there are many ways that you can create existing terrain models. Depending on the source data that you are working with, and the type of terrain you are creating, these Tasks will provide guidance, and at the very least quick steps to serve as a refresher.
Terrain Models can be created in a new design file or in the Survey Data file. To leverage the point and linear features that were imported from a Field Book you will want to create the existing terrain model in the survey data file. Otherwise, you will want to create new design file for each new existing terrain model.
In OpenRoads Designer alignment and profile geometry are required for corridor modeling. The Alignment geometry is the parent feature for the profile and must be created first. Following the federated model approach, each primary design alignment can be created in its own design file. The Primary Alignments, in this case, are defined as those alignments that will be used to define a corridor.
To create the alignments you will use Civil Geometry (rule based features) to construct intelligent Complex Geometry. There are many tools in OpenRoads Designer that can be leveraged to create the line and curve features that are used in the Complex Geometry. The traditional approach that many use to layout the design alignment is to locate the PIs, then add in the curves. To locate the PIs you can leverage SNAPS or Civil Accudraw tools for more precise design.
The alignment edit tools in OpenRoads Designer are convenient and easy to use. After the alignment has been created, the edit tools available in the HUD and Table Editor are ideal for “tweaking” the alignment geometry, whether it be adjusting a tangent length and direction, or changing the curve data. When the layout of the alignment is complete you can add stationing and annotate the alignment.
The profile represents to vertical dimension of the alignment and is done in the profile view. The profile layout tools in OpenRoads Designer are very similar to the alignment tools. Profiles are created from line and curve features and rolled up into Complex Geometry, the same as the alignment. The edit tools will make fine tuning the profile quick and easy. Using the HUD and Table Editor you can change the tangent length and grade or the curve data.
The Corridor Modeling toolset is a group of highly interactive commands to create new design surfaces that represent a new roadway or other type of surface. Tools for creation, modification, management, and report functions are supported.
Corridor Modeling tools aggregates a variety of civil data. The geometry is created with the Horizontal and Vertical Geometry tools, while the existing ground is defined by a MicroStation mesh or Civil Terrain Model. Plan view elements, such as edges of pavement, shoulders, curbs, etc. can be 2D or 3D. Superelevation information is defined within a design file using standards or imported data. Templates are utilized from one or more template libraries.
Reference files can be used extensively with Corridor Modeling. On a simple project, the data may be all in one file; larger projects may have geometry in one file, plan view graphics in a second, terrain in another, superelevation in a fourth and the actual model in a fifth. All files can reference the others, to present a complete picture of the project.
When working with Corridor Modeling, you can draw in 2D or 3D. When using 2D (such as for plan-view graphics), a 3D view is automatically created and maintained. For example, when a vertical geometry element is initially defined for a horizontal geometry element, the Default-3D model is created, if there isn’t one already. The 3D baseline (combination of horizontal and vertical element) is drawn into the 3D model. As template drops are added, and progressed, they are added to the 3D model automatically.
When starting to create a corridor, basic information can be used. A single template can be used, along with preliminary geometry and a high level terrain model. As the design progresses, more detail can be added. Instead of a single template drop, perhaps more templates better define the roadway. Transitions can be added to smoothly move from one template to another. There may be multiple roadways all interconnected using the target aliasing tools. All the while, as changes are made, the corridor model is updating, so you see up-to-the minute results. Simple projects may not require all the tools, and a basic corridor model may be sufficient. But all the tools are available to handle basic to complex, small-scale to large-scale projects.
The pad grading workflow can be used to manually grade site features in the Open Designer products. It requires the use of Civil Features to leverage rule-based design and element relationships to keep the grading model dynamic and fluid. Depending on the complexity of your site design, various strategies can be considered to arrive at the desired grading solution. The approach taken in this workflow is to build from the “inside-out”.
The concept behind the “inside-out” strategy is to grade all of the interior control features first. If there is a primary controlling feature, like a building pad or a perimeter match grade that you need to tie into, your grading should build off of that. For a basic building pad, this may mean setting the elevation for the finish pad elevation. If the building pad rests on another graded pad, like a parking lot, the secondary pad can be graded relative to the primary pad. Grading civil features in this fashion will harness true power of the Open Designer products through the use of rule-based design.
After grading all of the interior features, a proposed terrain model will be created. The proposed terrain model can be used to analyze and view the grading solution for all of the interior features. While defined within a terrain, you can observe the contours to assess grading and drainage. If you learn that changes are needed you can make refinements to the civil features while the terrain is more manageable and efficient to work with.
When satisfied with the interior grading, you can move your focus to the exterior. To grade the exterior you will likely require the use of a Linear Template. Linear Templates can be applied to Civil Features in create additional geometry, like curb and gutter and sidewalks. They can also be use for daylight grading, where you need to solve the slope intercept on terrain. The linear features created from templates can be added into the proposed terrain to further enhance the grading model.
Leveraging Linear Templates, and some of the “clean-up” tools in the Open Designer platform, you can produce an accurate and detailed grading model for your design. Upon validating your model, you can analyze the earthwork volumes to ensure a cost-effective solution. If your learn that your design is too costly, you can take advantage of the feature relationships and rules to interactively adjust the grading.
Once your proposed model is complete, you can merge all of your design models into the existing ground to create a final, composite surface.
NOTE: If you are looking for a quick and easy solution to optimize grading, explore the OpenSite Designer workflows.
The pond grading workflow can be used to manually grade site features in the Open Designer products. It requires the use of Civil Features to leverage rule-based design and element relationships to keep the grading model dynamic and fluid. Depending on the complexity of your site design, various strategies can be considered to arrive at the desired grading solution. The approach taken in this workflow is to use the water surface elevation as the primary grading feature for both interior and exterior pond grading.
The concept behind this strategy is to prepare a design that is totally dynamic, and controlled by a single Civil Feature. If the water surface elevation needs to be changed, you can make a single edit to the Civil Feature and the entire grading design will update. If a dimension on the pond needs to be changed, like the basin depth and daylight slopes, it can be handled in the linear template that is used.
To validate the cost-effectiveness of the grading solution you can analyze pond volumes. You can first determine the earthwork that is required or needs to be hauled off the site. To determine the pond’s elevation, you can compare the pond grading to an elevation. If refinements are needed, you can control the edits through the water elevation feature and/or linear template.
NOTES: The following diagram illustrates a pond cross section. Using a Linear Template, the basin and berm grading can be created in reference to the normal pond elevation. General_Pond_Grading_001
This Process outlines common tasks and steps that you can reference for placing and editing Civil Cells in OpenRoads Designer. Civil Cells are complex and intelligent elements that leverage rules and relationships to create common geometry features like intersections, drive entrances, curb ramps, culdesacs, etc… Civil Cell geometry binds to reference elements when placed into a design model, and update if the reference element changes. These associations produce a dynamic and fluid grading model that remains up-to-date as your designs evolve. OpenRoads Designer ships with many Civil Cells that you can use. Once Civil Cells are placed into your designs, you can interactively edit the Civil Cell geometry using the Heads-up display, Feature Grips, and Element Properties. After finalizing your Civil Cell design you can calculate and report the material quantities from the Surface and Linear Templates nested within the Civil Cell. REFERENCES: For more information and instruction on the OpenRoads Designer Civil Cells see: Civil Cells Connect
OpenRoads Designer includes a workflow and tools for laying out and designing Subsurface Utilities (SU) for storm water, sewer, and other utilities. Defining these utilities in your project design files allow you to analyze and design the systems, but also perform conflict checking across all utilities. Subsurface Utilities can be added into design files for existing systems or for new systems that you are designing.
In the Subsurface Utilities workflow you will find the basic tools in the ribbon like Layout, Analysis, Components, Utilities View, and Reports.
In OpenRoads Designer you can create cross sections at specified intervals along an alignment or path and tile them onto sheets for plans production. This process, in and of itself, is very simple and straight forward, however, having a general understanding of what is happening “behind the scenes” to create the cross section drawing and sheet models will better prepare you for creating your plan production deliverables.
Cross Sections are created as individual drawing models within design files and are referenced into sheet models for final plans production. The cross section drawing models are created from named boundaries that slice through the 3D models in your active design file. These named boundaries represent real-time, up-to-date, section views sampled from your 3D design, so anytime a change is made to a corridor model, it will be reflected in the cross sections. When you are creating cross section drawings and sheets, you can add these into a common project design file with other design features, however, it is strongly recommended to follow the federated approach and put the cross sections into a separate design file. To define the data sources that you want displayed in the cross sections you’ll need to reference the 3D models from your other design files. This includes the design files hosting terrains, corridors, alignments, right of ways, and subsurface utilities.
To create the drawing and sheet models there is considerable setup involved. Ideally, this setup has already been done for you by a CAD manager or by the agency that you are preparing the deliverables for. The specific cross section settings that are used come from various sources including sheet seed files, DGNLIB files, cell libraries, and text favorites. The Sheet Seed files are defined in your systems configuration and are used to create the drawing model for each cross section, and the sheet models. The DGNLIB files define the page setups and annotation groups that are used to display and label the cross sections. These DGNLIB files, along with the Text Favorites are found under the Sheet Seeds and Feature Definitions. The cell library used to label individual cross section data points is also nested in the system configuration and leverages the text favorites from the DGNLIB. These are the core standards and settings that are used to create and detail cross section drawing and sheet models. If you have these settings and standards setup and configured for your OpenRoads Designer WorkSpace, or can leverage the “out of the box” Imperial standards you can make the process of creating cross section drawing and sheet models quick and easy.
Plans production for roadway design projects require deliverables that include plan and profile sheets. The Drawing Production tools in OpenRoads Designer makes producing these deliverables quick and easy using the “out of the box” WorkSpace configurations, or custom configurations uniquely setup by your organization.
Process Overview The process and tools for creating plan and profile sheets is quite easy and involves only a few critical steps. Using the Drawing Production tools in OpenRoads Designer, you will create “Plan” Named Boundaries for the alignment or path that you want to create your sheets. The plan named boundaries are created from settings defined in your systems configuration and define the plan “cut outs” for the plan and profile sheets. After the plan named boundaries are created, you’ll create another set of named boundaries for the profiles. The profile named boundaries are also created from settings defined in your systems configuration. The profile named boundaries are linked to the plan named boundaries, creating an association between the two. After the profile named boundaries have been created, the drawing and sheet models are created. A drawing model is created for each plan and profile named boundary, then aligned and referenced onto sheet models. After the drawing and sheet models are created, you can label the drawing models and use your project’s Sheet Index to organize, view, and batch plot your sheets.
Requirements and/or Recommendations Plan and Profile sheets can be created in any design file, but you might consider using the federated approach and create all of your plan and profile sheets in a new 2D design file. You can even go as far as to create unique design files for each drawing model and/or sheet model that is created. To use the drawing production tools to create plan and profile sheets you’ll need to select a path or alignment from your current design file. The alignment should have an associated design profile for the profile labeling. If you are creating plan and profile sheets in a separate design file, you’ll want to reference other project design files, like the design geometry, terrains , subsurface utilities, and right of way.
Setup and Standards The drawing production tools used with Plan and Profile sheets are heavily integrated into your system’s OpenRoads configuration. To make the process for creating sheets quick and easy, and to get a final product that conforms to specific standards, there is considerable setup work required. Ideally, your system has already been configured to leverage these standards, otherwise you can explore the “out of the box” configuration that ships with the software.
The core standards that you’ll need to have in place to create your plan and profile sheets include the appropriate Sheet Seed Files, DGNLIB files, Cell Libraries, and Text Favorites. These standards can be found under your system, WorkSpace, and WorkSet configurations. The Sheet Seed files are used to create the drawing models for the named boundaries and the sheet models. Additional sheet seeds are used to define the sheet size, detail scale, and annotation that is used to create the plan and profile sheets. These sheet seeds are created as DGNLIB files and contain integral configurations for alternative sheet setups, along with the annotation groups and text favorites that are used to annotate the plan and profile drawing models. The cell libraries are also nested into your OpenRoads configuration and include many of the intelligent cells that are used to individually label points and elements in the drawing models.
You will not need to know how to create or modify these standards for the fundamentals course, but you will at least know that these standards have been configured in your system and impact the options and/or choices that you have when creating your plan and profile sheets.
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