In order to use any of the "Typical Sections", you must first Setup Project Manager:
This typical section will search for MicroStation elements previously drawn in a 2D Plan file that represent the horizontal alignment of existing features. This 2D plan file is usually obtained from the Survey branch and usually has a file extension of .plm or has "plm" within the file name, i.e.... wf1581plm1.dgn.
Once finished searching the 2D plan file, the corresponding text for each existing feature will be drawn in the cross section file at the exact same offsets as found in the 2D plan file. In some cases, lines will also be drawn representing existing thicknesses, (such as topsoil or pavement). These lines can be used later to calculate end areas and volumes representing "in place" removals.
The complete list of "Existing Features" currently available are shown below:
Setup the Proposed Cross Section Run:
Open your Cross Section DGN file that contains your existing ground elements. Invoke Project Manager, as explained under Setup Project Manager. Put a check mark in the white box for Working Alignment Influence Runs as shown below:
Click on the Proposed Cross Sections button as shown below:
The Select Run dialog appears. Create a "Run" by using the pulldowns Run > New.
NOTE: The "Run" will serve the same purpose as the old Proposed Cross Section Input File. Multiple "Runs" can be created the same as multiple proposed cross section input file could be created in the past.
The New Run Name dialog appears. Key in the name of the run. An optional Description can also be filled in. Click on OK as shown below:
The Select Run dialog appears. Highlight the Run and click on OK as shown below:
The Proposed Cross Sections dialog appears. Notice that the name of the Run (in this case Run_1) also appears at the top of the dialog as shown below:
Click on XS DGN File and browse to the cross section DGN file. Adjust the Tolerance setting as described below:
NOTE: The "Tolerance" setting is very important. For Metric projects, set this to 0.003. For US Customary projects, set the tolerance to 0.01.
Click on Pattern and put a check in the white box for Use Working Alignment. Since your pattern lines have been previously defined in your working alignment "one", there is no need to identify them again.
Click on Existing Ground and put a check in the white box for Use Working Alignment. Since your Existing Ground has been previously defined in your working alignment "one", there is no need to identify it again.
Click on Shapes. This Typical Section does not require superelevation shapes, set the option toggle to Shapeless.
NOTE: If this is accidentally set to something other than Shapeless, the criteria will still draw the "<---Existing Edge of Pavement" label, but will not draw the layers illustrating pavement or topsoil removal.
Click on Shape Clusters. Initially the dialog appears as shown below, basically blank with many of the option buttons ghosted out:
Click on the drop down arrow and select the Chain as shown below.
Click on the drop down arrow and select the Profile as shown below.
Click on the Add button as shown below:
When the Add button is pressed the shape cluster information gets added to the collection window. Highlight the information in the collection window. The Typical button becomes unghosted. Click on the Typical button as shown below:
The Typical Sections dialog appears as shown below. Select the desired Typical Section. Note the Description button located on the right side of the dialog. When pressed, this invokes an on-line help file that provides detailed information on how the typical works including detailed drawings.
NOTE: For an explanation of both methods for accessing Help for Typical sections, click here.
For this example we are using Existing Features, so select EXFEAT.
You may apply this Typical Section to the Whole Chain or a Station Range. When Apply to Station Range is selected, be sure to include the region numbers, as shown below (r 1).
Do not check the white "On" Chain box. Chances are you will never use this option.
When all options are selected and complete, click on Apply at the bottom of the dialog.
Each Typical Section is associated with different combinations of criteria files. When Apply is pressed, the user is basically instructing the software what criteria files to use (and where) and populates the Proposed Cross Sections dialog as shown below:
Click on Define DGN Variables. You can ignore this portion of the Proposed Cross Sections dialog as it only applies to the Automated Cross Section Labeling Typical.
When using the .x21 criteria files, this dialog is now blank, since there is nothing to populate these fields, with this Typical.
Click on Define Variables. This portion of the dialog is where you specify "Global" variables such as the name of your mapping file where all the existing features are drawn (existing fence, existing edge of pavement.......). You must also specify the names of all other DGN files where the software is supposed to look for plan view elements, such as proposed widening lines, or proposed guardrail.
To change/modify a default value:
Click on Redefinable Variables. This portion of the dialog is where the user can set project specific values for their design.
In the example below, the Existing Pavement Thickness variable (_d_ExistPavtThick) needed to be modified. The Variable was highlighted and the Edit button was pressed. When Edit was pressed the Redefinable Variables Editor dialog was invoked. The default value was changed to 0.3. The Save button would now be pressed to save the value.
Click on Plot Parameters. Uncheck all Plot options as shown below:
Drainage is not used in Western Federal Lands.
Execute the Proposed Cross Section Run:
When all modifications are completed, save the Run settings using the pulldown File > Save Settings as shown below:
To execute the Proposed Cross Section Run, use the pulldown File > Run as shown below:
The dialog below will appear.
Set the dialog to To Screen or to create a .log file by selecting To Log File. Check Pause On Each Section or the newly added option that speeds up the processing by not actually showing you each of the cross sections as they process, Disable View Update, and press Apply.
If Pause On Each Section was checked, and after the first cross section is plotted and inspected, you may uncheck the Pause on Each Section toggle and press Apply again to complete the run.
