A Zen Friend and book buyer asked for Mark's advice on finding a better way to complete this task:
Hi Mark!
I have a question . . . maybe not as much a question as looking for a procedure to create a clearing footprint with knowing the alignment and clearing offsets only. I had been asked to provide a .SHP file from my CAD file for a clearing contract. I completed the task however, I know you guys will come up with a less labour intensive procedure. I know the task will come up again . . . it always does!
I have a horizontal align, clearing is 2.5 m wide each side of CL. In cut areas, extra width (typically -15, 15 and 5m width) clearing is at 25m intervals. The clearing at this point is for soil investigation only.
I displayed the align and copy parallel 2.5m each side, removed user data on copied lines. I created a dummy surface so I could display planimetric lines at 25 m interval in plan view. Then offset the planimetric lines 2.5 each side for 5m width (See first picture below). The area between the off shoots will not be touched.
Then I had a MOUNTAIN of manual editing of a bazillion little lines to create the clearing footprint shape (See second picture below). The job is 27 kilometers long. I know there must be a better way!!
Any advice is very much appreciated!
Kindest Regards
Cindy
Here is the Zen Dude's response:
Hi Cindy!
Here's how I would approach this:
1) Like you did, view the horizontal alignment and copy parallel the offset distance.
2) Then draw a line on either end to close them off
3) Then create a shape for that center piece
4) Now to create those 25m interval (5m x 15m) off-shoots, I used a little InRoads magic.
The Create Cross Section command has some strong display tools for Crossing and Projected Features (on the cross sections) but you can also have it display some planimetric information.
a. On the General Leaf:
i. Set the cross section Interval to your 25m
ii. Set the Left Offset and Right Offset to your 15m
b. On the Include Leaf:
i. Toggle on Projected Features
ii. Define the Ahead Band and Back Band to 2.5m
c. The plan linework is defined and toggled on as the Feature Band on the Plan Display leaf under Controls. You also need to Planarize those plan display graphics to keep them at a consistent elevation with all of the other shapes (like the main corridor path).
d. Lastly, on the Critical Sections leaf, toggle all of those off unless these off-shoots also occur at other special locations.
5) Apply the Create Cross Sections and place them somewhere out of the way. You don't care about them, and only want the plan graphics.
6) Now there are shapes that define all of the off-shoot areas requiring clearing.
7) The final step is to create the overall shape. This is done using the Create Region tool in MicroStation, set to Union.
8) Select all of the shapes that have just been created. At this stage you can delete the centerline and just leave the shapes for easier selection. The apply the Create Region command, watching the prompts.
9) At this point, there should be a shape that surrounds all of the smaller pieces.
I'm not sure if a shape created this way will work for your .SHP deliverable, but I think it should. Let me know if this works for you.
Enjoy!!!
Civilly yours,
- zen
Great Instructor. Thoroughly explained everything and so clearly. Used good examples when explaining concepts. Enjoyed it, learned a lot. 
