An InRoads user asked for Mark's thoughts on this question :

Hi Mark,

I'm getting to work in InRoads again after a lull, and I have a question that I'm not sure has been explained. When I do "Geometry-Horizontal Curve Set-Move PI" or "Add PI" in my case I want to snap to an exact point using graphic elements on my screen. 

When I use the command, it appears that I don't have the option to snap to any elements, and I have to "eyeball" it, which is not ideal at best. Is there a setting I don't know about or a step I'm missing? My MicroStation snap lock is on, but I'm not sure if that helps InRoads. 

Any info would be appreciated, we've lost people at work and there's no one I can ask anymore.

Thanks,

-Scott 

Here is the Zen Dude's response:

Hi Scott!

Regarding your question, you're right, I don't think I've mentioned this in my tech tips, but I usually bring it up in my training classes. Here's the deal.

When you use the Add PI or any of the geometry layout tools, the MicroStation AccuSnap is disabled. That probably came about for a number of reasons with one of them driven by the nature of InRoads versus MicroStation. The intent was for InRoads to primarily lock onto its own mathematically engineered data, not the MicroStation graphics. Also, there has always been the MicroStation Tentative button for the graphical snapping; the MicroStationAccuDraw is really a newer snapping development when you consider the overall age of the software.

And just FYI if you're unsure, the Tentative button can be assigned to the mouse in different ways under MicroStation > Workspace > Button Assignments > Remap Buttons.

So when you select a geometry layout tool like Add PI it automatically snaps itself to either one end of the Active Horizontal Alignment or the other without any snapping required. That's because this command knows exactly what it's supposed to do when it first starts - automatically lock itself onto either end of an alignment and Add another point to it, essentially extending its length further. There is a lot of intelligence pre-programmed into that tool.

Now the second activity of that tool is to place the actual 'added' point. That can always be done with a 'manual' Tentative Snap on any graphic.

But . . . and here is the answer to your question . . . if you hold the CTRL and SHIFTkeyboard keys down as you are hovering over graphics, the MicroStation AccuSnap will be reactivated.

A few other things to add to this that are relevant are the influences of the InRoads and MicroStation lock settings.

On the InRoads side of the house, the Snap Lock has three settings: Element Snap, Point Snap and No Snap. I'm not sure if you have my Zen Guide to the InRoads Locks book, but these are fully explained in there.

The Snap Lock has to be set to allow InRoads to use the MicroStation snapping. The first two positions on the Snap lock are Element Snap and Point Snap, and those force the InRoads tools to only lock onto InRoads data, ignoring MicroStation graphics.

For instance, when you use the Point Snap, InRoads snaps to InRoads data, totally ignoring your MicroStation Tentative or AccuSnap. This picture here shows a MicroStation level snap onto a graphic but the PI will be placed on an InRoads COGO Point or Alignment Point that it found nearby.

The InRoads No Snap position allows the MicroStation snaps to control the PI location. The InRoads Snap Lock has to be set in this position in order to use either the MicroStationTentative or AccuSnap mechanisms. No Snap means no InRoads snapping. The No Snapposition means 'allow MicroStation snaps'.

Taking this one step further (because I'm uncontrollably compelled to ; )

The held-down CTRL SHIFT mechanism to activate the MicroStation AccuSnap is also driven by the MicroStation Snap Mode that it's set to. And there are a bunch of those, likeKey Point Snap, Center Snap, Mid Point Snap and so on.

So to summarize:

1. You have to set the InRoads Snap Lock to the correct position
2. No Snap on the InRoads Locks means MicroStation Snaps are functional
3.  Point and Element snaps on the InRoads Locks is intend to snap to 'InRoads' data
4. With the InRoads Snap lock set to No Snap, holding down the CTRL and SHIFTkeyboard keys activates the MicroStationAccuSnap
5. The MicroStation Tentative Snap is an older method of snapping that is always active when running InRoads
6. Always have your InRoadsLock toolbar open as well as your MicroStationSnap Mode button bar so you can easily and quickly change those settings as needed
7. The InRoads and MicroStation snaps can be changed mid-stream any command over and over based on what you are laying out

Let me know if you have any questions.

Knock it out of the park!

Civilly yours,  

-zen