Zen Illuminations Issues

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Zen Illuminations is a periodic issue offered to our readers on our mailing list, to give them extra helpful tips and pointers not found anywhere else.

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Issue 59 - Nov 07, 2007

1) The Profile and Cross Section “graphs” displayed by the Create Profile and Create Cross Section command do not honor the Pen/Pencil setting. Only the data inside the “graphs” will respond to the Pen/Pencil setting. (pg. 388) 2) A freshly placed set of cross sections can be moved in MicroStation if the graphic group lock is toggled on and the set is moved as a whole. Otherwise a Fence can be placed around the entire set to also move it. However, this is usually a somewhat lengthy process since cross sections can consist of so many elements. Sometimes its easier to just delete them and recreate them. (pg. 591)

Issue 58 - Oct 30, 2007

1) When a Cross Section Set is chosen from this or any set list, a box is placed around that set in the CAD view. The active CAD symbology determines the color, weight and line code of the box. It’s not placed in the CAD drawing, but is temporarily shown to give you a visual cue as to which set of cross section is selected. (pg. 124) 2) If a Cross Section Set doesn’t show up in the Update Cross Section command, End-Area Volume command or other similar cross section based command, a little persistence is required. Just get in and out of the command and it should eventually show up. (pg. 124) 3)InRoads ‘Display Off’ and ‘Display On’ should not be confused with turning on and off a level or layer in CAD. To all of the Update tools, Display Off means delete from the CAD view and Display On means draw that item in CAD. (pg. 235)

Issue 57 - Aug 30, 2007

1) Both Profiles and Cross Sections have Set Names. A Set Name is an identifier that InRoads places on a particular group of profiles or cross sections so that it can tell it apart from other profiles and cross sections that may be displayed in the same drawing. (pg. 118) 2) When the Zoom Factor for the Cross Section Viewer is set to 1, a single cross section is fit to the width of the CAD view. Setting it higher than 1 makes the section smaller than the view (zooms out), and a value less than 1 zooms into the cross section. (pg. 121) 3)There are two types of information that can be placed on the Cross Sections when the Create Cross Section command is run. The first is the ground line that tracks along the triangulation of the surface. The second is information that stems from the display of a Feature in a surface model. (pg. 122)

Issue 56 - Mar 27, 2007

1) Affixes can be applied automatically when building templates. If this option were on then any template points placed on the right side of the ‘center’ would have either a Prefix or Suffix automatically added. Generally when constructing ‘generic’ components the Prefix and Suffix is either cleared or toggled off. When building a Template with components it is advantageous to set some sort of right and left affixes to help differentiate between the sides and assist in the development of unique template point names. (pg. 434) 2) In the new template creator, the ‘origin’ of the template can be reset during template construction. One of the functions of the Set Dynamic Origin button, at the bottom of the Dynamic Settings dialog box, is to redefine the origin from which the ‘Steps’ and point layouts are computed. (pg. 475)

Issue 55 - Feb 15, 2007

1) In past versions of InRoads the cut and fill slopes had multiple techniques for construction, namely using the Template slopes, Cut / Fill Tables, Material Tables and Decision Tables. InRoads v8.07 – v8.09 has incorporated most of these methods into the new component called an ‘End Condition’. (pg. 414) 2) Generally speaking, consider a Component to be a grouping of Points that have a ‘collective’ Name and Style. And as far as InRoads is concerned the word Template can refer to either a single Component or a collection of Components attached together to form a larger section. (pg. 490)

Issue 54 - Dec 27, 2006

1) Cross Sections must be displayed in the CAD file before End-Area Volumes can be computed. (pg. 36) 2)Once cross sections are displayed to the CAD drawing, additional cross sections cannot be added to that particular cross section set. Surfaces and DTM data can be added and removed from the set using the Update Cross Section command, but extra cross sections cannot be incorporated into it. (pg. 36) 3) In order to edit a surface feature in cross section, that feature must be displayed in the cross section. (pg. 38)

Issue 53 - Oct 26, 2006

1) The Roadway Modeler will not run along an alignment that contains a discontinuity and jump in stationing. In this situation, the Roadway Modeler will feedback an error message that it cannot process at a station that falls within the discontinuity. The modeler needs to track along all of the alignment stations when it is running the roadway. If it fails to find a particular station along its modeling interval that it is expecting to find, the roadway run will completely fail and nothing will be stored in the DTM. If the stationing is continuous across the gap ending at a certain station and then picking back up on that station on the other side of the discontinuity, then the Roadway Modeler will run and the features and subsequent triangulation will jump across the gap. This is not really a recommended situation to model unless you are very proficient with surfaces. (pg. 569)

Issue 52 - Sep 20, 2006

1) Sometimes you may get a message stating that “many errors occurred during processing” and the Error Log notes something like “Hinge Point … not on surface”. If this was very unexpected, the first thing to suspect is that the incorrect Original Surface was selected when the roadway modeler was run. This happens when another surface was set to active and the modeler attempted to find intercepts for the cut and fill but the slopes were beyond the DTM. Sometimes the modeler is run, and then when it’s complete, a minor change is immediately made by the user and then it is re-run without resetting the original surface. This can bring about this error message. (pg. 569) 2) The Roadway Modeler will not update the TC Lines in the plan view if empty surface is toggled on even if these TC Lines are displayed in Pencil. (pg. 570)

Issue 51 - Aug 05, 2006

1)Sometimes while attempting to run the Roadway Modeler an error message like “Horizontal or vertical control alignment ‘(null)’ not found.” pops up. This message will appear when trying to run the Roadway Modeler when the Roadway Definition contains independent control that cannot be processed. Check to see that any alignments used in any independent control do in fact exist in the active Geometry Project. (pg. 569) 2) Before modeling the roadway the Interval that Cross Sections will be created should be considered so that the catch points will be properly developed at the sections displayed in the Cross Section Set. This is to ensure that the section precisely shows what was modeled and is not an interpolation of data between calculated stations. (pg. 597)

Issue 50 - Jul 06, 2006

1)If you are going to model a roadway that requires a special typical section to be applied at a driveway, then you will need to add a Roadway Entry in the Roadway Definition at those locations in order to have InRoads model there. Also, if you plan to cut cross sections at these locations, you will either have to set up Custom Cross Sections or add Event Points at those unique places. Event Points can be set up at these spots to assist with modeling, creating cross sections and stationing. (pg. 565) 2) When running the Roadway Modeler, the low and high spots on a vertical curve are not automatically modeled. If this is needed then an Event Point should be placed at these locations and then Critical Sections should have Event Points toggled on. (pg. 565)

Issue 49 - May 31, 2006

1)When constructing the Template Layers, consideration needs to be given to the secondary Layer intercepts and the control used on the Advanced tab of the Roadway Modeler. InRoads can project the last segment out in an attempt to meet either the Previous Layer or the First Layer. This will work for the last segment in either the Cut or Fill Zone or the Backbone Zone. However, two different results will occur depending on where the “last” Segment is placed. If the segment is in the Backbone then two features will result, one for the last TC Point on the secondary Layer, along with a feature for the actual extension and intercept. If the last Segment is in the Cut or Fill Zone then only the intercept TC will be added as a feature in the DTM. (pg. 561)

Issue 48 - May 08, 2006

1) Secondary Layers have the ability to apply an “intercept” or not. This allows for various methods of constructing the secondary Layer, and is dependent on the users plans for running the Roadway Modeler as well as the Express Modeler. One solid rule is that the Express Modeler only models what is precisely defined in the Backbone of the secondary Layer and will not apply any intercepts or cut/fill conditions. The Roadway Modeler uses a toggle setting on the Advanced tab to control how the secondary Layers will respond and construct at the extremities. Be aware of the differences because if the “intercept” piece is in the Backbone Zone versus the Cut/Fill Zone feature creation can vary. (pg. 560)

Issue 47 - Apr 20, 2006

1) Secondary Layers have the ability to apply an “intercept” or not. This allows for various methods of constructing the secondary Layer, and is dependent on the users plans for running the Roadway Modeler as well as the Express Modeler. One solid rule is that the Express Modeler only models what is precisely defined in the Backbone of the secondary Layer and will not apply any intercepts or cut/fill conditions. The Roadway Modeler uses a toggle setting on the Advanced tab to control how the secondary Layers will respond and construct at the extremities. Be aware of the differences because if the “intercept” piece is in the Backbone Zone versus the Cut/Fill Zone feature creation can vary. (pg. 560)

Issue 46 - Mar 26, 2006

1) When running the Express Modeler, the subgrade intercepts are toggled off by default. The Express Modeler also has the limitation of not applying any Cut or Fill slopes on secondary Layers. The modeling for any secondary Layers is defined by its Backbone, and is what ends up in that resulting surface model. (pg. 539) 2) When defining a Roadway Entry, the Use Transition Template option produces a gradual section transition between the identified Template at its station to the next Template. This is applicable to both the Backbone and Cut/Fill condition. (pg. 546) 3) When adding a Roadway Entry and defining the Catch Point as one of the Table methods, it doesn’t matter if there are also cut/fill conditions in the Template. These will be ignored during the modeling process. (pg. 547)

Issue 45 - Feb 08, 2006

1) Layers in a Template are ordered in the sequence that they are created. InRoads V8.4 has the ability to reorder these Layers in the Edit Template command. InRoads V8.2 has some limited reordering capability using the Layer Controls tab on the Roadway Modeler command. InRoads 2004, or V8.5 has the added ability to reorder the layers in the Template Editor. (pg. 470) 2) Creating TC Names that incorporate a left and right prefix or suffix will open the door to providing even better control during modeling. (pg. 474) 3) When a Template is used to create a surface model with a road modeler tool, the Name of the Layer will become the surface Name. In addition to that, the Name is also used as the Preference group, Cross Section Symbology and Profile Symbology. All of these items can be found on the Surface Properties once the surface is created. (pg. 481)

Issue 44 - Dec 20, 2005

1) You can use the Express Modeler to construct pieces of your design, then combine these pieces into a single larger surface model to form the complete design. (pg. 113) 2) When saving the settings of a particular dialog box as a preference you should be aware that not every field is stored. Some fields, like the Seed Name is not captured in the preference since it is always a variable that should be defined by the user for the particular activity that is being performed. (pg. 244) 3) During roadway modeling, the Backbone is always defined by the Template; however, the Cut/Fill slopes can be defined by four different methods: the Template cut and fill definition, a Cut/Fill Table, a Material Table or a Decision Table. (pg. 469)

Issue 43 - Nov 07, 2005

1) The Station Lock affects the station “rounding” when stationing the horizontal alignment, running the roadway modeler and cutting cross sections. (pg. 52) 2) Remember that the Update commands work whether or not that level or layer is viewed. This means that displaying something or removing something through InRoads is going to take place, whether you see it or not. (pg. 86) 3) The Interval setting during Roadway Modeling should be appropriate for the changing existing ground conditions and the desired or required accuracy of the resulting surface model, along with any reporting to be done on the modeling. You should also take into consideration the cross section interval to be used later for construction or end-area volumes. (pg. 111)

Issue 42 - Oct 20, 2005

1) When assigning a TC Name to a Segment in the Template editor, by default they are sorted in the order that they were created. These TCs can be sorted by Name, Description or Style, by clicking on that header field. (pg. 490) 2) When constructing the Template Layers, consideration needs to be given to the secondary Layer intercepts and the control used on the Advanced tab of the Roadway Modeler. InRoads can project the last segment out in an attempt to meet either the Previous Layer or the First Layer. This will work for the last segment in either the Cut or Fill Zone or the Backbone Zone. However, two different results will occur depending on where the “last” Segment is placed. If the segment is in the Backbone then two features will result, one for the last TC Point on the secondary Layer, along with a feature for the actual extension and intercept. If the last Segment is in the Cut or Fill Zone then only the intercept TC will be added as a feature in the DTM. (pg. 561)

Issue 41 - Oct 17, 2005

1)Horizontal and Vertical Controls can also control the path of any TC within a secondary Layer of the Template. The key is that the TC Name must be unique. (pg. 556) 2) Secondary Layers have the ability to apply an “intercept” or not. This allows for various methods of constructing the secondary Layer, and is dependent on the users plans for running the Roadway Modeler as well as the Express Modeler. One solid rule is that the Express Modeler only models what is precisely defined in the Backbone of the secondary Layer and will not apply any intercepts or cut/fill conditions. The Roadway Modeler uses a toggle setting on the Advanced tab to control how the secondary Layers will respond and construct at the extremities. Be aware of the differences because if the “intercept” piece is in the Backbone Zone versus the Cut/Fill Zone feature creation can vary. (pg. 560)

Issue 40 - Sep 14, 2005

1) When using Horizontal and Vertical Controls during Roadway Modeling, a Fixity should be assigned to a specific Segment to compensate for the movement in the Layer segments. If this flexibility isn’t assigned by the user, then InRoads will force the first segment just inward toward the centerline from the TC Point assigned the independent control to compensate for the change. This will become a Variable Slope Segment by default. (pg. 502) 2) When you copy a Template from one TML file to another TML, any TCs used in those templates are also copied. (pg. 514) 3) Horizontal and Vertical Controls can direct the path of any TC within the Backbone of a Template used during modeling. The identified TC name must, however, be a unique name or the controls will be applied to each TC with that name. (pg. 556)

Issue 39 - Aug 01, 2005

1) When working in the Edit Template command and adding Segments, if you type in an Input value then go straight to the New button, the segment will not be added. This will be clearly visible. You will then need to click the New button again to create the segment. This is because after typing something into one of the Input fields, that data is not yet registered. The next activity that you perform will then register the Input. However, it will not perform its own function and will have to be selected again. (pg. 495) 2) Just like TC Names need to be identical in order to connect as a breakline during modeling, the Layer names also need to be identical from Template to Template during the roadway modeling. A Template with a Layer called finish will not combine its surface data when transitioning to a Template with a Layer called final. (pg. 498) 3) When transitioning between two or more Templates during roadway modeling, the order of the Layers must be consistent or unexpected results will occur. (pg. 483)

Issue 38 - Jul 05, 2005

1) Many of the InRoads numerical entry fields are capable of applying mathematical functions to their values. The available functions are + add, - subtract, * multiply, / divide and ** exponent. Nested parenthesis are also available allowing (140/5)-1. (pg. 489) 2) When assigning the Superelevation points to the Template, set the View option on the Segment tab to Left Side and Right Side so that the entire Template Layer is available for point placement. Also, set the Zone to a Backbone Zone to maximize the Template preview which will make for easier point placement. (pg. 493) 3) When constructing a Template Layer, the user never assigns the Centerline TC Name at the central point of the Layer since this is automatically done by the software. (pg. 495)

Issue 37 - Jun 27, 2005

1) When working in the Template editor and on a particular Layer, the Edit Modes only affect the active Layer, whether adding or editing. If a street section requires either a removal or addition of a lane, that addition or removal must be done for each Layer individually. (pg. 487) 2) Regarding Template construction, Fixity is only relevant to the Backbone portion of the Layer and is not considered, needed or used in the Cut or Fill Zones. (pg. 488)

Issue 36 - May 31, 2005

1) If you have to compare two fairly detailed Templates, do a Report on the Templates tab, save it, and compare the Templates in textual format. If you chose to Print it out, be aware that the report encompasses all the Templates in the library and may be somewhat large, depending on the number of Templates in your library. (pg. 479) 2) When creating a new Layer that is Offset in the Vertical direction, inches can be used in the entry field. Just type in 5" or 14" using the " (inch) designation. TAB, and the value will be converted to feet. (pg. 482)

Issue 35 - May 06, 2005

1) During roadway modeling, the Backbone is always defined by the Template; however, the Cut/Fill slopes can be defined by four different methods: the Template cut and fill definition, a Cut/Fill Table, a Material Table or a Decision Table. (pg. 469) 2) Layers in a Template are ordered in the sequence that they are created. InRoads V8.4 and beyond has the ability to reorder these Layers in the Edit Template command. InRoads V8.2 has some limited reordering capability using the Layer Controls tab on the Roadway Modeler command. (pg. 470) 3) Creating TC Names that incorporate a left and right prefix or suffix into them will open the door to providing better control during modeling. (pg. 474)

Issue 34 - Apr 26, 2005

1) If the Cut and Fill conditions are constructed in the Template itself (not in a Cut/Fill or Decision Table) it is not required to precisely set the Width of the Segment. InRoads will automatically adjust the Width in its attempt to intercept the slope with the existing ground. (pg. 109) 2) While on the Typical Section tab of the Workspace Bar you can right-click the individual Templates, Layers and Segments and click Edit to quickly jump to the Edit Template dialog box. (pg. 464) 3) If the Default Typical Section Library is used to create a new Template or Cut/Fill condition, either use the Copy Typical Section Library tool to move it into your "official" library, or use the Rename Typical Section Library command to change its name to something better suited to your project. (pg. 467)

Issue 33 - Apr 06, 2005

1) When setting up the display for both Profiles and Cross Sections, if you are experiencing difficulty in defining the Horizontal and Vertical Offsets on the Axis Title Text and Labels, it may be because the Offset is tied into both the Tools> Options> Factors> Text Scale and the Height of the text, as well as the Offset defined. This can be a little tricky to say the least, but it was designed to make better use of the Options Scale Factors. (pg. 609) 2) Remember the impacts of the Write Lock, and Pen / Pencil Locks when using any of the Update commands. (pg. 618)

Issue 32 - Mar 24, 2005

1) Many of the InRoads numerical entry fields are capable of applying mathematical functions to their values. The available functions are + add, - subtract, * multiply, / divide and ** exponent. Nested parenthesis are also available allowing (140/5)-1. Use the TAB key to "register" a mathematical entry in a dialog box field. (pg. 489) 2) If you ever accidentally copy a set of cross sections, instead of moving them, don't worry; just delete the duplicates, leaving one set. It doesn't matter which set, just leave only one. If you retain multiple sets inadvertently, when you choose the set name of the original, it will select all the copies of that set and will place the identification box around all the sets. Copying Profiles and Cross Sections is not recommended. (pg. 591)

Issue 31 - Mar 02, 2005

1) When saving the settings of a particular dialog box as a preference you should be aware that not every field is stored. Some fields, like the Seed Name is not captured in the preference since it is always a variable that should be defined by the user for the particular activity that is being performed. (pg. 244) 2) When a Template is used to create a surface model with a road modeler tool, the Name of the Layer will become the surface Name. In addition to that, the Name is also used as the Preference group, Cross Section Symbology and Profile Symbology. All of these items can be found on the Surface Properties once the surface is created. (pg. 481)

Issue 30 - Feb 19, 2005

1) You cannot update profiles (with the Update Profile command) that have been created with a Source of Graphics, Multipoint or ASCII. (pg.389) 2) Try to avoid clicking the Features tab on the Create Profile dialog box if you have either large surfaces or many Styles defined in the Feature Style Manager. If you do, you may have to wait a few moments for the tab to compile the feature list. (pg. 382) 3) The Profile and Cross Section "graphs" displayed by the Create Profile and Create Cross Section command do not honor the Pen/Pencil setting. Only the data inside the "graphs" will respond to the Pen/Pencil setting. (pg. 388)

Issue 29 - Feb 06, 2005

1) Be alert to the fact that the Create Profile preferences also stores the Offset tab settings; however, this information is not stored by surface name but by surface opening order. (pg. 379) 2) You can select a grayed-out surface feature from a feature list window but this will not select it for use in that command; its purpose is to allow you to go to the Edit Style button and change its properties. (pg. 381) 3) The available surface Features shown in any list box, and available for a particular command, can also be refined by selecting and activating a Feature Filter while in the command. (pg. 381)

Issue 28 - Jan 22, 2005

1) When creating a profile with the Source set to Graphics, the Locate lock should be set to Locate Graphics for this command to operate correctly. If the lock is set to Locate Features, the prompt will direct you to Identify Feature and then to Accept/Reject “feature name;” however, you will not then be prompted to Identify Location and so will not be able to complete the command. (pg. 370) 2) In order to display the Features on a Profile at the same time as you create it, you must also display the Surface along the triangulation by checking on that surface on the Main tab of the Create Profile dialog box. A surface’s features will only be made available in this command if it has been selected on the Main tab. If this is undesirable then use the Update Profile command to display those features. (pg. 371)

Issue 27 - Jan 10, 2005

1) Offsets displayed on the Profile are established on the Advanced tab of the Surface Properties and stored with that particular surface. (pg. 105) 2) There are two types of information that can be placed on the Profile when the Create Profile command is run. The first is the ground line that tracks along the triangulation of the surface. The second type is information stemming from the display of Feature data contained within the surface model. (pg. 105) 3) The InRoads ‘Display Off’ and ‘Display On’ should not be confused with turning on and off a level or layer in CAD. To all of the Update tools, ‘Display Off’ means delete from the CAD view and ‘Display On’ means draw that item in CAD. (pg. 235)

Issue 26 - Jan 01, 2005

1) The Update commands work whether or not that level or layer is viewed. This means that displaying something or removing something through InRoads is going to take place, whether you see it or not. (pg. 86) 2) To annotate means to add a written comment. Any time the word Annotation is used, it refers to the textual aspect of the item in question. Horizontal alignments, vertical alignments, surface features, profiles, cross sections, and so on, all have Annotation placement capabilities. (pg. 99) 3) Any time a Preference button shows up on a dialog box or tab of a dialog box, this is an indication that settings for that particular area can be saved and stored for later use. (pg. 101)

Issue 25 - Dec 31, 2004

1) The Update commands work whether or not that level or layer is viewed. This means that displaying something or removing something through InRoads is going to take place, whether you see it or not. (pg. 86) 2) To annotate means to add a written comment. Any time the word Annotation is used, it refers to the textual aspect of the item in question. Horizontal alignments, vertical alignments, surface features, profiles, cross sections, and so on, all have Annotation placement capabilities. (pg. 99) 3) Any time a Preference button shows up on a dialog box or tab of a dialog box, this is an indication that settings for that particular area can be saved and stored for later use. (pg. 101)

Issue 24 - Dec 04, 2004

1) The Roadway Modeler will not run along an alignment that contains a discontinuity and jump in stationing. In this situation, the Roadway Modeler will feedback an error message that it cannot process at a station that falls within the discontinuity. The modeler needs to track along all of the alignment stations when it is running the roadway. If it fails to find a particular station along its modeling interval that it is expecting to find, the roadway run will completely fail and nothing will be stored in the DTM. If the stationing is continuous across the gap ending at a certain station and then picking back up on that station on the other side of the discontinuity, then the Roadway Modeler will run and the features and subsequent triangulation will jump across the gap. This is not really a recommended situation to model unless you are very proficient with surfaces. (pg. 569)

Issue 23 - Sep 27, 2004

1) If you are going to model a roadway that requires a special typical section to be applied at a driveway, then you will need to add a Roadway Entry in the Roadway Definition at those locations in order to have InRoads model there. Also, if you plan to cut cross sections at these locations, you will either have to set up Custom Cross Sections or add Event Points at those unique places. Event Points can be set up at these spots to assist with modeling, creating cross sections and stationing. (pg. 565) 2) When running the Roadway Modeler, the low and high spots on a vertical curve are not automatically modeled. If this is needed then an Event Point should be placed at these locations and then Critical Sections should have Event Points toggled on. (pg. 565)

Issue 22 - Sep 15, 2004

1) Many fields within InRoads allow mathematical functions to be typed into them. Use the TAB key to “register” a mathematical entry or any other typing that occurs in a dialog box field. (pg. 434) 2) Many of the InRoads numerical entry fields are capable of applying mathematical functions to their values. The available functions are + add, - subtract, * multiply, / divide and ** exponent. Nested parenthesis are also available allowing (140/5)-1. (pg. 489) 3) Always remember that the InRoads external File Name on the hard drive does not have to be the same as the InRoads internal name, although they are often synchronized for ease of recognition. (pg. 534)

Issue 21 - Aug 31, 2004

The “Dynamics” provided as additional control when using the Vertical Curve Set tools will lock the VPI points onto an increment of the settings defined on the Dynamics dialog. This includes any point placed by either data points or key-ins, such as SE= or DG=. (pg. 418) 2) The Move PI, Insert PI and Delete PI tools will work whether or not the curves have been placed on the alignment. (pg. 421) 3) When laying out either horizontal or vertical curves, consider the Design Calc button to assist in determining the appropriate values. The Design Calculators work in two primary modes: Compute and Lookup. Compute uses a fixed formula and the Lookup references a physical text file on the hard drive. (pg. 425)

Issue 20 - Aug 08, 2004

1) When using the Import Vertical from Surface the Station Lock has no impact on the locations of the extracted points, and this command operates as if the Station Lock were on, regardless of its actual position. (pg. 410) 2) There are no commands to remove a vertical alignment display from the CAD profile view (other than deleting the alignment itself within InRoads). If you viewed it with the Write Lock on and later didn’t wish to show it, you would either have to turn those CAD levels off or delete it with the CAD delete commands. (pg. 411) 3) If the Sight Distance is part of the desired Vertical Annotation on Curves, make sure that you establish the proper Eye Height and Target Height on the Sight Distance tab. (pg. 414)

Issue 19 - Jul 26, 2004

1) When deleting PI’s with the Horizontal Curve Set tool Delete PI, whose source were points from the Cogo Buffer, the points stored in the alignment are deleted but the original points remain in the Cogo Buffer. (pg. 331) 2) When inputting Geometry Point Names into InRoads, the Locate button can be used to select the points, or the Point Name can be manually entered. When using the Locate button to pick points, remember that this method of selection is Snap lock sensitive. (pg. 343) 3) The Curve Definition can be changed from Circular to Parabolic by going to the Workspace Bar and right-clicking on the vertical alignment name to pop up the shortcut menu. On the shortcut menu are options to use Circular Definition or Parabolic Definition. (pg. 408)

Issue 18 - Jul 13, 2004

1. If you want all points placed within InRoads to be named points versus unnamed points this can be defined under Tools> Options on the Geometry tab. Just set the option at the very bottom Point Names During Edits to ASSIGN. (pg. 320) 2. When laying out curves with the Define Curve command from the Horizontal Curve Set tools, a message may appear saying Solution overlaps or contains discontinuities. This means that the software can’t create a curve that will fit between the PIs on either end. (pg. 323) 3. An Element in InRoads terms refers to either a Point, Line or tangent, Arc or curve, or Spiral depending on the command in use. (pg. 331)

Issue 17 - Jun 26, 2004

1. When working with multiple Surfaces and Geometry Projects always be attentive to the Active surface or geometry when you are about to save, edit, add to, view or delete from within InRoads. This Active surface or geometry is the one that InRoads is focused on at any particular time. (pg. 317) 2. When using the Horizontal Curve Set commands, pay close attention to the prompt area. For instance, when using the Move PI command after the point is moved and appears to “lock down,” a message will prompt you to Accept overall solution/Reset. In this instance, the “move” must be acknowledged before it is updated in the alignment. Ignoring this message and going to another command acts as a Reset and negates the “move.” However, the CAD view continues to visually display temporary graphics of the “move.” (pg. 319)

Issue 16 - Jun 13, 2004

1) Cogo Points can be stored in the Cogo Buffer with elevations however they do not have to have an elevation assigned to them. (pg. 307) 2) You will notice a window titled “Selected” while working with some geometry commands such as Annotate Horizontal Alignment, Export Geometry To Surface, assigning Geometry Point Names, assigning Geometry Point Elevations and Geometry Reports. These commands will only operate on the geometry listed in the “Selected” window. If that window is empty the command will not function.

Issue 15 - May 20, 2004

1) When an input field or tolerance setting is set to 0.00 that field is ignored. This applies to the triangulation Maximum Length, Angle Tolerance, Maximum Segment Length, Point Density Interval, and so on. ( pg. 257) 2) By default, when a new Geometry Project is created, an empty Cogo Buffer is also generated under that geometry project name. However, no alignments or other placeholders are created without additional direct user input. (pg. 288) 3) You can right-click within either the Workspace Bar or the Feedback Pane to access the data shortcuts. ( pg. 296)

Issue 14 - May 10, 2004

1) The Geometry of InRoads contains true curvature; however, the surfaces do not.(pg. 113) 2) InRoads normally uses a signing convention where a negative (-) value is to the left of the alignment or control line and a positive value (+) is to the right.(pg. 119) 3) When saving the settings of a particular dialog box as a preference you should be aware that not every field is stored. Some fields, like the Seed Name in a surface-related command are not captured in the preference since it is always a variable that should be defined by the user for the particular activity that is being performed. (pg. 244)

Issue 13 - May 01, 2004

1.In older versions of InRoads, the geometry selection Locate button only allows the user to pick a single alignment whereas the Filter can always select multiple alignments. In the latest versions of InRoads the Ctrl key on the keyboard can be used to select multiple pieces of geometry with the Locate button. pg. 100 2. Always have a blank CAD drawing available to view geometry and surface information without the clutter of other active elements in the file. Also, by sometimes working in a blank drawing, you can turn all the levels on to avoid viewing something, having to “hunt” for it, then finding that the level was turned off. pg. 96 3. Any time a Preference button shows up on a dialog box or tab of a dialog box, this is an indication that settings for that particular area can be saved and stored for later use. pg. 101

Issue 12 - Apr 20, 2004

1.There are a number of tabs on the Geometry> View Geometry> Stationing dialog, but probably 99% of everything on this command is designed to configure these settings to conform to your standards. Once these standards have been defined, all that is needed here is to define the Horizontal Alignment at the top of the Main tab and select Apply. pg. 97 2. To annotate means to add a written comment. Any time the word Annotation is used, it refers to the textual aspect of the item in question. Horizontal alignments, vertical alignments, surface features, profiles, cross sections, and so on, all have Annotation placement capabilities. pg. 99 3. The three ways to select Geometry data are used throughout the InRoads product, so get very comfortable with all of them. Remember: type and then Tab, or use the Locate button to select, or go to the Filter to choose the desired Geometry. Also, the “typing” option can use wild cards, allowing multiple alignments to be chosen. pg. 100

Issue 11 - Apr 14, 2004

1.When Exporting Geometry to a surface, the alignments being exported must all fall within the limits of the surface. If they do not, no part of the geometry will be exported. A message indicating “Point not on Surface” will be seen in the Status Bar. pg. 616 2. To see and work with any InRoads data in the Workspace Bar, that project data must be first loaded into the software memory by going to InRoads> File> Open. pg. 18 3. If a horizontal alignment is edited after the vertical alignment had been created, it’s important to assess the impacts on the vertical design prior to implementing the change. pg. 26

Issue 10 - Apr 07, 2004

1. The Cut and Fill Features created while running the Roadway Modeler are tagged as Exclude from Triangulation by default. If these are need to supplement the surface model later, the surface point type and excluded nature can be changed under Surface> Feature> Feature Properties. pg. 559 2. When the surface to be shown on the Cross Section does not contain an exterior boundary, and triangulation exists beyond the last feature, toggle on the Use Features Only option on the Advanced tab of the Surface Properties to take the triangles out of the display “equation.” This switches the display function from a triangle-based display to a feature-based display. pg. 599 3. The available Features shown in any surface list box and available for that command can also be refined by activating a Feature Filter while in the command. pg. 605

Issue 9 - Mar 28, 2004

1. When a Template is used to create a surface model with a road modeler tool, the Name of the Layer will become the surface Name. In addition to that, the Name is also used as the Preference group, Cross Section Symbology and Profile Symbology. All of these items can be found on the Surface Properties once the surface is created. pg. 481 2. Many of the InRoads numerical entry fields are capable of applying mathematical functions to their values. The available functions are + add, - subtract, * multiply, / divide and ** exponent. Nested parenthesis are also available allowing (140/5)-1. pg. 489 3. The InRoads external File Name on the hard drive does not have to be the same as the InRoads internal name, although they are often synchronized for ease of recognition. pg. 534

Issue 8 - Mar 21, 2004

1. When a surface is triangulated and random points are duplicated or conflict with other points in the surface model, those points will be deleted and removed from the DTM. Checking the Surface Properties after triangulation will indicate if anything has been removed. pg. 264 2. When working with multiple Surfaces and Geometry Projects always be attentive to the Active surface or geometry when you are about to save, edit, add to, view or delete from within InRoads. This Active surface or geometry is the one that InRoads is focused on at any particular time. pg. 317 3. Any surface feature data can be projected to a Profile regardless if it is Random or Breakline data. pg. 382

Issue 7 - Mar 14, 2004

1.The InRoads “method” of resolving crossing breaklines that result from conflicting elevations at the crossing location is to drop the status of the shorter breakline, and thereby eliminating the conflict. The user must evaluate this automatic modification and take the correct action to resolve the conflict. pg. 263 2. When surface data is very dense, triangulation can encounter tolerance problems. This may result from a number of things such as too low a chord height tolerance for imported graphics or template drops that are too tight. Two methods may resolve this problem: 1) If importing graphics, try increasing the Chord Height Tolerance under Settings> Preferences> Tolerance or use the “thin” option on the Import Graphics command. 2) Try using the Transform Surface command to translate the surface by some very small amount (such as 1e-6) in the northing and/or easting direction. This may help to work around the value that is causing the tolerance problem. pg. 263

Issue 6 - Mar 07, 2004

1. When saving the settings of a particular dialog box as a Preference you should be aware that not every field is stored. Some fields, like the Seed Name, are not captured in the preference since it is always a variable that should be defined by the user for the particular activity that is being performed. (pg 244) 2. The Feature Properties dialog box permits the selection of multiple Features within the list box. This allows changes and modification of the feature characteristics to be done simultaneously to many features. The List Points option, however, does not operate on multiple selected features. (pg 245) 3. Importing graphical data to a surface using the File> Import> Surface> From Graphics tab allows draping of that data on the destination surface. The Surface> Design Surface> Drape Surface tool provides the exact same draping capability but has an additional option to allow for an Elevation Adjustment. However, the Drape Surface command cannot import it into a surface. (pg 255)

Issue 5 - Mar 01, 2004

1. The ability of InRoads to store data that is excluded from triangulation is a very powerful capability. This allows the storage of undergrounds and overheads in the surface model to be used later in plan, profile, or cross section displays. (pg 88) 2. Any time a Preference button shows up on a dialog box or tab of a dialog box, this is an indication that settings for that particular area can be saved and stored for later use. (pg 101) 3. Feature Properties not only shows you the characteristics of each surface feature but also allows you to modify them as well. (pg 227)

Issue 4 - Dec 01, 2003

1. The Snap Lock affects the Partial Delete Feature command by either snapping (locking) onto the physical points on the surface feature or allowing the command to freely glide along the selected feature. (pg 51) 2. The Update commands follow Lock Rule #3: A command will remove InRoads graphics that were placed with the Pencil setting; but in order to remove any Pen graphics the Delete Ink lock must be on, otherwise the graphics are retained during the execution of the command. (pg 86) 3. The Update commands work whether or not that level or layer is viewed. This means that displaying something or removing something through InRoads is going to take place, whether you see it or not. (pg 86)

Issue 3 - Nov 01, 2003

1. When Apply is selected while creating a Named Symbology, those settings are immediately written to the General Preference File (civil.ini) on the hard drive. (pg 183) 2. The Feature Style Manager and the Symbology Manager are intimately tied together since the Named Symbology tells the Feature how to graphically display itself. (pg 190) 3. When an input field or tolerance setting is set to "0.00" that field is ignored. This applies to the triangulation Maximum Length, Angle Tolerance, Maximum Segment Length, Point Density Interval and so on. (pg 257)

Issue 2 - Oct 15, 2003

1. For some reason, if the software experiences an unnatural exit or crash, the INI files could potentially become corrupted. If this occurs, you should start up InRoads again, then immediately exit the software. Then, restart the software, load your data, and proceed with your work. (pg 206) 2. While working with an InRoads command you can always jump to a MicroStation viewing command (zoom in, zoom out, pan view, window area and so on). Just reset one time when you are done manipulating the view to return to the InRoads command. (pg 335 & 421) 3. Project Defaults are an excellent method of managing several different projects that are going on simultaneously. This is done by setting up a separate configuration for each project and then activating the one that you want to work with. (pg 78 & 164)

Issue 1 - Oct 01, 2003

1. Always have a blank CAD drawing available to view geometry and surface information without the clutter of other active elements in the file. Also, by sometimes working in a blank drawing, you can turn all the levels on to avoid viewing something, having to “hunt” for it, then finding that the level was turned off. 2. The InRoads “external” file name on the hard drive does not have to be the same as the “internal” InRoads name, although they are often synchronized for ease of recognition. However in some cases, like using a surface name in a Decision Table, the “external” and “internal” name of the existing surface is very often different to reduce the amount of Decision Table editing on subsequent projects.

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