Zen OpenRoads Book Series:

As the creator of the premier Zen Guides to InRoads books, our Zen brand has expanded with the OpenRoads evolution, and we are now publishing three different series for the new software.

  • Zen Essential Series - our core baseline topics covering from basic to advanced material
  • Zen Specialty Series - subject focused material covering basic to advanced topics
  • Zen Training Series - material centered and targeted specifically for training purposes

 

Zen Essential Series:

This series will cover the core topics for most OpenRoads users and will span content from beginning levels to advanced.

As a dynamic ‘live’ series, new material will be incorporated as the OpenRoads software evolves, and new versions are released. Eventually, this series will break apart into a set of multiple volumes as the content grows beyond the ability to bind into a single book. Currently the core material is contained in a single master volume.

The current master Essentials volume is bundled with the definitive OpenRoads Primer, the starting point for all things OpenRoads.

Essentials Package (includes Primer)

  • OpenRoads Primer – This foundational material lays down the groundwork for all things OpenRoads in four main sections and is a critical component for moving into this new software. The book covers the new Ribbon; the key aspects of MicroStation and their use in the OpenRoads world; the soon to be legendary section on OpenRoads Interaction and the underlying foundation to Rules and Design Intent; as well as a focused section on exactly what a user needs to know about Configuration, and OpenRoads Glossary of terms.
  • Essentials - This is the core of OpenRoads currently covering the main topics of Terrains, Geometry, Templates and Modeling. This volume will address each of these topics from basic to advanced and is presented like our earlier InRoads material in the form of hands-on with our sample files with integrated reference material describing the tools and functions being used.

Future Individual Volumes:

Eventually, the current single Essentials volume will be dissected into individual volumes as its material expands to cover more and more intermediate and advanced topics and tools.

  • Terrains
  • Geometry
  • Templates
  • Modeling
  • Sheets

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Zen Specialty Series:

This series will cover various dedicated topics for OpenRoads users who specialize in certain aspects of the software beyond the core functionality. The content of these books will also span from the beginning levels to the advanced.

As a dynamic ‘live’ series, new material will be incorporated as the OpenRoads software evolves and new versions are released.

Each specialty book can be purchased separately, but they are also bundled with the definitive OpenRoads Primer, the starting point for all things OpenRoads.

NOTE: This is the same Primer as in the Essentials Series, and Training Series, just repackaged for visual continuity, so there is no need to obtain this one if you already have one.

 

  • Drainage Package (includes Primer)

  • OpenRoads Primer - This foundational material lays down the groundwork for all things OpenRoads in four sections and is a critical component for moving into this new software. The book covers the new Ribbon; the key aspects of MicroStation and their use in the OpenRoads world; the soon to be legendary section on OpenRoads Interaction and the underlying foundation to Rules and Design Intent; as well as a focused section on exactly what a user needs to know about Configuration.
  • Drainage – This volume focuses on OpenRoads Drainage & Utilities (DU). The main topics covered in this book include: understanding and interacting with the DU ribbon menus; understanding settings; creating Storm Data; importing utility information; layout of drainage system elements; Automatic Design and Network Analysis; Profiles and Flex Tables; channel design and corridor modeling; pond grading; and annotation of plans and profiles. Hands-on exercises with sample files are included. This volume covers all the essentials to enable immediate productivity.
     
  • Geometry - This volume will eventually become a Site / Subdivision design book, but in its first iteration, it only covers geometry layout of the boundary, interior road centerlines, Right-of-Way, and lot layout. This is all two-dimensional layout, and is intended on bringing focus to more of the OpenRoads geometry tool palette. Some of the activity and tools covered are Civil AccuDraw, importing ALGs, working with InRoads legacy ICS files, COGO Points, Alignments by COGO Points, Transform Geometry, the Geometry Builder, creating simple Annotation, and numerous other Geometry layout tools that a Mapping or Right-of-Way group would use. Hands-on exercises with sample files are included.
     

 

  • Survey Package (includes Primer)

  • OpenRoads Primer - This foundational material lays down the groundwork for all things OpenRoads in four sections and is a critical component for moving into this new software. The book covers the new Ribbon; the key aspects of MicroStation and their use in the OpenRoads world; the soon to be legendary section on OpenRoads Interaction and the underlying foundation to Rules and Design Intent; as well as a focused section on exactly what a user needs to know about Configuration.
  • Survey - This volume focuses on OpenRoads Survey and covers the post-processing of field data. The main topics contained in this book are the importing and editing of field data once brought into OpenRoads Survey. Beyond that, it covers the creation of the base drawing and Terrain model. This volume will address each of these topics from basic to advanced and is presented like our earlier InRoads material in the form of hands-on with our sample files with integrated reference material describing the tools and functions being used.

Future Volumes include:

  • Site Design
  • Civil Cells
  • The Black Art of ORD Configuration

 

Zen Training Series:

This material leverages everything that Mark knows about educating others in Civil software since he started training others intensively while going to work for Intergraph in 1995, and as a user before that starting with the first version of InRoads.

If you are an OpenRoads trainer, and would like to use our materials, please CONTACT US to discuss our training partner program.

Our current classes include:

  • Fundamentals
  • Drainage
  • Survey

Zen Engineering

3786 La Crescenta Avenue, Suite 107
Glendale, CA 91208 USA

Phone: (818) 957-7939

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