Creating a Design

This procedure is used to create a design with respect to an existing surface and to integrate the design into the existing surface.

1. Open a file containing the existing surface detail and a digital terrain model of the current surface.
   
2. Create one or more horizontal primary and/or secondary alignments as necessary that will act as the horizontal control for the design.
   
3. Create long sections from the existing surface model along the design alignments.
   
4. Create a cross section set from the existing surface model along the primary alignment, making sure that it extends past the extent of the design works.
   
5. Create horizontal design long sections along any of the primary or secondary alignments that you wish to control in 3 dimensions.
   Horizontal long sections can be created by selecting Profiles / Long Section / Horizontal / by Alignment. This will create a two point horizontal long section along an alignment by selecting an alignment and entering an elevation.
   
6. Open the horizontal long section you have created and place the vertical intersection points required. There are several functions that can be used to create and edit points in the long section.
   
   Points can be created using the various long section point creation methods. Points can be moved using the various move methods.
   
   Note: At this stage it may be advantageous to also open up, in the same long section window, the long section created earlier from the existing surface, enabling you to see how your design relates to what currently exists.
   
7. Create any vertical curves required using the Vertical Curve Designer. The Edit/Vertical Curve Designer command is accessed from the Profiles task in the long section view.
   Note: It is still possible to move vertical intersection points after creating your vertical curves.
   
8. Create a set of templates, using the Template Editor, that reflect the cross section design surface that you wish to create.
   
   The Template Editor can be accessed from Utilities / Tables / Template Editor.
   
   When designing your templates keep in mind the types of surfaces that are existing in your data set when you define your Intersecting Surface names. The Intersecting Surfaces defined in the Templates will be matched up with the real surfaces in your data set when you later create the Template Implementation Set. The Intersecting Surfaces can be thought of as any of the Alignments, Long Sections or Cross Section Sets that exist in the data set.
   
9. Create a Template Implementation Set. The Template Implementation Set Editor can be accessed from the Plan View Profiles Task / Profiles / Template Implementation.
   
   Use the Template Implementation Set Editor to:
   
   • Select the long section or cross section set that will define the horizontal and vertical control for the design;
     
   • Nominate where along the alignment the design templates are to be attached to the control;
     
   • Match the real surfaces in the data set with the generic surface names that were used in the template;
     
   • Apply any modifications that are required to be progressively made to the template;
     
   • Define the parameters for the resulting design cross section set.
     
   • After all the required parameters have been set press the Apply Template Implementation Set button to create the design cross section set.
10. Open the design cross section set you have just created, along with the existing surface cross section set to see how the design and the existing surface relate to each other.
    
11. If the design cross section is not what you expected return to step 8 to make any necessary changes to the design templates and also edit the Template Implementation Set as required. Apply the Template Implementation Set again, overwriting the cross section set created previously.
    
    If the design cross section set is substantially what was expected step through and examine each cross section. If any cross sections require editing use the cross section point creation and editing commands to make the necessary changes.
    
    Note: If the design surface created interacts with an existing surface it may be advantageous to view the end areas between the two sections to assist in determining whether the surfaces interact as intended.
    
12. When you are satisfied with the design end areas they can be put back into the plan view and integrated with the existing surface.
    
    From the Cross Section View, Profiles Task menu, select Cross Sections / Transfer to Plan. This will put the cross section points into the plan view and string together the points between sections using the code and string number assigned to the cross section points. It also has the ability to create a bounding polygon around the design and automatically disable all the existing points, lines and text lying under the design.
    
    Note: The codes used in the cross sections should be associated with Groups not currently used in the data set. In this way the design brought into plan will be on different Groups to the rest of the existing data set. This enables the design to be removed from the data set conveniently and easily, by deleting all information on the design Groups, should it not be what was desired.
    
13. Return to the Plan view and form a digital terrain model of the existing and design. Any disabled objects will be ignored in the modelling process ensuring that only the design strings are modelled in association with the existing terrain which has not changed.