Hi All!
I did a search on this topic and from what I've read, it sounds like the transition should happen automatically (although some tweaking may be required).
But for some reason, I'm NOT getting a transition.
I had one assembly for the entire length and the designer wanted to have the curb stop at 0+40 and from 0+40 to the end, he wanted NO CURB--just an EOP.
So I copied the assembly, modified the copy so that there was no longer a curb and attached the shoulder (that was previously connected to the curb) to the EOP.
So the codes should all be same.
EDIT: I just attached a dwg file (created/saved in 2012) with my two assemblies in it. Can anyone see any reason for this?
Here's a screen shot of what I'm getting:
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
It just went from bad to worse. 😞
At the other end of the project, I need to transtion from normal crown roadway at 21+00 to FLAT roadway at 21+38.
I copied the Normal Crown assembly and changed the cross slopes to 0%. I split my corridor.
One region uses Normal Crown assembly up to 21+00. The other region uses FLAT ROADWAY assembly beginning at 21+38. I need to get the EOP/shoulder lines etc to transion between these two stations.
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
I've continued to search and I've found lots of places that say it should happen automatically. THen I've found lots of places that say it can't be done.
One alternative that I found which looks reasonable is to use feature lines to connect the features between the two assemblies and then create an assembly for use in this region which targets the feature lines.
So I have two questions about this idea.
EDIT: I guess that if I can get the feature lines to automatically update as the corridor changes and I can also get those feature lines to be part of the surface, then I don't really need to have an assembly that targets the feature lines.
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
Ok. Now I've come across a message here in this forum that sounds like it shoud help.
The message:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Civil-3D/Transition-between-assemblies/m-p/2905978#M145372
You can also achieve the transition by means of a featureline snapped to the ends of the assemblies on the ends of the transition. It can be a curved featureline or polyline, but a featureline should automatically adjust to the elevations of the corridor when edited. Use the featureline as a vertical target for the corridor assembly through the transition, making sure the assembly can follow a target.
If the featureline has the proper vertical info and it updates automatically when the corridor changes, can't I just add the featureline to the surface?
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
Well, we don't have a transition editor. Usually we would just start the next assembly at the same station where the previous one ends, unlike yours where you have a gap. Feature lines do not connect across a gap, like you have. For your scenario, I don't see any need for a gap, but even as you have one, you said the surface appears to be ok and that's the important thing. Having a gap in the corridor is generally fine, except for ta few circumstances.
I looked at your drawing, and you won't be able to use superelevatio nwith the basic subassemblies. You'l need the LaneSuperelevationAOR.
So I copied the assembly, modified the copy so that there was no longer a curb and attached the shoulder (that was previously connected to the curb) to the EOP.
Don't do this. Use Conditional subassemblies with one master Assembly to make subassemblies appear and disappear as desired...
Thank you both for your advice. Please don't take anything in this message as me trying to convince you that I'm right -- as that's DEFINITELY not the case. I'm trying to make sure I understand how to use this program to its fullest potential. My boss has me scheduled for an actual training class in May. But that's the earliest availability they have and in the meantime, I'm trying to do the best I can to do what I need to get done.
It sounds like you're both saying I should use one assembly for my entire corridor if I want the corridor to automatically draw the feature lines and correctly do the volume calcs.
In the case of the first issue I asked about (where I was going from curb to no curb), I can't really have two assemblies at the same station--one showing curb and the other showing no curb. That causes the contours to make a real mess. one assembly wants the FG to be higher than the other assembly at the same station. How can that be a good thing?
At my previous job, I used InRoads with MicroStation and I worked on a massive project that included 5 miles of highway in which the NJ Turnpike was being widened from a divided highway with 3 lanes in each direction to a bifurcated highway with 6 lanes in each direction and a BUNCH of different end conditions. If I had to do that with ONE assembly that contained every possible end condition, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to manage.
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
I realized something late last night about the NJ Turnpike scenario that I mentioned. I hated the fact that every some minute detail changed, I had to create a whole new template (that's what InRoads calls them--Civil 3D calls them Assemblies). There were many times that I would LOVE to have been able to make my change and have the rest of the template continue on. And I think that having it all in one Assembly will allow for that.
Thanks for all the advice!
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
Matt is right, the featureline elevations will not dynamically update when the corridor is edited as I stated in the thread you cited. Featureline behavior is different when used with corridors vs. gradings. You'd have to manually edit the featureline to update the corridor.
You mention how InRoads automatically links like codes across transitions. Civil 3D used to do that but it was disabled in 2011 for reasons I don't know. Currently there is no built-in provision for transitions in the software, so we are left to ourselves to come up with workarounds.
You wondered about adding featurelines to the corridor surface. You can do that but you won't have subsurface materials in the volume calcs or corridor components in the cross sections in those areas.
I'm not an InRoads user but I know there are ways to configure it's templates to respond to variable conditions (which is what C3D conditional assemblies are for). From what I've seen in demos and videos I've always believed their templates could do everything C3D can and more.
Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician
I've experimented with a technique that allows you to apply different regions and assemblies independently to the edges of the lanes rather than working from the centerline outward. It provides much more control for varying conditions across the roadway and along the edges without having to create numerous conditional branches on your assemblies.
I've not used it enough to say it doesn't have any issues but it might be worth considering in cases where things get too messy using the traditional approach.
Here is a link to the topic: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Civil-3D/How-to-model-corridor-from-edge-toward-centerline/td-.... The latter part of the thread is the most relevant.