Cascading Styles

[mark_kauffman]

Applications such as Word and Indesign use a function called Style Sheets to quickly assign a predefined style to text and other graphic elements within a document. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) has a similar function in HTML and Web production. This functionality is similar to the styles in InfraWorks, however, what they lack is the cascading functionality found in Web, Word and Indesign.

A cascading style sheet allows you to have a parent/child relationship between style sheets. For instance, you can have a master style whcih uses the font Times New Roman with left alignment. A child style sheet can be based on this master or parent, but have additional styling attributes whcih are independant of the master such as indentation, bold type and red coloring. If the master changes the font type, all the child styles change accordingly, but maintain their own unique styling such as the color and indentation.

An InfraWorks styling attribute should be a type of cascading style. For instance, you have a 4 lane corridor with a 12' median using asphalt. The child style migh be this, but with concrete and vegitation in the median and street lamps. This might also work for other styles such as materials, rail, barriers.

[Eric_Chappell]

Hi Mark,

Can you share the "why?". If implemented, what about this new capability would benefit you? If I'm understanding you correctly, what you want is the ability to affect multiple styles with one change, much like parent-child styles work in Civil 3D.

[RadLazic]

Eric,

Forgive me if I'm stating something obvious.

I understand Mark's suggestion to be very similar to what was implemented in Civil 3D Styles. A hierarchical structure of Settings and Styles, with the ability to create Families of Styles with Parent-child relationships regarding the values of a Style Property. In Mark's concept, the CSS would translate to a Family of Styles in Civil 3D. CSS is using XML and Java Script to define cascading (hierarchical) data structure.

The application would be: instead of having long lists of Styles that differ by one property value only, we would have them organized in cascading Families of Styles, where most properties are shared, except those overriden by different values in the "children's", style - carying all other property values from the parent style.

Rad

[mark_kauffman]

Thanks, Rad. This is a good explaination. In answer to your question, Eric, yes, like Civil 3D styles.

Where this would benefit is in how a series of styles can be manipulated in a more automated process. For instance, if I am building several roadway styles for a project where many of they are interrelated and the client ask me to switch all the sidewalks from 4 feet to 6 feet and change the paver from concrete slab to stamped concrete interlocking brick, I can change one style and have this change replcated downstream to all of the linked styles in my file, saving me time going to each style and modifying them one by one. Ultimately, this is a big time saver.

[Eric_Chappell]

Thanks @mark_kauffman and @RadLazic for the additional info and clarification. Our product team will review this information.