QUESTION # 1.  What tool should I use to store my chain, once I have created or stored the elements, (lines, curves & spirals)?  Should I use the old "Store Graphics" tool or the new "Store Chain" tool?

When you use Store Chain, COGO decodes the actual COGO element names from the graphical element, throws the element away and uses the name to retrieve the double precision data from the GPK file.

When you use Store Graphics, this tool uses the actual graphical element, and will not see the COGO element names encoded on it, thus storing Single precision elements.

Note that the "visualized elements" are NOT "Double precision".  They are double precision in the GPK file only.

QUESTION # 2.  What is the "Tangent Distance" referring to when using the old "Graphic Element Based" Horizontal Alignment tool for an SCSCS curve set?

QUESTION # 3.  Occasionally, some of my "layed out" cross-sections are cut off at the bottom.   What is the reason?

QUESTION # 4.  When activating the "Drive Through" application, have you ever experienced your view looking like you're at the edge of the world?   Sometimes you can barely see past the end of your nose.   Ray Shumway suggests a work around for this dilemma:

• Kill the "Drive Through" window.

 
• Bring up the MicroStation "Fly Through Producer" window: Utilities>Render>Fly Through and set the Back Clip Distance to 5000, as shown.

 
• Save Settings and Exit the file.

 
• Open the file again and activate the "Drive Through" application again.

QUESTION # 5.  Sometimes when I use Draw Transition, the offsets are not exactly correct.

TYPICAL KEY-IN:	"WORK AROUND" KEY-IN:

QUESTION # 6.  The dimensions that I placed in my cross section file do not appear in my "layed out" cross section file.   As a result, my 11 x 17 sheets are missing the dimensions that I so carefully drew.   What's up?

TYPICAL KEY-IN:

If you did not know this prior to attempting to layout your dimensioned cross sections, and you don't really want to re-dimension everything...fear NOT!   Try this:

• Open the original cross section file that contains the dimensions and turn off everything but the dimensions.
• Fit the view and select all of the dimensions using the MicroStation "Element Selection" tool.
• Use the MicroStation "Drop Element" tool and toggle Dimensions ON.
• Data point the screen and all dimensions should now be simple MicroStation lines and text.
• Open the layout cross sections input file and make sure that the level of these lines and text is included in the levels to plot.

QUESTION # 7.  What is the best way to store a chain that is just a straight line?

Key in the COGO command as shown above, where "b" is the name of the chain to be stored.   Points 400 and 401 designate the stored points at the ends of the chain and "12+000" is the beginning station of the chain to be stored.

QUESTION # 8.  Is there an easy way to store a new profile that is parallel to a previously stored profile?

Method 1.  Using the COGO pulldowns, select Element > Profile > Offset.  The subsequent "Geopak Offset Profile dialog will appear.  Select the Source Profile, type in the Target Profile.  Key-in the station range for adjustment and the amount of shift.  When finished click on the "add" icon (top right) and click on Create Profile.

Method 2.  The syntax is [S] [pro] [new profile name] [from] [previously stored profile name] [increment value].   The example below illustrates storing a new profile named UP from a previously stored profile named VERT.   Profile UP will be exactly parallel, and 0.25 meters higher than profile VERT.

Note: whether the shift is up or down, the + or - sign needs to be included in the syntax.

QUESTION # 9.  Is there an easy way to store/place the "e" value under the curve data drawn by the D&C Manager?

Note: You may also create an ASCII input file for loading into COGO that contains the e values for all the curves of your chain and store them all at once.

This would be done via the COGO pulldowns, File > Load [input file] and Edit > Read All.