The "Component Based" Profile Design Tool:

A new optional tool for designing profiles introduced with Geopak 2000 is the Component Based Profile Design Tool. This tool is very similar to the traditional way of designing horizontal alignments graphically, pre-Geopak 2000. With this tool the user can design critical portions of the profile that are actually disconnected from each other and then fill in the disconnected gaps and store the profile similarly as you would have stored a horizontal alignment with Store Graphics.

This tool requires COGO to be active and also requires an Active Chain and an Active Profile Cell with No Gap to be selected.

Invoke the Active Chain Control (ACC) tool using the icons as shown below, or the pulldowns, Applications > Geopak Road > Active Chain Control.

The last 8 icons on the right side of the ACC dialog correspond to the 8 views available in MicroStation. Whatever view(s) that you intend to design the profile from must be set to Profile here on the ACC dialog. To set a particular view to Profile, right click on the view icon and then click on Profile.

Now... select the Component Based Profile Design Tool using the icons as shown below or the pulldowns, Applications > Geopak Road > Geometry > Layout Profiles (Component Based).

When invoked, the Component Based Profile Design Tool appears as shown below, consisting of a 2 x 2 tool frame:

This Component Based Profile Design Tool tool frame is made up 4 tool boxes, that can each be "torn off" or simply used in place. Beginning at the upper left and proceeding clockwise, they are described as follows:

Place Vertical Alignment Lines:

Place Vertical Alignment Curves:

Profile Tools:

Manipulate Vertical Alignment Elements:

These tools are self explanatory and the manual is actually written very well, so rather than re-explain the tools, I'm going to give you a short practical example (below) of using some of the tools and maybe a few cautions. The Component Based Profile Design Tool is especially useful in tight restricted situations.

Whether you choose to use the Component Based Profile Design Tool or the original Profile Generator, (VPI Based) is up to you.

The single most important thing to set up before getting started (as mentioned earlier), is to set whatever views you intend to design the profile from, to Profile. This is done by right clicking on the "View icons" (1-8) on the ACC dialog and selecting Profile.

What I'm going to attempt to do, is design a profile reasonably close to the existing ground profile shown below, using this tool to illustrate some of the differences between this and the original Profile Generator, (VPI Based).

Step 1:
First I will set the Profile symbology preferences. This is done by invoking the Dialog Graphical Profile Preferences tool.

For this example, I'll set the Tangent Lines at white and Profile Curves are yellow. This is done by double clicking on the colored line on the Graphical Profile Preferences dialog, in the Element Symbology section. When double clicked another dialog appears, (Geopak Set Feature dialog) where the user can set all normal element symbologies for lines and profiles.

Step 2:
Below... I used the Create Profile by 3 Points tool to layout the first part of an asymmetrical vertical curve.

As you can see, when a tool is selected, a subsequent dialog opens to allow for drawing a specific Radius or K Value as well as selecting whether the profile curve is intended to be a "Crest" or "Sag" curve.
Follow the prompts on your screen:

1. Enter First Point (data point or snap to the beginning of the curve to be designed).
2. Enter End Point (data point or snap to the end of the curve to be designed).
3. Enter Through Point. You should now have a rubber band effect with the ends anchored, providing you have not locked the Radius/K Value toggle.

Step 3:
Using the same tool... Create Profile by 3 Points, I created the sag vertical curve ahead.

Step 4:
Using the Create Tangent Line Unconstrained tool, I created a tangent line element from the sag curve element back.
Follow the prompts:

1. Select Vertical Alignment Element. Data point the sag element and accept it. If none of the locks are set, you will have the rubber band effect.
2. Enter End Point. Data point where the tangent element should end.

Step 5:
Using the Create Profile Curve Between 2 Elements tool, I created a profile curve element, tangent to the back crest curve and the ahead tangent element. Follow the prompts:

1. Select Vertical Alignment Element. I data pointed the back crest curve element and accepted it.
2. Select Second Vertical Alignment Element. I data pointed the tangent element ahead and accepted it.
3. Enter Through Point. Since the toggle was not locked, I had the rubber band effect. I data pointed the through point.
4. Validate Solution. Before it actually does all the trimming... it asks if you if this is the solution you want to create. Data point the screen to accept or reset to start over.

Step 6:
The last element to place is the beginning tangent element. Once again, I used the Create Tangent Line Unconstrained tool, I created a tangent line from the first crest curve.

The prompts were the same as in Step 4. I did use View 2 for snapping to the beginning of the existing ground profile, but before doing that, I had to set View 2 to Profile on the ACC dialog.

Step 7:
Store the elements as a Profile. I did this using the Store Vertical Alignment tool. When the icon is clicked another dialog prompts you for the name of the profile to Store.
Follow the prompts:

1. Select the Element. Data point the beginning tangent element.
2. Accept/Reject. To accept, data point the screen. To start over, reset. If you data point the screen, all remaining elements will highlight.
3. Accept/Reject Profile Creation. To accept, (and store the profile) data point the screen. To start over, reset.

Profile PRO is now stored in the GPK file as illustrated by COGO below. Note that the VPI stations, elevations and curve lengths are all odd lengths. If it's important for you to have these be rounded values, you have a couple of options:

1. Make an input file of the profile and edit the values manually.
2. Load the Profile into the Profile Generator, (VPI Based) and edit the values there.

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