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CREATE RADIAL (RPs & Slope Stake) NOTES...
COGO Method
REQUIREMENTS:NOTE: If your project contains an "overlap" equation, additional editing may be required. If this is your case, please contact me for further instructions.
- A Geopak cross section file containing "search text" for use with the Red & Blue Top Report application.
- Search text (for surfacing layers) is automatically placed when processing WFL's .x30 criteria.
- If you don't have "search text" representing the "feature" that you are attempting to produce notes for, such as Proposed RPs, you will need to first draw those elements (that represent the feature) in plan view (the next step below).
- If you already have the search text (that you need) in the cross section file, then ignore requirements 2-4 below.
- A plan view design file that contains elements that represent the feature, such as Proposed RPs, or Slope Stake "tie down" points, currently referred to as "Limits of Construction".
- The file "V8_anci.inp" located under F:\V8_Resource\X_30\Standards\Input_Files
- The criteria files that are shown in the V8_anci.inp.
- If you are mapped to the F drive, the input file will access the criteria files from the server.
- If you are NOT mapped to the server, you will have to copy the applicable criteria files from F:\V8_Resource\X_30\Standards\3PC to your local drive and modify the "Include" statement paths to not look on the server.
- A GPK file that contains the chain for your design alignment.
- It would also help if you have the text editor, UltraEdit.
For a detailed explanation of automatic placement of "search text" into the cross section file, see DRAW ANCILLARY DATA ON CROSS SECTIONS, specifically see the section entitled "Traditional method for drawing ancillary data on cross sections" .
If you're attempting to create notes for radial staking the slope stake tie down points, run the application "Limits of Construction" from your cross section file. In the case of RPs, you may need to drawn those lines manually. In any case, you should use the D&C Manager, select the appropriate "Item" from the Category "define_dgn" and toggle ON Place Influence. The element symbology will match that of V8_anci.inp.STEP 2 ... Draw the cells and/or text into the cross section file using V8_anci.inp file.
Obviously, you will need to modify the names of the design files, GPK file, Chain, Pattern File and it's element symbologies etc.... in this input file.STEP 3 ... Store Points into the GPK file that represent where your pattern lines intersect the feature elements that are drawn in plan view.
Step 3 is accomplished using the Cross Section Reports routine "Red/Blue Top Report".
STEP 4 ... Use COGO to create the electronic file.You can store points directly to the GPK at the locations where those pieces of text are found. This new dialog box appears below illustrating that this user is looking for the text that is placed by RP_L.X10 and RP_R.X10, (RP search text).
NOTE: Make sure to check your GPK file and reserve points that are not currently being used. I would also suggest that you store the points (left and right) within the same integer range. For example if the left side is starting with point 1000, then set up the right side to start with point 2000 or 3000, not 200 or 300. You must also enter some character in the "Feature" field in order for the points to store into COGO.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: We have found that this particular feature of searching for text and then storing the points into the GPK file can be a bit fussy. I recommend that you check to make sure that you have the same number of points stored in the GPK for each side, (which usually should be the case). If some of the points are not being stored to the GPK, try using the "Existing Ground Line" element symbology in place of "Proposed Finish Grade" element symbology.
After completing the "Blue & Red Top Text Set" dialog, press Apply on the "Blue & Red Top Report" dialog box. The output file that can be created is not used for this, so really isn't important.
Invoke COGO. Either use the Geopak pulldowns:STEP 5 ... Open the output file using EXCEL or UltraEdit (shown here) and edit as desired... sorting, searching and replacing text... etc.
Applications > Geopak Road > Geometry > Coordinate Geometry or.... from the "Tools" dialog as shown below:
From the COGO pulldowns invoke the "Export GPK Points To ASCII Coordinate File" dialog, as shown below:
The "Export GPK Points To ASCII Coordinate File" dialog appears below:
In the dialog above... the user can customize how the output will be formatted by taking advantage of the Output Format area. There are 3 columns under "Output Format", Prefix, Text and Suffix. Each combination of "Prefix Text and Suffix" will produce it's own column of data in the output file.
Prefix... Type in a prefix or simply double click on the default Prefix and press delete to omit a Prefix. An example of a Prefix would be an N for the North(Y) column.Complete the path and file name for the output file. Optionally, the little yellow folder icon can be clicked to browse to a directory and then type in a filename.Text.......These are "combo boxes" and a variety of information can be selected for each column.
Suffix.....An example of a Suffix would be a comma or a space. If a comma is typed in, then a "comma delimited" output will be created. If a space is keyed in, then a "space delimited" format will be created. NOTE: I would suggest using a space if editing with UltraEdit.
Toggle the "combo box" below Output File to File Create if running this for the first time. The user may also add to a previously created file by selecting the other option, File Append.
I would suggest leaving the "Replace...." windows as shown.
For the notes that we will be producing... toggle the "combo box" to Use Station value stored with Point.
Select the chain from the "Chain to measure Station and Offset from" window.
Highlight the range of points to be considered. This can be done a variety of ways. I usually just data point the first point, hold the shift key down and use the vertical slide bar to slide down to the last point. Data point the last point. The range should all be highlighted.
Click on Apply.
The file (as it comes straight from Geopak) will initially be sorted by point numbers in ascending order. Additionally, you may notice that the left offset values and the right offset values do not line up exactly. The reason for this is because of the "-" sign in front of the left offset values.Most likely you will have to perform 2 quick editing steps of the output file.
- Line up the offset values
- Sort (Ascending) by Station
An example of the output file as it comes straight from Geopak is shown below, (where the left points end and the right points begin. Notice how the decimal place for the offsets do not line up.In order to align all of the right offset values with the left offset values, place your cursor just in front of the first right offset value, (10.236) click on Column Mode and click on Insert/Fill Columns as shown below:
This will bring up the Insert/Fill Columns dialog as shown below. Click in the white window and press the space bar once. Click on OK.
The offset values will now be aligned as shown below:
The next thing to do is to sort the entire file by station (Ascending order). This is done using the UltraEdit pulldowns as shown below, File > Sort > Advanced Sort/Options:
This brings up the Advanced Sort/Options dialog. Click on Ascending and Specify Start and End Column Number. Select the column numbers that you want to sort first... in my case, Column 37-46, (Stations). Select any other column ranges to sort next... in my case 1-5, (Point Numbers). Type in the column number values and click on Sort, as shown below.
An example of the sorted final results are shown below:
The surveyors should be able to use the electronic copy of this file for uploading into their instruments.
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