Topic: Intersection Labels in Profiles

[dfarris75]

This topic came up at cadtutor and I haven't been able to figure this out. How to create a profile label that will perhaps include the road profile station & elevation as well as the intersecting road profile station & elevation. I thought you could accomplish this in a profile view label style using reference text, but thus far I cannot produce one that does. In fact I'm not even sure how to do a label that will automatically grab the elev of the current profile at a given station. The standard label style wants the user to give it the station and then pick the elevation as opposed to just using the elev of the profile.

[mjfarrell]

The prompt is confusing you....if you JUST CLICK the label uses that elevation...whereever you entered you first pick point.

[kc27315]

I tried it, and dfarris75 is right.  If I'm just adding a station and elevation (that displays in a small box), then I'm prompted first to enter the station (or just click somewhere to add that station), and second, I'm then prompted to give an elevation.  If I then just click again, then the elevation is taken from wherever I clicked the second time.

However, dfarris75 is actually talking about a different kind of label.  Not the one that's in a small rectangle, but rather the one that shows up automatically when you draw a finish grade profile.  This one has a vertical bar that extends from the profile upward.  On the left hand side (and also vertical) is the station and type of point--for instance, "12+56.64 P.V.I." or "12+56.64 P.C.".  And on the right, the elevation shows up--for instance, "CR 4271.52". 

How do you add one of those types of labels to a profile (at a station of your choice) without changing the geometry of the alignment or profile?  I'd like to be able to type my own note--for instance, instead of "P.V.I." I might want to type "Intersection" or "Subdivision Boundary".  I would like that label to be dynamic just like the rest so that if I change the geometry of a profile, I want the station of my custom label to remain the same, but I want the elevation it displays to reflect the change made to the profile.

Any thoughts.

Thanks, kc27315

[mjfarrell]

That can be done either with the Profile Label Set, or the user can create a custom Label under Profile View Styles.

The Prompts are to first select the Station, and then the Elevation (If you are labeling a specific spot SNAP to it) You can key in, either the Station OR elevation and it will use those values.

[kc27315]

I went under Profile label set and attempted to edit the Standard Label Set, but the only "Type"'s that were available were Major Stations, Minor Stations, Horizontal Geometry Points, Lines, Grade Breaks, Crest Curves, and Sag Curves.  I do not find an option to add Intersections.

Can you give me some details of what you had in mind. 

[mjfarrell]

OK, let us try to define INTERSECTION.

By intersection, are you talking about where the tangents and or vertical curves meet?  (A Point of Intersection, or PI)
This happens in the Profile Label Set

OR by intersection are you talking about were two pipes intersect? (Invert=x.xx)
This would happen with a Profile View Label Style



Or draw us a version with dumb lines and text, to get us pointed in the proper direction?

[kc27315]

Oh, sorry for the confusion.  I'm talking about the point where two roads (and therefore, two alignments) meet.  I can find the station where they meet by using an alignment label, and then go to the profile to draw it in by hand as I've done in the picture.  Or I could just like a particular station, and want to give it a label for some reason. 

[kc27315]

FYI, if I create a PI in an alignment, the appropriate label automatically shows up in my Finish grade profile, but I also want to display the point where two roads intersect without having to draw the label by hand.  Do you know how to do this?

Thanks for responding and for your help.  kc27315

[mjfarrell]

Here is were we use C3D against itself, like a Ninja we trick C3D into revealing the information we desire without doing anything.

Observe that when one creates the profile view, that C3D will display the "Grid at Horizontal Geometry Point"
This grid line in ones Profile View can be used to great Effect to assist in designing ones Vertical geometry through intersects, and provide the user with the desired Label, and or Label Location Snap Point. An this all happens as a side effect of how C3D works, not the user in true Ninja fashion the enemy defeats himself.

Try this for example, Draw Two  straight alignments Perpendicular to each other forming a Cross. Now, imagine that your design task is to push a typical section down both alignments; blending or waring the crown out of the section through the intersection. The Ninja trick is to Edit the Alignment Geometry, inserting a PI at the station the Crown is to begin warping out, at the actual Intersection with the crossing Alignment, and at the End Station of the warp on the other side of the Intersection. When the Profile is created the "Grid at Horizontal Geometry Point" Lines will be there such that the user knows the actual begin and end station of the warps, and the Point Of Intersection with the Crossing Alignment, all for no effort C3D did it all for you, and All you did is Click! With this knowledge the user soon uses this Technique when creating all alignments.

[kc27315]

I've considered inserting a PI in my alignment at the intersection, so that the profile view shows a label at that station (then I could just edit the text of that label).  The problem is that my particular intersection is located along a horizontal curve, and C3D won't allow me to insert a PI along a horizontal curve.  Any other suggestions?

kc27315

[mjfarrell]

Sure, construct that alignment from a polyline with two arc segments. (And the go to the Subscription and log your complaint about Reference Text Not working correctly in Profile View Label Styles. I'll post an example later showing the problem)

[kc27315]

I tried your advice, and it works.  Thank you.  The label shows up as a PCC, as expected.  I can just change the text to what I need from there. 
Most of the time, however, someone else will have already drawn the alignment, and started working on the profile for me.  Is there a quick way of inserting a PCC into a horizontal curve on an alignment without having to redraw the entire alignment, or having to worry about your profiles being destroyed?

Thanks for your help.  kc27315

[mjfarrell]

I advise the following.

All base Geometry is either A) Queried Into C3D and converted into Alignments, Feature Lines, Etc
Or B) Attached as an XREF and converted into Alignments, Feature Lines, Etc <see Command Prompt>

Then when one needs this trick the underlying geometry is unadulterated in the Source File (XREF), and can be quickly used as a Fig should one need create OTHER alignments during the modeling process. Keep in mind that not ALL alignments show up in the plan view window. (Like the Deadly Effective Ninja PI Alignment as used above)

See the Data Migration tutorial on my site, to see this in action.

[dfarris75]

I was revisiting this topic just now and came up with another thought. I wanted to have a label, or at least a tick that marked where the intersections are, but I didn't want one at every horizontal geometry point. After some pondering I decided perhaps adding a station equation with the same back and ahead station assigned would perfectly suit. This way I have a little more control over the display.

I wonder, do later releases have something more favorable for labeling intersections in profile view?

[mjfarrell]

I was revisiting this topic just now and came up with another thought. I wanted to have a label, or at least a tick that marked where the intersections are, but I didn't want one at every horizontal geometry point. After some pondering I decided perhaps adding a station equation with the same back and ahead station assigned would perfectly suit. This way I have a little more control over the display.

I wonder, do later releases have something more favorable for labeling intersections in profile view?

You haven't been smoking from the Subscription Pipe have you?