Understanding Plan View Override Elements

For some time now, the .x30 version of the Federal Lands Highway's criteria scripts have incorporated what we refer to as "Plan View Overrides". Plan View Overrides are simply MicroStation elements, (lines, line strings, arcs) and are drawn with the Design and Computation Manager, and drawn in the GEOPAK "Lines" file. These elements are used to "override" the default station range and redefinable variable(s) set within your Project Manager "run". See more information about the Project Manager runs.

Soon, this method will replace the current MVBA application that tapers a limited number of features.

Some of these Plan View Override elements have adhoc attributes associated with them, and some do not.

NOTE: See Adhoc Attributes Manager for more information about adhoc attributes and managing the values.

Plan View Overrides first appeared with the development of the Cut and Fill Slope category in D&C Manager, where you could draw an element right or left of centerline at a designated Rise:Run slope. The expanded list of items from this category is shown below:

Screen shot

These plan view overrides give the designer the ability to set the cut or fill slope of a cross section (or range of cross sections) by selecting one of the pre-set slope values (1:100 to 100:1) or by selecting one of the following other items:

  • Bench Cut. When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a bench cut in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the Bench Cut Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • Custom Slope. When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a custom cut/fill slope in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the Custom Slope Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End slope. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one Rise:Run slope to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginSlope value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • Forced Slope Tie. This item does not have any adhocs associated with it. This item is drawn at whatever offset is desired for the slope stake tie down point, (catch point).

The items previously discussed (above) have been available for some time. The ability to "taper" or "warp" some of them has only been available since September 2006, and as mentioned earlier... only with GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

In September 2006 many more Plan View Override elements were added to the Design and Computation Manager and .x30 criteria. A completely new category was created for D&C Manager under the Plan View Overrides category named (due to lack of imagination) Misc. This category and the items contained within are shown below:

Screen shot

A brief explanation of each is shown below:

  • ShoulderFore slope (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a custom shoulder foreslope in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the ShoulderFore slope Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End slope. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one Rise:Run slope to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginSlope value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • SubExcavation (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a subexcavation depth in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the SubExcavation Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End depth. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one depth to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginDepth value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • DitchForeslope (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a custom ditch foreslope in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the DitchForeslope Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End slope. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one Rise:Run slope to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginSlope value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • DitchForeslope Height (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a ditchforeslope height in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the DitchForeslopeH eight Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End height. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one height to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginHeight value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • FlatBottomDitch Width (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing a flat bottom ditch width in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the FlatBottomDitch Width Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End width. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one width to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginWidth value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • ExistPavement1 Thickness (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing the thickness of the first layer of existing pavement in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the ExistPavement1 Thickness Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End thickness. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one thickness to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginThickness value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • ExistPavement2 Thickness (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing the thickness of the second layer of existing pavement in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the ExistPavement2 Thickness Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End thickness. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one thickness to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginThickness value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot

  • ExistTopsoil Thickness (Override). When selected and drawn with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON, presents the designer with a dialog (shown below) to set the various adhocs for designing and automatically drawing the thickness of the existing topsoil in the cross sections everywhere a pattern line crosses the ExistTopsoil Thickness Plan View Override element.

    NOTE: Notice that this override item has a Begin and End thickness. The .x30 criteria (versions dated 09/06/2006 and newer) now have the ability to "taper" or "warp" from one thickness to another along the plan view override element, providing you are using GEOPAK version 08.08.02.40 or newer.

    It is now possible to change the thickness of the topsoil to be removed by simply drawing another plan view override element with different adhoc values. The thickness can be changed multiple times on the same side of the road as well. The logic with this criteria is that it reads the plan view override elements from right to left.

    Earlier versions of GEOPAK 08.05.02.* only have the ability to read the BeginThickness value.

    Click on the yellow question mark [?] (in your own dialog box) to launch "Adhoc Help" for the selected item. The result will be a complete explanation of these adhoc "names".

    Screen shot


So... now let's take this to another level...... the example below illustrates how you can use these Plan View Override elements in combination with each other.

Let's say you wanted to "taper" or "warp" the following ditch parameters:

  • Ditch Foreslope: From 30+50 (1:3) to 33+00 (1:2)
  • Ditch Depth: From 31+00 (1.5') to 33+50 (2.0')
  • Flat Bottom Ditch Width: From 31+50 (0.5') to 34+50 (4.0')

The subgrade shoulder in this area is roughly at 21.7' left of centerline.

I drew the DitchForeslope (Override) at an offset of 25' left, with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON

I drew the DitchForeslopeH eight (Override) at an offset of 26' left, with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON

I drew the FlatBottomDitch Width (Override) at an offset of 27' left, with Place Influence and Adhoc Attributes toggled ON

After processing the proposed cross section run, the cross section below was produced... do the math!:

Screen shot

So you can see that these plan view overrides are very powerful and provide flexibility never before possible. Have fun with them.