It is very common for the roadways I work on to have a few different typical templates but that change back and forth between the templates very many times. For example the current road project I’m working on has only 3 unique templates, but I have those 3 templates referenced down the alignment over 100 times. It becomes very tedious and error-prone to have to insert each reference template one by one and select the proper template to be referenced. It would be much more concise and accurate to be able to somehow select a template that you want to create reference copies of, then type in (or paste in from excel) a list of stations where you want it to be copied to.
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Wayne
At some.point we will put a focus on Corridors - I hope that may be later this year or early 2022 - I understand the issue
Alan
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Piecing together all of the information Alan has provided me with, I have started using a method that comes as close as I think possible for what you are trying to achieve.
First I start by creating a detached instruction from centerline that is defined by an offset/elevation. I make this act as my template “controller”. I apply each template rendition as a whole number 1, 2, 3, 4, so I name them as such. Under the instruction offset portion of the, I will create a table (Controlling table you reference in your post), I will type the template number and starting station. Then I will add an end station (usually .1’ short of the next template) for the template to terminate.
Then I begin making my individual typical (This is all in the same template in your corridor). I always start by making a comment instruction. This allows you to both name and hide the typical details for faster navigating. Then I create a conditional instruction, If > Nodes horizontal Distance > Centerline distance to “control node” > and apply the range to match the typical number. So if I pick Typical number 1 my range is from 1 - 1.99. Then inside of the the conditional I add all of the unique definitions. Finally I add a conditional “End”.
Repeat this process for all of your typical (Comment>Conditional>Instructions>End). As i said before, you technically will only have 1 template for the corridor. But in that single template, you can define countless. And the switching between the numerous typical is as easy as modifying the offset table in the control code.
It took me dozens of projects to get this figured out, but now that its clicked I can model complex roadways far faster and more dynamic.
Hope this helps!
Joe M
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Joe, wow this is some pretty outside the box stuff but I am definitely picking up what you are putting down and I like it. thank you for the great tip!
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Sounds like you have cracked it Joe - good to hear
I use that approach a lot when I am building variable edge details as well - ie the core road may be one template but the edge tails need these variable approaches and this is same approach 100%- it works great but it takes some learning as you have found to perfect it
Alan
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We usually have 3 or 4 main roadway typical sections each with 2 or 3 edge details. So I have taken to using 3 independent control nodes. I set the first node as mentioned to 1 foot offset for typical #1, 2 feet offset for typical #2 and so on, then I set the second control node to 1 foot offset for right side edge detail A, 2 foot offset for edge detail B and so on, and the third control node for the left edge treatment type. That way the nested ‘if’ conditions can independently look for the main typical and the edge typicals.
Pretty soon I’ll be sending corridor surfaces directly to the field with no edits! If only a node could have a color so that its line that is created when exploding the surface is also colored… 
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