We often get the request for XLINES (as per Terramodel) in the TBC Corridor Model. There were many uses for XLINES in Terramodel, one was for reporting purposes - i.e. being able to generate earthwork reports at specific stations along a corridor, or being able to generate “cross sections” at specific locations.
We have now added a Macro tool to add the required additional stations to an Alignment that then get picked up by the Corridor Model, the Corridor Earthwork Report, the Station Offset Elevation report and the RPS Cut Sheet Reports etc. The Macro is called DefineExtraStations.
This is great for reporting needs, but does not help with drawing the lines. I use this command to establish plan locations for footings, pile ect. on bridge structures. I can put lines perpendicular to a baseline at the plan station callouts and rotate(if needed). I can then use this line, and other perpendicular lines I create to it, to offset for the rest of the bridge components.
I would like to request that you consider a TML that allows you to draw a line at specific lengths LT and RT of a line and/or alignment, at a called out station. Right now it is a process to make this happen. You have to draw a polyline, select offset line for first point and give station and an offset (I.e. 10’ RT.) to that line. Then you have to repeat this and switch the offset to the other side of the same line(I.e. 10’ LT) at the same station. This works fine, but the XLINE let you do this in one step. If there are multiple callouts and stations you want to do this with, it can become a time consuming process. It also makes it easier to input the station incorrectly for one side VS the other. This was a big feature I used constantly in Terramodel. I would love to see it make a return of sorts. As always, thank you.
I agree that there are a few things in this area that I would like to add to our package Sean.
You can draw Linestrings using a Station and Offset input which is a little quicker than the method you are using, (change it from coordinate input to Station and Offset input) then it allows you to pick the reference line and enter Station and offset values to draw the lines. The alternative is to create point data in Excel at the station and offset values and give eac point a code like STA1 for the first pair and then STA2 etc. for the second pair and then use the Station and Offset importer and then process feature codes and have a code for a line as STA and the lines will get drawn for you, however I agree that if we had a command that says
Reference Line / Alignment
Layer (unless we add to the table below)
Name
Left Offset
Right Offset
Table of Station values (and allow copy paste from Excel)
And I do wonder whether this table should allow
Station, Layer, Name
Because I feel like I would have a Layer and or name and or color difference for the following types of data
Extra Stations
Typical Section Locations
Slope Change Locations
Footing Locations
Culvert Crossings
And I also feel that these are related to the “Define Extra Stations” command in many ways so maybe this is just an enhancement to Define Extra Stations that we can draw the lines as well and define the widths?
What do you think?
Alan