Page Comparison

Alignment Name

Name of the current alignment. If changed, the name in the tree will be changed when it is saved. This is also the name that will appear in all the drop-down menus.

Alignment Type

There are four alignment types; Horizontal, Horizontal/Vertical, Road and Pipes. In the first case, only the two first tabs are visible; the raw alignment and the horizontal curves. The three others also show the vertical curves.  The road and pipes types are used by VisionCivil Pro.

Save

Save the current alignment.

Validate points

Validates whether there is a point in the Vision database at the PIs of the alignment and associates it with the alignment.

Create points

Creates points in the Vision database at the points of the horizontal alignment.

Report

Displays a report about the current alignment horizontal and vertical curves. The report can be saved in text format with options at the bottom of the report.

Invert

Used to swap the start and end of the current alignment.

Reset

Completely empties the alignment in order to start from scratch.

Starting values: Chaining

Defines the current alignment initial chaining.

Starting values: Elevation

Defines the current alignment initial elevation.

Table

You can browse between tabs by clicking or using the dropdown menu's options. The columns are described in the following tables. The Horizontal Alignment section automatically fits to the PI. The Vertical Alignment section must, however, be defined by the user if need be (or automatically if 3D is checked and you are using the "Pick Polyline" button).

Import LandXML

Imports an XML file containing an existing alignment.

Export LandXML

Exports the current alignment as an XML file.

Pick points

Used to choose a point directly in the main window instead of entering the coordinates manually.

Pick polyline

Used to choose a polyline directly in the main window instead of entering the coordinates manually. This button lets you have a Z even if the polyline is 2D. The altitude, on the other hand, will be entered at the PI, not the vertical curve.

Max. Length

Used to set a maximum length for a segment of the horizontal alignment, based on the vertical alignment. This option is applied only if the option 3D is checked.

3D

Used to define an alignment as being 3D. When this happens, a vertical alignment is needed for it to be drawn as 3D. This option only affects the drawing.

Line

Draw

Used to draw the current alignment.

Erase

Used to erase the current alignment.

No

Sequential number in the current alignment.

Name

Point number in the Vision database.

X

X coordinate of the point.

Y

Y coordinate of the point.

Z

Z coordinate of the point.

PCode

PCode of the point.

Type PI

Choose between "PI" (point), "PI_Arc" (arc), "PI_Spi" (spiral), and "PI_SAS" (spiral-arc-spiral). See description below.

PI

In the alignment, the PI is a vertex.

N/A

PI_Arc

In the current alignment, the PI supports a curve (an arc element) whose radius of curvature needs to be defined. A positive radius turns clockwise.

PI_Spi

In the current alignment, the PI supports a spiral. Its length and minimum radius must be defined, and the "Enter Spiral" box must be checked if it is one. A positive radius turns clockwise.

PI_SAS

In the current alignment, the PI supports a spiral-arc-spiral combination. The spiral's length and the minimum radius must be defined. (The length is often used symmetrically.) A positive radius turns clockwise.

Load CSV file (NXYZ)

Used to import a raw alignment from a CSV text file. The ordering of the elements must be the point number, the X, Y coordinates, and finally the elevation.

Save as CSV file (NXYZ)

Used to export a raw alignment in the form of a CSV text file. The ordering of the elements will be the point number, the X, Y coordinates, and finally the elevation.

Best fit horizontal

Generates the horizontal curve to fit the requested parameters.

Horizontal parameters

List of parameters for finding the best horizontal curve.

Minimum points: Minimum number of points to generate a segment (the higher the number, the fewer segments there will be; the algorithm will try to force the lines to have the necessary number of points).

Minimum length: Minimum length of the segments.

Maximum perpendicular distance: Maximum distance between one point and the segment of the generated horizontal curve.

Minimum radius: When interpolating arcs, the minimum radius that a curve can have.

Maximum radius: The maximum radius to look for before considering segments to be straight.

Minimum angle of deflection (deg): Difference in the minimum angle that two contiguous segments must have.

Force tangent (add curve): Force the alignment to create curves between two straight segments.

Global fit: If the horizontal curve exists, tries to move the curve to better match it to the raw alignment's points. Do not use while forcing tangents.

Maximum iterations: Maximum number of iterations to run during a global fit before stopping the process; avoids excessively long calculations.

Shows a preview of the horizontal alignment

List of parameters for finding the best vertical curve.

Minimum points: Minimum number of points to generate a segment (the higher the number, the fewer segments there will be; the algorithm will try to force the lines to have the necessary number of points).

Minimum length: Minimum length of the segments.

Maximum perpendicular distance: Maximum distance between one point and the segment of the generated horizontal curve.

Curvature tolerance: Minimum difference in curvature so that two contiguous parabolas are not considered to be the same parabola.

Minimum difference in slope (%): Minimum difference in slope between two contiguous segments.

Force tangent (add parabola): Force the alignment to create curves between two straight segments.

Global fit: If the horizontal curve exists, tries to move the curve to better match it to the raw alignment points. Do not use while forcing tangents.