RPS Settings
Multi-Offset Line Settings
For a full description of the Multi-Offset Line command Click Here
The Multi-Offset Line Template Settings dialog looks as follows
Defined Templates
Templates are a set of instructions that collectively define the set of offset lines that you wish to create. The instructions define a series of offset and slope, offset and elevation or offset and delta elevation pairs that are used to create the offset lines. The computed lines can have a name, a layer and they can be assigned to a surface model. You can define as many instructions in your template as you want. The number of surfaces is also unlimited so you can define both finished grade and subgrade elements all within a single template.
Templates are created using the Multi-Offset Line Templates function within RPS Settings. The Templates are stored in your RPS Settings folder within the RPSMultiOffsetLineTemplates folder. The RPS Settings Folder is defined by the File Locations settings in RPS Settings.
Within the Multi Offset Lines folder you can create sub folders and then files in which you can create your templates. There is no limit to how many folders or sub folders or files that you can create. The approach here has been created to facilitate the development of template libraries that manage the typical details from DOTs., Municipalities, specific projects, your favored defaults etc.
For example most DOTs publish standards for Curb and Gutter, Barrier, Noise Walls and other standard shape objects. In the Template system you can create the following structure
Colorado DOT Folder
Curb and Gutter Standards Folder
C&G Standards File
C&G Type 1 Template
C&G Type 2 Template
C&G Type 3 Template
Barrier Standards Folder
Barrier Standards File
Barrier Type 1 Template
Barrier Type 2 Template
Barrier Type 3 Template
You can have Folders for all of the DOTs or Municipalities that you work with as well as some generic templates for other use cases in a General Use Folder. In this way you can develop your library and use it on all your projects and also share your libraries with other team members quickly and easily.
The Defined templates browser lets you browse your library to find the Folder / Sub Folder / File and Template that you are looking for
Once you have selected a template, the template details are displayed below in the Template Viewer.
Template Viewer and Instruction Editor:
The template view is showing you instruction list for the selected template. To edit an instruction line in the template, select the line by clicking anywhere in the row of values. The currently selected row then populates the Current item information in the editor line below the template viewer.
To edit an instruction, click in the cell that you wish to change and enter the override value. The values of a template instruction include
Reference Line:
The reference line is the line from which the offsets and slopes, elevations, delta elevations are computed from. Any line can be computed from the line(s) selected to which the template is being applied, or to any other line defined within the template. There is no hierarchy or sequence in the template - any instruction can reference any other instruction in the template, and the order in which the instructions are displayed or stored is not important - i.e. you can move instructions up and down in the list without fear of breaking the template. If Reference = Source then it is referring to the lines selected to which the multi offset line template is being applied.
Each instruction that you create is referenced by the name that you define for the line e.g. FL or EOP or TFC or TBC etc. As you create each instruction, the first instruction to use FL creates line reference FL (1). The second time you use the same line name becomes FL (2) etc. All of the lines that you define get added to the potential reference line list - you can select whichever line you wish as the reference.
Note: When the Multi-Offset Line command executes, the offset of the line from the selected line for the command is determined from the template. Each line is actually computed from the selected line, not from the line name referenced as the reference line. This means that all of the lines computed are derived from the selected lines geometry. All slopes and delta elevations are computed into a delta elevation from the selected line in the same way. The only value that is nor recomputed is a specific elevation defined using =Elevation in the Vertical field of an instruction e.g. =122.35 defines a specific elevation value.
Name:
Each line defined in the instruction list is given a name. The name is made unique through the automatic addition of the (number) to the name that you input i.e. if you name a line FL it will be come FL (1) or FL (2) etc. to make it unique in the name list.
Horizontal:
This is the offset from the reference line used in the instruction. e.g., the FL would be 1.5’ from the EOP reference line.
Vertical:
This the is the vertical control for the line being created. You can enter the value as a
- Delta elevation: Enter the value as e.g. 0.5 or -0.5
- Slope %: Enter the value as 2% or -2%
- Ratio: Enter the value as 2:1 or 1:2 or -2:1 or -1:2 depending on your Run to Rise or Rise to Run settings in Project Settings.
- Specific Elevation: Enter the value as =102.36 for a specific elevation of 102.36
Layer:
You can select a layer from the pull down list of layers that exist in the current project already, or you can type in your desired layer name and the layer will be created whenever the template is used. Note that a new layer will be created in the layers section of your project and cannot currently be assigned to a layer group. If you wish to use specific layers and layer groups, define those first in your project template and then you can select the layer from the pull down list and the layer group will be automatically assigned.
Surface:
You can select the surface from the pull down list of surfaces or select “none” from the list if you do not wish this line to be added to a surface automatically. You can also type in the name of the surface that you wish the line to become a member of, and that surface will be created automatically when the template is used for the first time in a project.
Note: If you are using Takeoff workflows, the Takeoff Surfaces (Layer Based Surfaces) are created using the Categorizations assigned in the Takeoff Process. If you are creating lines that you wish to use in the Takeoff process, we recommend that you create the Layers and Layer Groups in your project template, and then categorize those layers in the Takeoff process and save your updated project template. You can then select the required layers in the layer values defined above, and then select none here for the surface. That way the lines created will be categorized and then added to the Takeoff Surfaces when you use Build Takeoff Surfaces. Alternatively, if you select a Takeoff Surface here, the lines that you create will be added as additional members to the Takeoff Surface regardless of which layers that you place them on. Either way works.
Advanced Editing Capabilities:
If you right click in the template viewer, you will be offered the following options.
- Add a Row - This adds a new row at the bottom of the instruction list to extend the template instruction list. The edit line is automatically populated with the default values (which duplicates the layer name and surface name of the instruction over which you right clicked)
- Delete a Row - Deletes the row over which you right clicked
- Move Up - Moves the row over which you right clicked up in the list
- Move Down - Moves the row over which you right clicked down in the list
- Duplicate - Duplicates the row over which you right clicked at the bottom of the list
To return to the RPS Settings Command documentation Click Here