DTM sections

[Robert Ruggles]

I'm having difficulty creating sections through a DTM. I need accurate cut and fill volumes with multiple sections. The site is large with 80 meter vertical change. After many hours trial and error I have no results except for flat sections in large boxes or compacted small sections. I have tried manipulating the dialoge boxes with no success. Is anyone truely experienced with complex DTM in VW? Documentation is still missing on creating boundaries. Still cannot get the boundary to limit the DTM as discussed in #70790 - 12/17/06 08:52 PM. Perhaps this is the wrong software for sitework.

[Robert Anderson]

Robert, can you narrow down your statement of a problem?

1. Are you getting a DTM from your source data?

2. What features of the dialog boxes aren't working for you?

3. Are you using site modifiers to create a Proposed and Existing site for cut and fill?

4. Boundaries do work -- select your site model, choose the Enter Group command, draw your boundary with a polygon, choose the Exit Group command, and you should see your Site Model "cropped" to the shape you just drew.

[Robert Ruggles]

Thanks for the quick response.

1. Original file is from Civil Engineers AUTOCAD file. After importing and attempting to work with that file, I have chosen to draft 2D polys over the top of the countours and created 3D polys in a new file for the DTM (tip from VW podcast!). The file is smaller and faster with less crash.

2. I'm really not sure what features are not working. I'm simply trying to get a profile to present with no luck. I've tried default setting, and manipulated each setting, no luck. Scale factor is 1000, vertical magnifier 1, horizontal margin 1 vertical margin 1. My profile does not look like the book. It looks flat with arching numbers bunched together.

3. Yes, since I haven't tried DTM in some years, I'm trying simple stuff 1st. A fence and a pad. Keep in mind I have not been able to create a decent section from the existing model, either from Engineers DWG file or my redraft of the contours per manual.

4. I would like to get the boundary to work. I'm unfamiliar with "Enter Group". Is this the same as "Edit Group"?

[Robert Ruggles]

Using "Edit Group" and following your instructions, the boundary tool works.

[Robert Ruggles]

Still no success on creating an accurate site section. Help!

[Robert Anderson]

Site Model Section appears to be working on my version of VW 12.5. Try drawing a polygon along the alignment you want to section, selecting it, and running the Site Model Section command. The Scale factor should be set automatically from the scale setting of your active design layer. Try giving it a vertical magnifier of 10. Set your station points to draw at a fixed interval, say 25 or 50'.

[Robert Ruggles]

Site Model section is now working after taking 3D polys into new file - old file crashed 3x. File size is now 1.8MB with no other info than source 3D poly. Selecting 2D polygon only for creating section seems to be very important (do not select section line and model). Vertical magnifier is 1 after several tries at 10, 5, 2 and 1. Text is no longer "flying" above the section box.

Notes:

1. I have the source Data grouped, this seems irrelevant to DTM.

2. Just curious, why use a polygon instead of a line to create the section plane? Most drawing conventions treat sections as a linear. Using polygon tool a single click followed by a double click to finish a straight polygon merely creates a line and will not let the section command work, one gets error "Invalid Selection: Please selcta an object of the following type: Polygon . . ."

3. Upon commanding AEC/Terrain/Site Model Section, I get the dialoge box "Choose Site Model" with two options "Site Model" or Site Model-1". I have only one site model to my knowledge. "Site Model" will not produce proposed site section - "Site Model-1" does work.

4. Minor contours at interval 1 and Major at interval 5 display properly. Minor contours at interval 5 and Major at 10 produces minors at 10 one major interval at 50. Weird, but I'm happy the site sections are now working after lots of work.

[dspearman]

2) Site Model section can do an alignment along an irregular path. You might need this is you are doing a road profile. It can also do a section with an exagerated vertical axis. This is also needed under some circumstances. Section viewport is linear - much like an architectural section. Section viewport will update with the site model. Site Model Section will not.

3) You have an object in the file named 'Site Model'. Use custom selection (name = 'Site Model') and if not needed, delete it.

4) Major every 10th contour would give you a major at 50.