'Create Roads from Stakes...' not working

[Tom W.]

I'm struggling to get the 'Create Roads from Stakes...' command to work.

 

I draw a polyline + add the stations to it + that works fine. I then align the stations vertically + that works fine. But when I run the ‘Create Roads from Stakes…’ command things go wrong.

 

Firstly, in VW Help it says “Select the center polyline or any of the station points, and select the command. The Create Road from Stakes dialog box opens.” But if I try + run the command having selected one of the station points I get an error message saying “This command requires a single selected polyline that has been used with the ‘Station on Polyline…’ command.”

 

Ok that’s fine I can use the polyline, it’s just a bit strange that it says you can use one of the stakes but then it gives you an error message.

 

So I select the polyline instead + this time the ‘Create Road from Stakes’ dialog box opens. But if I select to create a single Roadway (Poly) object it will create the road but it will be aligned with the ground plane, not with the stakes/stations.

 

If I instead select to create a set of Roadway (Curve) + Roadway (Straight) objects I get a load of ‘Radius of Roadway (Curved) is too small’ messages + the road isn’t created (the radius is not too small by the way).

 

I have tried this countless times in different files + on different site models + have restarted VW a few times too + on ONE occasion the road was created correctly on the plane defined by the stations, but only that one time + I can’t really see what the variables might be that would cause it to work this one time + not the others.

 

Am I missing something or is there something wrong with VW?

 

Thanks

Edited March 28, 2021 by Tom W.

[Rossford]

What kind of polyline are you drawing? I don't see it listed in the help section, but I think you can only use cubic vertex, or maybe arc tangent mode, but not Bezier, when creating a road via polyline.

[Tom W.]

2 minutes ago, Rossford said:

What kind of polyline are you drawing? I don't see it listed in the help section, but I think you can only use cubic vertex, or maybe arc tangent mode, but not Bezier, when creating a road via polyline.

Thanks @Rossford you're correct but I don't think the polyline is the problem. The 'Station on Polyline...' command works fine + then the 'Align Stakes Vertically...' command works fine as well. It's just the 'Create Roads from Stakes...' command which isn't working as it should. Even with a completely straight polyline it still creates the road on the ground plane + not aligned with the stations... From VW Help: "The road follows the centerline polyline, and is set to the elevations specified by the stakes." Not for me it isn't. For me the road is created flat on the ground plane underneath the site model, ignoring the stakes/stations above...

Hmmm...

@Tamsin Slatter do you have any thoughts?

[Jeff Prince]

Are your stakes and road related objects on a design layer the site model is listening too?  Does the behavior change if you put those objects the site model’s design layer?

[Tom W.]

Good point but yes the site model was set to listen to the correct layer + no, placing the polyline + stakes on the same layer as the site model didn't change the behaviour.

 

BUT I have now cracked it:

 

When you run the 'Create Roads from Stakes...' command the road is created on the ground plane like I said but if you then go to the O.I.P. + disable 'Create Pad for Site Model’ the road will rise to meet the stakes. Then you can re-enable 'Create Pad for Site Model’ + proceed as normal.

 

I assume this is bug?

[E|FA]

26 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

I assume this is bug?

If so, submit here: http://www.vectorworks.net/support/bugsubmit

[Tom W.]

Ok I'm going to submit my first bug! If you discover a bug does it get named after you? 🙂

[Jeff Prince]

Admittedly, I hadn't used the road tool in some time.  So, I just laid out a long driveway as a test and it seems to work fine.  I wonder if there is something strange going on with your particular config.  I'm on VWX 2020 SP5.

 

 

[Tom W.]

Thanks for checking did you create that road using the 'Create Roads from Stakes...' command in Landmark>Roads or did you create a Roadway (Poly) then use 'Send Stations to Surface...' + ‘Align Stations Vertically…’ in the O.I.P.? When I do it the second way I have no problem, it's when I use the Landmark menu commands I have the weirdness happening. But like you, I used this before some months ago + don't remember any issues with it. But I have tried different files + site models + the current behaviour is pretty consistent...

I've just realised I'm on SP6 not SP4