Creating Features from ENV and ROW Elements

This process can take place once you have an existing terrain model as well as delineated wetlands or existing row lines drawn. The intent of this process is to featurize and assign elevations to elements that need to be labeled on the cross sections. When the features are created and attached as a reference file to the cross sections they can then be annotated with the NH E Detail or NH-Preferences annotation groups.

Attach Reference Files

Open/Create the drawing to be worked on, the 12345-E-ENV, E-ROW-Lines or P-ROW

Next, Reference File Attach the drawing containing the elements to be featurized.  Live nesting should be set to 0 when attaching the env, erl, or prw files from the Prj directory.  Next, turn on all levels that are good and in the Reference file Dialog box select the reference file.  Use Tools > Merge into Master and then click in the view to copy all the elements displayed into the dgn and automatically detach the dgn reference file.

View both the Default and Default-3D models by Right Clicking and holding to get the popup menu and select View Control > Views Plan/3D.  Set the Default view active by clicking on the top of the view.  Attach the Combined.dgn as a reference file with Live Nesting set to 1.  Fit View.

Save Settings and Save the dgn.  Use File > Open to re-open the dgn.  This will make some of the 3D elements from the attached reference files visible in the Default view that were previously not displayed.  Make sure the terrain model is visible as it will need to be identified as the source of the profile elevations.

Create Features from Elements

  • Use element selector and select all elements in the drawing by clicking on Select All.  Expand the extended settings by clicking on the triangle at the right if not already expanded, use the level tab to display levels with elements in them.  Next unselect all but one level.  Start with isolating the top level first and progress through each in turn. 
    element selection dialog
  • In the Feature Definition toggle bar set the Use Active Feature button on the left and select the linear feature definition for the elements selected.  Use the Create Civil Rule Feature tool from OpenRoads Modeling workflow, Geometry tab’s, General Tools, Design Elements, drop down menu. 
    feature definition toolbar
  • Data point in the view to create the features. 
    feature creation
  • With the features still selected use the Profile From Surface tool in the Vertical group of the Geometry tools to attach elevations to the new features.  Data point on the screen to Profile the selected elements.  Next, Select the Existing terrain model by clicking on it. (do not right click to use active terrain model as this can cause problems when the features are imported and no terrain is active).  Accept through the rest of the prompts as displayed to the right to attach elevations to the features. 
    profile from surface dialog
  • Repeat these steps on each level containing elements.  If a feature definition cannot be found for selected elements that means it is not something that is normally show on the sections does not need to be featurized.  Repeat for each ROW and ENV file.

When finished, Annotate All Drawing models using the NH E Detail or NH-Preferences groups.