Alex Badaoui's Activities

Alternative approach to Corridor/Template Design - 3D Linear Method

Alex Badaoui — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 15:09:00 GMT

Fellow Engineers, Modelers, Bentley Operators, etc.

Last year in July 2017 at the 9th International Visualization In Transportation Symposium I presented an abstract detailed an alternative approach to working with Corridor/template design.

This approach is called "3D Linear Method". It is the complete opposite on what Bentley encourages in their teaching workshops, and consequently the opposite what is demonstrated by every major Department of Transport I have encountered. A brief outline on how it works:

Instead of single templates/corridors spanning the whole width of each roadway alignment, the corridors are broken up by element. 1 corridor per curb, lane, shoulder, guard rail, end condition, wall, barrier, etc. Each piece is connected to each other, eventually connecting directly or indirectly to control lines.

While this creates 100's of extra corridors, the advantages make this technique far superior to the designer, and end user (client of contractor) than the current approach for the following reasons:

1) Templates are simple, easy to create, and have no complex display rules so they are functional for the novice user

2) The same template can be re-used 1000's of times, across any project, making the data consistent 100% of the time, giving reliable consistent symbology when the data is visualized

3) The consistent nature of common templates used always simpler digital quantities to be extracted, as similar objects can be collected by symbology

4) Changes are more manageable - change only the parts you need to change, and the connectivity of all the other corridors will automatically be adjusted

5) More than 1 user can work on the same road in the same section at the same time as everything is broken into smaller pieces

6) Simpler to train - for those unfamiliar with a 3D environment, this 3D Linear Method is identical to criteria

7) Processing is substantially reduced - it is quicker to process 100's of small corridors with no complex rules than 1 or 2 massive corridors with lots of display rules by a factor of 10.

This technique has been implemented across every designer I have worked directly with in Illinois over the past 4 years, and there has been 3 distinct reactions:

a) Those with some 3D knowledge embraced it fully, recognizing that this is the ONLY way to utilize the software, no exceptions

b) Those with minimal or zero 3D knowledge dismissed it entirely, citing "This is not the way Bentley teaches it"

c) Those with medium experience recognize its power, and use a toned down version of 3D Linear method - they build templates that span all lanes, 1 for shoulders, then 1 for end conditions, for example.

Overall it has been received positively from those who understand the software's limitations, and widely used across Illinois Tollway I-294 project currently underway.

This modeling technique has caused quite a controversy here from the State Government in Illinois (IDOT) due to the radically different approach. So I wanted to hear from the greater community regarding this technique.

If you would like to contact me directly about this, feel free to do so:

Alexander Badaoui, PE: P 312.467.0123 | abadaoui@terraengineering.com

The presentation I made showing this in more detail is found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se8oQvVNw_w&feature=youtu.be

The attached PDF is a summary of the abstract presented.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7jwku3ns2cu7aql/Abstract%20-%20Developing%20Visualization%20Transportation%20Models%20-%203D%20Linear%20method.pdf?dl=0

This was geared towards a non-technical audience. The following power point below is more technically driven, detailing how the naming convention operates in Illinois:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dxq9nrm5z5vc63i/2018-03_AB%20to%20IBUG_May%202018%20-%20Part%201.pptx?dl=0

Thanks in advance for your feedback on this technique.

ERROR When trying to create an excel template

Christopher Allworth — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 23:50:10 GMT

When i try to create an excel template I get the following error:

Failed to write template data. Failed to initialize Excel components. Please make sure that supported Excel version is properly installed on this computer.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled both PW and MS Office multiple times. Any ideas on how to fix this?

Export to Excel in PW CONNECT -get this failed to get template data. Failed to read Excel template. Failed to get environment information

Karsten Evans — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:36:59 GMT

I tried Export to Excel in PW CONNECT on V8i datastore (NR) and get this failed to get template data. Failed to read Excel template. Failed to get environment information.

Are there any supplied template? What needs to be in them?

Also using Office 365.. which is why I had to update to PW CONNECT as PW V8i doesn't integrate with Excel 365. :-(

not sure PW CONNECT does either as its crash upon crash or forever waiting with spin icon.

Anyone got an example of what Export to Excel does?

I've been using Copy Data using Tab and the Send To using links to create Excel sheet with PW links to DRGs, MODs since 2015.
These excel sheets are then sent to CAD techs etc to use to reference relevant models.

What does Export to Excel produce?

FDOT Truetype Text Fonts

Traffic Draftsman — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 20:55:50 GMT

Is it possible to do a plus or minus symbol in Microstation Truetype font?

Mass Synchronize all templates in DGN with template library

Alex Badaoui — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 20:52:52 GMT

Looking for a way, either a natural tool, or custom macro, that allows a user to synchronize ALL templates within ALL corridors of a DGN all at once?

It seems rather cumbersome to synchronize 1 template at a time, from each corridor. Large projects will produce 100's of corridors, so any automated speedy way will be great.

Thanks.

Pattern or Hatch Area from Surface Feature

Alex Badaoui — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:53:23 GMT

I recently discovered the option of adding "Pattern/Hatch" properties to an element template.

This got me thinking that I could add them to an element template, link this element template to a surface feature, then when using this surface feature on an open component the visualized data will show a hatch pattern. This hatch pattern can be used for pavement plans and simpler area quantities.

But that plan did not work. When adding this property to the element template, and using it in the feature definition of a surface feature, a hatch or pattern did not appear.

Can this be done or not - use a template drop in a corridor to produce a hatch surface area from an open component? Very useful if it can be.

I am using PowerGEOPAK 08.11.09.904

Thanks.

[ORD R2] Doubling corridor elements

Krzysztof Jedrych — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 09:27:24 GMT

Hi,

there is an ORD's problem which I cannot solve for a very long time and since I did not get any response from Bentley on my SR the Communties is my last chance. I implemented ORD in quite a big project (12km of expressway) so we have plenty of road models. Most of them after reproccessing the corridor leave old elements. Sometimes these are lines, sometimes mesh components and sometimes everything. It's very annoying because I cannot find the reason for this and almost everytime it's something different. I thought that maybe clipping elements mess with corridor functionality (they do but in a different way), but after few tests I have excluded them as a reason of doubling corridor elements. Our team is terribly frustrated of losing precious time because most of the times the only solution is to make a new clean, file, which will be infected after few weeks or even days.

Is there anyone who had similar issues or knows something about this defect? I would be grateful for any reponse.

Regards

Krzysztof Jędrych

Good Idea!

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 13:55:41 GMT

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What If...

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 02:08:43 GMT

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Mass corridor-reattach corridors to new alignments

Alex Badaoui — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 02:11:56 GMT

When an alignment is deleted or it’s reference is lost and needs to be reassigned to a corridor, currently only one corridor at a time can be reattached to a new alignment via the command “CORRIDOR-REATTACH”. If this could be done in bulk by pre-selecting a series of corridors and running the same command to have them all reattach to the same new alignment that would be beneficial and save a lot of processing time.

Mass sync all selected templates via element information (properties)

Alex Badaoui — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 02:08:42 GMT

At the moment only 1 template drop can be synchronized with the template library at one time. A useful function would be to select all template drops, bring up properties via element information, and sync all the templates at once.

ConceptStation: Model pavement (roadway) separate from end conditions. Reduce 100's of templates to 20-40 reusable templates.

Zane Pratt — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 15:28:46 GMT

There is a new approach to corridor modeling gaining traction around the country. A modular approach to modeling, It is much easier to model a project in little simple pieces that are flexible then giant complicated full width templates and corridors. This is coming for a designer with many years of experience. ConceptStation would be more efficient if the roadway pavement was modeled separate from the end conditions. Currently there are hundreds of templates for all the different combined lane configurations with end conditions. If there is any special areas like a wall on the right side and curb and gutter on the left , you have to go make a custom template. Which, by the way you can't save for the next project. My proposal would reduce the pavement templates to about 20+ and the end condition templates to about 20+. These 40+ templates could be used on 99% of projects. Much easy to deal with then the current situation.

Solution: Create pavement templates for one side of the roadway, including all different lane situations. Create end condition templates including walls, curb, sidewalk, ditches and slopes. When applied, these templates can be reflected to either the left or right side.

When placing a roadway alignment, four corridors would be created. Roadway pavement right, roadway pavement left, end condition right and end condition left. This would be created automatically. The user selects the pavement situation left and right and the end condition situation left and right instead of just one full width template. By having this feature, the designer can change lane configurations separately along the alignment right and left. The end conditions (walls,curb,ditches, barrier, fill) can be controlled separately along the alignment as well. Very few templates with a greater flexibility. Keep it simple!!

Corridor reattach multiple corridors

Alex Badaoui — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 19:15:21 GMT

Is there a way to do corridor-reattach on multiple corridors? Via script, input dialog, or other mechanism. Can be very handy as a bulk mechanism in the event an alignment is deleted.

Current workflow to reduce processing is:

1) Lock all corridors

2) do corridor-reattach for each corridor

3) Unlock corridors and they auto-process again

It would be nice if this was a one-step process.

Thanks.

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Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:47:24 GMT

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TERRAIN MODEL EDITS NOT HELD

Andrew Kempe — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 23:47:47 GMT

I have a Terrain Model created from multiple Fieldbooks and appended using the "Create Complex".

I've managed to delete all the pieces of DTM's from each day, and have the one final DTM.

I have made several edits, like deleting triangles along the edge and adding some features.

I played with the Contour interval to locate rod busts.

Certain editing commands, or maybe toggling on and off triangles have caused my edits to revert.

I have no more Fieldbooks, they have been "STRIPED", yet my edits are not always being held.

Why?

Should I export to Land XML and re-import, then work on this surface?

I have toggled the "de-activate rules" back and forth to see if this is the problem.

Are my edits becoming "rules".

I can't find any video or help on this problem.