I'm finding as I continue to work with OpenRoads Designer (Connect 2018 Release 2), that it would be helpful to export a Terrain to an STM.
The functionality of the STM seems to be helpful in many ways, including being able to generate simplified contours to reduce the processing requirements during the design (using a Terrain and switching contours on and off, especially if the terrain isn't clipped extremely tightly to the corridor, seems to cause huge amounts of lag and high probability of crashing and other instability). It would also be helpful to convert point clouds to STM without the Quick Ground Extraction for LiDAR data that is already processed.
I also work within stream channels, floodways and floodplains and need to export design features for use in ArcMaps for use in HEC-RAS and similar hydraulic modelling. Currently only STMs are eligible to be exported to Raster formats for use in Arc/RAS.
Is there a way to add those functions to the designer workflow for Terrains, or at least to allow Terrains (including complex terrains with design elements incorporated into them) into STM for interoperability with other platforms?
Hi Joseph, thank you for sharing your experience.
We have an enhancement request in the backlog that could match your expectations: Enhancement 1038748:Import 3SM as a Terrain in OpenRoads Model
3SM and STM are working on the same principle and are quite similar. The idea would be to use the same terrain in both the Reality Modeling and OpenRoads tools.
Concerning HEC-RAS, you can already create a HEC-RAS cross section file: https://communities.bentley.com/products/road___site_design/w/road_and_site_design__wiki/41418/video-creating-a-hec-ras-cross-section-file-geo
From my limited understanding of HEC-RAS, individual cross-sections are only usable by 1D models, while we often need to develop 2D models to determine spatial relationships of velocity and shear in complex hydraulic projects. These use a contiguous terrain in one of several ArcGIS Raster configurations. Being able to create a Terrain for both the existing and proposed conditions, then exporting them to GeoTiff or similar file types would be the preferential workflow for these projects.
In InRoads, this required the user to create a gridded model of the merged dtm, export those points, and then use import scripts to eventually create a raster; clunky and time-consuming, but it worked. I was very hopeful when I saw the export raster tool for the STM, but that means that an STM has to first be generated, which is not easy (I presume because it is apparently now a legacy filetype). Perhaps this functionality can be added to the 3SM options you discussed?
Hi Joseph, sorry for the delay.
You can also export your OpenRoads Designer Terrain model into a XML file and then add it as a Terrain Model in a 3SM or STM file. Have you tried this workflow?
ORD does not appear to have the ability to create an STM, no matter what format it is coming from. While there is an option to create a 3SM file in the Reality Modeling workflow and Reality Mesh Tools, it hasn't worked yet; the software times out or crashes (four tries, no luck). The 3SM also doesn't appear to have any of the options I discussed above yet for export, visualization, etc.
Is the functionality restricted to the latest version(s)?
I've just tried the Create New STN file and it worked at my end. At which moment in your workflow does it crash? Which error message do you get?