Hey everyone,
I'm creating a template/standards in OpenRoads Designer Connect Edition. I come from a Civil 3D World - and there's very limited information on feature definitions and descriptions about everything.
I have a question in regards to smart objects (example alignments) and levels that they're created on. In Civil 3D, you can set the styles of the lines, arcs, spirals based on layer. However, there is an object naming/layer option in a different settings so that when you create the object - regardless of what style it is on - or referencing (as the 'feature definition') it will create those objects all on the same layer.
I'm trying to see if there's a way to do this within Open Roads. Right now my feature definitions are set up so that the style references particular levels. However, all my alignments are being created on different levels and i want them on the same level.
Thank you!
Feature Definitions (what something is) point to Feature Symbology (how it is drawn). This is turn points to Element Templates to define Level (line style/colour/weight). For the alignment Feature Definition 'Geom_Baseline' you have the following. (The image shows the properties of the Feature Definition on the Left, then the Feature Symbology, and the Element Templates on the right. The names for all these can be whatever you decide - in this example the same name is used for most.)
Hmm... so I understand how the element template is used to define level/symbology. But, is there away for all alignments to pull that symbology but be on a different level so I can turn them on and off appropriately? I could always update the element template level and define each individual color and linestyle.... but does an easier method exist?
Right now I have a different level for my alignment curves and alignment lines (so they have different colors) - i need to turn multiple levels off to not display the alignment. In Civil 3D, when i create my alignments everything is set to be on one level - regardless of the styles that are defining this feature. Does Open Roads have something similar?
The Element Template for curves and transitions are identical to the one shown above, except the color is changed from 'ByLevel' to another color (say 6) - all the elements are on the same level 'Geom_Basline', just different colors.
This gives you exactly what you would have had in C3D.
Answer Verified By: S. R.
You can change the levels of any element template - it just has to already exist.
Also, element templates can be exported to XML and Bentley provides on the Open Roads Wiki, a set of Migration Utilities which provide a number of tools that can read and write the various XML files many of these settings can be exported to.
They can write them to and from Excel as well, so you can use them to document or check settings. With care, you can bulk edit and re-import. The re-import must be done carefully and in a particular order (and always on a copy of any DGNLIB, in case you screw up).
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration
You mention you want to display or hide alignments by turning levels on or off, this is only possible when using different levels.
A totally different approach is to use one file per alignment, and use the display of a reference file to turn the visibility of an alignment on or off.This way you can select by filename which alignment you want to display or hide, and you can change the colour or linestyle of each reference file as long as the graphical elements are set "by level".