Major alterations to alignments and geometry

Question

I've been learning the alignment (horizontal and vertical) and geometry tools, creating useful relationships to enable easy changes later. 
 The only thing I'm unsure about is the approach to making major changes to alignments and geometry. 
 I know you can make some changes with the existing elements and there is the insert vertex tool but if I need to add in or replace elements in the middle of an alignment to make major changes how should this be done? 
 I could drop the complex element using the Microstation tool and then make the changes but then I break all the geometric relationships based on this alignment e.g. channel geometry. There is a similar issue with general geometry too as I assume there isn't a way to re-establish relationships for geometry after it's created e.g. need to replace the alignment which breaks the offset to the channels, replace the channel geometry and the relationship to other geometry is broken too etc. 
 As an addition, is it possible to physically move a whole alignment along with the associated elements together e.g. moving a whole pond from one place to another. 
 Regards, 
 Ken.

Mark Shamoun · Accepted Answer

Hi Ken, 
 
 GEOMETRY ELEMENT REPLACE is not shown in the keyin browser but works, give it a try. This works well for relationships in the current DGN but doesn't do anything downstream where it is referenced in to other DGNs. You would have to do the same thing in each file. 
 
 With GEOMETRY SUBSTITUTE, you select the NEW complex geometry first and then the OLD one next and it will transfer the Name, Feature Definition and Profile space from the OLD geometry to the NEW. Very awesome tool that has saved us heaps of time, not sure why it isn't "public", but works really well. 
 
 For your example, if the NEW geometry has it's own profile and you want to do a quick switch I'd use the GEOMETRY ELEMENT REPLACE command if you have a tonne of relationships. 
 
 If it's a simple change of geometry for a corridor, just use the CORRIDOR REATTACH command (in the corridor ribbon tab). This command seems to be broken for Linear Templates in the current version though unfortunately.

Mark Shamoun · Answer

Hi Ken, 
 
 There are also some geometry relationship swap keyin commands you can use to completely switch all relationships from one element to another. 
 
 https://communities.bentley.com/products/road___site_design/f/geopak-inroads-mx-openroads-forum/176811/ord-geometry-replace-substitute-tools 
 
 We use these regularly for major geometry updates that keeps the integrity of dependant elements alive.

Jeff Martin · Answer

Hi Ken, 
 If it horizontal geometry without super and vertical, I like to drop the complex, replace the stuff that's no longer valid (using OpenRoads Geometry tools) and then re-complex. This loses any vertical, which is why you start getting some of the more sophisticated tools: to allow you to keep your vertical work. Chapter Nine of the Learn course "Beyond Centerline Geometry" goes into some of the more complex manipulations (there have been a lot of new tools and techniques since I wrote that one). "Right of Way Fundamentals" cleverly disguises that it has a full section on Geometry Builder, which can do some interesting tricks. 
 
 -jeff

Major alterations to alignments and geometry

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