default 3d model

Select the Default-3D model in the reference diaglog, and check that the model is displayed - leftmost icon at the bottom of the dialog.

Hi Mark, Thanks for your reply. its tuned on to display. I think its a bigger issue than this.

I'm betting that there has been some geographical reprojection perhaps

-nan(ind) in OpenRoads Designer Reference Dialog - Developers and Programming Forum - Developers and Programming - Bentley Communities

That worked great. Thank you

Good to hear - to make it easier to resolve the issue mentioning that it has been reprojected would have helped get to the answer much quicker.

Be very carefully reprojecting GCSs in the Civil environment - you can easily get 3d and 2d models out of sync with each other like this and need to make sure that you reproject 3d first and then 2d model if you absolutely need to reproject. Alternatively you could reference this model into a container file and reproject the reference instead.

Can anyone at Bentley explain why there is a 2D and 3D Model (for a grand total of 5 distinct dimensions)?  AutoCAD gets by with a single 3D Model that is shown from the top down view by default.   The concept of a single file containing distinct but related 2D and 3D Models (that are connected through references) adds to the already steep learning curve for the software.  You can argue that 2D and 3D models helps organize corridor modeling components, but it confuses the ever living daylights out of new ORD Users.

This seems another question and is usually better if in its own tread, but, here goes...

Civil 3D uses some sort of Object Programming technique to cause its objects to have a display for "Plan" and a different display for 3D. Plan is really just a top view rotated only about the Z axis. Once you add a rotation about the x or y axis, the 3D display mode kicks in. At the same time, AutoCAD limits the display of certain capabilities to planar objects. This may be a throwback to its early 2D and 2 1/2 D beginnings.

MicroStation has supported full 3D from the very beginning, while also offering a 2D file format for times when 3D add only complexity to the process. When developing Open Roads, they decided that providing a mostly 2D environment that builds the 3D elements automatically from its 2D and profiling tools made for a reasonable workflow. That workflow keep most users working in a simpler 2D environment while creating complex 3D models. The 2D design drives 2 of the 3 dimensions and the profiles (including those created by corridors and linear templates) drive the 3rd dimension..

Having worked in both, there are benefits and drawbacks with each, but having about 18 months of immersive site design using the Ss10 version, I am more than comfortable with the Open Roads workflow. And as long time MicroStation and InRoads user, I'm OK with the differences.

I have one very strict rule: Never attach the 2D model to the 3D model. Ever. Trust the 2D view with the 3D model attached and displayed. The 2D at zero elevation will confuse the 3D display. The confusion gets worse the closer to sea level the design is. And in much of Maryland, that is very much the case. 

This seems another question and is usually better if in its own tread, but, here goes...

Civil 3D uses some sort of Object Programming technique to cause its objects to have a display for "Plan" and a different display for 3D. Plan is really just a top view rotated only about the Z axis. Once you add a rotation about the x or y axis, the 3D display mode kicks in. At the same time, AutoCAD limits the display of certain capabilities to planar objects. This may be a throwback to its early 2D and 2 1/2 D beginnings.

MicroStation has supported full 3D from the very beginning, while also offering a 2D file format for times when 3D add only complexity to the process. When developing Open Roads, they decided that providing a mostly 2D environment that builds the 3D elements automatically from its 2D and profiling tools made for a reasonable workflow. That workflow keep most users working in a simpler 2D environment while creating complex 3D models. The 2D design drives 2 of the 3 dimensions and the profiles (including those created by corridors and linear templates) drive the 3rd dimension..

Having worked in both, there are benefits and drawbacks with each, but having about 18 months of immersive site design using the Ss10 version, I am more than comfortable with the Open Roads workflow. And as long time MicroStation and InRoads user, I'm OK with the differences.

I have one very strict rule: Never attach the 2D model to the 3D model. Ever. Trust the 2D view with the 3D model attached and displayed. The 2D at zero elevation will confuse the 3D display. The confusion gets worse the closer to sea level the design is. And in much of Maryland, that is very much the case.