3/28/2014

OpenRoads Best Practices

Bob Rolle, Civil Application Engineer
© 2014 Bentley Systems, Incorporated

Best Practices

• This presentation teaches many of the best practices

discovered by the Bentley team during the Open Roads
d l
development, t bbeta
t program andd th
the llastt year off use. For
F allll
Bentley Civil users.

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Learning Objectives

After this session you will be able:

• use the best practice for the use of reference files in various
types of projects.
• select the most appropriate file type (2D or 3D) for various
components.
• understand the general use of native databases moving
f
forward
d iin SELECT series
i 3

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Notes
• This guide is equally applicable for the MX, InRoads or
GEOPAK families of products.
• Utilizing OpenRoads technology, each product contains
the identical Bentley Civil toolset and identical workflow.
• However, the transitioning tasks may vary, so the
differences will be identified.

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Disclaimer
• Keep in mind that there is no ONE best practice.
• This presentation and associated guide presents
suggestions and best practices and it is the
responsibility of each organization to determine how the
Best Practices fits into your standard policies,
procedures and operations.

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Best Practices Documentation

http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Promo/OpenRoads/OpenRoads+Technology+Resources.htm

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2D or 3D?

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Geometry Files
Best Practice Recommendations:

• Store horizontal geometry in 2-D DGN models.

• Name your profiles based on rules from native products.

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Terrain Files
Best Practice Recommendations:

Store terrains in 3-D DGN models.

If stored in 2-D model, a 3-D model is automatically

created.

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Survey Files
Best Practice Recommendations:

• Store survey data in 3-D DGN models.

• Flatten if needed for 2-D downstream uses.

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Corridor Modeling Files

Best Practice Recommendations:
Start with
.
2D Model.
• Modeling creates both 2D and 3D elements
• Isolate the 2D elements from 3D elements;
separation makes easier picking of elements /
components

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2D and 3D Summary

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Reference Files

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DGN Based Objects Geometry

P
l
a
n
i
m
e
t
r
Terrain Models
i
c
s 3-D
3 D Models
Survey

Superelevation

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Workflow
• Just Reference the data you need.
• It is all file management
• The way you break files up depends on:
• Your organization
• The Project
• The amount of interactive change you want

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Example #1

Alignment
Terrain
e a Topo
opo
#1

Alignment Alignment
#2 #3

• Alignment files include: Alignments, Super, corridors, etc.

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Example #2

Terrain Topo
p Alignments
g

Cross
Superelevation Corridors
Sections

• Alignment files include: Alignments, Super, corridors, etc.

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Example #3

Terrain #1 Terrain #2 Topo #1 Topo #2

Superelevation Superelevation
Alignment #1 Alignment #2
#1 #2

Cross Section Cross Section

Corridor #1 Corridor #2
#1 #2

• Everything is broken up into individual files

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Do I Have to Use Reference Files?

• No, reference files are NOT required.

– Simple project.
– Preservation / rehabilitation projects.
– Individual designer or very small work team.
– Utilize models within a single file in lieu of referencing separate files.

• Base reference file usage on workflow / workteams, rather

than size of project.
• Excellent to provide granularity to projects.

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Limitations of References

• Profiles must reside in same file as associated geometry

• Supers can be in their own file and referenced to corridor
corridor, but
assignment must be from corridor file.
• Edit handlers / manipulators only available in active file.
– Activate
– Exchange

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Reference Files

Best Practice Recommendations:

– Separate geometry for working with large work teams.
– Separate corridors into areas of interest.
– Use an all_geometry.dgn, all_corridor.dgn, etc. so users don’t have
to search to find data.
– Be “Nesting” aware to capture wanted data, but not duplicates of
data.
– Attach by relative paths so folders can be moved.
– Careful when detaching as you may leave orphan objects.

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W k
Workspaces and
d
Resources

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Delivered Civil Workspaces

• Bentley-Civil-Imperial
• Bentley-Civil-Metric

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Bentley--Civil
Bentley Civil--Imperial
• Power Geopak
– C:\ProgramData\Bentley\PowerGEOPAK V8i (SELECTseries
3)\WorkSpace\Projects\Examples\Bentley-Civil-Imperial

• MicroStation
– C:\ProgramData\Bentley\MicroStation V8i
(SELECTseries)\WorkSpace\Projects\Examples\Bentley-Civil-
Imperial

• Common Standards
– C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Civil\Standards\8.11.9\en

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Civil Geometry

GPK
ALG
FIL

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Importing Geometry

Limitations:
• Can
Can’tt import extremely complex geometry
geometry.
• Complex geometry may not be “ruled.”
• Can’t bring in profile only (must be associated with a chain).
• Can only import within a product.

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Exporting Geometry

• Manual or automatic
• Review what is exported
– Centerlines and Baselines
– Right of Way when needed for plats, parcels and other geometry
layouts
– Survey data needed for the GEOPAK export to drainage application
– Data needed for staking when using GEOPAK as the native
application
application.

• Keep in mind limitations in native products, i.e., naming of

elements.

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ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Auto Export No additional steps are Inexperienced user create
required. unintended changes in the native
Process is fairly invisible to the database.
user. Not design file specific. Elements
Supports horizontal station p files react to
in copied
annotation. persistence.
Always “in sync”

Manual Choose exactly which Requires extra step to export.

Export elements are exported Does Snap-shot in time; subsequent
not depend on feature changes
h require
i an additional
dditi l
setting. export.
Auto annotation is not supported.

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Native Databases:

XIN
DDB, SMD
PSS

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Native Databases
Best Practice Recommendations:
• Exercise patience
patience, as there’s
there s more work to come
come…
• Link to your native database, watching for duplicate
names.
• Augment as needed for new features or items that are
currently not supported within the databases.
• Start with a few element templates and expand as
needed during test / pre-deployment.

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Element Templates
+ More capability than styles (i.e., material assignments)
+ Access to text styles

- Can’t handle stationing and other specialized

annotation
- Can’tt handle quantities / pay item data
Can

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Create Element Templates

Best Practice
Recommendations:

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Changes in Native Databases

Best Practices Recommendations:
Do NOT delete feature definitions and start over.
Just link again
• New items are added.
• Existing items remain intact.
• Changes in symbology are updated
updated.
Users’ existing element need to be edited to force
symbology redraw.

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Seed Files
Seed File Suggested Considerations…
• Set DGN File Civil Settings appropriately
• Set Default Drawing Scale
• Set default Snap Divisor to 1
• Turn off clip volume for all views in view attributes
• Delete unused fonts in keyin field
• Set default text style
• Attach
ttac de
default
au t ce
cell library
bay
• GEOPAK must change Civil Settings Station Equation to “By
Region” for auto annotate to function properly
• Turn off Camera View Attribute in 3D seed files
• Set GCS
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GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATE SYSTEMS (GCS)

Historically, GCS were infrequently used, however, there
are now numerous advantages to setting the GCS in your
DGN fil
files:

• DGN files based on different GCS (where the GCS is defined within the
file) can be referenced and re-projected on-the-fly so the data is in sync.
• Interface with Google Earth and other widely available data regardless
of the source data GCS.
• MicroStation interface with GPS devices
devices.
• Created objects without additional steps needed for transformation /
reprojection.

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GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATE SYSTEMS (GCS)

• The best practice for setting GCS in seed files is based
on the number of GCS systems used by your
organization.
i ti If ththe organization
i ti utilizes
tili a single
i l system,
t
then it should be set in the seed file.
• If your organization utilizes several systems, you would
have to set up one for each system thereby increasing
the number of seed files. In this case you may not want
to set the GCS

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Design Standards - Review horizontal and vertical

Design Standards – validate local standards

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Material Assignments
• Material Assignments

– Can be set per DGN Level

• One material per level

– Can be set per Element Template

• Allows for different materials on same level (i.e. Level Name =
Pavement)

– Important for adequate 3D Model visualization

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Material Assignments

• Material Assignments using Element Templates

Best Practice
Æ“Best
Æ Practice”

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User Preferences Settings Location

• Do not attempt to locate your SS2 version of your

MicroStation UPF (User Preference File) to the
same folder
f ld as your SS3 UPF location.
l ti This
Thi will
ill
cause UPF corruption when switching between
versions.

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OpenRoads Best Practices

Bob Rolle, Civil Application Engineer
© 2014 Bentley Systems, Incorporated

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