Alignment lines and curves

Alignment line and curve tools, in the Alignment Creation Tools toolbar, allow you to draw the alignment segment by segment, close(???) subentity. It allows you to design with site specific design geometry; lines, curves, and spirals with specific tangency requirements. And these tools are different from the tools Tangent-Tangent (no curves) and Tangent-Tangent (with curves). These will allow you to draw the alignment from start to finish without exiting the command.

The three main ways to draw these subentities are fixed, floating, and free geometry.

Fixed lines and curves

• Are geometrically defined and locked or fixed in their precision and must be edited directly.
• Are not affected by other geometry entities.
• Do not maintain tangency.
• Example: A three-point-curve

Floating lines and curves

• Are constraint based alignment geometry.
• Relative to other geometry.
• Will maintain tangency.
• Example: A curve tangent to line, through a point.

Free lines and curves

• Are defined by other entities, their geometry, as that a fillet between two entities.
• All definition relative to other geometry.
• Will maintain tangency
• Example: A curve tangent to two lines and/or a line tangent to two curves.

Video: ali-lin-crv-02.mp4 3:40

Set Object Snap (OSnap) setting

1. Status bar > Object Snap dropdown > Node

Open transparent commands

Transparent commands are commands used within a running command.

1. By default, the commands can be found on the right edge in the drawing area.
2. If not displayed, Ribbon > View tab > Interface panel > Toolbars dropdown > CIVIL > select Transparent Commands.

Open drawing file

1. Quick Access > Open
2. Open File dialog box
   1. Look in: browse to folder dataset is saved.
   2. Select AliProf-All-ali-lin-crv-02.dwg
   3. Open

Create fixed line

1. Ribbon > Home tab > Create Design panel > Alignment dropdown > Alignment Creation Tools
2. Create Alignment - Layout dialog box
   1. Name: 4th Ave
   2. Leave all other settings as is.
   3. OK
3. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Line tool dropdown > Fixed Line (Two points)

4. Specify start point: Left-click point 1201

   Info: Direction of an alignment should be west to east or south to north.

5. Specify next point: Use Transparent command Bearing Distance.
6. Specify quadrant (1-4): As you rotate around point 1201, there are 4 quadrants. Left-click in Quadrant: 1 - NE.
7. Specify bearing:73.5147Enter
8. Specify distance:234.85Enter
9. Enter to end command

Create fixed curve

1. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Curve tool dropdown > More Fixed Curves > Fixed Curve (From entity end through point)
2. Select entity for start point and direction: Left-click on line
3. Specify end point: Left-click point 1207
4. Enter to end command

Video: ali-lin-crv-03.mp4 1:43

Open drawing file

1. Quick Access > Open
2. Open File dialog box
   1. Look in: browse to folder dataset is saved.
   2. Select AliProf-All-ali-lin-crv-03.dwg
   3. Open

Create floating line

1. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Line tool dropdown > Floating Line (From curve end, length)
2. Select entity to attach to: Left-click curve
3. Specify length:156Enter
4. Enter to end command

Create floating curve

1. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Curve tool dropdown > Floating Curve (From entity, radius, through point)
2. Select entity to attach to: Left-click line
3. Specify radius or [Degree of curvature]:90Enter
4. Is curve solution angle [Greaterthan180/Lessthan180] <Lessthan180>:Enter
5. Specify end point: Left-click point 1216
6. Right-click or Enter to end command

Video: ali-lin-crv-04.mp4 2:10

Open drawing file

1. Quick Access > Open
2. Open File dialog box
   1. Look in: browse to folder dataset is saved.
   2. Select AliProf-All-ali-lin-crv-04.dwg
   3. Open

Create free line

Add a line tangent between two curves with free line options.

1. Left-click on the alignment
2. Contextual ribbon > Modify panel > Geometry Editor OR Right-click menu > Edit Alignment Geometry...
3. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Line tool dropdown > Free Line (Between two curves)

   Warning: Pay attention to the direction of the alignment. Direction of an alignment should be west to east or south to north.

4. Select first entity: Left-click on west curve entity, incoming curve.
5. Select next entity: Left-click on east curve entity, outgoing curve.
6. Right-click or Enter to end command

Create free curve

Add a free curve tangent between two lines with free curve options. Curve will be between the two lines tangents on east end of alignment.

1. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Curve tool dropdown > Free Curve Fillet (Between two entities, radius)
2. Select first entity: Left-click on the west line entity, incoming tangent.
3. Select next entity: Left-click on the east line entity, outgoing tangent.
4. Is curve solution angle [Greaterthan180/Lessthan180] <Lessthan180>:Enter
5. Specify radius:90Enter
6. Right-click or Enter to end command.

Video: ali-lin-crv-05.mp4 2:47

Open drawing file

1. Quick Access > Open
2. Open File dialog box
   1. Look in: browse to folder dataset is saved.
   2. Select AliProf-4thAve.dwg
   3. Open

Curve tangency constraint

1. Left-click on the alignment
2. Contextual ribbon > Modify panel > Geometry Editor OR Right-click menu > Edit Alignment Geometry...
3. Alignment Layout Tools toolbar > Alignment Grid View tool
4. In Panorama
   1. Select Entity No. 2

      Info: When selecting an entity in the chart, it will highlight the entity in the drawing.

5. Left-click on that curve entity
6. Left-click point-of-intersection grip point and move it down. Notice the radius, direction station, and all connecting entities change. Both sides of the curve change equally due to the tangency constraint.

Changing parameter constraint

1. In Panorama
   1. Select Entity No. 2
      1. Tangency Constraint: Change to Constrained by Previous (Floating)
      2. Parameter Constraint Lock: Unlock
      3. Parameter Constraint: Radius and Length
2. Left-click on curve entity
3. Arrow grip appears on the east end of the curve allowing change to the length. It is free on the east constraint but not the west constraint.
4. X to close panorama