Fixing bad triangles at intersections with null regions
Last updated: 2023-01-24
Total video time: 05:20
Issue
At some intersections, the corridor surfaces may exhibit undesirable triangulation within the curb return regions.
Solution
Due to unknown reasons, at times the surface triangles try to connect from a sideroad region on one side of the mainline to a sideroad region on the other side of the mainline. There are is a simple solution to break these connections.
Remove redundant feature lines
If not completed yet, adjust the intersection assemblies to remove redundant feature lines as shown here: Redundant intersection corridor feature lines (wi.gov). This should be done on every intersection on every project.
Add a null region on the sideroad baseline
If removing redundant feature lines does not correct this situation, add in a null region along the sideroad baseline. When building an intersection, a designer may typically only have corridor regions on the sideroad where there is a roadway section that needs be built. Because part of the sideroad alignment/baseline goes through and intersects with the mainline corridor regions, there will be a gap in the regions along the sideroad baseline.
- Create a Null Assembly
- Home Tab > Create Design Panel > Assembly > Create Assembly
- Name: Null
- OK
- Digitize the location of the assembly
- Do not add any subassemblies. As the name implies, this assembly will be “empty.”
- Home Tab > Create Design Panel > Assembly > Create Assembly
- Add a region in the sideroad gap using the Null assembly.
- Select the corridor > Contextual Ribbon > Add regions
- Select the sideroad baseline
- Utilize the baseline preview to determine and select the sideroad baseline.
- Specify the region start station
- The region should begin at the intersection of the sideroad alignment and mainline ETW.
- Specify the region end station
- The region should end at the intersection of the sideroad alignment and opposite mainline ETW.
- Create Corridor Region dialog:
- Region Name: Leave default or assign custom region name
- Assembly: Null
- OK
- Warning Dialog box: No targets found in scripts
- OK
- Verify that triangulation is corrected.