OpenRail Designer

5. End to End Training - OpenRail Designer

This section covers all the topic about OpenRail Designer starting from getting familiar with new interface until
delivering the sheets in the best possible way

5.1 Navigating Interface

SN Topic Description Link
Selecting the Workspace, Workset, and Opening See how to Start a work session, selecting the Workspace and Workset, and opening
1 Click Here
the Class dgn File the class dgn file
Workspaces and Worksets control file and software settings. You can complete this
Can I work through the class if I don't have the
2 class (review a "random" file), regardless of whether your workspace matches that Click Here
workspace? Yes.
used to create the file
3 Help Dialogs Learn how to open the "traditional" Help Dialogs. Click Here
CONNECT Advisor will transform how you learn. Here's a very brief introduction and
4 CONNECT Advisor - an Introduction Click Here
how to get help.
See how the Tool Ribbons are organized. Learn how to search for tools. See the Quick
5 Ribbons, Searching the Ribbons, and Quick Access Click Here
Access Toolbar.

OpenRail/OpenRail files often have 2D and 3D Models in them. Why two? Civil
Engineering 3D Geometry is defined by combining two separate rule systems:
Horizontal and Vertical (often arc-based and parabola-based, respectively). By storing
6 Why Do Files have 2D and 3D Models in them? Click Here
the horizontal graphics and rules in 2D Models, Profile graphics and rules in separate
2D Models, and the resulting 3D graphics in a 3D Model, OpenRail provides a very
clean, intuitive design and information modeling environment.

Any of the Eight Views can "look into" any of the Models available in the design file
7 Multiple Views, Multiple Models Click Here
(as shown in the Models dialog).
View Groups are a way to manage multiple Views, Models, Display Styles, and so
8 View Groups: Manage Multiple Views and Models Click Here
forth. "Multiple Models" is the default for training.
Display Styles allow you to change how the data looks. From Photorealistic (Smooth)
9 Customize How the Data looks via Display Styles to simple (Wireframe), the native 3D Immersive Design Environment can be Click Here
customized to enrich your design and evaluation experience

Hovering over a graphic reveals a tooltip. All elements will show a Type and Level.
10 Hover over a Graphic to Find out about It OpenRail Features will additional show its Name, Feature Definition, and Active Click Here
Profile, if any

Click on a Feature triggers the Heads-Up Display (HUD) - an amazing evaluation and
editing tool. Designed to provide access to a wide range of editing capabilities
11 Click: The Amazing Heads-Up Display Click Here
without having to find toolsets, it also is an intuitive evaluation, troubleshooting and
documentation tool. You can learn to read how a feature was built from the HUD.

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OpenRail/OpenRail provides a Civil Engineering-oriented Context Menu for all
12 Click and Hover to Open a Civil Context Menu Click Here
graphics.

The Explorer is a core tool in reviewing and editing OpenRail/OpenRail Features and
Settings. It provides shortcuts to capabilities beyond what is available in the
13 Exploring the Explorer Click Here
Properties dialog. For example, it allows you to search for an Element by Name, zoom
to it or Isolate it from the view of other Features.

This video shows us opening the Geometry.Dgn - a typical "Project" file. The
A "Project File" Typically has a lot of Reference "Introducing Geometry" file was this file, but with all the Reference files turned off
14 Click Here
Files for clarity. "Real" files typically have a LOT of information in them, much of which is
in read-only Reference files.

When exploring a design file, it is often good to know what's in the (editable) Active
15 Reference Files - Turning Display On and Off file and what is in (non-editable) Reference Files. Here we show how to turn off the Click Here
Display of Reference Files.

Sometimes you want to see a Reference File, but don't want to "interact" with it. You
Reference Files - Turning Snap and Locates On
16 can set its Snap and Locate toggles to prevent snapping to or being able to select a Click Here
and Off
reference element.
Sometimes you have a great deal of reference graphics that you need to see, but you
want to make them "blend into the background", or be less prominent or more
17 Reference Files - Making them "Subtle" subtle, so that they're less "distracting". Here we show some techniques that allow Click Here
the active file graphics to standout, while still seeing as much of the reference data
that you need.
Another way to make Reference Files less "intrusive" is using Reference Presentation.
Reference Files - Turning Off Properties like
18 You can turn off properties like Lineweight or Linestyle or object types like Text, Fill Click Here
Lineweight
or Patterns.
Sometimes you have a great deal of reference graphics that you need to see, but you
want to make them "blend into the background", or be less prominent or more
19 Reference Files - Making them "Subtle" subtle, so that they're less "distracting". Here we show some techniques that allow Click Here
the active file graphics to standout, while still seeing as much of the reference data
that you need.

5.2 Terrain
SN Topic Description Link
An overview of terrain models and terrain display, and a review of the ribbon
1 Introduction to Terrain Display Click Here
interface.
Displaying Terrain Features and Changing Contour Learn how to toggle on and off the display of terrain features and change contour
2 Click Here
Intervals intervals using the context sensitive menu and the Properties window.
Learn how to set and change the terrain model feature definition to control how the
3 Using Feature Definitions to Display Terrains Click Here
terrain is displayed.
Referencing a 3D Terrain Model to a 2D Project Learn how to create a 2D project file and reference in a 3D terrain model, set the
4 Click Here
File terrain active, and view the 2D and 3D models.
Using Override Symbology and Element Learn how to control the display of a referenced terrain model with element
5 Click Here
Templates templates and display styles.
Learn how to add manual contour labels and display a background map with streets
6 Label Contours and View Background Map Click Here
and aerial imagery.
7 Label and Analyze Terrain Points Learn how to manually label and analyze terrain points. Click Here
In this video, you will learn how to extract a project specific POD from a larger LiDAR
8 Viewing and Clipping LIDAR Data Click Here
data set and save it to a separate file.
In this video, you will learn how to use the Ground Extraction tools to filter a large
9 Filtering and Editing LIDAR Data majority of unwanted shots and manually edit the rest to produce a final Terrain Click Here
Model.

5.3 Understanding Georeferenced Coordinate Systems & LIDAR

SN Topic Description Link

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In this video we discuss some of the common issues not setting the GCS can cause,
1 Reality Modeling Lecture Click Here
including the differences between systems and what they have in common.
In this video we review the Geographic Library and how to apply a specific GCS to
2 Reality Modeling Walkthrough Click Here
your project
In this video we discuss one method to take a raw LiDAR data file and create a terrain
3 LiDAR Terrain Lecture Click Here
model useful to our project.
In this video we learn how to take a large, raw LiDAR file from a clearinghouse and
4 Lidar Terrain Clip Click Here
clip it to an area specific to our project.
In this video we discuss the problem(s) with an unclassified LiDAR file and the process
5 Lidar Terrain Edit Click Here
to utilize it.
6 Lidar Terrain Final In this video we discuss how to create the final terrain model from the edited points. Click Here

5.4 Geometry Design

SN Topic Description Link
Introduction to QuickStart for OpenRail Designer : In this exercise, you will learn how to select the proper WorkSpace and WorkSet,
1 Click Here
Geometry create a new dgn and review the ribbon interface.
2 Create Horizontal Tangent Elements In this exercise, you will learn how to create horizontal geometric elements. Click Here
Create/Edit Horizontal Curves and Create In this exercise, you will learn how to create horizontal curve geometric elements and
3 Click Here
Horizontal Alignment also how to create the horizontal alignment.
OpenRail Model Explorer and Horizontal In this exercise, you will learn how to review geometric elements stored in the dgn
4 Click Here
Geometry Reports file and also how to create a horizontal geometry report of your alignment.
In this exercise, you will learn how to define the horizontal alignment stationing and
5 Define Stationing and Annotation Click Here
also how to annotate the alignment.
Existing Terrain Model and Define 2D and 3D In this exercise, you will learn how to attach the existing terrain model, set the
6 Click Here
Views terrain model active and define 2D and 3D views.
7 Define Profile Model View In this exercise, you will learn how to define a profile model view. Click Here
8 Create, Edit, and Review Vertical Geometry In this exercise, you will learn how to create, edit and review vertical geometry. Click Here

5.5 Beyond Centerline Geometry

SN Topic Description Link
What's the fundamental differentiator between OpenRail Features and plain
1 OpenRail Remembers. Shown in 4 Lines graphics? OpenRail Remembers! Four Lines in two Tees drive home the difference in Click Here
90 seconds. You will never see plain graphics the same way again.
Here we manipulate a road with the right side built with plain graphics and the left
2 Obedient Road Features vs. Oblivious Graphics Click Here
side build with smart OpenRail tools. The result: OpenRail Remembers!
Heads Up Display and Properties: everything : The Properties dialog extends what you can see and do with the Heads-Up Display.
3 Click Here
visible and editable Simply clicking a feature shows its relationships and values.
4 Edges of Pavement: Very Fast and Really Smart Here we show how fast we can get (smart) Pavement Edges offset from Centerlines. Click Here
5 Curb Returns: Very Fast and Really Smart Here we show how fast we can get (smart) Curb Returns using the Simple Arc tool. Click Here
Gaps and Intervals: What they are and how to edit. Gaps are created when the
6 Part of my line is gone: what the heck? original feature is truncated, fillet or otherwise has a part that needs to be invisible. Click Here
We show how to see the gaps and how to edit the original element.
Your engineering will require a taper that's controlled either by the Offset Values or
7 Introducing Taper #1: Variable Offset Tapers Click Here
the Taper Ratio. Here we explore how to build tapers where the Offsets rule.
When you only need part of a feature offset, use Single Offset Partial to create it. Use
8 I want just a part of an element offset… Click Here
Snaps when you can to establish relationships.
Pavement Edges tend to have a lot of dependencies (relationships). Here we edit a
9 Manipulating a Pavement Edge with a Taper lot of things to show how the taper behaves in a manner we would expect (honoring Click Here
our Design Intent).

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Your engineering will require a taper that's controlled either by the Offset Values or
10 Introducing Taper #2: Ratio Offset Tapers Click Here
the Taper Ratio. Here we explore how to build tapers where the Ratio rules.
11 Another Curb Return You've mastered this, but the next video is cool. Click Here
12 Curb Return: 3-Center Arc See how easy it is to Place a 3-Center Arc. Click Here
You put in a Simple Arc, but need a 3-Center Arc or need Spirals? No problem: you
Changing a Simple Arc to Something More can use the Properties dialog to make changes. All Arcs are stored with all the fields
13 Click Here
Impressive required to model even the most complex curve. The Properties dialog makes it easy
to make it what you want it.
14 Creating Cul-de-Sacs Creating a Cul-de-Sac in less than a minute. Click Here
Create a "smart" driveway perpendicular to a road. The driveway can be "slid" along
15 Driveway #1: No tie-in to existing the road, maintaining its (perpendicular) geometry. You can adjust the Skew angle if Click Here
desired. This technique works for larger side road as well.

Create a driveway of a given length that ties into an existing centerline perpendicular
16 Driveway #2: Tie into Existing Centerline to the road. If the road moves the driveway remains perpendicular to the road from a Click Here
new location along the existing centerline.
Create a driveway of a given length whose new edges match the existing edges.
17 Driveway #3: Match Existing Edges Click Here
Moving the Road adjusts the portion of the existing edges used.
Conjunction Junction: Hook Up Individual Elements into a Single Complex Element.
Complex by Element groups individual geometry into a single chain. It's easier for us
Conjunction Junction: Hook Up Individual
18 humans to manage long clearly named entities than their individual components. We Click Here
Elements into a Single Complex Element
can use the Manual Method to select each component or let Automatic connect
them for you.
This video shows how to use the Complex Redefine tool to redefine a portion of the
19 Using Complex Redefine Click Here
Pike Rd. Alignment
20 Create Geometry Using Civil AccuDraw This video shows how to create lines and arcs using Civil AccuDraw and snaps. Click Here
This video shows how to use the Table Editor to make changes to the horizontal
21 Editing Geometry with the Table Editor Click Here
geometry.
This video shows how to apply design standards to the horizontal alignment using the
22 Applying and Verifying Design Standards Design Standard tool and also how use the Civil Message Center to review any errors Click Here
or warnings and how to fix them.
23 Creating Vertical Curves This video shows how to create vertical curves. Click Here
Using and Editing Templates

5.6 Using and Editing Templates

SN Topic Description Link
This lecture introduces the basic theory behind templates and demonstrates how to
1 Welcome and Workspace Setup Click Here
setup the proper civil training workspace required for the exercises in this course.
Learn how to open and navigate the Create Templates dialog to review and edit
2 Review and Edit a Template existing templates, review and modify point properties, and examine point Click Here
constraints.
Assemble a New Template Backbone from Learn how to create a new template by assembling existing components already in
3 Click Here
Existing Components the template library.
Use the Template Library Organizer to copy templates from the standards template
4 Using the Template Library Organizer Click Here
library to the project template library.
5 Adding End Conditions to a Template Add a fill ditch end condition. Click Here
Learn to modify a template with a good “backbone” and replace the end conditions
6 Modify a Template to Meet Project Needs to meet project specifications which include a fill ditch solution when limited right of Click Here
way is available for desirable slope selections to intersect the existing ground.
7 Introduction to Templates Introduction to Template Points, Components and Constraints Click Here
In this exercise, you will learn how to create a simple 12-foot lane component as well
8 Create a Single Lane Pavement Component Click Here
how to create parametric constraint labels
In this exercise, you will learn how to create a two-lane component by inserting a
9 Create a Two-Lane Pavement Component Click Here
new point and using a vector offset to control the directional slope of that point.
10 Create a Simple Curb In this exercise, you will learn to create a simple curb component. Click Here
In this exercise, you will learn how to add to a Rollover Lock to a shoulder to set a
11 Define Shoulder Rollover Locks Click Here
maximum grade break between the shoulder and the pavement.

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