Plan and Profile

[entrylevelmicro]

I'm using microstation V8 and wanted to know, if anybody knows how plan/profile is done ?

 

[smGhouse]

Generally, the DOT's have their own plan and profile template. Go to the dot website and download it. Once done, create a new microstation file and reference all the files that you want to show (even the plan/profile sheet downloaded)and clip it.

 

[entrylevelmicro]

Sorry but I dont get it. Im a beginner in microstation, can you explain it in another way because I don't understand it. What do you mean by dots?

 

[namdac]

entrylevelmicro,
Welcome to the world of the DOT. I work for a State Agency that deals with transportation. There are 50 Departments of Transportation not everyone uses the same things. This is still State dependent even though the Federal Government has already invested millions into the program.
Let's begin....Some state web sites offer their CAD support files free. These are self extracting zip files. Be careful some will set paths in the settings menu of microstation. To create a Plan & Profile sheet, I assume you have a secondary program like Geopak or Inroads? Let me know which software you are using. Otherwise you will have to do a lot of saved views. That is a totally different method. That if you would like I have a tutorial on how to create them and place them. Give me a little background on what you do and what type of civil firm you work for.
Regards,
Namdac

 

[entrylevelmicro]

Namdac,
I work for a telecommunication company that deals with underground fiber. When there's construction to be done in the city roads and theres underground fiber running, I have to show the plan/porfile of the fiber. I havan't done any drawings yet and justed wanted to know how to create them. I'm trying to teach myself microstation because when I started here the only cad designer that was here quit a couple of days when I started and could't show me anything. So bacially I'm using any way I can to learn it. My job deals with showing roads, elevation, and how deep the underground fiber is. I have no software. I apperciate your help.

thanks,
entrylevelmicro

 

[newnickname]

First, do you know anything about alignments?

 

[entrylevelmicro]

No, what are alignments?

 

[newnickname]

The alignment will be your fiberoptic. Do a help search on alignments first. Then come back with any more ?'s.

 

[namdac]

Let's begin.....First of all there is a few things that we need to explain. An Alignment is a line that shows the center of what ever you are making (a road, channel, canal...etc). A Profile is an elevational view of the alignment. Hence where you are placing your fiber. At those specific elevations.
Profiles consist of two axis's X and Y. X shows the station range of your project, with elevations every 100 ft. y shows the elevational value 1580 ft. above sea level for example. But, you can also have conditional elevations. Example: you call the top of a Fire Hydrant that is near the project as an elevational bench mark of 1000. Doesn't matter if it is the actual elevation or not it is used for control.
What State are you in? You can go to any number of Department of Tranportation Web Sites and down load their cell libraries so that you can create plan and profiles. Minnesota, Nebraska all have them available.
After you obtain some seed files and cell libraries send another note and we will continue.
There are things that you will need from cell libraries or what ever source you may use.
Regards,
Namdac