Command Help

string-at-gradient-on-wf

 

Command Name

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string-at-gradient-on-wf

Design ribbon | String tools | Gradient on WF

Command line

sag Click here

Description

Create strings (e.g. road strings) to climb/descend a wireframe surface with a maximum gradient constraint.

A wireframe must be loaded and be the current wireframe object. This will be used to ascend/descend the road.

 

How to Use

  1. Load the wireframe object onto which the road will be located, and set it to the current object if required.

  2. Using the Set Maximum Gradient dialog, enter the steepest gradient permitted for the road. The units will be specified using the current gradient convention for the system.

    If you have used the command before, the previous value will be shown. If you have changed gradient conventions since the last command use, the previously used units will be converted to the new convention.

  3. Pick the start point of the string on the current wireframe. You can use either a left click (to draw onto the current display section) or right click (to snap to data, based on your current snap settings).

  4. Pick an approximate direction for the road, again by clicking a reference wireframe object using left or right-click options.

  5. A road will then be projected from the start point to the point the road cannot be continued, this will normally be the edge of the wireframe surface.

  6. You can then click (left or right) and drag the start point of the road to the appropriate location, if required. The road will update dynamically during the dragging process, with the maximum gradient being honoured, e.g.:

  7. To terminate the road at any point, left click anywhere on the road other than the start position and the road will be automatically truncated. Any subsequent movement of the road start point will maintain the elevation (Z) of the previous road termination point. This allows you to restrict the road to end at a particular elevation.

  8. To change the end position/elevation of the road, you can drag the terminal point to somewhere else on the wireframe.

The gradient value of the road is automatically encoded into the string (GRADDEG). You can display this by setting up a 3D label, for example or by using dynamic information mode. The label will automatically update to show the current gradient.

Also, for more complex road networks, you can run the command again and use an existing string point as the starting point for a new one.