Reference Terrains/Surfaces dialog
This dialog box allows you to define Reference Terrains and Surfaces.
Reference Surfaces is available from the Home or Corridor ribbons. You can also right click on the root of the Project Explorer tree and choose menu Ref. Surfaces. Reference surfaces can be displayed in graphics windows; the options for Profile, Section, and 3D windows also provide access to this dialog box with a Terrains/Surfaces button.
Surface Types
Topo Surface
This external terrain file (*.TERX) is used to represent the original ground and must contain a TIN surface model. Note that this file is optional if a P-Line traverse with cross section side shots is defined.
Reference Terrains
These are also external terrain files (*.TERX) and appear in the Plan window background; Plan display is controlled by Background options. Unlike other background terrain files, Reference Terrains can be a source for reference Features and Surfaces.
Reference Features are polylines in the external Terrain which can be viewed in the graphics windows and referenced in template components. Reference Features can't be defined in this dialog.
The TIN surface contained in a Reference Terrain can be displayed in the Profile, Section and 3D windows. It can be used to control the behaviour of template components and to modify the merged surface. A Reference Surface can also be used as a sub-horizon (an interface between different ground types) underneath the main surface (Topo). See Ground Layers accessed from Assign by Range Sub Horizons .
Corridor Surfaces
Corridor surfaces are TIN surfaces created automatically during the processing of a horizontal alignment. For more information on corridor surfaces see Corridor Surfaces
Options
Add... (button)
Press this button to add a Reference Terrain/Surface. You will be prompted to choose the surface type.
Remove (button)
Press this button to remove the selected Terrain/Surface.
Shift Up, Shift Down (buttons)
The order of Terrain files can be changed with these buttons; the order is important if more than one Terrain is set to Merge into topo surface.
Merge into topo surface (check box)
If set, the selected surface will be merged into the Topo surface before the following alignments are calculated. The order of alignments is defined in the Project Explorer tree
Options... (button)
Browse... (button)
Press to change the external Reference Terrain file.
Source (edit box or drop list)
Displays and allows modification of the Terrain source file name (edit box) or Corridor horizontal alignment (drop list) associated with the selected item.
Description (edit box)
Optional description for the selected item
Format Options
Layer (drop list)
A Corridor surface is defined by the template Layer chosen here. You can also define a Layer for a Terrain surface set to Include in cross section as a template surface (see check box below).
Each layer has a default format (color, line type, etc.); when you select a layer the default formatting is applied.
Auto (check box)
If set, new alignments will automatically create a Corridor surface for this layer.
Color (drop list and "+" button)
Color used for Profile, Section, and 3D display. The "+" button opens a dialog box with more color options including control for transparency (Alpha Channel).
Linetype (drop list)
Linetype used for Profile, Section.
Symbols (drop list)
Symbol of used for Profile, Section.
Set Default (button)
Copies the format for the current layer into the stored defaults.
Edit Defaults... (button)
Terrain Options
Locked to the design (check box)
If this item is checked, the referenced file will be moved with the design during a File-Save As operation. A locked terrain file must be in the same folder as the Location design. The Topo Surface is always locked if it exists. This option only applies to file based terrain/surfaces.
Include in cross section as a template surface (e.g. As-built) (check box).
If selected, the surface will be automatically included in cross section templates using the chosen Layer.
