OpenRoads Designer Tip: Use Dedicated Sheet Files

The levels displayed on OpenRoads sheets can sometimes get confused. You might see levels turned on in the sheets which are supposed to be off and vice versa. When you adjust the level display, you find that when you return to the sheet, the levels have been reset. Even Save Settings won’t help preserve the levels like you want them.

What is the best thing you can do to guard against these errors?

• First, you should have DGN files dedicated to only one purpose, which is to produce the sheet type you need.
  • The corollary to this ‘rule’ is to avoid putting sheets in the same file as alignments, corridors, or anything else. The concern is not about computer performance, but in stability of sheet files. If you put sheets in with other items, the levels displayed will be constantly changing based on the needs of the current state of the design.
  • Your set of sheet DGN files should contain nothing else except attached references and the sheets produced from the referenced information. For example, you might have the following DGN files, named according to necessary standards:
    • Plan Sheet – contains nothing except attached references that feed the plan sheets and the sheets themselves
    • Profile Sheet – contains only the data related to profile sheets
    • Cross Section Sheet – contains only the attached references needed for cross sections and the sheets themselves
• Second, when the Default/Default-3D models are set up, Save Settings will leave them alone. In all the following examples, once you have defined the plan, profile, or 3D views, adjust the levels displayed (leaving views open) and produce the sheets. You can add new references or adjust level display, but leave the multi-model views unchanged.

• Plan Sheets – You will only need the default view, usually in View 1. The levels displayed on the plan sheets follow the levels displayed in Default.
• Profile Sheets – For profile sheets, you only need one view, although most will have a multi-model view with plan in View 1 and the profile(s) in one or more other view(s). The levels displayed on the profile sheets follow the levels displayed in whichever view is used for the profile.

• Plan-Profile Sheets – For plan-profile sheets you need a multi-model view, with plan usually in View 1 and the profile(s) in one or more other view(s). The levels displayed on the sheets follow the levels displayed in these views.
• Cross Section Sheets – For cross section sheets, you will want a typical multi-model view defined; View 1 is Default and view showing Default-3D. The levels displayed on the cross sections follow the level displayed in Default-3D.

Robert Garrett

Robert has over 25 years experience as a practicing engineer and is licensed in the State of Tennessee. After graduating from Tennessee Technological University, Robert worked for the Mississippi State Highway Department, Bridge Design Division. Then he spent 12 years with the Tennessee Department of Transportation in the Roadway Design Office and later served as Regional Manager in the Design Survey Office. From 2000 to 2006, Robert worked for Robert G Campbell and Associates in Knoxville, TN where responsibilities included roadway, site, and utilities design projects. Joining Bentley Systems in March 2006, Robert wrote specifications & documentation for software development. Duties included testing, customer feedback and ensuring the products met the needs of the civil engineering user base. He also developed training material for education both internally to Bentley and for outside organizations. He served as Product Manager for Utilities Products, including the new OpenRoads Subsurface Utilities Design and Analysis software. Robert also provided guidance and implementation services for new technologies. He is a frequent presenter and trainer at user conferences.