Alignments Tutorials

Creating Alignments

Exercise 1: Creating an Alignment from a Polyline

Create an alignment from a polyline

1. Open drawing Alignment_1.dwg, which is available in the DPWH Training folder

2. Click Home tab ➤ Create Design panel ➤ Alignment drop-down ➤ Create Alignment From Objects.
3. Select the red polyline. Press Enter.

4. Press Enter to accept the default alignment direction.

5. In the Create Alignment - From Polyline dialog box, specify the following parameters:
Name: Mimaropa
Alignment Style: Layout
Alignment Label Set: Major Minor And Geometry Points
6. Click OK.

The existing polyline is converted to an alignment that uses the style and labels that you specified.

Exercise 2: Creating an Alignment with the Alignment Layout Tools

Specify alignment properties

1. Open Alignment_2.dwg, which is located in the Training folder

.
NOTE Ensure that Object Snap (OSNAP) is turned on.

2. Click Home tab ➤ Create Design panel ➤ Alignment drop-down ➤ Alignment Creation Tools.
3. In the Create Alignment – Layout dialog box, accept the default values for Name and Starting Station. Leave the
Description field blank for this exercise.
4. On the General tab, select the following settings:

Site: <None>
Alignment Style: Layout
Alignment Layer: C-ROAD
Alignment Label Set: Major Minor and Geometry Points

5. Click the Design Criteria tab.

The Starting Design Speed value specifies the default design speed at the alignment starting station. Design speeds can
be specified at other stations along the alignment. If no other design speeds are specified, the Starting Design Speed is
applied to the entire alignment. Accept the default Starting Design Speed value for this exercise.

6. Click OK.

The Alignment Layout Tools toolbar is displayed. It includes the controls required to create and edit alignments.

Draw the alignment

1. In the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click the drop-down list and select Curve and Spiral Settings. In the Curve and
Spiral Settings dialog box, you can specify the type of curve to be automatically placed at every point of intersection (PI)
between tangents.

2. In the Curve and Spiral Settings dialog box, specify the following parameters:

Type: Clothoid
Spiral In: Selected Not Selected
Curve: Selected Radius 50

Accept the default values for this exercise.

3. Click OK.
4. On the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click the drop-down list. Select Tangent-Tangent (With Curves).
5. Snap to the center of circle A to specify a start point for the alignment.

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 6. Stretch a line out, and specify additional PIs by snapping to the center of circles B, C, and D (in order). Then, right-click to
end the horizontal alignment layout command.
7. Pan and zoom in the drawing to examine the style and content of the labels. Note especially the geometry point labels
marking the start and end points of each line, spiral, and curve.
8. Zoom out until you can clearly see circles B, C, and D.

Delete alignment sub-entities

1. In the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click Delete Sub-Entity. You are prompted at the command line to select a sub
entity to delete.
2. Select the curve in circles B and C. Right-click to end the operation

Exercise 3: Adding Free Curves and Spirals to an

Alignment

Add a free curve between two tangents

NOTE This exercise uses Alignment_2.dwg.

1. Set your drawing window so that you can see circles B and C on the surface.
2. If the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar is not open, select the alignment. Right-click and click Edit Alignment Geometry.
3. In the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click the drop-down list. Select Free Curve Fillet (Between Two Entities, Radius).
4. As prompted on the command line, click the tangent that enters circle B from the left (the ‘first entity’).
5. Click the tangent that exits from circle B on the right (the ‘next entity’).
6. Press Enter to select the default value of a curve less than 180 degrees.
7. Enter a radius value of 100. The curve is drawn between the tangents as specified.

Add a free spiral-curve-spiral between two tangents

1. In the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click the arrow. Select. Free Spiral-Curve-Spiral (Between Two Entities).
2. As prompted on the command line, click the tangent that enters circle C from the left (the ‘first entity’).
3. Click the tangent that exits circle C on the right (the ‘next entity’).
4. Press Enter to select the default value of a curve less than 180 degrees.
5. Enter a radius value of 100.

6. Accept values for Spiral in and spiral out.

7. Exit the layout command by right-clicking in the drawing area.

8. Try same on Node C.

Editing Alignments

Exercise 4: Editing the Layout Parameter Values of an

Alignment

NOTE Ensure that Dynamic Input (DYN) is turned on.

Open the parametric editing windows

1. NOTE Ensure that Object Snap (OSNAP) is turned on.

2. If the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar is not open, click Alignment tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Geometry Editor . Select the
alignment in the drawing when prompted.
3. On the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click Alignment Grid View. On the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click Sub-Entity
Editor The Alignment Layout Parameters window is displayed, containing no data.
4. In the Alignment Entities table, click any row. The design data for all three sub-entities is displayed in a two-column table
in the Alignment Layout Parameters window, where data is easy to review and edit. If your design requires precise values
for minimum curve radius, length, or spiral A values, you can use the Alignment Layout Parameters window to enter the
values.
5. Press Esc to clear the Alignment Layout Parameters dialog box.

This time try with Design Criteria Check

1. Select Criteria-based Design and Design Criteria File

2. Adopt the following parameters:
 AASHTO 2004
 Minimum radius table: use eMax = 8%
3. Deselect Design check

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Create offsets of a centerline alignment

4. Open Alignment_3.dwg, which is located in the tutorials drawings folder .

The drawing contains a surface and an alignment.

5. Click Home tab > Create Design panel > Alignment drop-down > Create Offset Alignment .
6. Select the alignment in the drawing.

7. In the Create Offset Alignments dialog box, specify the following parameters:
 No. Of Offsets On Right: 1
 Incremental Offset On Left: 3.35
 Incremental Offset On Right: 3.35
 Alignment Style: Layout Basic
 Alignment Label Set: Offset Labels No_Labels

 You can also specify design criteria for the offset alignments to automatically create widening along curves.
8. Click OK.

An offset alignment is created on either side of the centerline alignment.

Create a widening on an offset alignment (optional)

1. Continue with drawing.
2.
3. Select the offset alignment on the right-hand side of the centerline alignment.
4. Click Offset Alignment tab > Modify panel> Add Widening.
5. Follow the command line prompts to specify the following parameters:
 Create Widening Portion As A New Alignment?: No
 Start Station: (as specified)
 End Station: (as specified)
 Widening Offset: (as specified)
6. The widening region is created, and the parameters you entered are displayed in the Offset Alignment Parameters dialog
box.

Add a widening region to a widening region

1. Select the offset alignment that is on the right-hand side of the centerline alignment. Right-click. ClickEdit Offset
Parameters.

You can also use grip to add a widening region.

The offset alignment parameters, including the parameters of the existing widening, are displayed in theOffset Alignment
Parameters dialog box.

2. In the Offset Parameters dialog box, click Add A Widening.

3. Press Esc to deselect the offset alignment.