Constraints
Overview
Constraints are the mechanism used to maintain controlled spatial relationships between selected Design Markers. A Constraint establishes a parent-to-child, hierarchical relationship from one Marker (the Parent) to another (the Child), while referencing a user-provided slope, percent grade, or elevation difference formatted measurement.
Once created, a Constraint will force the child Marker elevation to update any time the parent Marker elevation is modified. A designer can create entire networks of Constraints and effectively raise or lower an entire site or any given portion of it, by adjusting only a few Markers' elevations. Constraints manage the elevations of all Markers down the chain of the hierarchy.
Requirements
Design Markers
Constraints reference Markers directly and both monitor and control the elevation of the Child Marker in the relationship.
Adjustment of the Design Markers is limited to the elevation of the Parent Marker in the Constraint. Child's elevation is dependent upon the Parent Marker's elevation and the Constraint type and value. [1]
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Two Markers are required to create a linear Constraint
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Three Markers are required to create a Constraints through a curved horizontal distance
Base Map Control Data
BMC is not required when Constraining through linear paths only.
BMC is required when Constraining Marker elevations through a curved path.
BMC is highly recommended in all cases, nonetheless.
Notes
[1] This is also true for moving Markers using the ASE command options
Constraints / Connections Dialog
The vertex spacing is the only user-controllable property of the Constraint, aside from the predetermined measurement format (Percent-grade, slope, elevation difference).
Constraints Preferences Adjustment:
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Open the vertical design drawing
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Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path
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(Menu) Select: [vrtCtrl] → Constraints Prefs...
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Adjust the controls inside the dialog as-needed
Vertex Spacing: Horizontal Curves
The maximum distance between vertices of the 3DPOLY object created to visually represent a user-defined Constraint between two Design Markers.
Productivity: Auto-Connect with Flow Labels
Clicking the box enables the automatic creation of an ASE Connection whenever a Flow Label is created
Adding Constraints
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Through a Linear Path
To add a straight Constraint:
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(Menu) Select: [vrtCtrl] → "..."
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Select ...
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...
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Select another location or press <ENTER> to end prompting
Through a Curved Path
To add Constraint through a curved path between two Design Markers:
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(Menu) Select: [vrtCtrl] → "..." → "..."
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... [1]
Notes
[1] ...
Constraints Adjustment
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Notes
[1] ...