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Overview

Design Markers

Overview

Design Markers are the main building blocks by which a designer applies vertical design to a site. These design points designate elevations at key points, such as grade breaks and 'Intersections'. 

 

General Placement

In the vertical design drawing, a Marker must be placed at the ENDpoints of every LINE and ARC segment associated with the centerline and curb control components of the site layout.

 

Curved Geometry

An additional Design Marker is required at some point along every individual arc. [1][2]

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Applications

Design Markers are used for any combination of the following tasks in the vertical design stage:

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  • Spatial Data Storage relative to key geometric locations throughout the site

  • Vertical Control Node when used within a constrained group of Markers

  • Paving Feature Node for storing feature data relative to 1 or 2 associated alignments

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Notes

[1] Markers used for ARC detection may be placed anywhere along the curve. MIDpoint snapping is not required

[2] Markers are placed on arc MIDpoints automatically when using the "Auto-Set" option.

Requirements

 

Base Map Control Data

This element should already be created before Markers are added to the vertical design drawing. Without BMC data to reference, many of ASE Civil fundamental processes that are critical to the subdivision paving and grading design and production work-flow cannot function.

 

Design Markers may still be created and Constrained without Base Map Control, however extended program functionality is extremely limited without this horizontal control component of the project.

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Alignments

Design Markers are automatically attached to the two closest alignments when they're added to the vertical design drawing. If alignments are not accessible in the drawing, Design Markers placed without alignment access will need to be attached explicitly after alignments become available.

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Surfaces (optional, recommended)

Civil 3D surfaces or references are required when Design Marker elevations will reference a surface.

 

However, keep in mind that at least one existing ground surface will be required in the vertical design drawing to calculate earthworks volumes and to generate existing ground profile data that's used when creating finished profile output with ASE.

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Requirements

Preferences
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Point Style

Preset the AutoCAD "Point Style" before adding Design Markers. This will assist with Marker visibility.

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  • Open the vertical design drawing

  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl] → "Point Style"

  • Adjust the controls inside the AutoCAD "Point Style" dialog as-needed.

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Marker Settings

Adjust the functional characteristics of Design Markers as they are added to the drawing:

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  • Open the vertical design drawing

  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl] → "Design Markers" → "Settings"

  • Adjust the controls inside the dialog as-needed to control properties of new Markers and behavior

  • Close the dialog

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Preferences

Adding Markers

Inserting Design Marker into the vertical design drawing is the first step towards establishing vertical design control in ASE.

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Singular Insertion

To add Design Markers one-at-a-time:

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  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl]  → "Manual"

  • Select and desired location on the site

  • ASE places a Design Marker and "associates" it with the two closest alignments

  • If Marker elevation prompts are enabled, enter the desired elevation at the command prompt

  • ASE adjusts the new Marker's properties accordingly

  • ASE prompts for additional locations to set Markers

  • Select another location or press <ENTER> to end prompting

 

Auto-Set

To add Design Markers throughout the site automatically:

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  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl] → "Design Markers" →  "Auto-Set"

  • ASE places Design Markers throughout the site along all key points of the paving control layers and "associates" each Marker with the two closest alignments [1]

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Notes

[1] Marker's relative offset must be within a preset distance from a road centerline to be eligible for alignment association

Adding

Elevating Markers

Design Marker elevation control is a fundamental element of the vertical design stage. There are a variety of ways to modify the elevation of any given Design Marker.

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Absolute Elevation Entry

Enter an elevation manually:

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  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl]  → "Markers" → "New Elevation"

  • Select one or more Design Markers

  • Press <ENTER> to end the selection

  • At the command prompt, type the desired elevation for selected Design Marker(s)

  • All selected & eligible [1] Design Markers are elevated to the specified value

  • Adjusted Markers' labels reflect the change [2]

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Elevation Differential

Enter a differential value:

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  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl]  → "Markers" → "Adjust Elevation+/-"

  • Select one or more Design Markers

  • Press <ENTER> to end the selection

  • At the command prompt, type the desired elevation difference for the selected Design Marker(s)

  • All selected & eligible [1] Design Markers are elevated to the specified value

  • Adjusted Markers' labels reflect the change [2]

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Match Civil Surface

To elevate one or more Design Markers to match the elevation of a Civil 3D surface at their corresponding X-Y locations:

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  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl] → "Design Markers" →  "Apply Surface Elevations"

  • Select one or more Design Markers

  • Press <ENTER> to end the selection

  • All selected & eligible [1] Markers are elevated to the current surface at their X-Y location(s)

  • Adjusted Markers' labels reflect the change [2]

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Sync to Layout Profile

To elevate eligible Design Markers associated with an alignment, to match the relative elevation of a Civil 3D centerline Layout Profile with respect to the Marker's measured offset distance from the alignment centerline:

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  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl] → "Design Markers" →  "Sync' to Profile"

  • All eligible [3] Markers are elevated to match the Profile at their stations, relative to their offset

  • Adjusted Markers' labels reflect the changes

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Constrain to Other Markers

Design Markers may be connected to other Markers via Constraints. This relationship allows a 'Parent' Marker to control the relative elevations of all other Markers down-stream in the constrained hierarchy.

 

Constraint Formats

Constraints may be created and edit via any of these measurement types:

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  • Percent Grade :  Through linear or curved paths

  • Slope :Through linear paths only

  • Elevation Difference : Path does not apply

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More About Constraints​

For more details about working with Constraints see:

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Constraints

  • Overview

  • Creating

  • Editing

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Notes

[1] Only 'Parent' and 'Neutral' Markers can be re-elevated directly. 'Child' Markers can only be adjusted via their 'Parent' or Constraint

[2] Zero elevations are ignored in the Design Marker label

[3] Use the following diagram to gain a better understanding of how ASE decides which Markers get sync'd to a profile

Elevation

Moving Markers

Design Marker position is extremely important during the vertical design stage.

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A Design Marker's location affects:

  • Paving design calculations

  • Profile output and label accuracy

  • Constraints

  • Flow Labels

  • Volume calculations

  • Pads...

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...and virtually every other subsystem of ASE Civil that touches the vertical design and its related production in some way, directly or indirectly.

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ASE Civil's MOVE command should always be used to move Design Markers.

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How  to Move a Design Marker

To move a Design Marker, follow the directions below:

 

Move Markers:

  • Check or Set the ASE Project Data Path

  • (Menu) Select:  [vrtCtrl]  → "Markers" → "Move"

  • Select one or more Design Markers

  • Press <ENTER> to end the selection

  • When prompted, select the starting and ending points of the move operation

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Result:

  • All selected & eligible [1] Design Markers are moved along the distance & direction defined by the specified starting and ending points

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Elevations

The elevations of all Design Markers selected for an MOVE will remain unchanged.

 

ASE's Design Marker MOVE operation ignores the elevation of the specified vector. The ASE MOVE process is restricted to two-dimensional adjustment only.

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Constrained Markers

Regardless of their position in the hierarchy, Constrained Markers are filtered out before ASE begins moving the selected Markers.

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Manual Move

Although discouraged, Design Markers may be moved manually using the AUtoCAD MOVE command. However, there is a brief procedure that most  be followed first.

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Move Markers Manually:

  • Open the ASE Design drawing

  • Open the AutoCAD Layer Manager

  • Select & Unlock all layers according to the following pattern:

    • "_ASE-Design-Markers-*"

  • Use AutoCAD's MOVE command to move Design Markers as-needed​​

  • Run ASE's "Selective Audit..." command to update stations, offsets, Flow Labels and Constraints

  • If Paving Features are defined, share paving design data to update the project database.

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Result:

  • All selected & eligible [1] Design Markers are moved along the distance & direction defined by the specified starting and ending points

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Notes

[1] Only 'Parent' and 'Neutral' Markers can be moved directly. 'Child' Markers can only be adjusted via their 'Parent' or Constraint

[2] Zero elevations are ignored in the Design Marker label

[3] ...

Moving

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