ASE: Auditing Links...Constraints Error:
Unable to regenerate a curved Constraint!;...

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This particular kind of crash leaves the vertical design drawing in a broken state in which no Marker elevations may be edited because ASE can't get through the Constraints initialization, which is required for all downstream Design Marker actions that affect elevations. Getting back on track with your design could potentially be time-consuming.

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CAUSE

This is caused by ASE's inability to properly manage data inconsistencies encountered when a Constraint definition cannot properly load its data. This occurs when the corresponding Base Map Control data to which the Constraint definition was linked to, is missing. Curved Constraints must be accompanied by valid BMC data that existed when the Constraint was created.

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"... But my BMC data isn't missing! It's right there in the ASE data folder? ..."

This may be true. However, this message (& crash) will only appear when the BMC data that was tangent to the 3 Design Markers used to create the curved Constraint is no longer present in the current version of the BMC data.

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In simpler terms, this issue will be triggered by the following sequence of events in a project:

1. BMC data was created from the site layout

2. The vertical design drawing was created

3. Constraints were created in the vertical design drawing

4. A horizontal design change occurred in the site layout

5. ASE BMC data was redefined, affecting areas containing curved Constraints (in vertical design dwg)

6. The vertical design drawing is opened

7. Running any ASE command triggers an audit of the vertical design system components and attempts to load each definition's data into memory

8. When a curved Constraint definition is encountered, the BMC data that was previously used in the definition no longer exists or it's no longer coincident with the related Design Markers' locations

9. ASE in its current form is unable to figure out how to get past error, since it was not prepared to handle it, so it crashes.

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HORIZONTAL CHANGE PROTOCOL

Horizontal changes sometimes happen in subdivision design. Hopefully those changes don't occur during or after the vertical design phase, where Design Markers have been set in place then Constraints, Pads, Flow Labels and possibly even paving data dependencies have been applied to them. A horizontal change in the design is highly disruptive to the design flow at this juncture. However, when there is a need to adjust ASE vertical design data and objects already in-place to coalesce with a horizontal change, here's the process that should be followed 'as a rule' until further notice:​

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1. Open the vertical design drawing FIRST.

2. Identify the roads and regions that will be affected by the horizontal changes. Essentially, you'll be undefining the deleting all ASE vertical design objects contained within or touching the changed area. It's all junk now and cannot be reliably reused.

3. Within the changed region follow this sequence:

   1. Delete ASE Corridor models

   2. Undefine all Constraints (Links)

   3. Undefine all Connections

   4. Undefine all Pads

   5. Undefine all basins

   6. Delete all Flow Labels & Arrows

   7. Delete any plan-view labels

   8. Delete all Design Markers, only after all other vertical design elements have been removed first

   9. Audit ASE's vertical design data to verify stability after removal of the changed design elements

   10. Save & close the vertical design drawing

   11. Redefine the BMC using the new base plan geometry

   12. Open the vertical design drawing

   13. Add Markers

   14. Recreate Flow Labels (as needed)

   15. Recreate Constraints (Links) (as needed)

   16. Redefine paving features

   17. Redefine Pads

   18. Redefine Basins

4. Rebuild Corridors

5. Regenerate surfaces

6. Recompute earthwork volumes

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RECOVERY

If this has already occurred on your design and you need to recover from this problem, the Constraints created from the obsolete BMC data must be deleted and re-created using the original BMC data used to define them. Constraints cannot be adjusted after a horizontal design change. There are a few options to do this. I'll describe each briefly.

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Option 1:

Delete Constraints using BMC data from a backup.

1. Restore the previous version of the ASE BMC data from a backup & overwrite the newer data

2. Open the vertical design drawing

3. Select the command to delete Constraints

   • ASE should initialize to completion

4. Select curved Constraints within changed areas of the site layout for deletion

5. After the command finishes processing, save the vertical design drawing and close it

6. Redefine the ASE BMC data using the updated site layout geometry

7. Open the vertical design drawing again

8. Use ASE commands to move Design Markers to their new locations.

   • Depending on the change, some Markers may need to be added or deleted from the drawing

   • Flow Labels are not affected like Constraints. The arrows should still have the correct orientation, and the values should accurately reflect the lengths of the modified geometry

9. Move displaced Flow Labels and arrows to their proper locations

10. Re-define the Constraints as needed

Option 2:

Delete Constrained Design Markers

1. Open the vertical design drawing

2. Use AutoCAD commands to delete all Design Markers which were used to create curved Constraints

3. Initialize ASE

   • ​ASE should initialize to completion

4. Add Design Markers as needed

5. Re-define Constraints where needed

Finally

Audit the vertical design system

1. Open the vertical design drawing

2. Select the command to audit the vertical design system

   • ASE should initialize to completion

   • The "Selective Audit Preferences" windows will appear

3. Select check boxes to:

   • 'Synchronize Stations/Offsets'

   • 'Synchronize Elevations'

4. Select the desired radio button for elevation handling protocols:​

   1. Choose 'Hold Position' if Markers have moved vertically from their original elevations shown in the Design Markers values​

   2. Choose 'Preserve Data' if the elevation values displayed should be preserved when ASE data is updated

5. Click 'OK' to begin updating the design data in the vertical design drawing

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