Exercise 1: Editing the Layout Parameter Values of an Alignment

In this exercise, you will use the Alignment Entities vista and Alignment Layout Parameters dialog box to edit the layout parameter values of an alignment.

This exercise continues from the Creating Alignments tutorial.

Note:

Ensure that Dynamic Input (DYN) is turned on. For more information, see the Dynamic Input tutorial.

Open the parametric editing windows

1. Open Align-4.dwg, which is located in the tutorials drawings folder.

   The drawing contains a surface marked with several circles, labeled A through F.

   Note:

   Ensure that Object Snap (OSNAP) is turned on.

2. If the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar is not open, select the alignment. Click Alignment tab Modify panel Geometry Editor.
3. On the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click Alignment Grid View.

   Examine the Alignment Entities table in Panorama. In the first column, alignment segments are numbered in the order in which they are solved. Each row of the table shows useful design data about a specific entity. Each curve group has a two-part entity number and a separate table row for each spiral and curve. Values shown in black can be edited.

   Note: To make other parameters available for edit, you can change the Tangency Constraint and Parameter Constraint value of an entity.
4. On the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, click Sub-Entity Editor. The Alignment Layout Parameters window is displayed, containing no data.
5. In the Alignment Entities table, click any row for segment no. 4, which is the free spiral-curve-spiral entity in circle C in your drawing window.

   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.

6. In the Alignment Layout Parameters window, change the Length value for a spiral to a higher number, such as 100, and press Enter.

   Note how this immediately increases the spiral length in three locations: in both the Alignment Layout Parameters window and the Alignment Entities table, numeric values change; in the drawing window, geometry point labels move and their station values change, and the length of the spiral itself changes.

   Further exploration: Experiment with changing the curve radius. In the Alignment Entities table, click a line or curve entity and note the data that you can edit in the Alignment Layout Parameters window.

7. Press Esc to clear the Alignment Layout Parameters dialog box.

Display a range of sub-entities in the Alignment Entities vista

1. In the drawing, Ctrl+click the curve entity in circle B.

   The Alignment Entities vista displays only the attributes for the curve entity.

2. In the drawing, Ctrl+click the spiral-curve-spiral entity in circle C.

   Notice that the Alignment Entities vista now displays the attributes for each of the entities you selected, plus the tangent between them. To display the parameters of another entity in the Alignment Layout Parameters dialog box, click the appropriate row in the Alignment Entities vista.

3. Press Esc to display all alignment entities on the Alignment Entities vista.

To continue this tutorial, go to Exercise 2: Grip Editing an Alignment Design.