Use profile files to record layout data for points of vertical intersection (PVIs) in a profile.
A profile file is a simple text file in ASCII format. The file contains a series of stations along an alignment, the elevation of each station, and optionally, the length of curve at the station. Each line can include up to three information elements, separated by spaces:
- Station. An element required for each line. Plus characters (+) cannot be used.
- Elevation. A required element.
- Curve length. An optional element. However it cannot be used on the first or last line of the file. All vertical curves must be parabolic.
Sample file lines:
0 100.23
50 104.2
100 109.0 40.0
150 102.63
200 98.12 35.0
250 102.45
300 105.8
In this example, only the third and fifth PVIs include curves (lengths of 40.0 and 35.0). Use these other format requirements for each profile file:
- The first and last lines must not contain curve information.
- The first line must provide the station and elevation for the first station.
- Stations must be in ascending order.
- No leading blank lines or headers.
- No blank lines; a blank line is read as the end of the file.
- No blank spaces at the beginning of any line.
- The last item must be the elevation for the last station.