Creating Layout Profiles

To create a layout profile

1. Click Home tabCreate Design panelProfile drop-downProfile Creation Tools.At the Command prompt, enter CreateProfileLayout.
2. Click the profile view in which to draw the layout profile.
3. In the Create Profile - Draw New dialog box, enter a unique Name for the profile. Optionally, enter a Description.
4. On the General tab, specify the following settings:
   • Profile Style
   • Profile Layer
   • Profile Label Set
   Note

   If you do not want to apply design criteria to the profile, proceed to step 6.

5. If you would like to associate design standards with the profile, on the Design Criteria tab, select the Use Criteria-Based Design check box.

   For more information, see Criteria-Based Profile Design.

   On the Design Criteria tab, specify the following settings:

   • Use Design Criteria File

     Select this check box to associate a design criteria file with the profile. The default design criteria file location and the Default Criteria properties becomes available when you select the check box.

   • Use Design Check Set

     Select this check box to associate a design check set with the profile. The design check set list becomes available when you select the check box. Select a design check set from the list.

6. Click OK to display the Profile Layout Tools toolbar.
7. Use the commands on the Profile Layout Tools toolbar to draw the profile.

   You can use any of the following methods to lay out a profile:

   • Use the Draw Tangents command to specify points of vertical intersection (PVIs) for the tangents, and then add free curves with specific parameters between the tangents.
   • Use the Draw Tangents With Curves command to specify PVIs for the tangents, automatically creating curves between the tangents using the parameters you specify in the Vertical Curve Settings dialog box.
   • Use various Profile Layout Tools to create separate entities and then join them together.
   Tip

   When you are prompted for point locations, you can use the Transparent Commands to specify points in the profile.

   When you use Use the Draw Tangents With Curves command, curves are created to comply with the values in one of the following places:

   • If the profile has design criteria applied to it, the minimum K value for the current design speed is applied to the curve. If no solution can be found with the minimum K value, the curve is not drawn.
   • If the profile does not have design criteria applied to it, the default curve length or K value specified in the vertical curve settings is applied to the curve. For more information, see Vertical Curve Settings dialog box.

To create a profile from a profile file

1. Click Home tabCreate Design panelProfile drop-downCreate Profile From File.At the Command prompt, enter CreateProfileFromFile.
2. Browse to the text file (a text file uses the .txt extension).
3. Click the text file and click Open. If the file is correctly formatted, it is read into the system and the Create Profile - Draw New dialog box is displayed. For more information about correct file formatting, see Format Requirements of Profile Files.
4. In the Create Profile - Draw New dialog box, review and revise any settings you want to change for the profile name, description, and styles.
5. Click OK to save the profile in the drawing.