Surface Boundary¶

Use this dialog to link a surface to an extra line (boundary line). The line will define the outer boundary of the surface.

The dialog does not have its own preview window, but in cross-section editing, there is a direct preview in the cross-section. Here, you can both zoom and, for example, measure distances. Material types are also updated when editing the table. You can also change the profile number in the dialog, and the cross-section will be updated accordingly.

Where do I find the dialog?¶

On the Planning, Design, and Execution toolset, select Surface Boundary...

Boundary Lines¶

Boundary lines are extra lines in the model. You can use surface boundaries in roads, intersections, and construction pits. For SFI models, you edit these lines with the Extra Lines... function on the Planning, Design, and Execution toolset. For intersections and construction pits, there is a separate button Boundary lines for cut/fill... in the properties dialog (the Layer tab).

Info

Extra lines can also be lines imported from external models. The ID for these lines will then consist of both the line name and the name of the external model, for example, 6.1_Road2.sfi. You can update such lines with the Update external lines button in the model's properties dialog.

Procedure

Enter the code for the surface to be bounded by the extra line.
Fill in the From / To profile numbers where the surface boundary should apply.
Select the method (detailed below).
Select the extra line from the dropdown menu.

Profile Interval¶

Enter the profile number manually in the field or use snap points in the drawing. Snap points become active when the column is selected (blue).

You can also calculate the profile numbers for the extra line's start and end points. This option is found in the right-click menu.

Tip

If you set an interval longer than the extra line, for example 0-9999, the surface will not be built outside the area covered by the extra line.

Warning

In construction pits, the boundary contour (centerline) is usually closed. This means the extra line can pass profile 0. In these cases, the value for the From profile will be greater than the To profile, and you must manually split this into two profile intervals.

Methods for Surface Boundary¶

You can choose between several methods for how the line can be used:

Distance from line, slope from surface description
Distance from line, slope from vertical curvature
Distance from line, slope from terrain at the line
Distance from surface description, slope from vertical curvature
Slope from surface description, elevation from vertical curvature
Distance from surface description, slope from terrain at the line

The figures below, exemplified with a road model, show how the different methods work.

Distance from line, slope from surface description¶

The program uses the line's horizontal geometry to calculate the width and gets the slope from the surface description.