Longitudinal and cross-section profiles

The SFI model is the storage structure in Gemini Terrain for infrastructure such as roads, ditches, and tunnels.

The SFI model can store the following data types, among others:

• Horizontal curvature
• Vertical curvature
• Longitudinal profile
• Cross-sections
• ...

The SFI model is also used to create general longitudinal and cross-section profiles. For this purpose, you use the Gemini profile generator. The functions for generating longitudinal and cross-section profiles can be found in the context menu when a line in an SFI model is selected:

• Generate longitudinal profile

• Generate cross-sections

Creating an SFI model and generating profiles

Procedure

1. Select Toolset for planning, design and execution.
2. Select Horizontal curvature (Line definition) from the toolset.
3. Enter a name for the SFI file and click OK.
4. Left-click on point 1 and then point 2, and press [Enter] to finish and save. After the line has been constructed in the SFI model, or transferred from other types of lines, you'll find the line definition command in the command list.
5. Select the line either on the screen or in the command list, and choose the icon Generate longitudinal profile or Generate cross-sections from the context menu (right-click in the map window).
6. Configure the profile setup and click OK to generate profiles.

Layers in profiles

All application layers defined as strata in the drawing can provide a layer in the profile. You can choose which ones to include. In addition to physical layers from strata, you can also include 3D objects (advanced section).

Example of a profile with advanced section showing 3D objects

Advanced section includes 3D objects that are intersected by the profile, such as roads, pits, buildings, etc. All objects in the drawing (command list) have a link to a drawing layer, either to the predefined table for drawing layers or user-defined drawing layers. The layer for the advanced section gets its layer name from the drawing layer.

Showing property boundaries in profiles

A common requirement is to show property boundaries in longitudinal and cross-section profiles. You can solve this by setting up a presentation rule for the application layer in 3D with Parallel/surface as the advanced method. This rule creates surfaces with a user-defined height as shown in the image below.

Presentation rule for property boundaries using parallel/surface as the method

These surfaces marking the property boundaries will then be included in the profile if you check the option for advanced section.

Property boundaries shown in profile using advanced section

Note

Advanced sections are not created through application layers that form a stratum. This applies to all data types: points, lines, polygons, and triangle nets.

Adjusted terrain in profiles

Another setting you can configure is Calculate from adjusted terrain. This option uses the grid and adjusts the terrain to the surface of affected interventions such as construction pits and road structures.

Profile showing adjusted terrain with affected interventions

Profile setup for cross-sections

For cross-sections, you can also define under Profile setup... how the program should generate the profiles, i.e., distance between profiles, how far out to each side from the center line they should go, etc.

Illustration of settings available for cross-sections

Editing models for longitudinal and cross-section profiles

The profile generator uses dedicated windows to display generated profiles:

• The Longitudinal profile editing window (LSECT_EDIT: SFI name) displays longitudinal profiles
• The Cross-section editing window (CSECT_EDIT: SFI name) displays cross-sections

You can edit the layers in these windows as described in the next section.

Example of project structure with drawings and editing window for SFI

The profile generator creates up to five different models. The editing models LSECT_EDIT and CSECT_EDIT are followed by the name of the associated SFI model.

This makes it easier to switch between editing models and provides the ability to specify different drawing settings for each model.

Note

If you generate profiles for more than five different SFI models, the program will use the last generated CSECT_EDIT/LSECT_EDIT model.