Stakeout

Siteworks supports the staking of lines, points, alignments, and surfaces from the VCL design. If the active surface is a corridor template surface, then template nodes, and template catch points can be staked.

VCL points

Staking VCL points behaves the same as staking other points in the software. The points can be selected via the tap-and-hold menu or through the Stakeout Object screen. In the Stakeout Object screen, select the point by tapping on it in the map view, by manually entering the point’s name in the Object field, or by selecting it from the Point table in the Select Object screen (to access it, tap the List icon). As with DXF/DWG points, the point must have a defined name.

Once selected, the point can be staked. A side slope can also be projected from the point, and the side slope or catch point can be staked.

The stake report’s data and saved data for the VCL point matches the stake reports and saved data for any other selectable point in the software.

Just like with DXF points, a 2D or 3D point can be selected and staked. An elevation for the point can be defined if you want to stake a side slope or catch point from the 2D point.

VCL lines

Staking lines from the VCL design behaves the same as staking lines from DXF/DWG designs. The lines can be selected via the tap-and-hold menu and through the Stakeout screen. In the Stakeout screen, select the line by tapping on it in the map view or by selecting it from the List table in the Select Object screen (to access it, tap the List icon).

Once selected, you can stake the line, a side slope from the line, or a catch point projected from the line. The line direction of the VCL line can be reversed. A horizontal and vertical offset can also be applied to the selected line.

Starting with the v1.41 release, linestring objects with Vertical Points of Intersection (VPI) definitions as created in the Vertical tab of the Edit Linestring command in the Trimble Business Center software are now supported. In older versions of the Siteworks software, linestrings with VPI definitions were treated as 2D lines when staking out. Note that linestrings with VPI definitions will be treated as 2D lines for any COGO commands associated with that linestring.

VCL surfaces

Only the active surface can be staked. Once a surface from the VCL file is selected as the active surface, you can select the surface to stake via the tap-and-hold menu or through the stakeout feature.

In the stakeout feature you can select the surface by tapping on it (note that if there are other objects in the tap radius they are selected instead), by manually entering the surface’s name in the Object field, or by selecting the surface from the Surface table in the List screen. The Surface tab only lists the currently active surface, regardless of the surface type (VCL surface, corridor surface, or corridor template surface).

If a VCL surface or corridor surface is selected, the only stake method option is surface. The surface stake method is the same as staking a TTM surface. For corridor surfaces, the surface’s alignment is selected as the reference line if another reference line is not selected. If a different line is selected, you are asked if you want to use the corridor surface’s alignment as the reference line. Selecting to use the surface’s alignment as the reference line will set the reference line to the surface’s alignment for all features. You can still manually change the reference line to a different line if required.

If you select to stake the active VCL corridor template surface, you have the following stake method options: surface, template nodes, template catch points.

Selecting the surface stake method for the corridor template surface behaves the same as selecting the same option for a corridor surface. The template surface’s alignment is selected as the reference line if no other reference line is selected. If another reference line is already selected, then you are asked if you want to use the corridor template surface’s alignment as the reference line.

Selecting the feature stake method takes you into the same workflow and features as staking roadway nodes from a PRO file. The stakeout reports, stake options, and saved data for staking VCL template nodes is identical to PRO node features.

Selecting the catch point stake method for a VCL template surface takes you into the same tie slope selection workflow that was used with PRO files. This workflow has the same options of selecting existing tie slopes, defining custom tie slopes from a selected node, or using the outer segments if there are no defined tie slopes. The stakeout reports, settings, and saved data for staking a VCL catch point match staking a PRO catch point.

Just like with PRO data, the tie slopes are always projected from the original surface, even if a surface offset is applied to the template surface.

VCL alignments

An alignment in a VCL file can be selected to stake via the tap-and-hold menu or through the Stakeout feature. In the Stakeout screen, you can select any VCL alignment by tapping on it in the map, entering the alignment’s name in the Object field, or selecting the alignment from the Alignment tab in the List window. Note that if still using a PRO file there is a Corridor tab instead where you can select any available corridor from the PRO file.

Staking a VCL alignment is slightly different than staking a PRO alignment. When a VCL alignment is selected (as opposed to the VCL surface associated with it), you can only stake a station and offset location. Selecting this option takes you into a workflow similar to staking a location from a HAL only or HAL/VAL PRO alignment (that is, a PRO file with no corridor surfaces or templates present). You can select a station and offset to define the stake location and define the elevation for the stake location. The elevation options available change depending on if the selected alignment is 3D (HAL and VAL) or 2D (HAL only). Having a surface associated with the selected alignment does not have any impact on the stakeout options.

When staking a 3D VCL alignment, the available elevation options are: ignore, define grade, vertical offset, manually entered elevation, and design surface. The design surface is the currently selected VCL surface.

For 2D VCL alignments, the available elevation options are: ignore, manually entered elevation, and design surface. The design surface is the currently selected VCL surface.

When staking a 2D VCL alignment, Siteworks v1.30 and later will stop along both vertical and horizontal tangent points. The tangent points along a VCL are differentiated on the map screen by white circles for horizontal tangent points and black circles for vertical tangent points.