Create a Global Vertical Design

Use the Create Global Vertical Design command to quickly and easily add one or more vertical design rules to a line or between two lines without needing to use the Create Vertical Design or Edit Vertical Design commands. The command pane prompts you for just the required parameters for the rule. The Properties pane also opens for you to specify or edit any other properties. Additional rules you add are children of the single global vertical design that is created by adding the first rule.

Each project can have only one global vertical design. You can rename it and specify or edit other properties in the Properties pane.

Tip: Hide vertical design surfaces using the Surface tab in the Create Vertical Design command.

Prerequisites:

License; See the Subscription Plans page. For a license matrix by command, see the License page in the TBC Community. Also see View and manage licensed features.

2D or 3D lines, linestrings, and/or alignments

To access the command:

Right-click the Vertical Designs node in the Project Explorer and proceed to step 1 below.
Note: If the Vertical Designs node is not visible, you will need to create a vertical design by selecting Create Vertical Design on the Data Prep ribbon first.
Tip: To launch the global vertical design commands, you must right-click the Vertical Designs node in the Project Explorer. Because this node is not visible by default, if you plan to use global vertical designs often, you should create an empty, standard vertical design (Data Prep > Create Vertical Design) in a blank project and save it as a project template to use whenever you want quick access to the global vertical design commands.

To add a global vertical design rule:

Select one of these commands:
- Add Elevation (Global) - Apply this to a 2D line to make it 3D via one or more elevations.
  a. With focus in the To box, pick a point on a line.
  b. Then enter the Elevation in the Properties pane and press [Tab].
  For details on the full rule, see Apply an Elevation Rule.
- Add Cross-slope (Global) - Apply this from one 3D line to another to create a sloped surface between them.
  a. Pick a point on a From (source) line and then a point on a To (target) line.
  b. Then enter the Slope (in %) in the Properties pane and press [Tab]; if this elevates a target 2D line in the process, a surface is created between vertices on that line too.
  For details on the full rule, see Apply a Cross-slope Rule.
- Add Cross dZ (Global) - Apply this from a 3D line to another line to elevate the target line by a relative elevation change from the source line.
  a. Pick a point on a From (source) line and then a point on a To (target) line.
  b. Then enter the Vertical offset dZ in the Properties pane and press [Tab].
  For details on the full rule, see Apply a Cross dZ Rule.
- Add Elevate by Slope (Global) - Apply this from one 3D line to another line to create a sloped surface between those points. Unlike cross-slope, it does not have to be connected to the source line (but it can be).
  a. Pick a point on a From (source) line and then a point on a To (target) line.
  b. Then enter the Slope (in %) in the Properties pane and press [Tab].
  For details on the full rule, see Apply an Elevate by Slope Rule.
- Add Elevate by dZ (Global)- Apply this from a 3D line to another to elevate the target line by a relative elevation change from the source line. Unlike cross dZ, it does not have to be connected to a source line (but it can be).
  a. Pick a point on a From (source) line and then a point on a To (target) line.
  b. Then enter the Vertical offset dZ in the Properties pane and press [Tab].
  For details on the full rule, see Apply an Elevate by dZ Rule.
- Add Connector (Global) - Apply this to copy an elevation from one line to another.
  a. Pick a point on a From (source) line and then a point on a To (target) line.
  b. Then enter the Elevation difference in the Properties pane and press [Tab].
  For details on the full rule, see Apply a Connector Rule.
The vertical design called <Global> is created and appears in the Project Explorer.
Note: Using these commands will only add rules to a <Global> vertical design, even if you have another standard vertical design in your project.
Edit any other properties of the rule in the Properties pane, as needed.
If desired, repeat the steps above to add more rules to the same <Global> vertical design. The rules are nested under the global vertical design in the Project Explorer.
To make advanced edits, such as reordering the rules, right-click <Global>in the Project Explorer and select Edit.

Dependencies:

Each global vertical design is dependent on the lines and alignments it was built from; if you edit the geometry of any, the design updates accordingly when you select Rebuild Vertical Design.
There is no relationship between a global vertical design and other vertical designs in your project.