Recently Asked GEOPAK Questions

April 14, 2005

The Following questions and concerns have been submitted by the CADD users Group, called in or e-mailed to the AES helpdesk. Many of them are universal and will help all users. This is part of a continuing effort to make the transition to GEOPAK a success. If you have questions or helpful hints that you feel can benefit all users please submit them.

Entrance Profiles

CADD Users Group Questions

Cross Sections

Cross Section Sheets

Superelevation

Problem with super in ultimate urban design.
Problem getting superelevation to work.
Paved shoulder not being recognized.
Shape cluster scan says no shapes.
Can't get run to work.

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Problem with super in ultimate urban design.

GEOPAK is not taking into consideration the width of the median. Fake it out or manually manipulate the input file.

Problem getting superelevation to work.

Not recognizing the shapes because they were in a shapeless mode and/or Cross slope was set at 0% when shapes were created. Shapes do not have a choice of being drawn in shapeless mode. In the proposed cross sections, there is an option of processing the proposed cross sections in a shapeless mode. If the user was getting the shapes drawn flat in the proposed cross sections, there would be another problem. If the shapes were not being shown on the proposed cross sections, then the shapeless mode was set in the proposed cross section dialog.

Paved shoulder not being recognized.

Super elevation shapes were overlapping EP's (edge of pavement) and one of the filenames was incorrect in the definable variables.

Shape cluster scan says no shapes.

Need to define where shapes are in the Project Manager.

Can't get run to work.

Need to change shape to shapeless to make the process work.

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Entrance Profiles

Part of entrance profiles are not visible.
What is the suggested method of getting take-off's for entrances on an urban project when the take-off elevation should come from the back of the landing or the back of the CG-9D? For now, I'm doing them manually
I am trying to create this report for my entrances but can't because the hard coded take off beginning stations is 0+00 which is not what my alignment starts with. How can I get this changed to run a report? In addition… if I want to do my proposed grade manually but would like GEOPAK to put my existing ground line and proposed grid for me, how can I achieve this?
If I want my line to follow my meandering entrance or one with an angle break, what type of line do I have to use to get my section exact along the entire entrance?
Entrance profiles do not run.

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Part of entrance profiles are not visible

If only one or two sections are not showing in the proposed surface then you can manually fix it. This is also true for the proposed grade. The automated method will not cover all situations.

What is the suggested method of getting take-off's for entrances on an urban project when the take-off elevation should come from the back of the landing or the back of the CG-9D? For now, I'm doing them manually.

Revised criteria to add additional point (text) to get profile and alignment.

I am trying to create this report for my entrances but can't because the hard coded take off beginning stations is 0+00 which is not what my alignment starts with. How can I get this changed to run a report? In addition… if I want to do my proposed grade manually but would like GEOPAK to put my existing ground line and proposed grid for me, how can I achieve this?

Use a type 4 line string, smart line with no curves.

Entrance profiles do not run.

Working alignment is pointing to wrong pattern lines and files. Create a new working alignment for entrance profiles.

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Cross Sections

Cross section slope warping.
Cross sections will not plot.
Proposed temporary easement not plotting on cross sections.
Cross sections will not run. Error message that says "cannot find chain".
Proposed cross sections will not run.
Don't want parallel road showing on x-sections.
Cross sections will not run.
Erosion control ditch will not draw on cross section after berm and erosion control ditch are put in definable variables.
Special ditches are not working.
Fill slope not drawing correctly in cross sections.
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Side slope not drawing correctly.
Can you daylight a shoulder?
How do you figure quantities for pavement from cross sections.
I have attached a typical that allows me to build two lanes to an existing four lane facility with raised median. One side of the median already exists. Can I use the forced tie to graphics redefinable to tie from the back of the proposed curb to the back of existing curb?

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Cross section slope warping.

You have a skew angle problem. The scan lines were drawn at an angle that was not perpendicular to the road. Draft a pavement line perpendicular to scan line. The criteria is being changed to have a variable to turn this off.

Cross sections will not plot.

Change the file path for the shapes to the work file. Change the file path for the existing ground to the xs (cross section) file.

Proposed temporary easement not plotting on cross sections.

In the "define variables" the path for the survey was set to the view folder, but the survey file was not copied out to view.

Cross sections will not run. Error message that says "cannot find chain".

Chain name too long. Rename chain.

Click on the Cogo Icon ==>Choose the Navigator button==> In the Element selection, select chain. Double click on the chain you want to rename, and a new box will appear Remove the "101-" or give it a new name ==> Select the button that says "As Is" and change to "Station". This will set the beginning station to 10+00 ==> Click apply. Check your Cogo box to see that it has stored your new chain. Check the Navigator to see that your new chain name is there. If your new name is not there, close and reinitiate the Navigator. Once the new chain name is stored in the Navigator, delete the old chain by selecting it in the Navigator box .

Proposed cross sections will not run.

Pattern line had wrong color for search criteria.
Using shape instead of shapeless for existing pavement run.
Need to place an ep (edge of pavement) or a side street match after saw cut line.

Don't want parallel road showing on x-sections.

Use template separator, side street match or shorter pattern lines.

Cross sections will not run.

Need to place an ep (edge of pavement) or a side street match after saw cut.

Erosion control ditch will not draw on cross section after berm and erosion control ditch are put in definable variables.

GEOPAK will not draw an erosion control ditch in after a berm. The ditch needs to be a regular ditch and not an erosion control ditch.

Special ditches are not working.

Don't comment out the original variable (coding) in the redefiniable variables, i.e. In the redefinable variables editor, don't change the original variable coding (Sta>=0+00 R 1). Change the following coding if needed (/"if (Sta>= ???+?? R 1) and (Sta<= ???+?? R 1) then).

Fill slope not drawing correctly in cross sections.

Set the minimum fill slope depth to zero in the redefinable variables.

Side slope not drawing correctly.

Used the wrong redefinable variables to set a fixed depth. Use ditch depth instead of ditch width.

Can you daylight a shoulder?

Our criteria won't daylight a shoulder only pavement.

How do you figure quantities for pavement from cross sections.

Set up the symbology for pavement layers in earthwork. (See Lab 14 in GEOPAK Road Manual for instructions.)

I have attached a typical that allows me to build two lanes to an existing four lane facility with raised median. One side of the median already exists. Can I use the forced tie to graphics redefinable to tie from the back of the proposed curb to the back of existing curb?

Use the force graphics line to tie into slope. In the D&C Manager under miscellaneous use the force slope lines (FORCESL).

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Cross Section Sheets

Shape clusters (templates) not plotting on cross section sheets.
Problems creating cross section sheets.
Cross sections not coming out on sheets correctly.
Cross sections not showing up on sheet.
Can't create a cross section sheet.

Shape clusters (templates) not plotting on cross section sheets.

Redraw cross sections in xs .dgn file.

Problems creating cross section sheets.

Input for origin was incorrect, should have been 10,000, 10,000. (The default is 1,000, 1,000. See Lab 15 in the GEOPAK Road Manual for instructions.)

Cross sections not coming out on sheets correctly.

Used wrong seed file to create sheet. Delete File ==> create new file with proper seed, rerun your run.

Cross sections not showing up on sheet.

Need to temperately move sheet file to documents folder for run, then move back.

Can't create a cross section sheet.

Move sheet file up a couple of folders to allow the full path to show up in window.

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Profiles

Trying to draw a profile and the COGO icon is not accessible.
Draw profile from COGO dialogue not populating correctly.
Design profile symbology for printing was incorrect.
Profile sheet cutting not working.
Profile sheet not created properly. Will not read correct motif file.

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Trying to draw a profile and the COGO icon is not accessible.

No DTM was created.

Draw profile from COGO dialogue not populating correctly.

Need to delete the .rsc files using the Remove GEOPAK RSC.bat program or compress the design file.

Design profile symbology for printing was incorrect.

Use "draw profile" tool, set "feature symbology" to "proposed" then add from COGO tab, i.e. In the "draw profile" tool, under display settings change to read by feature ==> Click on the paint brush and navigate to alignments ==> vertical ==> proexist. Under the COGO tab, highlight the incorrect entry and press the remove surface button ==> Now press the add surface settings button. ==> Replot the cross sections.

Profile sheet cutting not working.

User preference set to "classic" instead of "GEOPAK 2000+".

Profile sheet not created properly. Will not read correct motif file.

Need to recreate the work file. Rename old file and create new file with the same name. Fence copy elements from old file. Redo the profile sheets run.

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Alignments

Need to find the intersection of two alignments.
How to you copy a horizontal alignment?
How do you reverse the direction of an alignment?
Only the first cg-2 curbing is showing on the outside median.
Project manager will not come up?
How do I set up a roadway with ebl and wbl with separate alignments?
How do I create an alignment data sheet?
Pattern (scan) lines not drawing across alignment.
User can't figure out why "construction limits" won't run.
Can not store surface in project.

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Need to find the intersection of two alignments.

Use the "intersection" option under tools in COGO.

How to you copy a horizontal alignment?

Use COGO, element ==> chain ==> store, offset alignment.

How do you reverse the direction of an alignment?

Reverse the direction of element or make first P.I. last and last P.I. first, then recreate alignment.

Only the first cg-2 curbing is showing on the outside median.

Criteria will not treat the curbing on the outside as a median. It will only read the first curb.

Project manager will not come up.

Delete resource files for project manager to come up.

How do I set up a roadway with ebl and wbl with separate alignments?

Use divided independent typical and PGL (tie) to design separate alignments.

How do I create an alignment data sheet?

In COGO go to "print/describe" alignment; save output file then import text file (output file) into MicroStation.

Pattern (scan) lines not drawing across alignment.

A 'fit view" showed that alignment was not in same area as scan lines. Delete pattern lines and redraw.

User can't figure out why "construction limits" won't run.

Ground lines drawn into cross section file twice. Redraw ground line. Set tolerance to .75 and set levels to 2-8.

Can not store surface in project.

Alignment didn't fall on DTM. Set up offset alignment and created offset layout report.

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Text and Labeler

User having problem placing text in GEOPAK when drawing alignment.
User having problem with text weight that GEOPAK uses for the horizontal alignment data.
Need to change R/W pluses to be the same using the GEOPAK labeling tool.
Xs (cross section) labeler not working properly.

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User having problem placing text in GEOPAK when drawing alignment.

Turn "Place Influence" off when drawing alignments. See GEOPAK Road Manual page 7-9 for instructions.

User having problem with text weight that GEOPAK uses for the horizontal alignment data.

"Place Influence" needs to be off when drawing stationing. See GEOPAK Road Manual page 7-9 for instructions..

Need to change R/W pluses to be the same using the GEOPAK labeling tool.

Use the labeler update tool in the Plan View Labeling.

Xs (cross section) labeler not working properly.

Bad log file. Rerun cross section sheets and create new log file.

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Miscellaneous

HGL losses do not compute regardless of what option was chosen.
Cannot get level symbology to work in GEOPAK.
User is unable to access his project files in GEOPAK.
User is not getting the DTM for the other side of the roadway.
How do you create a "Hurricane Escape Lane"?
Can't get new criteria.
Can GEOPAK work with older IGrds files?
How do you print .inp files?
Cannot create contours in GEOPAK.
What is the correct way to draw the Limited Access, Right of Way Line and fence in GEOPAK?
I am working in the earthwork file and noticed that when I go back and measure areas the s.f. measurements work right. When I convert/check the figures under their c.y. Column it doesn't.

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HGL losses do not compute regardless of what option was chosen.

When global preferences are set (no matter what option is chosen, Method 1, Method 2, etc.) the junction losses will not be computed for the node unless the junction loss option is enabled on each individual inlet. The losses were not being computed because this option was disabled.

Cannot get level symbology to work in GEOPAK.

Under settings> level> symbology set color, weight and style. Check the overrides and apply. Then click OK. Next check the level symbology under setting > view attributes.

User is unable to access his project files in GEOPAK.

Change the project path in the working directory under "User Preferences".

User is not getting the DTM for the other side of the roadway.

Needed to set up dialogue correctly.

How do you create a "Hurricane Escape Lane"?

Treat it like a new roadway. Use graphical horizontal alignment tools for reverse curve and side street matches for tie-ins.

Can't get new criteria.

Computer was set up to pull local files, switch to server and it should work.

Can GEOPAK work with older IGrds files?

Yes, but you will have to redraw your items with the D&C Manager for summary purposes.

How do you print .inp files?

On GEOPAK main tool frame, right hand side at bottom is "Notepad" tool for opening and printing .inp files.

Cannot create contours in GEOPAK.

Need to download the "tin" file from FALCON.

What is the correct way to draw the Limited Access, Right of Way Line and fence in GEOPAK?

New line style (la) was created for "Limited Access Line". The current Proposed Right of Way line style should be used for denoting the location of Limited Access and R/W Line. The fence line style should be used to denote the location of Limited Access Line and Fence.

I am working in the earthwork file and noticed that when I go back and measure areas the s.f. measurements work right. When I convert/check the figures under their c.y. Column it doesn't.

You are not using the correct formula for calculations. It should be end area + end area x distance/54.

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CADD Users Group Questions

Why can't the GEOPAK files on server be accessed through Windows Explorer?

How do you use the shape tool in D&C Manager to create shapes?

Should final cross-section sheets be located in the C:\documents and then transferred into the design folder and uploaded into FALCON?

Can we use FALCON with GEOPAK?

Where is the sheet motif created and stored?

When creating proposed cross-sections, when do you use shapeless?

What is the difference between dependent and independent shapes?

What is the difference and when is a Side Street Match Line and a Template separator used?

Is it necessary to back alignments or redefinable variables up?

Can the LS length be obtained from a report as in IGRDS? If not please provide us with detail instructions to obtain the LS length.

If you are adding templates to a proposed cross section run and you opt not to overwrite criteria will redefinables switch back to default?

When should the cross-section stack file be compressed?

How are void areas created (i.e. buildings in the survey file) so that contours will not be generated in these areas?

How are reports created in GEOPAK?
(i.e., grade & super reports, HA, VA, superelevation transition lengths and stations, etc.)

In what files are the easements drawn?
(Permanent, temporary, utility easements, etc.)

To use Plan View Labeling, what file do you need to be in?

Is there a list showing what belongs in each GEOPAK file (des, work, xsmainline, etc.)?

How do you change a curve without spirals to a curve with spirals and vise versa?

How do you add a PI to a designed alignment?

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Why can't the GEOPAK files on server be accessed through Windows Explorer?

The user should be able to see all files except those in FALCON. If they are trying to open the files through Windows Explorer, they may need to have an application associated with them. Files like .gpk and .prj file need to be opened from inside GEOPAK.

How do you use the shape tool in D&C Manager to create shapes?

Semi-automatic walks around the elements; Automatic floods the area. Must have individual elements, not complex shapes.

Should final cross-section sheets be located in the C:\documents and then transferred into the design folder and uploaded into FALCON?

This may need to be done because of a bug in the software with the path length of the xs sheets file.

Can we use FALCON with GEOPAK?

GEOPAK will not check files in/out from FALCON. Files can be stored in FALCON, then checked/copied out manually. .gpk file and Project Manager files should not be stored in FALCON.

Where is the sheet motif created and stored?

Motif file can be created in any directory, and then stored in FALCON. Specify the full path to the motif file when it is not in the working directory.

When creating proposed cross-sections, when do you use shapeless?

Resurfacing with Match Existing option DRROW, ENTR, EXFEAT, EXPVMT, ROOTMAT typical sections.

What is the difference between dependent and independent shapes?

Dependent shapes get their elevation directly from the profile and slope of the shape.
Independent shapes get their elevations from adjacent shapes.

What is the difference and when is a Side Street Match Line and a Template separator used?

Side Street Match Lines extend the pavement to the match line and stops the section.
Template separator draws the section normally stopping at the template separator location.

Is it necessary to back alignments or redefinable variables up? If so how?

It is a good idea to create an output file of the chain, and a proposed xs input file for these. This data should be kept on the server so there is a network backup.

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Can the LS length be obtained from a report as in IGRDS? If not please provide us with detail instructions to obtain the LS length.

LS - Length of Spiral can be found in the COGO output for the chain.

If you are adding templates to a proposed cross section run and you opt not to overwrite criteria will redefinables switch back to default?

This is the nature of the program. It will overwrite the variables when the typical section is modified.

When should the cross-section stack file be compressed?

Whenever large amounts of data are deleted, the xs file should be compressed.

How are void areas created (i.e. buildings in the survey file) so that contours will not be generated in these areas?

Items that are void areas can be specified in the .smd file. Otherwise, the Delete Triangle option in the Edit Triangle tool can be used to create the void areas after the .tin file has been created.

How are reports created in GEOPAK? (i.e., grade & super reports, HA, VA, superelevation transition lengths and stations, etc.)?

Xs Reports, COGO Output files. New reports being developed for V8.

In what files are the easements drawn? (Permanent, temporary, utility easements, etc.)

Permanent and temporary easements in the Design file.
Utility easements in the Utility file. (Utility file can be specified as the des file)

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To use Plan View Labeling, what file do you need to be in?

Any file you want to be in.

Is there a list showing what belongs in each GEOPAK file (des, work, xsmainline, etc.)?

Des - plan view elements to be shown in the plan sheets. Work - plan view elements not to be shown in the plan sheets Xsmainline - all cross-section elements for that roadway Profile – profile data.

How do you change a curve without spirals to a curve with spirals and vise versa?

Best to store a second curve to match the tangents correctly. Then delete original curve and spirals from chain. Add new curve and spirals to chain. Be sure to re-station chain when done.

How do you add a PI to a designed alignment?

If a non-curve PI, add point to chain list.
If a curve PI, add curve to chain list. Be sure to re-station chain when done.

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Page last modified: Oct. 29, 2006