How do you drape the String you are displaying in the Vertical Grading Editor onto a surface?

In the Vertical Grading Editor (VGE) there is a button near the top right called 'Compute VC from Existing Data'. This opens a form with multiple entries for you to assign string levels based on different requirements, over selected chainage ranges.

To set your current string to match any surface, click on the button 'Match to Existing'.

You then set the chainage extents over which this action is to be applied and pick the surface to match to. Fitting of vertical curves can also be applied at this time if required. Click OK to store this adjustment to the String you are working on.

Once you exit the form this adjustment (as well as any other entries in the form) will be applied to the vertical grading of the string.

This is an exceptionally powerful tool for creating a vertical design using other data - as well as draping onto an existing surface you can obtain levels using a reference point and slope, by specifying a minimum depth between the existing and design surface, by using design constraints, and more.

From this form you are also able to export the vertical grading out to file and import it onto another road (or store it for revision control).

Version: ARD 2010.00