Automated Draw Roadway Segments Command

In GeoSTORM software, the Automated Draw Roadway Segments command allows the user to automatically compute roadway segment alignment between two points using an elevation terrain surface.

Follow the steps below to use the Automated Draw Roadway Segments command:

1. From the Input ribbon menu, click on the Roadway Gutter/Ditch/Inlets dropdown menu and select the Automated Draw Roadway Segments command.
   
2. The Automated Draw Roadway Segments dialog box will be displayed.
   

The following sections describe how to use the Automated Draw Roadway Segments command and interact with the above dialog box.

Selecting Roadway Segment Starting Point

The Select Roadway Segment Starting Point section is used to select a starting point on the Map View for drawing the roadway segment.

To select a starting point, follow the steps below:

1. Click on the [Pick] button, and the dialog box will temporarily disappear.
   
2. The status bar (shown under the Map View) will prompt the user to select a point on the Map View. Select the starting point to draw a roadway segment.
3. After selecting the starting point, the user is immediately returned to the Automated Draw Roadway Segments dialog box. The Start point read-only field will be changed from Not Drawn to Selected.
   

Roadway Segment Draw Direction

This section is used to define the direction of the roadway segment to be drawn based on the selected starting point.

The following options are provided in this section:

• Downstream flow direction
  This radio button option is used to define the flow direction of the roadway segment downstream from the starting point.

• Upstream flow direction
  This radio button option is used to define the flow direction of the roadway segment upstream from the starting point.

Roadway Segment Specifications

This section is used to specify a roadway segment ID for each roadway segment drawn. The user can assign these IDs either manually or automatically using some predefined formats.

Follow the steps below to assign roadway segment IDs:

1. If the starting point for a roadway segment is selected while keeping the Roadway segment ID radio button option enabled, the user can manually enter the roadway segment ID in the corresponding field, as shown below.
   
2. Alternatively, the user can enable the Auto-name roadway segment ID radio button option to automatically name newly drawn roadway segments as per predefined naming formats.
   
   The different naming formats present in the Auto-name roadway segment ID option are as follows:
   • Roadway segment ID prefix: This optional checkbox entry allows a prefix to be added to the roadway segment ID.
   • Roadway segment ID digits: This entry field allows the user to set the number of digits to be used for the roadway segment ID. For example, using 3 digits causes the roadway segment ID to be of the format 001, 002, and 003.
   • Next available roadway segment ID: This entry field defines the next roadway segment ID number to be used.
   • Roadway segment ID increment: This entry field defines the increment to use when numbering roadway segments. The default value is 1.
   • Roadway segment ID suffix: This optional checkbox entry allows a suffix to be added to the roadway segment ID.
   • Roadway segment ID preview: This read-only field provides a preview of the roadway segment ID defined in this section.

General Options

This section is used to define the general options for drawing roadway segments.

The following options are provided in this section:

• Terrain surface
  The dropdown combo box lists the terrain surfaces associated with the project which are used to define the roadway segment. By default, the current scenario’s terrain surface is selected. If there is no terrain surface defined for the selected scenario, then this entry is blank.

• Roadway segment maximum length
  This optional checkbox option is used to define the maximum length for the roadway segment polyline that is to be drawn. Click the [Pick] button to draw a polyline representing the maximum reach length. The Automated Draw Roadway Segments dialog box will temporarily disappear, allowing the user to draw an approximate roadway segment on the Map View. Once finished, press the [Enter] key or right-click and select Done from the displayed context menu. The drawn polyline will be removed, and the Automated Draw Roadway Segments dialog box will be redisplayed with the measured distance, as shown below.
  
  Notes:
  1. If this checkbox option is left blank, the polyline will extend to the limits of the underlying flow direction grid that the software computes using the selected elevation grid.
  2. The [Pick] button will be disabled (i.e., grayed out) until the user selects a starting point for the roadway segment.

Computing Flow Direction

When all the required data have been defined in the Automated Draw Roadway Segments dialog box, click the [Compute] button to compute the flow direction grid corresponding to the selected terrain surface. During the computation process, the [Compute] button will change into the [Cancel] button, which allows the user to abort the command if needed. After computing the flow direction grid, the software will internally assign the created polyline as a roadway segment on the Map View.